Are you really saved or do you just think you are? Exposing the lie of Easy Believism

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Galatians2-20

Senior Member
Mar 17, 2013
261
19
18
#21
tl;dr
God's plan of salvation is simple, and needed to be simple so
children and mentally handicapped people could understand it.
No doubt you're just parsing up scripture and
trying to convince people to doubt their salvation
(as if Satan isn't already working at that full-time),
and buy whatever it is they're selling at your church.
Care to divulge your denomination?
My guess is that you're involved in some charismatic or NAR church.

My goodness, aren't you full of false assumptions and conspiracies... Feeding on such poison on a regular basis can be detrimental to one's walk with Christ.

However, if you must know, my personal beliefs almost mirror that of the Christian Missions & Alliance (CMA). Perhaps you are familiar with A.B. Simpson, AW Tozer, or Paris Reidhead? If not then maybe you have heard of Andrew Murray, George Mueller, or Hudson Taylor? Such men spearheaded the great missions movement of the 1800s.

 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
16,637
3,533
113
#22
"Are you really saved or do you just think you are?" Exposing the lie of Easy Believism:

Easy believism is bad doctrine that has become prevalent throughout many churches in the west. It is the reason why so many churches have willingly embraced the biblically defiant & unrepentant lgbt agenda (apostasy). Easy believism teaches that you are saved based solely on your own ability to believe certain truths about Jesus Christ (mental ascent) and how you live your life, no matter... how sinful, does not compromise one's belief. However, nothing could be further from biblical truth.

Easy believism actually contradicts the Bible in several ways. In contrast, scripture teaches that one is saved by placing complete trust (faith) in Christ and his word, resulting in a believer understanding that he or she is absolutely powerless to do anything to save themselves. Because their eternal destiny rests squarely upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ, a believer will then pattern his or her lifestyle after Christ and his teachings in order to maintain right relationship daily with he who holds our destiny in his hands.

Grace is but one of several amazing aspects of Christ's character. Where there is a person, ministry, or church that over emphasizes grace (forgiveness of sins), elevating it above all of Christ's many other equally important attributes, you can be pretty confident that easy believism is at work. Proponents of easy believism will define grace "unmerited favor" and proceed to explain how Jesus bore the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of sins. While true, they fail to adequately explain the complete nature of grace by omitting several important details.

Authentic Biblical grace is far more than forgiveness of sins only. Scripture defines grace as a divine invitation to walk daily in intimate fellowship with the presence and power of indwelling (Holy) Spirit of Christ where victory over sin and self (holiness) may be attained, should you pursue it. 2 Peter 1:2-11 teaches that, through grace, everything necessary to live a Godly life has been made available to believers.

Grace is not, nor ever was, God's willingness to ignore your sin. It is the power to overcome them. A person can not partake of life in Christ and indulge the flesh simultaneously for to partake of one is to forsake / abandon the other.

In the words of AW Tozer, one of the 20th century's most regarded pastors and influential Christian authors: "If your life does not worship God, your lips do not worship God either."
The church at Corinth...you know, those carnal believers who were having trouble with strife, contentions, envying, division, puffed up, fornication, fraud, judgments etc...were they not washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God?
 

shrume

Senior Member
Jun 26, 2017
2,193
463
83
#23
However, if you must know, my personal beliefs almost mirror that of the Christian Missions & Alliance (CMA). Perhaps you are familiar with A.B. Simpson, AW Tozer, or Paris Reidhead? If not then maybe you have heard of Andrew Murray, George Mueller, or Hudson Taylor? Such men spearheaded the great missions movement of the 1800s.
Impressive!

Did the CMA, Simpson, Tozer, Reidhead, Murray, Mueller, or Taylor save you?

Or were you saved by confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead? (Rom 10:9).
 
Aug 15, 2009
9,745
179
0
#24
Obviously, there's a few trying deceitful methods to pick a fight, Galatians2-20.

Yeah, they don't like the truth.
:)
 
Aug 15, 2009
9,745
179
0
#25
tl;dr
God's plan of salvation is simple, and needed to be simple so
children and mentally handicapped people could understand it.
No doubt you're just parsing up scripture and
trying to convince people to doubt their salvation
(as if Satan isn't already working at that full-time),
and buy whatever it is they're selling at your church.
Care to divulge your denomination?
My guess is that you're involved in some charismatic or NAR church.
Fluff. Bloviation.
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,370
113
#26
"Are you really saved or do you just think you are?" Exposing the lie of Easy Believism:

Easy believism is bad doctrine that has become prevalent throughout many churches in the west. It is the reason why so many churches have willingly embraced the biblically defiant & unrepentant lgbt agenda (apostasy). Easy believism teaches that you are saved based solely on your own ability to believe certain truths about Jesus Christ (mental ascent) and how you live your life, no matter... how sinful, does not compromise one's belief. However, nothing could be further from biblical truth.

Easy believism actually contradicts the Bible in several ways. In contrast, scripture teaches that one is saved by placing complete trust (faith) in Christ and his word, resulting in a believer understanding that he or she is absolutely powerless to do anything to save themselves. Because their eternal destiny rests squarely upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ, a believer will then pattern his or her lifestyle after Christ and his teachings in order to maintain right relationship daily with he who holds our destiny in his hands.

Grace is but one of several amazing aspects of Christ's character. Where there is a person, ministry, or church that over emphasizes grace (forgiveness of sins), elevating it above all of Christ's many other equally important attributes, you can be pretty confident that easy believism is at work. Proponents of easy believism will define grace "unmerited favor" and proceed to explain how Jesus bore the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of sins. While true, they fail to adequately explain the complete nature of grace by omitting several important details.

Authentic Biblical grace is far more than forgiveness of sins only. Scripture defines grace as a divine invitation to walk daily in intimate fellowship with the presence and power of indwelling (Holy) Spirit of Christ where victory over sin and self (holiness) may be attained, should you pursue it. 2 Peter 1:2-11 teaches that, through grace, everything necessary to live a Godly life has been made available to believers.

Grace is not, nor ever was, God's willingness to ignore your sin. It is the power to overcome them. A person can not partake of life in Christ and indulge the flesh simultaneously for to partake of one is to forsake / abandon the other.

In the words of AW Tozer, one of the 20th century's most regarded pastors and influential Christian authors: "If your life does not worship God, your lips do not worship God either."
no in the last judgement some people think they save but not

Jesus Said depart from me because when i am hungred you not give me a food. They was shocked

and when Jesus Said to the save group, welcome to heaven because when i was hungred you give me a food

this group shocked ASwell and ask, when I give you a food.

may be righteous doing good but unaware, bad guy doing bad but they think It was good.

Matt 25

34
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
25,043
13,049
113
58
#27
The church at Corinth...you know, those carnal believers who were having trouble with strife, contentions, envying, division, puffed up, fornication, fraud, judgments etc...were they not washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God?
1 Corinthians 3:1 - And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

These Corinthians were behaving like mere men (as carnal people) yet Paul still referred to them as babes in Christ. They needed to mature, but that does not mean they were not saved. I wonder how that fits in with hard believism? That salvation is by grace through faith and is not by works is easy to understand. It's just not easy to ACCEPT.

The notion of 'easy believism' that I reject reduces belief/faith to nothing more than an "intellectual acknowledgment" to the existence and historical facts about Christ coupled with the idea it's then okay to go out and live like the devil and such a person is now saved no matter what, even though there are no genuine repentance and faith.

That is an empty belief that has no power and does not change the person (2 Corinthians 5:17), and bears no fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). When a person is truly born again they follow Christ (John 10:27-28). Those who are born of God practice righteousness and not sin (1 John 3:9,10). In 1 John 2:4, we read - The one who says, 'I have come to know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
25,043
13,049
113
58
#28
Impressive!

Did the CMA, Simpson, Tozer, Reidhead, Murray, Mueller, or Taylor save you?

Or were you saved by confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead? (Rom 10:9).
Romans 10:9 - that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Does that sound easy or hard? ;)

1 Corinthians 12:3 - Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except BY the Holy Spirit. There is divine influence or direct operation of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a person when confessing that Jesus is Lord. This confession is not just a simple acknowledgment that Jesus is the Lord (even the demons believe that), but is a deep personal conviction, that Jesus is genuinely that person's Lord and Savior. So simply believing in our head (and not in our heart) that God raised Him from the dead does not result in righteousness and simply reciting the words "Jesus is Lord" not by the Holy Spirit is not unto salvation.
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,395
113
#29
Jesus must have missed the memo and Paul as well.....

It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

If you believe in your heart that God has raised him fro the dead thou shalt be saved.

He that believes on the son is having everlasting life.

If you confess me before men I will confess you before my Father which is in Heaven.

BE not removed from the SIMPLICITY that is found IN CHRIST

I will take the above over the embellished working for dogma that must be maintained because their Jesus cannot keep his promises and his word!
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,370
113
#30
Jesus must have missed the memo and Paul as well.....

It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

If you believe in your heart that God has raised him fro the dead thou shalt be saved.

He that believes on the son is having everlasting life.

If you confess me before men I will confess you before my Father which is in Heaven.

BE not removed from the SIMPLICITY that is found IN CHRIST

I will take the above over the embellished working for dogma that must be maintained because their Jesus cannot keep his promises and his word!
yup but Jesus also informed us, in the last judgement some people think they are save but Jesus reject them because when Jesus hungred they not give Him a food.
 

stillness

Senior Member
Jan 28, 2013
1,257
211
63
69
Walk trough the valley
#31
People thinking they are saved already? "For we are saved if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end," Of course saved means different things to "Little children, because you are forgiven," to "Fathers, because you know the Father," to "Young men because you are strong and know the word of God and have overcome the evil one." Would you like to be in this last group, then don't consider to have attained," and be ready to suffer with Christ, "All that live godly shall suffer persecution".
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
25,043
13,049
113
58
#32
yup but Jesus also informed us, in the last judgement some people think they are save but Jesus reject them because when Jesus hungred they not give Him a food.
Which was a symptom of an unsaved heart, yet the cause was unbelief. Many people believe they will be saved based on the merits of their works, yet they will be surprised on judgment day to find out otherwise (Matthew 7:22-23).
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,395
113
#33
yup but Jesus also informed us, in the last judgement some people think they are save but Jesus reject them because when Jesus hungred they not give Him a food.
Yep....and plenteous in number will be the group that comes before him boasting in all their works in his name while claiming to know Jesus......they get cast from his presence because they attempted a different door than faith....the same thing he speaks of is the same dogma pushed by many on this site....a working for café blend of faith and works for salvation....

It cannot be a coincidence............!!
 
Jan 27, 2013
4,769
18
0
#34
"Are you really saved or do you just think you are?" Exposing the lie of Easy Believism:

Easy believism is bad doctrine that has become prevalent throughout many churches in the west. It is the reason why so many churches have willingly embraced the biblically defiant & unrepentant lgbt agenda (apostasy). Easy believism teaches that you are saved based solely on your own ability to believe certain truths about Jesus Christ (mental ascent) and how you live your life, no matter... how sinful, does not compromise one's belief. However, nothing could be further from biblical truth.

Easy believism actually contradicts the Bible in several ways. In contrast, scripture teaches that one is saved by placing complete trust (faith) in Christ and his word, resulting in a believer understanding that he or she is absolutely powerless to do anything to save themselves. Because their eternal destiny rests squarely upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ, a believer will then pattern his or her lifestyle after Christ and his teachings in order to maintain right relationship daily with he who holds our destiny in his hands.

Grace is but one of several amazing aspects of Christ's character. Where there is a person, ministry, or church that over emphasizes grace (forgiveness of sins), elevating it above all of Christ's many other equally important attributes, you can be pretty confident that easy believism is at work. Proponents of easy believism will define grace "unmerited favor" and proceed to explain how Jesus bore the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of sins. While true, they fail to adequately explain the complete nature of grace by omitting several important details.

Authentic Biblical grace is far more than forgiveness of sins only. Scripture defines grace as a divine invitation to walk daily in intimate fellowship with the presence and power of indwelling (Holy) Spirit of Christ where victory over sin and self (holiness) may be attained, should you pursue it. 2 Peter 1:2-11 teaches that, through grace, everything necessary to live a Godly life has been made available to believers.

Grace is not, nor ever was, God's willingness to ignore your sin. It is the power to overcome them. A person can not partake of life in Christ and indulge the flesh simultaneously for to partake of one is to forsake / abandon the other.

In the words of AW Tozer, one of the 20th century's most regarded pastors and influential Christian authors: "If your life does not worship God, your lips do not worship God either."
strange thing context of scripture, (you have free will ,to believe, what you want. )

yet the truth will always ,set you free, they only question is ,who,s truth sets you free.


in the words of an author in the bible.


15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.Hebrews 9

you would need a law, for definition of to what sin is, you would need context to ask , who was the first covenant, given too.
but since, you have not understood this fact, then read (acts 15) if the old covenant is gone , the why is he a mediator to a new covenant. and what is this covenant. , since your still look at old covenant, you will never see the new covenant.


an other author in the bible, who is jewish. (they are saved by grace of the lord jesus christ)

11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."Acts 15: The Jerusalem Council


an other author .

6 he says:
"It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."Isaiah 49: The Servant of the LORD



my salvation , not a law of an old covenant. etc
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
25,043
13,049
113
58
#36
People thinking they are saved already?
Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace you "have been" saved (past tense, with ongoing present results) through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

"For we are saved if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,"
In Hebrews 3:14, we read - For we have become (past tense Greek verb, gegonamen, meaning we have become already) partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end." Notice that this is essentially a repeat of verse 6, where we read: but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house - whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

The only ones in the end who will be identified as those who have become partakers of Christ, will have been those who hold fast the beginning of their confidence steadfast to the end. These faltering Hebrews who depart from God begin with loud confidence and profession of loyalty. But later?

The wording in Hebrews 3:14 is not - "and you will become partakers of Christ (future indicative) if you (future indicative) hold fast." It is rather - "you have been, and now are, partakers of Christ, if in the future you hold fast to Christ." Holding fast to Christ is a manifestation of genuine belief and having become partakers of Christ and departing from God is a manifestation of unbelief and failure to have become partakers of Christ.

Of course saved means different things to "Little children, because you are forgiven," to "Fathers, because you know the Father," to "Young men because you are strong and know the word of God and have overcome the evil one." Would you like to be in this last group, then don't consider to have attained," and be ready to suffer with Christ, "All that live godly shall suffer persecution".
We have been saved from the PENALTY of sin (justification). We are being saved from the POWER of sin (ongoing sanctification). We will be saved from the PRESENCE of sin (glorification).

1 John 5:4 - For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,370
113
#37
Yep....and plenteous in number will be the group that comes before him boasting in all their works in his name while claiming to know Jesus......they get cast from his presence because they attempted a different door than faith....the same thing he speaks of is the same dogma pushed by many on this site....a working for café blend of faith and works for salvation....

It cannot be a coincidence............!!
some people think they save because he help people, It is wrong, save is by faith, but the evident of faith is give a food to Jesus when He was hungered
 
Jan 27, 2013
4,769
18
0
#38
I haven't found it easy, do I get a pass?
strange thing, faith, it is not having faith in yourself, the goal is learning to have faith in the saviour.

for example.
Ask, and It Will Be Given
7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!Matthew 7

who do you need to be asking and whos door have you been knocking, once you find the correct one to ask,






do you think jesus found it easy, yet always echoed , with his voice, let the fathers will, be done, he never asked for his free will to be done. this lesson will take a life time, to fully understand. and is a lesson for all to learn bit by bit, little by little. yet the big goal is to continue to the end. etc
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#39
29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”


31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
I was reading this passage last week and wondered about this part:

"32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him"

What exactly did they teach him?

I believe the milk that Paul mentions in his letters.
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#40
I really like this part of the OP

scripture teaches that one is saved by placing complete trust (faith) in Christ and his word, resulting in a believer understanding that he or she is absolutely powerless to do anything to save themselves. Because their eternal destiny rests squarely upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ, a believer will then pattern his or her lifestyle after Christ and his teachings in order to maintain right relationship daily with he who holds our destiny in his hands