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Like a lost treasure, genuine biblical Christianity has been buried
beneath the sands of time. Down through the centuries, muchof Christendom has become a
synthesis of humanism and Biblical semantics--an unholy alliance, symbolized above by
Leonardo da Vinci's Renaissance man, (who signifies man as the 'measure of all things')
holding the Christian Pax emblem. Nearly all twentieth century Christianity has
erroneously embraced the foundational tenet of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment--the
sovereignty of man. Let's explore the consequences.
Were you shocked by the 1978 Jonestown Massacre in which 900 sect members followed an
ex-Pentecostal preacher, Jim Jones, into mass suicidal death? Or have you been appalled
through the years by the outrageous claims and fleshly antics of the Tulsa, Oklahoma based
charismatic Methodists--Oral and Richard Roberts? Have you provided an adequate
explanation for yourself and others concerning the sex scandals and financial fiascos of
Jim and Tammy Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, or numerous other Pentecostal or Charismatic 'lesser
lights'? Then finally, was your curiosity stirred by Jim Bakker's confession of his sins
"from childhood to this minute" to a Roman Catholic priest? Are these events
somehow related? Were certain religious ideas or concepts common amongst those mentioned
above? Or, are they simply cases of "individual moral failure" as the
anti-religious news media so often report?
The remainder of this Web page is designed to explain, at an unfortunate but necessarily
technical level, the historical union
which developed between humanism and numerous Christian denominations. In addition, you'll
be introduced to some biblical
truths which are extremely vital to a sound and healthy Christian life. Follow along, and
you'll gain a better understanding of the link between religious belief and behavior, the
difference between truth and error.
Throughout this web page, you'll notice words ending with the suffix "ism."
Typically, it's usage denotes a system of religious or philosophical tenets, or a
scientific theory. An "ism" represents a group of related ideas bundled together
to form an all-pervading point-of-view. However in contrast to "isms," you'll be
primarily dependent upon God's written revelation--the 66 Books of the Bible, for guidance
and instruction in safe and sound doctrine. Today, the Bible is the primary means by which
God sovereignly illuminates and teaches us about Himself and gives mankind the only honest
and accurate diagnosis of the human condition.
Created in God's image
Contrary to popular thinking, there is a God--and we are not Him. Further, God is not an
impersonal force. God is a spirit Being having personality with attributes of unlimited
intellect, emotions, and absolute, immutable self-determination--free will. He is Love,
Light, and the Creator of all things.
Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, were created in the "image" of God. God
was the Creator, Adam and Eve were the created. This was not a physical likeness, rather
it was one of personhood. Adam and Eve resembled God in that they possessed intellect,
emotions, and volition or will. God created the first couple so that they, and
consequently the entire human race which would spring from them, could share in God's
life, love, and purpose...'a nurtured relationship' or fellowship with God. Throughout
this web page, quotations taken from God's Word--the Bible (The New International Version)
are shown as
purple text.
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over
the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and
over all the creatures that move along the ground. Genesis 1:26
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female
he created them. Genesis 1:27.
The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life, and the man became a
living being. Genesis 2:7
While God is: infinite, uncreated, heavenly, and the Source of life; Adam and Eve were:
finite, created, earthly, and dependent upon their Creator for life. God is Sovereign and
Supreme (above all) and Omnipotent (all powerful). Sovereign means above all, which by
definition cannot be shared with any another. He alone is autonomous, and freedom in its
purest form belongs only to Him. All other creatures (men and angels) possess a secondary
form of self-determination --accurately referred to as volition or power of choice. Only
God possesses free will!
The FALL -- "...and you can be even more like God"
Adam and Eve were created in fellowship with God and their wills were inclined toward God.
This inclination or propensity for
behavior was the Creator's product and the creature's activity--i.e. obedience. God issued
a warning that disobedience would
result in grave consequences--"you will die." Neither Adam nor Eve clearly
understood that to "die" meant both spiritual separation from God as well as
physical decay. Consequently, through temptation and disobedience (read Genesis chapter 2,
verses 16 and 17 and all of chapter 3) Adam and Eve died in relation to God. Instantly,
they suffered spiritual separation and their wills changed and became inclined toward or
'enslaved' to disobedience. They retained their self-determination (i.e. volition or power
of choice), but their propensity for behavior changed !! Adam and Eve passed from a state
of obedience toward God to an innate desire to act independently and contrary to God's
will. The Bible defines this state of rebellion as sin and individual acts of independence
as sins.
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in
this way death came to all men, because
all sinned... (Romans 5:12)
Universal physical death is also proof that all mankind are sinners. The historical event
of Adam and Eve's disobedience to God is commonly referred to amongst Christians as the
'Fall'. The First Man 'fell' from his original position, incurred corruption, and became
alienated from the Creator.
Our Inheritance
When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he
named him Seth. Genesis 5:3
Adam and Eve did not have any children before the Fall. After the Fall, all their children
(which includes you and me) inherently share in all the consequences of sin. We are all
born into this world in the image of Adam--a corruption of the original "image of
God." We all bear Adam's likeness-- chips off the old First Block. Since the Fall,
every human being (except One) has been born in a state of independence and alienation
from God. Born spiritually "dead in transgressions and sins;" we journey toward
physical death.
P.S. Keep in mind, some forms of sin may not necessarily seem morally offensive to us or
to society. However, sin's basic or
underlying essence is independence from or rebellion against God, which can appear quite
upright, good and noble at times.
The New Birth and New Nature
Mankind remains in a state of spiritual death, having only one propensity or 'nature', and
inclined toward sin until the Spirit of
God initiates the 'new birth' and recreates an individual "in Christ." The new
birth places us in union with the life of Christ, a Life which is immutably inclined
toward righteousness and holiness. Contrary to time-worn theory, the Christian does not
receive or regain free will at the new birth. However, the born-again believer does
possess two natures. For a thorough explanation of the believer's two natures, also read
The Ground of Growth, THE COMPLETE GREEN LETTERS, Miles J. Stanford, (Zondervan, 1983),
available through your local Christian bookstore.
If you have not experienced this 'new birth,' are unclear as to its meaning, or for any
other reason are further interested, a separate Web page has been provided. Like a careful
archeologist, author Miles J. Stanford will spread before you a comprehensive presentation
of the subject in his THE NEW BIRTH EXPLAINED.
The Blinding of the Minds
There are two erroneous systems of belief simultaneously devastating the church and
paralyzing Christians today. As mentioned in the introduction above, one is Christian
humanism which is further explained in detail below. The other is the age-old Legalism,
which is championed by the Reformed/Covenant theology movement, law-based Christian
denominations, and other law-centered, para-church organizations.
CHRISTIAN HUMANISM
Christian humanism is a religious philosophy which utilizes a biblical vocabulary, but is
built on the sociological myth that man is autonomous and possesses free will. It is a
devastating error which deceptively draws sinners into falsely believing they are saved
(i.e. Christian) when in fact they are religious and lost. It is a widespread means by
which the unbelieving mind is blinded to the Gospel--the true message of Christian
redemption.
BEWARE! - Read 2 Corinthians 4:3,4
Religious humanism is centuries old. The problem was at the core of hatred and opposition
toward the Lord Jesus Christ when he walked the earth over 2,000 years ago. The Jewish
religious leaders of his day (and ours) denied their inheritance from the First Adam,
rejected their condition of bondage to sin, and erroneously believed that they possessed
free will. The account of this conflict is recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 8,
verses 31 to 47. As this error continued its infectious spread, the Apostle Paul wrote in
his letter to the Christians living in Rome,
"For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them
all." and "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you
wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching [Paul's Gospel of Grace] to which you were
entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
(Romans 11:32; 6:17, 18).
Going forward however, Christianity would always struggle to stand free from the
corrupting influence and damaging effects of
religious humanism.
Pelagianism
Early in the Fifth century, an English lawyer and moralist, Pelagius sought to reform the
Roman Catholic Church in Europe. His concern justifiably centered on the behavior of
morally lax clergy and church members who used the fact of human frailty as license for
immorality. His influence is illustrated below through the use of the small arrow.
Throughout the remaining graphics, arrows are used in this fashion to denote a modifying
or corrupting influence.
Pelagius taught that man did not inherit Adam's propensity toward sin,
possessed free will, and consequently constructed a system of rationalistic moralism.
While accepting the Bible's account of Adam and Eve, but relying on reason and experience,
he insisted that a good and just God would not command of fallen man that which was
impossible and that anyone could live free from sin, if they just chose to. According to
Pelagius, man was autonomous, unhindered, and free to choose for or against God. Further,
he also erroneously believed that man's mental abilities were unaffected by the Fall. He
and his followers became the life-long theological antagonists of Augustine, Bishop of
Hippo (354-430), who sought to defend the truth of man's ruin at the Fall as recorded by
God in the Bible.
Semi-Pelagianism
By the end of the Fifth century, through a process of compromise and conciliation with the
teachings of the Bible, Pelagianism
spawned Semi-Pelagianism. It has been described by Dr. Kenneth Good in these words:
Though it retained much of the philosophical basis of its parent
(Pelagianism), as opposed to divine revelation (i.e. the Bible), Semi-Pelagianism
compromised with truth sufficiently to gain favorable audience with some Christians. It
became, thus, a far more dangerous form of infidelity than its parent. As such, it
eventually overcame the Roman Catholic Church and returned it to he very Pelagianism
condemned by Augustine. Semi-Pelagianism changed its disguise and further altered its
voice at a later date to become known as Arminianism, following some scholastic
refinements and adjustments to Christianity. 1 Note that although Semi-Pelagianism was
initially condemned by Rome's leaders, it later gained sufficient popularity to be
adopted as an official religious doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. Thereafter, it has
been defended and maintained by Rome down through the centuries to this very day. Recent
books by Pope John Paul II affirm the Semi-Pelagian position of modern-day Catholicism.
From approximately the Fifth to the Fourteenth century, most of Europe lay under feudalism
and the pervasive civil influence and ecclesiastical control of the Roman Catholic Church.
This period is known as the Middle or 'Dark' Ages and was generally characterized by
ignorance, immorality, and barbarism. The Bible was tenaciously controlled by Roman
Catholic monks, priests, bishops, etc., thereby keeping church members as well as the
general populace ignorant regarding the Bible's contents. However, following the
linguistic translation work of William Tyndale (1494-1536), and black market efforts to
make the Bible widely available in the language of the common people, the spiritual and
religious darkness began to lift. The people were eager to explore the contents of the
Bible and found that the Book could act as its own interpreter, contrary to Rome's claim.
Also reflecting the growing willingness to question religious authority, England's King
Henry VIII (1491-1547) challenged Pope Clement the VII's claim to papal infallibility.
King Henry took steps to formally separate the Church of England from the Roman system,
and by 1534 had fully established the independent, national Church of England, also called
the Anglican Church. Later, the American version of Anglicanism would be known as the
Episcopal Church. However, in spite of the institutional separation, Anglicanism retained
a Semi-Pelagian position.
Contemporaries to this era, Martin Luther (1483-1546) and John Calvin (1509-1564) also
raised protests against Semi-Pelagian heresy and Rome's claim to ultimate authority. For
these Reformers or 'Protest'ants, as they were called, the Bible was the sole and final
authority for faith and life, not tradition or church leaders. These individuals and their
followers left their mark, many times with their own blood, on medieval history by
progressively freeing Northern Europe from the tyranny, but not the presence of the Roman
Catholic hierarchy and Semi-Pelagianism.
Contrary to common thinking, the banner of the Protestant Reformation was not
"justification by faith." Rather, it was "justification by grace through
faith" built upon a solid foundation of God's sovereign electing grace and man's ruin
as recorded in the Bible (Ephesians 2:8,9). No Pelagian error would be tolerated here! The
original Protestants taught that man did not possess free will, but was bound in sin as
previously discussed. God's grace (unmerited favor) was the cause of redemption,
faith but the means. While this may seem like a subtle or unimportant semantic difference,
the religious consequences of this
distinction are profound. Listen to the concluding remarks of Martin Luther as he argued
against the Dutch humanist scholar,Desiderius Erasmus and Semi-Pelagianism in his magnum
opus work--The Bondage of the Will. Now, my good Erasmus, I entreat you for Christ's
sake to keep your promise at last. You promised that you would yield to him who taught
better than yourself. Lay aside respect of persons! I acknowledge that you are a great
man, adorned with many ofGod's noblest gifts--wit, learning and an almost miraculous
eloquence, to say nothing of the rest; whereas I have and am nothing, save that I would
glory in being a Christian. Moreover, I give you hearty praise and commendation on this
further account--that you alone, in contrast with all others, have attacked the real
thing, that is, the essential issue. You have not wearied me with those extraneous issues
about the Papacy, purgatory, indulgences and such like--trifles, rather than
issues--inrespect of which almost all to date have sought my blood (though without
success); you, and you alone, have seen the hinge on which all turns, and aimed for the
vital spot. (emphasis mine). 2 This "vital spot" to which Luther refers was the
biblical truth concerning man's lost and sin-bound condition in contrast to anyand all
forms of Pelagian heresy. Luther was convinced that this doctrine was vital to the truth
of the Christian Gospel, and that its absence had formed the seedbed for various false
forms of Christianity. As one brother has keenly said, "The world was never the same
following God's testimony through this faithful servant."
Arminianism
Note: Arminian is not to be confused with Armenia and/or Armenian, which refer to an
ancient country of western Asia, now constituting a region divided among the Soviet Union,
Turkey and Iran.
Arminianism is another humanistic religious system generally accredited to the sixteenth
century theologian--Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609), and his followers. Who was this man
whose ideas influence Christendom today more than those of any other? Some detailed church
history will prove helpful. Born in Amsterdam, Holland, he received his education on the
European continent. Later, he returned to the Netherlands as a Protestant minister. In
time, he became a strong advocate of Dutch Reformed theology--a system of teaching held by
the followers of John Calvin in Holland. Ultimately chosen to write a defense against
attacks upon these beliefs, Arminius concluded that some of Calvin's tenets were
indefensible. However, in rejecting the excesses of Calvinism, and in the attempt to
construct his own system of beliefs, Arminius drew upon both Semi-Pelagianism and the
Bible to create a new theological hybrid--subsequently dubbed Arminianism.
While Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism more or less denied the effects of
Adam's sin on his posterity, Arminius sought to further modify and construct some middle
ground on the subject. He labored to create a consistent interpretation of the Christian
religion without forfeiting the free will foundation. According to his theory, man's will
was hindered in the Fall, but God restores to all men adequate freedom (free will) so that
they can determine their own destinies.
The followers of Jacob Arminius, called Arminians, set forth their views in a document
called the Remonstrance which can be summarized as follows:
1. God acts on the basis of foreseen faith or unbelief. The basis for God's favor is His
foresight of man exercising faith.
2. Christ died for all men without distinction, consequently only those who exercise their
"free will" are saved. Christ's atonement did not guarantee salvation for
anyone. Man's decision or choice makes the difference.
3. Common grace, which is given by God to all men, removes their inability to choose Him.
Man's will is rendered free and is unhindered from exercising saving faith. Consequently,
man has no propensity for or against God; man is neutral.
4. Grace may be resisted. Man has the ability to ultimately resist God's effort to save
him.
5. Hence, uncertainty surrounds whether those who are saved will finally persevere or be
lost. Final salvation is possible for
believers. However, ultimate victory rests with their faithfulness. Apostasy (ultimate
falling away) is possible for those once
saved..
Appropriately, Christian theologian Dr. A.H. Strong wrote:
It is important to understand that, in Arminian usage, grace is simply the restoration of
man's natural ability to act for himself; it never actually saves him, but only enables
him to save himself...if he will.
While these Arminian tenets were added to, expanded, and further developed, their essence
has remained the same. Miles J. Stanford has precisely stated: Their God determines
nothing, gives nothing except so-called common grace which removes the inability to choose
Him, and He secures nothing.
As a synthesis of humanistic Semi-Pelagianism and the Bible, Arminianism insists that any
movement toward God is man's ultimate decision, and that God simply acts in response to
that decision. Consequently, man is sovereign!
The founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, L.S. Chafer, wrote:
Arminianism's misleading error in the field of salvation is that it persists in attempting
to build the Christian's standing upon his feeble and faltering daily life, rather than on
the sufficient and immutable merit of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Arminian salvation
becomes little more than a system of human conduct; for, though the idea of regeneration
is incorporated, it is, in the Arminian idea of it, of no abiding value, being supported
only by a supposed human merit. 3
Again, listen to the succinct words of Miles Stanford :
Coming from humanistic Pelagianism instead of from the Scriptures, Arminianism bases
salvation upon the will of fallen man. It is anti-sovereignty, anti-security,
anti-dispensational, anti-grace, pro-works religion. The teaching is that God, through
redemption, bestows a 'common grace' upon all men, thereby making it possible for the
individual to exercise his free will either for, or against God. Its maxim is, "It is
mine to be willing to believe, and it is the part of God's grace to assist."
Thus the sinner's choice of God, and not God's choice of the sinner, is the ultimate
factor in salvation. Those elected by God are chosen only in the sense that He foresaw
their faith and good works--which arise from themselves and are not wrought of God. The
human will is exalted to the place of sovereignty and, according to this system, man is
his own savior.
In that the Arminian begins on the premise of his own free will, his end is on the same
assumption. He feels that since he can come in, he can therefore go out, by his free will.
What little assurance of salvation he has is founded upon his own momentary merit, plus
whatever emotional experiences he can muster along the way. "After I accepted Jesus I
wasn't sure if I was really saved; but when I had my 'baptism in the Holy Ghost,' and
spoke in tongues, then I was sure." Consequently the Arminian's existence is
experience-based, only to be beset by fears, uncertainties, backslidings, and failure.
Unconditional eternal security grounded upon the fact of the finished work of the Lord
Jesus Christ is utterly rejected by the Arminian. He sedulously avoids all portions of the
Bible that establish eternal security, or at best seeks to discredit and deny them. He
gravitates to out-of-context verses that seem to him to militate against the truth of
"once saved, always saved." 4
Methodism
John Wesley (1703-1791), son of an Anglican minister, also became a Protestant minister in
the Anglican Church (Church of England). While on a voyage to America for service in the
Episcopal Church of Georgia, he came in contact with a Christian sect, the Moravian
Brethren, who impressed him with their certainty and assurance of salvation. Religious but
lost, Wesley became deeply concerned regarding the uncertainties in his own life and lack
of religious "experiences." After laboring under the pretense of being a
Christian and consequent failure in mission work, he returned to England in distress and
sought out the Moravian community. There he again caught a glimpse of the effects of the
doctrine of justification by grace through faith, free of Semi-Pelagian error. After
Wesley had studied the subject, he subsequently testified of having undergone a religious
experience which partially resembled a true conversion. In his diary he wrote:
In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society [Moravian meeting] in Aldersgate
Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Romans. About a quarter before nine,
while he was describing a change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I
felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation;
and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sin, even mine, and saved me from
the law of sin and death. 5
If John Wesley were truly saved, he remained confused regarding what occurred or why.
However in time, with the aid of the theologian John W. Fletcher, Wesley embraced and
incorporated both Arminianism and the spirit of the Enlightenment (Europe's intellectual
awakening) into his Wesleyan movement--Methodism. While several aspects of both the
Renaissance and the Enlightenment eras were culturally positive, their progressive
reliance on human reason in religious matters and denial of divine, supernatural
revelation proved spiritually ruinous. In 1790, shortly before his death, Wesley published
Fletcher's
biography in The Arminian Magazine as a tribute to, in Wesley's words, the
"Theologian of Methodism."
Note closely the contemporary remark of Duke University Divinity School
professor, Thomas A. Langford:
It is important that the Wesleyan movement came into existence during the Enlightenment
and therefore, from the beginning, has carried a modern sensibility.
The Enlightenment ushered in the modern period in western culture.
More revolutionary for the West than the Reformation, which continued to accept the
dominant assumptions of medieval life,
the Enlightenment challenged inherited convictions about God and affirmed the radical
independence and competent rationality
of human beings. Hence autonomous rational people came to be the chief assured reality. 6
Is this not where Pelagius began over 1,500 years earlier?
The Wesleyan/Holiness Movement & Pentecostalism
Both the Nineteenth century Holiness movement (e.g. Nazarene denomination) and the
Twentieth century Pentecostal movement find their roots in Methodism. Pentecostal
historian, Vinson Synan, succinctly described the relationship as follows:
Although the Pentecostal movement began in the United States, itself a significant fact,
its theological and intellectual origins were British. The basic premises of the
movement's theology were constructed by John Wesley in the Eighteenth century. As a
product of Methodism, the holiness-Pentecostal movement traces its lineage through the
Wesleys to Anglicanism and from thence to Roman Catholicism. This theological heritage
places the Pentecostals outside the Calvinistic, Reformed tradition which culminated in
the Baptist and Presbyterian movements in the United States. The basic Pentecostal
theological position might be described as Arminian, perfectionistic, premillennial, and
charismatic. 7
Christian Humanism Today
The Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth centuries have witnessed further evolution of
the original Pelagian heresy. The Enlightenment's tenet of the total self-sufficiency of
man formed a foundation for the Deism of John Locke, the Unitarianism of William E.
Channing, and the Transcendentalism of Ralph Waldo Emerson. These movements formed the
foundations for both Liberalism and Materialism. It is these forces, rooted in Christian
humanism, which have corrupted America's
understanding of personal freedom, and have led to widespread abandonment of respect for
authority (particularly the Divine),
irresponsibility, and social decay. In our lifetime, Secular Humanism has become the
dominant philosophy of Western culture. This anti-Christian perspective largely controls
both education and mass media in America and is responsible for the growing tide of
anti-religious bigotry.
Christian humanism has gripped the English-speaking world by means of the Wesleyan
movement (Methodism), and Methodism's first and second generation heirs--the Holiness and
Pentecostal movements, the out-of-control Charismatic Movement, and last but not least,
the errant teachings of the now deceased revivalist, Charles G. Finney. Most 'Christian'
churches have been engulfed by Arminianism in one form or another. To name a few, there is
the: Assembly of God, Foursquare Gospel, Pentecostal-Holiness, Nazarene, Church of God,
Mennonite, Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Free Methodist, Free Will Baptists,
Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ, and numerous Baptist churches who abandoned their
early doctrinal heritage. Further, Arminian error has permeated scores of
nondenominational and interdenominational churches and organizations. Recently, new
variations of Christian humanism have emerged--e.g. the Third Wave Movement and 'New Age'
Christianity, so-called. Strangely, a convergence is beginning to form between secular
humanists who are dabbling in New Age occult spirituality and 'New Age' Christians. To
return to any of the subjects listed below in the table, click on the
appropriate box.
Similar to the heresy dealt with by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the
Christian believers at the ancient Mediterranean city of Colosse, Arminianism,
Wesleyanism, Pentecostalism, etc. either reject or twist the truth concerning God's
redemption through identification with Christ and are consequently characterized by
fleshly lawlessness and/or self-righteous hypocrisy (read Colossians 2:23). Hence, there
is an established link between these groups and the religious beliefs and behavior of the
individuals cited at the beginning of this paper. Each embraced humanistic error in one
form or another. For additional insight, visit our Where They Stand, and fall page to see
how various individuals (Best, Chafer, Custance, Darby, Feinberg, Stanford,
Verduin, Bright, Dobson, Finney, Graham, McCartney, Neuhaus, Robertson, Wimber, John Paul
II) line up on the issue. And
for the best explanation ever written on the Pentecostal/charismatic errors, see - THE
LINE DRAWN.
Miles Stanford has observed,
While many truly born-again Christians may begin as 'Arminians,' with their 'free will'
and their self-centered life and service for 'Jesus;' the tragedy is that far too many
never get beyond this early stage of the Christian life, but go on into the fleshly
emotionalism of full-fledged Arminianism. 8
While this is true, a far more solemn fact is that Christian humanism has lulled tens of
thousands, possibly millions, of unregenerate individuals into a comfortable religiosity,
intoxicating them with a false hope of redemption, while in fact they are deluded and
lost. Further, those who embrace these humanistic religions sooner or later join rank with
those who are "enemies of the cross of Christ" (Philippians 3:18). Some of the
most intense persecution of true members of the Body of Christ has
come from adherents to Christian humanism and other religions based on free will (John
16:2). As with Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus), may God grant them mercy unto salvation (1
Timothy 1: 13).
Again, we state:
Christian humanism is a religious philosophy which utilizes a biblical vocabulary,
but is built on the sociological myth that man is autonomous and possesses free will. It
is a devastating error which deceptively draws sinners into falsely believing they are
saved (i.e. Christian) when in fact they are religious and lost. It is a widespread means
by which the unbelieving mind is blinded to the Gospel--the true message of Christian
redemption.
This statement is supported by the Bible, church history, and the testimony of individuals
whom God has saved out of these errors. From time to time, new-creation Christians (2
Corinthians 5:17) will testify of how they previously "thought they were
Christian" and how God subsequently brought them to the scriptural realization of
their sinfulness and subsequent genuine salvation. The question is often asked, Can a
truly new-creation Christian be found in these denominations and movements you've
mentioned above? The answer is--assuredly yes. History has proven that there will always
be a large number of Christians who are uninformed or idealistic, and assume that the Lord
Jesus Christ is interested in reforming Christendom. They
are generally unaware that church history testifies against the success of such efforts.
Further, there are those who due to tradition, family, friends, or other cares of this
world, have rationalized their affiliation, most likely under the banner of
"love," and have tragically compromised truth for the sake of peace, so-called.
However on occasion, beleaguered by resistance to sound doctrine from leaders and drawn by
the Holy Spirit, the growing Christian wisely withdraws to establish a positive testimony
in a safe and doctrinally sound local Bible church, assembly or fellowship, or will gather
with other like-minded believers in small home meetings.
The First Adam / The Last Adam
When the truth of our condition "in Adam" has been diminished or lost, it is
inevitable for that denomination, group, or Christian individual to drift into other
errors and manifestations of immoral behavior. Consequently, the truths ministered by the
Holy Spirit through the Epistles penned by the Apostle Paul are critically important. For
a reliable, scriptural study guide to these truths, obtain and read: THE COMPLETE GREEN
LETTERS , by Miles J. Stanford, (Zondervan, 1983), available through your local Christian
bookstore.
1. Good, Kenneth H., Are Baptists Calvinists?, Oberlin, OH, 1975, Regular Baptist Heritage
Fellowship.
2. Martin Luther,The Bondage of the Will, translated by J.I. Packer and O.R. Johnston, Old
Tappan, NJ, 1957, Fleming H. Revell Co.
3. Chafer, Lewis, S., Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX, 1969, Dallas Seminary Press.
4. Stanford, Miles J.; Tri-13 - Arminius, to Calvin, to Paul ; Lakewood, CO, 1983,
Christian Correspondence.
5. Langford, Thomas A., Practical Divinity, Theology of the Wesleyan Tradition, pp. 15,
Nashville, TN, 1983, Abingdon Press.
6. Ibid., pp. 21.
7. Synan, Vinson, The Holiness-Pentecostal Movement in the United States, Grand Rapids,
MI, 1971, Eerdmans Publishing.8. Stanford, Miles J.; Tri-13 - Arminius, to Calvin, to Paul
; Lakewood, CO,1983, Christian Correspondence.
Written in 1985. Revised 1995. All rights reserved. A former Catholic for twenty years,
the author, Dan S., became a
new-creation Christian in 1969.