The Cowardly Lion at TribulationForces.com Gets a Well-Deserved Taming
The following is an email that I wrote to the webmaster (or should I say webmistress?) of http://lionofjudah.tribulationforces.com in response to the contents of her page entitled The False Gospel of Conditional Security. The authoress of that page states on her contact page that she will not engage in email debates, but for one so easily offended at having her views challenged, she still has enough audacity to publicy condemn those who disagree with her views about unconditional security as believers in a false gospel. It is the apex of spiritual immaturity to yell that someone is a false teacher then refuse to hear their defense and continue to shout "heretic" (conjuring images of a spoiled child stopping its ears and yelling "I can't hear you!"), which is especially apparent when the people you are condemning have the weight of scriptural and historical evidence on their side. The laughably childish tactic of making sweeping accusations against others and responding to their objections with "I don't argue" is simply another way to say "I have no real case, much less any idea of what I'm talking about, and am therefore unwilling to back up my charges against you, but despite this will continue to level them at you feverishly." The truth is that accusers who "don't argue" actually love to argue, they merely wish the argument be one-sided, a clear indication of a judgemental and un-christian attitude as well as sheer cowardice. This is quite a contrast to the real Lion of Judah, who by the word of God cast down the clever arguments of the Sadducees to their faces, thus proving that they did greatly err in denying the resurrection. Likewise, this would-be heresy-huntress is just as easily derailed as the Jewish sect of old by the rebuke of sound biblical doctrine.
I sent her this letter on September 18, 2006, hoping that she would understand that her judgement against her fellow Christians is unjust and unbiblical, but as more than 4 months have passed with no response, I take it my message was not well-received. Therefore I now publicly present the refutation and call for the retraction of her false accusations.
to: Leo
from: J.C. Thibodaux
Subj: Your unjust condemnation of other believers
Dear "Leo",
I write as a fellow Christian who believes in conditional security, and have much to say about your articles concerning the same. For starters, you condemn all conditional securists as Judaizers, heretics, false teachers, and believers in a false gospel. I believe your beliefs about us are summed up in the phrase, "Conditional security rejects God's grace and the role of faith in the salvation process by making salvation and the possession of it ultimately dependent upon the works (or lack of works) of the believer, and so it is a false gospel." Such a list of accusations is tantamount to calling all conditional securists unsaved, as one cannot be saved by believing in a false gospel. It is my observation from your statements that you have not even understood the issue or position of conditional security in general, and are not able to effectively comment on it, much less scripturally issue such a statement of condemnation against other believers in Christ.
Please allow me to enlighten you as to what orthodox conditional security teaches: Salvation is not by works, nor is remaining in Christ of works. Good works are the result of saving faith (the point of James chapter 2), which works by love.
"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." Galatians 5:6
When one falls away, it is not "lack of good works" or "bad performance" that damns him or her, it is because they lose faith in Christ or cease to love Him. Can this happen? The Bible not only warns believers against such things happening, but predicts that they will occur and even gives examples of when they have.
"This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck..." 1 Timothy 1:18-19
"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Matthew 24:12
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils..." 1 Timothy 4:1
"Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." Revelation 2:4
Taking these warnings and predictions seriously, what do the scriptures say concerning those who apostize?
"If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema [accursed, damned] Maranatha." 1 Corinthians 16:22
"But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith." 1 Timothy 5:11-12
The result of casting off faith and not loving God is doing wicked works, for if we love Christ, we keep His commands; if we begin to despise Him, we do wickedly.
"For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Luke 6:43-45
"If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15
To sum it up, it is called conditional security, conditioned on continued faith and love in Christ; not works-based salvation. Good works are the result of saving faith, not the cause. Having said that, I now proceed to the deeper issue of your accusations against conditional securists: Your statements concerning us being heretics and believers in a false gospel have been shown to not only be untrue, but totally unfounded in saying that we believe in salvation by works. The scripture is clear as to the sinfulness of such statements.
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Exodus 20:16
[a thing God abhors] "A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." Proverbs 6:19
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if [there be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Romans 13:8-9
Yet you have repeatedly accused us publicly of heresy and perverting the gospel of Christ! No real justification of substance is given, and your only weapon is to throw around rhetoric about 'works-based salvation' which I have shown to be completely untrue. I strongly recommend that you retract your demonstrably false and denigrative statements that you have made about other Christians.
"He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him." Proverbs 18:13
In Christ,
J.C. Thibodaux
Copyright © 2007, InDeathorLife.org
The information on this page may not be reproduced or republished on another website, webpage or other printed media without express permission from the author of this site. Other material(s) referenced on this site are the property of their respective authors or copyright holders, and where applicable are used by permission.
'After a wild night and a third failed saving throw, Diinen was informed, "Your character is pregnant."' - Ralsu, writing for http://ddo.tentonhammer.com, The Pen-and-Paper Classic goes Mainstream