Romans 4:3-7, “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. 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 am so sick and tired of Neo-evangelicals and there demonic perverse religious teachings. My father was a Skid Row preacher in Chicago for over 30 years. I tagged along with my Dad when he preached to the Skid Row men and women at Pacific Garden Mission (PGM). Back then PGM was doctrinally sound, when Jay Peirce and Harry Saulnier were still alive. Since the old days, PGM and UNSHACKLED have been hi-jacked by unsaved Neo-evangelicals, who preach hardcore Lordship Salvation instead of a free grace Gospel.
From time to time, I still listen to UNSHACKLED's radio program to see what's new. I was so disgusted today when I heard the testimony of Ronnie Levinson, a Jewish man who was devoted to his family tradition. Here is a heretical quote from today's program. This is Ronnie Levinson's lame and unbiblical testimony of how he got saved:
“My thoughts turned to prayer. 'Ah, God, for 30 years I've been trying to live life my way, and look where I am. I'm disgusted. I'm disgusted by the man I've become. I'm disgusted by the life I've had. I'm done. I'm so done! I, uh, I guess I'm supposed to repent of my sins. Alright, God, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for my sin, all of it. Please forgive me! And I'm supposed to confess with my mouth. Alright, here goes: Je, Je. Oh well, (laughter) I'm having trouble saying your name. Help me! Please help me say your name. If you're really real will you show yourself? Jesus. JESUS! Jesus, you are my Lord. Jesus, you are real. I know. I can feel it. You're right here, with me. (laugher) Here in this beat up old car, with me. Thank you Jesus. (laugher) I love you Lord. Yes, I love you. (laughter) I'm free! I'm free! Thank you Jesus!'”SOURCE: Ronnie Levinson, Program #3720 - Aired in 2022 (time - 19:10 in Audio)
HERESY!!! Unshackled doesn't mention Jesus' death on the cross, nor His burial, nor His physical resurrection. The Apostle Paul defines “the Gospel” for us:
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:”
The Gospel (i.e., GOOD NEWS) by which all who BELIEVE it are saved is:
- Christ DIED on the cross for our sins.
- He was BURIED.
- Jesus RESURRECTED three days later from the dead.
Anyone who acknowledges being a guilty sinner (you've got to know what you're being saved from) in the holy sight of God, and receives Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for their sins, believing that He was buried but raised up from the dead, is saved. The only requirement to putting one's faith in Jesus Christ is to realize your need as a guilty sinner:
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 law shows mankind our individual sinnership and need for redemption, and then brings us to Christ in the New Testament to be saved by grace through faith alone:
Galatians 3:24-26, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
Once a person is saved, the law has served it's sole purpose in salvation, which is to give a man THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN!!! The law shows him his wretched condition and hopelessness to save himself, and then brings him to Christ to be saved by faith alone.
In sharp contrast, what UNSHACKLED is preaching is of the Devil. Not one verse in the inspired King James Bible teaches to do anything other than BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST to be saved. Acts 16:30-31, “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 invitation to BELIEVE was also extended to the jailor's family. Nothing more is required nor permitted in God's simple plan of salvation.
At 22:55 time in the UNSHACKLED audio presentation, Ronnie tries to persuade his mother to forsake her lifetime Jewish tradition to become a Christian. She refuses, but then says she would need a sign from God. Ronnie tells her he will start praying to God for a sign. The next thing you know Ronnie's phone rings. It is his mother, who is ecstatically happy. She tells Ronnie that she accidentally cut her finger open with a knife, twice, in the same spot, and she is convinced that this was a sign from God. Folks, that is INSANE theology!!! God doesn't assault people, causing you to hurt yourself to get you saved by coercion. If a person will not receive THE TRUTH willingly, without force, then God will not hurt, injure or harass you to get saved. UNSHACKLED is getting weirder by the week.
A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one. In the preceding heretical program about the story of Ronnie Levinson, they quote Romans 10:9-10, which is an obscure passage of Scripture. They are literally basing their requirement to “confess” the name of Jesus audibly on a single passage of Scripture. The Gospel of John was specifically authored to show people how to get to Heaven. John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
In John we find the word “believe” mentioned 88 times, but there is no mention of confessing, repenting, following, serving or surrendering one's life to Jesus as “Lord” to get to Heaven. Yet, tens of thousands of false teachers today are propagating the same junk theology as UNSHACKLED, wickedly preaching that you must repent “OF YOUR SINS” and “turn away from your sinful behavior” to get to Heaven.
Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty!
Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.
Turning away from sinful ways would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work.
If to “repent” means to forsake our sinful ways TO BE SAVED, but Jesus already paid for our sins by dying on the cross, then what are we repenting from?
The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.
I am telling you THE TRUTH, but Pacific Garden Mission is telling you LIES!!! Nowhere in God's Word are we commanded to repent of our sins to be saved. Repentance in the Bible regarding salvation is always “a change of mind.” It is a change of mind from unbelief to BELIEVING!!! Repentance is only concerning THE TRUTH, and not from sinful ways (John 3:21). 2nd Timothy 2:25, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” Notice that God doesn't give repentance from sins, but of THE TRUTH!
Repentance is a change of mind, so that a man acknowledges THE TRUTH that he is a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God. Thus, seeing his need for salvation He is pointed to Jesus Christ to be saved by grace through faith alone (Galatians 3:24-26). What UNSHACKLED is preaching is of the Devil. It is another gospel which cannot produce the second spiritual birth by the Holy Spirit of God (John 1:12-13).
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