Sometimes, people will complain and wonder why some Christians continue to point out false teachings and false teachers like Billy Graham and others. They can’t understand why you are so critical and can’t appreciate all the good that well-known “Christians” do. However, many times, these same people have no problem speaking out against things they believe are wrong, such as abortion and immoral behavior. When they speak out about such things, they are doing the same thing other Christians are doing when they point out our false teachings. The difference is that they deem it acceptable because the error they are being critical about is important to them. Just as there is a dual standard in politics, there is a dual standard regarding what you should speak against and what you should not.
What does Paul teach us about pointing out sinful practices?
Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
Paul also asked the question:
Galatians 4:11Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
What did Paul tell Timothy? 2 Timothy 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Please notice in verse two that two of the three things Timothy was told to do would be considered negative or critical by others.
First, we have Convince, which in the New Testament means showing someone he has done something wrong and summoning him to repent. It means bringing to light, exposing, convincing, disciplining,
or punishing.
Second is Rebuke, which means to charge someone as being blamable. It means to reprove, warn, strongly admonish, or threaten.
Just as you most likely speak against things like abortion and immoral behavior, why wouldn’t a Christian speak out against something false being taught to children and to others? While I am sure men like Billy Graham were nice men and did many good works in the name of Jesus, the problem is that he taught that one was saved by faith alone, which is not true. Jesus talked about people like him in Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me,`Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 “Many will say to Me in that day,`Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them,`I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
It is not enough to say you love Jesus or keep part of His Word. We must follow all of what He said, especially regarding being saved. Many like to mention John 3:16, which is a great verse, but it doesn’t teach that we are saved by faith alone. Faith is certainly necessary, but Jesus made it clear in Mk. 16:16 that we must BELIEVE AND BE BAPTIZED to be saved. When He commanded that, it was part of the great commission, and what do we find His apostles teaching at the birth of the church after they preached to the massive crowd about Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection in Acts 2? Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
They had already believed in Jesus, yet they were told to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. You cannot be saved while still in your sins, and Peter made it clear that your sins are forgiven at the point of baptism. Peter tells us that baptism saves (1 Pet. 3:21). Paul was saved the same way because after he believed, called Jesus Lord, showed his repentance by fasting and praying for three days. Ananias goes to him and tells him what else he must do: Acts 22:16 `And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
Later, Paul gives a beautiful description of what happens when we are baptized into Christ as we put our faith in the working of God in Romans 6 and Col. 2:11-13, which shows that baptism is the point we are put into Christ, our old sinful self is crucified with Him, and we are raised anew. God, not man, adds us to the church Acts 2:47. There is only one church that Jesus purchased with His blood (Eph. 4:4). It is the one that He called “my church” (Mt. 16:18). Our baptism puts us into that church/kingdom (John 3:5; 1 Cor. 12:13). It is that church that Jesus is the Savior of (Eph. 5:23). If you are not in that one church, then you are saved. If you love God, why not do it His way instead of Billy Graham’s way that will keep you out of Christ and His church? The devil loves it when people preach false salvation because then it doesn’t matter how many things you do or how many times you say you love Jesus because if you are not in Him, if you have not been grafted into the true vine, then you will never produce fruit that is pleasing to God. So, my plea to you is to focus on what God’s Word says about salvation and how there is just one church.
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