Easy Believeism

I doubt that most IFBers follow that method. In fact, most of those who push easy believism do not qualify as fundamentalists for that reason, if not others. I personally wouldn't toss Rice into that group but would probably add Jack Chick.

Easy believism deals with salvation superficially from start to finish. Not all "soul-winners" do this- some take seriously the task of spending time with a person and explaining sin, the gospel, the promises, and... the costs. Those who push easy-believism often have no intentions of follow-up or discipleship. Their goal and intent is to get the target to recite some words so they can notch their belts and testify at church about how they "got'em."

Time spent by the person who actually leads someone to Christ is not the indicator however. Some people have been prepared by the Spirit and are ready when the witness meets them.

 

Seems to me there are a lot of contraditions and people being judgmental here about this subject.

I believe that the Altar Call is a way to profess Christ before men.

I believe that it is necessary to pray in order to accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.

I believe that a person will change when they accept Christ into their heart, but it is not automatic. One must work daily to walk with the Lord.

I believe that a pastor can present the plan of salvation in his sermon and make it understandable so that the Holy Spirit can do His work.

I know that in our church, we have Altar Calls. We use the Roman Road. We use counseling and we know that not everyone who walks down the aisle is saved, but that is between that person and God.

We do not know what is in another person's heart.

Discussions like this are what makes many people doubt their salvation, but maybe that is good.

 

Believing IS easy.
I'm not sure what is meant by easy believism here.
If someone claims to have Jesus as their saviour, I don't judge their salvation by their lifestyle, only their Christian maturity.
Too often we lead someone to the Lord and then don't follow up on the rest of the Great Commission. That is, to teach them all that Jesus has commanded.
Maybe it is those who evangelize who are at fault for "easy evangelism" rather than those who are accused of "easy believism."

After all isn't that where we sometimes leave them, with "your sins are forgiven," leaving out the "go and sin no more" part?

MR

 

Our Sunday School lesson yesterday was entitled:

Salvation begins Life of Obedience

"What should I do now that I'm saved?"

The Biblical Truth: People who received salvation are freed from sin to obey God

It seems that some people think: "God forgave me when I did this before, so I know He will forgive me again." Thus, they continue to sin.

These people may think that because they are saved that they can continue to live a life of sin.

Some people think that living a Christian life is difficult, but if one stays as close to God as possible then they will live a life of Joy, Praise and Thanksgiving.

I am not saying that there will be no problems in a Christian's Life because there will be, but God loves His children and will take care of them.

It sounds like when some of you are talking about "Easy believism" that you are saying that it is easy for a person to believe but he doesn't know what he is getting into, as if his life will be worse than before. Maybe I am reading too much into this.

 

Isn't this a type of "evangelism" where the minister/evangelist wants everyone to come down to the front of the altar during the invitation?

 

I think everyone is guilty of easy believism in some ways.
How many of you have told a little white lie thinking "God will forgive me?"
Or gone back for that third dessert at the pot luck?
Let's get the beam out of our own eyes before we pick nits on babes in Christ.

MR

 

It's not the babes in Christ, or even their nits, that I'm worried about.

It's ensuring that they're actually babes in Christ to begin with, and not being misled by "say this prayer and you'll be saved" nonsense. That's how I view "easy believism."

Believing in Christ is easy; but easy believism seems to teach that all that's needed is to say "I believe."

It's the believing to the saving of our soul we need to be preaching. The believing not only in Him, but that He saved us, paid the price for us, shed His blood for us, that we might have the gift of eternal salvation. That we believe with all our heart, and all our soul, and all our mind, and all our strength.

When we just line 'em up and whip 'em through the "say this prayer" line, we give a false impression of what salvation is. Is it really that hard to spend a few extra minutes, and ensure they understand their relationship with God? Yes, their salvation is between them and God; but it is we that lead them to that relationship, that speak the Word so that it may be heard, and thus save the soul.

As Abraham Lincoln is attributed as saying: "If it is a crime to make a counterfeit dollar, it is ten thousand times worse to make a counterfeit man." I ask you: If that's true, then how much more worse can a counterfeit salvation be?

 

There are time when I think that my church is guilty of "Easy Believeism", with the whole 1-2-3 pray after me Romans Road method of reaching people.

Where does this leave me? (Not in regards to salvation, but in regards to seeking membership elsewhere)

 

Jesus did say, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent me draws Him;"

It is not merely our choice. If the Father does not draw one, he will never come to Jesus. If the Father draws him, he will come.

This seems to be entirely missing from this discussion.

Charlie

 

Pretty much what my perception of it is.

The pushers of easy believism that I have known concentrate on getting an outward profession... and little else. All of the ones I have known personally have also been KJVO. I am not sure why the two go together but maybe its that desire to have simple to grasp absolutes as opposed to more difficult ones... even if they have to manufacture the simple ones.

 

Please allow me to mess up your perceptions, Scott. I'm a KJV-only, but as I've tried to show in this thread, I push for more than just the outward show. I push for the relationship with God.

But I think you define "easy believism" nicely: Forcing an outward show.