Criticism
QUESTION
Why do you do keep criticizing other Christians? You are labeling them false teachers. They are fellow workers in the Lord. Your logic is debatable. There are thousands of scholars out there that can contest your arguments. Billy Graham and Bill Bright were used by the Lord Jesus to bring millions of souls Him. Now, here you are, calling their teachings unbiblical? How about you? Instead of going out there helping to evangelize and disciple, you waste your time sitting on your desk writing all these articles criticizing your brothers (or maybe you don’t call them brothers because only you and a handful have the right to be called children of God.) Why not just support them or at least leave them alone? Get a life. (Anonymous, written in response to my critique of How To Be Born Again by Billy Graham)
ANSWER
Thanks for taking time to interact with my blog and for posting some comments. You make a number of statements and questions that I would like to address:
Why do you do keep criticizing other Christians?
Because truth is important, and those who teach sinners-prayer salvation are spreading a false gospel and proselytizing millions on a gross distortion of the teaching of scripture. Let me ask you this – if you believe something is harmful and wrong, do you feel compelled to do something about it?
You are labeling them false teachers. They are fellow workers in the Lord.
Let me be clear. Billy Graham is a false teacher. I would not go so far as to question whether he is a regenerate child of God, the Lord knows (II Timothy 2:19), but the doctrine that he teaches with respect to how sinners are eternally saved is categorically false. I have attempted to biblically demonstrate this through an unvarnished examination of the logic of his assertions held alongside the bible’s testimony.
Your logic is debatable.
If my logic is debatable, it would be helpful for you to demonstrate that point wit a logical argument. Apart from that, you are making an unsubstantiated assertion.
There are thousands of scholars out there that can contest your arguments.
I am certain that this is true. It is also an assertion based on both an appeal to authority and to headcount – two classical logical fallacies. If this mode of objection to my argument is valid, it would have the unfortunate consequence of undermining the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ via an appeal to the Sanhedrin.
Billy Graham and Bill Bright were used by the Lord Jesus to bring millions of souls Him.
No. They were not. That is balderdash. There is ever and only one eternal soul winner – the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the good shepherd who gives eternal life to the sheep and they shall never perish (John 10:28) and he does so in keeping with a covenant promise that he will lose not one of them (John 17:2). What Graham and Bright have done is proselytize millions of people on false notions about how the Lord saves sinners. Their efforts have confounded innumerable people regarding their salvation, causing much confusion and vexation of spirit among the flock of God. Nevertheless their bad teaching neither augments nor diminishes the number who will live in glory, but it may prevent many of God’s children from coming to know the peace that attends a proper understanding of their salvation by God alone.
Now, here you are, calling their teachings unbiblical? How about you?
Yes. I am calling their teachings unbiblical and providing an explicit demonstration of why I believe that is so. I have also provided a clear, biblical presentation of the gospel as an alternative to what these men preach. It is the featured video on my YouTube channel and I invite you to examine it in light of the scriptures to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11).
Instead of going out there helping to evangelize and disciple, you waste your time sitting on your desk writing all these articles criticizing your brothers.
I am evangelizing those who are seeking a right understanding of God through his word who have been taught error. My efforts are to encourage the flock of God through a proper understanding of their salvation. I do not consider earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the saints as a waste of time (Jude 1:3), though you are at liberty to regard it as such.
Or maybe you don’t call them brothers because only you and a handful have the right to be called children of God.)
I tend to err on the side of assuming that those who have a profession of faith in Christ are regenerate children of God, even if they do not understand the doctrine of eternal salvation. I most certainly do NOT believe that those who have the right to be called children of God are just “a handful” as you assert. I believe that the redeemed are a multitude which no man can number (Revelation 7:9) out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation (Revelation 5:9). They are redeemed by the blood of Christ, and the Lord did not require one bit of assistance from Graham, or Bright or anyone else to get the job done (Romans 5:19).
Why not just support them or at least leave them alone?
I cannot support them because they are not teaching salvation by sovereign grace. They are not teaching the system of salvation found in the word of God. Paul had very harsh words for those who would teach another doctrine that is not based entirely on “the grace of Christ.” He said they should be “accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9)
Get a life.
I have an abundant life (John 10:10). That is true in no small measure because I understand what Jesus Christ ACCOMPLISHED on behalf of his people (Matthew 1:21, Hebrews 10:14). It is my earnest desire to spread the gospel of the finished work of Christ to those who have the ears to hear so that they may be delivered from the ignorance and instability that attends an improper understanding of Christ’s saving work based on the shallow and unscriptural teachings of so-called “evangelical heavyweights” who would have done well to heed James’s admonition, “my brethren, be not many masters.” (James 3:1)
That said, I ask you to consider two questions:
How many obediences were required to make God’s people righteous? (Romans 5:19)
What are the ramifications of this teaching on a gospel that requires YOUR obedience as a prerequisite to obtaining a righteous standing before God?
Correct answers to those two questions are the complete undoing of Graham/Bright theology and an important step toward a proper understanding of how God saves sinners.
May God bless our studies and understanding of his word.
- Elder Daniel Samons