WesleyGospel Ministries

When the wicked spring up like grass,
and when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
it is that they may be destroyed forever.
Psalm 92:7

In this essay, I intend to show:

1. Who it is that God considers “wicked”; and why they go to Hell.

2. Who it is that God considers “righteous”; and why they go to Heaven.

Who it is that God considers “wicked”; and why they go to Hell.

1.1. The Bible clearly shows us that God considers “wicked,” any man who knowingly rebels against His law, as a way of life. If good reasons are presented to his mind for faith in Christ, he often responds with atheistic or anti-Christian objections: so that he can go on justifying his sinful pleasures: “The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). Such a man has even had times where faith has entered him, but he resists faith on purpose, because he hates the concept of living a holy life. He scoffs at it, and calls it “religious.”

1.2. If wicked men die in their sins, without Christ, and they have come out of their bodies: God will allow demons to drag them down to Hell, through a dark tunnel, where they will be met with many tortures: “The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). And on the Day of Judgment, at the end of the world, they will afterwards be thrown into the Lake of Fire, where they will burn forever. It is clear that all the wicked “shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night” (Revelation 14:10-11).

Who it is that God considers “righteous”; and why they go to Heaven.

2.1. The Bible clearly shows us that God considers “righteous,” any man who puts his faith in Christ’s death on the cross for his personal sins. And in response to this, he tries to live his life in conscientious obedience to every moral commandment in the Bible. This obedience is imperfect, and gradually increases, as the Christian’s life goes on. The love of God being poured into his heart by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), the righteous man grows in his love for God and all people. This divine love is holy, and motivates the true Christian to both learn and practice all of the commandments of God (but only those which are moral commandments, not the ritual commandments of Judaism in the Old Testament). With a sense of being adopted by God as a Father, he sees himself as a child of God. But also, that wicked and sinful element in his body (which he resists and fights against with the Holy Spirit’s help)—may also tempt him into awful sins (Romans 7:23). And so, the righteous man still partially fears going to Hell, and continues to persevere in faith and righteousness all the days of his life.

2.2. Although God is His Father: he also sees God as his Judge. The righteous man is as much an adopted son as he is a rehabilitated criminal: in God’s sight. He must continue to please God by doing what God says: the righteous commandments of the Holy Bible. Even the righteous man has the natural ability to resist faith, righteousness, the Holy Spirit’s influence on his life, in his thoughts and feelings (Acts 7:51); and this is especially hazardous in times of trial and tribulation; and he can become a wicked man again, but only then it will be much harder for his backslidden heart to be renewed again to repentance and faith, because he hardened his heart against the Lord (Hebrews 6:4-6). But in some cases, if the degree of heart hardening is not so great, a backslider can return again to his first love: and come back to God (Revelation 2:4-5). So, final salvation in Heaven, at the end of one’s life, is completely conditioned on the state of that man’s soul at his death: as long as he dies in the faith, and in a righteous mindset, he is safe from the fires of Hell (Revelation 14:13).

2.3. If righteous men die in the Christian faith, then God will send His angels to take them to New Jerusalem, which is located in the Third Heaven, and where they will enjoy everlasting peace in their eternal homes (Revelation 3:12).

Universalist Objections Answered

3.1. A Universalist may object: “God is love, so it cannot be that He would cast the wicked into everlasting Hell fire.”

I reply: “God is love, but His kind of love is holy and righteous. God’s love is not the kind of love that wicked men have for one another (without any reference to morals, ethics, or law). But God’s love is pure, spotless, and undefiled by any sin: it is a morally brilliant love; and because there is no moral conflict nor ethical disagreement in His love, it also has a sense of perfect peace, harmony, and tenderness in the presence of the Holy Spirit. The same apostle which wrote that ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8), only a chapter later, wrote, ‘This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome’ (1 John 5:3). For wicked men to live their lives consciously rebelling against God, and His moral commandments, they prove themselves to be horrible beasts of hatred (Hitler, for example). God’s moral law is conducive to nothing else but perfect love for God and people. So, because God is love (righteous love), He is passionately urgent to angrily cast such hateful, despicable, wicked men into everlasting Hell fire, so that they may be burned forever. And rightly so!”

3.2. A Universalist may object: “What about those who have never heard the Gospel? Surely God would not consider them among ‘the wicked’!”

I reply: “All men are by nature wicked, but in the legal and judicial sense, no—not all men have heard, the preaching of either God’s moral law, or the Gospel of justification by faith with good works. And so, the unevangelized are not ‘wicked’ in the legal sense—that is, until the Holy Spirit has begun to draw them to Christ (and they get into the habit of resisting His influence on their lives). Such pagans have the influence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, leading their hearts and minds to think and feel righteous concepts, or maybe even experience encounters with Jesus through dreams and visions (as it is in many Muslim countries). They may cross paths with Christians, or missionaries preaching the Gospel, or something on the radio, or TV. They may see a Gospel tract or Bible printed in their language. Or, in some of the more primitive countries, where magic and supernatural activity are much more experienced: Jesus or angels may appear to them visibly, in order to convey the Gospel message. In whatever degree the Holy Spirit influences the unreached pagans, to that degree they will be responsible on the Day of Judgment. (Whether this influence involves human missionaries or not.) Even now, the Holy Spirit tries to draw the pagans to Christ, through revelations, and circumstances of many kinds. Jesus said, ‘And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself’ (John 12:32). In whatever degree the pagans experience such things—if they resist them, and push away the righteous influence of the Gospel—God will consider them ‘wicked,’ and they too will be cast into everlasting fire (if they die without faith in Christ) because they have not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God: Jesus, nor did they do the will of the Father in their lives (John 3:18; Matthew 7:21). Hell fire will be their sentence forever.”

Antinomian Objections Answered

3.3. A Calvinist may object (although not all Calvinists): “No Christian is ever ‘righteous’ in the way you describe: only in the legal sense of being forgiven of his sins, or crimes against God. For you to keep the law in your life is legalism, works-salvation, and a damnable heresy!”

I reply: “Your view of salvation is properly called Antinomianism. It is a false gospel. This view was condemned by men of God like Martin Luther and John Wesley. It is likely that you misinterpret Galatians as teaching that Christians don’t have to live by any of God’s laws…even the moral ones! This is very wrong. Galatians was written against an early church heresy called Judaizerism (the belief that Christians had to be circumcised, and live by Old Testament ritual commandments in order to be saved). Acts 15, Romans 8, and James all clearly show that Christians are only obligated to live according to the moral commandments of God’s law. (However, this does not mean that living by God’s good laws alone is enough to save your soul, as if faith in Christ’s death and resurrection didn’t matter.) But in the context of faith in the cross, and God’s willingness to forgive our sins when we confess them, and repent of them: every Christian (so long as he lives) is directly commanded by Christ to ‘go and sin no more’ (John 8:11). That is, to go, and live by the moral commandments of God to the best of your ability—and praying that the Holy Spirit will help you to live righteous (but not expecting total ‘perfection’). God deals with the Christian’s sins negatively by dying on the cross for us, so that our past and present sins can be forgiven. God deals with the Christian’s sins positively by commanding us, for the present and the future, to keep His moral law by the power of the Holy Spirit: ‘that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit’ (Romans 8:4). Why? How can this be? Because ‘the Law is spiritual’ (Romans 7:14). The Spirit of God, and the Law of God, express the Will of God.”

3.4. In response to your charge of legalism—I reply: “Firstly, legalism is not a Bible word, and is improperly used all the time by modern Antinomians, who wish to excuse their wicked religiosity. Second, works-salvation is what the Bible teaches (to a certain extent) in Romans and James. It even goes so far to say this: “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead…a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (James 2:17, 24). So, since faith without works is dead, there is no salvation from Hell without them both. Generally speaking, faith is only alive and well when accompanied by performing (somewhat well) the good commandments of God in your life. God’s mercy covers over every mistake and sin through the blood of Christ. Except in the case of men like the thief on the cross, who are not going to live for much longer, but are in the process of dying, as they come to believe in Christ. Deathbed repentance and deathbed faith can only go so far in the area of good works. Converts on their deathbeds are unfortunately not going to have the opportunities to live their lives in good works, or grow in righteousness. So, for such men, God will say, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43), even if they have no works to add to their faith in the cross. Such men can be saved by faith only, and the sheer grace and mercy of God. But for everyone else who is alive: that is not the case.

3.5. Every man on Judgment Day will be judged according to his works (Revelation 20:13). How they lived their lives: continuing conscientiously in faith, and repentance, and righteousness, all the days of their lives? I hope so. I hope that you too, will walk on the straight and narrow path of God’s moral law! Every man that is not dying, and still has time to live his life: he cannot be saved from Hell unless he lives a righteous life before God in continuous faith and repentance from sin, and an active pursuit for holiness. For “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Righteous living is a requirement for salvation. (Sure we stumble, and give into temptation, sin, and fall. But we must repent to God immediately when that happens, and ask God to help us not sin again. This must be the constant state of our hearts and minds before God every day of our life. As I have said before, all righteous living is imperfect, and grows holier over time.) Thirdly, Antinomianism is the damnable heresy! Because it creates lukewarm Christians, hypocrites, and wicked churchgoers. If they persist in their sins, they will go to Hell, and not go to Heaven (regardless if they go to church every Sunday morning). If this is you—then repent from your sins and believe in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ! Time is running out!

DESERT FATHERS, CELTIC SAINTS, AND BENEDICTINES

1. Paul of Thebes………… d. 341
2. Antony the Great……. d. 356
3. Patrick of Ireland……. d. 493
4. Brigit of Kildare……… d. 525
5. Benedict of Nursia….. d. 547
6. Columba of Iona…….. d. 597

MONASTIC PROPHETS OF THE MIDDLE AGES

7. Hildegard of Bingen… d. 1179
8. Dominic of Osma…….. d. 1221
9. Francis of Assisi……… d. 1226
10. Vincent Ferrer………. d. 1419

CATHOLIC COUNTER-REFORMERS

11. Ignatius of Loyola…. d. 1556
12. Teresa of Avila……… d. 1582
13. John of the Cross….. d. 1591

CHARISMATIC REFORMERS AND REVIVALISTS

14. George Wishart….. d. 1546
15. John Bunyan……… d. 1688
17. John Wesley………. d. 1791
18. Charles Finney…… d. 1875
19. David Wilkerson……..d. 2011

The Great Awakening with Jonathan Edwards (1734-1737)
The Great Awakening with George Whitefield (1739-1741)
The Methodist Revival with John Wesley (1738-1743)

Part 1: George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards on Hell:
The Doctrine of Eternal Punishment

1. George Whitefield: The Eternity of Hell-Torments (1738)
2. Jonathan Edwards: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741)

Part 2: John Wesley on Salvation:
Repentance, Faith, Justification, Regeneration, and Sanctification

3. John Wesley: The Way to the Kingdom (1746)
4. John Wesley: Salvation by Faith (1738)
5. John Wesley: Justification by Faith (1746)
6. John Wesley: The Marks of the New Birth (1748)
7. John Wesley: The Law Established through Faith, II (1750)

Part 4: Open Air Gospel Preaching / Street Meetings

8. The World’s Greatest Preachers, Part 2 (Comfort and Cameron)
9. “How to Preach the Gospel” (Lectures on Revivals, Finney)

Part 5: Bible Study Groups

10. Brethren, Hang Loose (Girard)
11. 1 Corinthians 14:26
12. Food and Communion (Reimagining Church, ch. 3, Viola)
13. The Way to Heaven, chs. 10-11 (Harper)
14. Leaders as Guidance Counselors–and Nothing More (Viola, ch. 9, Appendix)
15. Go Into All the World and Preach the Gospel!

St. Patrick’s Day: Think Again!

It is sad to know, that most people associate the name of St. Patrick with the festivities of St. Patrick’s Day—which involves beer, drunkenness, the color green, and lastly, leprechauns, lucky clovers, and perhaps a celebration of Irish culture. So sad! Patrick had nothing to do with these things!

St. Patrick: A Prophet to Be Feared

Patrick was a prophet; and I don’t say that lightly. He was one of the most holy and terrifying prophets ever to walk God’s green earth. He literally killed his persecutors by the power of God, on more than one occasion—like Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 1:1-15; 2:23-25). But that was not his purpose. His ultimate meaning in life was to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. He was very devout and reverent. Every night he went to pray in an ice cold river as an ascetic discipline for his flesh. He sang Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs all the time. He seemed to be always praying—especially during night vigils when everyone else was asleep. He had dreams and visions often; and once a week his angel named Victoricus visited him in an apparition—for a season of his life.

Patrick vs. the Irish Wizards

Patrick was British, but God commanded him through dreams[1] to do missionary work in Ireland, which was then a brutal and savage country. Most of the Irish were barbaric pagans, who hated Christians, and sought to kill them. At the time, the pagan religion of Druidism dominated the British Isles (Britain, Scotland, and Ireland). It was the British version of the ancient Greek religion. All the gods were basically the same as Zeus, Mars, etc—but the names were different—Dagda, Tara, etc. The priests of the Druids were wizards that practiced witchcraft, used magic spells, and incantations. They used the power their demon-gods to control the weather, “heal” the sick, and work magic signs and wonders. The wizard Merlin that is depicted in the legend of King Arthur was a Druid.

They had a supernatural worldview, but it was tainted by demonic apparitions in the forms of gods, fairies, leprechauns, gnomes, mermaids, trolls, and other “magical” creatures. From Patrick’s Christian perspective, all of these spirits were merely demons that were deceiving the people,[2] and God had sent him to deliver them from their superstitions. But when Patrick and other Christian monks with him set foot on Ireland, they were challenged by the wizards, who were intent on killing Patrick and discrediting the Christian faith.

Patrick’s Method Was Power Evangelism

In order for Patrick to successfully spread the Gospel of Christ in this “magical” pagan land of Ireland—he needed to prove to everyone that Jesus is more powerful than the gods of the Irish wizards. Patrick had to use power evangelism,[3] for there was no other way. The kings, queens, and people were too much under the power of witchcraft. Time and time again, the Irish people, and especially the kings, would see with their own eyes, the demonic magic of the wizards in operation. The only way to get them to come to Christ was for the Christians to work miracles more powerful than the wizards could—and by God’s grace, this is what Patrick did. It appears that the mighty miracles which he worked before their eyes, were shown to him in dreams and visions years before he performed them. He said: “I will not hide, nor be silent about those signs and wonders which were shown to me by the Lord many years before they actually occurred” (Confession, Ch. 45). This gave him the miraculous faith he needed when the situations prophetically fulfilled around him. He tapped into those years old visionary memories for miraculous faith—and worked the signs and wonders among the Irish by the power of God and the prayer of faith.

Patrick Prayed, Saw Visions, and Worked Miracles

In the middle of many trials and tribulations, spiritual warfare dreams, and times in the desert—Patrick learned the ascetic ways of the monks, and was a mighty man of prayer. For examples to imitate, he looked back to Paul of Thebes and Antony the Great. And during his times of prayer, he saw many visions—and when he slept, he had many prophetic dreams. His angel Victoricus often brought him words of encouragement. When he prayed for miracles—they happened in the sight of men. He was definitely moving in a realm of faith that most Christians will never experience. His followers likened him to Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist. Patrick was a Christian prophet.

Patrick: A Moses Figure for Ireland

God sent Patrick to Ireland to spread the Gospel; and he succeeded in planting a monastery in the northeastern town of Armagh.[4] But this was not accomplished without a few miracle contests between Patrick and two Irish wizards. A certain Irish king (Loíguire) in Patrick’s area had two court wizards named Lucet Máel and Lochru. Patrick was considered to be like Moses, because he stood up to these two wizards like Moses stood up to Pharaoh’s magicians (Exod. 7:11; 2 Tim. 3:8).

Patrick’s Prayers Kill a Wizard
And Almost 50 Soldiers!

On the first occasion, Patrick and his friends intentionally celebrated their Easter feast, on the day that the Druids were celebrating the pagan feast of Tara. When King Loíguire found out about this illegal activity, he set out with his two wizards, and about 50 soldiers. They wanted to kill Patrick and his friends, but feared them enough to bring both wizards and all those soldiers! And all of the soldiers were either on horseback or in chariots! When they had all surrounded Patrick, the wizard Lochru began to mock Patrick, blaspheme the Name of Jesus, and say disrespectful things about Christianity. Then a gift of faith moved in Patrick, he stared Lochru boldly in the eyes, and shouted with all confidence: “O Lord, who can do all things, in whose power all things exist—who has sent me here, grant that this unholy man who blasphemes Your Name, may now be lifted up and cast away, and die quickly!” And instantly, the wizard was miraculously launched up into the air many feet, and fell on the ground—splitting his head open on a rock! And when the Druids saw that he was dead, they feared Patrick and the Lord Jesus.

But King Loíguire—like Pharaoh—had a hardened heart. He was used to seeing supernatural manifestations performed by his wizards. So, seeing that Patrick had killed one of his beloved wizards, the king ordered his cavalry to kill him. But then Patrick prayed: “Let God arise, and his enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee from before Him!” (Ps. 67:2). And instantly, a black mist fell on the army—and they fought and nearly killed all of one another in a state of confusion. Then there was a tremendous earthquake, and all of the chariots and horses were crashed together and mostly killed. A small group survived and ran away to a nearby mountain. Only four people remained standing—broken, afraid, and almost repentant: the king, his wife, and two pagans. They all went home.

Patrick Prays for Snow to Instantly Disappear
That Had Been Conjured Up by a Wizard!

On another occasion, the other wizard, Lucet Máel, challenged Patrick to a miracle contest on a field in the sight of everyone. Patrick accepted the challenge, provided that the nature of the miracle did not contradict God’s will. Then the wizard said he would make it snow by using his magic power. So, he began to invoke the power of his god through magic spells and incantations. And sure enough, the wizard called down snow by demonic power. Everyone was amazed, because the snow was so deep that it reached a man’s belt. Confident in the power of God, Patrick boldly said to the wizard: “Look now—we have all seen you do this—now get rid of it!” But the wizard said he would have to wait for 24 hours until he could invoke another magic spell to melt the snow. Then, by proving the power of Christ to be greater than the wizard’s, Patrick replied: “You are able to cause bad things to happen, but not good things. This is not the way it is with me.” Then Patrick blessed the field that the wizard had filled with snow. And instantly—in a split second—the snow disappeared! The people were greatly amazed and their hearts began to turn to Christ. And with many other nature miracles, healings, and deliverances—Patrick spread the Christian faith throughout Ireland. And the eastern city of Armagh was his mission base; and his monastery was built there.[5]

If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? –1 Peter 4:18

Even for the Righteous, It is Hard to Be Saved

I have come to realize in my Gospel studies, that I need to gain a quicker understanding, and comprehensive awareness of Hell, and the justice of God in sending the wicked there. In many places, the Bible makes a distinction between the “righteous” and the “wicked.” The righteous are those who live their lives by faith in God and try to keep His moral commandments. When they sin, they immediately repent and say sorry to God, trying not to sin that specific sin again: so as to restore a good conscience before God immediately. This is only possible by the grace of God shown to the righteous, because of their faith in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross: the only way a totally angry, and righteous God, could satisfy His wrath at the righteous for their sins. Only by that thin veil which is the blood of Jesus, can the righteous be saved. And “if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” (1 Peter 4:18). It goes without saying, that the righteous are not perfect, they are not without sin, for “if we claim we have not sinned, we make” God out to be a liar (1 John 1:10). However, as a life-style the righteous TRY TO LIVE RIGHT generally speaking, and when they slip, stumble, fall, and sin–they repent immediately to restore their relationship with God. They fear the judgment of Hell, because they know it is easy to backslide, and shipwreck their faith (1 Tim. 1:19). They love God too, as growth in holiness naturally tends, but at the very foundation of their faith: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10). They are awakened to Hell, and its presence in the center of the Earth (Matt. 12:40), awaiting to punish them everlastingly without mercy, and without the possibility of future escape–if they walk away from the Lord. (The very Lord God who left Heaven to suffer on the cross for their sins–even their sins!) Those anxious devils, who hated them before they were saved, and even more while they were saved, cannot wait to POUNCE on the souls of backslidden Christians, and take them down to the pits of Hell: those caverns of eternal torment. Those dark, depressing caverns of ghostly wails; and flashes of flames on the cave walls. That habitation of monstrous animal-like devils, and the weakened tortured wicked ones of the centuries.

Do You Have Any Idea How Horrible Hell Is?
If So, Why On Earth Would You Want to Go There?

I believe that 90% of the people who go to church, will also go to Hell and see these tortured wicked, and grotesque devils regularly, because they are not counted among the righteous. Every demon who has appeared in a nightmare, or a hallucination, or vision, or any false god or goddess who has appeared to a wizard or witch: will be so manifestly visible and present in Hell, and there will be no escape from their repulsive presences. Imagine the gods of the totem poles on those Native American shrines, or Kali, the eight-armed goddess of destruction from India. Demons like these are down there in Hell: for all the gods of nations are demons, the Bible says (Ps. 96:5, NETS). Monstrous, bestial devils which have revealed themselves to shamans, wizards, and pagans for centuries. And are you taking pains to avoid them? If not, you will live with them forever, in a disgusting hideous place of fire and sulfur (the smell of rotten eggs). AND IT WILL BE TOO LATE TO REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL THEN! We have one life to live, and after this our judgment comes from God: to Heaven or to Hell (Heb. 9:27). ARE YOU READY TO MEET GOD? ARE YOU RIGHT WITH GOD?! DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE SAVED IN YOUR HEART? Take it seriously. (Or just keep going to work, go to sleep, go to the movies, go to church, and go to…?) Do you know where you will go when you die? Take the safe way out: FOLLOW JESUS. Repent: turn your life over to God and live by the Bible. Ask for Him to forgive your sins; and tell Him you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sins. And never go back to living like an atheist: “having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). Never go back. Follow Jesus. Follow God. Live for Him, and He will save you from going to Hell. Because if you don’t have His saving grace operating in your life right now, it’s only a matter of time, that one of these days you will wake up in Hell. Without Christ and His saving Gospel: YOU ARE ALREADY ON YOUR WAY THERE!

The Wrath of God Against the Wicked is Very Strong

Only those who do the will of the Father will go to Heaven (Matt. 7:21). It is a narrow gate and a narrow path of righteous living, with a life of faith in Jesus; that denies materialism, and seeks first the kingdom of God: this is the only way to Heaven (Matt. 6:33; 7:13-14; 19:24). This excludes a very large number of people inside the church, and obviously condemns everyone outside the church. Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matt. 7:13-14). The narrow gate is faith alone in Jesus’ death on the cross for your sins, and the forgiveness of your sins by that penitent faith. The narrow road is the way of righteous living by the moral commandments of God, as expressed in the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount (see Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 5-7), and the apostolic letters of the New Testament. Ask yourself this question: are you living in a state of salvation? Or are you living in a state of damnation? Your body encases your soul. If your soul were to come out of your body right now, through death, or some other means–would you find yourself rising up to Heaven in the company of angels? Or, falling down to Hell in the company of devils? Ask yourself this seriously. It’s a matter of life and death. Don’t think that because you’re a churchgoer, a good humanist, or a nice guy that somehow God has favoritism for you. Don’t be so deluded! God is just inches away from hating you, because of the stench of your rotten wickedness and evil doings. But because of His patience, He puts up with you just a little longer, because deep down in His heart He still loves you, and wants you to repent, and turn to Him, and believe in His Son’s death on the cross for your sins, and live by His holy commandments.

If God Almost Destroyed the Israelites,
How Much More Will He Destroy You–
Unless You Repent and Believe in Jesus?

God almost completely destroyed the Israelites at Mount Sinai. He had enough of them. After the ten plagues of Egypt, the Red Sea crossing, the manna, the quail, the pillars of fire and cloud, the apparitions of angels, the sounds of heavenly trumpets, and the audible voice of God: they still rebelled against Him, and worshiped a golden calf, having a sex orgy! They were blind! But I say: THEY WERE LESS BLIND THAN AMERICANS TODAY. If it were not for Moses praying for them, the Jews would only exist today as the descendants of Moses, not of Abraham. God had said He was ready to restart the whole Jewish project through Moses’ bloodline. But something within God, held Him back from going back on His promise to save them, with just a thread of patience, and much pleading from Moses–God did not destroy the Israelites where they stood, dancing and fornicating at the foot of Mount Sinai (Exod. 32:10-14). Moses just barely managed to get God to change His mind. And I submit to you, that this is the same God, with the same righteous temperament, who will send every last one of you down to Hell, unless you repent from your sinful ways, and accept that only Jesus’ death on the cross, is sufficient for the forgiveness of your sins.

A Wesleyan Arminian Gospel Bibliography:
On Justification, Assurance, and Sanctification

Cannon, William. The Theology of John Wesley: With Special Reference to the Doctrine of Justification. New York: Abingdon, 1946.

Clarke, Adam. Clarke’s Christian Theology. Nicholasville, KY: Schmul, 1990.

Collins, Kenneth. The Theology of John Wesley: Holy Love and the Shape of Grace. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2007.

_________. The Scripture Way of Salvation: The Heart of John Wesley’s Theology. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1997.

_________. Wesley on Salvation: A Study in the Standard Sermons. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1989.

Comfort, Ray. Wesley Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2007.

Dieter, Melvin. Five Views on Sanctification. Edited by Stanley Gundry. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987. Chapter 1: “The Wesleyan Perspective.”

Fletcher, John. Five Checks to Antinomianism. Edited by Jeffrey Wallace. Brookfield, MO: Apprehending Truth, 2011.

_________. The Whole Works of John Fletcher. Charleston, SC: Nabu Press, 2010.

Harper, Steve. The Way to Heaven: The Gospel According to John Wesley. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Chapters 4 and 5.

_________. Four Views on Eternal Security. Edited by J. Matthew Pinson. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002. Chapter 4: “A Wesleyan Arminian View.”

Kaiser Jr., Walter. Five Views on Law and Gospel. Edited by Stanley Gundry. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996. Chapter 3: “The Law as God’s Gracious Guidance for the Promotion of Holiness.”

Langford, Thomas. Practical Divinity: Theology in the Wesleyan Tradition. vol. 1. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998.

Lindström, Harald. Wesley and Sanctification. Nappanee, IN: Francis Asbury Press, 1980.

Oden, Thomas. John Wesley’s Scriptural Christianity: A Plain Exposition of His Teaching on Christian Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994. Chapters 5-11; especially chapters 6, 9, and 10.

Outler, Albert, ed. John Wesley. New York: Oxford University Press, 1964. Part 2, Chapters 1-4.

Smith, Timothy. Whitefield and Wesley on the New Birth. Grand Rapids, MI: Francis Asbury Press, 1986.

Weems, Lovett. The Gospel According to Wesley: A Summary of John Wesley’s Message. Nashville, TN: Discipleship Resources, 1982. 63 pages.

Wesley, John. John Wesley’s Sermons: An Anthology. Edited by Albert Outler and Richard Heitzenrater. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1991.

_________. John Wesley’s Theology: A Collection from His Works. Edited by Robert Burtner and Robert Chiles. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1982.

_________. The Works of John Wesley. vols. 1-4: “Sermons.” Edited by Albert Outler. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1984-1987.

Williams, Colin. John Wesley’s Theology Today. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1960.

Wynkoop, Mildred. Foundations of Wesleyan-Arminian Theology. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1967.

_________. A Theology of Love: The Dynamic of Wesleyanism. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1972.

Other Arminian, Puritan, and Revivalist Gospel Writings

Arminian View of the Gospel: “You Can Lose Your Salvation”: Arminius, Wesley (above), Barnes, Corner, Finney, Forlines, Goodwin, Hill, Olson, Picirilli, and Walls.

Puritan View of the Gospel: “Once Saved, Always Saved”: Alleine, Baxter, Bunyan, Comfort, Dent, Edwards, MacArthur, Peterson, Spurgeon, Vincent, Watson, and Whitefield.

Personally, I take the Arminian view. I think it has more support in Scripture and makes more sense for living the Christian life (see John 15:6; Rom. 11:16-22; Heb. 3:12-14; 6:4-6; 10:26-29; 1 Tim. 1:19-20; 2 Pet. 2:20-22; 1 John 5:16). However, I would not “condemn” those who hold to the old Puritan view, because at least their view on lordship salvation encourages practical holiness in daily life. If this requirement of holiness were not present, then I would be forced to say all Calvinists are Antinomians, and there is no hope of a Calvinist getting saved! So, regardless of the fact that “lordship salvation” Calvinists, or old Puritans, believe in “once saved, always saved”: at the same time, at least they preach unless Christians live righteous lives—they are not saved.

Although I think “once saved, always saved” is a false doctrine that encourages “easy-believism,” and a dangerous one at that, I still think Puritan-type Calvinists are worth listening to, because they maintain that “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Puritans like John Bunyan and Richard Baxter, and modern “lordship salvation” advocates like John MacArthur and Ray Comfort, are against the “cheap grace” views of other Calvinists with Antinomian tendencies (i.e., Dispensationalists like Charles Ryrie, Zane Hodges, R. B. Thieme, and Lewis Sperry Chafer. These theologians come from Dallas Theological Seminary; and taught that a saved person can be a “carnal Christian”; and even an ex-Christian is saved!).

Alleine, Joseph. An Alarm to the Unconverted. Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2002.

Arminius, James. The Works of Arminius. 3 vols. Translated by James Nichols and William Nichols. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 2007.

Barnes, Albert. The Way of Salvation. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2007.

Baxter, Richard. A Call to the Unconverted. Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2000.

_________. Aphorismes of Justification. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2009.

_________. What We Must Do to Be Saved. Lulu.com, 2010.

_________. The Practical Works of Richard Baxter: Selected Treatises. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2010. Includes: “A Treatise of Conversion,” “A Call to the Unconverted,” “Directions and Persuasions to a Sound Conversion,” and other works on meditation, contemplation, prayer, and practical holiness.

Bunyan, John. The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded. Gale ECCO, 2010.

Church of England. Certain Sermons or Homilies Appointed to Be Read in Churches in the Time of Queen Elizabeth. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Library, 2005. Largely by Thomas Cranmer (d. 1556): heavily influenced John Wesley’s views of justification and sanctification (the Gospel of Jesus Christ).

Coffey, John, and Paul Lim, eds. The Cambridge Companion to Puritanism. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Comfort, Ray. Hell’s Best Kept Secret. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1989.

_________, and Kirk Cameron. The World’s Greatest Preachers. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2003.

_________, ed. Spurgeon Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2005.

_________, ed. Whitefield Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2006.

_________, ed. Moody Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2009.

_________, ed. Luther Gold. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2010.

Corner, Daniel. The Believer’s Conditional Security: A Study on Perseverance and Falling Away. Washington, PA: Evangelical Outreach, 2000. 801 pages.

_________. The Myth of Eternal Security. Washington, PA: Evangelical Outreach, 2003. 230 pages.

Demarest, Bruce. The Cross and Salvation. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1997. Academic and Evangelical. From a historical approach, presents in an encyclopedic fashion, all of the different soteriological views of the church throughout the ages.

Dent, Arthur. The Plain Man’s Path-Way to Heaven. Gale ECCO, 2010.

Duewel, Wesley. Revival Fire. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995.

_________. Ablaze for God. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1989.

Edwards, Jonathan. Sermons of Jonathan Edwards. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2005.

Finney, Charles. Sermons on Gospel Themes. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2007.

_________. Lectures on Revivals of Religion. Edited by Richard Friedrich. Hayden, ID: Alethea in Heart, 2005.

_________. Lectures on Systematic Theology. 2 vols. Edited by Richard Friedrich. Hayden, ID: Alethea in Heart, 2003. Has some Pelagianism: or teaches “natural ability” to obey God’s commandments; be warned.

_________. The Original Memoirs of Charles G. Finney. Edited by Garth Rosell and Richard Dupuis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.

_________. Finney’s Lessons on Romans. 3 vols. Edited by L. G. Parkhurst, Jr. Edmond, OK: Agion Press, 2006.

Forlines, F. Leroy. Classical Arminianism: A Theology of Salvation. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 2011.

Goodwin, John. A Treatise on Justification. Gale ECCO, 2010. Edited by John Wesley; had a heavy Gospel influence on him. Goodwin was an Arminian Puritan preacher; and died in 1665.

Heitzenrater, Richard. Wesley and the People Called Methodists. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995.

Hill, Stephen. White Cane Religion: And Other Messages From the Brownsville Revival. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1997.

_________. The God Mockers: And Other Messages From the Brownsville Revival. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1997.

Lloyd-Jones, Martyn. Revival. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1987.

_________. Preaching and Preachers. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1972.

MacArthur, John. The Gospel According to Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998.

McLoughlin William. Revivals, Awakenings, and Reform. Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press, 1978.

Olson, Roger. Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006.

_________. Against Calvinism. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.

Peterson, Robert. Hell on Trial. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1995.

Picirilli, Robert. Grace, Faith, Free Will: Contrasting Views of Salvation: Calvinism and Arminianism. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 2002.

_________. Romans. “CLEAR Study Series.” Nashville, TN: Randall House, 1975. 340 pages. A Reformed Arminian Bible commentary.

Pratney, Winkie. Revival: Principles to Change the World. Pensacola, FL: Christian Life Books, 1984.

Randall House Bible Commentary. Edited by Robert Picirilli. A Reformed Arminian Bible commentary published by the Free Will Baptists.

Forlines, F. Leroy. Romans. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 1987. 396 pages.

Harrison, Paul, and Robert Picirilli. James, 1, 2 Peter, and Jude. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 1992.

Marberry, Thomas, Robert Picirilli, and Daryl Ellis. Galatians through Colossians. Nashville, TN: Randall House, 1988.

Ravenhill, Leonard. Revival God’s Way. Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House, 1986.

_________. Why Revival Tarries. Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House, 1987.

Shank, Robert. Life in the Son. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1989. Classic work against “once saved, always saved.”

Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to My Students. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1979.

The Theologians of Methodism. Nicholasville, KY: Schmul, 1992.

Vincent, Thomas. Fire and Brimstone. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 1999.

Walls, Jerry, and Joseph Dongell. Why I Am Not a Calvinist. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004.

Watson, Thomas. A Body of Divinity. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1957.

Wesleyan Bible Commentary. Edited by Charles Carter. A Wesleyan Arminian Bible commentary published by scholars from various Wesleyan and Methodist denominations.

Carter, Charles, R. Duane Thompson, Charles Ball, Leo Cox, and Harvey Blaney. Hebrews-Revelation. vol. 6. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1966. 523 pages.

Dayton, Wilbur, Charles Carter, Clarence Zahniser, George Turner, W. O. Klopfenstein, Roy Nicholson, and George Failing. Romans-Philemon. vol. 5. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1966. 675 pages.

Whitefield, George. Sermons of George Whitefield. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2009.

Current Issues Related to Gospel-Centered Apologetics

Graham, Billy. The Jesus Generation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1971. Addresses issues concerning the hippie revolution of the sixties, the response of the Jesus movement, and how things like atheism, communism, materialism, fatherlessness, and the New Age movement, are still hindering Americans from believing in the Gospel. Chapter 11: “Turning On,” is a revealing look at the watered-down gospel of “The Four Spiritual Laws,” that was being preached by Campus Crusade for Christ from the sixties till today. Graham touched it up a little bit. To me, it definitely shows the need for old-time Puritan and Wesleyan Gospel preaching: on deep soteriological doctrines like the atonement, justification, sanctification, and regeneration.

Kinnaman, David. UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity…and Why It Matters. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007.

McDowell, Josh. More Than a Carpenter. Wheaton, IL: Living Books, 1977. The arguments in this book were essential during McDowell’s preaching on college campuses during the Jesus movement. He focuses on defending the historical reliability of the Gospels; and argues for the reality of Jesus and His resurrection. The only thing I would change regarding his arguments for Christ’s resurrection, is instead of relying only on the testimonies of the apostles, and their martyrdoms: I would also appeal to modern spiritual experiences of the presence of Christ during worship, and dreams and visions of the risen Christ by direct revelations.

_________, and Don Stewart. Handbook of Today’s Religions. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1980. Contains informative chapters on every major cult and world religion; and provides Evangelical arguments against each ideology. It includes “The Four Spiritual Laws” of Campus Crusade for Christ at the end of the book.

Rhodes, Ron. Answering the Objections of Atheists, Agnostics, and Skeptics. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2006.

Ridenour, Fritz. So What’s the Difference? Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2001.

Zacharias, Ravi, and Norman Geisler, eds. Who Made God?: And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.

When I was a child, I had the privilege of growing up in a somewhat Biblical atmosphere. I grew up in church, and the Bible was preached, and people worshipped God on a weekly basis. I was taught to love God and even memorize Scripture. Even up until the age of 18, I was protected from the notorious worldly sins (drugs, alcohol abuse, fighting, porno, gangs, stealing, cussing, etc)—you know the sins that are highlighted in our culture. I would have told you that I “had it made” as far as the circumstances of my life. However, there was a major (the most important) factor of my life missing—a genuine experience with Christ Jesus that would transform my world and turn everything upside-down for me. The experience that I am referring to would be the “born again from above” experience.

At the age of 19, I found myself under the teaching of some radical Christian friends, who challenged me to see Jesus not in a box, not in a religious light, not found hidden in one denomination (Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, etc), not in youth group trips, sleepovers, Christian bands, bumper stickers, Christian t-shirts, or even Bible reading (one must understand that I’m not saying that God cannot and does not use these things—I’m stating that they/anything can at times be hindrances to a genuine life-altering encounter with Jesus when elevated to an unhealthy point of attention or devotion). I had often found myself hungry for the will of God as I grew up religiously and even enjoyed doing “church”. It was the only portrait of being a Christian that I had. My view of God was contained in Wednesday night, Sunday morning, Sunday night meetings; and sometimes prayer meetings for the really devoted people. Terms like “forgiveness”, “repentance” (terms pertinent to a genuine walk with Jesus Christ), were probably a dime a dozen, but they were never demonstrated to me in a daily walk with Jesus. I eventually met, as I was saying, a group of Christians that were hungry for Jesus Christ and Him alone—not tied/obligated to a paycheck from an organization, not desiring to be well known or build a following, not interested in tithes and offerings from me, or even wanting to advance themselves in what I had always understood to be the church world. There came a GREAT and HOLY understanding in my life, of seeing a new distinction between those who claimed to be followers of Christ, and those who really walk as Jesus did.

Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did (1 John 2:6).

Again, the difference that was seen was between those who were hearers of God’s Word, and those who were hearers AND doers of God’s Word.

True and False Disciples, NIV

Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven (Jesus, Matthew 7:21).

It took me at least a year to spiritually and mentally adjust to the understanding of the basic principle that Jesus Christ is simply found…in Jesus Christ—go figure! All my life, I had been searching for peace with God, and finally I found it in the person of Jesus. Not to mention, this new found peace gave me “joy unspeakable and full of glory” like the old hymn says (1 Peter 1:8, KJV). And, on top of everything, I had the assurance that no man, demon, devil, or lie from my own mind could steal!!! I spiritually became aware that Jesus is the “Christ”, the Messenger, the Answer, the Deliverer, the ONLY Way to God (John 14:6). Not only was He my Savior from Hell, but He was/is to be Lord of my everyday life. Every life decision, every path, every way that I could take was to be submitted unto Christ.

I have been shell-shocked ever since—like I was hit with a “logging truck” (to use Paul Washer’s phrase from his “Shocking Youth Message”). Truly, I was likened to Nicodemus in John 3, who questioned Jesus about His statements:

(5) Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you (Nicodemus), no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. (6) Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (7) You should not be surprised at My saying, ‘You must be born again.’ (8) The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus (Rebekah Lucas) could not understand these words and yet was a respected, admired, and dare I say even coveted, teacher over Israel. When Jesus rebuked Nicodemus, he got into his head somehow by the miraculous power of preaching raw REGENERATION. How can I explain this except to say—the words spoken by Jesus were not some cheap excerpt copy and pasted from sermonsonline.com. No!!—these were the words that transcended the situation and were words of the Eternal—words that made you stop and think: “What in the world is this man talking about???!!!” It’s like a different language until God reveals His Son, as the Living Word to a person. Looking back now, I can see that I was totally a different person than I am now. I am not devoid of my old personality. On the contrary, I have “recaptured my soul” (as St. Francis of Assisi said in Brother Sun, Sister Moon). God’s law became life, and I began to be aware that I am a spirit. Truly this is a mystery.

For more on the Puritans’ influence on John Wesley’s thought and preaching, see Robert Monk’s John Wesley, His Puritan Heritage: A Study of the Christian Life (1966); John Newton’s Susanna Wesley and the Puritan Tradition in Methodism (2003); Roland Burrows’ John Wesley in the Reformation Tradition: The Protestant and Puritan Nature of Methodism Rediscovered (2008).

It is a well-known fact among historians of revival that John Wesley stands out as the first great revivalist in the Evangelical tradition. Honestly, this is debatable, because Jonathan Edwards’ revival in Northampton, Massachusetts came before Wesley’s revival. But the revivals of Edwards were short lived and not long lasting; the same went for the powerful revivals of George Whitefield, who was influenced by Wesley. But Wesley had a long lasting revival impact on the Methodist Bible study groups, and so he has the tendency to shine out above all other revivalists as the first GREAT revivalist. (The second great revivalist being Charles Finney.) When I speak of “revival,” I am referring to the original meaning of the word, as it was used during the first Great Awakening. It is a PURITAN and EARLY METHODIST renewal of GOSPEL PREACHING and PRACTICAL HOLINESS in the daily lives of Christians. That is revival. It is rooted, grounded, and maintained in conversion experiences brought about by powerful Gospel preaching, by men called either “evangelists” or “revivalists.”

In addition to being a great Gospel preacher, Wesley was an avid reader and an Oxford scholar. He edited a 30 volume work called “A Christian Library.” The subtitle says: “Extracts From and Abridgments of Choicest Pieces of Practical Divinity.” It is good to have access to this work of Wesley’s, because it shows us who his theological influences were–that is, who he looked up to, his favorite preachers. To save you the time and research, let me tell you as simply as I can: most of them are PURITANS. In addition to all the Puritan works he included, he also has some Pietist (Johann Arndt, August Hermann Francke), Quietist (Fenelon, Miguel de Molinos), and Cambridge Platonist (John Smith) material in there as well.

I sifted through his “Christian Library” a few times, and out of all the Puritan names he includes in his anthology, the following stand out to me as probably strong influences on Wesley so far as his (1) Gospel Preaching and (2) Open Air Preaching were concerned.

Robert Bolton (d. 1631) left us The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Hell, Heaven.

Joseph Alleine (d. 1668) wrote An Alarm to Unconverted Sinners, (also called A Sure Guide to Heaven), and many other similar things.

John Bunyan (d. 1688) left Some Gospel Truths Opened, The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded, and many other convicting Puritan material that he preached in the open air. It seems Bunyan was the only well-known open air Puritan preacher.

John Flavel (d. 1691) wrote The Method of Grace in Gospel Redemption.

Richard Baxter (d. 1691) wrote A Call to the Unconverted, What We Must Do To Be Saved, and many other convicting things about the Gospel and practical holiness.

Jonathan Edwards (d. 1758) left us “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” and many other fire and brimstone sermons; and was Wesley’s contemporary along with George Whitefield.

The Puritans Were Evangelistic Calvinists

It is worth noting that all of these preachers were “Calvinists,” but I use quotes because they were not your usual dead, speculative, inactive Calvinists. They were Puritans, and that meant they were EVANGELICAL CALVINISTS–that is, they believed in preaching the Gospel to get people saved. After James Arminius died in 1609, Puritan theology was in constant dialogue with the concepts of Calvinism and Arminianism all the way up till the Great Awakening in the 1730s. (And so it is today.) This Calvinism-Arminianism dialogue even led Richard Baxter to take a mediating view of four point Calvinism, instead of the classic five point TULIP. Following suit with the established position of the Church of England at the time, John Wesley chose to reject all Calvinism, which gave the early Methodists a distinct Arminian approach to their Gospel preaching. He expressed his Arminian views most clearly in his book Predestination Calmly Considered. Wesley had open air preaching in common with the Puritans of old, but had Arminianism in common with the spiritually dry clergy of the Church of England. Thus, Wesley combined what he felt were the best of both worlds, and formed the Methodist Gospel approach: EVANGELICAL ARMINIANISM. Francis Asbury, Adam Clarke, and other Methodist preachers followed suit. J. I. Packer, in his chapter 18 of “Puritan Evangelism” in A Quest for Godliness, also mentions other Puritan evangelists and their theology: Hugh Clark, John Cotton, Westminster Confession, Westminster Shorter Catechism, John Owen, Thomas Watson, Thomas Goodwin, etc.

Puritan Evangelism Was Mainly Confined to the Church Building

The only downside of the Puritan approach to evangelism, at least according to Packer’s overview, is that it seemed to downplay street preaching. The normal way was to preach Gospel sermons during church services, because it was done in the view of Calvinism: that God would elect people in the world, according to His grace and predestination, and would draw them by His Spirit sovereignly to a Puritan church service. Then, at the Puritan church service, the church attendee would hear the pastor preaching about justification, regeneration, repentance, faith, sanctification, and election, and other soteriological subjects–this would get the people permanently and lastingly saved, bearing goodness and holiness in their lives. So the Puritan’s church building was viewed as an evangelistic center, not as a missions sending base for street preachers. The church was the place to preach, the pastor was the one to do the preaching of the Gospel, and it was God’s responsibility to draw people to the church and get saved. There was not much evangelism or active outreach to the public in the streets or elsewhere. Unless, of course, you were John Bunyan (d. 1688)–but we know that led him to prison. We should also be aware that the Church of England, which had full legal control over the British government at the time, was persecuting the Puritans: so they were really in hiding.

Modern Calvinists Give Finney a Bum Rap,
And Discourage Preaching About Immediate Repentance

Another thing I did not like about Packer’s evaluation, is that he discredits the evangelistic method of Charles Finney (d. 1875). (Like most Calvinists.) Packer is right in that he labels Finney as a Pelagian (one who believes it is possible for all men to obey God’s law with natural human ability). That was one of Finney’s greatest theological errors; but, at other times in his writings, he comes to express things that could be shown to be Arminian or synergist in nature, explaining that the influence of the Holy Spirit is necessary to bring men to repentance, faith, and a life of holiness. Oh well, Finney was not trained as a theologian, but as a lawyer. And, it was just that kind of background that God used to make him one of the most powerful Gospel preachers of all time. Finney is widely regarded today as the primary revivalist of the Second Great Awakening. He was so experienced in starting revivals in upstate New York, that he wrote a manual on how to start revivals, called Lectures on Revivals of Religion. One of the aspects of Finney’s approach to evangelism, that of the so-called “New School Calvinism” theology, was unlike the passive view of some Puritans. Finney took hold of a “I have to go out there at get ‘em now” approach. True, God draws men to Christ, but Christians also have a responsibility to obey the voice of Christ: “Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full” and “go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Luke 14:23; Mark 16:15, NKJV).

Packer says the following in critique of Finney’s pro-active “go get ‘em” approach. He compares the old way of Puritan in-church evangelism with the approach of Finney, which was to go out and hold evangelistic meetings, and persuade his hearers to “REPENT RIGHT NOW.” This is how Packer handled Finney’s preaching. In other words, says Packer, if you want to be a Puritan-style evangelist, then don’t be like Finney:

Preachers are to declare God’s mind as set forth in the texts they expound, to show the way of salvation, to exhort the unconverted to learn the law, to meditate on the Word, to humble themselves, to pray that God will show them their sins, and enable them to come to Christ. They are to hold Christ forth as a perfect Saviour from sin to all who heartily desire to be saved from sin, and to invite such (the weary and burdened souls whom Christ Himself invites, Mt. 11:28) to come to the Saviour who waits to receive them. But they are not to do as Finney did, and demand immediate repentance and faith of all and sundry. They are sent to tell all men that they must repent and believe to be saved, but it is no part of the word and message of God if they go further and tell all the unconverted that they ought to “decide for Christ” (to use a common modern phrase) on the spot…Bullying for “decisions” thus in fact impedes and thwarts the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart. Man takes it on himself to try to bring that work to a precipitate conclusion, to pick the fruit before it is ripe; and the result is “false conversions,” hypocrisy and hardening.

Why?! With all due respect to Packer as a theologian and a serious man of God, wouldn’t this sort of reasoning be convenient for a lukewarm and man-pleasing pastor? Is Packer just being unloving, apathetic, and unconcerned for the lost on their way to an eternal Hell?! I doubt that. But his logic against preaching immediate repentance doesn’t seem to mesh well with a desire to seek and save the lost. How could anyone, with a clear conscience, ever tell evangelists to preach the Gospel as abstract doctrines of salvation, but not in such a way as to make it clear that the hearers are in great need of repenting, believing, and giving their lives to God immediately? They could die immediately and go to Hell immediately if they die in their sins! Why not preach they need to apply the blood of Christ and repent as soon as possible? Now! Maybe Packer believes the grace of God forces men to repent against their sinful will, so there is no point in pressing the issue now. But THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS! How many thousands of people, hearing a gospel preached in such a passive manner, will think to themselves, “Oh, well then, God is loving and gracious. I don’t have to repent right now and live by the Ten Commandments right now. I’ll wait until I’m on my death bed, then I’ll repent.” Then, after the church services, they get in car crashes, die, and go to Hell—and they can’t get out. Trapped in Hell, burning forever and ever. All because some gentle pastor didn’t want to “bully” his congregation (his source of income), with harsh and pressuring sermons, about the need to escape the judgment of an everlasting fire in Hell; all because of this kind of thinking. I reply to this respected scholar of Puritanism with quotes from the renowned Puritan evangelist, Joseph Alleine (d. 1668), so we can share in his spirit of urgency:

“There is no entering into Heaven but by the strait passage of the second birth; without holiness you shall never see God (Heb. 12:14). Therefore GIVE YOURSELVES UNTO THE LORD NOW.” (A Sure Guide to Heaven, p. 16).

“There is every reason in the world that YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY TURN AND REPENT.” (A Sure Guide to Heaven, p. 67).

Arminianism Is Perfectly Biblical and Logical When Applied Evangelistically

John Wesley, George Whitefield, and the early Methodist circuit riders did lots of open air preaching along these lines. And Finney too would have fit in quite well with the early Methodists. Arminianism does that to Gospel preachers: TAKE ACTION! DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW! REPENT! REPENT! BELIEVE THE GOSPEL! NOW!! Whether God opens the hearts of the elect as you preach, or after, is none of the preacher’s business. There is no way the preacher can know that until after the fact. The preacher must preach repentance; that’s his responsibility before God. And, I think it is obvious in the Bible, that the style through which it is presented by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles: repentance is always supposed to be preached in a “please do it right now—I’m warning you in love” kind of way!

UPDATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: 7/1/12

Puritan, Methodist, and Evangelical Books on Hell

Clearly the greatest Hell fire preacher in all of church history was, and still is, Jonathan Edwards (d. 1758); the man who preached the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Any evangelist, or Gospel preacher, should turn to Edwards’ writings if preaching on Hell is to be taken seriously. However, Edwards was not the first Hell fire preacher. He was the last preacher in the Puritan tradition: a tradition in which there were many other preachers, who graphically displayed Hell fire and brimstone:–the literal Biblical view of eternal damnation: the doctrine of eternal punishment. Christopher Love’s Hell’s Terror (1653), John Bunyan’s A Few Sighs from Hell (1658), and Thomas Vincent’s Fire and Brimstone (1670) were well known Puritan classics on the subject. Avoiding artistic license, and preaching strictly from the Bible, and dreams and visions, these preachers were not like the Puritan poet John Milton, who authored Paradise Lost (1674), an imaginary, fictional poem about Hell: what Dante’s Inferno was in the Middle Ages. The Puritans were serious Hell fire preachers. They took theology seriously, the Christian life seriously, and the doctrine of eternal punishment seriously. Their whole purpose in ministry was to ensure the salvation of themselves and their listeners from eternal damnation in Hell. The modern Fundamentalist and Evangelical establishment has descended from the Puritans; and we would be wise to remember these old paths (Jeremiah 6:16).

As noted previously, Edwards has been considered the “last Puritan,” and died in 1758. Coincidentally, that is exactly 100 years after Bunyan’s book on Hell was published; perhaps, then, it would be right to say that 1658-1758 was a Golden Age of Puritan Hell Fire Preaching. But the life and ministry of Jonathan Edwards gave rise to a new expression of Christianity called Evangelical Revival. Edwards was, at the same time the “last Puritan” and the “first Revivalist”; the others who continued the new Revivalist tradition were John Wesley (d. 1791) and George Whitefield (d. 1770), the founders of Methodism. Because Wesley was an Arminian “Puritan”, and Whitefield a Calvinist “Puritan”, they eventually parted ways, on polite terms. Wesley went on to lead the Methodist Church and Whitefield the Calvinistic Methodists; both of them were hard working evangelists; however, Wesley preached on free will, and Whitefield on predestination (adopting Edwards’ Calvinistic Puritan tradition). Wesley drew his inspiration from Arminian Puritans like John Goodwin and Richard Baxter; and other Anglican preachers. Nevertheless, both Wesley and Whitefield, pushing their own versions of Methodist Revivalism—were definitely Hell fire preachers, as well as preachers of righteousness.

Before liberal theology entered the Methodist Episcopal Church: their preachers were committed to preaching on Hell (eternal punishment), as well as Baptists, Presbyterians, and others who inherited the Puritan tradition. But, it seems, that during the early nineteenth century with Charles Finney (d. 1875) (though not necessarily because of him): Hell fire preaching declined; and morality and ethics became the main focus of the Christian life for Evangelicals. This seems to have given rise to Universalism and Humanism; and no doubt, because of the Enlightenment focus on science, skepticism, reason, and a general loss of faith in the existence of the spirit world.

Rare Puritan books on Hell can be found either on amazon.com or heritagebooks.org. Also, publishers worth noting, who are publishing Puritan books on Hell, and other classics, are: International Outreach (intoutreach.org), Soli Deo Gloria Publications, The Northampton Press, Old Paths Gospel Press, and Diggory Press. Hell fire preachers would do well to pay special attention to the following authors (in this order): George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Vincent, Robert Peterson, John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, Thomas Boston, Christopher Love, Solomon Stoddard, A. W. Pink, William G. T. Shedd, Thomas Doolittle, and Harry Buis.

Probably the best old-time theologians who have written about Hell:
Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Vincent, John Bunyan, Thomas Boston, Christopher Love

Probably the best modern theologians who have written about Hell:
Edward Donnelly, Robert Peterson, William G. T. Shedd, R. L. Dabney, and John Walvoord

Allison, Gregg. Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. Chapter 32: “The Final Judgment and Eternal Punishment.” Heavy reliance on the church fathers.

Bartlett, Samuel. Life and Death Eternal: A Refutation of the Theory of Annihilation. Boston: American Tract Society, 1866. 390 pages.

Baxter, Mary K. A Divine Revelation of Hell. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1993. A Pentecostal prayer warrior explains her 40 day out-of-body experience in Hell; as she is guided by the Lord Jesus.

Blanchard, John. Whatever Happened to Hell? Darlington, UK: Evangelical Press, 2003. Foreword by J. I. Packer.

Boston, Thomas. Hell. London: Diggory Press, 2007. A Scottish Presbyterian with a Puritan leaning; died in 1732. 96 pages.

Buis, Harry. The Doctrine of Eternal Punishment. Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1957. 148 pages.

Bunyan, John. Sighs from Hell: The Groans of a Damned Soul. Edited by Don Kistler. Orlando, FL: The Northampton Press, 2011. 160 pages.

_________. Groans of a Lost Soul. Old Paths Gospel Press. 144 pages.

Byun, Seung Woo. Christians Going to Hell. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2006. A South Korean preacher lays out the Gospel in a hard-hitting attack on Hell-bound hypocrites and churchgoers.

Clarke, Adam. Clarke’s Christian Theology. Salem, OH: Schmul Publishing, 1990. Chapter 33: “Hell.” 438 pages.

Dabney, R. L. Systematic Theology. Edinburgh, UK: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1985. Chapter 46: “Nature and Duration of Hell Torments.” 903 pages.

Doolittle, Thomas. Rebukes for Sin by the Flames of Hell: A Terrifying Look at Eternity. Ames, IA: International Outreach, 2011. 105 pages.

Donnelly, Edward. Biblical Teaching on the Doctrines of Heaven and Hell. Edinburgh, UK: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2001. Chapters 1-4. 144 pages.

Edwards, Jonathan. The Torments of Hell: Jonathan Edwards on Eternal Damnation. Edited by William Nichols. Ames, IA: International Outreach, 2006. 18 fire and brimstone sermons by Jonathan Edwards. 334 pages.

Erickson, Millard. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998. Chapter 60: “Final States.”

Finney, Charles. “The Loss When a Soul is Lost.” The Oberlin Evangelist. July 2, 1851.

Geisler, Norman. Systematic Theology: In One Volume. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2011. Chapter 79: “The Final State of the Lost (Hell).”

Gerstner, John. Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1980. 93 pages.

_________. Repent or Perish. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 1990. A traditionalist’s response to Edward Fudge’s Annihilationism; Gerstner is like Robert Peterson and John Walvoord in this regard.

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994. Chapter 56: “The Final Judgment and Eternal Punishment.”

Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology. Vol. 3. Peabody, MS: Hendrickson Publishers, 1999. Part IV. Chapter 4.6: “Future Punishment.”

Ingebretsen, Edward. Maps of Heaven, Maps of Hell: Religious Terror as Memory from the Puritans to Stephen King. M E Sharpe, 1996.

Love, Christopher. Hell’s Terror, or, A Treatise of the Torments of the Damned as a Preservative Against Security. EEBO, 2011. Love (d. 1651) was one of Puritanism’s most renowned Hell fire preachers before Edwards. 140 pages.

Lutzer, Erwin. One Minute After You Die. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1997. Chapters 2 and 6.

Merrill, S. M. The New Testament Idea of Hell. London: Richard D. Dickinson, 1879. Old-school Methodist bishop and preacher who had very strong views of Wesleyan soteriology; provides arguments against Universalism.

Morgan, Chris. Jonathan Edwards and Hell. Fearn, Scotland: Mentor, 2004. 176 pages.

_________, and Robert Peterson, eds. Hell Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents Eternal Punishment. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007. 256 pages.

_________, and Robert Peterson. What is Hell? Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2010. 40 pages.

_________, and Robert Peterson, eds. Is Hell for Real or Does Everyone Go to Heaven? Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. 96 pages.

Peterson, Robert. Hell on Trial: The Case for Eternal Punishment. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1995. 258 pages.

_________. “Part Two: The Case for Traditionalism” in Two Views of Hell. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Pink, A. W. Eternal Punishment. Bottom of the Hill Publishing, 2011. Recommended by International Outreach.

Pusey, Edward. What is of Faith as to Everlasting Punishment? Nabu Press, 2012. Deals extensively with the writings of the pseudepigrapha, the Talmud, church fathers, martyrs of the early church, and the Desert Fathers, and their affirmation of Hell as a literal place of eternal punishment.

Shedd, William G. T. The Doctrine of Endless Punishment. Solid Ground Christian Books, 2008. 220 pages.

Stoddard, Solomon. The Fear of Hell Restrains Men from Sin. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 2003. Timeless Hell fire sermon by the grandfather of Jonathan Edwards. 20 Pages.

Strachan, Owen, and Doug Sweeney. Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2010.

Turner, Alice. The History of Hell. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Co., 1993. Although written by an unbeliever, this book can provide a historical resource for major works on Hell, particularly from the 1600s and on, from the Puritan and Evangelical traditions.

Vincent, Thomas. Fire and Brimstone. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 1999. 250 pages.

_________. Fire and Brimstone in Hell. Ames, IA: International Outreach, 1994.

Walls, Jerry. Hell: The Logic of Damnation. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1992.

Walvoord, John. “The Literal View” in Four Views on Hell. Edited by Williams Crockett. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996.

Watts, Isaac. The World to Come. Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 2003. 431 pages. A Great Awakening preacher argues convincingly for the Biblical view of Heaven and Hell.

Wesley, John. “Of Hell” in The Works of John Wesley, vol. 3, Sermon #73. Edited by Albert Outler. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1986.

Whitefield, George. The Eternity of Hell Torments. Gale ECCO, 2010. 36 pages.

Wiese, Bill. 23 Minutes in Hell. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2006. A conservative Christian shares his out-of-body experience in Hell; and backs it up with Biblical theology.

_________. Hell: Separate Truth from Fiction and Get Your Toughest Questions Answered. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2006. 368 pages.

OLD BIBLIOGRAPHY: 12/27/11

Arendzen, J. P. Eternal Punishment, 1928. (old Catholic)
Brine, John. A Vindication of Divine Justice, 1754. (TULIP Calvinist).
Donnelly, Edward. Heaven and Hell, 2002. (Reformed).
Edwards, Jonathan. “Of Endless Punishment” and “The Eternity of Hell Torments,” 1700s (Congregational).
Goulburn, Edward. Everlasting Punishment, 1880.
Gulliver, John. Law and Penalty Endless, 1873. (Congregational)
Lee, Luther. Universalism Examined and Refuted; And the Doctrine of Endless Punishment Established. (Puritan). 1700s.
Peterson, Robert. Hell on Trial: The Case for Eternal Punishment, 1995. (Reformed).
———- and Christopher Morgan, Hell Under Fire, 2004. (Reformed).
———- and Christopher Morgan, What is Hell?, 2010 (Reformed).
Pink, A. W. Eternal Punishment. (Calvinist).
Randles, Marshall. For Ever: An Essay on Eternal Punishment, 1878.
Shedd, William. The Doctrine of Endless Punishment, 1885. (Calvinist).
Stoddard, Solomon. The Fear of Hell Restrains Men from Sin, 1700s. (Puritan).
Walvoord, John. “Literal View” in Four Views on Hell, 1997. (Reformed).
Wesley, John. “Of Hell” (Sermon 73). (Wesleyan Arminian).
Wiese, Bill. 23 Minutes in Hell, 2006. (Reformed Charismatic).
——–. Hell: Separate Truth From Fiction, 2008.