Dr. John R. Rice Got This Very Wrong

Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Let me say first of all that I love and respect Evangelist John R. Rice (1895-1980). Brother Rice founded The Sword Of The Lord in Dallas, Texas, in 1934, which organization still exists today. Sadly, in my humble opinion, the Sword today is a far cry from what it once was. On the front of every publication, which I receive bi-weekly, it advertises at the top of the page: “Standing for the Verbal Inspiration of the Bible, the Deity of Christ, His Blood Atonement, Salvation by Faith, New Testament Soul Winning and the Premillennial Return of Christ; Opposing Modernism, (Liberalism), Worldliness and Formalism.” Yet, in all of the dozen recent issues I have received, I see hardly any of these topics presented in their publication, which is sad. It seems to me that the present Editor, Dr. Shelton Smith, is more interested in coddling their readers, than they are to earnestly contend for the Christian faith (Jude 1:3).

That being said, I recently went on Amazon and eBay to purchase several of Dr. Rice's books that are no longer in print. I encourage you to buy his Bible commentaries as well, which are golden treasures dear friend. If you want to learn the inspired Word of God, you won't find a better Bible teacher than Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980). Albeit, he was only an imperfect man, which Brother Rice would have been the first to admit.

By the way, I have often called my long time ministry friend, Dr. Max D. Younce (1935-2023) the John R. Rice of our generation, and he truly was. Dr. Younce's dozens of books are all still freely available, which I highly encourage you dear reader to download for safe keeping and use them for your edification. Pastor Younce was a competent and prolific Bible scholar!

One of the books that I recently bought by Dr. Rice is titled: “Dr. Rice Here Are More Questions...” (volume II from 1973). I was reading something from chapter 13 titled, “Salvation and Security.” On page 439, to answer the question: “Does God keep His children?,” Dr. Rice writes:

“I believe that all Christians will have to face Jesus Christ and that they will be sorry for their sins and be greatly embarrassed before Jesus at His coming, over things that they have done wrong. I believe that the preacher brethren that have slandered me because they hate the doctrine of eternal salvation by grace along and not of works will have to stand at the judgment seat of Christ and there confess their sin and suffer shame and terror over it. I believe they are saved but in my humble judgment they have sinned certainly worse than the ignorant young Christian who may attend movies or smoke cigarettes.” [emphasis added] —Dr. John R. Rice, “Dr. Rice Here Are More Questions...”, p. 439

I have to say that I was shocked to read what Dr. Rice just wrote. Did you catch it? He said that these so-called “preacher brethren” who “hate the doctrine of eternal salvation by grace alone and not of works” are “saved”! No Sir, they are not saved!!!

I don't know what Brother Rice was thinking when he penned these horrible words, but he couldn't be more wrong. Ironically, the entire reason for which he wrote this particular section of his book was to refute a man who wrongly accused him of teaching that Christians have a license to sin. I say “ironic” because in an attempt to defend himself he makes a different error.

Please know that I do not find any pleasure or thrill in correcting a faithful man of God of Dr. Rice's stature. He was truly a legend in his time. They named a street “Dr. John R. Rice” in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, which I saw in 2013 when I visited the small town. The Sword Of The Lord moved to Wheaton, Illinois, in 1940 after leaving Dallas; and later relocated in 1963 to Murfreesboro.

I could have just overlooked this matter today and not addressed it, but I think it provides a great opportunity to make an issue for the benefit of my readers. What Dr. Rice said contradicts the plain teaching of God's Word. No one is saved who hates the doctrine of eternal salvation by grace alone and not of works. Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” If someone hates the biblical doctrine of eternal salvation by grace alone and not by works, they are NOT saved, and never have been saved.

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.” We get saved by repenting (changing our mind) to admit that we are a SINNER, and Jesus is the only SAVIOR. Whosoever comes to God as a guilty sinner, by faith (taking God at His written Word) to accept Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that Jesus was buried, but then physically resurrected three days later, is saved. That is “the gospel” by which all who BELIEVE IT are saved instantly, irrevocably and permanently.

No preacher gets everything correct. I have made doctrinal mistakes in the past too, which I have corrected. Every preacher hones his doctrine and preaching skills along life's journey. All God expects from us as His children is that we do better today than we did yesterday.

Homosexuals Can Still Be Saved

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):

1. uncleanliness
2. vile affections
3. 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).

Lean Not Unto Thine Own Understanding

Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

I am as guilty as anyone of questioning God, becoming frustrated, wondering why He doesn't seem to answer my prayers. I was pondering this popular passage of inspired Scripture today and something caught my attention. The Bible teaches us, “LEAN NOT UNTO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING.” We have all done that, unfortunately.

It is our human nature to try to figure things out, to understanding why things are the way that they are. That is quite normal. But with God, things don't work that way. It wasn't meant for mankind to figure out and understand God. What saith the Scripture? Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” This Scripture passage is so vital to understand.

Many people become frustrated, angry and even bitter toward God because they don't understand Him. They can't figure out their life. They don't know why bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. Nothing seems to make sense to them, and their human rationale suggests that God must be a cruel being. We've all been there at some time in our life.

The Lord fully knew that we would feel this way. Psalms 103:14, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” That Bible verse was Pastor Jack Hyles' mother's favorite Scripture passage. Her name was Coystal Mattie Hyles (1887-1984). She was a remarkable woman, who raised a remarkable boy.

The Lord knew that we would feel frustrated and left in the dark, so He put Proverbs 3:5-7 in the Bible. Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” The Bible commands you and me NOT to lean unto our own understanding. The Hebrew word for “lean” is shaan which means: “to support one's self.” The word “rest” in the Old Testament is also translated from this Hebrew root word. Thus, we ought not rest in our own wisdom.

The word “Trust” in Proverbs 3:5 is the Hebrew word batach which means: “to hie for refuge.” The word “hie” means “to step on.” Hence, to trust the Lord is to step on Him for safety. That is, to trust Him for salvation. You've simply got to believe that Jesus did it all for you.

When nothing in life seems to make sense, and we cannot figure out why God won't help us, and He seems to have ignored all of our prayers; we should just lean (rest) upon the promises of God in the Scripture. We should “fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:7).

The Counterfeit Gospel Of Evangelist Alistair Begg

Galatians 3:1-3, “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? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

For years, I thought Alistair Begg was a great preacher​ back in the 1990s. Today, I recognize him clearly as a False Teacher. Actually, he is listed as the head of the Lordship Salvation (False Gospel) Association! Shows you what a blind idiot I can be! Begg is a great radio speaker​, has a captivating accent, and he says many wonderful things, but there is always that hard demand ​for the ​letter of the Law​, which killeth.

A “real Christian,” a saved person, is one who simply believes ​the GOOD NEWS about Jesus​ crucified, buried and risen ​the third day (John 6:47​; 1st Corinthians 15:1-6).​ In Romans 16:30-31, Paul and Silas simply told the Roman jailer to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." On the Day of Pentecost when 3,000 souls were saved, they simply "gladly received" the gospel truth which Peter preached unto them.

Repentance is certainly necessary for salvation, but to "repent" simply means to change one's mind, nothing more. So, we need supplemental information to know what to change our mind about. In Acts 20:21 we are directed to repent "toward God." In 2nd Timothy 2:25 we are taught to repent to acknowledge "the truth." But nowhere in the Scripture (unless using a corrupt modern perversion of the Bible) do we find a command to repent of our sins to be saved. Sincere but unlearned men added those words to the Holy Bible (Proverbs 30:5-6).

Someone who seems very dedicated in his faith and in righteousness and kindness may be “Christlike,” but it is faith in Jesus *alone and only* that makes him a believing Christian. I say “alone and only” because Martin Luther ​as an example was a False Teacher also; who said, “Faith Alone,” and then added all of the following things as conditions of salvation: repentance from your sins, commitment to Christ (the same as False Prophets Billy Graham and John MacArthur and MANY others today), water baptism, Lord’s Supper, regular church attendance, lifelong commitment and performance of good works, and no big sins. No wonder so many people in the Lutheran denomination are unsure whether they are saved!

Alistair Begg teaches ​a two step plan of salvation which requires, first, turning away from your sinning; and second, trusting Christ. In the preceding sermon he calls getting saved a "commitment." NOWHERE does the inspired King James Bible require turning from sinful ways to be saved, nor that it is a commitment of some sort. I have been exposing these damnable heresies for decades! Contrariwise, Christ died for the sins of the whole world (1st Peter 2:2). 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).

In the Gospel of John, which is God's gospel tract according to John 20:31, we are taught to "believe" 85 times without any mention of turning from sins, repenting, confessing, praying or anything else to get to Heaven. Men complicate God's simple plan of salvation, embellishing it with a bunch of extra junk. Repentance is automatic. That is, the man who trusts Christ has turned from his unbelief. The only thing that we contribute to our own salvation is the sin that made it necessary.

Pastor Begg preaches a salvation through repentance ​from sins and through lifelong works of discipleship. Salvation, for Begg, is a business deal. The phrase he uses puts it all in a nutshell. Begg says ​in this 1986 sermon titled, ​“Believing Means Behaving​,” ​that ​w​e must demonstrate our faith by the life we live (and that is a works based type of false salvation). ​Begg couldn't be more wrong! "Believing​" ​doesn’t​ mean doing good works. It doesn't mean BEHAVING!!! That is works! That is the Devil's deception of Lordship Salvation!

Believing means trusting Jesus alone for what HE did in His perfect life,​ and His sacrificial death on the cross for all our sins (past, present and future),​ His burial and ​bodily resurrection three days later. ​This is "the gospel" (1st Corinthians 15:1-6). Anyone who get​s the way of salvation wrong​ is a False Teacher​!

T​hat is my humble opinion of Alistair Begg. There are so many false teachers today who misunderstand Bible repentance. They are followed the herd in the corrupt clergy, wresting the Bible to say what it doesn't say. Like the Apostle Paul, we all need to be set for the defense of the gospel (Jude 1:3).

I cherish these helpful quotes that I've collected over the years...

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.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The Beauty Of God's Simple Plan Of Salvation

Mark 4:31, "It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth."

Dear reader, the beauty of God's simple plan of salvation is that in the Scripture we're never given a level of faith that has to be reached in order to go to Heaven. Isn't that wonderful?

In fact, Jesus said all we needed is the smallest amount of faith, using a mustard seed as an example. A mustard seed is the tiniest seed in the world. I thank God that He thought about me and made salvation simple, easy and free, unlike men who seem to always try to get people to doubt their salvation. I have enough faith that I believe Jesus' word, even when my mind doesn't understand or can't fathom it.

Here is the gospel: God says that we are 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 on Calvary's cross 3,000 years ago. 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, God knows it and He saves you. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” 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. 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.” Simply believe that Jesus did it all for you.

A Deadly Counterfeit Gospel Is Being Preached From Nearly Every Pulpit Today

Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Three times in our text Scripture passage we read the simple truth that we are saved by the faith of Jesus Christ, by believing in Jesus Christ, that we are justified by the faith of Christ. And yet, a counterfeit gospel is being preached from nearly every pulpit today that requires MORE than faith in Christ.

Case in point, I did a simple internet search today for: “How to go to Heaven?,” and this is what came up from The Orchard Church, which organization has several physical locations throughout the Chicagoland area in Illinois...

Through His death on the cross and resurrection, Jesus provided the way for humanity to be reconciled with God. Salvation is not earned through good works or personal merit but is received by grace through faith. This faith involves trusting in Jesus' sacrificial death for the forgiveness of sins and accepting Him as Lord and Savior....

Repentance, on the other hand, is the sincere turning away from sin and turning towards God. It involves a heartfelt acknowledgment of one's sins, a genuine sorrow for them, and a commitment to change. Acts 3:19 urges, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Emphasizing that repentance is not just about feeling remorse but also involves a decisive shift in one's life direction.

Faith without repentance is incomplete, as true faith naturally leads to a transformed life marked by a desire to follow God's will. Similarly, repentance without faith lacks the foundation needed for true spiritual renewal. Together, they form the core of the Christian response to the Gospel, opening the way to forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and a new life in Christ. [emphasis added] SOURCE

Dear reader, what you've just read is typical of the hypocritical, doublespeak, tommyrot, theological garbage, that is so commonly taught from today's Bible colleges, missions, churches, televangelists and religious institutions. Like I said, a counterfeit gospel is being preached from nearly every pulpit today.

The FALSE plan of salvation you just read goes totally contrary to the inspired Holy Bible. What saith the Scripture? Again, here is our wonderful text passage of Scripture from Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

1. Do you see anything in this passage about making a commitment to change? No, you don't. 
2. Do you see anything that requires having a sincere desire to turn away from your sinning? No, you don't. 
3. Do you see anything about feeling remorse to be saved? No, you don't.
4. Do you see anything about repentance involving a decisive shift in one's life direction? No, you don't.
5. Do you see anything that requires that your life be transformed to prove you are really saved? No, you don't.
6. Do you see anything that says by getting saved you will automatically desire to do God's will? No, you don't.

So, why are those liars at The Orchard in Illinois adding all these additional requirements to God's simple plan of salvation? Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” 

Three times in our text Scripture passage we read the simple truth that we are saved by the faith of Jesus Christ, by believing in Jesus Christ, that we are justified by the faith of Christ. And yet, a counterfeit gospel is being preached from nearly every pulpit today that requires MORE than faith in Christ. I cannot say it enough!!!

What you believe dear friend will determine where you spend eternity. So, it is critically important that we interpret the inspired Word of God correctly, or else we could spend eternity burning in Hell. The plain truth is that nowhere in the inspired King James Bible (which is the only Bible translation in the English language that you can trust today) will you find any of the aforementioned additions to God's simple plan of salvation.

Here Is The Gospel

God says that we are guilty hell-deserving 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 Jesus 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 physically resurrected from the dead. The instant you believe (rely upon, trust) this, God knows it and He saves you. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlasting life”(John 6:47). That's it, nothing else is required or allowed to be saved.

This free gift of eternal life is based solely upon your trust in what Jesus did for you through Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago, and it has absolutely 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).

Simply come to God as a needy sinner, and by faith (taking God as His written Word) accept Christ's sacrificial death on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that He was buried, but then bodily raised up three days later. This is “the Gospel” (Good News) by which all who BELIEVE IT are saved instantly, irrevocably and permanently (Romans 1:16).

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.

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).

We Must Keep Sanctification Separate From Justification

Romans 6:4, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Romans 7:6, “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

It is amazing to me that the Lordship Salvationist (non-Christians) cannot distinguish between salvation and sanctification. By failing to do so they corrupt God's Word. If they are ~not~ separate, then all you have is salvation by works. Lordship Salvationists believe in salvation by works, even though they'll vehemently deny it. If you separate sanctification from justification, then you have salvation in Christ; and the outgrowth of salvation, which is sanctification.

I humbly think Pilgrim's Progress author John Bunyan said it best:

“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 my favorite preacher's quote!

Please carefully notice in both of our text passages of inspired Scripture that the Bible says we “should” walk in holiness and serve God; not “will” as the hellbound Calvinist preaches, nor “must” as the hellbound Roman Catholic is errantly taught. The inspired Word of God teaches that God's redeemed saints SHOULD walk in holiness in newness of life, and we SHOULD serve God as His children; but to say that we WILL or MUST is to pervert the free grace gospel. For God's salvation to truly remain a “free gift,” there can be no additions, stipulations nor obligations to receive and keep it. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do!

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.

Contrary to what many false teachers are saying in Bible colleges and churches today, a changed life is ~not~ the result of genuine repentance to be saved. A Changed life is in fact the “fruit” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which truth is confirmed in Galatians 2:20-21, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” It is no mere coincidence that the Apostle Paul warns the reader in verse 21 that we cannot be saved by works, which is exactly what you are doing if you attribute a changed life to your own turning from sin.

In the damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation, the focus is upon YOU as a sinner to turn away from your sinful ways; whereas in the true free grace gospel, the focus is only upon CHRIST and what He did to pay for your sins on Calvary's cruel cross 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem. The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.

I hope you see the drastic difference between telling a sinner that he must be willing to forsake his sinful bad habits to get to Heaven (which is self reformation); versus just coming to Jesus as a guilty sinner (in your wretched condition) to trust Christ, and then the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ - Romans 8:9) will live the Christian life through you, if you walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). The former is Lordship Salvation; the latter is true salvation.

It is imperative dear reader that we always keep sanctification (service) completely separate from justification (salvation). We must keep discipleship entirely separate from sonship.

Here are some words of wisdom from Pastor M.R. DeHaan (1891-1965):

"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)

Yes, that is exactly right! Bravo Pastor DeHaan! We must keep service and salvation separate, because we don't want to combine works with grace. Here's a helpful sermon...

Caught Between Grace And Works! | MP3 | MORE

(by Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold)

BEWARE of Satan's minions today, whom the Bible calls “ministers of unrighteousness” (2nd Corinthians 11:13-15). Anyone who mixes works with grace is a monster in the eyes of Heaven. To the carnal man, it makes perfect sense that you must forsake your sinful ways and pursue holiness to inherit Heaven, but such thinking goes totally contrary to the plain teaching of the Scripture. The whole reason why Christ died on a cross 2,000 years ago, to pay our debt of sin, is simply because there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. The only thing that you and I contribute to our own salvation is the sin that made it necessary.

Salvation is of the LORD (Jonah 2:9). You don't have to “repent of your sins” to get to Heaven; but rather, Christ died to pay for your sins so that you could go to Heaven.