Paul Washer

[InTheLight]

...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. -- Paul Washer

Galatians 4:5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

 

[Iconoclast]

Yeah they do. I've lost track of the number of people I've talked to that will tell me they are saved because they walked forward, raised their hand, signed a card, prayer the sinners prayer etc. Yet say nothing about the work of Christ on the cross even when you dig for it.

This comes from Charles Finney and his new measures...not from scripture;

Regeneration: the same as the new birth…same as conversion.965
We have said that regeneration is synonymous, in the Bible, with a new heart. But sinners are required to make to themselves a new heart, which they could not do, if they were not active in this change

. If the work is a work of God, in such a sense, that He must first regenerate the heart or soul before the agency of the sinner begins, it were absurd and unjust to require him to make to himself a new heart…
962 Finney, Autobiography, p. 157. 963 Ibid., p. 148. 964 Ibid., pp. 329–330. 965 Ibid., p. 798. Finney equates regeneration at times with a moral persuasive influence upon the mind, with sanctification, and with conversion. This confusion results from his Pelagian– perfectionist presuppositions. 344
Regeneration is ascribed to man in the gospel, which it could not be, if the term were designed to express only the agency of the Holy Spirit….
Regeneration then is a radical change of the ultimate intention, and, of course, of the end or object of life. We have seen, that the choice of an end is efficient in producing executive volitions, or the use of means to obtain its end. A selfish ultimate choice is, therefore, a wicked heart, out of which flows every evil; and a benevolent ultimate choice is a good heart, out of which flows every good and commendable deed. Regeneration, to have the characteristics ascribed to it in the Bible, must consist in a change in the attitude of the will, or a change in its ultimate choice, intention, or preference; a change from selfishness to benevolence; from choosing self-gratification as the supreme and ultimate end of life, to the supreme and ultimate choice of the highest well-being of God and of the universe…
…the subject is active in regeneration…regeneration consists in the sinner changing his ultimate choice, intention, preference; or in changing from selfishness to love or benevolence; or, in other words, in turning from the supreme choice of self-gratification, to the supreme love of God and the equal love of his neighbor. Of course the subject of regeneration must be an agent in the work.966

In complaining against a Calvinistic tract written with the title, “Regeneration, The Effect of Divine Power,” Finney stated:
Now it had been just as true, just as philosphical, and just as scriptural, if he had said that converson was the work of man. The writer…has only told half the truth…The very title of this tract is a stumbling block. It tells the truth, but it does not tell all the truth. And a tract might be written upon this proposition, that ‘Conversion or regeneration is the work of man;’ which would be just as true, just as scriptural and just as philospohical, as the one to which I have alluded.967
The idea of a sinner’s being passive in regeneration, is calculated to destroy souls. It involves the absurdity of his having a passive volition. Every impenitent sinner is infinitely guilty, for not making himself a new heart; for not going the whole length of performing the work himself.
To say “I can’t love God and repent,” is to plead one sin for the commission of another. This view illustrates the nature of the sinner’s dependence on the Spirit of God. The only necessity for his aid or influence, lies in the sinner’s pertinacious obstinacy; and when he converts the sinner, he only overcomes that obstinacy.
The Spirit uses means in producing conversion. He does not come and take right hold of the heart and perform an operation upon it;
but he presents motives by means of the truth; he persuades, and the sinner yields to his persuasion.

Many have supposed that he moves, by a direct and immediate act, either upon the motive to give it efficiency, or upon the mind to make it willing. But there is no mystery about it.

Every Christian knows how he was induced to change his governing purpose or his heart. He was convinced and persuaded, and freely gave his own heart to God without compulsion. And I know not which is the greater infidel, he that denies the agency of the Spirit in conversion; or he that believes God has provided means which are not adapted to the end for which they are employed.
966 Ibid., pp. 365–371. (Italics added). 967 Finney, Lectures on Revivals of Religion, p. 188. 345
There is a sense in which a sinner does make a new heart. There is also a sense in which God does it; another, in which a preacher does it; and another, in which the truth or the word of God does it…968

W. R. Downing....

 

[blessedwife318]

This comes from Charles Finney and his new measures...not from scripture;




W. R. Downing....

Aw Charles Finny, now that is a man I consider a heretic and he has done untold harm to people with his man center philosophies.

 

[Iconoclast]

Aw Charles Finny, now that is a man I consider a heretic and he has done untold harm to people with his man center philosophies.

Yes...that is where all these false ideas come from. Some add to it, some speak about what sinners do, some deny repentance is necessary for salvation as if unrepentant sinners can now" come" to Christ.

Finney himself called many of his followers false converts as he realized his errors and said he would preach holiness of life if he could do it all over again.

 

[DHK]

Aw Charles Finny, now that is a man I consider a heretic and he has done untold harm to people with his man center philosophies.

Many don't like to call him a heretic, but he was.
As in the quotation above:

Finney equates regeneration at times with a moral persuasive influence upon the mind...

That is heretical.

 

[Iconoclast]

Aw Charles Finny, now that is a man I consider a heretic and he has done untold harm to people with his man center philosophies.

Paul Washer correctly opposes these "new measures";

[/Finney seeks to justify his use of innovative means by identifying with our Lord and the inspired Apostles, but betrays his Pelagianism when stating, “…what measures should be adopted, and what forms pursued, in giving the Gospel its power.”



Of course no “forms or measures” give the Gospel its power—the effectual power derives from God through the
1012 Finney, Lectures on Revivals of Religion, p. 238. 360
effectual work of His Spirit. We see, however, the importance of these means or measures for Finney—they were absolutely necessary to make his “gospel” effective.
After some biblical and historical remarks concerning ministerial dress, choirs, instrumental music, extemporaneous prayers and preaching, kneeling in prayer, lay preachers and prayers, female prayer meetings as first innovative and then finally becoming more acceptable, Sunday schools, etc., he further argues for his “New Measures” by referring to the Apostles as innovators or users of new measures. He then points to Luther and the Reformers, to Wesley and his followers, to Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, etc., but the issues he broaches are all fairly consonant with truth and not a radical departure from it. He then lists the major “New Measures” and seeks to defend their use. He finally deals with “the anxious seat”:
(c) The anxious seat
By this I mean the appointment of some particular seat in the place of meeting, where the anxious may come and be addressed particularly, and be made subjects of prayer, and sometimes be conversed with individually. Of late, this measure has met with more opposition than any of the others. What is the great objection? I cannot see it. The design of the anxious seat is undoubtedly philosophical, and according to the laws of mind. It has two bearings:
(a) When a person is seriously troubled in mind, everybody knows there is a powerful tendency to conceal it. When a person is borne down with a sense of his condition, if you can get him willing to have it known, if you can get him to break away from the chains of pride, you have gained an important point towards his conversion.

This is agreeable to the philosophy of the human mind.

How many thousands are there who will bless God to eternity, that, when pressed by the truth, they were ever brought to take this step, by which they threw off the idea that it was a dreadful thing to have anybody know that they were serious about their souls.
(b) Another bearing of the anxious seat is to detect deception and delusion, and thus prevent false hopes. It has been opposed on the ground that it was calculated to create delusion and false hopes. But this objection is unreasonable. The truth is the other way…
…Preach to…[the sinner], and, at the moment, he thinks he is willing to do anything; he thinks he is determined to serve the Lord; but bring him to the test; call on him to do one thing, to take one step, that shall identify him with the people of God or cross his pride, and his pride comes up, and he refuses; his delusion is brought out, and he finds himself a lost sinner still; whereas, if you had not done it, he might have gone away flattering himself that he was a Christian. If you say to him: “There is the anxious seat, come out and avow your determination to be on the Lord’s side,” and if he is not willing to do so small a thing as that, then he is not willing to do anything, and there he is, brought out before his own conscience. It uncovers the delusion of the human heart, and prevents a great many spurious conversions, by showing those who might otherwise imagine themselves willing to do anything for Christ that in fact they are willing to do nothing.


The Church has always felt it necessary to have something of the kind to answer this very purpose. In the days of the apostles baptism answered this purpose. The Gospel was preached to the people, and then all those who were willing to be on the side of Christ were called on to be baptized. It held the precise
361
place that the anxious seat does now, as a public manifestation of a determination to be a Christian.1013
Finney’s use of the “anxious seat,” the precursor to decisional regeneration by physical movement,1014 is wholly based on his pragmatic philosophy—a philosophy counter to the spirituality of the Gospel



He then seeks to validate this use by equating it with the place the Apostles gave to baptism in the New Testament!



In answer to Mr. Finney, two corrections are in order. First, true Christianity has never had anything to answer to this purpose except the evidence of a converted life. Second, baptism in the New Testament was never intended to be a public act whereby one evidenced “his determination to be a Christian;” baptism is solely for those who are manifestly believers upon a credible profession of faith.
QUOTE]

pg361.....ibid

 

[SovereignGrace]

Paul Washer can preach to me 15 days a week with 1.5 hour sermons and I'd want MORE! One God-called and blessed preacher, in my opinion.

 

[Thousand Hills]

Aw Charles Finny, now that is a man I consider a heretic and he has done untold harm to people with his man center philosophies.

I don't know what it is about that guy, but he doesn't come across as the "I got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart" type.

 

[kyredneck]

:laugh::thumbsup: Good one TH!

 

[Iconoclast]

I don't know what it is about that guy, but he doesn't come across as the "I got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart" type.

He was very sincere as most are...but misguided.
There are reasons the confessions of faith were written ...to protect from such errors.:thumbsup:
Thankfully God is sovereign and most likely used even this to draw sinners to Himself.

 

[evangelist6589]

Paul Washer can preach to me 15 days a week with 1.5 hour sermons and I'd want MORE! One God-called and blessed preacher, in my opinion.

How do you like his books?

 

[SovereignGrace]

How do you like his books?

I haven't read any of them yet. I want to though. His preach is the creme' de la creme'.

 

[Yeshua1]

Another man I appreciate. He understands Lordship theology very well and his books are theological rich with the gospel. He has only written three and I have two of his books but they are deep.... Mailed a book of his to a non cal Pastor once. If you appreciate Paul Washer please post. His sermons are sometimes very harsh but he speaks the truth.

Would you not agree though bthat at times he does sem to almost stand in judgement if one is really saved, due to them not having Jesus "Lord" as he sees it?

And that he would seem to be mixing being justified and then to become more like Jesus ?

 

[heisrisen]

What I love about his preaching, is that he puts so much emphasis on being truly born again, and false conversion. How true converts will naturally produce good fruit in their lives. That is so important and something God has put on my heart as a burden for a long time. There's so many false converts compared to the number of truly saved Christians. And even Jesus himself said not everyone who calls him Lord, is going to heaven! So I love that Paul stresses this point so much in his sermons. He's totally right about all of that saying a prayer thing. Even the great Leonard Ravenhill once said, "I doubt if 5% of professing Christians are truly born again.".

 

[SovereignGrace]

I haven't read any of them yet. I want to though. His preach is the creme' de la creme'.

Update: I am reading 'The Gospel Call and True Conversion' right now. He is oh so spot on.

 

[Yeshua1]

What I love about his preaching, is that he puts so much emphasis on being truly born again, and false conversion. How true converts will naturally produce good fruit in their lives. That is so important and something God has put on my heart as a burden for a long time. There's so many false converts compared to the number of truly saved Christians. And even Jesus himself said not everyone who calls him Lord, is going to heaven! So I love that Paul stresses this point so much in his sermons. He's totally right about all of that saying a prayer thing. Even the great Leonard Ravenhill once said, "I doubt if 5% of professing Christians are truly born again.".

true, but is not the truth of the Gospel though that we are saved by grace alone, thru faith alone in Jesus though?

 

[evangelist6589]

What I love about his preaching, is that he puts so much emphasis on being truly born again, and false conversion. How true converts will naturally produce good fruit in their lives. That is so important and something God has put on my heart as a burden for a long time. There's so many false converts compared to the number of truly saved Christians. And even Jesus himself said not everyone who calls him Lord, is going to heaven! So I love that Paul stresses this point so much in his sermons. He's totally right about all of that saying a prayer thing. Even the great Leonard Ravenhill once said, "I doubt if 5% of professing Christians are truly born again.".

Amen!!!! Well said.

 

[Yeshua1]

Galatians 4:5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

the bible teaches to us though that a sinner receives jesus as their Messiah thru faith alone, correct?