I don't like refuting and exposing doctrinally wayward preachers, but it is necessary. The Bible repeatedly warns us about false prophets sneaking into the church (Titus 1:10-13; Ephesians 5:22; Jude 1:4 - Note: all Scriptures are quoted only from the trustworthy King James Bible). From the research I've done, and working as an inner city youth pastor myself for many years, I admire Dr. Wilkerson for reaching out to those often cast away as the unreachable. Yet, nothing is more important than Biblical doctrine (truth).
There are very helpful ministries all across America, which do much good, but even the phallic-worshipping, Luciferian, Freemason lodge is renowned for their much good deeds and Shriners hospitals for children. So even Luciferian-worshipping cults can do much good work in society. The Word of God says that the New Testament Church is the ground and pillar of the truth (1st Timothy 3:15). Tragically, most of our churches these days have become entertainment centers, substituting hard-preaching with devotional-types messages, and the subjects of Hell, fire and eternal damnation are never mentioned. The average church today is a joke; they sing, praise, tithe and laugh, but there is no real preaching of the truth.
Here's some brief background information on Pastor David R. Wilkerson...
David Ray Wilkerson (May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011) was an American Christian evangelist, best known for his book The Cross and the Switchblade. He was the founder of the addiction recovery program Teen Challenge, and founding pastor of the non-denominational Times Square Church in New York. Wilkerson's widely distributed sermons, such as "A Call to Anguish", are known for being direct and frank against apostasy and serious about making the commitment to obey Jesus' teachings. He emphasized such Christian beliefs as God's holiness and righteousness, God's love toward humans and especially Christian views of Jesus. Wilkerson tried to avoid categorizing Christians into distinct groups according to the denomination to which they belong. Wilkerson was killed in a car crash in Texas on April 27, 2011.
THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO DAVID WILKERSON...
The following words from Pastor David Wilkerson's sermon are in MAROON font.
The BLACK comments are mine...
The following heretical teachings by Pastor David Wilkerson are quoted from his publication titled, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ” [World Challenge, Inc. Publications, May 10, 2004, Times Square Church Pulpit Series]. ...
“What is the true gospel of Jesus Christ? Even most non-believers know the Bible contains four gospel accounts, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. —Pastor David Wilkerson
[Comment: Bad way to start because there aren't four different accounts of the gospel of eternal life. There is only one way to heaven as declared throughout the bible without exception: a moment of faith alone in Christ alone + nothing else]
So, what is the essence of these gospels, or 'the good news'?
When Christians speak of the gospel of Jesus Christ, what is it we're talking about?
Scripture gives us several definitions of what this gospel is. —Pastor David Wilkerson
[Comment: This leaves the gospel open to the possibility that the gospel has more than one definition, i.e., more than one way to heaven and that one must study many passages in order to determine what one must do to go to heaven - in essence, one must master the whole bible in order to secure eternal life]
And we're to use these biblical definitions to determine whether the true gospel of Christ is alive in His church.
1) JESUS SAYS HIS CHURCH IS ONE OF SELF-DENIAL AND A CROSS —Pastor David Wilkerson
[Comment: This is obviously a faulty statement because the Gospel is the good news of what God has done for man. Religion is man trying to reach God by human effort, but Christianity is God trying to reach man by the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.]
[Matthew 16:24]:
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.'” —Pastor David Wilkerson
[Comment: This is not the Gospel. It is obviously a passage on how to become a disciple, i.e., how an already saved individual can become a disciple, i.e., a follower of Jesus Christ. Notice that there is nothing in this passage that indicates what it takes for one to gain eternal life. The concept of losing one's life, or soul which occurs later on in the passage, refers not to eternal life but to the loss of the value of one's life in eternity relative to eternal rewards and not to the securing of eternal life.]
Clearly, belonging to Jesus' church means more than merely believing in Him. —Pastor David Wilkerson
[Comment: The bible teaches that a moment of faith alone in Christ alone + nothing else is all that is needed to have eternal life and immediately and forever become part of the Body of Christ, the Church.]
Many Christians today merely 'cast a vote for Jesus.' Their attitude is, 'I voted for Christ. That makes me a member of His party.' But once they cast their vote, they walk away and forget all about His Lordship over their lives. —Pastor David Wilkerson
[The Scripture indicates that when one becomes a believer, i.e., casts a vote of faith alone in Christ alone, and when that believer sins, God's grace covers that sin wherein the believer does not lose or invalidate his salvation because of God's grace - he is truly saved and always will remain saved. But does this give the believer God's permission to sin? No, of course not. The apostle Paul says in Romans 5:20-6:2 that the believer is dead to sin, i.e., it's control over him, so he should not continue in sin. We also read this in Romans 3:31. But it is indeed the choice of the believer. If the believer sins, then God will chastise him or her - Hebrews 12:6-8]
Jesus says belonging to His church goes much further than that. It means committing to follow him. And that involves a life of self-denial and taking up a cross. —Pastor David Wilkerson
[Know anyone who can do this to God's satisfaction - a life of self-denial and taking up a cross? Compare Mark 10:27. Hence salvation is not of man's doing and all of God's through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. Committing to follow Jesus, taking up ones cross, etc, etc., are all part of being a disciple not part of what one must do to have the free gift of eternal life. Eternal life, i.e., being saved unto eternal life is not of oneself, not of works, all by the grace of God, a free gift; hence excluding human effort such as following Jesus or taking up one's cross in order to be saved. See Ephesians 2:8-10. The fact is, Christ's church has never been approved or accepted by the world. And it never will be. If you live for Jesus, you won't have to separate yourself from others' company: they'll do it for you. All you have to do is live for him. Suddenly, you'll find yourself reproached, rejected, called evil.]
Christ tells us, 'My church is without spot or wrinkle. So when you come to me, you must be willing to lay down all sins. You must surrender all to Me, to die completely to self, to all ungodly ambition and ego. —Pastor David Wilkerson
[Comment: Know anyone who can do this to God's satisfaction???? This is tantamount to demanding sinless perfection or at least a promise therein and it declares the capacity of the unbeliever to promise and follow through on sinless perfection]
By faith, you'll be buried with Me. But I will raise you up into new life. —Pastor David Wilkerson
[Comment: Wilkerson has taken to editorialize Romans chapter 6 by implying that by faith one is buried with Christ and as a result will be raised up into a new life of perfect holiness. But if he took the trouble to read ALL of the chapter, he would have discovered that the one who expresses faith in Christ does not have a surety of a perfectly holy life. Rather he is exhorted not to offer the parts of his body to unrighteousness.]
Think about what it means to be without spot or wrinkle. We know a spot is a stain. But what about a wrinkle? Have you ever heard the phrase, 'a new wrinkle'? It means adding a new idea to an existing concept. A wrinkle, in that sense, applies to those who try to improve on the Gospel. It suggests an easy way to attain heaven, without full surrender to Christ. —Pastor David Wilkerson
[Comment: This is total heresy. No where in the Bible are we taught to surrender to Christ to be saved. Know anyone who has given absolutely full surrender to Christ all his life - without failing? Know anyone who can??? It is unbiblical, absurd and impossible to demand that an individual fully surrender to Christ without failure in order to attain heaven, especially in the light of so many passages that indicate salvation is by grace through faith, a free gift, not of yourselves, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). BTW the phrase 'without wrinkle' has nothing to do in the context of the passage with 'adding a new idea to try to improve on the gospel' as Wilkerson states. It simply refers to being perfect - perfect because God Himself declares the believer perfect because of the believer's expression of a moment of faith alone in His Son alone. This is what the doctrine of justification by faith is all about. The rest of Wilkerson's article continues to demand more and more perfection of the believer all his life in order to attain eternal life.
