Comments on: Easy Believism

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 19:36:49 +0000

I don’t think we should use adjectives (like “easy” in front of believe) to try to explain clear Bible words in order to prove a point. The Bible says that there are those that “believeth” and those that “believeth not” (John 3:18). Belief in Christ is not a credence to facts but an entrusting in His finished work for eternal salvation. However, I don’t believe we are to complicate the Gospel. In John 4, Jesus was dealing with the woman at the well. He did bring up her sin, but it was for the purpose of her seeing her need of a Savior. Christ did not tell her that she must give up her adultery before she got saved nor did He say that she must be willing to give it up. He revealed Himself to her as the Savior. This woman had a change of mind about Christ. Christ revealed her sin so that she would know that she needed a Savior. I believe that she gave up her adultery later as the Lord dealt with her.
I can understand the problem. There are many people that are professing Christ, but outwardly there seems to be no change. Is it possible that there salvation was taken care of when they trusted Christ as Savior but the New Testament Church has failed to take the new convert under their wing and work to build them up in the faith? After all, God does His work through the church. It’s a good thing that Philip did not give a one page discourse of repentance vs faith to the Ethiopian eunuch when he asked about Christ. He would have put that chariot into overdrive!

By: Jason Crank

Jason Crank — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 03:26:01 +0000

We have 2 doctrines that have been combined. Security of the Believer, and Assurance of the Believer. When we combined the 2 doctrines we lost both. As long as we try and combine these two doctrines we will have the easy believism and other problems continue.
The Security of the believer is the Eternal work of an Eternal God. There is no edge to an Infinite Rock. Is God able to finish the work? Heb.7:25
The Assurance of the Believer is the Doctrine we find in 1 John and through out the Bible, “How do I know I am saved?” There is no way to know your own Heart: Jer17:9, Pro.28:26
No man can come into contact with an Infinite God and not be Changed! 2Cor.5:17
Good article you hit our golden calf right in the face.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:51:26 +0000

Very well thought out article. I came to many of the same conclusions after I started trying to understand some of the problems with what I was seeing in the churches that I had attended. I am not sure if you are familiar with Keswick Theology, but I was able to read some research into it which showed the myth of a “carnal Christian.”

I now do not rely on having said a prayer, but I am convinced that it is only by the grace of God that I am saved eternally and am being sanctified.

By: John Hardin

John Hardin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:54:35 +0000

Jessica, thank you for your input. I think you might have a flawed understanding of what Calvinism teaches. Calvinism doesn’t teach that we are saved by our efforts to continue on the faith, but it teaches that we prove ourselves to truly be in the faith if we persevere. The persevering doesn’t save us, but it proves that we are saved. You see, it’s really only the Calvinists that can say we believe in eternal security without any reservation at all because our salvation is by grace alone… We didn’t do anything to twist God’s arm to save us, and nothing we can do will twist God’s arm to rescind His mercy.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:34:29 +0000

The perfect example of a Calvinistic article. It sounds logical and superior to what the Bible teaches, only we know that can’t be so, can it? So the thinking is obviously faulty. If you are saved by continuing in the faith, your salvation relies on you, and you alone.