The Berean Call And T. A. McMahon’s Suicide Seduction!

FMH Children’s Club International
–– A Company Of Prophets ––
P.O. Box 640109
El Paso, TX 79904

The following letter-form was brought about as a means of teaching my children the Word of God through the mail. And of course, quite naturally so, that’s the reason I begin these letters with "Dear Children" and end them with "Love Dad". So for the rest of you who participate in these weekly messages, please keep their original intended purpose in mind.

10 July, 2011

Dear Children,

I would like to start off today’s message with a simple yet profound promise from the Lord God Almighty to T. A. McMahon of “The Berean Call Ministry”:

You, T. A. McMahon, will be held accountable for each and every Believer in Christ Jesus (man, woman or child) that commits self-murder as the result of your heretical teaching that promises the Christian suicide victim will only lose some of their heavenly “rewards” but not their eternal “salvation”. You, T. A. McMahon, will be tried and sentenced as the murderer of each and every self-murdered person who believed in your damnable lie. Their blood will be on your hands, T. A. McMahon, and the burning flames of Hell will be your everlasting reward for all eternity!

Berean Call

The preceding promise is what this sermonet – “The Berean Call And T. A. McMahon’s Suicide Seduction!” – is really all about. That’s what needed to be said about what T. A McMahon had to say… and this is how it all came about:

Every month “The Berean Call Ministry” puts out a newsletter that’s most often very informative and biblically correct. However, it was in their July 2011 issue – “Seduction: A Primer for Persecution?” – that they took their “once saved, always saved” (OSAS) teachings to an all time low. Because the following “question” from one of their readers is what brought on T. A. McMahon’s damnable “response” concerning “Christian suicide”:

– Suicide Seduction –
(Download MP3)

QUESTION: There are many who advocate that a born-again believer in Christ can commit suicide and still be saved. They stress the fact that there is only one sin that God will not forgive: blaspheming the Holy Spirit. They use King Saul, Samson, and Judas Iscariot. My thought on this is that no saint can/could ever give up on life, self, or God because His Spirit is in them and is the Life of the believer. The works of the flesh are described in Galatians 5:19-21a. Could you explain the differences between these three men (Samson, Judas, and King Saul) as to what their deaths proved? Is it possible for a saint to commit suicide?

So, the bottom line of the “question” asked was: “Is it possible for a saint to commit suicide?” And with that question in mind, it was only a few weeks back that I had the very unpleasant task of writing a sermonet – “David Wilkerson Lost His Song!” – about a beloved “Saint” that actually took his own life… and even though that same “Saint” wrote a book entitled “Suicide” and preached against it for many years. David Wilkerson fully understood that the sin of self-murder would only bring about God’s judgment and the everlasting torments of Hell, but yet he allowed the Devil, in his role as the “roaring lion”, to completely devour his soul:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (G2666):” (1 Peter 5:8 KJV)

Devour (G2666) [kat-ap-ee'-no] - From G2596 and G4095; to drink down, that is, gulp entire (literally or figuratively): - devour, drown, swallow (up). (Strong’s Hebrew And Greek Dictionary)

“He [the devil] walks about, seeking whom he may devour; his whole design is to devour and destroy souls. To this end he is unwearied and restless in his malicious endeavours; for he always, night and day, goes about studying and contriving whom he may ensnare to their eternal ruin.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary On The Whole Bible)

Now that is God’s Truth concerning the very real possibility of any “Saint” becoming “eternally ruined” (destroyed) by the Devil… and suicide is just one of the many ways in which he can accomplish that task.

But getting back to the original “question”, and T. A. McMahon’s “response” to it, the following is the unbelievably heretical answer that he gave (http://www.fmh-child.org/audio/Suicide_Seduction.mp3):

RESPONSE: The answer to your question has little to do with King Saul, Samson, nor especially Judas. The answer is predicated upon this biblical absolute: Everyone who is truly born again, who has by grace alone through faith alone believed that Jesus paid the full penalty for one's sins (which He did--past, present, and future!) has therefore received the gift of eternal life.

One might as well ask if a saint of God could commit adultery, steal, or even murder. Tragically, it has proved to be possible for Christians to commit all manner of wickedness. Such is the nature of mankind, whose heart is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). As such a person goes through life and, for whatever reasons, is overtaken by the world, the flesh, or the devil--even to the point of suicide--his fruitfulness in life and his eternal rewards will be affected, but it cannot affect his gift of eternal life, which he neither earned nor could pay for.

A believer who is truly saved and maturing in Christ should not desire to commit any sin. The Word of God abounds in exhortations directed at believers to live their temporal life for Christ, to fight the good fight of faith, to beware of the wiles of the devil, who goes about seeking whom he may devour, etc. There would be no such admonitions directed at believers if they were immune to those things that would shipwreck their faith. But as God's Word repeatedly affirms, we are assured that His gift of eternal life extends even to those saints who fail.

*****************************************

Now, what’s wrong with that picture? I mean, in the very first paragraph of T. A. McMahon’s damnable diatribe he presents the OSAS lie that the Believer (Saint) is eternally secure in Christ as a result of their “past, present, and future sins” having been covered by the Blood of Jesus. However, my King James Bible says something entirely different:

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-26 KJV)

You see it was God’s Divine Plan that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” And of course the primary focus of that initial salvation experience – the sinner turned Saint (Believer) – is that the Blood of Jesus has covered their “past sins” in order to allow the Holy Spirit to indwell them and empower them to “sin no more!” Romans 3:25 only covers “past sins” and excludes any “present and future sins” for that very same reason.

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2 KJV)

So, according to God’s Holy Word, any and all “present and future sins” committed by the Believer (Saint) after their initial salvation experience must be sincerely repented of and cleansed by the Blood of Jesus… or else the following will apply:

“And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers (G5406), and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:6-8 KJV)

Murderer (G5406) [fon-yooce'] - From G5408; a murderer (always of criminal [or at least intentional] homicide; which G443 does not necessarily imply; while G4607 is a special term for a public bandit): - murderer. (Strong’s Hebrew And Greek Dictionary)

G5408 [fon'-os] - From an obsolete primary pheno? (to slay); murder: - murder, + be slain with, slaughter. (Strong’s Hebrew And Greek Dictionary)

Now I fully realize that the proponents of the OSAS damnable doctrines of “eternal security” (such as T. A. McMahon) will have some perverted means of disqualifying that particular Scripture (Revelation 21:6-8) for all those Christians who commit self-murder (suicide). So just in case there might be a few who’re having a hard time rationalizing the fact that suicide is the act of killing one’s self (self-murder), here’s another Scripture that will clear up any doubt:

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile (G5351) the temple of God, him shall God destroy (G5351); for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 KJV)

Defile/Destroy (G5351) [fthi'-ro] - Probably strengthened from phthio (to pine or waste): properly to shrivel or wither, that is, to spoil (by any process) or (genitive) to ruin (especially figuratively by moral influences, to deprave): - corrupt (self), defile, destroy. (Strong’s Hebrew And Greek Dictionary)

The human body was designed by God Almighty to be the dwelling place (temple) for the Holy Spirit. So now try and imagine what happens to that human body when the owner of it decides to toss it in front of a speeding locomotive. Or how about the human body after the owner puts a 45 caliber bullet through the side of it’s head? Or how about the human body after the owner pours lighter fluid all over it and torches it to a crisp? I would dare say that anybody in their right mind would argue the fact that the grotesque remains of those God-designed temples were not only lifeless, but, more importantly, they were ruined, spoiled, defiled, and destroyed… as in uninhabitable for the Holy Spirit.

So, God Almighty promises to destroy those (Christian or otherwise) who destroy their own bodies. Call it suicide, self-murder, or whatever you want, but God promises them a destruction that continue forever in the burning flames of Hell:

“…shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

And with that in mind, let’s now discuss the possibility of the Christian “self-murderer” receiving forgiveness from the Lord for their sin of murder. Because, as Romans 3:25 1 and John 2:1-2 points out, it’s only the past sins of the Believer (Saint) that are under the Blood of Jesus and thereby forgiven… not present or future sins. But then again, what is there to discuss? I mean, after all, it’s impossible for the “murderer” to repent of their sin of “self-murder” after they (the victim) are already dead. And as Pastor Increase Mather points out, it’s also impossible for the “self-murderer” to do it before they murder themselves:

“It may be said, I will repent and pray for the pardon of my sin, before I do it. I answer: What a delusion of Satan! I have read indeed of a philosopher, who called upon his gods and so threw himself into the fire to his own destruction. But canst thou think, that God will hear such prayers? No, — Psalm 66:18, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. If thou comest before God with bloody resolutions in thy heart, God will not accept of thy prayers. He says, Isaiah 1:15, When you make many prayers, I will not hear, your hands are full of blood. Nor can this be called repentance: For a man to confess a sin, and be resolved still upon the commission of it! No, tis he who confesseth and forsaketh, that shall find mercy.” – Pastor Increase Mather

Now do you get the picture? The basic definition of “repentance” disqualifies any possibility of the Believer (Saint) receiving forgiveness for a sin that they are going to commit in the future… because true repentance means that the Believer (Saint) has determined to “sin no more”:

“The [Hebrew] term, shu?bh, is most generally employed to express the Scriptural idea of genuine repentance. It is used extensively by the prophets, and makes prominent the idea of a radical change in one's attitude toward sin and God. It implies a conscious, moral separation, and a personal decision to forsake sin and to enter into fellowship with God. It is employed extensively with reference to man's turning away from sin to righteousness (Deu_4:30; Neh_1:9; Psa_7:12; Jer_3:14).” (International Standard Bible Encylcopedia)

True repentance is what the life of a Christian is really all about. And this is what A. W. Pink had to say about it:

“Repentance is a supernatural and inward revelation from God, giving a deep consciousness of what I am in His sight, which causes me to loathe and condemn myself, resulting in a bitter sorrow for sin, a holy horror and hatred for sin, and a turning away from or forsaking of sin. It is the discovery of God’s high and righteous claims upon me, and of my lifelong failure to meet those claims. It is the recognition of the holiness and goodness of his law, and my defiant insubordination thereto. It is the perception that God has the right to rule and govern me, and of my refusal to submit to Him.” – A. W. Pink

Now, what we have just done concerning T. A. McMahon’s demonic diatribe on “Christian suicide” is exactly what his ministry – “The Berean Call” – teaches it’s listeners to do: “Search the Scriptures daily to see whether those things are so.” And, of course, it’s through God’s Holy Word that we have just proved that T. A. McMahon’s teaching on “Christian suicide” is “not so” according to the Scriptures. So with that in mind, the following is how T. A. McMashon started out his July 2011 issue of “The Berean Call” newsletter – “Seduction: A Primer for Persecution?”

“For the last three decades, Dave Hunt and I have addressed many trends and teachings that have influenced the evangelical church, particularly in the United States. Our concern has focused primarily on unbiblical beliefs and practices that were turning Christians away from the Word of God. Twenty-five years ago, we wrote The Seduction of Christianity, a rather controversial book that was motivated by feedback from those who had read Dave's earlier books and had watched the film documentaries to which I had contributed in the early eighties. Some dealt specifically with religious cults (Cult Explosion, The God Makers, etc.). Responses from Christians who read those books and watched the films, however, alerted us to the fact that the cult beliefs that we identified were also being taught in their churches, which were being influenced by leading Charismatic and Word/Faith teachers. Those same false teachers were also spreading cultish doctrines throughout the country on Christian television networks.”

So isn’t it ironic that T. A. McMahon preempted his demonic diatribe on “Christian suicide” by talking about “unbiblical beliefs and practices that are turning Christians away from the Word of God”? But that’s not all! Here’s more of what he had to say about unbiblical teachers such as himself:

“In Matthew 24:4, Jesus warns that the last days prior to His return will be a time of religious deception: "Take heed that no man deceive you." He adds (v.24) that the deception will be so great that if it were possible the very elect could be deceived. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus refers to the "strait gate" and "narrow way" that leads to life and announces that "few there be that find it." Luke writes (18:8) the sobering words of our Lord regarding the time of His return: "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith upon the earth?" Since His Second Coming is for the purpose of judgment and to save Israel from annihilation, His words here seem better suited to His coming for His bride in the midst of a professing Christianity that has joined the apostasy. The Apostle Paul gives this insightful explanation as to how apostasy could manifest among those who call themselves Christians: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).”

Amazing, wouldn’t you say? T. A. McMahon put the bust on himself for teaching his own heresies! What more do I need to say? “Keep on keeping the faith in Jesus!!!”

Love,

Dad (Bruce Hallman)

“ALL FOR THE LOVE OF JESUS”