The Deadly Corrupt Preaching Of Pastor Roland Rasmussen

Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Pastor Roland M. Rasmussen (1916-2020), was a great man, but not a godly man. Job 32:9-10, “Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment. Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.” Proverbs 16:31, “The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.” Kindly said, pastor Rasmussen was not a born-again Christian! No way, as I will show you.

The following is a critical review of Pastor Roland Rasmussen's heretical open letter (dated December 12, 1996) to Dr. Shelton Smith (editor of the Sword of the Lord). The open letter was titled: “Repentance Versus the Heresies of Curtis Hutson & Jack Hyles.” Sadly, Pastor Rasmussen publicly attacked Pastor's Curtis Hutson and Jack Hyles for preaching salvation by faith alone! Dr. Rasmussen taught that to be saved a person must also turn away from a lifestyle of sinning. This is the SAME demonic garbage preached by the Bob Jones University crowd today!!!

*Robert N. Wilkin (Th.M., PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is the Founder and Executive Director of Grace Evangelical Society and co-host of Grace in Focus Radio. He lives in Highland Village, TX with his wife, Sharon.

'Repentance Versus the Heresies of Curtis Hutson & Jack Hyles': An Open Letter (dated Dec. 12, 1996) to Dr. Shelton Smith, Editor of Sword of the Lord. By Roland Rasmussen. Published in pamphlet form by Faith Baptist Church of Canoga Park, CA. 21 pp.

Here is Pastor Wilkin's excellent critique of Dr. Roland Rasmussen's deadly false doctrine, and a valiant defense of the free grace Gospel...

Having written my doctoral dissertation on repentance and salvation, I read this booklet with keen interest. As the title suggests, this booklet could hardly be described as irenic; it is a strong attack on the Free Grace view of the gospel.

Its thesis is that faith alone is not sufficient to save anyone. According to Rasmussen, sorrow for sin and turning from sins are also required for salvation.

This raises a problem for anyone who believes in justification by faith alone. How can justification be by faith alone if remorse and “abandonment of sin” (p. 13) are also required? However, seemingly unaware that what he is saying contradicts justification by faith alone, Rasmussen rebukes the late Dr. Hutson for teaching that faith and repentance are synonyms. Hutson advocated the change-of-mind view also held by such men as Drs. Lewis Sperry Chafer and Charles C. Ryrie. Rasmussen directly states that “faith and repentance are not the same” (p. 19, though no page numbers appear in the booklet). Clearly there can be no other conclusion than that for Rasmussen there are at least two (or even three) conditions of salvation: 1) faith, and 2) remorse over—and turning from—one’s sins. Faith isn’t enough. Nor are faith and remorse enough (see p. 13). All three are required.

Rasmussen doesn’t say, but one wonders which sins must be abandoned? How would a person seeking salvation know what he or she had to give up in order to be saved? Should we carry around a list of the sins which must be forsaken? If so, where do we get this list? Does the Bible contain a list of sins that must be forsaken to gain the free gift of eternal life? Logically, if sins must be abandoned, then all sins must be abandoned. That would include both sins of commission—things we do which we are commanded not to do (such as lying, cheating, stealing, coveting, being jealous, having outbursts of anger, etc.) and sins of omission—things we fail to do but are commanded to do (such as praying without ceasing, giving, loving our neighbor as ourselves, owing no man anything, loving your wife as Christ loves the church, submitting to your husband, etc.).

There are many biblical difficulties inherent in the view that one must abandon his sins in order to gain eternal salvation—none of which is answered in the booklet. According to the Gospel of John, the only book in the Bible whose express purpose is evangelistic (John 20:31), the only condition of eternal life is believing in Jesus. Repentance isn’t mentioned even once.

Jesus didn’t tell the woman at the well in John 4:17-18ff that she needed to be sorry for her sins, or that she needed to resolve to give them up. Nor did John indicate that she was sorry, or that she determined to turn from her sins.

Likewise in Acts 15:7-11; 16:30-31 and Ephesians 2:8-9 there is no mention of remorse or turning from sins. Salvation is not of works, lest anyone should boast.

If even one passage in Scripture clearly shows that a person is saved by faith alone, apart from remorse or turning from sins (and many do), then we can be sure that faith is the only requirement, since Scripture is without error and doesn’t contradict itself.

This booklet contains three citations from seventeenth century Baptist creeds which adopt the view that to be saved one must have remorse for his sins and must either resolve to amend his life or else actually endeavor to do so. While this is interesting, I wonder what it proves. The issue, which surely Rasmussen would agree with, is what the Scriptures teach, not the Council of Trent, Vatican II, the Westminster Confession of Faith, or the Second London Confession of 1688 (one of the Baptist Creeds Rasmussen cites). Even if every Baptist who ever lived held Rasmussen’s view—and thank God they have not—if the Scriptures don’t teach that view, then it must be rejected.

Herein lies the major weakness of Rasmussen’s presentation: The author devotes only about one page (part of pp. 15 and 16) in an effort to show that his position is biblical. Interestingly, in none of the limited passages he cites is salvation even mentioned! The closest is Luke 13:3, which says, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” That text in no way proves Rasmussen’s view. In the first place, some commentators feel that Jesus was speaking of perishing physically. Jesus may well have been promising that, apart from national repentance, Israel would fall and be removed from the promised land and many Jews would die. (This is what happened in the Jewish Wars of A.D. 66-70.) In the second place, even if this is referring to individuals and eternal condemnation, one must still determine what Jesus meant here by “repent” (metanoeō). Rasmussen fails to show contextual evidence that it doesn’t mean “change of mind regarding Christ,” as Hutson and Hyles would presumably argue. In fact, he merely cites the verse and moves on, with not a word of comment about it.

Rasmussen would like for Sword of the Lord to adopt his view of the gospel. Fortunately, that isn’t likely to happen, since Sword of the Lord has long stood for the clear gospel, the free gift of eternal life received by faith alone in Christ alone.

Robert N. Wilkin

Associate Editor

Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society

Irving, TX

SOURCE 

Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty! 

Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.

Turning away from sinful ways would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work.

If to “repent” means to forsake our sinful ways TO BE SAVED, but Jesus already paid for our sins by dying on the cross, then what are we repenting from?

The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.

We must stay true to the simplicity of the gospel!! Repentance regarding salvation is a change of mind from unbelief to belief!!! We must earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 1:3).

Interestingly, according to Pastor Steven L. Anderson of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona, it was Pastor Roland Rasmussen who led both of Brother Anderson's parents to the Lord. That is disturbing! How can an infidel win others to Christ? Pastor Anderson rightly preaches that no one can be saved who adds keeping the deeds of the law (i.e., turning away from sin) to be saved. Read what the Apostle Paul said to rebuke the Bob Jones University, John MacArthur and Roland Rasmussen crowd of their time in the first century:

Galatians 3:1-3, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

The Greek word baskaino for “bewitched” in Colossians 3:1 is very interesting. It means “to malign, that is, (by extension), to fascinate (by false representations).” The word “malign” here is defined as malignant, i.e., a cancerous tumor! A cancerous tumor is malignant, meaning it can grow and spread to other parts of the body. The foolish Galatian churches had been deceived. They saw the bright neon lights of a false gospel, and were fascinated by it because it appealed to their sinful human nature, not understanding the truth (2nd Peter 3:16-17). 

They of the circumcision (who required keeping the Old Testament ceremonial laws to get to Heaven) spoke eloquently, deceiving the naïve Galatian churches. The false teachers were very likable and winsome in their personalities (as are nearly all false prophets). In their carnal fascination, the Galatian churches had embraced a cancerous malignant cult! I cannot speak to what Pastor Anderson's parents believe, but I know from his sermons that Brother Anderson is saved. Unfortunately, there is no way that Pastor Roland Rasmussen was saved, because he believed that faith was not enough to be saved. What saith the Scripture? Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” If turning away from sinful bad habits were also required to get to Heaven, then Galatians 3:26 would have said so, but it doesn't. We are simply taught to have FAITH in Jesus Christ!!!

It ought not come as a surprise that someone can be impressibly religious, zealous about serving Christ, full of Bible lingo and knowledge; and yet never have been born-again at all. What saith the Scripture? ...

Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Will Jesus Christ one day deny knowing you dear reader? Will He recognize you as one of His lambs? Have you done the Father's will? We find the Father's will in John 6:40, which is to simply BELIEVE ON JESUS! John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Sadly, Roland Rasmussen didn't do the Father's will, like Bob Jones College today, he perverted God's grace by embellishing the Gospel.