Thread: Jimmy Swaggart

Originally Posted by Pentecali

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Yes, he passed today.

I realize he's iconic and will receive a lot of accolades, but one thing that is forever stamped in my brain is, the prostitute he got busted with in New Orleans, he asked her to bring her 9yr old daughter in to participate in their sexual encounters. That part is unforgivable in my humble opinion.

I don't believe that! I'll take the word of the man of God, although flawed, over that of a common street walker!

But why would that be "stamped in your brain"?? We don't know if he actually asked her to bring her young daughter. Unless he to admitted that, I won't believe it.

And even if he did, disgusting as it is, if he truly repented, it's not unforgivable with God. So it shouldn't be with us.

Originally Posted by Romans828

I have no doubt that our brother Jimmy knew Jesus!

Same here. We are so hard on one another. It amazes me that some Christians are more compassionate toward sinners than our own brothers & sisters in Christ.

Originally Posted by Pentecali

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I haven't cared this much for a POTUS since JFK. But I was just a kid then. Plus, I got to shake his (JFK) hand!

Originally Posted by fuego

I'm certainly not anyone's judge. I am flawed just like every other human being. Unfortunately his got aired in public. I get what you're saying, and I don't forget it either when he's mentioned, but thank God for His forgiveness, grace, and mercy.

In the 50 plus years I've been a Christian, I have missed the mark (sinned) just like many other believers have. The thing that separates Swaggart, Haggard, Bickle, Morris, etc. apart from the rest of us is these are ministers who have, or had major ministry platforms in view of mass public scrutiny. They too can receive God's grace and forgiveness like the rest of us. Yet the damage to the cause of Christ because of their sin being exposed for all the general public to see is magnified 100-fold. If high profile televised and social media minister "giants" truly repented, they will not lose their soul, but may lose rewards. We will all give an account to Him who sits on the throne, sinner, (white throne, Rev 20:11) and saint, (rewards, 2 Cor 5:10). Of coarse, most of you know that I am opposed to OSAS, teaching, and I believe Scripture is taken out of context to support such a view. This may sound harsh, but the Scripture does teach that you can lose your salvation. Plainly stated, a unrepented Christian, who is harboring and living in secret sin, (it's no secret before God's view) and dies in that deliberate sinning condition, will go to hell. If you find odds with me, that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their own decisions and belief systems whether they are true or false.

The missing part of the plan of salvation in our day, among Bible believers, is: A true Christian (whether a well-known public pastor, or a un-sung hero saint) must endure to the end and remain faithful to God throughout their life, and be quick to repent when we miss the mark (sin) to assure us we will enter in through the narrow gate upon our death. I've discovered many Christians don't even know about final salvation or acting upon vital spiritual safeguards found in Scripture to enter God's kingdom.

The one and only real gospel declares this to genuine Christians:

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain 1 Cor 15:2.

There are free will and human responsibilities involved in salvation by grace that has been provided for by the Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, sin is still the issue since Calvary's cross, according to true grace teaching. Why would Paul write: For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live (Rm 8:13). The acts of the sinful nature are found in Gal 5:19-21, and Paul ends this passage by writing, I warn you, as I did before, that those who do such things (practice) will not inherit the kingdom of God. Loss of ones salvation is not something I thought up one day. Scripture clearly teaches to enter God's kingdom after death one must have received and experienced the new birth and at the end of his life die in a spiritually saved condition, which does not always happen.

But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul (Heb 10:39). But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). Rember Lot's wife (Luke 17:32).

Jimmy Swaggart caused much grief and remorse to himself in the 80's. He brought reproach to the Lord Jesus Christ. But his SBN telecast has brought many souls into the kingdom of God. Even though bro. Swaggart suffered shipwrecked faith and misery in his ministry at one time, he had repented, and rebounded back to preach the gospel, and I believe his Lord will say to him, well done, enter into the Joy of your Lord.