There's No Such Thing As A “Good Christian”

Romans 7:18-21, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.”

Every year I receive a remarkable amount of ministry emails from discouraged, frustrated and down believers who tell me of their futile struggle with sin; about their often failures to overcome temptation. I always reply by letting them know they are in good company, because I struggle with sin on a daily basis just like everyone else. The Apostle Paul admitted his struggle with sin on a regular basis, as seen in Romans 7:14-25. Even the best Christian is still a woeful dirty sinner. Only our position in Christ, which is by faith alone, makes us appear righteous in the sight of our holy Creator and God. That is why the only boast we can honestly and justifiably make as believers is to brag on our great God, Lord and Savior who died in our place on the cross. The only good thing in me is Jesus Christ!

However, I wisely learned a long time ago from Pastor Jack Hyles: “Don't be reluctant to admit to people that you have feet or clay, but don't ever show them your feet.” That is, it's perfectly okay to admit to others that you are a woeful sinner just like they are, but don't ever confess your sins to them.

There are a few reasons why you should never confess your sins to others:

1. They could go tell others. They might even tell the world about your sins on social media. Always protect your good name! Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.”
2. The details of your sins are absolutely none of anyone's business. I hate the Devil's modern corrupt Bible revisions, which change the truth into a lie (Romans 1:25). We read in James 5:16 in the inspired King James Bible to “confess your faults one to another,” but all of the modern corrupt Bibles changed it to “confess your sins” to others. That is NOT what the true Bible says. There is a gargantuan difference between apologizing to the pastor for being late at times to church, versus confessing to him that you've been lusting with sexual fantasies upon the pastor's wife. You'd be insane to confess your sins, and likely missing your teeth. There is a fine line between faith and foolishness!
3. Gossip can destroy even the best friendships. I lost a good friend from Bible college, when a wicked person spoke gossip to the man's wife, and she told her husband, and it permanently strained our friendship. More lives are ruined by an ungodly tongue than for any other reason. Proverbs 16:28, “A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.”
4. Someday others may use your past against you. It's never wise to share your dirty laundry with others, for many reasons. Only God can forgive your sins, so only the Lord needs to know about your Skeleton Closet. Don't be reluctant to admit to people that you have feet of clay, but don't ever show them your feet.

Over the past 23 years of internet ministry since 2002 (it is 23 years this month in April), I have received tens of thousands of emails. More times that I care to remember, I have had people confess their sins to me. I didn't ask them to, they just did for whatever reason. I have to be on guard and be very careful as a Bible preacher, because I have many enemies. When a stranger contacts me and tells me of horrible sins they have committed, I always suspect that they might be attempting to get me to do the same, by sharing my sins with them. I NEVER do that, because they could maliciously publish my email all over cyberspace, blabbing what I told them in confidentiality. I have to always be on guard (Proverbs 4:23). I NEVER confess my sins to anybody except God in Heaven. I never type anything in an email that I wouldn't mind the whole world reading. That is just wise common sense. Always protect yourself.

The Bible teaches that the human heart is desperately wicked and deceitful. Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” James 3:7-8 warns us that every wild beast has been tamed by mankind, but the human tongue can no man tame. The tongue is an unruly evil, set on fire of Hell, full of the poison of snakes. This is why King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 10:19, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Perhaps God gave us two ears and one mouth, to teach us that we should listen twice as much as we talk. I admit that I am guilty of talking too much sometimes. It is a constant struggle to limit my words in conversation, to season my words with grace. Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

There is no such thing as a good Christian. You might compare yourself to a worse person and feel like you're a good Christian, but we are all a spiritual mess! We are all struggling sinners. We all have to be careful about refraining from gossip. We all struggle with our own cesspool of weakness, hurt feelings, pride, resentment and anger. Don't judge others because they sin differently than you do! There is nothing worse than a judgmental believer who has become a fruit inspector. The wise and mature saint fully understands that he is just as wicked as the vilest sinner in God's sight, if it weren't for the sin-cleansing blood of Jesus (1st Peter 1:18-19). That is, my sin belongs to me, but my righteousness is Jesus Christ's. The ONLY righteousness that I have is the imputed righteousness of God through faith in Jesus (Romans 4:4-7). 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...” Amen and amen.

You and I simply cannot live the Christian life in our own feeble human strength. What saith the Scripture? Galatians 2:20-21, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Jesus lives the Christian life through us, if we yield to Him. This is the fruit of the blessed indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:22-25). Every believer has the Spirit of Christ, that is, the Holy Spirit living within our spirit, soul and body (Romans 8:9; 1st John 3:24).

Romans 7:24-25,  “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Notice that the Apostle Paul didn't express remorse over the wretched man that he used to be; but rather, “O wretched man that I am!” The mature Christian doesn't look down on others who sin. No, he says in his heart of hearts, “We have sinned.” That is why the psalmist David exclaimed in Psalms 106:6, “We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.” I love that godly humility! David didn't have a Pharisaical self-righteous attitude. He didn't say, “Our fathers have sinned.” He humbly said, “WE HAVE SINNED.” Don't ever speak evil against your parents, because whether you realize it yet or not, you are just as much a wicked sinner in God's sight as they were (James 2:10).

Humbly said, when people receive love, patience, comfort and mercy from me, it is not me; but rather, I am simply allowing God's Spirit to love, help, care and comfort others through me. This is the fruit of the Spirit. My favorite preacher, Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) preached a helpful sermon on this very topic titled: 'FILLED WITH HIS FULNESS' (MP3). God bless you dear reader and THANK YOU for your continued interest in my blog ministry. To God be all the praise, credit and glory. Jesus is precious!!!

Pastor Jack Hyles On the King James Bible Issue

An interview of Dr. Jack Hyles by Attorney David Gibbs Jr.

Many people say they love Brother Hyles and follow Brother Hyles, but when it comes down to it, many people just didn’t really understand what he meant, or just didn’t “catch it.” Brother Hyles taught us over and over to be loyal to principles and not institutions. That sounded good when it was another institution, but he wasn’t teaching that to us about another institution, he was teaching that because he knew one day that “our” institution would change. I don’t think he or any of us thought it would be so soon.

The more I read from Brother Hyles, the more I am amazed at his wisdom and understanding. The words you are about to read are from an interview book put together by Attorney David Gibbs. The book is titled, “Attorney David C. Gibbs, Jr. Interviews Dr. Jack Hyles.” Most of the guys I have talked to don’t have this book and many of them never heard about it. I bought a copy, years ago, and by accident was reminded of some great words of wisdom. I believe they are very applicable for us today.

These excerpts comes from a section titled, “Dr. Hyles Answering Questions on Standing for the Faith,” pages 153-158. ...

Dr. Hyles: “Our big battle is over the Bible. For the next ten years it will be an increasingly big battle – I mean over the preservation of the King James text. I think there will be no difference in the next ten years than in the last ten years. Every generation is a part of the same performance – same play, just different actors. Every generation has to rediscover the truth for itself. Every generation has to rediscover the Bible for itself. Every generation has to become fundamental. You are not born a fundamentalist. You become a fundamentalist. Every generation has to come out of its previous generation.

It is just like the physical birth. There must be born from the dying fundamentalism a new generation – a baby fundamentalism – for the next generation. Just as the old generation does not want to pass off the scene physically, the old generation does not want to pass off the scene spiritually either. Those who came from the Southern Baptist, are now playing the part that the Southern Baptist Convention played when I was a young man. The Jack Hyleses are not coming out of the Southern Baptist Convention these days. They are coming out of the conventions that came out of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Attorney Gibbs: That is interesting.

Dr. Hyles: Any generation that does not come out of its mother will die, because the mother is going to die. Consequently, the next generation is the same as the last generation. I see the same signs of decay in our fundamental, independent Baptist movement. I have no desire to sit in judgment against any movement, but a movement is like a car. You are going to trade it in after a while. It is a vehicle. It is not the church – it is a vehicle, and the vehicle is going to wear out.

Attorney Gibbs: We have forgotten that the movements are not the church sometimes.

Dr. Hyles: I see the same stagnation in the groups that came out of the Southern Baptist Convention forty years ago. I also see the same argument by the movement for staying in it that I saw forty years ago. For example, we all differ they say. Let us disagree, but let us by all means not divide. The same people that are saying let us not divide are the ones that divided in the past generation, and the ones from which they divided said in the past generation let us not divide.

Attorney Gibbs: That is the very counsel they rejected in the past, or they would not be where they are?

Dr. Hyles: We have come out of Egypt into the wilderness only to build our own little Egypt in the wilderness. We have found we are not opposed to bondage. We are opposed to our bondage. If we can be Pharaoh, we do not mind having bondage.

Attorney Gibbs: I have not heard you say that before. That is good.

Dr. Hyles: Consequently, every generation must rediscover herself. Every generation of fundamentalism must give birth to the next generation of fundamentalism, and you give birth to something that comes out of your body. The tragic part of it is, a mother who gives birth to a baby is not upset about it.

We have become so enamored with the tool that we forget the project. Before you know it, the tool becomes more important than the project. I think there has to be another Baptist Bible Fellowship someday. There has to be another Southside Baptist Fellowship someday. There must be new babies being born that come from the mothers. Some of these groups are just as exclusive in their acceptance of others as were the Southern Baptists. It is hard for younger preachers to understand this.

I can take the same sermons I preached at the Southern Baptist Convention forty years ago and find as much difficulty and as much opposition preaching that same sermon in our independent Baptist Fellowships today. We have the same roots of decay and the same signs of decay that we had then. I hesitate to use the word fundamentalist, because in many cases they are not fundamentalist anymore – they are independent Baptists. They do not realize what we pulled out of because they have seen Southern Baptist continue to decay. They know a Southern Baptist Convention as it is today.

Attorney Gibbs: They are thinking that is what you pulled out of?

Dr. Hyles: I have a sermon that I have preached a time or two. I do not think you have heard it. It is called, “A Purpose.” It was said unto Job that he left his purpose. I have tried to live for purpose. My purpose has been twofold – to get everybody I can saved and to try to save my country. Within that purpose there have been some dreams. Some of those dreams have been shattered, but the purpose remains the same. I do not live for dreams – I live for purpose. I have had some plans that have gone awry. I do not live for plans – I live for purpose. I have had some hopes that have faded. I do not live for hopes – I live for the purpose.

As you get older it is easier for that purpose to get fuzzy. For many reasons it is harder to stand. I have nothing but sympathy and compassion for these men who are not standing as they once stood. On a scale of one to ten, it took a “two” to stand forty years ago, and it takes a “ten” to stand now.

I was at a board meeting a few months ago. I was as much out of place at that board meeting of independent Baptists a few months ago as I was forty years ago in a board meeting with Southern Baptists. Those men with whom I was sitting were men that sat with me and felt out of place with me years ago. So, now you can feel out of place with those who felt out of place with you years ago. Because of knowing it is more difficult, I certainly have a sense of patience with them. I certainly do not feel any animosity toward them, because I know how difficult it is.

One of the hardest promises I ever made was to be loyal to principle and not to institutions. [See page 5] It is one of the five promises I made to God many years ago. It is easy to make that, but you find out that institutions are composed of individuals. It is easy to say that I am not going to stand for that institution until – all of the sudden – you realize that an institution is composed of people with whom you serve and love deeply.

I have churches that I went to for thirty years that will not have me anymore. I have one church I went to for thirty years in a row. They will not have me anymore. Do you know what the issue is? The King James Bible.

Thirty-one years ago we stood together on the King James Bible. So, when men with whom you fought, you now have to fight, it is pretty easy to stack arms.

Is God Unfair To The Heathen?

This is a tremendous printed article (a reply to someone's question) by Dr. Max D. Younce (1935-2023), long time faithful pastor of Heritage Baptist Bible Church in Walnut Grove, Minnesota (from 1991 to 2023). It is really a life-changing sermon. I encourage you to visit their website, where you'll find dozens of free Bible study books and resources to help you grow in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Without further ado, here is Dr. Younce's sermon titled, “God Unfair To The Heathen?”

Thank you for your questions and your concerns. I will attempt to condense this to the basics.

Step One: First, we need to keep in mind that God is omniscient, man is not! In John 2:25 we are told concerning Christ, "And needed not that any should testify of man: FOR HE (Christ) KNEW WHAT WAS IN MAN." In Job 42:2 we read, "...that no thought can be withholden from thee." Ezekiel 11:5 states, "...for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them." Hebrews 4:13 agrees as, "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Keep this in mind as we proceed to Step Two.

Step Two: When God created man, man was created with an inborn knowledge of the God of Creation. Romans 1:19, "Because that which may be known of God IS MANIFEST IN THEM; for God hath showed it unto them." In other words, when God created man, He created him with a mind with which to think and to reason. By visually observing all the wonders of Creation: stars, moon, sun, planets, trees, clouds, rain, animal life, plant life; and even himself, man could know that Someone much superior to himself was responsible. Romans 1:20 makes this perfectly clear, "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made (His creation), even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." This leads us to step Three.

Step Three: Man's Responsibility. All that any person needs to have is a DESIRE to know the truth about the God of Creation. Only the infinite, Omniscient God can know the desire of a person—not finite beings such as you and I! Remember, very few people want to know the truth about God. Matthew 7:14 tells us that, "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." The Greek word for "find" is heurea and can be translated; "get, obtain, perceive, or see." The reason only a few perceive, see, or obtain eternal life is because of their self-righteousness. Read on in Matthew 7:22, "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?" God answers in Verse 24, "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Christ, addressing the Pharisees in Luke 16:15, exposing their true thinking, "And he (Christ) said unto them, Ye are they which JUSTIFY YOURSELVES before men; BUT GOD KNOWETH YOUR HEARTS..." Many times we have been fooled by people's actions, unaware of what they are really thinking, but not so the Lord! 1st Samuel 16:7b makes this clear, "...for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, BUT THE LORD looketh on the heart." Again, in Luke 18:9, we see the Omniscient Christ exposing the pride and self-righteousness of the Pharisees, "And he (Christ) spake this parable unto certain WHICH TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES that they were righteous, and despised others." These, like others, had no desire to know the truth; but, were gods unto themselves, seeking to be justified by their own righteousness. This leads us to Step Four, where we examine God's responsibility.

Step Four: God's Responsibility. God loved and created mankind so that He could have fellowship with thinking beings. He loved mankind or He wouldn't have created them and He wanted mankind to love Him. He created male and female capable of reproducing, thus populating the earth with people who would love Him and He them. As we know, sin entered and separated His creation from Him. Some have asked why God allowed this to happen. God wanted people to love Him of their own freewill, knowing that He loved them or He wouldn't have created them. Who would want a mechanical, programmed robot to say, "I love you," with no meaning, feelings, or free will? The reason God gave man a free choice and allowed him to sin was, "That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7). This He proved, as we know from 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."

Peter also reveals God's will in 2nd Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE (In the Greek, "A change of mind"). Now that we know God's will, we realize it becomes His responsibility to keep alive, and get the truth to, anyone who has a desire to know the true and living God of Creation.

An example of God's longsuffering can be seen clear back in Genesis 15 in the account of His dealings with the heathen nations then in the Lan of Canaan, which Israel was eventually to conquer. Seven great nations are given by name in Deuteronomy 7:1. God waited over 400 more years for these people to have a desire to know the true and living God, which shows God's longsuffering. The record is in Genesis 15:13, 16, "...and they (Egypt) shall afflict them (Israel) four hundred years;" "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: FOR THE INIQUITY OF THE AMORITES IS NOT YET FULL." God extended His grace and long-suffering 400 more years to see if these nations (including the Amorites) has a DESIRE to know the true God of Creation. They did not. Of the hundreds of thousands of people living there, we know there was one exception. Rahab and her family (Joshua 2) were spared during the taking of Jericho for her faith in God.

Deuteronomy 7 records God's instructions for Israel to destroy all these nations occupying the land of Canaan. May I pause and answer the question: "Why would God be so 'mean' as to have the little babies and children killed along with the parents?" The answer is very simple and logical. Should children under the age of accountability die, they would go to be with the Lord (2nd Samuel 12:22,23 cf. Psalm 16:9,10). These little babies and children, if left to their parents to raise; would, no doubt, become as heathen as their parents and destined for Hell. Because of God's grace and wisdom, you and I will see these little ones in Heaven which God took prematurely to raise Himself.

Should a person desire to know the truth, it then becomes God's responsibilities to get the truth to them. This can be seen in Acts 10, and 11 where the account is given of Cornelius who was "A devout man and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayer to God alway" (Acts 10:2). God told Cornelius to "...call for Simon, whose surname is Peter: Who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved" (Acts 11:13b, 14). Cornelius was religious, but lost. However, he had a desire to know the truth (John 14:6); therefore, God fulfilled His responsibility by sending Peter with the message of the Gospel.

We should mention one more example, the Ethiopian eunuch. He was in charge of all the treasure belonging to the queen of the Ethiopians. More importantly, he was a religious man as he had come to Jerusalem to worship (Acts 8:27). On the way back, he had stopped and was reading the Book of Isaiah (Acts 8:30). Like Cornelius, this man was religious but lost. Nevertheless, God knew he had a desire to know the truth. Philip had been preaching in many villages of the Samaritans when the Lord spoke to him, instructing him to go down where the eunuch was (Acts 8:25,26). Again, we find God fulfilled His responsibility, predicated upon the eunuch's desire to know the truth. Philip led him to Christ and then baptized him. This leads us to Step Five.

Step Five. Many have a mistaken idea that if all the "heathen" were given the Gospel, most of the "heathen" would abandon their idols, their false Gods, and be gloriously saved! This kind of reasoning leads one to blame God for their eternal destiny in Hell. The idea that all, or the majority of, those who have not heard the truth would be saved, if they had the truth, is just not true! The Word of God repudiates this philosophy from man's reasoning. Remember, God knows man—a thousand times better!—than man knows man. No man knows what another person will or will not do; but, God does, because He is omniscient.

Recall the Words of Christ, Himself, in Matthew 7:14, "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT" (i.e., perceive or obtain it). Why is this so? The answer lies in man's pride and self-righteousness; therefore, they willfully reject the truth. Notice Christ's Words in Matthew 13:15, "For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed..." (i.e., to the truth). Compared to the multitudes who have ever lived, only a few have been saved from the time of creation until now.

At the time of the flood mankind had lived upon the earth 1656 years, and there were hundreds of thousands of people living on the earth at the time of the flood. How many were saved at the time of the flood? Only eight. Those who decided not to board the ark had heard the truth, as Noah preached for 120 years prior to the flood judgment. The Bible says, "He (Noah) was a preacher of righteousness" (2nd Peter 2:5).

What about Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar (Genesis 14:2), which were all destroyed by God? (Genesis 19:24,25). There were hundreds of thousands of people in these cities, yet God could not even find ten that were saved.

Look at Pentecost, just 50 days after Christ was crucified and resurrected. We have the record of the first 40 of these 50 days after His resurrection in Acts 1:3, "To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:" "And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep" (1st Corinthians 15:4-6). He then ascended back to Heaven ten days before Pentecost (Acts 1:11). Read 1st Corinthians 15:3-8. We learn, from Acts 2:8-11, of the tremendous populace from all sects and areas that had come to Jerusalem to worship at the feast of Pentecost. It is estimated that there could have been over 300,000 in and around Jerusalem. Remember, all Jewish males were required by the Law to come to this feast (Deuteronomy 16:16; Exodus 23:17). In Acts 2:41 we are told that only 3,000 out of approximately 300,000 believed and were saved. That is only one out of 100. One must remember that many of these had seen Christ crucified, with their own eyes, and then observed Him alive after the resurrection for a month and ten days (Acts 1:13). Yet, only one out of every hundred would believe and be saved. On to Step 6.

Step 6: Consider America today...as compared to the heathen. First, let me re-emphasize a popular misconception. "If all people hear the Gospel; that Christ died, was buried and rose again to pay for their sins; they will believe and receive His promise of everlasting life" (John 3:16). If that were true, then why do Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Christian Scientists, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. totally reject salvation as a free gift without their own self-righteousness of good works included? All these have access to the truth, through radio, television, and print, that a person is only saved one way. "For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift (eternal life) of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9). Yet, they totally reject the truth!

Just because people living in the jungles and bush country have not advanced in the technology of agriculture, medicine, sciences, etc., does not qualify them as "heathen," as we think. Many of these tribes have a higher value on life, marriage and the family than America does. It is estimated that 4,000 babies, daily, are slaughtered by abortion in America. Lesbians and homosexuals have brainwashed America to the point, most of the schools are teaching our young people to accept this as an "alternative" lifestyle instead of what God calls it, "Plain, old perverted sin." Of all the missionary books I have read, I do not recall any of the missionaries encountering the problem of homosexuality in the bush tribes. Many of the so-called "heathen" execute the death penalty for adultery because of their values concerning the home and family.

Look at America! We even have our pulpits being saturated with homosexual and lesbian so-called preachers, with a Bible ON the pulpit in which they do not believe. Some of the peoples and tribes we call "heathen" are more civilized than our so-called educated people in America, including our Supreme Court! Look at the educated fools (Psalm 14:1) who saturate our grade schools, and colleges with their agnostic and atheistic ideologies of false science (evolution—1st Timothy 6:20). All of these are born with a knowledge there is a God Who created them. All have access to God's Word, the Bible. All can observe the evidences of God, their Creator, in Astronomy, Botany, true Science, the wonder of living creatures—yet, deny the truth. The leads us to Step 7, the conclusion.

Step 7: In conclusion, I want to address those of you who seem so concerned about those who have never heard the Gospel and are going to spend eternity in Hell. Consider the following:

1. You are not God, therefore you do not possess the attributes God possesses. You and I do not possess foreknowledge; i.e., God knows everything. He knows what you are going to think before you ever think it. Foreknowledge contains only one element—God knows everything that is going to happen before it happens. He knows the things that would have happened, if the things that did happen, hadn't happened! Since you are not God and do not know all things as God does, then I would suggest that you quit trying to play God, second-guessing God, and questioning God's love for His creation.
2. One must remember that unsaved parents and religion are opposed to the Gospel. This is why generation after generation will spend eternity in Hell. The children believe their unsaved parents instead of opening the Bible for the truth. Remember, the children grow up and as teen-agers, then adults, they have the same enlightenment from God as everyone else. Recall Romans 1:20, "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." This is the external cosmology and that of nature, also. The internal evidence is stated in Verse 19, "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them."
   
   When God created man with a mind to think and reason with, it contained the knowledge that God was the Creator of everything, including themselves as mankind. The God of Creation had His Word written in the Bible, which will always point us to Jesus Christ for salvation (Acts 4:12). This is Christianity. Christ dying and being resurrected in payment for the sins of the world; therefore, eternal life is available to anyone as a free gift only (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8,9).
   
   Religion, whether Catholicism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Islam, World-Wide Church of God (Armstrongism), Unitarianism, Scientology, and on and on, is always characterized by man, through his own achievement, trying to reach up to God or become his own god. How often, when witnessing, have you had a Roman Catholic tell you, "I was raised a Catholic and I will die a Catholic!" Their children were taught the same as they were taught; and, on it goes, from generation to generation. You have the same process in tribal peoples, whether in Africa, New Guinea, Ecuador, etc. I have witnessed to an innumerable amount of Lutherans and Catholics and found families going back to a great-great-great-grandmother, all united in believing that infant baptism provides salvation for their children. This philosophy, or heresy, was passed down to great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, then son or daughter. I cannot recall how many times I have had a Lutheran or Catholic tell me that his or her mother had them baptized as a baby, and they were "all right"! How sad; but, this is religion and not Christianity. I have related to them that nowhere does the Bible say that babies are to be baptized. Rather, when you reach the age of understanding right from wrong, you must trust Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior. They wanted nothing to do with it at all.
3. Now, the good news! Once in a while, you will find a person who does not bow to family peer pressure and exercises his own thinking. I have led Catholics, Lutherans, Jehovah's Witnesses and others to Jesus Christ because they had a desire to know the truth. Remember this, the same truth (John 14:6) that one member of a family accepted, is available to every member of that family, going back hundreds of years. Why only one or two who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, out of hundreds in their family tree over myriads of years? The answer lies in a person's free will and personal responsibility. May I call your attention again to God's disclosure of the case in Matthew 13:15, "For this peoples heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed..." Personally, I would rather deal with someone who has never been to church, than a person raised in a religion which has "brainwashed" them with their philosophical ideologies and traditions rather than the Word of God.
   
   Taking into consideration God's attributes of foreknowledge, omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, you can rest assured of these two things:
   
   A. God knows who will accept Jesus Christ as their Savior when they hear the truth, because of His foreknowledge and omniscience.
   
   B. With His attributes of omnisapience and omnipotence, God is able to get the message to the person who has a desire to know the truth, and will accept it when they receive it.
   
   There are many generation of people, for hundreds of years, whom God knew would reject Jesus Christ as their Savior—if they had the truth. They have already rejected the knowledge of God they were born with, along with the external evidence of creation and cosmology (Romans 1:19-23; Isaiah 45:6). This is evidenced by the Amorites in Canaan who, as God describes in Romans 1:22,23, "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image (Deuteronomy 4:15-19) made like unto corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts and creeping things." Yet, God waited 400 years and not one, except Rahab, had a desire to know the true and living God!
4. Man's unbelief. I have found that many of those who seem so concerned about people thousands of miles away, do not witness for Christ in their own town. Why? If you are a Christian, explain to me why you are so interested in someone going to Hell ten thousand miles away from you, and not interested in someone going to Hell ten blocks away from you in your own town.
   
   Consider this. You may not be a Christian, just a skeptic trying to blame God out of your own ignorance for something to justify your own unbelief. Those that blame God for the so-called heathen going to Hell, evidently know nothing of the God and the Christ of the Bible. If you are in this category, this what you do not believe about God and why your mind is in the dilemma it is in.

God is Love - John 3:16-18; 2nd Peter 3:9; Romans 5:8,9

God is Omniscient (all-knowing) - 1st John 3:20; Psalm 94:11; 1st Kings 8:39; Hebrews 4:13

God is Omnisapient (all-wisdom) - Romans 11:33; 1st Corinthians 2:4

God is Omnipotent (all-powerful) - Revelation 19:6; Matthew 19:26; Genesis 18:14a

God is Longsuffering -2nd Peter 3:9; Exodus 34:6; 1st Peter 3:20

God is Just - Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 45:21

God is Righteous - He will never allow the unbeliever to enter Heaven; nor will He permit the believer to enter Hell - John 3:36; John 5:24 

The problem with skeptics and their view of the so-called heathen is, they attempt to reduce the Infinite God to their own finite thinking. Man cannot look into the mind of another man and know what he is thinking now, or what his mind will accept or reject in the future. Only God knows this. 

 

Skeptics need to believe God when He said He loved the world (John 3:16) and is longsuffering and not willing any should perish (2nd Peter 3:9). Believe God, that He knows who will believe; and will act upon their desire to know; and get them the truth. Remember the Ethiopian eunuch and Cornelius. Remember, there are hundreds of thousands of people in false religions who will not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. I am now talking about America! Go into a small town with one Catholic church, two Lutheran churches, and a Methodist churches and start witnessing. I did this one day and, after talking with about 120 persons, could not find one that knew they had eternal life because of trusting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Not one! When you that doubt God, start believing God; then, you will have "the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). 

 

I was talking to a man, some time back, and he had the same question we have been discussing here. My question to him was, "Since he was so concerned about tribes in New Guinea, why didn't he go to a Bible college, learn the Word of God, learn their language, and go there as a missionary?" His mouth dropped down to about his knees! 

 

May I say this in closing? Never doubt God's love as He loves His creation more than any human being loves another. It only angers God when someone, because of their own ignorance, accuses Him of being unjust. God warns such persons in Isaiah 45:9, "Woe unto him that striveth with his maker..." Maybe you have doubts because you are not saved and cannot see things through the eyes of God, as revealed in His Word. 1st Corinthians 2:14 lets us know, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." "Except a man be born again, he cannot see..." (John 3:3). 

 

If you are not absolutely sure you are going to Heaven when you die—you probably are not! Right now...put your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and have the peace of knowing you have eternal life. 

 

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36). Also read 1st John 5:13.

SO GREAT SALVATION

(a wonderful 24-part MP3 Bible study by Pastor Max D. Younce)

The Unsaved Man's Journey To Find The Truth

2nd Corinthians 4:3-6, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

I was thinking this morning about how hard it is for the unsaved person to find the light of the truth of the saving Gospel. Our text passage from 2nd Corinthians teaches that the Devil deliberately BLINDS unbelievers to hinder them from being born again. Jesus said the thief (Satan) comes only to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). 1st Thessalonians 2:18, “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.” The Devil blinds lost people with religion, worldly philosophies, family tradition, the pride of life, sin, evolution, et cetera. Satan works relentlessly to hinder the work of God.

Luke 11:52, “Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” A “lawyer” in the New Testament was not the same as attorney's today. Bible lawyers were religious ones, experts in the Mosaic law of Moses. The Law given by God to Moses in the Old Testament was the law that was used to govern Israel. A “lawyer,” therefore, was an expert or scholar of the Mosaic Law. Jesus indicted those wicked lawyers, for perverting the Scriptures, failing to recognize Him as the promised Messiah that Moses spoke of. John 7:19, “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?”

The wicked religious Jewish lawyers were against Jesus. John 5:45-46, “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.” They trusted in Moses instead of Jesus to save them, which is NOT how you get to Heaven. Moses could not save anyone, not even himself. Nowhere in the inspired Holy Bible does it teach to put your faith in Moses to be saved. John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 6:47-50, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.” Jesus plainly declared that He is the Bread of Life.

There is only one true Gospel. Galatians 5:7, “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?”

1st Thessalonians 2:18, “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.” Tragically, if you research the various different religions, and attend several different Baptist churches, you will hear umpteen different conflicting plans of salvation, but the inspired Holy Bible warns that there is ONLY ONE Gospel. 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 defines “the gospel” as three things:

1. Jesus DIED on a cross to pay our debt of sin.
2. He was BURIED.
3. Christ resurrected from the dead three days later.

1st Corinthians 15:1-6, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”

The old adage is true: Repetition is the key to learning. That is why I often preach in my blogs on the same topics, primarily anything pertaining to salvation, because it is so important. There is nothing in this universe more important than knowing that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, settled in your soul regarding where you will spend eternity. Thankfully, by God's grace, I KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt that I am born again. I know I am 100% saved because I am trusting only Jesus Christ, who is the only begotten (biological) Son of God.

I have placed all my apples in one basket, so to speak. If I go to Hell someday, it will be Jesus' fault alone, because I am totally relying upon Him, because of what He accomplished through Calvary's cross to pay my debt of sin. As a 13 year old boy in Chicago, I trusted Jesus as my personal Savior one Sunday morning from a church pew. I received His sacrificial death on the cross as full-payment for my sins, believing that He was buried, but then miraculously raised up from the dead three days later. I came to God as a needy sinner, and by faith I simply believed on His only begotten Son, trusting that Jesus did it all for me on the cross. My faith is only in the precious blood of Jesus. The life that I choose to live, and the sins which I have wilfully committed since I got saved, and my church activity and lack thereof, have absolutely NOTHING to do with going to Heaven. I am the SINNER; Jesus is the SAVIOR.

As I stated earlier, I began to ponder this morning about how difficult it is for the unsaved person to find the light of the truth of the Gospel. I feel sorry for the lost man, woman or child who stumbles into the Roman Catholic cult, where  one is deliberately discouraged from reading the Holy Bible. The unsaved person in Catholicism is lied to by wicked priests, told that they must keep Seven Sacraments to get to Heaven. No such trash is taught in the Word of God. Catholicism is a prisonhouse of religion!

Perhaps I pondered this topic this morning because today is the infamous day of Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday” in French) in New Orleans, when Catholics indulge in an orgy of sin and debauchery, and then go confess to their demonic priests tomorrow on Ash Wednesday. How wicked!!! I love all Catholic people, sincerely, but I vehemently HATE the accursed Catholic religion that has damned billions of souls to the Lake of Fire for eternity (Revelation 20:11-15). Sacramental Salvation cannot produce the required new birth by the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-7). If you are a Catholic dear reader, kindly said, you had better repent (change your mind) to CEASE from trusting in your sacramental works, and instead REST completely in the name of Jesus Christ alone and His crucifixtion, burial and resurrection to save you (Romans 1:16; 1st Thessalonians 4:14). Simply BELIEVE that Jesus did it all for you!

Over one billions lost sinners have been BLINDED by Satan to think that some wicked Roman or Orthodox Catholic priest can save them. I tell you truthfully that the Pope is not the vicar (presence) of God on earth; the Pope is THE VICAR OF HELL!!! The Pope calls himself “El Papa” but he dresses like El Mama. What a religious phony! There is NO salvation in the Catholic religion!!!

Then I thought this morning about the 22,000,000 poor souls who've been sucked into the Seventh-Day Adventist cult, with their Satanic Lordship Salvation heresy.

I also thought this morning about the 9,000,000 Jehovah's Witnesses around the world—a dangerous religious cult that denies Jesus' deity, denies the Godhead, denies that Jesus physically resurrected from the dead, denies that Hell is a literal place, and requires forsaking your sinful bad habits to be saved (sadly the same as most perverted Baptist churches today also teach). Pensacola Christian College teaches this damnable heresy! False doctrine concerning salvation has crept into nearly all religious schools, missions and churches today.

Then there are the secretive Mormons—a Masonic despicable religious cult of 17,000,000 followers based upon the sex perverted teachings of Joseph Smith (1805-1844). Smith was eventually lynched by an angry mob because of his illicit relations with several dozen women, all done in the name of God and religion. Remember, in the eyes of a wicked person anything can be justified. The wicked Jews in the Old Testament were committing adultery, theft, idolatry and murder, claiming that they were all doing God's will (Jeremiah 7:8-10). Some of the most heinous evils in history have been unjustly done in God's name. Adolf Hitler claimed to be doing God's will during the Holocaust, while murdering innocent people. President George W. Bush claimed to be doing God's will, while he ruthlessly murdered 2,300,000 innocent Iraqis. Nobody is doing “God's will” who is committing acts of unspeakable evil (James 1:13-14).

I could go on and on, mentioning the names of well-known religious cults, false religions and heretics. The Churches of Christ comes to mind, who have about 2,000,000 members worldwide. This cult errantly requires that you forsake your sinful bad habits to be saved, which is works, not grace. Churches of Christ also foolishly require water baptism to get to Heaven, which is a counterfeit plan of salvation that absolutely cannot produce the required new birth. And for that matter, so also do Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Lutherans (according to Martin Luther himself) require water baptism to be saved, which proves that they are NOT saved at all. RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!!

I feel sorry for the unsaved man who is searching for the truth. He is confused and like the popular 1980 song by Johnny Lee, “Looking For Love,” the unsaved man is oftentimes looking for truth in all the wrong places. He goes to the Catholic church and is introduced to ritualism and worshipping idols. He goes to the Mormon church and is shown Masonic ceremonies and taught a damnable counterfeit plan of salvation. Then he goes to the Seventh-Day Adventist cult and is errantly taught that he must keep the Ten Commandments to prove that his faith is genuine or else he is not saved (by the way, this is the same tommyrot that Bob Jones University teaches today). To attack the Gospel of free grace is to attack the God of grace. Please RUN from these dangerous false religions and cults!!!

I remember reading that famous television actor, Jackie Gleason (aka, “The Great One“”), was infatuated with the afterlife before he died in 1987. Sadly, from listening to Mr. Gleason in a 60-Minutes interview, in which he said he didn't think that God would send him to Hell for committing one sin, I don't think he died in the Lord. According to James 2:10, committing even one sin is the same as breaking all of God's commandments. The reason why is because even one sin is all it takes to disqualify anyone from entering into Heaven. Dear reader, you don't have to be good to get to Heaven, you must be 100% perfect! Since no human being other than Jesus has ever lived a perfect life (Hebrews 4:15), we need a Savior. That is why God sent His only begotten Son into the world, so that He could di in our place on the cross. By trusting Christ to save you, God the Father imputes (counts) Christ's righteousness to you by faith (Romans 4:4-7, 10:3-4; Philippians 3:9). If you are saved, God doesn't see your sins anymore, He only sees Jesus' righteousness! I speak of one's POSITION in Christ. Our CONDITION is a separate matter entirely, which does not affect our salvation. Remember, eternal life is the free gift of God, received by faith, paid for by Jesus' precious blood (1st Peter 1:18-19). Some critics of “Easy-Believism” like to call this “cheap grace,” but in fact, it is free grace. It is free to you and me, because it cost Jesus His life.

Having said all that, the inspired Holy Bible teaches that the grace of Gold that brings salvation has appeared to ALL MEN (i.e., every human being). Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,” I don't claim to understand how this works. Pastor Max D. Younce (1935-2023) wrote an enlightening article titled: 'Is God Unfair To The Heathen?' Dr. Younce teaches that if a heathen in the remote jungles of some remote place on earth has a desire to learn the truth, God is obligated to send them more truth. But if they reject the light which they already have, then God is not obligated to give them more light. I agree with Pastor Younce in this matter of spiritual enlightenment.

I haven't even mentioned all the wacky charismatic false prophets and health, wealth and prosperity heretics; namely: Pat Robertson, Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Steven Furtick, Benny Hinn, Peter Popoff, Joel Osteen, Oral Roberts, Bill Hamon, Jim Bakker and countless more phonies, cons and charlatans. Their damnation slumbereth not. That is, they are already damned, it's just a matter of time until their day of reckoning arrives. With all these crooks, liars and fraudsters, it is no wonder why millions of lost sinners today won't have anything to do with the churches. Frankly, I don't blame them one bit. But sadly, if they only knew THE TRUTH about how normal, fair and honest our God is, they would quickly come to receive His only begotten Son as their personal Savior. Please don't let religion hinder you from coming to Christ dear friend. Your eternal destiny depends on it!

I had a friend when I was growing up, whose mother hated churches. She often spoke of the crazy nuts in churches in her home town, who passed around snakes to see who was right with God. It's hard to believe that there are still wacky cults like that today, who masquerade as churches. I cannot blame lost sinners for avoiding churches when they see insane stuff like that. But sadly, the only ones who will suffer are the people who refuse to come to Jesus. What saith the Scripture? John 5:40, “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” Carefully notice that Jesus didn't say you cannot come to Him; but rather, “ye will not come to me.” Whether or not someone comes to Christ is solely up to the individual, and no one else. NO ONE can keep you out of Heaven dear reader, except YOU! Believe and be saved!!! John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

I humbly believe that if any man, woman or child sincerely desires THE TRUTH, they can find it. God has made a way for men to find and know the truth. It doesn't take a skilled theologian to see that something is very wrong with the Roman Catholic religion. The Bible forbids idolizing men. Jesus forbade calling priests “Father” in reverence (Matthew 23:9), yet that is exactly what the Catholic cult does! The Bible warned that false prophets would come forbidding marriage and eating meats (1st Timothy 4:1-3), yet that is exactly what the Catholic cult does! And there are many further proofs that Catholicism goes totally contrary to the inspired Word of God (Matthew 15:8; Mark 7:9).

I have briefly focused on the evils of Roman Catholicism, but I could just as easily expose thousands of false manmade religions!

Most Americans FALSELY consider Mormons, Roman Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Churches of Christ, Seventh-Day Adventists, Lordship Salvation Baptists, Lutherans, Unitarian Universalists, United Methodists and other pseudo-Christian cults as being "Christian," but in reality NONE OF THEM are Christian. All of these false religions, which add up to over 100 million Americans, falsely think they are Christians but are hellbound infidels. Only born again believers who trust in Jesus Christ alone apart from all works are truly saved.

In addition, the biggest names in evangelicalism today (e.g., Joel Osteen, T.D. Takes, Joyce Meyer, Pat Robertson, Beth Moore, James Dobson, Adrian Rodgers, Billy and Franklin Graham, Chip Ingram, Jimmy Swaggert, Charles Stanley, John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, Robert Jeffress, Jack Chick, William P. Grady, Sam Gipp, Keith Gomez, Pensacola Christian College, Bob Jones University, Unshackled, Paul Washer, Ken Ham, Todd Friel and countless other infidels) all preach a counterfeit plan of Lordship Salvation which requires turning (or being willing to turn) from your sinful bad habits to be saved (this is WORKS). With this tragic reality in view, the United States clearly pretends to be a Christian nation, but it is NOT. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born again. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. Thus, eternal life is a free gift from God. The Bible does NOT require that you first be willing to reform to receive that gift.

Let the inspired KING JAMES BIBLE be your guide. Jesus commanded us to 'SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES' in John 5:39. If you want to discover THE TRUTH, then read and study and abide in the inspired Holy Scriptures!!!

Martin Luther Was A Master Of Deception

Titus 1:10-14, “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.”

There is not a more damnable false prophet than Martin Luther (1883-1546). Mr. Luther allegedly got saved by faith alone in 1517, but in his catechism written 12 years later in 1529 Luther plainly taught that no one can go to Heaven unless they are water baptized and partake of communion.

Pastor Max D. Younce (1935-2023) has authored a helpful book titled, “MARTIN LUTHER: MASTER OF DECEIT” (backup). Dr. Younce has graciously made his books freely available in .pdf format, or you can purchase hard copies from Heritage Baptist Bible Church.

Martin Luther was so perverted in his theology, that he even taught that you can be saved WITHOUT FAITH, just so long as you get water baptized. Here is a direct quote...

"𝗙𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗢𝗧; 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱..."

𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗖𝗘: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗺 (𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺) - 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿

Unless he secretly repented of his false plan of salvation, Martin Luther split Hell wide open when he died in 1546.

Tragically, the biggest false religion in the world, Catholicism, actually quotes Martin Luther in an attempt to justify their heresy of Baptismal Regeneration. The following is quoted from Catholic.com...

"The Christian belief that baptism is necessary for salvation is so unshakable that even the Protestant Martin Luther affirmed the necessity of baptism. He wrote: 'Baptism is no human plaything but is instituted by God himself. Moreover, it is solemnly and strictly commanded that we must be baptized or we shall not be saved. We are not to regard it as an indifferent matter, then, like putting on a new red coat. It is of the greatest importance that we regard baptism as excellent, glorious, and exalted' "(Large Catechism 4:6). [emphasis added]

SOURCE: http://www.catholic.com/library/necessity_of_baptism.asp

What sad irony? Here's a heathen Catholic ministry quoting Martin Luther's own words to support their damnable heresy. I ask you: Why do most Christians today continue to honor Mr. Luther as a great man of faith, who clearly wasn't even saved? Luther taught that Water Baptism could save a person, even if no faith was present. This goes against even the plainest of Scripture...

“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)

“To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43)

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5)

Did Martin Luther never read Mark 16:16? ...

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT SHALL BE DAMNED.”

To be water baptized but not have faith in Jesus Christ is a sure road to Hell, fire and damnation! Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

Martin Luther Preaches Baptismal Regeneration Heresy

Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a religious fraud, a heretic. Tragically, this man who has been dead for 477 years is still brainwashing people with his damnable heresies, leading them into Hellfire.

Here are the words of one such deceived soul...

"...the central truths of Christianity, the most important of which, for Luther, was the doctrine of justification — God's act of declaring a sinner righteous — by faith alone through God's grace. He began to teach that salvation or redemption is a gift of God's grace, attainable only through faith in Jesus as the messiah."

SOURCE: Wriedt, Markus. "Luther's Theology," in The Cambridge Companion to Luther. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003, 88–94

But did Luther really believe that salvation was "only through faith in Jesus?" No, he did not, as I will prove to you. In Luther's Large Catechism he foolishly states:

"Moreover, that it is most solemnly and strictly commanded that we must be baptized or we cannot be saved..." [emphasis added]

SOURCE: The Large Catechism (XIII) - Martin Luther

Mr. Luther penned these words in 1529, twelve years after his alleged conversion to Jesus Christ in 1517. How much more evidence do you need to know that Martin Luther was an imposter, a Modernist, and an unsaved man?

Beware Of Wolves In Sheep's Clothing

Martin Luther is a liar of liars, who is still deceiving people nearly 500 years later with his false teachings. This is because of the power of propaganda. This is why Adolf Hitler (1938), Joseph Stalin (1942), and President George W. Bush (2000/2004) have all been shamefully honored by TIME magazine (a known Communist organization).

Likewise, Martin Luther is responsible for leading untold millions of people into the eternal Lake of Fire. Woefully ignorant and foolish people continue to praise Luther today. There is much information available exposing Martin Luther. People by nature go by what they hear, not having sense enough to think objectively for themselves. It is the Bible preacher's duty to exhort people to “SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES” for the truth (John 5:39). What saith the Scripture? God's opinion is the only opinion that truly matters. Romans 4:3, “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

Mr. Luther was unquestionably a great religious leader of his time. Luther did much work to translate the Word of God. There is no question that Luther was a pioneer of the Reformation. Yet, tragically, Martin Luther taught ANOTHER GOSPEL (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4), which is a false plan of salvation that cannot produce the new birth by the Holy Spirit of God. There is a curse upon anyone, even an angel (demon), who preaches another gospel (Galatians 1:6-8). 

Mr. Luther sadly had churchianity, but he did not have Christianity. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born again. Religion cannot get a person into Heaven. I am not asking you to take my word for it dear reader; but rather, consider what the Scriptures teach, and then look at what Mr. Luther taught. They are diametrically opposed to each other. Those who promote Martin Luther are pulling on the same rope as the Devil.

RUN from the Lutheran religion! Please don't be sucked into this deadly cult. No one in the Old Testament was water baptized, but those who went to Heaven had faith in Christ (Acts 10:43). The repentant thief on the cross did not have time to get water baptized, his hands were nailed to a cross. All he did was (as a needy sinner) BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST to be saved. Martin Luther came out of the toxic Roman Catholic church, but the corrupt Catholic church did not come out of him.

Whereas Catholics require keeping SEVEN sacraments to be saved, Luther required keeping TWO sacraments to be saved. Either way they both taught the damnable heresy of Sacramental Salvation. Romans 3:20b plainly declares “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU. Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty!

Justification, Sanctification And Glorification Are NOT A “Package Deal”

Titus 1:10-14, “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.”

Someone asked me today if Pensacola Christian College's (PCC) Rejoice Radio are also corrupt. Yes, they are also corrupt doctrinally at 'Rejoice Radio,' started by Arlin Horton in 1971 (PCC began in 1975). There is a disturbing Double Standard at PCC. On their Campus Church website they present a simple Gospel presentation, but then when you start asking questions, reading their literature, attend Campus Church Bible studies and delve deeper into what they actually believe and teach, you'll find that they adhere to a form of Misunderstood Repentance and Lordship Salvation.

One of the reasons why PCC has been corrupted is because they wickedly refuse to stand (Ephesians 6:10-12). PCC does not contend for the Christian faith as they should (Jude 1:7; Titus 1:9-14; Ephesians 5:11). Instead, PCC hobnobs with the deadly Calvinist Bob Jones University cult. They don't want to be put outside the gate with Jesus. They don't want to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus (2nd Timothy 3:12). They want easy money with no conflict. If we are to change the future, we must disturb the present.

PCC has BJU graduates on their staff! PCC's students play intercollegiate sports with BJU, teaching their impressionable students by example that getting along is more important than standing for truth. No one can lay down with dirty dogs without being infested with ticks and flees. PCC is infested with BJU's false teachings! BJU invited infidel Paul Washer to speak to their students in late 2022. The Bible forbids bidding Godspeed to evildoers and false prophets. 2nd John 1:10-11, “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

PCC invited and honored infidel Ken Ham in 2022. Ken Ham preaches the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation. Tragically, because PCC promotes Ken Ham, so also do many local churches in Pensacola and worldwide. PCC has blood on their hands for bidding Godspeed to false prophets (2nd John 1:11). PCC takes in about $175,000,000 each year! The love of money has corrupted their institution. I have heard countless former students criticize PCC as a cult that always puts the system first, but individual people do not matter. I found that to be true when I attended Campus Church for a few month in 2021. Their incompetent pastor, Jeff Redlin, woefully lacks love and compassion for people. Moreover, PCC and their wicked pastors preach ANOTHER GOSEL (Galatians 1:6-8).

As I mentioned earlier, their website (and Rejoice Radio) have a Double Standard. Like subtle unsaved Seventh-Day Adventists, they profess to believe a free grace Gospel at PCC, but when you dig deeper you learn that they think you must first be willing to forsake sinful bad habits to be saved, and then live a holy life to prove that your faith is genuine, which is a backdoor approach to Lordship Salvation. Their incompetent pastors at PCC haven't studied and are corrupt, going along to get along with the toxic BJU crowd. Ecumenism is dangerous! 

Very few pastors are willing to stand alone today for what is true and right. PCC pretends to preach the Gospel, but then compromises at every turn when pressed on the issue, to align their beliefs with BJU. I have spent time in both camps, enough to sadly see that they are both rotten and corrupt. They say one thing, but then do another.

Both PCC and BJU adhere to the false teaching that justification sanctification and glorification are a "package deal" which cannot be separated. So if you claim to be saved (justified) but still have not turned away from your sinful bad habits (sanctification), they say you're not really saved. I met Pastor Josh Thompson in 2022 at the Pensacola Interstate fair at PCC's booth (right next to the Jehovah's Witnesses). I asked him if he was teaching Lordship Salvation and he said, "yes." He quoted Acts 16:31, "Believe on the 'LORD' Jesus Christ," insisting based on this verse that you must also receive Jesus as your LORD to be saved. What a religious fraud!

Pastor Thompson teaches a class at PCC! In 2023, I visited his church at the Fairfield Drive Baptist Church (5 minutes from where I live). I didn't know that he was the pastor there. I was wondering why he was so nervous and sweating when I met him. He had recognized me, but I didn't recognize him until after I left to go to my car. I never went back, needless to say. Josh told me that justification, sanctification and glorification are a "package deal." That is HERESY! I love what John Bunyan rightly said on the issue...

“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.” —John Bunyan (1628-1688)

Amen and amen! Evangelist John Bunyan nailed it! We absolutely must keep living a changed life completely separate from saving grace, lest we corrupt God's simple plan of salvation and preach the perversion of Lordship Salvation.

Pastor M.R. DeHaan (1891-1965) rightly said on the issue...

"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)

We can only wonder what in the world is wrong with PCC's and BJU's leaders and pastors, that they have sunk so low to teach a counterfeit gospel that requires reformation to be saved (or to prove that you are saved). The only evidence Scripturally of the new birth according to 1st John 3:24 is the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT. That is what the Epistle of 1st John is all about, to help the individual determine if they have the Holy Spirit or not.

Good works and a changed life cannot be used as evidence of the new birth, because even unsaved people can do many wonderful works (Matthew 7:21-23) and live a changed life (Acts 10:1-2). Romans 10:3-4 says that unsaved people can be religious. Matthew 6:7 says that unsaved people can pray. Matthew 15:7-8 says unsaved people can draw nigh unto God with their mouths in worship and praise. So none of these things can be considered as evidence of being "saved."

John Bunyan (1628-1688) rightly understood nearly 400 years ago that the potential changes that the Holy Spirit makes in the life of a believer over time, has absolutely NOTHING to do with receiving God's free gift of eternal life. One thing has nothing to do with the other! Please don't ever let anyone corrupt your beliefs by convincing you that works are required to prove your faith is genuine.

The hellbound group in Matthew 7:21-23 boasted to Christ of their “many wonderful works” done in Jesus' name, but the dear Savior denied knowing them as His sheep. They tragically all went to burn in the Lake of Fire for eternity. Yet, they had preached in Jesus' name. They had cast out devil's in Jesus' name. They had followed Jesus as the Lord of their life, even calling Him: “Lord, Lord.” Anybody who had outwardly examined their lives would have concluded that these people are Christians, but they weren't! Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born again.

Please don't buy into the lie that justification, sanctification and glorification are a “package deal,” because you won't find that garbage taught in the inspired King James Bible. Granted, there are different meanings of sanctification in a believer's life. However, as far as salvation is concerned, every believer was sanctified eternally at the moment of the new birth. Hebrews 10:10, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” The moment that someone gets saved, everything is DONE as far as going to Heaven is concerned. Nothing more is required or allowed than one's childlike faith in Jesus. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

Thank you for reading my ministry posts.

Isn't The Word “Dispensation” In The Bible?

Colossians 1:25, “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;”

The word “dispensation” appears four times in the inspired Holy Bible. A “dispensation” may be defined as “stewardship, administration, oversight, or management of another's property.” For example: In 1st Corinthians 9:17 the Apostle Paul said, “a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.” Paul is simply saying that God entrusted him with stewardship of the Gospel. There is nothing in the four Scripture passages in which the word “dispensation” appears that justifies the Dispensational system invented by John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), the leader of the Plymouth Brethren, which makes SEVEN DIVISIONS of the Word of God. Dispensationalism is a manmade doctrine! Hebrews 13:9, “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.”

I encourage you to read the helpful book by Phillip Mauro (1859-1952) titled, "The Gospel Of The Kingdom," particularly chapter 3, "The Law And The Gospel."

As Dr. Mauro rightly explains (a rebuttal of C.I. Scofield's Dispensational teachings), God has already made TWO great divisions to His inspired Word of OLD and NEW Testaments; or respectively, LAW and THE GOSPEL.

Whereas in manmade Dispensationalism, SEVEN divisions are made to God's Word, so that the emphasis is switched from the Gospel to the future Kingdom of Israel instead. For these reasons I reject Dispensational teaching and I encourage you to do the same. We don't need the help of crafty men to tell us how to study God's Word. God said what He meant, and He meant what He said. I am leery of theology, because much of it is not based on the Scriptures.

God has already made TWO great divisions to His Word of OLD and NEW Testament; or, LAW and THE GOSPEL. The emphasis is upon preaching the Gospel to win the lost, which is where it should be! The “gospel” is the GOOD NEWS of Jesus' crucifixtion to pay our debt of sin, His burial and bodily resurrection from the dead the third day; it is not about the glory or future kingdom of Israel. Zionism is a dangerous movement which is rooted in heretical Dispensational dogma! Dispensational teaching is an enemy of soulwinning.

John exhorts all men in John 5:36, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” The dear Lord didn't command us to go buy a bunch of theology books, learn Dispensationalism, attend a theological seminary (cemetery) or join a religious study group; but rather, Jesus simply told us to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!!

The Bible tells us that the Bereans were noble, because they didn't just take Paul's word as being true, they went home and “SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY” to verify if what Paul and Silas were preaching was true or false. Acts 17:10-11, “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

Well, dear reader, I have searched the Scriptures diligently and I still cannot find John Darby's Dispensational garbage anywhere!