LFBM

EASY BELIEVISM
James 2:20

James 2:20- "But wilt thou know O Vain man, that faith without works is dead".

Webster's dictionary describes Ease like this: Soothing, Comfort, Freedom from strain. That is exactly what those who preach an Easy-believism message for salvation are offering. Those who follow the movement who don't believe that repentance is necessary for a person to be born again are making converts like the Pharisees when Jesus spoke out against their methods in Matthew 23:15- "Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hyprocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves".

1- IT IS DUMB. (Easy-Believism).
Webster's dictionary defines Dumb as Stupid. It comes from an old english definition derived from the german word Dumm which means Stupid.

My thoughts on the entire subject of easy-believism are: "How stupid can an educated person be to follow that approach"! God's word is very consistent in proclaiming that Salvation is a multi-step process even if the process is only seconds apart.

(1)- The "believe only" movement makes the devil a candidate for salvation.
James 2:19- "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble".

(2)- Paul couldn't get King Agrippa saved by him believing only.
Acts 26:27- "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest".
Acts 26:28- "Then Agrippa said unto paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a christian".
I think that is the case most of the time when preachers leave out Holy Spirit conviction, Repentance, (then believing) , followered by asking for it. The easy-believism movement calls this process works and if you want to call it that I have some scripture for you that prove it takes some action by the sinner to get God's approval.
James 2:21- "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered Issac his son upon the altar"?
James 2:25-" Rahab the harlot was justified by works when she gave safe harbor to the men of God.
James 2:20- "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead".

Please don't try to make what I am saying here mean that I am preaching works for salvation because it isn't true! I firmly believe Ephesians 2:8-9- "For by grace are ye saved through faith, not of works lest any man should boast". However, it takes action by the person needing salvation to get them truly born again! I witnessed to a neighbor over 30 years ago and led him up to the believing stage and on the threshold of asking Jesus to save him but he said he wanted to put it off for one year. As far as I know he is still unsaved after all these years. I firmly believe that God has to draw the sinner to Christ and it is a fearful thing to put it off because God said, "My Spirit shall not always strive with men". There is nothing easy about becoming a born again child of God!

(1)- God has to draw them.
(2)-The word of God has to expose them.
(3)-The Holy Spirit has to open their understanding of their need for salvation.
(4)-They have to have a repentant heart.
(5)-They have to believe that Christ died for their sins and arose from the dead.
(6)-They then have to ask Christ to forgive their sin and to come into their hearts.
(7)-Finally they have to confess Christ to those around them to seal the contract. Even as scripture tells us that Abraham believed God and He counted it to him for righteousness along with James 2:21 telling us he was justified by works when he offered up his son Issac.

2- IT IS DECEIVING. (Easy-Believism).
Webster's dictionary describes Deceiving as: To make a person believe as true, something that is false; to mislead.
Matthew 24:4- "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man decieve you".
(1)- Refusing repentance is an act of deception.
1 John 1:8- "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us". You can't repent of a sin that you don't agree with God that you have. If a preacher tells sinners that there is no need for repentance, he is essentially sending that person to hell.
Jesus said in Luke 13:3- "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish". How many is all? Jesus didn't say all but those the easy-believism crowd witnesses to!
(2)- Receiving repentance while believing equals acceptance by the Lord.
Jesus speaking in Mark 1:15- "And saying, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel".

Repent ye is the Greek word met-an-o-eh'-o which means to abhor one's past sins.
Believe is the Greek word pist-yoo'-o which means to commit to one's trust.
It takes both Repent and commit to be saved!

3- IT IS DOOMING. (Easy-Believism).
Webster's dictionary describes Doom as: "an unhappy and terrible fate; God's final judgment of mankind".
That pretty much sums up the matter for those who distort the word of God and teach it to others.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears"; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables".
Colossians 2:8- "beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ".
Easy-believism is dooming because it is the philosophy of men and not after Christ.

CONCLUSION:

I have preached the truth from God's word about easy-believism and my prayer is that those who are distorting the principals of the New Birth will be convicted of this damnable heresy and get back to the Bible way of winning souls.

BY JAMES TYSON