The Root of Revivalism and Invitationalism:
Charles Finney's Beliefs about Salvation

English Index

Topics Index

The following are some of Finney's false beliefs about sin and salvation that have resulted in much of the popular unbiblical evangelism methods:

Sin - depravity

Finney believed man does not have a sinful nature [Finney, Systematic Theology, 245].

Justification - substitutionary atonement

Finney believed man cannot be justified forensicly by Jesus Christ. He believed a person is justified only if the person has perfect and continual obedience [Finney, Systematic Theology, 362].

Finney believed justification is not founded on the substitutionary atonement of Christ [Finney, Systematic Theology, 373].

Different gospel

Finney believed that justification based solely on Christ's righteousness without also being conditioned upon a person's present and future obedience is a different gospel [Finney, Systematic Theology, 369].

Revival / evangelism

Finney believed a revival does not depend on God's miraculous power. He believed a revival is only the natural result of using the right methods. [Charles Finney, Lectures on Revivals of Religion (Old Tappan, NJ: Revell, n.d.), 4-5].

Recollections

Finney said he caused many to go into a temporary state of repentance and faith, of which they soon relapsed into their previous state [cited in B. B. Warfield, Studies in Perfectionism, 2 vols. (New York: Oxford, 1932), 2:24].

Asa Mahan (a close associate of Finney) ". . . tells us - to put it briefly - that everyone who was concerned in these revivals suffered a sad subsequent lapse: the people were left like a dead coal which could not be reignited; the pastors were shorn of all their spiritual power; and the evangelists - "among them all," he says, "and I was personally acquainted with nearly every one of them - I cannot recall a single man, brother Finney and father Nash excepted, who did not after a few years lose his unction, and become equally disqualified for the office of evangelist and that of pastor." Thus the great "Western Revivals" ran out into disaster. . . . Over and over again, when he proposed to revisit one of the churches, delegations were sent him or other means used, to prevent what was thought of as an affliction. . . . Even after a generation had passed by, these burnt children had no liking for the fire." Asa Mahan (a close associate of Finney) [cited in Warfield, 2:26-28].

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