Let God Be True But Every Man A Liar

Romans 3:4, “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”

We need a revival in our churches today about letting the Holy Bible speak for itself. Men are notorious for adding to what God has already plainly stated in the Scriptures. For example: Please consider the following quote from Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980), in which he adds the word “penitent” before faith, which is nothing you'll find in the Bible...

It would be a serious mistake to make verse 13 refer to the great plan of salvation for the soul, for thus it would contradict many other plain statements in the Bible showing that salvation is not by works, not by man's goodness or faithfulness or endurance, but by virtue of the blood of Jesus Christ. That salvation is received by penitent faith. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Dr. John R. Rice, “Matthew,” pp. 377-378; Sword Of The Lord, ©1955

Here are some passages of Scripture which teach salvation BY FAITH, but you won't find the word “penitent” in any of them. Penitence is feeling sorrow for sins, expressing remorse for misdeeds. This is not a condition of salvation dear friend.

Ephesians 2:9, “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.”

Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

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:”

Evangelist Alexander Marshall (1846-1928) provides this excellent helpful explanation of repentance versus sorrow for sins concerning salvation. This information is taken from a little Gospel tract titled, “God's Way Of Salvation,” authored in the 1920's by Brother Marshall...

“I HAVE NOT REPENTED ENOUGH”

What do you mean? “I am not sorry enough for my sins.”

And if you were very sorry, would God be more willing to save you than He is now? “I think so.”

Then you are completely mistaken.

“But does it not say, unless we repent we shall perish?”

Yes; but what do you think is the Scriptural significance of “repentance”? If you say “sorrow for sin” you are wrong. It does not mean sorrow for sin: it means a CHANGE OF MIND (Matt. 21:29). This change will doubtless produce sorrow; but sorrow and repentance are two very different things (Heb. 12:17. margin, and II Cor. 7:9). When God calls on you to “repent, and believe the Gospel,” He wishes you to lay aside your wrong thoughts, and believe the glad tidings that He proclaims to you. Formerly you may have imagined that you were required to feel very sorry before being saved. Change your mind. You may have supposed you must first “feel” some great change in order to know you were saved. Change your mind. First believe in God's great love to you, as revealed in His gospel, and you will KNOW that you have eternal life (John 5:24). [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Evangelist Alexander Marshall, “God's Way Of Salvation”  

Yes, that is excellent. Mr. Marshall is 100% correct! When God calls on you to “repent, and believe the Gospel,” He wishes you to lay aside your wrong thoughts, and believe the glad tidings that He proclaims to you. Brother Marshall plainly says that sinners are saved by BELIEVING THE GOSPEL, that is, he says, “to lay aside your wrong thoughts [repentance], and believe the glad tidings [Gospel] that He proclaims to you.” Respectfully said, Dr. Rice is wrongly adding to the Gospel by mandating sorrow for sins, which the Bible does not.

Romans 3:4 says to let God be true, but every man a liar. Don't you dare believe whatever I say, you go check and verify it with the Scriptures. I know of numerous Christians today who blindly follow Dr. Peter S. Ruckman (1921-2016). They admire him so much for his stand upon the infallible King James Bible, that they dare not oppose him on anything else. Kindly said, Dr. Ruckman was a heretic concerning salvation in the Old Testament. The prophet Habakkuk calls Dr. Ruckman a liar! People have always been saved BY FAITH alone (Acts 10:43).

God knows that I do not enjoy refuting other preachers, but I do find joy in contending for the Christian faith (Jude 1:3). We must always remember that men are flawed, mortal, finite, sinful and incapable of understanding all there is to know. No preacher has ever had it all right doctrinally. As I grow older I am continually honing my own beliefs, trying to articulate my words better to explain the truth to God's sheep. But I would be doing you a great injustice friend, if I didn't make sure to let you know that my words are not infallible. Only God's Words in the King James Bible are inspired and infallible. Men's words are fallible and merely inspired by mankind. Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

One of the main reasons why so many people are having doctrinal difficulties these days, is because they are tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine from different preachers. Ephesians 4:14, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” There is no deception any more deadly than that of Lordship Salvation (which is rooted in heretical Calvinism). The false doctrine of Lordship Salvation teaches that faith in Jesus as one's personal Savior is not enough to be saved. Believing the Gospel, they say, is not enough to receive eternal life. In addition, proponents of Lordship Salvation say you MUST repent (turn) from all your sins, make a commitment to live for Christ, unconditionally surrender to Christ as one's “Lord,” and follow Jesus no matter what the cost, or else they say you are not ready to be saved.

One of the most popular and beloved pastors in America over the past couple decades is Dr. John MacArthur. Unfortunately, Mr. MacArthur is the most significant teachers of the Lordship Salvation heresy. In fact, Dr. MacArthur even heretically calls salvation an “exchange” of sorts. But dear reader, the Bible teaches that eternal life is a “free gift” from God (Romans 5:15, 17, 18), which cannot be merited with human effort. I am tired of hearing Bible college professors and pastors, who are in utter denial, speaking of salvation by God's grace while at the same time calling it an exchange. That is impossible! 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.”

May we all be extremely careful not to add or subtract from the Word of God. If we accept the King James Bible at face value, then we clearly see that salvation is by simply by “faith.”