I came across this quote today from this site:

“Whether these writers design it or not, their book will be sure to lead many to strive after fevors [sic] and ecstasies of emotion, in their religion, when they have much more need of quietness, reflection, and a faithful observance of common duties. It will lead them to proclaim aloud their own attainments in holiness, when there is much more need that they should give evidence of such attainments in their daily life and conduct. It will lead them to censure, and even to despise, their brethren and sisters in the churches from whose counsel and example they have much need to learn wisdom. It will lead them to adopt impressions, and visions, and emotions, and supposed witness of the Spirit, as the infallible guide of their religious life, and thus shut their minds and hearts against instructions and admonitions, to which they should give earnest heed.”

This quote is taken from an article written for The New Englander in 1850 entitled “Perfect Love Attained,” that is a critical review of a book that promoted the poor theology and consequences of Charles Finney’s doctrine of Perfectionism along with the detrimental effects upon its believers. In case you did not know, the Finney doctrine of perfectionalism is defined as the belief that man is (1): either not born a sinner, or (2): is able to achieve a sinless state in his lifetime. This second definition of this doctrine is taught very heavily in Pentecostal circles were this doctrine literally means that we can be perfect and sinless. In other words, accidents and mistakes are ’sin’.

If you look at classical Pentecostal theology, it is heavily based on many concepts and beliefs that Finney practiced such as perfectionalism, altar calls, losing your salvation and many other beliefs. Phillip R. Johnson in his article about Finney quoted from Finney’s own book entitled “Systematic Theology” (pages 368-69) where Finney states:

By sanctification being a condition of justification, the following things are intended:

(1.) That present, full, and entire consecration of heart and life to God and His service, is an unalterable condition of present pardon of past sin, and of present acceptance with God.

(2.) That the penitent soul remains justified no longer than this full-hearted consecration continues. If he falls from his first love into the spirit of self-pleasing, he falls again into bondage to sin and to the law, is condemned, and must repent and do his “first work,” must turn to Christ, and renew his faith and love, as a condition of his salvation. . . .

Perseverance in faith and obedience, or in consecration to God, is also an unalterable condition of justification, or of pardon and acceptance with God. By this language in this connection, you will of course understand me to mean, that perseverance in faith and obedience is a condition, not of present, but of final or ultimate acceptance and salvation

In other words, every time I sin (or if one takes Finney’s theory to the extreme it has to be take to in reference to accidents and mistakes, miscalculations), I automatically lose my salvation and have to get “re-saved’ and “re-repent’. Nowhere in the Bible does it state the doctrine of being ‘re-saved’. The Bible only mentions the word ’saved’ therefore this is an one-time act and therefore I have now come to the belief that once you are saved, you are always saved. If Finneyism is true, then salvation is really hinged on my performance (or a performance based on someone’s legalism made into Thus saith The Lord) and not on the atonement via the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, if one takes Finney’s belief into practice, one can not ‘be free from condemnation’ per Romans 8 because it is the condemnation that is the driving force behind Finney’s practice to keep people from licentious living. The Holy Scriptures of John 3:18 and John 5:24

I have to now conclude that the theology of ‘freedom’ that Finney claimed to be the apostolic architect of is in reality, another legalistic bondage that binds people into rules, regulations, perfectionalism, and consequence instead of setting them free to partake of the justification by faith and the sovereign grace and providence of God. Instead of leading one into a relationship with Christ to progress forward in the Christian walk, Finney’s horrific beliefs actually lead to a theological dead end like a cul-de-sac where the dead end occurs and one circles and circles in the cul-de-sac before eventually deciding to steer off back on the road that leads back to the main highway.

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