The following preface and letter was written by our brother Dan Dubach in order to provide a means of explanation of the events that have unfolded in his life in the recent past. The letter that will follow was written to another dear brother who submitted to Bro. Dan a number of questions that he wanted answered. Names have been removed from the letter in order to provide privacy to those involved.

PREFACE

Greetings Dear Brethren in the Lord,

My heart aches and weeps at the thought of our church splitting. What a tragedy if our church would split. Can we not see that if our brethren would turn from this false doctrine of eternal security then truly there would be no need to split, but rather there would be a great awakening and renewing? Oh that men would awake to righteousness so that we might be spared from this horrific pain. If God can work this work of awakening in a least brother, can he not work in others?

Pray dear brethren that God’s Spirit would move with might and power among his people that our precious Faith might be preserved. May God be merciful to us and hear our feeble prayers. It would be my prayer that this testimony might give hope and courage to the brethren to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints.

Sincerely,

Dan Dubach

LETTER

Dear Brother,

Greetings of love in our Precious Saviour’s name. I’ve been very heavy pressed in knowing exactly how to proceed with your requests. I have such a great desire for you to see what the issue is, but as previously mentioned I am very concerned that if I tell you, you will not believe. Nevertheless, may God add his blessing to what I’m about to share.

At first I thought that black ties, sporting events, televisions, shorts, movies, long hair, and the internet where the issues that were causing the division among our churches. I now see that these are symptoms of a much greater problem. The problem is that we have two faiths under one roof.

If we are going to solve this problem of division we must get to the foundation of the problem and either root out or separate ourselves from the problem. Our foundation is our faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. If we get a wrong understanding of what the blood of Christ is and does, then we will build on a wrong foundation and subsequently we will have two churches instead of one.

We have brethren who believe that the blood of Christ covers past, present, and future sins. We have brethren who believe that Christ’s blood covers our past sins, but not our present or future sins. From these two different faiths spring two different trees, or churches, both bearing forth fruit. These fruits are made manifest through the lifestyles of the two different believers.

Using my own life as an illustration, I want to share with you the fruits that stem from believing that Christ’s blood covers past, present, and future sins. I also would like to share the lifestyle that blossoms from a faith that believes Christ’s blood covers only our past sins. I would like to then close with some final thoughts and encouragement. In doing this I hope that you will find the answers to your questions. Most of what I’m about to share with you will not be foreign to you as we share many memories together.

As a new convert I was full of peace, I did not go back to everyone that I had wronged because now I had the blood of Christ and I was forgiven. I remember sinning and thinking that it didn’t matter to much because now I was forgiven and saved.

Because of the blood of Christ covering my past, present, and future sins I could watch rated “R” movies, I could spend time with my old school friends while they drank and partied, I could cuss and use vulgar language, I could go to prom and dance, I could go to Mexico on a work team and go to the bars and smoke cigars with some of the other brothers, I could raid drunken high school parties with brothers or converts, I could raid sister gatherings and sort through their personal stuff, I could go swimming with unconverted girls or sisters, I could spend hours alone at night visiting with single sisters, I could help catch a convert on fire with gasoline (all for the sake of having fun), I could, occasionally, loose myself while listening to Metallica, I could listen to the Beatles and all the other hits from the 60’s, I could go bowling and golfing, I could go camping at Gordon’s and (as one brother told me) not have to be Apostolic while there, I could go to other denominations to watch a friend get baptized, I could mingle with other friends from other faiths, I could go to sporting events, watch TV, waste time on the internet, wear shorts, dress casual at singings (because these were all personal convictions not salvation issues), I could witness and tell people to accept Christ and that it was wonderful to serve Christ, I could talk about the Bible and go to singings and have a wonderful time, I could go to praise singings and sway with everyone, I could go to Bible studies held by the church or small group Bible studies, I could go to church and listen to sermons and feel very encouraged, and I didn’t have to follow all the church “rules” because that was being legalistic.

I loved the church and wanted to support it and I thought I was supporting it, I had never been taught anything else. I did all these things because I was “free” in Christ and was for sure going to heaven. I was building on the belief that I was forgiven and the blood covered all my past, present, and future sins and so life was good.

Some of these things were one time events, but most continued till I was married and my environment and influence changed. I was baptized as being dead and yet I was very alive. I remember many of us brothers reciting Paul’s writings to the Romans where he stated “oh wretched man that I am.” This seemed to give me comfort for my guilty conscience after sinning. I think I’m safe in saying that for the most part I was a typical, young, happy Bluffton brother. I thought I was “middle of the road.” Christ said that you will know a tree by its fruits (Matthew 7:17‐18). The fruits that stem forth from believing Christ‘s blood covers past, present, and future sins:

-we sin daily -a distorted view of grace (that it is only a gift)

‐that works are not necessary (only faith)

‐that we have a surety of heaven

‐full restoration for all sin (even death sins)

‐God’s commandments become personal convictions

‐disobedience becomes “not a salvation issue”, cutting hair, ballgames ect.

‐traditions and customs are viewed as legalistic and not necessary

‐exhortation to remain separated from the world becomes not necessary

‐tolerance of doctrinal variance

‐casual attitudes toward sanctification and sin

‐emphasis on individual liberty

‐an ecumenical spirit and breaking down of denominational boundaries

Dear Brother, where do we find scripture to support the above doctrines? Does this not sound exactly like what was warned about in our winds of doctrine? Is this a broader way or a narrower way? Would Jesus be happy?

I won’t bore you with all of the details as to how exactly I came to where I am today, but I will share a few of the things that transpired.

I had always been under the impression that “conservative” brothers where dry, legalistic, and had no relationship with Jesus. Since Prescott attracts many vacationers we have had the opportunity to host and keep many of these “conservative” brethren. What I found was very surprising.

I saw in them a deep love, joy and peace. I found that they knew the Bible far more than I did. They seemed to have a relationship with Jesus that was very deep and meaningful. I was given sermons to listen to, that at first, made me mad. I had never heard preaching like this before and I’m guessing you haven’t heard much like it either. The amazing thing was that I couldn’t get these sermons out of my heart. What if they where right? What if sinning daily is a false doctrine? What if God’s grace is truly sufficient to overcome all sin? What if His blood doesn’t cover my present and future sins? What if He was no longer a sacrifice, but an advocate? What if I was worshipping a dead Christ and not the living Christ? What if sports, TV, modest apparel, and other lifestyle choices actually where salvation issues? What if Paul wasn’t talking about the converted man in Romans 7, but the old man? What if I had been deceived? I had a walk with a dear elder brother that impacted me more than I can express. He simply encouraged me over and over to go to the Word. I began to search the scriptures.

I found that I had been serving the dead Christ. Whenever I would sin daily I would go to the cross and take of his blood and sprinkle it on me so to speak. I, like the Jews of old, was bound to the idea of daily sacrifice. I spent my time at the cross never grasping that there was something better in his resurrection. To me, Baptism had been a symbol not an actual burial as it states in Romans 6:4. I came to realize that I had turned God’s grace into lasciviousness instead of allowing it to give me the power to overcome sin.

I began to see that those who hold to the doctrine of Christ’s blood covering past, present, and future sins and that ‘we sin daily’ are those that have eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosar, who loved the wages of unrighteousness (IIPeter 2:14‐15).

 

I began to tremble at the thought of having lived such a sinful life and began to plead for the Lord’s forgiveness. I feel that he revealed to me that He had risen and had overcome sin and death as it states. I began to see that if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection (Romans 6:5).

I began to see that I was not free to do as I pleased, but I was (like Christ) free from sin and death. Not because of my own works, this is evident, but because of His Holy Spirit working salvation within me. My old man (old nature) died and I saw that Christ truly does give us the power to overcome all sin. I saw him as an advocate and no longer a bloody sacrifice. I saw that he died once and now sits on the right hand of the Father in Heaven. I began to see that he that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8).

This was liberty, to be set free from my sins, and to no longer be the servant of sin. I was greatly encouraged to find out that this also matched our historical Apostolic Christian Faith. The desire to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints, began to burn in me (Jude 3). I now understood “middle of the road” as lukewarm. Middle of the road is relative but God’s Word is absolute. We either are obedient or we are disobedient.

I began to understand why our “conservative” brethren live the way they do. I began to see that obedience to God’s word is true love. I began to see a group of believers that not only said they loved Jesus, but they also kept his commandments. I began to understand that ‘He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him’ (I John 2:4). I began to see the fruit:

‐holiness
-simple living

‐carefulness
‐fruit of the spirit

‐love for the truth

‐good works

‐separation from the world

‐righteousness

‐soberness of mind

‐sanctification

‐modest apparel

You have wondered why we no longer attend the Prescott Church? We had new couples move in that caused great division because of their false doctrine. When our elder over Prescott chose to support this group then all that was left was to obey the scriptures, ‘Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them’ (Romans 16:17). ‘Now we command you brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us’ (II Thessalonians 3:6).

I also want to clarify to you that we have only marked those brethren who have caused division. We continue to be in close contact with most of the brethren in Prescott.

You see dear brother , the problem came when those elders, who believe that the blood of Christ covers our past, present, and future sins, came to me and asked for the old Dan back. They repeatedly stated that they wanted the old Dan back, but I couldn’t give them the old Dan back because he was dead.

They were startled by the truth being preached and they had to silence it by asking me to commit to unbiblical requests, which I couldn‘t do. They cannot tolerate two doctrines anymore than what the faithful brethren can.

They were much disturbed by me calling the doctrine of sinning daily false. One of your elders told me that if I preached that in Bluffton I would trouble the whole church. How could I unite the old Dan and the new Dan together? Would there not be a great fighting within? Would my conscience not grieve me terrible and would I not be most miserable? If this “uniting” cannot happen within one individual man how can we possibly unite thousands? There remains only one faith and only one baptism.

It just seems silly to continue to think that these two sides are the same. How can we possibly believe this unless we have lost all good sense and understanding of what the Bible says?

I am so sad and concerned because if the brethren who are holding to the doctrine of Christ’s blood covering past, present, and future sins do not repent and turn from this false doctrine then the only thing left is to split and what a terrible tragedy this will be.

Many have asked what can we do? Pray for our elder brethren who hold to this false doctrine that they might see the evil fruit that this false doctrine brings forth. Pray for the elder brothers that they might have the courage to root out or separate themselves from this leaven that will leaven the whole lump.

My dear brother, I love you and pray for you and appreciate your earnest searching. I know that there is still a remnant who are truly searching, but have not yet been told the entire truth. I plead with you that you will search the scriptures with a broken and contrite spirit. Jesus warned of not letting men deceive you, please go to the word, plead for truth, love the truth, and weigh every word of man against the Word. May God bless you my dear brother.

In tears, weakness, and humility,

Dan Dubach

P.S. Please feel free to share this with whoever you desire.