The Wages Of Sin Is Death

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

A “wage” is something that you earn. It is a payment. By our sinning we have earned death. The payment of sin is death, not our good works. The payment of sin is death, not going to church. The payment of sin is death, not surrendering “all” to Christ. The payment of sin is death, not becoming a Christ follower. Good works are not the payment for sin, the payment for sin is death. Christ died in our place on Calvary's cross. It hurts my heart every time I find another toxic plan of salvation (damnation) on a website, religious tract or in a sermon.

How did the Gospel become so perverted in nearly every Bible college and church today? It happened because pastors stopped contending for the faith (Jude 1:3; Ephesians 5:11; Titus 1:9-14). The vast majority of pastors are sadly not preachers! They can administrate, teach and counsel, but they will not preach the truth. They cannot preach their way out of a wet paper bag. They are spineless cowards, paid and bought for by their complicit congregations, sitting idle for God, hindering the cause of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 5:31, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?”

Salvation is not a mixture of grace and works. We are saved by grace alone. Grace is God's unmerited favor for no other reason than He wants to do it. We don't do something that qualifies us to salvation. He simply saves those who are TRUSTING to be saved, not TRYING to be saved. It is the gift of God according to Ephesians 2:8-9, “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.”

If we could earn our way to Heaven, then it would be by works, not grace. Romans 4:4, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” You're not saved until you're helplessly lost and trust that only Jesus can save you. When you try to mix grace and works, you are trying to add and supplement what Jesus did through Calvary's cross to pay down your debt of sin.

The inspired Scripture declares in our text passage from Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death,” and nothing but death can pay for our sins. That is why Jesus Christ died on a cruel cross 2,000 years ago to pay a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.

Turning away from sinful ways would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work. If to “repent” means to forsake our sinful ways TO BE SAVED, but Jesus already paid for our sins by dying on the cross, then what are we repenting from? The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU. If salvation is truly by grace, then you don't need to start or stop anything to be saved. Eternal life is a free gift from God (Romans 6:23).

One is saved by God's grace through faith in the finished Work of His Son on the Cross as payment in full as our pardon for sin. We must stay true to the simplicity of the Gospel. Repentance regarding salvation is a change of mind from unbelief to belief. We must earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 1:3). It is not the KIND of faith you have that saves you, but the OKJEST of your faith. Look to Jesus (Isaiah 45:22).

The Catholic church teaches through the sacraments God gives you the grace to live a faithful life and make it to Heaven by your works. That's exactly what they teach. John MacArthur teaches you not only have to put your faith in Christ, you have to live a faithful life. World Missionary Press teaches you must forsake your sinning to be saved.

These are all toxic false teachings not found in God's Word. Carnal living is not cured by adding works to the Gospel, it just makes people self-righteous. These poisonous teachings are focused on man's faithfulness and works instead of Christ's finished work of redemption. Titus 3:5, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

The False Gospel of the “Greater Little Rock Baptist Church” in Pensacola

Galatians 3:1-2, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

I love that last phrase in verse 2. Galatians 3:2b, “Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” That is, Paul is asking the Galatians how they were indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, by works or by the hearing of faith. I love that phrase “the hearing of faith.” On the Day of Pentecost the Apostle Peter preached the Gospel message and 3,000 men “gladly received” God's word and were saved (Acts 2:41). That is how anyone gets saved, by believing the Gospel truth when they hear it preached.

The False Gospel Of The “Greater Little Rock Baptist Church” In Pensacola

The erroneous concept that a lost person must be willing to stop sinning, or forsake their sinful bad habits or evil ways, to get to Heaven is of the Devil. Tragically, you will find this damnable heresy in 97% of corrupt churches today. I was searching for Baptist churches in my area in West Pensacola, Florida. I was saddened to find another corrupt church. In this case, it is the Greater Little Rock Baptist Church. I felt sick when I read their corrupt plan of salvation...

Here is how you can receive Christ:
1. Admit your need (I am a sinner).
2. Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.
4. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)

How to Pray:
Dear Lord Jesus, 

I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness.
I believe that You died for my sins.
I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life.
I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. 

In Jesus' name. Amen. SOURCE

What a nightmare! Steps 2 and 4 are totally unbiblical. Let's analyze this doctrinal mess:

1. You don't have to “be willing to turn from sin” to be saved. Toxic Chick Tracts teach verbatim what Greater Little Rock Baptist Church teach. Nowhere does the inspired King James Bible teach that to get to Heaven you must repent “of your sins.” Matthew 27:3 says Judas repented of his sins, but he still went to Hell forever in his sins and unbelief.
2. You don't have to invite Christ into your life to be saved. Judas invited Jesus into his life.
3. You don't have to surrender control of your life to Christ to be saved.
4. You don't have to pray to be saved. What did Jesus say? John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do. Prayer never saved anybody!
5. You don't have to invite Jesus into your heart and life to get to Heaven. Jesus was a part of Judas' life and he had a devil in him (John 6:70).
6. You don't have to follow Jesus as your “Lord” to be saved. The false prophets in Matthew 7:21-23 followed Jesus calling Him “Lord, Lord.” Jesus denied knowing them as His sheep.

All of these embellishments to the Gospel are poisonous.

The True Gospel of God's Word

What exactly is “the gospel”? ...

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:

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

That is “the gospel” dear reader, which does not include any of the mumbo-jumbo, tommyrot, poppycock, balderdash, blahblah, flapdoodle, nonsense that you read earlier.

The Greater Little Rock Baptist Church lists four “steps” to get to Heaven, but there are no “steps” dear reader to be saved. When the Roman jailer asked in Acts 16:30 what he needed to do to be saved, Paul and Silas didn't give him a bunch of steps, they simply replied: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31b).

Beware of the “Repent of Your Sins” Damnable Heresy

Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) rightly taught that there are no “steps” to salvation; but rather, repentance and faith are two inseparable parts of just one step. Hence, the man who believes has repented, and the man who repents has believed, if he has trusted Christ.

When someone asks me if you need to repent to be saved, I always need to first ask them what they mean by “repentance,” because this term means different things to different people. If you mean that you need to admit you're a sinner to get to Heaven, then I agree. But if you mean that you must be willing to turn from your sinful ways to be saved, then I disagree because that is works. I can prove it with the Scripture! Jonah 3:10, “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.”

In this passage we learn two vital truths:

1. The Bible calls the Ninevites turning from their evil ways “works.” The Assyrians didn't get saved, they simply repented of their sins and God spared them judgment. But the people went back into wickedness and a century later God sent the prophet Nahum to pronounce judgment upon the nation and they were conquered by Babylon.
2. God Himself repented. Since God is incapable of being tempted to do evil (James 1:13), we know that to “repent” cannot mean to turn from one's sins. Out of the 46 mentions of repentance in the Old Testament, it is God Himself who repents 28 times. God simply changed His mind in various matters.

Dear reader, I cannot stress the importance of heeding these Bible truths. Every pseudo-Christian cult today (i.e., Catholics, Mormons, Seventh-Day Adventists, Church of Christ, Reformed Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, et cetera) falsely teach that you must repent “of your sins” to get to Heaven. No such teaching is found in the inspired King James Bible. Since the only sin which can keep you out of Heaven is unbelief, that is the only sin you need to turn from to be saved. You don't have to give up your unbelief; but rather, you need to trust Jesus Christ in spite of your unbelief (Mark 9:24).

The notion that you must repent to turn from your sins to be saved is unscriptural. Do you think Saul of Tarsus was in a repentant mood while hauling Christians to Damascus to be martyred? No way! Saul was murdering Christians. Jesus Christ appeared to Saul, who shown as a light brighter than the sun, on the road to Damascus. Saul repented of his unbelief to trust Christ. The erroneous idea that God won't save a man until he is first ready to forsake a lifestyle of sinning is totally foreign to the Scripture. That is not how salvation works.

We Must Keep Service Separate From Salvation

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)

And here is my favorite preacher's quote from Pilgrim's Progress author John Bunyan (1628-1688):

“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)

It is imperative that Bible preachers always keep discipleship separate from sonship. We must keep service (Romans 12:1), separate from salvation (Galatians 3:26). Kindly said, this is what the Greater Little Rock Baptist Church has failed to do, as did Dr. John MacArthur (1939-2025), Jack Chick (1924-2016), and thousands of other incompetent neo-evangelical preachers. There is no greater sin than to preach another gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). Their woeful crime is in mixing discipleship with sonship, contaminating the grace of God.

A Changed Life is the “Fruit” of the Indwelling Holy Spirit

A changed life is not the result of genuine repentance; but rather, it is the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). Many preachers get this wrong. I hear incompetent pastors all the time saying that you don't get saved by works, but if you are saved you will do works. The problem is two fold:

1. Those pastors are attributing a changed life to self reform, not Christ's Spirit.
2. Those pastors assume that every believer will walk in the Spirit. Most believers are carnal, walking in the flesh by default. They are saved, but immature or backsliden. Very few of God's saints walk in the Spirit which indwells them (Galatians 5:25).

Please understand that I did not write this article to be unkind or attack anyone. I love God, people and truth, which is why I started a website ministry back in 2002. I have never received one penny for all my labors for these past 24 years. My work is a labor of love for my blessed Savior. Jesus is precious!!!

I wrote this article, and others like it refuting false prophets and false teachings, to help others for Christ. What saith the Scripture? Titus 1:13-14, “This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.” A counterfeit plan of salvation is being preached from nearly every pulpit today. Although I am not an apostle, neither was Titus, and yet Paul exhorted Titus to “rebuke them sharply” that they might be sound in the Christian faith. Right doctrine matters! To God alone by the praise, credit and glory (John 15:5).

Dear reader, I love people enough to tell the truth. I make no money from my ministry work. I care. If you're not angry, you're not paying attention. The accuracy of the Gospel matters. The purity of the inspired Holy Bible matters. Right doctrine matters. How we treat people matters. Proverbs 12:17, “He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.”

How To Know That You Are Saved

1st John 3:20, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”

What a precious Scripture! I am listening to a wonderful sermon right now called, “John The Baptist—The Doubter” by Pastor Jack Hyles. Toward the end of the sermon Brother Hyles quotes our text passage from 1st John 3:20. This verse means that if you feel that you are not saved, God knows that you are saved if you meet the following FOUR conditions, which Dr. Hyles outlines in this sermon. When you remember trusting Christ:

1. Did you know you were a sinner?
2. Did you know you could not save yourself, and that you were lost without Christ?
3. Did you know that Jesus took your sins off you and placed them on Himself, and Christ died paying the penalty completely for your sins?
4. Did you trust Jesus as your substitute and your sacrifice?

When we experience doubts, we should go over our testimony...

Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

They overcame by the word of their testimony.

Every Christian believer experiences doubts at times. ...

1st Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

For many years after I got saved at age 13 I doubted. The reason why I doubted was simply because I didn't understand how salvation fully worked. Preachers were mostly to blame, because they all led me to pray a Sinner's Prayer, which confused me concerning the Gospel. Praying to be saved is unbiblical. Jesus said in John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” You can believe on Christ without praying.

The first thing to do when you doubt God's gift of salvation is to realize that you are not alone. Everyone doubts their salvation at some point in their Christian life. I sure have. Dr. Hyles admits that he did too. And so did Dr. John R. Rice admit to doubting God's salvation at times.

The second thing to do is go over your salvation testimony in your mind. Did you know you were a sinner? But you say, “I cannot remember if I knew I was a sinner years ago.” Dear reader, the important thing is do you know it now? Do you know that you're a sinner? Do you know that Jesus came to earth as the virgin born only begotten Son of God? Do you believe that He died in your place on the cross 2,000 years ago? Do you believe that Jesus was buried but then resurrected three days later? If this is your only hope for forgiveness of sins and eternal life, then you are saved. This is “the gospel”:

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.”

I don't know I'm saved because I was there when it happened, or because I got happy or tingle, or because I felt a burden roll away. I know I am saved because God the Father said I am a sinner, and that sinners are lost and go to Hell forever. I know I am saved because God said He made a way of escape through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus. God the Father says in His written Word that Jesus died on a cross to pay my debt of sin, and that He was buried, and then three days later He physically ressurected from the dead. God and that if I trust Christ He will save me. Anything less or more is a counterfeit plan of salvation.

Do you believe the Gospel (i.e., the Good News, Glad Tidings) dear reader? Are you completely resting in Christ's finished redemptive work (Hebrews 4:10-11)? I didn't ask if you've turned from your sinful bad habits. I didn't ask if you've surrendered “all” to Christ. I didn't ask if you walked down a church aisle. I didn't ask if you've prayed a sinner's prayer. I didn't ask if you've joined a church. I didn't ask if you've been water baptized. I didn't ask if you've kept the sacraments. I asked if you are completely resting in the finished redemptive work of Christ? Have you been born again?

I have met professed Christians who still doubt no matter what I show them from the Bible. I have shared every salvation sermon, quote, book and Bible verse I can think off with some people, but they still refuse to believe they are saved. For those people I would show you 1st John 3:20, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” Unless you are calling a liar, then you must admit that He saves those who trust in the Good News of Jesus crucified, buried and risen from the dead.

Written by God's grace, I encourage you to read my helpful 42 chapter book, “SALVATION.” I re-edited my book in 2016, added 6 additional chapters, and put it in .pdf format. Enjoy!

It is possible to KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt that you are saved. Jesus told us in Luke 20:20b, “rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” You could not rejoice that your name is written in Heaven, unless you CAN have the 100% assurance you are saved. 1st John 5:13 says we can KNOW we are saved. As I mentioned earlier, I doubted God's free gift of salvation for many years after I got saved. I made the mistake of focusing upon the sinner's prayer. Since I couldn't remember years later what my frame of mind was when I got saved, I worried a lot. I cried actual tears on umpteen occasions.

To be honest dear reader, I do not know the day when I was saved. In fact, I cannot nail down the year! I think, to the best of my recollection, that I had just turned 13 a few months before I got saved in 1980. I do remember the place in church. I was sitting in a pew. It was a Baptist church on a Sunday morning. For the first time in my life I felt Holy Spirit conviction as a lost sinner, and that morning I called out to God silently in my soul and asked Jesus to save me. From that day until present, I have felt the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit in my soul, like a light switch that was turned on. Before I got saved, there is only a blank in my mind.

If this article and my book hasn't helped you dear friend to settle the matter of the assurance of your salvation, I welcome you to contact me at my ministry email. I have lots of resources, including books and sermons to help you. Here is a very helpful book by Michael P. Bowen titled, “I Never Knew You,” which book I cherish. This book is a faithful defense of the free grace Gospel. It is tragic that a counterfeit plan of salvation is being preached from nearly every pulpit today.

When I attended the shameful Harvest Baptist Church on Guam in 2013-2015, they preached the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation. Marty Herron was their incompetent senior pastor at the time, who ultimately banned me from attending their corrupt church. In hindsight they did me a favor, lest I be corrupted by their perverted gospel.

While I attended Harvest, although I hadn't told them about my website ministry, they found it. One of their deacons approached me after church one Sunday evening and he asked me how to know he was saved. I was delighted to share with him some of the helpful truths from my book on Salvation, for which he said, “Why don't they teach things like that from the pulpit.” I told him it is because their pastors don't know the pain of not knowing you are saved, but I do. I do. For many years I wept, worried and wallowed in misery not knowing that I was saved certain. You can know dear friend, and I encourage you not to rest until you settle it.

I used to feel scared going down into our basement in Chicago. It was pitch black! We had one of those ceiling light bulbs with a pull string. In my fear I used to swing my arm wildly in desperation feeling in the dark for the light string. I would unintentionally hit the string and it would move around so that it took me longer to find it. So I quickly learned to go slow, so as to not hit the string. I went slow so that I could find the string sooner and get that light on.

Do you know why I was afraid? It is because I didn't know what might be in the dark. We fear things that we don't understand. God and the Bible are frightening to those who do not understand. That is why I started this blog ministry dear reader back in 2020, so that I could educate and feed Jesus' sheep concerning spiritual truths. And so that I could preach the “Gospel of Peace“” (Romans 10:15) to lead lost sinners to find peace with God the Father through faith in His only begotten Son. Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

“Men look on the blood of Christ with scorn and contempt, but the time is coming when the blood of Christ will be worth more than all the kingdoms of the world.” —Pastor Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899)

“Faith cannot be called the 'condition' of receiving, for it is the 'receiving' itself; Christ holds out, and believers receive.” —Jonathan Edwards

“There is nothing in God's universe that is so utterly useless as a merely formal Christian.” —Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Without Christ you have a hopeless end; with Christ you have an endless hope. There is nothing standing in the records of eternity against any soul that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. All you need to do to be saved is to just believe Jesus did it all for you. Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

Don't Emphasize Repentance When Presenting The Gospel

Acts 16:30-31, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

We shouldn't be focusing on repentance when presenting the Gospel. Don't emphasize repentance because a lot of people are confused about it.

Furthermore, there is no need to bring the subject up because repentance is an automatic thing. If a husband says he is going to watch a ballgame, but his wife wants him to take out the trash first, she wouldn't say: “Would you please change your mind and take out the trash?” No, she would say: “Would you please take out the trash?” If her husband takes out the garbage it is because he changed his mind. Likewise, the man who believes on Christ has repented.

To lead people to Jesus Christ all we need to do is share THE GOSPEL. I found a helpful article and sermon by Pastor David O'Steen of the Hope Bible Church in Jackson, Georgia, titled: 'Is Repentance Necessary For Salvation?' I encourage you to examine these wonderful resources. It is rare to find a Bible preacher who gets repentance 100% correct, which Pastor O'Steen does thankfully. Amen and amen!

Everybody who gets saved repents, whether they are conscious of it or not. Repentance is essential for salvation, but it is not a work. The English verb “repent” (Greek: metanoeo) means “to think differently.” The noun “repent” (Greek: metanoia) means a change of mind.  Many preachers embellish the meaning of repentance to add more to it, but to do so is to sinfully wrest the Scripture (2nd Peter 3:16-17). If it wasn't the Lord's Holy Spirit working in your soul through the Gospel, you wouldn't change your mind to be saved. He works on your heart first through the Gospel. We repent (change our mind) from unbelief to belief to be saved. It's that simple to go to Heaven and nothing more is required or allowed.

I love this tremendous quote from Pastor 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)

In the following passage from the book of Acts, repentance and faith happen simultaneously at the same time. You don't repent first and then believe. Repentance is “a change of mind,” and you turn to God by putting your faith in His only begotten Son. Acts 26:20, “But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”

Repentance doesn't save you, faith in Jesus Christ saves you; but repentance facilitates (makes possible) believing. To turn from one's sins is reformation, not Bible repentance. Certainly God wants every believer to repent of our sins, but this has nothing to do with the new birth, which is by faith alone in the Gospel. Today's clergy who combine and confuse service with salvation do great harm to the cause of Christ. Evangelist Billy Graham (1918-2018) was one of the worst offenders, perverting God's simple plan of salvation.

The Gospel message is not “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17b). The Gospel message is that you're a lost sinner, Christ died for your sins, and if you want to be saved trust the Lord and He will save you, and that is repentance. So, it's the goodness of God that leadeth to repentance. Whenever the Lord went forth to Israel commanding them to repent, most of them didn't. It was the grace, love and mercy of God that causes Saul to repent to be saved under the grace of God.

As we faithfully preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, some sinners will repent; not because we demanded it of them or even exhorted them to do it with fear, but because, as we preached Christ’s finished redemptive work the Holy Spirit opened their eyes to see the truth, and their hearts to receive it. 2nd Timothy 2:25b, “if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.”

When sharing the plan of salvation with lost sinners, just give them the plain facts of Jesus' death on the cross, burial and bodily resurrection from the dead the third day. Remember, it is the Gospel itself that is THE POWER OF GOD unto salvation to all who believe it. 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.” It's not our words of wisdom or eloquent oratory skills that will lead men to Jesus Christ; but rather, it's the saving knowledge of the Gospel (the Good News of Jesus crucified, buried and risen) itself that saves. You just need to believe that Jesus did it all for you.

The True Measure Of Our Success In Life

Daniel 12:2-3, “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”

I believe this passage of Scripture speaks of the imputed righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ. 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.”

Dear reader, the measure of our success as a Christian won't be how many people show up to say goodbye at our funeral; but rather, how many people are waiting to greet us when we get to Heaven. That is, how many people we lead to the Lord Jesus Christ in our lifetime.

The Apostle Paul made this remarkable statement, writing under the inspiration of the blessed Holy Spirit:

1st Corinthians 9:16, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”

Do you think that “woe” only applies to an apostle if he fails to preach the Gospel? Every child of God is commanded by God to share the Gospel, as set forth in The Great Commission:

Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

God intended for the Gospel to perpetuate from one generation to the next. For example: I lead you to Christ, and then teach you the things of Christ so that you can go soulwinning and lead lost sinners to Christ, and then those converts learn the ways of Christ and they go preach the Gospel to win more sinners to Jesus, and so forth. This is The Great Commission.

Are you soul-conscious dear reader? Are you a born again Christian? There is nothing in this life more important than knowing that your name is written in Heaven in the Lamb's Book of Life (Luke 10:20).

I keep this Gospel tract by Army chaplain David Rutkin with me everywhere I go. I have a rubber band around my phone that holds a dozen tracts. I wear my phone around my neck on a chain. I used this pad to prevent the chain from irritating my neck. The tract is titled, “Nothing But The Truth.” I pass them out to people. By doing so, I am planting a seed at a minimum. At best, they might even get saved by believing the Gospel. It is not our job to save anybody; but rather, to just give them a clear Gospel presentation. God saves sinners (1st Corinthians 3:6). Proverbs 11:30, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Having Everything And Yet Nothing

Today, I was reading about Hollywood actors who were fired for being greedy. It sickens me with all the tens of millions of dollars that Hollywood actors already have, they want more, more, more! Albeit, I think in some instances it is more a matter of principle than the money.

For the 2014 movie sequel “Expendables 3,” The Hollywood Reporter said that Bruce Willis' exit from the franchise was due to a huge paycheck demand. According to The Hollywood Reporter's source, “Willis was offered $3 million for four days of consecutive work,” but he demanded a pay bump to $4 million. Can you imagine? Bruce Willis wasn't content with $750,000 per day of work! It takes the average hard working American 10 to 15 years to earn that amount of money!!! Unreal.

In fairness to Bruce Willis, that single movie grossed $209,500,000 in profits, so he probably loathed the greedy of the studio. Hollywood studios exploit the actors' fame to boost their film sales. Willis fully knew that, which is why I think he refused the role unless they paid him more. It wasn't about the money, it's the principle of the matter.

Just as a side note of trivia, Jason Statham earned a massive $25 million just for his role in the 2023 “Expendables 4” film. Wowza! For Statham's role in all four films in The Expendables franchise he was paid $52 million total. His net worth is $120 million.

While I was researching the outrageous salaries of Hollywood actors today, I noticed that Robert DeNiro has a staggering net worth of $500,000,000. Sadly, DeNiro is an atheist. Matthew 16:26, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Most rich people have everything they already need on earth, so they don't think they need God, provisions or Heaven. But the poor, imprisoned and broken people of this world are desperate for a better life. 

1st Corinthians 1:17-18, “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. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

I also read about Hollywood actor Jack Black this week, who is an avowed atheist. His net worth is $50 million. I could mention the names of thousands of Hollywood actors and famous people who have a shocking net worth, and yet they are oh so poor without Jesus Christ. They are some of the most selfish people on planet earth. It breaks my heart whenever I read about a famous person who has everything they could want in this life, except Jesus.

Brian Johnson of the hard rock band AC/DC is an atheist. He denies that Jesus is God. To deny the deity of Jesus (the truth that He is almighty God) makes one effectively an atheist.

“Well I don't believe in religion, let's put it that way,” Johnson said. “I believe all religions are bad. I think they're a waste of time. Jesus was a clever man. He wasn't the son of God. We all know that he was a very clever, wonderful man and he said, 'Church is in here, meaning you are your own church.'” [emphasis added] SOURCE

What saith the Scripture? 1st John 2:22-23, “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” Kindly said, woe unto Brian Johnson when he enters the afterlife.

At age 78 in 2026, Brian Johnson has a net worth of $90 million. What good is all that money, since they cannot take one penny with them into eternity. 1st Timothy 6:7, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

The Only Happy Life is Living For Souls

It was Pastor Dwight Lyman Moody in Chicago who rightly said:

“It is the only happy life to live for the salvation of souls.” —Pastor D. L. Moody (1837-1899)

When this life is over and we are in God's hands someday, all that will matter then is if we died in the Lord (Revelation 13:14), and what we did for Christ with our life (Ecclesiastes 12:13). The true measure of our success as a Christian won't be how many people show up to say goodbye at our funeral; but rather, how many people are waiting to greet us when we get to Heaven.

God calls the feet of the soulwinner “beautiful.” Notice that the Bible doesn't say that our mouth or lips are beautiful, but our feet. ...

Romans 10:15-16, “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?”

The reason why is obvious, because even the most eloquent words of wisdom are worthless if our feet are too lazy to carry those needful words to lost sinners. 2nd Corinthians 4:3, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.” Winning lost sinners to Jesus is so important to the heavenly Father that I have dedicated an entire website just to soulwinning...

https://www.soulwinning.info

Al Pacino Is Not A Christian, Not Ready For Eternity

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.”

It was reported in the news that famous Hollywood icon Al Pacino (born 1940) almost died during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the virus caught him. And sadly, it was also reported that Al Pacino renewed his Roman Catholic faith that he was raised in, as an Italian:

Al Pacino’s Near-Fatal COVID Experience Revives His Catholic Faith 

by Media News Source | June 22, 2025

Al Pacino’s recent visit to the Vatican marks a significant moment in both his personal faith journey and his storied career. The acclaimed actor, now 85 years old, met with Pope Leo XIV this week, gifting the Pontiff a model car and engaging in discussions that blended the realms of film and spirituality. This encounter follows Pacino’s near-fatal experience with COVID-19, a health crisis that seemingly prompted a reevaluation of his faith and personal beliefs.

 . . . Sources suggest that their conversation transcended mere pleasantries and ventured into deeper discussions about the intersection of cinema and faith. Pacino’s transformational experience during the pandemic has led him back to his roots, exploring faith in a new light. Observers noted that Pope Leo XIV was notably enthusiastic about meeting Pacino, highlighting his admiration for the actor’s contributions to the film industry.

As the film industry continues to grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pacino’s experience serves as a reminder of the power of personal reflection during times of crisis. His renewed faith, explored within the context of his artistic pursuits, may resonate not only with his audience but also with those who follow his work across the globe.

This encounter is a noteworthy illustration of how art and spirituality can intersect, enabling influential figures like Pacino to connect with global leaders in meaningful ways. While the details of their conversation may remain private, the implications of such a meeting extend far beyond the walls of the Vatican as they epitomize a merging of cultural heritage and spiritual exploration.

As Pacino continues his journey through film and faith, his connection with Pope Leo XIV adds a profound layer to his legacy, inspiring many to reflect on their own paths and beliefs. [emphasis added] SOURCE

This is so tragic! Satan has the unsaved world blinded from seeing the true Gospel the Bible says. 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.” Al Pacino, like over one billion other victims, has been woefully deceived by Roman Catholicism. People are so gullible, swayed and swooned by the whore of Rome. The Catholic Church, including its global holdings, is often considered to have a symbolic net worth in the trillions, primarily due to its extensive properties, investments, and historical assets.

Dear reader, there is no salvation in the Catholic religion! I say that with kindness and love, but I speak THE TRUTH of God's Word. For centuries billions of people have fallen victim to the lies of the Vatican, worshipping graven images and images which the Holy Bible forbids. It became so obvious that Catholics were dissing the Word of God, that the wicked Vatican had to do something drastic to hide their deception. So, they removed the second of the Ten Commandments, which forbids bowing to graven images. See for yourself. That alone should be more than enough proof that the Roman Catholic Church is of the Devil.

It saddens me that Al Pacino is nearing the end of his life's journey at age 85, and after almost dying in his sins when COVID-19 hit hard, the famous actor is still lost in his sins and bound for the Lake of Fire without Christ. Catholics teach Sacramental Salvation. That is, their religion teaches that to get to Heaven you MUST keep Seven Sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance (Reconciliation), Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony, and Holy Orders). Of course, none of this garbage in Biblical. Yes, I said “garbage”!

The Bible doesn't teach Christians to respect the false religious beliefs of others; it says to “Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.” The Bible says in Ephesians 5:11, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 6:17, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” The Bible doesn't say to stick around and try to convert false religions. No, it says to separate from them!

Perhaps you've heard the term ecumenism. What is that? It is a movement that promotes worldwide unity among religions, through greater cooperation and improved understanding. As you can see, ecumenism and the Holy Bible are in conflict. How can we come our from them and  cooperate at the same time? We cannot. Lets read the surrounding text, shall we...

2nd Corinthians 6:14-16, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

That is what we call, Ecclesiastical Separation. Romans 16:17, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” We are commanded by God to identify false prophets and false religions and to avoid them, not buy their books and support them. The Greek word for “mark” in verse 17 is skopeo, which means “to take aim, that is, regard.” It means to take notice that there is an unwanted pest in our midst who needs to be exposed and avoided.

God does not have an opinion like we humans do. God is truth! I cannot warn you enough to run away from Roman (and Russian Orthodox) Catholicism. I could spend hours showing you what is Biblically wrong with these damnable fake religions that send me to Hell.

Here are a few issues:

1. The Bible says we are saved by faith alone, but Catholics require faith + works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
2. The Bible says call no man your “Father” (reverence), but Catholics do it anyway (Matthew 23:9).
3. The Bible teaches we can eat meat, but Catholics are taught they should only eat fish on Fridays and during the Lent season (1st Timothy 4:1-3). I am not a big Whataburger fan, but I love their fish sandwiches. Unfortunately, they are only served during certain times of the year. Whataburger served fish sandwiches, specifically the Whatacatch Sandwich and Platter, from February 17 through April 6, 2026, during the Lenten season. The Bible warns that only false prophets forbid eating meat at any time.
4. The Bible teaches that only God can pardon sin (Micah 7:18), but arrogant wicked Catholic priests claim to be able to forgive men's sins.
5. The second of God's Ten Commandments for humanity forbids bowing down to statues and graven images (Exodus 20), but Catholics do it anyway, committing gross idolatry.

I could give you hundreds more serious issues with the Catholic false religion. 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.” The Seven Sacraments cannot produce the required new birth by the Holy Spirit of God (John 1:12-13).

Here is the gospel: God says that we are guilty sinners and that no amount of good works or behavioral changes on our part could ever make us holy enough to enter Heaven. God sent His only begotten Son to pay for all of our sins. Jesus paid for our crimes by dying on the cross for us all. His dead body was buried in a grave. On the third day, Jesus arose from the dead.

The instant you believe this, He knows it and He saves you. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlasting life”(John 6:47). The free gift is based solely upon your trust in what Jesus did for you and has nothing at all to do with what you do for Him. “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). That's it friend. That is all you need to do to go to Heaven someday when you leave this earth.

I sincerely hope and I just prayed, that God will open Al Pacino's eyes before it is too late. The Devil has blinded him from the light of the truth of the Gospel. Jeremiah 17:5, “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” Those fleshly Catholic priests are a bunch of dirty sinners themselves, so they cannot absolve your sins. Only Jesus who has the nail-scared hands and feet can forgive your sins dear reader. ...

John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Religion cannot save anyone. My father was right, religion is the worst thing that ever happened to this world. Religion is man trying to fit you with glasses, so that you can see things from their perspective; but the good LORD wants to open your eyes with the truth, so that you will be born again (John 8:32, 36). Won't you trust Him now dear reader. You simply need to believe that Jesus did it all for you through Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago.

The Gift Of God Is Eternal Security

Romans 6:22-23, “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

I have noticed that false prophets who deny eternal security, and who preach misunderstood repentance and Lordship Salvation, tend to avoid the Biblical topic of eternal life being a completely free gift. The very idea offends their Pharisaical self-righteous beliefs.

For eternal life to remain a “free gift” (Romans 5:15-18, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9), there can be no obligations, stipulations or subsequent requirements to secure it. This is eternal security! If what false teachers like Dr. Phil Kidd preaches is true, that there is no eternal security for Christian believers, then eternal life is not a gift at all.

Eternal security (also called “once saved, always saved”) is the Christian belief that believers have absolute assurance of their final salvation and destination in the afterlife. If eternal life is truly a free gift that cannot be earned, deserved or merited in any way, then there is no way possible for one's position in Christ to be jeopardized. The very concept of denying a believer's eternal security is rooted in works for salvation. The basic gist is that if you fail to maintain a certain standard of living you were never saved to begin with, which is not a free gift.

If backsliding into a life of worldliness and sin proves that someone isn’t really saved, then how can eternal life be a gift? The Bible says that eternal life is a gift, which means that you CAN live like the Devil and still know you are 100% saved. Getting saved, and knowing that you are saved, has nothing to do with YOU; it has everything to do with what CHRIST did to pay your debt of sin through Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago. Eternal life is eternal security because God gives it to guilty sinners as a free gift. That is what grace is.

God knew that you would fail Him; hence, grace. You cannot out-sin the grace of God! Sin cannot triumph over the cross and the blood. That is eternal security! Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” A believer falls “in grace,” but never “from grace.”

“The only thing you contribute to salvation is the sin that made it necessary.” —Pastor Curtis Hutson

The very principle upon which salvation is based is Grace. Salvation simply cannot exist without Grace as it cannot exist without Truth. Repentance is that moment when you see yourself according to God’s Word—a filthy, Hell-deserving sinner without hope (Romans 3:19-20); and then look to Jesus in faith who freely justifies you by His grace (Romans 3:21-25).

“A grace plus works message messes up a person's mind.” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, sermon titled: “Clear Grace”

And this beautiful quote...

“Remember this—salvation is always between the issue of grace and works. It's either by grace, or it's by works; can't be both ways. It can't be free, and you have to earn it; can't be that way. It's either by grace or it's by works, but it can't be both ways.” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, a quote from the sermon, “Can I Live As I Please?”

Dear reader, every born again child of God is 100% guaranteed eternal life and a blessed future home in Heaven. Your behavior after you get saved has absolutely nothing to do with God's promise to give you eternal life, “to save them that believe” (1st Corinthians 1:21b).