Change Your Mind And Believe The Gospel

Mark 1:15, “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

The Bible simply teaches to “Repent ye, and believe the Gospel.” That is, we repent TO believe, not repent AND believe. Repentance and believing are simply two different ways of looking at salvation. That is why in the Gospel of John the word “believe” is mentioned 85 times, but there is no mention of the word “repent” even once. The man who believes has repented, and the man who repents has believed.

The word “repent” here in Mark 1:15 is the Greek verb metanoeo, which simply means “to think differently.” The noun form of “repent” is metanoia, meaning “a change of mind.” The preacher who attempts to tell us what to think about is adding to the Scriptures. God intentionally chose this open-ended word, not telling us what we must think differently about, deliberately to make it all-inclusive. That is, the object of repenting is always to “BELIEVE.”

We know from verses like John 3:20 and Romans 3:19 that repentance must involve some realization of one's guilt as a sinner. John 3:20, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” 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.” No one has ever been saved who didn't admit to being a sinner in God's sight.

Where false preachers go very wrong on the Gospel is when they add the requirement to “turn away from your sin” to be saved. Nothing in the preceding verses, nor anywhere else in the Bible, teaches that a person must forsake their sinful ways to receive God's gift. Being a “new creature” in 2nd Corinthians 5:17 simply means that every believer has the indwelling Holy Spirit (1st Corinthians 3:16-17; Romans 8:9; 1st John 3:24). This does not guarantee that someone's lifestyle will immediately transform. It does mean that a new believer is a spiritual baby, and needs the milk of the Word to grow (1st Peter 2:2). Just as a little baby cannot crawl or walk yet, so also a new Christian is weak and immature. 

The Bible simply teaches to change one's mind (repent) and believe the Gospel. Since God Himself didn't tell us what to change our mind about, it would be wrong for us to fill in the blanks. All we KNOW is that a person must come as a guilty sinner. That is the purpose of the Old Testament law according to 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.” So we see that the only requirement to be saved is to realize what we are being saved from. We are sinners (Romans 3:10-23). There is a penalty for sin, which is death (Romans 6:23). The Bible warns of a second death in a lake which burns with fire and brimstone (Revelation 21:8). I agree with Pastor Harry Ironside (1876-1951) that repentance is the admission I am as guilty a sinner as God has declared me to be in His holy Word.

But again, it must be emphasized that the word “repent” is an open-ended, all-inclusive, term. In other words, you must change your mind about anything and everything that is hindering you from BELIEVING the Gospel to be saved. Please don't miss that. We are saved by believing, not by repenting. Repentance facilitates (makes possible) believing. Repentance is necessary for salvation, because if you didn't change your mind, you wouldn't put your trust in Jesus as your personal Savior. Preachers love to get hung up on what it means to “repent.” The Bible already tells us. It is a change of mind. That is all it means. So the person who believes has most definitely also repented. If you hadn't repented, you couldn't have believed. 

The person who claims to believe, but refuses to admit being a sinner, is a liar. 1st John 1:10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” John the Baptist came preaching repentance, preparing the people to receive the Messiah. After all, that is what John was created to do—prepare the way for the coming Lord (Malachi 3:1). John simply showed them that they were needy sinners, so that they would believe on the Messiah to be saved. 

That is what John meant when he said that he baptized them with water, but Jesus would baptize them with the fire of the Holy Spirit (salvation). Water baptism never saved anybody. Today, water baptism is one's public profession of faith. Many people have gone to Heaven without being water baptized. Pastor Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899) didn't baptize people in his church. I don't judge him, but that is unbiblical. Converts should be baptized immediately, but it has absolutely nothing to do with actually receiving the free gift of God, which is by faith. I was saved at age 13, but not water baptized until I was 17 years old.

The free gift of eternal life, which God freely offers, is freely available through the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1st Peter 1:18-19). Our only part in salvation is to get out of the way, and let God do the saving, all of it. Hebrews 4:10-11, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” If forsaking a sinful life were required to be saved, then we would have to WORK for it! But Jesus did all the work through Calvary's cross. Everything that's hard and complicated about salvation is God's side of it! My part is to simply believe God at His Word, as recorded in the Scriptures.

Assurance of Salvation

Assurance Of Salvation

by Evangelist John R. Rice

“They that gladly received his word. . . . ” —Acts 2:41

Here are some lessons in the Christian life. Every Christian starts out as a baby Christian. One has to learn after one is saved. One has to grow in grace after being saved. A good example is in the book of Acts, after Pentecost, when they had three thousand people saved. The Lord tells us how they did after they were saved - these new converts. My, how happy and fruitful they were!

In Acts 2 we begin to read with verse 41:

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

Today I want you to see that "they that gladly received his word were baptized." Who was baptized? That is, who publicly took on himself the name of Christian? Who was it that counted themselves committed, branded, lined up with God's people? Those who gladly received His word.

Let us imagine that here a great number of people come. They say, "Peter, I have been saved. I have trusted the Lord." Peter says, "Are you taking God's word for it? Are you believing that He died for your sins? Are you relying on His death, that He paid for your sins? Are you relying on His promises, that He gave you everlasting life when you trusted Him?"

"Yes."

"All right. then you may be baptized."

Those that gladly received His Word were baptized. I am talking about assurance of salvation.

One Can Know He Is Saved
When I was a boy back at Gainesville, Texas, I remember that Dr. Talley was the pastor. At prayer meeting a woman said, "Dr. Talley, a neighbor of mine says she knows she is saved. Now isn't it presumptuous for anybody to say she knows she is going to Heaven?"

Dr Talley very wisely answered, "No. If she is relying on the Word of God, she has a right to know that she is saved."

Can you know you are forgiven, and know that you are going to Heaven? Yes, you can. In II Timothy 1:12 Paul says, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." "I know whom I have believed." It is already done. I have already believed. Not "I am believing," but by an act of faith I committed myself to Christ, I relied on Christ. "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded (or convinced) that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him." Now Paul committed himself and the saving of his soul to the Lord. He said. "And I know He will keep what I have already committed to Him." Paul knew he was saved.

Paul could say in Romans, chapter 8, in the triumphant closing of that great passage, "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." That settles that Jesus is taking up for me. I have been saved.

I read on in Romans, chapter 8, beginning with verse 35:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long: we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature (No, Paul says not any other created thing), shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."


One Can Know by Plain Statements of Scripture
Oh, Paul said, "I know whom I have believed. I know He is keeping that which I have committed to Him." Can one know he is saved? Oh, yes. I read in I John 5:11-13: "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life." That is interesting. God gave it. It is not bought. You are not earning it. You are not working it in. But "God hath given to us eternal life." What kind of life? Eternal life. He not only gave me life but He gave me eternal, everlasting life. Oh, how often He said, "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you (in the Bible) 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." John says. I have written these things so you can know you have eternal life.

Now, how am I going to know? By the record in the Bible. God loves me. Jesus died for me. My sins are all paid for. He said they would be blotted out and not held against me any more if I would come to Jesus and rely on Him. The Bible says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36). The Bible says in John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life." The believer already has it! He is not going to have it some day, but he has it now." ... HATH everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." So He said, "I have written these things that you may know that you have eternal life when you believe on Jesus." Thank God, one can know!

After Years of Ignorant Doubt, I Learned I Had Everlasting Life
Why don't people know? For three sad years after I was converted I did not know for sure I was saved. When I was a boy about nine years old, in the First Baptist Church of Gainesville, Texas, the pastor, dear Brother Ingram, preached on the prodigal son. He told how when he was a boy he ran away from home and got a job in a print shop, and how he made a botch of it when he spilled a whole font of type, making pie out of it when every letter, every period and comma had to be set by hand. He spilled that and the fellow fired him and didn't pay him. He was hungry and went home and his father loved him and forgave him and took him back home when he had run away.

This preacher said, "As that prodigal son came home to his father and the father ran to meet him and fell on his neck and kissed him, so you can come to Christ now, and He will take you."

When the invitation was given, I walked down the aisle and told the preacher, "All right, I have come to trust Jesus." But nobody then took the Bible and showed me how Christ had promised to us everlasting life. Nobody showed me any Scripture. They just said, "Now, John, you ought to join the church."

Well, I went home that day and said, "Dad, what about me joining the church? (I didn't know how to tell him what had happened.) He said: "Well, Son, when you are really old enough to repent of your sins and be regenerated, then will be time enough to join the church." Well, I didn't know what those big words meant, but if my dad didn't think I was saved, I guessed I wasn't, since he was the smartest man in the world. So sadly I put it aside. I supposed I was too young. Dad seemed to think so, and I supposed I was not saved.

The next morning as I went to school, I stopped down at the creek bottom and knelt on the sand bar under a willow tree and prayed, "Now, Lord, I guess I am too young to be saved," - and I mentioned this one and that one and others I knew. I said, "Lord, they are not too young, they can be saved, Lord, save them."

Isn't it a strange thing that I had a burden for people to be saved when I didn't know for sure I was saved myself? Well, I went on a time wondering. A boy that day had come who was twelve and he was crying. I wondered if I would have been saved had I cried more. I didn't know what it took to be saved.

I went on doubting for three sad years. Then I decided to leave this thing with Jesus. I remember I asked a preacher to pray for me and I didn't say, "Tell me how to be sure." He didn't know how to tell me, I suppose. All he said was, "All right, John, I'll pray for you and you pray for yourself."

So I went home and knelt down by my bed that night and prayed, but I didn't feel any better. I went to bed and I didn't feel good and I said, "I had better get this settled." So I got up and knelt down and prayed again. Well, I decided I would join the church and try to live for Christ the best I could.

But after I had been saved for three years I started reading the bible. I read the Scripture which says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36). I read where "he that believeth on him is not condemned" (John 3:18). I read 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." I read John 1:12, "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." I said, "Here it is. When I believed in Jesus, when I trusted Jesus, I got everlasting life! That is what the Bible says." And, God is my witness, as far as I know, I have never had a second of doubt about my salvation since then.

People Doubt Because They Partly Depend on Good Life
Now why do people doubt their salvation? Well, it is a natural thing to do. In the first place, we don't like to admit we are wicked old sinners who can do nothing to earn salvation. We like to feel respectable.

Lynn Tompkins who worked for us and who is now at Dr. Tom Malone's school, one night at 10:00 had not won anybody that particular day. He said, "I must get somebody saved before I sleep." (He usually won somebody every day.) So he went downtown and found a store which had not yet closed. A line of people were waiting at the check-out counter. A boy with long hair was in the line. He walked up to this fellow and said, "If you died right now, would you go to Heaven?"

The young fellow said, "I think I would."

Lynn Tompkins said, "What makes you think so?"

"Well, I'm a pretty good boy."

Lynn said to him (this is a little brash), "No, sir, you would split Hell wide open. You would go straight to Hell!"

Well, the fellow became a little indignant at that and said, "Who said so?"

Lynn said, "Jesus did. Look here in John 3. He said you must be born again and if you don't get born again, you will never see the kingdom."

It wasn't long until he had the fellow on his knees there in the check out line while everybody waited patiently as the young fellow prayed and trusted the Lord and was saved!

What I am saying is, aren't you glad you know you are saved? I know I am and I thank God I know it.

Everybody likes to feel he is a pretty good fellow. You don't like to admit you are an old sinner who deserves to go to Hell. I don't deserve God's mercy. Neither do you. But we don't like to admit our sinful condition. Everybody likes to think he can earn part of it. An old song says:

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

Well, the old carnal nature would like to change it to:
Jesus paid a part,
And I a part, you know;
Sin had Left a little stain,
And we washed it white as snow.

That is not the way. The Lord has to do it all. You say, "But I ... don't think I deserve it." You don't get salvation by deserving it; you get it by the grace of God: "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." This trying to work it, trying to earn it, is part of the reason for dissatisfaction. As sure as you live you are going to know you are not worthy, and your conscience will hurt you. You say, "Oh, what will I do, then?"

Some Depend on Feeling for Assurance of Salvation
Here is another reason people doubt. We do something wrong and our conscience condemns us and we feel so bad about it and we say, "I guess I am not saved. I did feel good hut I have lost it now; so I guess I am not saved."

Sometimes the discouragement is a matter of health. I remember a woman was in the change of life and she was upset and nervous and not normal in her feelings. With her it was mainly a matter of health and nerves. But she got so upset and decided she was not saved. Her husband, a pastor, brought her from down in Alabama, up to Clarksburg, West Virginia, where I was in a citywide campaign - to talk to me. She thought either she had never been saved or that she had committed the unpardonable sin.

What is your trouble? Maybe it is because of ill health and some natural depression that comes from ill health. But more likely it is because your conscience tells you you haven't done all you ought to do, and you feel guilty and are afraid that you are lost. But put this down, when you come to Jesus, you can know He saves you.

Now how can you know for sure? Take what God has written in the Bible, such as Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Isn't that a good, solid Scripture you can rest your soul upon? "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." You mean if you just come and ask God for forgiveness? Absolutely. If your heart turns to Jesus for mercy, you get it right then. He wants you to trust Him about it.

How long does it take you to make a deposit in your bank? Well, it doesn't take that long to turn your soul over to Jesus and rely on Him to keep it for you.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

He will not, He will not desert to his foes.

That soul, though all Hell should endeavor to shake,

I'll never, no never, no never forsake.

Throw Away Your Doubts: Rely on Jesus Christ

Then, how are you going to be sure? You say, "I'm going to believe what God said. I'm not going to make God out to be a liar. I'm not going to doubt what He said."

I believe it was J. Wilbur Chapman who said that when he was a young fellow, he was in Moody's meeting. He was already converted but he didn't have the assurance he wanted. He said, "I don't believe I have faith enough."

D. L. Moody said, "Who is it you don't have faith in? Are you doubting Jesus Christ?"

"Oh, no! Oh, no! I'm doubting myself."

"Well, you are not the one who does the saving. If you don't doubt Jesus, then leave it with Him."

That is the only way. Let Jesus do the saving. He does it free. You can love Him and te1l Him so and try to live for Him. But assurance of salvation will only come as you say, "I rely on Jesus and He said He will take me. I know He will. He said He would never forsake me. He said He would give me everlasting life." You can rely on the Word of God.

"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." Ah, you can know it, too. Like I knew it when I saw that God said, "He that believeth on the Son (or trusts in the Son) hath everlasting life." Not just believe something about it, but did you rely on Him? All right, you have everlasting life if you have.

And if you don't have it, you can have it now. Oh, unsaved soul, remember that today Jesus loves you and He promises you everlasting life. You can rely on Him and have it settled now forever. Will you do that? Won't you write today and say, "I am casting away my doubts. I am going to believe in Jesus Christ and leave it with Him." I hope you will.

Can A Lost Person Be Saved Without A Christian?

John 20:29-31, “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

Someone asked me this week if only a Christian can lead an unsaved person to the Lord. It is my humble opinion, based upon my understanding of the Holy Scriptures, that a lost person CAN be saved on their own, from reading the Bible or reading a well written Gospel tract.

The idea that someone cannot be saved on their own comes from the following passage:

Acts 8:26-31 “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.”

Even today in 2020 the average person, believers included, couldn't understand this passage from Isaiah, that the eunuch was trying to understand. Thank God for Google...lol! Also, we read in 1st Corinthians 2:14-16, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” And we read in Romans 1:17, “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” I believe “faith to faith” refers to God giving a person more understanding, as they by faith take each step in obedience to God. It is clear from reading John 20:31 that the Gospel of John was written to convince the lost person that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God, so that they will believe and be saved. 

What more evidence do we need that someone lost CAN be saved without a soulwinner? Since we are born again of the “seed” of God's Word, nothing more is needed than the seed. However, a Christian can plant that seed, and water that seed, as we read in 1st Corinthians 3:5-9, “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.”

Humbly said, I think this one passage alone from John 20:31 evidences that, yes, a lost person can be saved without a Christian to guide them, just from reading the Gospel of John. That is why it was written. Just because the eunuch couldn't understand the book of Isaiah, doesn't mean that a person in 2020 cannot understand the Gospel of John. Clearly they can, which is why this particular book of the Bible was written in the first place—to convince lost sinners to come to Jesus Christ to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. As a Christian I had great difficulty for most of my Christian life understanding umpteen passages of Scripture. That is why we are commanded to “study” in 2nd Timothy 2:15.

What saith the Scripture? 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.” John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” I don't find any place in the Scripture where it says to go find a saved person if someone wants to understand salvation. Jesus said to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES! Read it for yourself friend. Our Savior Himself said to go SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES! For in them ye think ye have eternal life. That is, we learn about God's wonderful promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Titus 1:2,  “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;” You see, the Gospel is manifest (made known to lost men) through preaching. If we didn't have preachers and Christians who are soulwinners, hardly anyone would be saved. 2nd Corinthians 5:20-21 “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” I love that. Paul said we as believers are ambassadors to the lost world, as if God Himself were pleading with them to be saved. God desires for all men to repent (i.e., get saved), which great truth we read in 2nd Peter 3:9. That is why I have my website ministry, which I started by God's leading in 2002, to preach the Gospel to get men saved. I am one of God's ambassadors, sharing the truth with lost sinners so they can also receive eternal life by faith.

John 20:31, "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." Here we have a direct answer from the Scripture to your question. The Gospel of John was written TO THE LOST PERSON, to convince them. If the Ethiopian eunuch had been reading the Gospel of John (which hadn't been penned yet), he could have been saved. The Gospel of John is very easy to understand compared to the Old Testament.

1st Timothy 2:5 says "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.​"​ Christ Himself is the only Mediator between God the Father and sinful men. As believers we have been given the ministry of reconciliation, reconciling lost sinners to God with the Gospel, through faith in Christ (Romans 5:1). Since we do have the complete Bible today, it is my humble opinion that people CAN be saved on their own, by simply searching the Scriptures to learn about the Good News of Jesus crucified on the cross, buried and bodily risen the third day (John 19-20; 1st Corinthians 15:1-4). 

The Apostle Paul reminded young Timothy that the Scriptures would make him wise unto salvation (1st Timothy 3:15-17). Timothy only had the Old Testament to read. Jesus said to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES to think we have eternal life (John 5:39). I do not find even one Scripture passage, where the reader is directed to go ask a Christian how to have eternal life. The Bible tells us directly in the Gospel of John, and many other passages. By simply searching the Scriptures, a person will learn about Jesus, and CAN be saved by believing on Christ. If a person cannot be saved without a Christian to guide them, then there would be TWO mediators. John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” It is Christ Who draws all men to Himself, through the blessed Holy Spirit, Who is called the “Spirit of Christ” (Romans 8:9). We are called to be ambassadors for Christ, but Jesus alone is the one and only Mediator. So, no, a person does not need a Christian to be saved.

Not too long ago I wrote an interesting article about visions in the last days, spoken of by Joel. God sent Cornelius a vision in Acts 10. The purpose of that vision was soulwinning. God was helping Cornelius get to the Apostle Peter, so he could hear the Gospel and be saved, and he did get saved (Acts 10:43-44). But, in my humble opinion, this story does not mean no one can understand the Gospel without help. The Bible says we learn from FAITH TO FAITH (Romans 1:17). I believe that means when we accept by faith the truth God has given us, then God sends more, and takes us to the next step. If a man rejects what light God has given him, then God is not bound to give more. Man's obligation is to receive the truth; God's obligation is to provide the truth. I believe this is what Titus 2:11 means, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,” I do not think that refers to the Gospel; but rather, God provides some enlightenment to a person, to see if they will accept it. 

Cornelius prayed, fasted, gave alms, and feared God; but he wasn't saved yet. So God sent him more light, which led to his conversion. God would NEVER send anyone to Hell, who wanted to be saved (2nd Peter 3:9). Many people have gone to Hell, who put off being saved until a later time. God is a just God (1st John 1:9). No one ever went to Hell who didn't choose to go there, by knowingly rejecting God's free gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

Humbly, I think this one passage of Scripture from John 20:31 is sufficient enough to theologically prove that a lost person CAN be saved just from reading the Bible. John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” The person who wrote to me this week to ask a question, whether a person who is lost can be saved without a Christian or not, was concerned about their own salvation. They had heard a preacher teach that no one can be saved without a Christian, but he had been saved by reading the Bible directly. 

Again, Jesus said in John 5:37-40, “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” God's plan of salvation is learned through knowledge of the Scriptures (2nd Timothy 3:15). Whether a person obtains that knowledge directly from searching the Scriptures, or from a soulwinner who preaches the Gospel to them, it is still the same truth. We know from 1st Corinthians 2:14 that the natural (unsaved) man cannot understand spiritual things, but I do not think it means that a lost person cannot even grasp the plan of salvation. If that were true—that a lost person cannot understand anything in the Bible—then why did John write the Gospel of John to convince the lost person (John 20:31) why they should believe on Christ? Clearly a lost person can understand the Gospel of John, because it was written to the lost person.

A Poem I Made For Abby Who I Love

Song Of Solomon 4:7, “Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.” Song Of Solomon 5-8-9, “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?”

I have been in love with a young Christian woman since 2017, who visits across the street from me. She used to live across the street in 2017, but then moved away last year to my sadness. Now she visits, sometimes a few times in a week; or sometimes I don't see her for a couple weeks, and my heart aches in loneliness to see her again. She is my happy thought. 

I lay thinking of her today, tears upon my pillow, hurting to be near her and part of her life. I wrote this poem for her, about her, which I hope she will read from my heart.

Abby is her name. 

Abby, 'tis such a pretty name, to match your dainty and charm, I pray and wish our hearts could be one, holding each by the arm; You bring me happy thoughts, thinking of you throughout the day, always praying that perhaps one day, you'll feel the same way.

You captured my heart four years ago, on a sunny spring day, as I watched you cut the grass, and my heart was mowed away; I think you are an amazing creature, spectacular by far, I wouldn't change anything about you, I love you as you are. 

Painting on the roof, working in the yard, I see Abby work so hard, She's special to me, for all to see, earning my highest regard; I pray one day she would be my wife, the happiest thought of my life, but if it's not meant to be, only God can set my heart's love for her free.

Abby is her lovely name.

Still Yet Another Devil's Bible In 2020

2nd Corinthians 2:17, “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.”

A new Devil's Bible was published in 2020 called: “LITERAL STANDARD VERSION” (LSV).

Readers will experience a translation that is even further along the formal equivalence spectrum than Young's—in fact, the most literal English translation ever made—yet is much easier to read, given that the LSV translation is written in modern English. For students of the Bible searching for a faithful translation like the King James that is literal, à la Young's or the NASB, but is written in the common tongue, they may have finally found what they've been looking for. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: A Groundbreaking New Bible In 2020

I am going to show you several blatant corruptions and problems found in the Literal Standard Version (LSV). Nearly all of these corruptions are the SAME problems found in the Westcott and Hort translations. That is because they all came from the same garbage pail!

Exodus 12:13 In LSV Changes Future Tense To Past Tense

The Lord said, as translated accurately in the King James Bible: “WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I WILL PASS OVER YOU”!!! But the Satanic LSV changes it to: “I HAVE SEEN THE BLOOD, AND HAVE PASSED OVER YOU.” Huh? The Lord announced to Moses what He was going to do, not what He had already done. Even the LSV speaks in present tense for the first 11 verses of Exodus chapter 12, but then in verse 12 it bizarrely switches to past tense, which makes no sense at all. I know exactly why they did that. By U.S. law, in order to obtain a legal copyright, translators MUST butcher God's Word to ensure that “changes are substantial and creative, something more than just editorial changes or minor changes.” The LSV drastically changes Exodus 12:13 from present to past tense, which is as deceitful and evil as can be!

Here is verse 3 to compare, which shows that God is speaking in present tense...

KING JAMES BIBLE (KJB) - Exodus 12:13, “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:”

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - Exodus 12:13, “speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth of this month they take to themselves, each man, a lamb for the house of the fathers, a lamb for a house.”

Moses was commanded to instruct the Hebrews to kill a spotless lamb (which symbolizes the sinless Son of God), and then to apply that lamb's blood to the doorposts of the home, so the firstborn would live. But the LSV changes it to past tense. Why would Moses tell the people what has already happened? It makes no sense! ...

KING JAMES BIBLE (KJB) - Exodus 12:13, “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - Exodus 12:13, “And the blood has become a sign for you on the houses where you [are], and I have seen the blood, and have passed over you, and a plague is not on you for destruction in My striking in the land of Egypt.”

Do you see how stupid the LSV is dear reader? The King James Bible makes perfect sense. Again we see how the LSV translators had no choice but to torture the Bible (which is what the word “wrest” means in 2nd Peter 3:16), because in order to come up with something new, due to the hundreds of English Bibles already in existence, they had to get wildly creative. It is insane theology!

NLV Changes The Word 'Sodomites' To 'Whoremongers'

The Old Testament Bible word “sodomite” has become highly offensive to perverse American culture today, because of the legalization of homosexual unions since 2015. Hence, the demonic LGBTQ agenda is putting much pressure on churches, Bible publishers, Bible colleges, preachers seminaries and the religious world, to go along with this sinful social trend to avoid harsh persecution from peers, the cruel media, LGBTQ support groups, and the government itself regarding maintaining 501C3 tax exemption status. Hence, it ought not be surprising that the Literal Standard Version (LSV) corrupts the following Bible passages...

KING JAMES BIBLE (KJB) - 1st Kings 14:24, “And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.”

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - 1st Kings 14:24, “and a whoremonger has also been in the land; they have done according to all the abominations of the nations that YHWH dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel.”

KING JAMES BIBLE (KJB) - 1st Kings 15:12, “And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.” 

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - 1st Kings 15:12, “and removes the whoremongers out of the land, and turns aside all the idols that his fathers made;”

Dear reader, there is a world of difference between a whoremonger (a male who mongers lewd women) versus a sodomite (a male who has carnal knowledge with another male).

Psalms 12:6-7 Corrupted

Here we see that the Literal Standard Version (LSV) has corrupted this passage, which ALL of the modern Westcott and Hort based perversions also do. There is a massive difference between “words” (i.e., a very specific meaning) and “sayings” (i.e., a more general meaning)...

KING JAMES BIBLE (KJB) - Psalms 12:6-7, “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” 

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - Psalms 12:6-7, “Sayings of YHWH [are] pure sayings—Silver tried in a furnace of earth, refined sevenfold. You, O YHWH, preserve them, || You keep us from this generation for all time.”

And worst of all, please notice that the Literal Standard Version (LSV) deceitfully changes God's promise to protect “THEM” (i.e., His pure WORDS), to protecting “US” (i.e., the SAINTS). The LSV is advertised as a new more literal revision of the Textus Receptus, but it is clear to see that the LSV follows the same damnable corruptions found in the Westcott and Hort translations. God promised to preserve and keep His pure Word forever, not keep the saints. This passage of Scripture has NOTHING to do with the saints; This passage is all about God preserving and keeping His PURE WORDS, which means there can only be ONE accurate Bible in English today. If there were two English versions (let's say for the sake of argument), then one absolutely MUST be inferior to the other! They cannot BOTH be 100% accurate, when they drastically differ in word meaning.

What Does “Compressed” Mean?

The following perverse translation from the Literal Standard Version (LSV) is a good example of what U.S. copyright laws do to publishers, to compel them to do weird and unscholarly things with the Bible. ... 

KING JAMES BIBLE (KJB) - Matthew 7:14, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” 

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - Matthew 7:14, “how narrow [is] the gate and compressed the way that is leading to life, and few are those finding it!”

What a sad joke! Dear reader, I cannot even believe that some translator chose the ridiculous word: “compressed.” The dictionary defines “compress” as: “To make more compact by or as if by pressing; to squeeze or press together.” That is not the same as something being “narrow.” The way of salvation is so simple (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4) that most people pass right over it, missing it (Luke 13:23-24; Matthew 7:21-23). Some false preachers (like Ray Comfort and Paul Washer) errantly teach that “narrow” refers to “turning from your sinful living” to be saved. But that cannot be true, which would utterly conflict with numerous Scripture passages that teach salvation is not of works (Romans 3:19-20; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:5-1-6; Galatians 3:1-26). The word “compressed” makes no sense, sounds weird and confuses the reader.

Proverbs 30:5-6 Removes Mention Of The 'PURITY' Of God's Words

Again we see how the Literal Standard Version (LSV) says something completely different than the Bible. For God to “reprove” a man is very different than to “reason” with him. There are changing the Bible just to change it, so they can obtain a legal copyright. Whether the Word of God needs changing is irrelevant, they still MUST change it (using substantial and creative changes) in order to qualify for a new copyright. The translators of the LSV are LIARS! ...

KING JAMES BIBLE (KJB) - 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.” 

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every saying of God [is] tried, || He [is] a shield to those trusting in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He reason with you, || And you have been found false.”

Look and I'll prove it to you my friend... 

Psalms 119:140, “Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.”

Psalms 119:140, “Your saying [is] tried exceedingly, || And Your servant has loved it.”

The Literal Standard Version (LSV) keeps referring to God's “SAYINGS” instead of God's “WORDS”; and they keep referring to God's sayings as “tried” instead of being “pure.” Dear friend, there is a BIG DIFFERENCE in meaning between pure and tried, and I know you can see it. The inspired King James Bible faithfully upholds the purity of God's WORDS!!! Psalms 119:140a, “Thy word is very pure...” (King James Bible). Psalms 119:140a, “Your saying [is] tried exceedingly...” (Literal Standard Version). Please listen carefully—God's Words are pure because God gave them to man pure, not because they were tried, tested and proven. The Word of God is settled in Heaven forever (Psalms 119:89). What the LSV gang are doing is very wrong—torturing the Bible to make money (2nd Peter 3:16-17). I am not trying to nitpick on the modern revisions, but there is a world of difference between the LSV versus the King James Bible (KJB). I'll stick with the inspired King James Bible!!!

Uh, folks there is a giant difference between pure and tried. Since they keep printing more Bible versions, year after year after year, how can they be PURE? That is why these wicked people behind the Literal Standard Version (LSV) keep removing references to God's PURE WORDS!!!
 

John 1:3 - Says ALL THINGS Created 'THROUGH' Instead Of 'BY' Jesus

Jesus is the divine Creator. The Bible says ALL THINGS were made BY Jesus Christ. In His pre-incarnate form, Jesus Christ created the universe and all the works therein. To say that all things were created “THROUGH” Him attacks Jesus' deity as God almighty. The King James Bible correctly says that all things were made “BY” Jesus. If Jesus didn't create it, then it wasn't created (John 1:3).

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - John 1:3, “all things happened through Him, and without Him not even one thing happened that has happened.”

Also, please notice that the Literal Standard Version (LSV) is even WORSE than the Devil's Bibles which came before it. The previous Devil's Bible say that all things were made or created through Him. Now they won't even address Jesus as the Creator anymore. Now the LSV merely says all things HAPPENED through Him. What an ungodly translation! What utter blasphemy against the Lord. Folks, the King James Bible rightly proclaims that ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM [JESUS]!!!

The inspired and trustworthy King James Bible repeatedly says that all things were created “BY” Jesus, not “THROUGH” Him. The Jehovah's Witness' New World Translation (NWT) follows the corrupt Greek of Westcott and Hort. The LSV translators claim to have used the Textus Receptus, so why does their new and improved LSV version agree with Westcott's and Hort's corrupt text?

Kindly said, it is gross theological incompetence. To substitute the word “made” with “happening” shows so blatantly how desperate the translators were to find new substantial and creative changes to obtain a U.S. copyright. I am familiar with their copyright law, and they want don't just want a clone of somebody's else work. That explains why they use strange words like compressed in Matthew 7:14 and happening in John 1:3. 

Look what they did the John 3:16...

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - John 3:16, “for God so loved the world that He gave the only begotten Son, that everyone who is believing in Him may not perish, but may have continuous life.”

So now instead of “HIS” (the heavenly Father's) only begotten Son, Jesus is called: “THE” only begotten Son. Really? 

And what is this below—Ebonics? “Do not be touching me?” (LSV - John 20:17b). Who talks like that? “Yo dude! Bro, she bin dat about what her homey boyz be doin. Dun't be touching me.” These modern Bible revisions are laughable to say the least!

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - John 20:17, “Jesus says to her, “Do not be touching Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; and be going on to My brothers, and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and [to] My God and your God.”

You confess the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved—by simply agreeing with God that you are a guilty needy sinner (Romans 3:19-20), and then receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins (John 20:31), believing that He raised up from the dead three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). That is THE GOSPEL that saves, to them that believe it (Romans 1:16; Galatians 3:26; Philippians 3:9). 

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - Romans  10:9-10, “that if you may confess with your mouth that Jesus [is] LORD, and may believe in your heart that God raised Him out of the dead, you will be saved, for with the heart [one] believes to righteousness, and with the mouth is confession made to salvation;”

The following is a common perversion of the Scriptures. The King James Bible says we who “ARE SAVED,” but the Devil's revisions all say those, “BEING SAVED.” Salvation is not a process, it is a new and instant birth. Slight changes in Bible verses can have a serious impact on sentence meaning, and totally change the mindset of the reader. 

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - 1st Corinthians 1:18, “for the word of the Cross to those indeed perishing is foolishness, and to us—those being saved—it is the power of God,”

The LSV changed the word “corrupt” to “adulterating.” That doesn't sound any easier to understand, does it? This will definitely confuse readers...

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - 2nd Corinthians 2:17 “For we are not as the many, adulterating the word of God, but as of sincerity—but as of God; in the presence of God, in Christ we speak.”

Here they foolishly replaced the words “repent” and “repentance” with the words “convert” and “conversion.” These two words carry very different theological meanings. 

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - Mar 1:15 “and saying, 'The time has been fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has come near, convert and believe in the good news.'”

LITERAL STANDARD VERSION (LSV) - Hebrews 6:1, “For this reason, having left the word of the beginning of the Christ, we may advance to perfection, not laying again a foundation of conversion from dead works, and of faith on God,”

I could give you hundreds more good examples of how the Literal Standard Version (LSV) is as corrupt as can be, and why you should reject, avoid and warn others NOT to have anything to do with it, because the LSV is religious poison! You'll be driving all over the road if you use umpteen modern Bible versions. I use only the inspired and infallible King James Bible. I humbly recommend that you do the same friend, lest you be confused and misled like so many millions of churchgoers today. The Devil is a beautiful liar!

Bring Forth Fruits Meet For Repentance

Matthew 3:1-12, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

There is much misunderstanding about this passage of Scripture. What exactly did John the Baptist mean when he said: “Bring forth fruits therefore meet for repentance”? The Devil is a beautiful liar! Since the beginning of human civilization, the Devil has subtly done all he can to corrupt the Gospel (i.e., the way of salvation), by embellishing (obscuring) it with adding or subtracting from what God requires to be saved. I recently did a very fruitful Bible study about the PROMISE of eternal life, which God made before the world began (Titus 1:2).

It saddens me how preachers will cherry-pick the Scriptures, lifting texts out of context to create a new pretext, corrupting the Word of God. The key to understanding Matthew 3:8 is to simply examine the surrounding verses. The word “therefore” is always THERE FOR a reason! Therefore is an adverb that means “as a consequence,” “as a result,” or “hence.” So we must look at verse 7 carefully. The religious leaders came to be baptized by John, but he refused them. John calls the Sadducees and Pharisees vipers (snakes), asking who has warned them of the wrath to come. Clearly John is referring to Hell, which he implies in verse 10 as well. The wages of sin is death, which includes the second death in Hell (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:12-15; 21:8).

John was showing the people the way of salvation. So here comes the unsaved religious crowd, who are self-righteous (and John fully knew it). John knew well the false doctrine of the Sadducees and Pharisees. John was essentially saying to them the same thing that Jesus said in Matthew 5:20, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Just like Roman Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and the Lordship Salvation (Calvinist) crowd today, they were all self-righteous! To some extent, they all pervert the grace of God, requiring something different than what God does to be redeemed. Whereas God requires faith alone, the Jewish religious leaders required keeping the law of Moses (Acts 15:1). Romans 3:20 teaches that no one can be saved by keeping the Old Testament law.

Also, please notice Matthew 3:9, in which John the Baptist rebukes the religious Jews, for thinking that they were automatically going to Heaven because they were Jews. John tells them that God could raise up literal stones as descendants of Abraham if He wanted to. Why should that be surprising, considering that every human is made of the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). God created mankind from dirt. So God could certainly make some rocks into Jews. Is there anything too hard for the Lord? No! God can do anything that doesn't violate His holy character! 

John the Baptist was exposing the fallacy that Jews are somehow a superior Master Race, as some wayward theologians like Dr. William P. Grady errantly teach. It is bizarre! I love Jewish people and Gentiles alike. So it is not a criticism of the Jews to refute the heresy that they are somehow the Master Race! It is simply not true. God initially chose the Jewish people as His ambassadors to the Gentile world (Exodus 19:5-6), but they refused, so God turned to the Gentiles to preach the Gospel instead (Romans 11), which the Gentiles have done. God chose the nation of Israel for a specific task, but that doesn't make them the Master Race. The Bible plainly teaches in Acts 17:26a that God “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth...” There is only one human race! Jews are no better than anyone else, nor do they have their own unique plan of salvation. John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

So in Matthew 5:7, John emphasizes that the Jewish religious leaders are guilty sinners on their way to burn in Hell, suffering God's coming wrath. John even calls them “vipers” (snakes). Snakes are subtle creatures, both venomous and sly. A snake's movements are subtle and harder to detect by their prey. Luke 11:44, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.” False religion is like a false floor in a Mexican mineshaft which descends 550 feet into the darkness.

And then in Matthew 5:9, John tells the Jewish religious leaders THE TRUTH that their ethnicity cannot save them! Folks, I have heard some bizarre things taught by Zionist pastors over the years. Case in point is Pastor James Modlish, who said he wanted to hire a Jewish man, to go out into New York City and witness only to Jewish people, so that God would bless his church. That sounds more like like a strange episode of The Outer Limits! Or perhaps The Twilight Zone. I am not trying to be unkind nor disrespectful of anyone. I am simply showing you dear reader that Gentiles are just as important to God as are Jews. Kindly said, it is absurd for Pastor Modlish to think that God would bless his ministry more, for witnessing to Jews, than to Gentiles. The Bible plainly teaches again and again that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; James 2:1), and that there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek (Romans 10:12). Christian believers (regardless of who they are or where they came from) are all one in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:29).

Having said all that as introduction, to properly exegete the true meaning of Matthew 3:8, we can only soundly conclude that John the Baptist was not teaching that a person must turn from sinful behavior to be saved, nor to prove they are saved. Sadly, many preachers misinterpret Matthew 3:8 to teach the heresy of Lordship Salvation. They claim that someone is not saved unless they have “turned away from their sins.” This is a false gospel. Not one verse in the Holy Bible (if you have an inspired King James Bible), teaches to “repent of your sin” or to “turn away from your sin” to be saved. 

Since the Bible does not teach such things, incompetent ministers “wrest” (Greek: strebloo, “to torture” - 2nd Peter 3:16-17) the Scripture to their own destruction. The proponents of Lordship Salvation torture obscure passages of Scripture, which blatantly contradict clear ones which teach salvation by faith alone. This is theological incompetence! Kindly said, I am talking about the Bob Jones University crowd, who pervert the grace of God, requiring people to turn from their sins to receive God's free gift of eternal life. How then is it a gift?

So what did John the Baptist mean in Matthew 3:8. I have painfully exegeted the verses before and after verse 8, to show you clearly what John really meant. The religious leaders were self-righteous. Mark 2:16-17, “And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” This is what John meant. The religious leaders needed to repent of their self-righteousness! That is as clear as day my friend.

You don't have to stop shacking up with your girlfriend in fornication to be saved, nor do you have stop abusing yourself with drugs and alcohol to be saved, nor do you have to stop stealing from your employer to receive God's free gift of eternal life. These are horrible sins according to the Bible (1st Corinthians 6:9-10). We “SHOULD” live godly in Christ Jesus (Titus 2:12). We ought to depart from iniquity because we are saved, not to be saved (2nd Timothy 2:19; Ephesians 2:10; Romans 3:31). It is very important to notice that John didn't say to bring forth “works,” but “fruit” meet (or as a result) of repentance. That fruit would have been faith alone in Jesus Christ. 

The religious leaders hadn't repented yet, which is why they were still in darkness, blinded by their false religion of keeping the law. Repentance is acknowledging the truth (2nd Timothy 2:25). It is a change of mind. 2nd Timothy 2:25-26, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” That is all repentance is, and has ever been—acknowledging THE TRUTH!!! When a man acknowledges THE TRUTH, he gets saved. That is how you get saved, by embracing the TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL. Colossians 1:5, “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;”

By God's wondrous grace I have been saved now for 40 years. I got saved at 13 years of age, at the Northland Baptist Church on Chicago's northside in 1980. The preacher was a Hyles-Anderson College graduate. I don't recall the name of the sermon, or even the topic. All I remember is that the pastor said if you don't have the Holy Spirit living inside you, convicting you about the sin in your life, you are not saved. I knew immediately that I didn't have the Holy Spirit living in me, and I had no conviction about my sins up until then. So I quietly got saved in my pew at the end of the service, receiving Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. 

The thought of turning away from my sins never crossed my mind. No such thought was involved in my salvation. I simply knew that I was a needy sinner, deserving of hellfire, and that Jesus is the One Who could save me. I believed that Christ died on the cross for my sins, and knew that I was calling out from my soul to a risen and living Savior to save me (and He did). Getting saved is a simple matter of childlike faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:26).

I am done with explaining Matthew 3:8. I am 100% confident that what I have just taught you is solid fundamental Bible doctrine. I would stake my life on it! Nowhere does the Bible tell anyone to “turn from sin” to be saved. We must not only reject such nonsense, but expose it wherever Lordship Salvation rears its ugly head. The Sadducees and Pharisees came to be baptized by John, but he refused. Why? It is because they weren't sick, just like Jesus said in Mark 2:16-17. They were self-righteous. They failed to see their need for Christ, because they refused to see themselves as guilty sinners.

That is why John called them vipers, and spoke of God's wrath to come. John was wisely addressing them as woeful sinners, because that is what they desperately needed to hear. Whereas the common people came “confessing their sins” (verse 5), the religious leaders did not. Repentance is necessary for salvation, but repentance means a change of mind. Repentance is the acknowledgment of THE TRUTH that one is a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God (Romans 3:19), so they will put their faith in the wonderful Savior (Galatians 3:26). 

“He [God] did everything, so that you would have to do nothing, except receive it as a free gift! And God says, 'I love you so much that I gave My Son to pay for your sins. Will you believe it? And if you will (believe/ trust, used interchangeably in the Bible), will you simply believe that Jesus Christ died for you? And God says, 'If you'll do that, I'll promise you on the authority of My Word, that you'll never perish, but you'll have everlasting life!'” —Pastor Max D. Younce, an excellent quote from the intriguing Bible study titled: “SO GREAT SALVATION,” Part 7 | MP3's

What If All A Person Had Was A Corrupt Bible or Nothing?

2nd Corinthians 2:14-17, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.”

Someone recently attempted to defend the Devil's modern Bible revisions, by asking me a hypothetical question. They asked me if it would be better to give a New International Version (NIV) to someone who is serving life in prison, than to give them nothing?

Thankfully I am not aware of any such occurrences. Kindly, the preceding illustration is like asking if it would be better to eat food laced with rat poison than to have no food at all. Depending on how much rat poison is contained in the food, a person might be able to survive but be sickly. Some of the modern Bible versions are more corrupt than others. In 1881 when Brooke Westcott and Fenton Hort introduced their A New Translation In The Original Greek to the world, it set a wicked precedent for scholars to constantly change the inspired Word of God (Romans 1:25). The newer versions keep getting worse and worse, drifting farther and farther from the truth.

There can be no justification for tampering with the Holy Bible.

“There is a spirit of discouragement on churches like I've never seen before!” —Pastor Danny Castle, a quote from the sermon titled: “The Lost Generation”