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Pastor Steven L Anderson "Alcohol" 01/14/07pm Sunday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Balancing Both Extremes" 01/14/07am Sunday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Revelation 2" 01/10/07pm Wednesday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Whose Side Are You On?" 01/07/07pm Sunday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Biblical Tithing" 01/07/07am Sunday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Revelation 1" 01/03/07pm Wednesday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Goals for the New Year" 12/31/06pm Sunday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "The Death Penalty" 12/31/06am Sunday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "James 5" 12/27/06pm Wednesday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "The NIV's Attack on Jesus" 12/24/06pm Sunday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "The Birth of Christ" 12/24/06am Sunday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "James 4" 12/20/06pm Wednesday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Soul-winning Techniques" 12/17/06pm Sunday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Restoring the Old Paths" 12/17/06am Sunday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "James 3" 12/13/06pm Wednesday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Sound Doctrine" 12/10/06pm Sunday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Being Unmoveable" 12/10/06am Sunday
Pastor Steven L Anderson "James 2" 12/06/06pm Wednesday
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Birth Control in Light of the Bible
Birth Control in Light of the Bible
by Pastor Steven L Anderson, 2005
1. When Does Life Begin?
2. Do All Birth Control Pills Cause Abortion?
3. Is Birth Control Sinful?
“The use of artificial means, drugs, and appliances to prevent conception has for centuries been regarded as immoral, wrong for the individual, and dangerous to society as a whole.” – John R Rice, 1946
“Birth control measures, if generally practiced, would be disastrous to public morals and public welfare.” – John R Rice, 1946
“Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.”
– Psalm 106:37-40
1. When Does Life Begin?
In 2005 the medical world disagrees with God as to when pregnancy begins. Dr Vanessa Cullins, vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, was asked if hormonal birth control pills cause abortion. Her response was: “No. Abortion ends a pregnancy. [Contraception pills] work before a pregnancy begins. Pregnancy begins with the implantation of the developing fertilized egg in a woman’s uterus.” Yet in the next paragraph she admits, “…implantation doesn’t occur until five to seven days after fertilization.” This viewpoint represents the medical world’s current view of when a pregnancy begins. When does God say that life begins?
“As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them…” – Hosea 9:11-12a
The Bible clearly teaches that life does not begin at birth. Jacob and Esau fought in their mother’s womb (Gen 25:22). Pharez broke forth in order to be born before Zarah (Gen 38:29). Jeremiah was sanctified while he was in his mother’s womb (Jer 1:5). John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:41,44); he was filled with the Holy Ghost in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15).
The Bible is also clear that life does not begin at some point in the womb. David says in Psalm 139:16, “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” God looked upon and knew David when he was only a developing conceptus in his mother womb. That is why he says of some of his body parts (members), “when as yet there was none of them.” Before some of his body parts had even developed or materialized, God knew him, and he was David. “…which in continuance were fashioned” describes the development of a child in its mother’s womb as God is fashioning it into a baby ready to be born. What God calls David’s “substance,” the world calls a blob of tissue.
Clearly life begins at conception. God warns us in Ecclesiastes 11:5 not to think we understand the pregnancy process. “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.” Let us not be so presumptuous as to choose an arbitrary point in time and consider that the moment when life begins. Let us by faith accept the fact that life begins at conception.
2. Do All Birth Control Pills Cause Abortion?
“If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,” –Exodus 21:22, 23
This leads us to our next discussion. Is it ever right for us to do something that will end the life of a child at any time after conception? In Exodus 21:22, God commanded to punish a man even for unintentionally causing a woman to have a miscarriage. In verse 23, God tells us that if any mischief follow, the perpetrator should pay “life for life,” placing an equal value on the life of the unborn child as on the life of the man involved. Therefore those who even unintentionally end the lives of unborn children are guilty before God, and those who do so intentionally are guilty of murder and should receive the death penalty.
Hormonal birth control methods, including all types of birth control pills, the “patch”, hormone injections, implants, etc., perform two primary functions:
1.) They suppress ovulation. No egg is released; therefore, pregnancy is not possible. Depending upon which particular method is used, ovulation is suppressed 40-95% of the time. The other 5-60% of the time, an egg is released and can be fertilized.
2.) They thin and harden the lining of the uterus. This makes implantation of the conceived, 7-day old child virtually impossible. All hormonal birth control methods have this effect on the uterine lining 100% of the time.
Simple logic tells us that if an egg can be released and fertilized 5-60% of the time, and implantation is being prevented close to 100% of the time, a silent abortion is taking place 5-60% of months a woman is taking the pill, because the 7-day old child is unable to implant and dies. The “morning after” pill functions after the same principle to destroy the lining of the uterus, but in a shorter period of time due to higher concentrations of the same hormones.
The 5% figure is based on the use of the “combination” pill, which is usually a combination of estrogen and progesterone. The 60% figure is based on the use of progesterone only pills (“mini-pills”), the “patch”, or progesterone injections/implants. Therefore a woman taking even the combination pill for only two years statistically will have one chemical abortion during that time. A woman using a progesterone only method for two years could very likely have 12 silent abortions during that period of time, or one every other month. These are the most conservative estimates available. Other research indicates that women taking the combination pill could be ovulating up to 50% of the time, and that 70% of women taking the “mini-pill” could be ovulating every month. In almost all cases these babies would not be able to implant and would die.
“With over 17 million American women using the Pill and other chemical abortifacients, it is estimated that breakthrough ovulation and pregnancy occur so often…that between 7 to 12 million newly conceived children are killed by chemical abortions in the womb each year. And most of these women never even knew they were pregnant.” (“Infant Homicides Through Contraceptives,” 1994 by the Study of Abortion Deaths Ad Hoc Commission – Bardstown, KY. Ph: 502-348-3963.)
“In America, chemical abortions are estimated to kill more than 7 million babies each year – while surgical abortions kill about 1.5 million babies each year.” (“Birth Control Pills Cause Early Abortions” – J.T. Finn, 2005)
“Scientific papers suggest that escape ovulation occurs 4-15% of all cycles in patients taking birth control pills. Thus, as this booklet points out, early chemical abortions are a real and significant concern.” (Paddy Jim Baggot, M.D., Ob/Gyn, Fellow of the American College of Genetics)
The term “birth control pills” is accurate since they do not prevent conception, but birth. Perhaps the reason God has not ended the abortion holocaust in America is that God’s own people are unknowingly murdering their own offspring.
“If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?” – Proverbs 24:11, 12
3.) Is Birth Control Sinful?
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:” – Genesis 1:28a
The first command in the entire Bible is found in Genesis 1:28 when God commands mankind to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” The casual reader may think that this command was given only to Adam and Eve and does not apply to Christians today. However, the key word in this verse is “replenish.” The word “replenish” means re-fill. If this command were for Adam and Eve only, why would they be told to refill something that had never been filled? The word “replenish” is used because God is commanding a continual refilling process to take place. Every generation of mankind is commanded to replenish the earth. The NIV and other modern perversions of the Bible change the word “replenish” to “fill” which radically alters this meaning.
Many people feel that the Old Testament commands of God to be fruitful and multiply do not pertain to Christians today because the population of the earth is much higher than it was in the days of the Old Testament. Careful study of the Pentateuch reveals that when the children of Israel left Egypt, their population was approximately 2-3 million. Yet Deuteronomy 1:11 states, “(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!)” God’s will was for the nation of Israel alone to number 2-3 billion, let alone the many other nations God ordained in Genesis 11!
The largest number found in the entire Bible is “thousands of millions.” This number constitutes a minimum of 2 billion. “And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.” – Genesis 24:60 Again, this is a reference to God’s will concerning the number of His chosen people.
When the children of Israel went down to Egypt in the days of Joseph, they numbered only 70, while Egypt was the most powerful nation in the world. When the Israelites became slaves less than 360 years later, Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:” (Exodus 1:9). God’s people multiplied at a far more rapid rate than the worldly Egyptians. According to Planned Parenthood’s sources, most methods of birth control were invented in ancient Egypt. This may account for the striking contrast.
Before 1936, all contraceptive devices and birth control methods were illegal in the United States of America. In 1938, Judge August Hand lifted the federal ban on birth control. In 1965, Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965), the United States Supreme Court overturned one of the last state laws prohibiting the prescription or use of contraceptives by married couples. What the world and the civil government considered immoral and even criminal, fundamental Christianity embraces less than seventy years later.
In the words of our 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, “Birth control is sinful.” Could an independent, fundamental Baptist preacher today say in his pulpit what the president of the United States said in a public speech only one hundred years ago?
“I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” – I Timothy 5:14
Why do today’s Christians desire to limit the size of their families by means of birth control? Not one reason can be given as to why a Christian would want to bypass the blessing of children that is not motivated by either selfishness or a lack of faith in God. The Bible clearly teaches that it is the LORD that opens the womb of a woman and causes her to conceive a child. Who are we to tamper with the will of God?
“For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.” – Genesis 20:18
“And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.” –Genesis 29:31
“And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.” – Genesis 30:22
“But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.” – I Samuel 1:5, 6
“Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.” – Isaiah 66:9
“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” – Psalm 127:3
If God is responsible for opening and closing the womb, and if he gives us children as a way to bless and reward us, why would we reject the gift of God and miss out on His perfect will in our lives? Nothing can be more offensive than the rejection of a gift given out of love. This is akin to those who reject God’s gift of eternal life and perish in the fires of Hell because they are unwilling to receive the gift of salvation.
The people of God have been influenced heavily by the ungodly world system, and the key doctrines of the Bible presented here have all but fallen by the wayside. We have gone from condemning all methods of birth control to condoning and even promoting the pill, which is the most heinous form of birth control. Would to God this generation would stand up and fight for this key doctrine of God’s word and cleanse our churches from the blood of our own sons and daughters.
“But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.”
– Psalm 106:35-40
Back
The following sermon deals with this subject in detail:
The following file is in mp3 format. You must right-click on this file and "save target as" to download it to your computer.
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Birth Control in Light of the Bible" 04/09/06pm Sunday
Also see:
Pastor Steven L Anderson "The Seven Sins of IVF" 07/23/06am Sunday
by Pastor Steven L Anderson, 2005
1. When Does Life Begin?
2. Do All Birth Control Pills Cause Abortion?
3. Is Birth Control Sinful?
“The use of artificial means, drugs, and appliances to prevent conception has for centuries been regarded as immoral, wrong for the individual, and dangerous to society as a whole.” – John R Rice, 1946
“Birth control measures, if generally practiced, would be disastrous to public morals and public welfare.” – John R Rice, 1946
“Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.”
– Psalm 106:37-40
1. When Does Life Begin?
In 2005 the medical world disagrees with God as to when pregnancy begins. Dr Vanessa Cullins, vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, was asked if hormonal birth control pills cause abortion. Her response was: “No. Abortion ends a pregnancy. [Contraception pills] work before a pregnancy begins. Pregnancy begins with the implantation of the developing fertilized egg in a woman’s uterus.” Yet in the next paragraph she admits, “…implantation doesn’t occur until five to seven days after fertilization.” This viewpoint represents the medical world’s current view of when a pregnancy begins. When does God say that life begins?
“As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them…” – Hosea 9:11-12a
The Bible clearly teaches that life does not begin at birth. Jacob and Esau fought in their mother’s womb (Gen 25:22). Pharez broke forth in order to be born before Zarah (Gen 38:29). Jeremiah was sanctified while he was in his mother’s womb (Jer 1:5). John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:41,44); he was filled with the Holy Ghost in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15).
The Bible is also clear that life does not begin at some point in the womb. David says in Psalm 139:16, “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” God looked upon and knew David when he was only a developing conceptus in his mother womb. That is why he says of some of his body parts (members), “when as yet there was none of them.” Before some of his body parts had even developed or materialized, God knew him, and he was David. “…which in continuance were fashioned” describes the development of a child in its mother’s womb as God is fashioning it into a baby ready to be born. What God calls David’s “substance,” the world calls a blob of tissue.
Clearly life begins at conception. God warns us in Ecclesiastes 11:5 not to think we understand the pregnancy process. “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.” Let us not be so presumptuous as to choose an arbitrary point in time and consider that the moment when life begins. Let us by faith accept the fact that life begins at conception.
2. Do All Birth Control Pills Cause Abortion?
“If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,” –Exodus 21:22, 23
This leads us to our next discussion. Is it ever right for us to do something that will end the life of a child at any time after conception? In Exodus 21:22, God commanded to punish a man even for unintentionally causing a woman to have a miscarriage. In verse 23, God tells us that if any mischief follow, the perpetrator should pay “life for life,” placing an equal value on the life of the unborn child as on the life of the man involved. Therefore those who even unintentionally end the lives of unborn children are guilty before God, and those who do so intentionally are guilty of murder and should receive the death penalty.
Hormonal birth control methods, including all types of birth control pills, the “patch”, hormone injections, implants, etc., perform two primary functions:
1.) They suppress ovulation. No egg is released; therefore, pregnancy is not possible. Depending upon which particular method is used, ovulation is suppressed 40-95% of the time. The other 5-60% of the time, an egg is released and can be fertilized.
2.) They thin and harden the lining of the uterus. This makes implantation of the conceived, 7-day old child virtually impossible. All hormonal birth control methods have this effect on the uterine lining 100% of the time.
Simple logic tells us that if an egg can be released and fertilized 5-60% of the time, and implantation is being prevented close to 100% of the time, a silent abortion is taking place 5-60% of months a woman is taking the pill, because the 7-day old child is unable to implant and dies. The “morning after” pill functions after the same principle to destroy the lining of the uterus, but in a shorter period of time due to higher concentrations of the same hormones.
The 5% figure is based on the use of the “combination” pill, which is usually a combination of estrogen and progesterone. The 60% figure is based on the use of progesterone only pills (“mini-pills”), the “patch”, or progesterone injections/implants. Therefore a woman taking even the combination pill for only two years statistically will have one chemical abortion during that time. A woman using a progesterone only method for two years could very likely have 12 silent abortions during that period of time, or one every other month. These are the most conservative estimates available. Other research indicates that women taking the combination pill could be ovulating up to 50% of the time, and that 70% of women taking the “mini-pill” could be ovulating every month. In almost all cases these babies would not be able to implant and would die.
“With over 17 million American women using the Pill and other chemical abortifacients, it is estimated that breakthrough ovulation and pregnancy occur so often…that between 7 to 12 million newly conceived children are killed by chemical abortions in the womb each year. And most of these women never even knew they were pregnant.” (“Infant Homicides Through Contraceptives,” 1994 by the Study of Abortion Deaths Ad Hoc Commission – Bardstown, KY. Ph: 502-348-3963.)
“In America, chemical abortions are estimated to kill more than 7 million babies each year – while surgical abortions kill about 1.5 million babies each year.” (“Birth Control Pills Cause Early Abortions” – J.T. Finn, 2005)
“Scientific papers suggest that escape ovulation occurs 4-15% of all cycles in patients taking birth control pills. Thus, as this booklet points out, early chemical abortions are a real and significant concern.” (Paddy Jim Baggot, M.D., Ob/Gyn, Fellow of the American College of Genetics)
The term “birth control pills” is accurate since they do not prevent conception, but birth. Perhaps the reason God has not ended the abortion holocaust in America is that God’s own people are unknowingly murdering their own offspring.
“If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?” – Proverbs 24:11, 12
3.) Is Birth Control Sinful?
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:” – Genesis 1:28a
The first command in the entire Bible is found in Genesis 1:28 when God commands mankind to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” The casual reader may think that this command was given only to Adam and Eve and does not apply to Christians today. However, the key word in this verse is “replenish.” The word “replenish” means re-fill. If this command were for Adam and Eve only, why would they be told to refill something that had never been filled? The word “replenish” is used because God is commanding a continual refilling process to take place. Every generation of mankind is commanded to replenish the earth. The NIV and other modern perversions of the Bible change the word “replenish” to “fill” which radically alters this meaning.
Many people feel that the Old Testament commands of God to be fruitful and multiply do not pertain to Christians today because the population of the earth is much higher than it was in the days of the Old Testament. Careful study of the Pentateuch reveals that when the children of Israel left Egypt, their population was approximately 2-3 million. Yet Deuteronomy 1:11 states, “(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!)” God’s will was for the nation of Israel alone to number 2-3 billion, let alone the many other nations God ordained in Genesis 11!
The largest number found in the entire Bible is “thousands of millions.” This number constitutes a minimum of 2 billion. “And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.” – Genesis 24:60 Again, this is a reference to God’s will concerning the number of His chosen people.
When the children of Israel went down to Egypt in the days of Joseph, they numbered only 70, while Egypt was the most powerful nation in the world. When the Israelites became slaves less than 360 years later, Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:” (Exodus 1:9). God’s people multiplied at a far more rapid rate than the worldly Egyptians. According to Planned Parenthood’s sources, most methods of birth control were invented in ancient Egypt. This may account for the striking contrast.
Before 1936, all contraceptive devices and birth control methods were illegal in the United States of America. In 1938, Judge August Hand lifted the federal ban on birth control. In 1965, Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965), the United States Supreme Court overturned one of the last state laws prohibiting the prescription or use of contraceptives by married couples. What the world and the civil government considered immoral and even criminal, fundamental Christianity embraces less than seventy years later.
In the words of our 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, “Birth control is sinful.” Could an independent, fundamental Baptist preacher today say in his pulpit what the president of the United States said in a public speech only one hundred years ago?
“I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” – I Timothy 5:14
Why do today’s Christians desire to limit the size of their families by means of birth control? Not one reason can be given as to why a Christian would want to bypass the blessing of children that is not motivated by either selfishness or a lack of faith in God. The Bible clearly teaches that it is the LORD that opens the womb of a woman and causes her to conceive a child. Who are we to tamper with the will of God?
“For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.” – Genesis 20:18
“And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.” –Genesis 29:31
“And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.” – Genesis 30:22
“But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.” – I Samuel 1:5, 6
“Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.” – Isaiah 66:9
“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” – Psalm 127:3
If God is responsible for opening and closing the womb, and if he gives us children as a way to bless and reward us, why would we reject the gift of God and miss out on His perfect will in our lives? Nothing can be more offensive than the rejection of a gift given out of love. This is akin to those who reject God’s gift of eternal life and perish in the fires of Hell because they are unwilling to receive the gift of salvation.
The people of God have been influenced heavily by the ungodly world system, and the key doctrines of the Bible presented here have all but fallen by the wayside. We have gone from condemning all methods of birth control to condoning and even promoting the pill, which is the most heinous form of birth control. Would to God this generation would stand up and fight for this key doctrine of God’s word and cleanse our churches from the blood of our own sons and daughters.
“But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.”
– Psalm 106:35-40
Back
The following sermon deals with this subject in detail:
The following file is in mp3 format. You must right-click on this file and "save target as" to download it to your computer.
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Birth Control in Light of the Bible" 04/09/06pm Sunday
Also see:
Pastor Steven L Anderson "The Seven Sins of IVF" 07/23/06am Sunday
What's Wrong with Male Gynecologists?
What's Wrong with Male Gynecologists?
by Pastor Steven L Anderson, 2006
1. Is nudity before the opposite gender a sin?
2. Are male obstetricians or gynecologists condoned in the Bible?
3. Are male gynecologists professionals or perverts?
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” – Ephesians 5:11, 12
“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” – Revelation 3:18
“So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.” – Proverbs 6:29
1. Is nudity before the opposite gender a sin?
We are living in a day when the overwhelming majority of Christians and non-Christians alike believe in situational ethics. “The end justifies the means” seems to be the philosophy of today’s independent Baptist churches. God, on the other hand, has always been the God of moral absolutes.
Is nudity before the opposite gender a sin? Well if it is, then it must always be a sin, whether at an xxx theater, a swimming pool, or in a doctor’s office.
In the Bible, the only nakedness allowable between a man and a woman is between husband and wife. Genesis 2:25 reads, “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” Within the confines of marriage nakedness is totally permissible. However, in Leviticus 18, God goes into great detail condemning nakedness between brother and sister, father and daughter, mother and son, aunt and nephew, uncle and niece, grandfather and granddaughter, and the list goes on and on.
God also admonishes us repeatedly throughout the Bible to be fully clothed. Nakedness in the Bible is associated with the word “shame.” One of the many examples of this association is found in Isaiah 47:3a, “Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen:” as well as in Revelation 3:18 (above). Exodus 28:42 reads, “And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach.” God is commanding here for a man to wear pants or shorts that cover his entire thigh (down to the knee) in order not to be naked. Isaiah 47:2-3 reads, “Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.” God shows us again here, in this case with a woman, that the thigh being uncovered is considered nakedness by God. Repeatedly throughout the New Testament, God commands women to be clothed in modest apparel because nakedness is undoubtedly a sin.
2. Are male obstetricians or gynecologists condoned in the Bible?
Given that nudity before a person of the opposite gender is a sin, why is it a commonly accepted practice among Baptists and others for a woman to be naked and examined by a male doctor? This most disgusting practice is totally unfounded in God’s word. OB/GYN's (doctors of pregnancy and women's health) are considered somehow immune from the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. If God is so against nudity between members of the opposite gender, why would he allow a man called a doctor to examine a woman’s naked body throughout her pregnancy and up to the birth as if he were somehow immune from sin or God’s laws?
Throughout the Bible, women who are pregnant or giving birth are attended by “nurses” or “midwives.” Not one time in God’s word is there mention of a woman being examined nude by a man who is a medical professional. God intended women to assist other women with these types of medical issues. Women have been giving birth to children for the last 6,000 years without the aid of male doctors, and yet Christians today seem to think that a woman must expose herself to a male doctor in the name of medicine. This is totally ridiculous and contrary to God’s word.
Many have used the argument, “Oh, they’ve seen it so many times; it no longer affects them.” This is exactly the opposite of reality. Men who look at nudity and pornography for extended periods become more perverted, not less perverted. If the appetite for nudity is fed, the appetite increases not diminishes.
Others have used the argument, “Oh, my gynecologist is a nice elderly man. He isn’t thinking any dirty thoughts.” That old man was once a young man who decided to go to school to be an obstetrician/gynecologist in order to examine women in intimate areas. We have strained at the gnat of women giving birth with the help of experienced women or midwives, and we have swallowed the camel of godly, Christian women exposing themselves to a strange man in a doctor’s office. God help us!
Independent, fundamental Baptist preachers stand up in pulpits across America and breathe fire about mixed swimming, immodest clothing, nudity on television, dancing, mini-skirts, etc., as they should, but why don’t they have the morals or courage to condemn this practice which is more revealing and more wicked than any of the others mentioned?!
3. Are male gynecologists professionals or perverts?
Jeremiah 17:9 reads, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” What kind of a man would go into a profession of examining women’s private parts? Don’t tell me that he is not made of the same sinful flesh that every other man is made of. No man can look at pornographic images and not be affected. This is why God commands us repeatedly to set no wicked thing before our eyes.
Because of years and years of looking at and touching scores of women inappropriately, the male gynecologist no doubt has a seared conscience and a perverted mind (I will not go into detail of what goes on in the doctor’s office for decency’s sake, but any woman who has been there knows what I am referring to.). His view of women and the marital bed has certainly been warped by his indecent involvement with countless women.
May God help preachers in this generation to make the Bible their authority, not tradition, and call this ungodly practice what it really is – sin. Any doctor that looks upon and touches a woman’s private parts in his office “hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Sir, if you let your wife go to a male gynecologist, you need to get right with God.
Back
by Pastor Steven L Anderson, 2006
1. Is nudity before the opposite gender a sin?
2. Are male obstetricians or gynecologists condoned in the Bible?
3. Are male gynecologists professionals or perverts?
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” – Ephesians 5:11, 12
“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” – Revelation 3:18
“So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.” – Proverbs 6:29
1. Is nudity before the opposite gender a sin?
We are living in a day when the overwhelming majority of Christians and non-Christians alike believe in situational ethics. “The end justifies the means” seems to be the philosophy of today’s independent Baptist churches. God, on the other hand, has always been the God of moral absolutes.
Is nudity before the opposite gender a sin? Well if it is, then it must always be a sin, whether at an xxx theater, a swimming pool, or in a doctor’s office.
In the Bible, the only nakedness allowable between a man and a woman is between husband and wife. Genesis 2:25 reads, “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” Within the confines of marriage nakedness is totally permissible. However, in Leviticus 18, God goes into great detail condemning nakedness between brother and sister, father and daughter, mother and son, aunt and nephew, uncle and niece, grandfather and granddaughter, and the list goes on and on.
God also admonishes us repeatedly throughout the Bible to be fully clothed. Nakedness in the Bible is associated with the word “shame.” One of the many examples of this association is found in Isaiah 47:3a, “Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen:” as well as in Revelation 3:18 (above). Exodus 28:42 reads, “And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach.” God is commanding here for a man to wear pants or shorts that cover his entire thigh (down to the knee) in order not to be naked. Isaiah 47:2-3 reads, “Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.” God shows us again here, in this case with a woman, that the thigh being uncovered is considered nakedness by God. Repeatedly throughout the New Testament, God commands women to be clothed in modest apparel because nakedness is undoubtedly a sin.
2. Are male obstetricians or gynecologists condoned in the Bible?
Given that nudity before a person of the opposite gender is a sin, why is it a commonly accepted practice among Baptists and others for a woman to be naked and examined by a male doctor? This most disgusting practice is totally unfounded in God’s word. OB/GYN's (doctors of pregnancy and women's health) are considered somehow immune from the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. If God is so against nudity between members of the opposite gender, why would he allow a man called a doctor to examine a woman’s naked body throughout her pregnancy and up to the birth as if he were somehow immune from sin or God’s laws?
Throughout the Bible, women who are pregnant or giving birth are attended by “nurses” or “midwives.” Not one time in God’s word is there mention of a woman being examined nude by a man who is a medical professional. God intended women to assist other women with these types of medical issues. Women have been giving birth to children for the last 6,000 years without the aid of male doctors, and yet Christians today seem to think that a woman must expose herself to a male doctor in the name of medicine. This is totally ridiculous and contrary to God’s word.
Many have used the argument, “Oh, they’ve seen it so many times; it no longer affects them.” This is exactly the opposite of reality. Men who look at nudity and pornography for extended periods become more perverted, not less perverted. If the appetite for nudity is fed, the appetite increases not diminishes.
Others have used the argument, “Oh, my gynecologist is a nice elderly man. He isn’t thinking any dirty thoughts.” That old man was once a young man who decided to go to school to be an obstetrician/gynecologist in order to examine women in intimate areas. We have strained at the gnat of women giving birth with the help of experienced women or midwives, and we have swallowed the camel of godly, Christian women exposing themselves to a strange man in a doctor’s office. God help us!
Independent, fundamental Baptist preachers stand up in pulpits across America and breathe fire about mixed swimming, immodest clothing, nudity on television, dancing, mini-skirts, etc., as they should, but why don’t they have the morals or courage to condemn this practice which is more revealing and more wicked than any of the others mentioned?!
3. Are male gynecologists professionals or perverts?
Jeremiah 17:9 reads, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” What kind of a man would go into a profession of examining women’s private parts? Don’t tell me that he is not made of the same sinful flesh that every other man is made of. No man can look at pornographic images and not be affected. This is why God commands us repeatedly to set no wicked thing before our eyes.
Because of years and years of looking at and touching scores of women inappropriately, the male gynecologist no doubt has a seared conscience and a perverted mind (I will not go into detail of what goes on in the doctor’s office for decency’s sake, but any woman who has been there knows what I am referring to.). His view of women and the marital bed has certainly been warped by his indecent involvement with countless women.
May God help preachers in this generation to make the Bible their authority, not tradition, and call this ungodly practice what it really is – sin. Any doctor that looks upon and touches a woman’s private parts in his office “hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Sir, if you let your wife go to a male gynecologist, you need to get right with God.
Back
Hell is not "Separation from God"
Hell is not “Separation from God”
by Steven Anderson, 2006
1. Are those in Hell separated from God?
2. Who is teaching that Hell is “separation from God”?
3. What is Hell really?
“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” – Revelation 14:10
“If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” – Psalm 139:8
“For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.” – Isaiah 30:33
1. Are those in Hell separated from God?
The doctrine of a literal Hell has always been under attack by liberal scholars and theologians. Many false teachers have attempted to replace the idea of a literal Hell with the concept that Hell is actually “separation from God.” This doctrine of “separation from God” has completely infiltrated Baptist churches everywhere. In our day, churches that believe in a literal Hell still use this idea that Hell is “separation from God” in order to tone down the reality of how horrible Hell really is.
The Bible teaches quite the opposite of “separation from God.” Revelation 14:10b reads, “and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” The Bible is very clear in this verse that those in Hell are being tormented in the presence of Jesus Christ. How else could this verse be true? Not only this, but the Bible also teaches that God is omnipresent. John 3:13 reads, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” Here Jesus is claiming to be on earth talking to Nicodemus and in Heaven at the same time. Every Bible version aside from the King James Bible removes the phrase, “which is in heaven,” from this verse.
In Psalm 139:8, David says to God, “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” Clearly God is everywhere, including Hell. In fact, the Bible states that God is the source of the torment. II Thessalonians 1:8, 9 reads, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” The everlasting destruction of Hell comes from the presence of God! The flaming fire comes from the glory of his power!
2. Who is teaching that Hell is “separation from God”?
Pope John Paul II
On July 28, 1999, in his weekly address to approximately 8,500 people, he described Hell as "the complete frustration and emptiness of life without God." He also gave these statements:
"Rather than a physical place, hell is the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy."
"Damnation consists precisely in definitive separation from God, freely chosen by the human person, and confirmed with death that seals his choice for ever."
"The thought of hell and even less the improper use of biblical images must not create anxiety or despair."
Billy Graham
“The only thing I could say for sure is that hell means separation from God. We are separated from his light, from his fellowship. That is going to be hell. When it comes to a literal fire, I don't preach it because I'm not sure about it. When the Scripture uses fire concerning hell, that is possibly an illustration of how terrible it's going to be - not fire but something worse, a thirst for God that cannot be quenched. (p. 74, bold added)” – Time Magazine 11/15/93
“Could it be that the fire Jesus talked about is an eternal search for God that is never quenched? Is that what it means? That, indeed, would be hell. To be away from God forever, separated from His Presence. (p. 74-75, italics in original)” - The Challenge, Sermons from Madison Square Garden, 1969
The Jehovah’s Witnesses
On their official website, www.watchtower.org, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have many articles denying the reality of a literal Hell and promoting this idea of separation from God. Look at this excerpt from an essay on the subject.
“Again, is hell a fiery place of eternal torment or of annihilation? Or is it simply a state of separation from God? What really is hell? A Brief History of Hellfire WHEN did professed Christians adopt the belief in hellfire? Well after the time of Jesus Christ and his apostles. "The Apocalypse of Peter (2nd century C.E.) was the first [apocryphal] Christian work to describe the punishment and tortures of sinners in hell," states the French Encyclopædia Universalis. Among the early Church Fathers, however, there was disagreement over hell. Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Cyprian believed that hell was a fiery place. Origen and theologian Gregory of Nyssa thought of hell as a place of separation from God—of spiritual suffering. Augustine of Hippo, on the other hand, held that suffering in hell was both spiritual and sensory—a view that gained acceptance. "By the fifth century the stern doctrine that sinners will have no second chance after this life and that the fire which will devour them will never be extinguished was everywhere paramount," wrote Professor J.N.D. Kelly.”
Independent Fundamental Baptists
Even though independent Baptists still believe in a literal Hell, they seem to like using the term “separation from God” instead of going into graphic detail of what Hell is really like, as Jesus did. Here are just two of THOUSANDS of examples.
The Doctrinal Statement of Bible Baptist Church in Supply, NC reads, “The saved are raised to eternal, conscious bliss in Heaven (Matthew 25:34; John 14:2; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 2:7) the lost are raised to eternal torment in Hell in conscious separation from God—Matthew 8:11; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 13:49-50; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation 21:8.” None of these verses listed mention anything about being separated from God, but they do mention fire, flames, wailing, and worms – none of which they mention.
In the June 2006 issue of the North Valley Newsletter (North Valley Baptist Church, Santa Clara, CA), there is a piece entitled, “How to Lead Children to Christ” by Lankford Oxendine. Point 2 reads as follows: “2. SIN MUST BE PUNISHED. “For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23a • Explain Hell. Refrain from using frightening, offensive descriptions of punishment and Hell. (These are children, after all.) Instead, focus on the worst part about Hell—being separated from God and from everyone else who has been saved from that awful place.” So apparently when giving the gospel to children and explaining Hell, we should not scare them with Jesus’ “offensive” type teaching of fire, screaming, etc., but should emphasize the worst part of Hell, “separation from God.” If this is the worst part of Hell, why does the Bible not mention it in reference to Hell?
Let’s face it, the unsaved want nothing to do with God! They would love to be separated from God. In Hell they will not be separated from God; on the contrary, they will spend eternity in the presence of the Lamb facing his wrath.
3. What is Hell really?
Hell is a place of flaming fire.
Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Revelation 20:14 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
Revelation 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
II Thessalonians 1:8 “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:”
II Thessalonians 1:9 “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”
Mark 9:43 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:”
Mark 9:44 “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Mark 9:45 “And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:”
Mark 9:46 “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Mark 9:47 “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:”
Mark 9:48 “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Luke 16:23 “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”
Luke 16:24 “And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”
Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
Hell is a place of smothering smoke.
Revelation 14:11 “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
Hell is a place of dismal darkness.
Jude 1:13 “Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”
Hell is a place screaming and wailing.
Matthew 22:13 “Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Hell is a place of everlasting chains.
Jude 1:6 “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
Hell is a place of flesh-eating worms.
Isaiah 14:9 “Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.”
Isaiah 14:10 “All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?”
Isaiah 14:11 “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.”
Isaiah 14:12 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”
Isaiah 66:24 “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”
Hell is a place of no rest day nor night – no sleep.
Revelation 14:11 “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
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The following sermon addresses this subject in detail:
The following file is in mp3 format. You must right-click on this file and "save target as" to download it to your computer.
Pastor Steven L Anderson "The Reality of Hell" 05/14/06pm Sunday
by Steven Anderson, 2006
1. Are those in Hell separated from God?
2. Who is teaching that Hell is “separation from God”?
3. What is Hell really?
“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” – Revelation 14:10
“If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” – Psalm 139:8
“For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.” – Isaiah 30:33
1. Are those in Hell separated from God?
The doctrine of a literal Hell has always been under attack by liberal scholars and theologians. Many false teachers have attempted to replace the idea of a literal Hell with the concept that Hell is actually “separation from God.” This doctrine of “separation from God” has completely infiltrated Baptist churches everywhere. In our day, churches that believe in a literal Hell still use this idea that Hell is “separation from God” in order to tone down the reality of how horrible Hell really is.
The Bible teaches quite the opposite of “separation from God.” Revelation 14:10b reads, “and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” The Bible is very clear in this verse that those in Hell are being tormented in the presence of Jesus Christ. How else could this verse be true? Not only this, but the Bible also teaches that God is omnipresent. John 3:13 reads, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” Here Jesus is claiming to be on earth talking to Nicodemus and in Heaven at the same time. Every Bible version aside from the King James Bible removes the phrase, “which is in heaven,” from this verse.
In Psalm 139:8, David says to God, “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” Clearly God is everywhere, including Hell. In fact, the Bible states that God is the source of the torment. II Thessalonians 1:8, 9 reads, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” The everlasting destruction of Hell comes from the presence of God! The flaming fire comes from the glory of his power!
2. Who is teaching that Hell is “separation from God”?
Pope John Paul II
On July 28, 1999, in his weekly address to approximately 8,500 people, he described Hell as "the complete frustration and emptiness of life without God." He also gave these statements:
"Rather than a physical place, hell is the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy."
"Damnation consists precisely in definitive separation from God, freely chosen by the human person, and confirmed with death that seals his choice for ever."
"The thought of hell and even less the improper use of biblical images must not create anxiety or despair."
Billy Graham
“The only thing I could say for sure is that hell means separation from God. We are separated from his light, from his fellowship. That is going to be hell. When it comes to a literal fire, I don't preach it because I'm not sure about it. When the Scripture uses fire concerning hell, that is possibly an illustration of how terrible it's going to be - not fire but something worse, a thirst for God that cannot be quenched. (p. 74, bold added)” – Time Magazine 11/15/93
“Could it be that the fire Jesus talked about is an eternal search for God that is never quenched? Is that what it means? That, indeed, would be hell. To be away from God forever, separated from His Presence. (p. 74-75, italics in original)” - The Challenge, Sermons from Madison Square Garden, 1969
The Jehovah’s Witnesses
On their official website, www.watchtower.org, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have many articles denying the reality of a literal Hell and promoting this idea of separation from God. Look at this excerpt from an essay on the subject.
“Again, is hell a fiery place of eternal torment or of annihilation? Or is it simply a state of separation from God? What really is hell? A Brief History of Hellfire WHEN did professed Christians adopt the belief in hellfire? Well after the time of Jesus Christ and his apostles. "The Apocalypse of Peter (2nd century C.E.) was the first [apocryphal] Christian work to describe the punishment and tortures of sinners in hell," states the French Encyclopædia Universalis. Among the early Church Fathers, however, there was disagreement over hell. Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Cyprian believed that hell was a fiery place. Origen and theologian Gregory of Nyssa thought of hell as a place of separation from God—of spiritual suffering. Augustine of Hippo, on the other hand, held that suffering in hell was both spiritual and sensory—a view that gained acceptance. "By the fifth century the stern doctrine that sinners will have no second chance after this life and that the fire which will devour them will never be extinguished was everywhere paramount," wrote Professor J.N.D. Kelly.”
Independent Fundamental Baptists
Even though independent Baptists still believe in a literal Hell, they seem to like using the term “separation from God” instead of going into graphic detail of what Hell is really like, as Jesus did. Here are just two of THOUSANDS of examples.
The Doctrinal Statement of Bible Baptist Church in Supply, NC reads, “The saved are raised to eternal, conscious bliss in Heaven (Matthew 25:34; John 14:2; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 2:7) the lost are raised to eternal torment in Hell in conscious separation from God—Matthew 8:11; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 13:49-50; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation 21:8.” None of these verses listed mention anything about being separated from God, but they do mention fire, flames, wailing, and worms – none of which they mention.
In the June 2006 issue of the North Valley Newsletter (North Valley Baptist Church, Santa Clara, CA), there is a piece entitled, “How to Lead Children to Christ” by Lankford Oxendine. Point 2 reads as follows: “2. SIN MUST BE PUNISHED. “For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23a • Explain Hell. Refrain from using frightening, offensive descriptions of punishment and Hell. (These are children, after all.) Instead, focus on the worst part about Hell—being separated from God and from everyone else who has been saved from that awful place.” So apparently when giving the gospel to children and explaining Hell, we should not scare them with Jesus’ “offensive” type teaching of fire, screaming, etc., but should emphasize the worst part of Hell, “separation from God.” If this is the worst part of Hell, why does the Bible not mention it in reference to Hell?
Let’s face it, the unsaved want nothing to do with God! They would love to be separated from God. In Hell they will not be separated from God; on the contrary, they will spend eternity in the presence of the Lamb facing his wrath.
3. What is Hell really?
Hell is a place of flaming fire.
Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Revelation 20:14 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
Revelation 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
II Thessalonians 1:8 “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:”
II Thessalonians 1:9 “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”
Mark 9:43 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:”
Mark 9:44 “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Mark 9:45 “And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:”
Mark 9:46 “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Mark 9:47 “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:”
Mark 9:48 “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Luke 16:23 “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”
Luke 16:24 “And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”
Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
Hell is a place of smothering smoke.
Revelation 14:11 “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
Hell is a place of dismal darkness.
Jude 1:13 “Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”
Hell is a place screaming and wailing.
Matthew 22:13 “Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Hell is a place of everlasting chains.
Jude 1:6 “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
Hell is a place of flesh-eating worms.
Isaiah 14:9 “Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.”
Isaiah 14:10 “All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?”
Isaiah 14:11 “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.”
Isaiah 14:12 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”
Isaiah 66:24 “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”
Hell is a place of no rest day nor night – no sleep.
Revelation 14:11 “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
Back
The following sermon addresses this subject in detail:
The following file is in mp3 format. You must right-click on this file and "save target as" to download it to your computer.
Pastor Steven L Anderson "The Reality of Hell" 05/14/06pm Sunday
"Easy-Believism" Defended
“Easy-Believism” Defended
by Pastor Steven L Anderson, 2006
1. What is “Easy-Believism”?
2. What is repentance?
3. Why “1-2-3, repeat after me” style soul-winning is wrong.
“And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” – Acts 16:30-31
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” – Romans 4:5
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. “ – John 3:16
1. What is “Easy-Believism”?
The Bible is very clear that believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is the only prerequisite for salvation. Yet today we find those who believe this truth from the Bible being labeled as believing in “Easy-Believism.” I plead guilty. I do believe that it is easy to be saved and that it is easy to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is man-made religion that seeks to try and make salvation difficult.
The Roman Catholic Church is on one side of the spectrum as being totally opposed to the truth of the gospel. They teach a difficult salvation by doing good works and living a good life in addition to believing on Jesus Christ. Then there are the various Protestants and Pentecostals who believe watered down versions of this very same doctrine. Sometimes it is disguised by a belief that one is saved by grace through faith, but that salvation can be lost by committing some grievous sin or falling away from the things of God. Then at the other side of the spectrum is the independent, fundamental Baptist preaching salvation by grace through faith plus nothing minus nothing.
Unfortunately, many independent, fundamental Baptists in our day are drifting toward Protestantism and Catholicism by teaching that in order to be saved a person must “repent of their sins.” They teach that a person who is not at least willing to turn from certain sins (e.g. alcohol, cigarettes, fornication, etc.) cannot be saved. The terms “repent” and “saved” (or any variations thereof) never occur in the same verse in the entire Bible. Yet “believe” and “saved” or “faith” and “saved” occur a multitude of times. No one can show me one verse in the Bible that says a person must give up any sins to be saved (or that a person must be willing to give them up).
2. What is Repentance?
Unfortunately, many independent, fundamental Baptists bow down to a dictionary and worship it as their God. The Webster’s 1828 dictionary definition of “repentance” says that repentance is to be sorry for your sins. However, the most common usage of “repentance” in the Bible is God repenting. God has no sins to be sorry for. When God repents, he is only changing his mind. There are many, but here are just a few examples:
“And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” – Genesis 6:6
“And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” – Exodus 32:14
“And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.” – I Samuel 15:35
“And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.” – Psalms 106:45
In order for verses like John 3:16, John 5:24, Acts 16:31, Romans 4:5, Romans 10:13-14, and other which declare that anyone who believes on Jesus Christ (i.e. puts their faith in him for salvation), God must save a person who is unwilling to turn from sin but believes on Jesus Christ. If not then God is a liar.
Repentance can be a part of salvation. For example, a person who is a Roman Catholic must repent of their belief in works salvation; otherwise, it would be impossible for them to have all their faith in Jesus Christ. In this case their faith in Jesus Christ was still the only deciding factor.
Repenting of sin is something God commands those who are already saved to do. In Revelation chapters 2-3, for example, God repeatedly commands his people to repent of their sins; never does God say a person must repent of their sins in order to become saved. Lest you think I am giving people a “license” to sin, I will match my preaching against sin to yours any day of the week:
I preach against watching television – do you?
I preach against birth control – do you?
I preach against alcohol – do you?
I preach against women wearing pants – do you?
I preach against mixed swimming – do you?
I preach against women working – do you?
I preach against any secular music – do you?
I preach against fornication – do you?
“Easy-Believism” is not giving people license to sin, it is giving people license to be saved without jumping through a bunch of hoops. People should repent of their sins after they are saved, but whether they do or don’t, they are still saved.
3. Why “1-2-3, repeat after me” style soul-winning is wrong.
The problem with “1-2-3, repeat after me” type soul-winning is not a lack of repentance but a lack of a clear presentation of the gospel. Praying a prayer is not what saves you; believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is what saves you when you call on the Lord for salvation. You can pray the sinner’s prayer a million times, but if you don’t believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation you’ll go to Hell.
The biggest problem with modern-day soul-winning is the lack of emphasis on eternal security. A soul-winner will quickly go through the gospel with someone and lead them in a prayer, but many times the person still has in the back of their mind that if they don’t live right they will lose it. Every false Christian religion seems to have one common denominator: they don’t believe in eternal security. Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Methodists, Pentecostals, Nazarenes, etc. all believe you can lose your salvation and therefore are not saved because they do not believe the record that God gave of his Son.
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” – I John 5:10-11
A person who believes you can lose your salvation is not saved because they are calling God a liar and trusting their good life to maintain their salvation.
Being thorough in soul-winning is necessary. However, a person must put their faith 100% in Jesus Christ in order to be saved and go to Heaven, not in turning from any sin. If you believe a person must be willing to turn from their sins to go to Heaven, you have added to the gospel and are one step closer to the Southern Baptists and Roman Catholics.
Epilogue:
I will give you just a brief synopsis of the points and scriptures I use to win people to the Lord. I go through these scriptures and explain them in detail. I use all of these scriptures just about every time I give the gospel to someone.
1. Every one is a sinner (Rom 3:10, Rom 3:23)
2. Everyone deserves to go to Hell (Rom 6:23, Rev 20:14, Rev 21:8)
3. Jesus died on the cross for us so we could be saved (Rom 5:8, I Pet 2:24) (At this point I go through the events of the cross, the blood, the death, burial, and resurrection)
4. You must believe on Jesus Christ as your only way to Heaven (Acts 16:31, John 3:16)
5. When you believe on Jesus Christ, God gives you eternal life (Rom 6:23) (At this point I use the illustration of receiving a gift and explain eternal security in detail)
Then, to wrap things up, I ask the person 4 questions:
1. Do you believe that you have sinned?
2. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for YOUR sins and rose again from the dead?
3. If you were to ask Jesus to save you right now would he do it?
4. How long would you be saved for?
If the person confidently answers these questions correctly, I then say, "Let's pray together right now, and I will help you ask Jesus to save you." Most of the time people who have listened to the whole gospel and understood it are very willling to pray and trust Christ as their saviour.
I then lead them in a prayer something like: "Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I know I deserve to go to Hell. But I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. Please save me and take me to Heaven when I die. I'm only trusting you, Jesus. Amen."
I then talk to them about baptism as the first step of obedience and about the importance of coming to church. This is the process I go through virtually every day out door-to-door soul-winning.
Back
The following sermon deals with this subject in detail:
The following file is in mp3 format. You must right-click on this file and "save target as" to download it to your computer.
Pastor Steven L Anderson "The Power of God upon you" 05/21/06am Sunday
See also:
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Eternal Security" 07/23/06pm Sunday
See also:
Pastor Steven L Anderson "How to Win Souls" 09/24/06pm Sunday
by Pastor Steven L Anderson, 2006
1. What is “Easy-Believism”?
2. What is repentance?
3. Why “1-2-3, repeat after me” style soul-winning is wrong.
“And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” – Acts 16:30-31
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” – Romans 4:5
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. “ – John 3:16
1. What is “Easy-Believism”?
The Bible is very clear that believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is the only prerequisite for salvation. Yet today we find those who believe this truth from the Bible being labeled as believing in “Easy-Believism.” I plead guilty. I do believe that it is easy to be saved and that it is easy to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is man-made religion that seeks to try and make salvation difficult.
The Roman Catholic Church is on one side of the spectrum as being totally opposed to the truth of the gospel. They teach a difficult salvation by doing good works and living a good life in addition to believing on Jesus Christ. Then there are the various Protestants and Pentecostals who believe watered down versions of this very same doctrine. Sometimes it is disguised by a belief that one is saved by grace through faith, but that salvation can be lost by committing some grievous sin or falling away from the things of God. Then at the other side of the spectrum is the independent, fundamental Baptist preaching salvation by grace through faith plus nothing minus nothing.
Unfortunately, many independent, fundamental Baptists in our day are drifting toward Protestantism and Catholicism by teaching that in order to be saved a person must “repent of their sins.” They teach that a person who is not at least willing to turn from certain sins (e.g. alcohol, cigarettes, fornication, etc.) cannot be saved. The terms “repent” and “saved” (or any variations thereof) never occur in the same verse in the entire Bible. Yet “believe” and “saved” or “faith” and “saved” occur a multitude of times. No one can show me one verse in the Bible that says a person must give up any sins to be saved (or that a person must be willing to give them up).
2. What is Repentance?
Unfortunately, many independent, fundamental Baptists bow down to a dictionary and worship it as their God. The Webster’s 1828 dictionary definition of “repentance” says that repentance is to be sorry for your sins. However, the most common usage of “repentance” in the Bible is God repenting. God has no sins to be sorry for. When God repents, he is only changing his mind. There are many, but here are just a few examples:
“And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” – Genesis 6:6
“And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” – Exodus 32:14
“And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.” – I Samuel 15:35
“And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.” – Psalms 106:45
In order for verses like John 3:16, John 5:24, Acts 16:31, Romans 4:5, Romans 10:13-14, and other which declare that anyone who believes on Jesus Christ (i.e. puts their faith in him for salvation), God must save a person who is unwilling to turn from sin but believes on Jesus Christ. If not then God is a liar.
Repentance can be a part of salvation. For example, a person who is a Roman Catholic must repent of their belief in works salvation; otherwise, it would be impossible for them to have all their faith in Jesus Christ. In this case their faith in Jesus Christ was still the only deciding factor.
Repenting of sin is something God commands those who are already saved to do. In Revelation chapters 2-3, for example, God repeatedly commands his people to repent of their sins; never does God say a person must repent of their sins in order to become saved. Lest you think I am giving people a “license” to sin, I will match my preaching against sin to yours any day of the week:
I preach against watching television – do you?
I preach against birth control – do you?
I preach against alcohol – do you?
I preach against women wearing pants – do you?
I preach against mixed swimming – do you?
I preach against women working – do you?
I preach against any secular music – do you?
I preach against fornication – do you?
“Easy-Believism” is not giving people license to sin, it is giving people license to be saved without jumping through a bunch of hoops. People should repent of their sins after they are saved, but whether they do or don’t, they are still saved.
3. Why “1-2-3, repeat after me” style soul-winning is wrong.
The problem with “1-2-3, repeat after me” type soul-winning is not a lack of repentance but a lack of a clear presentation of the gospel. Praying a prayer is not what saves you; believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is what saves you when you call on the Lord for salvation. You can pray the sinner’s prayer a million times, but if you don’t believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation you’ll go to Hell.
The biggest problem with modern-day soul-winning is the lack of emphasis on eternal security. A soul-winner will quickly go through the gospel with someone and lead them in a prayer, but many times the person still has in the back of their mind that if they don’t live right they will lose it. Every false Christian religion seems to have one common denominator: they don’t believe in eternal security. Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Methodists, Pentecostals, Nazarenes, etc. all believe you can lose your salvation and therefore are not saved because they do not believe the record that God gave of his Son.
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” – I John 5:10-11
A person who believes you can lose your salvation is not saved because they are calling God a liar and trusting their good life to maintain their salvation.
Being thorough in soul-winning is necessary. However, a person must put their faith 100% in Jesus Christ in order to be saved and go to Heaven, not in turning from any sin. If you believe a person must be willing to turn from their sins to go to Heaven, you have added to the gospel and are one step closer to the Southern Baptists and Roman Catholics.
Epilogue:
I will give you just a brief synopsis of the points and scriptures I use to win people to the Lord. I go through these scriptures and explain them in detail. I use all of these scriptures just about every time I give the gospel to someone.
1. Every one is a sinner (Rom 3:10, Rom 3:23)
2. Everyone deserves to go to Hell (Rom 6:23, Rev 20:14, Rev 21:8)
3. Jesus died on the cross for us so we could be saved (Rom 5:8, I Pet 2:24) (At this point I go through the events of the cross, the blood, the death, burial, and resurrection)
4. You must believe on Jesus Christ as your only way to Heaven (Acts 16:31, John 3:16)
5. When you believe on Jesus Christ, God gives you eternal life (Rom 6:23) (At this point I use the illustration of receiving a gift and explain eternal security in detail)
Then, to wrap things up, I ask the person 4 questions:
1. Do you believe that you have sinned?
2. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for YOUR sins and rose again from the dead?
3. If you were to ask Jesus to save you right now would he do it?
4. How long would you be saved for?
If the person confidently answers these questions correctly, I then say, "Let's pray together right now, and I will help you ask Jesus to save you." Most of the time people who have listened to the whole gospel and understood it are very willling to pray and trust Christ as their saviour.
I then lead them in a prayer something like: "Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I know I deserve to go to Hell. But I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. Please save me and take me to Heaven when I die. I'm only trusting you, Jesus. Amen."
I then talk to them about baptism as the first step of obedience and about the importance of coming to church. This is the process I go through virtually every day out door-to-door soul-winning.
Back
The following sermon deals with this subject in detail:
The following file is in mp3 format. You must right-click on this file and "save target as" to download it to your computer.
Pastor Steven L Anderson "The Power of God upon you" 05/21/06am Sunday
See also:
Pastor Steven L Anderson "Eternal Security" 07/23/06pm Sunday
See also:
Pastor Steven L Anderson "How to Win Souls" 09/24/06pm Sunday
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