Your definition of 'easy believism'

To my understanding of 'Easy Believism' is similar same as 'Once Saved Always Saved'. Many baptists use book of Romans as 'Roman Road' for soul winning. I have nothing against their method of 'Romans Road'. It is partially of the gospel too.

What I disagree with many baptists' soul winning method.

A baptist witness to a person, and say to a person, 'You have to believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and you can do is to ask Jesus to saved you. In other word, just believe in Jesus Christ is already saved that is good enough, no matter what how often you sinning afterward you 'accepted' Jesus Christ, you still can go to heaven. That is 'unconditional salvation'.

John 3:16 tslls us, that we must believETH on Jesus Christ, shall never go perish, but have eternal life. Word, 'believeth' of KJV means believING- to continue believe.

Romans 11:19-23 warns us, we might be cut off, if we stopped believing. Bible commands us, that we must continue believing on Christ all through our life till our death have eternal life - Matt. 10:22; & Matt. 24:13.

'Easy Believism' is a simple belieVED on Jesus Christ already saved at once, no matter how often you sinning, you still can go to heaven.

That is unconditional salvation.

Bible teaches us of conditional salvation are so overwhelming, no way that we can neglect warnings from the Bible.

Later, I will discuss more on salvation.

In Christ
Rev. 22:20 -Amen!

 

Just What are the conditions of salvation? What happens if you do no continue to meet these conditions?

 

I believe "Easy Believism" is teaching that one can become a Christian by simply believing that Jesus died for their sins and saying a "sinners prayer".

Without repentence, believing that Jesus died and rose again is just knowledge. God's word says that "godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." I believe "Easy Believism" teaches that knowledge combined with the "sinners prayer" will keep you out of Hell. Using "the sorrow of the world", to make someone sorry that they are going to hell.

Godly sorrow leads to true repentance, and turning away from your sin and turning to Christ alone for your salvation, being sorry, not that you are going to hell, but that your sins put Christ on the cross. Repentence is more than just admiting you are a sinner, but is turning away from that sin, being crucified with Christ, and making Jesus the Lord of your life.

 

Doesn't the 'sinner's prayer' have repentance in it?

Who thinks they are perfect and non longer sin after salvation? Becasue they are foreign to scripture.

 

What's the alternative to "easy believism"? Difficult believism?

Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is the easiest thing I know how to do.
It takes absolutely no effort.

I guess I'm an "easy believer".

HankD

 

Easy believism is not informing people of the cost of following Jesus and what He commands. It is belief in a pseudo faith. It is nothing James speaks of and Jesus spoke about.

 

It si amazing what happened in a church I pastored when I began preaching about the cost of following Christ and those whom Jesus called. Some got mad and others followed Jesus. Those who got mad caused me a great amount of trouble.

 

I'll echo what another poster said. Easy believism is "salvation" without repentance. I do not mean to imply that salvation is hard, it is not, but one must understand what they are doing. Sometimes called 1-2-3 pray after me, easy believism would go something like this.

Soulwinner: Hey do you want to go to heaven?

Sinner: Yes! (who in their right mind wouldn't?)

Soulwinner: Romans 3:23 says all have sinned; do you believe you're a sinner

Sinner: Yes

Soulwinner: Romans 6:23 says that because your a sinner you have to die, but Romans 5:8 says God has given Christ to die for us.

Sinner: Okay

Soulwinner: Romans 10:9-10 says you just need to confess Jesus as Lord, Now pray this prayer with me.

Sinner: Okay

Soulwinner: "Dear Jesus I am srry I am a sinner, come into my life and save me, Amen"

Now the problem here is that "Soulwinner" has not explained that confess carries the idea of repentance with it. It means to say the same thing about something. In this case it means to realize that not only are you a sinner, but that God has condemned you for your sin, and that Jesus is the only acceptable substitute that you can turn to for forgiveness. In our scenario, "sinner" may have indeed gotten saved, but "Soulwinner" should have taken an extra 5 minutes to explain what getting saved involves. I think that churches that are otherwise sound, get caught up in "easy believism" because they are trying to get big numbers. Hyles-Anderson is famous for producing men who get "big numbers", but they do not disciple or help their "converts" grow. Where are the 15,000 people they baptized last year? I saw a flyer from Pastor's School that just delineated our little scenario, it was salvation without repentance, which is no salvation at all, and that is why they can't explain where the 15,000 people are today.

Chad

 

Fine, but I repeat, believing on My Lord Jesus Christ is the easiest thing I know how to do.

No one told me about repentance, but the day Christ saved me my whole world was turned upside down.

The problem IMO, is there is another aspect of salvation that is virtually ignored by the church and that is the distinction between Justification and Sanctification, (sometimes called "Holiness").

No doubt a goodly part of this fear has it's basis and over reaction to the root error of the charismatic movement and their view of "Holiness".

That error is that the evidence of the filling and leading of the Holy Spirit is "tongues" babble rather than the image of Christ.

The babe in Christ is carnal, whether he/she becomes an "overcomer" is the actual area of struggle. Whether to remain carnal or mature into "young men" and "fathers".

1 John 2
13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

If we want to use the word "repentance" and apply it to the child of God, then IMO it has to be a life long "changing" (greek metamorpho) or transformation AFTER justification.

KJV 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The test as to whether a carnally minded person is wheat or tare is God's final test, He will take care of it.

KJV Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

KJV Matthew 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

KJV Zechariah 14:21b ...and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

So, personally I wouldn't use the term "easy believism" because I think what we really mean by the phrase is "pretended" or "phoney believism" which will not/cannot bring forth the Image of Christ.

My opinion of course (except for the Scripture).

HankD

 

What a person does later has a lot to do with what we tell them before they make a decison to follow Christ.

 

A long time ago, I was on a team that knocked on doors doing a "community religeous survey" in an attempt to do just such soul-winning. I remember a man who went all through the questions with us, and when it got to the "sinner's prayer" he said "Sure." After that, as we went through the rest of it, he said, "I said your prayers, what more should I have to do for you?" in such a way that it was then obvious he just didn't "get it."

 

Surveys like that should have been written better.
Are you sure those doing the survey got it? I am sure not very many do. Many know what church is all about but few really know God.

The times I have done surveys like that have been to get to know people in an effort to find out if they are intereted in studying the Bible. Later I follow up with some literature and then again asking if they had erad it and what they thought. I always try to dialog with them about any point of connection eventually leading to the gospel if possible. It may take years and a few months or less.

People know if you genuinely care about them.

 

Campus Crusade. 4 Spiritual Laws. The "I Found It" campaign.

 

I do not mean to imply that salvation is hard. It is not. But salvation is more than a magic prayer. Too many churches that see thousands "saved" use the magic prayer method. Faith in a prayer will send a man to hell. Faith in Christ will regenerate a man's soul and put him on the road to heaven.

Chad

 

marking

 

But salvation is NOT easy. Read this passage from Mathew.

Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 

Saying, "Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner, please forgive me and come into my heart." is not repentance. Repentance is knowing that you can't continue trusting your own sinnfull self to get through life, and turning to Christ to put your faith in Him and Him alone to get you into heaven. It's more than just admitting your a sinner, but being sorry that your sins put Christ on the cross, and turning away from those sins and giving control of your life to Christ.

When you repent and give Christ your life, you don't stop sinning right away, but you do have a change when the Holy Spirit comes into your life, and you have His convicting and power in your life, and as you continue to put you life in His control daily, those sins that held you in bondage are broken, becuase it is no longer you living, but Christ living in and through you. When you repent, you die. You can't become a Christian without the repentance that leads to being crucified with Christ!

 

My definition of "easy believism" would be just another form of humanism with "christian" clothes. it puts the focus of salvation upon man rather than upon God in Christ.

Some of you are right. This "christian humanism" is one of the causes of the vast ineffectiveness of our churches today.

I might paraphrase Mike Warnke here ( I don't endorse him at all);

"Jesus did not come to change how I feel, He came to save my SOUL and reconcile me to an Angry God."

In HIS service;
Jim