Heresies in the church - Part 4

The WOF preachers change the meaning of the gospel and all that make the gospel what it is, especially related to the Atonement and how it paid the price of our sin, into a total perversion of the gospel which Paul would have cursed. Paul was so serious about the gospel and it's correct preaching that he proclaimed a curse on anyone who preached a false gospel. How is it that we and especially the charismatic church can allow this rot to spread in the church. It is a cancer that is spreading through the church, and I fear all that can stop the spread is perhaps an amputation! Anyhow, it is time for the church to take drastic measures against the spread of this cancer.

Saved in hell?

Fred Price who said that God never intended to save your clothes but your soul also said: "Do you think that the punishment for our sin was to die on a cross? If that were the case, the two thieves could have paid your price. No, the punishment was to go into hell and to serve time in hell separated from God....Satan and all the demons of hell thought that they had Him bound and they threw a net over Jesus and they dragged Him down to the very pit of hell itself to serve our sentence." [1] Charles Capps has this to say: "In the place of the wicked dead, all the demons of Hell and Satan rejoiced over the prize. The corridors of Hell were filled with joy. 'We've done it! We've captured the Son of God! We'll no longer be in the pit of the damned! The earth and all that is therein is ours! Forever it will be ours!' Rejoicing in hell had never been so great as it was that day. But it was short-lived." [2]

The jesus of the Faith movement had to go to hell and suffer at Satan's mercy. The true Jesus, the One Supreme Commander of the hosts of heaven (1Pet. 3:22), completely triumphed over Satan and his minions upon the cross.

Heb 2:14-15 ESV Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, (15) and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

The cross was the triumph of Christ, and it was on the cross that Christ carried our sin, not in hell! Here are some verses that the WOF camp must deal with and need to follow up:

Joh 19:30 ESV When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Col 2:14-15 ESV by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (15) He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Col 1:21-22 ESV And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, (22) he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

Eph 1:7 ESV In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Mat 26:28 ESV for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Act 20:28 ESV Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Rom 3:25 ESV whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Rom 5:9 ESV Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Eph 2:13 ESV But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Heb 9:22 ESV Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Heb 13:12 ESV So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.

1Pe 1:19 ESV but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

1Jo 1:7 ESV But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Rev 1:5 ESV and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

Rev 5:9 ESV And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,

Kenneth Copeland adds to the rest of what the WOF preachers have already said: "He allowed the Devil to drag Him into the depths of Hell as if He were the most wicked sinner who ever lived. He submitted Himself to death. He allowed Himself to come under Satan's control....For three days in the belly of the earth, He suffered as if He'd sinned every sin that exists."[3]

This is what Jesus had to say about Satan's "power" over Him:

Joh 14:30 ESV I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me,

Satan in no way was able to drag Jesus down to hell. There is NO such Scripture in the Bible. This next passage is the truth:

Joh 10:17-18 ESV For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. (18) No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father."

Now back to a statement made earlier by Kenneth Copeland concerning Jesus' final words upon the cross, "It is finished". Copeland asserts that, "When Jesus cried 'It is finished!', He was not speaking of the plan of redemption....Jesus' death on the cross was only the beginning of the complete work of redemption." Astute readers will notice that Jesus' words were, "It is finished", and not, it has just begun! The Greek word for this term is tetelestai, which means it is paid; the debt has been paid in full.

The WOF doctrine clearly is another gospel. It is a gospel that should be refuted and denied.

"The fact...that virtually every cult, in one way or another, denies the doctrine of salvation by grace alone through the sinless sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The Bible plainly states that your eternal salvation rests on what you personally believe about the blood atonement of Jesus Christ. It is at the cross--not in Hell--that your salvation is either won or lost. And that is precisely the problem with the most notorious of the Faith teachings. These teachings have transferred the saving work of Christ from the cross to the deepest dungeons of hell."[4]

Did you know that the WOF preachers teach that Jesus had to be born again, just like you and me, in hell after he died?

We will look at that in the next edition of Heresies in the church.

See the previous edition at Heresies in the church - Part 3.

Just thinking...

End Notes

[1] F.K.C. Price, Ever Increasing Faith Messenger, Newsletter Crenshaw Christian Centre, Inglewood, CA. June 1980, p7.

[2] C. Capps, Authority in Three Worlds, Tulsa, OK. Harrison House, 1982, p143.

[3] K. Copeland, Believer's Voice of Victory, September 1991, p3.

[4] H. Hanegraaff, Christianity in Crisis, Harvest House, 1993, p152.