Acts 15:1-5, “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. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
Dear reader, how can that be? Let me ask you a question: How wrong can a person be concerning the Gospel and still be saved? I have heard preachers claim that some people who are caught between grace and works are saved. What saith the Scripture? Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” There is no middle ground dear reader. You are either saved entirely 100% by grace, or else it is partially by grace plus 10% your own works, but it cannot be both.
Also, please take a look at:
Romans 4:2-5, “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.”
God doesn't owe you or me anything except eternal damnation in the fires of Hell. This passage of Scripture puts to rest the nonsense that people in the Old Testament were saved by works, or faith plus works. No they were not! As we just read in Romans 4:4, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” If anyone at any time in human history has, is or ever will be saved by faith plus works, then salvation was by DEBT, and not GRACE! The Bible very plainly teaches that salvation is solely by God's grace. 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.”
It astonishes me, it really does! The Bible speaks so plainly that salvation is by God's grace alone, without works. Yet, millions of incompetent clergy today in the world preach something drastically different than what the inspired King James Bible teaches. Nowhere in the Word of God are we taught to “repent of your sins” or “turn from your sins” to be saved, yet dishonest preachers add those requirements to God's simple plan of salvation, perverting it!
I contend dear reader, based upon the authority of God's inspired Word, that no one is saved who adds the slightest bit of works to the Gospel. I mean not before, during or after being saved. There are all sorts of heresies being taught today in churches and Bible colleges regarding how to get to Heaven.
Partial Faith In Christ Plus Something Else Equals Damnation
As an example: When I attended the corrupt neo-evangelical Harvest Baptist Church on Guam in 2013-2014. The church had monthly 'Watchcare Meetings' in staff member's homes. At these quaint meetings we would sing, fellowship, eat food and hear devotions from the staff member. I really enjoyed those meetings and I miss them. At one meeting I witnessed to a staff member of Harvest's Christian Academy. His name is Jason, one of the school's teachers. I asked him if he believes that you can simply admit to God that you're a sinner and believe the Gospel to be saved. I was horrified by his answer. He said: “Uh, I think a little more is required than that.” I knew immediately that he was still unsaved, a child of the Devil hellbound in his sins without Christ. Jason has been woefully deceived by Marty Herron and the cult at Bob Jones University (BJU), who are the devil's servants!
Dear reader, Jesus said in John 3:3b, “YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN.” No one will ever enter through Heaven's pearly gates, nor walk upon the heavenly streets of gold who adds lordship to grace, and turning away from sins to faith (behavior modification). Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do. Good works are not the payment for sin, the payment for sin is death. Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. Turning away from sinful ways would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work. The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.
Acts 15:5, “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” In this passage we read about some Pharisees who were believers. They are saved. But the Bible says the Pharisees confused the Gentiles by requiring them to keep the law of Moses, not to be saved (because they couldn't have been saved by works); but rather, because they are saved.
May I remind you friend of Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 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.” This is a very disturbing passage of Scripture, because it exposes hundreds of millions of false converts today throughout the world.
Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born again, which is exactly what happened to these unfortunate false prophets in Matthew 7:21-23. They boasted to Christ that they had prophesied (preached) in His very name, but Jesus denied even knowing them. They were not The Great Shepherd's sheep. John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” I love that! Jesus KNOWS His sheep. That is, He knows the children of God, those who have had their sins washed away by the precious blood of the Lamb (1st Peter 1:18-19).
Jesus does not know Marty Herron, Steve Pettit, Sam Horn, John MacArthur, Chuck Phelps and other infidels in the Bob Jones University (BJU) cult. BJU is a cult because they use, sell and promote the Devil's corrupt Bible manuscripts translated by Brooke Westcott and Fenton Hort. Pastor Peter S. Ruckman (1921-2016) does an excellent job exposing the BJU cult in this work titled: 'The Alexandrian Cult Series.' BJU is also a cult because they preach another gospel called 'Lordship Salvation.' They do not preach a free grace Gospel, which is by faith alone without works. Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) rightly exposes Lordship Salvation as a perversion of God's grace. Pastor Jack Hyles exposes the Devil's damnable lie of Lordship Salvation.
Even today in 2023, we hear corrupt preachers errantly teaching people that you must keep the law if you are saved. No, you do not! You SHOULD keep the law (Romans 3:31), obeying God's commandments, but if you don't, then grace will much more abound (Romans 5:20, 6:1). The more that we sin as saints, the more God's grace abounds, so that no child of God can ever lose salvation. We may lose our happiness and sweet fellowship with the Lord because of sin, but we can never lose what wasn't ours to give in the first place. If we couldn't be saved by good works, then we certainly cannot be lost by bad works. Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9).
Beware Of The Bob Jones University Cult
Bob Jones University falsely teaches that faith is not enough to be saved. Their Statement of Faith errantly requires you to “repent and turn away from your sins” to be saved. That is NOT the Gospel, it is a manmade plan of damnation. Listen friend, the most dangerous thing that you will ever do is to trust a preacher! Some people asked Jesus what 'WORKS' they must do to be saved. Jesus simply told them to 'BELIEVE ON HIM.' John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” There is the simplicity of salvation, which is the Gospel.
If confused churchgoers who think that you must forsake a lifestyle of sinning, or be willing to forsake a lifestyle of sinning, to get to heaven are really saved, then what about water baptism? Are Churches of Christ cult members saved, who believe that you cannot go to Heaven without being dunked in a baptistery? No, they are not saved. No one is saved who has the ungodly mindset that faith in the 'Good News' (Gospel) of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen is insufficient to get to Heaven. JESUS PAID IT ALL!!!
Having said all that, you CAN be doctrinally confused and still be saved, but not concerning the Gospel itself. For example: Evangelist Kent Hovind falsely teaches that those who believe in an Old Earth Creation are not saved, because he claims they are corrupting the Gospel by teaching that sin existed before Adam. First, Kent Hovind is grasping for straws. Whatever you believe about the age of the earth doesn't affect the Gospel or getting saved. Second, sin DID exist before Adam. Eve dinned before Adam. The serpent (Satan) sinned before Adam. The fallen angels sinned before Adam. So Kent Hovind doesn't know what he is talking about.
Another example is Pastor Steven Anderson's blatant heresy that Jesus burned in Hell for three days. He couldn't be more wrong! Jesus plainly told the repentant thief on the cross in Luke 23:43, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Unless you think burning in Hell is Paradise, you must conclude that Pastor Anderson is doctrinally wrong in this matter. Yet, having said that, I love and support Pastor Anderson's soulwinning ministry. God is using this young man to reach millions of lost sinners with the Gospel, and to convict a wicked nation of our depth of sins. I respectfully disagree with Pastor Anderson on at least 10 different doctrines, but he is correct on the two main issues of the inspiration of the King James Bible and a free grace Gospel.
So you CAN be messed up doctrinally and still be saved, but the moment that you add or subtract from the finished redemptive work of Christ, you are evidencing that you've never been born again. No one is saved, who having been shown the truth in the Word of God, still chooses to deny Jesus' deity, the Godhead (Trinity), Jesus' sinless life, et cetera. Now, this doesn't mean that you have to know these things to be saved. I was saved at age 13, but didn't learn that Jesus is God until I was 18. But when I learned that Bible truth, I immediately accepted it as true, because the indwelling Holy Spirit bared witness with my spirit that it is the truth concerning Christ my Savior.
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.” I cherish this passage of Scripture. The Old Testament Sabbath Day was symbolic of the coming Messiah, in whom all who rest are saved. Just as God rested from His labors on the seventh day, so also are we saved by ceasing from our works and wholly resting in Jesus' name. It is that simple to go to Heaven. To be saved, you simply need to BELIEVE that Jesus did it all for you.
If you would like to go to Heaven...
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 Son to pay for all of our sins. 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, He knows it and He saves you. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlasting life”(John 6:47). 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. “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” (Ephesians 2:8-9). —Michael P. Bowen, 'I Never Knew You,' p. xii
Please don't let some sincere but misled lying preacher take you with him to the Lake of Fire. You are either wholly trusting in Jesus Christ and are saved, or you're adding something to it and have not yet been saved. I thank God for doctrinally sound preachers like Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001)...
'The Gospel Or Another Gospel'
(by Pastor Jack Hyles)
(by Pastor Jack Hyles)
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