Monthly Archives: March 2014
Are all those that fall away a ‘false convert’? Another look at Ray Comfort’s video ‘True and False Conversion’
On March 7, 2014 I had posted a video teaching done by Ray Comfort titled ‘True and False Conversion’ which can be seen here. When I first watched it I found some of it quite insightful. But for many days after watching the video I was pondering some of the things he said in the teaching that just didn’t feel right in my spirit. After I had read 2 articles on Lighthouse Trails blog written by Roger Oakland I realized what the problem was that was unsettling my spirit. This teaching by Ray Comfort IMO comes from a calvinist perspective. From Ray’s perspective those who fall away are ‘false converts” and that they ‘were never saved to begin with’. As a result of discussions I have had with calvinists or in reading some of their points of view in articles and on blogs it is believed that “once saved always saved” and if someone falls away they “were never saved to begin with”. The belief is that professing christians cannot fall away because if they do they must have been “a false convert” therefore they ‘were never saved to begin with’. So in that respect I do not agree with his view on this. I do believe that there are false converts, meaning people who never got saved to begin with, who actually just had a religious spirit feigning outwardly what it looks like to be a born again christian but actually not possessing eternal life. But I don’t believe that every person who has fallen away from the faith was just a false convert (a person who was never saved to begin with). The bible is clear that believers can be deceived unto apostasy. Apostasy has to do with a person who once believed but then turned completely away from what they once believed to be true but were deceived by error and false teachings that depict a counterfeit Jesus. The apostle Paul warned the Corinthians of being dazzled and charmed by ministers of satan the transformed into ministers of Christ who present another gospel, another Jesus, and end up receiving a different spirit (2 Cor 11). The scriptures do not call the people in the parable of the sower who fell away ‘false converts’. Jesus was giving us descriptions of the different conditions of a persons heart and how as a result it affects their walk with God and His word…
Luke 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
Fall away strongs greek #G868 aphistēmi
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To make stand off, cause to withdraw, to remove
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to excite to revolt
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to stand off, to stand aloof
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to go away, to depart from anyone
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to desert, withdraw from one
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to fall away, become faithless
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to shun, flee from
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to cease to vex one
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to withdraw one’s self from, to fall away
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to keep one’s self from, absent one’s self from
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These are those who believed the truth of the gospel when they heard it received it with joy. The only problem is they didn’t get grounded in the word of God (and these have no root) in order to endure in the word through temptation. If you don’t let the word abide in your heart how can it take root?If you don’t obey the word of God how can it take root or produce fruit? The apostle James (James 1:14) said that EVERY man (that includes professing christians) is tempted WHEN he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
2 Peter 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, BEWARE LEST YE ALSO, BEING LED AWAY WITH THE ERROR OF THE WICKED, FALL FROM YOUR OWN STEDFASTNESS.
2Thes 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Falling away – strongs greek G646 apostasia – a falling away, defection, apostasy
G646 Apostasia from the root word apostasion G647 – 1. divorce, repudiation 2. a bill of divorce
From Truth to Strong Delusion by Roger Oakland
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=6357
Can Christians be Spiritually deceived and How can they avoid it? by Roger Oakland
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=12413#.Uf5dkoTtIFU.facebook
True & False Converts by Ray Comfort
The Parable of the Sower
Mark 4
1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
14 The sower soweth the word.
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
Please see the following post
Which Noah? Broadcast interview with Ray Comfort
Ray Comfort makes a plea for professing christians to think very carefully about who you give your money to in going to movies to help support those who profane the name of our God…How today the church is losing it’s savor because of not standing for righteousness…He also talked about how we have false converts among us in the church who use all the christian cliches and lingo but their hearts are far from God…He is completely right! I encourage you to listen in to this broadcast and let the word of God that he preaches touch your heart!
Matt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Col 4:5 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
You may have to download the podcast, which is at the top of the page at the link below, then play it on itunes or windows media to listen.
Which Noah? In Interview with Ray Comfort
Which Jesus Do You Follow? 