Pastor R. A. Torrey's Damnable Repentance Heresy

Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

One of the greatest religious leaders of the early 20th century was Reuben Archer Torrey (1856-1928). He was commonly known as “R.A. Torrey,” an American evangelist, pastor, educator, and writer. Called by Dwight L. Moody to head Bible institute in Chicago (now Moody Bible Institute). Certainly, Dwight Moody was a mighty man and preacher, and I recognize him as a hero of the Christian faith. My favorite of all the Moody Memorial Church pastors was Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951). Dr. Ironside pastored Moody Memorial Church between 1930-1948. Dr. Torrey joined Dwight L. Moody in his evangelistic work in Chicago in 1889, and became superintendent of the Bible Institute of the Chicago Evangelization Society (now Moody Bible Institute).

Dr. R.A. Torrey was unquestionably sincere, but as all men, he was imperfect in his theology. I have never found one man, neither living or dead, who was without some doctrinal error. Only God's Words are infallible, perfect, inspired, inerrant and divinely preserved. I believe those divinely inspired preserved words to be the King James Bible for the English-speaking world.

Having said that, I must expose what I believe to be doctrinal error in R.A. Torrey's “WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES,” in which he states:

“II. What Is Repentance?

(1) THE ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD USED: 

The primary thought of the Hebrew word translated 'repent' in the Old Testament is, to pant, to sigh, to groan, and so to lament, to grieve, to grieve about one's doing. ... The Greek word in the New Testament translated 'repent' means 'To change one's mind.'

The same Greek word is used in the LXX for the Hebrew word mentioned above. So its New Testament meaning is to be determined by this Old Testament usage. There is another Greek word used in the New Testament five times and translated 'repent.' This word means, 'it is a care to one afterwards,' —i.e., it 'repents one.' This word is also used in the LXX for the Hebrew word mentioned above. The thought of both sorrow and change of purpose is in the words.”

SOURCE: Pastor R.A. Torrey, “What The Bible Teaches,” p. 353; ©1898, Fleming H. Revell Company

Contrary to what many believers have wrongly been taught, the “Septuagint” is of the Devil. The word “Septuagint” means “70” (or Roman Numeral “LXX”). Between the Old and New Testament, allegedly 70 scholars translated the Old Testament Hebrew into Greek, but this is a myth. The “Septuagint” (LXX) Is A Hoax! Beware Of The Septuagint, Which Is Corrupted Alexandrian Text (it was fabricated in Alexandria, Egypt). The King James Bible is based upon the Masoretic Hebrew text.

Evangelist David W. Daniel's exposes the fraudulent Septuagint:

But do we Christians need the Alexandrian manuscripts? Not at all! For the Old Testament we have the Preserved Words of God in the Hebrew Masoretic text. For the New Testament we have the 5,000-plus manuscripts in Greek, plus the many early translations spread abroad, to witness to the actual words of Christ and His apostles.

So the Septuagint story is a hoax. It was not written before Christ; so it was not used by Jesus or His apostles. It is the only set of manuscripts to include the Apocrypha mixed in with the books of the Bible, so as to justify the Roman Catholic inclusion of them in their Bibles. And it is just those same, perverted Alexandrian codices—the same ones that mess up the New Testament—dressed up in pretty packaging.

Let's stick to our preserved Bible, the King James Bible in English, and leave the Alexandrian perversions alone.

SOURCE: Dr. David W. Daniel's; What Is The Septuagint?

Dr. Torrey gets into hot water doctrinally with the following embellishment of the word “repent”:

“In the usage of the words the thought of regret, and the thought of change of purpose and action, are both found; but the emphasis is upon the change of purpose and action, especially in the first New Testament word mentioned above. In our day there is a danger of underestimating the importance of sorrow for sin. Sorrow for sin is not repentance, but it is an element in repentance. What the repentance or change of mind is about must be determined by the context. Repentance for sin is such a sorrow for sin or abhorrence of sin, such a change of mind about it, as leads the sinner to turn away from it with all his heart.”

SOURCE: Dr. R.A. Torrey; “What The Bible Teaches,” p. 355; ©1898, Fleming H. Revell Company

That is heresy!!! Dr. Torrey is wrong on the subject of repentance. It is a false Gospel to tell unsaved people that they must feel “sorrow” for their sins to be saved. This is the English meaning of the word repent, not the Biblical Greek meaning. Mr. Torrey foolishly attempts to embellish the meaning of repentance from being “a change of mind” to being “a change of life,” by overlaying the New Testament with the Old Testament. That's like comparing green beans to coconuts. The word “repent” in the Old Testament is never used concerning salvation. The word “repent” is mentioned 45 times in the Old Testament. At least 40 of those times, repent refers to God and not man. That fact speaks volumes!!! There is no connection between the word “repent” and salvation in the Old Testament.

The only requirement to BELIEVE THE GOSPEL is to repent (think differently) about whatever has been hindering you from believing the Gospel. A person is born-again the very moment that they BELIEVE. 1st Corinthians 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” The idea of turning away from sins as a prerequisite to placing one's faith in the Gospel is totally unbiblical. You cannot show me even one mention in the Holy Bible that says to “turn from sins” or “repent of sins” to be saved. This includes the Old Testament. In nearly every mention of the word “repent” in the Old Testament, it is God that is God doing the repenting, not man.

Deep Sorrow For Sin, Regret And Hatred Of it, Are Not Requirements To Believe The Gospel

The idea of repentance being a deep sorrow for sin, and regret over past actions, and a purpose to turn away from it, is not a requirement to receive the free gift of God, which is eternal life. The following is heresy taught by Pastor Torrey, the same wrong meaning of repentance as espoused by Roman Catholicism...

“Repentance for sin is such a sorrow for sin or abhorrence of sin, such a change of mind about it, as leads the sinner to turn away from it with all his heart.”

SOURCE: Dr. R.A. Torrey; “What The Bible Teaches,” p. 355; ©1898, Fleming H. Revell Company

I do not agree with the unbiblical use of sacraments in the Episcopal Church. However, the following explanation of metanoia by Episcopal Pastor Eli Brayley is superbly written, with which I agree wholeheartedly:

Simply put, metanoia is a word filled with remarkable meaning by the preaching of Christ and the apostles. It is not a word that comes replete with it's own meaning. The English word "repentance", on the other hand, comes filled with it's own meaning - it needs no supplementation by context. Repentance means to feel remorse or regret for your sins; it's Latin root literally means "pain; suffering in view of being liable to punishment". Metanoia has no such meaning associated with it. The word is Greek, and it is made up of two words: meta & nous. Meta means "after" or "change", and nous is the Greek word for "mind". The word means "after-mind" and signifies a change of mind: thinking one way, but then afterwards thinking another. It is the opposite of pronoia (pro-nous) which means before-mind: the mind or thinking you have before. Interestingly, there is another Greek word we frequently use in English that is related to metanoia: it is paranoia (para-nous). Literally, the word means to be beside-mind, or we would say "out of your mind", or "beside yourself." Paranoia is not being in a right mind, but having a mind that is off center - that is, not where it should be. If you compare metanoia and paranoia together, you get the idea of what the New Testament call for metanoia is: it is a command to change your mind and get it where it should be.

Of course, metanoia, when used as a command ("change your mind") needs supplementation by context; it needs to be filled with more information because we need to know what we are supposed to change our mind about. It can be something small (metanoia about how to spell "judgment"), to something enormously large (metanoia about your religious worldview). The sky is the limit with metanoia, and that is precisely the point of the remarkable function of the word in the New Testament. It is not restricted, like "repentance", to a narrow meaning of pain and sorrow for sin, which we then have to force unnaturally to fit with the gospel. It is a change of mind unto the gospel itself. 

The gospel is what the change of mind is about. The preaching of Jesus and the apostles speaks to the nous and men change or don't change their mind as they hear it. When a man changes his mind at the preaching of the gospel, he has experienced metanoia. Thus, the proclamation of metanoia at the beginning of the New Testament is the doorway into the entire rest of the doctrine of the New Testament: Change your mind! About what? Listen! A radical mindshift in the religious world is about to happen... no, it is happening now... What we thought about God and the law and righteousness and forgiveness is all about to change. Hear! Metanoia and believe the gospel!

New Testament metanoia is a divine call to a radical mind-shift in the way men think about religion. Therefore "repentance" is an entirely unsatisfactory translation of the amazing word "metanoia" which gives a completely different feeling to the preaching of Jesus and His apostles. Was the major proclamation of Jesus and the apostles "Repent! Feel sorry for your sins"? Or was it "Metanoia! Think a new way"! 

Do you see what a difference these two words make? Which one is in keeping with the gospel of grace as we know it from the New Testament? Not the first, but the second. The gospel calls us to a new way of thinking about religion. Whereas men think that they are good, and that obedience to the law is the way of salvation, and that the law only requires partial obedience, and that most people won't perish, Jesus calls us to believe that there is none good, and that no one will be saved by obedience to the law, because the law requires perfect obedience, and that broad is the road that leads to destruction. 

The apostles call us to believe that the cross of Christ is the power and the wisdom of God, the only way whereby we are saved, and live, through faith, while the world thinks that the cross is foolishness. Which word best summarizes this kind of preaching: "repent", or "metanoia"? Certainly not the first, but the second.

SOURCE: The Great Meaning Of Metanoia

Amen, that is 100% accurate and biblical.

In sharp contrast, Pastor R.A. Torrey does what false prophets typically do. That is, he begins by making a true statement, but then subtly builds from that truthfully statement an entire system of falsehood and heresy. False prophets will come at you with a word salad. Dr. Torrey begins by defining repentance correctly as “a change of mind,” but then he makes the following heretical exaggerated false claim:

“In the usage of the words the thought of regret, and the thought of change of purpose and action, are both found; but the emphasis is upon the change of purpose and action, especially in the first New Testament word mentioned above. In our day there is a danger of underestimating the importance of sorrow for sin. Sorrow for sin is not repentance, but it is an element in repentance. What the repentance or change of mind is about must be determined by the context. Repentance for sin is such a sorrow for sin or abhorrence of sin, such a change of mind about it, as leads the sinner to turn away from it with all his heart.”

SOURCE: Dr. R.A. Torrey; “What The Bible Teaches,” p. 355; ©1898, Fleming H. Revell Company

Dr. Torrey wrongly assumes that repentance is a change of mind about sinful bad habits. That is the English understanding of what it means to “repent,” not the Greek word “metanoia.” Effectively, R.A. Torrey is teaching the heresy of Lordship Salvation.

We Are Saved By God's Imputed Righteousness

But we do read in Genesis 15:6 that Abraham's faith was imputed (counted) for righteousness. Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” This is the Gospel. The Gospel is not predicated by turning away from sinful behavior as Dr. Torrey errantly teaches. I mean no unkindness to Dr. Torrey, but the Gospel as defined in the Bible does not require forsaking the world, ceasing from sinful bad habits, nor following Jesus as the “Lord” of one's life. None of these constitute the Gospel.

As appealing as R.A. Torrey's teachings on repentance may be, the Biblical doctrine of IMPUTATION exposes Mr. Torrey as a false prophet. Romans 4:5-6, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.” The word “counted” in Romans 4:5 comes from the same exact Greek word, logizomai, as “impute” in verse 6. A man's faith is IMPUTED for righteousness!!! This totally leaves out the concept of turning away from sins to be saved.

Granted, the entire reason for God saving a man is to liberate him from the chains of sin, and the power of darkness. Colossians 1:13, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” God saves believers UNTO GOOD WORKS, not BY GOOD WORKS. Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Please don't get the wrong idea that I think Christians have God's permission to live in habitual sin, because we don't (Romans 3:31); but if a believer does choose to live in deliberate sin, their eternal security is not in jeopardy (as Evangelists Ray Comfort and Paul Washer falsely teach). This is why there are two separate judgments: one for believers (2nd Corinthians 5:9-11) and another for unbelievers (Revelation 20:11-15). Jesus died for our sins on the cross. 

We've been bought with a price, and that “price” is the precious blood of Jesus. 1st Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” If you are a born-again believer, you completely belong to God. We ought to live for the Lord as believers. However, regardless of how we choose to live our life, eternal life is a free gift. The two are not related. Salvation and Discipleship are two separate matters.

It is gross theological incompetence for Bible teachers to turn Romans 10:9 into a requirement to be saved. Of all the hundreds of references in the New Testament to believing the Gospel to be saved, only once in Romans 10:9 do we read anything about “confession” being related to salvation. I have found umpteen websites which require “confessing 'Jesus is Lord'” to be saved. This is a false Gospel. Whereas the King James Bible correctly says, “That if though shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,” the corrupted New International Version (NIV) says, “That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord'.” This is the corrupted Alexandrian text of Satan. The Bible does not require declaring Jesus as one's Lord to be saved. This is works. Many of today's preachers are caught between grace and works.

The Bible gives us clear evidence that it is possible to BELIEVE THE GOSPEL and still refuse to confess Christ. This plainly teaches us that salvation does not require confession. Romans 10:9 is often taken out of context. It is improper Bible exegesis to lift a Bible verse out of context and base a doctrine of just one passage of Scripture.

John 12:42-43, “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” Anybody who teaches that a person must “confess Jesus” to be saved is teaching heresy. The chief rulers who believed were saved, but “THEY DID NOT CONFESS HIM” (John 12:42-43).

Refuting Evangelist David W. Cloud On Repentance

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.”

There are a great many dangerous wolves in sheep's clothing lurking in Baptist churches today who pervert the Gospel. False prophets are everywhere! One such lying false teacher is Missionary David W. Cloud in China, who has a popular religious website at Wayoflife.org.

Recently on October 14th, 2025, Mr. Cloud published a heretical article titled, “Repentance Is a Necessary Part of Christ’s Great Commission.” In the following excerpt from his toxic misrepresentation of the inspired Scripture, Pastor Cloud foolishly uses the results of various cases of repentance in the Bible to define the word itself, which is horribly incompetent scholarship! In the Holy Bible, to “repent” concerning salvation as a noun is always metanoia (a change of mind), and as a verb metanoeo (to think differently). A man may change his mind to turn from his unbelief, or to turn from his sinning, or he may change his mind not to do something, et cetera. That being said, the OBJECT of the change of mind has absolutely nothing to do with the actual act of changing one's thinking. David Cloud is foolishly using the OBJECT of repentance to define what it means, which is WRONG. The following heretical excerpt is from his ministry website. ...

What is repentance? Following are seven lessons on repentance, and all of these lessons are interconnected:

- Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of life (“that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance,” Ac. 26:20).

- Repentance is a surrender to God’s authority (“repentance toward God,” Ac. 20:21). The unsaved is a born rebel against God. He is estranged from God. He is a child of disobedience (Eph. 2:2). He fulfills the desires of the flesh and of the mind and is by nature the child of wrath (Eph. 2:3). The sinner must repent of his rebellion against God and his life of self-will.

- Repentance is to renounce the life of sin (“Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts,” Re. 9:21).

- Repentance is to turn to God from idols (“ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,” 1 Th. 1:9). Idols represents every false religion and every false thing that men trust in - Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, goddess worship, witchcraft, evolutionary atheism, false christs, false gospels, false spirits, Roman Catholicism, Greek Orthodoxy, baptismal regeneration, infant baptism, sacramentalism, Mariolatry. There must be public renunciation of such things. I think of a couple in our church who were saved about 15 years ago and who were trusting in false Christianity and false religion. The husband was a Hindu, and the wife was Greek Orthodox. In the process of being dealt with about salvation, they repented of their false worship and renounced it. The wife rejected her infant baptism and icon worship. Both were persecuted by their families. Soon after he was saved, the husband’s father died and the Hindu family put great pressure on him to perform the idolatrous death rituals because he was the eldest son. He refused to do this. This is clear evidence of true repentance..

- Repentance is a work of the Spirit (“ye be endued with power from on high,” Lu. 24:49; “if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth,” 2 Ti. 2:25).

- Repentance is also man’s response to God’s Spirit (“God now commandeth all men every where to repent,” Ac. 17:30).

- Repentance is a product of God’s Word. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). The man who led me to Christ dealt with me over a period of about four days that we spent traveling together. When we first met, I didn’t believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God, that Christ is the only Lord and Saviour, and that hell is the destiny of all who did without faith in Christ. I believed in reincarnation. The man simply quoted the relevant Scriptures to refute my thinking and he explained those Scriptures to me. I argued with the Bible, but it was the Bible that broke through the darkness of my mind and brought me to repentance and faith.

READ MORE: https://www.wayoflife.org/reports/repentance-is-part-of-great-commission.php

I hope you can clearly see how David Cloud is corrupting the inspired Word of God and perverting the simplicity that is in Christ, which is the Gospel (Romans 1:16). Galatians 1:6-7, “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.” Pastor Lester Roloff (1914-1982) said it well, “The worst pervert in America is the Gospel pervert!” David Cloud is a gospel pervert!!!

Pastor Cloud perverts the following passage of Scripture by interpreting it as a plan of salvation. Acts 26:19-20, “Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” David Cloud sinfully attempts to require works (turning from your sins) for salvation! But the Apostle Paul simply told King Agrippa that he preached salvation through faith in Jesus to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. Paul exhorted these groups to change their mind (repent) toward God, and then once saved to live like it to glorify God (Matthew 5:16). But Paul was not giving King Agrippa a plan of salvation in Verse 20! If you fail to understand this, you will become confused.

In Acts 26:14-15, Paul tells King Agrippa that Jesus personally appeared unto him on the road to Damascus. In Acts 26:18 Jesus commanded Paul, “To open their [the Gentiles] eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” There it is dear reader! Paul very plainly tells King Agrippa how to be saved in Verse 18, which is BY FAITH THAT IS IN JESUS!!! Paul didn't require them to first be willing to forsake their sinning, which according to Jonah 3:10 would constitute “works.” David Cloud is guilty of cherry-picking the Word of God to support his own perverse agenda!

Nowhere in Acts chapter 26 does the inspired Word of God teach that a lost sinner must repent of their sins to get to Heaven. God's curse is upon David Cloud for perverting God's simple plan of salvation (Galatians 1:6-9). Paul said to King Agrippa that he taught the newly converted Gentiles to “do works” appropriate for their new birth. We often hear preachers quote Ephesians 2:8-9 about salvation by grace through faith without works, but they leave off Verse 10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” This is exactly what Paul means in Acts 26:20. As God's children we SHOULD live godly in Christ Jesus (Titus 2:12).

Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) wisely said, “A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one.” Mr. Cloud is wickedly misusing seven obscure Scripture passages which have absolutely nothing to do with God's free gift of eternal life, to wrest God's Word to support his Strawman argument of partial faith in Christ plus works (forsaking your sins). This is NOT what it means to repent!!!

In sharp contrast to David Cloud's damnable heresy, Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951) gets repentance 100% correct...

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

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

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

I think Michael P. Bowen, in his excellent defense of the Christian faith titled, 'I NEVER KNEW YOU,' says it well. ...

I am at eternal odds with the false, counterfeit messages of salvation-by-works that are taught from virtually every pulpit today, on every television channel, and on every Christian radio station; however, I am not at eternal odds with the individuals who preach these counterfeit messages. My heart literally goes out to all of them because they simply do not understand Christ’s plan of salvation. They have been lied to by a crafty enemy named Satan, whose sole aim is to take as many people with him to the lake of fire as he can possibly manage to steal away from God using a counterfeit plan of salvation that appears so real, so genuine, and so holy that few ever realize they have been deceived by it. Oh reader, so many of today’s professing Christians who think they are going to heaven when they die are not going to make it to heaven as they had assumed because they’ve been lied to by today’s error-filled gospel messages.

SOURCE: Michael Patrick Bowen, 'I NEVER KNEW YOU,' p. 17; © 2009, Xulonpress.com. Hard Copies Available

Listen to what Pastor Harry Ironside correctly states about repentance in chapter 16 of his book, 'EXCEPT YE REPENT' ...

“In all that I have written I have failed completely to express what was surging up in my soul if I have given anyone the impression that I think of repentance as something meritorious which must be produced in man by self-effort ere he is fit to come to God for salvation.”

SOURCE: Dr. Harry Ironside, a quote from chapter 16, 'THE PREACHING THAT PRODUCES REPENTANCE,' from his timeless classic book, 'EXCEPT YE REPENT'

Repentance is not a separate event from faith, although they are not the same thing. Here is the best quote that I've found on repentance, by Dr. Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951):

“Which comes first, repentance or faith? In Scripture we read, 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel.' Yet we find true believers exhorted to 'repent, and do the first works.' So intimately are the two related that you cannot have one without the other. The man who believes God repents; the repentant soul puts his trust in the Lord when the Gospel is revealed to him. Theologians may wrangle over this, but the fact is, no man repents until the Holy Spirit produces repentance in his soul through the truth. No man believes the Gospel and rests in it for his own salvation until he has judged himself as a needy sinner before God. And this is repentance.” ('Except Ye Repent,' p. 16)

The only thing that we need to repent from to be saved is our UNBELIEF. You don't get saved by repenting, you get saved by believing; but repentance facilitates (makes possible) believing. No needy sinner has ever believed the Gospel to be saved, who didn't change their mind from unbelief to belief, and that is repentance. 

Consider the following helpful quote by Pastor Harry Ironside...

"Repentance is the recognition of my sinnership—the owning before God that I am as vile as He has declared me to be in His holy Word."

SOURCE: 'Except Ye Repent,' by Dr. Harry Ironside, chapter 3

Bravo! Christian author Michael Patrick Bowen rightly states in his excellent book titled, “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” on page 114...

“Repent, as Christ meant it to be in terms of salvation, means to change your mind from trusting in what you can do for God to trusting only in what He can do for you.”

SOURCE: Michael Patrick Bowen, a quote from the awesome book, “I NEVER KNEW YOU” (Page 114)

The beloved Pastor Bob Gray Sr. of the Longview Baptist Temple church in Texas correctly preaches . . .

“Repentance means to change your mind—change your mind—change your mind about how you want to get to Heaven to what God says you've got to do to get to Heaven. If you've got to repent of all your sins, you're still headed for Hell tonight.”

SOURCE: Pastor Bob Gray Sr., a quote from the awesome MP3 sermon, 'Why You Should Be A Part Of A Growing Church'

Pastor Tom Cucuzza makes this tremendous helpful statement...

“The Devil is doing his greatest work behind pulpits. [I] hate to say it, but that's the truth; because people have the presupposition that when you come to church and somebody gets up to speak, that person is speaking truth. That's the way we've been raised.” —Pastor Thomas M. Cucuzza, “Important Truths Satan Does Not Want You to Know”

The Bible in the hands of an idiot is the most dangerous weapon mankind has ever faced. I and my wife were recently kicked out of Family Baptist Church in Pensacola over my website ministry. Their ungodly pastors (Brad and Bobby Moffett) are neo-evangelicals fools. Their official Statement of Faith unbiblical requires that to be saved you MUST, “repent of your sins.” You cannot show me that teaching with a King James Bible! You'd have to go get one of the Devil's corrupt Bible revisions to find any such lies.

Dr. Mark G. Cambron Has Repentance 100% Correct

Here is an excellent and needful writing by Dr. Mark G. Cambron (1911-2000) on the subject of REPENTANCE. Please read the following quote carefully, because Dr. Cambron is one of few theologian who gets it, that is, he understands the simplicity of the Gospel and that repentance does not mean turning from sin as proponents of Lordship Salvation foolishly teach...

Repentance is necessary for salvation.

The Greek word for repent is metanoeo, which, translated into English is: to change ones mind. It does not mean to turn from sin. That would add works to salvation.

Repentance for salvation means a change of mind from men's ideas of salvation and religion, to an acceptance of Gods only way of salvation.

This results in a completely new creation, not a reformation of the old. The old nature remains as evil as ever after salvation and has not been reformed . . . The old nature can now be controlled by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

• God guarantees salvation. This is His gift to us.
• God guarantees reward and fruit to the obedient son.
• God guarantees chastening and loss of rewards to the disobedient son.

God does not cast out disobedient children, but in some cases, does take them home. He does not permit His children to live as they please without His discipline and guidance.

Many teach repentance for salvation incorrectly, by including some form of human effort or righteousness, such as willingness to turn from sin, or turning from sin. This is heresy and has confused many people. It adds works to salvation and causes many to not understand Gods great gift. It is probation, not salvation. It is completely unscriptural. It is Galatianism and a counterfeit of the gospel.

It is a tragedy that many Christians live shallow Christian lives. The Cambron Institute is dedicated to the task of training Christian men and women in the importance of total dedication and making Jesus the Lord of their lives not to be saved but because they are saved.

Shallow Christianity cannot be cured by adding works to salvation.

Salvation is not the result of what we do, but is by receiving what God has done for us. Acts 13:38, 39; Acts 20:20: Gal. 1:8,9; Gal. 2:4; Gal. 2:21; Gal. 3:1.3; Gal. 5:1-4; Eph. 2:8-10; II Cor. 5:21;John 3:16-18; Phil. 3:9; Titus 3:5-8:11 Cor. 11:13-1 5.

SOURCE: The Cambron Institute

Dear reader, I cannot warn you enough to avoid false prophets like Pensacola Christian College, Bob Jones University, Faith Baptist Bible College And Theological Seminary and Maranatha Baptist University, to name but a few of thousands of corrupt institutions today on the Gospel.

Also, all of the following churches in the city of Pensacola are corrupt on the Gospel:

1. Family Baptist Church (affiliated with PCC)
2. Smyrna Baptist Church (affiliated with PCC)
3. Fairfield Baptist Church (their pastor John Thompson teaches at PCC)
4. Bible Baptist Church (Peter S. Ruckman's cult)
5. Victory Baptist Church
6. First Baptist Church of Pensacola (members of the Southern Baptist Convention)
7. Campus Church (at Pensacola Christian College)
8. New Warrington Baptist Church

That's just a handful of the religious cults in Pensacola today who are WRONG on God's simple plan of salvation, damning men's souls to an eternal Hell. All of these cults preach Satan's lie of Lordship Salvation—that is, turn from your sins, become a Christ follower, invite Jesus into your life, give your life to Christ—to be saved. Those are Devil houses of worship!

David W. Cloud woefully misinterprets Revelation 9:21, “Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” Pastor Cloud teaches that this obscure passage proves that to get to Heaven you must “renounce a life of sin” (which literally means to give up your sinful life). How is that not works? This passage deals with the future Tribulation period, which has absolutely nothing to do with getting saved.

Listen, God specifically authored the Gospel of John to show us the way of salvation (John 20:31), which is through faith in the GOOD NEWS (GOSPEL) of the Lord Jesus Christ—who was crucified to death on a cross, buried and physically resurrected from the dead three days later for the justification of our faith (1st Corinthians 15:1-6).

In sharp contrast, David Cloud is desperately grasping for straws, wresting obscure passages of Scripture which do not apply to salvation at all, taking Scripture out of context. When you take text out of context, you create a new pretext. That's not good! None of the Scripture verses that Pastor Cloud cited have anything to do with the new birth, which is by faith alone in Jesus Christ our Savior (Galatians 3:26).

In our text passage of Scripture, the Bible plainly tells us what is required to get to Heaven. 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.” Contrary to David Cloud's false teachings, nowhere in the inspired King James Bible do we find anyone telling someone else to repent of their sins to be saved. Wicked men added those words to God's Words (Proverbs 30:5-6; Mark 7:9).

Thank you for reading my ministry blog. To God be all the praise, credit and glory!

Ray Comfort's Damnable Duplicity:
“Repent of Your Sins” False Gospel

Praying, Asking And Calling Are Not Required To Be Born Again

Acts 10:43-44, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.”

The Apostle Peter preached the Gospel to Cornelius and his companions in Acts chapter 10. Peter didn't stop at any point in his sermon to give an invitation for the audience to ask to be saved. Peter didn't give an invitation for anyone to walk down an aisle to learn how to be saved. The apostle didn't tell them to pray a sinner's prayer. No, Peter simply told them about Jesus, the Christ, who was crucified on a cross for their sins, buried and then miraculously resurrected three days later. Peter said that all the Bible prophets gave witness in their preaching “that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43b). Faith in Christ produces instant forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

In Acts 10:44 we read, “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word,” signifying that they believed in their hearts to be saved. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” When someone hears the Gospel correctly presented and BELIEVES IT, they are instantly and forever saved. Nothing more is required. Titus 3:5a, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...”

Salvation does not include a probationary period to watch that individual's life to see if their behavior has changed. The hellbound false prophets in Matthew 7:21-23 boasted of their “many wonderful works” done in Jesus name, and by all outward indications it appeared that they were saved. Yet, to their utter horror Jesus denied knowing them as His sheep, and they went to burn in the Lake of Fire forever. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born again. Ninety-nine percent of religious people are going straight to Hell when they breathe their last breath on earth.

This beautiful passage from Acts chapter 10 will give you the sweet assurance of salvation. I was always troubled that I didn't pray right after I got saved at age 13. For several years I feared that I might not be saved, thinking perhaps I missed something when I prayed the sinner's prayer to be saved. Since I couldn't remember what I had prayed, I couldn't settle the matter of salvation. I used to cry many tears because my heart was full of worry and anxiety. I knew that saying a prayer didn't save someone, faith did, but I had been taught by every Baptist pastor and religious tract that you must pray to be saved. Boy was I lied to!

I wrote an article nine years ago based on 10:43 and 44 titled, “Peter Preaches The Simple Gospel.” I humbly think the main reason why people struggle with assurance of salvation is because instead of searching the Scripture as Jesus commanded in John 5:39, “for in them ye think ye have eternal life,” they search the teachings of men, following misguided preachers.

As we beautifully see in the biblical account of Cornelius, the Apostle Peter didn't tell his listeners to do anything to be saved, he simply preached the Gospel unto them and they BELIEVED what they heard and were born again.

This is what is meant in Hebrews 4:2, “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

This is what is meant in Galatians 3:1, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

The inspired Word of God is so clear and plain to see in this important matter of salvation. The Gospel is not Good News to be lived; but rather, Good News to be believed. John 11:25, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” Again and again in the Scripture we are taught to simply believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. 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.”

There are numerous unlearned preachers in the New Independent Fundamental Baptist (New IFB) movement today, who errantly teach that you cannot be saved without praying. Such nonsense is totally unbiblical. I and my ministry friend Onorato Diamante have been relentlessly attacked on social media by some nuts in the New IFB, because we uphold the biblical truth that you can be saved by simply believing the Gospel without praying a sinner's prayer. 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.”

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.” If people would just SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES instead of following the teachings of men, they wouldn't be misled. Mark 7:9, “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Let God be true, but every man a liar (Romans 3:4).

Sadly, there is an army of fools today who adamantly follow Pastor Steven Anderson in the New IFB, idolizing his every teaching while totally disregarding the commandments of God when he goes astray. For example: Pastor Anderson recently denied that Jesus was omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent while upon the earth. Folks, that is heresy! I love Pastor Anderson, but like all preachers he sometimes strikes out when he bats.

Respectfully, Pastor Anderson is also wrong that you must call, ask and pray to be saved. In a futile attempt to justify his heresy, he cites John 4:10, “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” But if you read the rest of chapter 4 not one mention is made of any Samaritans asking Christ to save them. The Bible says “many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did” (John 4:39). John 4:41, “And many more believed because of his own word.” No Samaritan asked Jesus to save them, the Bible says they simply BELIEVED and were instantly saved.

You Cannot Be A Christian And Believe In Infant Baptism

Acts 8:5-6 and 12-13, “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. ...But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.”

In the inspired Word of God, new converts were always water baptized AFTER they believed. That is, water baptism always follows betting born again, never before, nor as a means of obtaining the new birth. Water baptism is simply one's public profession of faith. In our text passage of Scripture, some of the Samaritan people BELIEVED on the name of Jesus Christ to be saved, and then they were water baptized. Likewise, afterwards Simon (who had been a sorcerer) BELIEVED on the name of Jesus to be saved, and then he was also baptized.

Since the second century AD, the pagan practice of baptizing infants began, which became widespread during the third and fourth centuries until these modern times. I triple-dog dare you to show me anywhere in the inspired Holy Bible where an infant was baptized. You cannot dear reader!

My long time ministry friend, Pastor Max D. Younce (1935-2023), exposes the demonic deception of Infant Baptism in this helpful two-part sermon series:...

• Infant Baptism - Part 01
• Infant Baptism - Part 02

You cannot be a born again Christian and support infant baptism because:

1. Infant baptism cannot wash away a child's sins.
2. An infant is not old enough to understand the concepts of sin, Christ, redemption or forgiveness.
3. An infant is not old enough to choose to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. The heathen practice of infant baptism began in the second century AD.
5. Infant baptism is nowhere taught in the inspired Holy Bible.

If you think that an infant can be saved by water baptism, without actually putting one's faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, then it reveals your woeful ignorance of God's simple plan of salvation, revealing your own lost condition dear friend. Every truly born again saint fully understands that no one can be saved without trusting Christ. A baby is far too young to even speak or walk, let alone comprehend God's plan of redemption through faith in Jesus.

Granted, we know that all babies who die go to Heaven, because everyone's name is already recorded into the Lamb's Book of Life, until they knowingly reject Jesus as their Savior. Nowhere in the Holy Bible do we read where someone's name was added to the Book of Life, but in numerous places we read where someone's name was removed (blotted out) of the Lamb's Book of Life. This is because at conception everyone's name is already recorded in the Book of Life. When a man rejects Christ (or perverts God's Word which is essentially the same as rejecting Jesus, whose name is “The Word of God” according to Revelation 19:13), only then is his name removed from the Lamb's Book of Life (Revelation 22:19).

Roman Catholics wickedly wrest the Scriptures to fit their own ungodly manmade traditions, fully rejecting the commandments of God (Mark 7:9). Catholics pervert Colossians 2:11-12, claiming that circumcision in this passage somehow refers to infant baptism, which is ridiculous. I learned a long time ago that anything can be justified.

Pastor John MacArthur does the same wicked thing as Catholics do, falsely claiming that Jesus' “blood” in Hebrews 9:12 somehow merely refers to His death, not Christ's literal liquid blood. Dr. MacArthur is a hellbound infidel, a liar and a theological fraud! And so is the Satanic Roman Catholic false religion, which will lead you into Hell if you follow their damnable false teachings and manmade traditions (Matthew 15:8). Catholics are the blind leading the blind.

Infant Baptism is a heathen ritual that no New Testament local church ought ever practice. In the inspired Holy Bible, only converts were water baptized AFTER they got saved. No infant was ever baptized, and no one was ever baptized before they were saved. Nor did anyone ever get water baptized to be saved.

Furthermore, water baptism is NOT necessary or required to get to Heaven. My Grandma (my Mother's Mom) was a born again believer, but she never did get water baptized). God wants His children to get water baptized to show others that we are saved, but this biblical command is not required to be saved. The first step that every believer should take after being born again is to be water baptized in a local Bible-believing church. Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) preaches this biblical truth in his helpful sermon titled: “Then, Satan!”

No child of God should ever attend a heathen fake church that practices the unbiblical ritual of Infant Baptism. It is wickedness and confusion! Beware of the pseudo-Christian cults who teach the damnable heresy of Baptismal Regeneration; namely, Roman and Orthodox Catholics, Mormons, Seventh-Day Adventists, Church of Christ, Lutherans and Jehovah's Witnesses who mandate water baptism for salvation.

When the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved,” they simply replied in Acts 16:31b, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...” No mention is made is water baptism, repenting of your sins, confessing the name of Jesus publicly, praying a prayer, becoming a Christ follower, et cetera. The way to be saved is simply to BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. And to clarify, Paul and Silas were not telling the Philippian jailer that if he got saved his whole family would also be saved; but rather, the invitation to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” to be saved was extended to the man's entire family, if they also chose to believe the Gospel.

When some people asked Jesus in John 6:28b, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?,” the dear Savior replied in verse 29, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” No mention is made is water baptism, repenting of your sins, confessing the name of Jesus publicly, praying a prayer, becoming a Christ follower, et cetera. The way to be saved is simply to BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. That is, to believe the GOOD NEWS (Gospel) of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and physically resurrected the third day (1st Corinthians 15:1-6). Thank you for reading my ministry blog.

The Woeful Hypocrisy Of Baptist Pastors

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.”

I recently heard a Baptist pastor scold a church congregation for their worldly music and movies, yet that same pastor promotes Operation Christmas Child (OCC) run by infidel Franklin Graham. I have heard that same pastor brag on infidel Billy Graham (1918-2018) from the pulpit. We have a serious problem in our churches today of INDIFFERENCE, where pastors don't care enough one way or the other to investigate the people and things they promote. 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟭:𝟭𝟭, “𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀.”

It bothers me considerably to hear a Baptist pastor preach against worldliness (and he should preach against worldliness), while at the same time wickedly bidding Godspeed to neo-evangelical wolves in sheep's clothing like Billy and Franklin Graham. These are devout religious men, not genuine men of God. Billy Graham preaches a counterfeit plan of salvation. The inspired Holy Bible sternly warns in Galatians 1:6-9 that anyone, even an angel, who preaches another gospel is cursed by God almighty. Billy and Franklin Graham are cursed by God. Franklin Graham preaches a counterfeit gospel. It is tragic that thousands of Baptist pastors today ignorantly praise these damnable heretics!

Now, the same local Baptist church that I just mentioned is promoting infidel Ken Ham and his demonic Answers-In-Genesis tommyrot with their FALSE GOSPEL of partial faith in Christ plus works. Dear friend, RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!! It really does. The Bible says people are as sheep (Isaiah 53:6). As such, nearly all people will blindly following whatever their pastor tells them. 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗮𝗵 𝟮𝟯:𝟭, “𝗪𝗼𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲! 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗗.”

Woe unto any pastor and church who wickedly bid Godspeed to Billy and Franklin Graham. Both of these theologically corrupt ministers teach that in order to get to Heaven, you must forsake your sinful bad habits. This is works, not grace. Romans 4:4, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” Where in the world did those men ever get the false idea that the new birth requires forsaking your sinful ways? You cannot show me any such teaching in the inspired Holy Bible.

God authored a specific book in the Holy Bible to show mankind how to get to Heaven. The Gospel of John is God's Gospel tract. 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.” Nowhere in the Gospel of John is the reader taught to turn away from their sins to get to Heaven. Nowhere does the book of John require water baptism, becoming a Christ follower, inviting Jesus into your life, surrendering your will to God, or anything else to get to Heaven. The only requirement is to BELIEVE the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and bodily risen the third day (John chapters 19 and 20). John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

Here is Franklin Graham's Damnable Counterfeit Gospel

Franklin errantly teaches that you MUST turn away from your sins to be saved. This is FALSE REPENTANCE! To get to Heaven, God only requires that you come as a needy sinner, putting your faith (reliance) in the sacrifice of His only begotten Son on the cross, believing that He was buried and then resurrected from the dead. Nowhere does the inspired Scriptures require that you forsake your sinful bad habits to be saved. NO ONE has ever turned from their sins, NO ONE!!! You may reform, as a dirty pig that was cleaned up, but you're still a filthy human being as a sinner. Jesus DIED on a cross to pay our debt of sin. God only requires that you simply BELIEVE Jesus did it all for you to be saved (Acts 16:30-31).

To get to Heaven, Franklin Graham also errantly requires that you give control of your life over to Jesus. This is service, not salvation. This is discipleship, not sonship. This is sanctification, not justification. RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS! You DON'T have to give control of your life to Jesus to get to Heaven; He gave His life on the cross for you dear friend. Tragically, most preachers have the Gospel wrong today! They have made the gross error of following other preacher's mistakes, instead of SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES for themselves (John 5:39).

If your pastor agrees with Franklin Graham, he is either not saved himself, is woefully ignorant, or doesn't care about the accuracy of God's simple plan of salvation. The Devil is a beautiful liar! 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.

Billy and Franklin Graham at some point in the past went astray from the truth of the Gospel. Over time their consciousnesses became calloused and accustomed to another gospel, so that their perversion seemed right. Proverbs 16:25, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” I plead with you dear reader to get back to the inspired Word of God, if you've been deceived to think that Billy and Franklin Graham are doctrinally sound, because THEY ARE NOT!

You Don't Have To Be Water Baptized To Go To Heaven

Acts 16:27-31, “And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 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.”

I am continually disturbed that billions of religious people altar God's simple plan of salvation. Most pastors nowadays are guilty of embellishing the Gospel. To get to Heaven, they add the unbiblical requirement to turn away from your sinful bad habits, follow Jesus as the "Lord" of your life, water baptism, et cetera. God doesn't require these things to be saved, that is, born-again from above by the Holy Spirit of God. Very few religious people understand that they cannot enter into God's Kingdom without being born anew by the Holy Spirit.

So, how does a lost sinner get saved? It is very simple, you simply by faith receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that He was buried but then miraculously and physically resurrected from the dead three days later. This is The Gospel, i.e., THE GOOD NEWS, by which all who BELIEVE IT are instantly, irrevocably and forever saved (1st Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 1:16).

Nowhere in the Old or New Testaments can you show me where it teaches that water baptism is necessary to be saved. Only a false prophet says otherwise! Paul said in 1st Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” I once showed this Bible verse to a Church of Christ minister (their cult errantly teaches that you MUST be water baptized to get to Heaven), and he said that Paul's disciples did the baptizing instead. That is gross theological incompetence! He is guilty of embellishing the Scripture to fit his agenda.

The Apostle John penned the Epistle of John. This same beloved John wrote the Gospel of John, which according to John 20:31 is God's gospel tract, sowing sinful humanity how to get to Heaven. Now in the Epistle of 1st John, the disciple shows believers how to "know" that we are saved (1st John 5:13). Many Bible students misunderstand the Epistle of 1st John, errantly concluding that 1st John 3:8 teaches you are not saved if you still commit much sin. That is a misinterpretation of this passage. 1st John 3:24 tells us that the only evidence someone is saved is the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. So, if you love your sinning and have no conviction from the Holy Spirit whatsoever, then you might not be saved. I can tell you assuredly that you are not saved if you do not have the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). That is what the Epistle of 1st John is about, and that John is trying to get across to the reader.

Carefully notice in all of the Epistle of 1st John that not once does he mention any form of baptism. If, as the Church of Christ cult foolishly teaches, water baptism were required to get to Heaven, then John definitely would have mentioned the need to be water baptized, but he didn't. That plainly settles the matter! 1st John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

No one in the Old Testament was ever water baptized to be saved.

The thief on the cross didn't get baptized, yet Jesus promised they'd be together in Paradise that very same day because of the man's faith.

Unless you are foolish enough to believe that God allows different ways to enter into Heaven, then you must agree biblically that there is only one Gospel (Galatians 1:6-8).

Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

No One Is Saved Who Is Confused On The Free Grace Gospel

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.”

I keep hearing ignorant wannabe theologians on YouTube, and unlearned preachers, say that many people are saved even though they are confused and partly wrong on the Gospel.

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!

I asked Jason what he believed a lost sinner must do to be saved. He said that a person must repent to turn away from their sinful behavior. He said that a person must make Jesus their “Lord,” following Christ in obedience no matter what the cost. I was sad for him, knowing that the Devil has conned him into living the Christian life instead of being born again.

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.

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.

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.

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)