Who is the real Charles Finney?

S. B. Canfield comments on Finney’s irrational teaching, stemming from his Pelagian ideas that faith is mere human trust, and that one is entirely sanctified at the moment of faith, in the following:

…The fact seems to be that Finney’s fundamentally Pelagian mode of thinking, already run to seed in his doctrine of ‘the simplicity of moral action’…has betrayed him here into a conception of man which makes him sufficient for himself, and leaves no need for either Christ or the Holy Spirit to make him perfect…

Let it be distinctly noted, then…that according to the principle of ‘Oberlin perfectionism,’ entire sanctification is conditioned on previous perfection. To become sinlessly perfect, you must go to the Saviour already perfect. It cannot even be said that, though we make ourselves perfect, we must depend upon Christ to keep us perfect. He does not, according to ‘Oberlin perfectionism,’ keep us perfect—we may fall. And if we continue perfect that is because we preserve our faith: permanent entire sanctification is conditioned on permanent faith, just as simple entire sanctification is conditioned on simple faith.

We must keep ourselves perfect as a condition of Christ’s keeping us perfect. Permanent, entire sanctification is conditioned (according to this view) on itself! You shall be perfect as long as you shall continue to be perfect.992

990 B. B. Warfield, Op. cit., pp. 138–139. 991 Ibid., p. 85. 992 S. B. Canfield, “An Exposition of the Peculiarities, Difficulties and Tendencies of Oberlin Perfection,” pp. 45–48. Quoted by B. B. Warfield, Op. cit., pp. 84–86. 354

 

Winning souls for Christ? Or packing churches with Tares for the Devil?

 

He brought into evangelism the destructive full free will Gospel, and he did not see humans as being affected by the fall of Adam, and basically still retained means to accept or reject Jesus themselves, unaided by God!

 

Once again we have a thread about people and not the teachings of scripture. We have "He is bad" and "He is good" videos.

Here is a snippet from page 1:

4. Righteousness is sustained in the human soul by the indwelling of Christ through faith, and in no other way. It cannot be sustained by purposes or resolutions self-originated and not inwrought by the Spirit of Christ. Through faith Christ first gains ascendancy in the human heart, and through faith he maintains this ascendancy and reigns as king in the soul...
6. All outward conformity to the law and commandments of God that does not proceed from Christ, working in the soul by his Holy Spirit, is self-righteousness. All true righteousness, then, is the righteousness of faith, or a righteousness secured by Christ through faith in him.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS by Charles G. Finney​

What does item 4 mean? If we are indwelt, then we are eternally righteous? Or we sustain our righteousness through our faithfulness in following the leading of our indwelt Holy Spirit? Clearly our righteousness cannot be sustained through self originated attitudes or actions. But is it "inwrought" (brought about) by our faithfulness to the leading of our indwelt Holy Spirit. It seems C. Finney thinks we could not follow the HS and therefore become unrighteous. Do I have this right? Is our righteousness secured by our continuing faith (or not) in Him?

 

So moved form 4 point Calvinist now to full free willer?

 

Just the strawmen of his own making!

 

Hope this helps!
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: How Charles Finney's Theology Ravaged the Evangelical Movement

 

His approach was the emotional response one, forerunner to what would be seen in various charismatic pulpits!

 

Even though his sotierology was really messed up?

 

Wesley still held to the fall making us unable to receive Jesus apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, while Finney assumed still able to do just that ourselves!

 

he held to us still being basically morally good!

 

They are extreme free will, to the point of being modern Pel!

 

Oh you're just a hater.

 

Sorry Van no one is able to criticize the great Charles Finney who was the greatest evangelist of All time even though we had gospel that was a mix of work s. grace

 

...my favorite charity to donate to.