Hank Hanegraaff left the Christian faith in April of 2017. In joining the Eastern Orthodox cult, Hanegraaff began to worship idols, denied Penal Substitution, no longer believing that Jesus died to pay for his sins.
Most egregiously, as an Eastern Orthodox idolater, Hanegraaff deneis Sola Fide, and now believes that he’ll be justified by his own good works. No Protestant believer could rationally call Hanegraaff a Christian believer.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. — John 2:19
Believing in a priest other than Jesus, Hanegraaff has joined a cult. That cult not only prays to objects and believes all kinds of superstitious doctrines, but they deny the infallible authority and sufficiency of God’s Word, instead believing that the Bible is of equal authority to their perverse traditions.
However, David Hanegraaff, a contributor to the Christian Post Voices column, proves the truthfulness of the Bible in Galatians 5:9…
“A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”
Hanegraaff seems intent on taking his family to hell with him. His son now writes…
His discoveries resulted in his decision to join the Eastern Orthodox Church, leading many to proclaim that he had “left the Christian faith.” Some of his closest friends and confidants concluded that they could no longer associate with him, despite his declarations that “God has his people everywhere” and an earnest desire to promote unity within Christendom by making good on the maxim of his ministry, “In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, and in all things charity.”
Obviously, doctrines like Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, Solus Christus, and Penal Substitution are indeed essential things. Only a heretic would think these doctrines are non-essential.
David Hanegraaff then went on in his Christian Post editorial to juxtapose the truths of Scripture against his father’s feelings. His father sought experiences and elevated his subjective feelings against the Bible.
In fact, the only difference between Joshua Harris’ apostasy and Hank Hanegraaff’s is that Harris chose antinomianism and Hanegraaff chose legalism. Their reasoning for apostasy is exactly the same. They placed their feelings above the Bible.
David Hanegraaff explained that father was choosing “life” over truth in his absconding from Biblical Christianity for the smells and bells of dead religion.
I had seen countless Christians driven to draw denominational lines in the sand time over theological conclusions that they or my father had made “because truth matters.” Yet, this was the first time I had seen someone decide to disown him because he was proclaiming that “life matters more.”
Hanegraaff continues…
Truth matters, it really matters. But life matters more. What does it mean for life to matter more? It is difficult to explain, but you know it when you see it — better yet, when you experience it.
Without attempting to discuss doctrines of essential Christian importance, Hanegraaff simply scoffed at the notion his father wasn’t a believer and ended with…
I have come to discover why truth matters, but life matters more and how understanding the difference will lead you closer to Christ and the purpose of human existence — experiencing union with God.
Union with God comes through truth. After all, life proceeds from truth. The Scripture says in James 1:18, “He chose to give us birth through the Word of Truth.”
