Martin Luther Was No “Hero Of Faith”

Galatians 3:1-3, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

Tragically, in the vast majority of churches today (both fundamentalist and neo-evangelical churches alike) and Christendom as a whole, Martin Luther (1483-1546) is ignorantly praised as a hero of the faith. Case in point is this 1962 book titled 'Martin Luther: Hero Of Faith' by Frederick Nohl. And here is another book titled, 'Hero Of Faith: Martin Luther' written in 2012 by Edward C. Grube.

Tragically, Martin Luther was a heretic! I realize this comes as a shock to many Christians; but, the proof is undeniable. The Biblical teaching of being saved by faith alone is often attributed to Martin Luther; BUT, nothing could be further from the truth.

Indeed, Luther and the other reformers did challenge the Catholic Church that sold indulgences and offered a “works-based” type of salvation. However, just because Martin Luther protested against the Catholic Church doesn't mean that he was saved. Martin Luther often taught that salvation was based on faith alone, and not received based upon a person’s meritorious works; however, Luther’s idea of faith alone does not conform to the Biblical teaching that baptism is not required for salvation.

While it is understood that the opinions of men are in no way authoritative when it comes to God’s plan for salvation, it is nonetheless interesting to note that Martin Luther believed wholeheartedly in the necessity of water baptism as a prerequisite for salvation.

In his Large Catechism, Luther wrote:

[I] affirm that Baptism is no human trifle, but that it was established by God Himself. Moreover, He earnestly and solemnly commanded that we must be baptized or we shall not be saved. No one is to think that it is an optional matter like putting on a red coat. It is of greatest importance that we hold Baptism in high esteem as something splendid and glorious. The reason why we are striving and battling so strenuously for this view of Baptism is that the world nowadays is full of sects that loudly proclaim that Baptism is merely an external form and that external forms are useless.... Although Baptism is indeed performed by human hands, yet it is truly God’s own action (1978, pp. 98-99). [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Luther, Martin (1978), Luther’s Large Catechism, (Saint Louis, MO: Concordia)

BLASPHEMY! Where does the holy Bible “solemnly command that we must be baptized or we shall not be saved”? From Luther’s own comments, it is clear that he required water baptism for salvation. This is called the heresy of Baptismal Regeneration. Many Protestant denominations today have been infected with Luther's damnable heresy. Sadly, most fundamental Bible-believing churches have also been caught up in the woeful Martin Luther deception.

Martin Luther was subtle, just as Satan—teaching that salvation is by faith alone, while simultaneously requiring baptism to be saved. Obviously, Luther didn't consider baptism a self-righteous work. The Word of God states in John 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned...” I don't see any mention of “baptism” there.

John the Apostle professed in 1st John 5:13 the purpose of his Epistle... “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” Carefully notice that John never mentions baptism in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd John. By the way, John doesn't mention speaking in tongues either.

Romans 11:6 plainly tells us that if salvation is by works then it is no longer by grace, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” If you add anything to simple childlike faith in Jesus as the Christ, then you have corrupted the saving grace of God and the Gospel. Such is of the Devil. Martin Luther taught works salvation. Every hellbound Catholic today who speaks of faith also believes that salvation comes only through keeping the 7 Sacraments of the Church in Rome. Of course, that is a false view of the Gospel and a road straight to Hell, fire, and damnation.

The Apostle wrote 1st John to enlighten us how to KNOW we are saved. It is ludicrous for Charismatics to claim speaking in tongues as evidence of being saved. It is also ludicrous for anyone to claim that baptism is necessary for salvation. If this were the case, then John WOULD have mentioned it. Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” There's NO mention of baptism.

What, then, would Martin Luther say to those today who teach that “faith alone” excludes baptism? Listen to Luther's own words concerning the Biblical doctrine of “faith alone”:

But our know-it-alls, the new spirit people, claim that faith alone saves and that human works and outward forms contribute nothing to this. We answer: It is of course true that nothing in us does it except faith, as we shall hear later. But these blind leaders of the blind refuse to see that faith must have something in which it believes, that is, something it clings to, something on which to plant its feet and into which to sink its roots. Thus faith clings to the water and believes Baptism to be something in which there is pure salvation and life, not through the water, as I have emphasized often enough, but because God’s name is joined to it ... It follows from this that whoever rejects Baptism rejects God’s word, faith, and the Christ who directs us to Baptism and binds us to it —Luther’s Large Catechism: Book of Concord, pp. 101-102, 1978; Saint Louis, Missouri; Concordia

WRONG! Water baptism would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work. It is Christ Himself, and not the water in a baptistery, that should be the object of our faith to be saved. I have no doubt that Martin Luther was sincere in his faulty beliefs, but the Holy Bible warns in Proverbs 14:12 that “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Martin Luther was a heretic! He ignorantly wrested the inspired Scripture and believed things about the Bible that were not true. Martin Luther rejected the Book of Revelation because he couldn't understand it. The Biblical teaching of “faith only” which is so often attributed to Martin Luther, has nothing to do with Martin Luther. Sadly, Luther was no “hero” of the Christian faith.

This is the damnable Martin Luther deception! From the quotes we have read by Martin Luther, it is abundantly clear that Luther DIDN'T believe in “faith only” for salvation. Luther speaks out of both sides of his mouth. Martin Luther’s words are unambiguous and clear—his “faith alone” did not exclude water baptism as being necessary for salvation. He was a false prophet.

Martin Luther was no hero of the Christian faith!

The Thing That Amazes Me The Most About Alex Honnold

Psalms 14:1, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.  They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.”

Romans 1:20-21, “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: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Alex Honnold (born 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his free solo ascents, particularly his historic 3,000 foot climb of El Capitan in 2017. El Capitan is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, California. He has also free soloed the 1,667 foot tall skyscraper Taipei 101 in Taiwan in January 2026, making him one of the most accomplished climbers in history. Here is a 22-minute inspiring documentary about Alex. ...

Before Free Solo (Full Episode) | Edge of the Unknown with Jimmy Chin

I could watch Alex climb all day and never get bored of watching him. This guy has a backbone and nerves of steel. It blows my mind how any human being (and there's a lot of them in the world) can climb hundreds and thousands of feet into the air without using any safety ropes or equipment in case they slip and fall. I mean, if you get nervous even once and freeze up, you're dead. If you lose your grip even once, you're dead. If your leg cramps up even once from dehydration or fatigue, you're dead. Alex is an incredible rare individual.

Yet, something that astounds me even more than his climbing abilities, lack of fear and incredible mind over body control is that Alex is an avowed atheist. He admits openly and bluntly; making no bones about the fact, that he doesn't believe there is a Creator. That is even more difficult for me to understand because Alex has seen nature in ways that most people couldn't even imagine. Alex has been thousands of feet up a mountainside beholding the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets that would bring tears to our eyes.

You don't find many atheist farmers, who spend a great deal of time outdoors in nature. I humbly think living in a concrete jungle of a large impersonal city breeds atheism. Many young people had never even considered becoming an atheist until they attended some heathen public school or ungodly university that teaches humanism. I am surprised that Alex is an atheist. It is my earnest hope and prayer (I just prayed for him) that Alex will repent of his unbelief, to turn from all else to trust Jesus Christ alone as his personal Savior.

Yes, like many people I have tremendous admiration for Alex for his manly courage and death-defying ability to climb the world's tallest mountains and buildings unaided by any safety gear, ropes or equipment. But what astounds me the most is that a man who has seen the grandeur of God's incredibly beautiful creation, which demonstrates uncanny intelligent design, could deny the existence of a divine Creator. My heart goes out to Alex and I hope he will come to Jesus in faith while he still can. John 5:40, “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

Alex Honnold

For Now We See Through A Glass, Darkly

1st Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

This is one of the most important passage of Scripture in God's inspired Word. Granted, there are no unimportant Scriptures passages. The inspired Word of God teaches and acknowledges that as believers we have a limited understanding.

No preacher, Christian or theologian has the Bible all figured out. I humbly believe that certain portions of the Bible are less likely to be discerned unless somebody is going through certain hardships or situations. Different people will get different truths from God's Word, depending on their circumstances. I love how God made the Bible. Granted, no portion of Scripture is of any private interpretation. That is, no one can claim that God gave them something unique that no one else can learn from studying God's Word. 2nd Peter 1:20, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”

Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) prophetess Ellen G. White (1827-1915) bizarrely claimed to have received over 2,000 visions and dreams from God. She wickedly appointed herself as a last days prophetess to confirm Bible prophecies. Miss White was a blatant FALSE PROPHET! God does not speak to anyone today through dreams or visions. What saith the Scripture? Hebrews 1:1-2, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” God speaks to humanity today through the written Word of God. Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) said that Jesus and the Bible are twins. I like that. Jesus is the Living Word; the Holy Bible is the Written Word (John 1:1-3, 14; Revelation 19:13).

The older I get, the more I realize how much I don't know and understand. I am now 59 years of age. I absolutely cannot believe how old I am. In my soul I still feel like I am a teenager. I don't feel old, but my body does. My eyes cannot see as well as they used to. My ears do not hear as good as they used to. My hair is all gone on top of my head. I have typical Male Pattern Baldness, which began at age 25. I got rear-ended by a church bus in 1992, which caused Cervical Degenerative Disk Disease. At work I tumbled 15 feet down a conveyor slide in 2005 which worsened my injury. I have undergone two major neck surgeries in 2009 and 2010, the second of which surgery rendered me 100% worse. My body is broken and tired.

At best all we can do is study the Bible using available study resources; such as, Bible dictionaries, Bible land maps, Bible commentaries, lexicons, et cetera. Jesus promised that the indwelling Holy Spirit will guide and teach us (John 16:13). 1st John 2:27b says, “ye need not that any man teach you.” God authored His Word in such a way that it is like a puzzle, not easy to understand. Even the Apostle Peter acknowledged in 2nd Peter 3:16-17 that the writings of Paul were hard for him to understand. Ironically, I find Peter's writings more difficult to understand than Paul's writings. Go figure!

There has been much confusion and debate over the timing of the Rapture. I admit that the way the Bible is put together, it is not easy to paint a clear picture of Bible prophecy. I am firmly convinced of a Pretribulation Rapture, but it is mainly because no other doctrinal position fits the puzzle of Bible prophecy. Jesus warned in Mark 13:32-37 that NO MAN (not even the angels or Himself) know the time of His return. Only a Pretribulation Rapture supports the truth taught in this remarkable passage of Scripture.

If you have difficulty understanding the Holy Bible, join the club, you're not alone. We all struggle to understand it. Did Jephthah sacrifice his daughter by killing her, or did she remain a virgin for the rest of her life? Since she bewailed her virginity, I think she remained a virgin.

Did it take Noah a full 120 years to finish the ark? Ken Ham says it was only seventy something years to complete the ark. I humbly think it took 120 years since “God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing” (1st Peter 3:20).

Did the Church begin on the Day of Pentecost, in the earthly life and ministry of Jesus, in the middle of the book of Acts, or back with the first family in Genesis? Acts 7:38 speaks of “the church in the wilderness.” It seems to me that the church started way back with the first family. As families moved away from each other and cities were built, the need arose for a surrogate family; hence, local New Testament churches.

Is the earth young, or is it billions of years old? Psalm 102:25, “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.” The psalmist specifically says that the foundation of the earth itself is “old.” If you study the Hebrew words in the first two chapters of Genesis, I don't see how any Bible student could deny an old earth view. Those who think dinosaurs lived 4,500 years ago are just as ignorant as flat-earthers.

Granted, the Bible says we see through a glass darkly. That is, we don't have confirmation of many truths. That is why there is so much debate, arguments and contending for the faith.

That being said, we are commanded by God in numerous Scripture passages to contend for the faith. Jude 1:3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Thankfully, the Bible is abundantly plain concerning God's simple plan of salvation and the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. There is no controversy if you believe the Bible. I mean, there is no controversy that Jesus is God almighty. His deity is not a debatable matter. There is no debate concerning the Godhead (aka, Trinity). God exists in the three individual distinct persons of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Yet, Deuteronomy 6:4 declares that there is only one God.

I heard a Baptist pastor recently say that we ought not debate over minor issues. He included “eternal security” as one of the minor issues. Dear reader, the matter of eternal security is NOT a minor issue, and we absolutely should make a fuss to debate over this matter. So, we must use wisdom. Knowledge is knowing something. Wisdom is knowing what to do with it.

Although there are many Scripture passages where by rightly dividing the Word of Truth we can find the correct interpretation, yet there will always be other obscure passages that are more difficult to determine with any certainty what God meant. The Scripture acknowledges this reality in 1st Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

When asked a difficult or unlearned question it is perfectly okay to say, “I don't know the answer.” 2nd Timothy 2:23, “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.” The Scripture discourages us from getting into heated debates over foolish things and impossible questions that have no obvious answer. We need to choose our battles wisely. We will never know the answer to every question, nor does God intend for us to understand everything.

That is why we are taught in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The Bible is telling us this because there will always be things that we cannot even begin to understand.

Mankind cannot even determine how big the universe is. Our telescopes can peer 46.5 billion lightyears into the Observable Universe, but we will never be able to see further since light beyond that point will never reach us, due to expansion of the cosmos. There will always be more things we do not understand, than we do understand. God made it that way. I humbly believe the reason why is so that we would have to blindly trust Him. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Lessons From The Story Of Isaac's Family

Genesis 25:23, “And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.”

The Old Testament is full of biographies for our learning (Romans 15:4). In the disturbing story of Isaac and Rebekah, and their sons Esau and Jacob, we glean many important truths.

As seen in our text passage of inspired Scripture, God had told Rebekah before their children were born that the elder would serve the younger (Genesis 25:23). Sadly, as they boys grew older, the parents were guilty of Parental Favoritism. Genesis 25:28, “And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.” No parent should ever love one child over another. You would think that Jacob would have learned from his own parent's mistake, but he repeated the same mistake by favoring Joseph, which compelled his ten half brothers in envy to hurt him, selling him into slavery. Although it is quite normal for some parents to feel closer to one child than the others, our love should always be unconditional for all of our children, as is God's love for His children.

Esau made venison (deer) for Isaac as he was a skilled hunter and his father’s favorite son. Therefore, Isaac wanted to bestow the inheritance blessing upon Esau, who prepared him delicious roasted venison to eat that he enjoyed so much. However, Rebekah later prepared a meal of goat for Jacob and they conspired together to deceive Isaac, to secure the blessing for Jacob instead of Esau.

Rebekah had contrived the whole wicked plot. Instead of waiting upon the Lord to work in accordance with His promise, she manipulated her family by taking matters into her own hands (as did Sarah and Abraham with Hagar). So, we see that Isaac was stubborn and Rebekah was manipulative. We see these same sins in families today. Many husbands are stubborn and many wives are manipulative.

There are dozens of important lessons that we should learn from this dysfunctional family in the Old Testament. Esau was so hurt by his family's betrayal, which I have no doubt he knew his mother was involved in since she favored Jacob, that Esau went and married two heathen Canaanite wives to spite his parents (Genesis 28:8-9). The whole family was at each other's throats, and it all began with a wicked wife who instead of trusting God manipulated her family.

Esau was very carnal and while famished sold his birthright to Jacob for a lousy bowl of red pottage, but it was his rotten mama's boy brother who refused to share food with him (Genesis 25:29-34). What a horrible brother Jacob was, making his own biological brother forfeit his birthright for some food. I don't like Jacob when he was younger. What a horrible guy!

And do you have any idea of just how much Esau gave up in that one hasty foolish carnal decision? Esau lost the right to inherit a double portion of his father’s estate, the leadership of the family, and the spiritual blessing of the covenant promises made to Abraham. What a foolish hasty decision! There are countless people who have starved themselves to death in a hunger strike for political reasons. Surely, Esau could have waited a little longer to eat a meal. It blows my mind that he gave up so much for so little.

This sad story about Esau teaches us a valuable lesson about the danger of wrong thinking. Genesis 25:32, “And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” He felt like he was going to starve to death, but that is not the case at all. Esau wouldn't have starved to death by the end of the day. He could have found food to eat had he simply waited a couple more hours at the most. To be honest, I don't understand Esau's foolish mindset, but it is clear that hunger is a powerful influence upon a human being.

Clearly, Esau was only focusing on the here and now, the present, and not the future. So often people foolishly sacrifice their future on the altar of the present.

The Best Way To Honor Your Parents

Exodus 20:12, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

This is the fifth of God's Ten Commandments for humanity. In our text passage of Scripture the Lord's commandment says:

“Honour thy father and thy mother...”

The Hebrew word translated “honour” is kabbed, from the root kaved, which literally means “to be heavy” or “to give weight to.” In the Hebrew language, something that is "weighty" is important, valuable, significant and worthy of one's respect. The opposite would be something that is light, trivial or insignificant.

So, when God commands children to “honor” our parents, He is saying:

• Give them proper importance.
• Treat them as valuable and worthy of respect.
• Do not regard them lightly or dismissively.
• Recognize the authority and position God has given them.

Practical Meaning Of Honoring One's Parents

Honoring parents includes:

• Respecting them in speech and behavior.
• Obeying them while under their authority (Ephesians 6:1).
• Caring for them when they are older and in need.
• Not shaming or disgracing them.

This is why in Mark 7:9–13, Jesus condemns people who use religious excuses to avoid supporting their parents. Jesus taught that honoring our parents involves more than polite words—it includes practical care. We are woefully guilty in the United States of not taking care of our elderly parents. For the longest time now, thousands of elderly people have had to travel to Mexico and Canada to purchase affordable medications, which is utterly shameful. We do not honour our elderly in the United States!

A Helpful Illustration Of The Meaning Of “Honour”

If someone says, “Your opinion carries a lot of weight with me,” they mean, “I highly value what you say.” That is very close to the Hebrew idea behind kabbed. To honor your father and mother is to give their position and counsel weight in your life. Sadly, to many Americans their parents have become a heavy burden for them to carry, so they don't. I like the popular 1969 hit song by The Hollies titled: “He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother.” One's own parents ought never be viewed as a burden, when they sacrificed for us, cared for us and raised us.

So, a good expanded translation of Exodus 20:12 might be:

"Give due weight, respect, value, and reverence to your father and your mother."

Granted, this doesn't mean that parents are infallible, or that a child at any age must obey sinful or illegal commands. Rather, it means that parents are to be treated as being valuable, and they should never be treated as insignificant or contemptible.

I have received thousands of ministry emails over the years since by God's grace I started my website ministry in 2002, some from frustrated adult children of difficult parents who are not saved. My best advice to people in such situations is to just love the hell out of them!

The Best Way To Honor Your Parents

That all being said, I humbly believe the greatest way to honor our parents is to live a meaningful, moral and productive life. I think the greatest way that I can honor my Mom and Dad is to live an impactful life for the Lord Jesus Christ, leading as many lost sinners to Jesus Christ as possible. I love what Pastor Jack Hyles said: “The measure of my success in life won't be how many people show up to say goodbye at my funeral, but how many people are waiting to greet me when I get to Heaven.”

I have to admit that I was disappointed after watching the 1998 blockbuster film Saving Private Ryan, which book and movie is FICTIONAL. That surprised me! Nearly everybody thinks the movie is based on a real event, but there never was any mission to rescue a soldier because his brothers were killed before him. It's a great story, but it never happened!

But that's not why I was disappointed. At the end of the movie they show James Francis Ryan (the rescued private) as an old man. He breaks down in tears while standing at the graves of the men who died for him, and asks his wife if he is a "good man," and she confirms that he is. As far as the movie indicates, James Ryan never accomplished anything in life more than to feed his mouth three times a day, and to raise a family. Although there's nothing wrong with that per se, I would hate to look back at the end of my life, with nothing more to show for it than having existed. I thank God for my website ministry, which God has used (and is still using) to make an impact for Jesus Christ in this world.

Is there not a cause? That is what the shepherd boy David said while going out to fight the Philistine 9' 6" giant Goliath. David's older brothers mocked him, to which mockery he replied in 1st Samuel 17:29, “And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” Dear reader, the best way you can honor your Mom and Dad is to give your life to serve Jesus Christ as a believer. And if you've never been born again, please do so now while you still can. It is so simple, free and easy to be saved. You simply need to believe that Jesus did it all for you.

If you are not 100% sure that your name is written in Heaven (Luke 10:20), then right now dear friend come to God as a guilty sinner by faith (taking God at His written Word), accepting Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that He was buried, but ressurected from the dead three days later. This is "the Gospel" (Good News), by which all who BELIEVE IT are saved instantly, irrevocably and permanently (Romans 1:16; 1st Corinthians 15:1-6). Simply believe that Jesus did it all for you.

To God be the glory. Thank you for reading my ministry blog.

False Teaching By Pastor Jack Hyles

2nd Timothy 2:15-16, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”

I love Brother Jack Hyles (1926-2001). He is (and always will be) my hero, friend and mentor of the faith. I had the privilege of attending Hyles-Anderson College from 1985 to 1993, which institution was founded in 1973 to train young people to serve God in full-time service. By God's grace alone, I thankfully graduated in 1993 with honors.

Dr. Hyles taught us preacher boys to be loyal to truth and principles, and not to men or institutions. Over the past 24 years of my website ministry, I have spoken my mind. I do not bite my tongue, as some would say. When my heart hurts, feels grieved or someone hurts my feelings, I start writing to find solace in the matter. God has given me the gift of writing, for which I am forever grateful. Granted, I do not consider myself an eloquent writer, but I do get the point across quite effectively, which I humbly think is the most important thing.

That all being said, I was listening to a Bible study today by Pastor Hyles titled, “Justice - Part 14.” In this study (a little after 18 minutes) he makes some disturbing statements that bothered me, simply because what he says is not true. He is teaching against the sin of gossip. Dr. Hyles says that we should avoid talebearers, lest they contaminate us. I agree with that teaching, but then he makes these bizarre statements:

“The Bible, not one place in all this Bible, does it tell you to help the talebearer; not one place. Bible says help the drunkard. Bible says help the adulterer. Bible says help the thief. Bible says help the liar. Bible says help help the crooked, the dishonest. But not one place in this Bible; I dare you to show me one place in this Bible, where anybody is ever told to lift up the talebearer.”

Dear reader, that is heresy! That is false teaching! This is no better than Pastor Steven Anderson saying that homosexuals are beyond the hope of the gospel, and God hates them with a passion, so we ought not share the gospel with them. Well, thank God that someone didn't take Steven Anderson's horrible advice, or else Frank and Anita Worthen never would have been saved decades ago (who were both former homosexuals).

I know that Pastor Hyles was 100% sincere when he made these statements, but dear reader, what he is teaching is nowhere found in the inspired Holy Bible. I triple-dog dare anybody to show me where the Bible says we are supposed to help (lift up) drunkards, adulterers, thieves, liars, the crooked and dishonest, but not talebearers. You cannot. It is nonsense. It is false doctrine.

I find this in the Old Testament...

Ezekiel 34:4, “The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.” 

Psalm 145:14, “The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”

I find this in the New Testament...

Luke 14:21-23, “So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

We read in the New Testament...

Galatians 6:1-3, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”

Does this not include the ungodly talebearer? I don't find any Scripture passage that says to “lift up” the drunkard or the adulterer, unless Dr. Hyles meant to restore a fallen brother or sister in Christ as Galatians 6:1 teaches. But talebearers must be restored too. No? They are sinners too. No? I find no place in the inspired Word of God where we are told to restore fellow saints who go into sin, except the talebearer.

I am not trying to be mean, unkind, or show up Dr. Hyles in any way, I am just earnestly contending for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3). If a man is right, he is right; If a man is wrong, he is wrong. What Pastor Hyles teaches in this Bible study about not lifting up the talebearer is strange doctrine.

The Bible teaches that by showing compassion toward people, in a world without love or compassion, we can make a difference for eternity. ...

Jude 1:22, “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”

Among those who are alienated from God, the godly are taught in this Bible verse that we handle them gently with compassion in hope of winning lost sinners to Christ; and that others, who being near entering into the very flames of Hell, may be warned of their present danger as we endeavour to save them with the Gospel. Yet so, that we do it in such a way as to abhor the wickedness and dishonesty, lest we be corrupted by their influence.

When Jesus sat to eat with sinners, He did so only in an attempt to preach the Gospel unto them. Jesus did not march in homosexual Pride Parades! Jesus didn't hangout playing a game of pool at the local tavern. Jesus was a godly man who abhorred and abstained from all appearance of evil, as so also should we. Jesus was a friend to sinners, but not a partaker of their evil deeds. John 7:7, “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.”

I love and respect Brother Hyles, but I was bothered when I heard him preach this nonsense today. The talebearer is in the same sinking boat as the adulterer, drunkard, thief, liar and crooked sinner. As far as restoring one in the Lord's family who has gone into sin, the Bible makes no distinction between classes of sinners. Right doctrine matters!

Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001)

Homosexuals Are Made In God's Image

Genesis 1:26-27, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

The inspired Holy Bible is our Creator's Owner's Manuel for humanity. The old adage is true: When all else fails, read the instructions.

The Bible teaches in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” As I've mentioned in numerous recent blog articles, I am a big amateur fan of astronomy. It is my humble opinion that God made the universe and all the remarkable endless wonders therein to impress us as his creatures, who are all made in His image. James 3:9, “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.”

Kindly said, that is why I take a strong biblical stand against Pastor Steven Anderson and his New Independent Fundamental Baptist (New IFB) cult of followers who preach hatred for LGBTQIA+ people, who were all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). It didn't come as a surprise recently that Pastor Anderson's four oldest children have come out publicly against him and his wife with accusations of parental abuse. I say that kindly, but truthfully. Hatred just begets more hatred. One thing that I have learned during my lifetime is that people will not tolerate hatred. Dear reader, life is too short to live with a burden of hatred.

God created the universe and all therein to “wow” us, because He yearns for praise from His creatures. Just as God loves to be praised, so do we as human beings love to be praised. Proverbs 27:21, “As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.” That is part of what it means to be made in the image of God.

And just as we get our feelings hurt and are grieved, so also is God hurt and grieved. Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” When Jesus healed ten lepers of the horrible disease of leprosy (incurable at the time), only one man bothered to return to thank the dear Savior. That really hurt Jesus' feelings. Luke 17:17, “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” I can hear some religious Pharisee at church saying, “Oh Jesus, you're so negative!” I love this inspired Scripture passage, because it teaches that it is perfectly okay and not wrong to express our hurt feelings and grief.

It is a natural part of life that people will sometimes hurt our feelings, and as human beings made in God's image we have a natural need to express those hurt feelings, as part of the healing process. Don't ever let anyone scold you, or try to make you feel bad or guilty, for expressing hurt feelings. If Jesus shared His hurt feelings, and He clearly did, then so can we. It is perfectly acceptable to assertively, in a passive voice, tell someone that your feelings have been hurt. Jesus' feelings were hurt that only one man who had been healed thanked him.

Homosexuals were all created in the image of God, their Maker. Kindly said, I do not believe that homosexuals were “born that way.” Just like all sins, homosexuality is a choice. Some people may have a disposition to steal, lie, lust or experience homosexual tendencies, but sin is always still a choice. That being said, we have all been made in the image of our Creator. No one is beyond the hope of the gospel, including homosexuals.

Just because as a Christian I do not go along with the homosexual agenda doesn't mean that I hate LGBTQIA+ people. Quite the contrary, I love them all unconditionally with God's endless love. Or better said, I am allowing God to love homosexual people through me. I do not love others; but rather, God who is love, loves them THROUGH ME. We are all selfish by birth and by nature. The Christian life is lived on purpose. That is, we must choose to walk in the Holy Spirit by faith (Galatians 5:22-25), or else by default we will walk in the flesh, in sin (Romans 7:14-25).

In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said to love EVERYONE as our self. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Jesus didn't exempt any classes of society. He didn't disqualify unrepentant sinners. No, Jesus commanded us to love all of our neighbours, regardless of who they may be. That doesn't mean we must approve of their sinful lifestyles or choices. It doesn't even mean that we have to like them. But we do have to love everyone unconditionally with God's love, which means to treat everyone the exact what we would like to be treated. This is THE GOLDEN RULE according to Matthew 7:12.

Jesus Christ died for all mankind (John 3:16; 1st John 2:2). Not only are homosexuals made in God's image, but God's only begotten Son Jesus died for them on Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago (Romans 5:6-9). We have a solemn obligation as God's children to be ambassadors to the heathen world (2nd Corinthians 5:20-21). It is not our right or place to decide who is reachable or unreachable with the saving power of the truth of the gospel. God gives the increase (1st Corinthians 3:7-9). Our job is to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15b). Every creature includes everybody!