We've just seen that the "raise your hand and say this prayer" has led to false converts in the past. Now we have them speak to the pastor or elder or leader after the service and we can be clear as to what they are doing. As I mentioned in the previous post, we've seen people think they are saved because they raised their hand, said a prayer or walked the aisle.
That does happen. I wasn't in a church, but I prayed and asked Christ in my heart and was saved. I am sure many people have. Do we discount the bad for all the good that has and does happen?
I do agree, however, (and it is the practice of our church also) that we have such people talk to a pastor or someone else after the service so that we can be sure they understand clearly the gospel.
Concerning the gospel and Paul Washer, here is what he has to say:
Why am I a Christian? Because there was a time in my life when I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart. I want you to know that the greatest heresy in the American evangelical and protestant church is that, if you pray and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart, He will definitely come in. You will not find that in any place in Scripture.
According to him I wouldn't be saved, and what I did is "the greatest heresy in the American...church." He is wrong. Scriptures like Rom.10:9,10 and John 1:12 are scriptures which back up why he is wrong.
Furthermore he goes on to say:
What you need to know is that salvation is by faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ. And faith alone in Jesus Christ is preceded and followed by repentance . . . a turning away from sin, a hatred for the things that God hates and a love for the things that God loves, a growing in holiness and a desire not to be like Britney Spears, not to be like the world, and not to be like the great majority of American Christians, but to be like Jesus Christ!
If salvation is by faith and faith alone in Christ, then it is not preceded before and after by repentance. It is followed by repentance. Repentance is a form of works. We can see that in his sermon. He believes "works" and not faith only is necessary for salvation.
Now consider this scenario:
When someone, a young person, comes to a pastor or a youth minister and says, “I’m not sure whether or not I’m saved,” the youth minister will usually throw out a cliché: “Well, was there ever a time in your life when you prayed and asked Jesus to come into your heart?”
“Well, yes.”
“Were you sincere?”
“Well, I don’t know, but I think so.”
“Well, you need to tell Satan to stop bothering you. Did you write it in the back of your book . . . the back of your Bible like the evangelist told you when you got saved, write down the date so that any time you doubted you could point him to the Bible?”
What superstition has overcome our denomination? Do you know what the Bible tells Christians to do? Examine yourself. Test yourself in light of Scripture to see if you are in the faith. Test yourself to see if you’re a Christian.
In an assurance of salvation situation, we point back to the place where the person first made a decision for Christ and start from there.
He attacks their salvation instead. The scripture he uses is out of context.
Consider it:
2Co 13:3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.
2Co 13:4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you,
--In verse 3 Paul is referring to false teachers who were demanding proof of Paul that he was an Apostle.
Verse 4--Paul repeats some of the things he had already explained in the chapter (Christ is strong; he was weak; he lived by the power of God; (2Cor.12:10).
Verse 5--
to these false teachers he says: "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith." This is not directed to the new Christian, the Christian without an assurance of salvation, "the doubting Thomas," etc. It is directed to false teachers.
Then he continues:
“Brother Paul, I got saved by praying and asking Jesus Christ into my heart.” And I’m sure you did, but you weren’t saved by a magic formula or some words you repeated after someone else. You were saved because you repented of your sins and you believed, and not only did you do that in the past, you continued to do it even until now, because when Jesus . . .The question is my friend–are you continuing to repent of sin? Are you continuing to believe? Because He who began a good work in you will finish it. He will finish it.
--Derogatorily he terms "calling on the name of the Lord" or asking Jesus into one's heart, a magic formula, which many of us know better.
He uses the direct expression "repented of your sins" which is not biblical at all. IMO, that would be a heresy. No one can repent of their sins, much less remember all their sins to repent of them. Nowhere does the Bible use the expression that one must "repent of their sins" to be saved. He is off base here and this is the crux of a works based salvation.
Then, he says
you repented of your sins and you believed, and not only did you do that in the past, you continue to do it even until now.
--That also is a wrong view of salvation. Salvation is an event not a process. He is mixing up salvation with sanctification.
My dear friend, there is no such thing as a carnal Christian.
He denies the doctrine taught in 1Cor.3:1-5, and never attempts to explain that passage.
One of the greatest evidences that you have truly been born again is that God will not let you talk as your flesh might want to talk. God will not let you dress as the sensual world and the sensual church allows you to dress. God will not allow you to act like the world, smell like the world, speak like the world, listen to the things that the world listens to. God will make a difference in your life.
Basically this is entire sanctification. God will not allow your flesh to sin.
That is heresy. Read 1John 1:8,10.
These quotes were taken from:
https://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2007/12/10/a-shocking-biblical-sermon-paul-washer/
pages 1-10
Those are my thoughts. Thanks for listening.
