The New IFB Camp Has It Wrong, Norm Diamante Has It Right

Romans 4:1-5, “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

There's a faithful preacher on YouTube named Onorato “Norm” Diamante. I love Norm's preaching! He understands the free grace Gospel, rightly dividing the Holy Scriptures. Here is one of Norm's videos, in which he correctly explains that we are saved at the moment of faith, and NOT when we call, pray or ask God to give us eternal life. Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” According to the preceding Bible verse, calling upon the name of the Lord is a result of first BELIEVING (faith). Brother Norm is correct, that anyone who teaches you cannot be saved unless you call, ask or pray in addition to faith is preaching another gospel. ...

Not Saved UNTIL We Call? Romans 10

Bravo Norm! Bravo! I couldn't agree more with his interpretation of the Bible. BELIEVING is enough to get to Heaven. Granted, it is a normal tendency for people getting saved to want to accompany their heart's faith with a sinner's pray, or to ask Jesus to save them. I don't have a problem with these things, just so long as you don't mandate them to be saved.

Having said that, I have never seen such theological bullying, as the New IFB attacking Norm Diamante lately. Here is an example of what I am talking about. In this video, Pastor Jonathan Shelley attacks Norm's correct teaching that faith is enough to be saved.

The Sinner’s Prayer Heresy: “You’re Not Saved UNTIL You Call”⁉️

I learned from Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) that: “A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one.” The New IFB are making the mistake of basing a strange doctrine on a couple single passages (e.g., John 4:10; Romans 10:13), while ignoring the entire Gospel of John. There is no mention of confessing Christ to be saved in the Gospel of John.

Albeit, we find the word “85” mentioned 85 times. John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” Jesus didn't tell them to call, ask, pray, surrender, get baptized in water, speak in tongues, invite Christ into their life, walk a church aisle, repent of sins or anything else; Jesus simply told them to “BELIEVE ON HIM.” If you disagree, then argue with Christ, because I just shared with you from John 6:28-29 what He said a person needs to do to get to Heaven.

Respectfully, Pastor Jimenez is wrong to say (in the preceding YouTube sermon) that Onorato Diamante is not saved. That is a cheap shot. Just because Norm believes that you can be saved without praying, calling or asking God to save you, doesn't mean that he is not saved.

I heard Pastor Steven Anderson say in a sermon exposing Norm Diamante, that the thief on the cross asked Jesus to save Him. Pastor Anderson cited this Bible truth to support his false teaching that you must pray, call or ask to be saved. The Samaritan woman in John chapter 4 asked Jesus for the living water that would forever quench her thirst (i.e., eternal life). The repentant thief on the cross asked Jesus to remember Him when He came into His Kingdom. So it is okay to call, pray or ask God to save you.

But this does not mean that you have to call, pray or ask to be saved. The Bible is very clear that we are saved BY FAITH. 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.” Habakkuk 2:4, “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” The prophet Habakkuk lived under the time of the Mosaic law, yet he plainly said that salvation comes by faith alone without works (Acts 10:42). Nobody in the Old Testament was saved by works!!!

Having exposed this deception which has become increasingly popular in the New IFB camp, I'd like to say that I am still a big fan and supporter of the New Independent Fundamental Baptist Movement (New IFB). When I attended Hyles-Anderson College (1985-1993), I remember in chapel one day that Johnny Esposito (who worked on staff at the college) preached. I was sitting toward the back of the auditorium. I'll never forget what he said to thousands of students: "We need a whole new breed of preachers in the next generation!” Wow, he nailed it! Well, the New IFB is that new breed of preachers! I thank God for Pastor Steven Anderson and his ministry.

Kindly said, I don't agree with numerous doctrines and methods of the New IFB camp. I believe in a Pretribulation Rapture, the New IFB does not (1st Thessalonians 4:13-18). I don't believe Jesus burned in Hell for 3 days, but Pastor Anderson does. Our dear Savior plainly told the repentant thief on the cross that they would be in “Paradise” together that very day (Luke 23:43). These are a couple doctrines that we differ on.

As I mentioned earlier, a good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one. It is folly, poppycock and balderdash to interpret Romans 10 without considering the entire canon of Scripture.

Jesus said in John 3:3 that to get into God's Kingdom a person MUST be born again. Jesus said: "YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN." What is going on in Wilmore, Kentucky at Asbury University is a lame religious event, a so-called "spiritual awakening," but the Gospel was not being preached. The world is going to Hell because of empty religious movements that are woefully devoid of the Gospel of free grace. Asbury has "a form of godliness," but they deny the power thereof, which is THE GOSPEL. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born again.

To summarize and clarify, I don't like using a Sinner's Prayer. I don't like it because for nearly 20 years I struggled with the assurance of my salvation. In the early years I wept often, and was worried day and night that I might not be saved. I was afraid of something that I didn't understand. I got saved at age saved, but I didn't go down the church aisle because I was shy. From that day forward I began to fear going to Hell, and missing out on Heaven. I read every religious tract that I could get my hands on, hoping to find some helpful newly phrased words to give me a greater understanding of how to get to Heaven.

After several years I just decided to trust God's promises in the Bible and not worry. I thought to myself that if I go to Hell it will be Jesus' fault, because I am solely trusting in Him as a sinner to save me. But I still didn't have the perfect peace of knowing that I am saved, which only comes from fully understanding God's simple plan of salvation. You see dear reader, I had been lied to by every preacher I had ever known, who all taught me to pray a sinner's prayer to be saved. It confused me a lot, and I know that it confuses others too. I fear that many people who think they'll someday be up in Heaven, won't be allowed entrance (Luke 13:23-24). They won't be allowed into Heaven, because they were misled by some corrupt Baptist pastor, who told them to pray a prayer to be saved, and they misunderstood the Gospel. I have met countless people who never really got saved, because they just repeated some "1-2-3 follow me" type of prayer empty of true faith. They will burn in Hell forever, all because some foolish preacher told them to recite some words along with them.

But having said that, there is nothing wrong if you want to pray, call or ask the Savior to take you to Heaven when you die. I did ask Jesus to save me at age 13. It felt natural. But I was confused when I read religious tracts that told me to pray a suggested prayer. I often wondered about many emotionally torturous questions? Did I leave something out when I prayed to be saved? Did I have enough faith? Did I truly know that I was a sinner? Did I know at the time about Jesus' resurrection? What if? What if I go to Hell? What if I was never saved at all?

So at age 17, I finally mustered up enough courage to go talk with my Baptist pastor. I nervously explained my dilemma to him. I told him that I could not find the assurance that I am saved. Sadly, he made a foolish mistake of concluding that since I didn't know for sure that I am saved, I must not be. But that was the whole reason why I came to him in the first place, because I couldn't settle the matter of my salvation. Then he added insult to injury, by doing the worst thing he possibly could have done—he led me to pray another Sinner's Prayer! Arrggh!

The next Sunday my pastor told the church congregation that I had just been saved. A couple weeks later I was water baptized. As I was getting water baptized, I remember the fear which still imprisoned my soul, not knowing for sure if I was saved or not. My Pastor just didn't understand what I was suffering though. Although he meant well, my pastor actually made things more difficult for me, because now I was terrified to dare tell anyone that I still didn't know I was saved, after my pastor just told the whole church that I am saved. 

All of this suffering and pain happened to me, because a few dozen preachers needlessly told me to pray a sinner's prayer to be saved. Dear friend, you don't have to pray, call or ask to be saved. Jesus doesn't forgive sin. You read right! Jesus doesn't forgive sin, He has already paid for it with His precious shed blood. That is why God can offer us forgiveness of sins and eternal life as a free gift (Romans 5:15-18, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).

Since God is already freely offering everyone eternal life, then all you need to do is take it by faith. You don't need to ask for it. God won't be mad at you if you do ask Him to save you. However, it is critically important that you fully understand God's simple plan of salvation, if you are to ever find the sweet peace that I have, and that God wants for you to have, KNOWING beyond any shadow of a doubt that your name is written in Heaven (Luke 10:20; 1st John 5:13).

There are numerous passages in the Word of God where lost sinners did ask Jesus to be saved. The Samaritan woman asked Jesus for the Living Water (which is Jesus Himself); but she could have just as easily believed on Him without asking, calling or praying to be saved.

I have received some angry emails recently from New IFB followers, who are so devoted to everything that Pastor Steven Anderson preaches, that they literally go ballistic and get angry at anyone who disagrees with their movement's kingpin leader. Please don't take my word for it, watch this video of Pastor Anderson explaining the differences between the New IFB and the Old IFB churches. What Steven Anderson believes and preaches IS the New IFB movement, and whenever he changes his views, so does everybody else in the New IFB camp. Kindly said, they are WRONG to teach that unless you pray, call or ask for salvation, you cannot be saved. That is damnable heresy, which by God's grace I will be exposing fiercely from now on. I love the New IFB and support Pastor Steven Anderson and his ministry. I am awed at what God has done (and is doing) through Pastor Anderson's church.

I don't have a problem with pastors and churches who choose to lead lost sinners to pray a Sinner's prayer to get to Heaven, but I don't like it. I let people be people be. Unfortunately, New IFB pastors are not okay with Norn Diamante, Curtis Hutson, Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold and myself preaching THE TRUTH, that you DON'T have to call, pray or ask God to save you. God is already asking you to take His free gift by faith!

By God's grace, I will continue to defend and fight alongside with Onorato Diamante in this important theological matter of not having to pray, call or ask to be saved. Despite some Bible characters calling upon or asking for God to save them, the Bible is also full of people who simply BELIEVED the Gospel and were saved (Genesis 15:6; Acts 10:43-44; Acts 16:30-31). 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.”