Characteristics of the Modern Gift Believer

[AVBunyan]

Before I cover the characteristics of the Modern Gift Believer I’d like to give some background of how I arrived at these characteristics.

I was part of this movement when God first saved me over 20 years ago.   My background was one of a musician who was lost in drugs and finally alcohol.  God sent me a man who gave me the gospel (I Cor. 15:1-5) and God gloriously saved my wretched soul back in the spring of 1981. With no one to guide me except the one who gave me the gospel I started attending “full gospel” churches.  I was excited because most of the people seemed happy and upbeat and this was contrary to the life I had been leading for the past 12 years.

I attended many services my first 6 months but never had a peace about it.  Confusion reigned over my life during this time.  But God, who is rich in mercy, led me to a Bible believer who sat me down, took an AV1611 and showed me real Bible truths for the first time and I was delivered!   The two things that brought me out was the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and a King James Bible believer who cared for my soul and taught me right division (dispensational truth).

Now, after 20 years or so I’ve observed some things about the “gifters”.  What I am going to show you are what I believe are the general characteristics of the modern “gifters”.  Now I worded that carefully – I said GENERAL.  I do not believe all “gifters” fall into the characteristics I will list below.  I believe these characteristics are found in others also.
 
Characteristics:
1. Generally there is a lack of Bible understanding of the foundational doctrines of the faith, especially justification for they generally believe you can lose your salvation.
2. Generally there is an abundance of worldly music in their personal lives and church services.
3. Generally there is a lack of awareness of the old writers (Jonathan Edwards, John Owen, Thomas Watson, Richard Baxter, etc.)
4. Generally they are easily provoked, especially in regards to their gifts.
5. Generally they are motivated by fleshly experiences.
6. Generally their services are inundated with women teachers and preachers.
7. Generally they focus their Bible reading and study on Jewish books instead of the Pauline epistles (except, of course, for I Cor 12-14).
8. Generally they have little understanding of Paul’s prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I and II Timothy, Titus and Philemon).
9. Generally they follow the modern translations over the tried and tested AV1611.
10. Generally the women run the homes and now some of their churches.
11. Generally TV is full of these kinds of preachers so the world thinks this is fundamental Christianity.
12. Generally they are not soul winners.
13. Generally their leaders have produced little, if any, sound writings for future generations.

Now why do these characteristics follow this group?  I believe it is because most of them could possibly be lost.  They may be nice, sincere, and friendly people (unless provoked).  They may be able to quote many Bible verses, search Google for numerable articles for debate, build big churches, and generally follow basic Christian teachings but they are still lost for the most part.  Why are they lost?  God has not called many of them to salvation so they’ve called themselves.  Also, see point 1 above.

Again, there are some “gifters” that do not fall into all the above and there are others in other denominations that fall into some of the above.  But, for the most part the above characteristics fit most of the “gifters”.  You say, “That is your opinion.”  Yes, you are right, that is my opinion and I am sure you have yours – that is one of the things that makes this nation so great.

This may sound hard and judgmental but we are living in the last days and perilous times are here.  It is easy to say a Muslim, Hindu, or an atheist is not saved and spend much wasted time debating them but the truth of the matter is we, as Bible believing saints, must be able to discern who among “professing” Christians are really saved for two reasons:  
1. To protect ourselves, family, and churches from their errors.  
2. To be able to pray for them that God might open their eyes to the true gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ taught by the apostle Paul.

May God bless

[Berean_]

[quote author=AVBunyan

Characteristics:
1. Generally there is a lack of Bible understanding of the foundational doctrines of the faith, especially justification for they generally believe you can lose your salvation.
7. Generally they focus their Bible reading and study on Jewish books instead of the Pauline epistles (except, of course, for I Cor 12-14).
8. Generally they have little understanding of Paul’s prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I and II Timothy, Titus and Philemon).

Now why do these characteristics follow this group?  I believe it is because most of them could possibly be lost.  They may be nice, sincere, and friendly people (unless provoked).  They may be able to quote many Bible verses, search Google for numerable articles for debate, build big churches, and generally follow basic Christian teachings but they are still lost for the most part.  Why are they lost?  God has not called many of them to salvation so they’ve called themselves.  Also, see point 1 above.


This may sound hard and judgmental but we are living in the last days and perilous times are here.  It is easy to say a Muslim, Hindu, or an atheist is not saved and spend much wasted time debating them but the truth of the matter is we, as Bible believing saints, must be able to discern who among “professing” Christians are really saved for two reasons:  
1. To protect ourselves, family, and churches from their errors.  
2. To be able to pray for them that God might open their eyes to the true gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ taught by the apostle Paul.

May God bless

______________________________________________

I agreed with your post AV I just picked out these few items to say that I know a woman who was in the Charismatic movement. The church loved her, had meetings in her home. Always tried to teach her how to speak in tongues. I met this woman on a Christian board and through the months was presenting to her Paul and how he is the Apostle to the Gentiles and that Church doctrine is in his Epistles, not all through the Bible. She was taught that the Old Testament and the Gospels are meant for the church just as Paul's Epistles were. So what she ended up with is Judaism/law mixed with grace.. It is very confusing and one can not know what God's will is for the Body of Christ by doing this.

She began studying God's Word and saw that what Paul was saying was the truth. That it was 7-10 years after Pentacost that Paul was saved in Acts 9, and that Jesus from heaven revealed to him that he was the Apostle to the Gentiles and the dispenser of the age of grace. He was to reveal the Mystery which was kept secret since the world began, the Body of Christ, Jew and Gentile together on equal footing. Before Paul was saved there was no Body of Christ...for the Body of Christ is Jew and Gentile together on equal footing.  

God doesn't tell Peter until Acts 10 that Gentiles are now no longer unclean.

So when this person learned how to rightly divide the Word of God she came out of the Charismatic movement and soon after found the Gospel that is for today, guess what...she got saved. Now she thought she was saved before...but all she had were the things listed by AV in his post, and when these were out of her life and the Word of God rightly divided in her life...this is what changed her life, this is when she was saved.

I am still in touch with this person...and she is still forever grateful, and knows that there are so many others left behind in churches like the one she was in, where they are not saved, only trying to speak in tongues and unable to know God's Word for us today, because they do not know where to look for it.

The Gospel for today I Corinthians 15:1-4

 1: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2: By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4: And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

[AVBunyan]

[quote author=AVBunyan

I am still in touch with this person...and she is still forever grateful, and knows that there are so many others left behind in churches like the one she was in, where they are not saved, only trying to speak in tongues and unable to know God's Word for us today, because they do not know where to look for it.

The Gospel for today I Corinthians 15:1-4

 1: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
: By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4: And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Great testimony to the power of the word of God rightly divided - I apprecaite hearing that story.   Thanks Berean -
People would be surposed just how many saints do not know what is the gospel as you presented above.

Good job- great verse.

God bless

[Heidi]

I believe that the reason that most of this is happening is prophesy. I agree that we are nearing end times. "No one can come to me unless the Father draws him." God is allowing the devil to play a huge part in end times. It's going to happen this way because it's in His plan. Jesus prophesied that His true believers will be hated because of Him. The world (unbelievers, which include wolves in sheep's clothing)does not WANT to hear his words because they are convicting. That is why His true message will NEVER be popular! I'm a writer. I've thought many times about writing a book about Jesus's true message but it could never get published because tthe truth is convicting.  People simply want to hear what itching ears want to hear. They elect "popular" pastors, women, homosexuals, any people who are worldly. This reflects Jesus's words that Few will be saved. The true spiritual journey is a difficult one because it requires painful self-honesty about our own sins. It requires seeing our own pride, envy, sloth, lust, greed, gluttony, and wrath. Spiritual growth is about the plank in our eye, and ONLY the plank in our own eye. 95-99% of the population do not want to do this. I no longer go to church because of the false teachings that are so rampant. That's one reason I like forums like this one where we can exchange ideas instead of having the bible interpreted for us. Again, anything that leads us to Christ alone and the fruits of the spirit is from the Holy Spirit. And anything that leads us glorify men, including ourselves, is from the devil.