Beware of Paul Washer
By David J. Stewart
Paul Washer is a false prophet. His message is subtle, similar to that of Ray Comfort and John MacArthur; but they all in essence teach the same thing—Lordship Salvation. The following is an excerpt from a popular message Paul Washer gave about the “alter call.” At 09:26 in the video Paul Washer foolishly states...
But let's say that a person comes forward or a person is out there with us in a park somewhere and they say, "Yes, I believe, I believe he saved me today." You should say, "Praise God!" But then, then, you should say, "Now listen to me very clearly. If you have indeed repented of your sins and believed, God has saved you; but the evidence that you have truly repented and believed unto salvation is that you will continue repenting and believing, and God and His Christ will become dear to you, and you will begin to walk and to grow. Yes it will be a struggle and sometimes you will fail, but over the course of your life you will begin to grow in holiness, and holiness, you will grow in holiness without which no man will see the Lord. The evidence that you are truly converted today is that you will continue on. If only most of the Americans had been told that, they would not be resting in false security today.
SOURCE: Sermon by Paul Washer, A Challenging Message From Paul Washer, found at the HeartCry website: http://heartcry.me.uk/?p=6
That is damnable heresy! Paul washing is a false prophet!
FIRST, Paul Washer corrupts the Biblical meaning of Hebrews 12:14 as does John MacArthur. Hebrews 12:14 and 15 state: "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." The correct interpretation of Hebrews 12:14 is that our testimony affects those around us. Without holiness in our personal lives, other men won't see the Lord. Thus, we become as a root of bitterness to those around us. Ignorance of the Scripture is a dangerous thing, and Mr. Washer is woefully ignorant of Hebrews 12:14, turning the grace of God into a lie.
SECOND, Paul Washer is correct to teach that a changed life is evidence of genuine repentance; but he makes the fatal mistake of ADDING continuing repentance to saving-faith. This flawed concept of salvation is commonly attributed to the heretic John Calvin, who errantly taught that perseverance in one's Christian faith is a part of saving-faith. The Salvation Army is also guilty of teaching this damnable heresy. Where does this unbiblical requirement of perseverance for salvation come from? It comes from a flawed understanding of what Biblical "repentance" means. Genuine Biblical repentance is becoming guilty before God for one's sins... "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
Harry A. Ironside correctly recognized repentance as the confession that "one is utterly without merit" and that if one is "ever saved at all it can only be through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ." Salvation is without works of self-righteousness. Romans 4:5 plainly teaches that a man's faith is COUNTED for righteousness, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to one's heavenly record by faith.
Dr. Ironside states...
"Repentance is the recognition of my sinnership — the owning before God that I am as vile as He has declared me to be in His holy Word."
SOURCE: Except Ye Repent, by Dr. Harry Ironside, chapter 3
Paul Washer, as do Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron, John Macarthur, and others, wrongly define repentance as a continuing change of life, i.e., a process. However, a changed life is the result, i.e., the fruit, of genuine repentance; and not repentance itself. If repentance is a process, than so is salvation. They are wrong! Biblical repentance is NOT something that continues; but rather, occurs once at the time of salvation. It is "a change of mind" (Greek: metanoia). A changed life is the fruit of genuine repentance; not a part of saving-faith, nor a requirement to seal one's salvation.
Jesus taught that a man must be born-again to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:3-7). The Lord compared this spiritual birth to the physical birth. When a child is born into this world, he or she grows as a result of that birth. The growing process is NOT necessary for the birth to take place. Likewise, growing in holiness is NOT necessary to be born-again. Whether a believer grows or continues in the Lord is totally irrelevant to salvation itself. Just as a babe in the womb has absolutely no control over it's birth, neither does a sinner have any control over God's salvation. The moment we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we have done what God requires for salvation. Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9). One's salvation is based upon Christ's imputed righteousness; and not upon our own self-righteousness in any way.
THIRD, Paul Washer makes a very dangerous statement that teaches works salvation... "The evidence that you are truly converted today is that you will continue on. If only most of the Americans had been told that, they would not be resting in false security today." Clearly, Mr. Washer is teaching that salvation requires "continuing on." According to Paul Washer's false gospel, anyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ must also continue believing and repenting to be saved. What Mr. Washer subtly calls "evidence" is actually a "requirement" for salvation, because he plainly states that a person must CONTINUE repenting and believing to be saved. Certainly, this is more than mere "evidence" if it's something we MUST CONTINUALLY DO. Do you see how easily the Gospel is corrupted by unlearned and ignorant men? Washer has it all backwards. You don't "continue on" to be saved, nor to stay saved, nor even to prove your saved; but rather, because you are saved. We don't have to prove anything to anyone. God knows if we are saved or not.
If Paul Washer is correct in his message, i.e., that a person must "continue on" in belief and repentance to be saved, then one's salvation is dependent upon human effort. Paul Washer teaches a false gospel. Galatians 1:6-9 warns... "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." The true Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims salvation as the free gift of God (Romans 5:15;6:23), paid for by Jesus' literal precious blood (1st Peter 1:18,19). Man has no part in salvation. Eternal life is the free gift of God (Ephesians 2:8,9), available to anyone who freely receives it (Revelation 22:17) upon the understanding that we are guilty sinners deserving of Hellfire (Romans 3:19; 6:23).
In sharp contrast, Paul Washer teaches that
Americans are resting in a "false security" because they have not "continued
on" in belief and repentance. That is a pure works-based salvation and a
false gospel.
Paul Washer is a Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
"For there
are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers... Whose mouths must be
stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for
filthy lucre's sake" (Titus 1:10). Heretics such as Paul Washer must be
exposed. Satan is a master deceiver. It is what he does best. 2nd
Corinthians 11:13-14 warns that Satan's ministers will come to us disguised
as minister's of righteousness. Yet, sadly, the average person today is
woefully ignorant of the Scriptures and cannot readily identify a false
prophet. Well, I've been saved now for 28-years and know a false prophet
when I hear one. It's no secret how to spot a false prophet. The key is to
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES as Jesus commanded in John 5:39. This is so
important. The Word of God is the believers Lamp, Sword and Final Authority.
One of the clearest evidences that a person is saved is their love for the
Scriptures. The unsaved world hates the Bible because It condemns them (John
3:20). So if you want to be able to identify a false prophet, then learn
what the Bibles teaches and measure everything else by It.
The Lost Doctrine of "Imputation" in Our Churches
Where does Christ's imputed righteousness come into play in Paul Washer's false gospel? Is not salvation a "free gift"? Yes, it is! One of the most abandoned, forgotten and ignored doctrines of the Christian faith today is the subject of IMPUTATION. Romans 4:6 states, "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works." Did you read that Mr. Washer... God imputeth righteousness WITHOUT WORKS! The word "imputeth" here is the Greek word logizomai and means "to pass to one's account." Literally, in response to our trusting upon the Lord Jesus to forgive our sins, God places Christ's righteousness upon our record in Heaven, and our sins were placed upon Jesus upon the cross... "For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2nd Corinthians 5:21). Paul Washer is lying when he says that a person must "continue on" to validate their salvation in the eyes of God. No Sir, that is a lie of the Devil. Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay. One's salvation, if it is genuine, is based entirely upon the finished redemptive work of Christ, when He applied His physical blood to the Mercy Seat in Heaven (Hebrews 9:12). We are saved solely by the blood of Jesus that washes our sins away (1st John 1:7; Revelation 1:5).
The King James Bible mentions the words impute, imputeth, imputing and imputed 15-times. Tragically, the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible entirely removes the word "impute" in every form. No wonder the doctrine of imputation has disappeared in our churches and the hellish heresy of Lordship Salvation has saturated America's churches. Lordship Salvation is a disease, a plague, an epidemic from the pits of Hell that IGNORES the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. The New International Version is a piece of vile garbage and if you have one, destroy it please!
Think about this friend... If God imputes (i.e., places Christ's righteousness upon our record) at the time of salvation, then why would we have to "continue on" in belief and repentance to have "true security" as Washer's teaches? That is works salvation! Paul Washer clearly teaches that continuing on in faith and repentance are REQUIREMENTS for salvation...
"The evidence that you are truly converted today is that you will continue on. If only most of the Americans had been told that, they would not be resting in false security today."
SOURCE: Sermon by Paul Washer, A Challenging Message From Paul Washer, found at the HeartCry website: http://heartcry.me.uk/?p=6
Washer is tricky in his words. Although he
speaks of "evidences" of salvation, he also plainly makes it clear that
those "evidences" are a requirement for salvation. In effect, Washer
has combined the FRUIT of a believer's faith (James 2:18-21) with the
ROOT of a
believer's faith (Romans 4:5). To do so is damnable heresy and a
guaranteed road to Hell. The doctrines of Lordship Salvation and the
Perseverance of the Saints are foreign to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Both doctrines are rooted in works salvation. Paul Washer is clearly a follower of John Calvin, who errantly
taught that a believer will continue in faith and repentance as part of
salvation. Such notions completely abandon the imputed righteousness of Jesus
Christ which is WITHOUT WORKS... "But to him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness." Amen! How can anyone argue with Romans 4:5? ...
HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUS!!! There is nothing mentioned here
about "continuing on" in faith and repentance as Washer foolishly teaches.
There is NO controversy if you believe the Bible. Salvation is without works
and "continuing on" in anything is a work of self-righteousness! Again, a
changed life is the FRUIT of genuine repentance and not a part of
saving-faith.
Conclusion
Paul Washer may be sincere; but he is sincerely wrong. Countless people have been deceived by Paul Washer's perverted gospel message. Carefully consider what Washer teaches...
But let's say that a person comes forward or a person is out there with us in a park somewhere and they say, "Yes, I believe, I believe he saved me today." You should say, "Praise God!" But then, then, you should say, "Now listen to me very clearly. If you have indeed repented of your sins and believed, God has saved you; but the evidence that you have truly repented and believed unto salvation is that you will continue repenting and believing..."
If you tell this to someone, you have perverted the Gospel. Washer is clearly teaching that for one's salvation to be valid, they must put forth the effort to "continue repenting and believing." This is not Biblical. Salvation is a gift. If I were to give you a gift, but then require you to continue doing something as a condition of receiving it, then it certainly wouldn't be a gift. To get to Heaven, we need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS... "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). Paul Washer wrongly requires sinners to put forth their own righteousness, i.e., to continue repenting, to be saved.
If one understands the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ to the believer's record, made possible only through His precious applied blood in Heaven, then imposters like Paul Washer and Ray Comfort are quickly exposed as false prophets. Anytime some preacher places the burden and responsibility of salvation upon men's shoulders, you can be assured they are of the Devil. Jesus paid it all. Beware of Paul Washer's corrupt gospel!
Paul Washer’s Washed-up Gospel
Ye Must Be Born Again! | You Need HIS Righteousness!
