"EASY BELIEVISM"
Article 1
"What Is Really Your Bible? So many people say loudly and clearly that they are "Bible Believers." They say the Bible is their guide and rule for living. They say the Bible is the "final authority" for all faith and practice. It is the standard by which we judge all things - IF we are really "Bible-believers." Isn't it strange then that so many of these same people pay no attention to what the Bible clearly says when it disagrees with their judgment, or assessment of another person's spiritual condition. For example, when confronted with a Bible truth that is hard for them to accept, they run to some experience they, or someone they know has had. They try to prove what they believe because of what happened in that experience. These people base their doctrines of Salvation, chastisement, and God's attitude toward sin on experience rather than the Word of God, and at the same time say they are "Bible-believers!" The Baptists used to raise their voices against the Pentecostals for basing their relationship to God on their experience. But now the Baptists have become experts in doing the same thing, except they do it in almost all areas of Christian living and Salvation itself. For example, most seem to believe now that a person is definitely saved forever if he can remember a time and a place where he prayed the "sinner's prayer." Once he has had this "experience," it doesn't matter if the Spirit of God bears witness with his spirit or not. It doesn't matter if he ever turns from sin to live a holy life for God or not, because he has that "experience" to stand upon. In fact, many say that it doesn't matter if he ever goes to church; he is still saved because of his "experience." He can even hate the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and everyone in it, and still be saved because of his "experience" at that one time and place. It doesn't matter anymore that his whole life is contrary to the Word of God and what it teaches about a child of God. No one can question his salvation because, after all, he did have that experience. As a rule, men determine what they believe from what they see in other people and from their own experience and then they twist the Scriptures to fit what they already believe. Instead of seeking after the Truth, accepting it as the authority, and judging themselves and other men by it, the Truth is subject to their opinions, based on their experience. If you don't understand what we are saying think about this: Most professing Christians today are very well indoctrinated in situational ethics. It is the common practice among them to invent situations in which they try every truth that is presented to them. These situations are usually far from reality, but could conceivably happen. You have heard it: "Well, what if you were in a situation like this, what would you do them?" With such thinking the law of God is nullified and the truth is made a relative thing instead of an absolute. Every man is a god unto himself and does what is right in his own eyes. With this kind of religion there is a situation for every kind of sin to be excused and accepted. We live in a day when men have separated sin from the sinner in order to "love" him. Now he has become a victim instead of a transgressor of God's law and everyone strives to understand his side of things instead of God's side, and the reasons why he committed the sin. Unless the Bible is our absolute authority and we judge ourselves and others by it's standards, we have a worthless religion indeed. Our feelings toward those we love must not enter in here. That is where most people stumble into this error. "I know that person is saved!," they will say, because of the experiences they have that they consider to be evidence of salvation. Then they proceed to find a way to explain or excuse that person's ungodly behavior, and in so doing compromise the Truth of the Word of God. When people do this with their children, which is the most common case, they forfeit any hope of ever seeing their children saved, and they both are left in deception. For the only hope for any son of Adam is to realize the Word of God is the absolute Truth, judge himself by it, and receive it as the guide and law of his life. The Law of God (the Bible) doesn't conform to us, but we are to be conformed to it. One of the most sure signs of a real born-again person is that he CONTINUES. To those who are really born again the Bible says: "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition." These people have the assurance of eternal life, but the Bible nowhere gives that assurance to those who turn back to wallow in sin! If we hope to ever see that loved one truly come to a saving knowledge of God, we must hold the Truth before them without compromising. The Truth will set you FREE! If a person doesn't measure up to what the Scriptures describe as a Christian, then we must treat them as lost sinners. We must NOT back up and try to make the Bible concur with their ungodly life. Now, you be honest with yourself; what is your Bible?"
Article quoted in its entirety from: www.midwaybiblebaptistchurch.com/prov-thot/pt16.htm
Article 2
"Identifying Easy-Believism It is not uncommon these days to hear about what has come to be called “Easy-Believism.” When it is mentioned it is usually referring to a system of theology, that has become really widespread in our day, that teaches that all a person has to do to go to heaven is believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. “Only believe” is their theme and sums up their doctrine pretty well. It leaves out true repentance, as it has been understood for the past 2000 years by our spiritual forefathers, and if repentance is mentioned at all, it is reduced to a simple change of mind that does not necessarily effect the person’s actions or lifestyle at all. It is such a mess and mixture of false doctrine that any person who studies the Bible, even a little, can quickly begin to see the problems with it. Still, the Independent Baptists have been the leaders in forming colleges and Bible Institutes to train countless men in this heresy and sent them out all over the land to spread the poison that has just about killed the church and spoiled the harvest beyond repair. It is not simply a slight difference of opinion, or a different method to achieve the same purpose. “Easy-believism” borders on being an occult! It has all the major characteristics. It’s teachings on salvation, which is the door, are terribly confused and are leading countless souls into deception and eternal doom. If a person is really saved by a simple sinners prayer without the conviction of the Holy Ghost and real condemnation for his sin, then the Catholics have it right after all. It really is just a ritual and that is all God requires. It matters not how we live afterward, because that isn’t what Jesus came to deal with. He only came to change our destiny, but did nothing for our present miserable state. Anyone who knows anything about the Bible at all knows that is not the case. Jesus was manifested to “take away the sin of the world,” not simply to “pay a sin debt” or deal with the penalty of sin. Therefore, being wrong (and we should say, TERRIBLY wrong) on the first order of business, the teaching of easy-believism cannot do anything but lead people wrong on the teachings of sanctification and the Christian walk. There are many people who refuse to identify with easy-believism in salvation, but the problem is that they embrace its teachings on sanctification, repentance, faith, and many other doctrines. One reason is that many have started out in the easy-believism crowd’s camp and have been influenced by it’s heretical teachings, but have read the Bible and been delivered by the grace of God and their own common sense. Thanks be to God that they have seen the damage and the awful results of preaching a salvation message that isn’t real, and isn’t Biblical. But many have not shaken the influence of easy-believism enough to throw off all of its teachings. As a result they continue to bear the same rotten fruit and their message and its effects are no different in any real way from the purebred easy-believism crowd. The purpose of this article and those that will follow is to identify easy-believism. We believe that there are many who say they are not “easy-believism” but bear many marks of that line of teachings. It is our sincere hope that some will be helped to see the error of their way and moved to correct it. Souls are at stake and as we said at the beginning, this is not a simple difference of opinion, or a slightly different way of explaining the Gospel — IT IS ANOTHER GOSPEL! It is a Gospel that doesn’t change lives, or deliver men from their sin. It is a Gospel that has not the power even to get its converts to the church house, let alone to Heaven when they die. It is a Gospel that leaves men glorying in the fact that they are still practicing sinners even AFTER they are supposed to be saved. It is a Gospel that puts the emphasis on a person’s destiny instead of their sin. The Bible teaches none of these things. The true Gospel puts the emphasis on sin and the fact that God sent his Son to deliver his people from their sin. The true Gospel delivers men from sin and makes them new creatures. The problem was not that men were going to hell as much as the fact that they were sinning against their Creator. He came to change their behavior and make it right — NOT JUST TO GIVE THEM A HOME IN HEAVEN BY AND BY. Jesus NEVER asked anyone if they knew they would go to heaven when they died — that is a man-made idea and invention. It is ANOTHER GOSPEL. Jesus always dealt with men and women about their sin — NOT ABOUT THEIR DESTINY. If a man will preach the true Gospel, he will deal with men in the same manner."
Article quoted in its entirety from: www.midwaybiblebaptistchurch.com/prov-thot/pt16.htm
Article 3
"Easy Believism Win The Lost At Any Cost? In the last issue we began a discussion of what is known as "easy-believism." It is not our intention to offend people, or to condemn everyone who has been, or is now associated with this type of ministry and teaching. We would like to say from the start that certainly a lot of people have went down this road with the best of intentions. The desire to see people saved and brought into the church is not wicked by any means. To the contrary, it is a wicked thing NOT to be concerned about the lost and do whatever possible to bring them to Christ. However, the MOST important thing is to honor and obey God and his Word FIRST. That is MORE IMPORTANT than winning souls. It is our contention that easy-believism has simply cast aside many clear teachings of the Bible and justified it by putting all of the emphasis on the winning of souls. "WIN THE LOST AT ANY COST." That sounds good and noble, but maybe it is time to stop and look at what it has cost us. For one thing, it has cost us the reverence for the house of God that people in our country used to have. Now, instead of a sacred place, the Sanctuary of God has been transformed into a circus tent. It is quite hard for people to feel anything special about the church house with all the escapades that are going on there these days. Karate choppers, wrestlers, clowns, dogs, pigs, chickens, and special appearances by the world’s heroes, such as professional football players, politicians, etc. Then you have the skits, the contests, the goldfish swallowing, and the special days where the atmosphere in the church is anything but reverent. Many mock at this objection and say the church house is just a building. While it is true that the church house is just a building, it is a special place. It is the place where we meet God together. It is the place that you dedicated to the Lord and now you allow it to be used for a bunch of irreverent nonsense. Moses was instructed by God himself to "put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." It was holy ground because it was the place where he met God. God just won’t come in and join the clowns, the animals, and the circus atmosphere and save sinners. It just doesn’t happen that way. "Win the lost at ANY cost?" The cost has been too great and fewer sinners are being saved. "Win the lost at ANY cost" has cost us some more things. Have you noticed that the zeal and the fire has gone out of the churches? It seems that the desire for the things of God has been stifled and people aren’t hungering and thirsting after righteousness any more. The church, in general, is not hot, but lukewarm. If this easy-believism way of winning souls at ANY cost is right, and works as they say it does, then the church should be red hot after souls. But the reality is that the church as a whole could care less about souls, and in their own minds, is rich, increased in goods, and stands in need of NOTHING. They are satisfied in a state of deadness, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. This is a direct result of turning salvation into a mere profession of faith. Take away the conviction of the Holy Ghost and make salvation just a matter of "accepting Jesus" while making the sinner’s sin an irrelevant issue, and you have a dead religion without the accompanying drastic change in lifestyle and affections. "Win the lost at any cost?" This cost is too great. We’ve paid this price, and ended up unable to win the lost. "Win the lost at any cost" is a noble attitude as long as we are talking about our own personal sacrifice of worldly possessions, family, job, money, or whatever, but we cannot include in that the loss of holiness in God’s people and the Truth of his Word. Jesus said an evil tree produces evil fruit. Simple! Well, let’s do a little fruit inspecting. For over twenty years I have listened to men boast of winning souls. Some claim to win many each week on a regular basis, and say they have won hundreds and even thousands over the years. Where are these many converts? I can show you church after church where there is not one soul who is in church regularly that was won on soul-winning visitation! Surely someone will write and say they know of some that were. But what about all those that were "won" by these "soul-winners" but never came to church? Is there the possibility that they were deceived about their soul? You better believe they were deceived! And while those on soul-winning visitation are being deceived at home, others are coming to church and "making a profession" and the church is being filled with unconverted sinners who think they are saved. What kind of fruit is that? That Easy-believism has distorted the teaching of soul-winning is very obvious. It is common to hear their preachers making statements questioning the salvation of anyone who doesn’t go soul-winning. At the same time they will defend the salvation of some young person who grew up in the church, but lived a wicked life and died in a drunken car crash, saying he died because of the chastisement of God. So we have faithful people in the church, who have lived holy lives for God for many years, and been faithful to the church and the man of God, but don’t go out and squeeze professions of faith out of sinners, so they are headed for hell. Then we have what they call the "carnal Christians" who live their lives without any evidence of God’s influence at all and we are supposed to believe they are saved because of a puny profession they made at some point in their lives. It doesn’t take a degree in theology to see that something is wrong with that kind of teaching. Another thing that makes it very obvious that the easy-believism teaching of soul-winning is wrong is the fact that it cannot be practiced everywhere. If you were a Christian in Saudi Arabia, or just about any Arab country, you would not be able to go "knocking on doors" and "soul-winning." If you tried it you would lose your head before sundown. What we are saying is that the manner of soul-winning that is being taught cannot be right, and it cannot be the tenet of the faith they make it to be, because it cannot be practiced everywhere. Tell the church in China that if they don’t go knocking doors they just aren’t saved! Lock a Christian up in the dungeon and put him in stocks. How will he go "soul-winning" then? How do we explain the fact that throughout the history of the church the greatest times of growth have been accomplished under just such circumstances as these? John Bunyan wasn’t out soul-winning all the years he rotted in jail — but he was busy writing "Pilgrims Progress." Adoniram Judson was not going soul-winning in Burma all the years he was burying his wives and children, and hanging by his arms and legs in a prison. How many souls did John win on the isle of Patmos every week while he was banished there? No matter what they try to make people believe, the Church has not survived the past 2000 years on the modern practice of "soul-winning." Our spiritual ancestors did not practice evangelism the way the modern independent Baptists are doing it today. And they won souls! They won more souls than the church is winning today! And they left a church for their descendents, which is more than can be said for our generation. This pressure that is being put on the people in the churches to "go soul-winning" is not of God, but of men who want to extend their little kingdoms and increase their empires. It is done to put the people on a guilt trip and keep them under control, just as the cults do with their commands to celibacy and abstaining from meats, etc. It is being promoted by men who have worldly philosophies of success and no idea of what God considers successful. It is so very simple. We are not commanded in the Bible to go "soul-winning." We are not even saddled with the responsibility to "win souls." That is God’s work! What we are commanded to do is to PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE. We are to sow and water — it is GOD that gives the increase! That is a joy and a strength to every Christian. It isn’t something you have to shamed and beaten and pushed into doing. It is the natural fruit of a heart that has realized the wonder of the Gospel. There is nothing wrong when the preacher reminds us that we should be witnessing for the Lord and of the things He has done in our lives, surely that is part of his duty as a preacher. But when he starts putting the pressure on because you don’t have so many down the isle and in the water every Sunday, he has went beyond and out of bounds. He is NOT in the Bible now! His job is this: "Feed my sheep." There is life after salvation! There is a life to be lived and more about Jesus to learn. When that fact is ignored in order to press soul-winning the whole thing simply dies. Souls aren’t saved and those that are already in the church simply wither away in the pews. The church that builds good Christians sees souls saved — REALLY saved — and brought into the church, where they CONTINUE and ABIDE in Christ. Should we have visitation programs? OF COURSE! Should we witness every chance we get? YES! Should we give everything we’ve got to try to win souls? YES! But we must keep in mind what our part is and what God’s part is. We should do our part, and then let God do his part. God is not pleased when men push Him aside and try to take over his work. Salvation is a work of God, not of men. The Bible says it is "not of works?" Well, not of works means not of works. A soul is not saved by his own works, or by the works of some soul-winner. A soul is saved by God. A soul is awakened and caused to look to God by what he sees and hears from the life of someone who knows and walks with God. Assurance of Salvation is the work of God, and not of men. No man has the right or authority to try to assure someone that they are saved based upon a profession of faith. The Holy Ghost bears witness with their spirit that they are the sons of God, upon their obedience to the Gospel. Yet all the soul-winning courses teach that the next step after leading someone to the Lord is to give them assurance of salvation — or in other words, to do our best to convince them that they are going to heaven no matter what they do from now on. We must do our part to win souls, but at the same time we must let God do His part. It is time for those who are REALLY concerned about souls to "consider their ways" and make the changes necessary."
Article quoted in its entirety from: www.midwaybiblebaptistchurch.com/prov-thot/pt16.htm
"What Is Really Your Bible? So many people say loudly and clearly that they are "Bible Believers." They say the Bible is their guide and rule for living. They say the Bible is the "final authority" for all faith and practice. It is the standard by which we judge all things - IF we are really "Bible-believers." Isn't it strange then that so many of these same people pay no attention to what the Bible clearly says when it disagrees with their judgment, or assessment of another person's spiritual condition. For example, when confronted with a Bible truth that is hard for them to accept, they run to some experience they, or someone they know has had. They try to prove what they believe because of what happened in that experience. These people base their doctrines of Salvation, chastisement, and God's attitude toward sin on experience rather than the Word of God, and at the same time say they are "Bible-believers!" The Baptists used to raise their voices against the Pentecostals for basing their relationship to God on their experience. But now the Baptists have become experts in doing the same thing, except they do it in almost all areas of Christian living and Salvation itself. For example, most seem to believe now that a person is definitely saved forever if he can remember a time and a place where he prayed the "sinner's prayer." Once he has had this "experience," it doesn't matter if the Spirit of God bears witness with his spirit or not. It doesn't matter if he ever turns from sin to live a holy life for God or not, because he has that "experience" to stand upon. In fact, many say that it doesn't matter if he ever goes to church; he is still saved because of his "experience." He can even hate the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and everyone in it, and still be saved because of his "experience" at that one time and place. It doesn't matter anymore that his whole life is contrary to the Word of God and what it teaches about a child of God. No one can question his salvation because, after all, he did have that experience. As a rule, men determine what they believe from what they see in other people and from their own experience and then they twist the Scriptures to fit what they already believe. Instead of seeking after the Truth, accepting it as the authority, and judging themselves and other men by it, the Truth is subject to their opinions, based on their experience. If you don't understand what we are saying think about this: Most professing Christians today are very well indoctrinated in situational ethics. It is the common practice among them to invent situations in which they try every truth that is presented to them. These situations are usually far from reality, but could conceivably happen. You have heard it: "Well, what if you were in a situation like this, what would you do them?" With such thinking the law of God is nullified and the truth is made a relative thing instead of an absolute. Every man is a god unto himself and does what is right in his own eyes. With this kind of religion there is a situation for every kind of sin to be excused and accepted. We live in a day when men have separated sin from the sinner in order to "love" him. Now he has become a victim instead of a transgressor of God's law and everyone strives to understand his side of things instead of God's side, and the reasons why he committed the sin. Unless the Bible is our absolute authority and we judge ourselves and others by it's standards, we have a worthless religion indeed. Our feelings toward those we love must not enter in here. That is where most people stumble into this error. "I know that person is saved!," they will say, because of the experiences they have that they consider to be evidence of salvation. Then they proceed to find a way to explain or excuse that person's ungodly behavior, and in so doing compromise the Truth of the Word of God. When people do this with their children, which is the most common case, they forfeit any hope of ever seeing their children saved, and they both are left in deception. For the only hope for any son of Adam is to realize the Word of God is the absolute Truth, judge himself by it, and receive it as the guide and law of his life. The Law of God (the Bible) doesn't conform to us, but we are to be conformed to it. One of the most sure signs of a real born-again person is that he CONTINUES. To those who are really born again the Bible says: "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition." These people have the assurance of eternal life, but the Bible nowhere gives that assurance to those who turn back to wallow in sin! If we hope to ever see that loved one truly come to a saving knowledge of God, we must hold the Truth before them without compromising. The Truth will set you FREE! If a person doesn't measure up to what the Scriptures describe as a Christian, then we must treat them as lost sinners. We must NOT back up and try to make the Bible concur with their ungodly life. Now, you be honest with yourself; what is your Bible?"
Article quoted in its entirety from: www.midwaybiblebaptistchurch.com/prov-thot/pt16.htm
Article 2
"Identifying Easy-Believism It is not uncommon these days to hear about what has come to be called “Easy-Believism.” When it is mentioned it is usually referring to a system of theology, that has become really widespread in our day, that teaches that all a person has to do to go to heaven is believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. “Only believe” is their theme and sums up their doctrine pretty well. It leaves out true repentance, as it has been understood for the past 2000 years by our spiritual forefathers, and if repentance is mentioned at all, it is reduced to a simple change of mind that does not necessarily effect the person’s actions or lifestyle at all. It is such a mess and mixture of false doctrine that any person who studies the Bible, even a little, can quickly begin to see the problems with it. Still, the Independent Baptists have been the leaders in forming colleges and Bible Institutes to train countless men in this heresy and sent them out all over the land to spread the poison that has just about killed the church and spoiled the harvest beyond repair. It is not simply a slight difference of opinion, or a different method to achieve the same purpose. “Easy-believism” borders on being an occult! It has all the major characteristics. It’s teachings on salvation, which is the door, are terribly confused and are leading countless souls into deception and eternal doom. If a person is really saved by a simple sinners prayer without the conviction of the Holy Ghost and real condemnation for his sin, then the Catholics have it right after all. It really is just a ritual and that is all God requires. It matters not how we live afterward, because that isn’t what Jesus came to deal with. He only came to change our destiny, but did nothing for our present miserable state. Anyone who knows anything about the Bible at all knows that is not the case. Jesus was manifested to “take away the sin of the world,” not simply to “pay a sin debt” or deal with the penalty of sin. Therefore, being wrong (and we should say, TERRIBLY wrong) on the first order of business, the teaching of easy-believism cannot do anything but lead people wrong on the teachings of sanctification and the Christian walk. There are many people who refuse to identify with easy-believism in salvation, but the problem is that they embrace its teachings on sanctification, repentance, faith, and many other doctrines. One reason is that many have started out in the easy-believism crowd’s camp and have been influenced by it’s heretical teachings, but have read the Bible and been delivered by the grace of God and their own common sense. Thanks be to God that they have seen the damage and the awful results of preaching a salvation message that isn’t real, and isn’t Biblical. But many have not shaken the influence of easy-believism enough to throw off all of its teachings. As a result they continue to bear the same rotten fruit and their message and its effects are no different in any real way from the purebred easy-believism crowd. The purpose of this article and those that will follow is to identify easy-believism. We believe that there are many who say they are not “easy-believism” but bear many marks of that line of teachings. It is our sincere hope that some will be helped to see the error of their way and moved to correct it. Souls are at stake and as we said at the beginning, this is not a simple difference of opinion, or a slightly different way of explaining the Gospel — IT IS ANOTHER GOSPEL! It is a Gospel that doesn’t change lives, or deliver men from their sin. It is a Gospel that has not the power even to get its converts to the church house, let alone to Heaven when they die. It is a Gospel that leaves men glorying in the fact that they are still practicing sinners even AFTER they are supposed to be saved. It is a Gospel that puts the emphasis on a person’s destiny instead of their sin. The Bible teaches none of these things. The true Gospel puts the emphasis on sin and the fact that God sent his Son to deliver his people from their sin. The true Gospel delivers men from sin and makes them new creatures. The problem was not that men were going to hell as much as the fact that they were sinning against their Creator. He came to change their behavior and make it right — NOT JUST TO GIVE THEM A HOME IN HEAVEN BY AND BY. Jesus NEVER asked anyone if they knew they would go to heaven when they died — that is a man-made idea and invention. It is ANOTHER GOSPEL. Jesus always dealt with men and women about their sin — NOT ABOUT THEIR DESTINY. If a man will preach the true Gospel, he will deal with men in the same manner."
Article quoted in its entirety from: www.midwaybiblebaptistchurch.com/prov-thot/pt16.htm
Article 3
"Easy Believism Win The Lost At Any Cost? In the last issue we began a discussion of what is known as "easy-believism." It is not our intention to offend people, or to condemn everyone who has been, or is now associated with this type of ministry and teaching. We would like to say from the start that certainly a lot of people have went down this road with the best of intentions. The desire to see people saved and brought into the church is not wicked by any means. To the contrary, it is a wicked thing NOT to be concerned about the lost and do whatever possible to bring them to Christ. However, the MOST important thing is to honor and obey God and his Word FIRST. That is MORE IMPORTANT than winning souls. It is our contention that easy-believism has simply cast aside many clear teachings of the Bible and justified it by putting all of the emphasis on the winning of souls. "WIN THE LOST AT ANY COST." That sounds good and noble, but maybe it is time to stop and look at what it has cost us. For one thing, it has cost us the reverence for the house of God that people in our country used to have. Now, instead of a sacred place, the Sanctuary of God has been transformed into a circus tent. It is quite hard for people to feel anything special about the church house with all the escapades that are going on there these days. Karate choppers, wrestlers, clowns, dogs, pigs, chickens, and special appearances by the world’s heroes, such as professional football players, politicians, etc. Then you have the skits, the contests, the goldfish swallowing, and the special days where the atmosphere in the church is anything but reverent. Many mock at this objection and say the church house is just a building. While it is true that the church house is just a building, it is a special place. It is the place where we meet God together. It is the place that you dedicated to the Lord and now you allow it to be used for a bunch of irreverent nonsense. Moses was instructed by God himself to "put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." It was holy ground because it was the place where he met God. God just won’t come in and join the clowns, the animals, and the circus atmosphere and save sinners. It just doesn’t happen that way. "Win the lost at ANY cost?" The cost has been too great and fewer sinners are being saved. "Win the lost at ANY cost" has cost us some more things. Have you noticed that the zeal and the fire has gone out of the churches? It seems that the desire for the things of God has been stifled and people aren’t hungering and thirsting after righteousness any more. The church, in general, is not hot, but lukewarm. If this easy-believism way of winning souls at ANY cost is right, and works as they say it does, then the church should be red hot after souls. But the reality is that the church as a whole could care less about souls, and in their own minds, is rich, increased in goods, and stands in need of NOTHING. They are satisfied in a state of deadness, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. This is a direct result of turning salvation into a mere profession of faith. Take away the conviction of the Holy Ghost and make salvation just a matter of "accepting Jesus" while making the sinner’s sin an irrelevant issue, and you have a dead religion without the accompanying drastic change in lifestyle and affections. "Win the lost at any cost?" This cost is too great. We’ve paid this price, and ended up unable to win the lost. "Win the lost at any cost" is a noble attitude as long as we are talking about our own personal sacrifice of worldly possessions, family, job, money, or whatever, but we cannot include in that the loss of holiness in God’s people and the Truth of his Word. Jesus said an evil tree produces evil fruit. Simple! Well, let’s do a little fruit inspecting. For over twenty years I have listened to men boast of winning souls. Some claim to win many each week on a regular basis, and say they have won hundreds and even thousands over the years. Where are these many converts? I can show you church after church where there is not one soul who is in church regularly that was won on soul-winning visitation! Surely someone will write and say they know of some that were. But what about all those that were "won" by these "soul-winners" but never came to church? Is there the possibility that they were deceived about their soul? You better believe they were deceived! And while those on soul-winning visitation are being deceived at home, others are coming to church and "making a profession" and the church is being filled with unconverted sinners who think they are saved. What kind of fruit is that? That Easy-believism has distorted the teaching of soul-winning is very obvious. It is common to hear their preachers making statements questioning the salvation of anyone who doesn’t go soul-winning. At the same time they will defend the salvation of some young person who grew up in the church, but lived a wicked life and died in a drunken car crash, saying he died because of the chastisement of God. So we have faithful people in the church, who have lived holy lives for God for many years, and been faithful to the church and the man of God, but don’t go out and squeeze professions of faith out of sinners, so they are headed for hell. Then we have what they call the "carnal Christians" who live their lives without any evidence of God’s influence at all and we are supposed to believe they are saved because of a puny profession they made at some point in their lives. It doesn’t take a degree in theology to see that something is wrong with that kind of teaching. Another thing that makes it very obvious that the easy-believism teaching of soul-winning is wrong is the fact that it cannot be practiced everywhere. If you were a Christian in Saudi Arabia, or just about any Arab country, you would not be able to go "knocking on doors" and "soul-winning." If you tried it you would lose your head before sundown. What we are saying is that the manner of soul-winning that is being taught cannot be right, and it cannot be the tenet of the faith they make it to be, because it cannot be practiced everywhere. Tell the church in China that if they don’t go knocking doors they just aren’t saved! Lock a Christian up in the dungeon and put him in stocks. How will he go "soul-winning" then? How do we explain the fact that throughout the history of the church the greatest times of growth have been accomplished under just such circumstances as these? John Bunyan wasn’t out soul-winning all the years he rotted in jail — but he was busy writing "Pilgrims Progress." Adoniram Judson was not going soul-winning in Burma all the years he was burying his wives and children, and hanging by his arms and legs in a prison. How many souls did John win on the isle of Patmos every week while he was banished there? No matter what they try to make people believe, the Church has not survived the past 2000 years on the modern practice of "soul-winning." Our spiritual ancestors did not practice evangelism the way the modern independent Baptists are doing it today. And they won souls! They won more souls than the church is winning today! And they left a church for their descendents, which is more than can be said for our generation. This pressure that is being put on the people in the churches to "go soul-winning" is not of God, but of men who want to extend their little kingdoms and increase their empires. It is done to put the people on a guilt trip and keep them under control, just as the cults do with their commands to celibacy and abstaining from meats, etc. It is being promoted by men who have worldly philosophies of success and no idea of what God considers successful. It is so very simple. We are not commanded in the Bible to go "soul-winning." We are not even saddled with the responsibility to "win souls." That is God’s work! What we are commanded to do is to PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE. We are to sow and water — it is GOD that gives the increase! That is a joy and a strength to every Christian. It isn’t something you have to shamed and beaten and pushed into doing. It is the natural fruit of a heart that has realized the wonder of the Gospel. There is nothing wrong when the preacher reminds us that we should be witnessing for the Lord and of the things He has done in our lives, surely that is part of his duty as a preacher. But when he starts putting the pressure on because you don’t have so many down the isle and in the water every Sunday, he has went beyond and out of bounds. He is NOT in the Bible now! His job is this: "Feed my sheep." There is life after salvation! There is a life to be lived and more about Jesus to learn. When that fact is ignored in order to press soul-winning the whole thing simply dies. Souls aren’t saved and those that are already in the church simply wither away in the pews. The church that builds good Christians sees souls saved — REALLY saved — and brought into the church, where they CONTINUE and ABIDE in Christ. Should we have visitation programs? OF COURSE! Should we witness every chance we get? YES! Should we give everything we’ve got to try to win souls? YES! But we must keep in mind what our part is and what God’s part is. We should do our part, and then let God do his part. God is not pleased when men push Him aside and try to take over his work. Salvation is a work of God, not of men. The Bible says it is "not of works?" Well, not of works means not of works. A soul is not saved by his own works, or by the works of some soul-winner. A soul is saved by God. A soul is awakened and caused to look to God by what he sees and hears from the life of someone who knows and walks with God. Assurance of Salvation is the work of God, and not of men. No man has the right or authority to try to assure someone that they are saved based upon a profession of faith. The Holy Ghost bears witness with their spirit that they are the sons of God, upon their obedience to the Gospel. Yet all the soul-winning courses teach that the next step after leading someone to the Lord is to give them assurance of salvation — or in other words, to do our best to convince them that they are going to heaven no matter what they do from now on. We must do our part to win souls, but at the same time we must let God do His part. It is time for those who are REALLY concerned about souls to "consider their ways" and make the changes necessary."
Article quoted in its entirety from: www.midwaybiblebaptistchurch.com/prov-thot/pt16.htm