How Could My Favorite Preacher Not Be Saved?

Acts 15:1, 24, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. ...Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:”

We need to differentiate between great religious leaders, and actually being saved. Martin Luther King Jr. was an amazing man. He was a sinner, like all of us, but he said some amazing things, and was a man's man kind of leader. Mr. King was a Baptist preacher his whole life, and African American Baptists everywhere loved and revered him. Yet, Mr. King openly denied Jesus' virgin birth, deity and bodily resurrection. You couldn't make that stuff up!

Martin Luther King Jr. was no Christian! Likewise, John Calvin and Martin Luther were famous religious leaders, who both taught Baptismal Regeneration. So it shouldn't be surprising that many amazing preachers (past and present) are not saved. In Matthew 7:21-23 we read about a group of religious people who gave all to follow Christ, calling Him "Lord, Lord," doing many wonderful works in Jesus name, but Jesus said "I never knew you." When I listen to Pastor John MacArthur preach, it is hard for me to imagine that he is not saved. MacArthur says some really great things. However, with Matthew 7:21-23 in mind, Jesus plainly taught that following Him does not produce the new birth. Judas followed Christ everywhere he went as His apostle. We get saved by trusting Jesus as our personal SAVIOR, not by following Him as our LORD; and not by trusting and following Him as LORD and SAVIOR. 

It is hard to believe that something as small as adding a requirement to "turn from your sin" would keep a person from getting saved, but that is what the Bible teaches. In Acts 15:1 some false prophets added one thing, keeping the law according to the law of Moses (which effectively is the same as turning from your sins), but it was no longer the Gospel (which the disciples confirmed in Acts 15:24). I was recently horrified to learn what Charles G. Finney taught, totally denying the imputed righteousness of God for the believer. 

There is a fine line between the Gospel and living the Christian life. They are not the same thing. The people in Matthew 7:22-23 had lived the Christian life, like Seventh-Day Adventists so, but they had never been born-again by faith alone in the Son of God. A lot of people get into some church or religion, and outwardly learn to do all that a Christian does. They know the language. They know what is expected of them. They walk the walk and appear outwardly as Jesus' sheep, but they are tares, wolves in sheep's clothing, not saved at all. The difference is in what they are trusting in to get them to Heaven. 

I cannot say who is or is not saved. I certainly have my opinion of who's saved or not saved. I don't think Ray Comfort or John MacArthur are saved. I don't think anybody is saved who thinks they must "turn from your sin" to be saved. that is human effort. They have the wrong mindset. My attitude as a born-again Christian is that JESUS PAID IT ALL. I owe Him nothing! It was a free gift. It is "reasonable" that I should serve Him (Romans 12:1). I have been bought with a price (Jesus' precious blood), so I SHOULD glorify God with my spirit, soul and body (1st Corinthians 6:20). 

I think many people are saved who use the phrase "Lord and Savior." I see no harm in that phrase. Even the Bible uses it (2nd Peter 1:11). Jesus is every Christian's Lord and Savior, but you only need to trust Him as your Savior to get to Heaven. Jesus is Lord, we don't make Him LORD! Jesus automatically becomes our Lord at the time of salvation. He owns us from that point on! We belong to Him. God seals us with His Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13). If you've never read it, I encourage you to read Michael P. Bowen's excellent book titled: "I Never Knew You."

Chapter 5 is about Pastor Rick Warren. Great stuff! Mr. Warren teaches that you have to live like Jesus to be saved. I love Michael's book, because it clearly shows how so many famous preachers teach salvation as a lifestyle that we must live, instead of a one time gift that we need simply to receive. Their thinking is very different from the Word of God. I got saved at age 13 and it is a done deal! My sins have been forever washed away, sins I haven't even committed yet. That is why when we sin as believers, God's grace "DID MUCH MORE ABOUND" (Romans 5:20). Acts 13:39 says we have been "JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS."

The goal of my articles is not to attack people who teach Lordship Salvation, but to warn everyone else about them. When the apostle Paul wrote to the corrupted church at Galatia, all he wanted to know is how they got saved (i.e., how did they get the indwelling Holy Spirit)—by keeping the law, or by the hearing of faith (Galatians 3:2). We are saved by placing our childlike faith in the Gospel when we hear it preached (or read it preached). That is very simple. Paul didn't ask them if they had been converted from their sinful ways. He didn't ask them if they had surrendered to Jesus as Lord. He simply wanted to know if they had faith. Only God knows who is truly saved or lost. 

I do think it is possible for someone to be confused, caught between grace and works, and still be saved, depending on the extent of the damage. Pastor Phil Kidd believes if you are saved, you will live a changed life. That borders on Calvinism, and I don't like it, but I think he is saved. The correct teaching is that a saved person SHOULD live a changed life; not MUST (that is works); not WILL (that is Calvinism). The Bible says Demas forsook Paul's side in the ministry, having loved this present world (2nd Timothy 4:10). Demas was saved, but worldly. Samson chased women (Judges 16:1). This was God's man. Samson lived in sin his whole life, and so does every Christian. We all sin in different ways. I once saw a church sign that read: "Don't judge others because they sin differently than you do!" I like that. 

The whole idea of turning from sin is ludicrous, because no one can turn from their sins. We can take a pig and clean it up nice, with perfume and a bow-tie, but it is still a pig and will run for the mudhole as fast as it can when set free. Humans are sinners! We will run for the mudhole of sin every chance we get, until we get converted (born-again) and our nature changes. As a Christian, I want to live right as much as I can, in the Lord's strength, because I fear and love the Lord (John 14:15). I am still a sinner, but my nature changed at age 13. I didn't have to commit to be willing to change to get saved. That is the junk theology today taught at Bob Jones University (in their Statement of Faith no less)! I didn't "turn from my sins" to get saved. 

I simply knew that I was a sinner, and I knew Jesus was the Savior who died for my sins on the cross, and I cried out in my soul in faith for the risen Savior to save me, and He wonderfully did. The Holy Spirit moved inside to indwell me. He began to work on me, convicting me about sins in my life. I started reading my Bible each night before I went to sleep. I was changing, because I had the Holy Spirit. That is how salvation works! You simply trust the blessed Savior, and then the indwelling Holy Spirit changes us through renewing our mind with the inspired Word of God. The reason why it is so hard for people to understand this truth, is simply because they are not saved, they are merely religious. Religious people always think in terms of turning away from sins. To be saved we simply need to turn away from RELIGION and trust the Savior!