"3 DOCTRINES from HELL" - Andrew Strom
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
-Andrew Strom.
Let us begin with an important question - "What are the worst and
most damaging doctrines in the Western church today?"
I believe that the most damaging ones are the ones that actually
steal people's Salvation and afterwards wrap them in a false cocoon
of comfort and assurance. -Three major doctrines do this.
There is nothing worse than giving false comfort to people who are
in danger. It is the worst crime imaginable - and yet preachers do
it every week across the Western world.
Imagine if a building was on fire, but instead of crying out and
warning the people, you went and comforted them and assured
them they were OK - even while the smoke curled up from beneath.
Wouldn't it be your fault if those people believed you and were killed?
Such is the situation today, and God will hold to account those
who lull the sheep falsely with soothing lies. I tell you - this is a
matter of life and death. And God's judgment is coming against
all who prove to be such hirelings - "tickling the ears".
The 3 DOCTRINES from HELL:
(1) "ASK JESUS into your HEART". We have spoken about this
before, so I won't spend too long on it here. The fact of the matter
is that NOBODY in the Bible ever "asked Jesus in" or 'gave their
heart to the Lord' to become a Christian. There is NOT ONE
instance of this ever happening. There are no people in the Book
of Acts repeating a "Sinner's prayer" to get saved. -Nothing like it.
This doctrine simply DOES NOT EXIST in the Bible.
So what did people do in Acts? Well, every time they wanted to
become a Christian, they deeply REPENTED, they were BAPTIZED
IN WATER, and also BAPTIZED in the HOLY SPIRIT. These three
things were always done straight away - and were regarded as
ESSENTIAL - not just "optional extras". We are short-changing the
entire church today with a doctrine that simply CANNOT BE FOUND
in Scripture. Merely "ASKING JESUS IN" is totally unscriptural. It
is time to go back to getting people saved the BIBLE WAY. (-See
Acts 2:38, Acts 8:12-17, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-6, Acts 22:16, etc.
See also my in-depth article at- http://www.revivalschool.com ).
Please notice that what the church is doing here is replacing Truth
with something CONVENIENT, COMFORTABLE and EASY. "Just
come forward and say this little prayer," we tell them. No mention
of DEEP REPENTANCE at all. -And a total lack of any real
TRANSFORMATION into a "NEW CREATURE". This is no salvation
at all. We are robbing people blind in the name of comfort and
convenience. How typical of the West. We have invented a lukewarm
"salvation experience" to go with our lukewarm church.
(2) "ONCE SAVED - ALWAYS SAVED". Now, having got people
falsely "saved", we create another ear-tickling wonder to make
sure that they sleep on contentedly in the pews. While emphasising
'tithing' and attending church (-in that order) the main thing now is to
keep them warm and happy - convinced of their "eternal security".
And so we lull them with a doctrine saying that if they once got
"saved" (ie. prayed the 'little prayer') - even if it was 20 years ago,
then it is "IMPOSSIBLE" for them to lose their salvation. No
holiness needed! Of course, we have to rely on the fact that they
do not read their Bibles - lest they find out that such a doctrine is
a complete fabrication.
Thus, we conveniently leave out of our preaching such Scriptures
as this: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the
kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is
in heaven. MANY will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name,
and do many mighty works IN YOUR NAME?' And then will I
declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART from me, you
EVIL-DOERS.'" (Mt 7:21-23). Hmmm. "Eternal security", anyone?
And of course, we must also leave out parables such as "The Five
Foolish Virgins" because it contains this verse: "And cast the
WORTHLESS SERVANT into outer darkness, where there shall
be WAILING and GNASHING OF TEETH" (Mt 25:30). Notice that
both the above Scriptures are speaking of people who think they
are 'saved' but who END UP IN HELL. -And Jesus says there will
be "MANY" like this.
And then there are dozens of other Scriptures such as, "Work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling," and 'Those who do such
things shall NOT inherit the kingdom of God,' and "Without holiness
no man shall see the Lord," etc, etc. -So many Scriptures have to
be ignored if we are to preach this cheap "Once Saved - Always
Saved" doctrine.
But notice again how well this teaching suits our comfortable,
convenient Western mindset. Ear-tickling by the truckload. Candy-
coated and syrupy-sweet. Can't it be said that this is making
people "two-fold more a child of hell" than they already were?
(3) The CHEAP "No Cost" RAPTURE Theory. -Now this is a
dangerous one to bring up! But I am concerned not so much with
the TIMING of the Rapture here - but rather with the CHEAPNESS
of it. Do I believe in a 'Rapture'? -Yes, I do believe in a great
"catching away" (as the Bible describes it). But again, we have
so degraded it in the West that it just becomes one more source
of false comfort and cheap grace. -This time to escape without a
scratch before any persecution or tribulation begins. Once again -
how CONVENIENT!
We are led to believe that our rich, fat-cat Western Christians
with their false salvation and their "no need for holiness" doctrines
will one day be flying in their jet airplanes and "Woosh!" - suddenly
they will be gone. -'Raptured'. Just in time to escape any bad stuff
happening on the earth.
There are entire industries and multi-million-dollar ministries built
on this whole thing. The "no cost" Rapture theory. How wonderfully
it tickles Western ears! How we rush to buy the latest Best-seller!
But wait a minute. Wasn't it Jesus (-talking about the 'time of the
end') who told his DISCIPLES, "This is but the BEGINNING of
the birthpangs. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put
you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's
sake"? (Mt 24:8-9 RSV). How is it then, that we are taught a
'Rapture' theory today in which we are "caught up" without any
major tribulation or persecution? Jesus in the above passage
clearly tells his DISCIPLES - His true followers - that they MUST
expect great tribulation and persecution before the end.
It is very obvious from all the New Testament writings that Christians
must go through persecution, sufferings and tribulations - and that
this will get much worse in the end-times. There is never a hint
that we should expect to be 'Raptured' without going through this.
But again, the Western doctrine preaches comfort, safety and
convenience - a kind of "cheap way out".
Why is this such a serious issue? -Well, a people who have been
told again and again that God will "rescue" them before the real
trouble starts - these are the most ILL-PREPARED people to
face real persecution. The people who are most prepared are
those who have looked the danger in the eye, and prepared their
hearts to go through it. With our false comfort we are doing the
worst job in the world of preparing our people for what is to come.
To SUMMARIZE
As you can see, what we have set up in the Western church is an
entire system of FALSE ASSURANCE. First, we falsely assure
people that they are "born again" when they are not. Then we
falsely assure them that it is "IMPOSSIBLE" for them to lose their
salvation - no matter what they do. Then we falsely assure them
that they will escape all end-time tribulation and persecution with
an ultra-convenient 'Rapture'.
We have it all sewn up! It is a kind-of "cradle to the grave" system
of false salvation. -A whole set-up devoted to convincing Hell-bound
people that they are going to Heaven by the "cheap and easy"
route. Like the Fast Food outlets that we have invented in the
West, it is all about 'Instant Gratification'. It is the warm and
comfortable way. No holiness needed. Just like going through a
McDonalds drive-through. "Do you want fries with that 'HAPPY
MEAL', sir?"
Every one of these lies is perfectly suited to our Western mindset.
That is why they have been so successful. But that does not stop
them being LIES. -Nor does it stop them sending multitudes to Hell.
We in the West have become devotees of a kind-of "no pain"
religion. Sadly, that religion no longer resembles true Christianity.
Let us REPENT of ALL such doctrines before it is too late, my friends.
To respond with feedback about this article, please write to-
prophetic@revivalschool.com
God bless you all.
Kindest regards in Christ,
Andrew Strom.