Romans 4:4-7, “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. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.”
I was looking online for Baptist churches to attend in the Pensacola area. I was saddened when I found the Echo Life Church, and read their disturbing Statement of Faith:
REPENTANCE
Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation (Acts 2:21, 3:19; I John 1:9). [emphasis added]
SOURCE: Echo Life Church, Our Beliefs
Oh my, that is all so wrong! That is a false gospel. Repentance in the Bible simply means “a change of mind.” Repentance does NOT mean to turn away from sin in every area of your life. You cannot show me that anywhere in the inspired King James Bible! Repentance does NOT mean to follow Christ! Wicked men added those words to God's Word (Proverbs 30:5-6). Making a commitment to turn away from your sinning, and making a commitment to follow Christ, does not allow you to receive God's redemption. I cannot believe how horrible, untrue, blasphemous and arrogant these devilish pastors are at Echo Life Church, to teach such junk theology!!! These are devil preachers! These are false teachers!!!
Dear friend, you DON'T have to make a commitment to turn away from your sinning to receive God's free gift of eternal life. If it were so that you must make such a commitment, then it would be equivalent to being required to pay a toll to enter into God's Kingdom. Where do the pastors at Echo Life Church get the erroneous unscriptural idea that: “Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.” That is another gospel, accursed by God.
Galatians 1:6-8, “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.”
Dear reader, religion can be a dangerous thing! I learned early in my Christian life that THE TRUTH of God's Word is often very different than what religion teaches. The Roman Catholic religion is steeped in the commandments of men, instead of the commandments of God's Word. Mark 7:7, 9 and 13, “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. ...And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. ...Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” Jesus Himself warned of those people who superficially worship God in vain (worthless and empty), because they teach for doctrines the commandments of men. That is exactly what the Echo Life Church are guilty of doing in the city of Pensacola. They are teaching for doctrines their own opinions, instead of what the Holy Bible actually says.
Nowhere in the Bible are we taught that repentance means anything more than a change of mind unto the Gospel itself. In Acts 16:30b the simple age old question was asked: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Verse 31b gives us the answer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...” No mention is made of making a commitment to turn away from every area of sin in your life. No mention is made of making a commitment to follow Christ. Why, oh why, do religious men ADD words to the Bible? Why do they sinfully pervert the Gospel, taking God's simple plan of salvation to make it complicated?
I am not trying to be mean or unkind. I am simply obeying the Bible to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). The biggest problem in our churches today is that people just sit there and go along with whatever they are taught, instead of verifying those teachings against the inspired Word of God (1st John 4:1). Folks, don't just go along with whatever your pastor teaches you, get out your King James Bible and verify what he is saying. Is it truly Scriptural?
A lot of pastors will teach garbage, and then attempt to sugarcoat it when you call them out for it. I recently attended a Wednesday night Bible study at a local church in Pensacola. I was upset as I sat and listened to an assistant pastor teach the heresy: “Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of behavior.” Friend, that is untrue! Repentance in the Bible regarding salvation is always either the noun form (metanoia, which means: a change of mind), or the verb form (metanoeo, which means: to think differently). Repentance is NEVER anything that leads to behavior modification.
Correct Bible teaching is that the indwelling Holy Spirit produces “fruit” in the life of an obedient believer who walks in the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). This has NOTHING to do with the repentance unto life that happens at the time of salvation. You get saved by changing your mind toward God (Acts 20:21), so that you will see your need for redemption, and believe the Gospel (Good News of Christ crucified, buried and risen) to be saved (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). The false idea that repentance at the time of salvation, must perpetuate for a lifetime to prove the reality of one's faith in Christ to be saved, is a counterfeit plan of salvation. This is manmade reformation (human behavior modification), and not the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
The truth is that God saves you (justification) and then the Holy Spirit begins to change you (sanctification). Pastor M.R. DeHaan (1892-1965) makes this helpful observation:
"There is a vast difference between coming to Jesus for salvation and coming after Jesus for service. Coming to Christ makes one a believer, while coming after Christ makes one a disciple. All believers are not disciples. To become a believer one accepts the invitation of the Gospel, to be a disciple one obeys the challenge to a life of dedicated service and separation. Salvation comes through the sacrifice of Christ; discipleship comes only by sacrifice of self and surrender to His call for devoted service. Salvation is free, but discipleship involves paying the price of a separated walk. Salvation can't be lost because it depends upon God's faithfulness, but discipleship can be lost because it depends upon our faithfulness." DeHaan, M. R. Hebrews. Zondervan Publishing House, 1959 (p. 117).
Amen and amen! It is very easy for pastors to get caught between grace and works by listening to other flawed preachers. We are all encouraged by social media to listen to today's big name preachers (Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, Robert Jeffress, Joseph Prince, Charles Stanley, Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron, Joyce Meyer, Mike Murdoch, Pat Robertson, et cetera). Yet, these preachers all propagate heresy in one way or another. Always question doctrine! That will likely anger most pastors, but we must all be held accountable for the things we are teaching others about God and the Bible.
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