Hardshell Damnable Heresy

In "Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth" (2006) by Tom Hagler (See here) we find a poor attempt to give a defense of Hardshell Hyper Calvinism. Elder Fralick years ago wrote on Hagler's writing and showed it to be heretical and poorly written. (See these posts by Elder Fralick: here, here, here, here) I want to cite these words from Hagler which clearly states the belief proposition of today's "Primitive" or "Hardshell" Baptists, with few exceptions, that people who reject Christ may still be saved. (emphasis mine)

"As noted above, not all of God’s regenerate children will become disciples of Christ, or as they are called, Christians. Predestination is not involved. God has many children who are not Christians since they do not publicly acknowledge Christ. They may have heard the gospel, but have rejected it. The ones that rejected the gospel may have chosen to follow other religious orders, as with the Jews or other eastern religions. In this case, these children of God are regenerate, but they have not been converted to a knowledge of the truth. They are not Christians, but they are still God’s children. Some may have even been Christians at one time, but have backslidden and fallen away from the truth to other religions or to no religion." (pg. 154)

Anyone who has read the Bible knows how such a view is shocking, something unheard of in Christian circles. The Bible is so clear in its declaration that all unbelievers in the God of the Bible and in the Messiah are not saved and that Hell is their eternal destiny. I invite every Hardshell Baptist who believes the proposition of Hagler to come here and defend it by the Bible. I invite them to deny the proposition I just stated, that all who live and die as unbelievers will go to Hell.

Let me just give a few of the many Bible passages which prove that all unbelievers in the one true God and in his Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit are not saved and will go to Hell forever to be tormented. First, we cite the following text:

"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Rev. 21: 8 nkjv)

Notice how clear and straightforward are the inspired words of this text. All unbelievers and those who worship false gods, being idolaters, will spend eternity in the lake of fire and experience the second death. A Hardshell Sophist may try to pervert the text in some cunning way to deceive the simple minded and the careless, but an honest heart and an open mind will confess the truth of what the text says.

Next, let us notice these words of the apostle Paul:

"and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed." (II Thess. 1: 7-10 nkjv)

Again, Hagler and his Hardshell Brethren do not agree with the apostle. They do not believe that all those who "know not God" and who "obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" will be "punished with everlasting destruction."

Now, I could give an avalanche of such texts. But, what use would it be to multiply texts to close minded Hardshells who refuse to see what is clearly taught in these texts?

Let them tell us where the texts are that say that unbelievers will be saved, and that worshipers of false gods will be saved. They will not because they cannot. There are no verses that teach such a doctrine.

Finally, let me respond to the Hardshell view of Hagler that says that one does not have to be a disciple or follower of Christ to be saved.

"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own...My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."  (John 10: 14, 27 nkjv)

A disciple is a follower. Jesus says that all the sheep, all the elect, all saved and regenerated and born again people will know him, follow him, recognize and obey his voice, and thus have eternal life and never perish. This directly contradicts Hardshell teaching, and it is a destructive heresy of the worst kind. In the same discourse, Jesus said: "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (vs. 5) Hagler says that many of the sheep believe in other "strange" gods and even reject Jesus! To contradict Christ and the apostles in this manner manifests diabolical enmity.

Not even the forefathers of today's Hardshell churches believed this nonsense.