Actor Roddy McDowall Didn't Plan For Hell

Mark 7:7-9, “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”

Roddy McDowall (1928-1998) is one of my favorite Hollywood actors. He starred as Cornelius in the popular original Planet Of The Apes 5-part movie series (1968-1973), along with actor Charleston Heston (1923-2008) who played Colonel Taylor, and Kim Hunter (1922-2002) who played Cornelius' wife, Zira.

As a hobby I enjoy learning the biographies of famous people. That's why I love reading the Old Testament, it is fascinating. Genesis is one of my favorite books to study. I enjoying listening to the King James Bible being read to me. The company Litchfield Associates who own the copyrights to Alexander Scourby (1913-1985) frequently threaten people for sharing his audio recordings. For that reason, I actually prefer hearing Willard Waggoner read the King James Bible, which is public domain. Here are his recordings on YouTube.

I was sad to learn that Roddy McDowall was a closet homosexual, as were many Hollywood actors in the 1960s and 1970s. Merv Griffin, George Takei, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Richard Pryor, Robert Reed, Ronald Reagan and Rock Hudson were all closet homosexuals, to name but a few wicked sinners.

I was reading about the life and death of Roddy McDowall today and something caught my attention. Roddy was raised in a strong Irish Catholic home by his mother. He attended a Catholic school in London. Roddy was a life long devoted Roman Catholic.

In April of 1998, at age 70 Mr. McDowall died of pancreatic cancer at home. Per Roddy's request, he was cremated and his ashes scattered into the Pacific Ocean. McDowall died at his home in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles, said Dennis Osborne, a friend who had cared for the actor. “It was very peaceful,” Osborne said. “It was just as he wanted it. It was exactly the way he planned.”

When I read those quotes, that Roddy McDowall was laid to rest just as he had wanted and planned, my heart broke for the man. My heart broke because I know that there is no salvation in the Roman Catholic religion, or any religion for that matter. Salvation is found only in a person—the Lord Jesus Christ. In Catholicism, members are taught to seek salvation in the sacraments. They are taught to seek forgiveness of sins through confession to a priest. They are taught that good works are required to get to Heaven, faith is not enough. All of these teachings are unbiblical. 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.”

If Roddy McDowall died in his Roman Catholic beliefs, he is sadly in Hell now and forever. I can guarantee you that he didn't “plan” for that! I can guarantee you that Hell is not what he wanted. Whenever anyone dies, the funeral speaker always says the same thing: “So and so is in a better place now.” But are they? Is that what the Word of God teaches? No, it's not.

Sheol (Hell) Means More Than Just The Grave

I used to have a Mormon boss when I worked as a truck mechanic nearly 40 years ago. He knew that I was preparing at Bible college to be a Bible preacher. One day at work he approached me and handed me a piece of paper with some Scriptures jotted down on it. One of those passages was Psalm 9:17, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” My Mormon boss said, “If you'll study those passages in the Hebrew language, I think you'll find that the word 'Hell' is 'Sheol,' which just refers to 'the grave.'” Clearly, he was trying to convince me that Hell doesn't exist. That is what Mormons believe.

But dear reader, the word Sheol in the Hebrew simply means: “realm of the dead.” There is nothing in the word itself that limits death to the grave. Rather, Sheol referred to the afterlife. Death was a big question mark to them. If in fact Sheol (Hell) in Psalm 9:17 only means grave, then this passage makes absolutely no sense. Why would the wicked and the righteous be sent to the SAME place? What would be the point? I mean, if the righteous go to the SAME place as the wicked, then what would be the significance of warning that “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God”? Clearly, the wicked go to a different place than the righteous do.

Ultimately, only God, Satan, the angels, those already in the afterlife, and the person who dies know where they went. We cannot know for certain, but it doesn't look good for Roddy McDowall. Unless he repented (changed his mind) to forsake his trust in the damnable lies of the wicked false religion of Catholicism, he couldn't have gone to Heaven. From the cradle to the casket, Roman Catholicism is a prisonhouse of religion! Jesus warned in Mark 7:9, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”

Please understand that in a million years I would never wish evil upon anyone. It breaks my heart, just the very thought that someone went to Hell. Ezekiel 33:11b the LORD exclaims, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” God does not rejoice when wicked people die in their sins and go to Hell. Neither should we ever rejoice when someone wicked dies. When Hugh Hefner died at age 91 in 2017, I was very sad, fully convinced that as an avowed atheist he went to Hell forever.

2nd Peter 3:9 teaches that “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God wants everyone to repent (change their mind) to believe the GOOD NEWS (Gospel) of His only begotten Son crucified on a cross for our sins, buried and risen the third day, to be saved. It's that simple!

It just bothers me that a brilliant actor and extremely intelligent man like Roddy McDowall, made careful plans before his death regarding how his body and ashes would be disposed of, but he wasn't diligent to prepare for where his soul would spend eternity. Anybody with a pure heart, who is honest with them self, can see that Roman Catholicism is a false religion.

I mean, look at how Catholics have completely removed the second commandment of God which prohibits bowing down to graven images. They removed that commandment from God's Ten Commandments to hide their wickedness of worshipping graven images. If you are a Catholic dear reader, and this doesn't open your eyes to see how phony the Catholic church is, then you truly are a child of the Devil. Roddy McDowall from all that I could find, died in his Catholic religion, which means that he couldn't have gone to Heaven. Jesus warned in John 3:3b, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Dr. John R. Rice Got This Very Wrong

Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Let me say first of all that I love and respect Evangelist John R. Rice (1895-1980). Brother Rice founded The Sword Of The Lord in Dallas, Texas, in 1934, which organization still exists today. Sadly, in my humble opinion, the Sword today is a far cry from what it once was. On the front of every publication, which I receive bi-weekly, it advertises at the top of the page: “Standing for the Verbal Inspiration of the Bible, the Deity of Christ, His Blood Atonement, Salvation by Faith, New Testament Soul Winning and the Premillennial Return of Christ; Opposing Modernism, (Liberalism), Worldliness and Formalism.” Yet, in all of the dozen recent issues I have received, I see hardly any of these topics presented in their publication, which is sad. It seems to me that the present Editor, Dr. Shelton Smith, is more interested in coddling their readers, than they are to earnestly contend for the Christian faith (Jude 1:3).

That being said, I recently went on Amazon and eBay to purchase several of Dr. Rice's books that are no longer in print. I encourage you to buy his Bible commentaries as well, which are golden treasures dear friend. If you want to learn the inspired Word of God, you won't find a better Bible teacher than Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980). Albeit, he was only an imperfect man, which Brother Rice would have been the first to admit.

By the way, I have often called my long time ministry friend, Dr. Max D. Younce (1935-2023) the John R. Rice of our generation, and he truly was. Dr. Younce's dozens of books are all still freely available, which I highly encourage you dear reader to download for safe keeping and use them for your edification. Pastor Younce was a competent and prolific Bible scholar!

One of the books that I recently bought by Dr. Rice is titled: “Dr. Rice Here Are More Questions...” (volume II from 1973). I was reading something from chapter 13 titled, “Salvation and Security.” On page 439, to answer the question: “Does God keep His children?,” Dr. Rice writes:

“I believe that all Christians will have to face Jesus Christ and that they will be sorry for their sins and be greatly embarrassed before Jesus at His coming, over things that they have done wrong. I believe that the preacher brethren that have slandered me because they hate the doctrine of eternal salvation by grace along and not of works will have to stand at the judgment seat of Christ and there confess their sin and suffer shame and terror over it. I believe they are saved but in my humble judgment they have sinned certainly worse than the ignorant young Christian who may attend movies or smoke cigarettes.” [emphasis added] —Dr. John R. Rice, “Dr. Rice Here Are More Questions...”, p. 439

I have to say that I was shocked to read what Dr. Rice just wrote. Did you catch it? He said that these so-called “preacher brethren” who “hate the doctrine of eternal salvation by grace alone and not of works” are “saved”! No Sir, they are not saved!!!

I don't know what Brother Rice was thinking when he penned these horrible words, but he couldn't be more wrong. Ironically, the entire reason for which he wrote this particular section of his book was to refute a man who wrongly accused him of teaching that Christians have a license to sin. I say “ironic” because in an attempt to defend himself he makes a different error.

Please know that I do not find any pleasure or thrill in correcting a faithful man of God of Dr. Rice's stature. He was truly a legend in his time. They named a street “Dr. John R. Rice” in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, which I saw in 2013 when I visited the small town. The Sword Of The Lord moved to Wheaton, Illinois, in 1940 after leaving Dallas; and later relocated in 1963 to Murfreesboro.

I could have just overlooked this matter today and not addressed it, but I think it provides a great opportunity to make an issue for the benefit of my readers. What Dr. Rice said contradicts the plain teaching of God's Word. No one is saved who hates the doctrine of eternal salvation by grace alone and not of works. Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” If someone hates the biblical doctrine of eternal salvation by grace alone and not by works, they are NOT saved, and never have been saved.

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.” We get saved by repenting (changing our mind) to admit that we are a SINNER, and Jesus is the only SAVIOR. Whosoever comes to God as a guilty sinner, by faith (taking God at His written Word) to accept Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that Jesus was buried, but then physically resurrected three days later, is saved. That is “the gospel” by which all who BELIEVE IT are saved instantly, irrevocably and permanently.

No preacher gets everything correct. I have made doctrinal mistakes in the past too, which I have corrected. Every preacher hones his doctrine and preaching skills along life's journey. All God expects from us as His children is that we do better today than we did yesterday.

The Beauty Of God's Simple Plan Of Salvation

Mark 4:31, "It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth."

Dear reader, the beauty of God's simple plan of salvation is that in the Scripture we're never given a level of faith that has to be reached in order to go to Heaven. Isn't that wonderful?

In fact, Jesus said all we needed is the smallest amount of faith, using a mustard seed as an example. A mustard seed is the tiniest seed in the world. I thank God that He thought about me and made salvation simple, easy and free, unlike men who seem to always try to get people to doubt their salvation. I have enough faith that I believe Jesus' word, even when my mind doesn't understand or can't fathom it.

Here is the gospel: God says that we are sinners and that no amount of good works or behavioral changes on our part could ever make us holy enough to enter Heaven. God sent His only begotten Son to pay for all of our sins on Calvary's cross 3,000 years ago. Jesus paid for our crimes by dying on the cross for us all. His dead body was buried in a grave. On the third day, Jesus arose from the dead. The instant you believe this, God knows it and He saves you. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” The free gift is based solely upon your trust in what Jesus did for you and has nothing at all to do with what you do for Him. 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.” Simply believe that Jesus did it all for you.

Getting Saved Does Not Change Your Heart

2nd Corinthians 5:14-17, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

A man on Facebook has been debating with me concerning repentance. I don't like to debate, but I will go far enough to try to open the eyes of someone. When I am convinced that they are subverted of them self and I'm not getting through to them with the truth, I am done. We ought not waste our time arguing with naysayers who are already indoctrinated with their own ideas.

The man keeps saying that salvation is by grace without works, but emphasizes the point that when you repent from unbelief to be saved, God gives you a new heart that leads to a change of behavior. This was my biblical response to him...

I agree with most of what you said, but if you are implying in any way that the crap Pensacola Christian College teaches today is biblical, you are woefully mistaken. PCC teaches in their official Campus Church foundation's class that, quote: “Repentance is a change of mind resulting in a change of behavior.” That is damnable heresy and a counterfeit gospel!

Damnable Heresy At Pensacola Christian College!

I fully agree with Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold about Lordship Salvation. ...

“Lordship Salvation is the unsupportable and unbiblical belief that the performance of good works, the promise of good works, or the evidence of good works, must accompany faith in Christ to establish or provide evidence that such faith has resulted in eternal life.” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, “Jesus Versus John MacArthur”

That is 100% biblical. Getting saved does not change a person one bit. The only thing that we receive at the time of salvation is God's gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and He alone begins to renovate that individual saint, which is sanctification. But if that believer is not attending a good church, still hangs around worldly friends, and does not wean on the sincere milk of the Word, they will languish and not grow in grace. They will remain carnal, so that the world may never know that they have become a Christian at all.

What I told this man is the truth of God's Word. Just because you get saved doesn't guarantee that your life will change for the better. Being born again doesn't assure that your behavior will automatically improve. The second part of The Great Commission is to mentor new believers by indoctrinating them with the teachings of Christ.

I am all for numbers when getting people saved, that is, soulwinning. Someone has rightly said: “God may not be interested in numbers, but He sure ain't interested in empty pews!” In the biblical parable of the lord's son who was getting married, the lord said to his servants that he wanted his “house full.” Luke 14:23, “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” If all soulwinning churches do is brag about all the number of people that they led to Jesus Christ, but they fail to follow up to mentor those converts as the Bible commands, those new babes in Christ will remain carnal; they will be stunted in their spiritual growth.

Getting saved does NOT change anything. It does not change your heart, desires nor behavior! You just get the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and then He begins to work to renovate that individual, but as Pastor Jack Hyles teaches in his book titled, 'Salvation Is More Than Being Saved,' in chapter three, 'Conversion And Salvation'...

Redemption is a work of God the Son. Regeneration is the work of God the Holy Spirit. Justification is the work of God the Father as He declares the sinner righteous in the Son. Conversion then becomes the work of the church as we change the use and purpose of a life. [emphasis added] SOURCE

So, you see, there is nothing taught in the inspired King James Bible that says someone's heart changes at the time of salvation. You just get the Holy Spirit and He begins to tech and guide you as a child of God. The “new creature” mentioned in 2nd Corinthians 5:17 is the Holy Spirit united with your human spirit, so that now you are a child of God. You have been born anew by the Spirit of God into His heavenly family, now able to discern spiritual things that the unsaved man cannot understand (1st Corinthians 2:14-16).

BEWARE of false prophets who subtly try to convince you that repentance is not a work, but it does result in a change of heart that will produce a change of behavior. It is just another subtle backdoor form of Lordship Salvation. Pastor Jack Hyles preached a helpful sermon in 1989 on this topic called, 'Your Salvation Did Not Change You A Bit.' I encourage you to listen to it. Getting saved does not instantly change your wicked and deceitful heart (Jeremiah 17:9), it just means that you now have the blessed indwelling Holy Spirit who will change your heart as you grow in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (2nd Peter 3:18).

It's Okay If You Don't Remember When You Were Saved

1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

I think I was saved at the early age of 12. To be honest, I don't remember the year that I was saved. It is true. For many years I assumed I was 13 when I got saved. But last year I gave it a lot of thought. My parents had removed me from public school at the end of the 6th grade, and I attended a Christian school at a local Baptist church in Chicago for junior high and high school for 6 years. That was the best decision my parents ever made to steer my life into the right direction for Christ. If they hadn't done that, guaranteed, I would have gone to the Devil.

I got saved shortly after I began attending Christian school at a local Baptist church. So, I was 12 to 13 years old. I wish I knew the year I was saved, but I don't. I know it was early summertime. Pastor Jack Hyles was saved at age 11. Dr. Curtis Hutson was also saved at age 11. Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold was saved at age 18. Pastor Steven Anderson was saved at age 6. Pastor Harry Ironside was saved at age 17. It was in church. I remember the experience, but since I didn't tell anyone that I had been saved, no one could tell me to write down the date in my Bible. I wish that had happened, but it didn't.

The important thing is that I am trusting Christ now as my personal Savior. I know I wasn't born believing, but I believe now, so I must have been saved at some point in my life. I remember an experience in church on a Sunday morning. I remember that it was summertime. I remember that I felt convicted by the pastor's sermon.

During the invitation after the sermon, I clinched the back of the pew in front of me with my hands, and for the first time in my life I felt the Holy Spirit's conviction. I knew that I was a sinner. I was too shy to walk forward down the church aisle, but the best I knew how from my pew I asked the Lord Jesus Christ to save me. I believed that He died on a cross to pay for my sins. I believed that He was buried, but then physically resurrected from the dead three days later. I believed that I was calling out from my heart to a risen Savior, asking Him to please forgive my sins and save me from Hell. I never prayed audibly out loud, just silently from my heart.

I remember that in the days, weeks, months and years to come, I feared greatly that I was not saved. I desperately grabbed every piece of literature regarding salvation that I could get my hands on, but every tract and piece of literature that I could find ended with a requirement to pray a stupid sinner's prayer. That misled and confused me concerning God's simple plan of salvation. Since no one had ever taught me God's simple plan of salvation, I couldn't settle my assurance of it. It wouldn't be until I met Pastor Max D. Younce (1935-2023) online 25 years later that the Lord would finally solidify my salvation beliefs, and give me perfect peace in the matter of God's free gift of eternal life.

Dear reader, although there is nothing wrong and it is quite natural to ask, call or pray for God to save you, it is NOT necessary nor required by God to get to Heaven. What saith the Scripture? John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” Repeatedly in the inspired King James Bible we are told to simply BELIEVE the Gospel of Christ to be saved. Acts 10:43, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” This one Bible verse proves Peter S. Ruckman (1921-2016), Robert Breaker, William P. Grady and Bible Baptist Church in Pensacola all dirty damnable liars!!! No one was ever saved by WORKS under the Mosaic law, they were saved by faith in Christ just as Acts 10:32 declares.

Dr. Bill Grady preaches a perverted view of repentance for salvation. Beware of the Ruckmanite crowd who are corrupt to the core. The greedy Bible Baptist Church in Pensacola are militant reprobates, distributing their toxic damnable Chick Tracts, and preaching another gospel of partial faith in Christ plus turning from your sinning. What they preach is religious quackery, not a free grace Gospel message! If a man is wrong on repentance you simply cannot trust anything that he says. It is like buttoning a dress shirt, if you get the first button wrong then all the buttons that follow will be wrong too.

It's okay dear friend if you don't remember when you were saved, I don't either. But you should remember a moment from your past when you realized that you were a guilty sinner, and you by faith (taking God at His written Word in the Bible) placed your trust (faith, reliance) in the name of Jesus Christ, believing that He died in your place on Calvary's cross; and believing that He didn't stay dead, Jesus physically raised up triumphant from the dead the third day.

You get saved by coming to God as a guilty sinner (Romans 3:19-20), and you by faith (taking God at His written Word in the Bible) accept Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that He was build, but then three days later bodily resurrected from the dead for your justification (because if Christ is still dead He cannot save anybody). I believe, do you? And remember, if salvation is truly by grace, then you don't need to start or stop anything to be saved. Eternal life is a free gift from God (Romans 6:23). 

We All Wonder Where Someone Went When They Died

Ecclesiastes 12:6-7, “Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”

Several notable celebrity deaths have occurred recently, including actor Robert Carradine, who died by suicide at age 71, and former New York Jets running back Matt Snell, who passed away at 84. Additionally, civil rights icon Jesse Jackson has also perished. Phil Campbell died, and the former guitarist of the band Motörhead. Also, actress Jennifer Runyon, known for her role in "Ghostbusters." Other notable deaths include actor Eric Dane, who battled ALS; and John Alford, a British actor who died in prison. Martin Short's daughter, Katherine Short, passed away at 42. These were all recent deaths!

We all wonder where such deceased people went in the afterlife. Is there an afterlife? Are those departed souls unconscious in the grave? Are they suffering in a literal burning Hell? Did they go to a literal place called Heaven with streets of gold? We simply do not know dear reader. If you believe the inspired Holy Bible to be true, as I do, then you believe that there is an afterlife. And you also believe that when a person dies, there are only one of two places they go go, which is either Heaven or Hell forever. There are no second chances beyond the grave! Once you've breathed your last breath on earth, and your heart has beat for the very last time, your eternal destiny is permanently sealed. I believe in an afterlife according to the plain teachings of Scripture, but I cannot prove that there is an afterlife and nobody can!

Dear reader, The Grim Reaper is coming for us all. The death angel doesn't discriminate. Today could be the last day of our life. What saith the Scripture? Proverbs 27:1, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” James 4:14, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Life is so short in comparison to the timelessness of eternity. No one can escape death! You might be able to delay your death by living a healthy lifestyle, but you assuredly will eventually die. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Have you been born again dear friend? It's still not too late.

Death often come without notice. It could be a car accident. You could slip on the ice, hit your head and die, which happened to health guru Robert Atkin (1930-2003). Life has no guarantees. Comedian George Burns (1896-1996) smoked a cigar every day and lived to be 100. So much for the dangers of tobacco! Yet, he still perished.

Someone asked Star Trek film series icon William Shatner (born 1931) how he managed to live to be 94 years old. Shatner said it is just a matter of some good luck and genetics beyond his control. Sadly, William Shatner, best known for his role as Captain Kirk in Star Trek, does not believe in life after death and identifies as an atheist. Shatner's life is near an end but he is not prepared to meet His Creator. That is so heartbreaking.

I oftentimes wonder where AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcom Young (1953-2017) went in the afterlife. The Young brothers have been very private publicly about their family's beliefs. In sharp contrast, frontman Brian Johnson has publicly denied Jesus' deity, calling him a clever man who deceived the world. Woe unto the wicked! I feel so sorry for Christ-rejecting sinners like Brian Johnson, who blaspheme the Son of God who came down to earth to die on a cross for him. My trust is completely in Jesus Christ because of what He did to pay for my sins on Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago.

Lord willing, as I grow older in the time remaining of my life on earth, I will likely see many of my childhood musical idols pass away into the afterlife. I cannot help but often wonder where they are now. For example: Where did Olivia Newton John (1948-2022) go? Although she did profess to be a Christian, she was a heathen Roman Catholic, regularly visiting mass at Capuchin Novitiate in Santa Ynez, California. There is no salvation in the Catholic prisonhouse of religion. No one has ever been born again via sacramental salvation!!!

It will be interesting when I get to Heaven to learn where everybody went. If the Bible be true, then I am safe in the Father's hands, because Jesus is my only hope for Heaven. I have placed all my hope in the Gospel plus nothing. I hope you have that same peace of assurance dear friend. If you don't you can right now. Simply by faith (taking God at His written Word) accept Christ's sacrificial death on the cross as full payment for your sins. Believe that He was buried, this proving that He was dead. And then finally, believe that Jesus physically resurrected from the dead three days later for your justification and mine. That is, validating our faith in Him as the only begotten Son of God, the Christ. These three things comprise “THE GOSPEL” (1st Corinthians 15:1-6), by which all who BELIEVE IT are saved. 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.”

There's a lot of famous celebrities dying lately, and as the Baby Boomer generation ages we'll see millions more passing away over the next 25 years. Glenn Frey (1948-2016) of The Eagles died on January 18, 2016, at the age of 67, from complications of rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia. I couldn't find any information about his beliefs. I have no idea where he might have went in the afterlife. The Holy Bible is nothing to shirk off dear reader. If the Word of God be true, you could end up burning in Hell forever if you neglect to obey the Gospel by simply believing it. Please don't delay if you've never been saved.

Am I Going To Heaven?

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

Choose below what you think is necessary to get to you Heaven...

1. Obey God's laws and commandments
2. Be sorry for your sins
3. Sincerely do your best
4. Turn from your sins and stop sinning
5. Do good deeds
6. Give money to church or charity
7. Water baptism or holy communion
8. Trust in Jesus Christ alone as your personal Savior
9. Trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and also serve him
10. There is no Heaven or Hell

1) Obey God's laws and commandments
Trying to keep the commandments cannot save us but only shows us that we are sinners. The Bible says:

James 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

2) Be sorry for your sins
Being sorry for your sins, or confessing your sins cannot take away sin. The Bible says the penalty for sin is death. We all die physically, but we also deserve to die spiritually by spending eternity in Hell. The Bible says:

Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

3) Sincerely do your best

Doing your best is commendable, To turn from your sins and stop sinning is also very desirable (yet impossible). Will doing these things make you perfect? No! Heaven is a perfect place and you must be perfect to enter. The Bible says:

Revelation 21:27, "And there shall in no wise enter into it (Heaven) anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the lambs book of life."

4) Turn from your sins and stop sinning

Doing your best is commendable, To turn from your sins and stop sinning is also very desirable (yet impossible). Will doing these things make you perfect? No! Heaven is a perfect place and you must be perfect to enter. The Bible says:

Revelation 21:27, "And there shall in no wise enter into it (Heaven) anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the lambs book of life."

5) Do good deeds

No deeds, charity, contributions to churches, nor any good work by you, can take away your sins or save you. The Bible says:

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

6) Give money to church or charity

No deeds, charity, contributions to churches, nor any good work by you, can take away your sins or save you. The Bible says:

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

7) Water baptism or holy communion

Water baptism and communion cannot pay for sins. They are for those who are already saved.

Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us..."

8) Trust in Jesus Christ alone as your personal Savior

Correct! By trusting in Jesus Christ who paid for all of your sins when he died on the cross, you will receive the GIFT of everlasting life.

Salvation is a GIFT, all you have to do is accept that GIFT.

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Even though you may die physically, your soul will live forever in Heaven. Jesus Christ said:

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Jesus Christ also said:

John 6:47, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath (possesses now) everlasting life."

9) Trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and also serve him

Incorrect! You can do nothing to add to the finished work of Christ. By doing so, you are not trusting in Christ alone as your Savior but only as your helper. You cannot go to Heaven that way. You must forget about your good works and commitments as a means of saving yourself, and put your trust ONLY in the Savior - Jesus Christ.

Romans 4:5, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

10) There is no Heaven or Hell

Friend, I cannot make you believe in Heaven or Hell. Maybe you don't believe in it because you can't see it. But neither can you see the air you breathe, yet without it you would die. Heaven is real! Hell is real! Why not investigate God's word?

John 3:18, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

How can I go to Heaven?

The fact is ... we are all sinners; we all deserve to go to Hell; Heaven is a perfect place and nothing we do can make us perfect. How then can we go to Heaven? The answer is found in God's word, the Bible:

"For He (God) hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (II Corinthians 5:21)

You see, Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay for all of our sins. He died FOR us. Only through Him can we have eternal life. What then must you do to go to Heaven?

By trusting in Jesus Christ as the one who died for your sins, you will receive everlasting life. Even though you may die physically, your soul will live forever in Heaven. Jesus Christ said:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Jesus also said:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me HATH (possesses now) everlasting life." (John 6:47)

The moment you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, your sins will be forgiven, and you will receive God's righteousness (perfection). This allows you to enter Heaven...

"And by Him (Christ) all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:39)

Trusting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior is a one time decision in your life. The moment you believe in Christ, God will give you eternal life. Once you have believed, God accepts you as his child.

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." (John 1:12)

God may discipline you when you disobey, but He will never cast you out of His family, You have eternal life which is secure. You can never lose it, neither can you forfeit it. God's unconditional promise is that He will never take it away from you.

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." (John 10:28)

This is called eternal security. Serving the Lord is important, once you are saved. It brings God's blessings and joy to your life. But if relied upon to get you to Heaven, it will not work. Salvation is ONLY by faith in Jesus Christ.

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life..." (I John 5:13)

Right now, why not trust Jesus Christ as your Savior. He will save you for all eternity. You can also have the assurance that your sins are forgiven (past, present, and future). God has said it, and He cannot lie!

"All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." (John 6:37-39)

 

He That Believeth Is Justified From All Things

Acts 13:38-39, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”

I love this passage of Scripture in Acts 13:39. Whosoever BELIEVES on the name of Jesus are JUSTIFIED from ALL THINGS! That means ETERNAL SECURITY! That means ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED! And let me say confidently on biblical authority: ETERNAL LIFE is ETERNAL SECURITY! These are not two separate doctrines; but rather, they are one and THE SAME. That is, the man who has Eternal Life also has Eternal Security.

I am sick and tired of lying false prophets in bad churches everywhere today, errantly teaching that God won't save you unless you are first willing to forsake a lifestyle of sinning. That constitutes WORKS dear reader! These ungodly deceptive pastors (sadly including most Baptists today) will deceitfully say that you're not saved by works, but then tell you that if your faith doesn't produce works you did really get saved. They are LIARS!

Instead of adding works to frontload the Gospel, they are adding works on the backside of the Gospel. What saith the Scripture? Romans 6:1, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.” Carefully notice that the inspired Word of God doesn't say to repent (change your mind) to turn away from your sin (bad works).

Contrariwise, the Bible teaches to repent to turn away from your “DEAD WORKS” (which includes all works that cannot merit you Heaven). You cannot get to heaven by doing good works. You cannot get to Heaven by forsaking bad works (sins). If you want to hear a tremendous sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles on this topic, it is titled: “HE DIED FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS TOO.” Isaiah 64:6b declares that “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Committing even one sin disqualifies a sinner from going to Heaven (James 2:10).

Since we have all sinned (Romans 3:23), we are ALL disqualified to enter God's Kingdom. That is the whole reason why God the Father sent His only begotten Son into the world. to die on a cross for our sins (John 3:16-17). In a legal sense, Jesus died for God the Father on our behalf, to “appease the Father's wrath” (which is exactly what the beautiful word “propitiation” means in 1st John 2:2). Christ's sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary satisfied the Father's demand for justice. This is why you don't need to ask Jesus to forgive your sins to be saved, because He has already paid for everyone's sins with His precious blood (1st Peter 1:18-19). Thus, you can simply BELIEVE that Jesus did it all for you and be saved.

The following passage of inspired Scripture, like umpteen other Bible passages, simply tells the reader to “BELIEVE” to be justified; not just justified, but JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS!

Acts 13:38-39, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”

The moment that you by faith (taking God at His written Word) accept Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that Jesus was buried but then raised up from the dead three days later, is saved instantly and permanently. This is the “Glad Tidings” (i.e., Gospel, Good News) by which all humanity may be saved if they simply “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST” (Acts 16:31b). This salvation invitation from God is extended to each and every human being by grace. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

The innumerable reckless and theologically incompetent preachers today who teach that you cannot be saved by faith alone, but that you must first be willing to turn from your past sinful behavior, are preaching 'ANOTHER GOSPEL' (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). Any pastor who says you must change your lifestyle and values to get to Heaven is preaching another gospel.

How Wrong Can A Preacher Be On God's Simple Plan Of Salvation And Be Saved?

By the phrase "fallen from grace" in Galatians 5:4, the Apostle Paul is simply saying that the Galatians have missed the only bus going to Heaven. God's grace is the only way to be saved! 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."

Here is a helpful excellent sermon, by Pastor Afshin Yaghtin of the New Covenant Baptist Church in Spokane, Washington. The sermon is titled: "The 'Repent Of Your Sins' Heresy."

In Galatians 1:6, Paul said that the Galatians had "removed" themselves from the Gospel unto "another gospel." NO ONE is born-again who is trusting in another gospel.

Albeit, I do understand your question. Where do we draw the line between who is saved and who is not? How wrong can a preacher be on God's plan of salvation and be saved? That is a great question!

We read in Acts 15:1, "And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." This false teaching confused the brethren (Christians). They got into a big theological debate, wondering if a man who believes on Jesus Christ is really saved if he hasn't been circumcized according to Mosaic law. So the matter was brought before the apostles, and this was their answer in Acts 15:24, "Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:"

So, clearly, the religious teachers in Acts 15:1 were in fact FALSE PROPHETS!!! The resounding answers is: "No, a person does not have to keep the law to be saved." What is the law? It is the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. Thou shalt not covet, et cetera. How then is keeping the law any different than turning away from one's sinful ways to be saved? It is the same thing.

If a man must cease from fornicating or stealing to be saved, then he is being required to KEEP THE MOSAIC LAW. Romans 3:19-20, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." The law was given for the primary purpose of giving mankind THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.

We learn in Galatians 3:24-26, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."

The Bible is abundantly clear that NO ONE has ever been, nor ever will be, saved by KEEPING GOD'S LAW. Nor has anyone ever been saved by PARTIAL FAITH IN CHRIST, plus WORKS. All humanity are guilty sinners, as we just read. The Old Testament LAW shows us our sinnership, and then brings us to CHRIST in the New Testament to be saved by grace.

“The law tells me how crooked I am. Grace comes along and straightens me out.“ —Billy Sunday

Kindly, Pastor James Melton ASS-U-MEs that repentance is a change of mind about sin that will result in a change of behavior. Sadly, this is exactly what Campus Church at Pensacola Christian College errantly teaches. Pastor Jeff Redlin (their senior pastor at Campus Church) is angry at me, refusing to allow me to attend their church anymore, because I called them out on their heresy. It is a very big deal. RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!

The big problem is that by associating a change of behavior with God's free gift of eternal life, it misleads many people to think that they are not really saved, unless their behavior has changed. So this compels people to try to avoid sinning to prove that they are saved. It confuses people. It instills fear and worry in them, wondering if they've really born-again because of the sin in their life (which we ALL have).

I heard infidel pastor, Paul Washer (a devout Calvinist), say that his own mother worried that she is not saved because of sin in her life. Her preacher son foolishly told her that her worry was proof of salvation. That is ridiculous! Judas felt bad, so bad that he gave back the 30 pieces of silver, but Judas still died in his sins and went to Hell forever.

To say that WORKS are required to prove that you're really saved, is just another clever way of saying that you have to have WORKS to be saved. There's no difference! So for James Melton to teach that a saved person WILL have works (a changed life), is the same as requiring works to be saved.

How can a preacher be saved who requires water baptism for salvation? That is a false gospel. That means all Church of Christ, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists and Roman Catholics are not saved, because they all require water baptism to get to Heaven.

It is no different when a bad pastor like James Melton, Marty Herron, Steve Pettit, John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, Gary Walton or 'UNSHACKLED' radio (by Pacific Garden Mission), perversely teach that you must repent "of your sins," by turning away from the old ways and forsaking a lifestyle of sinning to get to Heaven. They are LIARS!

Kindly said, how can those men be saved when they are wrong on God's plan of salvation? They will all lie to deceive, by claiming that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, but then they contradict themselves by teaching that if you don't have works in your life, your faith is not genuine, it is not real, and you were never saved at all.

What James Melton errantly preaches is the same as what the Seventh-Day Adventist cult teaches. They have a very different view of faith than what the Bible teaches. In the Bible, faith simply means to trust in Christ, but look what Miss Ellen G. White (SDA prophetess errantly teaches). ...

“That so-called faith in Christ which professes to release men from the obligation of obedience to God, is not faith, but presumption. 'By grace are ye saved through faith.' But 'faith, if it hath not works, is dead.'” ~SOURCE: Ellen G. White, Steps To Christ, p. 61.

So “faith” according to Ellen White is not simply trusting upon the Gospel to be saved. In addition, Miss White teaches that faith encompasses all of the obligations of living the Christian life. The Bible says that a faith without works is “dead,” but it is still faith. A dead faith is still faith! In other words, if people don't see holiness in you, then they won't be convinced of your faith, because it is a dead faith; however, God still honors your faith in His only begotten Son, and you cannot ever lose eternal life.

Pastor James Melton is in agreement with the cults! All of the pseudo-Christian cults teach to turn from sins to be saved. ...

• https://www.soulwinning.info/fd/lordship_salvation/jw_agree.htm
• https://www.jesusisprecious.org/false_doctrine/lordship_salvation/macarthur_mormon.htm

So to answer the question of: "How wrong can a preacher be on God's plan of salvation and be saved?," the answer can only be, Biblically: The moment that a preacher (or anyone) adds anything to the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ—namely, Christ's death on the cross, burial and bodily resurrection from the dead the third day—he is not saved, nor ever has been saved. The only prerequisite to being saved is that you realize your need as a guilty sinner, so that you will BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST and be saved (Acts 16:30-31; John 6:28-29).

The 'Repent Of Your Sins' Heresy

God Wants You To Live Forever Dear Friend

John 3:16-17, “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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

This is perhaps the greatest preacher's passage in the Word of God. John 3:16 to me says it all. Christ died for our sins. Verse 17 tells us that Jesus didn't come into the world to condemn sinners; but rather, to save us.

With that precious truth in mind, one can only imagine why today's preachers have strayed so far away from THE TRUTH of the Gospel. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He was buried. Three days later He miraculously resurrected from the dead. This is “the Gospel” (or, Good News) according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4.

I woke up today and a moment of awe came over me, realizing that God has already given His gift of eternal life to me. To think, I am going to live forever!!! Wow! I don't think it will ever completely sink in until I actually get there! I certainly wouldn't want to live forever in this sinful world, with this hurting and broken down body, but the Lord has promised us a new immortal body (Philippians 3:21), and a new home in Heaven (John 14:1-3), and all things from God (Romans 8:32). That all sounds real good to this ole boy! I want the best quality 5-string banjo in Heaven, one that Jesus picks out for me. He knows what I want and need better than I do. I want the best backing tracks. I want to make beautiful music to cheer people's hearts.

Do you have eternal life friend? You can and should! God is offering eternal life along with the forgiveness of all your sins as a free gift, just for the taking by faith. Simply admit to God that you are a guilty sinner, and BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. Acts 16:30-31, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

RUN from all these lying corrupt preachers today, who falsely teach that more than faith is required. They foolishly teach that you must also repent and turn away from your sins to be saved. You cannot show me that garbage from the inspired King James Bible!!! My beloved Bible simply tells me to BELIEVE the Good News of Jesus Christ to be saved. Anyone can have eternal life right now, for free, just by believing that Jesus did it all for you. Christ paid your debt of sin, and mine. Thank God!

The Password To Heaven

1st John 5:13, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Are you sure you're going to Heaven when you die? Or are you willing to chance your eternal soul and possibly end up in Hell fire?? Why not make sure of the matter today, while there is still time? The Good News is: You can KNOW that you're going to Heaven! The Bible clearly states in our text verse that God wants us to KNOW, and have the matter settled.

There can be no misery greater than living life wondering if someday you will lift up your eyes in Hell! The Bible so wonderfully makes salvation clear! It is a gift given of God, that cannot be earned in any way of our own doing. 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.” Titus 3:5, “Jesus Christ made this wonderful, free salvation possible.” John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Do you see what the verse says? It is simply BELIEF, or rather FAITH, TRUST, in Jesus Christ that saves. I am so thankful for these following verses that tell of man who sincerely wanted to be saved, and was told how: Acts 16:29-31, “Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Christ came to this earth, God in the flesh, a perfect man who never committed sin. He sacrificed His life of the cross of Calvary, shed His blood, as PAYMENT for our sin.

You see, our sin separates us from a perfect and Holy God. We have no way to approach God in and of ourselves, for He is HOLY, righteous, perfect, and pure. He cannot tolerate sin. So Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world, that we might be reconciled (bought back and redeemed) to God. We can come to the Father through Jesus Christ His Son! 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.”

You may ask, well what must I believe, more specifically, about Jesus Christ to be eternally saved? I'm glad you asked my fine non-feathered friend! You are saved by BELIEVING the Good News of the Gospel—Christ's death, burial, and resurrection! When you accept this beautiful truth—that Christ loves you and died for YOUR sins, and arose from the grave FOR YOU, TO SAVE YOU FROM HELL; and you simply say, “yes” to Jesus (BELIEVING upon the Lord) in child-like simplicity, offering nothing of yourself or self-righteousness to God, but clinging only to CHRIST'S MERIT and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS—YOU WILL BE SAVED!!!

1st Corinthians 15:1-4 says, “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:”

Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Would you be willing to put your whole-hearted faith in Jesus to make it to Heaven, instead of trusting yourself and your own way? If you dear reader will simply trust what God has promised to every sinner in His inspired Word, “TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE” (1st Corinthians 1:21), you will be immediately and forever born-again.

Getting saved is easy, free and simple. Christ has already made the full payment for our sins, by His sacrifice on the cross 2,000 years ago. Hallelujah, praise God! God needed to make His plan of salvation for mankind very plain and simple, because there are a lot of base, unlearned and educable slow people in the world. God has made His plan of salvation so simple, that even a young child like Timothy in the Bible, can understand it. 2nd Timothy 3:15, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” I have heard testimonies from believers who were saved at the tender age of 5 and 6 years old. Amen! Pastor Steven Anderson was saved at the age of 6. Praise God!

The password to Heaven dear reader is childlike FAITH. Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Again and again in the inspired Word of God we are taught that the way to Heaven is simply by FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST!!!

Yet, we hear so many corrupt preachers today adding to and embellishing the Gospel of free grace, perverting the truth. The Apostle Paul rebuked the churches of Galatia for this very same sin in Galatians 1:6-8, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Pastor Curtis Hutson said it well:

“But we've so muddied the Gospel, that when men want to make a decision to trust Christ, we've made it so complicated that they can't make a simple decision to 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' We'll say, 'If you don't do this' or 'You don't do that' or 'You haven't done that,' you're not saved'; but the truth of the matter is that when asked in the Bible, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?,' one clear simple answer was given to him — 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'” — Pastor Curtis Hutson, “Things That Are Different Are Not The Same” (preached at Southwide Baptist Fellowship on October 3, 1994)

The false teaching of "Lordship Salvation" is not the SAME as: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31). Things that are different are not the same. Oh, how the Devil is a beautiful liar! I recently visited the downtown popular First Baptist Church of Pensacola, Florida. Their senior pastor is Dave Snyder. I have met him and I love the guy. Pastor Snyder always makes me feel loved and welcomed in their church as a single divorced man. I love and respect Pastor Snyder for that. However, I felt like crying recently, as I sat in their traditional morning service, and he falsely told hundreds of impressionable people that the way to Heaven is to repent of your sins, and become a Christ follower, surrendering all to Christ as the Lord and the Master of your life. Folks, that is not the Gospel of free grace!

Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) gets repentance and the Gospel 100% correct:

“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)

But wait, didn't Evangelist John R. Rice (1895-1980) teach that you must “repent from sin with all your heart” to be saved? Yes he did! Yet, Dr. Rice clearly didn't believe that a person must attempt to reduce their amount of sinning to be saved, as evidenced by this helpful quote from him:

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. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Evangelist John R. Rice, “Acts: Filled With The Spirit,” pp. 251-252; Sword Of The Lord, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; ©1963

Amen and amen! I fully agree! Clearly, John R. Rice believed that the way you “turn from sin” is by trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior. This is one step, not two, to be saved. That is NOT what the Lordship Salvation crowd are heretically preaching today! I keep hearing these false preachers teaching that you must turn away from your sins first, and then secondly believe the Gospel. That is a false gospel of partial faith in Christ plus works!

You don't repent AND believe, as Dr. Tom Ferrell falsely preached; you repent TO believe as Dr. John R. Rice rightly taught. RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!! Our words matter. How we present the Gospel really does matter. Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” The password to Heaven is FAITH.

You don't have to stop one sin to be saved. Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21), which is justification; but after we get saved, then Christ's Holy Spirit works to change us, which is sanctification. God desires to turn us away from sin as His adopted children, but this will depend on whether we CHOOSE to yield, submit and obey the Word of God in our daily life. That is why we as believers are exhorted in Romans 12:1 to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Notice that it is not our mandatory service; but rather, our reasonable service. Also, notice that we are talking about SERVICE here, and not SALVATION. Amen.

I hope these Bible teachings in this blog have been edifying for you friend. The following sermon is by Pastor Peter Ruckman (1921-2016), the title of which I chose for the title of this blog today: “The Password To Heaven”...

The Password To Heaven (Pastor Peter Ruckman)

Salvation Crystal Clear

By Dr. Curtis Hutson (1934-1995)

The other day someone told me about a friend who very seldom, if ever, attended Wednesday night prayer meeting. He said we were after him all the time about it. One day he told us about this man who died and went to Heaven. According to the story, God was in an office, and people were standing outside, waiting to go in. One at a time God took each of them into the office, kept him awhile and then dismissed him and called for the next one. He said this one man came out smiling. When his friends asked what he was smiling about, he laughed and said, "He's not counting Wednesday nights!"

After I had finished laughing, I said, "You know something? He's right. God does not count Wednesday nights. As a matter of fact, He doesn't even count Sunday mornings or Sunday nights. He doesn't count tithing. He doesn't even count baptism. When it comes to going to Heaven, God only counts one thing, and that is Jesus and what He did on the cross two thousand years ago.

God Does Not Count Good Works

God does not count good works in any form or fashion. The Bible says in Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...." And the Scripture declares in 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."

There is not one verse in all the Bible that says anything about working to go to Heaven. The truth of the matter is, a man could go to church Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night every week of his life and still die and go to Hell. One does not become a Christian by getting into the church any more than one becomes an automobile by getting into the garage. Joining the church has nothing to do with going to Heaven. Once a man is saved, he ought to join a good church, a place where he can at tend, enjoy the fellowship of other believers and learn from the Bible what God expects of him, a place where he can be involved in helping to get out the Gospel. But church membership comes after salvation, and no one should ever join a church until he is first sure that he is saved.

If salvation were by works of any kind, then somewhere the Scripture would have to tell us exactly how much one must work in order to be saved. Would Sunday morning and Sunday night church services be enough, or must one go to every service, including Wednesday nights? And must one also tithe his income and give to the poor? Exactly how much work is required before a man can go to Heaven?

There is no passage anywhere in the Bible that answers the question. If a man worked in order to be saved, then the motive for the work would render it ineffective. According to I Corinthians 13, any work not motivated by love for Christ is not acceptable. Paul said in I Corinthians 13:3, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity [love], it profiteth me nothing." If a man worked in order to be saved, the motive for his service would not be love but fear. He would be working because he was afraid he was going to Hell, not because he loved God. Thus the motive would render the work unacceptable.

Matthew 7:22-23 makes it very clear that no one goes to Heaven on his good works. Here the Scripture says,

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Here is a judgment scene where people tell the Lord all about their good works, thinking He will let them into Heaven. But in verse 23 the Lord says, "I never knew you: depart from me." And then He calls their good works 'works of iniquity.'

Once we receive Christ as Saviour, we should set out to serve Him and do all the good works we can. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works...." But we work because we love Him, not in order to be saved. When it comes to salvation, good works, no matter how good or how many, are absolutely futile.

Romans 11:6 says, "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." No, God doesn't count our good works. The truth in the man's story was absolutely right: God does not count Wednesday nights. Neither does He count Sunday mornings, Sunday nights or any other nights. Salvation is not a result of what we do for Christ but rather a result of what He does for us.

A man who died in a cheap hotel room in one of our great western states left a poem behind, part of which said,

I've tried in vain a thousand ways,
My fears to quell, my hopes to raise;
And all I need, the Bible says,
Is Jesus!

He went on to say,

Though some will mock, and some will blame;
In spite of fear, in spite of shame,
I'll go to Him because His name
Is Jesus!

The man who wrote the above lines had squandered a fortune in search of peace and happiness, but he never found either until he realized that Jesus Christ was all he needed and accepted Him as Saviour.

God Does Not Count Our Righteousness

If a man went to Heaven on his own righteousness, he would have to be as holy and as righteous as God Himself. And no man except Jesus Christ has ever been that righteous. God is so righteous that no man can look upon God and live. In Exodus 33:18 Moses said to God, "I beseech thee, shew me thy glory." And God replied in verses 20-23,

"Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.... Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen."

The average Christian lives and dies and never has the foggiest idea of how holy and righteous God really is. In Isaiah 6:1-3 the prophet said,

"In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."

According to these verses, the seraphims in Heaven are flying around the throne of God singing, "Holy, holy, holy!" They could be singing, "Justice, justice, justice!" for God is just. They could be singing, "Love, love, love!" for God is love. They could be singing, "Mercy, mercy, mercy!" for God is merciful. They could be singing, "Longsuffering, longsuffering, longsuffering!" for God is longsuffering. But, no, they are singing, "Holy, holy, holy!" And the seraphims that sang, "Holy, holy, holy!" have their faces covered with two of their wings. They are not even looking upon the God they are singing about.

John 3:3 says, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Verse 5 says that he cannot enter the kingdom of God, but this verse says that he cannot see the kingdom of God. If I go to Heaven, then I must be as holy and righteous as God Himself. And I cannot be that righteous.

Isaiah 64:6 reminds us, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. . . ." In Romans 10:1-4 Paul says:

"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 righteous ness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

Here Paul speaks of religious folks, zealous folks, but folks who do not know the way of salvation. They were trying to establish their own righteousness, not knowing that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God's sight. How sad that multiplied millions of people throughout the world are trying to qualify for Heaven by living right, not knowing that their righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God's sight! They, like the people Paul wrote about, are going about to establish their own righteousness, not realizing that "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (Romans 10:4).

Heaven is not a reward for those who behave; it is a gift for those who believe.

My son Tony and his friend Melvin, who recently trusted Christ as Saviour, have been trying to win an older man to Christ. The man keeps insisting that he has to get better first. Melvin, a brand new Christian, demonstrated great wisdom when he said, "Dr. Hutson, the man wants to get well before he goes to the hospital."

I said, "You're right, Melvin. A man doesn't get better to get saved; he gets saved to get better."

No, God doesn't count our righteousness.

God Does Not Count Baptism

Contrary to the teaching of many when it comes to salvation, God does not count baptism. Baptismal regeneration was first taught by the Catholic church and later picked up by several other denominations. Those who think that God requires water baptism as an entrance into Heaven teach that the water washes away sins. The only thing that remits sins is the blood of Christ. Hebrews 9:22 says, ". . . without shedding of blood is no remission."

If one had to be baptized to have his sins remitted, then what would he do with the sins he committed after he was saved? Suppose a man was baptized twenty years ago. Since then he has committed many sins. Remember, no one lives absolutely perfect and above sin. First John 1:10 says, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." Now if baptism were necessary to remit sins, then this man would need to be baptized again in order to have remitted the sins he had committed since he had been saved. But if he is baptized the second time, then what will he do with the sins he commits after the second baptism?

Of course, if water were necessary to wash away sins, then he must be baptized again and again and again. Every time he commits a sin, he would have to be baptized again to have his sins washed away. If baptism is really necessary to remit sin, then a person not only should be baptized; he should get into the baptistry and refuse to ever get out lest he commit some sin after he gets out of the baptistry and die before he can get back into the water.

If baptism does remit sins, then Jesus Himself never remitted or forgave any man of his sins because the Bible plainly says in John 4:2, "Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples." Those who teach that one must be baptized in order to be saved further teach that one can lose his salvation. Suppose a man believes in Christ, confesses Him, repents, is baptized and joins the church of the preacher who teaches baptismal regeneration. Then, according to this preacher, he is saved. After a few years he goes back into sin and loses his salvation. Being disturbed about his condition, he goes back to the church and wants to be saved again. Does that same church insist that he be baptized again? No, they do not. If water baptism were necessary for salvation the first time, then how could he possibly be saved the second time without being baptized?

That is just one of the contradictions and inconsistencies of those who teach that water baptism is necessary for salvation.

If water baptism were necessary for salvation, then none of the Old Testament saints were saved because baptism was not mentioned one single time in the Old Testament, and there is no record of a single individual ever being baptized before John the Baptist began baptizing converts in the New Testament. Those who argue that baptism is essential to salvation teach one plan of salvation for those in the Old Testament and a different plan of salvation for those in the New Testament. But the Scripture teaches that all men are saved the same way in every dispensation or age.

Acts 10:43 says, "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." Now notice very carefully: this was the message of all the prophets. The Old Testament prophets preached remission of sins by faith in Christ. The New Testament prophets preached remission of sins by faith in Christ. And those who preach the truth today are still preaching remission of sins by faith in Christ. When it comes to salvation, God did not count baptism in the Old Testament. He did not count baptism in the New Testament, and He does not count baptism today. The message today is the same message all the prophets witnessed: ". . . that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."

What Does God Really Count?

It would be almost impossible to discuss in this article the multitude of things which people believe are necessary for salvation. The Roman Catholics believe you must receive all seven sacraments. The Seventh-day Adventists believe you must keep the old Jewish Sabbath, along with the other nine commandments. The Moslems think that, if one dies defending his religion, he goes straight to Heaven.

The Scripture warns in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." And the Bible says in Isaiah 55:8, "... neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord." God's way of salvation is made clear in the Bible. Ephesians 2:8,9 settles the matter once and for all:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of your selves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Here the Bible says it is 'not of ourselves,' "Not of works, lest any man should boast." It is by grace through faith. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. Someone gave this acrostic for GRACE: "God's Riches At Christ's Expense." Grace and works cannot be mixed. To add any works to grace destroys grace completely. It is all of grace, or it is not grace at all. Jesus Christ came to the earth and lived a perfect, sinless life. Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

Second Corinthians 5:21 says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin. . . . " While Jesus Christ was being crucified between two thieves, one thief said to the other in Luke 23:40-41, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss." The word amiss means "wrong." Even the thief on the cross recognized that Jesus was the sinless, spotless Son of God.

Before Pilate turned Christ over to the angry mob, he said in John 19:6, "I find no fault in him." Jesus Christ was the only person who ever lived as righteous as God Himself. And when we trust Christ, we are given His righteousness. That is the clear promise of the Bible in Romans 10:4 where the Scripture says, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." God does not count my righteousness, but He does count the righteousness of His Son.

The Bible says in Romans 4:3, "...Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." And then the Scripture further promises in Romans 4:5, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

The only way anyone can ever be righteous enough to go to Heaven is by receiving God's own righteousness by faith. Not only did Jesus Christ live a perfectly righteous life; He died a substitutionary death. Two thousand years ago God took every sin we ever have committed and all we ever will commit, and He placed those sins on Christ. Isaiah 53:6 says, ". . . the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." And Titus 2:14 says, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity. . ."

What blessed truth! God took the iniquities of all men and laid those iniquities on Christ. But He not only took the iniquities of all men and laid them on Christ; He took all the iniquities of men and laid them on Christ. And the Bible says in I Peter 2:24, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree. . . . " While Christ was bearing our sins in His own body, God punished Him in our place to pay the debt we owe so that, when we die, we won't have to pay it. That's what the Bible means when it says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The other day I received a letter from a dear Jewish friend here in Murfreesboro, who reminded me that it wasn't the Jews who killed Christ. Rather, he said, "It was the Roman soldiers." Of course, this dear Jewish man was both right and wrong. He was right when he said it wasn't the Jews, but he was wrong when he said it was the Roman soldiers. It was neither the Jews nor the Roman soldiers. It was God Himself.

The Scripture says in Isaiah 53:10, "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. . .." It was God Himself who made His (Jesus') soul an offering for sin. Romans 8:32 says, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" The Scriptures further explain in Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was an expression of God's love for us. He loved us so much that He didn't want us to go to Hell, so He punished His Son in our place to pay the debt we owe so that we can go to Heaven on a free pass.

My beloved predecessor Dr. Rice used to say, "Every man who goes to Heaven goes on a free pass, but he who goes to Hell pays his own way." And then he would quote Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Before Adam and Eve ever sinned, God demanded the death penalty. He said in Genesis 2:17, ". . . in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." God's payment for sin is death, the second death in the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14 says, "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

If we are to satisfy the just demands of a holy God, we must go into Hell and stay there forever and ever. But Jesus Himself satisfied God's demand. The prophet said in Isaiah 53:11, "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. . . ." Here the Scripture plainly states that God was satisfied with the payment Jesus made on the cross for our sins. He further showed that satisfaction by raising Jesus Christ from the dead and taking Him back to Heaven. If Christ had not accomplished what He came to do; that is, die for our sins, He would have never gone back to Heaven. But praise the Lord, He did the job!

While He was hanging on the cross He uttered seven things. The sixth utterance was: "It is finished" (John 19:30). And, dear friend, you can count on it: it was finished. There is nothing else to do but to accept Jesus Christ by faith, to trust Him, to depend on Him.

The man was right: God does not count Wednesday nights. He doesn't count Sunday mornings or Sunday nights or any other nights. God does not count our own righteousness. He does not count our good works. He does not count baptism or any other ceremony or ritual. He only counts one thing: the death of His Son Jesus Christ. And the Scripture plainly says in Isaiah 53:11 that He was satisfied with the sacrifice His Son made for our sins. If Jesus Christ said it was finished and God Himself said He was satisfied, then why can't we be satisfied with Christ's death and not add anything to it?

The only way to show that you are satisfied with Christ's death for your sins is to trust Him and Him alone for salvation. If you trust anything else, then it is evident that you are not satisfied with Christ and what He did at Calvary. If you trust Jesus Christ, plus your baptism, then you are not satisfied with Christ: you must add to Him baptism. If you trust Jesus Christ plus your good works, then you are not satisfied with Christ: you must add to Him good works. If you trust Jesus Christ plus your church membership, then you are not satisfied with Christ: you must add church membership. If you trust Jesus Christ plus your reformation, then you are not satisfied with Christ: you must add your reformation.

Now, I am a church member. I have been baptized. I was baptized when I was eleven years old. I try to live right. I have been preaching since I was twenty years old. I travel every week of my life going from church to church throughout this country to preach the Gospel. As I dictate this sermon, I am driving to Lowell, Indiana. Next week I will be in Wadsworth, Ohio.

But I do none of these things to be saved. My only hope of Heaven is the fact that Jesus Christ died for me. He paid my sin debt. And I am trusting Him alone for salvation. I am not trusting my good works, my church membership, my baptism or anything else. When we stand before God, the only thing that He will count is what His Son did at Calvary.

When the children of Israel were in Egyptian bondage, God sent plagues upon Pharaoh. Finally God said, 'The firstborn in every house is going to die.' But He gave the Israelites instructions to kill an innocent lamb and sprinkle the blood on the doorposts of the house. And God promised in Exodus 12:13, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." He did not say, 'When I see your church membership, I will pass over you.' He did not say, 'When I see your good life, I will pass over you.' He did not say, 'When I see your good works, I will pass over you.' He did not say, 'When I see your baptism, I will pass over you.' No, no, no! He said, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." The only thing that counted with God was the death of the lamb.

And when it comes to salvation the only thing that counts with God today is the death of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. If you are counting on anything other than Jesus Christ to take you to Heaven, then you are counting on something that God doesn't count. Won't you trust Christ today? If you are not absolutely sure that there was a time in your life when you knew you were a sinner and made a definite decision to trust Jesus Christ completely for salvation, then we urge you to trust Him now.

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