Why are they so dangerous? Because, they are doing more to destroy the foundations of Truth than is almost anyone else on earth. Of course, there are others who, like the Stanleys, are also being powerfully used by Satan to destroy Biblical Christianity from amongst humanity. But in this the first essay in a new series, I intend to do all that is in my power to expose and refute such persons and their evil works.
God told the prophet Ezekiel that he was appointed by God to be a watchman to Israel. God furthermore warned Ezekiel that if he foresaw danger approaching and yet he failed to give timely warning to the people, then not only would those people perish but, also, their blood would then be upon the watchman's hands. To be a watchman appointed by God, is deadly serious business. How could anyone suppose that watchmen are any less needed, or that God is not still appointing watchmen for His Church, today? To serve as a watchman does not place one in some enviable position. Visible? Perhaps ~ but oftentimes that exposes the watchman to be a target for censure or ridicule. Faithful watchmen do what they do not to tear down the Church, but to protect the Church from those who are trying to tear it down.
Charles Stanley has for many years taught the false and deadly doctrine which is typically referred to as "eternal security," or "Once Saved Always Saved" (OSAS). Of course, there are multitudes of truly born-again persons who hate sin and who have no desire ever to depart from the living God. To such persons as that, the doctrine of "eternal security" ~ as that is represented by Charles Stanley and by many other Calvinistic teachers, may not appear to them as being any substantial threat to the Christian faith; certainly not, at least, to their own faith.
But that is not principally where the problem lies. The problem of false doctrine ~ which invariably is designed to lead to false hope founded upon wrong belief, is, that it destroys (what Scripture calls) unlearned and/or otherwise unstable souls. There are many more "professing" Christians than there are actual, that is to say born-again, Christians. And vast multitudes of those as-yet-unconverted souls have been deceived to believe they are "saved" (notwithstanding they are unregenerate) and, therefore ~ on the basis of that supposition, they have further been deceived (by the OSAS doctrine) to believe that it is henceforth impossible for them ever to die lost ~ irregardless of their ongoing sinfulness.
"Oh, well, people who go on sinning never were saved in the first place;" is the most common rebuttal to those who object to the OSAS doctrine. No true Christian should argue with that objection. Those who truly have repented of their sins and received Jesus Christ in truth, will not thereafter persist to sin. But OSAS teachers are logically inconsistent ~ that is to say, they are irrational. For, whereas (some but not all of them) may teach that repentance from sin is prerequisite to regeneration (one must repent of sin, in order to be "saved"); yet, essentially all OSAS teachers then insist that NO SIN (after regeneration) is capable to separate that soul from God. Yet, out of the other side of their mouth, they admit that a sinful lifestyle is "proof" that such an one never was saved in the first place. Which is it? For, it cannot be both ways. If repentance of sin is required of all those who would receive the gift of Christ: then, why is sin, after that one is supposedly "saved," no longer considered to be an obstacle to salvation? You have to stop sinning in order to be saved, but you can go back to sinning after you have been saved ~ and still remain saved? How stupid and wicked is that?
Andrew Wommack's wicked reply (here) to that question, is, that a Christian's "body and soul" can sin with impunity ~ but the "spirit" of that person is kept squeaky clean by the "seal" of the Holy Ghost!!! That kind of demonic filth makes me burn with holy anger!
Above, I said that "some but not all" OSAS teachers insist that repentance of sin is requisite to receive salvation. For, there are many OSAS teachers who tell people that no repentance whatsoever is required. Just "come as you are" to Jesus. AFTERWARD, Jesus will start cleaning you up. But that were to put the cart before the horse, so to speak ~ and that mess will go nowhere but to hell, eventually. God cannot repent for anyone. But don't misunderstand me: I do NOT mean that the grace of God and the blood of Christ is not necessary to repentance and salvation. But I am saying that the WILLINGNESS TO TURN FROM SIN is necessarily the responsibility of each individual. God can't repent for anyone. Nor can God obey for anyone.
I didn't intend for this to become a refutation of OSAS doctrine. But I am compelled to explain why it is that Charles Stanley ~ who is one of the most prolific and influential of OSAS teachers, is thus a very dangerous man. His teaching doubtless has subverted innumerable souls. But Charles Stanley has also powerfully influenced many other preachers and teachers ~ including his own son, Andy. Not least important, by twisting the Scriptures to make them appear to fit his own twisted doctrine, Charles Stanley thus corrupts the very Word of God. And the effects of that upon his own son, Andy, have been nothing less than tragic.
Before I begin to discuss why it is that Andy Stanley may be even more dangerous than his father, I really want you to watch a video of Andy Stanley's teaching (here). I promise, it will be a wise and profitable investment of your time.
Watching that video literally gives me a deep and profound sense of dread, not only for those who embrace Andy Stanley's teaching, but also for this generation, which must be significantly affected by reason of the fact that so many leaders, of churches and/or other social organizations, have been (or may yet be) influenced by Andy Stanley's hatred of the Bible. Andy Stanley appears to have gone far beyond where his own father ever was willing to go, in rejecting the Word of God.
But Andy Stanley could never have come to be as influential as he is ~ without his father. Has Charles Stanley done anything to stop Andy from propagating his treasonous form of blasphemy? Apparently, he has not. Then, Charles Stanley must be complicit in his son's rebellion against God. I fully realize how serious are these charges. But it doesn't take any spiritual genius to perceive the wickedness of Andy Stanley's open disdain for the Bible.
That a prominent "Christian" leader ~ one as influential as Andy Stanley ~ is publicly renouncing the Bible!! is absolutely earth-shaking in its implications. And at such a time as this! Fifty years ago, the Church would have shunned Andy Stanley and put him out of the public limelight; and, his father would have been disgraced ~ in the event he did not do everything in his power to correct, or at least to refute, his son. Today, though, the Apostate Church has made Andy Stanley's church the largest church in the United States (as of 2014, according to Wikipedia)!
If you can watch Andy Stanley's video without feeling a tremor deep in your spirit, I suggest that you'd better take that as a sign that you desperately need to pray. For, we are in the very last of the Last Days. And only a truly holy Church will be delivered in the Rapture, and thus spared from the horror of the wrath of God in the soon-coming Day of the Lord.
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