Dr. Rickard's qualifications. At Pensacola Christian College he taught Christian evidences at the undergraduate level and apologetics at the graduate level. Apologetics is a main emphasis.
Decisionism is a "doctrine of demons" which teaches that one only needs to make a decision to become a Christian rather than to actually trust Jesus Christ Himself for salvation. In other words, Decisionism implies a mental desire or decision to become a Christian and not the actual act of faith in Christ Jesus Himself. Decisionism therefore looks inward, toward man's own totally depraved heart and will, rather than upward and Heavenward, toward our nail-pierced Savior. Decisionism is therefore quite humanistic and ungodly in nature.Decisionism is related to the terms Easy Believism, Quick-Prayerism, and Salvation by Works
Easy Believism is the idea that having a mental belief in Jesus Christ is the same as obtaining salvation. In other words, this false doctrine teaches that people only need to believe correct doctrines about Jesus or salvation rather than actually trusting Jesus Christ Himself for salvation. The Bible refutes this heretical false teaching, noting that the "devils also believe and tremble". James 2:19
Various "evangelists" often like to propagate this heresy, since it is easier to get people to believe some basic Bible facts than it is to get them to actually trust the real Jesus for their salvation. Such evangelists can then "count lots of numbers" of those sheep (i.e. goats) who have assented to certain mental beliefs. This helps such "hirelings" to "prop up" the "numbers" of people "saved" during their evangelistic meetings.
Many pastors also like to promote this heresy as well, since it helps them to avoid having to think about the need to actually get their people truly converted. With Easy-Believism, they only need to get their people to mentally assent to "believe" a few Bible facts. Very often, pastors who promote this false doctrine are lost men themselves, which helps to explain why they would be willing to promote such a demonic soul-damming false doctrine.
The wide-spread teaching of this false doctrine of "Easy Believism" is a major cause for much of the "lukewarmness" we see in so many churches during this current Laodicean church age, since most church members in today's typical churches have only had a mental belief in Jesus and/or Bible doctrines. They are therefore still lost men and women on the road down to an eternity in Hell. Lost men and women do not love Jesus. Churches filled with such "goats" are therefore generally "lukewarm" and not "hot" for Jesus and the Bible.
Easy believism is that they only tell half the truth. They preach if you are saved you go to heaven, God will bless you, God wants what is best for you. Basically, if you want a life of roses then just come to Jesus. They leave out the truth that coming to Jesus Christ will cost you. First, you must leave your sins at the cross. It may cost you your friends, your family, your job (say you were a bartender), etc. We are told to take up our cross and follow Him. Coming to Jesus is not without a cost. The world will hate us even as it hated our Master Jesus Christ. The truth is that when we are saved there is a cost, but it is worth it.
Jesus Christ is to be both our Lord and Savior. Luke 2:11
You cannot take Jesus Christ as your Savior and then someday later repent of sin and take Him as your Lord. Either you take all of Jesus Christ or you have none of Him. Jesus Christ is a person. Either I am all in this room or I am not. Since, one of the characteristics of Jesus Christ is that He is a person, then He is both Lord and Savior. When you were saved did you accept Jesus Christ as both your Lord and Savior? Did you repent of sin and turn everything you have and are to God? Or did you just repeat a little prayer and make a new year’s resolution style thought to try to be better? Are you truly saved with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior or are you just fooling yourself with an easy believist style thought of salvation only.
Another sign of easy believism is they teach you don’t have to repent of sin to be saved. This is the center point of the easy believism heresy. Next, II Timothy 4:3, one of the ways we know we are in the last days is by people wanting new teachings. They will want teachers who teach things like repentance is not necessary for salvation. The problem is that the Bible says, “Repent and be ye converted that your sins may be blotted out.” Acts 3:19.
KJV Matthew 9:12,13 & Mark 2:17 “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 When you convert something you make a complete change. We go from habitual sinners to new creatures in Christ Jesus. The Bible says that once we are saved “we are new creatures in Christ Jesus.”
The Bible tells us in Romans 6:1,2 we can not “continue in sin that grace may abound.” “How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?” Jesus Christ came to save people from their sins, not to leave them in their sins
Decisionism is a "doctrine of demons" which teaches that one only needs to make a decision to become a Christian rather than to actually trust Jesus Christ Himself for salvation. In other words, Decisionism implies a mental desire or decision to become a Christian and not the actual act of faith in Christ Jesus Himself. Decisionism therefore looks inward, toward man's own totally depraved heart and will, rather than upward and Heavenward, toward our nail-pierced Savior. Decisionism is therefore quite humanistic and ungodly in nature.Decisionism is related to the terms Easy Believism, Quick-Prayerism, and Salvation by Works
Easy Believism is the idea that having a mental belief in Jesus Christ is the same as obtaining salvation. In other words, this false doctrine teaches that people only need to believe correct doctrines about Jesus or salvation rather than actually trusting Jesus Christ Himself for salvation. The Bible refutes this heretical false teaching, noting that the "devils also believe and tremble". James 2:19
Various "evangelists" often like to propagate this heresy, since it is easier to get people to believe some basic Bible facts than it is to get them to actually trust the real Jesus for their salvation. Such evangelists can then "count lots of numbers" of those sheep (i.e. goats) who have assented to certain mental beliefs. This helps such "hirelings" to "prop up" the "numbers" of people "saved" during their evangelistic meetings.
Many pastors also like to promote this heresy as well, since it helps them to avoid having to think about the need to actually get their people truly converted. With Easy-Believism, they only need to get their people to mentally assent to "believe" a few Bible facts. Very often, pastors who promote this false doctrine are lost men themselves, which helps to explain why they would be willing to promote such a demonic soul-damming false doctrine.
The wide-spread teaching of this false doctrine of "Easy Believism" is a major cause for much of the "lukewarmness" we see in so many churches during this current Laodicean church age, since most church members in today's typical churches have only had a mental belief in Jesus and/or Bible doctrines. They are therefore still lost men and women on the road down to an eternity in Hell. Lost men and women do not love Jesus. Churches filled with such "goats" are therefore generally "lukewarm" and not "hot" for Jesus and the Bible.
Easy believism is that they only tell half the truth. They preach if you are saved you go to heaven, God will bless you, God wants what is best for you. Basically, if you want a life of roses then just come to Jesus. They leave out the truth that coming to Jesus Christ will cost you. First, you must leave your sins at the cross. It may cost you your friends, your family, your job (say you were a bartender), etc. We are told to take up our cross and follow Him. Coming to Jesus is not without a cost. The world will hate us even as it hated our Master Jesus Christ. The truth is that when we are saved there is a cost, but it is worth it.
Jesus Christ is to be both our Lord and Savior. Luke 2:11
You cannot take Jesus Christ as your Savior and then someday later repent of sin and take Him as your Lord. Either you take all of Jesus Christ or you have none of Him. Jesus Christ is a person. Either I am all in this room or I am not. Since, one of the characteristics of Jesus Christ is that He is a person, then He is both Lord and Savior. When you were saved did you accept Jesus Christ as both your Lord and Savior? Did you repent of sin and turn everything you have and are to God? Or did you just repeat a little prayer and make a new year’s resolution style thought to try to be better? Are you truly saved with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior or are you just fooling yourself with an easy believist style thought of salvation only.
Another sign of easy believism is they teach you don’t have to repent of sin to be saved. This is the center point of the easy believism heresy. Next, II Timothy 4:3, one of the ways we know we are in the last days is by people wanting new teachings. They will want teachers who teach things like repentance is not necessary for salvation. The problem is that the Bible says, “Repent and be ye converted that your sins may be blotted out.” Acts 3:19.
KJV Matthew 9:12,13 & Mark 2:17 “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 When you convert something you make a complete change. We go from habitual sinners to new creatures in Christ Jesus. The Bible says that once we are saved “we are new creatures in Christ Jesus.”
The Bible tells us in Romans 6:1,2 we can not “continue in sin that grace may abound.” “How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?” Jesus Christ came to save people from their sins, not to leave them in their sins
