Pacific Garden Mission's "UNSHACKLED" False Gospel

I was disgusted today while listening to Pacific Garden Mission's (PGM) radio program called, UNSHACKLED (episode #3607 - Jeffrey Austin). At the end of the program, the narrator tells the listener how to be saved, and this is what he shamefully says: 

“So now this day He [Jesus] commands you to repent and put your trust in Him. Turn from your sins, and He will not cast you out; but will accept you, because you have been justified, once and for all, because you've turned your life over to Him, and He has made you righteous!” [emphasis added]

So according to PGM's thinking, if you aren't willing to turn from your sins, Jesus won't accept you! According to PGM, you are justified because you've turned your life over to Him! Folks, none of that is “THE GOSPEL,” not even close! The narrator doesn't even mention Jesus' death on the cross, burial or bodily resurrection three days later. According to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4, this is “the Gospel,” by which we are saved, to them that believe. Every believer is JUSTIFIED with God because of the precious blood of Jesus, and not because we've turned our life over to Him. Romans 5:9, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

Pacific Garden Mission are pulling on the same rope as the Devil. My father was a Skid Row minister in Chicago for over 30 years. I tagged along with my father to PGM a hundred times during my childhood, where he preached and dealt with men in the prayer room after the invitation. That was back when Harry Saulnier (1902-1990) was still directing the mission, for 46 years. Today, I don't even recognize what the mission has deteriorated into, preaching Lordship Salvation and wrong repentance. You don't get saved by turning from sins (that's not what repentance means), nor do you get saved by turning your life over to Christ (that's the heresy of Lordship Salvation). It appears that PGM just wants to make money to keep its doors open, and doesn't care about the accuracy of the Gospel. 

Despite the ridiculous claims set forth by 'UNSHACKLED' that lost sinners can immediately repent from their sins and change overnight, reality is very different...

“Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.” —Heraclitus of Ephesus (535-475 BC)

The Bible agrees with Heraclitus. Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Growth in grace as a new believer requires time and patience. 1st Peter 2:2, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” 

Pacific Garden Mission (PGM) likes to promote dramatic UNSHACKLED stories of alleged converts, who suddenly turned from a life of debauchery to serving Christ overnight. In reality, salvation doesn't change a person one bit! The only difference is that a saved person now has the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). PGM's 'GO TO' Bible verse is found in 2nd Corinthians 5:17-18, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Deceitfully, PGM leaves off Verse 18, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” Don't miss that—all of the new things in the Christian's life are OF GOD! It is God's department, not the believer's. 

I am sick and tired of the junk theology which has crept into MANY churches today, which teaches that if a person believes on Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior; they are still not saved unless they've turned away from their sins, which foolish preachers errantly think refers to “repent.” That thinking is all wrong, and totally unscriptural. Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior IS ENOUGH TO BE SAVED! Nothing else is required of a sinner, not now, and not in the future! God does the rest. God offers eternal life as a free gift to all mankind. Our part in salvation is to come as a guilty sinner and simply 'BELIEVE' on the 'GOOD NEWS' of Christ crucified, buried and risen, and God does all the rest!!! 

You don't have to turn away from your sins to be accept by the dear Savior, you simply come as you are—UNGODLY, and God saves you that way! Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” There is no stipulation taught anywhere in the Holy King James Bible, where a lost sinner is required to turn away from sinful behavior to be saved. To do so is to pervert the Gospel of free grace! 

The episodes that I have listened to on UNSHACKLED are corrupt theologically. The quote that I just shared with you is not the Gospel, it is junk theology!