Ephesians 2:8-10, “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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
We live in a very dishonest, greedy and manipulative culture in the United States. It is sickening how greedy businesses have become, gouging people financially. I rented a car for $210 for three days at the Pensacola airport. I needed the car for just one more day, so I called the phone number on my contract. The unpleasant woman on the phone demanded $192 for just ONE DAY! She said that I had entered into a weekly rate and would have to pay for the entire week, even if I just needed the car for one more day.
Ladies and gentlemen, that is unethical, greedy and downright wicked. You see, ungodly rental car agencies fully know that many people are likely to need the vehicle they rented for another day, so the companies take advantage of people, effectively stealing their money. Yes, rental car agencies are THIEVES!!! When they advertise a rent car for $27, they aren't including all the extra fees, taxes and insurance, which when added will cost you $97 per day! Liars and thieves! This is America today!!!
I'm sure you've also seen the bank advertisements, which try to lure you to open a bank account to get a “FREE” toaster, or something else “FREE.” They are liars! In fact, they are giving you a REWARD (in this case a toaster) in exchange for opening a new bank account at their institution. If you don't open a new account you don't get the toaster, so how is that free?
Another example is Roku, Filmrise and Crackle. They all advertise “FREE” movies, but then you are required to sit there and watch their stupid annoying 1 to 8 commercials (usually about 5 of them) every 10 minutes. I just turn the volume down. Sometimes I get so frustrated that I exit and leave, to go watch one of my Blu-ray movies instead with no commercials. In fact, NONE of those movies are “FREE,” because you had to exchange your time in payment to watch them. Any good businessman will tell you that time is money, and money is time. When you go to work, they are paying you for your time. Sometimes companies will even allow you to sell back your vacation time for cash, especially if they need you to work longer hours and days. So Roku, Filmrise and Crackle are all dirty LIARS!!!
Americans have become so greedy, manipulative and dishonest. In Pensacola where I moved to last summer, there are thug lawyer billboards everywhere, like packs of greedy ravening dogs, just waiting for their next victim, some rich guy who won't know what hit him. Lawyers always go after anybody with deep pockets, because they are thieves who manipulate the law to their greedy advantage. It is shameful.
Dear reader, beware of anyone who ever tells you that faith is not enough to be saved. One of my favorite preachers, Dr. Curtis Hutson made this helpful statement:
“Faith and repentance are the same; they are not two separate decisions. One cannot trust Christ as Savior without repenting or changing his mind. The very fact that he trusts Christ for salvation shows that he has changed his mind regarding sin, salvation, and God.” —Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995)
Oh how I wish that the Bob Jones University (BJU) camp understood this Bible truth. Dr. Hutson further offers these helpful words explaining the correct meaning of Luke 13:5...
In Luke 13:5 Jesus said, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” The context of this verse shows that they needed to repent or change their mind regarding punishment and sin. In this passage, Christ was talking to good people who believed that people suffered only because of their sins, and they concluded that those in Galilee whose blood Pilate mingled with sacrifices and those on whom the tower of Siloam fell were greater sinners because they died such horrible deaths. Jesus contradicts the thinking of these self-righteous people and tells them that they need to repent or change their mind and see themselves as sinners, too, or they will perish in their own self-righteousness.
One does not have to know the Greek language to see that “repent” in this passage does not mean feeling sorry for or turning from sin. [emphasis added]
SOURCE: Pastor Curtis Hutson, 'Repentance: What Does The Bible Say?'
Many proponents of Lordship Salvation cite Luke 13:5 to support their heresy. There is not one verse in the Bible which teaches to repent of sin or turn away from sin to be saved. We are simply taught to “...BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST...” (Acts 16:30-31).
When a group of people asked Jesus how to get to Heaven, the dear Savior simply told them to BELIEVE ON HIM. 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.” Again and again in the inspired King James Bible we see the simplicity that is in Christ. We see that the only thing that God requires to be saved is to BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS. The Gospel is not open to embellishment. There is a certain degree of allowable semantics in presenting God's plan of salvation, but the Gospel itself is set in concrete! Here it is:
1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
There you have it—Jesus DIED, was BURIED, and miraculously RESURRECTED three days later. There is no mention of turning away from sins, forsaking the old ways for good, following Christ, speaking in tongues, getting water baptized, joining a church, praying, confessing Jesus publicly, running the race, nor of anything else to be saved! The apostle Paul said this is 'THE GOSPEL,' which Jesus personally gave to Him.
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.”
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