How not to preach the Gospel...

ReformedBaptist · Jul 9, 2010

Richard Bennett of Berean Beacon ministry wrote the following. It is part of a larger article he wrote to Christians to exhort and teaching them to share the Gospel with Roman Catholics. Richard was a Roman Catholic himself, a priest, of the Dominican order, and has great insight for Protestants and Evangelicals.

The following information is helpful not only for preaching Christ to Catholics, but also in all our preaching to those who need to be saved.

“Accept Jesus into your heart (i.e., to be saved),” is one of the most used sentences in modern Evangeli-cal circles. This humanistic concept is unbiblical. It puts man in control of his salvation; nevertheless, from start to finish, salvation is entirely the work of God. Salvation is not a decision originating in man; it is the lov-ing choice of the Father before the foundation of the world.12 The biblical concept of salvation is that by grace alone the believer is accepted in Christ.

The whole theme of the first two chapters of Ephesians is summarized by the Apostle’s words, “to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Be-loved.”13 The terminology, “accept Jesus into your heart” is backwards and deceptive. The spiritually dead and ungodly person can be made acceptable to God only as he is “in Christ,” as all the teachings of the Apostles Paul, John, and Peter testify. Revelation 3:20 is often wrongly used to evangelize, “behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” These words were spoken to Laodicean Christians, not to unbelievers.14 The misuse of this sanctifi-cation verse to teach the Gospel is inexcusable. Sanctification differs from justification.

Sanctification is gradual and mutable whereas justification is instantaneous and immutable. The abuse of this verse is most serious because Catholics in particular are so susceptible to being deceived upon this vital matter.15 They still remain in the Roman Catholic Church believing themselves now to have done the “Evangelical thing” to add to their many rituals in Catholicism. Likewise vast numbers of church-going Evangelicals are still unsaved having gone through this same Evangelical “easy-believism” plan of salvation. It is unspeakably serious to give a deceiving salvation message.

There are other similar manmade messages that are used in Evangelical churches. For example, to be saved people are told to “give Jesus control of your life”, or “give your life to Jesus.” In fact there is nothing any person can do in exchange for his salvation. In the words of the Apostle, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…”16 Christ Jesus was the only sacrifice for sin acceptable to Holy God, and that sin offering was accomplished completely at the cross. The sacrifice for sin is finished.

A person is made right with God by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone, not by commitment or controlled behavior. In fact, the exact opposite of that is true.17 These are some of the human-istic ways in which modern Evangelicals give a so-called evangelistic gospel. The examples given here are to illustrate the departure from the true Gospel, which is taking place in the modern world, and to alert the Lord’s people to give the true message. http://www.bereanbeacon.org/articles//Reaching_Catholics_with_the_Lords_Love.pdf
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Eric B · Jul 9, 2010

That sounds like a "Lordship Salvation" advocate.
While the parts about some of the terms used ("give Jesus control of your life", "Accept Jesus into your heart",etc) make sense; when they start questioning "vast numbers" of evangelicals' (not even liberals, Catholics, etc) salvation because of "easy-believism", that smacks just as much of "works-salvation" as anything else. The only only thing that separates them from Pelagianism is that it's God who "enables" them to do the works (as part of "believing"). But it's still about works, if one speaks of something being too "easy".

ReformedBaptist · Jul 9, 2010

Eric B said: ↑

That sounds like a "Lordship Salvation" advocate.
While the parts about some of the terms used ("give Jesus control of your life", "Accept Jesus into your heart",etc) make sense; when they start questioning "vast numbers" of evangelicals' (not even liberals, Catholics, etc) salvation because of "easy-believism", that smacks just as much of "works-salvation" as anything else. The only only thing that separates them from Pelagianism is that it's God who "enables" them to do the works (as part of "believing"). But it's still about works, if one speaks of something being too "easy".
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I disagree. What Richard Bennett teaches as the Gospel is the biblical Gospel. Which is actually different from the easy-believism in modern evangelical churches. I think Bennett is touching on something very important and may get at the root cause of why there is such unregeneracy among evangelical churches.

The "Lordship Salvation" subject has been discussed on these boards and debated. But the ideas of giving Jesus control of our lives or accepting Jesus are not biblical ideas. It may be as new Christians what we felt like we did, but in truth is not God's salvation.

Dr. Walter · Jul 9, 2010

ReformedBaptist said: ↑

Richard Bennett of Berean Beacon ministry wrote the following. It is part of a larger article he wrote to Christians to exhort and teaching them to share the Gospel with Roman Catholics. Richard was a Roman Catholic himself, a priest, of the Dominican order, and has great insight for Protestants and Evangelicals.

The following information is helpful not only for preaching Christ to Catholics, but also in all our preaching to those who need to be saved.
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Here is a Catholic that has got it right!

billwald · Jul 9, 2010

Sounds like something that John Calvin would have written.

RAdam · Jul 9, 2010

Sounds like something Paul would have written.

Eric B · Jul 10, 2010

ReformedBaptist said: ↑

I disagree. What Richard Bennett teaches as the Gospel is the biblical Gospel. Which is actually different from the easy-believism in modern evangelical churches. I think Bennett is touching on something very important and may get at the root cause of why there is such unregeneracy among evangelical churches.

The "Lordship Salvation" subject has been discussed on these boards and debated. But the ideas of giving Jesus control of our lives or accepting Jesus are not biblical ideas. It may be as new Christians what we felt like we did, but in truth is not God's salvation.
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Well I'm not defending "giving Jesus control", and even admitted he had a point about that.
Still, how are people determining all of this "unregeneracy" among evngelicals?
If salvation is really by grace, "easy" (as if on some scale of difficulty) should not even be in the equation. That implies works, and then you're judging others based on some supposed required level of works; and only crediting God with enabling people to do these works (that others associate with "giving Jesus control"). But that is not what "Paul" teaches.
It's is just from Augustine's attempt to square away works and grace based on what he thought scriptures taught.

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