“But I fear,
lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your
minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he
that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye
receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which
ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” —2nd Corinthians 11:3-4
Kindly, Paul
Washer is a false prophet! He completed his undergraduate studies
at Southwestern Theological Seminary. He left the states shortly
after graduation as a missionary to Peru and ministered there for 10 years,
during which time he founded the
HeartCry Missionary Society
to support Peruvian Church planters. I don't enjoy refuting other preachers,
God knows my heart. I believe Paul is 100% sincere in his beliefs and
preaching. Albeit, I do enjoy contending for the Christian faith! Calvinism
is not the Gospel of free grace.
On His ministry’s website, a
Calvinist, Washer wrongly defines Biblical “repentance” as:
“Repentance is an evangelical grace, wherein the Holy Spirit makes a person aware of the manifold evil of his sin, so that he humbles himself with godly sorrow, detesting sin, and abhorring [i.e., hating] self, with a purpose and endeavor to walk before God so as to please Him in all things.”
Paul Washer has effectively defined repentance as a lifestyle. Here’s another quote from Mr. Washer…
“What is repentance? Days and days of lectures could not tell you all that is in this word. But it is an important word and you are called to do it, and if you have not done it and do not continue doing it is the evidence that you have never known the Lord.”
SOURCE: Repent and Believe, Part 4
http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/download.php?file=04-True-Gospel-Pt-4-Repent-and-Believe.mp3
Washer’s teachings do not coincide with what
the Bible teaches. Washer (as do other proponents of Lordship Salvation)
deceitfully claim to believe that salvation is without works; while
simultaneously claiming that a person CANNOT be saved unless there is A
CHANGE in that person’s sinful lifestyle. In effect, they have
made qualification by works a prerequisite for salvation. It is damnable
heresy which negates the gift of God!
In sharp contrast to Washer’s definition of “repentance,” the Greek meaning
of “repent” (metanoia) in the Bible is simply: “A change of mind.” If a
person realizes their GUILT of sin (Romans 3:19), they shall be saved if
they simply BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (Acts 16:31). Call this
“Easy Believism” if you dare; but it is the simplicity that is in Christ
(2nd Corinthians 11:3).
Repentance as a Lifestyle Not Taught in the Scriptures
The heresy of Lordship Salvation defines “repentance” as a lifestyle;
whereas the Word of God does not. Webster’s New Collegiate
Dictionary provides the following definition of repentance:
“re•pen•tance \ri-'pent-en(t)s\ n: the action or process of repenting especially for misdeeds or moral shortcomings; synonyms see PENITENCE”
SOURCE: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repentance
For many people nowadays, Webster’s definition represents the common understanding of repentance within religious circles. However, this is NOT the Biblical nor historical meaning of the word "repent." Prior to the modern meaning of the word, which for the most part is similar to Webster’s definition, the Classical Greek “metanoia” meant something quite different—changing one’s mind or heart about someone or something.
There are two New Testament Greek words which are translated "repentance" in modern English translations: metanoia (including its verbal counterpart metanoeo) and metamelomai. The first term is translated as "repentance" fifty-eight times in the New Testament, the latter only six times.
In the Greek Old Testament (aka, the Septuagint) metanoia and metanoeo occur twenty times in the canonical books and seven times in the apocryphal books and maintained the SAME meaning. In most cases metanoia in the translations held to the pre-Christian meaning of “a change of mind about someone or something.” During the early Christian period of Koine Greek (ca. 300 BC to 100 AD) metanoia continued to carry a sense of “a change of mind about someone or something.”
A changed lifestyle is the hopeful, but not guaranteed, fruit of genuine repentance; and NOT repentance itself. Paul Washer states...
"There is no such thing as a carnal Christian (time: 21:40 in video)... The Bible never teaches that a person, can be a genuine Christian and live in continuous carnality and wickedness and sin all the days of their life... " (time:22:20 in video)
That is simply not true! Sadly, Washer falls short of 2nd Timothy 2:15. He simply does not study! If there's no such thing as a "carnal Christian," then why did the Apostle Paul say to the believers at Corinth... "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ" (1st Corinthians 3:1).
In sharp contrast to Paul Washer's claim, the Bible teaches that there is such a thing as a "carnal Christian." King David was a "man after God's own heart" (1st Samuel 13:14); yet he commit adultery with Bathsheba, impregnated her, and then murdered her husband to hide his sin (2nd Samuel 11). Noah got drunk (Genesis 9:21). Samson had sex with a prostitute (Judges 16:1). Jonah ran from God (Jonah 1:3). Peter cursed the name of Jesus and used profanity (Mark 14:71). One-third of the Bible was written by murderers: Moses, David and Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus). With the exception of Paul, Moses and David were already saved when they commit murder.
In Romans 12:1 we find the Apostle Paul pleading with the believers at Rome to "present their bodies a living sacrifice" in service to God. Clearly, those believers were saved but not surrendered to Christ's will for their lives. This proves Lordship Salvation is a lie.
Also, consider the unrepentant BELIEVER in 1st Corinthians 5:5 who had been living in fornication in the church... "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." Even though Satan would destroy the man because of sinful living, Paul clearly stated that his spirit would be saved. This sinful man was obviously a believer, for only the saved will be blessed in eternity. 2nd Thessalonians 1:8 tells us that those who disobey the Gospel will be punished by a vengeful God in flaming fire.
“No, no, if you don't have works, you're going to Hell!”
SOURCE: Paul Washer; YouTube: "If You Don't Have Works, You Are Going To Hell" | MP3 backup
Penance is Not Part of Biblical Repentance
The original meaning of the word “repentance” as evidenced in the Classical Greek began to change over the centuries. In the Old Latin and Latin Vulgate, metanoia was translated as paenitentia which came to mean PENANCE or acts of penance that had to be done if one hoped to obtain grace. This is a corruption of the Scriptural meaning of repentance. PENANCE is one of the Sacraments of the Catholic religion, which they teach are necessary for sins to be absolved. Of course, the Bible reveals the Catholic Church as a Satanic religion, and the Sacrament as heresy. Salvation is of God; Not men. Eternal life is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8,9). Salvation is receiving; Not giving.
Penance is also defined as: "Remorse for your past conduct." Lordship Salvationists teach a form of penance in their warped view of repentance. Penance is not taught in the Word of God as being part of salvation. Just as the serpent beguiled Eve (2nd Corinthians 11:3), so has Satan deceived millions of people today into believing that repentance involves sorrowful penance and a change of one's lifestyle...
Here’s a quote from Paul Washer…
“3,000 kids came forward… It was just a bunch of kids doing what they’d been trained to do ever since they were in Sunday School. No tears, no repentance, no broken-hearts, no weeping over sin, no self-hatred, no realization of offenses against God given, nothing. A move of God? … I think not. Because when God moves, and particularly when God moves to save, there is repentance. Now what is repentance? The word means to change. Let me ask you a question … Have you changed?”
SOURCE: Repent and Believe, Part 4
http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/download.php?file=04-True-Gospel-Pt-4-Repent-and-Believe.mp3
This perverted idea of penance can be traced from heretics like Hermas and Justin Martyr, through to Augustine. The post apostolic church elders looked for some sort of contrition for sin and the announcement of the same at the point of water baptism. Repentance became almost synonymous with contrition, confession and penance.
The term "penance" is not found in the Bible. Biblical repentance is “a change of mind about someone or something.”
This does not include remorse over one's sins (i.e., penance), or a desire
to do better in the future. Repentance is not even a change of mind
that eventually leads to a changed life. Solomon lived a life of
unrepentant sin, as did Lot and Samson. Repentance is simply “a change
of mind.”
Pastor Harry Ironside Has it Correct
Please read the best explanation I've ever read concerning the Gospel and repentance, by Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951). Clearly, Ironside taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel...
“The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past …
Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.”
SOURCE: Harry A. Ironside, from the sermon: What Is The Gospel?
Harry A. Ironside correctly recognized repentance as the confession that "one is utterly without merit" and that if one is "ever saved at all it can only be through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ." Salvation is without works of self-righteousness. Romans 4:5 plainly teaches that a man's faith is COUNTED for righteousness, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to one's heavenly record by faith. Don't mess with the Gospel. Just believe it!
Conclusion
The bottom line is this—Eternal life is A GIFT from God. A gift is freely given, without any strings attached or requirements. Revelation 22:17, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
In sharp contrast to the Bible, Paul Washer states:
“My friend, if you repented and believed only in past tense, you’re lost and going to Hell. There is an initial work of repentance and an initial work of faith that continues on for the rest of your life, and that repentance grows deeper every day and that faith grows stronger. He said repent. Now what did He mean? He meant change. Change from what? From a life without God.”
SOURCE: Repent and Believe, Part 4
http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/download.php?file=04-True-Gospel-Pt-4-Repent-and-Believe.mp3
If Paul Washer is correct in the preceding statement, then no one can go to Heaven unless they continue to "change from a life without God" in their personal daily life. Folks, this is works salvation. Whatever happened to "Ye must be born again," which is a one-time occurrence? Jesus likened the spiritual birth to the physical birth in John chapter three. Becoming a born-again Christian ISN'T a process, it is instantaneous. The very moment you BELIEVE on Jesus Christ as your Savior you are saved eternally. The spiritual birth is as irreversible as the physical birth.
Paul Washer defines repentance as a forsaking of one's sinful lifestyle, which he states is mandatory if one is to get to Heaven. This is the demonic doctrine of Lordship Salvation. I am not trying to be unkind by exposing Paul Washer, and others, who are perverting the simplicity of the Gospel; rather, I am contending for the Christian faith as the Bible tells all believers to do (Jude 1:3). I do not enjoy exposing anyone. My motive is to get the truth out, to warn the naive, to challenge other Christians to contend for the faith, and most of all to lead people to the simplicity that is in Christ so they can be saved. Salvation is easy and simple... You need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! (2nd Corinthians 5:21; Romans 10:3,4; Matthew 6:33).
"To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." —Acts 10:43
Paul Washer’s Washed-up Gospel
Dr. John R. Rice speaks on worldly Christians — Are they not saved?
Dr. Curtis Hutson speaks on Biblical repentance — Must a person stop sinning to be saved?
Paul Washer Calls Soulwinning
Baptists 'Stupid'
(Lordship Salvationists...
making salvation hard)
