Which Will Fare Better?
A Heathen? Or A Heretic?

Why Waste Time Going To The Wrong Church?

By Ken Raggio

What is it like in Hell?

One of my old pastors used to tell about a recurring dream he had. He dreamed that he was looking into Hell itself. Running through the flames was a man who was looking for somebody. He reached down into the flames and pulled a man up. He looked into his face until he could identify him. Then he threw him back into the flames. Then he would pull up another and another, in a futile search. The dream was always a desperate search for someone. When he awoke, the preacher asked the Lord, "What is the meaning of this dream?" The Lord said, "You are looking at a man who is trying to find the preacher who lied to him about his soul!"

Looking for the Preacher who lied to them about the Gospel

I have often found myself wondering which is better -- not going to church at all, or going to a church whose message is grossly misleading. Anyone who loves the Bible would probably argue that some Bible teaching is better than no Bible teaching. On that assumption, going to any kind of church would arguably be better than going to no church at all. I am forced to agree -- with much exception.

I have stood in many different pulpits.

Having begun in the ministry in 1964, and having ministered in hundreds of churches of at least a dozen denominations, including the Assemblies of God, Southern Baptist, Freewill Baptist, Church of God, Church of God of Prophecy, Foursquare Gospel, Pentecostal Holiness, United Pentecostal, Nazarene, Methodist, Church of God in Christ, and numerous non-denominational congregations, I believe that I am capable of speaking from a very broad perspective.

Everybody can’t possibly be right.

If truth means anything at all, then error also means something. Certainly everyone errs to some degree. But to err in a life-or-death matter should never be allowed.

The real culprit is a thing called "easy believism".

Easy believism is the deception or the delusion that merely a mental belief in the person of Jesus Christ will save your soul. Nothing could be more unscriptural. Jesus profoundly, clearly and emphatically established the doctrines of repentance and the new birth as absolute essentials for anyone who desires to enter into or see the Kingdom of God. He clearly defined the New Birth: Water Birth (by Baptism), and Spirit Birth (by receiving the Holy Ghost), (see Luke 13:3,5; John 3:3-5; Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9).

They say you can get saved any old way

Amazingly, the VAST majority of fundamentalists today declare their converts "saved" without ever having baptized them. They use a totally unscriptural formula: "Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior..." and then boldly make the false claim, "Now you are Born Again!! Now your name is written in the Book of Life!"

Baptism is said to be a mere option -- only a "witness" to others -- contrary to Jesus’ own teaching that we must be "BORN" of the water. Multitudes are said to have been converted in large public meetings when nothing more than a so-called "sinner’s prayer" was prayed. That is grossly unscriptural.

It is heresy to announce to an audience that so-and-so has just been saved, and that his/her name is now written in heaven before they have clearly repented of their sins, or before they have been either baptized in water in the name of Jesus OR filled with the Holy Ghost as on the Day of Pentecost (that is to say -- before being born of the water and the Spirit). To do so is to deceptively contradict Jesus Christ and His own teaching.

Is this really an important matter?

Ask yourself how you will feel on judgment day if you find that you are being sent to hell because you never obeyed Jesus’ command to be born of the water and of the Spirit. No matter that you sat in church all your life, or gave in the offering, or sang in the choir. You must be born again!

If a church will mislead you year after year and could cause you or your loved ones to be deceived into believing they are saved when they may not be, how is that better than being an unchurched heathen? Lost is lost!

I, for one, am outraged at these sanctimonious lies! I have no tolerance for any minister who willfully tells me I am forever saved when according to the scriptures I have not yet obeyed the true plan of salvation. In reality, I cannot think of a more damnable lie than to lead someone to believe they will be going to heaven when in fact they may be going to hell.

Unchurched heathen are easier to convert than religious people who have been taught doctrinal heresy

My experience in the ministry has shown me that a person who has grown up with less religion is usually more apt to take the Bible at face value and make whatever changes it calls for, while a person who has been fed doctrinal error for an entire lifetime is exceedingly difficult to change. Instead, he builds defenses with the errors he has been led to believe.

Do you want a whole car, or just car parts? There is a big difference!

If you want to buy a car, don’t go to an auto parts store. Go where you can get the whole thing fully assembled.

If you want the Gospel of Jesus Christ that will save your eternal soul, why attend a church that only preaches PARTS of the Gospel? Find the one that preaches more Bible than all the rest, and attend it faithfully!

Here is a hint: Find an Apostolic Pentecostal church and obey Acts 2:38-39.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity," Matthew 7:21-23.

The foolish virgins who had no oil in their lamps said, "Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not," Matthew 25:11-12.

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SEE ALSO: DON'T LET THE LIGHTS GO OUT

SEE ALSO: HOLINESS: A PLACE APART FROM FORBIDDEN THINGS

SEE ALSO: EVERYBODY NEEDS A BACKBONE

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