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?”
I love this passage of Scripture! The Apostle Paul was upset at the churches of Galatia because they had foolishly allowed a religious cult to infiltrate and corrupt them. Paul write in this epistle to the Galatians and asks them ONE THING: “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?” Paul makes it very plain and simple—How did you get saved (i.e., indwelt by God's Holy Spirit), by keeping the works of the law, or by THE HEARING OF FAITH? I absolutely cherish Paul's use of that little phrase, “the hearing of faith” in Galatians 3:2, because it shows just how easy and simple it is to be saved. When you hear the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and bodily risen the third day (1st Corinthians 15:1-4), and you BELIEVE that Good News, you are saved, period.
One of my very favorite books is by Michael P. Bowen titled: “I NEVER KNEW YOU: THE COMING GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT AND HOW YOU CAN AVOID IT!” Michael makes a personal appeal to the reader, sharing his personal life and heartaches in past failed relationships, using those painful memories to relate them to salvation. The Lord Himself said that “many” people in eternity will seek to enter into Heaven, but shall not be able. Luke 13:23-24, “Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” f
The following helpful quotes are taken from “I NEVER KNEW YOU” concerning partial faith in Christ plus works...
When we attempt to be saved by placing partial faith in Christ and partial faith in our works, we are essentially calling God the Father a liar. God will not accept our works in any shape, manner or form in terms of salvation. Acts 13:39 states that, “And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” p. 45In sum, no combination of good works plus faith in Christ can save a lost person from the lake of fire. No matter how sincere you are before God, partial faith in Christ and partial faith in the Christian Lifestyle will not save you. Only faith alone (apart from your good works) in the finished work of Jesus Christ will save you. p. 46Jesus is telling us clearly that anyone who believes on Him alone for their salvation is not condemned (will never be eternally damned), but those who do not believe Him, which includes both those who reject Him outright as well as those who place partial faith in Him and partial faith in living the Christian Lifestyle to get them into heaven, these people are “condemned already” according to Christ because they have not believed in Him. p. 50Neither will any combination of partial faith in Christ coupled with partial faith in turning from your I Never Knew You 84 sins save you. By implication, “believing on Christ” always refers to the fact of what He did for us at Calvary. The gospel message is the same throughout all of scripture. Those in the Old Testament looked “forward” to what Christ would do for them, and everyone from the time of Christ’s resurrection to this very day look “backward” to what Christ accomplished for us by His finished work at Calvary. The gospel message of Jesus Christ, i.e., the “plan of salvation according to Jesus Christ,” is always the same and it never changes. This message is: 1) we cannot save ourselves, 2) Jesus died for our sins, 3) His dead body was buried, and 4) Jesus arose from the dead three days later. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 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, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:10-13). pp. 83-84Look at what Jesus has to say to all of those who placed only partial faith in Him and the rest of their faith in living the “Christian Lifestyle” as their means to gain entrance into heaven: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). From there, all who have trusted in counterfeit forms of the gospel will be sent to the lake of fire. “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there I Never Knew You 119 was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15). Who will you choose to believe, reader, when it comes to where you will spend your eternal destiny? Will you choose the words of men, or will you choose the words of Jesus Christ? This, of course, is up to you. pp. 118-119The lost person’s partial faith in Christ and partial faith in his or her works and discipleship will not be “enough” to get them into His eternal dwelling place. I urge you, reader, to understand that Christ has but one way into His heaven, and that way is through trusting in Him alone as your only hope of heaven. To trust Christ as your only means of entering heaven you must first realize the penalty for sin, which is eternal death and separation from Him in the lake of fire. Once you realize you are under this eternal “death penalty,” you then trust that Christ paid for your sins by His death on the cross and that He arose from the grave three days later. Because Christ knows every single thought I Never Knew You 130 you are thinking at this very moment, He “knows” whether or not you have trusted in Him alone, or if you are only placing partial trust in Him and the rest of your trust in living the “Christian Lifestyle” as your hope of entering into His heaven. The latter won’t save you, but the former will save you. You either trust Christ alone or you trust partially in Christ plus your “filthy rags.” To do the latter, you will not make it to heaven; however, if you choose the former, you, at this very moment, have a home in heaven waiting for you! God immediately grants you the gift of everlasting life in heaven the very same instant that you trust Christ alone to save you. pp. 129-130Since there is no justification by the law, when we attempt to save ourselves by putting partial faith in obeying the law and partial faith in Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, we will have no grace (no salvation). p. 147
Dear reader, again and again we are warned in the Word of God against combining works with faith, because this is a counterfeit plan of salvation which leads to Hell. END
Narrow Is The Way Which Leadeth Unto Life...
Excerpts From 'I Never Knew You' ...
The Horror Of The
Great White Throne Judgment
And How You Can Avoid it!
Great White Throne Judgment
And How You Can Avoid it!
Copyright © 2009 By Michael Patrick Bowen
I was reading through this beautiful book last night by my good friend, Michael Patrick Bowen, while doing my laundry and wanted to share with you some excellent passages that I read concerning salvation. The book is titled: 'I NEVER KNEW YOU,' and here's a great quote from chapter 12, “The Plan Of Salvation According To Franklin Graham”:
For three whole years I had been going about trying to establish my own righteousness before God through my own efforts, when in actuality Christ had, by His own righteousness, paid for all of my sins by His death, burial and resurrection from the dead 2,000 years earlier. When I learned the bible said I could have the free gift of everlasting life by believing solely upon what Christ had done for me by His death and subsequent resurrection from the dead, I believed His message immediately, hungrily, and to the exclusion of all the other counterfeit plans of salvation that I had been led to believe by today’s biggest hitters in Christianity. I was finally “free.” I was finally born again, and I knew it beyond any doubts at all. God put an end to my pamphleteering of false gospels. Now, I preach His plan of salvation via my personal Internet page, by face-to-face discussions with people, by tract, by CD, by DVD, as well as through the use of email. Today, I am now proclaiming Christ’s free gift via this book you are holding in your hands now which shall eventually go all around the world.
SOURCE: 'I NEVER KNEW YOU,' by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 125
Bowen further states, exposing the heresy of Lordship Salvation:
...Nowhere does the bible state or imply that a person must turn from their sins and follow Christ in obedience “in order to” be saved. People can twist the bible to make it say virtually anything they want it to say, but when you see the words of Christ and understand what He says about salvation, no one can refute or debate what He says. For example, Jesus says “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47). Who can argue with that statement made by Christ Himself? Who can interpret this verse as anything other than eternal life being a gift from God made available to anyone the instant they “believe” on Christ as their savior? To say otherwise is to call Him a liar. To add man’s efforts, such as turning from sins, making a public profession, forsaking sins, giving tithes and money, joining a church, etc., or any other “thing of self” is to call Christ a liar; after all, according to the bible, heaven is a free gift that is given to the individual who places his or her faith in the finished work of Christ and has nothing to do whatsoever with what we do for God. “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: 'I NEVER KNEW YOU,' by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 126-127
On pages 140-141 we learn that the Christian believer by faith alone in Jesus Christ is “JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS”! Michael Bowen Biblically (and gentlemanly) refutes Evangelist Billy Graham's perverted plan of salvation (I highly recommend that you read chapter 13, which refutes Billy Graham's false gospel message):
And one of the most potent verses of all time that refutes Billy's turn-from-sin requirement is this one: "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39). What the Bible is telling us through these verses is that turning from sins cannot save us and that God does not requires a lost person to turn from sins in order to be saved.
Michael Bowen does an excellent job explaining the simplicity of the Gospel, defending the Biblical plan of salvation:SOURCE: 'I NEVER KNEW YOU,' by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 140-141
Friend, anyone who thumbs their nose at Christ’s way of salvation and instead puts their trust in a plan of salvation other than the one Christ said for us to trust, that person will stand before Christ at the Great White Throne Judgement where he or she will stand “in their own righteousness” which will not be enough to gain entrance into heaven. Isaiah 64:6 states that our best deeds, the absolute best that we can come up with in this lifetime, will be seen as “filthy rags” when compared to Christ’s supreme sacrifice of His body on the cross. The lost person’s partial faith in Christ and partial faith in his or her works and discipleship will not be “enough” to get them into His eternal dwelling place.
I urge you, reader, to understand that Christ has but one way into His heaven, and that way is through trusting in Him alone as your only hope of heaven. To trust Christ as your only means of entering heaven you must first realize the penalty for sin, which is eternal death and separation from Him in the lake of fire. Once you realize you are under this eternal “death penalty,” you then trust that Christ paid for your sins by His death on the cross and that He arose from the grave three days later. Because Christ knows every single thought you are thinking at this very moment.He “knows” whether or not you have trusted in Him alone, or if you are only placing partial trust in Him and the rest of your trust in living the “Christian Lifestyle” as your hope of entering into His heaven. The latter won’t save you, but the former will save you. You either trust Christ alone or you trust partially in Christ plus your “filthy rags.” To do the latter, you will not make it to heaven; however, if you choose the former, you, at this very moment, have a home in heaven waiting for you! God immediately grants you the gift of everlasting life in heaven the very same instant that you trust Christ alone to save you.
For those who still believe today’s counterfeit plans of salvation, those who are counting on their faith in Christ “plus” their discipleship to Christ to get them into heaven, Jesus says that they will experience the following horrors:
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).
These are persons who were trusting in their works alone, or in partial faith in Christ plus their good works, to get them into heaven. Look at the various areas of service in which they brag. They acknowledge Him as “Lord” and then they brag about preaching in His name, about healing in His name, and about the myriad of inexhaustible works of goodness they have done in His name; yet, because they did not trust in Him alone, the way He so clearly tells us to in His bible, He tells them to depart from Him because He sees their good works in His name as “sin.”
As if that were not bad enough, this is the fate of everyone who appears at the Great White Throne Judgement, where they stand not in Christ’s righteousness, but in the filthy rags of their own inadequate righteousness. This is their fate:
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).
Reader, this chapter presents to you two plans of salvation: 1) the plan of salvation according to Franklin Graham, and 2) the plan of salvation according to Jesus Christ. Of these two plans, which one will you choose?
SOURCE: 'I NEVER KNEW YOU,' by Michael P. Bowen; by Barbour Books, © 2009; page 129-131
I cannot recommend this book enough to read for yourself, and to give as a gift to your family, friends and pastor. If this free grace Gospel book offends someone, they are not a child of God!!!
Hard Copies Are Available! ...
Order Books From AMAZON.COM
Note from David J. Stewart, webservant of Jesus-is-Savior.com (September 2014)...Order Books From AMAZON.COM
I just ordered eight more hard copies last night of “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” and then another ten copies today. Praise the Lord for these Christ-honoring books! Thank you Brother Bowen, you are a true blessing in my life!!! Amazon makes it easy for me to order quickly since I already have an account set up there. Amazon is also where I order my Alexander Scourby King James Bible DVD's (both Old and New Testament on just one DVD disk). I distribute these resources freely (when I can afford to do so) to folks at church and everywhere that I go. It's an extended part of my ministry. I believe every Christian ought to have a series of little ministries within our main ministry. ...
“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” ―Evangelist John Wesley
I recently heard a really great statement in a sermon: “Real love expects others not to love us back.” I like that. Jesus Himself had hurt feelings when He healed ten lepers, but only one came back to thank Him (Luke 17:17). Can you imagine? Times haven't changed. There is much ingratitude in our American society today. The Black Lives Matter anarchy movement in 2020 clearly evidenced a dark underbelly in our U.S. culture. Americans young and old were smashing citizen's business windows, looting and burning buildings, causing billions of dollars in extensive damage. Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
I met a young Navy man named Joe at a church I was attending several years ago. His name is Joe. Joe's from Kansas and is stationed at the local Naval Base and has been increasingly attending our church. I was glad to give Joe one of Michael Bowen's books (I NEVER KNEW YOU). I also gave him the precious MP3 testimony of Brother Carl Hatch on a CD disk. Michael Bowen's excellent book is helpful because most people are really curious to see what is wrong with the beliefs of the world's most popular religious personalities (as compared to the holy Scriptures). Most people cannot discern the spiritual difference between Billy Graham, Max Lucado, Beth Moore, Ray Comfort, Chip Ingram, John MacArthur, Paul Washer and hundreds of others. To do so requires a good working knowledge of the truths of God's Words. Michael Bowen has that, and he does an excellent job analyzing and simplifying their beliefs for the rest of us to understand.
I loved the book and appreciate Bowen's transparency into his own daily life, sharing personal hardships and heartbreaks to better illustrate the divine truth of salvation by grace along, through faith alone, in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Brilliantly done! Without the hardships from the book, respectfully, I believe this book could never have been written so effective to reach others with the simplicity of the Gospel.
Listen to what Pastor Harry Ironside (1876-1951) correctly states about repentance in chapter 16 of his book, EXCEPT YE REPENT:
Evangelist David Cloud errantly defines repentance as “a change of mind that results in a change of life.” That's not what the Bible teaches. The word “repent” (metanoeo, as used as a verb in Scriptures such as Mark 1:15 concerning salvation) simply means “TO THINK DIFFERENTLY.” Mr. Cloud adds to the meaning of repentance and in so doing changes the plan of salvation. I am sick and tired of corrupt preachers who take liberties to embellish the Word of God to say what God does not! Repentance NEVER means “ to turn away from sin” regarding salvation.
I met a young Navy man named Joe at a church I was attending several years ago. His name is Joe. Joe's from Kansas and is stationed at the local Naval Base and has been increasingly attending our church. I was glad to give Joe one of Michael Bowen's books (I NEVER KNEW YOU). I also gave him the precious MP3 testimony of Brother Carl Hatch on a CD disk. Michael Bowen's excellent book is helpful because most people are really curious to see what is wrong with the beliefs of the world's most popular religious personalities (as compared to the holy Scriptures). Most people cannot discern the spiritual difference between Billy Graham, Max Lucado, Beth Moore, Ray Comfort, Chip Ingram, John MacArthur, Paul Washer and hundreds of others. To do so requires a good working knowledge of the truths of God's Words. Michael Bowen has that, and he does an excellent job analyzing and simplifying their beliefs for the rest of us to understand.
I loved the book and appreciate Bowen's transparency into his own daily life, sharing personal hardships and heartbreaks to better illustrate the divine truth of salvation by grace along, through faith alone, in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Brilliantly done! Without the hardships from the book, respectfully, I believe this book could never have been written so effective to reach others with the simplicity of the Gospel.
Listen to what Pastor Harry Ironside (1876-1951) correctly states about repentance in chapter 16 of his book, EXCEPT YE REPENT:
I agree 100%! The entire concept of Lordship Salvation is based in human effort. Most of our evangelical churches today have bought into the lie that it's not enough to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be saved. The Gospel is that Jesus Christ DIED, was BURIED and RESURRECTED from the dead three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). If you receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for your sins, then you are saved. But don't I have to repent? Yes, of course! Biblical repentance is “a change of mind” that compels a person to believe the Gospel. Repentance is NOT a desire to stop sinning.“In all that I have written I have failed completely to express what was surging up in my soul if I have given anyone the impression that I think of repentance as something meritorious which must be produced in man by self-effort ere he is fit to come to God for salvation.”SOURCE: Dr. Harry Ironside, a quote from chapter 16, 'THE PREACHING THAT PRODUCES REPENTANCE,' from his timeless classic book, 'EXCEPT YE REPENT'
Evangelist David Cloud errantly defines repentance as “a change of mind that results in a change of life.” That's not what the Bible teaches. The word “repent” (metanoeo, as used as a verb in Scriptures such as Mark 1:15 concerning salvation) simply means “TO THINK DIFFERENTLY.” Mr. Cloud adds to the meaning of repentance and in so doing changes the plan of salvation. I am sick and tired of corrupt preachers who take liberties to embellish the Word of God to say what God does not! Repentance NEVER means “ to turn away from sin” regarding salvation.
Evangelist Ray Comfort also teaches a false plan of salvation. In Mr. Comfort's religious world, he teaches a backdoor approach to Lordship Salvation [the heresy that in addition to faith, a person must surrender all to Christ, forsake the world, stop sinful bad habits and receive Jesus as their Lord (Master) to be saved]. In sharp contrast, the Bible simply requires a person to acknowledge their sinnership and receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for their sins. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. The Gospel according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 is that Christ died on the cross for our sins, He was buried, and He resurrected from the dead three days later. Mark 1:15 says to “Repent ye, and believe the Gospel.” Literally, in the Greek it means: Change your mind and believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, was buried and raised up from the dead three days later. It's that easy to be saved.
Repentance is realizing that you are a SINNER and need the SAVIOR, and so you believe the Gospel and are saved. Repentance is changing your mind about whatever was previously hindering you from completely resting in Christ for salvation:
Repentance is realizing that you are a SINNER and need the SAVIOR, and so you believe the Gospel and are saved. Repentance is changing your mind about whatever was previously hindering you from completely resting in Christ for salvation:
“Repent, as Christ meant it to be in terms of salvation, means to change your mind from trusting in what you can do for God to trusting only in what He can do for you.” —Michael Patrick Bowen, “I NEVER NEW YOU,” p. 114
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