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God, in His grace, may well save a few who have never even heard of Christ.
Wherever our Father has a son or daughter, I have a brother or sister.
One doesn't have to be my twin to be my brother.
The quotes above are statements that Al Maxey has made concerning his views on the plan of salvation. Although there are many more statements such as these, they are sufficient to prove that he is indeed a false teacher. How Maxey can claim to be a Christian, as well as a preacher of God's word, and at the same time utter these blasphemous statements, is unfathomable. Brethren, be not deceived. It is because these statements are deceptive, despite the fact that there is a small portion of truth found therein (Galatians 5:9). Furthermore, if they are believed and taught to others, these "damnable heresies" will send one to Hell for eternity (2 Peter 2:1). Let us examine each of them briefly.
God, in His grace, may well save a few who have never even heard of Christ. While it is certainly true that all infants and young children who die before reaching the age of accountability will go to Heaven by God's grace, this is not the subject of his statement. What Maxey is referring to is any person or group of people, such as the indigenous tribes of the Amazon rainforest in South America, to whom the word of God has not yet been preached. This teaching is in clear violation of the Scriptures. In giving the great commission, Jesus said,
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned, (Mark 16:15-16).Even after the church was established, there were many nations as well as individuals who had never heard of Christ.
He also wants you to believe that baptism is not a universal command, hence his belief that God will grant anyone a home in Heaven who never heard of Christ. But, a thorough study of God's word finds this teaching also to be erroneous. Jesus commanded that all men be baptized (Matthew 28:19). Why would Maxey want to contradict the word of God on this matter when Jesus has clearly spoken?
Wherever our Father has a son or daughter, I have a brother or sister. While it is certainly true that we have faithful brethren who live and worship together in various places around the world, this is not the subject of his statement. What Maxey is referring to is having brothers and sisters in all denominations regardless of how they became Christians. Furthermore, he promotes unity-in-diversity, a perversion of the unity found in the Bible (Ephesians 4:1-6).
Another hidden false doctrine found within this statement is the idea that "one church is just as good as another," or "join the church of your choice," or "it does not matter what you believe so long as you love Christ and your heart is sincere." Peter said,
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved," (Acts 4:12).When an individual becomes a "Christian" according to denominational (man-made) doctrine, he is not a member of the Lord's church. Rather, he becomes a member of that particular denominational (man-made) church, whether it be the Mormon church-- founded by Joseph Smith-- or the Catholic church--founded by Pope Boniface III.
One doesn't have to be my twin to be my brother. While it is certainly true that it is not necessary to think and act alike in every way in order to be brothers and sisters in Christ, this is not the subject of his statement. What Maxey is referring to is the belief that it is not necessary to agree on every issue such as marriage, divorce, and remarriage; the plan of salvation; and, the church. According to Maxey, these differences are simply opinions and are covered under the teaching of Romans 14. Contrary to what Maxey believes and teaches, we are to think and act alike in all religious matters. Paul says,
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment, (1 Corinthians 1:10).
Brethren, be not deceived and led astray by the false doctrine which Al Maxey continues to promote. His preaching and teaching contain many hidden seeds of apostasy under the banner of truth and love (1 Corinthians 15:33). Therefore, these "words and fair speeches" are designed not only to "deceive the hearts of the simple," (Romans 16:18), but also to draw a following of disciples after himself (Acts 20:20). In closing, I shall quote the apostle John, who said,
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds, (2 John 1:9-11).
Ira Mikell
ira@thechristianexaminer.com
Let us now turn our attention to the work of the flesh called "wrath" (some versions, like the ASV, use the plural "wraths") by Paul in Galatians 5:19-20:
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties...
The word translated here as "wrath" (in other versions "outbursts of anger" or "fits of anger") is the Greek word thumos, defined by Thayer as:
1) passion, angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again
2) glow, ardour, the wine of passion, inflaming wine (which either drives the drinker mad or kills him with its strength)
This word is used in Romans 2:8, Ephesians 4:31, and Colossians 3:8 in reference to "wrath:"
But unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice.
But now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth.
We may see from the definition of the word itself and its association with such things as "anger, malice, railing, [etc.]" demonstrate that this type of quality ought not even be named amongst Christians. It is a mark of one who is factious, one depraved in mind, and a characteristic of the Gentile world.
Wrath is really a strong form of anger, and we all recognize that we do feel angry from time to time. Lest anyone believe that any form of anger is sinful, Paul commands the following in Ephesians 4:26:
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Anger is a completely natural feeling; even Jesus at times was angry (Mark 3:5). There is a significant difference, however, between a feeling of anger that is quickly resolved and does not cause one to sin and a feeling of anger left to fester and burn and gives birth to sin.
How can we be angry, and yet not sin? We must remember some key ideas from the Scriptures:
There will be times when people, even brethren, will say things to us or do things to us that will anger us. If, however, we may remember that we are to love them and to seek their good, and to be humble and ready to forgive, we will avoid any temptation to sin and to stretch out our anger into wrath.
The problem with wrath and anger is in the fact that it leads to significant pain, emotionally and many times physically, for both the angry party and the one who has angered him/her. Many a time this anger and wrath is poured out in the form of words. The Christian, however, is called to tame the tongue and use it properly, as James teaches in James 3:2-12:
For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. Now if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also. Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth. So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind. But the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter? Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? Neither can salt water yield sweet.
Mastery of the tongue, along with mastery of emotions (including wrath/anger), are part of the need to "renew the mind" as Paul explains in Romans 12:1-2:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
There are many times, unfortunately, when Christians allow their anger to get the better of them, and this is condemned by Paul as "wraths," a "work of the flesh." We must always remember that we have a higher calling and must treat people differently now than we perhaps might have before we put on Christ. As we mature in the Word, working toward the renewing of our minds, we shall find it easier to remember to love our neighbors and to count everyone higher than ourselves, and any anger we shall feel will fall within the parameters of Ephesians 4:26, anger without sin which is resolved promptly. Let us strive to avoid wraths and work for the peace that is in Christ Jesus.
Ethan R. Longhenry
ethan@thechristianexaminer.com
www.deusvitae.com
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