Thanks again for allowing me to speak and not censuring my message.
If what you believe is the truth, then it will stand up to questioning.
I am just a whosoever, but I would like to try to explain why I have been so grieved in reading what this forum is espousing.
I so wish that someone with a bigger brain or way with words or greater anointing of God than I would confront this stuff.
It seems that the common consensus on this forum is that the doctrine of sinless perfection is the good truth that most Christians are missing. It seems there is even doubt that those who do not believe this are saved.
Looks like the root of this is coming from Charles Finney.
I would challenge each of you to research exactly what you are believing and promoting. Are you taking Finney's
interpretation of the gospel without questioning?
What did Finney teach?
He denied the doctrine of original sin. Most protestants believe that we have inherited Adam’s corruption.
He taught that we could choose to be either corrupt or redeemed.
He referred to original sin as an "anti-scriptural and nonsensical dogma" (p.179) ST
"Original sin, physical regeneration, and all their kindred and resulting dogmas, are alike subversive of the gospel, and repulsive to the human intelligence" (p.236).
His denial of original sin drastically affects his teachings on justification.
He attacks one of the greatest of the Christian doctrines justification by grace alone through faith alone. Here are a few of his quotes:
"assumes that the atonement was a literal payment of a debt, which we have seen does not consist with the nature of the atonement ... It is true, that the atonement, of itself, does not secure the salvation of any one" (p.217).
“But for sinners to be forensically pronounced just, is impossible and absurd... As we shall see, there are many conditions, while there is but one ground, of the justification of sinners ... As has already been said, there can be no justification in a legal or forensic sense, but upon the ground of UNIVERSAL, PERFECT AND UNINTERRUPTED OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW. This is of course denied by those who hold that gospel justification, or the justification of penitent sinners, is of the nature of a forensic or judicial justification. They hold to the legal maxim that what a man does by another he does by himself, and therefore the law regards Christ’s obedience as ours, on the ground that he obeyed for us."
" After all, Christ’s righteousness "could do no more than justify himself. It can never be imputed to us ... it was naturally impossible, then, for him to obey in our behalf " This "representing of the atonement as the ground of the sinner’s justification has been a sad occasion of stumbling to many" (pp.320-2).
Finney says Christ could not have died for anyone else’s sins than his own:
"If he [Christ] had obeyed the Law as our substitute, then why should our own return to personal obedience be insisted upon as a sine qua non of our salvation" (p.206)?
Finney denied that Christ "obeyed for us," claiming that since Christ was Himself obligated to render full obedience to the law, His obedience could justify Himself alone. "It can never be imputed to us," Finney intoned [Systematic Theology, 362].
If anyone sins they must return to their first works, or be lost" (p.60).
Another goodie about the powers of nature:
"There is nothing in religion beyond the ordinary powers of nature. It consists entirely in the right exercise of the powers of nature. It is just that, and nothing else. When mankind becomes truly religious, they are not enabled to put forth exertions which they were unable before to put forth. They only exert powers which they had before, in a different way, and use them for the glory of God." "A revival is not a miracle, nor dependent on a miracle, in any sense. It is a purely philosophical result of the right use of the constituted means—as much so as any other effect produced by the application of means."
I believe this quote again shows that he is teaching a gospel of legalism and law-keeping
And denies justification by grace through faith alone:
“ As has already been said, there can be no justification in a legal or forensic sense, but upon the ground of universal, perfect, and uninterrupted obedience to law. “
Finney is one that Paul talked about in Galatians.
How can you excuse this heresy?
He is saying that Christ could not obtain your salvation by His Blood alone, but that you
must also be totally obedient to the law and be perfect.
This is outrageous. How can you follow this man and his perverted interpretation of the
Bible?
I plead, I implore, don’t think lightly of God’s imputed righteousness to us.
Don’t settle for the warm and fuzzy feeling of feeling that you are righteous because you have kept the law.
Do you guys believe in the imputed righteousness of Christ and
salvation by grace through faith alone?