What’s Wrong with the Full Gospel? Pt. 2
By Rev. Gary Osborne
"It’s those Pentecostals that have given Christianity a bad name!"
"All the crazy stuff that goes on today can be blamed on Pentecostals."
"Isn’t Biblical and Pentecostal used together an oxymoron?"
All the above quotes are real. I personally have either heard or read them over the past six months. As mentioned last time in part one of this article, Pentecostals are getting the proverbial black eye (doctrinally speaking) from non-Pentecostals as never before! The reason for this "attack" on full gospel preaching and teaching is primarily due to all the strange manifestations that have been promoted over this last decade. Between the laughing revival made popular by Rodney Howard-Browne, the animal noises coming from Toronto, and the bodily jerking of Brownsville, the Pentecostal world is really taking a beating.
The problem is, true Pentecostals don’t believe in these things! We are Bereans who stick to the Word of God! If it isn’t in the Bible, we don’t buy it. And despite all efforts to distance ourselves from these extreme Charasmatics, we are being lumped together with them by those in the Christian world who do not believe in the Baptism in the Holy Spirit as a subsequent work of grace. Many non-Pentecostal Christians are recklessly condemning all Pentecostal distinctives. They are all to often categorically lumping those Christians who believe in tongues (a biblical doctrine) together with those who believe in "gold" fillings in teeth (a non-biblical manifestation catching on as of late).
Guilty by Association?
This guilt by association can best be illustrated by the following question and reply found in a past edition of one of the more popular "discernment" newsletters of today.
Question: Why do you speak of Pentecostal charismatics in such a derogatory manner? I resent the fact that you categorize all Pentecostal charismatics as believing in the "name it and claim it movement." Please, please stop categorizing Pentecostal charismatics as being ignorant of Satan’s devices.
Answer: I did not intend to "categorize all Pentecostal charismatics as believing in the ‘name it and claim it movement’"… I apologize, for that was not intended.1
I applaud this brother for clarifying that all Pentecostals do NOT believe in these extremes. However, he goes on to make another interesting comment. He writes the following:
As for the Pentecostal/charismatic movement in general, does it not provide most of the support and following for those who hold to serious false doctrines…? Nor is this true only among the fringe fanatics. Is it not the case also with the mainstream Pentecostal churches?2
Here we see a perfect example of what I am expressing: Guilt by Association. The generally held notion by non-Pentecostals is that we (Spirit-filled believers) are in, and help perpetuate, more error than other Christians and churches. However, this statement is based on what one perceives and believes to be error. Yes, I agree that the "Pentecostal/charismatic" world has seen its fair share of false doctrine. And we here at A.B.P. are committed to taking a stand against all the false doctrines and manifestations coming out of such movements as the "River Revival." Anyone who has read any of our material knows this. However, we are also concerned with the false doctrine that comes out of non-Pentecostal churches as well. And it is one such false teaching that will be dealt with in this article.
A Deadly Doctrine!
In my opinion, the most harmful and widespread false doctrine that the Protestant world has ever embraced is not a result of Pentecostalism. In fact, Pentecostals have rejected this insidious doctrine, while non-Pentecostals have promoted it down through the centuries. I speak of the teaching known as "once saved, always saved." It is also called the "perseverance of the saints", and "unconditional eternal security." And it is this doctrine that we want to examine.
As mentioned last time, this belief is the result of an entire system of theology known as Calvinism. It is so named because the man that organized it systematically was John Calvin. His basic doctrine can be summed up by the acrostic T.U.L.I.P. Each letter stands for one tenet of Calvinism. The first letter stands for the "Total Depravity of Man." This means is that man is so sinful that he hasn’t any good in him. Concerning this first tenet A.B.P. is in agreement. However, Calvinism takes this tenet a step further to state that "every individual is so sinful as to be unable to respond to any offer of grace."3 Once the tenet is taken to this level, it becomes an unscriptural belief. Under the Unbiblical Doctrines and Practices article of A.B.P.’s Constitution we list "Calvinism" as one such creed we reject. In particular we state that "although we would affirm the depravity of man, we reject the conclusion that this would render a man incapable of making a decision for Christ." Clearly the Bible presents God as offering salvation to any who would choose to believe. The Old Testament contains universal invitations; for instance, Isa 55:1 - "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk. Without money and without cost." (NAS) Jesus’ invitation was similarly without restriction: Mt 11:27-28 - "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (NAS)
So here we have the first of many serious errors that are promoted by non-Pentecostals. Someone might ask, "Why is this such an important issue?" Although much could be said right now, I think it would be best to continue on, and I believe things will become clear soon!
The second tenet of Calvinism is "Unconditional Election," and is at the heart of this false belief system. It states that God chooses whomever He desires, before we are even born, for either salvation or damnation. In other words, it isn’t our choice for salvation, but God’s. If you are fortunate enough to be one of the elect in God’s plan, you will (by default) be saved. If you aren’t one of the elect you will go to Hell - no matter what! Again, this is patently false. If this were true, God Himself would be a liar, for II Peter 3:9 states that God "is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (NAS) Thankfully we have the Word of God to dispel such error!
The third tenet in Calvinism is the "Limited Atonement" of Christ’s sacrifice. This states that since only the elect are saved due to God’s unconditional election, then it stands to reason that Jesus actually only died for the people that God already planned to save. Thus scriptures like I John 2: 1,2 – "My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world" (NAS) obviously do not mean what they clearly teach.
At some point, one must ask himself, "How can an individual believe in something that is contradicted by so much scripture?" A good question indeed! As I mentioned before, the non-Pentecostals seem to have no problem "seeing" the error in the River Revival made popular by Toronto and Brownsville, and yet they fail to see the error in Calvinism! That is surely strange.
The fourth tenet is "Irresistible Grace." The point here is that since all are incapable of choosing God’s gift on their own (due to total depravity), and only the one’s God chose to save will be saved (due to unconditional election and the limited atonement of Jesus), then it is only logical that when God does move on a predestined person’s heart to accept Him, they will do so because His grace is irresistible! You cannot refuse because He has already selected you for salvation! This of course flies in the face of countless scriptures that declare it is possible to resist the Spirit of God and His grace (Mt. 22:3; Lk. 13:34; Jn. 6:63 & ff.; Ac. 7:51; Heb. 3:8,12; 12:25).
"Once Saved, Always Saved?"
Now we enter the fifth and most widely accepted of the tenets of Calvinism. It is known as the "Perseverance of the Saints," or as it is more commonly called, "once saved, always saved." From here on out we will refer to it simply as OSAS. Some have rejected the first four tenets of Calvinism, but continue to hold to the fifth. In fact many clutch so strongly to this tenet as to rival, in my personal opinion, the militancy of extremist Muslims in their love of Jihad (Islamic holy wars)! I have personally discussed/debated this topic of OSAS with many Southern Baptists and Presbyterians (only two of a number of denominations who hold to this belief). The one thing that always stands out is their persistence in holding on to the doctrine despite all the scripture to the contrary! And it is here where we will spend the majority of our study. I believe you will be appalled at the dogma of many OSAS teachers and how these beliefs can be just as destructive, if not more so, than much in the current charismatic movement. If the belief in Calvinism were academic only, the problem would not be so grave. However, that is not the case. An acceptance in OSAS can and almost always will directly affect the spiritual life of a Christian. Modern day popular OSAS teachers will make this evident as we look at examples from them and their ministries momentarily. Prepare to be shocked!
The "Carnal Christian" Excuse
A major point in OSAS theology is the issue of "carnality" in the believer. According to many OSAS teachers there are Christians who act just like the unsaved. They take the scripture in I Corinthians 3:3-4 as proof of this: 1Co 3:3-4 – "for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?" (NKJV) Read now how one very popular non-Pentecostal describes a "carnal Christian":
And so, sometimes out of ignorance or whatever it might be, they attempt to gratify and meet those needs the same way they did before they were saved, and therefore, you can't tell a carnal believer from a lost man. That is, you can't tell the cold from the carnal because the truth is, they're both acting the same way. Now, one of them is in Christ and one of them isn't. One of them is lost and the other one is in Christ. One of them knows about God and knows him in the experience of salvation; the other doesn't know him.4
Popular Christian preacher and teacher Chuck Swindoll adds even more to this definition of carnal Christians by stating the following:
And it may surprise some of you to hear this because you weren't perhaps raised under this theology. Fourth, the carnal Christian resembles non-Christians… Do you realize the scandal I am declaring? If given full reign, our flesh will come across exactly as those who are not even born again. That explains how a Christian can steal and lie. That explains how a Christian can lack integrity and commit adultery and turn against the very things he or she once taught.5
So we see that a believer (so-called by OSAS teachers) can actually be involved in and commit sins such as lying, stealing and adultery! Yet the Apostle Paul is not referring to these things in I Corinthians 3. He is simply stating that the Christians in Corinth were acting as "babies" in regard to bias of favorite teachers - not to sins such as adultery! Look again at verse four of chapter three. "For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?" (NKJV) So the way in which these Christians were carnal had nothing to do with lying, stealing and committing adultery. What a perversion of the Scriptures! It amazes me that these ministers can make such leaps in logic when only two chapters later in Paul makes the following statement. 1Co 5:11 – "I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one." (NAS)
Calvinism is again to blame for this incredible redefining of the Scriptures. Many non-Pentecostals hold so strongly to Calvinism, and consequently OSAS, that they believe it to be essential. James White writes that "one must believe in the perseverance of the saints [OSAS] if one is to accurately present the gospel of grace. To do anything else is to edit the gospel."6
This doctrine is far from a non-essential to most OSAS teachers. Adrian Rogers says it is "fundamental" and "necessary."7 "If you reject eternal security, you will never attain maturity,"8 says R. B. Thieme. Charles Stanley makes the strongest statement of them all when he states that "the very gospel itself comes under attack when the eternal security of the believer is questioned."9 So you can see how serious non-Pentecostals take this issue. To them it is a part of the gospel that is literally essential!Some may be wondering if this strong language is a modern development. I can assure you it is not. Even the great preacher Charles Spurgeon, who wrote many wonderful books and is one of the most influential men in all of Church history, held to this doctrine with the same fierceness as the men quoted above. He said, "I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else."10
This quote, along with the others, is given to drive home the point to you, the reader, that these men hold to this doctrine with an iron grip, and will not let it go (even when the Bible clearly rebukes their belief). Going back for a second to our concern about those involved in the River revival for a moment. We have seen the non-Pentecostals stand back in shock as they look on at the foolishness in Charismatic camps such as Toronto and Brownsville. The laughing, barking, jerking, etc.… are ridiculed. And rightfully so! However, these same men are willfully ignorant when it comes to OSAS. It is should be a sobering admonition to every Christian when one sees how easily a person can be "blinded" by certain pet doctrines!A License to Sin?
As Christians we can all agree that the grace of God is a much-coveted thing! Without His grace, we cannot be saved! Paul makes this clear in Ephesians chapter two when he says we are "saved by grace…" Because the grace God gives us is so wonderful, it would be natural to desire as much of it as one could get. Paul experienced a unique problem in Rome with a false concept of how one obtains the grace of God. Since God’s grace is extended to sinners, and since it is so coveted, doesn’t it make sense that we sin so we can have more grace granted to us? Sounds crazy, huh? Yet this is exactly what the church at Rome thought. Ro 6:1 – "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?" (NAS) And Jude experienced the same teaching and was led of the Holy Spirit to pen the following in his epistle. Jude 4 – "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness…" (NAS)
The belief that says because we are saved it is somehow OK to sin is called antinomianism. Commenting on this philosophy as it pertained to Romans 6 Adam Clarke, the famous Methodist theologian said:
The apostle…proceeds in this chapter to show the obligations under which both [Jew & Gentile] were laid to live a holy life. This he does, not only as a thing highly and indispensably necessary in itself - for without holiness none can see the Lord (Heb 12:14) - but to confute a calumny [lie] which appears to have been gaining considerable ground even at that time, namely, that the doctrine of justification by faith alone, through the grace of Christ Jesus, rendered obedience to the moral law useless. We find that eighteen centuries after this, persons have appeared in the most Christian countries of Europe, not merely asking such a question, but defending the doctrine with all their might; and asserting in the most unqualified manner, "that believers were under no obligation to keep the moral law of God; that Christ had kept it for them; that his keeping it was imputed to them; and that God, who had exacted it from him, who was their surety and representative, would not exact it from them; forasmuch as it would be injustice to require two payments for one debt." These are the Antinomians who once flourished in this land, and whose race is not yet utterly extinct. 11
Now, to make things clear, I am in no way saying that those who hold to OSAS are Antinomians, or purposely teach such heresy. However, I must also point out that antinomianism is the NATURAL and LOGICAL outgrowth of such a teaching! In fact, when I read some of the statements that many of these men made, I was shocked at how shamelessly they were in encouraging this antinomian doctrine (even though I believe most of them do so innocently).
Startling Examples of Where OSAS Can Take You!
The primary reason the OSAS doctrine is dangerous is because of its natural leanings toward antinomianism. Sin becomes a non-issue, so to speak, within the life of the believer. According to most non-Pentecostal teachers, when Christ cleansed us of our sins, it didn’t stop with past sins, but included present and even all future sins! Do you realize what this means? At the moment I accept Christ, according to this theology, I am automatically free from any penalty of any sin I might ever commit! Yet if I am already forgiven of every sin I will ever commit, why does the Apostle John tell us we must "confess our sins" in I John 1:9? He is clearly talking to Christians, not unbelievers. So you can see how ridiculous and unbiblical this OSAS teaching can become. However, it gets worse. If I am already automatically forgiven of any sin I will ever commit, and if my salvation is unconditionally secure, then by default that means no sin can hurt me in relation to making heaven! Charles Ryrie backs up this belief when he states that "... sin does not cause us to lose our salvation."12
I want to quickly point out that sin is the issue here, despite Ryrie’s claims. The N.T. is clear on this point, as we will soon see.The following are just a few quotes from well-known OSAS teachers demonstrating just how far afield from the scriptures this belief can take someone:
"And as Paul said, 'All things are permissible, but not all things are profitable.' SO IS COMMITTING FORNICATION PERMISSIBLE? YES. Is it profitable? No, it isn't." [emphasis mine]13
"Yes, someone says, but can't Christians put themselves outside God's grace? What about those who commit ABOMINABLE SINS? Don't they nullify the work of redemption in themselves? Don't they forfeit the love of God? CERTAINLY NOT .... it's preposterous to think that we can forfeit it [salvation] BY ANYTHING WE DO." [emphasis mine]14
"Secondly, you asked about occasional SEXUAL SIN or getting DRUNK. Again, THESE SINS CANNOT CAUSE A TRUE BELIEVER TO LOSE HIS SALVATION." [emphasis mine]15
"But CHRISTIANS may still lose rewards in heaven. Indeed, we can only wonder what some Christians will feel like and experience on that day when they lose those heavenly rewards because of the spiritually numbing and other consequences of FORNICATION or ADULTERY while on earth?" [emphasis mine]16
"Recently I spoke to a HOMOSEXUAL who believes he accepted Christ at the age of twenty, only to plunge into a life of WANTON IMMORALITY .... Whether or not he was a child of God during those days of heedless carnality (who of us knows for sure?)" [emphasis mine]17
Ultimately, we must base our beliefs on the Bible itself. So let us look at what a few of the "grace" preachers in the Scripture have to say:
THE LORD JESUS HIMSELF:
Mk 7:21-23 - "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." (NAS)
THE APOSTLE PAUL:
1Co 6:9-10 – "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (NAS)
Gal 5:19-21 – "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (NAS)
Eph 5:5-7 – "For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them." (NAS)
THE SOVEREIGN GOD OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE:
Rev 21:8 - "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (NAS)
The Scriptures make it clear that these men and ministries are wrong. Now, I am not saying we are saved by our works, or kept by them. What the Bible does teach is that each one of us must work in conjunction with God’s Spirit to continue to possess a living, present tense faith in Christ (Ph 2:12-16). This faith in Him is not intellectual only! It WILL manifest itself in our daily lives by us not living in sin. And if we choose to leave God’s family, He will not prohibit it against our will. This is plainly taught in Scripture. Just a few of many NT warnings concerning personal apostasy are: Mt 24:4-5,11-13; Jn 15:1-6; Ac 11:21-23; 14:21-22; ICo 15:1-2; Col 1:21-23; ITi 4:1,16; 6:10-12; 2Ti 4:2-5; Heb 2:1-3; 3:6-8,12-14; 6:4-6; Jas 5:19-20; 2Pe 1:8-11; IJn 2:23-25.
In Conclusion
Pentecostal Christians have really taken a "beating" this century. From the moment the precious doctrine of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit was "re-discovered" near the turn of this century, those who have sought this gift from God have been ridiculed for being unbiblical by those who denied such things were for today. Yes, some of it was our own fault for not taking as strong a stand against unscriptural beliefs as we should have. Many of us are now attempting to stand against so much that is unbiblical today. However, lets stand against ALL that is false, and not set back and allow a doctrine like "once saved, always saved" to continue to be promoted without rebuttal. Dan Corner sums up our responsibility nicely when he writes:
In light of all of this, without equivocation, I believe it is spiritually dangerous for the Body of Christ to be exposed to the teaching of eternal security! This is the only logical conclusion one can come to since the Bible clearly identifies this type of sinner (the sexually immoral) as hell bound and not just something less, as the eternal security teachers are saying. In other words, the seriousness of sexual immorality, as taught by the eternal security teachers, is as far from the truth of God as the lake of fire is from the kingdom of God! Should not this teaching, therefore, be exposed and refuted? Obviously, I believe it's crucial to do so!
Regarding this rampant teaching, my wife and I were recently listening to a tape on a subject that we thought would have nothing to do with endorsing eternal security. We were wrong! The teacher was doing fine until he subtly slipped in the doctrine of eternal security:
"... But he would use them [girls], and he used them sexually at times as well. Now this is a guy in the Body of Christ" [The Theater Of Your Mind -- What's Showing? (Tape 2) by Denny Gunderson].
Gunderson should have said, "Now this guy was a professing Christian, but by his actions he denied the Lord (Titus 1:16)" or "He fell into sexual sin as the Prodigal did (Lk. 15:30) and therefore was in vital need of repentance" (Lk. 15:24).
Those of us that know of the spiritual danger of eternal security should be openly speaking out against this pernicious doctrine, which has to be adversely affecting multitudes in our day! It is time for true servants of God to clearly and boldly proclaim the truth of God! Souls hang in the balance. Many will be misled to Hell through eternal security, unless there are clear voices openly refuting it! What will you do to help remedy this horrible situation? Remember this: The eternal security teachers, with their incredible influence, won't hesitate to continue to openly pour out their spiritually dangerous "myths" over radio, tv and in their literature! 18
I cannot but agree with his sentiment! Let us, as Pentecostals, stand for all the truth in God’s holy Word! Thus, in answer to my question, "What’s wrong with the full gospel?", I am happy to report – absolutely nothing! I for one am proud to be a Biblical Pentecostal Christian!!
Gary Osborne is the President of A.B.P. He graduated from Central Bible College and now pastors Berean Assembly in Spring Hill, Florida.
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