How Permanent Is Your Salvation?

Ephesians 1:12-14, “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

On page 16 of Michael's book, “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” he says that it was Pastor Hank Lindstrom's (1940-2008) sermon titled: “How Permanent Is Your Salvation?,” that showed him Christ's plan of salvation and led him to Jesus Christ, when he saw in the Bible for himself what Christ had said about it. Michael writes on page 16:

“One night, in late 2005, I found some articles written by Dr. Hank Lindstrom that freed me from so much of the bondage of counterfeit salvation. I then listened to Dr. Lindstrom’s sermon “How Permanent Is Your Salvation?” After hearing him preach Christ’s plan of salvation and after seeing in the bible for myself what Christ had said about it, I trusted Jesus alone, as my only hope of heaven.” SOURCE: “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 16

Here is that precious sermon: “HOW PERMANENT IS YOUR SALVATION?”...

YouTube: HOW PERMANENT IS YOUR SALVATION?

MP3: HOW PERMANENT IS YOUR SALVATION?

Here's a great quote from chapter 12, “The Plan Of Salvation According To Franklin Graham.” Michael P. Bowen writes:

'For three whole years I had been going about trying to establish my own righteousness before God through my own efforts, when in actuality Christ had, by His own righteousness, paid for all of my sins by His death, burial and resurrection from the dead 2,000 years earlier. When I learned the bible said I could have the free gift of everlasting life by believing solely upon what Christ had done for me by His death and subsequent resurrection from the dead, I believed His message immediately, hungrily, and to the exclusion of all the other counterfeit plans of salvation that I had been led to believe by today’s biggest hitters in Christianity. I was finally “free.” I was finally born again, and I knew it beyond any doubts at all. God put an end to my pamphleteering of false gospels. Now, I preach His plan of salvation via my personal Internet page, by face-to-face discussions with people, by tract, by CD, by DVD, as well as through the use of email. Today, I am now proclaiming Christ’s free gift via this book you are holding in your hands now which shall eventually go all around the world.'

SOURCE: “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 125

Brother Bowen further states, exposing the heresy of Lordship Salvation:

...Nowhere does the bible state or imply that a person must turn from their sins and follow Christ in obedience “in order to” be saved. People can twist the bible to make it say virtually anything they want it to say, but when you see the words of Christ and understand what He says about salvation, no one can refute or debate what He says. For example, Jesus says “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47). Who can argue with that statement made by Christ Himself? Who can interpret this verse as anything other than eternal life being a gift from God made available to anyone the instant they “believe” on Christ as their savior? To say otherwise is to call Him a liar. To add man’s efforts, such as turning from sins, making a public profession, forsaking sins, giving tithes and money, joining a church, etc., or any other “thing of self” is to call Christ a liar; after all, according to the bible, heaven is a free gift that is given to the individual who places his or her faith in the finished work of Christ and has nothing to do whatsoever with what we do for God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

SOURCE: “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 126-127

On pages 140-141 we learn that the Christian believer by faith alone in Jesus Christ is “JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS”! Michael Bowen Biblically (and gentlemanly) refutes Evangelist Billy Graham's perverted plan of salvation (I highly recommend that you read chapter 13, which refutes Billy Graham's false gospel message) . . .

And one of the most potent verses of all time that refutes Billy's turn-from-sin requirement is this one: "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39). What the Bible is telling us through these verses is that turning from sins cannot save us and that God does not require a lost person to turn from sins in order to be saved. 

SOURCE: “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 140-141

Michael Bowen does an excellent job explaining the simplicity of the Gospel, defending the Biblical plan of salvation:

Friend, anyone who thumbs their nose at Christ’s way of salvation and instead puts their trust in a plan of salvation other than the one Christ said for us to trust, that person will stand before Christ at the Great White Throne Judgement where he or she will stand “in their own righteousness” which will not be enough to gain entrance into heaven. Isaiah 64:6 states that our best deeds, the absolute best that we can come up with in this lifetime, will be seen as “filthy rags” when compared to Christ’s supreme sacrifice of His body on the cross. The lost person’s partial faith in Christ and partial faith in his or her works and discipleship will not be “enough” to get them into His eternal dwelling place. 

I urge you, reader, to understand that Christ has but one way into His heaven, and that way is through trusting in Him alone as your only hope of heaven. To trust Christ as your only means of entering heaven you must first realize the penalty for sin, which is eternal death and separation from Him in the lake of fire. Once you realize you are under this eternal “death penalty,” you then trust that Christ paid for your sins by His death on the cross and that He arose from the grave three days later. Because Christ knows every single thought you are thinking at this very moment. He “knows” whether or not you have trusted in Him alone, or if you are only placing partial trust in Him and the rest of your trust in living the “Christian Lifestyle” as your hope of entering into His heaven. The latter won’t save you, but the former will save you. You either trust Christ alone or you trust partially in Christ plus your “filthy rags.” To do the latter, you will not make it to heaven; however, if you choose the former, you, at this very moment, have a home in heaven waiting for you! God immediately grants you the gift of everlasting life in heaven the very same instant that you trust Christ alone to save you. 

For those who still believe today’s counterfeit plans of salvation, those who are counting on their faith in Christ “plus” their discipleship to Christ to get them into heaven, Jesus says that they will experience the following horrors: 

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).

These are persons who were trusting in their works alone, or in partial faith in Christ plus their good works, to get them into heaven. Look at the various areas of service in which they brag. They acknowledge Him as “Lord” and then they brag about preaching in His name, about healing in His name, and about the myriad of inexhaustible works of goodness they have done in His name; yet, because they did not trust in Him alone, the way He so clearly tells us to in His bible, He tells them to depart from Him because He sees their good works in His name as “sin.” 

As if that were not bad enough, this is the fate of everyone who appears at the Great White Throne Judgement, where they stand not in Christ’s righteousness, but in the filthy rags of their own inadequate righteousness. This is their fate:

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).

Reader, this chapter presents to you two plans of salvation: 1) the plan of salvation according to Franklin Graham, and 2) the plan of salvation according to Jesus Christ. Of these two plans, which one will you choose?

SOURCE: “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 129-131