How does the law bring knowledge of sin, and how does an attack on law affect a church in which a lawless leader runs amok?  Law brings knowledge of sin by revealing the truth about God - His glory, His greatness, His holiness and His justice - as well as His love, His mercy and His kindness.  If a church allows any leader to preach an unbalanced gospel, preaching 'love' while ignoring teaching on deception (as Calvary Baptist Church allowed for years prior to Wheelhouse's introduction to its pulpit), sinners remain unaware of the potential for deception. How many churches today hear that sin leads to eternity in Hell and not an escape clause reprieve of annihilation as taught by un-Scriptural leaders, such as Roger Forster. I have heard the doctrine of Hell mentioned just three times in Christian meetings in my 21 years as a born again believer - and once was in a mocking fashion by Kevin Dare! This results in an unbalanced emphasis on 'love' at the expense of truth and justice.  The claims witnessed by Wheelhouse's supporters and recorded in this text are clear: anyone who opposes the 'pastors' teaching is 'unloving and ungracious!'  Is it any wonder that the Holy Spirit conveyed the words highlighted in Section 37 to the church.  The light of God's Word reveals His perfect attributes which brings knowledge of sin as man is made aware of his own corruption.  Paul's letter to the church at Corinth revealed how their deep repentance had affected their hearts:

'Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.  See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done' (2 Corinthians. 7:10-11).

This is the difference brought by godly sorrow and Wheelhouse's claim that: 'if the law doesn't make you ten times worse - I don't know what does, because it brings death … law reveals the sin - and that's what makes us feel worse.  But, because it doesn't save, it leaves us in our sins.'  It is 'worldly sorrow' that 'brings death' and no one could accuse our God of bringing a law that was worldly!  God's ways are so much higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9: 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts')  and His 'foolishness' so far above our wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25: 'Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men'), yet we are careering towards another tower of Babel in our attempts to make ourselves like God (Isaiah 14:14) - the sin of Satan! Today's 'law' is weak, vacillating, and polluted by the mind of man with his vain philosophies and false religions that seek the glorification of man and his achievements rather than the glorification of God our Creator.

97. Beware missing out 'Faith without deeds is useless' (James 2:20)

What a difference between an earlier believer like Job, who recognised that he was full of sin: 'I am insignificant; what can I reply to Thee? I lay my hand on my mouth (Job 40:4); 'Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes' (42:6), and the teachings of Wheelhouse, who recommended a sinner to tell 'Jesus exactly what she thought of Him.'  How different this is from the faith of Job and how thoroughly the behaviour of a man in rebellion against God.   'Saving faith' is faith in the Person of a God whom we love, whose word we believe and trust. We have faith that He will save us from the guilt, the pollution and the power of sin and the faith that He will take us to be with Him for ever in heaven.  Such faith in Christ is not something natural to man, for we read that:

'the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned' (1 Corinthians. 2:14). 

Man has a fundamental animosity to God: 

'The sinful mind is hostile to God.  It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so'  (Romans 8:7). 

It is clear that such faith in Christ is not something natural to man, for we are told that: 'the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned' (1 Corinthians. 2:14).   We need a fundamental change of heart before we can believe, and this happens in the new birth, when God implants the seed of faith and we are 'born again.'  Faith joins with the will in yielding obedience to the gospel and the New Testament always associates faith with obedience and Paul speaks of 'obedience that comes from faith' (Romans 1:5) and Hebrews 5:9 speaks of Christ as 'the Source of eternal salvation for all who obey him'.

Scripture is not interested in a mere intellectual assent, but in action which Paul called 'faith expressing itself through love' (Galatians. 5:6).  This is the point of James's passage on faith and works, for true faith always works: 'faith without deeds is useless' (James 2:20).  When the doctrine championed by Dr R.T. Kendall: 'Once Saved, Always Saved,' is translated into Antinomianism, as the Doctor so often does, we have a demonic doctrine.  It is no surprise to find that Roger Wheelhouse is a contributor to the works of Kendall, as recorded in our letter to him.  Whereas the saints of the past made a strong defence and asserted that 'we show by St James's works that we have St Paul's faith', we find now the results of one of the worst features of modern evangelism - 'easy believism'!  In such teaching the main emphasis is put on the initial confession of Christ with the mouth, based on Romans 10:9-10:

'If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with the heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved'.

Now it is self-evident that no one can fully read another man's heart, although God may chose to reveal an individuals' sin through the gifts of the Spirit (Ananias and Sapphira: Acts 5:1-11) for a particular purpose.  So the emphasis is therefore put on an individual's verbal profession despite the evidence that speaks of one who is showing little sign of sanctification - if any.  I mentioned in the earlier Case History I how Kevin Tugwell used this weapon in order to try and cover up the exposure of his own contradictions (q.v. Section 18).

The emphasis is placed on justification, so that Paul is impiously misconstrued as teaching 'easy believism' - or 'cheap grace', as it has so rightly been called.  This is why we see so many walking down the aisles at Billy Graham-type evangelistic meetings, making their confession and receiving assurance that they are a Christian and can henceforth be untroubled by any qualms of conscience.  No change of life need be required - no fruit, no good works, no holiness.  To insist on these things would be to go back to 'works'.  It would make converts concerned about the subjective and lead them to forget that all is objective - in Christ.  So such converts are given strict instructions not to examine themselves, for that could be uncomfortable and disturbing, and not to seek assurance from signs of holiness in their lives because they might not find any.  Feelings are excluded as carnal, unless the 'holy spirit' they have imbibed through un-Scriptural methods whispers to them some great and un-testable truth - which never amounts to anything.  They must simply 'look to Jesus,' whose Cross is rarely mentioned and their own, which they should pick up as often as they drop it, is mentioned even less.  The advice sounds good to their ears but is dangerous in isolation from other truths.  They say that when doubts arise, as  they will, they are to be stifled as the work of Satan, for they must not be troubled since they believe in justification 'by faith alone'.

I witnessed a couple, who migrated from Calvary Baptist Church to the Word-Faith nightmare of Kings Church, Newport, fight like cat and dog as a result of flesh life surrendering to losses of temper.  They were unaware that a Christian has the choice of whether to succumb to sin whereas an unsaved person has no choice - they sin as often and as easily as breathing!  It often seems to be an intellectual assent to 'faith' which characterises 'altar calls,' but does not lead to demonstrations of the Biblical faith of God's elect.  Sadly, this couple soon separated, a product of un-Scriptural teachings.

A Christian will witness many examples of the affect of 'cheap grace' as expounded by so many following Dr R.T. Kendall's Antinomian version of 'Once Saved, Always Saved' doctrine.  During Luis Palau's 'Tell Wales' crusade in 1989, a young emaciated man came down for the 'altar call.'  As a counsellor specialising in the cults and occult, I was called to hear this man's confession and to counsel him.  He admitted having been involved in the Hare Krishna group in Cardiff and to have dabbled in other things.  On being told that he needed to renounce all these past sins and involvements he made a dramatic, yet totally unconvincing, gesture of tearing off his Krishna beads and throwing them on the floor and stamping on them.  His 'confession' of some obnoxious personal sins seemed more to impress than to show genuine repentance and he claimed that his desire was to ensure his heavenly future with his 'beloved grandfather.'  This was clearly his major objective, rather than to despise his past life.  I prayed with him and then filled in the 'necessary paperwork' which was supposed to ensure that he received follow-up discipling from a local church in the Dinas Powys area.  I heard no more of the young man, apart from an indifferent comment from a member of the said church that, 'they knew of him.'  Several years later I met the young man again.  Now he looked even more dreadful, like a walking skeleton, and I asked him about 'his walk with the Lord.'  He glibly revealed that he had since returned to the Krishnas, but had now left and joined Islam!  When I quizzed him as to his confession at 'Tell Wales' he blithely enquired: 'Don't you believe in 'once saved, always saved'!  No, I don't, I believe that James was right!  Your 'walk with the Lord' reflects exactly the state of your heart, mind, and soul!  God will never let you slip out of His hands (John 10:28-30) - but you have the free will to wilfully walk away from Him for eternity.  You can carry your cross or insult the Lord of Grace.

It should be no surprise that Dr Kendall is charged with advocating cheap grace for, in his book (Once Saved, Always Saved (1983; reprint 1997), p.  53,  Hodder & Stoughton) he writes:

'I therefore state categorically that the person who is saved - who confesses that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead - will go to heaven when he dies, no matter what work (or lack of work) may accompany such faith.  In other words, no matter what sin (or absence of Christian obedience) may accompany such faith.' 

Professor Donald Macleod (in The Monthly Record of the Free Church of Scotland, June I984) said of this 'misguided' statement:  'To the theologically aware, it immediately suggests Antinomianism.  To the general public it is an invitation to live as you please.'  Derek Thomas also agreed in his review of the book: '. . . it is a licence to sin that grace may abound' (Evangelical Presbyterian, January I984, pp. 2ff).  Similar views were expressed by Iain Murray, The Banner of Truth (March 1984, pp.  1ff); Christopher Bennett, in Christian Arena (June 1984, pp. 29f.). Dr William Young had already found evidence in Dr Kendall's D. Phil. thesis of 'the deluded imagination of an Antinomian' (The Bulwark, May/June 1980, pp.  15ff.; cf. Gospel Magazine, Jan/Feb.  1978, pp.  16ff.).  Dr Kendall's sermons on Galatians and his book, Once Saved, Always Saved, put his Antinomianism beyond all possible doubt and six of the twelve deacons at Westminster Chapel charged him with this heresy and were dismissed -  but not before they had recorded the relevant facts.  Dr Kendall published a defence (Westminster Record, March 1985, pp.  14ff.)  of his views and is well aware of the controversies that arose from his preaching, but his foreword to the 1992 reprint of Once Saved, Always Saved makes it clear that he stands by every word he has written.  As I wrote earlier, it is little surprise that he descended into sharing lectures and a book, titled 'The Spirit and the Sword,' with the false prophet, Paul Cain. When you have taken the element of Antinomianism to the point demonstrated by Kendall you are willing to accommodate false prophets and deceivers of every kind - as shown by many other formerly orthodox Christians in these pages.

A work published in 1973 goes even further:

'It is possible, even probable, that when a believer out of fellowship falls for certain types of philosophy, if he is a logical thinker, he will become an 'unbelieving believer'.  Yet believers who become agnostics are still saved, they are still born again.  You can even become an atheist, but if you once accepted Christ as Saviour, you cannot lose your salvation, even though you deny God'  (R.  B. Thieme; Apes and Peacocks or the Pursuit of Happiness (1973), p. 23).

These views affect believers 慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡慡
Matthew 21:32  "For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax-gatherers and harlots did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

Matthew 27:3  Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

I asked the deacon if he knew the difference between remorse and repentance -  and suicide and murder.  I was not invited back by that church.

One of the many serious problems facing the contemporary Christian church is our ability to fill our pews with people who have been through some process described as 'conversion' or 'the new birth' but who give no evidence of new life.  The old test of a church's strength being discovered, not by how many attend the morning or evening services, or the mid-week meeting, but how many attend the prayer meeting is still true.  As I mentioned earlier, the invitation to a training session in evangelism or serious Bible study to this same end will produce an equal apathy.  In the United States of America conservative estimates put the number of those 'born again' at between thirty and fifty per cent - which would indicate massive revival.  Social Antinomianism is the order of the day now and a far cry from genuine revival brought by God in which multitudes of lives are changed and society is cleansed as people turn, weeping in genuine repentance, to the Lord Jesus Christ who alone can cleanse and transform their lives.  The Antinomian/'Once Saved Always Saved' answer to this dilemma is to assert that there are Christians and Christians.  The genuine Christians are justified and sanctified, some are 'merely' justified but they do not opt for sanctification, and the ones who they said were Christians when they were counting numbers in Toronto/Pensacola/Brownsville etc., are suddenly disenfranchised when they revert to their former states. We have a Scriptural example in Simon Magus, the sorcerer who was known as 'the great power' (Acts 8:10), who 'believed and was baptised' (8:13) but apostatized, returning to his old occultic arts.  The early Church Fathers wrote of how he was demonstrating his 'magic powers' by levitating, claiming to be God, when the apostle Peter  brought him crashing down to earth by the power of the Holy Spirit and caused him to break several bones!  There is nothing in their witness to suggest that they considered him to be anything but an enemy of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

98. Beware denying the  two natures will cause a conflict in your soul

Is there a conscious spiritual conflict in your soul?  There should be if you are a mature child of God seeking continuous sanctification.  The Apostle Paul wrote: 'The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature' (Galatians. 5:17).  Our attitude to Christian brethren also tests our profession of faith.  Do we love them?  As I explained after the Ruth Nelmes' speech (Section 58), the apostle John wrote: 'We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers' (1 John 3:14).  Even those we do not get on with easily are loved because it is a gift of God's grace and a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians  5:22-25).  It is also a fact that God may bring together others with equally rough edges so we can smooth each other off in the battle that we should be fighting to bring the gospel to the lost world.  This is not the sentimental love that the world knows in emotional terms, or even the filial love that God places in all men and women, but Biblical love which is a practical grace, something that works.  God's Son showed His love for us when He left heaven and, though equal with God, took human flesh and: 'humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross'  (Phil. 2:5-8).  'And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers', adds John, the Apostle of Love (1 John 3: 16). 

Biblical love is the test, and a test Antinomians like Wheelhouse fail, for a Christian does not just love his brethren, he also hates sin.  He hates it because it robs him of blessing and makes his life, and the lives of others, miserable; but he also hates it because his sin took the Lord Jesus Christ to die a vile death on the accursed Tree and because it robs God of the glory which is His rightful due.  To sincerely hate sin is a clear sign of a genuine Christian, for no unbeliever or any kind of 'religionist' ever hated sin as it is revealed through the Word of God to a disciple of Jesus.  Those who follow the Antinomian Wheelhouse will ever be ready, like him, to excuse their sin as opposed to the Biblical recommendation which is to hate sin and love holiness.  One follows the other, for the apostle  John wrote that the sons of God will one day be like Christ and, on that day they will see Him as He is:  'Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure' (1 John 3:2-3).  A clear love of  holiness sorts the wheat from the chaff.

The New Testament makes it clear that there aren't two classes of Christian, as cults such as the Jehovah's Witnesses teach, but there are two classes of people in this world.  Every human being is either in the light or in the darkness and either loves his brethren or hates them and is either holy or unholy.  Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Darkness and Light, 1982, p. 345, Banner of Truth) pulled no punches:  'If you are not holy you are not a Christian … If you claim to love Christ and yet are living an unholy life, there is only one thing to be said about you: you are a bare-faced liar!'  John wrote: 'The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him' (1 John 2:4).  It is for every man to continually examine himself, not to be castigated by unholy liars, such as Roger Wheelhouse, who show by their actions that they are cowards who love their own ego-tripping lives and put themselves before the brethren.  The behaviour of the factious man is the opposite of the exhortation of the Holy Spirit speaking through Peter (2 Peter 1:5-7) :

'For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness knowledge; and to knowledge self-control; and to self-control perseverance; and to perseverance godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness love.'

This is the way to make our calling and election sure.