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?”
God intended for the Gospel to be very simple. According to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “the Gospel” is defined as Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He was buried. Three days later He resurrected physically from the dead. The word “Gospel” means “Good News.” The BAD NEWS is that we are all guilty sinners (Romans 3:10-23). There is a penalty for our sins, which is death, including eternal damnation in Hell (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:12-15; 21:8). Anyone who admits being a guilty sinner and believes the Gospel is saved. It's that simple.
When someone says that you have to turn away from a lifestyle of sin, you know they are not saved. Pastor Marty Herron, former pastor of Harvest Baptist Church of Guam, said publicly in 2014 that God will not save you, unless you turn away from a lifestyle of sinning. Kindly said, Marty Herron is not saved and has no business standing behind any pulpit anywhere.
I witnessed to another man at Harvest in 2015, Jared Baldwin. He was one of their Associate Pastors. I asked him if he believed a person could admit they are a sinner and believe, and be saved. He replied yes. I think Jared is saved. He got the question right. Anyone who admits they are a sinner and believes the Gospel is saved. If you believe that you are saved. If you think MORE is necessary, then you are not saved. It is that plain and simple.
I witnessed to a teacher on staff at Harvest Baptist Academy, which Harvest Baptist Church operates. His name was Jason. I asked him the same question I asked Pastor Baldwin. I asked him: “Do you believe a person can admit they are a sinner, and believe the Gospel, to be saved.” Jason smiled and replied: “Uh, I think a little more is required than that.” Jason is going to Hell of he doesn't repent of his works for salvation. Jason believes what Marty Herron taught him, that he must turn away from a life of sinning to be saved. Nowhere in the Scriptures are we taught to forsake our sinning to be saved. When you hear a preacher say to repent “of your sins” to be saved, you know that he has been inspired by demons. The phrase “OF YOUR SINS” appears nowhere in the Word of God. Repentance is simply a change of mind, not a change of lifestyle or behavior to receive God's free gift of eternal life.
The Apostle Paul called the churches of Galatia “foolish” in Galatians 3:1. They had embraced a religious cult that added works to faith for salvation. Today we would call this Lordship Salvation. When a preacher requires you to forsake the willful sinning in your life to be saved, he is requiring you to do works. What do you think “works” are? Romans 3:19-20, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
The Old Testament Mosaic law simply shows humanity our sinnership and need for the Savior (Galatians 3:24-26). We've all broken the well known Ten Commandments of the law. God never intended for anyone to actually keep these commandments to merit their way to Heaven; but rather, to be used as a measuring stick, by which when compared men see themselves as guilty sinners, and thus realize our desperate need for the blessed Savior Jesus Christ. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, without any works.
By God's grace, I hunger in my soul to reach as many people with the truth of the Gospel as I can. Getting born-again is not a matter of you changing your life to please God, it is a legal matter of being justified through faith alone in the payment Christ made for your sins on the cross. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. You are a guilty sinner friend, Consequently, the Holy Bible says you and I deserve to be punished in the fires and torment of Hell forever. I have a hard time accepting that truth, but God said it and that settles it. Even the worst criminals, when sentenced to several hundred years in prison, have a limit.
The longest prison sentence ever issued by a judge was given to Chamoy Thipyaso, a Thai woman who defrauded 16,000 people in a pyramid scheme which netted her more than $200 million. In 1989, a judge sentenced her to an astonishing 141,078 years for corporate fraud. It is not fair that one person could hurt 16,000 people, and yet only be able to suffer in one lifetime. That is why God will punish unsaved people in Hell for all eternity, according to their works (Revelation 20:12-15). Jesus Christ is our only way of escape. Sin must be paid for. Christ made that payment (Romans 5:6-9), but you must appropriate that payment by accepting God's gift of eternal life, which comes wrapped in Jesus.
To get to Heaven, all God requires is that you acknowledge yourself as a needy sinner, and rest completely Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:10-11).
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