2nd Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Our text passage of inspired Scripture plainly teaches that God is not willing for ANY man to perish, but that “all” should come to repentance to be saved. That is, God desires for ALL men (including women) to change their mind from unbelief to trust Jesus Christ. God doesn't want anyone, not even the vilest sinner, to go to Hell when they die. The good Lord died on Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago for everyone according to 1st John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Romans 5:6-9, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 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. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” I love that passage! Some people would sacrifice their life for a righteous man. Perhaps maybe some would even sacrifice their life for a good man. But who would lay down their life for an evil person, a guilty criminal? Jesus, that's who, and that's exactly what He did 2,000 years ago. Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross to pay for everyone's sins; even Adolf Hitler, Jeffrey Dahmer and Taylor Swift.
Throughout the inspired Word of God we are taught that anyone can be saved, if they want to be. In John 5:40, “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” Notice that Jesus didn't say, “ye cannot come to me”; He said, “ye will not come to me.” As long as someone is still alive breathing, anyone can come to Jesus Christ to be saved! Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Beware Of The Toxic New IFB Movement
Tragically, there is a corrupt religious group today called the “New IFB” (Independent Fundamental Baptists), who unscripturally teach that God hates homosexuals, and we should also hate gays, and that LGBTQIA+ people are beyond the hope of the gospel (so New IFB pastors foolishly preach the lie that we shouldn't bother wasting our time sharing the gospel with gay people). Dear reader, kindly said, the New IFB have been inspired by demons!
Their toxic leader is Pastor Steven Anderson (born 1981). Whereas in Matthew 22:39 Jesus commands us to love our neighbour (which includes every human being) as our self, Pastor Anderson and his New IFB followers teach we should hate the gay community. Jude 1:22-23, “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” How can any Bible preacher teach that God wants Christians to hate anyone, when the Bible repeatedly speaks of loving sinners, hope for the hopeless, and emulating our loving heavenly Father
Matthew 5:43-48, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
I hope you can clearly see from Christ's own Words, that what Steven Anderson and his toxic New IFB are preaching is the exact opposite of what Jesus preached. The New IFB want you to hate sinners, but Jesus said to love everybody, even the worst among us. May I kindly remind you dear friend that Christ died on a cross for everyone, and that we have all been made in the image of our omnipotent faithful Creator.
God Never Gives Up On Saving Someone
According to Pastor Steven Anderson's popular “Reprobate Doctrine,” all homosexuals have crossed the point of no return concerning salvation, so that God has declared them as “reprobates” (worthless) and He has forever given up on them coming to Christ. But please notice in the following passage from Romans chapter one that the Bible never says anything about salvation.
Romans 1:24-28, “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”
We see that God gave them up to three things (but none of them concern salvation):
- uncleanliness
- vile affections
- reprobate mind
Nowhere does this passage teach that God ever gives up on someone being saved. It is tragic that any preacher would hate the sin of homosexuality so much, as to declare the sinner unreachable with the gospel of free grace. Such false teaching is foreign to the Holy Bible. I can tell you with all Scriptural authority and confidence dear reader that homosexuals, transvestites, effeminate males and lesbians can be saved. NO ONE is beyond the hope of the gospel.
Now, I do believe that there is such a thing as a “reprobate,” but the Scripture teaches that it is not because God refuses to save someone; but rather, because they refuse to repent (think differently) toward God to believe the gospel to be saved (Acts 20:21; 1st Corinthians 15:1-6). In this helpful article I contrast the drastic differences between what Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) rightly taught concerning “reprobates,” versus what Steven Anderson errantly teaches.
I want no part of the hate-filled New IFB. There is something very wrong with a professed man of God who praises serial killings, as Pastor Anderson did in 2016. He wickedly praised the massacre of 48 victims at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. A deranged 26 year old gunman shot and killed 48 people, and wounded another 58. The incident was so tragic and unfortunate. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. It was all so needless and tragic!
In sharp contrast to Steven Anderson praising the shooter, the Holy Bible teaches that God has NO PLEASURE in the death of the wicked. Ezekiel 33:11, “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” Shame on the New IFB and their followers for tolerating and promoting hatred of sinners, people created in the image of God almighty.
The inspired King James Bible warns in 1st Corinthians 13:1-2, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”
The word “nothing” in verse 2 is the Greek word oudeis, which means: “not even one (man, woman or thing), that is, none, nobody, nothing.” Kindly said, the Bible is saying that a preacher who lacks love for people is less than a man, he is incomplete. It matters not how successful the New IFB are at filling their churches with followers, as long as they are preaching hatred for people they will continue to be less than the men God intended. They are low character individuals, demonstrated by their hatred and bashing of unrepentant sinners.
We Must Hate The Sin, But Never The Sinner
I am 100% against the homosexual agenda. As God's children we ought not go along with the world's acceptance, tolerance and promotion of wickedness. No Christian should celebrate June as “Pride” month. I will never knowingly support the LGBTQIA+ community with their programs, agendas and events. Psalms 97:10a, “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil...”
The problem with nearly all churches today is that they either go to one extreme or the other, when they should reside somewhere in the middle. On one end of the spectrum there are ungodly churches (e.g., Joel Osteen, Steven Furtick, Hillsong) where the pastor coddles sinners and refuses to preach against the sin of homosexuality. But on the other extreme there are ungodly churches (e.g., Steven Anderson, Jonathan Shelley, New IFB, Fred Phelps) where the pastor spews hatred toward sinners, recruiting members to hate people. The biblical pastor who is pleasing to the LORD will preach hard against sin, while equally with the same fervor and zeal love everyone with God's unconditional love. There is a desired proper balance.
Homosexuals can be saved dear reader. We should share the gospel of free grace with everyone, just as the inspired Holy Bible teaches. Mark 16:15, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” If we are to obey this command from Jesus, then we must preach the gospel to homosexuals also, since they are “creatures.” I think it is significant that the Apostle Mark used the word “creature” instead of “person.” Would not many people consider Jeffrey Dahmer a “creature” rather than a man? I humbly believe God used this word on purpose, so as to not exclude anyone from hearing the gospel.
By the way, the New IFB should publish their own new Bible, and revise it to read in Mark 16:15, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, except homosexuals.” That is exactly what every incompetent New IFB heretical pastor preaches! Since they refuse to follow the clear teaching of God's Word, they should be honest to revise and publish their own new Bible version that matches what they teach and preach.
God knows that I did not write this article to be mean or unkind toward anyone, truly. I wrote this article to proclaim the biblical truth that anyone, including homosexuals, can be saved. No one who wants to be saved cannot be saved. The only person beyond the hope of the gospel is someone who has consciously rejected the truth of the gospel and refuses to come to Christ. 2nd Timothy 2:13, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”
Anybody who wants to be saved, can be saved, by simply accepting Christ's sacrificial death on the cross as full payment for your sins, and believing that He was buried but then physically resurrected three days later. This is “the Gospel” (the Good News) by which all who believe it are instantly, irrevocably and permanently saved (Romans 1:16).