The committee reporting on the
“Effects of Easy Believe-ism” submits the following:
Among the many challenges the Church faces today, combating the
doctrine of easy believe-ism is probably the greatest. Because of this error,
many once sound and powerful Churches have departed the faith, “giving heed to
seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” (1st Timothy 4:1). Others
in a quest to add more members or from fear of offending those petitioning for
membership are receiving into their churches those who’ve been deceived by this
doctrine and are still unsaved. In doing this the church is doing great harm to
the sinner as well as to itself. The requirement to become a member of the
Lords church is today, and always has been, the same that is required to get to
heaven itself, which is an experience of being born again. (John 3:3-7) John
the Baptist told those desiring to be baptized of him, “Bring forth fruits meet
for repentance.” (Matthew 3:8) The Church today has not only the right but the
obligation to require those wishing to join to give a personal account of their
experience with the Lord, not their experience with man. Failure to do so
causes the Church to become a partner in the deception of sinners. The argument
has often been raised that it would be better to let unbelievers join the church
where they will keep coming than to deny them membership and take a chance on
offending them and possibly causing them to stop coming to church. The
justification for this argument is that if they keep coming to church, and
hearing the truth, they will eventually see their condition and repent and be
saved. The truth is, when unconverted sinners are received into the church,
because they have no inward assurance of salvation, and their hope is resting,
at best on a shaky and unsure foundation, they will likely become hardened in
their false hope. For up to this time their hope of salvation rested only upon
the word of a preacher, or another who told them that they were saved. But now
upon being approved by a whole congregation of believers their false hope is
greatly strengthened, and thereby the danger of their eternal destruction
greatly increased.
Another danger to the deceived sinner that the church promotes by
receiving them into our ranks is by giving them a vehicle in which to establish
themselves as righteous. In Romans 10:1-3, Paul states, “Brethren my heart’s
desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. For I bear
them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For
they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their
own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of
God.” Because easy believe-ism leaves the sinner without inner peace or
satisfaction, they will often seek to justify themselves in their own mind and
before men by becoming workers in the church. Some may become song leaders, or
may lead public prayer; others may become Sunday School teachers or even
Deacons. Though they become exceedingly zealous in these and other church
functions they will still be without the peace and joy that only true salvation
brings. Neither will these “righteous” deeds bring them closer to humbling
themselves before God that they might be saved, but likely will harden them more
and more in pride, which keeps men from God. Proverbs 16:18 tells us, “Pride
goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Jesus says in
Matthew 7:22-23, “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? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:
depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
The Church, by receiving into its membership those that have fallen
prey to this rotten doctrine and have been deceived thereby, not only does harm
to the deceived sinner, but does great harm to itself. For in so doing we lend
a second-hand endorsement to the doctrine of easy believe-ism as well as to
those who teach and practice it. In 2nd Corinthians 6:17, Paul
writes, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord.” Because
this doctrine is a perversion of God’s truth and those churches that teach and
practice it will be judged by God, so will we not be found guiltless if we are
partakers with them in it. (Revelation 2:16)
Another dangerous affect easy believe-ism has upon the church is not
immediate, but takes place over time. When we begin to compromise with this
doctrine by receiving those deceived into our number, then little by little the
church will be weakened and finally lose its power, according to the principle
found in Galatians 5:9 “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” First,
because deceived sinners, though they become members of the church, have not
been born again, they lack the change of heart necessary to endure. For this
reason many will fall back into the sinful life, bringing great reproach upon
the church. “But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The
dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her
wallowing in the mire.” (2nd Peter 2:22)
Secondly, those who have not truly been saved have not the Spirit of
Christ. (Romans 8:9) Therefore they can’t be led by the Spirit of God, (Romans
8:14) but their minds are set on the things of the flesh. (Romans 8:5) Since
these unregenerate sinners have “not the mind of Christ” or the leadership of
the Holy Spirit, it is impossible for them to carry out the spiritual mission
Jesus himself began, and left to the church to continue until his return.
(Matthew 28:18-20) (Acts 1:1-8) Instead because they are of the flesh, and
fleshly, or worldly minded they will only be able to pursue a worldly mission in
and through the church. In time, if left unchecked, as their numbers and
influence grow, and they are joined by worldly minded believers, the churches’
God given mission in the world will be compromised in favor of worldly pursuits.
(1st John 2:15, Matthew 6:24-34)
Thirdly, the unbeliever is still a natural man and in 1st
Corinthians 2:14 Paul states, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God: For they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.” Therefore because these unbelievers
are blinded to spiritual truth and unable to subject their carnal minds or their
lives to the truth they will reject the truth as foolishness and in time will
become more intolerant to the preached word. Paul wrote in 2nd
Timothy 4:2-4, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when
they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap
to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears
from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Because these lost church
members can’t, or won’t endure the preached word they may seek opportunity to
replace the preacher who faithfully brings God’s message of reproof, rebuke, or
exhortation with a teacher, who will appeal to their fleshly lust by
compromising truth and teaching fables. If this is accomplished the church will
starve in a famine of truth (Amos 8:11) and will wither on the vine.
Lastly, if those who have been deceived by easy believe-ism are
allowed to infiltrate the church, and rise to have influence and prominence in
the church there is a great danger that over time they will draw away large
numbers of followers after them. (Acts 20:29-31) This could result in either
tearing the church apart, or even worse the church could finally give in to the
doctrine and practice of easy believe-ism itself and thereby depart from the
faith.
Therefore seeing these dangers exist, and that no church or lost soul is immune to these perils let us remember the words of Jude verse three “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
Humbly Submitted,
Bro. Tim Swinford
Bro. Phillip Halter