EO Responds To
Emails 05-17-09
(EMAIL) Because I am in agreement with the stance you take against the dangerous teaching of eternal security, I would like to hear your full opinion concerning another ministry that I have come to appreciate. The ministry is called Scroll Publishing and a man named David Bercot is the main personality behind the ministry....
David encourages people to look to the ante-Nicene church as a help in interpreting Scripture. You and he both know that the ante-Nicene Fathers did not believe or teach eternal security and he seems like a pretty sound teacher, researcher of church history and a very careful and conscientious Bible expositor. So I would be interested in hearing your honest and full opinion concerning David Bercot, Scroll Publishing, and the idea of looking to the consensus of doctrine that was held by the writers of the first few centuries of the church in order to get some assistance in coming to the correct interpretation of the Scriptures. Please tell me what you think.
(RESPONSE) Greetings in Jesus’ name. We are familiar with David Bercot. It is great [that] he rejects eternal security, but there are serious problems with his ministry, as is often the case with people who correctly reject eternal security. Bercot believes water baptism is necessary to get sins forgiven. On that point alone, his ministry is discredited. We are forgiven at the point of a trusting and submitting faith in Jesus Christ. (That includes repentance.) Afterwards, one needs to be baptized.
Another major Bercot problem centers around his idea that the ante-Nicene writers should be consulted to interpret the New Testament. That could not be further from the truth. The ante-Nicene writers contradicted themselves and other writers from the same period! Hence, there has to be error. Furthermore, Origen was a definite heretic. All of this destroys the whole premise Bercot builds his ministry upon. Remember: We have all we need with the Bible alone and with the Holy Spirit to teach us as we seek truth from Scripture. If one follows Bercot he will also wrongly think the Book of Enoch is authoritative, when it is filled with errors and nonsense....
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(EMAIL) On one of your webpages (http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/point5.htm ) you speak negatively about Calvinism, where you stated,
"Let me cite a personal witnessing experience I had with a man who seemingly embraced this view, at least in part. We were talking about eternal security and he dogmatically insisted that it was not a license for immorality. He went on to say if one turns from the Lord he was never saved. Then approximately two weeks later the same man told me that the head deacon in his own Baptist church announced that he has been having an adulterous affair with another woman and was going to divorce his wife for her. Then he said that this man is still going to heaven, but he is going to have his rewards burn up! I reminded him what he said just two weeks before to show him he was not consistent and then added that he thinks there are two types of adulterers—one type being a Christian bound for heaven and the other being an unsaved person. In contrast, the Bible speaks of only one type of adulterer, who is always unsaved (1 Cor. 6:9,10; Rev. 21:8; etc.)! This is exactly what Calvinism is like."
Not that I support this type of behavior, because it is clearly sinful and not pleasing in God's sight. But I have a question for you. Would you consider King David unsaved? Since he was an adulterer (in his sin with Bathsheba).
(RESPONSE) Greetings in Jesus’ name. It appears you are an eternal security proponent. (I hope I’m wrong for your sake.) King David is a key person to focus in upon. There is no question he was saved before his adultery and murder, yet afterwards he strayed that far from God. In fact, he committed more heinous sins after his salvation than before. Heretic John Calvin said:
But what is far worse, the saints sometimes rush headlong, as though utterly desperate. For the example of David shows that the elect, although regenerated by God’s Spirit, not only sin to a small extent, but, as I have said, plunge into the very lowest abyss. David became a perfidious homicide, and a traitor to the army of God; then that wretched king fell into a series of crimes: yet he failed in only one thing, and showed that God’s grace was only suffocated within him, and not altogether extinguished.
Calvin, like other heretics in our day, teach one can have salvation and be in adultery, murder, etc. They miss the glaring truth that the righteous can die spiritually http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/spiritualdeath.htm David is a prime example of that. He got saved again after he fell so low. Here is another article related to your question http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/onesin.htm
Please consider getting our 801 page book refuting eternal security entitled, "The Believer's Conditional Security." There is MUCH in it that can help you better understand this salvation related subject. http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/whatsnew.htm This book is the most exhaustive and comprehensive refutation to eternal security ever written.... GOD BLESS YOU.
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(EMAIL) I have been reading your website at http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org I have been debating with the osas crowd... I have used scriptures from your website to do so. But I'm always ganged up on by several once saved always saved defenders, and I feel like a lone ranger there. (I'm also just a layman.) I don't claim to be versed like you are.
It seems like my only support there is from cults like JW's and Mormons, who believe works will save them, and I'm neither a Mormon or Jehovah witness, so I have even clashed with them time to time.
I also don't believe in a pretribulation rapture which I believe is false doctrine. So I have notice we believe alike in some things. Yet I want to question you some about other things....
Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch, and also teaches from it, and the Book of Enoch exist today, and has the scripture within it, that Jude quotes and teaches.(So does Jude authenticate the Book of Enoch?)
...Please know that I have good reason to refute the osas doctrine! I once was a Spirit filled Christian who fell from grace ...., and I know I would have gone to hell, if I wouldn't have repented, and even now I never take my salvation for granted.
One prayer I pray much is: "Lord, I don't want to go to hell" I pray this prayer, because I question my own spiritual righteousness many times. I trust in grace, but grace can be abused, and I rather be cold or hot, and not lukewarm. (Obviously hot is best)
It's hard for me to fellowship, because I see so much false doctrine being preached in the church, and my Christian brethren frown on me when I preach against their pretrib teachings, and the Baptist frown on me, when I preach against their osas doctrine.
So I find myself being a lone ranger so to speak, yet I would really like a church which preaches the Bible, and doesn't preach a doctrine which contradicts scripture. I have been very impressed by your website and teachings, even though I don't know all you preach, yet I like what I see so far.
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(RESPONSE) Greetings in Jesus’ name. We are not surprised you are ganged up on when you speak out on once saved always saved. We are in the MINORITY. The “grace changers” have the platform, the radio, TV, book publishers, large congregations, etc. behind them. They are teaching deadly myths and prospering in the natural now because of such, but what will they do in the end? Woe unto them!
You mentioned you are a layman. Have you read this? http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/newconverts.htm
...Even though Jude quotes the book of Enoch, that doesn’t mean it is inspired by God. I have read it and it is filled with error!!!! http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/enoch.htm Paul also quoted from false teachers at times to make a valid point. For example see Titus 1:12 and Acts 17:28.
...We are in a very dark day. Many are religious but hell-bound. It is hard or next to impossible to find a sound church. You are not alone. Please consider signing up for our weekly email teachings, updates, etc. If interested, you can do that here http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/contact.htm
GOD BLESS YOU. Heb. 3:14.
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(EMAIL) Your a idiot. I am pastor and have been for over 33 years.most of my ministry has been on the front lines in world class cities in the US,it always saddens me to see the sheltered small mindedness of most Christians,you personify the true ignorance bible incompitance
(RESPONSE) Greetings in Jesus’ name. I recommend that you learn the message of the Bible before you preach or teach again. Somehow you wrongly think because you have been a pastor for 33+ years and in major cities you know the Bible. This is error in itself. Because you have not gotten specific regarding what doctrine/s we teach that you take issue with, I can’t respond back on that subject. Your judgment [as a teacher] will be more severe (James 3:1), so you better learn the truth ASAP.
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(EMAIL) I\'ve read several of the articles on this site. I have a question about the argument against eternal security and how it fits with a particular verse. In John 10:28-29, it is written that nobody can snatch God\'s sheep out of his hand. Now, I\'ve heard it argued that when a Christian falls away, he is leaving God\'s hand himself and not being snatched out of God\'s hand, but Christians don\'t apostatize for nothing: it is always away from Christ and towards something else--another religion, love of money, atheism, etc. and always due to some sort of deception that takes them away. If this is so, then aren\'t the things that cause Christians to fall away snatching them out of God\'s hand? How does one reconcile that verse with things that apparently snatch Christians out of God\'s hand?
(RESPONSE) The John 10:28 argument used for eternal security and wicked living is very common and has been totally misunderstood and misapplied. Let’s take a close look at it:
John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and THEY FOLLOW ME. John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. John 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
Please note that the ones that will “never perish” or get “snatched” from God’s hand, according to Jesus’ teaching, are only the ones that FOLLOW HIM. Also, the Greek tense of the word “follow” in v. 27 is a CONTINUOUS TENSE. Hence, this verse does NOT allow for one to stray into wickedness and maintain salvation as it has been misused to teach. Again, that wonderful promise of not being snatched out of God’s hand ONLY applies for the faithful continuous tense “follower” of Jesus. Please remember this.
We believe that we are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8,9) but we can fall from grace (Gal. 5:2-4). We are justified by faith (Rom. 5:1) but our faith can become shipwrecked (1 Tim. 1:19,20) and cease to exist (Lk. 8:13; Rom. 11:19-23). We are not under the law (Rom. 6:14,15) but if you live according to the sinful nature you will die (Rom. 8:13). Paul taught against legalism (Gal. 5:3,4) but he also taught that no immoral, impure or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God (Eph. 5:5-7). We are not saved by works (Eph. 2:8,9) but to reap eternal life and not destruction you must sow to please the Spirit and not the sinful nature (Gal. 6:8,9). God is faithful to us (1 Jn. 1:9; 1 Cor. 10:13) but we must be faithful to him to the very end of our lives to escape the lake of fire or second death (Rev. 2:10,11). God surely loves us (Jn. 3:16; Mk. 10:21; Rom. 8:35-39) but those who inherit the kingdom of God love God (Jam 2:5; 1 Cor. 2:9) and to love God means to obey his commands (Jn. 14:15; 1 Jn. 5:3). We have freedom in Christ (Gal. 5:1) but this freedom is not to indulge the sinful nature (Gal. 5:13; 1 Pet 2:16).
Please consider getting our 801 page book refuting eternal security entitled, “The Believer’s Conditional Security.” There is MUCH in it that can help you better understand this salvation related subject. http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/whatsnew.htm This book is the most exhaustive and comprehensive refutation to eternal security ever written.... Remember Gal. 6:8,9 is a SALVATION passage not a rewards passage. GOD BLESS YOU.