The Gospel Does NOT Change Someone

2nd Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

There is a popular heresy taught in many churches today, which says that THE GOSPEL will change your life. Dear reader, THE GOSPEL doesn't change anyone, the indwelling Holy Spirit working in coordination with the inspired Word of God changes a new convert over time, as we are renewed in the spirit of our mind. This is what our text passage of Scripture teaches.

The indwelling Holy Spirit teaches us the truth and guides us. John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” It's very important that we don't ever try to foolishly convince someone that THE GOSPEL is supposed to miraculously change them, because it does not and cannot change anyone.

That is why The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 includes “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you,” because if we don't mentor new converts they won't grow in the Lord's grace as they should. If the Gospel could change people, then we wouldn't need to TEACH THEM.

Pacific Garden Mission's 'UNSHACKLED' radio program in Chicago is guilty of this woeful heresy, demanding that Skid Row men instantly change their behavior as a prerequisite to come to Christ to be saved. Their go to Scripture is 2nd Corinthians 5:17, which they horribly take out of context. The only thing that a person receives at the moment of the new birth is God's gift of His blessed Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1st John 3:24). To grow as saints, we must nurture on the milk (and eventually meat) of God's inspired Word. 1st Peter 2:2-3, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” Ephesians 4:23-24, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Here is a helpful sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) titled, "Your Salvation Did Not Change You A Bit." I encourage you to listen to this sermon, it is one of my favorites. In his sermon, Brother Hyles explains the importance of local churches mentoring new converts to renovate their lives for Christ. Like a real estate transaction, getting saved is a transfer of ownership (from Satan to God), but buying a house, commercial building or some land does not change it. The new owner must invest the time and resources to renovate the newly acquired property to make it fit for use. The same is true when somebody comes to Jesus and gets born again. A very helpful book written by Dr. Jack Hyles on the subject is titled, "Salvation Is More Than Being Saved," which I highly recommend reading.

THE GOSPEL is “the power of God” that saves us (i.e., them that believe it) according to Romans 1:16. NOTHING in the Gospel itself can change our behavior. Psalms 119:9-11, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Turning Away from Sins is Effectively Keeping the Law

Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”

The Old Testament law was given by God for the purpose of showing all mankind their sinnership. Romans 3:19, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” And again we read in Galatians 3:24-26, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

Since NO ONE can perfectly keep God's law, there is a “CURSE” upon everyone under the law. Galatians 3:10, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Romans 3:20, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” So we learn that eternal life cannot be obtained by keeping the law! And those who do try to be saved by keeping the law are under the curse of the law!

Here's the good news! Romans 3:21-24, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” I love this passage of Scripture! As you read in Romans 3:21, there is a righteousness that is “WITHOUT THE LAW”! This is the imputed righteousness of God. Literally, this means that by faith you can be saved, even though you do no works (i.e., you don't keep the law). What is the law? It is the Ten Commandments as specified in Exodus 20. The law teaches mankind not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to take the name of the Lord in vain, not to covet thy neighbour's wife and property, not to bear false witness, not to bow down nor worship images, et cetera. The Jews failed to keep God's law. In fact, they had broken every command before Moses had even returned from receiving them from God. Moses and Aaron found the people dancing naked around a golden calf, to the sound of rock and roll music in the camp, committing sexual immorality. These were God's people!

We Are Saved By God's Righteousness Through Faith in Jesus Christ

Please notice again Romans 3:22a, “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.” There we see the simplicity that is in Jesus Christ. There is no mention of “turning away from sins,” nor of “inviting Jesus into our life,” nor of “saying 'Jesus is Lord,'” nor of “asking Christ to take control of our life to be saved.” I am perplexed that multitudes of Baptist preachers today have embraced Satan's lie of Lordship Salvation.

Many sincere preachers, like Evangelist David W. Cloud, deny teaching Lordship Salvation, but they are nonetheless teaching a variation of the heresy. The Holy Bible is very clear in Romans 3:22 that we are saved by “the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all THEM THAT BELIEVE” [emphasis mine]. There is no mention of sacrament keeping. There is no mention of turning away from sins. There is no mention of confessing Christ before men. There is no mention of following Christ. We are taught simply to BELIEVE!

The Apostle Paul teaches that through faith the curse of the law is made void (i.e., lacking legal force). Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” The very moment that a person trusts Christ, he or she is no longer under the legal indictment of the law of God. They are now under grace, because Christ vicariously (our substitute) died in our place on the cross, suffering the punishment for our sins. Romans 6:15, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” What a beautiful and comforting truth! My friend, if you are a born-again believer, you are no longer under the legal curse of the law, YOU ARE UNDER GOD'S GRACE!!!

Jesus Paid A Debt He Did Not Owe, Because We Owed A Debt We Could Not Pay

There is something in the legal world called “Vicarious Liability.” The general rule in criminal law is that there is no vicarious liability. Thus, the practice of holding one person liable for the actions of another is the exception and not the rule in criminal law. Albeit, Jesus Christ volunteered to suffer, bleed and die on the cross for the sins of mankind. Romans 5:7-8, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Hardly anyone would sacrifice their life for a man of God. Perhaps even someone would die for a good man. But who would sacrifice their life for a criminal? That's right, no one! Yet, God has shown His love for all mankind by dying for you and me, who are guilty sinners, all criminals in God's holy eyes!!!

To help you understand the beauty and power of what being under grace means, let me give you a brief illustration. Let's say (if it were possible) a man has committed hundreds of felony crimes. He has a rap sheet a mile long! If convicted (and he will be) he'll be sentenced to dozens of lifetimes behind bars in prison. But during the court hearing, a mysterious stranger enters the court room to speak with the judge, who offers to take the place of the indicted man, paying for his offenses with his own life! And so the guilty man is set free, because the innocent man has offered to take his place. Of course, this scenario would never happen in man's court system, to protect the public interest.

However, God's court system is very different. Jesus Christ has already paid the full-price for the sins of mankind. That's right, everyone's sins and crimes have already been paid for, as far as eternal life is concerned. But there's a catch, you must receive that pardon for your crimes (sins), by placing your faith in Christ's death on the cross, and His burial, and bodily resurrection three days later. This is “the Gospel” (1st Corinthians 15:1-4).

Hence, Jesus does NOT forgive sins! That is correct! Jesus has already paid for our sins with His precious blood! Our sins are paid for, which means that forgiveness is a free “gift” to whosoever wants it. We receive this gift of eternal life and forgiveness through faith in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

I love the following verses. 1st John 2:1-2, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” The word “advocate” is the Greek word Parakletos, which means, “an intercessor, a consoler.” Isn't that beautiful? When we sin as a believer, Jesus Himself is our attorney, Who intercessors on our behalf in the courtroom of the Father (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 4:15-16). That helps me sleep at night!!! But wait, there's more! Jesus is also our consoler, who gives us moral and emotional strength. In other words, when a believer sins, we have a friend who is our lawyer, and He assures us that everything is going to be alright. That's peace of soul that all the money in the world cannot purchase! Thank you Lord Jesus! Praise the Lord!

The word “propitiation” is the Greek word hilasmos, which means, “to appease one's wrath, an expiator (to make amends).” Nearly every preacher quotes Romans 5:8, but not verse 9. Romans 5:8-9, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” God's wrath is reserved for all unrepentant humans who perish in their sins without Christ! It is Jesus' precious blood that appeases the great wrath of God the Father. Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Only Christian believers will escape the wrath of God, which is reserved for the lost in the Lake of Fire. 2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”

Everyone is Either Under Law or Under Grace

My friend, you are either under the law of God or under God's grace, and there is nothing between. Romans 11 is speaking about the Jews. Most Jews were unsaved, still under the curse of the law; but a remnant of Jews were saved, under grace. The Bible makes clear that there is nothing in between. Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” Here's a great MP3 sermon by Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold titled, “Caught Between Grace And Works.”

The Scriptures are abundantly clear that salvation comes without works, without keeping the law, without self improvement, without following Christ as “Lord,” without turning away from sins. Eternal life is a free gift, paid for by Jesus' precious blood (1st Peter 1:18-19). There is no requirement in the Scriptures to “turn away from sins” to be saved. That is not what “repentance” means. To “repent” means “to think differently.” Repentance is unto the Gospel itself! There is not even one Bible verse that teaches “to turn away from sins” as a prerequisite to receiving the gift of eternal life.

Bible Repentance Versus Reformation (Turning From Sins)

You DO NOT need to reform nor promise God to reform to be saved. You don't need to change yourself as a condition of receiving God's FREE GIFT of eternal life. That would be works, not grace. That's not how Christianity works! You first come to God as a needy sinner, RESTING wholly in His only begotten Son, Jesus; and then after you are in Christ (saved), the gift of God's indwelling Holy Spirit begins to work to change you (2nd Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:22-25; Romans 8:9; 1st John 3:24; John 16:13).

You do need to know what you are being saved from (Hell - Revelation 20:15), and why (because the wages of your sin is death - Romans 6:23). To get to Heaven, you must change your mind (repent) about TWO things:

1. WHO YOU ARE (you are a guilty hell-deserving sinner)
2. WHO JESUS IS (He is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God)

If you agree with these two facts—and you receive Christ's sacrificial death on the cross as full-payment for your sins, believing that He was buried but raised up from the dead three days later—and that is your only hope for eternal life—then you are now and forever saved dear reader. You have God's promise of it! 1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

Again, Bible repentance has absolutely nothing to do with forsaking a sinful lifestyle or promising God to do better in the future. These virtues are reformation, not repentance. Scriptural support for what I am teaching is found in Matthew 27:3, where it tells us that Judas Iscariot repented, but he did not get saved. Matthew 27:3-4, “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.” Judas did not acknowledge that he was a guilty sinner in God's sight, nor did he change his mind to believe on Jesus as the Christ. Judas merely felt sorry that he had betrayed an innocent man, Jesus. That is NOT true repentance.

A totally different Greek word (metamellomaiin, meaning, “to regret”) is used in Matthew 27:3, than is used in other passages metanoia (“a change of mind”) regarding getting saved. To clarify, repentance is automatically included in believing. As long as you realize that you are a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God, and you place your trust (faith, reliance) in Jesus alone as the Christ, the only begotten (biological) Son of God (which makes Him God), you are saved friend. What saith the Scripture? John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” Again, there is no mention of forsaking sinful bad habits, nor of inviting Christ into one's life, nor of making Jesus one's “Lord” to be saved. Romans 3:20b makes very clear that “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.” I hear many corrupt, but sincere, pastors preaching a distorted plan of salvation. They tell the Gospel while simultaneously telling people to “ask Jesus to take control of their life” to be saved, which is not the Gospel. Effectively, they are building a bridge between the Gospel and works salvation.

Pacific Garden Mission's “UNSHACKLED” is a major offender in this area, telling people to turn away from sinful ways and surrender control of their life to Christ to be saved. Sadly, UNSHACKLED could be renamed to SHACKLED. Granted, it does sound really good to tell sinners they must depart from sinful behavior, and believe the Gospel to be saved. It appeals to our carnal human nature that a man ought to have to forsake his sinful ways if he expects God to save Him! However, this is what religion teaches, not the Holy Bible. To include forsaking one's sins as part of salvation, is no different than trying to keep the works of the law to be saved. To say that God will not save a man who is unwilling to forsake his sinful ways, is to say that “works” are required to receive the “gift” of eternal life. How absurd! A gift is a gift is a gift!

The very doctrine of God's imputed righteousness to the believer obliviates all such teachings of declaring Jesus as one's Lord to be saved. The truth is that JESUS IS LORD, you don't make Him Lord. To be saved, you simply receive Jesus as your Savior. John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” 1st Timothy 4:10, “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” Jesus is the Savior of all men, but you must receive Him personally to be saved. The way to be saved is to BELIEVE THE GOSPEL!!! The apostle Paul declared in 1st Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” Notice that the Gospel is rendered ineffective by men's “words of wisdom.” Intellectualism is an enemy of soul-winning!

I know you've heard them. I have heard them—preachers who ramble on for hours, lacking any real substance. By the end of their sermon you're utterly frustrated, because there was nothing to grab onto in their message, nothing to sink your teeth into! I love porcupine preachers—because YOU GET THE POINT!!! The apostle Paul warned of balloon-preachers, who are filled with hot air, diluting the truth in never-ending displays of worldly wisdom. One such preacher is Dr. Ravi Zacharias. Religious radio is filled with dry preachers, deadbeats, balloon preachers who avoid offending their listeners for the sake of donations. They are a sure cure for insomnia (unable to sleep)! The great need of the hour is PREACHING PREACHERS! Today's religious ministers are teachers who appeal to the MIND, not Bible-preachers who appeal to the HEART!

Oh, how we need men of God today, who walk with God, and who preach the truths that God's Word burns into their heart. God's Word burned in Jeremiah's heart!!! Jeremiah 20:9, “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” Preaching is truth set on fire!!! The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah (known as “The weeping preacher”) had quit preaching in frustration. Jeremiah's message was one of doom for Israel. It was too late for them (Jeremiah 25:11)—no matter what they did, the Jews were going to be humiliated by the Chaldeans (Babylon). Yet, even in his frustration, Jeremiah couldn't withstand the burning conviction of God's Words in his heart, and he returned to preaching the inspired Words of God to the people. Amen!

Believe On The Lord Jesus Christ And Thou Shalt Be Saved

I've laid the preceding Biblical groundwork to teach the main truth of this article, which is, turning away from sins is effectively keeping the law. This is a false plan of salvation. TO BE SAVED, the satanic heresy of Lordship Salvation requires sinners not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to take the name of the Lord in vain, not to covet thy neighbour's wife and property, not to bear false witness, not to bow down nor worship images, et cetera. These are the works of the law! This is “another Gospel” (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4).

From viewing the truths that I've shared with you, it should be abundantly clear that every believer is UNDER GRACE. Hallelujah! The believer is no longer UNDER LAW. We have a Savior, and an attorney, and an intercessor, and a consoler, and a friend! Please notice our text verse from Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” Just because a believer is no longer under the law, that is, the law no longer has any legal power against us, doesn't give us God's permission to disregard the law. We are commanded to establish (or uphold) the law.

I'd guesstimate that at least half of all Baptist preachers today teach some variation of the Lordship Salvation heresy. Beware Of “Operation Somebody Cares” And Chick Tracts. Beware of Evangelist Billy Graham. Beware of Pastor Chip Ingram. False prophetess Ellen G. White of the Seventh-day Adventists also taught Lordship Salvation. Mormons and Dr. John MacArthur share the same errant view of repentance. I'm not trying to be unkind, just honest. The religious cults all view “repentance” as a change of life, or turning away from sins; whereas, in sharp contrast the Word of God teaches that repentance (metanoeo) means “to think differently.” Thus, we think differently toward God (“repentance toward God” - Acts 20:21b), believing the Gospel to be saved (Mark 1:15). Repentance is unto the Gospel itself! We don't repent AND believe; but rather, we repent TO believe!!!

We are saved simply by BELIEVING THE GOSPEL! 1st Corinthians 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” The plan of salvation is simple, summed up in one word—Gospel! Getting saved is so easy and simple that the Bible calls the Gospel, “THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST” (2nd Corinthians 11:3). Beware of false prophets, nearly all of whom I believe are sincere, who wrestle (twist) the Scriptures “unto their own destruction” (2nd Peter 3:16), and are “being led away with the error of the wicked” (2nd Peter 3:17).

“The religions of the world say, 'do and live.' The religion of the Bible says, 'live and do'.” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968)

“Like the thief on the cross who never had an opportunity to 'turn from his sin,' we, like him, can only 'acknowledge our sinfulness' in order to be saved (Lk 23:40-41). ...True repentance has nothing to do with 'turning from sin' and everything to do with 'acknowledging one's sinfulness' (Jonah 3:5). Like the thief on the cross who simply acknowledged his sinfulness (Lk 23:39-43), the only part a person has in salvation is the beggar's part.” —Pastor Brad Strand, "The Strand Study Bible"; 2nd Corinthians 7:8-9, p. 1939

Believing Is All That's Required To Get To Heaven

Galatians 3:22-24, “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

I marvel how so many preachers pervert God's simple plan of salvation. The inspired King James Bible plainly teaches that salvation comes by faith alone in Jesus Christ. Eternal life is a solemn PROMISED from God “to save them that believe” (1st Corinthians 1:21b).

BELIEVE! BELIEVE! BELIEVE!

Acts 13:39, “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” What part of “BELIEVE” don't today's corrupt preachers understand? I am so sick and tired of hearing ungodly preachers embellish and change God's simple plan of salvation. In most Baptist churches today, sadly, you will hear some of the following corrupt embellishments added to the Gospel:

1. turn from your sins
2. forsake a lifestyle of sinning
3. leave the world
4. forsake your past sinful ways
5. live a lifestyle of repentance
6. become a Christ follower
7. surrender your life to Christ
8. receive Jesus as your Lord
9. get water baptized
10. partake of sacraments
11. pray a sinner's prayer
12. exchange all that you are for all that Christ is
13. commit your life to Christ
14. faithfully run the race
15. prove the genuineness of your faith by doing works

NONE of these things are found in the inspired King James Bible, yet you will hear any number of these perversions of the Scripture in most churches today. It is tragic!

When asked in Acts 16:30, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?,” the simple answer Paul and Silas gave in verse 31b was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...” None of the aforementioned 15 embellishments are found in Acts 16:31. But we do find the all important word “BELIEVE.”

I hope you now realize dear reader that you have been lied to by most preachers today. For example: Here is the perverted plan of salvation according to the late Billy Graham.

Beware Of False Prophet, Billy Graham

One such minister of unrighteousness is Billy Graham (1918-2018). I cannot warn people enough about the lying counterfeit plan of salvation of Billy Graham, and his son Franklin Graham. Here is a quote from the official website of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA)...

“Many people come to Christ without first counting the cost. The cost includes repentance, the forsaking of sin, and a continual, daily, open acknowledgment of Christ in your life.” [emphasis added] 

SOURCE: How to Be Sure You’re Saved | Decision Magazine | BGEA

Liar, liar, pants on fire in Hell!!! Nowhere does the inspired King James Bible teach those lies!!! Bible repentance is “a change of mind” (Greek: metanoia), not a change of behavior. Changing one's behavior is reformation, not repentance. A changed life for a believer is produced by the “fruit” of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25), and by not one's decision to straighten up as a requirement to be saved. Billy Graham is a liar!!!

Openly acknowledging Christ in one's life is strictly a matter of discipleship, not sonship. Pastor M.R. DeHaan (1891-1965) said it very well...

"There is a vast difference between coming to Jesus for salvation and coming after Jesus for service. Coming to Christ makes one a believer, while coming after Christ makes one a disciple. All believers are not disciples. To become a believer one accepts the invitation of the Gospel, to be a disciple one obeys the challenge to a life of dedicated service and separation. Salvation comes through the sacrifice of Christ; discipleship comes only by sacrifice of self and surrender to His call for devoted service. Salvation is free, but discipleship involves paying the price of a separated walk. Salvation can't be lost because it depends upon God's faithfulness, but discipleship can be lost because it depends upon our faithfulness." —Pastor M.R. DeHaan, “Hebrews”; Zondervan Publishing House; 1959 (p. 117)

Billy Graham has woefully confused service with salvation (confused discipleship with sonship), mixing the two, which is another gospel that cannot produce the new birth by the Holy Spirit of God. One of my very favorite quotes, comes from one of my favorite Gospel preachers, John Bunyan:

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” —John Bunyan (1628-1688)

That is brilliant! Every pastor and every layman should memorize that precious quote, as I have also. John Bunyan fully understood the free grace Gospel. Bunyan understood that the fruit produced by the indwelling Holy Spirit (aka, the Spirit of Christ) was a matter of sanctification, and not of justification. The heresy of Lordship Salvation confuses people by combining sanctification with justification. Woe unto false prophet pastors! Jeremiah 12:10, “Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.”

Beware Of The “Have A Relationship With Jesus” Heresy

John 3:1-3, “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

From nearly every church pulpit today, and on nearly every radio station, and in nearly every religious book written and throughout social media—you will hear the unbiblical rubbish taught, that to get to Heaven you must “have a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus.” It reminds me of a broken record that just keeps repeating over and over again. The big problem is that nowhere does the inspired Holy Bible require us to start a relationship with Christ to be saved.

In fact, Judas Iscariot did have a personal “relationship” with Jesus, but he still went to Hell in his sins to burn forever. How tragic and sad! The simple truth is that you don't get to Heaven by starting or maintaining a personal “relationship” with Christ. What the Bible DOES teach is that: YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN!

John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

You can have a personal relationship with Jesus and still go straight to Hell when you die. What you had better do is GET BORN AGAIN! What saith the Scripture? John 1:12-13, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” You receive the supernatural miracle of the new birth by placing your childlike faith (trust, reliance) in Jesus Christ alone.

Any needy sinner who by faith (taking God at His Word as recorded in the Scripture) receives Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for their sins, believing that Jesus was buried, but then physically resurrected from the dead three days later is instantly, irrevocably and eternally saved (1st Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 1:16). 1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

It is very wrong, unbiblical and misleading to merely tell a lost sinner that they need to have a “relationship” with Jesus to have their sins forgiven. The Bible says that you must TRUST upon the name of Jesus to be saved! Since we have never actually met the person named Jesus, all we can do is to trust (rely) upon His precious name. God understands this, which is why John 1:12b says, “to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name...” It is perfectly okay to place your faith in Jesus' name, believing that He died in your place on the cross to pay your massive debt of sin. Thank God for the cross of Calvary that Jesus died upon for my sins!!!

Please don't ever mislead anybody by telling them to begin a “relationship” with the Savior. Although it is true that every Christian believer has a relationship with Jesus as God's adopted child (Romans 8:15), you don't acquire that relationship by starting the relationship. You acquire it by being BORN AGAIN, which is through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

When the unsaved Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas how to be saved in Acts 16:30, they did not tell the man to have a “relationship” with Jesus. No, they said in Acts 16:31b, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” The word relationship doesn't even appear once in the entire inspired Holy Bible! Satan has effectively obscured God's simple plan of salvation, by filling the churches with all sorts of unbiblical embellishments, religious jargon and the commandments of men (Mark 7:9).

In so do, well-meaning but wicked religious people have perverted the Gospel of free grace, blinding the lost to the light of the truth. 2nd Corinthians 4:3-4, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” It is a very dangerous thing and a serious offense against God, to tamper with the plain Gospel as proclaimed clearly in the Word of God...

1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;: And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

There you have it, 'THE GOSPEL':

1. Jesus DIED on a cross for our sins
2. He was BURIED.
3. Three days later Jesus RESURRECTED from the dead.

So where in the world do today's corrupt pastors get the WRONG ideas that to get to Heaven you must: turn from your sins, forsake the world, live a lifestyle of repentance, live a changed life to prove that your faith is genuine, surrender all to Christ as “Lord,” become a Christ follower, get water baptized, keep sacraments, observe the Sabbath Day, do good works, et cetera? They are all dirty infidel liars!

The Man Who Believes Has Also Repented

2nd Timothy 2:25-26, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

I love this passage of Scripture, because it helps us to understand what repentance means. We know that the Greek noun for “repentance” in Verse 25 means “a change of mind.” Since this is all that the word means, “a change of mind,” we need supplemental information to know what to change our mind about. The Bible speaks of changing our mind to ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRUTH.

One of my favorite former Bible professors at Hyles-Anderson College in the late 1980's, Pastor Brad Strand in Texas today, offers this Bible commentary on what repentance means...

Like the thief on the cross who never had an opportunity to “turn from his sin,” we, like him, can only “acknowledge our sinfulness” in order to be saved (Lk 23:40-41). ...

True repentance has nothing to do with “turning from sin” and everything to do with “acknowledging one's sinfulness” (Jonah 3:5). Like the thief on the cross who simply acknowledged his sinfulness (Lk 23:39-43), the only part a person has in salvation is the beggar's part.
 
SOURCE: Pastor Brad Strand, “The Strand Study Bible”; 2nd Corinthians 7:8-9, pp. 1938, 1939

Amen and amen! Repentance is to change your mind to believe the truth.

“Faith and repentance are the same; they are not two separate decisions. One cannot trust Christ as Savior without repenting or changing his mind. The very fact that he trusts Christ for salvation shows that he has changed his mind regarding sin, salvation and God.” —Pastor Curtis Hutson (2000); “Salvation Crystal Clear,” p. 331; Sword Of The Lord Publishers

Hebrews 6:1 speaks of repentance from "DEAD WORKS" which cannot save a person. Faith without works is DEAD FAITH; and works without faith is DEAD WORKS. The Epistle of James speaks of a "DEAD FAITH," but dead faith is still faith. That is, your faith may be dead without works as a born-again believer, but you are still 100% saved. And the unsaved person who does "many wonderful works" (Matthew 7:21-23), must repent of their useless DEAD WORKS and believe on Jesus Christ to be saved.

“The fella who knows what repentance is knows it's included in believing.” —Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995)

“You'll even change your mind about repentance if you get saved. You are going to have to repent about your idea of repentance to be saved. Because if you have felt repentance is reformation, or turning from sin, and you're going to turn from sin to get saved, then you're not going to get saved until you change your mind about that idea, and decide that you're saved by the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Then you've repented over your repentance!” —Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995)

Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) wrote these helpful words regarding repentance...

“Repentance is not a different plan of salvation from having faith: it is part of the same plan of salvation. Or rather repentance is simply another way of describing or looking at the plan of salvation. One who turns from sin to God has done so by trusting in Jesus Christ. A change of mind toward sin is necessarily involved in saving faith.”

SOURCE: Evangelist John R. Rice, “Acts: Filled With The Spirit,” pp. 250-252; Sword Of The Lord, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; ©1963

Repentance is not a separate event from faith, although they are not the same thing. Here is the best quote that I've found on repentance, by Dr. Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951):

“Which comes first, repentance or faith? In Scripture we read, 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel.' Yet we find true believers exhorted to 'repent, and do the first works.' So intimately are the two related that you cannot have one without the other. The man who believes God repents; the repentant soul puts his trust in the Lord when the Gospel is revealed to him. Theologians may wrangle over this, but the fact is, no man repents until the Holy Spirit produces repentance in his soul through the truth. No man believes the Gospel and rests in it for his own salvation until he has judged himself as a needy sinner before God. And this is repentance.” ('Except Ye Repent,' p. 16)

The only thing that we need to repent from to be saved is UNBELIEF. Do we have to realize our sinful condition to be saved? Of course, yes! But there is not one verse in the entire Bible which requires a person to forsake sin to be saved. Nor does the Bible give anyone God's permission to commit sin just because they are saved (Romans 3:31). Every time Jesus forgave someone and healed them, it was only AFTERWARDS that He said... “Go and sin no more.” John 5:14, "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." 

Repentance simply means “a change of mind.” Believers change our minds every day about all kinds of things, including the sins in our life. Repenting of sins throughout one's Christian life is solely a matter of DISCIPLESHIP, not SALVATION. It is a matter of growing in the Lord's grace (1st Peter 2:2), as we yield to the Holy Spirit's leading in obedience to the Holy Scriptures (2nd Corinthians 10:5).

Thus, we don't give up our sins to become a Christian (Romans 3:20); rather, we forsake our sins because we are a Christian (Romans 12:1-2). There are no prerequisites or conditions for salvation (Galatians 3:2). God will save any guilty sinner who trusts upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ for salvation (Romans 10:13). John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

May we never forget that eternal life is a “FREE GIFT” from God (Romans 5:15-18). A gift is simply taken. The man who BELIEVES ON JESUS has also repented.

Is It Right To Do Repentance And Baptism?

Luke 24:46-48, “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.”

Someone emailed me today and asked the simple question: Is it right to do repentance and baptism? They also sent this image along with their question...

Repentance and water baptism are good in their proper place.

The Bible teaches that water baptism always comes AFTER a person gets saved, never before or as a means of obtaining salvation. Baptism symbolizes the Gospel (i.e., one's faith in Jesus' death, burial and resurrection). Baptism is like a wedding ring. The ring doesn't make someone married, it just symbolizes the marriage bond, letting others know that they are taken in marriage. Adding baptism to one's faith is a false gospel which cannot produce the new birth and is a sure road to Hell. Baptism must NOT be trusted in for salvation.

The same is true of repentance. Repentance is necessary for salvation, but biblical repentance means " a change of mind," not a change of behavior...

• https://www.jesusisprecious.org/fundamentals/repentance_simple.htm
• https://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Believer's%20Corner/Doctrines/repentance.htm

No one in the Old Testament was water baptized. The thief on the cross who got saved didn't get baptized. In the Epistle of 1st John, he explains how to "know" that we have eternal life (1st John 5:13), yet John never says to make sure you've been baptized. The word "baptize" is not mentioned in any form on 1st John. Clearly, baptism is NOT required to get to Heaven. My grandmother on my Mom's side of the family was a born again Christian, but she never got baptized. I was baptized four years after I got saved. Baptism was not essential to be saved, but I felt obedient to God when I was finally baptized at age 17. Water baptism is strictly a matter of discipleship, not sonship. It is a matter of sanctification, not justification.

The first step of obedience for a new believer is water baptism. Getting baptized is a matter of pleasing God, and not of getting saved. In the Scripture that you cited from Luke 24:46-47, "remission of sins" comes by faith in Jesus. Acts 10:43, "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." So, here we learn that you get your sins remitted (pardoned) through FAITH in Jesus Christ. This has nothing to do with being willing to turn away from the sinful bad habits in one's life.

Also, don't make the mistake of ass-u-ming that "repentance" in Luke 24:46-47 means to turn from one's sins, because that is NOT what the word means. The English dictionary defines "repentance" as "turning from sins," but that is not the biblical meaning of the word. The Greek noun for "repent" is METANOIA (a change of mind) ...

• https://www.lovethetruth.com/bd/metanoia.htm

Bible repentance is a change of mind. It is clear from dozens of passages that salvation comes by simply believing on the name of Jesus. So, Bible repentance can only mean then, to change your mind from unbelief to belief. Anything else would constitute works for salvation.

In Jonah 3:10 we read, "And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not." The Bible says God saw their WORKS, that they turned from their evil way. The Ninevites didn't get saved, they merely turned from their sins and God in His mercy spared them judgment. God sent the prophet Nahum 100 years later to pronounce judgment again on Nineveh (the capital of Assyria) for their return to wickedness, and they were destroyed by the Babylonians.

Nobody repented in the Holy Bible as much as God. Jonah 3:10 says that God repented. God is incapable of doing evil. So, if repent means to turn from your sins, then how could God repent? No, God simply changed His mind not to destroy the Assyrians. When a lost sinner changes his or her mind from unbelief, to faith in Jesus Christ, they are born again immediately and permanently. That is how people have always been saved. There has only always been one Gospel. Acts 10:43, "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." This has always been God's simple plan of salvation, through childlike faith (trust, reliance) in the name of Jesus.

Since we cannot see Jesus, all we can do is trust in His name. John 1:12-13, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Any needy sinner who receives Christ's sacrifice on the cross by faith, believing that He was buried, but then bodily resurrected from the dead three days later, is saved. This is the Gospel (i.e., the GOOD NEWS) of Christ crucified, buried and risen (1st Corinthians 15:1-6).

If you have never been water baptized dear reader, you have nothing to fear if you died today. But if you've never been born again, then you should be very afraid. Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

A False Gospel Is Being Preached Nearly Everywhere Today

Acts 15:1, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”

Here is a truthful quote from Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001)...

“𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗜'𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹. 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗕𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘂𝗿. 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘂𝗿! 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘂𝗿! 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 '𝗲𝗺, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗼 ​𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗹𝘂𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗸𝘀, 𝘄𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁!” —𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝘆𝗹𝗲𝘀, "𝗔 𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴"

Pastor Jack Hyles -  'A Vote For Preaching'

Truth matters! The purity of the inspired Word of God matters! The accuracy of the Gospel matters!