Pastor Charles Lawson's Damnable Counterfeit Plan Of Salvation

Luke 13:1-5, “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Kindly said, Pastor Charles Lawson (born 1950) has been the long time pastor of the Temple Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, for 48 years. Sadly, he is a hellbound Calvinist false prophet who preaches damnable heresy. Here is what Lawson teaches...

“Easy-Believism folks, in my estimation, is an abomination to God. Really, because you're giving people a false hope that everything's okay between them and God.” —Pastor Charles Lawson, “Repentance” (Sunday morning service at Temple Baptist Church in Knoxville; preached on April 8, 2018)

Blasphemy! Dear reader, what is so hard about getting saved? The inspired Holy Bible says eternal life is a “free gift” (Romans 5:15-18). Jesus said in John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” What is so hard about that?

Charles Lawson preaches with zeal and authority. I have listened to his sermons for years. Yet, he is wrong on repentance and God's simple plan of salvation.

A Changed Life Is The “Fruit” Of The Indwelling Holy Spirit, Not Repentance Or Salvation

According to Lawson, repentance is not the root of salvation, but the fruit of salvation. That is WRONG! A changed life is the “fruit” of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25), which has nothing to do with the new birth. To say that repentance is the fruit of salvation is to mandate that if your life doesn't change, you're not really saved, and that is exactly what Pastor Lawson foolishly teaches.

One of the most helpful sermons you'll ever hear is by Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) titled, “Your Salvation Did Not Change You A Bit.” Dr. Hyles likens getting saved to a real estate transaction in which a property has exchanged ownership. In the case of salvation, ownership has changed from Satan to God. We are now God's property. But when you acquire ownership of any property it needs to be renovated. Just because you purchase a building and some property doesn't change it's appearance or interior design. You must renovate it! Likewise, the Holy Spirit begins to work in a believer's life to renew our mind with the inspired Word of God (1st Peter 2:2; Romans 12:1-2), and that takes time. If that individual person does not attend a local Bible-believing church, they will not grow. This is why Jesus in The Great Commission included mentoring new converts, teaching them whatsoever things Christ has taught us (Matthew 28:19-20).

The inspired King James Bible plainly says in Galatians 5:25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Now, if repentance is a fruit of salvation as Lawson errantly teaches, then why would the Bible command us to WALK IN THE SPIRIT? When you get born again you are alive in the Holy Spirit, but if you don't choose to walk in that Spirit day by day as God's redeemed child, by default you will WALK IN THE FLESH. Galatians 5:25 is proof that just because you are saved doesn't guarantee that you will walk in the Spirit to live a changed life. Repentance in the life of a Christian is produced by the “fruit” of the Holy Spirit, and is NOT an automatic result of salvation. Those preachers who fail to understand this biblical truth fall into the traps of Lordship Salvation and Misunderstood Repentance.

Pastor Lawson Is A Dangerous False Prophet

At best Lawson is very confusing. In his sermon “Repentance” he mentions two infamous serial killers (David Berkowitz “Son of Sam” and Karla Faye Tucker) and how they allegedly found Christ in prison. He uses them as showcase examples of how all sinners should react when they get saved, which is ridiculous and unscriptural. It is clear that Pastor Lawson is implying that every convert should react to the Gospel in the same radical way that these two serial killers did. Dear reader, the only thing you need to know to be saved is that you are a needy hell-deserving guilty sinner and that Jesus is the only Savior who was crucified to pay for your sins, was buried and resurrected from the dead three days later (i.e., the Gospel).

Now, Pastor Lawson is a very confused and confusing man. At no place in his sermon does he bother to tell you what is so wrong with Easy-Believism, except that he thinks it means to pray a sinner's prayer. I am sick and tired of corrupt preachers attacking the sinner's prayer. There is absolutely nothing wrong with praying a sinner's prayer. But you don't get saved by praying, asking or calling, you get saved by BELIEVING THE GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen from the dead. It's difficult to know what Charles Lawson is talking about because he just foolishly attacks Easy-Believism without explaining hardly anything. What an incompetent preacher!!! I said Pastor Charles Lawson is INCOMPETENT!!!

Easy-Believism is 100% biblical and right! It is free, simple and easy to be saved through just BELIEVING that Jesus did it all for you. Now here is a heretical statement that he makes...

“Repentance in your life is God's way of letting you know that you have saving faith, and not just a bunch of stuff you believe up here. Somebody says some mumbo-jumbo over you, or gets you wet in some pool somewhere, or confirms you, or you prayed the sinner's prayer, and everybody assured you that you're a Christian, but deep down inside your soul you know you're just as dead as you've always been; nothing has changed. But if repentance begins to blossom (and this is important), you're going to do far more repenting after you get saved than that day when you're praying for God to save you. For once the Holy Ghost moves into your soul, you're really going to see what you're made out of.” —Pastor Charles Lawson, “Repentance” (Sunday morning service at Temple Baptist Church in Knoxville; preached on April 8, 2018)

Now, that sounds great to the unlearned Bible student, but it is totally unbiblical. Lawson is confusing repentance with the Holy Spirit. He pounds home the idea that you must repent of your sins and turn away from them as part of getting saved, but then he mentions the Holy Spirit. Dear reader, which is it? The work of the indwelling Holy Spirit is something VERY DIFFERENT than our human efforts to turn away from our sinful ways. Lawson fails to make a distinction.

Although I agree that Catholic confirmation and water baptism do not save a sinner, I take issue with his horrible attack against the sinner's prayer. Even though prayer does not save someone, if a sinner prays from a BELIEVING HEART, they are saved according to 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?” Even before someone calls upon the Lord they are already saved, the moment that they BELIEVED. You need to understand that Charles Lawson DOESN'T believe this to be true. Lawson foolishly thinks that you must turn from your sins to get to Heaven. Honestly, the guy has no formal theological training, which shows in his utter ignorance of the Holy Bible. I say this kindly to be honest and to warn others, lest you end up in Hell with him and his cult.

There is no guarantee just because you get saved that your life is going to radically change for righteousness. The idea that you must feel a profound hatred for your sins, experience guilt and have an earnest desire to turn from your sins is NOT what it means to repent to be saved. In fact, what Pastor Lawson is preaching is by every definition, LORDSHIP SALVATION!!!

The Greek noun for “repent” in the New Testament is metanoia, which simply means “to change your mind,” period. Since we don't know what to change our mind about, we need supplemental information, which can only be determined by the text of a particular passage. For example: The Bible says in Jonah 3:10 that God Himself “repented.” It is clear from the text that the LORD changed His mind not to destroy Nineveh. If repent means to turn away from your sins as Charles Lawson, Pensacola Christian College and other infidels today errantly teach, then how could God repent of sin? God is holy and cannot sin! God just changed His mind, which is all that the word “repent” means, nothing more.

Here are some godly Bible teachers who get Bible repentance 100% right, and I encourage you to read their writings, and then go back and look at the garbage Charles Lawson teaches:

• Pastor Brad Strand Gets Repentance Correct
• Dr. Mark Cambron Gets Repentance Correct
• Evangelist Alexander Marshall Gets Repentance Correct
• Pastor Jack Hyles Gets Repentance Correct
• What Is Repentance For Salvation?

Easy-Believism Is Not Wrong!

In his corrupt sermon “Repentance,” Pastor Lawson refutes two alleged heresies:

1. Easy-Believism
2. Lordship Salvation

Pastor Lawson describes a very radical definition of Lordship Salvation which requires obeying all of God's commandment in order to validate one's faith. That is what the Seventh-Day Adventist cult believe, a radical form of Lordship Salvation. But most forms of Lordship Salvation today are much more subtle. I like how Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold describes Lordship Salvation...

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

Charles Lawson's corrupt plan of salvation is absolutely Lordship Salvation, even though he refuses to admit it. I shared with you his earlier horrible statement in which he calls Easy-Believism “an abomination to God.” An abomination to God? Whoa! What a darn fool! Lawson is a confused man, caught between grace and works. Dear friend, I challenge you to show me anything in the inspired King James Bible that says getting saved is difficult or hard. You cannot. Jesus likened getting saved in John 4:10 to drinking a cup of water. Jesus likened getting saved in John 10:9 with walking through a door. Jesus likened getting saved in John 6:53 with eating some bread. Jesus likened getting saved in John 3:14-16 with looking at a serpent on a pole. Getting saved is free, simple and easy, which is why we call it 'EASY-BELIEVISM!' So, what in tarnation is Pastor Charles Lawson talking about?

In the Gospel of John we find the word “believe” mentioned 85 times with no mention of the word “repent.” That speaks volumes! Pastor Lawson in his sermon says that Jesus continually preached about repentance, but that simply is not true. Sure, Jesus did preach about repentance at times, but there are ten times more passages in the inspired Word of God where Jesus simply said to simply “BELIEVE ON HIM” without any mention whatsoever about repenting. The reason why is obvious, because repentance is an automatic thing. The man who believes has repented; the man who repents has believed. THAT IS EASY-BELIEVISM!!!

Pastor Curtis Hutson Well Explains Luke 13:1-5

Dr. Curtis Hutson explains Luke 13:5 and gets it 100% correct:

In Luke 13:5 Jesus said, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” The context of this verse shows that they needed to repent or change their mind regarding punishment and sin. In this passage, Christ was talking to good people who believed that people suffered only because of their sins, and they concluded that those in Galilee whose blood Pilate mingled with sacrifices and those on whom the tower of Siloam fell were greater sinners because they died such horrible deaths. Jesus contradicts the thinking of these self-righteous people and tells them that they need to repent or change their mind and see themselves as sinners, too, or they will perish in their own self-righteousness.

One does not have to know the Greek language to see that “repent” in this passage does not mean feeling sorry for or turning from sin.

SOURCE: Dr. Curtis Hutson, 'Repentance: What Does The Bible Teach?'

So, we see that it is very easy to take a passage of Scripture out of context. I can do all things through a Bible verse taken out of context!

I am not trying to be unkind, God knows my heart, but Pastor Lawson just doesn't know what he is doing theologically. He should have stayed an automobile mechanic, because he is a lousy preacher. I'm sure he loves his church members and they love him after 48 years, but he is a dangerous false teacher and in that regard he is a bad pastor.

I have heard Pastor Lawson wickedly attack Pastor Jack Hyles, quoting from Brother Hyles' chapter titled: 'Lordship Salvation: An Enemy Of Soul Winning,' falsely accusing Dr. Hyles of leaving off repentance. Nothing could be further from the truth! Dr. Hyles just didn't go along with the damnable heresy that says you must forsake a lifestyle of sinning to be saved, or to prove that you are saved. To do so would be the heresy of Lordship Salvation!

Pastor Lawson plainly teaches that repentance (which he errantly thinks means a radically changed life) is how you know you are saved. ...

“Repentance in your life is God's way of letting you know that you have saving faith, and not just a bunch of stuff you believe up here.” —Pastor Charles Lawson, “Repentance” (Sunday morning service at Temple Baptist Church in Knoxville; preached on April 8, 2018)

But if we were to examine the exterior lives of the false teachers in Matthew 7:21-23, they did “many wonderful works” in Jesus' name, preached (prophesied) in Jesus' name, and called Jesus “Lord, Lord,” but Jesus denied knowing them as His sheep, and they went to Hell forever. They failed to do the WILL OF THE FATHER, which according to John 6:40 is simply to BELIEVE ON JESUS. Nowhere does the Bible require repenting of your sins to be saved!

Charles Lawson Is A Clever Deceiver

The fact that Charles Lawson said that Lordship Salvation is wrong makes his false gospel even more deceiving. I heard a spiritually blind guy say that Charles Lawson doesn't preach Lordship Salvation. And I suspect the reason why is that by saying Lordship Salvation is wrong, it looks like Charles Lawson is right simply because he is correct that Lordship Salvation is wrong. It looks like he preaches right on repentance, when in actuality he's wrong in his own views, and does in fact preach Lordship Salvation himself. 

Dr. John MacArthur (1939-2025) didn't say Lordship Salvation is wrong. That's what makes John MacArthur's falsehood of the gospel more obvious. But by Pastor Lawson saying that Lordship Salvation is wrong, while he is preaching it too, provides a cover for his deception. It was 33rd degree Freemason Manly P. Hall (1901-1990) who rightly said: “The best place to hide a lie is between two truths.” Manly Hall also eloquently rightly said: “The most effective lie is the half-truth because in part it can be defended with incontestable logic.” This Luciferian man well understood the art of lying and deception, which tactics Charles Lawson is using.

Being closer to the truth without the truth is more deceitful because it looks genuine.

Easy-Believism Is The Gospel

Kindly said, Charles Lawson is extremely wrong and foolish to deny Easy-Believism and denounce it as “an abomination to God.” What a terrible pastor for teaching that it is not easy to get to Heaven. He is so confused that he cannot even adequately explain what he is trying to convey. Are there some insincere people who merely pray some “Jesus prayer” and never really get saved? Why of course! But such cases are rare in my humble opinion.

On the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two 3,000 Jews simply “gladly received” (Acts 2:41) Peter's Gospel message and were instantly saved and added to the church. No one was interrogated to see if they were sincere. No one was monitored for 6 months to see if their behavior changed. They were baptized in water right away, as a public profession of their new found faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no mention of anyone praying, they simply believed what they heard. I supposed Charles Lawson has a problem with that too!

But Jesus did invite the Samaritan woman to pray a sinner's prayer in John 4:10, to “ask” Him for the Living Water of eternal life. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the sinner's prayer, and I disrespect Pastor Lawson for criticizing it. Pastor Lawson can pretend that he is not in the same boat as Pastor John MacArthur (1939-2025) and Dr. R.C. Sproul (1939-2017), the godfathers of Lordship Salvation today, but he is just as guilty as those wicked men.

It is very inappropriate to label people who make light of getting saved, or insincerely go through the outward motions of Christianity without ever being born again, as “Easy-Believism,” which is what Charles Lawson is sinfully doing. You can definitely call such people “False Converts” or better yet, “Tares” (as the Bible calls them).

But there is nothing difficult or hard about getting born again. It is a free gift, which even Pastor Lawson acknowledges in his sermon “Repentance.” And he is dead wrong that believing the Gospel in your mind is insufficient to be saved unless a changed life goes along with it. ...

“Repentance in your life is God's way of letting you know that you have saving faith, and not just a bunch of stuff you believe up here.” —Pastor Charles Lawson, “Repentance” (Sunday morning service at Temple Baptist Church in Knoxville; preached on April 8, 2018)

I hope you clearly see the fallacy and danger of his false teachings. According to Pastor Lawson your faith is invalid unless you've experienced a radical change of behavior and attitude in your life (which he errantly mistakes to mean repentance). That is 100% Lordship Salvation, which he fails to realize or else won't admit. He is combining service with salvation. He is mixing discipleship with sonship. The two must never meet, just like positive and negative battery cables! It is tragic that we've got a bunch of loud-mouthed arrogant fools behind church pulpits today, who are unlearned and wrest the Word of God to their own destruction, and the doom of their victims who follow them into perdition.

I love this excellent quote by Pilgrim's Progress author John Bunyan (1628-1688)...

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” —Evangelist John Bunyan

And this great helpful quote by Pastor M.R. DeHaan (1891-1965)...

“There is a vast difference between coming to Jesus for salvation and coming after Jesus for service. Coming to Christ makes one a believer, while coming after Christ makes one a disciple. All believers are not disciples. To become a believer one accepts the invitation of the Gospel, to be a disciple one obeys the challenge to a life of dedicated service and separation. Salvation comes through the sacrifice of Christ; discipleship comes only by sacrifice of self and surrender to His call for devoted service. Salvation is free, but discipleship involves paying the price of a separated walk. Salvation can't be lost because it depends upon God's faithfulness, but discipleship can be lost because it depends upon our faithfulness.” —Pastor M.R. DeHaan, “Hebrews”; Zondervan Publishing House; 1959 (p. 117)

You'll never hear any such biblical truth from Pastor Charles Lawson, he just spews his ignorance of God's Word and confuses people with his Satanic Calvinist ramblings, slandering godly preachers like Pastor Jack Hyles who preached THE TRUTH about Bible repentance.

John Bunyan would have ate Charles Lawson for lunch, and then run him out of the church pulpit by sundown for preaching damnable heresy, for perverting the Gospel! ...

Christians Should Not Support Manmade Israel

Luke 21:24, “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

Kindly, I see the situation as being Israel's fault. Since 1948, when over one million Arabs were wickedly forced at gunpoint from their homes by U.S. and British military armies, Israel has refused to recognize the Palestinians as a state. Israel has their foot on the Arab's neck's in Palestine, literally viewing and treating them worse than dogs.

Israel is just as guilty of acts of terrorism as the Arabs, with the exception that Israel has tens of billions of dollars provided by the U.S. to purchase much more sophisticated weaponry in larger numbers to murder the Arabs. I feel ZERO sympathy for Israel, whose leaders are racist thugs. So far, Israel has ruthlessly murdered 61,158 Palestinians since October of 2023.

The inspired Holy Bible teaches that there will always be conflict between the Arabs and the Jews, both descendants of Abraham. 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝟭𝟲:𝟭𝟭-𝟭𝟮, “𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗜𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗲𝗹; 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻; 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻'𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗺; 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗻.” Wherever you find Jews in the world, you will find Arabs.

When I went for my first neck surgery in Los Angeles in 2009, the hospital had admission instructions posted in Hebrew, Russian and Aramaic on the wall. I asked the woman at the admissions desk why they had those languages posted. She said if at least 5% of the local population is comprised of a particular ethnicity, the hospital is required by law to post instructions in those language. I thought that was very interesting. Point being, there are many Arabs and Jews in Los Angeles.

It is easy for Americans to only consider that Hamas kidnapped 251 people from Israel (mostly foreign nationals with duel citizenship), but it is very wrong not to consider that Israel has made life untenable for the millions of Arabs dwelling in Gaza. And now President Trump wickedly wants to turn Gaza into a resort community with casinos and expensive hotels.

I fully agree with Dr. John R. Rice on the matter.

Dr. John R. Rice Rejected Zionism & Modern Israel

It sickens me that tens of thousands of American churches have become racists, hating the Arabs and blindly supporting the Jews in Israel because of the evil influence of Zionism and a gross misunderstanding of the Holy Bible. Genesus 12:3 has nothing to do with present-day Israel. God promised to bless Abraham alone because of his obedience. There is no promise to bless Christ rejecting ungodly Jews. Furthermore, Galatians 3:16 plainly teaches that the other promises made to Abraham were specifically to his "seed," which refers to one person, Christ, rather than to many Jewish descendants. This Bible verse emphasizes the significance of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham. Only born again Jews are of the seed of Abraham according to Romans 2:28-29 and Galatians 3:28.

So, humbly said, I do NOT support Israel, because they are the aggressors; having drew first blood in 1948. Israel has wickedly terrorized the Palestinian people for the past 77 years. The ongoing fight between the Arabs and the Jews is personal for them. I think as Christians our proper attitude should be that BOTH Arabs and Jews need the Lord Jesus Christ. Less than 2% of both Arabs and Jews profess faith in Christ. They are all unknowingly awaiting the coming of the Antichrist, whom both sides will embrace as the imitation of Christ, the False Messiah.

I think it is very wrong for professed Christians to blindly side with Israel, and have no regard whatsoever for the Arabs. It is clear that our federal government and political leaders are biased toward Israel. Most Arabs are not a part of the insane Shiite fundamentalist Muslim. Most Arabs are loving people and just want to live quietly in peace, like the Americans people and Jews also do.

Arabs living in Gaza have to drive for over an hour to get to work instead of 10 minutes, because Israel has created blockades to make life more difficult for the Arabs. There is much more to the story than just assuming that Arabs are bad and Jews are good, which is what most churchgoers do, believing the hype. Until Israel starts treating their Palestinian neighbours as human beings, nothing will change.

Israel has MUCH Palestinian blood on their hands

True Israel has not existed since 586 BC when God gave them into the hands of the Babylonians in judgment. True Israel will be restored at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in the future. Until then, the Bible says that it is quite normal for Jerusalem to be "trodden down by the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24). Present day manmade Israel is a sitting duck and has no promise from God of divine protection. Just as the Jews have rejected Christ, God has rejected the Jews! Faith in Jesus is their only way of escape from eternal damnation. 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟭𝟭:𝟮𝟯, “𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼, 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳, 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻: 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻.” I love Jews and Arabs equally with God's unconditional love, the same love that compelled Jesus to sacrifice His life on the cross to pay for humanity's sins.

Born again Christian believers are commanded by God to love everyone, not just the Jews. I do not take sides in the Middle East crisis, but in this present debacle I cannot side with Israel in lieu of the fact they've murdered 61,158 Palestinians since October of 2023.

“Repent” Is One Of The Most Misunderstood Words In The Bible

Luke 13:3, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Sadly, the word "repent" is one of the most misunderstood words in the inspired Word of God. Most people think it means to turn from sin, or to be sorry for sin, or to be willing to turn from sin. But concerning salvation, repentance DOES NOT mean any of that. Repent means to change one’s mind. What must a person change their mind about to be saved? Is it change their mind about their sinning and to stop sinning (or be willing to turn from their sins)? NO, NO, AND NO. Well then, what must a lost person change their mind about TO BE saved? The context of the repentance verse will tell what the change of mind is about.

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

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

Repentance is not a separate act from faith, although they are not the same thing. Here is the best quote that I've found on repentance, by Pastor 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 UNBELIEF. Do we have to realize our sinful condition to be saved? Yes, of course, but there is not one verse in the entire inspired Holy Bible which requires a person to forsake sinning to be saved.

Nor does the Bible give anyone God's permission to commit sin just because they are saved (Romans 3:31, 5:20, 6:1). Every time Jesus forgave someone and healed them He AFTERWARDS said to them, “Go and sin no more.” John 5:14, “Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” I personally think that this man had once commit a sin (perhaps a sexual sin) that caused his physical ailment. I humbly think the dear Lord was warning him not to do the same sinful thing again, lest he end up even worse off than before!

Repentance simply means “a change of mind.” Believers change our minds every day about all kinds of things, including the sins in our life. Repenting of sins throughout one's Christian life is solely a matter of DISCIPLESHIP, not SALVATION. It is a matter of growing in the Lord's grace (1st Peter 2:2), as we yield to the Holy Spirit's leading in obedience to the Holy Scriptures (2nd Corinthians 10:5; Galatians 5:22-25).

For example: Jesus said in Mark 1:15b, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel.” He told them that they needed to change their mind to believe the Gospel. What was the change of mind about? Well, what did they have to change their mind about to believe the Gospel? The change of mind was either about their unbelief or about the Gospel itself. But either way, if they changed their mind, it would cause them to believe the Gospel.

Acts 20:21 mentions "repentance toward God." That’s a change of mind toward God. Jesus is God (1st Timothy 3:16 KJV). To be saved, we must change our mind about who Jesus is, and put our faith in him. Jesus is God, “who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe” (1st Timothy 4:10b).

A changed life is the FRUIT of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and NOT a prerequisite to salvation or a part of saving-faith. Proponents of Lordship Salvation place the cart before the horse and have it all backwards. They frontload the Gospel, requiring all the mature aspects of a believer's life upfront. This is not the Gospel, it is bad religion.

In Mark 1:4, John the Baptist speaks of “...repentance for the remission of sins”; NOT “repentance of sins.” Acts 20:21 reads... “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Notice that Biblical repentance is “TOWARD GOD.” In Acts 11:21 we read, “And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.” So you see, in the Bible “repentance” was always “TOWARD GOD,” never from sin. A man may have to repent from the denial of his sins, so that he will BELIEVE THE GOSPEL, but there is no Biblical requirement to “turn from sins” to be saved.

Consider the following quote by the mighty man of God, Dr. Harry Ironside (1876-1951)...

"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

This is vastly different than actually ceasing from one's sin to be saved, which is a false gospel. Pastor Ironside is correct — repentance is simply realizing that one is a guilty, dirty, rotten, hopeless sinner in God's eyes. This is why we need a Savior. Thankfully, Jesus paid the price with His own literal precious blood (1st Peter 1:18,19; Hebrews 9:12).

Repentance is the admission that I am as guilty a sinner as a holy God hath declared me to be in His Holy Word (Romans 3:19). This is Biblical repentance... turning to the Lord. To turn towards Jesus Christ in faith for salvation is to turn one's back against sin, even though the person may not be willing to forsake sin at the time of salvation. It is ludicrous for anyone to teach that a lost sinner must give up their sins to be saved. As we saw with Lot and Samson in the Old Testament, and Demas and Peter in the New Testament, not all believers always live for God. Jesus even called the apostle Peter, “Satan” (Matthew 16:23).

Christian author Michael Patrick Bowen 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”

Lordship Salvation is a LIE STRAIGHT FROM HELL. If your pastor teaches a wrong meaning of Bible repentance, you should find a better church, because that pastor is doctrinally corrupted. The Bible plainly teaches in Romans 4:4 that if salvation had ever been by works, then it was a debt God owed and not by grace. That settles the debate.

Is Abraham's Bosom A Strange Doctrine?

Luke 16:22, “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom : the rich man also died, and was buried.”

There is much debate in churches today, particularly Baptist churches, concerning where the saints went after they died in the Old Testament.

Scholars like Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) believed that the saints went straight to Heaven.

Other Biblical scholars, like Dr. Oliver B. Greene (1915-1976) believed that the Old Testament saints weren't allowed into Heaven yet, because Jesus hadn't died on the cross yet. Instead, the saints went to place called “Paradise” (or, “Abraham's Bosom” as it is often referred). This is based upon the Lord's promise to 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.” If Jesus meant Heaven, it would seem logical that He would have said Heaven, but He said Paradise.

However, we also read in 2nd Corinthians 12:4, “How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” The apostle Paul said that He was CAUGHT UP into Paradise. That would certainly seem to indicate Heaven, which is always thought of in terms of being upward from the earth. And that would make sense, because Jesus had ALREADY died on the cross, risen and ascended into Heaven. So now Paradise was transferred from Hades to Heaven, which is what Dr. Merrill Unger teaches in his Unger's Bible Dictionary. Also, Halley's Bible Handbook teaches Abraham's bosom (Paradise).

'Unger's Bible Dictionary' Teaches OT Saints Went to Paradise

Here's what Dr. Merrill Unger teaches about Abraham's Bosom:

“The Rich Man and Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31.

This is not a parable, but an actual historical illustration, also aimed at the sneering, unbelieving, self-righteous, Pharisees. They boasted in their alleged law-keeping (cf. 15-17), and considered their wealth, which they covetously garnered, as evidence of this. Jesus proved the fallacy of this reasoning. The rich man's great wealth was, on the contrary, not the evidence of divine favor, for he went to hell (Hades, Sheol, Intermediate abode of departed human spirits between death and the resurrection). Lazarus, a penniless beggar, nevertheless went to 'Abraham's bosom,' 22, i.e., paradise, where the souls of all OT saved went. He had no chance to make friends for himself by using 'the mammon of unrighteousness' (Jesus epithet for money), so as to welcome him to the 'everlasting habitations' (Heaven) (cf. 9). Yet he was there! And between him and the rich man was an impassable gulf, separating the lost from the saved. Let the covetous Pharisees take warning!”

SOURCE: Unger's Bible Handbook, Dr. Merrill F. Unger, p. 531, Moody Press, copyright 1966

Jesus assured the repentant thief on the cross with a promise, that they would both be in PARADISE that very day. Luke 23:43, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” How can this refer to Heaven, since Christ had not yet died, been buried, raised up, nor sprinkled His liquid blood upon the heavenly Mercy Seat?

Pastor J. Vernon McGee Teaches Old Testament Saints Went to Paradise

I have always been a big fan and admirer of the man of God, Pastor J. Vernon McGee (1904-1988). Dr. McGee believed and taught the doctrine of Abraham's Bosom, which you can freely hear for yourself in this link to MP3's of the complete 'THRU THE BIBLE' 5-year series by Pastor McGee. Please listen to the MP3's for Luke 16:19-31 about the rich man and Lazarus.

John 3:13, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”

Here is a wonderful explanation of John 3:13 by the great man of God, Pastor J. Vernon McGee (1904-1988):

And now He says, "No man hath ascended up to heaven." That is the answer to those today who feel that Elijah and Enoch went to heaven when they were translated. I don’t think so because up to this point the Lord Jesus says that no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven. In other words, He is saying that He is the only One who can speak about heaven because He is the only One who has ascended up to heaven. Now it is true that there are a host of folk who have gone to heaven after Christ, but in the Old Testament, when a saint of God died, one of God’s own, he went to a place that is called Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom—our Lord called it that (see Luke 16:22). It was not until after Christ died and ascended to heaven and led captivity captive that He took those who were in Paradise into the presence of God in heaven. Since then, for the child of God, it has always been "… absent from the body … present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). But when Jesus was here, no other man had ascended to heaven.

SOURCE: Thru The Bible, with Pastor J. Vernon McGee

I am inclined to agree with Dr. McGee's teachings concerning Paradise. For an excellent detailed explanation of Hell, please read the free online book A Biblical Examination of Hell by Pastor Max D. Younce.

Psalms 16:10, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” Death is separation from God. Unsaved people are spiritually dead while they live, because they are separated from God. Now there is a second death, which is separation from God for all eternity. If you are not saved, you are already dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-2). If you die in your sins, in your spiritually dead condition, there is no place for you to go except Hell (Greek: Hades). You will die the second death, which is the Lake of Fire (Greek: Gehenna). Revelation 20:15 teaches that death and Hades will one day be cast into Gehenna (the Lake of Fire). Revelation 20:14, “And death and hell (Hades) were cast into the lake of fire (Gehenna). This is the second death.”

This is a hotly debated issue in our churches today (and has been for centuries).

Luke 16 is perhaps the clearest Biblical account of what happens when a person dies. In Luke 16:22-23 we read, “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments...” So there you see where the idea of Abraham's bosom comes from. We learn from this fascinating passage of Scripture that the believer in Christ is escorted by angels at death to a place of peace. In my humble opinion, to be carried to Abraham's bosom simply meant that when a saint died in the Old Testament, the angels carried them to the same place where Abraham lived, in Paradise. That is what the Bible says, Jesus went to Paradise (Luke 23:43). The Bible also says that Jesus went to Hell (Acts 2:27-32). The only sensible deduction is that Paradise must be in Hell, and the place of Torment is on the other side of Hell, with a great gulf fixed between. This is exactly what we learn in Luke 16:19-31. So why should “Abraham's bosom” (i.e., Paradise) be such a difficult doctrine to accept?

Tragically, we also learn that the unbeliever goes straight to a place of torment. “Abraham's bosom” is another term for the Old Testament place called Paradise. Hell (Hebrew: Sheol, Greek: Hades) is located inside the earth. It is believed by most theologians that Hades is compartmentalized into two distinct places: Paradise and Torment.

For much more Biblical exegesis on Heaven versus Paradise, please read “WHERE ARE THE DEAD?”

“There is power in this Gospel message. Most people just don't know how to present it... The clarity of the Gospel is what makes it easy for them to believe.” —Pastor Yankee Arnold, a precious quote from the excellent MP3 sermon titled, “WHY GRACE CAN SAVE THE WORST MAN!”

“No one's ever saved by cheap grace, they're saved by priceless amazing grace! We have a miracle salvation provided and preserved by God Himself. Let's give out the Good News of this salvation, simply and faithfully for His glory. Salvation is not cheap. God sent His Son to pay for our sins. It wasn't cheap—very expensive—He just made it free. And when you and I try to add one work to it, we cheapen it! That's when you cheapen it, when you think that it wasn't enough, I've got to add something to it!” —Pastor Yankee Arnold, a precious quote from the excellent MP3 sermon titled, “CAUGHT BETWEEN GRACE AND WORKS!” | VIDEO | MORE HELPFUL SERMONS

Caught Between Grace And Works! (AWESOME TRUTH! By Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold | MP3 - Please share with OTHERS!!!)

“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” —Revelation 20:14-15 

There Is No Eternal Security In Calvinism

 Luke 10:20, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”

Our precious Lord plainly said that WE CAN REJOICE that we are saved certain, right now, today, this very moment. I am sick and tired of hearing ungodly Calvinist false prophets saying that you cannot know that you are saved at the moment of faith. Read for yourself their horrible heretical self-incriminating statements...

Evangelist Steve Pettit (president of Bob Jones University) heretically said this:

“You can't just speak about getting saved, and you accepted Christ, and then that's it! There is a justification; There is a sanctification; There's ultimately a glorification, and though there are three parts, they are all part of the whole, and you cannot separate them. In order for you to qualify for the award, you have to get into the race, you have to stay in the race, and you have to finish the race. If you want to win, you have to run to the end; and winning in the Christian life is everything, because if you lose—if you don't finish—you lose everything—you lose your SOUL. And so, the Christian race is the life of faith that begins, is run, and is finished when we cross over into Heaven!” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 11:34)

Pastor Paul Washer heretically said this:

“We talk about the Germans of the 20th centuries that brought on their higher criticism. It is not near as dangerous as conservative Baptists with their gospel reductionism. How dare we, all these stupid evangelists walking around telling men after they've made some little prayer that they need to write their name in the back of their Bible, and put the date and if the Devil ever comes to them, they need to show him that. That is Roman superstition, it is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. You see we've turned the gospel into a flu-shot.” —Paul Washer Sermonette

On page 1513 of THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, under the section “Questions & Objections,” Evangelist Ray Comfort addresses the statement: “Because Jesus died on the cross we are forgiven of every sin.” Here’s Ray Comfort’s heretical reply to this statement:

“The forgiveness that is in Jesus Christ is conditional upon ‘repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Acts 20:21). It is a gift that God offers to everyone, but individuals must receive it by repenting and trusting in Christ, or they will remain dead in their sins. No one has Biblical grounds to continue in sin, assuming that they are safe just because Jesus died on the cross. See 1 John 3:4-6.” [Emphasis added] —THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, by Ray Comfort, pg. 1513; 2003, Bridge-Logos Publishers, Orlando, Florida

Do you see how this ungodly false teachers are pervert the new birth, instead teaching that you cannot KNOW 100% that you are eternally secure at the time you get saved. This is because they are deceived rotten Calvinists! In the Calvinist's errantly mindset, you must prove the reality of the genuineness of your faith by living a changed life, by turning away from a lifestyle of sin and living a permanent lifestyle as such. If you think I am exaggerating, please read this shocking heresy by Ray Comfort, in which he heretically requires people to LIVE LIFESTYLE to get to Heaven!!!

How do all those preceding heretical statements of discouragement, doubt and fear compare to our blessed Savior's command for all believers to REJOICE, BECAUSE YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN??? The dear Savior spoke with solid confidence, not uncertainty hinged upon one's improved behavior, commitment to serve Christ and faithfulness to persevere in the Christian life. ...

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

Dear friend, there is no eternal security in Calvinism!!!

Paul Washer Rejects Believing the Gospel for Immediate Salvation

Here again Paul Washer berates “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4), criticizing Easy-Believism. Washer likens Gospel tracts, praying a Sinner's Prayer, and being born-again to a quick fix-it-all FLU-SHOT:

I ask people, “Are you saved?” They say, “Don't worry about me preacher, I took care of that a long time ago.” You did what? “I took care of that a long time ago!” Oh, something like getting a flu-shot I suppose. “Yep, don't worry about me, I repented and I believed.” Only to tell them—Sir, the evidence that you truly repented unto salvation on that day is that you're still repenting today; and the evidence that you truly believed unto salvation on that day a long time ago, is you're still believing today and growing in both these graces. It's not a flu-shot. It's not something you get done! It's not something you take care of!

How do you know you're a new creature? Because you do the things new creatures do!

SOURCE: How Do I Know If I'm Saved?

Those are some frightening words made by Paul Washer. He says getting saved is not something you get done. Washer is wrong!!! Paul Washer says salvation is not something that you take care of. He is oh so wrong!!! Paul Washer errantly views repentance as meaning to improve your behavior by turning away from lifelong sinful bad habits. Repentance in the Bible concerning salvation has NOTHING to do with behavior modification. The word “repent” simply means “to think differently.” Repentance is changing your mind from wrong thinking to believing the Gospel. That is all repentance is, nothing more.

Do you see how corrupt Mr. Washer is in his perverse theology? In Washer's thinking, your entire life either validates or condemns your profession of faith, so that no man can boldly say that he is born-again and safe in Jesus Christ, until he has spent his life proving himself that his faith is sincere, real and lasting. This is works salvation, and not the gift of God. This is NOT the imputed righteousness of God (Philippians 3:9). Genesis 15:6 tells us that Abram (Abraham) was justified by faith, so that HIS FAITH WAS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! This truth is reiterated in our text verses from Romans 4:5-6.

Jesus gives an invitation for those who are tired, weary and burdened to come unto Him. Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” I thank God that my salvation is solely based upon completely resting in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul Washer's plan of salvation is something very different, which requires a life of turning away from sin and following Jesus as Lord. This is exactly what Seventh-day Adventist heretic Ellen G. White teaches. Sadly, over half of America's Baptist churches are going straight to Hell to burn in torment for ever and ever, because they are trusting in ANOTHER GOSPEL.

If you agree with Paul Washer that a person cannot write down the date, time and place when they became a born-again child of God, then you have believed ANOTHER GOSPEL. The very fact that Washer would teach something like this evidences that he rejects the simplicity that is in Christ for salvation. Washer rejects the idea of an immediate, guaranteed, eternally secure, salvation. Evidently Mr. Washer has never read in Acts 2:41 that 3,000 people got saved in ONE DAY!!! Amen! Paul Washer condemns any preacher or church who claims to have won hundreds (or thousands) of souls to the Lord in a short time frame. Well, then you had better criticize God Mr. Washer, because 3,000 people came to Jesus Christ in one single day. Gotta love soul-winning!!!

I explain to people that one big difference between the true Gospel of free grace and the Devil's lie of Calvinism is that in God's Gospel of free grace we can know immediately that we are 100% assured of eternal life; whereas in Calvinism you cannot, you are required to prove the genuineness of your faith by faithfully living the Christian life, turning away from sinful bad habits and serving God. Calvinists view salvation as a process, but the Bible teaches that getting saved is a new birth (John 3:3-7; 1st Peter 1:23). Getting saved is indeed something that you need to GET DONE! Paul Washer is pulling on the same rope as the Devil, by conning people to live the Christian life without ever being born-again.

Dear reader, the reason why someone can be saved in an instant, without monitoring their life to see if they have changed, is simply because we are saved by GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, which is through faith alone in Jesus Christ. What saith the Scripture? Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” When Paul Washer, Steve Pettit, Ray Comfort and other infidels preach that you cannot “just accept Christ” and KNOW 100% that your name is written in Heaven, they are preaching another gospel.

Proof That Calvinism Is A Counterfeit Gospel

Luke 10:20, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”

Our dear Savior tells us as believers to “REJOICE” that our “NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN” in the Lamb's Book of Life. How could we rejoice if Calvinism were true? You see, in Calvinism you cannot know 100% that you are saved presently. Case in point, here is a disturbing heretical quote by Dr. Steve Pettit (the shameful president of Bob Jones University since 2014). ...

“You can't just speak about getting saved, and you accepted Christ, and then that's it! There is a justification; There is a sanctification; There's ultimately a glorification, and though there are three parts, they are all part of the whole, and you cannot separate them. In order for you to qualify for the award, you have to get into the race, you have to stay in the race, and you have to finish the race. If you want to win, you have to run to the end; and winning in the Christian life is everything, because if you lose—if you don't finish—you lose everything—you lose your SOUL. And so, the Christian race is the life of faith that begins, is run, and is finished when we cross over into Heaven!” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - January 26, 2015 - BJU Chapel)

Oh my, what blatant heresy! According to Steve Pettit you cannot know you're saved until life is over and you've faithfully run the Christian race. In his own corrupt words, Dr. Pettit doesn't separate sanctification from justification. Evangelist John Bunyan fully understood the importance of keeping sanctification separate from justification:

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” [emphasis added] —John Bunyan (1628-1688)

Steve Pettit and company at Bob Jones fail to put a distinction between being justified by the man Christ without, versus being sanctified by the Spirit of Christ within. By mixing and combining sanctification with justification, Dr. Pettit has grossly blurred the lines between discipleship and Sonship, utterly confusing the students and faculty at Bob Jones. To make matters worse, BJU uses, sells and promotes umpteen different Bible revisions to further confuse their students and staff. BJU is a house divided, built upon shifting sand!!!

Steve Pettit errantly says:

“If you want to win, you have to run to the end; and winning in the Christian life is everything, because if you lose—if you don't finish—you lose everything—you lose your SOUL. And so, the Christian race is the life of faith that begins, is run, and is finished when we cross over into Heaven!” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - January 26, 2015 - BJU Chapel)

That is 100% pure Calvinism, where YOU are required to finish what you started. The true Gospel always points you to Christ; a false gospel always points to you. In true Bible salvation, Christ FINISHED it all for us. Calvinism (i.e., the heretical doctrines of John Calvin, 1509-1564) focuses on YOUR faithfulness; whereas, the true Gospel focuses on GOD'S faithfulness. In true salvation the believer is 100% safe and secure in God's promises, because of the indwelling Holy Spirit Who preserves in every saint. But in Calvinism it is the saint who must persevere in holiness and sanctification in order to secure salvation. I hope you see the drastic differences between the Devil's lies of Calvinism, versus the truth of the Gospel in the Holy Bible. Calvinism is manmade tradition!

The fact that Jesus encourages every believer to REJOICE to know that our name is written in Heaven is solid proof that every child of God CAN KNOW 100% that we are safe and secure under the Father's everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27, “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.” It would be IMPOSSIBLE for any believer to REJOICE with such bold confidence that our name is written in Heaven, if Calvinism were true, because in Calvinism one cannot know assuredly that we are saved until we finish the race.

Read the damnable heresy which Dr. Steve Pettit preached to 2,700 BJU students and faculty:

“If you want to win, you have to run to the end; and winning in the Christian life is everything, because if you lose—if you don't finish—you lose everything—you lose your SOUL. And so, the Christian race is the life of faith that begins, is run, and is finished when we cross over into Heaven!” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - January 26, 2015 - BJU Chapel)

If Steve Pettit were correct (which he is not), then how could any saint of God REJOICE that our names are written in Heaven? We could not, because if we must persevere to run unto the end, then we cannot know for certain we are redeemed until we have finished the course!

The tragic thing is that very few professed Christians are willing to rebuke the Bob Jones University camp for their damnable heresies. Moody Bible Institute (MBI) in Chicago (according to their own college website) has gone Calvinistic in recent decades. The reason why is Pastor John MacArthur, who is a BJU alumni. BJU and MBI are all in bed together, committing spiritual whoredom. We need to have a revival of getting back to the simplicity that is in Christ, which is THE GOSPEL. Calvinism is a cesspool of theological rot and iniquity!!! Pastor John MacArthur shamefully boasts of being a 5-point Calvinist. Folks, we are at war spiritually in the churches today over the Devil's Calvinist creeps.

Here is a helpful video exposing Calvinism...

How Calvinism Infects The Gospel
(by Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold - I love this faithful preacher)

The reason why we CAN rejoice in knowing that our names are written in Heaven is because God's gift of eternal life is solely based in GOD'S PROMISE TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE (1st Corinthians 1:21). I love God so much for making salvation that way. I KNOW that my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life because God saved me by faith alone in His only begotten Son. 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.” Simply believe dear friend and the work is done, you are saved!!!

I have KNOWN that my name is written in Heaven since I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior at age 13. 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: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” I KNOW I am saved because God promised to save whosoever believes on Christ. But in Calvinism you cannot know if you are saved, because your life must be monitored to see if you have changed. That is what Calvinism teaches! Case in point, read what Evangelist Paul Washer false preached to thousands of youth:

“3,000 kids came forward… It was just a bunch of kids doing what they’d been trained to do ever since they were in Sunday School. No tears, no repentance, no broken-hearts, no weeping over sin, no self-hatred, no realization of offenses against God given, nothing. A move of God? …I think not. Because when God moves, and particularly when God moves to save, there is repentance. Now what is repentance? The word means to change. Let me ask you a question: Have you changed?” [emphasis added] —“Repent and Believe - Part 4”

What a theological liar! Dear reader, repentance does not mean “to change.” Repentance in the Greek New Testament means, “a change of mind.” Repentance regarding salvation simply means to lay aside your wrong thinking, and instead believe the Gospel. So according to Paul Washer you are not saved yet unless your life has changed. If our lives have to change before we can rejoice that our names are written in Heaven, then we have a big problem, because how can we ever know if our lives have changed enough to satisfy God? Folks, Calvinism is wrong on so many levels!!!

The ONLY way that anyone can rejoice that our name is written in Heaven is by KNOWING 100% that we have been redeemed. If that redemption is predicated upon faithfully running and completing the Christian race, living a lifestyle of repentance (as Ray Comfort errantly teaches), or changing our ways, then there is no way that any of us can ever know we are saved. Thank God for His solemn promise of eternal life to all who believe!!!

The blessed and wonderful thing about God's simple plan of salvation is that it has all been made possible by the precious sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross. Religion without Christ makes a person more a child of the Devil. Calvinism robs Jesus of the right to save which belongs exclusively to Him. The Bob Jones University camp today shift the burden of sin from Christ's shoulders to the sinner's shoulder, requiring that a person forsake their sinful ways to be saved. Doing so places a heavy burden upon the sinner's shoulders too heavy to be borne. In the true Gospel, the full weight of sin is placed upon the Savior's shoulders, not ours.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

Beware and run away from any preacher who tells you that to receive eternal life you must repent and turn away from all your sins! All of the pseudo-Christian religions today preach this damnable heresy. Mormons, Jehovah's Witness, Seventh-Day Adventists, Church of Christ, Lordship Salvation, John MacArthur and the Bob Jones University camp—these infidel groups all pervert the Gospel of free grace!!!

Jesus commands every believer to REJOICE that our name is written in Heaven in the Lamb's Book of Life. That means we CAN 100% assuredly KNOW that we are definitely saved. If Calvinism is true, then at best all we can hope for is some level of apprehension, uncertainty and fear of not knowing we've made it to Heaven yet. Case in point, read what Ray Comfort foolishly teaches:

On page 1513 of THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, under the section “Questions & Objections,” Ray Comfort addresses the statement: “Because Jesus died on the cross we are forgiven of every sin.” Here is Ray Comfort’s disturbing reply to this question:

“The forgiveness that is in Jesus Christ is conditional upon ‘repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Acts 20:21). It is a gift that God offers to everyone, but individuals must receive it by repenting and trusting in Christ, or they will remain dead in their sins. No one has Biblical grounds to continue in sin, assuming that they are safe just because Jesus died on the cross. See 1 John 3:4-6.” [Emphasis added] —'THE EVIDENCE BIBLE,' by Ray Comfort, p. 1513; 2003, Bridge-Logos Publishers, Orlando, Florida

Those are some very dangerous words at the end, “…assuming that they are safe just because Jesus died on the cross.” Dear reader, you sure CAN assume that you are SAFE just because Jesus died on the cross, if you are trusting in the blood of His cross for salvation!!! Colossians 1:19-20, “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” Kindly said, Ray Comfort is a fool. The Holy Bible is very clear that a man makes peace with God THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS' CROSS!!!

Ray Comfort foolishly connects dots which the Bible does not, connecting one's manner of life with salvation. In fact, I can show you numerous Scripture passages which teach that we can safely ASSUME WE ARE SAFE IN CHRIST:

• Romans 5:20-21, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” 
• Romans 6:14-15, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” 
• Acts 13:39, “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”

These three beautiful Bible passages very clearly confirm that every believer is SAFE IN JESUS CHRIST, regardless of how sinful we may choose to live. Where sin abounds, grace doth MUCH MORE ABOUND. For the child of God, we fall in grace, neve from grace. The redeemed child of God is no longer under the curse and power of God's law, we are now under God's saving grace forever!!!

Tragically, Ray Comfort, Steve Pettit, Gary Walton, Paul Washer, Moody Bible Institute, Bob Jones University, Pacific Garden Mission, Marty Herron, Sam Horn, Chuck Phelps and John MacArthur do not understand this great theological truth. These wicked infidels fail to understand that the child of God is forever UNDER GOD'S GRACE, so that we can boldly proclaim our justification and position in Christ as His redeemed child, regardless of how much sin we may choose to allow into our life. Yes, you CAN live like the Devil and still KNOW your name is written in Heaven, because God's gift of eternal life is rooted in His promise to save them that believe on His only begotten Son, and not upon our good behavior or attitude.

The ungodly Calvinist crowd condition salvation upon one's continued good behavior. That is NOT the Gospel of free grace, not even close!!! The gift of eternal life that God offers to all mankind in the Holy Bible is offered solely on the basis of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, through the blood that He shed and applied to the Mercy Seat in Heaven (Hebrews 9:12, 22-24; 12:24). In sharp contrast, the fraudulent salvation that Calvinism offers is based upon partial faith in Christ plus your best efforts to obey God in all points for a lifetime.

Shameful Calvinists like Pastor Chuck Phelps (senior cult leader of the Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana) say foolish things like:

“You can't work to have salvation, but if you have salvation it will work!” —Pastor Charles Phelps, “False Faith” (time - 30:13; November 1, 2009 - Sunday morning)

That cute statement sounds catchy doesn't it? But it is damnable heresy! It is a classic HALF-TRUTH deception, commonly employed by the Devil's crowd. The first part is totally true, you cannot work to have salvation. However, the second part is blatantly false, if you have salvation it will work. That is simply NOT true! Just because you are a redeemed child of God doesn't mean that your life will be pleasing to God. Evidence of this is found in The Parable of The Sower And The Seeds in Luke 8:11-15...

1. STONY GROUND - The first group of seeds fell on stony ground and the birds (symbolic of Satan) captured the seeds before they could take root. This first group didn't get saved. The following three groups DID get saved, because they began to grow. 
2. SHALLOW SOIL - The second group of seeds fell upon shallow soil. They started to sprout, but because of its shallow roots the plants fell away when the winds of persecution blew. John Lennon of The Beatles for a short time professed to be a born-again Christian. But because of persecution by the world and other immature believers who attacked him for his worldly music, John fell by the wayside. I sincerely believe that John Lennon did get saved and is in Heaven with Jesus right now. This second group of believers never mature to become soulwinners.
3. THORNY WEEDS - The third groups of seeds fell upon thorny weeds. They begin to grow but are choked by the cares, riches and pleasures of the world, never maturing to bring forth any fruit (souls saved).
4. FERTILE SOUL - The fourth group of seeds are those who fell upon fertile ground, having a good and honest heart to take heed and obey God's Word. The Bible says that they mature to bring forth MUCH FRUIT (converts to Christ).

The Parable Of The Sower And The Seeds PROVES that Chuck Phelps is a false prophet!!! Again, look at what Phelps heretically teaches:

“You can't work to have salvation, but if you have salvation it will work!” —Pastor Charles Phelps, “False Faith” (time - 30:13; November 1, 2009 - Sunday morning)

The Bible does not agree with that nonsense!!! Eternal life is a gift from God, period, end of story. Whatever happens after the new birth in a Christian's life is entirely a matter of discipleship and not salvation. The claim that if you have salvation, it will work is a false statement! That is like saying that if you accept the birthday gift I bought for you, it will change your life or else you didn't really get it. That would be strange and weird! The Bible teaches that Jesus made the payment with His precious blood for our debt of sin. Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6-9). I wish I could get every pastor to understand the Bible, I really do!

It blows my mind how pastors, religious men who are supposed to be learned in the Holy Scriptures, don't understand that salvation is all about what Christ did for us, not about what we can do for Him. Dear reader, when you get saved by receiving Jesus Christ, nothing changes in your character! What does change is that God's Holy Spirit comes to live inside you the very second that you place your trust in Christ as your Savior.

It's just like if you purchased an old business and needed to convert it. I remember one church that I attended as a teenager. There had been a horrible fire that burned the main church auditorium to the ground. So the church converted their gym for use as a church. Then another group purchased the church from the previous congregation and it became our new church. I spent my high school attending school and church there, for which I am eternally grateful for their godly influence upon my life, without which my blog and website ministry wouldn't exist today. You see, the gym needed to be converted so that it could be used as a church building. Likewise, when a person gets saved, a transfer of ownership has happened. The Devil is no longer that person's spiritual father. God is now their heavenly Father. Now the newly acquired possession needs to be converted to be used for God's purpose. Hence, the purpose of local New Testament churches. Pastor Jack Hyles made this helpful observation:

“Conversion then is the work of the church and its members as they are led by the Holy Spirit to change the life and work of one who has been regenerated. 

Redemption is a work of God the Son. Regeneration is the work of God the Holy Spirit. Justification is the work of God the Father as He declares the sinner righteous in the Son. Conversion then becomes the work of the church as we change the use and purpose of a life.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, 'Conversion And Salvation'

I have shared these truths to show you that the reason why there are so many worldly believers today is because the churches have failed to mentor their converts. The problem is not that people haven't repented. It frustrates me to hear ignorant preachers separating repentance from faith as a secondary act which needs to be done to get saved. Multitudes of preachers ignorantly teach that a person's faith is invalid if they've never turned away from their sinful behavior, which they errantly understand to mean repentance.

Bible repentance is a change of mind toward the truth (2nd Timothy 2:25) and God (Acts 20:21) that facilitates believing the Gospel to be saved. If a person didn't repent they couldn't believe. Repentance and faith happen at the same time and are inseparable. Faith and repentance are like two sides of one coin. You cannot have one without the other and they happen at the same time. It is false doctrine to teach that a person must repent AND believe. It is false teaching to tell a person that they must BOTH repent and believe. The person who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ has repented in doing so.

If this were not so, then when asked by the Roman jailor what must be done to be saved, Paul would have said so in Acts 16:31, but he didn't. Acts 16:30b-31, “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.” If something more than believing were necessary to be saved, then Paul would have said so. Dear reader, this is so important that you understand this. We've got a bunch of ignorant pastors nowadays who are preaching a perverse gospel that requires you to repent of your sins to be saved. Is that what Paul said in Acts 16:31? No, the Apostle Paul simply said to BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!

Although they are not the same thing theologically, they are one and the same event. The man who believes has repented, and the man who repents has believed. A soulwinner ought never bring up repentance while witnessing the Gospel to them, unless you explain clearly what repentance means. I never bring it up to avoid confusing people. But in simplest terms, repentance is simply the admission that one is a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God. A person must know what they are being saved from. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). 

Please keep in mind that the Apostle Paul didn't mention repentance in Acts 16:31. The Roman jailor asked a very direct question: SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED??? The answer was very clear: BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!!! Let's keep it simple. Did you see anything about persevering to run the race until the end (which is what Steve Pettit heretically teaches)? I didn't. Did you see anything in Acts 16:31 about living a lifestyle of repentance (which is what Ray Comfort heretically preaches)? I didn't. Did you see anything about turning away from a lifestyle of sinning (which is what Marty Herron heretically preaches)? I didn't.

Did you see anything in Acts 16:31 about living the Christian life to prove the genuineness of the reality of your faith (which is what Chuck Phelps heretically preaches)? I didn't. Dear friend, how do all these bizarre extra-Biblical requirements compare to the simplicity that we just read in Acts 16:30-31? Romans 3:4, “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” I don't know who reads my blogs. I don't get paid to do this. I have labored diligently night and day for the past 19 years since 2002 for Christ. I have never received a single penny for my ministry. I do what I do as a labor of love for God, truth and people!!!

When the shepherd boy David expressed his interest in the giant Goliath who was challenging the God of Israel, David's older brothers berated him, putting him down. David's response was classic in 1st Samuel 17:29, “And David said, What have I now done?  Is there not a cause?” That is my plea too: IS THERE NOT A CAUSE??? Yes, dear reader, there is a cause!!! The world is going to Hell. Lost sinners need to hear the Gospel. But if the Gospel is being corrupted by false teachers, then we have a big problem! The Bob Jones University camp today are preaching another gospel of “Lordship” salvation. It is challenging enough to preach the Gospel to a lost and dying sinful world, but in addition we need to REBUKE THEM SHARPLY who pervert the Gospel, that they might be sound in the faith (Titus 1:10-13). I know that the arrogant BJU crowd couldn't care less about right doctrine. They reject and despise my truthful Bible-preaching. BUT THERE IS A CAUSE!!!