The Grace Evangelical Society Is Heretical

On Saturday I got the latest copy of the Grace Evangelical Society's "Grace In Focus" news letter. While it is not news to me that Bob Wilkin is a heretic, the boldness of his heresy is shocking. In an article he titled "Scavenger Hunt Salvation Without a List", Dr. Wilkin states:

"To be born again, eternally saved, all one needs to do is believe that Jesus Christ guarantees everlasting life to all who simply believe in Him for it..(passage list)..What about the virgin birth, the Trinity, Jesus' bodily resurrection, Jesus' post-resurrection appearances, Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross, Jesus' sinless life, Jesus' miracles, the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit, the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, the hypostatic union, and on son? Knowing these things certainly makes it easier to believe in Jesus for eternal life. But does it follow that we must believe these things to be saved? No."

While most of us would agree that one does not have to understand the hypostatic union, the theology of the Trinity, or things like that to be saved, it does not follow that such things can be rejected and a person still be saved. Bob Wilkin has set up a strawman by defending his position by asserting that "the apostles didn't believe these things when they were born again". Some of the things Wilkin is referring to were not yet revealed when the Apostles were saved. Yet, once those things were revealed, the Apostles believed them. To assert that a person can deny those things and still be saved is error. At salvation a person may not have a full grasp of those things, but a person who is truly coming to faith in Christ will not deny them (2John 9).

Now, we come to the biggest error of all. In his article, as seen in the above quote, Bob Wilkin denies that a person must believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus in order to be saved. He asserts that such belief is helpful, but not necessary. My friend, may I say up front, that his statement is nothing shy of soul damning heresy! The Bible is clear that in order to be saved we must "believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead" (Rom 10:9). In fact, when the Apostle Paul is defining the Gospel that saves he includes the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ:

"Now I make known to you, brethren, the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved...for I delievered to you as of first importance what I also recieved, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the thrid day according to the Scriptures" -1Cor 15:1-4

Bob Wilkin is stripping the Gospel of its very heart by denying that a person must believe in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection in order to be saved. In fact, the Apostle goes on to chastise some of the Corinthians for not believing those things (1Cor 15:12-19). The results of denying the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus are tragic (we are still in our sins, we are false witnesses of God, our faith is worthless, we will perish, etc). In fact Paul stated earlier that we are only saved if we "hold fast" the Gospel he preached (1Cor 15:2). Therefore the people Bob Wilkin is "winning to the Lord" apart from the message that Paul preached are lost in their sins. Apart from faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord from the dead there is no salvation.

I want everyone here to know that, as of this point, I consider the Grace Evangelical Society to be heretical and under the condemnation of God (Gal 1:6-10). In this group I put Bob Wilkin, Zane Hodges, and others who teach their blasphemous heresy. I pray that the rise Lord would open their eyes, and the eyes of their followers, before their error costs them their eternal souls.

Hmm, I have similar sentiments to his, however I include the death and resurrection on my short list. How could they exclude those? So troubling...

Nathan wrote:

Hmm, I have similar sentiments to his, however I include the death and resurrection on my short list. How could they exclude those? So troubling...

There are a lot of Christians who hold to the free grace position instead of the so-called Lordship position (Charles Ryrie, Charles Stanley, etc). However most of them don't go to the extreme of Zane Hodges, Bob Wilkin, and the Grace Evangelical Society. Hodges and Wilkin have gone way too far. As I said in my post, I believe they are guilty of stripping the Gospel message of its very heart.

wow martin... wow. First of all i would like to say that you may consider them heretical, but then saying they're under the condemnation of God may not be your place. I'd put that to the Lord to judge...

As for this first section...

Martin wrote:

"To be born again, eternally saved, all one needs to do is believe that Jesus Christ guarantees everlasting life to all who simply believe in Him for it..(passage list)..What about the virgin birth, the Trinity, Jesus' bodily resurrection, Jesus' post-resurrection appearances, Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross, Jesus' sinless life, Jesus' miracles, the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit, the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, the hypostatic union, and on son? Knowing these things certainly makes it easier to believe in Jesus for eternal life. But does it follow that we must believe these things to be saved? No."
. . .
at such things can be rejected and a person still be saved. Bob Wilkin has set up a strawman by defending his position by asserting that "the apostles didn't believe these things when they were born again". . . . To assert that a person can deny those things and still be saved is error.

I dont think what he's saying here is that they can deny these things and still be saved, but like you said:

Quote :

At salvation a person may not have a full grasp of those things, but a person who is truly coming to faith in Christ will not deny them (2John 9).

i think this is all he is saying by that.

Quote :

Now, we come to the biggest error of all. In his article, as seen in the above quote, Bob Wilkin denies that a person must believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus in order to be saved. He asserts that such belief is helpful, but not necessary. My friend, may I say up front, that his statement is nothing shy of soul damning heresy! The Bible is clear that in order to be saved we must "believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead" (Rom 10:9).

romans does seem clear that understanding these things ARE the gospel. no-one could accept the gospel without these things in the same way you cant eat when you have no food.

i dont know... i lean towards free grace over lordship salvation (although admittedly my knowledge is limited of the latter view). I think a person can be saved with awfully little knowledge or understanding of anything but the basics... I also tend to think there are a lot of people who put their faith in Christ, knowing only that they should and not any of what he has done for them... (aka people to whom Christ appears to in dreams, they become saved etc... but often don't know anything other than it was jesus, and now they believe)

but again... to believe in your heart, you have to have something to believe, and to confess with your mouth, you have to have something to confess.

Martin wrote:

On Saturday I got the latest copy of the Grace Evangelical Society's "Grace In Focus" news letter. While it is not news to me that Bob Wilkin is a heretic, the boldness of his heresy is shocking. In an article he titled "Scavenger Hunt Salvation Without a List", Dr. Wilkin states:

"To be born again, eternally saved, all one needs to do is believe that Jesus Christ guarantees everlasting life to all who simply believe in Him for it..(passage list)..What about the virgin birth, the Trinity, Jesus' bodily resurrection, Jesus' post-resurrection appearances, Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross, Jesus' sinless life, Jesus' miracles, the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit, the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, the hypostatic union, and on son? Knowing these things certainly makes it easier to believe in Jesus for eternal life. But does it follow that we must believe these things to be saved? No."

So is he saying that only the Belief in Jesus' existence is sufficient? Had he considered James 2:19: "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."

It is the work on the cross including the death, burial and resurrection that provides salvation its then up to the individual to accept that gift to be gain salvation. I know of a number of people that believe in Jesus but they have in no way accept his gift of salvation instead they believe for some he is but one (of many) ways to heaven.

Only God knows the heart of man (and woman) and only he is the true judge to determine one's salvation but he has laid out what we must do in order to gain fellowship with him. Anything that is apart from that would be a grave error.

martin?

rogermugs wrote:

First of all i would like to say that you may consider them heretical, but then saying they're under the condemnation of God may not be your place. I'd put that to the Lord to judge...

==I agree, but I also believe that Galatians 1:6-9 applies in this situation. That section of Scripture, as I am sure you know, puts those who pervert the Gospel under the anathema of God.

rogermugs wrote:

I dont think what he's saying here is that they can deny these things and still be saved, but like you said:

==Knowing a bit more about Wilkin you might understand why I believe he is saying that. He denies that a person has to believe anything to be saved (other than believing that Jesus is the guarantor of eternal life).

rogermugs wrote:

i dont know... i lean towards free grace over lordship salvation (although admittedly my knowledge is limited of the latter view).

==I am on the Lordship side of the debate. However there are people on both sides of the Lordship issue who are alarmed at what Wilkin and Hodges have been saying in recent years.

rogermugs wrote:

I also tend to think there are a lot of people who put their faith in Christ, knowing only that they should and not any of what he has done for them... (aka people to whom Christ appears to in dreams, they become saved etc... but often don't know anything other than it was jesus, and now they believe)

==I don't know about that. It is my understanding of Scripture that a person must believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, for their sins, in order to be saved. However it is certainly possible for God to work in "strange" ways when talking about people who don't have access to the Gospel message or little children. Therefore I could not say you are 100% wrong. What Wilkin is saying, and I what I think is 100% heretical, is the idea that Gospel preaching should not include the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ because that is adding to the Gospel. That is of course not adding to the Gospel, that is the Gospel.

maflynn wrote:

So is he saying that only the Belief in Jesus' existence is sufficient? Had he considered James 2:19: "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."

==Bob Wilkin and Zane Hodges do not believe that James 2:19 (etc) deal with salvation. They believe it is talking about faith in the daily life of the Christian. Therefore they believe that a person can be saved and show no evidence of it. Of course I believe such a view is highly unBiblical.

rogermugs wrote:

martin?

I know, I know. Sorry about the delay. I've been busy with my blog and another board, reference this very issue, and forgot to reply. Typical me! Sometimes I am amazed that I can find my way home at night without a map and a torch.