Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing
worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered
the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,
but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness
from God that depends on faith
—Phil. 3:8-9
The Lie
“It’s also possible for a person to die in God’s friendship even if the person didn’t consciously know God during life. Someone could, through no fault of their own, be unaware of God or not have ever been given sufficient evidence that they concluded God is true, through no fault of their own, and if they otherwise cooperated with his grace, then God won’t hold their ignorance of him against them.
So, it’s possible for an atheist to be saved, it’s still through Jesus Christ and through God’s grace, but they can still die not knowing God and still be on their way to heaven as long as they otherwise cooperated with his grace.” -Jimmy Akin, Romanist Apologist, Catholic Answers Live - April 2008
The Truth
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." -John 3:36
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." -Romans 1:18-20
HT: Ken Silva and Mark and Carrie at Beggars All
29 comments:
Jimmy Akin is considered by many "knowledgeable" Catholics as part of the cream-of-the-crop Catholic apologists (don't laugh, I'm serious).
"True" Catholicism, with its works-based legalism, is enough of a disgrace to the Gospel.
With apologetic "friends" like Akin, Catholicism doesn't need enemies.
I wonder if Benedict would approve?
Blessings in the true Gospel of Grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone,
Terry
Also John 3:18:
He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Akin's comments are clearly anti-biblical. This is ridiculous.
Thanks for picking this up Steve. Actually my friend Lane above sent me this tip. :-)
Looks like Jimmy's not alone:
"Nonbelievers Too Can Be Saved, Says Pope... Whoever seeks peace and the good of the community with a pure conscience, and keeps alive the desire for the transcendent, will be saved even if he lacks biblical faith, says Benedict XVI."
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=80888
This is the gospel according to Jimmy.
Again, no Bible.
Galatians 1:8-9 "...if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed."
"Jimmy Akin is considered by many 'knowledgeable' Catholics as part of the cream-of-the-crop Catholic apologists (don't laugh, I'm serious)."
I'm trying not to ... but Akin's "apologia" doesn't exactly hearken back to Willem Hessels van Est (1542-1613AD), of whose apologetic endeavors adamant Romanists erroneously allege, "Very few writers did more to show the hollowness of the reformer's Biblical arguments than Est."
van Est wasn't successful in his Romanist-minded apologetic efforts, of course, precisely because the "reformer's Biblical arguments" weren't then, nor are they today, "hollowness". Quite the contrary.
But as least he contended for the semi-Pelagism of Rome with scholarship, albeit misguided.
Michele
"This is the gospel according to Jimmy. ... Again, no Bible."
Methinks, my beloved sister in Christ, you've picked up on a distressing trend here ... "again, no Bible."
I'm sorry, Steve. There was absolutely NO viable profit in my flinging the van Est comment up here. It serves no useful purpose.
I'm kind of smitten with a note Matthew Henry made in his commentary, "Even those that have God for them cannot but tremble to think of the misery of those that have God against them."
Steve,
A Romanist priest who works for FOX News recently said similar things.
I commented here.
The saddest thing is that even "conservative evangelicals" hold a similar view.
Mark
Wow
jM noted:
"The saddest thing is that even "conservative evangelicals" hold a similar view."
Indeed they do, and some of them still have plenty of fans and friends in the ministry that support, endorse and link to them, ALL the time.
Funny how that works out, isn't it? Akin can say something outrageously unbiblical and protestants shake their heads and affirm it's indeed unbiblical. Yet when particular protestants say similar things, it goes under the radar.
I wonder why.
"Yet when particular protestants say similar things, it goes under the radar."
It shouldn't. I'm still stunned at the percentage [57%] of those who consider themselves "evangelical Christians" who do not believe our Lord Jesus Christ, God, the Son, is the ONLY way to God, the Father.
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'"
That being the case, it's a lock they certainly don't believe, nor comprehend, no one comes to Christ except God draw him, either.
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. [John 6:44]
"I wonder why."
Me, too, beloved.
johnmark: The saddest thing is that even "conservative evangelicals" hold a similar view.
Carla: Funny how that works out, isn't it? Akin can say something outrageously unbiblical and protestants shake their heads and affirm it's indeed unbiblical. Yet when particular protestants say similar things, it goes under the radar.
Beware of false and famous Protestants who are really Catholics in disguise. You'll know them by their gospel!
Do you think Billy Graham is a Catholic in disquise or just gullible to a great degree?
I found the logic presented a bit confusing. If I don't know God exists, but I cooperate with the grace that I am therefore unaware of? I suppose then that if I worship "god" according to the religion I follow, again being unaware of the true gospel, I would be saved; have I got that right? This is the basic argument put forward against proseletizing; the idea that a person who has never heard the gospel is somehow better off than the person who, having heard it, does not accept Christ.
No, "all my righteousness is as filthy rags." Anything I do for my own sake is done for my own glory, not God's. How then am I cooperating with the grace that I do not know exists?
only look: Do you think Billy Graham is a Catholic in disquise or just gullible to a great degree?
Catholic in disguise! Listen closely and he espouses catholic doctrine.
The work on this was done by my friend and co-blogger Carrie. To hear Akin's actual comments, Carrie has also provided the audio clip. visit here:
Faith is Optional? by Carrie
Thanks Steve (and Ken Silva) for the attention to this blog article. The false gospel put forth by the current batch of Roman Catholic apologists needs to continually and vigilantly be exposed for the lie it is.
Spokesman?
He does do a swan dance with Rome and the Popes, but sometimes I think it to be gullibility. I think there will be tremendous loss of reward for Him, but I think he is still saved even in spite of this great shift toward apostacy that he has embraced. The damage done will be revealed in eternity. He does indeed believe in a wider gate theory, but I think it was the influence of his father in law. He started out a bonified and zealous member of the Sword of the Lord years ago with John R Rice and others. I believe he has been beguiled yet his kids seem to be stronger than he. I think many evangelicals have encouraged his ministry and enabled it to the heights it is today. This exoneration has added to much reactive theology I think that has at times perhaps confused many. The state of the evangelical church is in much confusion because of much of this and so many protestants are turning to Rome thinking they see unity and they have given an illusion of truth that is filling the vacuum of this neo evangelical nightmare that many of us are in today. But God has not changed and he is still faithful and will one day settle all of this at the final judgments. You keep on preachin. That is all we can do. One thing is for sure. Camp never gives anyone a free pass that is espousing falsehood...even if it means he has to catch himself or a close friend from time to time. Now I dont know about you, but that is a good friend to have if you live out that way.
Grace upon grace,
Brian
The other thing is that Rome cannot change her dogma, e.g. justification and salvation because it was approved ex cathedra by allegedly infallible popes.
If she admits she was wrong in those areas then she has to admit her popes were not infallible. Rome is damned if she does...well, come to think of it she's just anathema--period.
Ken
The other thing is that Rome cannot change her dogma, e.g. justification and salvation because it was approved ex cathedra by allegedly infallible popes.
If she admits she was wrong in those areas then she has to admit her popes were not infallible. Rome is damned if she does...well, come to think of it she's just anathema--period.
BINGO!
Rome has never been totally Pelagian. But she is semi-Pelagian: faith+works; grace+merit; Christ+the church, etc.
Trent codifications have never been repudiated. It is the same gospel of works righteousness - the Galatian heresy. Added to this The Fifth Marian Dogma; Purgatory; the Treasury of Merit; etc. Rome's web is certainly complex.
We need to pray for these Roman apologists and those within the Roman system that they would repent of this false apocryphal system and embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ (sola fide) for their salvation.
Terry
With apologetic "friends" like Akin, Catholicism doesn't need enemies.
Well said...
Campi
Ken, JohnMark, James, Lane, and Carrie
Thank you all for the valuable work you do for the Lord and His gospel through your various blogs. We are all richer for your faithfulness to Christ and His truth - this article no exception.
It is an honor to serve Him with you in the blogosphere.
Yours for the Master's use,
Steve
2 Cor. 4:5-7
JohnMark
Really good on the article and you FOXNEWS response. Very well done - thank you brother.
Steve
the spokesman
The early years of Dr. Graham's ministry were different then they are today. Back then he preached a Lordship gospel; repentance; the wrath of God, etc. Today he is much more politically correct.
I do believe that out of his pragmatic stance with Roman Catholic leaders throughout the years, it has had a negative effect on him theologically.
I have several biblical problems with Billy Graham that I refuse to overlook just because of his early preaching. I have no doubt that in his early ministry he preached a Lordship gospel - how else can certain men creep in unnoticed?
My first biblical problem with Dr. Graham is the gospel that he came to preach and not the one he used to preach. Even the apostle Paul said that if he or anyone else preached a gospel contrary to the true gospel, he is to be accursed (Galatians 1:8) and I don't see any exemptions there for Dr. Graham or anyone else.
What Jimmy Akin has said about salvation is the exact same thing that Billy Graham has already said in an interview with Robert Schuller which can be watched on YouTube. It is Roman Catholic works-based inclusivism and a wide-gate ("wider-mercy") leading to destruction.
My second biblical problem with Dr. Graham is his utilitarian and humanistic view of God. Graham teaches and preaches a God that can be used by man and a man-centered view of God. He offers a God that is more interested in man's happiness and pleasure than he is in man's holiness and purity. I have in my possession a DVD of an interview of Dr. Graham on Larry King Live where Dr. Graham told Larry King that sex was going to be in heaven and that whatever makes you happy is going to be there. Precisely he said, "If sex is necessary for our happiness and fulfillment, it'll be there." Here is a link that is only one minute and forty seconds where he says this.
My third biblical problem with Dr. Graham is his popularity with opposing and apostate faiths. Jesus said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way" (Luke 6:26).
Beware of false and famous Protestants who are really Catholics in disguise. You'll know them by their gospel!
Steve,
It's a pleasure to work along the Internet front of the Truth War as well.
The fact that Rome is exactly the same in her dogma, e.g. soteriology--including Trent's anathema of the Gospel itself--as when Trent first elucidated their antibiblical position.
So we have to wonder how "Protestant" pastor Rick Warren can get away with his full embrace of the Roman Catholic Church as Christian in direct opposition to the Reformation:
RICK WARREN IS SAYING PROTESTANT REFORMERS LUTHER AND CALVIN WERE WRONG
http://www.apprising.org/archives
/2008/06/rick_warren_pro_1.html
My observations and discussions with Catholics have lead me to believe that NO ONE in the "church" know what comprises a winning strategy for salvation.
It's all a big game - try to get the most points that you can, get the support of a few folks in the right places in the church, pay enough money, do enough good, and you too, many someday escape the confines of Purgatory and make it to heaven! It's like dealing with that Billy guy (the one with the beard) who hawks tons of products on the TV... I keep looking for a priest to say, "But wait! If you act now, we'll throw in a 3-week Purgatory discount!"
I spoke with some nuns on a visit to a convent with a former Jesuit priest (who had been a priest for 20 years before he read the Bible.) When he brought up ANYTHING about salvations & scripture, the response was "Tradition says..." and "the church says..." - Also went to a Catholic church for mass, where we handed out tracts, telling recipients that the Roman Catholic Bible can show them how to get to Heaven. While doing this, we asked the parishioners if they were going to heaven - the most positive response was "I hope so."
To think that our Lord shed his blood so folks could merely hope they might receive eternal life is more tragic than I can describe.
To take it now to this extreme where His sacrifice and the Father's grace are made as nothing is heart-wrenching.
Ken Silva:So we have to wonder how "Protestant" pastor Rick Warren can get away with his full embrace of the Roman Catholic Church as Christian in direct opposition to the Reformation:
RICK WARREN IS SAYING PROTESTANT REFORMERS LUTHER AND CALVIN WERE WRONG
So does his mentor Robert Schuller and all who call this drift into apostasy a new reformation
The Spokesman, as far as I can see you speak very well here. :-)
Yet there are still those in both Lordship and Free Grace camps who continue to exhonerate Billy and his ministry.
Between Dr Jeremiah and Chuck Swindoll to Paul Washer and Ray Comfort. They are his gas stations and the fuel price is very low. It is very unfortunate that we often gravitate towards lowest common denominators regardless of our theology.
BTW...I know you dont Steve. Keep at it and keep it honest.
Grace upon grace,
Brian
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