-Introduction-

Forward: the Four Issues

Eternal Life: “How can I be with God when I die?”

John 5:24; Revelation 21:6

John 6:47 it does not say after “believes“ “…and repents, confesses his sin, turns from his sin, feels sorry for his sin, submits to me as the Boss of his life, commits to discipleship, stays faithful all his life until the very end, invites me into his heart by saying a prayer, doesn’t sin too much or too long, doesn’t do any big sins, believes all the right doctrines about me, confesses me publically, walks the isle, is baptized, takes the sacraments, and really, really ---really believes with the right quality of faith…has everlasting life”

Yet, sadly, we will soon discover that every one of these ideas, and many more, are placed into so-called “gospel presentations.”

Eternal security and assurance: “Am I eternally secured and can I know for sure I can be with God when I die and, if so, how do I know?”

John 6:47; 1 John 5:11-13

Then, if that was not bad enough, the ideas about eternal security and assurance are just as confusing in the theology of many. Some believe you can be saved and lose it while others say you can never lose it but you can never know for sure if you have it until you wake up in heaven. The vast majority hold to some form of works-assurance; that is, they know they are saved because of their behavior and good life. You have to examine yourself to see if you are saved.

The believer’s spiritual life: “After salvation, then what?”

1 Peter 2:1-2; Ephesians 2:10, 4:17-24

How does a believer live out their spiritual life? By keeping the Law? Keep the rules? By making commitments? By total surrender? By working hard at it? By cleaning up our life and acting like we think a Christian is to act? Get busy in the Church? Read the Bible? By having the Second Blessing? By having certain mystical experiences? By speaking in tongues? Let go and let God? Go to confession?

How about, “If you are really saved your spiritual life and growth will be inevitable – you will produce spiritual fruit that can be seen by others.”

Once again, the ideas of men and the twisting of Scriptures abounds.

The judgment awaiting believers and rewards: “What can I expect after I’m with God?”

1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10

This doctrine is just as confused as the first three. Here are some common ideas: All true believers will be rewarded. There will be no difference at all between believers in eternity. There will be no sorrow or shame in heaven. Thinking about rewards is selfish and self-righteous.

The most poorly taught of all these four doctrines is, I believe, this last one. Clear biblical thinking based on exegesis and doctrinal consistency is sorely lacking.

I praise God for the clarity of Bible Doctrine found in the Free Grace understanding of Scripture. I am firmly convinced that only in Free Grace is the Scripture handled correctly and accurately which is why I am Free Grace and not something else!

Everybody has a system of interpretation: either it is not well thought out, consistent and disorganized or it is well thought ought, inconsistent, and disorganized. Free Grace is well thought out, consistent, and organized. Free Grace is not a system of thinking imposed on Scripture: it is a system of thinking discovered in Scripture!

1. A simple definition of Free Grace is written by Rene’ Lopez:

Free Grace Theology gets its name from the fact that eternal life is truly a free gift received by anyone who simply believes in Jesus for it.

He goes on to give us this short summary the doctrines of Free Grace people – like Pastor David (!):

There is power in the Free Grace message because the Free Grace message draws out key principles from God’s Word.

Free Grace people know they have eternal life. That’s powerful. Gratitude is powerful. Love is powerful.

Free Grace people know Jesus is coming again and we will be judged by Him to determine our degree of eternal reward. That is powerful. Christ’ approval is something that can and should propel us through each day.

Finally, Free Grace people truly have good news that they can share with friends and love ones and strangers alike.

From his paper “The Basics of Free Grace Theology” at www.scriptureunlocked.org. This paper is included in your extra readings.

Note: Not everybody uses the term “Free Grace” in the same manner. The definition above is how we are using the term. Calvinists who use the same term give it a totally different meaning so beware of just thinking the term carries the same meaning for all who use the term.

The definition of Free Grace that we use flows out of Dispensational interpretation of Scripture. As you can see Free Grace doctrine will impact many other areas of Bible doctrine.

2. Why this “Great Truths of Free Grace” doctrinal study is important

A. We are commanded to handle the Word correctly and to defend the Truth

2 Timothy 2:15: “be diligent”: (Gk. #4704 spoudazo) earnestness, diligence; to make every effort to do one’s best, to be eager. It carries the idea of making something a top priority of effort, doing your utmost and be enthusiastic about it.

This is a mandate, a command given to every believer; it is forcible and specific allowing for no wiggle room to get out of the doing this. The KJV translates the word as “study,” it seems, because of the focused intent of the enthusiastic effort: to handle the Word of God correctly and accurately. The only way this will be accomplished is to be serious and eager in the careful study of Bible Doctrine, in this case, the great doctrinal truths of Free Grace.

I like the NET translation: 2 Timothy 2:15 Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately.

Wuest : Bend your every effort to present yourself to God, approved, a workman unashamed, expounding soundly the word of the truth.

Correct learning >>> correct interpretation>>> correct doctrine>>> correct thinking >>> correct teaching

This is part of keeping the command to love the Lord with your mind:

Matthew 22:37 (NASB) And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE Lord YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'

“present yourself before God”: in the time of our life on earth we are to make every effort to be pleasing to our God (2 Corinthians 5:9)with the result that we will be recognized as pleasing to Him when we arrive home and experience the Judgment Seat of Christ. Such properly motivated hard work will receive His approval. This approval should be our motivation or else we will not stay faithful through time doing the day-in day-out work necessary to accomplish the goal.

“as a workman”: one who has demonstrated over time that they are applying the effort.

“who does not need to be ashamed”: if we have handled the Word correctly we will not be ashamed before Him at His coming and the following Judgment Seat of Christ. The believer must recognize that there will be real shame before Him if we do not bend every effort, with the right mindset, to be clear and accurate in our understanding and teaching of the Word of God.

We should be ashamed of our own selves right now if we do not tale this mandate seriously!

“accurately handling”: orthotomeo (# 3718) a Greek word found only here. It literally means “to cut it straight” or to “lay it out straight” (Alford).

The four issues that are covered in this study of “The Great Truths of Free Grace” are critically important for us to lay them out straight – to be as clear and accurate as we can be - so that we know what the Bible teaches, that is, the exact doctrinally truth.

1 John 2:28 (NASB) Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

1 Peter 3:15

“to make a defense”: (Gk. #627) apologetikos deriving from the word apolgia: the word from which we get the word “apologetics.” It simply means to make a thought-out defense of why one believes as they do. Originally the word meant a verbal defense in a legal courtroom.

Kenneth Boa helps us understand the meaning of apologia:

“In the second century this general word for ‘defense’ began taking on a narrower sense to refer to a group of writers who defended the beliefs and practices of Christianity against various attacks. These men were known as the apologists because of the titles of some of their treatises, but apparently not until 1794 was apologetics used to designate a specific theological discipline. (The Apologetics Study Bible, p. xxv)

Much of the New Testament was written for apologetic reasons. Jude 3 is an example.

My goal in this course of study is to not only help an unbeliever know exactly how they can receive eternal life but also, and primarily, to help the believer understand and be able to use the truths of Free Grace doctrine to know exactly what the Bible teaches and to defend why you believe as you do. It is one thing to believe it – it is quite another to be able to defend it from the Scriptures correctly and accurately handled.

B. To understand the confusion in the church today

We will spend time looking at the confusions and errors in all four of the issues. What are some of the confusions? What is the source of the confusion? When did the confusion start? How is the confusion seen in the Church today?

C. To know and keep clear what the Bible teaches on the four main issues

As we analyze these issues we will compare the confusion with the clarity of the Scriptures correctly handled.

D. To accept the fact that what one believes on these four issues matters – here is just a glance at two:

Issue one: Eternal life: Galatians 1:8-9, 2:1-21; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4

Issue three Spiritual life: Galatians 3:1-3, 5:1

We will be studying these passages in the future but here is the truth: it matters what you believe in all the four issues.

3. The four main issues confused in the church

A. The confusion today over the gospel message

There are more “gospel” presentations abroad in the Church today than there are flies on an old outhouse:

Confess Christ publically / walk then isle / invite Jesus into your heart / say the sinner’s prayer / pray to receive Christ / really, really believe with 100% trust

Obey the golden rule / live a good Christian life / repent / be baptized

Make Jesus the Lord or Boss of your life / put Jesus on the throne of your life / deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him / promise to serve Him all your life

Feel sorry for your sins / turn from self and sin / give your heart to God

Believe in this doctrinal checklist (usually five or more specific doctrines)

Participate in the sacraments of the Church / without the Church there is no salvation / go to church

If you are really saved there will be some evidence or you never had it (Calvinism) or you lost it (Arminianism).

Faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone (Free Grace, biblical, and correct!)

I am sure we could add many, many more variations especially if we included the cults like Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses. This confusion exists in the area of the very first of our four issues: the Gospel message of eternal life: “How can I be with God when I die?”

The Message of Life

John 6:26-29

Jewish belief was that receiving eternal life and entering the Kingdom of God were the same thing – and this is true and is taught in the Scriptures. Where they went wrong is that they believed that “one entered the kingdom by works consisting of observing the traditions of the Pharisees” (Jewish spiritual leaders). (The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, J. Dwight Pentecost, p.78). In other words, they had been taught, and they believed, that good works on the part of the individual combined with doing the rituals of the Jewish religion would bring them eternal life and they would enter the promised Kingdom.

Jesus did not approve of nor accept their thinking. He did not say, “Well, that certainly is a good way to have eternal life. I am glad that is true for you even if it is not true for me. There are many ways into the kingdom so keep doing your best!”

Vv. 28-29: To receive eternal life and thus to enter the Kingdom required simple faith in Him alone and nothing else – no works of any kind are either required or accepted. Jesus gives them an answer that says the only work is no work at all!

Messiah Jesus is simple pointing people to Himself: “I am the source of eternal life to all who will believe in me for that life” is what Jesus tells them. But what is he also negating? Any human good work or religious rituals of any kind.

Their focus has to change; their accepted beliefs have to change for if they do not they will not have eternal life nor will they enter into the Kingdom (live with God forever).

Vv. 39-40

Who does the Father give to the Son? All those who will believe in the Son, Jesus Christ, alone for eternal life – that is the Father’s will v.40. Note: the life is eternal and guaranteed by Jesus – v.39. Furthermore, that eternal life will raise up the believer who has physically died thus the life He gives is not ended by physical death. And the one who guarantees this is Jesus Himself.

This totally negates any “Jesus plus me” or Jesus plus anything false ideas.

V.40: What is the focus for a person in the area of receiving eternal life? Is it good works? No. Is it religious tradition? No. the single focus is Jesus: “that everyone who beholds the Son…” You cannot look to anything or anyone else period. There is no “Jesus plus” in any form or fashion.

Let’s quickly review what we see in verse 40;

V. 40 – the prerequisite: focus is on Jesus alone: “beholds the Son” and then “believes in Him”

“May have eternal life” – an absolutely free gift conditioned only on believing in Jesus for that eternal life

“And I will raise him up on the last day”: present possession of eternal life also includes the guarantee of being with God forever in a glorified body – the life He gives is irrevocable.

Everyone who has ever believed in Jesus alone for eternal life has received it and cannot lose it! It is 100% guaranteed by Jesus.

Antonio DeRosa, from his blog free-grace.blogspot.com:

“Free Grace theology teaches that sinners receive eternal life the instant that they are certain of Christ's promise that guarantees their eternal security, the moment they take Him at His word. Saving faith is taking Christ at His word wherein He guarantees the eternal well-being of all who simply believe Him to do so. Taking Christ at His word is certainty of one's eternal salvation, no matter what.”

A person must have their focus right of they have not believed right. Jesus will not share the glory of the free gift of eternal life with anyone or anything else. Not you; not your religion; not your church; not your rituals; not your making Him Lord; not your promises. It is not about you – it is all about Him.

Do not allow any religious leaders to put you into the bondage of works, religion, or rituals – it does not bring eternal life.

The sad part is that many in the community of those who proclaim the truth of God’s Word correctly in many ways still get the message confused – it is simply not accurate, clear, and consistent. Why is this?

Manfred Kober, www.faith.edu writes;

If you were Satan, which doctrine would you want to undermine? Which area of theology would you pervert, to prevent people from being saved? An individual may be wrong about the doctrine of the church or deny the millennial kingdom and yet doubtless be gloriously saved. However, if a person is wrong on the doctrine of salvation, specifically, the prerequisites for salvation, he misses the very heart of the gospel. One would expect Satan to attack in the area of soteriology. And indeed he has! The informed and discerning believer soon realizes that there is a battle raging among evangelicals and fundamentalists over the matter for the conditions for salvation

For example: let’s evaluate this common but wrong presentation from a website:

Going to heaven is a SIMPLE as ABC.

A) ADMIT YOU ARE A SINNER

B) BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED FOR YOUR SINS, ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND THAT YOU TRUST HIM ALONE 100% FOR YOUR SALVATION, COMMITTING YOUR LIFE TO HIS SERVICE.

C) CONFESS THAT JESUS IS YOUR LORD, GOD, and SAVIOR TO ANYONE.

NOTE: We will see that point “C” is especially a FALSE idea not in accord with Scripture correctly handled.

Now, student of West Side / FGBI, ask two simple questions:

· Is it biblically correct when Scripture is handled accurately? It is incorrect.

· Is it clear or confusing? It is confusing.

The Truth about receiving eternal life: it is by faith alone in Christ alone. To be convinced of the truth that Jesus alone promises eternal life to all who will believe in Him alone for that life is what is necessary to receive the gift of eternal life. Jesus Christ, the sinless God-man, went to the cross in our place, as our substitute, died, and rose again so that He can offer any person eternal life as an absolutely free gift. That promised life is eternal and cannot be taken away or lost for any reason because He is the one who guarantees the gift of eternal life. Believe His promise and the Life is yours eternally.

Now here is the rest of the BIBLICALLY INCORRECT and FALSE presentation on this website:

What's next?

Have you decided to accept the judge's offer?

The offer still stands. If you want to accept his offer, all you have to do is pray:

Lord, I admit I am a sinner. Lord I believe that Jesus died for my sins, was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. I do now place my complete trust 100% on Jesus Christ alone as the only payment for my sins. I will confess my beliefs to others regardless of the consequences AND commit my life to you.

Evaluation: notice the five parts: first, the admission we are a sinner. While there is not a major problem with this, for it is true, the Bible does not ever show anyone having to admit this before receiving eternal life. Second, the Bible never tells anyone to pray a prayer to receive Jesus. Third, 100% trust is potentially misleading and can be confusing. To biblically believe is to become convinced that something is true; it is to give mental assent that what Jesus has promised, eternal life, is true. Trust is often treated as an emotional response of some kind and thus confuses the issue and it can easily mislead. You know if you believe something is true or not, if you give mental assent to the truthfulness of something or not. The idea of 100% trust leaves open some questions and thus is confusing.

However the last two items are absolutely promoting self and works as a condition for receiving eternal life: fourth, to confess one’s beliefs to others is an outward act which should be done but to make it a condition of receiving eternal life violates the biblical condition of faith alone in Christ alone – it adds a work as a necessary condition. If one believes but does not confess either before or after is not a condition. Belief in Jesus alone for eternal life is the single requirement.

Fifth, to commit one’s life to Jesus is also a good thing but to make it a condition to receive eternal life is to, once again, add a human work. This is a form of what is called ‘Lordship salvation” and it is a totally erroneous teaching that results in people NOT RECEIVING ETERNAL LIFE. One cannot mix faith and works.

As we will see later, Lordship salvation consistently confuses post-salvation discipleship passages and makes them refer to what one must do to be saved and go to heaven; they further refer to a believer’s faithfulness and positive behavioral change (so-called “fruit”) as being necessary to know if one has eternal life or not.

Here is another FALSE idea presented by John MacArthur, one of the leading proponents of Lordship Salvation in America:

FALSE: “The life we live, not the words we speak, determines our eternal destiny”

Hard to Believe, p.93

FALSE: “Entrance into the kingdom requires earnest endeavor, untiring energy, and utmost exertion, because Satan is mighty, his demons are powerful, and sin holds us fast” (John MacArthur, Hard to Believe, 149).

DO NOT ACCEPT LORDSHIP COMMITMENT IDEAS AS TRUE - THEY ARE FALSE

The Key Issue:

What exactly does the Bible teach is absolutely necessary to receive eternal life?

John 5:24 – you know you are saved because Jesus promised you eternal life when you believed in Him for that life. You have eternal life by what you believe, not how you behave.

Hopefully, from the sample above of a “gospel presentation” we can see why we have got to understand the issues and clarify the issues from the Scripture properly, accurately, and consistently handled.

Here is their WRONG and FALSE answer to the question of assurance:

How Do You Know You Are Saved?

Has God so worked in your heart that you are beginning to flee from, to hate sin? Do you have a new love for God and his Word? Have you turned completely from your old sin life with no desire to return to it at all? Do you desire to be around other Christians? Do you love them? Are you willing to lose all, give up anything, for Christ? If the answer is NO, you haven't been regenerated, given a new spirit, the Spirit of God. Continue to ask God into your life until this change takes place. If you have experienced this, then your salvation is secure and you can proceed to growth in the faith.

Now, student of West Side / FGBI, ask the same two questions:

· Is this biblically correct when Scripture is handled accurately? It is incorrect.

· Is it clear or confusing? It is confusing.

Is this standard they have written above even obtainable by anybody who is being honest? The bottom line is this: salvation and assurance has been made totally unobtainable unless one deceives himself!

Now let’s ask two more questions:

· If you follow this are you going to be saved – that is, will you receive the gift of eternal life? The answer is no because it adds to the Message of Life.

· Will this bring you any confident assurance that you have indeed received eternal life? No! Because the focus is on the person not the promise of Jesus.

Zane Hodges writes:

False doctrine in today’s church often begins like this: “If he is really saved, he will…

The ways of completing this statement are extremely numerous:

“… he will be baptized.”

“… he will never deny the faith.”

“… he will persevere in good works.”

“… he will never commit murder.”

And so on. The list could be lengthened greatly.

What is wrong with these statements?

First, they are man’s statements, not God’s…. second, these statements are an insult to the cross of Christ. As tests of our salvation, what they basically imply is this:

“You cannot find peace or assurance by looking to Christ and His cross alone”

(The Gospel Under Siege, p.147)

Beloved: our focus must be on Christ alone knowing that His work alone is sufficient to bring eternal life. He promises it. Simply believe it.

Now there are many variations of the above ABC yet they all follow the same basic pattern. These same questions must be asked of ALL “gospel presentations.” Just because some says, “This is the Gospel or Good news of salvation” don’t accept it until you have evaluated it in the light of the Truth of God’s Word correctly and consistently handled.

The key question for issue one is this: what exactly does the Bible teach is absolutely necessary to receive eternal life? The Bible only teaches faith alone in Christ alone as the single necessity to receive the free gift of eternal life. IF ANYTHING IS ADDED IT IS A FALSE GOSPEL THAT WILL NOT SAVE.

Hopefully, from the sample above of a “gospel presentation” we can see why we have got to understand the issues and clarify the issues from the Scripture properly and accurately handled.

B. The confusion over eternal security and the assurance of eternal life

1 John 2:25, 5:13; John 5:24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Acts 16:31

From the above “gospel presentation” we can immediately see a number of issues where the church is confused today. Consider, in addition, some of the following statements and see how they relate to eternal security and assurance:

Is eternal security conditional? Some say it is. Here is a sampling from various locations:

· FALSE: So what happens to a person with spiritual life (a Christian) who is not faithful to the end of his life? Clearly, he will experience spiritual death.

· FALSE: As long as a child of God desires to be saved, he or she can certainly remain so

· FALSE: There is no doubt that the Bible teaches we can fall from God’s grace. That is, having received the gift of God by His grace, we can so live as to abandon that gift.

· FALSE: Salvation is not merely a one-time event, but an ongoing relationality between God and the humans through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The following is a different form of eternal security: if you are one of the elect (by their definition) then you have eternal security:

· FALSE: Eternal security rests in the sovereign will of God; He chose some for eternal life and because of this fact, nothing can interfere with that promise coming to fruition

However, the elect person does not know for sure if they are elect and so they do not know for sure if they have eternal security. This brings up the doctrine of assurance.

How about assurance; can you know for sure you are saved

· FALSE: Regenerated and justified believers may indeed lapse in their faith, resist God, and fall into sin for a period but their unbelief and resistance is fleeting, rather than incorrigible and final

· FALSE: A faith that fails in the finish had a fault from the first

· FALSE: The mark of a true disciple is not that he never sins, but when he does sin he inevitably returns to the Lord to receive forgiveness and cleansing. Unlike a false disciple, the true disciple will never turn away completely (for this writer read disciple = saved)

· FALSE: You are saved by faith alone but not by faith that is alone

· FALSE: But let us appreciate the doctrine of perseverance of the saints and recognize that we may entertain the faith of our security in Christ only as we persevere in faith and holiness to the end.

· FALSE: We can never know that we are elected of God to eternal life except by manifesting in our lives the fruits of election – faith and virtue, knowledge and temperance, patience and godliness, love of the brethren. It is fruitless to seek assurance outside of holiness of life.

· FALSE: True faith inevitable results in good works

· FALSE: From the perspective of Pentecostal soteriology, Pentecostal theology, although grounded firmly on the Word of God, is highly participatory and experiential. As Pentecostals we see our involvement and responsibility in cooperating with the divine will to be instrumental in the outcome of our salvation experience….For Pentecostals, the salvation experience has always been about involvement with God and not merely position in Christ.

· FALSE: “…true obedience is one of the toughest requirements of the Christian life. Apart from obedience, there can be no salvation, for salvation without obedience is a self-contradictory impossibility…we need to preach again…a Christ who will either be Lord of all or he will not be Lord at all!” (A. W. Tozer, I Call It Heresy! Quoted in Free Grace Soteriology, David Anderson, p.127)

All of these ideas above are confused and biblically incorrect!

We do not want to miss the persistent theme in all of these approaches to eternal security and assurance: they ultimately all end up focusing on the individual. As we will discover, biblical Free Grace assurance focuses on the Savior and His promise, not the individual believer.

The truth about assurance: When you have come to believe in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life, then it is God’s understanding that you have eternal life that cannot be lost – that should be your understanding also!

We will see this truth clearly taught in the Word of God as we continue this study.

C. The confusion today over the spiritual life of the believer

1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Ephesians 4:1; Galatians 5:1, 16-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:3a

When one receives eternal life it is the will of God that the believer be “spiritual;” walk worthy, lived in freedom, and to be sanctified.

How then is this to occur? How do I live the Christian life? Is it possible to live a life pleasing to God? What if I have a repeated sin I cannot seem to overcome? How can I be in God’s will? What makes me spiritual?

Do I try to keep the Law especially the Ten Commandments?

These statements below are false, as we will see:

Those of the Reformed (Puritan) tradition will say “yes”:

· FALSE: "Is the disciple to be above his Master, the servant superior to his Lord? Christ was ‘made under the law’ (Gal. 4:4), and lived in perfect submission thereto, and has left us an example that we should ‘follow His steps’ (1 Peter 2:21). Only by loving, fearing, and obeying the law, shall we be kept from sinning." – ARTHUR PINK

· FALSE: "The Christian must never say farewell to the law. Thank God, we are no longer under it as a way of salvation; but we are to keep it, we are to honor it, we are to practice it in our daily life." – DR. MARTIN LLOYD-JONES

· FALSE: "Genuine sanctification will show itself in habitual respect for God’s law, and habitual effort to live in obedience to it as a rule of life. The Holy Spirit will always lead him (the believer) to a spiritual use of the law in the pursuit of sanctification." – J.C. RYLE

· FALSE: “The ethical absolutes of the Ten Commandments and Christ's moral teachings guide the effort to develop intellect and character in the classroom, chapel, and cocurricular activities.” – GROVE CITY COLLEGE in the “history” section of the website.

About this Zane Hodges writes: “Historically Puritan theology has been marked by its heavy stress on the Old Testament law, both as a rule of life for the Christian today and also as a means of testing the reality of a person’s Christian conversion” (The Gospel Under Siege, p.v).

Do I have to have some kind of spiritual experiences? Again the answer is NO – but below are some FALSE statements.

False statements from Pentecostals:

· FALSE: “The concept of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is that there are two works of the Spirit: one is to lead us to accept Christ and be baptized; the second is to fill us so we can truly live the Christian life and do the works of God “ - PASTOR DENNIS SMITH

· FALSE: “Speaking in tongues is always manifested when people are baptized in the Holy Ghost” - KENNETH HAGIN, SR.

· FALSE: “According to the Assemblies of God USA, this essential form of baptism, which is separate from a water baptism by immersion, allows followers the experiences of an overflowing fullness of the Spirit, a deepened reverence for God, an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work as well as a more active love for Christ, His Word and the lost. In addition to these internal changes, physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is initially seen through speaking in tongues. According to the Assemblies of God USA, the Spirit of God gives believers the ability to speak in tongues to demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit.” (From www.ehow.com)

False statements from Catholics

Remember that for the Catholic the spiritual life is part and parcel of making it to heaven.

· FALSE: “If you're hoping to get to heaven, you'll need a plan to reach your goal. Do you pray? Give any thought to the virtues? Do works of mercy? And what about the sacraments? Been to confession lately? Are you doing any spiritual reading?” – FROM A CATHOLIC BISHOP

One excellent writer who came out of Catholicism gives us a good summary of what he accurately calls Catholic “soul-gripping superstitions advanced under the guise of spirituality.”

I trusted in relics of dead so-called Saints; holy water; making the sign of the cross; votive candles; baptism for salvation (infant or otherwise); a "transubstantiated" piece of bread alleged to be Christ; apparitions of Mary; a scapular; a "miraculous medal"; statues and images of Jesus, Mary, and the saints; endless Rosaries, Novenas, the Stations of the Cross; abstaining from meat on Friday; Lenten abstinences; the Last Rites to get me into Purgatory and indulgences to get me out of Purgatory; Mass cards; graces dispensed from Mary; the confessional, with absolution of my sins by a priest; penance and personal suffering to purify me of my sin; worshiping a piece of bread at the Eucharistic Holy Hour; the Holy Father as the Vicar of Christ on earth, etc., etc. Therein lies a bondage that few evangelicals understand.

T.A. MacMahon, “Evangelical Mysticism?” on www.theberancall.org

From here he goes on to warn about some of these same or similar practices are bleeding into the evangelical church especially through the “Emergent Church” movement that is becoming increasingly popular today.

Here are a few more FALSE ideas that float around in the discussions of the spiritual life of the believer:

· FALSE: "Soaking prayer is a modern form of contemplative prayer ... People put themselves in an attitude of stillness, focusing on Jesus and open to the Holy Spirit but with no requests or agenda. The aim is to be still in God’s presence, "waste time with Jesus." The Toronto church sees soaking prayer as one of the main ways in which they encourage people to be open to the Holy Spirit…. Some of these phenomena are obvious: weeping, cries, exuberant and prolonged expressions of praise, shaking, trembling, calmness, bodily writhing and distortions, falling over (sometimes referred to as 'being slain in the Spirit'), laughter and jumping. Other phenomena are more subtle: slight trembling, fluttering of the eyelids, faint perspiring, a sheen on the face, ripples on the skin, deep breathing..." Wimber also said that people sometimes experience a sense of heaviness or tiredness, weeping or drunkenness." - ROGER HARPER "SOAKING PRAYER"

· FALSE: “We should be returning to a no-holds-barred approach to worship and teaching so that when we gather, there is no doubt we are in the presence of God. I believe that both believers and unbelievers in our emerging culture are hungry for this. It isn’t about clever apologetics or careful exegetical and expository preaching or great worship bands. … Emerging generations are hungry to experience God in worship” – DAN KIMBALL, The Emerging Church

· FALSE: “MYSTICAL UNION: The union of a soul with God in deep contemplation. It is characterized by a deep awareness of the divine presence, and has a variety of grades, not necessarily successive, but distinguished by spiritual writers. They are: the two nights of the soul (senses and spirit) before mystical union, the prayer of quiet, the full union, ecstasy, and spiritual marriage or transforming union: - (J. HARDON, The Modern Catholic Dictionary)

Unfortunately, for the vast numbers of Christians today, spirituality is becoming something for subjective experience and not for the renewing of the mind which comes from thinking and learning Bible Doctrine. This is a FALSE and unbiblical idea.

Of course, the typical conservative “Bible preaching” church boils the spiritual life down to something like this: stop the bad stuff, do the good stuff – change your behavior. Don’t stay in sin too long or sin too much or do the “big sins.” Go to church, read the Bible, read a devotional book, give money, do some service in the church, be nice to everybody, go to the altar often, witness and give out gospel tracks and probably say “amen” a lot when the preacher really gets “fired up”! (O.K., that’s a little sarcastic, but I was raised under this thinking so I can!)

In Free Grace the key common element is that of progressive spiritual growth that is based on the Scriptures and never some mystical spiritual experience. However, there are Free Grace people who are clear on how one receives eternal life but are not nearly as clear on the spiritual life of the believer.

A Doctrinal Free Grace Church, such as West Side and the Free Grace Bible Institute, is clear and consistent on the spiritual life of the believer. This life is based on (1) the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and (2) the steady intake of Bible doctrine which then is applied by the free choice of the believer who is filled with the Holy Spirit and thus has the power to freely choose to apply Bible doctrine.

D. The confusion today about future judgments and the believer’s rewards

1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 19:27-30; Revelation 3:21, 22:12

Below are some FALSE and confused ideas on this issue.

· FALSE: A Presbyterian reformed writer states: “The final judgment is the last major event connected to the second coming of Christ. When Jesus returns, the resurrection of the body will occur and the whole human race will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” - BRIAN SCHWERTLEY

· FALSE: From another Calvinist website: “The only difference between the phrases "Saved by works," and "Rewarded for works," is one of semantics. For there are only two rewards [misthos], or wages. One payment for good works, which is the inheritance of eternal life. And one payment for bad works, which is the judgment of eternal damnation…. Only a true Believer being judged "PERFECT" receives a full reward. Anything less than a full reward is for him who is 'not perfect,' and thus has no Salvation. Make sure you receive a full reward. Make sure you are Saved.” – T. WARREN

· FALSE: A catholic writer: “Justification of an individual by God, resulting in the ultimate reward of the Beatific Vision, either immediately or after a temporal period in purgatory, is countered by the judgment of condemnation by God, resulting in an individual's consignment to hell…. Mortal sin, which an individual can only commit by willful act, is the state that leads one to condemnation, and consequently to hell.” - RICHARD GRIBBLE

· FALSE: From a Catholic Catechism: Q. 1378. What are the rewards or punishments appointed for men's souls after the Particular Judgment?

A. The rewards or punishments appointed for men's souls after the Particular Judgment are Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell.

NOTE: heaven is a reward in this teaching. Heaven is not a reward for good works. It is a gift!

Free Grace understands the biblical teaching that the believer will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ (which is for believers only) where they will either gain or lose rewards but never their eternal life. Heaven is not a reward it is a gift, faithfulness is not inevitable, and believers will be rewarded based on their advancement to spiritual maturity (this latter statement be especially true of Doctrinal Free Grace)

Do we see the vast confusion, beloved? If we do not work hard to be clear and consistent then we will end up in false doctrine and confusion. In all the areas of the four key issues a person untrained in correct Bible Doctrine would tend come to one of several INCORRECT and unfortunate conclusions:

1. One idea is as good as another, just practice brotherly love

2. It doesn’t really matter what you believe

3. One cannot really know what the Bible says on these issues

4. As long as it works for you that is sufficient

5. Doctrine divides, love unites – let’s just all get along: after all, Jesus said “That they all may be one…” Doctrine should not be the focus of the church

6. We just need to focus on what we have in common

7. God just accepts us all if we are sincere

8. We just need to accept one another and work together to help others

9. We can all be enriched by the others theological approaches.

10. Jesus would want us to be united to solve social and political injustice, helping the poor, educational efforts, and fighting economic disparities.

11. Don’t judge least you be judged!

12. Christianity isn’t a religion; it’s a relationship

So is Bible Doctrine unimportant or even bad? Can we know truth from error as we study the Scriptures? Maybe only the “big issues,” but who decides the “big issues?” Are differences about what eternal life is, how one receives it, how does one know (or hope) they have it, and can it be lost unimportant issues? Are the answers to the questions of the spiritual life and afterward (like the doctrine of rewards) simply unimportant? If the four focus doctrinal teachings of this Bible study are not major doctrines, than nothing is! The confusion is from Satan himself.

What is the truth?

Have we become modern Pilates? John 18:37-38

Pilate was a man of his age when he stated this seemingly sarcastic statement of the “truth confusion” of his day and age. There were so many competing claims to truth that he probably felt, as many do today, that no one can know truth about anything. Amazingly, the absolute Truth was standing in front of him and he asked the question in sarcasm and immediately got up and left indicating he certainly did not expect Jesus to have any truth to give him. He no doubt felt it could be not understood, it was not important anyway, or there was no such thing as truth except that which was established by power.

Truth – absolute truth – is a major theme of the Gospel of John. The Gospel presents Jesus as the Truth incarnate, absolute truth, the ultimate reality of the universe whose Word defined truth and reality.

John 14:6, 17:17

In order to have clarity and consistency rather than confusion we must determine that (1) God wrote His Word to be understood, and (2) the believer can understand it correctly. We further must know that there is only one correct way to interpret the Scriptures and thus to build correct doctrine. We must not be guilty of being like those Paul mentioned:

2 Timothy 3:7 (NASB) always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

We must determine what the Bible correctly teaches on these four doctrines so that we come to a true knowledge (#1922 epignosis) of the truth. The goal of this study is to come to a true knowledge of the truth on these four issues so we not only know the truth but we know that we know the truth, so that we can apply the truth and are prepared to defend it.

Of course this means that when we determine from Scripture “this is true” we must also declare that anything contrary is false. That is not popular! As someone has said, “it is acceptable today to say, “this is true” as long as it is not followed up with, “and therefore, that is false.” But biblical absolute truth does not accept that other truth claims are also acceptable.

As Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias puts it: “The fact is, the truth matters – especially when you’re on the receiving end of a lie.” And He also has said, “Truth excludes its opposite.” Why I am a Christian: Leading thinkers explain why they believe (p.268) Geisler & Hoffman

The Foundation for Clarity: Jesus Taught “Simply Two”

The Warning About the Confusion From Jesus

The Simply Two’s: Matthew 7:13-27

Three of the four main issues of Free Grace are in the teaching of Jesus is found in Matthew 7

Question 1 Eternal Life: Vv. 13-20

Two gates

A warning: Two trees – false teaching (Matthew 12:33-37)

Question 2 Eternal Security and assurance: Vv. 21-23

Two professions

Question 3: The spiritual life of the believer: Vv. 24-27

Two builders

Question 4: Judgment and rewards Matthew 16:24-27

Two denials

The first question: “How can I be with God when I die?”

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter”: Greek aorist imperative active:

· Aorist imperative: a command to do something in the future that is a simple action – a one time event.

· Active: something the subject must do

“Enter”: use your volition to make this choice

“Enter”: Jesus commands that you make this simple choice at a moment in time to enter into the “narrow, small gate” and the “narrow way” (v.14). This entering is at a moment in time - “punctiliar”: like a dot - a moment in time. Not an arrow that makes the choice a process.

Anyone can choose to violate this command but in doing so they have chosen the alternative. Every person is faced with this eternal destiny determining choice. But note: the choice is simple, uncomplicated, and not confusing – there are not many gates: just two.

The gate is Jesus: John 10:9

The way is Jesus: John 14:6 (this does not refer to discipleship either here in John or in Matthew 7).

But what opens the gate? What puts us on the way that guarantees our eternal life? How do we enter?

The way through the gate

John 11:25-26 Key - v.26: Do you believe that He is the one who alone guarantees your eternal life. Jesus said “never die” and this is the same as eternal life: you never experience separation from God (spiritual death) because Jesus gives you eternal life with Him forever from the moment one believes in Him alone for unconditional eternal life.

John 14:6: “I am the…life”

John 10:28: “give eternal life…never perish”

John 3:15 - “believe / faith”: At a moment in time to be convinced (to know) that it is true that Jesus alone unconditionally guarantees your reaching heaven – this is His promise.

The key is “believe,” but believe in him for what? A hot dog? A new car? That He exists? That He helps me get to heaven by helping/making me perform good works? That He works through the church or some rituals to get me to heaven? That He can change my life? That He died on the cross and rose again? That He died in my place as my substitute? That if I pray and invite Him into my heart he will come in?

The specific to believe

It is not “Just believe something about Jesus” it is very specific:

· positive side: believe His promise that He alone freely gives you eternal life;

· negative side: there is no other way to have that life

That unconditional life is eternal and can never be lost or taken away for any reason – that is His promise. This is exactly what must be believed to receive eternal life.

Faith has to have a focus: The focus is on Jesus alone and His promise to give only one kind of spiritual life - Unconditional eternal life. To believe in Jesus alone is to believe in His promise alone – to be fully convinced of the “never die” (John 11:26) promise. Once saved always saved! Unconditional security is promised by Jesus and this must be believed.

The narrow gate alone leads to life (zoe). That life is the unconditional eternal life that Jesus gives to all who simply believe His promise. Jesus can make that promise because on the cross He did all that was necessary to pay the full penalty of sin as our spiritual substitute. He is the only one in all the universe who can make that promise and keep it!

The only other choice: the wide gate

Matthew 7:13-14

Wide = destruction (Greek #684 apoleia): Meaning loss or ruin. At physical death your soul (the thinking and aware you) enters into the “second death” which is the eternal exclusion from the quality of life experienced by being with God forever. It is a loss or ruin from what could have been.

Destruction: “The saddest words of tongue or pen are the words, ‘It might have been.’”

Immediately upon physical death the soul of the unbeliever goes to the place of torment called “hades” (Luke 16:19-31) and eventually the soul ends up in the eternal “lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15). Eternity is a long time to be wrong.

Man in his arrogance thinks that believing in Jesus alone as the only means of being right with God is not true, there are many ways, this is too simple and is too easy.

Some see the “wide gate” as tolerance, beauty, independence, no accountability, fun, freedom, “my way,” etc.

Jesus warns of making the wrong choice

Matthew 13:42: “the furnace of fire”

Matthew 18:18: ‘The eternal fire”

Matthew 25:46: “The eternal punishment”

Mark 9:43: “unquenchable fire”

Luke 16:24 – the rich man who was an unbeliever: “I am in agony in these flames” and verse 28 “this place of torment”

Some facts;

· Of the 1,850 verses in the New Testament that record Jesus’ words, 13% of these talk of eternal judgment and hell.

· In 1990 Gallup survey 60% of Americans believed in some kind of hell but only 4% thought they were going there!

· Jesus spoke more of hell than heaven.

If Jesus was wrong on hell than He was wrong about His being our only gate / way out of this destiny. But He is right on both counts!

Matthew 7:13-14: The way

When Jesus spoke of “the way” He was simply using another metaphor for entrance or passage.

John 14:1-6

“the way” does not refer to maintaining some lifestyle of obedience or good works as if the way was a path the individual had to walk. “The way” is the same as the gate – It is Jesus’ promise to give eternal life to all who believe in Him alone for that life.

Belief in Jesus opens the narrow gate: “I am convinced that Jesus alone unconditionally guarantees my eternal life – I know His promise is true.”

However, some erroneously think about the narrow gate… “When Jesus says it is small and narrow it means that it is difficult and hard for the person because they have to work and struggle to get through the gate and to stay on the narrow way.”

These falsely say that without commitment, effort, perseverance, and good works going along with “faith” then one’s faith is not effective for eternal life. “One cannot just believe without a real change in living.” Just to believe without real change is called “easy-believism” and “cheap grace.”

What makes the gate small and narrow?

The emphasis of the Matthew 7 passage is this: entrance must be by the right focus and right means. The issue is this: How are you seeking to enter the gate / way? Only by the means clearly stated by Jesus can entrance be made: a simple faith in His promise of eternal life. It is simple, easy to understand, uncomplicated, and absolutely clear.

To seek to enter the gate / way through any other focus or means than to believe in Jesus alone for unconditional eternal life (and nothing else included) is to end up going through the wide gate! That is what makes it narrow and few find it because of human viewpoint with its importing of something more than faith alone in Christ’s promise alone.

To require anything other than faith alone in Jesus to freely give His unconditional eternal life (His promise) is to enter through the wide gate to destruction no matter if someone says that the narrow gate is entered by commitment, perseverance, or anything else except faith alone in Christ’s promise of eternal life alone.

A favorite verse of some who claim intense work is involved to enter the narrow gate:

Luke 13:24-27 - Why “strive” if there is no work involved?

To strive against HVP! The issue is, once again, how people will seek to enter – human arrogance always seeks to do something rather than to humbly accept the free gift by simple faith alone.

“many will seek to enter”: there is a traffic jam at the door of people trying some other method!

Vv. 25-26: no special pleading will alter the fact of only two gates, two ways, two choices. These people call Him “Lord” and say they have a personal relationship with Him but they did not enter by faith alone in His promise alone.

While the primary context is to those Jews who had known Jesus physically while He was here, the application includes all who try to enter without coming by faith alone in Christ alone for unconditional eternal life.

Here is a sad truth Jesus shares: All of these believe they have believed! But they have added something to the simple offer of eternal life by simply knowing that Jesus’ promise is true.

v.25: the shutting of the door happens at the Second Coming when Jesus removes all unbelievers from planet earth and establishes His Messianic Millennial reign.

The issue is simple: How are you seeking entrance? The word “strive” is the Greek word agonizomai “to work so hard as to agonize.”

“Some people have a lot of agonizing work to do before they finally determine that entrance into heaven is not conditioned on work” – neither before nor after “believing”! Marty Cauley, Fallen From Grace But Not From Perfection, p.66

Why are they seeking to enter but are not able? Because they are trying to come by some other way rather than that established by Jesus Christ – faith alone in Christ’s promise alone!

The Great Truths of Free Grace 22 | Page