It Is Okay For A Christian To Repent Of Sins

2nd Timothy 2:19, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

I heard Pastor Steven Anderson the other day saying that believers should repent of their sins, and I agree. Every child of God should change our mind about our sinful ways (2nd Timothy 2:19). This is a part of sanctification and growth in grace (1st Peter 2:2; John 17:17; 2nd Peter 3:18).

There is nothing wrong to repent of one's sinning, just so long as we don't add it as a requirement to receive God's free gift of eternal life, which is obtained by faith alone (Romans 4:4-7).

Bible repentance for salvation is simply owning up to the truth (2nd Timothy 2:25) that we are a GUILTY SINNER (Romans 3:19-20), and Jesus is the only SAVIOR (John 20:31).

I love this awesome quote from one of my favorite free grace Gospel preachers, Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951), who wrote:

“The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past …

Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.”

SOURCE: Pastor Harry A. Ironside, from the tract: 'What Is The Gospel?'

By God's grace, I wrote this helpful article (backup article) which contains many helpful preacher quotes about true repentance.

Every saint of God should repent of our sins, which is proper and right. But we must never make the fatal eternal error of mixing and confusing service (Romans 12:1) with salvation (Galatians 3:26). That is, we must never combine discipleship with sonship. My favorite preacher's quote is from John Bunyan...

“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.” —John Bunyan (1628-1688)

John Bunyan was exposing Lordship Salvation, although that particular term hadn't been invented yet. We must never commit the unpardonable sin of mixing works with grace. Romans 4:4-5, “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.” I love this Scripture passage. Romans 4:4 plainly exposes the falsehood of Dr. Peter S. Ruckman (1921-2016) and his followers (e.g. William P. Grady, Bible Baptist Church in Pensacola and Robert Breaker) that people were saved by works under the Mosaic law. Clearly, that would have made salvation a matter of debt owed by God to the worker, and not of grace as the inspired Word of God teaches. You'll never be led astray dear friend if you'll “SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES” (John 5:39a).

God bless you dear reader and thank you for your continued interest in my website ministry for the precious Lord Jesus Christ. To God alone by all the praise, credit and glory.

Reasons Why You Cannot Lose Your Salvation

 Reasons Why You Cannot Lose Your Salvation

By Pastor Hank Lindstrom (1940-2008)

ETERNAL LIFE IS ETERNAL. It is NOT “life until you sin again.” Jesus promised us “eternal life” and it is ridiculous to think that He didn’t mean that He gives us life that would never end. Eternal life begins THE MOMENT when we believe.

The believer “is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24).

SALVATION IS A “BY BIRTH” SITUATION. A birth cannot be undone or reversed. “Once born, always born, Jesus did not teach a man must be born again and again and perhaps even yet again. We don’t have a second opportunity to be born again physically, nor do we have or even need a second opportunity to be born again spiritually once we have received our spiritual birth.

SALVATION (ETERNAL LIFE) IS A FREE GIFT. It is not something that is earned or can be deserved. Works earn “rewards,” not salvation. Romans 5:15-18, 6:23; Eph. 2:8,9; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

SALVATION IS BASED UPON HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, NOT OURS. Philippians 3:9 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 teach that it is Christ’s righteousness that is imputed to our account. If our salvation is based upon Christ righteousness and not our own, how could our own unrighteousness ever make His righteousness insufficient? When God declares us righteous, it is settled. Romans 8:33.

WE ARE KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD. 1 Peter 1:4,5 teaches this. If it is God’s power that keeps us, who is stronger or more powerful than God?

JESUS IS HOLDING US IN HIS HAND. John 10:28. We are not holding onto God; He is holding onto us! Even if we could let go, He cannot and will not.

1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (5) Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

WE SHALL NEVER COME INTO CONDEMNATION OR JUDGMENT. John 5:24 teaches us this. As in John 3:16 and John 10:28 wherein we are told we will NEVER PERISH.

In John 11:25 wherein Jesus said the believer will “NEVER DIE,” here we are told the believer will “NEVER COME INTO CONDEMNATION.”

If a person could lose salvation, this would not be true.

WE HAVE ALREADY PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. Now get this. According to John 5:24, the believer has already passed (past tense) from death into life. This cannot be speaking of physical life but must be speaking of spiritual death and life. We have never yet been dead physically but we were dead spiritually.

THE BELIEVER SHALL NEVER DIE. In John 11:25 Jesus said to Martha that “whoever lives and believes in me shall NEVER die.” He surely was not speaking of physical death so He must have been speaking of a spiritual death.

JESUS SAID HE WOULD NOT CAST US OUT. As in Hebrews 13:5 wherein Jesus said He would never leave us nor forsake us, He tells us in John 6:37 He will never cast us out.

JESUS WILL LOSE NOTHING (THAT INCLUDES US). John 6:39 tells us that Jesus will lose nothing but “will raise it up at the last day, Whatever we are, we are something! This answers those who say He will not cast us out but we could choose to walk out on our own.

WE ARE “JUSTIFIED” (DECLARED RIGHTEOUS) BY FAITH. When it is God who does the justifying, that is all we need. Romans 5:1 teaches us that it is because we are justified by faith that we have “peace with God.”

WE ARE SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. When it is God who does the sealing, man cannot break the seal. The Holy Spirit is given to every believer to be with him and in him forever. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 teaches us that we are “bought with a price,” the blood of Christ. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR “EARNEST. (GUARANTEE) OF OUR INHERITANCE.

Titus 1:2 teaches us that God cannot lie and He has promised us eternal life. God said it; that settles it!

GOD SAYS WE CAN KNOW WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. We are taught in I John 5:13 that the believer can “KNOW” that he has eternal life. How could he possibly know it if he could still wind up in hell?

EVEN IF WE ARE FAITHLESS, GOD REMAINS FAITHFUL FOR HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF.

2 Timothy 2:13 We are “in Christ” once we have believed. For Him to deny us, He would have to deny Himself.
OUR SINS (ALL OF THEM) HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN. If all sins are forgive, how could any sin send a believer to hell?

Acts 13:38, 39 says that ALL who believe are justified from all things.” To be justified is to be declared righteous. When Christ died for sin, it was for all sin (past, present, and future).

NOBODY (INCLUDING SATAN) CAN LAY ANYTHING TO OUR CHARGE. Satan may accuse us for what we have done but it was God who sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sins and it is He who declares us righteous. If God declares us righteous, who is Satan to say otherwise? Romans 8:33.

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM GOD’S LOVE. Romans 8:37-39 teaches this clearly. “Nothing” certainly includes our sin.

THE GIFTS AND CALLINGS OF GOD ARE WITHOUT REPENTANCE. Romans 11:29 Nobody can argue that salvation is not a gift. See Romans 5 and notice how many times the word “gift” is used in describing salvation.

SALVATION IS NEVER BASED ON WORKS SO HOW COULD ONE LOSE IT BY EVEN BAD WORKS? Verses like Ephesians 2:8,9, Titus 3:5, Romans 3:28, 4:5, 11:6, and Galatians 2:16 all clearly teach the receiving of salvation apart from works. (Note especially Romans 4:5 “to him that worketh not.”) The believer will NEVER PERISH. If this does not shout eternal security, then one must be determined to believe otherwise. John 3:16 is perhaps the most quoted and least understood verse in the Bible. Many would rather quote it this way: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes and continues to please God might not perish but have eternal life.”

THE BIBLE DOES NOT TEACH THAT SALVATION CAN BE LOST. While there are numerous verses that some THAT TRY to use to teach that salvation can be lost, there are no verses that say such a thing.

There are verses that teach subjects like “falling from grace,” “working out your own salvation,” “enduring to the end,” and “overcoming” which people try to use to teach the possibility of losing one’s salvation but this is not the case. Study those verses in their context and you will see they DO NOT teach a loss of salvation. Sadly, many have been deceived into believing their salvation can be lost, even though the Bible never teaches such a doctrine. You might ask: “How can this be?” While it is true that they have their verses they use to teach what is called “Conditional Security,” those verses are taken OUT OF CONTEXT.

It all boils down to this: Those who BELIEVE are not condemned and those who have NOT BELIEVED are condemned already. (See John 3:18) Some think the doctrine of Eternal Security gives the believer a license to sin. Far from it! This doctrine frees the believer to truly live for God out of his love and gratefulness. There are also those who think this doctrine of Eternal Security to be a doctrine separate from that of Salvation, yet I disagree. If being saved doesn’t ultimately land a person in heaven, what was he saved from? Instead of salvation, many actually teach we have a sort of probation-life until we sin so badly we cross the line and lose our salvation. What this amounts to is the fact that man continually looks for ways to put his own works back into the equation.

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.”

“Your whole life should be one big 'THANK YOU' to the Lord!” —Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold, a wonderful quote from the MP3 sermon called, “The Importance of The Lord' Supper”

Eleven Reasons For Not teaching Lordship Salvation

(by Pastor A. Ray Stanford, 1916-2012)

Salvation And The Public Invitation
(by Dr. Max D. Younce)

Don't Get Stuck On the Law of God

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.”

Throughout history, people have become stuck on the LAW of God, never moving onto the GRACE of God. Many Bible students fail to comprehend this truth, which is why they get sucked into the damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation.

The Jews in particular had a hard time breaking away from trying to keep the law to be saved. Why did God give the law? You see, you cannot have darkness without light. You cannot have beauty without ugliness, nor high without low, nor truth without heresy, nor life without death. You cannot swim upstream until you've been downstream. Every positive needs its correspondence negative, and vise versa. Without God's LAW in the Old Testament, GRACE in the New Testament wouldn't make any sense! We need the law of God, that is, the Mosaic law, to show us our sinnership. Our text passage above gives us the purpose of the law, which is to stop every mouth from boasting of self-righteousness, and that all the world may become guilty before God.

Both Jesus and the apostle Paul spent much of their time trying to get Jews unsaved, so they could get them saved! That is, the Jews were stuck on keeping the law, failing to understand the purpose for which God gave the law. Instead of realizing that salvation can only come through God's grace, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they were still trying to keep the law to enter into the Kingdom of God. Let's take a look at someone in the New Testament who boasted of his own goodness, whose mouth needed to be stopped. Jesus used the law in the following Scripture passage, to silence this young rich man from his self-righteous boasting, and it worked:

Luke 18:18-23, “And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. [HE'S BOASTING] Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. [JESUS USED THE LAW TO SHOW THIS RICH YOUNG MAN THAT HE IS COVETOUS, AND THAT STOPPED HIS MOUTH FROM BOASTING.”

So the Lord was using the law as it was intended to be used, which is, as a measuring stick by which when men are compared, they fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23); thus seeing their desperate condition as a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God (Romans 3:19), they are pointed to the Gospel of free grace, which is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:24-26). Romans 3:19, “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 [STOPPED FROM BOASTING], and all the world may become guilty before God.”


Corrupt Preachers Who Are Stuck On the Law

Let me list a few from the start: Paul Washer, Ray Comfort, Billy Graham and John MacArthur (and there are many more). There are some very dangerous false teachers today, who horribly misinterpret the interaction between Jesus and the rich young ruler.

One such false teacher is Dr. John MacArthur, who says that the rich young ruler only wanted eternal life as an add on to what he already possessed, but he wasn't willing to surrender fully to live for God. Read for yourself the satanic garbage that MacArthur teaches about the rich young ruler:

“The bottom line is: He wanted eternal life, but he wasn't willing to give up his pride and his possessions. That's the bottom line! ... But there are very evident things here, that become crystal clear to us. Whatever Jesus was offering, was going to cost cost him his pride, and it was going to cost him his possessions, and the price was too high, even for eternal life. He wanted eternal life, only as an add-on to what he already possessed. He loved himself, not God. He loved earth, not Heaven. He loved the material, not the spiritual. The issue here is really salvation. It's about salvation!”

SOURCE: Dr. John MacArthur, YouTube sermon titled: The Blasphemy of the Rich Young Ruler.

BLASPHEMY!!! Folks, John MacArthur is not saved!!! He is the one who is blaspheming God! Mr. MacArthur is going straight to Hell when he dies if he doesn't repent of his works-based plan of salvation. Jesus was NOT giving the rich young ruler a plan of salvation; but rather, He was using the law to stop this young man from his self-righteous boasting. That is what the law does according to our text verse from Romans 3:19, “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.”

Ladies and gentleman, John MacArthur is a wolf in sheep's clothing! It breaks my heart to see countless multitudes of people being led them astray into the Lake of Fire by Mr. MacArthur. If you follow the teaching of John MacArthur, you are treading on thin ice. I admit that John MacArthur is brilliant in his deliverance, and in most of the subjects which he teaches, which makes him so dangerous. But if a man is wrong on repentance he is going to be wrong on everything else. If you get the first button wrong while getting dressed, all the other buttons are also going to be wrong.

In other words, as good as Mr. MacArthur is in many of his teachings, you simply cannot trust him and should avoid him. Judas looked so convincing, that when Jesus told his disciples one of them was going to betray him, no one even suspected that it would be Judas. John 6:70 says that Judas had a devil in him, yet no one suspected him! I tell you, kindly, John MacArthur has a devil in him! Ray Comfort has a devil in him! Beware of Paul Washer, Billy Graham and other false teachers concerning salvation!

In Luke 18:18-27 we read about The Rich Young Ruler And Jesus. Like John MacArthur, Ray Comfort gets it wrong! They claim that the rich young ruler didn't get saved because he wasn't willing to forsake his sin of covetousness. That is not what was happening there! Jesus was using the law as it was intended to be used, as a measuring stick to show the young man that he is a guilty sinner in God's eyes! A person cannot get saved until they admit they are a sinner in God's sight (1st John 1:10). Jesus wasn't giving the young man a plan of salvation, He was showing him that you cannot get to Heaven by keeping the law (Romans 3:19-20).

Ray Comfort associates serving God and mammon (money) with salvation. The reason why the rich young ruler didn't get saved wasn't because he was covetous; but rather, because he refused to cease from his own works (trying to keep the law). The love of money (a sin) can certainly hinder a person from coming to Christ to be saved, but there is no Biblical requirement to forsake the sin of covetousness to be saved. Serving mammon is a matter of discipleship, not sonship (salvation).

Repentance is the admission of one's sinnership in the sight of a holy God, which facilitates placing one's trust in the Good News of Jesus Christ to be saved. We don't get saved by repenting, we get saved by placing our trust in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No one has ever believed who didn't repent (i.e., change their mind). But repentance is automatic, so that there is no need to even mention repentance when leading someone to Christ. The entire Gospel of John doesn't mention the word "repent," and neither should we. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

Since Mr. Comfort cannot use the Bible to support his strawman argument of Lordship Salvation, he often attempts to use doctrinally-flawed men as a secondary authority. For example: Ray Comfort quotes from George Whitfield (another heretic on salvation), to try to prove his heresy. Proverbs 16:5, “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.” Some of the greatest preachers in history are now burning in Hell forever; Matthew 7:21-23 proves what I say! Martin Luther is one of them! Anyone who believes that giving up the world or sinful ways is a requirement to be saved, IS NOT SAVED!!! Eternal life is a free gift, that you simply receive by faith alone in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:15, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9).

These modern-day prophets of Balaam are stuck on the law! The apostle Paul, just like Jesus, had a hard time convincing the Jews that they couldn't obtain salvation through keeping the law. Romans 2:13, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” Paul saw that they were trying to merit salvation through keeping the Mosaic law. The problem is that no man can perfectly obey the law. So Paul tells them that not the HEARERS of the law will be justified, but the DOERS of the law! They weren't doing it! Paul tells them that they actually have to keep the law to obtain eternal life, which no man has ever done. Jesus Christ is the only sinless man, Who is the precious Lamb of God (John 1:29).

In Romans chapter 3, Paul teaches that “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). Paul goes into detail in the verses to follow, describing the wickedness of mankind:

Romans 3:11-24, “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. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. 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. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Isn't that last verse beautiful? Notice that after describing the rottenness of humanity, Paul upholds the wondrous truth that through the precious blood of Jesus Christ any man can find redemption! Any man can be freely justified by God's GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus!!! That is the great lesson that Paul was teaching the Jews, not that by doing the law they could be justified (Dan Corner and other heretics teach the latter).

The adherents of Lordship Salvation are stuck on Old Testament LAW! They have never moved on to GRACE. They are caught between the Old and New Testaments, caught between LAW and GRACE! If it's not free, it's not grace! If it's not eternal, it's not grace! If it's not permanent, it's not grace! If it's not without works, it's not grace! If you don't trust in Christ alone, because of what He did through the cross to pay for your sins, believing that He raised up from the dead the third day, you don't get grace!


The Law Stops Self-Righteous People from Boasting!

The rich young ruler boasted to Jesus in Luke 18:21b,“All these have I kept from my youth up.” When the young man first approached Jesus, he called Him “Good Master”! Jesus replied, “Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.” This was a question, not a statement. Jesus wasn't saying that He Himself wasn't good, he was asking the young man a question, to teach him something. The Lord was challenging the young man's wrong perception that some people are sinless. The Lord knew his heart. Jesus is trying to teach this young man that he is a sinner, and not “good” as he thinks he is. Jesus even says that no one is good, but God. And of course, Jesus is almighty God (John 10:33; John 8:52). The Lord pointed out the rich young ruler's sin of covetousness, his love for wealth, which was a violation of God's law.

Theoretically, if any man could keep the law 100%, and never break it even one time, he could enter into the Kingdom of God; but the Bible plainly teaches in Romans 3:10b, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Only Jesus Christ is without sin (2nd Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15).

How about you my friend, are you hung-up on the LAW? If there were anything you could do to be saved, then Christ died in vain! The whole reason why God sent His only begotten Son into the world, to die on the cross for our sins, is because there is NOTHING we can do to save ourselves. Satan is a beautiful liar, who for millenniums has been deceiving people to add works to faith, which is no faith at all. This was the error of Galatianism in the New Testament, as exposed in the Epistle of Galatians. The church Paul had started had been contaminated, infiltrated and bewitched by a satanic cult who added circumcision to the Gospel to be saved (Galatians 3:1-4). Paul said anyone is “accursed” by God if they believe “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6-9).

Please don't get stuck on the LAW. You can only be saved by God's GRACE, which is solely through faith in the redemption provided through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. 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.”

The Rich Young Ruler (an excellent video sermon by Pastor Steven L. Anderson)

“Now you say, 'Brother Hyles, you make an issue.' You dead sure better know I'll make an issue!” —BATTLE OF THE AGES (MP3, Dr. Jack Hyles, “The King James Bible crowd is going to come out on top!”)

Repentance Toward God

Acts 20:21, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

You can put all the faith in Christ you want, but it means nothing if you're in denial about your sins. 1st John 1:10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” If you don't think you're a sinner, then you didn't believe the Biblical Gospel. You have religion, not salvation. The only Gospel message taught in the Bible is that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS!!! He was buried. And Jesus was RESURRECTED after three days from the dead. The entire matter of salvation deals with OUR SINS. Thus, repentance is when we come to the realization that we have sinned AGAINST GOD and we turn by faith to the Lord to be forgiven.

Notice what Joseph said to Potiphar's wicked, adulterous wife who tried to seduce him in Genesis 39:9, “There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin AGAINST GOD?” Joseph realized that if he did commit adultery, he would be sinning AGAINST GOD! In Luke 15:21, the repentant prodigal son said... “Father, I have sinned AGAINST HEAVEN, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.”

Notice what king David said in Psalm 41:4, “LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned AGAINST THEE.” Notice what the Apostle Paul taught in Acts 20:21, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” So you see, lost sinners need to REPENT TOWARD GOD, and not away from sin. You will not find any teaching in the Bible about “turning from sin” to be saved; but rather, Mark 1:15, “repent ye, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL”! “Believing the Gospel” is the object of repentance unto salvation. Carefully notice again in Mark 1:15 what Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Notice that Jesus DIDN'T say “repent ye, and forsake your sins.” No, rather, He said, “repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Since the Greek word metanoia simply means “to change one's mind,” it requires supplemental information, because we don't know what to change our mind about. Whereas the English word “repent” definitely means to turn away from sins, the Greek word metanoia doesn't give us any specifics. The English word for "repent" is NEVER used in the Bible concerning getting saved.

The Word of God gives us the needed supplemental information in our text verse from Mark 1:15b, “repent ye, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.” Hence, repentance is unto the Gospel itself. The Gospel is what the change of mind is about. The great meaning of the word metanoia is that is applies to anything and everything that hinders a person from believing the Gospel. Whatever it is that has been hindering a sinner from believing the Gospel, the Scripture commands us to think differently toward God (Acts 20:21) and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL. The Gospel is what the change of mind is about. You never have to turn away from your sins to be saved, because that would be a work and not faith alone.

Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.

Turning away from sinful ways would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work.

If to “repent” means to forsake our sinful ways TO BE SAVED, but Jesus already paid for our sins by dying on the cross, then what are we repenting from?

The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.

The Great Meaning Of “METANOIA”

A lot of people are making a big deal of repentance these days, separating it from faith, and making it an additional step to be saved. Albeit, in the Gospel of John the word “believe” is mentioned 88 times; yet the word “repent” is not mentioned even once. Repentance and faith happen simultaneously and are inseparable. One who believes has repented, and the one who repents has believed. There are not steps to salvation. You don't repent first, and then have believe second. That's not how it works.

Pastor Aiden Tozer errantly teaches: “There can be no spiritual regeneration till there has been a moral reformation.” That is a false plan of salvation leading to Hell. How can a man reform until he first gets saved and the Holy Spirit comes to live within him? It is God Who changes a sinner into a righteous person, and not the sinner himself. Repentance is NOT a change of mind which results in a change of life. Anybody who says that garbage is WRONG! A changed life has NOTHING to do with justification, which is by faith alone. After the get saved, a growth in grace process begins, which takes a lifetime.

The change in a believer's life is the "fruit" of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The Bible says "fruit" (singular), not "fruits" (plural). That is because we get all the fruit at once. You don't get love and then work on patience, and then get patience but start working on joy. No, rather, we get it all at once, as we "walk in the Spirit," simply by abiding in and heeding the inspired Word of God which sanctifies us (John 17:17). The Holy Spirit is God in us! God desires for us to obey His Spirit, in accordance with the written Holy Bible. So we have the living Word of God within us to testify, and the written Word of God without to testify. The inspired King James Bible is our benchmark, against which we should "try" (test) all things (1st John 4:1).

There are two prevalent false gospels today: Lordship Salvation and a social gospel. Lordship Salvation errantly requires a person to FORSAKE their sins to be saved. A social gospel errantly leads people to follow the teachings of Jesus, but no appeal is made to be "born again" because of the condemnation of sin. Salvation is not a magical prayer that we pray, or merely inviting Jesus into our life; Salvation is repenting towards God in faith because of the SINS we have committed. It is our faith that is COUNTED for righteousness... “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5). The wicked world teaches that self-righteous works are necessary to get to Heaven, which is why they're not going.

The blood of Jesus takes our SINS away, in response to our faith in Him... “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...” (1st Peter 1:18-19). It is Jesus' literal blood that cleanses our sins away, “...and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1st John 1:7). What a Precious Savior!

In conclusion, not one verse in the inspired King James Bible teaches to "repent of your sin" or "turn from your sin" to be saved. You'll only find that manmade garbage in the Devil's modern corrupted revisions, like the Easy-To-Read Version (ERV). Acts 20:21 teaches :repentance toward God," not away from anything. Yes, you must turn FROM something in order to turn TO something, but in the case of turning to Jesus Christ, the only thing Biblically that we need to turn from is our UNBELIEF.

Since unbelief is the only thing that can keep us from entering into Heaven, then logically (and of necessity) that is the ONLY thing from which we must literally turn. Anyone who is trusting in having turned away from their sin to be saved, is still100% lost. Any plan of salvation, other than trusting 100% in Christ alone, is a false gospel.

A Corrupt Social Gospel Requires No New Birth

Romans 16:17-18, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

Tragically, because of a woeful lack of preaching against sin in churches today, a false social Gospel has emerged in recent decades. This is the pseudo-Gospel of imposters like Martin Luther King Jr., who openly denied the deity of Jesus. And yet to this day people refer to Mr. King as the “Reverend.” What a farce! Another fake preacher is Jesse Jackson. I triple-dog dare you to search the internet to find out what Jesse Jackson believes about Jesus Christ theologically. Good luck! You won't find his Christian testimony anywhere, about how he came to know Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Something is very wrong folks!

These infidels merely get ordained and use the title of “Baptist minister” to open doors, for prestige and influence, and not for the cause of Jesus Christ. Jesse Jackson couldn't care less if you get saved or go to Hell forever. I seriously doubt if he is a true believer himself! We know for a face, according to his own writings which deny Jesus' virgin birth, deity and bodily resurrection, that Martin Luther King Jr. was not a born-again believer. Unless Mr. King repented on his death bed of his unbelief, the Bible says he went to Hell forever (1st John 2:22-23; Revelation 20:12-15). I say these things kindly with love, not hatred. Jesus made it very clear in John chapter three that in order to enter into the Kingdom of God, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7b). 

I read in the newspaper years ago about a man who literally sent in $10 to have his pet dog ordained as a Baptist minister. Sure enough, the ordination credentials came in the mail a couple weeks later. I think the title “Reverend Rover” kind of has a ring to it, huh? The ridiculous neo-evangelical movement today propagates a shallow ecumenical message of love, compromise and unity above all else, uniting in sinful compromise and apostasy. Check out how insane Pastor Paul White has become! Instead of dividing over truth as the Bible commands, they unite in error in sinful compromise with unbelievers. This is the Rick Warren, Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen crowd. Their remedy for humanity is a false social Gospel that simply requires a person to follow the teachings of Jesus.

Today's unsaved religious crowd are woefully ignorant of truth. 2nd Timothy 2:25, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” Repentance is “a change of mind” (Greek: metanoia). It is a change of mind from unbelief to BELIEVING. The verb form of the word "repent" is metanoia is metanoeo, which means, “to think differently.” Acts 20:21 speaks of “repentance toward God.” Notice the words “TOWARD GOD”"!

As we just read in 2nd Timothy 2:25, repentance is changing one's mind to acknowledge “THE TRUTH.” What truth? Of course, the truth of the Gospel. A social Gospel has “a form of godliness,” but “denying” the saving-power of the Gospel (2nd Timothy 3:5). In a social Gospel there is no faith in the Gospel. There is no remission of sins. There is no cleansing blood of Jesus. This is why 18% of the Unitarian Universalist churches' members are Atheists! This is the corrupt fruit of a social Gospel.

The SIMPLICITY of the Gospel has been corrupted, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” It is simple to be saved by trusting upon the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ; but it is absolutely essential for that person to come to Jesus on the basis of being a guilty sinner. God saves sinners who helplessly trust upon the Savior, not the self-righteous who trust in the arm of man to get them to Heaven. Man has no part of God's salvation. Eternal life is free and clear, paid in full, a gift waiting to be accepted by faith in the Gospel. Just believe and the work is done. John 6:29, “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:29 speaks of “the work of God,” and not a self-righteous work of man.

God pity the preacher that the world don't hate! I wouldn't give you a dime for all these worldly preachers today like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and others, who merely preach a social gospel of racial equality, gender inclusion, wokeness and giving diehard support for their favorite Democratic candidates for political office. Yet, no one ever gets born-again. These are Baptist pastors? Really? Remember, the Bible warns in 2nd Corinthians 11:13-15 that the Devil himself is transformed into an angel of light to deceive his victims, and his ministers also are transformed (actors) into ministers of righteousness to deceive. Please don't allow them to deceive you. Tell them that you are NOT FOR SALE!!!

Keep It Simple, Because the Gospel is Simple

2nd Corinthians 11:3-4, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

The Gospel is called “THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST” (2nd Corinthians 4:4). 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.” 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 defines “THE GOSPEL” as three things: Christ DIED on the cross for our sins, He was BURIED, and He RESURRECTED from the dead after three days. If you believe (trust) these truths, receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, believing that He is risen, then you are SAVED my friend!!!

The Holy Bible tells what it means to “believe,” it means to “trust.” Ephesians 1:13, “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.” Isn't that so precious? The Bible makes everything so simple, if you just take it at face value, and don't let deeper-life theologians mess with your mind. Ephesians 1:13, “AFTER THAT YE HEARD THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION: IN WHOM ALSO AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT”!!! Folks, it's that simple to be born-again!!! The very moment that you place your trust in Jesus, in the Gospel, you are forever saved!!! You have eternal life!!!

Salvation is as simple as this: We are Hell-deserving sinners, and Jesus is the Savior. The big issue which needs to be dealt with in one's salvation is SIN. It is because of our own sins that we need salvation. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Many people trust upon some religious experience, or a prayer, or mass, or baptism, or church membership to save them. However, none of these things can take our sins away. Only through Christ, by the precious blood that He shed, can our sins be taken away.

Four Calls To Soulwinning

“But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20) “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” (Acts 16:9) “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,” (Hebrews 12:1) “Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” (Luke 16:27-28)

Thirty-eight years ago last August 30th, a nervous, frightened 33-year-old Texas boy became pastor of a downtown First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana. There is no way for me to describe how formal it was. No piano was allowed to be played on Sunday morning. No congregational song leader was allowed to stand up and wave his hands and no gospel songs were allowed on Sunday morning. You could sing “Jesus Saves” or “Rescue The Perishing” on Sunday night, but not on Sunday morning. The former pastor preached in striped pants and a scissor-tail coat. I do not know of an Episcopalian church any more formal than First Baptist Church was.

When the pulpit a committee interviewed me, they asked what I thought about the Sunday morning service. I said, “I think it stinks.” They said, “What kind of a Sunday morning service would you have if you became our pastor?” I said, “It would be more like a Billy Sunday Revival Campaign.” The wealthiest man in Hammond was on the board of trustees. Several months after I became pastor, he came to me. “Reverend, I want to talk to you. We like you fine. We think you’re a good guy. But the truth is, we have a problem with your preaching. Ever since you’ve been here, the pressure’s been on. Every Sunday morning and Sunday night, and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday it’s soulwinning. The pressure’s on all the time. Before you came, we use to have a revival meeting every 6 months or so and bring a fellow in to have an evangelistic crusade. But since you’ve been here it’s been that way all the time. Every Sunday is just like one of those revival meetings.” He said, “Look at me, I’m a nervous wreck. I shake when I come to church anymore. You’ve ruined our worship service.” (If I could, I’d ruin every formal worship service in America next Sunday morning.) “I’m not the only person who’s nervous—this church is full of nervous people. It’s soulwinning on Sunday. It’s soulwinning on Monday. It’s soulwinning on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Then we start all over again on Sunday. Last Sunday morning we sang 52 stanzas of ‘Just As I Am’. No wonder we’re nervous! Something’s got to change!” I said, “Come back on Sunday night and I’ll give you my answer.” That Sunday night I preached the message I am preaching to you tonight. I’m telling you exactly what I told my people 38 years ago. I said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, a man came to me last week and told me that you’re nervous. He said that you were concerned because we’re having soulwinning on Sunday, and soulwinning on Monday, and soulwinning on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I’d like to tell you tonight why it’s that way, and why it’s going to be that way as long as I am the pastor of this church, whether that is one more week or 50 more years.”

A CALL FROM WITHIN

In the first place, there’s a call from within. There is something inside of me that says I have to go soulwinning. “I cannot but speak the things I have seen and heard.” I have no choice. It’s burning inside of me - a call from within that compels me to stress soulwinning in everything that we do. This call from within came to me many years ago. When I was a boy, I was the most timid boy in the church. When I was 17 years old, I weighed 92 pounds. I now weigh...I finally got your attention, didn’t I? I now weigh MORE than 92 pounds! (Once my doctor put me on a diet, and I gained 15 pounds on 1,000 calories a day. I wonder if it could be that 7,000 calories at night that caused the problem?)

On my 17th birthday I weighed 92 pounds and I was the most timid fellow in the church. They called me little Jackie-boy Hyles. I failed public speaking in high school. I could not make the ball team. I was too little to get a date. I didn’t get to be in the senior play. I was an introvert. Most of the people in my church had never heard me say a single word.

One Sunday after the morning service, one of the deacons, Jesse Cobb, said, “Hey, Jackie-boy. Would you like to go soulwinning with me this afternoon?” I said, “Uh, J-J-Jesse, y-y-you know I c-c-couldn’t go soulwinning.” He said, “Jack, you won’t have to say anything, I just need a partner to give me some moral support. My partner is on vacation, and I just need someone to go with me. you won’t have to say a word.”

The first door we knocked on was the home of a high school football player named Kenneth Florence. Jesse Cobb was 5’4” tall, and I was shorter yet. He must have weighed 120, and I weighed 92 pounds. The two of us put together might have weighed as much as Kenneth did.

When Kenneth came to the door, Jesse looked up and said, “Kenneth Florence, my name is Jesse Cobb and this is Jack Hyles.” Jesse said, “Kenneth, Jack here wants to say a few words to you.” No, Jack didn’t either! Kenneth looked at me and said, “Yes, what is it, Jack?” I said, “Uh ... Uh... ahem... K-K-Kenneth, would you l-l-like to come to ch-ch-church tonight?” I do not remember what happened. Jesse told me later that Kenneth said, “Yes, I would,” and I said, “You would?” Jesse told me that I said, “I’ll come by and get you tonight at 7 o’clock.” And Kenneth said, “That will be fine.” That night at 7 o’clock I borrowed Jesse Cobb’s car and went over to get Kenneth Florence. For the first time in my life, knew I had to win a soul. I had never won a soul in my life. The sweat was rolling down my face, and I was trembling. When the invitation began, I put my arm across Kenneth’s big broad shoulders and said, “K-K-Kenneth, w-w-would you like to get s-s-saved?” And he said, “Yes, I would.” I said, “ I don’t know how to tell you, but follow me.” We walked down the aisle, and my pastor met us at the end of the aisle. I said, “B-B-Brother Sizemore, this is K-K-Kenneth Florence. He wants to get saved.” I had done my part, so I started back to my seat. Brother Sizemore said, “Hold it, Jack!” I turned around. He said, “Kenneth, Jack wants to kneel here and show you how to get saved.” No I didn’t! He was a bigger liar than Jesse Cobb! I knelt at the front row. I said, “Kenneth, I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve never done this before. But I want to see you saved.” I began to weep. Kenneth said, “Jack, I know how to be saved. I’ve heard it many times. Every Sunday afternoon for months, somebody from the church has come by. But you’re the first one that I ever thought really cared. I know how to do it.” I said, “Well... do it!”

Kenneth bowed his head and said something like the old prayer you’ve heard thousands of times, “Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I now receive Jesus as my Saviour and trust Him to take me to Heaven when I die.” And while Kenneth Florence was getting saved, the fireworks of Heaven turned loose in my soul! I mean the sparklers sparkled, and the firecrackers banged, and the Roman candles soared through the sky. I jumped up and said, “Brother Sizemore, would it be okay with you if I just did this all the time from now on?” We started a revival that night. In the next 7 days, little introverted Jackie-boy Hyles that nobody took seriously brought 37 people down the aisle professing faith in Jesus Christ. God set something ablaze in my soul, and that something is still burning tonight. When you tell me not to build a soulwinning church, you may as well tell a bird not to fly or a fish not to swim. It’s a call from within.

“Why can’t you be like other preachers?’ he wanted to know. “Why can’t you be normal like everyone else? Why the constant pressure about soulwinning?” Not one time in the Bible does it say, “The Son of man is come to exegete the scriptures.” Not one time does it say, “The Son of man is come to lead the deeper life program.” My Bible says the reason that Jesus left Heaven, and the fellowship with the Father, and the glory and majesty that were rightfully His for 33 homesick years - the reason why He lived with no place to lay His head while foxes had holes and birds had nests - the reason He was rejected by His own city, hated by His own race, expelled from His own synagogue - the reason that He went to Calvary was TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST. Why do we work day and night to build soulwinning churches getting the message of the Gospel to America? I’ll tell you why. Because of the burning call from within.

A CALL FROM WITHOUT

“Preacher, we’re nervous. Why does it have to be soulwinning all the time?” I told my people that night, “Not only is there a call from within, but there is a call from without.” Come over and help us.” There’s more to it than personal preference. There’s a world going to hell! There’s a call from without. I believe that men without God are lost. I believe that when those lost men die in their sins, they go to hell. I believe that men who go to hell burn forever and ever. If that be true, would you tell me what else counts in this world? That call from without began many years ago. I was called to pastor a little country church. I could win souls to Christ, but I could not preach them down the aisle. For more than a year, nobody walked the aisle professing faith is Christ. I begged and pleaded for God’s power. I didn’t know what the answer was. But on May 13, 1950 I knelt on the grave of my alcoholic father who died, and as far as I know, went to hell, and I said, “Dear God, I’m not getting off my face until something happens to me.”

The next Sunday night I went back to my little church to preach. A lad came to receive Christ as Saviour. And then there came another ...and another. I’d never seen anybody walk the aisle under my preaching before. When they came in we voted them in on the spot. Up north today, you have to have credit references and blood tests and everything else to get in a lot of Baptist churches. I’d say, “So and so is coming, professing his faith in Christ. What is your pleasure?” I had a deacon that sat over here every Sunday right next to a window, and he would spit out that window and say, “I make a motion that he be received for baptism, and after baptism into the full fellowship of the church.” I had a man over here next to that wall who would say, “I second the move.” The same two men said it all the time. I said, “All in favor, say aye.” They all did. Then we ‘extended the right hand of fellowship’. We sang, “Shall We Gather At The River’ and everyone went around row by row to shake hands with the new converts. Then I dismissed the service.

That night 3 people got saved, and boy I was happy. Back in east Texas where I pastored, there weren’t many cars. Most everybody came by tractor or horseback or wagon, and one Model A Ford. Everyone was getting on their wagons and tractors to go home, and I was praising the Lord. I was having a spell. I wish some of you folks would get religion again. You’ve gotten too used to it. I was having an old-fashioned spell - clapping my hands and praising God when all of a sudden --- WHAM! A big old 235 pound fellow hit me from the rear. I turned around and there was O. C. Pruett, a trainman, with tears in his eyes. He said, “Reverend, my daughter Barbara is leaning up against the wall back there crying her eyes out. I think she wants to get saved.” I went back and said, “Barbara, do you want to get saved?” She said, “Of course, I do! Nobody wants to go to hell.” I won Barbara to Jesus.

I went out on the front porch of the church and said, “Hey, come on back in.” Folks left their wagons and tractors and came back in. I said, “Folks, Barbara Pruett just got saved. What’s your pleasure?’ The same man said, “I make a motion that she be received for baptism, and after baptism into the full fellowship to the church.” Over here he said, ‘I second the move.’ Everybody in favor, say aye.” “Aye.” We sang “Shall We Gather At The River” and came around row by row to shake her hand. Glory to God, hallelujah! I dismissed the service again at about 10 o’clock.

I was having another spell when the same guy hit me from behind. WHAM! He said, “Reverend, my married daughter Dorothy is there on the back row. Look at her crying her eyes out. Would you go talk to her?” I went back and said, “Dorothy, do you want to be saved?” She said, “My sister’s going to heaven and I’m going to hell. Don’t you think I want to go to Heaven with her?” I told her how to be saved and she got saved. I went out on the front porch and said, “Hey, come on back in.”

When they came in, I said, “Folks, Dorothy Hall just got saved. What’s your pleasure. This man over here spit out the window and said, “I make a motion that she be received for baptism and after baptism be received into the full fellowship of the church.” This one said, “I second the move.” I said, “All in favor, say aye.” “Aye.” We opened our song books to “Shall We Gather At The River” and came row by row again to shake Dorothy’s hand. I dismissed the service for the third time about 10:30 and went out on the front porch and continued my spell. I know you won’t believe this, but it really happened. WHAM! It was the same man. “Reverend, her husband Sam is over there and he just threw down his cigarette. Do you reckon that means anything?” I went down and said, “Sam, I understand you just threw down your cigarette?” He said, “Reverend, you preached about hell tonight. I looked at the fire on that cigarette, and it dawned on me --- that’s where I’m going when I die.” I said, “Do you want to get saved?” He said, ‘Sure I want to get saved. My wife’s going to Heaven and I want to go to Heaven with her.” On the front porch of that little country church I won Sam to Jesus Christ and said, “Hey, come on back in. Sam Hall just trusted Christ as his Saviour.” We went through the same thing again.

Six people got saved that night. I’d been preaching for over a year and hadn’t seen anybody get saved. We had over 1,000 walk the aisle for salvation last Sunday at First Baptist Church, but that didn’t make me any happier than those six people that Sunday night after God filled me with his Spirit for the first time.

Now I know you won’t believe me—I wouldn’t believe you if you told this story either. But as I stood in the same spot having a spell, WHAM! ...you guessed it. The same fellow. He said, “Reverend...I think I’ll get saved myself before I go home.” I won O. C. Pruett to Jesus and all the people came back in and voted him into the church and sang and gave him the right hand of fellowship/ That night Mrs. Hyles and I went to our little parsonage next door. I wish you could have seen it. The foundation under the back bedroom was so shaky that two people couldn’t walk around in there at the same time. There was a rat at the back porch when we came, that was still there when we left. he thought he was one of the family. We gave him rat poison and he gained weight on it. We put a rat trap out there and he thought it was a toy. We went to our little country parsonage that night at 11:15 and took out a great big Bible. We were just a couple of kids—I was only 22 or 23 at the time. We put our hands on that Bible and looked up and said, “Oh, God! This is what we’ve been wanting. We’re not going to settle for anything less.”

May I take a moment and praise His name? Since that Sunday night almost 48 years ago, there has not been a single somebody saved. I’m talking about little country churches and small town churches and big city churches. We baptized that night, and there’s not been one single Sunday since then that somebody hasn’t been baptized. All of our children have grown up and not a single child has ever gone to church without seeing somebody baptized before Sunday night was over. You say, “Preacher, why don’t you calm down?” I don’t intend to calm down. I believe there’s a hell! Now if there’s no hell, let’s all go ‘deeper life’. If there’s no hell, we can all join John MacArthur. If there’s no hell, let’s all go exegete. But if there is a hell, let’s go soulwinning. Let’s build soulwinning churches. The call from without.

A CALL FROM ABOVE

“Pastor, may I talk to you please. We like you fine,” said the wealthy man, “but we’re nervous. I represent the nervous people of this church. We like your preaching, if it is a bit loud and long. We use to have revival meetings now and then. But since you’ve been here, it’s like that every Sunday morning. Soulwinning, soulwinning, soulwinning. Why can’t you be like other preachers are?”

That night I told them that there is a call from above. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses... My mama is watching. Dr. John Rice looks down from Heaven, and I can tell you that he’s mighty pleased. He gave his life for soulwinning, to fight formalism and the deeper life movement and the hyper-Calvinism movement and the Charismatic hodgepodge. He gave his life for what’s going on right here. Tonight they’re watching. Dr. John, Brother Lester Roloff, Dr. Bill Rice, Dr. Ford Porter, Dr. Bob Jones, SR...There’s a call from above.

Years ago I was pastoring in Garland, Texas. I was 26 or 27 years of age. The church had grown rapidly and was running about 1,500 in Sunday School. One Sunday morning I was out front shaking hands with everybody that came in. An old man came through the door. He was close to 90, I think. His hair was as white as freshly fallen snow. His shoulders drooped. If he stood up straight, he couldn’t have been more than 5’4” tall.

I said, “How do you do, sir. My name is Jack Hyles.” In a squeaky voice he said, “My name is James W. Moore.” I said, “Brother Moore, we’re glad to have you. Where are you from?” He said, “I just moved to the area. I’ve been a preacher up in Iowa for over 50 years. I had a heart attack and the doctor says I won’t live long. I came to Texas because it’s warmer and I have some family here. I’d like to join your church. I won’t cause you no trouble. I’ll be for you. I hear you preach it like it is.”

I bought a platform rocker and put it by the altar next to the wall for Brother Moore. He’d rock while I preached and clap his hands. “Amen! Glory to God! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” When I’d preach on dancing or movies or something, he’d shout, “Pull over and park there for a while.” Apart from my pastor J. C. Sizemore and my best friend, Dr. John R. Rice, I’ve never loved a preacher like I loved James W. Moore.

Every Monday morning he’d come by my office at 9 o’clock. He’d walk in my office and pace the floor. He’d say, “Brother Jack, I just came to tell you about a stupid mistake I made when I was a kid preacher...” It was always the same mistake I had made the day before. I’d hug him and thank him for telling me what he had learned. He’d teach me the Bible and talk to me every Monday morning from 9 to 10 o’clock. What a dear, sweet man of God. One Sunday his chair was empty. For several weeks he was gone. I went to his house and no one answered. I thought maybe he had moved back to Iowa. Late one Sunday night the phone rang. The lady said, “This is the nurse at Spiegel Memorial Hospital. I hate to bother you this late at night, but there’s an old man that was brought in with a heart attack. He has no identification, and nobody knows who he is. He’s about to die. But he keeps saying, ‘Call Brother Jack.’ We knew that you like to be called Brother Jack, so we thought you may know the old man.” I said, “Is he about 5’4”? Is his hair real white?” She said, “Yes.” I said, “Yes, I know him.” I went to the hospital. I hadn’t seen many folks die, so I was all prepared for a solemn ceremony. But Brother Moore wasn’t dying right. He said, “Come on in, Brother Jack. I’m just about to take a trip I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. In just a few minutes I’m going to see Elijah and Moses and Abraham and Paul and John the Baptist and all those fellows. Anything you want me to tell them for you?” Then he said, “Brother Jack, I want you to have a Bible conference. I’m going to Heaven now, but I want to plan it for you.” He chose the speakers. I had the conference after he had gone to Heaven just like he asked.

Then this is what he did. He took the oxygen mask off his face and laid it beside him. He reached his hands out and put them around mine, and said, “Brother Jack, KEEP...PREACHING...IT...!” I heard the rustling of wings as the angles came and took his dear old spirit to the presence of the Saviour. I said, “Oh God, help me to keep preaching it.”

Many times in the past several years I’ve heard that old man say, “Keep preaching it! Keep preaching it!” Don’t you hear tonight the call from above? Even the blessed Saviour says, “Go! Go! Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel...”

A CALL FROM BENEATH

“Reverend, we’re glad you’re our pastor and we like you fine, but you’re different. Why can’t you be like everybody else?” I told my people that Sunday night, pretty much what I’ve told you tonight. There’s a call from within - something on the inside that says, “I’ve got to do it.” There’s a call from without - a lost world crying, “Come over and help us.” There’s a call from above - heavenly witnesses cheering us on. And there’s a call from beneath. “Send Lazarus, have him tell my 5 brothers not to come here.” They’re more concerned about soulwinning in hell tonight than you are in your church. “Send Lazarus. I’ve got 5 brothers and I don’t want them to burn in hell.” There’s a call from beneath.

On Saturday, December 31, 1949, I got burdened for my father. My father was an alcoholic - a part-time bartender. I was pastoring a little country church in east Texas. Up to that time I had won souls to Christ, but I had never had anyone walk the aisle under my preaching. On New Year’s Eve I got in the car and drove 150 miles to Dallas to a tavern right across the street from the seminary. My daddy worked there part-time and drank there rest of the time for 8 years and not once did one single professor, staff member, administrator or student ever walk across the street to witness to the drunkard that tended the bar. That’s not New Testament Christianity. I didn’t care how much Greek and Hebrew you memorize.

I walked in the Hunt Saloon on Saturday morning, New Year’s Eve. My daddy was sitting at the bar, drunk. I walked up and put my arm around him and said, “Daddy, I’m going to take you with me to east Texas. I’m going to have a Watch Night service tonight, and tomorrow is Sunday, New Year’s Day. I want you to go with me.” He cursed at me and said, “I’m not going to no church tomorrow.” I said, “Yes, you are.” He said, “No, I’m not.” I laid my Bible down and said, “Daddy, you are either going to have to come with me or whip me. I’m going to fight you if I have to in order to get you in that car.” He came with me and I sobered him up.

That night my daddy went to church and we had a light kind of a service, a lot of fun. The next morning was the first time he had ever heard me preach. Tears streamed down his cheeks. The invitation came and my big one-legged deacon put his arm around my daddy, and said, “Mr. Hyles, won’t you come to Christ.” He did not walk the aisle. That afternoon I took a walk with my daddy out across the pasture and said, “Daddy, I want to see you saved more that I want anything in the whole world. Daddy, I want you to go to Heaven with Mama and me.” He had left us many years before when I was a little boy. My daddy said something I never thought I’d ever hear him say. “Son, I’m going to get saved. I can’t today, but I’m going back to straighten up some things at home, and I’ll come back in the spring, and maybe get a little fruit stand or something, and I’m going to get saved. You’re going to baptize me this spring, and I’ll be a deacon in your church one of these days, you wait and see if I’m not.”

I took him back the next morning. The last words he said to me were, “Son, I’m going to let you baptize me in the spring.” That was good enough for me. But the spring never came. On May 12th I got a call that my daddy had dropped dead with a heat attack, and I was a powerless preacher.

Several years passed. One Sunday night, I was still in my office at about 11 o’clock. I heard a knock at my door and there stood my sister weeping. She said, “Jack, would you tell me how to be save.” I brought here into my office and led her to Christ. She’s now a lovely Christian and a wonderful soulwinner. After she got saved, I said, “Earlyne, why did you come tonight.” a She said, “Jack, tonight you preached on Luke 16. You told about the rich man in hell who lift up his eyes and said, “Send Lazarus to tell my five e brothers not to come here.” She said, “Jack, when you told that story, I thought of a dream I had shortly after daddy died. I dreamed that a man in a white robe, maybe an angel, took me in a big building. He showed me walls lined with caskets. In every casket was a copse. He took me to the first casket and I looked into the face of that corpse and he had a smile on his face. He took me all around that room and every casket had a corpse, and every corpse had a smile on his face, until I got to the last one. The angel said, ‘You can’t see that one.” She said, “I must see it,” and in her dream she broke away from that angel.

My sister told me, “Jack, daddy was in that casket. I went up and looked at him and his face was writhing in pain. He cried out in agony, “Sister... sister...sister...” All those years I wondered what daddy was trying to tell me, and tonight when you preached that sermon, I know what it was daddy was trying to tell me. He was saying, “Sister... don’t come here.” Don’t you tell me not to build a soulwinning church. Don’t you tell me not to live for soulwinning. I’ve got a daddy who, as far as I know, is in hell. There’s a call from beneath. Why don’t you let God change you tonight? Where is that Curtis Hutson who was in Atlanta in 1961 whose life was changed? Where is that Wally Beebe who was in a meeting like this up in Danville, Illinois and his life was transformed as a kid preacher?

“Pastor, I come representing some nervous people. We like you fine. But pastor, why are you like you are? Why is the pressure on all the time? We use toe have revival meeting twice a year, and see people get saved, sometimes 50 or 60 a year. But ever since you’ve been here it’s soulwinning Monday, soulwinning Tuesday, soulwinning Wednesday, soulwinning Thursday, soulwinning Friday, soulwinning Saturday... Why can’t you be like everybody else/ I’ll tell you why. There’s a call from within. “K-K-Kenneth, w-w-wouldn’t you like to b-b-be s-s-saved?” There’s a call from without. “Reverend, I think I’ll just get saved myself before I go home.” There’s a call from above. “Brother Jack, KEEP...PREACHING...IT!” There’s a call from beneath. “Sister...sister...sister!” FOUR CALLS TO SOULWINNING!

Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001)

You Will Burn in Hell Forever If You Die In You Sins

“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 20:14-15

(Please click HERE for background sounds of Hell in a new window)

You are going to Hell my friend if you do not get saved! The Bible says that Hell was created for the devil and his demons, not for one single human being (Matthew 25:41). Unfortunately, when Adam sinned he allowed sin into the world (Romans 5:12). We were born sinful by nature, unable to fellowship with God. We are sinners. Our spirit is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:2). When we believe on Jesus Christ as our personal Savior to forgive our sins, then we are born-again (John 3:3).

To be “born-again” means to have the Spirit of Jesus Christ born in us (Romans 8:9). It means to have He Who is the beginning, Jesus Christ, born in us (Revelation 1:8). When we place our complete faith (trust) in Christ, the Holy Spirit of God literally unites with our spirit (which was once dead) and we become a new creature, a child of God. As a born-again child of God, we can truly worship God in spirit and truth, because we have the Holy Spirit abiding in our body (John 4:24).

Notice our Scripture verse above from Revelation 20:14-15. The book of Revelation predicts the future, it is history written in advance. Revelation gives us a snapshot of the future. Just as Ebenezer Scrooge, from the book A Christmas Carol, was horrified by the things he was permitted to see in his future, so also should you be terrified if you die without Christ as your personal Savior.

"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord..." —Revelation 14:13

You can't die in the Lord if you don't have the Lord. Jesus wants to save you, but He will NOT force you to get saved. If you have been deceived into believing that all religions lead to God, as long as you're sincere, then you are in serious trouble friend. You WILL burn in hell! All airplanes don't go to Austin, Texas. Will you trust your eternal destiny to human reasoning, when you have God's Word right in front of you, in black and white? Please don't be a fool. The Bible declares that salvation is NOT found in a religion, but in a person; namely, the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." —John 14:6

It's Jesus or Hell! The Pope cannot save you. The church cannot save you. Good works cannot save you. Water baptism cannot save you. Holy Communion (no such term in the Bible) cannot save you. ONLY Jesus can save you! ONLY Jesus has the nail-scared hands and feet.

ONLY Jesus shed His blood upon the cross. ONLY Jesus! If you try to enter into Heaven some other way than through the Lord Jesus Christ, than God says you are a “thief” and a “robber” trying to break in illegally...

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." —John 10:1

There is only one DOOR into Heaven:

"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." —John 10:9

Jesus is the Door to Heaven. If you miss Jesus, then you have missed your only bus ticket to Heaven. This is what Paul meant when he warned of "falling from grace" in Galatians 5:4. If you pass up the gospel of Jesus Christ, then you are hopelessly lost without Christ. I say this not to be unkind, but to be honest. The truth can be dealt with, but a lie cannot. What will you do with Jesus? Would you like to KNOW for certain that your name is written in Heaven? You can know for sure that if you died this moment, you'd go to Heaven (1st John 5:13).

Salvation happens when a person acknowledges their guilt of sin, coming to God on the basis of being a hell-deserving sinner; believing on Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, Who died upon THE CROSS for your sins (Acts 10:43). The gospel is three things according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4: Jesus died upon the cross for our sins, He was buried, and then He was resurrected from the dead three days later. Salvation is receiving; not giving. Eternal life is the gift of God (Romans 6:23). Salvation is freely given (Romans 5:15), freely offered (Romans 10:13), and freely received (Revelation 22:17).

Salvation is not a reward for
the righteous; it is a gift for the guilty!

We are saved solely by Christ's righteousness (“HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” Matthew 6:33), which is through faith in His precious blood that washes our sins away. If you come to God as a guilty sinner and believe on the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness, then you will be saved. The choice is yours alone to make friend. Will you accept Christ's substitutionary (vicarious) death upon the cross, and His sprinkled literal blood on the Mercy Seat in Heaven, as full payment for your sins? You are a sinner! Unless you accept Jesus payment for your sins upon the cross, then you will go to Hell to burn forever. Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty! All God the Father asks is that you come to Him THROUGH His dear Son, Jesus the Christ, and receive His free gift of forgiveness.

Many people, such as Islamic Muslims, try to come to God while rejecting Jesus as the Messiah. You cannot come to God without coming through Jesus Christ. 1st John 2:23, “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” There you have it. If you acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God Who came into the world, receiving His payment at Calvary for your sins, then you are saved. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again three days later. This is the gospel (1st Corinthians 15:1-4).

The Bible teaches that the Old Testament law served the purpose of being a measuring stick, by which when we are compared, shows us our wickedness and total inability to save ourselves. 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.” When the law has finished doing it's job, if God's law is taught correctly, you will find yourself at the cross of Calvary. Galatians 3:24-26 teaches that God's law BRINGS US to Jesus Christ, so that we may REST completely in the Jesus to be saved.

Don't make the deadly mistake of thinking that you can get to Heaven through serving the Lord, religious devotion and making full surrender to God. It's what Jesus has DONE that saves us if we REST in Christ, not what we can DO for God. A Common Misunderstanding Of Matthew 7:21 (do you only have partial faith in Christ?)

Jesus ascended into Heaven (Romans 8:34) and appeared before the Father (Hebrews 9:24), applying His literal liquid blood to the Mercy Seat in the heavenly Holy Place (Hebrews 9:12,24;12:24). We are saved by faith alone in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:26), redeemed by His SPRINKLED precious blood (1st Peter 1:18-19). Amen and amen!

THE SATANIC MUSIC INDUSTRY | PART TWO

(we are living in the last days; by Pastor Danny Castle)

Eminem Says, “I Want To Dig My Way To Hell!”

(by Pastor Castle; who cares if youth go to Hell?)

You Fool, Tonight Thy Soul Shall Be Required!

(life is short, Hell is hot & eternity is a long time)

Nobody Is Laughing In Hell

(MP3 sermon by Evangelist Phil Kidd)

WHAT WILL HELL BE LIKE?

(Hell is forever; It would take 31 years just to count to a billion!)

Repentance And Faith | Repent! Repent! Repent!

THE GOSPEL IN JUST ONE MINUTE
(Pastor Max Younce explains simply how to go to Heaven!)

THE REALITY OF HELL VIDEO

Making One's Bed in Hell

The Wrath of God

Burned Alive!