Beware Of The False Gospel Of Pastor John Barnett

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?”

Salvation is a free gift. Service is what you choose to do with the gift. A popular preacher of our time is Pastor John Barnett. Not surprisingly Barnett has studied at Bob Jones University (BJU), a cesspool of theological error and apostasy in recent decades. I wouldn't give you a dime for BJU today! Sadly, Mr. Barnett preaches another gospel of Lordship Salvation. The following heretical video sermon by Pastor Barnett is titled: “DID YOU KNOW THAT JESUS SAID—ONLY TRUE DISCIPLES CAN GO TO HEAVEN?”

Kindly said, Pastor Barnett goes horribly astray in his understanding of the Gospel. He is misapplying Bible verses about discipleship with salvation. According to Barnett, faith alone in Christ is not enough to be saved, but also, he says you must be a disciple who is following Christ in total surrender and submission. Dear friend, if only true disciples can go to Heaven, then we are all doomed!!! No one, and I mean no one, has ever perfectly followed Christ. The very idea that someone would attempt to follow Christ to get to Heaven is works. 

Please consider that Judas followed Jesus, being one of His very apostles. Yet, Judas died in his sins and went to Hell in unbelief. In Matthew 7:21-23 we find a dedicated group of religious people who spent their lives serving Jesus. They bragged of their “many wonderful works.” They boasted that they “prophesied (preaching) down in Jesus' name. Can you image? They were hardcore followers of Christ, yet Jesus died even knowing them as His sheep. They had been conned by the Devil to live the Christian life without ever being born-again. You don't give your life to Jesus to be saved, Jesus already gave His life for you on the cross, to pay for your sins and mine (Romans 5:6-9). Salvation has nothing to do with us. We are simply the recipient, only Jesus is the giver of eternal life.

God gave us the Gospel of John specifically to teach us how to be saved. John 20:21, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” In the Gospel of John we find the word “believe” mentioned 85 times, without any mention of anything else. Nothing else is required for a sinner to be saved than simple childlike faith in the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus' crucified, buried and bodily risen the third day (1st Corinthians 15:1-4).

“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.” [emphasis added] —Evangelist John Bunyan

Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. Pastor Barnett quotes passages from Matthew, misinterpreting them to apply to salvation. Barnett cherry-picks the word “repent” from Matthew, while totally ignoring the fact that John never mentions repentance one time. Matthew 4:17, “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The learned Bible student understands that repentance and faith are inseparable and refer to the same act. 

This is why the Apostle Peter said in Act 2:28, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Peter doesn't mention “believing” to be saved. Peter says to repent. But notice what we read in Acts 2:44, “And all that believed were together, and had all things common;” Dr. John R. Rice gets it 100% right:

There are those hyper-dispensationalists who think that John the Baptist preached a different Gospel from Christ when he commanded repentance (Matt. 3:2). But it is the same repentance Jesus commanded in Matthew 4:17, in Luke 13:3 and 5, and the same repentance that Paul preached in Athens that God “now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30 31). Repentance is not a different plan of salvation from having faith: it is part of the same plan of salvation. Or rather repentance is simply another way of describing or looking at the plan of salvation. One who turns from sin to God has done so by trusting in Jesus Christ. A change of mind toward sin is necessarily involved in saving faith.

Everyone who genuinely repented under the preaching of John the Baptist put his trust in the Saviour John the Baptist preached, and was regenerated. There is no such thing as being “a disciple of John the Baptist” in any honest sense without being a disciple of Jesus, that is, without trusting Christ for salvation. [emphasis added]

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

I hope you see that Pastor John Barnett is an unsaved man, a false teacher. No one is saved who attacks and perverts the grace of God. The Bible plainly says that salvation is without works; yet Barnett says only disciples go to Heaven. You must choose dear reader who is right, John Barnett or the inspired and infallible Word of God. Please read the following excellent theological quote by 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." DeHaan, M. R. Hebrews. Zondervan Publishing House, 1959 (p. 117).

It is hard for me to grasp, with the abundance of helpful theological resources today, that any preacher could be so corrupt in his theology as the Lordship Salvation crowd. I mean, the King James Bible is all we need for sound doctrine (2nd Timothy 3:15-17). But even if someone were ignorant of the Bible and wanted some help to understand it, we have excellent resources available today, like never before in history. The Lordship Salvation crowd aren't even in the ballpark theologically! John Barnett is guilty of teaching the same junk theology as Gary Walton, Marty Herron, Steve Pettit, Sam Horn, John MacArthur, John Piper, R.C. Sproul, Charles Lawson and William Lane Craig. Here are some more helpful quotes differentiating between salvation and service:

"Discipleship is frequently equated with salvation and often erroneously made a condition for becoming a Christian". Pentecost, J. Dwight. Design for Discipleship. Zondervan Publishing House, 1971 (p. 11).

"Certainly discipleship is a most important aspect of our relation to Christ, but it belongs to the sphere of Christian life rather than entrance upon that life... One does not become a disciple in order to become a Christian, but because he has become a Christian by faith in the Savior, it is fitting that he embark upon a life of discipleship". Harrison, Everett F. "Must Christ be Lord to Be Savior?-No." Eternity, September 1959 (p. 14).

"There is no more piously subtle abrogation of the Gospel than to tell a Sinner that he must not only believe in the Savior, but dedicate himself to do God's will, crown the Savior Lord of his life, etc., etc. Obviously, dedication and service are highly desirable, but they are the privilege and the duty of the saved, never a condition of salvation for the unsaved (cf. Romans 12:1, 2)." Unger, Merrill F. God is Waiting to Meet You. Moody Press, 1975 (p. 117, 118).

"People are sometimes led to believe that there is saving value in some public confession of Christ, or profession of a decision. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." This is salvation. "With the mouth confession is made unto salvation." This is the voice of the newborn child speaking to and of its father. The only condition on which one may be saved is to believe." Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Salvation. Dunham Publishing Company, 1917 (p. 46).

Those are great quotes, which will help you dear friend to see the difference between salvation versus service. Proof of what I say is found in 1st Corinthians 3:15, “If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” Notice that the unfaithful man in this Bible verse suffers loss of everything, barely escaping the fires of Hell, but he is saved nonetheless. If John Barnett is correct (which he is not), then this man couldn't be saved, because he was not a disciple. 

You see, John Barnett is guilty of doing what all Gospel perverts do, they cherry-pick the Scriptures, taking what they need from various passages to bolster up their strawman argument. But friend, a good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one. The Gospel of John, the Epistle of Romans, the Epistle of Ephesians and the Epistle of Galatians, are abundantly clear that salvation is by grace through faith alone. Romans 4:4-5, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” is absolutely NOTHING in the aforementioned books of the Bible that requires following Christ as Lord, forsaking all, exchanging all that you are for all that Christ is, to be saved. If it were so, then God would owe you and me salvation, which cannot be grace.

I plead with you friend to avoid these false teachers from Bob Jones University! They preach another gospel that is not what the King James Bible plainly teaches. Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” The Apostle Paul only wanted to know ONE THING, how did they get saved? How did they become indwelt with the Holy Spirit? Was it by works or by placing their faith in the Gospel when they heard it preached? We are saved simply by believing. That is why so many people miss Heaven, because men make salvation so complicated.

“More people will die and burn in Hell, because they're trusting too much!” —Pastor Jack Hyles, a precious quote from the MP3 sermon, “Yea, Yea, And Nay, Nay!”

“Everything that's hard and complicated about salvation is God's side of it!” —Pastor Jack Hyles, a precious quote from the MP3 sermon, “Yea, Yea, And Nay, Nay!”

Beware Of All The Corrupt Bible Revisions Today

2nd Corinthians 2:17, “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.”

I read a great quote today from Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) that inspired me to write this article about the Holy Bible...

“People do not deserve to have good writing, they are so pleased with bad.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

What a great statement! I'm telling you, 99% of churches today DON'T deserve to have an infallible, inerrant, perfect or inspired Bible, because they are so pleased with all the bad ones! Take the New Living Translation (NLT) for example. Look at what they do to corrupt this passage of Scripture:

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION (NLT) - 2nd Corinthians 2:17, “You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.”

Hucksters? What in the world does that mean? The dictionary defines a huckster as: “a seller of shoddy goods; to sell or offer for sale from place to place.” Here is what the accurate King James Bible says:

KING JAMES BIBLE (KJB) - 2nd Corinthians 2:17, “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.”

There is a big difference between preaching merely for profit versus corrupting the Word of God! Things that are different are not the same! The ERV is just plain retarded:

EASY-TO-READ VERSION (ERV) - “Certainly not those who are out there selling God’s message for a profit! But we don’t do that. With Christ’s help we speak God’s truth honestly, knowing that we must answer to him.”

Every Bible publisher under the sun sells Bible to make a profit! Who are they kidding? Only the King James Bible gets it right! Look what the NIV says:

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV) - “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.”

Here is the reading of the CEB and the ESV: 

COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE (CEB) - “We aren’t like so many people who hustle the word of God to make a profit. We are speaking through Christ in the presence of God, as those who are sincere and as those who are sent from God.”

ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION (ESV) - “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.” 

Do you see the drastic difference in meaning? Each revision subtly changes the wording a little bit for copyright reasons, not to be honest or scholarly. That is very shady! Today's ungodly publishers have corrupting the Word of God...

Woe unto the preacher who bids Godspeed to this garbage! It is tragic that the average Baptist preacher today hasn't a clue what I am talking about. I have met umpteen Baptist pastors who weren't interested in contending for the faith. They are cowards, to be truthful. These shallow preachers are idle sitting on the premises instead of faithfully standing on the promises. God almighty only authored ONE BOOK, not two, not 339, not 900. If there is more than one Bible version, then we have more than one authority, which is a big problem!

All across the world dear reader, lame Hebrew and Greek Bible professors sit in judgment upon the inspired Word of God, placing the Holy Book on the court stand. Instead of “THUS SAITH THE LORD” (Exodus 4:22b), all of today's counterfeit Bibles say “HATH GOD SAID?” (Genesis 3:1b). Where the King James Bible places an exclamation mark, all of the Devil's corrupt modern Bible revisions place a question mark. “THE BOOK THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE” (MP3 by Brother Lester Roloff). We need to get back to being a redeemed people of THE BOOK! If you don't have a King James Bible, you don't have God's Word!!!

What If I Am Not Saved?

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” —Romans 8:16

I want to share my personal Christian testimony, and the painful battle with the assurance of my salvation for seven miserable years. I don't remember the exact age that I was saved. I remember a place, a sermon, my heart's conviction that I was a guilty sinner, my faith in the gospel; but I didn't think at the time to write down the date or take notice of how old I was. You don't think about stuff like that unless someone tells you to write it down. That's why I think it's a good idea to tell a new convert to write down the day they got saved, so years later they can reflect back with that knowledge. I was between 12 and 14, that's all I remember as far as my age.

I had prayed a prayer years before when I was about 6-7 years old. I didn't really get saved (but I thought I had in my mind). I was water baptized following this profession. I was only in 1st grade. I had been having learning difficulty in public school, so my parents put me in a Christian school. Then I went back to public school for 2nd grade, Christian school for 3rd and 4th, public school for 5th and 6th, and then ultimately a Christian school from 7th grade through high school. Being away from the evils of public school kept me out of a lot of trouble as a teenager in Chicago (despite all the trouble I still got into...lol).

Growing up I had attended several churches; including the Methodist Church, non-denominational, the Salvation Army and Baptist churches. It wasn't until in a Baptist church that I first felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit, where the gospel was properly presented. I remember it was on a Sunday morning. I'll never forget what the preacher said. He said if you don't have the Holy Spirit convicting you about sin in your life, then you're not saved. Boy I was scared. I knew God was talking to my heart that morning through that sermon. For the first time in my life I was convicted about my sins.

I had never felt conviction up until that day. I never even thought about the Bible, nor the things of God (and I attended Sunday School regularly). I was used to hearing Bible stories. There was something about that sermon that God intended for me. God convicted me and I got saved. I was too shy to walk an isle. The best I knew how I called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ from my pew and asked Him to forgive my sins and save me. I remember my face being red and my hands griping the pew in front of me, as I was a bit overwhelmed with conviction, emotion and fear.

Dr. Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) has a similar salvation testimony as I do. Brother Hutson was saved at age 11, but he couldn't remember the date that he was saved, and he went through years of uncertainty as I did. Here's an awesome sermon by Dr. Curtis Hutson titled, ASSURANCE.


Seven Years Of Uncertainty And Fear As a Teenager

After church I had fear in my heart on the way home while riding the church bus. I had tears in my eyes. I was afraid of going to Hell. I went home and for the first time in my life began to read the Word of God. I started with a King James Bible (and I thank God I've learned the truth that the King James Bible is the true Word of God). I'll die believing and preaching from the inspired King James Bible. I read Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and then got bored with the Mosaic Law (being your typical teen), so I jumped ahead to the more exciting New Testament. But I was hungry to learn the truth of the Bible. I was reading all the little commentary notes, as it was a Nelson study Bible. I remember my mother saying, “You've changed.” I'm fairly certain that I was about 13-years of age, being in 7th grade.

The Holy Spirit had come into my life to stay, because I was saved. I was a child of God. However, I lacked the assurance of my salvation and wouldn't find peace for another 7-years. I used to cry in school on Monday after hearing a sermon on Sunday about Heaven or Hell. I'd hide my tears thinking “What if?” “What if I go to Hell?” “What if I didn't have enough faith to be saved?” “What if I missed something and didn't pray right?” “What if, what if, what if?” I must have read at least 50 different gospel tracts. After reading each one I'd fall on my knees and pray the sinner's prayer. I'd go through the steps of the gospel track, item by item...

• Do I know that I'm a sinner? ... Yes!
• Do I believe that there's a penalty for sin in hell fire forever... Yes!
• Do I believe that Jesus is the Christ Who died, was buried and rose again 3-days later for my sins? ... Yes!
• Will I believe on the name of Lord, trusting His work of redemption as payment for my sins? ... Yes!

I'd assure myself that God cannot lie and since I obeyed the Bible, I am saved, case closed. Yet, I couldn't deny what I felt in my heart, that is, fear, mental anguish, worry, uncertainty and misery. I was so sad and scared. It was a very lonely feeling.

It didn't help to hear preachers say things from the pulpit things like ... “Just take God at His Word!” ... “Don't insult God by questioning your salvation!” ... “Fear only comes from the Devil!” ... “If you worry, then that's not faith and something is wrong!” I was terrified and all these statements from preachers only made it worse. Although some of those statements are true, they don't help a person obtain the assurance of their salvation.

Eventually, at age 17 I finally couldn't take it anymore and went to my pastor for counseling. After 4-years of worry, fear, tears, mental anguish and sadness, I wanted help to find out if I was saved or not. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was very apprehensive because everybody thought I was saved all those years in our Christian church and school. No one ever questioned my salvation. I was worried what people would think about me. What would my pastor think? But alas, I decided that I didn't care, I wanted to get the assurance of my salvation.

When I explained the situation to my pastor, he made a classic mistake that so many preachers make by saying “If you don't know if you're saved, then you must not be.” That's simply not true. There are many doubting believers who are saved, but as babes in Christ are ignorant of the Scriptures. So my pastor led me in a sinner's prayer. The next week I was water baptized for the second time in my life, but I was terrified getting into the baptistry because I still didn't know if I was saved or not. Now (I thought to myself) I'd really look stupid if I went to my pastor after he thinks I just got saved. I figured if he couldn't help me the first time, then he wouldn't be able to help me the second time either.

As I stepped into the baptistry water, all I could think about was Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Was I going to be damned for getting baptized while still having doubts and fears in my mind and heart about being saved? Was my lack of assurance, in fact, unbelief that would get me damned to Hell? I was water baptized with a worrisome heart, doubts about my salvation, and I was terrified. What was I going to do? Not knowing that you're saved and on your way to Heaven is one of the most miserable feelings in the world.

I was already saved, but I didn't have peace about it. I had prayed a sinner's prayer at age 17 (but I had already been saved since I was age 13). When I was 13 I didn't pray audibly. I simply believed in my heart for Jesus to forgive my sins. From that moment until day I've felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. That's because the Holy Spirit came to live in me the very second that I got saved. Romans 8:9 teaches that every Christian is indwelt by the Spirit of Christ. The moment you personally receive Jesus as the Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to live in your body.

You are now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1st Corinthians 3:7). This is why Christians ought not smoke, drink and abuse their health. You are the house of God! God doesn't dwell in a big church building with stained-glass windows, plush carpeting, and padded pews; but rather, He lives in you as a true believer in Christ Jesus.


Never Assume That a Person is Unsaved Just Because They Have Doubts

I think it is a bad thing to tell someone that they must be lost, simply because they don't know for sure they're saved. My situation is a perfect example of why this assumption should never be made. By attempting to lead a person to the Lord who is having doubts, you still haven't addressed their underlying fears, concerns and worries.

By telling someone that they need to get saved to remove their doubts, you're only slapping a temporary patch over a long-term problem; thus forcing them to suffer in continued fear, unanswered questions and worry. I know the utter misery of not knowing whether or not you're going to Heaven or Hell. It is a frightening thing to read Scriptures like (Hebrews 10:31, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God) and not know for certain if you are ok with God. I had already prayed the sinner's prayer 50 times. I had read through dozens upon dozens of gospel tracts. I couldn't stop worrying and I felt bad about myself for having doubts.

What I needed as a teenager was some good (doctrinally sound) books on salvation, which I didn't know existed. This is why I am a firm believer that every church ought to have a bookstore with doctrinally sound books to help mentor new converts. I recommend the Sword Of The Lord, who publish numerous books and booklets available on the subject of SALVATION to help new believers.

Doubts are not evidence that a person is not saved. Although some Christian workers and pastors may feel that the safe approach is to lead the person to the Lord, doing so will not remedy the underlying fears, uncertainty and doubts caused by ignorance of the Scriptures and salvation. You need to teach that person some Bible truths about eternal security and assurance of salvation. This is why I have published this article, that is, to help others who are struggling with the assurance of their salvation to find peace.

The Epistle of 1st John was written so we can KNOW that we are saved (1st John 5:13). The Bible teaches that a couple of the ways that we know we are saved is if we, love one another, and keep God's Commandments with gladness. These are NOT requirements to be saved; but rather, evidences that we are saved. These are the FRUIT of genuine repentance. Faith is the ROOT (Genesis 15:6). A changed life is the FRUIT (result) of genuine repentance, and not a part of the ROOT of saving faith (Romans 4:5-6).

I studied 1st John a lot, because this Book of the Bible was written to help believers KNOW that they are saved. I asked myself, “Do I love my Christian brothers and sisters?” Yes, I do. “Are God's Commandments grievous for me to keep?” No, I love serving God. I want to obey and keep God's Commandments. “Do I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God?” Yes, I do with all my heart. I passed all the tests presented in 1st John to verify that I was saved, yet I still couldn't find peace about my salvation.


“Just Enough” Faith is All You Need To be Saved

God sent a dear man of God who used to preach week-long revivals at our church. I'll never forget something he taught us about Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” He asked, “How much faith does a person need to be saved?” Romans 10:13 answers this question... “JUST ENOUGH!” If you have “just enough” faith to call upon the name of the Lord, then you will be saved. All God requires is that we obey His Word. It matters not how many doubts you have, just so long as you act upon the faith. All the faith you need to be saved is “just enough” to call (appeal) upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This truth greatly helped me, but I still had worries and doubts concerning all my other questions... WHAT IF? WHAT IF? WHAT IF?


Putting God On The Spot

After this I dare not tell anyone that I wasn't sure that I was saved. I fell on my knees and prayed to God often, putting Him to the challenge. I said with a humble and broken heart...

“God, if I am your child, then you owe it to me to show me beyond any shadow of a doubt. But if I'm not saved, then simply show me and I'll get saved immediately. Just please show me... am I saved or not? I want to be saved. I want to go to Heaven. I know that I am a hell-deserving sinner. I believe that Jesus is the Christ, Who died for my sins. I believe that Jesus was buried and rose again. I not only believe Lord, but I know, because I believe it so much. I know these things are true. I want to be saved and be with you in Heaven so much. I know that Jesus shed His blood to pay for my sins. I am afraid of missing out on Heaven. What if I messed something up? What if I'm missing something? What if I don't have enough faith? I can't even remember when I was saved. Does that mean I didn't get saved? I need to know if I'm saved, beyond any shadow of a doubt. Please, please, show me Lord!”

I prayed similar words over and over, time after time, gospel tract after gospel tract, asking God to open the eyes of my understanding. I was spiritually hungry for the truth. I sat attentive in every sermon, taking keen notice any time that a preacher taught anything about faith, belief or salvation. I began to learn, a little at a time. My eyes and ears were wide open and I was hungry to learn.


Off To Bible College

I went off to Bible college to serve the Lord full-time. When I was 20-years old I heard Dr. Jack Hyles preach a sermon called “THE SIN QUESTION, SON QUESTION.” In the sermon, Brother Hyles said that a lot of people turn over a new leaf and falsely think they are saved. They've only addressed the sin question. They've determined to amend their ways, turning over a new leaf to do better through religion, but they've have never addressed the question of the Son of God.

Then there's folks who false profess to be saved who've placed their full trust in Jesus Christ, fully surrendering and making a commitment to serve God; but they've never addressed the sin question. They've never acknowledged their guilt of sin and their debt owed in hellfire for all eternity for their sins.

After hearing this sermon I was scared. I was scared because I couldn't remember the date I was saved, let alone the thoughts of my mind at the time I was saved. I knew I was a sinner years later, but had I known it at age 13 when I think I was saved? Boy, this stuff could drive anyone bananas with worry. So I talked to a good friend about it and he asked, “Brother Dave, do you know you're a sinner?” I replied, “Yes.” He then asked, “Do you believe that Jesus paid for your sins?” I replied, “Yes, I believe that Christ died, was buried and arose for my sins.” He then concluded, ”Brother Dave, if you go to Hell, then it's Jesus fault because you're trusting Him completely.”

That helped me for the moment, but the fears and doubts were still with me. I had placed all my eggs (faith) into one basket (Christ), so-to-speak. I was trusting Jesus Christ alone to save me. I often said to myself after that, “If I go to Hell, then it will be Jesus' fault, because I'm relying upon Him 100% to forgive my sins and take me to Heaven.”

That's what salvation is, that is, putting all your hope in Christ. In salvation, we place our complete trust in Jesus Christ and what He did to pay for our sins. The good news (gospel) is that Jesus DIED, He was BURIED, and then He ROSE up after three days (1st Corinthians 15:1-4).

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.”

That is the Biblical gospel of Jesus Christ. There are many strange gospels circulating on the internet these days, teaching a false gospel.

I continued to search for answers. I sat attent in my Bible classes and listened to as many sermons as I could. I was hesitant to talk with people about my doubts. I knew in my heart that I was saved, I just couldn't nail it down to find perfect peace on the matter.


The Work Of The Old Testament High Priest And The Lamb Of God

What ultimately helped me more than anything to find the assurance of salvation was a study of the Old Testament tabernacle, holy of holies, the sacrificial lamb, Day of Atonement, mercy seat and the work of the Levite high priest. Hearing preaching about the blood of Jesus and Bible studies on the Old Testament Day of Passover helped me immensely. The blood had to be applied!

God had established Ceremonial Laws for the Jews as a means of teaching divine truths to them. Once each year, the high priest killed a male lamb (without spot nor blemish) and took that lamb's shed blood into the holy place. The priest then applied the lamb's blood to the mercy seat, which was a shadow of things to come (that is, it pictured Jesus Christ literally taking His blood into the heavenly holy place one day - Hebrews 9:12, 24). This was fulfilled after Jesus rose from the dead, but before He returned to be seen by the 11 Apostles (Judas killed himself after betraying the Son of God). Just as the Old Testament high priest needed to apply the blood to the mercy seat, so also did the Lord Jesus Christ need to apply His literal blood to the heavenly mercy seat (Hebrews 9:12).

People in the Old Testament were saved the exact same way that people are saved today, that is, by grace through faith in the Son of God (Acts 10:43; Genesis 15:6; Ephesians 2:8-9). It was the Jew's faith in the shed blood of the coming Messiah that saved them.

The message of the lamb's blood upon the mercy seat in the holy of holies plainly testifies of the necessity of Christ's blood sacrifice. This truth helped me to clear my mind of the errant thinking of salvation as a prayer. Most people tend to focus upon the sinner's prayer. You'll find that most people these days who profess to be Christians speak of having prayed a prayer. Now praying a sinner's prayer is certainly appropriate if it's based upon a believing heart, but please keep in mind that salvation is NOT A PRAYER. Romans 10:9 teaches that a person is saved by believing in one's heart that God hath raised Him [Jesus] from the dead.

Understanding the Old Testament lamb, high priest, holy of holies and mercy seat gives depth of understanding to salvation. It really helped me to see what was going on in salvation. For years I was worried about whether or not I had missed something. I was thinking too much. My fears were caused by IGNORANCE. It's the same type of fear that a person would naturally feel when in a dark unfamiliar room or walking into a dark alley. Uncertainty breeds fear.

If a person has never worked on a car before, then they will naturally have fear. I had the same fears when I was young and wanted to learn how to repair my own car. I purposed in my heart that the worst thing I could do was break it and have to pay to have it fixed. So I did my best and learned as I went. Eventually my fears went away as I became FAMILIAR with working on my own car. The same is true of every field of work, hobby, or even salvation. My fears were caused by uncertainty of the unknown. But I didn't realize that at the time. It wasn't until I knew what I knew that I realized how much I didn't know. In hindsight, it all seems so simple.

I know that there are MANY people today, who are afflicted just like I was back then, who are worried sick about their salvation. I assure you that it's because you are not knowledgeable about the Scriptures. It could be that you were never saved; but more than likely if you're that worried about it, you were and just don't have enough knowledge of the Scriptures to have peace about it. Although I knew back then in my mind that salvation was simple, I was worried that perhaps there was more to it than I had come to understand. I desperately didn't want to miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime to go to Heaven, and I certainly didn't want to end up in the Lake of Fire if I was wrong.

My problem was that I was ignorant of the Bible and afraid of the unknown. Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

You'll find sweet peace when you become familiar with the tabernacle, the holy of holies, the Day of Atonement, the sacrificial lamb and the mercy seat all pointing to Christ's death, burial and resurrection; and Christ's ascension to appear before the Father in Heaven...

Hebrews 9:24-28, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

The Bible defines the gospel of Jesus as Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Once a person gets saved, then they learn about Christ's Virgin Birth, deity (Jesus is God almighty), the Godhead, Christ's sinless life, bodily resurrection, vicarious (substitutionary) death, and other fundamentals of the Doctrine of Christ. A person doesn't need to understand and believe all these teachings to be saved. However, a person who is saved won't openly deny these doctrines when they are taught them from the Scriptures.

When I got saved at age 13, I didn't learn that Jesus was God until 5-years later in Bible college. When a godly teacher taught me about Christ in the Old Testament, I was like a kid in a candy store. I wanted to learn all that I possibly could. I was so excited and happy to know that my Savior was God Himself, the Godhead manifest in the flesh (1st Timothy 3:16, Colossians 2:9; Revelation 1:8 - King James Bible). The Doctrine of Christ is vital and every Christian should study the Bible to learn these pillars of the Christian faith. But to be saved, all that God requires is that we believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God, Jesus, Who is the Christ that should come into the world to save men from their sins.

Please don't misunderstand, no man who denies the Virgin Birth can get saved regardless of his faith in Christ. I'm not talking about open and willful rejection of the Doctrine of Christ (such as the case with Martin Luther King Jr., Benjamin Franklin and and C.S. Lewis). But rather, I'm talking about the average naïve person like I was, who receives Christ as their Savior but it takes years for them to learn about the Virgin Birth, Christ's Deity and His bodily resurrection from the grave and bodily ascension into Heaven.

You'd be shocked how many religious people think that Heaven and Hell are not literal places. No professed Christian who denies a literal Hell is truly saved. If there's no Hell that burns with fire and brimstone, then prey tell me what did Christ save you from? Extinction? Although genuine born-again Christians differ and even argue many doctrines in the Bible, they all agree on the fundamental teachings of the Christian faith (which include Christ's Virgin Birth, sinless life, blood sacrifice, literal bodily resurrection, et cetera).

Those so-called Christians (such as Robert B. Thieme Jr. and John MacArthur Jr.) who teach that Jesus' literal blood soaked into the ground at Calvary and stayed there are heretics and unsaved Modernists. No man who denies the efficacy (saving power) of Christ's literal blood is saved. From the blood of the animal God slew in Genesis to clothe Adam and Eve, to the saints whose robes are washed in the blood of the Lamb in Revelation—the Bible proclaims the message of the importance, necessity and application of the literal, physical, precious, blood of the Lamb of God!!! Amen and amen!

1st Peter 1:18-19, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

The Danger Of Emphasizing A Sinner's Prayer To Be Saved

Part of the problem in our churches today is the false idea that a person is saved by a prayer. Every gospel tract that I had read told me to pray a prayer. That's why I'm really leery of passing out gospel tracts anymore. I give out Gospels of John instead; Or I write my own tracts. Nearly all of the gospel tracts I've read lead people to pray, which leaves the impression in one's mind that prayer is necessary to be saved. It's not. Salvation is believing, not praying.

Although a sinner's prayer is acceptable at the time of salvation, a prayer does not save anybody. You could pray your entire life and still go to Hell when you die (Matthew 6:7). A sinner's prayer is NOT the gospel. The gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (1st Corinthians 15:1-4).

The Bible does not require a prayer to get to Heaven. Many people misinterpret Romans 10:13 to mean “a prayer.” Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall CALL upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The Greek word for “call” here means “to invoke, appeal, to petition.” It simply means that you go to the Lord to be saved, trusting upon His death, burial and resurrection as payment for your sins. A prayer is the expression of a believing heart. You wouldn't prayer if you didn't already believe. You are saved the second you believe on Christ. That's why I don't lead sinners to pray a sinner's prayer anymore. I used to. Now, I just lead people to acknowledge their sinnership before God; and to personally believe in their heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, relying upon the redemptive work of Christ as payment for their sins.

Also, when an invitation to receive Jesus Christ is given at the end of the sermon, a person is saved before they ever step out of their pew to go forward to the alter. It was their faith in the Lord that caused them to step out and go forward. They walked forward to find out what they just did. They were saved in their pew the moment that they believed upon Christ. Walking down an isle is not required to be saved, and neither is praying a prayer.

A lot of people have problems with the assurance of their salvation, like I once did, because they are focusing on a prayer. I was saved simply by believing on Jesus Christ; but in hindsight over the years to follow I was worried that I forgot something. Since I couldn't remember what my exact heart's words were, I was concerned. I prayed in my heart for Jesus to save me, but it was my faith that saved me (not the prayer). I eventually learned that all the things I was worried about had absolutely nothing to do with my salvation. I was saved simply by believing upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is so simple. Jesus paid our sin debt. All we have to do is believe on Christ and what He did for us.

Also, I don't think preachers should require people to leave their pew and come forward to find out how to be saved. A pastor should tell sinners in the pew that they can be saved without coming forward. A preacher should tell everyone in the congregation how to be saved right there in their pew. It's ok to invite people to come forward, but the gospel should not be withheld from those who don't come forward. Maybe a person doesn't feel well, or is shy, or embarrassed, or simply doesn't feel comfortable walking an isle. God will save any repentant sinner as they are, who they are, and where they are.

I am confident that a lot of people are going through the same fears, worries and doubts that I did for 7-years. The reason is because our churches have become caught up in leading people to pray a sinner's prayer. We need to teach lost sinners that praying a prayer is NOT the way of salvation, unless it comes from a believing heart in the gospel.


'The Gospel' is The Power Of God Unto Salvation

It is one's faith in the gospel (Hebrews 4:2; Galatians 3:26) that causes God to work the miracle of salvation (John 1:12-13). Salvation is a supernatural miracle of God in response to one's faith in the gospel.

2nd Timothy 3:5 warns about false religions that teach a way of salvation void of the saving power of the gospel. 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.” Most professed Christians these days are as unsaved as the Devil. They falsely view Christianity and being born-again as a prayer, an experience, a philosophy, a way of life, a commitment, a surrender, amending one's ways, et cetera; but they fail to believe that there is a literal miracle-working God in Heaven Who saves sinners.

Many unsaved people are deceitfully declaring themselves Christians, therefore they are in their own feeble minds. They DENY THE POWER THEREOF as 2nd Timothy 3:5 warns. They're ok with any type of manmade salvation which doesn't involve a literal and miraculous God. Salvation is a miracle! Only God can save a person (John 1:13). Salvation is not wrought by men; not be might, nor by power, nor by the will of man. Salvation is 100% totally and completely of God. This is why king David in the Bible continually referred to THY SALVATION. Our part as admitted sinners is simply to believe upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (that He died, He was buried and He rose again); everything else concerning salvation is God's department. We are the SINNERS and Jesus is the SAVIOR!


The Promises Of God

One of the most important truths to bare in mind is that salvation is based upon the PROMISE of God. All of the false religious systems in this world are rooted in self-righteous works and uncertainty. Basically you do your best and hope it all works out ok! As Bible-believing Christians we don't have to live with fear, uncertainty or doubt. I've learned that salvation is a PROMISE from God, and that means I can KNOW (beyond any shadow of a doubt) that I am saved.

Eternal life is a PROMISE from God. Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” God wants us to have sweet assurance and peace that we are saved and secure. God made us a PROMISE.

But He went further, reminding us in Titus 1:2 that God cannot lie.

But He goes even went a step further and informs us that He made this promise of eternal life before the world began.

What precious truths! God PROMISED us eternal life in Christ Jesus, a promise that He made before the world was ever created, and God wants us to keep in mind that He never breaks a promise! Brother, that's eternal security!!!

If you have been struggling with the assurance of your salvation, I am confident that some of these truths will help you immensely to find the sweet peace and harmony of soul that God wants us all to have. Eternal life is not a reward for good behavior; but rather, it is a gift from God to ungodly sinners, paid for by Jesus' precious blood!

No matter how ungodly you may be, God will forgive you of every sin and declare you justified (Just-If-I'd) never sinned (Romans 4:5-6). All you have to do is cease from your own religious and self-righteous labors; and instead rest upon the PROMISE of eternal life by faith in Jesus, the Christ, Whom God the Father sent into the world to save men from their sins (Luke 19:10). Jesus DIED, He was BURIED, and He ROSE again three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). If you receive the gospel as payment for your sins, then you are saved eternally my friend. I trust that I will meet you in Heaven someday.

I haven't doubted my salvation in well over 20-years now. I fully understand the gospel and what God DOESN'T require of me for salvation. Most religions mislead people to think that God requires a bunch of things from them to get to Heaven. The truth is that the Bible says Jesus paid our sin debt because He loves us, and eternal life is a free gift at no cost, no obligation, nor burden to the recipient. Jesus paid it all! The burden of salvation rests upon Christ, Who bore our sins at Calvary on the cross.

I learned over time that it didn't matter what I could or couldn't remember from years past. Salvation is NOT an experience. Salvation is a new birth, a second birth, a spiritual birth; which is as irreversible as the first physical birth. What matters is that I have faith in my heart NOW, today. I am saved now this minute. I can say with total confidence that I am saved. Biblical salvation is instant and immediate. It is not a process. Eternal l life is a gift from God.

Although I had asked the Lord to save me at least 50 times during a 7-year period, I was saved the first time! At the very moment at which I believed on Jesus Christ to forgive my sins, I was saved eternally. All the other times I prayed a sinner's prayer out of ignorance. Although I was confused back then as a teenager, not being able to see the forest for the trees; in hindsight today I KNOW that I was saved as a young teen. It was like a light switch was flipped in my life. I've felt the strong presence of God's Holy Spirit in my life ever since that morning when I prayed in my heart for the Lord to save me.

I believed on Christ that Sunday morning. I knew that I was a guilty sinner. I knew that I wanted to go to Heaven. I knew that Jesus died, was buried and rose again three days later for my sins. I placed my trust in the Lord the best I new how, receiving the gospel as payment for my sins, and Jesus saved!!! Thank you Lord for dying for my sins and shedding your precious blood!

BEWARE of any false gospel which places the burden of salvation upon the sinner to change, amend his ways, make a commitment, fully surrender to Christ, stop sinful bad habits, forsake the world, or turn over a new leaf. These things are all appropriate in their own respective places; but when added to the gospel they constitute a perverted and corrupted FALSE GOSPEL of self-righteousness! In salvation, the total burden rests upon Jesus Christ!

Upon trusting Jesus Christ, anything other than instant and immediate eternal life is a false gospel of self-righteous works!

We are saved by HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, i.e., Christ's righteousness, and not our own self-righteousness. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see;
When I look upon His face, the one Who saved me by His grace;
And when He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the Promised Land;
What a day, glorious day, that will be!

There Is No Female Aspect Of The Godhead

John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

Six times the blessed Holy Spirit is referred to as “He.” All three members of the Godhead (aka, the “Trinity” in theology) is masculine in nature. The Holy Spirit in several verses in the book of John is referred to with the masculine pronoun “He.” I have heard some preachers teach that the woman in a home represents the Holy Spirit. I have no problem with that. Pastor Jack Hyles used that analogy in His helpful book titled: “Meet The Holy Spirit.” Chapter 31 is called: “Woman, The Holy Spirit Of The Family.” Dr. Hyles in no way is teaching that God has a feminine side. He is simply teaching that a woman sets the atmosphere in her home, whether it be one of peace and love, or anxiety and anger.

So remember, there is no feminine aspect of the Godhead. Witches, Kabballah, Ying-yang, some Lutherans, some Roman Catholics, Feminist Theology, the occult and numerous other heathen groups, teach that God has a female side. Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015) believed in a goddess aspect of God, which drove him into a weird form of sensual pagan worship. Literally, Mr. Nimoy (famously known as “Spock” from the Star Trek series) had a hobby of photographing obese naked woman laying across his dinning room table.

Believing Wrong Will Send You To Hell

I am not judging Leonard Nimoy, God forbid. The Bible already condemns all of humanity as depraved sinners (Romans 3:10-23). John 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” We are all guilty sinners. That is why God gave mankind the Old Testament LAW, to show humanity our guilty condition and desperate need for a Savior (Romans 3:19-20; Galatians 3:19, 24-26). God is a holy, just and righteous God. God understands better than anyone our human weaknesses. Psalms 103:14, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” 

Therefore, God is very reasonable and fair with man, willing and even offering to sit down and talk things through, to come to a meeting of the minds. Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” I love that Scripture passage. God is inviting all humans to Himself. God wants to be on friendly terms with everyone (2nd Peter 3:9). The only thing that prevents any living human from being close to God is sin! Isaiah 59:1-2, “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” 

That is why Jesus came into the world and went to the cross, to bridge the gap between sinful man and a holy God. 1st Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 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.” No one has ever gone to Heaven any other way, than by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. 

I am saddened that Leonard Nimoy was not a born-again Christian. His religion was Judaism, which denies that Jesus is the Messiah. Judaizers are still awaiting their messiah, which will be the Man of Sin, the Antichrist, when he appears (Daniel 9:27; 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-10; Revelation 13:15-17). God is so wonderful. He offers grace freely to all mankind. Micah 7:18, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.” No one will ever be able to blame God if they spend eternity burning in Hell. 2nd Timothy 2:13, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” Dear friend, God is freely offering to you His grace just for the taking, by faith.

Believing wrong will send you to Hell dear reader. In Judaism, the concept of forgiveness is not based on the merits of the blood of Jesus Christ; but rather, upon ourselves improving our behavior to please the God of the Old Testament. In Judaism, forgiveness is not sought through the cross of Calvary, as it is in Bible Christianity. John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Salvation Is Obtained Only Through Faith In The Name Of Jesus Christ

Salvation is only obtained through the name of Jesus. Acts 4:10-12, “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” John 15:23, “He that hateth me hateth my Father also.” Jesus is precious to every believer. 1st Peter 2:7, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,”

Matthew Henry Gets John 3:5 Wrong

John 3:3-7, “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. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) is a famous minister and author. He was born in Wales, but spent much of his life in England. Henry is best known for the six-volume biblical commentary Exposition of the Old and New Testaments. Nearly every Bible student has often come across Matthew Henry's commentaries on the Holy Bible. 

What saith the Scripture? John 3:5b, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Matthew Henry interprets this passage as follows:

It is probable that Christ had an eye to the ordinance of baptism, which John had used and he himself had begun to use, "You must be born again of the Spirit," which regeneration by the Spirit should be signified by washing with water, as the visible sign of that spiritual grace: not that all they, and they only, that are baptized, are saved; but without that new birth which is wrought by the Spirit, and signified by baptism, none shall be looked upon as the protected privileged subjects of the kingdom of heaven. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: John 3 Bible Commentary

Matthew Henry promotes the corrupt Lutheran view of salvation, seeing baptism by water as being inseparable from the miracle of the new birth. The Lord plainly tells us exactly what he meant by water in John 3:5-7, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” The Lord contrasts being born “OF THE FLESH” versus being born “OF THE SPIRIT.” When Jesus speaks of being “BORN OF WATER,” He is referring to the flesh. For 9 months a baby is carried in its mother's water bag in her womb. This is what the Bible means by “water” in John 3:5, not religious baptism.

You Don't Have To Forsake Sinful Behavior To Be Saved

John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” John 11:25-26, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” 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.” Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

There is not one mention in the inspired King James Bible of “repent of your sins,” or “turn away from your sins,” to receive God's free gift of eternal life. I have met some deceived Baptist pastors who are cowards. They are afraid to go against their peers in the Bible Jones' camp. So instead of defend the Gospel, they make excuses to give the benefit of the doubt. 

When I visited the Lighthouse Baptist Church on Guam in 2018, Sean Quinlan was their pastor. He is affiliated with Pensacola Christian College in Florida. I kindly let him know that some of their literature in the church tract rack, taught that you must turn away from your sinful ways to be saved. He didn't care! Pastor Quinlan's excuse was that you have to turn “from” something in order to turn “to” something. Although that is a true statement, it was wicked of Pastor Quinlan to use it to justify ungodly preachers who require people to forsake living a lifestyle of sin to be saved. 

Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) correctly understood that believing on Christ and repentance are simply two different ways of looking at the SAME event. ...

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

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

Dr. Rice is correct—one who turns from sin to God HAS DONE SO BY TRUSTING IN JESUS CHRIST!!! In sharp contrast, this is very different than the heretical preachers who teach that you MUST turn away from intentionally committing sin to be saved. Read the following Satanic heresy taught by Evangelist Ray Comfort (which is the same junk theology taught at Bob Jones University today). Ray Comfort says:

“That's all repentance is—You've sinned against God; it's a matter of saying, 'God, I'm sorry,' and then LIVING A LIFESTYLE that proves the reality of your repentance. That's what repentance is, it's a continual thing! God, 'I'm sorry, but I'm not going going to lie or steal or blaspheme Your name ever again. It has that attitude! And the second thing—trust in Jesus!” [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Evangelist Ray Comfort, “I've never killed anyone” (MP3 clip)

Do you see the DRASTIC difference between the mindset of John R. Rice versus Ray Comfort concerning repentance? Dr. Rice correctly teaches that repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. The man who believes has repented and the man who repents has believed. They are not two separate acts. They are two different parts of one action of trusting Christ as one's personal Savior. The man who acknowledges that he is a guilty sinner (Romans 3:19)—trusting in Christ Who died on the cross to pay for those sins (Ephesians 1:12-14)—is saved (Acts 16:31). This is Bible repentance—a simple change of mind that compels a person to believe the Gospel to be saved.

In sharp contrast, Ray Comfort (and other heretical proponents of Lordship Salvation) teaches that turning away from sinful behavior is a separate act from believing. Mr. Comfort errantly says that repentance is “a continual thing,” which you must do for the rest of your life to prove that you are really saved. This is a perversion of the Gospel (Acts 15:1; Galatians 1:6-9). In essence, Dr. Rice correctly teaches that we repent TO believe; whereas Ray Comfort errantly teaches that we repent AND believe. 

Respectfully said, I heard Pastor Charles Lawson heretically teach that your faith is not valid with God, unless you have repented (stopped deliberately committing) from your sins. This is Calvinism, not the Free Grace Gospel. Pastor Lawson doesn't understand what it means to repent. Turning away from sins is reformation, not repentance. Sorrow for sins is penitence, not repentance. Trying to amend one's sinful ways is penance, not repentance. Repentance is a simple change of mind, where you acknowledge that you have sinned against a holy God, and thus see your desperate need for the Savior (Galatians 3:24-26). Anything more is a perversion of the Gospel.

The phrase “turn from sin” is no where found in the Bible, so we ought not use it, lest we confuse people concerning how to be saved. Dr. Rice uses the phrase, and I don't think he should, but he very clearly explains what is meant by his use of the phrase. What Dr. Rice is teaching is very different than what Ray Comfort, Charles Lawson, John MacArthur, Paul Washer, Steve Pettit, Marty Herron, John Piper, and countless others teach these days. It is true that in order to turn “to” something, you must logically also turn “from” something, which is exactly what repentance is—a change of mind from unbelief to belief.

It Is Not Okay To Embellish The Gospel

There is only one Gospel. What saith the Scripture? Galatians 1:6-7, “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.” In the Epistle of Galatians, Paul rebukes the churches of Galatia for moving away from the hope of the Gospel. Paul plainly says that the foolishness they have fallen for is NOT another Gospel. And so I say to you today—Oh Harvest Baptist Church of Guam, and Bob Jones University, and The Master's University, and Faith Baptist Bible College And Theological Seminary, and Moody Bible Institute, and Pacific Garden Mission's UNSHACKLED radio—who hath bewitched you that you should believe another gospel? Oh foolish Lordship Salvation crowd, woe unto you all!

The Bible clearly defines “The Gospel” in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 as three things: Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He was buried. Three days later He resurrected from the dead physically. Jesus was seen in His resurrected body by over 500 brethren at one time (1st Corinthians 15:6). Anyone who comes to God as a needy sinner (Romans 3:19-20), receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for their sins (2nd Corinthians 5:21), believing that He is risen and alive (Romans 10:9-10), is saved (Romans 10:13). 

Salvation is a matter of taking God at His Word as recorded in the Bible, believing what God has promised by faith. The Gospel is not Good News to be lived, it is Good News to be believed. 1st Corinthians 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” Repeatedly in the Bible we are taught that the way of salvation is simply to BELIEVE. No where are we taught to forsake our sinful bad habits to receive God's gift of eternal life. It is a gift (Romans 5:15-18; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). A gift is a take proposition, not a give proposition. Salvation is receiving, not achieving. 

Did U.S. President George H. W. Bush Go To Heaven?

John 3:3-7, “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. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

America's 41st U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush (1924-2018) was a lifelong Episcopalian church member. Dear reader, the Devil's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born again. Churches all across the world are filled with hundreds of millions of religious people, who have never received the new birth by the Holy Spirit of God. No amount of religious devotion, commitment to follow Jesus, or good works, can get someone into Heaven. We find biblical proof of this in Matthew 7:21-23...

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

The folks in the preceding Scripture passage spent their lives performing “many wonderful works.” They did those wonderful works in Jesus' name. They “prophesied” (evangelized) in Jesus' name. They even “cast out devils” in Jesus' name. Yet the Lord denied knowing them at all. How sad and tragic! This Bible passage lays to rest the false idea that all religions lead to Heaven. This passage proves that all paths don't lead to the light. The Lord plainly warned in verse 21 that only those who obey the will of God the Father will go to Heaven. We find the Father's will in John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” The will of the Father is faith alone in Jesus Christ, apart from all works. 

Here is what Episcopalians believe theologically:

Episcopalians typically consider salvation to begin in each person's life with baptism, the ritual by which a person is granted "rebirth" by the Holy Spirit and destined to live a Christian life. They consider the process to continue with regular celebrations of the Eucharist, which is the sharing of the bread and wine, symbolizing the body and blood of Jesus Christ, during church services. These rituals, along with constant repentance in everyday life, are intended to renew the lives of believers and create a better relationship with God. [emphasis added]

SOURCCE: Beliefs of the Episcopalians About the Salvation

Now since the Episcopalian church requires water baptism as a doorway to salvation, they are perverting the Gospel of free grace. Water baptism is NOT necessary for salvation. Nowhere does the Bible teach that a sinner must receive water baptism to receive God's free gift of eternal life. Quite the contrary, we are taught that Christ did not send the Apostle Paul to baptize, but to PREACH THE GOSPEL. 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.” It is the preaching of THE CROSS, and not being dunked in some baptistery tank that saves a man. If water baptism were necessary for salvation, then Paul never would have made such a dismissive statement about baptism. Salvation is by faith alone (Galatians 3:26).

From all that I have read, Episcopalians are basically Roman Catholic in their beliefs, a variation thereof. Therefore, based upon the authority of the Scriptures, I personally do not believe that former U.S. President George H.W. Bush went to Heaven. I am sad to say that, but for the sake of anyone reading this, please make sure you are not relying upon anything other than the precious blood which Jesus Christ shed for you on the cross to save you (1st Peter 1:18-19). We are saved only because GOD is faithful to keep His promise “TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE” (1st Corinthians 1:21b), and not in any way because WE are faithful to God. We all deserve to spend eternity burning in Hell to pay for our own sins, but “CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY” (Romans 5:6-9). What a wonderful God and Savior!!!