Just One Sin Is Enough To Send You To Hell

Revelation 20:15, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” John 3:5, “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.”

Many people foolishly think that a God of love wouldn't put somebody into Hell forever; but dear friend, God has no other choice if He is to maintain His holiness. Just as an earthly judge who is honest would not let somebody “slide” who has committed a horrible crime, neither can a holy God just let us “slide” for our sins. In 1950, one of the biggest names in show business was actor Jackie Gleason (1916-1987). In 1946, only 6,000 wealthy U.S. households owned a television. But by 1952, an astonishing 22,000,000 American households owned a television. In a 60-Minutes interview in 1984, Jackie Gleason (known as “The Great One” to millions of Americans) made this disturbing comment on national TV when asked about God:

“I'm sure that if you've committed a sin He's not going to send you to Hell for eternity.”

SOURCE: Jackie Gleason, 60-Minutes interview, 1984

Unfortunately, Jackie Gleason was very wrong. God does send people to Hell for eternity if they die in their sins without Jesus Christ, even for JUST ONE SIN! This is clearly stated in our text Scripture from 2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9 (Please note that all Scripture quotes are only from the inspired King James Bible.) No one can go to Heaven without being born-again by the Holy Spirit of God, Who indwells every true believer (1st Corinthians 3:16-17; Romans 8:9; 1st John 3:24). You must be born from above by the Spirit of God to have eternal life (John 1:12-13). I say this all very kindly. I did not write this article to make Jackie Gleason look bad; but rather, to refute the wrong thinking that one sin cannot send someone to Hell.

The Bible teaches that committing even ONE SIN makes a person “GUILTY OF ALL.” Humbly said, Jackie Gleason didn't understand that Biblical truth. James 2:10, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” The reason why one sin makes a man “guilty of all” is because even one sin is enough to keep a person out of Heaven, and send them to the Lake of Fire forever. God is a holy God, and His holiness demands justice. Sin must be paid for, which is why Christ came into the world as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), and died on the cross for everyone's sins. Jesus Christ is “the Saviour of all men” (1st Timothy 4:10), but you must personally receive Him by faith in order to be saved (John 1:12-13).

Some false teachers in the pulpit say you must “turn from your sins” to get to Heaven. Dear friend, you don't have to turn from your sins to be saved, you have to be 100% absolutely perfect in every way!!! You cannot have even one sin on your record to enter into Heaven. Obviously that is utterly IMPOSSIBLE! No human being has ever achieved such perfection, except Jesus (1st Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15). This is what 1st Corinthians 6:9-10 teaches. Many people misunderstand this Scripture passage, thinking that God won't save them unless they attempt to forsake their sinning. That is NOT what the Bible means!

We All Need God's Righteousness Through Faith In Jesus Christ

So how then can anyone go to Heaven? The answer is simple—you need GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS! The Bible calls this God's “IMPUTED RIGHEOUSNESS.” We don't have enough righteousness to please God. In fact, even our goodness is filth to God. Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Your best dear sinner is utter filth to God. The reason why is because God is totally holy, perfect, pure, good, truth, love and light. Our best pales in comparison to God. Only a perfect human being can enter into Heaven. What saith the Scripture? Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” I love that! God offers us His perfection through faith in Christ. Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

We are saved by believing 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 people have bought into one of the Devil's deceptions, accepting a substitute in place the the Gospel. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born-again. Most religious people are trusting in partial faith in Christ plus some degree of human effort. This is a false plan of salvation which does not produce the new birth. Anything less than 100% faith in Jesus Christ is no saving faith at all. You may have 99% doubt, which is okay, just so long as that 1% of faith is wholly placed in Jesus' name.

I like to use the chair illustration. Let's say you have a defective light bulb out on your ceiling. You only have an old wooden chair to stand on to reach it. So you grab a new bulb and stand upon that old chair to replace the old bulb. Now, you may have 90% doubt in that old chair. It may have the paint scraped off and look shabby. It may creek back and forth when you wobble it with your hand to see how sturdy it is. Yet you have enough confidence is that old chair to stand upon it. So you place all your weight upon it, completely trusting that old shabby chair to support all your weight. That is faith my friend!

Even though you have a bunch of insecurity and doubts, questions about the strength of that chair, you are nevertheless 100% trusting it to support your weight. What a beautiful illustration of saving faith!!! Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is not saying: “I believe! I believe!” That is optimism. Faith is actually relying upon Christ to save you. I mean, if I ever go to Hell it will be Jesus' fault, because I am relying upon Him completely to save me. I am resting in Christ (Hebrews 4:10-11).

A Good God Puts Christ Rejecting Sinners In Hell

Perhaps you ask what kind of God would put somebody in a horrible place of suffering like Hell? A good God, that's Who! Look at all the horrible pain and suffering in this earthly life. If God allows suffering here in this temporal world, then what makes you think He won't allow suffering in eternity? A good and holy God, as a Judge, must demand justice! Getting saved is a judicial matter. Jesus paid for your sins and mine, by dying upon the cross, to balance the scales of justice. The statue of Lady Liberty in New York wears a blindfold, signifying that the law is supposed to be blind to prejudice. That is often not the case in America's corrupt courts!

God never sent anybody to Hell who didn't choose to go there by rejecting the truth of the Gospel. God is a good God. He has made a way of escape through faith in Christ. Romans 5:6-9, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” The abundant freeness of the gift of salvation, can only be equaled by eternal damnation for those who willfully reject such a splendid gift.

Oh dear friend, Mr. Gleason was so very wrong! James 2:10, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” The Bible teaches that even one sin WILL send a person to Hell forever. Kindly said, Jackie Gleason made the fatal spiritual error of comparing himself to other human beans, instead of to a holy God. We can all feel good about ourselves if we compare ourselves to worse human beings. But if we will only compare our self to the inspired Holy Bible, then we will humbly say with the prophet in Isaiah 6:5, “Then said I, Woe is me!  for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” I am just a needy sinner, and so are you friend.

Our only hope is trusting in a righteous Savior! Only Jesus Christ is without sin (Hebrews 4:15). That is why Jesus was acceptable to the Father as “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). There is no other way to Heaven, than through the name of Jesus. 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.”

We Don't Owe God Anything For Salvation

Romans 10:1-4, “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Many of the lyrics in the beloved hymns that we sing at church are unbiblical...

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Do we really “OWE” Jesus anything? No where in the Scriptures are we told that we owe the Lord anything for the gift of eternal life. I say that humbly, because I feel like I owe Him everything, and then some, and then some more. How could I ever repay all that the blessed Savior has done for me, to shed His precious holy blood for a worm such as I? But that is the whole point dear reader—I CANNOT REPAY JESUS!!! And neither can you. And neither does He expect us to! You and I don't OWE God anything! I don't say that glibly, with a spirit of ingratitude or of being unthankful, God forbid. But rather, I say all this because “SALVATION IS OF THE LORD” (Jonah 2:9b). By the way, Jonah 2:9 further evidences that people were NOT saved by works in the Old Testament. God pity the messed up preacher, like Dr. Peter S. Ruckman (1921-2016), who teaches such junk theology, saying that people were saved by faith PLUS WORKS in the Old Testament! No! Dr. Ruckman is utterly mistaken. SALVATION IS OF THE LORD!!!

What saith the Scripture? 1st Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” The Bible teaches that salvation came at a great cost. 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 PRICE for salvation was Jesus' precious blood. And the PLACE where payment was made is on the heavenly Mercy Seat (Hebrews 9:12-22-24; 12:24). JESUS PAID IT ALL, I owe Him nothing!

But since I have been bought at such a great price, the Bible says it is our “REASONABLE SERVICE” to serve Christ. Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Please notice that it is not our COMPULSORY nor MANDATORY SERVICE, but our REASONABLE SERVICE. It is the proper thing to do, but judicially, we owe Christ NOTHING for His wonderful free gift. That is why eternal life is called a “gift” in Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 6:23.

Please notice that the following Scripture is still in the Old Testament. John 4:10, “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” Hebrews 9:17, “For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.” The New Testament did not go into force until after Jesus died on the cross. Yet, here we clearly see that Jesus told the Samaritan woman eternal life is “the gift of God.”

Kindly said, it is not okay that Bryan Denlinger, Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, Dr. William P. Grady, Chett Hensley and Pastor Gene Kim are teaching the Satanic lie that people were saved by faith plus works in the Old Testament. They were ALL saved by faith, and faith alone (Habakkuk 2:4; Isaiah 45:22; Romans 4:1-6; Genesis 15:6). The Jews were required to observe strict ceremonial laws, which foreshadowed future events (Hebrews 10:1), but salvation was still by grace through faith in Christ (Acts 10:43). Kindly said, Pastor Ruckman created this mess. He has a diehard group of cult followers who believe whatever he believed and taught. Just because Dr. Ruckman was right on many things, doesn't make Him right on everything.

My friend, you and I don't owe Christ anything for His gift of eternal life. Why did I write this article? I wrote it simply to emphasize the freeness of the wondrous gift of eternal life. I wrote this article because of dangerous false teachers like Pastor John MacArthur, Dr. Steve Pettit (president of Bob Jones University), and Evangelist Ray Comfort, who falsely teach that you must live a lifestyle to get to Heaven. They've perverted God's grace into something else. All the while they are in denial, still insisting that salvation is by grace. It is common to hear the heretical Lordship Salvation crowd use such terms as “cost,” “trade,” “exchange” and “turn from your sin,” when talking about salvation. JESUS PAID IT ALL, NOTHING TO HIM I OWE!

Does James Chapter Two Teach Salvation By Works?

James 2:14-21, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?"

James chapter 2 is a commonly misunderstood passage. Please carefully notice that James said that he would “SHEW THEE” his faith by works, and by works you can “SHEW ME” your faith. Clearly, James is speaking about being justified "BY WORKS" in the SIGHT OF MAN. 1st Samuel 16:7, "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." God looks at a man's heart, but since we cannot see into a person's soul, we can only judge by their works (or absence thereof). In sharp contrast to James, the Apostle Paul in Romans speaks about being justified "BY FAITH" in the SIGHT OF GOD. ...

Romans 4:1-7, "What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 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. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered."

Here we see the exact opposite of what James teaches. Paul shows that Abraham was saved by faith alone, and not by works in any way. If Abraham had been saved by works, then God would have OWED him salvation, and not of grace. Some preachers today foolishly claim that Old testament saints were saved by works. That is unbiblical. People were saved by faith alone in the Old Testament. So says Romans 4:6 concerning David. So says Habakkuk 2:4, Genesis 15:6, Jonah 2:9 and Acts 10:43.

So in Romans Paul is teaching about the ROOT of the believer's salvation, which is FAITH. But James is teaching about the FRUIT of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25), which is FAITH PLUS WORKS. We must always separate SERVICE from SALVATION. We are saved by faith alone; but then God wants us to serve Him with faith and works for the rest of our life, which is a matter of rewards and obedience, not the free gift of eternal life. Here are some helpful theological quotes showing the big difference between discipleship (service), and salvation (sonship).

A Christian does NOT have to follow Christ as a disciple to be saved, nor to stay saved. Eternal life is a free gift. But God wants us to depart from sin and allow Christ to live through us. Galatians 2:20-21, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." So we see here that Jesus lives the Christian life through us, if we will humble our self to search the Scriptures and live in them daily (John 5:39; 2nd Corinthians 10:5-6). Lordship Salvation is a false plan of salvation, which is caused by MIXING service with salvation. I use the words "service" and "discipleship" interchangeable. True salvation is by faith alone, which does not require service.

So remember, Paul in Romans is speaking about being justified in the sight of God BY FAITH. But James in the Epistle of James is speaking about being justified in the sight of men BY WORKS. One more thing. James 2:21 says that Abraham was justified when he offered up Isaac. That event happened in Genesis chapter 22. But the Bible says Abram (Abraham) was saved in Genesis 15:6, when he believed on the Lord. Genesis 15:6, "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." This is the Old Testament passage that Romans 4:1-5 is referring to. Isaac wasn't even conceived at the time Abraham was saved. Abraham was justified in God's sight by faith, but man's sight by works.

Romans 4:6-7, "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." Paul said that the patriarchs, like Abraham and David, were “blessed” to have their sins forgiven and covered. That sure sounds like eternal security to me! If, as some false teachers like Dr. Peter S. Ruckman and Pastor Gene Kim claim, people were saved by works in the Old Testament, then no one could have known for certain they were saved. How could they have been “blessed” to know that their sins were forgiven and covered. There are problems on many levels with the whole concept of people being saved by faith plus works at any time in history.

James chapter two is very simple friend. The apostle was speaking about being justified in the eyes of our fellow man. Proof of this is read in James 2:15-16, “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” Our faith as professed Christians is evidenced by the way we treat others. This has nothing to do with the gift of salvation, but being justified in the eyes of other people.

I once saw a man in San Diego searching in the garbage for food. So I walked over and handed him $20 and a Gospel of John. I'll never forget what he said to me: “Thank you for being a doer of the Word and not just a hearer!” That is what James is teaching. Our faith is dead without works. What saith the Scripture? Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” We are not saved by good works; but rather, we were saved unto good works. We are not expected by God to do good works to seal, validate, prove, maintain, nor keep His gift of eternal life; but rather, to lay hold (capitalize) on the eternal life which God has freely given to us by faith alone.

The Inspired Holy Bible Promotes Good Mental Health

Proverbs 4:14-23, “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

Dear reader, if you want God to comb the kinks out of your head, give Him your heart. Proverbs 23:26, “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” Many people have mental health issues because of what is called “religious scrupulosity.” This term describes mental conflicts caused by religious beliefs (e.g., worry of going to Hell, anxiety caused by lack of assurance of salvation, feelings of guilt over sins, uncertainty about doctrinal matters, confusion due to having multiple Bible versions, religious peer pressure, feeling trapped in a religious group, et cetera. The world's mind is broken! As believers we have the mind of Christ, which is why we SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES (John 5:39). 1st Corinthians 2:16, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

Psalms 1:1-4, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.” The Bible teaches that the man who continually delights in the Word of God, that is, in the inspired and infallible King James Bible, will be like a strong tree with deep roots that grows alongside a flowing river.

According to the National Library Of Medicine: 

“Scrupulosity is a psychological disorder primarily characterized by pathological guilt or obsession associated with moral or religious issues that is often accompanied by compulsive moral or religious observance and is highly distressing and maladaptive.” 

The preceding definition is an extreme one. There are many lesser forms of mental conflict caused by not living righteously. When we don't live according to how we believe the Holy Bible teaches we should, there will be mental problems. 

I receive many emails from people, sharing their personal problems with me (which I always keep confidential by the way). Something important that I have concluded, after 18 years of dealing with hurting web visitors, is that the reason people have so many worries, concerns and mental instability is that they are looking at the wrong things in life. What saith the Scripture? Carefully notice verse 3, which even tells us that we will be wearied and want to quit in our mind, of we fail to keep our thoughts focused on the Lord...

Hebrews 12:1-3, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

Wow! LOOKING UNTO JESUS, the Author and Finisher of our faith! There it is folks. There is life's answer. This is the key to living the Christian life—staying focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His many promises in the Holy Bible. Remember, Jesus and the Bible are twins. The Holy Bible is the inspired Written Word (2nd Timothy 3:16-17); Jesus is the incarnate Living Word (John 1:1-3, 14). That is one reason why I make such a big fuss that there cannot be more than one accurate Bible in any particular language—because just as there cannot be more than one Living Word, there cannot be more than one Written Word.

There are not various different versions of the only begotten Son of God! Likewise, God only Authored ONE BOOK!!! So how did we end up with 900 English Bible versions? Communist Cuba sees the Devil's hands at work. A secular English professor see the Devil's hands at work. Paul Benson has authored some helpful articles defending the inspired King James Bible, and he sees the Devil's hands at work in the new perversions. Anyone with a working brain, and a half an ounce of common sense, can see the Devil's hands at work in the endless rash of so-called “new” and “improved” Bible revisions. So what is wrong with America's spiritually blind pastors and churches today? Why cannot pastors and churches see that these new corruptions are the Devil's Bibles? Oh foolish Americans! The Devil is a beautiful liar. One of the reasons for much needless confusion is today's Bible colleges, who promote the corrupt Devil's Bibles.

I cannot emphasize enough that we all purposely resolve to meditate in the Scriptures day and night. By “meditate” I simply mean to think about the Bible continually, its meaning, and how we can apply it to our daily lives...

Psalms 1:1-4, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.”

I love these Bible passages. God's children are commanded not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly. There is so much ungodly advice everywhere we look these days. We hear ungodly advice on television. We read ungodly advice on the internet. We see ungodly advice and philosophies in magazines. Men and women alike are bombarded with ungodly suggestions, ideas, philosophies and advice at work, public, stores and even at church. Children especially are susceptible to ungodly influences around them. We live in a fallen world. I am glad that God gave us the Holy Bible. I cannot even imagine what life would be like without the Bible. Thank God for the precious King James Bible.

I simply wanted to write this brief article, about the importance of always abiding in the Scriptures, specifically in the PROMISES of God. The Bible contains 7,487 promises from God to man. I wrote this article because so many people write to me, telling me how miserable they are. They aren't LOOKING UNTO JESUS. Instead, they are looking at their problems. Unfortunately, Jesus is nothing more than a religious figure to many people. Jesus is my God and Savior, my Lord and Friend. I wouldn't have made it this far in life if I hadn't kept my eyes on Jesus Christ. I don't claim to be a good Christian, but God knows that I am 100% sincere. I am sincere in my preaching. I don't try to make enemies. I want to love others and be loved back. Unfortunately, I have painfully learned with the Apostle Paul that “the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved” (2nd Corinthians 12:15b). But I would rather love and not be loved back, than to be loved and not love others. I must love everyone, because God is love, and I am His redeemed child. God is so good!

I encourage you dear reader to dwell in the Scriptures. “SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES” (John 5:39). All the temporary things of this world will be gone someday, but eternity is forever! I don't know about you, but I want to live for eternal things. A healthy mind is a Biblically focused mind. 2nd Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” If you are having mental issues, then your mind is not sound. Get into the Scriptures! As we just read, God gives us a SOUND MIND. To the same degree that we agree with God and live accordingly, we will have mental soundness and peace in our soul. Philippians 4:6-7 teaches us to commit our worries and problems unto prayer, and then claim the perfect peace of God (which passes all understanding). Once we pray, God is on the job and we can rest by faith:

Philippians 4:4-8, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Amen! We just read how to have the PEACE OF GOD. It is a matter of faith. Many believers want an answer that excludes the Holy Bible. They want an answer that doesn't involve prayer. Dear friend, it is not prayer that gives us peace; but rather, having faith in God. Mark 11:22b, “Have faith in God.” The preceding passage of Scripture from Philippians 4:6-8 doesn't teach that the peace of God comes from answered prayer. No! The Bible says that prayer itself gives us peace, because we are committing our problems to God. This requires enough faith to believe that when we pray, God hears and answers prayer if it is His will. 1st John 5:14-15, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

The next verse in Philippians 4:8 teaches us to control our thought life, to think on only things that are true, good, honest, virtuous and edifying as God's children. The coronavirus has made things more difficult for everyone, but God is still on His throne! I heard in the news recently that 55,000,000 Americans are now struggling in financial poverty. Millions of Americans are waiting 12 hours or more, standing in a line extending a half mile long, simply for a free box of food. God is ultimately in control dear friend. John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” We serve a risen Savior!

The heathen world thinks wrong! They always have. The world lives by the sinful philosophy that only the strong survive, but the Christians says with the Apostle Paul 2nd Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” Whereas the world thinks weakness is a bad thing, which compels them to pursue ways to become stronger; the Bible teaches that weakness is a good thing, because Christ' strength is made perfect in weakness. Thus, the Christian realizes that: We I am weak, I am strong!

All Prophets Preach The Same Plan Of Salvation

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

The following very helpful truths are being quoted from Dr. John R. Rice's invaluable verse-by-verse Bible commentary titled, “Acts: Filled With The Spirit,” pages 250-252:

All Prophets Preach the Same Savior, the Same Plan of Salvation

Not only are the Apostles witnesses of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and above five hundred other witnesses who saw Him after His resurrection, but “all the prophets,” that is, every prophet in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament times, bears witness to the same Saviour and the same plan of salvation!

There are some who think that the Old Testament saints were saved by animal sacrifices and the ceremonies of the law. They are utterly mistaken. The sacrifices and ceremonies of the Old Testament were simply object lessons pointing to Christ and salvation by faith in Him. Baptism now pictures that one is buried in the likeness of Christ's death and raised in the likeness of His resurrection (Rom. 6:4, 5), and those that take the Lord's Supper in the bread and cup “do shew the Lord's death till he come” (I Cor. 11:26). So Old Testament sacrifices taught the same thing, that salvation is only through Christ. Every prophet in the Old Testament pictures Christ. So Jesus could preach to Nicodemus the Gospel from Numbers 21:5-9, about the serpents in the Wilderness. So Philip could preach to the Ethiopian eunuch from Isaiah 53:4-6, preaching the same Saviour and the same Gospel. It was this Saviour whom Abraham saw and believed in (John 8:56; Rom, 4:3). It was by faith in this Jesus that “Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,” the firstling of his flock which pictured an atoning Saviour. It is Christ and salvation by faith in His shed blood that is pictured in the passover.

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.

There are those who think that Peter in Acts 2:38 and 39 preached that baptism was essential to salvation when he said, “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.” But the phrase “for the remission of sins” could well be translated “referring to the remission of sins” for the indefinite preposition of reference and so used many, many times in the Bible. People are not baptized in order to be saved, but baptized with reference to the salvation they had when they repented. So it has always been among Bible-believing Christians who follow the Scriptures.

So here in Acts 10:43 we have the statement by Peter, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Get this great doctrinal matter settled: God has only one plan of salvation and that is all He ever had! He has only one Saviour, and that is Jesus Christ. Every Old and New Testament prophet agrees in this that “whosoever believeth in him shall have remission of sins.”

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

For emphasis, I want to repeat a paragraph of what you just read, because it is so crucial. I am going to highlight some portions, which I want you to see clearly...

There are some who think that the Old Testament saints were saved by animal sacrifices and the ceremonies of the law. They are utterly mistaken. The sacrifices and ceremonies of the Old Testament were simply object lessons pointing to Christ and salvation by faith in Him. Baptism now pictures that one is buried in the likeness of Christ's death and raised in the likeness of His resurrection (Rom. 6:4, 5), and those that take the Lord's Supper in the bread and cup “do shew the Lord's death till he come” (I Cor. 11:26). So Old Testament sacrifices taught the same thing, that salvation is only through Christ. Every prophet in the Old Testament pictures Christ. So Jesus could preach to Nicodemus the Gospel from Numbers 21:5-9, about the serpents in the Wilderness. So Philip could preach to the Ethiopian eunuch from Isaiah 53:4-6, preaching the same Saviour and the same Gospel. It was this Saviour whom Abraham saw and believed in (John 8:56; Rom, 4:3). It was by faith in this Jesus that “Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,” the firstling of his flock which pictured an atoning Saviour. It is Christ and salvation by faith in His shed blood that is pictured in the passover. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Evangelist John R. Rice, “Acts: Filled With The Spirit,” pp. 250-251; Sword Of The Lord, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; ©1963

There is a growing number of false teachers on the internet, especially YouTube. They are; namely, Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, Pastor Gene Kim, Bryan Denlinger, Chett Hensley, Dr. William P. Grady and Robert Breaker. These men all falsely teach that people were saved by faith PLUS WORKS in the Old Testament. They also claim that people will again in the future be saved by faith PLUS WORKS during the Tribulation and Millennial periods. Bryan Denlinger preaches hardcore Lordship Salvation today as well. I 100% agree with Dr. John R. Rice in that “They are utterly mistaken.” 

The Old Testament ceremonials laws were OBJECT LESSONS, just like the Lord's Supper and water baptism today, which have no special grace nor saving power. No one was ever saved by faith PLUS WORKS at any time in human civilization, nor ever will be. Galatians 3:9-11, “So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” Not one verse, neither in the Old or New Testaments, teach that salvation has ever been by anything other than faith. The prophet Habakkuk bears witness in Habakkuk 2:4b that “the just shall live by his faith.”

Jesus Taught Nicodemus The Gospel From Numbers

This is amazing. To teach Nicodemus the Gospel (Good News), Jesus used the book of Numbers...

Numbers 21:5-9, “And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?  for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.  And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”

the Scriptures - Romans 15:4), through Moses' preaching (Hebrews 4:2), and the ceremonial laws (Hebrews 10:1), that “whosoever believeth in him shall have remission of sins” (Acts 10:43b). Read here what Jesus said to Nicodemus, and see how the Lord used the book of Numbers to expound him concerning Himself. John 3:14-16, “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.” God intentionally instructed Moses to pound some brass metal into the shape of a serpent, and to raise that serpent high on a pole, so that whoever looked to the serpent lived. That is so beautiful. What does it mean?

We find the answer in 2nd Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” The sinless only begotten Son of God, became as sin Himself; so that we sinful humans, who knew no righteousness, could be made the righteousness of God through faith in Christ. Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” That brass snake which Moses raised up on a pole symbolized our dear Savior, Who became as sin on the cross, bearing the reproach and shame of our sins. The sinless Lamb of God suffered vicariously (as our substitute) on the cross; paying a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay! John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

The very notion that people were saved under the Mosaic law by faith plus works violates umpteen Scripture passages, including the ones we just read from Numbers and John. All God wanted the Israelites to was: LOOK AND LIVE! What saith the Scripture? Isaiah 45:22, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” The way of salvation has always been to LOOK TO THE SAVIOR!!!

Eternal Life Was Promised Before The World Began

Galatians 3:6-14, “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

This passage is so beautiful and simple dear reader. It begins in verse 6 with a declarative statement—Abraham BELIEVED GOD and it was accounted to him for righteousness! That is the only way anyone has ever been saved, which is exactly what the next verse says—“Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” God made a wonderful PROMISE of eternal life by faith alone, even before the world was created. Titus 1:2-4, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.” This PROMISE of salvation by faith was preached to Abraham and to “Christ” (Galatians 3:16).

This PROMISE was made before the world began, and it was preached to Abraham. The Bible was already settled permanently in Heaven before God ever dictated a single Word to Moses. Galatians 3:8-9, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” The GOOD NEWS (Gospel) was preached to Abraham. This PROMISE guaranteed that all the Jews and Gentiles alike could be saved by simple childlike faith in Christ.

The Old Testament Jews were under the curse of the law, because Christ hadn't come to die on the cross yet. Galatians 3:10-14, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

To understand the Old Testament system, and salvation back then, you need to understand what the ceremonial law was. Carefully notice that “the law” was more than just the “Thou shalt not” Ten Commandments, but the entire priestly system of sacrifices and atonement for sin itself. Since Christ hadn't come yet, the blood and bulls and goats could only temporarily atone (cover) for the sins of the people. The rituals were symbolic, object lessons, shadowing God's sole responsibility to deal with the matter when Christ would someday come, and not something that the people were required to do to be saved. The ceremonial laws were NOT required for salvation. This is evidenced by the fact that the Jews failed to keep the Sabbath Day for 490 years. God later punished them by sending the Jews into Babylonian captivity, one year for every seven they hadn't kept the Sabbath (70 years). The law made nothing perfect...

Hebrews 7:18-25, “For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

The Old Testament sacrifices each year were temporal. The high priests were temporal. They all eventually died. The Old Testament ceremonial laws were a SHADOW of good things coming in the future. Hebrews 10:1, “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” Since Jesus is eternal, and the perfect sacrifice for sin, He CAN forever forgive and wash away our sins with His blood (Revelation 1:5). 

So now you can understand Galatians 3:19, “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.” The ceremonial rituals were symbolic of Christ Who would one day come, as our eternal High Priest, forever taking away our sins (Hebrews 4:15-16). They were still saved by faith alone, but God required the Jews to keep ceremonial laws to avoid judgment (Deuteronomy 28). Old Testament Jews were required to keep the law, not to be saved, but to please God as His people. Obviously they didn't please Him, which led to the eventual fall of both the northern kingdom of Samaria in 722 BC, and the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 BC. Israel failed as God's ambassadors to the Gentile world. It was the Lord's initial plan and hope that Israel would be a beacon of shining light in the world, a peculiar people zealous of good works (Exodus 19:5-6). This didn't make Jews better than Gentiles, it just meant God had chosen them for a certain job.

Please consider that when the Jews were conquered and enslaved by Babylon in 586 BC, the work of the high priest ceased. Solomon's magnificent temple, which cost billions of dollars to build, was totally destroyed. So did all the Jews go to Hell? Obviously they were NOT saved by works. There were many times in the Old Testament when there was no priest or sacrifices; such as, during the time of the Judges, and the 400 years between the Old Testament and New Testament. They were saved by believing God, as did Abraham in Genesis 15:6. How did the Old Testament saints get saved in the 2,500 years prior to Moses? It is theological ignorance for any preacher to teach that anyone was ever (or ever will be) saved by faith plus works.

Old Testaments Saints Were Only Saved By Faith

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

The following very helpful truths are being quoted from Dr. John R. Rice's invaluable verse-by-verse Bible commentary titled, “Acts: Filled With The Spirit,” pages 250-252:

All Prophets Preach the Same Savior, the Same Plan of Salvation

Not only are the Apostles witnesses of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and above five hundred other witnesses who saw Him after His resurrection, but “all the prophets,” that is, every prophet in the Old Testament as well as the new Testament times, bears witness to the same Saviour and the same plan of salvation!

There are some who think that the Old Testament saints were saved by animal sacrifices and the ceremonies of the law. They are utterly mistaken. The sacrifices and ceremonies of the Old Testament were simply object lessons pointing to Christ and salvation by faith in Him. Baptism now pictures that one is buried in the likeness of Christ's death and raised in the likeness of His resurrection (Rom. 6:4, 5), and those that take the Lord's Supper in the bread and cup “do shew the Lord's death till he come” (I Cor. 11:26). So Old Testament sacrifices taught the same thing, that salvation is only through Christ. Every prophet in the Old Testament pictures Christ. So Jesus could preach to Nicodemus the Gospel from Numbers 21:5-9, about the serpents in the Wilderness. So Philip could preach to the Ethiopian eunuch from Isaiah 53:4-6, preaching the same Saviour and the same Gospel. It was this Saviour whom Abraham saw and believed in (John 8:56; Rom, 4:3). It was by faith in this Jesus that “Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,” the firstling of his flock which pictured an atoning Saviour. It is Christ and salvation by faith in His shed blood that is pictured in the passover.

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.

There are those who think that Peter in Acts 2:38 and 39 preached that baptism was essential to salvation when he said, “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.” But the phrase “for the remission of sins” could well be translated “referring to the remission of sins” for the indefinite preposition of reference and so used many, many times in the Bible. People are not baptized in order to be saved, but baptized with reference to the salvation they had when they repented. So it has always been among Bible-believing Christians who follow the Scriptures.

So here in Acts 10:43 we have the statement by Peter, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Get this great doctrinal matter settled: God has only one plan of salvation and that is all He ever had! He has only one Saviour, and that is Jesus Christ. Every Old and New Testament prophet agrees in this that “whosoever believeth in him shall have remission of sins.”

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

Boy I love that! The Old Testament ceremonial laws, just like the Lord's Supper and water baptism today, were object lessons. These were NOT necessary to be saved. Salvation was always by faith, as we read in Habakkuk 2:4b, “the just shall live by his faith.” In Number 21:9, all God expected of the Israelites was to LOOK AND LIVE. Jesus used this passage to teach the Gospel to Nicodemus in John 3:14-16. Isaiah 45:22 teaches to LOOK AND LIVE! Isaiah 45:22, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Salvation has always been by grace through faith in Christ.

 The Gospel Is An Eternal Promise!

God's PROMISE of eternal life existed before the world was created. It is a promise! The Gospel (Good News) is a promise. God revealed the GOOD NEWS of that promise to the patriarchs. God shared this GOOD NEWS with Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Eve's “seed” in this passage refers to our Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:29, “And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Throughout the Old Testament, people looked forward to the coming Messiah. We see this truth evidenced in John 4:25, “The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.” The Samaritan women didn't understand the Gospel, but she BELIEVED that Christ, when He came, would TELL US ALL THINGS. She had faith in the blessed Savior!

I keep hearing wacky dispensational preachers saying that the Apostle Paul revealed a NEW Gospel. Dear reader, please read the following words of Jesus from Matthew 16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” Jesus was preaching this same GOSPEL long before Paul was! Galatians 1:11-12, “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Jesus revealed the SAME Gospel to Paul, which He had been preaching to others. Some people were questioning and criticizing the apostle. You know how people can get. So Paul asserts his qualifications, letting everyone know that the Lord Himself delivered this Gospel truth to him to preach. 

After Jesus had bodily risen from the dead, He came across two men walking upon the road to Emmaus. The Lord asked them if they had heard about a man named Jesus (I love how the Lord messed with people's minds...lol.). They were naïve and skeptical. They didn't believe yet. Take a look at what the Lord said to them in Luke 24:24-27, “And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Our blessed Lord didn't just rebuke them, He took the time to expound them in all the Scriptures. Please notice that Jesus rebuked them for not QUICKLY BELIEVING all that THE PROPHETS had spoken concerning Christ (Acts 10:43). Thus, Paul did not reveal a new Gospel, he simply reiterated the promise of eternal life which existed before the world began. The Lord Himself charged Paul to preach the revelation of the Gospel given to Him. 

Anna was a 84 year old seasoned Christian women, who preached the Gospel to visitors who came to Jerusalem inquiring about the Messiah...

Luke 2:36-38, “And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”

The wise men came from Babylon in the east, looking for the Christ child. Word had gotten out that the Christ was here. Anna was a soulwinner. So we see that the knowledge of the coming Savior was big news, known by the masses for thousands of years. We are so blessed today to have the privilege to look back with hindsight and a clear understanding of history. We are not worthy! Throughout the entire Old Testament, all of humanity was awaiting the coming the the Messiah. That was their great hope and salvation. Psalms 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” David said that the Lord Himself was his salvation, not his works. It is tragic how preachers are always finding ways to attribute salvation to man, instead of God's grace.

Eternal life was PROMISED by God before the world even began (Titus 1:2). That precious PROMISE continued through the entire Old Testament by faith. The ceremonial laws were later established as a means (a TOOL), to ultimately bring lost sinners to Christ so they could then be saved by grace through faith. LAW and CHRIST. It is marvellous how God did all this, giving us a living illustration, spanning thousands of years of history, to demonstrate LAW and CHRIST.

“God Himself became a Man, to give mankind a concrete, definite, tangible idea of what kind of Person to think of when we think of God. God is like Jesus. Jesus was God incarnate in human form. His appearance on earth is the Central Event of all history. The Old Testament sets the stage for it. The New Testament describes it. As a man, He lived the most strangely Beautiful Life ever known. He was the Kindest, Tenderest, Gentlest, most Patient, most Sympathetic man that ever lived. He Loved people. He hated to see people in trouble. He loved to Forgive. He loved to Help. He wrought marvelous miracles to feed hungry people. For relieving the suffering He forgot to take food for Himself. Multitudes, weary, pain-ridden, and heart-sick, came to Him, and found healing and relief. It is said of Him, and of no other, that if all the deeds of Kindness that He did were written, the world would not contain the books. That is the kind of man Jesus was. That is the kind of Person God is. Then: He Died, on the Cross, to take away the Sin of the world, to become the Redeemer and Saviour of man. Then: He Rose from the Dead: is Alive Now: not merely an historical character, but a Living Person: the Most Important Fact of History, and Most Vital Force in the world today.” —Theologian Henry H. Halley (1874-1965)

Evangelist John R. Rice (1895-1980) had these helpful words to say:

“The simple truth is that there has never been but one kind of salvation. Peter said, in preaching to Cornelius in Acts 10:43, that "To Him (Christ) give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." Wait! Read that again! Every prophet in the Old Testament, as well as New Testament apostles, agree, says this Scripture, that all who trust in Christ are instantly saved! Animal sacrifices, baptism, the Lord's Supper, good deeds, never were essential to salvation. Salvation is by faith in Christ alone. It always was the same.”

SOURCE: Dr. John R. Rice, “BAPTISM IS CHRISTIAN, NOT JEWISH; NEW TESTAMENT, NOT OLD TESTAMENT; GRACE, NOT LAW”

Amen and amen! People, then and now, have always been saved BY FAITH in the name of Christ (Acts 10:43).

Everyone Needs And Wants To Be Loved

Matthew 7:12, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” 1st John 3:10-14, “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” 1st John 2:5, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

People just want to be loved, just love the hell out of them. I heard Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr. say that, and I never forgot it, because it is so true! Sadly, most churches today are ran like social clubs. If you are not part of their accepted clique, you are not welcomed. In fact, many churches will ostracize you! I have visited churches where I felt like they couldn't have cared less if I came back or not. That is a very bad testimony for any church to have. People ought to be made to feel loved. I have heard unreasonable pastors place the burden upon visitors, telling them that they should go talk to the pastors and church members. That is ridiculous! Why would a stranger take the initiative to act like they are church members before being invited to join?

I remember when I visited the Bayview Baptist Church on Guam in 2009. Mike Albin was the senior pastor then, who has since relocated to Washington in the United States. I was going through a difficult time in my life and recovering from a divorce. I sat and cried in church, emotionally hurting. No one approached me in church to ask me to join. No one cared if I was there. I couldn't believe what Mike Albin said, after I had attended the church for 3 months. He said from the pulpit: “Some of you are like big teenagers—you want us to come up and talk to you, but you need to come over and talk to us!” 

Respectfully, Pastor Albin not only has a degree from the Dallas Theological Seminary, but also has an earned degree in Psychology. Go figure! You'd think that a guy with all that training would have enough courage and wisdom to know how to deal with people. For the 3 months I attended the Bayview Baptist Church, with my life afflicted like the Poseidon ship upside down, their pastors couldn't have cared less at Bayview. I was there and in need of their help and love. They were cowards! They were afraid to reach out to me. So I left and never went back again, feeling unwanted, and that is on them. No one wants to be where they are not wanted! Kindly, it doesn't require a degree in psychology to figure that out. 

I am not saying these things in bitterness. I forgive them! Pastor Albin taught me some helpful things in his preaching. I'll never forget one particular sermon. He showed a photo of an island man with a cart loaded ten feet high. The wheel broke and the cart wasn't going anywhere! Pastor Albin said the picture illustrated many people's lives. He said that many people center their life around their spouse, but then their spouse is gone one day. Then they center their life around their children, but then their children grow up and are gone one day. Then they have nothing left! What we should all do is center our life around Jesus Christ, Who will never leave nor forsake us. I cried as I listened to Pastor Albin. Tears ran down my cheeks. I had made the very mistake he mentioned. My wife and children were all gone, and I had no one in 2009. I bought two small barbecues and charcoal to commit suicide. It is only by God's grace, because of my FAITH in Jesus Christ, that I didn't kill myself. 

My point is that there are millions of people who feel just like me. When they visit a church, they feel intimidated and unsure of what to expect. The hardest thing in the world is to attend a new church for the first time. It is very difficult for someone to walk into an unfamiliar building, in the midst of a big group of strangers, unsure of how they worship and believe, wondering if they will accept you. I didn't feel like I belonged at Bayview. My spiritual compass was broken and I needed some guidance. I needed their love and help, but didn't know how to go about it. They use the Devil's modern Bibles at Bayview. They have no soulwinning ministries. I like music, so I didn't mind the electric guitars and drums. I loved that actually. I wish I had been strong enough to take the initiative, but I was too weak. I hope someone reading this will remember what I am sharing with you. If you attend a church, look for new visitors and reach out to them. Tell them: “We are glad you are here! We hope you will come back again. Everybody is loved and welcome!” People are dying to be loved and wanted!!!

I have been ostracized by Harvest Baptist Church on Guam since 2014, because I am a Fundamentalist Christian, and they are apostate Neo-evangelicals. Even though I sincerely and kindly offered to set aside our doctrinal differences, just so I could have a church family—they have vehemently rejected me, shunned me, ignored me, been unfriendly toward me, and ostracized me as their enemy. Like the Apostle Paul, I have been wrongly persecuted for telling THE TRUTH. Galatians 4:16, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” The churches of Galatia counted Paul as their enemy, because he exposed their Lordship Salvation as being a false gospel (Galatians 1:6-9; 3:1-3).

I am intrigued with the following Bible verse. 1st John 2:5, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” The Bible is teaching us how to how to become loving toward God and people—by keeping God's Word. If we obey the Bible, God's love will be perfected (matured) in us. That explains why there is a woeful lack of love in most churches today, because they are using the Devil's counterfeit Bibles! These modern Bibles are very corrupt. Human beings have a horrible tendency to defend error, even if it means dying for their wrong cause! Of course, they think they are right.

I remember an incident at the bank many years ago, while my father (1933-2010) was still alive. My father was a pastor (of a rescue mission in Chicago) and regularly needed to go to the bank to deposit donations. I was with my father one day when he went to deposit money into the mission bank account. The young Caucasian man (bank teller) helping my father, falsely accused my father of not giving him $2,000, but my father insisted that he just did. The bank teller called over his Caucasian female supervisor. For the next 10 minutes that ungodly woman argued with my father, insisting that her employee could not have made an error. She threatened to call security to have my father removed from the bank. She exclaimed: “Sir, our employees are highly trained, required to follow a very specific procedure so that mistakes like you allege cannot happen. You didn't give him the $2,000 Sir! You need to leave or I will call security to remove you!”

Then in the heat of the argument, the bank teller's face turned red, and he hung his head, saying: “I see where I made an error!” That wicked fool for a supervisor turned her head hard to the right, looking at her employee in disgust. I wish to God. I wish to God, that I could have fired that wicked and unreasonable supervisor right there on the spot! In fact, I would have sentenced her to time in prison to teach her a lesson about falsely accusing others! That idiotic woman typifies sinful human nature—when we are willing to have somebody manhandled by police to prove our ignorance, error and foolishness!!! You know I am right. There are some very wicked and unreasonable people in this world, and many of them are religious people!!! There's not a more wicked and unreasonable group today than Bob Jones University and their alumni, who promote the Devil's Bibles and preach another Gospel of Lordship Salvation! You cannot reason with them.

I have learned that professed Christians who don't care about the purity of God's Word, and don't care about the accuracy of the Gospel, and don't care about right doctrine—those same indifferent religious tares don't genuinely care about people either! Everyone needs and wants to be loved. If the churches aren't loving hurting and needy people, then who is going to do it?

“Look if you just learn to love people, can't that make you a little sensitive? You can't take a person who hates somebody and then teach them sensitivity training. It just don't work that way. You see when you care about people and you love people, and you want the best for people, that makes you more sensitive; but when you don't care about people, all the sensitive training in the world ain't going to help.” —Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold, —“The Power Of The Holy Spirit”