An Open Letter to Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, Desmond Ford,
Geoffrey Paxton, A. Leroy Moore and Like Minded New Theology Advocates
Click to go to our Home PageGentlemen, There are great problems with the
theories of Billy Graham, Desmond Ford, Geoffrey Paxton, and most mainline
Christian There are at least twelve verses
in Scripture that wreak havoc with your theories and interpretations of
Scripture regarding the conditions and requisites for salvation. The problem(s) I refer to involve a
commonly held view which an SDA layman, Karl Wagner, quotes from an Adventist
“conservative” by the name of Carlyle B. Haynes. The
theory goes like this: "True Christians do not keep the law
in order to obtain salvation. They keep it because they have received
salvation by receiving Christ. Obedience is not the agency of
salvation. It is the result." Haynes is correct in one regard.
Our own obedience is not the agency of salvation. Christ's obedience in
and for us is the agency of salvation along with His death for our
disobedience. Christ's other purpose for His Incarnation was to
reproduce Himself, His character, His works, in and through man. Hbr 13:21 Make you perfect in every good work
to do his will, working in
you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom
[be] glory for ever and ever. Amen. The first listed below, making works a
condition or requisite for salvation, is by Christ Himself. I
would consider the following verses as more than "proof-texting,"
especially in light of the author of the first and second texts, Jesus
and Paul respectively. The second is by your favorite author from whom
you all seem to SELECT PARTS to support your aberrant theology. They
are as follows: 1. Mat 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest
thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter
into life, keep the commandments. The clear
implication is that one must keep the commandments in order to enter eternal
life. 2. Rom 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law
[are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 3. Jam 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified
by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 4. Jam 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is
justified, and not by faith only. 5. Jam 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot
justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent
[them] out another way? The clarion
inference is that one must be BOTH a hearer AND a DOER of the law to be
justified (saved). 1. Rev 22:14 Blessed [are] they that do
his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter
in through the gates into the city. The plain
implication is that one must do His commandments in order to have a
right to the tree of life and enter through the gates into the city. 2. Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it
any thing that defileth, neither [whatsoever] worketh abomination, or
[maketh] a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. The clear message
of the verse says that no one will enter heaven who violates any commandment. 8. 1Cr 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. The obvious
implication is that one is washed and sanctified WHEN, AT THE SAME TIME, one
is justified, so that one does not accrue without the other. This makes
Carlyle, you, and all who hold your personal opinion theory, wrong, and
guilty of the serious act of misleading others in a wrong course. The following verses manifestly imply
that works that offend will prevent one from being justified and saved: 9. Mat 18:8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend
thee, cut them off, and cast [them] from thee: it is better for thee to enter
into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast
into everlasting fire. 10. Mat 18:9
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast [it] from thee: it is
better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes
to be cast into hell fire. 11. Mar 9:43
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into
life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never
shall be quenched: 12. Mar 9:45
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt
into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that
never shall be quenched: It seems that our sanctification was all
as much important to Christ’s purpose as was His death on the cross according
to Paul and Peter: 2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you,
brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you
to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 1Pe 1:2 Elect
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification
of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus
Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. It seems clear from the above verses that
we are chosen to salvation THROUGH sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience
AND belief of the truth BOTH. Gentlemen, please keep in mind that I am
fully aware of all the other verses in Scripture that say that we are not
justified by works, but by faith and grace. I do GET IT!
And because I do GET IT-- (I FULLY COMPREHEND—UNDERSTAND YOUR VIEW AND
HOW YOU ARRIVE AT IT) including all the verses you base your theology
on. However, I find that there is only ONE
WAY to harmonize Scripture so that none contradicts the other. That
simple but flawless solution is to reckon that when Paul said that we are not
justified by works he meant works of our own generation—done on our own
steam—like the Jews tried to do in an effort to earn salvation. Paul
was addressing that weakness in the Jews he was teaching when he said that we
are not saved by works but grace, he meant not works of our own but the grace
works of Christ working in and through us. He meant that we are not
saved by our own works. When he said
we are saved by faith alone, he meant a faith that embraces every word in all
of the above texts of Scripture interpreted so that nothing contradicts, lest
we serve a self-contradictory God. What you gentlemen and others of your
persuasion do not seem TO GET, is that your theology contradicts all of the
above scriptures. My mission has been to interpret so that NOTHING
contradicts. That is the plan Ellen White advocated. Seems like a
wise plan to me, else we must indict God as being self-contradictory. Carlyle's "guessing," along
with personal desire is the personal creed of all such advocates. I do
not operate by my personal desire. Personally, my carnal nature would
desire your teaching gentlemen, the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans, ONLY
BELIEVE, as far as meritorious salvation is concerned. But I cannot
honestly and conscientiously believe that doctrine which God especially
hates: Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest
the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Rev 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the
doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. The SDA Bible Commentary defines the
doctrine of the Nicolaitans thusly: "The
doctrine of the Nicolaitans appears to have been a form of antinomianism
(see SDA Bible Commentary, 7:957). Nicolaitans of the 2d cent. seem to have
continued and extended the views of the 1st-cent. adherents, holding to the
freedom of the flesh, and teaching that the deeds of the flesh had no effect
upon the health of the soul and consequently no relation to salvation." SDA Bible Commentary, vol.
8, p. 771. Definition of
antinomian: a believer in the doctrine that faith alone, not
obedience to the moral law, is necessary for salvation." Webster’s
NewWorld Dictionary. Karl Wagner,
an SDA layman preacher and Bible teacher in his church in What is the
evil of the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans?
It turns grace into lasciviousness—because if one believes he/she is
saved by faith (belief) ALONE, he/she tend to imbibe lasciviousness while
thinking he/she is saved imperviously by belief (faith) alone. Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in
unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly
men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and
denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. It NEVER HAS BEEN the case that I do not
understand your position--that it is beyond me, as some have demeaningly
stated in a dishonest effort to discredit my ability to understand. I
have always understood your position. I have MET that position in
others for over 40 years of my life. I must interpret, not as my carnal nature
wishes, but in a way that does not cause God to contradict Himself. I
pray that this letter will enable you to better understand those whom you would
condemningly dismiss as legalists of the wrong type—those who think that they
can earn salvation by their own works—minus the Divine Nature Holy Spirit of
Christ indwelling the heart where He has planted His law under the New
Covenant of Grace. I believe that even Christ’s grace
involves an element of legalism since He planted His law in the heart (mind)
of men. Further, He said that grace
may be received for obedience to the faith.
It would seem to me that such grace is just as much a free gift as is
pardon for sin. Where sin abounds,
such grace much more abounds. Rom 1:5 By whom we have received grace and
apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all
nations, for his name: Rom 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the
scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting
God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: Who is the legalist here? Who was the legalist when He said: Mat 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest
thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou
wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. Who was the legalist when He said: Hbr 8:10 For this [is] the covenant that
I will make with the house of Hbr 10:16 This [is] the covenant that I
will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will
put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write
them; What could be more legalistic than the
Lord putting His laws into our hearts and minds? Is this a God honored legalism, versus a
man oriented legalism whereby he strives to earn salvation by his own works,
versus Christ working His works in and through man? Who was the legalist when He said: Hbr 13:21 Make you perfect in every good work
to do his will, working in
you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom
[be] glory for ever and ever. Amen. I recognize that all you gentlemen
combined represent a mine of thought and study in the Word. If any one of you can interpret all related
Scripture so that none contradict and still retain your teaching on
salvation, I will readily embrace your findings. I would consider this a fair and just proposal. I have dialoged upwards of four years now
with Karl Wagner, the SDA layman referred to above, and he has not been able
to interpret all the applicable scripture so that non contradict. Therefore, I am seeking aid elsewhere. I recently put the question to Karl
Wagner this way: Karl, The order of
gifts is:
Sincerely, Ron P.S.
My quest is indeed sincere.
Please do not mistake my conviction at this stage as any modicum of
unwillingness to be proven wrong! I
would greatly appreciate any input from any Seventh-day Adventist leader who
teaches that we are saved by faith alone without works—even the works
empowered by the Holy Spirit working in and through us—and that such works
are not meritorious toward salvation. As a child of God, am I worth the
guidance I seek? |