Lordship Salvation Flips The Truth To Say The Opposite

John 8:8-11, “And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

One of my web visitors wrote this excellent article this week, Ben Vogt:

People often flip the order of Jesus' saying to the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more,” and interpret it as something like this, “Sin no more and I won't condemn you.” First off, sin is the transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4), which demands PERFECT obedience (Matthew 5:48, James 2:10), and condemns those who fall short of it as guilty transgressors (Romans 3:23, Galatians 3:10). Therefore, no amount of cessation from sin and keeping of the law will EVER be enough to atone for the selfsame law we have already broken (Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16). The woman caught in adultery deserved to be stoned to death for her sin, but Jesus showed mercy when he told her accusers, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”

After the accusers left, Jesus asked the woman, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?”

The woman expressed faith in Jesus as her Savior when she responded, “No man, Lord.”

It is after that woman got saved when Jesus told her, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

We don't stop sinning to get saved, cause we are already guilty and condemned under God's holy law, and there is NOTHING we can do to atone for our sins (Isaiah 64:6). That is why the Bible says we are saved by grace and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). It was Jesus who shed his perfectly sinless blood to pay for our sins on Calvary's cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). His blood payment for sin can be put to your account, and you can thereby be forgiven of all your past, present, and future sins and enter into Heaven, if you will simply believe (John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Romans 4:5). Then, AFTER we are saved, that is when Jesus wants us to “go and sin no more.” Not cause we'll lose our salvation and go to Hell if we don't (you CAN'T lose your salvation - John 10:28-30), but because sin is destructive and God hates seeing what sin does to us. That's why Jesus tells those of us who are saved, “go and sin no more.”

I thought this was an article worthy of sharing with others. Ben is absolutely right—proponents of a Lordship Gospel flip the truth. Instead of Jesus saying to the woman caught in adultery: “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more,” they interpret it as something like this: “Sin no more and I won't condemn you.” That is the junk theology we are hearing in so many churches today, Bible colleges, and on Pacific Garden Mission's Unshackled radio. Sadly, Bob Jones University is a sinking ship, because they have departed from their fundamentalist Christian roots. Now they've got homosexuals singing at BJU! Oh, you didn't know that? Well you do now my friend. Jerry Falwell Jr. may be applying for a job at BJU.

“The pastors have destroyed the churches, and they've been trained by people that have never built churches, and they have no compassion.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “Many Pastors Have Destroyed My Vineyard”

How Permanent Is Your Salvation?

Ephesians 1:12-14, “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

On page 16 of Michael's book, “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” he says that it was Pastor Hank Lindstrom's (1940-2008) sermon titled: “How Permanent Is Your Salvation?,” that showed him Christ's plan of salvation and led him to Jesus Christ, when he saw in the Bible for himself what Christ had said about it. Michael writes on page 16:

“One night, in late 2005, I found some articles written by Dr. Hank Lindstrom that freed me from so much of the bondage of counterfeit salvation. I then listened to Dr. Lindstrom’s sermon “How Permanent Is Your Salvation?” After hearing him preach Christ’s plan of salvation and after seeing in the bible for myself what Christ had said about it, I trusted Jesus alone, as my only hope of heaven.” SOURCE: “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 16

Here is that precious sermon: “HOW PERMANENT IS YOUR SALVATION?”...

YouTube: HOW PERMANENT IS YOUR SALVATION?

MP3: HOW PERMANENT IS YOUR SALVATION?

Here's a great quote from chapter 12, “The Plan Of Salvation According To Franklin Graham.” Michael P. Bowen writes:

'For three whole years I had been going about trying to establish my own righteousness before God through my own efforts, when in actuality Christ had, by His own righteousness, paid for all of my sins by His death, burial and resurrection from the dead 2,000 years earlier. When I learned the bible said I could have the free gift of everlasting life by believing solely upon what Christ had done for me by His death and subsequent resurrection from the dead, I believed His message immediately, hungrily, and to the exclusion of all the other counterfeit plans of salvation that I had been led to believe by today’s biggest hitters in Christianity. I was finally “free.” I was finally born again, and I knew it beyond any doubts at all. God put an end to my pamphleteering of false gospels. Now, I preach His plan of salvation via my personal Internet page, by face-to-face discussions with people, by tract, by CD, by DVD, as well as through the use of email. Today, I am now proclaiming Christ’s free gift via this book you are holding in your hands now which shall eventually go all around the world.'

SOURCE: “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 125

Brother Bowen further states, exposing the heresy of Lordship Salvation:

...Nowhere does the bible state or imply that a person must turn from their sins and follow Christ in obedience “in order to” be saved. People can twist the bible to make it say virtually anything they want it to say, but when you see the words of Christ and understand what He says about salvation, no one can refute or debate what He says. For example, Jesus says “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47). Who can argue with that statement made by Christ Himself? Who can interpret this verse as anything other than eternal life being a gift from God made available to anyone the instant they “believe” on Christ as their savior? To say otherwise is to call Him a liar. To add man’s efforts, such as turning from sins, making a public profession, forsaking sins, giving tithes and money, joining a church, etc., or any other “thing of self” is to call Christ a liar; after all, according to the bible, heaven is a free gift that is given to the individual who places his or her faith in the finished work of Christ and has nothing to do whatsoever with what we do for God. “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). 

SOURCE: “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 126-127

On pages 140-141 we learn that the Christian believer by faith alone in Jesus Christ is “JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS”! Michael Bowen Biblically (and gentlemanly) refutes Evangelist Billy Graham's perverted plan of salvation (I highly recommend that you read chapter 13, which refutes Billy Graham's false gospel message) . . .

And one of the most potent verses of all time that refutes Billy's turn-from-sin requirement is this one: "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39). What the Bible is telling us through these verses is that turning from sins cannot save us and that God does not require a lost person to turn from sins in order to be saved. 

SOURCE: “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 140-141

Michael Bowen does an excellent job explaining the simplicity of the Gospel, defending the Biblical plan of salvation:

Friend, anyone who thumbs their nose at Christ’s way of salvation and instead puts their trust in a plan of salvation other than the one Christ said for us to trust, that person will stand before Christ at the Great White Throne Judgement where he or she will stand “in their own righteousness” which will not be enough to gain entrance into heaven. Isaiah 64:6 states that our best deeds, the absolute best that we can come up with in this lifetime, will be seen as “filthy rags” when compared to Christ’s supreme sacrifice of His body on the cross. The lost person’s partial faith in Christ and partial faith in his or her works and discipleship will not be “enough” to get them into His eternal dwelling place. 

I urge you, reader, to understand that Christ has but one way into His heaven, and that way is through trusting in Him alone as your only hope of heaven. To trust Christ as your only means of entering heaven you must first realize the penalty for sin, which is eternal death and separation from Him in the lake of fire. Once you realize you are under this eternal “death penalty,” you then trust that Christ paid for your sins by His death on the cross and that He arose from the grave three days later. Because Christ knows every single thought you are thinking at this very moment. He “knows” whether or not you have trusted in Him alone, or if you are only placing partial trust in Him and the rest of your trust in living the “Christian Lifestyle” as your hope of entering into His heaven. The latter won’t save you, but the former will save you. You either trust Christ alone or you trust partially in Christ plus your “filthy rags.” To do the latter, you will not make it to heaven; however, if you choose the former, you, at this very moment, have a home in heaven waiting for you! God immediately grants you the gift of everlasting life in heaven the very same instant that you trust Christ alone to save you. 

For those who still believe today’s counterfeit plans of salvation, those who are counting on their faith in Christ “plus” their discipleship to Christ to get them into heaven, Jesus says that they will experience the following horrors: 

“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” (Matthew 7:21-23).

These are persons who were trusting in their works alone, or in partial faith in Christ plus their good works, to get them into heaven. Look at the various areas of service in which they brag. They acknowledge Him as “Lord” and then they brag about preaching in His name, about healing in His name, and about the myriad of inexhaustible works of goodness they have done in His name; yet, because they did not trust in Him alone, the way He so clearly tells us to in His bible, He tells them to depart from Him because He sees their good works in His name as “sin.” 

As if that were not bad enough, this is the fate of everyone who appears at the Great White Throne Judgement, where they stand not in Christ’s righteousness, but in the filthy rags of their own inadequate righteousness. This is their fate:

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).

Reader, this chapter presents to you two plans of salvation: 1) the plan of salvation according to Franklin Graham, and 2) the plan of salvation according to Jesus Christ. Of these two plans, which one will you choose?

SOURCE: “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 129-131

The Bible Teaches Every Believer Has Eternal Security

John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

Carefully notice three things in our text passage of Scripture concerning the person who hears God's Word and BELIEVES ON JESUS CHRIST:

1. he hath everlasting life
2. he shall not come into condemnation
3. he is passed from death unto life

That is eternal security my friend! Look carefully at these wonderful compelling phrases in John 5:24. The believer is “passed from death unto life.” That is the second birth. Dr. Steve Pettit errantly teaches at Bob Jones University that salvation begins with the new birth, but then he says you MUST faithfully endure to run the race until the end, or else you won't go to Heaven. That is the Devil's lie of Calvinism! As I just read to you, he that BELIEVES has already passed from death unto life. It is a done deal, case closed, you're freely justified from all things forever. Acts 13:39, “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” That is eternal security!!!

Another compelling phrase that we read in John 5:24 is “shall not come into condemnation.” Boy I love that! Romans 8:34, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” The sinful flesh has a tendency to want to justify itself by works. Adam sewed fig leaves together, in a futile attempt to cover his nakedness. Cain likewise made a futile attempt to impress God with the best crops his fields could produce. God rejected Adam's fig-leaf religion. God rejected Cain's offering of works. You can be assured dear reader, that God will reject anyone's human efforts to save them self. 

In Matthew 7:21-23 we read a horrifying true story, about a group of religious people who died in their sins. They had spent their lives serving Jesus, calling Him “LORD, LORD.” They had surrendered all to Christ, but we're not saved at all. 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.” I am amazed that anyone could still believe in the heresy of Lordship Salvation after reading this clear passage! Matthew 7:21a, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” 

You don't get saved by receiving Jesus as your “Lord.” Nor do you get saved by receiving Jesus as your “Lord” and “Savior.” You get saved by receiving Jesus as your personal Savior! Heresy has flooded into our churches today. We must keep in mind that Judas was sorry for his sins (penitence). Judas knew that he had betrayed innocent blood. Judas tried to make a mend for his sins, by returning the 30 pieces of silver (penance). Judas was a changed man (reformation). The Bible says in Matthew 27:3b that Judas “repented himself.” He turned from his sins! Yet, Judas went to Hell to be tormented day and night in fire forever. 

I shudder in my soul when I think of the end of all these misled pastors and churchgoers today. Lordship Salvation is not the Gospel. Calvinism is not the Gospel. Turning from one's sinful ways to be saved is not the Gospel. The junk theology being preached by Pacific Garden Mission's Unshackled radio program is not the Gospel of free grace! I was saddened and angered recently, when I heard Pastor Phil Kidd denying the believer's eternal security. Evangelist Kidd preaches one of the best sermons I've ever heard called: “Nobody's Laughing In Hell.” I love Dr. Kidd and believe that he is saved, just confused. Many preachers today are unfortunately “Caught Between Grace And Works” (an awesome sermon by Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold). 

If you BELIEVE, you already have everlasting life! We don't get eternal life when we die someday, we already have it! If my body died right now, my spirit is already alive forever! That is because when I got saved at age 13, the Holy Spirit came inside me to live, uniting with my human spirit. This is what it means to be “born-again,” re-gened with God's genes. There will be no break in consciousness when a believer's body perishes. There is no such thing as “soul sleep” (a common heresy taught by Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists). Soul sleep is the false idea that when a person dies, their spirit stays unconscious in the grave until God raises them up at some future time. I believe that when we die, our spirit for the first time will see our body from the outside, as we are escorted by angels to be with the Lord in Heaven (Luke 16:22).

Your eternal destination can NEVER depend upon what you do as a saint of God, neither before, during nor after you were saved. I mean, if a man can lose his salvation, don't you think there would be at least one story in the Bible like that? There's not. If a person could lose their salvation and get re-saved, show me a story like that in the Bible. And if a person can lose their salvation, and not get it back, show me where that happened to someone in the Bible? I'm waiting. Friend, you cannot show me any stories like that. 

Carefully notice in the following Scripture that if salvation is by grace, “THEN IS IT NO MORE OF WORKS”!!! That is what the Holy Bible teaches! Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” Works have no part of salvation. False prophets' John MacArthur, John Piper, Steve Pettit, Marty Herron, Pacific Garden Mission, Bob Jones University, and Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, are pulling on the same rope as the Devil. You don't HAVE TO serve Christ to be saved, but you “SHOULD” (Titus 2:11-13).

You must keep salvation and service separate or you will be confused, and confuse everyone else! Salvation is not me meaning business, it is God meaning business! My part is simply to freely receive God's gift of eternal life BY FAITH. I'm tired of preachers putting fear into people's hearts, telling them that if they didn't mean business and are still living in sin, they are not saved. The preachers want people to live right, so they put them into fear, telling them that if they don't live righteously they aren't really saved. Salvation is free, always remember that! Stand strong for the Gospel of free grace! Don't doubt the Gospel just because people live wrong. Scripture never contradicts itself, which tells us that Lordship Salvation is not true, because it contradicts Scripture! No man has to serve Jesus Christ because he is saved. If you don't understand that truth, the Scriptures will be confusing to you!

The Bible Doesn't Teach To Keep The Sabbath Day Today

Colossians 2:14-17, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”

Anyone who teaches that Christians are obligated to observe the Sabbath Day in these modern times is woefully ignorant of the Scriptures. They are a false teacher! What saith the Scripture? Look at our text passage again from Colossians 2:14-17. Verse 17 plainly says that the Sabbath Day was a “SHADOW” of things to come. Your shadow is only visible when the sun is off in a distance, but when it is directly overhead your shadow is gone. Likewise, when Jesus died on the cross, He became the fulfillment of what the Old Testament Sabbath Day represented, which is salvation by resting completely in Christ. Jesus is our Sabbath today! 

Hebrews 4:10-11, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Please don't be thrown off by the word “labour.” The Bible is simply saying that faith is the only righteous thing that I can do. Jesus confirms this truth in John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” The people asked Jesus what “WORK” they needed to do to please God. What labor must we do?, they asked. Jesus told them simply to “BELIEVE” on Him. Did the Lord tell them to repent of their sins? No, He did not. 

Yet, when I heard Pastor Marty Herron telling a dying man to “repent of your sin” to be saved last year, my heart broke, I got angry at the Devil, and I pitied the woeful ignorance of Mr. Herron. Why do religious men foolishly add to the Gospel what God has not added? It is because they are following the influence of their apostate peers in the ministry, instead of obeying the Lord to “SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES” (John 5:39a). There is nothing in the Holy Bible about turning from sins to be saved. There is nothing in the Holy Bible that teaches us to keep the Sabbath Day in the New Testament. Jesus is our Sabbath in Whom we rest for salvation. That means you don't have to “repent and turn from your sins” to be saved, because that would not be resting, it would be laboring. 

The Bible says that Jesus came to save us from our sins, not require us to be willing to save ourselves. Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Jesus is the Savior, not you or me! Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Repeatedly we are taught in the Bible that Christ came to SAVE US, and not we ourselves (Ephesians 2:8-9). Turning from one's sins is foreign to the Gospel. Certainly God wants every believer to depart from iniquity (2nd Timothy 2:19), but that is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and not a requirement of saving-faith. 

I am so sick of Pacific Garden Mission's (PGM) 'UNSHACKLED' radio using 2nd Corinthians 5:17 as their Go-To verse to bolster their heresy of Lordship Salvation. 2nd Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Notice that the Bible says if any man “BE IN CHRIST.” That means he is already saved. This has nothing to do with the Gospel by which we are saved (Romans 1:16; 1st Corinthians 15:1-4). PGM perverts the Gospel, adding the requirement to repent and turn away from your sins to be saved. That is a false plan of salvation, which absolutely cannot produce regeneration (i.e., the new birth). 

The changes wrought by the indwelling Holy Spirit come later on, after a person is saved. The Bible calls this the “fruit” of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). But a believer must CHOOSE to walk in the Spirit, otherwise they will walk in the flesh, and you would never know they are saved by watching their life. That is why it is false doctrine to say that we must watch someone's life after they profess faith in Jesus Christ, to determine if they really got saved. You cannot know how much fuel is in a car's fuel tank by the sound of the horn!

Getting back to our main subject, please look again at what the Apostle Paul said in Colossians 2:14-17, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” What does “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us” means? It simply means that the Old Testament ceremonial laws were nailed to the cross. Romans 10:4, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” The man who believes (trusts) Jesus Christ is “justified from all things” (Acts 13:39). A saved person is totally freed from the power (curse) of the law.

There are approximately 720 moral, civil and ceremonial laws for the Jew in the Old Testament under Mosaic law. To get to Heaven by works, a Jew was required to perfectly keep ALL of these laws. Romans 2:7, “(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” Many Bible students grossly misunderstand this passage of Scripture. The Apostle Paul is not giving a plan of salvation here, as Evangelist Dan Corner heretically claims. Paul is doing the same thing that Jesus did in Mark 10:17-21 with the Rich Young Ruler, using the law as a measuring stick, to show them that they are needy sinners who haven't perfectly keep God's law. 

In Romans chapter three Paul turns around 180 degrees, explaining that NO ONE can be justified by the works of the law. Romans 3:19-20, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Since no one can perfectly keep God's law, no one has ever been justified by the law. That is why Jesus Christ came to die on the cross, to pay our debt of sin, so that God could freely offer all humanity forgiveness of sins and eternal life as a gift. All we have to do is believe.

Satan's two main tactics has been, and always will be, imitation and infiltration of everything that God does. God gives the Comforter to believers (Romans 8:9); Satan gives unbelievers his false spirit (Ephesians 2:2). God gives salvation to man (John 1:12-13); Satan offers a religious experience as a substitute for the Gospel (Acts 15:1). That is what Kabbalah is. That is what Roman Catholicism is. That is what Lordship Salvation is! God gives man a Savior (John 3:16); Satan will send the false messiah (2nd Thessalonians 2:4). 

One of the most deadly religious cults today is Seventh-Day Adventism (SDA). SDA's believe and preach Lordship Salvation—the same as the heretical Jehovah Witnesses, Pacific Garden Mission (Unshackled), and the apostate Bob Jones University crowd today. Colossians 2:16-17, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” There is no Sabbath Day today. It was a ceremonial law for a specific group of people (Jews), who lived in a specific place (Israel), during a specific time period (the Old Testament). Jesus is our Sabbath today, in Whom we completely REST to receive God's gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

The Bible teaches that we meet on the first day of the week, Sunday, for church. 1st Corinthians 16:2, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” The first day of the week is Sunday. The Sabbath was the seventh day, or Saturday. SDA's teach that Baptists who attend church on Sunday are part of the Antichrist system of the world. SDA's have some really strange beliefs. Hebrews 13:9, “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.” SDA's deny that Hell is a place of fire, torment and eternal punishment. Oh how wrong they are!

The SDA religion worships the Sabbath Day instead of what the Sabbath symbolized—salvation by faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why God ordered Moses to kill a man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath Day, because doing so symbolized adding human effort to God's grace! To subtract or add to the Gospel is to be cursed by God almighty (Galatians 1:6-9). Run from the Seventh-Day Adventist religion dear reader! Run from Dr. Steve Pettit, Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, and Bob Jones University, who all preach the same deadly heresy of Lordship Salvation as does Ellen G. White! Jesus Christ is our Sabbath today, in Whom alone we rest by faith for the gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life!!!

Proponents Of Lordship Salvation Use Obscure Passages

2nd Peter 3:16-17, “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.”

I took a drive today to PostNet to get my packages. I ordered some King James Bibles to give away. As I drove something dawned on me. It occurred to me that the proponents of the heresy of Lordship Salvation ALL use obscure passages of Scripture in an attempt to bolster up their Strawman doctrine. When studying the Word of God, we should NEVER base a doctrine on just a verse or two, without taking into consideration the whole of Scripture. Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) fully understood this vital truth, who said: “A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one.”

For example: On their college website, Bob Jones University (BJU) says that you have to turn from your sins to be saved, which is a false doctrine! I am saddened and utterly disgusted that BJU has drastically changed for the worst. Literally, BJU is now a Satanic cult! They have gone full-blown Lordship Salvation, bidding Godspeed to Dr. John MacArthur! Here is a heretical quote form BJU's website...

With regard to the doctrine of Soteriology: We believe Scripture teaches that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Eph. 2:4–10; Rom. 3:21–26; Titus 3:5) and apart from any human work of righteousness (Phil. 3:9). God offers this salvation freely to all men who are willing to repent and turn from their sins (Acts 3:19, 17:30) and place their full faith and trust in the atonement Christ made by His finished work on the Cross (Luke 24:46–48, Heb. 9:11–15, 10:10–14). [emphasis added] 

SOURCE: BJU Statements of Faith

You cannot show me one verse in the Bible that says “turn from your sins” or “repent of your sins” to receive God's free gift of eternal life. I triple-dog dare you to show me! You cannot show me even one Bible verse. So in a wicked attempt to justify there false teaching of Lordship Salvation, Bob Jones University cites obscure Scripture passages from Acts 3:19 and Acts 17:30 to deceive people. Here is the first passage:

Acts 3:19, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”

Let's examine Acts 3:19 shall we? Taken by itself, this Bible verse is unclear, and we cannot discern exactly what is meant by “converted.” If we take into consideration the entirety of Scripture, it must mean to be born-again. But if we listen to religious deceivers like Dr. Steve Pettit (president of BJU since 2014) and Dr. John MacArthur (his buddy in California), then they will deceive you to think it means, “turn from your sins.” What saith the Scripture? Always look at the surrounding passage before interpreting any particular Bible verse, to discern the context. Take a look at Chapter four...

Acts 4:4, “Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.”

As is often the case, chapter divisions can mislead the Bible reader. There were no chapter divisions in the original Greek text. Scholarly men added the chapter divisions centuries later to organize the Bible. So always keep this in mind. Chapter four is a continuation of chapter three. Acts 4:4 says they “BELIEVED” to be saved. The Bible does NOT say that they forsook their sins, does it? No, it simply says that they “BELIEVED” and five thousand men were saved. This was in addition to the 3,000 souls saved in Acts 2:41, who “gladly received his word,” and were saved. This is how Cornelius was saved in Acts 10:43-44, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” They simply BELIEVED and were instantly saved. Please notice that their sins were remitted (pardoned) because they BELIEVED, and not because they were willing to forsake their sinful bad habits.

Now let's take a look at the other obscure Scripture cited by BJU, in a wicked attempt to bolster their Strawman heresy of turning from sins to be saved:

Acts 17:30, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”

BJU's corrupt leaders would have you to think that this verse teaches you must turn from your sins to receive God's free gift of eternal life. They are assuming (ass-you-me) that repent means to turn from sins, but they assume WRONG! The word “repent” simply means to think differently, a change of mind from wrong thinking to believing the Good News (Gospel) of Christ crucified, buried and risen the third day from the dead (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Taken by itself, Acts 17:30 is obscure, and can be wrestled to teach anything. What saith the rest of the Scripture passage?:

Acts 17:31-34, “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.”

Notice again that the Bible doesn't say they turned from their sins and believed. No, it says in Acts 17:34 that they simply “BELIEVED.” Oh friend, again and again and again, throughout the Holy Bible, we are taught that the way to be saved is simply TO BELIEVE. John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” There is no mention of turning from your sins in these verses. There is no command to “repent of your sins” to be born-again!!! Do you see friend, how the Devil has crept into our Bible colleges and churches today, perverting the Gospel?

John 20:31, “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.” The Gospel of John is God's Gospel tract! The beloved Apostle John said, “THESE THINGS ARE WRITTEN,” that ye might “BELIEVE” and that by believing that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God, you will have “LIFE THROUGH HIS NAME.” Oh how beautiful! Oh how precious! If we were to exclude the other 65 books of the Holy Bible, all you need to be saved is written in the pages of John. “But these are written” John said, to convince you that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that if you simply BELIEVE on His name you will be immediately and forever saved!!! 

The Lordship Salvation crowd have it all backwards! They insist that you be willing to forsake the old life of sin first, as a requirement to receive God's free gift of eternal life; but the Bible teaches the opposite, that you receive God's free gift of forgiveness of sins first, and then God's Holy Spirit comes inside you to live, and He begins to remodel. The former is religious reformation, but the latter is the new birth. Please don't let Lordship Salvation damn your soul to Hell. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. The Devil's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born-again! Jesus said, “YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN” (John 3:7b).

“A man doesn't get better to get saved; he gets saved to get better.” —Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995), “Salvation Crystal Clear”

I love this helpful quote from Dr. Jack Hyles:

“Redemption is a work of God the Son. Regeneration is the work of God the Holy Spirit. Justification is the work of God the Father as He declares the sinner righteous in the Son. Conversion then becomes the work of the church as we change the use and purpose of a life.” ―Pastor Jack Hyles, “Conversion And Salvation” (chapter 3) from his book: “Salvation Is More Than Being Saved”

In the beautiful simple pages of John we find the word “BELIEVE” mentioned 85 times, but the word “REPENT” is not mentioned even once. That is because the man who believes has repented, and man who repents has believed. Repentance and faith are inseparable, you cannot have one without the other.

“Being saved is not something that you perform, it is something that He performs.” —Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold, a great quote from the awesome sermon, “Raised For Our Justification.”

In hundreds of Scripture passages we are taught to simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Jesus died on the cross, was buried and physically resurrected three days later. He did all that to pay your outstanding debt of sin and mine! WHAT A SAVIOR!!! 

It is the uttermost insult and injury for anyone—such as, Pastor's John MacArthur and Marty Herron, Evangelists' Ray Comfort and Ken Ham, or Dr. Steve Pettit—to preach that MORE is required than the simple childlike faith of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The false teaching that one must repent from the old sinful life to be saved, is of the Devil, and cannot produce the new birth in Christ Jesus! 

Beware of these slick devil-dog preachers in the pulpit today, who have infected most churches with their Calvinistic Lordship Salvation garbage! These deceitful men preach another gospel of perverted grace! All of them misinterpret the Bible, taking obscure passages out of context, while ignoring hundreds of clear passages in the inspired Word of God! To complicate matters, most of these deceived religious men are using and promoting the Devil's corrupted Bible revisions, which literally redefine what it means to repent and thus how to be saved, damning millions of souls to the Lake of Fire forever without hope!!! The modern Bible versions are dangerous, please stay away from all of them! 1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

More Junk Theology From PGM Shackling Men's Souls

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.”

I woke up at 2:30 am and couldn't sleep, so I listened to Unshackled—the radio drama program that is supposed to make me face myself and think. Their corrupt theology makes my brain hurt! I heard some more junk theology this morning from Pacific Garden Mission's popular radio program, Unshackled. This is so sad and tragic. The Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation has crept into thousands of churches, Bible colleges and religious institutions today, including rescue missions like the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago. That is not the same Gospel which Director Harry Saulnier (1902-1990) preached decades ago. My father often preached at PGM in the 1970's and 1980's, with me tagging along as a boy. I know what they taught back then, and it wasn't the garbage they're preaching today! They use to preach free grace theology—that faith alone in Jesus Christ was enough to be saved.

In the following heretical episode of Unshackled, you'll hear a horrible false gospel. Program #3632 - The Story Of George Gray - Aired in 2020 (here is the transcript beginning at 19:06 time in the program):

Pastor Anderson: “But I do think there's a difference between knowing about God, and knowing God.” 

George Gray: “Sure, Sure, what would you say is the difference?” 

Pastor Anderson: “We begin a relationship with God, when we receive the great gift of His love, and we commit to following Him.” 

George Gray: “And so, how do you, how would one, do that?” 

Pastor Anderson: “Well, it begins by just admitting that you're a sinner, like we all are, but you believe that Jesus died to save us from those sins, and you choose to follow Him and live for Him for the rest of your life.” 

George Gray: “Huh, well, that's good to know, for people who are ready to take that step.” 

music plays... 

George Gray: “People like me. Later that night in my living room, I repented of my sinful life, and trusted Jesus to save me.” [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Unshackled Program #3632 - George Gray

Dear reader, what you've just read is not the Gospel, it is a gross perversion of grace. You cannot show me anywhere in the Bible that says we get saved by “beginning a relationship with God,” nor by “receiving the great gift of His love.” What does that even mean? This is liberal theology, rightly termed: “JUNK THEOLOGY”!!! Even the demons have a relationship with God as their Creator (James 2:19). All men have a relationship with God as their Creator (Romans 1:20b, “when they knew God”). Judas had a very close relationship with Jesus, one of His very apostles. Judas went to Hell forever! 

You cannot show me anywhere in the Bible that says a person must commit their life to follow Christ to be saved. Judas followed Christ, but still died in his sins and went to Hell. Matthew 8:1, “When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.” As we can see, following Jesus Christ is NOT the way of salvation. Judas followed Him. Multitudes followed Him. Yet none of them were saved because they followed Christ.

Pacific Garden Mission says in this Unshackled radio program, that you must “choose to follow Him and live for Him for the rest of your life.” I triple dog dare you to show me that garbage in the King James Bible! You cannot my friend. Eternal life is a free gift, that you instantaneously accept, and nothing further is required of you (Romans 6:23). What Pacific Garden Mission is horribly doing is turning the new birth into a process, so that a person can never truly KNOW they are saved, unless they commit to continue living a lifestyle of repenting from sin. This is the same Satanic garbage that Evangelist Ray Comfort teaches! 

You don't have to live a certain way, turning away from a lifestyle of sin, to be saved. Pastor Marty Herron tragically preaches this damnable heresy! When I confronted him in 2014 about his teaching this doctrine of devils, he wickedly drove me out of Harvest Baptist Church on Guam. When I needed a church to attend and begged for Harvest's love and help in 2017, they cruelly told me to go away. This is a fake church, a religious cult, and not a Biblical New Testament church. In my humble opinion, because of the conflict in the church caused by the pastors' departure from the Christian faith, they resigned and fled the chicken coupe. I know that I did the right thing to contend for the faith (Jude 1:3), but those men (Marty Herron, Joe Hansen, Jared Baldwin and others, are cursed by God for preaching another gospel). God will be their Judge for the blood on their hands (Romans 3:4). This is a serious matter. Men's souls are at stake. 

Ironically, at the beginning of the excerpt I've provided, they condemn themselves (beginning at 18:18 in the audio program):

George Gray: “I love how you said, what was it—you held up the Bible and said: If I tell you something that differs from this book, then believe the Book!” 

Pastor Anderson: “Very good, you were listening!”

Yeah, I was listening too, and I believe the Book, not the junk being preached by Pacific Garden Mission!!! Sadly, they've been infiltrated by yuppie neo-evangelicals. I was disgusted a few weeks ago to hear Pastor Phil Kidd deny the believer's Eternal Security. It doesn't surprise me, because Dr. Phil Kidd is featured on 'Unshackled', program #2119, so he has a vested interest in defending their ungodly heresy on salvation by partial faith in Christ plus works. This was the entire purpose for the Apostle Paul writing to the churches at Galatia—someone was messing with grace!!! Unshackled says to be saved you MUST, “choose to follow Him and live for Him for the rest of your life.” That is works! 

If I have to live for Christ for the rest of my life, then that is not a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9), it then becomes an award, and is no more grace (Romans 11:6). As shocking as what I just said is, you won't believe that Dr. Steve Pettit (president of Bob Jones University since 2014) preaches. Dr. Pettit says you must faithfully “run the race” to earn the “award” of Heaven (and he literally calls it that)...

“You can't just speak about getting saved, and you accepted Christ, and then that's it! There is a justification; There is a sanctification; There's ultimately a glorification, and though there are three parts, they are all part of the whole, and you cannot separate them. In order for you to qualify for the award, you have to get into the race, you have to stay in the race, and you have to finish the race. If you want to win, you have to run to the end; and winning in the Christian life is everything, because if you lose—if you don't finish—you lose everything—you lose your SOUL. And so, the Christian race is the life of faith that begins, is run, and is finished when we cross over into Heaven!” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does it mean To Run 'The Race'? - 11:34)

BLASPHEMY! What you just read is the Devil talking! Dear reader, you don't have to qualify for the award. Eternal life is not an award, it is a free gift, paid for by Jesus' precious blood through the cross of Calvary. Getting saved is not a race you must win. There is no competition! JESUS PAID IT ALL!!! Dr. Pettit heretically teaches:

“We run the race, we cross the finish line, and so what’s the prize? What is the award? Well, there are different viewpoints. Some would have the viewpoint that the awards are crowns in Heaven. But as I read the book of Hebrews and see the whole gist of the book and the flow of the book, I don’t believe its referring to crowns in Heaven. I think it is referring to Heaven itself.” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 22:57) 

Dr. Pettit is woefully ignorant of the Scriptures, failing to make a distinction between justification and sanctification. Pilgrim's Progress author John Bunyan (1628-1688) made this beautiful helpful quote:

“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

That is Dr. Steve Pettit's problem theologically! He has been duped by Pastor John MacArthur's Calvinist teachings. They are buddies, bidding Godspeed to each other's corrupt ministries of darkness. Salvation begins with a new birth. That is justification, when God judicially declares a man completely justified from all things (Acts 13:39). Once justified, a person is forever cleansed in God's sight of their sins (past, present and future). That believe now has eternal life (which is 100% eternal security). Once saved, always saved. No saint of God, not for any reason whatsoever, can lose God's imputed righteousness, which is solely by faith (Philippians 3:9; Romans 10:3-4).

In this particular corrupt episode of Unshackled, program #3632, George Gray says: “I repented of my sinful life,” and trusted Jesus to save me.” That is a lie! Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to repent of our sinful life to be saved. Anyone who teaches that you must “repent of your sins” to be saved is a FALSE PROPHET!!! Acts 20:21b teaches “repentance toward God,” not from sins. 2nd Timothy 2:25b teaches “repentance to the acknowledgement of THE TRUTH,” not from sins. Bible “repentance” regarding salvation is changing one's mind (Greek noun: metanoia; Greek verb: metanoeo) concerning THE TRUTH that you are a guilty sinner in need of redemption (Romans 3:19). And then we are saved by believing THE TRUTH of the Gospel (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Getting saved never goes beyond the realm of THE TRUTH. You acknowledge THE TRUTH that you are a needy sinner, and you get saved by believing THE TRUTH that Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and bodily resurrected three days later. 

Repentance and faith are inseparable, and they happen simultaneously. That is how you get saved, by faith alone! Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” When you tell people that they have to repent AND believe, you confuse them. A person doesn't need to repent AND believe, they just need to believe, which is automatically facilitated by repentance. If you know that you are a guilty sinner, and believe the Gospel, you are saved. You simply need to know what you are being saved from, the penalty of your sins, which is death in Hell forever (Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8; Psalm 9:17). Repentance is simply the acknowledgment of THE TRUTH that you are as guilty a sinner as God hath declared you to be in His Word, which compels you to believe THE TRUTH of the Gospel, and that produces the supernatural miracle of the new birth (John 1:12-13). This is regeneration by the Holy Spirit of God, giving birth to the seed of God's incorruptible Word in you, in response to your faith (1st Peter 1:23).

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

What Must I Do to Be Saved?: The Plan of Salvation Made Plain to Sinners from the Word of God by John R. Rice (1895-1980)

What must I do to be saved? Here in the simplest, shortest form is put the question to which every man must learn the answer, or spend eternity lost, away from God, suffering the torments of the damned!

Thank God, this question is asked and answered in the Word of God so simply that every soul can understand it. There are other questions in God's Word which affect the soul's welfare, and many places in the Bible is the plan of salvation made plain, but only one place is this question given word for word, and there, too, we find the answer.

Paul and Silas were in jail in the city of Philippi, and at midnight they sang and prayed until God broke down all the doors and broke the stocks which held their feet, with a mighty earthquake. The poor jailer, frightened and convicted of his sins, came to these two preachers and asked this question. Read it in Acts 16:29-31:

"Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 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."

"What must I do to be saved?" "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved"! There is God's plan of salvation, the only plan He has for every man, woman and child who was ever born into the whole world.

What Must I Do?

Sinner, there is something you must do if you would be saved. There was hope for this jailer because he saw himself a lost sinner and came trembling to inquire, "What must I do?"

Reader, you are a sinner. The Word of God from beginning to end emphasizes that fact. In Isaiah 53:6 we learn:

"ALL we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned EVERY ONE to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us ALL."

We have all gone astray! The Lord is not content for sinners to be left believing themselves good. In Romans the third chapter, how positive, how certain is the Word of God that every man, woman and child is a sinner!

"What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are ALL under sin; As it is written, There is NONE righteous, NO, NOT ONE: There is NONE that understandeth, there is NONE that seeketh after God. They are ALL gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is NONE that doeth good, NO, NOT ONE."—Romans 3:9-12.

In verses 22 and 23 it is stated again that "there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." That is the reason Jesus said to Nicodemus in the third chapter of John, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN." And a little later in the same chapter, verse 18, He said that the man who has not believed in Jesus is already condemned.

Certainly these Scriptures must make it clear to every man who believes the Word of God that he is a sinner, and until he has believed in Christ and has been saved, he is a lost sinner and needs saving. The heart is wrong, and only God can make that right. Then if you want to be saved, you must admit in your own heart, "I am a sinner. I am lost and need to be saved." No one ever was saved without coming for salvation as a sinner.

Christ Died To Save Sinners, Not Good Men

Oh, I beg you, see it today! You are a poor, lost sinner, a Hell-bound sinner! Your heart is black. You have hardened your heart, you have resisted the call of God, you have rejected Christ. However good you are in man's sight, you are a terrible sinner, and unless you turn to Christ you must spend eternity in Hell. A SINNER! That is what you are. Admit it in your own heart, confess it to God. You are a sinner and you need saving worse than you need anything else in the world.

If you have settled in your heart that matter, then you are ready to learn God's answer to your question, "What must I do to be saved?"

Believe On The Lord Jesus Christ

Here is God's simple way to be saved. You are a sinner, your heart is wrong, you cannot save yourself, you are already condemned. The thing you are to do then, to be saved, is to simply trust the Lord Jesus with that matter. When you do trust Him, then you have God's promise, "Thou shalt be saved."

I do not mean that you are simply to believe that there is a God or that there is a Saviour. Devils believe that and tremble (James 2:19).

You can believe that a certain physician is a good doctor [without calling him to be your doctor] when you are sick. You can believe that a certain man is a good lawyer without taking him as your lawyer to defend your case. You are not just to believe the truth about Jesus; you are to believe on Him, that is, depend upon Him, risk Him, trust Him; and when you do, you are saved.

Not Saved By Good Works

Of course, you do not deserve salvation. There is nothing you can do that will make you worthy of it. You cannot be saved by keeping the Ten Commandments, for the Scripture clearly shows that you have not kept them. Romans 3:20 says:

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

The same thing is told in Galatians 3:11 which says:

"But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith."

Many, many Scriptures repeat again and again that there is no salvation through human goodness.

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."—Titus 3:5.

"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."—Eph. 2:8,9.

We had as well admit, then, that no man deserves saving and no man can save himself. Salvation must be free or the sinner could never get it. In fact, it takes blood to pay for sin, for the Scripture says:

"Without shedding of blood is no remission."—Hebrews 9:22.

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."—Romans 5:6.

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."—Isaiah 53:6.

 Peter tells us that all of us are bought by the blood of Christ:

"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."—I Peter 1:18,19.

Every lamb, bullock, heifer, goat, turtle dove and pigeon offered in the Old Testament times on the altar pictured this: that man, a guilty sinner, must have some innocent one to shed his blood to pay for one man's sins. Jesus died for our sins, and, thank God, salvation is bought for every man in the world, if he will have it, as the free gift of God.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."—Rom. 6:23.

Dear sinner, remember that church membership will not save you. If you have been baptized, that cannot save you. Baptism does not save, does not keep anybody saved. It is only an act of duty for those who have already found Christ as their Saviour.

A moral life or lodge membership or good citizenship—these must all fail to bring salvation, for it is "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us" (Titus 3:5). Don't depend, then, on what you do, but on what Jesus did and promises to do for you.

What About Repentance?

Does not the Bible say that we must repent? Yes, the Bible plainly says that "God ... commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30), and again, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3,5).

This was the preaching of John the Baptist, of Jesus, of Peter and of Paul, that men should repent. And certainly repentance is in God's plan of salvation. The trouble here, however, is that men misunderstand what repentance means, and there has grown up an idea that repentance means a period of weeping and mourning over sin, or sorrow for sins. This idea comes from the Douay Version of the Bible which instead of "repent" says "do penance."

So the place of inquiry, where people should be taught the plan of salvation from the Bible, in revival meetings, became "the mourner's bench" and thousands of people have been taught that God would not hear their prayer nor forgive their sins until they went through a process of sorrow and mourning over their sins!

Do not misunderstand me. God is anxious for you to have a penitent, broken heart over your sins. You have gone away from God. You have trampled under foot the blood of Jesus Christ, wasted years of your life which you can never live over again. You have served your father, the Devil.

There is plenty for you to weep over, and I am not surprised if you feel deep shame and sorrow in your heart that you have so mistreated the God who made you and the Saviour who died for you. I am not surprised if you cannot keep back the tears! But what I want you to know is that tears or no tears, however much sorrow you may have in your heart, or not have, those things do not save you.

You ought to be sorry for your sins and ashamed of them. "Godly sorrow worketh repentance" (II Cor. 7:10)—the right kind of sorrow leads to immediate repentance, but mourning is not itself repentance.

"Could my tears forever flow,
Could my zeal no respite know,
These for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone."

To repent literally means to have a change of mind or spirit toward God and toward sin. It means to turn from your sins, earnestly, with all your heart, and trust in Jesus Christ to save you. You can see, then, how the man who believes in Christ repents and the man who repents believes in Christ. The jailer repented when he turned from sin to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Instant Salvation!

The jailer did not go through a period of mourning. He was told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; he did just that and was saved, and his whole family was saved the same way, immediately, the same hour of the night.

Everywhere you look through the New Testament you find that people were saved all at once without any process, without any period of mourning.

Zacchaeus, up a tree, trusted Jesus and made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully (Luke 19:6-9). Jesus said, "This day is salvation come to this house."

When Peter told Cornelius and his assembled household that they could be saved by believing, immediately "while Peter yet spake these words," the Scripture says, the Holy Spirit came on them and they were happily saved (Acts 10:44-48).

The thief on the cross, wicked sinner that he was, who a few minutes before had been railing at Jesus, was saved immediately when he inquired of Jesus (Luke 23:42,43).

In the first chapter of John, verses 35 to 49, we see where Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip and Nathanael were all converted, one by one, immediately by faith in Christ. There is no record of any person in Bible times who was ever told to wait, or mourn, or weep over his sins before trusting Jesus and being saved! One who believes in Christ has repented. Repentance and faith are the same thing put in different words, and neither requires a long period of time, nor a process of mourning and sorrow.

Salvation is instantaneous. All that keeps you today from being saved is the wickedness of your heart that holds on to sin and will not run to Jesus to trust in Him for salvation. I beg you, turn in shame and sorrow from your sins this minute, and trust in Christ and be saved!

Can One Be Saved Without Prayer?

In the Bible there are many cases of sinners who prayed like the thief on the cross or the publican in the Temple. In fact, Romans 10:13 says:

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Many people believe that a sinner cannot be saved without a period of prayer, without consciously calling on God. However, the Bible does not say that a sinner must pray in order to be saved. In fact, immediately following the verse in Romans 10:13 is an explanation which shows that calling on God is an evidence of faith in the heart and that it is really faith which settles the matter. Read it again.

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?"—Romans 10:13,14.

The Lord encourages the sinner to pray, and the Lord hears and answers the sinner's prayer if that sinner trusts in Jesus Christ for salvation when he prays. He heard the prayer of the thief on the cross, of the publican in the Temple, of blind Bartimaeus. But the Scripture says, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?"

Certainly every one who is to be saved must believe. Prayer is evidence of faith. No matter how long one prays, if he does not trust in Christ, he can never be saved. If he trusts in Christ without conscious prayer, then he is saved already. There is just one plan of salvation and just one step a sinner must take to secure it. That step is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!

Some way we preachers have left the impression on this poor world of sinners that God is hardhearted and that it takes many tears and loud cries and long periods of sorrow before He will hear and save the sinner. We have left the impression that God does not care whether sinners are saved or not, and that sinners must some way touch the heart of God and get Him ready to forgive. What a slander on a good and holy God who "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Man's sins are already paid for, God's wrath is already turned away from any sinner who wants to be saved. Both the Father and the Son are a million times more anxious to save every sinner than the sinner can be to get saved! Thank God, I do not have to beg God to forgive my sins. He will do it the minute I am willing to trust it with Him.

How To Get The Change Of Heart

This simple way of being saved by faith seems so easy, and it is. Some sinner may say, "But I thought one must have a change of heart." So you must, dear sinner, but that is God's part. Jesus was talking to Nicodemus when He said, "Ye must be born again," and in the same chapter He tells Nicodemus how to get the new birth.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."—John 3:16.

The change in your heart, sinner, is God's part and you may be sure He will attend to that. Your part is to simply believe in Him. Whatever else is necessary in your eternal salvation, the Lord attends to when you trust in Him, or believe in Him.

How Should I Feel?

Some people have an idea that the change of heart is a matter of feeling. Some do not want to claim Christ as Saviour until they have the mysterious feeling that they want.

Do not let the Devil deceive you here. I believe in heartfelt religion, and thank God for the joy which He gives to me day by day. But the Bible nowhere tells how one must feel before he is saved, nor does it anywhere say how you feel after you are saved. In fact, people do not feel the same.

Feeling varies with the person saved. Some cry when they are saved, some laugh, and a few shout aloud the praises of God. One is no more saved than the other. What you want, dear sinner, is salvation, and you should be satisfied to feel any way that will please the Lord, just so He forgives your sins.

Be sure you notice another fact, too, and that is that you cannot feel right until you get right. Rejoicing does not come before you trust the Lord. One does not feel the result of medicine before he takes it. The Children of Israel in the wilderness, bitten by fiery serpents and at the point of death, were not healed and did not feel healed until they looked to the brass serpent on the pole (Numbers 21:6-9).

People are not saved by feeling; they are saved by trusting in Christ.

The prodigal son, away from home in the hog pen, decided to arise and go to his father, but he did not feel good. He was without shoes, clothed in rags, without the ring of sonship, without any evidence of his father's forgiveness, perishing with hunger! Yet he arose and came to his father, not by feeling, but by faith in his father. Thank God, his father received him, like God receives every sinner who will come. And when the prodigal boy sat down at his father's table, with shoes of the Gospel of peace, clothed in the garments of righteousness of Christ, with the ring of sonship on his finger, eating the fatted calf at the right hand of the father, happy in his love, then he has plenty of feeling.

Feeling comes after salvation. Leave the feeling with the Lord and come to the Saviour by faith today.

After you are saved, you will get peace and joy out of following the Lord in baptism, reading His Word, winning souls and otherwise pleasing Him. You need to go to the Lord again and again day by day for the joy of a Christian life. But, thank God, that salvation is settled once and for all when you simply depend upon Christ as your Saviour.

What About Public Confession?

Every person who is saved ought to publicly confess Christ. Matthew 10:32 and Romans 10:9 plainly teach that God will claim as His child any of us who will claim Christ as our Saviour, but we simply confess with the mouth what we have already trusted in our hearts. Concerning that very matter Romans 10:10 says:

"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

To claim Christ as your Saviour simply proves that you trust Him in the heart. Likewise with all other promises in the Bible about how to be saved. "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out," says John 6:37; and salvation is promised in John 1:12 to as many as receive Jesus. But you could not come to Christ without trusting Him, and John 1:12 shows that receiving Jesus is the same as believing on His name.

Dear sinner, do not make this a difficult matter. There is one simple step between you and Jesus. When you trust Him, everything else is settled, and you have repented, you have come to Christ, you have received Him, you have done everything necessary to be saved. Take the answer in Acts 16:31 at face value: "BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED"!

In dozens of Scriptures all through the Bible salvation is promised to those that believe. Read carefully the following Scriptures and see that again and again, many, many times, God has promised all any poor sinner would ever need when he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that BELIEVE on his name."—John 1:12.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."—John 3:14-16.

"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."—John 3:18.

"He that BELIEVETH on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that BELIEVETH not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."—John 3:36.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and BELIEVETH on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."—John 5:24.

"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."—John 6:40.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that BELIEVETH on me hath everlasting life."—John 6:47.

"To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever BELIEVETH in him shall receive remission of sins."—Acts 10:43.

"And by him all that BELIEVE are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."—Acts 13:39.

 Read again the Scripture we started with:

"What must I do to be saved?" 

"BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."—Acts 16:30, 31.

Trust Jesus, The Great Physician

If you were sick and about to die, and there was some good doctor whom you could trust, would you not risk him to take your case, give you the necessary treatment and, with God's help, get you well? Then just like that, trust in Christ, depend on Him for your salvation, and turn it over to Him today.

With the same kind of faith that will call in a doctor and risk him for your body, you can call in the Lord Jesus Christ and risk Him to forgive your sins and save your poor lost soul! He said, "They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick" (Luke 5:31). He is the Great Physician and will heal your soul instantly if you will trust Him. As you would trust a doctor, submit to his treatment, depend on him for results, so trust Jesus today about your soul.

To be sure, human doctors fail many times. Their results at best are gradual, and so no doctor is a perfect picture of Jesus. The doctor can work no miracles, but Jesus can, and the change that is needed in that poor, wicked heart, He will make immediately, instantly, without any further effort on your part, when you trust Him!

Jesus Is Our Lawyer

If you had committed a crime and were thrown in jail, probably the first thing you would do would be to send for some lawyer in whom you had confidence and trust him with the entire matter of your defense. In God's sight you are a criminal, condemned already and with the wrath of God upon you day by day. But God has provided somebody to take the part of us poor sinners, criminals before the bar of God's justice, and Jesus is that lawyer, for the Scripture says:

"If any man sin, we have an advocate [or lawyer] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world."—I John 2:1,2.

Jesus will not only be your lawyer to defend your case; He has already paid the penalty and you may safely trust Him to have you immediately pardoned and justified! Why not simply risk Jesus as you would risk a good lawyer? Jesus is better than any lawyer, of course, and you do not have to pay Him a fee, and He never fails.

A Wedding

A young man and young woman stand together, side by side, before the preacher. The preacher says, "You will join right hands." Then to the young man he says, "Do you take this young woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love her and cherish her until death do you part?" He answers, "I do." To the young woman the preacher says: "Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband until death do you part?" She answers, "I do." Then the preacher says: "I pronounce you man and wife," and they are married in the sight of God and man.

What a simple picture of salvation! Jesus is the Bridegroom and we who trust Him are to be His bride. Already Jesus has loved you and has long urged you to accept His love. Jesus invites you to accept His love. Jesus invites you to believe in Him right now and be saved and so become a part of His bride.

Will you not right now with the same simple faith of that young woman who takes a husband, accept Jesus as your Saviour and say to Him, "I do."?

Make It Sure—Claim Him Today!

The way is plain and you can be saved this moment if you will.

Surely it has become plain, dear lost sinner, that it is your own fault if you are lost! Do you hate Jesus Christ? Will you hold on to your sins and go to Hell for your stubbornness? Nothing in the world could show your wickedness like postponing this matter. You can be saved right now, this minute. I beg you, do it now. Turn your whole heart from sin to trust in Christ. Choose for Heaven against Hell, choose for Christ against Satan. Do not let Satan deceive you any longer. If you delay, it may result in a hardened heart, a wasted life and a tortured soul in Hell! And if you are not saved, when God has made the way so plain and paid the price for your sins, then you have no one to blame but yourself. Will you trust Jesus Christ today and be saved? 

"Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."—Proverbs 27:1.

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."—II Cor. 6:2.

"To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts."—Hebrews 3:7,8.

God has given you this heartbeat, this breath, this moment in order to trust Christ, but there is no promise of another. I beg you do it right now, and then claim Him as your Saviour. You are saved when you trust Christ.

One who trusts Christ should then publicly claim Christ before men. It is God's plan that after trusting Him you should be baptized and join in with His people. I hope you will join a Bible-believing church and let yourself be known publicly from this time forth as a child of God.

From "What Must I Do to Be Saved?" by John R. Rice. Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Sword of the Lord Publishers, ©1945. Available in tract size or larger-print pamphlet.