Dr. John MacArthur Is Wrong

Galatians 1:6-9,“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Hebrews 9:12, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

 Please BEWARE of John MacArthur's false plan of salvation and His denial that the literal blood of Jesus saves!

Pastor John MacArthur is wrong on several fundamental Bible doctrines. He is like the other hellbound Lordship Salvationist false teachers, who love to bash the easy-to-target prosperity preachers (e.g., Joel Osteen, Oral Roberts and Benny Hinn); but then MacArthur will overlook other popular heretical preachers (i.e., Joyce Meyer, Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron, Paul Washer and John Piper) because they are all corrupt like him. We must have discernment.

Dr. MacArthur falsely preaches that to get to Heaven you must surrender all to Christ. He says to be saved requires a lie lived in obedience to God. In so doing, MacArthur makes salvation a prolonged process, and not a new instantaneous birth.

Deadly False Teacher, Pastor John MacArthur

Pastor John MacArthur of the Grace Community Church has authored a heretical book titled, “HARD TO BELIEVE” in which he errantly teaches:

"Salvation isn't the result of an intellectual exercise. It comes from a life lived in obedience and service to Christ as revealed in the Scripture; it's the fruit of actions, not intentions. There's no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile... The life we live, not the words we speak, determines our eternal destiny" (Hard to Believe, p. 93). [emphasis added]

Ladies and gentlemen, what you have just read is works salvation. Now in fairness to Dr. MacArthur, who is a gifted orator (but a bad Bible student), he has attributed the previous quote to a publishing error and has updated the quote. Here is the new updated quote, which is just as corrupt and unbiblical:

Don’t believe anyone who says it’s easy to become a Christian. Salvation for sinners cost God His own Son; it cost God’s Son His life, and it’ll cost you the same thing. Salvation isn’t gained by reciting mere words. Saving faith transforms the heart, and that in turn transforms behavior. Faith’s fruit is seen in actions, not intentions. There’s no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile. Remember that what John saw in his vision of judgment was a Book of Life, not a book of Words or Book of Intellectual Musings. The life we live, not the words we speak, reveals whether our faith is authentic. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Dr. John MacArthur, Grace To You, an updated quote from his book 'Hard To Believe', page 93

At a glance, the preceding quote sounds impressive. It certainly seems proper to authenticate one's profession of faith with a life of good works. It appeals to our sinful human nature to attempt to please God by our own self-righteousness. The true nature of MacArthur's deadly teaching becomes more apparent when you only consider the first two lines of his quote:

“Don’t believe anyone who says it’s easy to become a Christian. Salvation for sinners cost God His own Son; it cost God’s Son His life, and it’ll cost you the same thing...”

Is that Biblical? No, it is not. MacArthur foolishly teaches that it is hard to become a Christian, because he says it will cost you your life of worldliness, sinful bad habits and selfish ambitions to make your faith valid. Clearly he does not believe that faith alone in Christ is enough to be saved. MacArthur deceitful says that mere words won't save, which is true if they are insincere words; however, the thief on the cross was saved immediately when he spoke the words, “Remember me” to Jesus (Luke 23:42). We are saved solely by faith in Christ, which may or may not be expressed by words. Words are not required to be saved. We are saved the moment we believe in our heart that Jesus is the Christ Who died FOR OUR SINS on the cross and rose (1st Corinthians 15:1-4).

The Devil is so subtle. False prophets know that adding works to salvation is blatant heresy, a lie. So what they do is instead say that you're saved by grace through faith, but your faith is not valid unless there are works to make that faith credible (or to authenticate it). This is a backdoor approach to a works-based salvation. How can a gift be difficult to obtain? How can eternal life be free while at the same time costing us our life as MacArthur claims?

Heretical statements made by MacArthur:

"The Greek word translated 'belief' is not referring merely to intellectual attainment or mental acquiescence but a wholehearted acceptance of everything that is implied in the claims of Christ. You need to believe that Jesus is God and that He died for your sins, committing your whole life to Him in sacrifice and serving Him as Lord." (Assurance of Victory—1 John 5, Moody Press, p. 12)

"Submission to the will of God, to Christ’s Lordship, and to the guiding of the Spirit is an essential, not an optional, part of saving faith" (EPHESIANS, p. 249)

“Don’t believe anyone who says it’s easy to become a Christian. Salvation for sinners cost God His own Son; it cost God’s Son His life, and it’ll cost you the same thing...” (Hard to Believe, page 93)

This is the damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation! Kindly, Mr. MacArthur is unknowingly working for the Devil. Many foolish pastors embrace MacArthur's heresies as mere semantics, when they ought to be exposing and refuting his false plan of salvation. Anyone who says that it is hard to be saved is teaching false doctrine. It's easy to be saved, so easy that 3,000 people were saved in one day in Acts 2:41.

“The worst pervert in America is the Gospel pervert!” —Brother Lester Roloff, from the sermon, “The Gospel Perverts Or Jesus?”

MacArthur teaches that there's no such thing as a childhood conversion. That is totally unbiblical. Jesus rebuked His disciples for hindering the children from coming to Him, for He said, such is the Kingdom of God (Mark 10:14). Dr. Jack Hyles was saved as a young boy, one month prior to his eleventh birthday (as stated in this MP3 sermon by Dr. Hyles titled, “A Late Start”). Paul told Timothy “that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2nd Timothy 3:15). Children can be saved by simply knowing that they are a sinner and believing Christ died on the cross for their sins and rose.

Dr. MacArthur (in his own words) attacks the precious blood of Jesus, denying that we are saved by Christ's blood sacrifice:

"It's heretical to call the blood of Jesus Christ the blood of God… We are not saved by his blood… There's nothing magic in Jesus's blood, his saliva, or any part of the fluids of the human body… People have turned the blood into a fetish.” SOURCE: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/80-44/the-blood-of-christ

In his Bible commentary (all 666 volumes...lol), MacArthur errantly teaches that the word “blood” in Hebrews chapter 9 merely refers to Jesus' “death” on the cross, and not actual blood. What a liar! Dear reader, if God meant death, then He would have used that word; but God didn't, He chose to use the word blood. Hebrews 9:12, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” After raising up from the dead, Jesus physically ascended into Heaven and sprinkled His literal liquid blood upon the Mercy Seat in the presence of the Father (Hebrews 9:24).

Beware of Dr. MacArthur's Subtle But Damnable Heresy

Kindly, MacArthur is spiritually dangerous, because he hides heresies between doctrinal truth, which are the hardest lies to expose. To expose such falsehoods, you must first separate the lies from the truth and deal with them as such. It is very easy to be deceived if you're not knowledgeable concerning the truth of God's Word. Jesus told us to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES in John 5:39.

My friend, it is very easy to be saved, so easy in fact that 3,000 people got saved in one day in Acts 2:41. You don't have to give your life (as Christ gave His life) to be saved! If it were true, then salvation would be the result of partial faith in Christ plus human effort. To lay such a heavy burden upon a sinner's shoulder, requiring them to validate their faith by the way in which they live, is to make salvation HARD, VERY, HARD; but Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30). If you always keep in mind that eternal life is a free gift, paid for by Jesus' precious blood (1st Peter 1:18-19), then you won't be misled.

Beware of the popular, satanic, forked-tongue, double-talk, which says that salvation is the free gift of God, but without works you're faith is not valid. When James spoke of showing his faith by works in James 2:18, he meant in the eyes of men, not God. Proof of this was that Abraham was saved in Genesis 15:6 when his faith was counted for righteousness (also see Romans 4:1-6). But in Genesis 22:8 Abraham's Christian character was tested by God, not his salvation. Genesis 22:12, “And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.” The test was to see if Abraham feared God enough to obey Him in all circumstances. God likewise tested the Hebrews (Deuteronomy 8:2-3). And you can be assured that God will test our faith too! A faith must be tested. Salvation is without works of self-righteousness. Beware of any false plan of salvation that requires human effort plus partial faith in Christ.

“Who is John MacArthur? He is the one man in America doing more than anybody to destroy soul-winning churches!” —Dr. Jack Hyles (a needful quote from the MP3 sermon, "I Sojourn In Mesech")

1st Corinthians 2:1-2, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” When the apostle Paul first came to Corinth, all he wanted to know is whether they were saved or not. Notice that Paul wasn't concerned about their lifestyle or if they had forsaken sin and committed their lives to Christ. To determine if they were saved, Paul simply wanted to know about, “Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” It is extremely easy to be saved. We are not saved because we are good, but because God is good.

You've just read the same dangerous type of forked-tongue, double-talk, deception, that all the false Christian cults use. For example: The satanic religious cult of Jehovah's Witnesses (JW's) subtly teach:

So, what does "accepting" Jesus really mean? Is it a one-time act of faith, or is it a continuing way of life? Must our belief be strong enough to motivate us to action? Can we really accept the benefits of Jesus' sacrifice without the responsibility of following him? ...

Salvation is a free gift from God. It cannot be earned. Yet it does require effort on our part. ...

Thus, "accepting Christ" involves far more than just accepting the blessings that Jesus' superlative sacrifice offers. Obedience is required. ... So we must do more than simply hear and believe.

SOURCE: What Must We Do to Be Saved? - Jehovah's Witness' Official Web Site

In essence, this is exactly what MacArthur is teaching. MacArthur, just like the JW's, says that eternal life is a free gift, while at the same time saying that you're not really saved unless there's a changed life accompanying that faith. Listen to me, the manner in which you live has absolutely NOTHING to do with the GIFT OF GOD. Eternal life is a free gift, period. A gift is received and that's it! John MacArthur is not saved, because he corrupts the plan of salvation to include human effort.

You must understand that every unsaved Seventh Day Adventist, Mormon, Episcopalian and Roman Catholic believes that Christ died on the cross for their sins, was buried and resurrected; but they all make the fatal error of adding human effort, which perverts the plan of salvation and turns it into a process and a reward. I wish I could wake preachers up! My former pastor of an Independent Baptist Church idolizes John MacArthur. I've shown him the major doctrinal errors of MacArthur, but he still thinks MacArthur is the greatest. Truly, famous author Mark Twain was 100% correct when he wrote:

“It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.” ―Mark Twain

MacArthur says, “There's no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile.” This negates the gift of God completely. When children gather around the family Christmas tree to receive their gifts, they are mere spectators waiting to open their presents! There are no actions required of them to get their presents (if they are genuine presents). If a child is required to behave for even 5-minutes to get their present, then it is not truly a present (i.e., a gift). It would instead be a reward. The Bible repeatedly teaches that eternal life is God's free gift to humanity (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23), because He loves us and gave His only begotten Son for us (John 3:16; 1st John 3:16). What an awesome God!!!

Contrary to what MacArthur teaches, God does not require people to follow through with obedient behavior to authenticate their salvation. Romans 4:5 teaches that A MAN'S FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS! That means you don't need any good works (nor do you have to forsake any bad works) to be saved! Getting saved is a free gift, which is why many disobedient believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ... “shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” They are saved and secure in the promise of God's gift concerning eternal life, but they will receive no rewards concerning their fruitless life on earth (1st Corinthians 3:15). Eternal life is a free gift, which any sinner can freely receive, by simple faith in Jesus Christ Who died on the cross for our sins and rose.

Scriptures refuting John MacArthur's damnable false teachings:

Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

Romans 3:25, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

Ephesians 1:7, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

Matthew 26:28,“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

Romans 5:9, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

The Gospel is simple: Jesus Christ died on a Cross for all our sins (past, present & future), He was buried and then three days later He bodily resurrected from the dead. This is THE GOSPEL (i.e., the GOOD NEWS, or GLAD TIDINGS). If you simply believe that Jesus did it all for you, you are saved. Christ did all the work and it is finished. Salvation is about Jesus Christ and what He did to pay for the sins of the whole world. 1st John 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

JESUS PLUS NOTHING TO BE SAVED = ETERNAL LIFE

It is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and by trust in Him alone, that we are saved!!!

Is Jesus' Teaching Works Salvation In Luke 10:25-28?

Luke 10:25-28, “And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.”

This is an intriguing passage of Scripture. I love something that Dr. Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) said: “A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one.” Using that important Bible study principle, we can say without a doubt that Luke 10:25-28 is NOT teaching a works-based plan of salvation! We know this because of clear passages; such as, Romans 4:3-5, “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

To understand what Jesus is saying in Luke 10:25-28, it is key to notice that one of the wicked unsaved Pharisees, a lawyer, is tempting Him. Luke 10:25, “And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” So we must keep in mind that Jesus is responding to a wicked man who is tempting Him. The Lord often spoke in parables, or in a clever way, when dealing with skeptics and unbelievers...

Mark 4:34, “But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.”

Jesus was a sincere man, He refused to cast pearls before the swine, before those whom Jesus knew resented His Words and had no interest in the truth. Jesus asked the lawyer how he interpreted the Old Testament. Luke 10:26,“He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?” The lawyer gave a works based plan of salvation, so Jesus agreed with him. Christ did the same thing with the rich young ruler...

Mark 10:17-23, “And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!”

The young man called Jesus, “Good Master.” Although Jesus was good, God in fact, sinless in every manner; the rich young ruler didn't recognize Jesus as such. Instead, the young man saw Jesus as a good man, who had perfectly kept God's commandments. The Old Testament law had originally been given by God as a measuring stick, by which when sinful men compared themselves, they realized their sinnership and need for the coming Messiah (Romans 3:19-20). Unfortunately, the Jews failed to understand this truth and instead turned the law into a plan of salvation. So instead of seeing themselves as sinners and turning to Christ by faith to be saved, they were now trying to perfectly keep the law as a means of attaining eternal life. The law had become a stumblingblock to the Jews!

Jesus was not giving the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-23 a plan of salvation, He was using the law the way it was intended to be used—as a measuring stick to show men their desperate need for salvation through faith in Christ alone. Acts 10:42, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Everyone in the Old Testament was saved the same way we are today—by faith alone in Christ alone.

So in Luke 24:25-28 Jesus is NOT giving a plan of salvation to this lawyer—the Lord is simply agreeing with the Pharisee that if he wants to get to Heaven by keeping the law, he must do so perfectly. Carefully notice what Jesus told him in Luke 10:28, “And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.” Notice that Jesus said, “THIS DO” (that is works). Jesus was simply agreeing with the man, who had said that you attain eternal life by keeping the law. Just as Jesus did with the rich young ruler, so also is he simply agreeing with this lawyer that if he wants to work his way to Heaven, then he must perfectly keep the law.

Please notice the lawyer's insincerity and confirmation that he is trying to work his way to Heaven in Luke 10:29, “But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?” You see, this heathen lawyer is trying to JUSTIFY HIMSELF!!! No one has ever been born-again by justifying himself. We can only be justified by faith in Jesus Christ, accepting His sacrifice on Calvary's cross as payment for our sins. The Pharisee lawyer in Luke 10:25-29 is seeking self-justification, and Jesus knew it; so the dear Savior used the law as it was intended to be used, to show men that no matter how much they may try to keep the law perfectly to merit eternal life, they cannot.

Again, we know that this passage in Luke 10:25-28 cannot be a plan of salvation, because it would contradict plain passages of Scripture; such as, the entire Gospel of John. A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one. In the Gospel of John we find the word “faith” mentioned 85 times, but there is no teaching of doing works, praying, turning from sins, speaking in tongues, surrendering to Christ's Lordship, confessing, following, serving nor of water baptism to get to Heaven. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

Here is a quote from Michael Bowen's helpful book titled: “I Never Knew You,” accurately explaining how to go to Heaven biblically...

Here is the gospel: God says that we are sinners and that no amount of good works or behavioral changes on our part could ever make us holy enough to enter heaven. God sent His Son to pay for all of our sins. Jesus paid for our crimes by dying on the cross for us all. His dead body was buried in a grave. On the third day, Jesus arose from the dead. 

The instant you believe this, He knows it and He saves you. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlasting life”(John 6:47). The free gift is based solely upon your trust in what Jesus did for you and has nothing at all to do with what you do for Him. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

SOURCE: Michael P. Bowen, “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” p. xxii

The two greatest commandments in the Holy Bible are to LOVE GOD, and to likewise LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR. These two commandments are really just one: TO LOVE!!! But loving God means different things to different people. Biblically, loving God means to obey His commandments, the foremost of which is to believe on His only begotten Son, the Christ (John 3:16; 20:31). No one has rightly divided the inspired Word of God, who thinks that a person can be saved through personal righteousness. In fact, we can only be saved by God's imputed righteousness, which is through faith in Jesus Christ. 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:”

Walking In The Spirit Is A Choice

 Ephesians 4:22-24, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Salvation is a free gift from God, received through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus. You did nothing to deserve God's forgiveness, and His gift of eternal life is accompanied by another gift—the blessed indwelling Holy Spirit (who is the Godhead living in each believer). The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, who enables you and me to live the Christian life. John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” The Holy Spirit helps you in resisting temptation and making wiser decisions. He gives us knowledge through searching the inspired Word of God, to help us make daily decisions.

The FLESH (our human sinful nature) is diabolical and always ready to separate us from the spiritual things of God. Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Every saint of God struggles between the flesh and the spirit. I have heard some preachers teach that when a person gets saved, the old nature is forever gone, and only the new nature in Christ remains. However, it cannot be denied that even with the new nature (which is Christ in us, united with our spirit), we still have the sinful FLESH to contend with. So call it what you will, every Christian still has the old sinful flesh which is contrary to the Holy Spirit in us. The old nature may be gone, but the flesh is still here!

Our old nature is when our spirit was dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), and we did not know God; but then we trusted in Jesus Christ, and we became a new creature (2nd Corinthians 5:17). God gives us a new spiritual understanding of the things of God (i.e., now we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to teach and guide us into all truth. John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” Even though we have a new nature, in which the indwelling Spirit of God convicts us about the sins in our life, it is possible for us to CHOOSE to continue walking in the flesh, and not walk in the Spirit, so that we will still fulfill the sinful lusts of the flesh.

This does not mean we are not born-again, it just means that we are not obeying our heavenly Father to walk in the Spirit. If saved, always saved! At the moment of salvation, God regenerates our spirit that was dead, giving us life in His Holy Spirit. The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of Christ.” Romans 8:9, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” That is precious! The Holy Spirit is Jesus' Spirit in us as believers. We also have the Spirit of God the Father in us as believers. That is, we have the Godhead living inside of our spirit, soul and body as redeemed saints of God.

What a magnificent God, who loves us so much that He wanted to make His abode inside our very being. Wow, what amazing love and grace!!! What saith the Scripture? John 14:23, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” The man who loves God will keep His Words. We find those words in John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Our born-again spirit is sinless by virtue of the Cross! But should we continue to sin? God forbid! With Grace on our minds, the last thing we want to do is grieve the Holy Spirit. Remember, as believers we FALL IN GRACE, but never FROM GRACE! Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” When we choose to sin as God's children, even committing the most despicable of crimes, God's grace always abounds, so that we could NEVER lose His free gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. The reason why is because we didn't earn it. We did not pay for it, Jesus did, with His precious blood that He shed on the cross, and sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in Heaven (1st Peter 1:18-19; Hebrews 9:12, 22-24; 12:24).

True perfection will not come until the Rapture of the church when we rise to meet Jesus in the air. (1st Thessalonians 4:17). We will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to follow (2nd Corinthians 5:9-11), where our works (the good and bad done in our body) will be judged and rewards will be given (1st Corinthians 3:6-15). Tears will flow for most saints, who wasted their time here on earth (1st Corinthians 3:11-15); while a few soulwinning saints will shine as the brightness of the stars forever (Daniel 12:3). They will shine because they will be a hero to all the people whom they led to Jesus Christ back on earth.

In salvation, Christ redeemed our soul, but our body won't be redeemed until Christ returns. Our redemption will be complete at the Rapture (which I humbly think will happen BEFORE the 7-year Tribulation period), and we will live and reign with Christ throughout the 1,000-year Millennium, in our glorified bodies in sinless perfection (Revelation 20:6; Philippians 3:21; 1st Corinthians 15:51-58).

As believers, God's Spirit lives in us and renews us every day. Walking in the Spirit is a choice. We can ignore God and make the wrong choices, indulging in sin, losing our calm and peace of soul; or we can choose to walk in the Spirit, by bringing every thought into captivity unto obedience to Christ. ...

2nd Corinthians 10:3-6, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

At any given moment we can choose to walk in the Spirit, but we won't always make that right choice because we are still tied to the sinful flesh (which is where the word “carnal” comes from, fleshly; as in Carna Asada steak, which means “flesh roasted”). Psalms 119:9, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?  by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” The Bible will keep us from sin; or sin will keep us from the Bible.

The Holy Spirit ALWAYS guides us with the inspired Word of God. If you ever hear Oprah Winfrey or anybody else, talking about spiritual things and they are not including the Holy Bible, run away as fast as you can; because any spirit that is not the Holy Spirit is a familiar spirit (a demon). The Holy Spirit always leads a child of God in accordance with the written Word of God, and never contrary to it. People do a lot of crazy things, claiming that God's Spirit led them to do it, but don't you believe them for a moment.

One of my favorite sermons by Pastor Jack Hyles is titled: "Your Salvation Did Not Change You A Bit." The only thing you automatically receive at salvation (besides forgiveness of all sins and eternal life) is the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who seals every believer (Ephesians 1:13-14). Our life does not change until we begin to grow in the Word of God (1st Peter 2:2), and in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 2nd Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

The Wickedness Of The Invitation Song, "I Surrender All"

Acts 16:29-31, “Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

The Philippian jailer in Rome wanted to know how to be saved. He came in trembling and asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul and Silas plainly answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” They didn't tell the man to “surrender all to Jesus.” No, they simply told the man to “BELIEVE.”

Throughout my entire life, in nearly every Baptist church that I have ever attended, they sang the popular hymn, “I Surrender All,” during the invitation time. That is as wicked as can be! Dear reader, a lost sinner does not need to surrender anything to be saved, they simply need to receive God's free gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life, taking it by placing their childlike faith in Jesus as their personal Savior. Just take God at His promise, as recorded in the inspired Word of God, “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16b).

The Hymn “I Surrender All” Should NEVER

Be Used As An Invitation Song For The Lost

Dear reader, I encourage you to start thinking objectively, if you don't already. That is, learn to question everything! This is 100% biblical. 1st John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” The Bible says not to blindly give your mind over to everything you hear, lest you be deceived by the Devil. Learn to think objectively!

That is what I wrong with Pensacola Christian College (PCC). Since they refuse to stand against anything, they have fallen for hellbound infidels like Ken Ham, and the Calvinist Bob Jones University (BJU) cult. BJU is leading the way in using, selling and promoting the Devil's perverted Bibles.

No, we don't have to “surrender all” to go to Heaven, we simply need to BELIEVE the 'Good News' (Gospel) about Jesus who died on a cross for our sins, was buried and then three days later He bodily resurrected from the dead. ...

1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “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:”

That is how you go to Heaven.

In his helpful book titled, “I Never Knew You,” by Michael P. Bowen, he writes:

Here is the gospel: God says that we are sinners and that no amount of good works or behavioral changes on our part could ever make us holy enough to enter heaven. God sent His Son to pay for all of our sins. Jesus paid for our crimes by dying on the cross for us all. His dead body was buried in a grave. On the third day, Jesus arose from the dead. 

The instant you believe this, He knows it and He saves you. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47). The free gift is based solely upon your trust in what Jesus did for you and has nothing at all to do with what you do for Him. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

SOURCE: Michael P. Bowen, “I Never Knew You,” p. xxii

That's it! That is the truth. Ladies and gentlemen, we've got a bunch of false prophets—lying pastors today like John MacArthur, Marty Herron, Gary Walton, Steve Pettit, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer, John Piper, Franklin Graham, Sam Horn and Chuck Phelps—who are going to Hell themselves, and are tragically taking thousands of victims with them to Hell, because they all preach the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation!

Dr. Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) said it well...

“I maintain that anything short of truth is a lie. But I also maintain that anything beyond truth is a lie. If you tell a man he can be saved, without believing on Christ, you've come short of the truth; but if you go beyond the truth and tell a man he's saved by believing plus being baptized, plus keeping the Ten Commandments, plus enduring to the end, you've gone beyond truth. I say we ought to stick with what the Bible says, even if it doesn't coincide with what we've always thought it meant.” —Dr. Curtis Hutson, “The Determining Factor In Salvation”

The song, “I Surrender All” is 100% blatant heresy as regards salvation!!! Jesus sacrificed ALL for you and me, and all of humanity, so that God could freely offer us eternal life as a gift. Getting saved is NOT a trade or an exchange, it is a free gift if you want it. All you have to do is simply BELIEVE that Jesus did it all for you. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

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My Sin Belongs To Me, But My Righteousness Is Jesus Christ's

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:”

What a great truth! My sin belongs to me, but my righteousness is Jesus' Christ's. The only thing good about me is Jesus Christ. You and I are dirty sinners friend. All humanity are sinners. We are sinners both by nature and by choice. Thankfully, God in His love sent His only begotten Son into the world, to die on a cross to pay our sin debt. Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay. What an awesome Savior!!!

Since the beginning of human civilization, man has had a sinful carnal tendency to add works to faith to get to Heaven. We see this in the Bible in the book of Genesis, when Adam sewed together fig leaves in an attempt to cover (atone) for the sins of he and his wife, Eve.

We also sin this sinful tendency in the story of Cain who in anger slew able his younger brother. God accepted Able's blood sacrifice, which demonstrated his faith in the coming Messiah who would one day die on a cross to pay for the sins of the world. But God rejected Cain's sacrifice of the best grains his fields could produce, which symbolized Cain's faith in his own works. God rejected Cain's works-based religion.

My sin belongs to me, but my righteousness is Jesus Christ's. If you understand this blessed Bible truth dear friend, then you will fully realize why it is a falsehood to tell someone that they must “turn away from their sins” or to repent “of your sins” to get to Heaven. The Bible teaches the exact opposite, that Christ died on a cross to pay for our sins. In the former falsehood, the focus is upon YOU leaving your sins; but in the latter truth, the focus is upon CHRIST.

The Harm Of Infant Baptism (by Dr. John R. Rice)

Acts 8:36-38, “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.”

Since salvation must come, according to the Bible, before there can be Bible baptism, it is obvious that there is no reason for baptizing babies, unaccountable infants. There is not one New Testament record of the baptism of an infant. Jesus did lay His hands on little children and bless them, but certainly He did not baptize them or the Scripture would somewhere have said so.

In the sixteenth chapter of Acts, there are two cases where households were baptized. The first was the household of Lydia of whom the Scripture says in Acts 16:14,15:

“And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.”

We do not know who was included in her household. Nothing was said about children, and it is not even intimated that she was married. Certainly there is no teaching of “infant baptism” here. In the case of the jailer, in the same chapter, the Scripture makes it certain that there were no unaccountable babies. That passage in verses 29 to 34 says:

“Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house, And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”

Verse 33 does say “and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.” But notice that verse 32 states that Paul and Silas preached the word “to all that were in his house” and verse 34 says that he “rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.” Certainly everybody who was baptized in that household heard the word and believed in Christ.

BABIES CIRCUMCISED, WHY NOT BABIES BAPTIZED?
It is true that boy babies were circumcised in Israel when eight days old (Genesis 17:12). But baptism and circumcision are two entirely different matters. Circumcision was for boys and men only, while baptism is for both sexes alike. Circumcision was for every boy or man of Hebrew blood, while baptism is only for saved people. Circumcision and baptism mean entirely different things. Circumcision meant that this child was an Israelite, one of the chosen race by natural birth. Baptism means that the one baptized is born again and one of God’s children by a birth from Heaven. One has no right to be baptized until he is born as God’s child. The Bible does not say one word about dedicating little children to the Lord by any kind of Christian ceremony and certainly does not mention baptism of babies anywhere in the Bible.

It is a sad and remarkable fact that many earnest Christian people have followed Roman Catholics in sprinkling unaccountable babies when there is not one verse in the Bible to even intimate that it was the will of God! In the Bible, people were baptized after they believed and were saved, as was the case with the jailer and his entire family.

THE HARM OF INFANT BAPTISM
Baptism of an unaccountable baby does untold harm. For one thing, it leaves the impression that the change of heart is not necessary. It leaves the impression that the religion of the Lord Jesus is a matter of ritual, not of personal faith. It ignores the Bible teaching that baptism represents the burial and resurrection of Jesus and the believer’s change of heart. Worst of all, the one who is thus given a ceremony which was only for Christians, often is led to believe, in after years, that since he is a member of a church, has been baptized, and is a respectable citizen, therefore he does not need the change of heart, does not need to be converted, saved by the blood of Jesus. Whatever fine argument you may make for the sprinkling of a little baby, it is answered by the plain, indisputable fact that Jesus did not command it and it is certainly unscriptural and wrong.

We begin to see, then, why the Lord Jesus puts such stress on baptism. It is the gospel, so simple that every new convert can preach it. It pictures the plan of salvation. Yea, it safeguards the plan of salvation. If I change the form of baptism, I change the meaning of baptism, I change the doctrine of salvation. If I take a little child, unaccountable, who has not trusted in Christ for salvation, and without his volition, I put water upon his head and “baptize” him, I have taught an entirely different plan of salvation. I have said to the unthinking world that people do not need a change of heart, but that with a simple rite of dedication they have a right into the fellowship of a New Testament church. When I change the form of baptism, I have lost all the picture about the death of Christ, His atonement, His resurrection, the change necessary in the believer’s heart and the change commanded in his life. When people go wrong on baptism, they go wrong on the doctrine of salvation.

If people have a right to change the form of baptism, they have a right to change the form of church government, change from the New Testament program of soul winning to the modern program of education. Good, old time Methodist people who believe, as John Wesley did, in a change of heart, oftentimes wonder why that strong tendency of modern Methodism toward teaching salvation by works, by character, by education and by culture instead of salvation by the blood! One reason is, they do not have Bible baptism, a burial of the believer with Christ, to picture to the world the great teaching of the plan of salvation. Sprinkling babies teaches against the need for a change of heart.

STAY WITH BIBLE BAPTISM
Suppose we even retain the form of baptism, but still teach it as essential to salvation as do our Catholic friends and as do Churches of Christ or Disciples, Lutherans and others. When one is baptized, then, he says to the world. “I am saving my soul by my good works.” The preacher or priest is saying, perhaps unconsciously, to the world, “The church by rites and ceremonies is saving this man’s soul.”

The candidate baptized, the preacher or priest, and the onlookers alike all miss the blessed, blessed teaching that Christ died for our sins, that men are saved simply by faith in His shed blood, that a deep-seated, fundamental change has been made in the heart of the believer, called the new birth. BIBLE BAPTISM IS GOD’S SAFEGUARD AROUND SOUND DOCTRINE ON THE PLAN OF SALVATION. That is the reason if baptism was not done the right way, or if it was done with the right method, but without the scriptural teaching in the minds of the people, it should be done again, as Paul baptized the second time those converts at Ephesus as told in Acts 19:1-6. Let us stay with the Bible as to the form and meaning of baptism and baptize only those who have a Bible right to baptism, that is, saved people. Certainly baptism of babies is unscriptural, dangerous and wrong.

"𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗕𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗠 - 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗡𝗘" (𝗗𝗿. 𝗠𝗮𝘅 𝗗. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲)

"𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗕𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗠 - 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗧𝗪𝗢" (𝗗𝗿. 𝗠𝗮𝘅 𝗗. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲)

Healthy Fear Is A Good Thing

Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Dear friend, fear is not always a bad thing. In the book of Proverbs we find the word “fear” mentioned 28 times. The FEAR OF THE LORD is a good thing, for it is the beginning of wisdom. I am a happy man, because I fear God all the time. Proverbs 28:14, “Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.” Heathy fear keeps us out of trouble! King David confirmed this truth when he exclaimed in Psalms 36:1, “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.” David said when he saw people committing wicked sins, it evidenced to him that those sinners did not fear God's judgment against them in the future.

Again we read in Romans 3:18, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Mankind is sinful both by nature and by choice. A little baby doesn't need to be taught how to get angry, throw a fit in a temper tantrum, and do wrong; it is inherently a part of that child's nature as a human being. When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, he opened the floodgate of sin upon the human race, and by sin so came death. Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

There are THREE major areas of fear in a person's lifetime that is HEALTHY:

1. fear of parents
2. fear of the law
3. fear of God

Fear Of Parents

During the Black Lives Matter crisis in 2020, we saw how adults who grew up without parental discipline behave. Millions of adult brats wickedly burned down stranger's businesses, set fire to police stations, beat innocent citizens and destroyed communities, just to get their point across that they demanded police reform nationwide to deal with cop abuse.

To not properly discipline an unruly child is a form of child abuse. God put that padded area in the back for a good reason—for spankings. Proverbs 20:30, “The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.” To clarify, no parent should ever strike a child with a solid object, such as a stick or a board. The board of education ought not be a big wooden club! My parents used to spank me as a child with a leather belt (which was VERY effective to teach me to obey... lol). I loved my parents and I knew that they loved me. I had a healthy fear of Mom and Dad (especially Dad) if I disobeyed the rules in our home. Both of my parents are now in Heaven with Jesus, and I miss them.

Did you know that the Bible says you hate your children if you fail to discipline them. Proverbs 13:24, “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” The word “betimes” here simply means early in the child's developmental stage. I am against all forms of child abuse. Unfortunately, many people don't know what constitutes “child abuse.” When I was a teenager, my parents had stopped spanking me a long time ago, so they would make me stand in the corner for an hour sometimes as chastisement. Today, many people would consider that a form of child abuse, which it certainly is not. Being grounded by your parents is not child abuse, it is tough love and proper discipline for a misbehaving teenager. Good parents will properly discipline their sons and daughters!

The Proverbs
(read by Alexander Scourby, 1913-1985)

I love the Old Testament book of Proverbs, because it gives us WISDOM. We all desperately need wisdom. What saith the Scripture? Proverbs 4:7, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” The Bible says that wisdom is the most important commodity that we need, therefore we should seek it diligently.

A child who has been properly trained will feel sorrow that they've hurt Mom's and Dad's feeling by doing wrong. No parent should ever apply discipline until the child has first admitted of their own accord that they've done wrong. To discipline a child when they still think they don't deserve to be punished, will harden their heart. You should never spank or discipline a child until they first admit they've done wrong. Also, punishment should never be applied suddenly, by jerking the child in anger. No parent should ever discipline a child in anger. There should be a cooling down period, so that any discipline will be administered justly with love.

Fear Of The Law

A healthy fear of the law, courts and police is a good thing. When criminals no longer fear the police, they are headed for destruction. Proverbs 14:16, “A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.” If you feel some degree of apprehension or fear when a police car is driving behind your vehicle, that is a good and normal thing. If you have a valid driver's license, valid vehicle plates, and are living within the confines of the law, then you have no reason to be afraid. Fear of the law and being afraid of law enforcement are two different things. Likewise, a child should fear parental discipline, but not be afraid of Mom and Dad. And also, we should fear God, but we don't need to be afraid of Him unless we are living in wickedness. Living with healthy fear will keep us from doing bad things which will then cause us to be afraid. That is good advice! Proverbs 3:7, “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

Fear Of God

Happy is the man who feareth always the Bible says. You can either wear a yoke of wood by abstaining from sin, or you can wear a yoke of iron by committing sin. It is MUCH better to wear a yoke of wood dear friend, then to forge for yourself an unbearable yoke of iron of addiction, prison, loss of health, loss of family and friends, and the guilt that comes from sin. Wearing a yoke of wood is a good deal, when all else is considered.

Proverbs 14:2, “He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.” Proverbs 15:16, “Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.” I fear God. In fact, the Bible teaches that man's whole duty is to FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Fear of God is a good thing!!!

One day in eternity we all have to be held accountable by God (Romans 14:10-12). Sadly, most people don't believe that, or don't care, so they live in sin and continue hurting people. The man who fears God will love his neighbour as himself. The man who fears God fears hurting anybody for any reason. It is because I fear and love God that I want to think right, live right and do right at all times. So a certain amount of healthy fear is always a good thing, because it keeps us on our toes and out of trouble. Thank you for reading my blog.