Why I Disagree With All Five Points Of Calvinism

This is one of my favorite sermon booklets by Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995). Dr. Hutson succeeded Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) as editor of the Sword Of The Lord ministry in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Today, Dr. Shelton Smith is the editor of the Sword, whom I admire, love and respect for faithfully contending for the faith (Jude 1:3). I thank God so much for Pastor Curtis Hutson, a genuine man of God. The Sword Of The Lord has been blessed to have godly leaders since it was founded in 1934 by Dr. Rice in Wheaton, Illinois. They moved decades later to Tennessee. The following sermon exposes all 5-points of Calvinism (the heretical teachings of an unsaved man named John Calvin, 1509-1564). To God be the glory!

 

by Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995)

The term "Calvinism" is loosely used by some people who do not hold Calvin's teaching on predestination and do not understand exactly what Calvin taught.

Dr. Loraine Boettner in his book, "The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination" says,

"The Calvinistic system especially emphasizes five distinct doctrines. These are technically known as "The Five Points of Calvinism". And they are the main pillars upon which the superstructure rests."

Dr. Boettner further says,

"The five points may be more easily remembered if they are associated with the word T-U-L-I-P , T, Total Inability; U, Unconditional Election; L, Limited Atonement; I, Irresistible (efficacious) Grace; and P, Perseverance of the Saints."

These are the points of Calvinism.

I have heard preachers say, "I am a one-point Calvinist."

I have heard others say, "I am a two- or three-point Calvinist."

I want us to look at all five points of Calvinism as taught by John Calvin, then see what the Bible has to say on each point.


I. Total Inability

By total inability Calvin meant that a lost sinner cannot come to Jesus Christ and trust Him as Saviour, unless he is foreordained to come to Christ. By total inability he meant that no man has the ability to come to Christ. And unless God overpowers him and gives him that ability, he will never come to Christ

The Bible teaches total depravity, and I believe in total depravity. But that simply means that there is nothing good in man to earn or deserve salvation. The Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."

A preacher brought a wonderful sermon on the depravity of the human heart. And when he finished his message, someone came to him and said," I want you to know I can't swallow that depraved heart that you preached about."

The preacher smiled and said, "You don't have to swallow it. It's already in you!"

While the Bible teaches the depravity of the human race, it nowhere teaches total inability. The Bible never hints that people are lost because they have no ability to come to Christ. The language of Jesus was, "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" (John 5:40).

Notice, it is not a matter of whether or not you can come to Christ; it is a matter of whether or not you will come to Christ.

Jesus looked over Jerusalem and wept and said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . .how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matthew 23:37). Here again notice, He did not say, "How often would I have gathered you together, but you could not." No. He said, "Ye would not!" It was not a matter of whether they could; it was a matter of whether they would.

Revelation 22:17, the last invitation in the Bible, says, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely ."

If it is true that no person has the ability to come to Christ, then why would Jesus say in John 5:40, "Ye will not come to me." why didn't He simply say, "You cannot come to me."?

The only thing that stands between the sinner and salvation is the sinner's will. God made every man a free moral agent. And God never burglarizes the human will.

D. L. Moody addressed a large group of sceptics. He said ,"I want to talk about the word believe, the word receive, and the word take." When Mr. Moody had finished his sermon, he asked, "Now who will come and take Christ as Saviour?"

One man stood and said, "I can't."

Mr. Moody wept and said, "Don't say, 'I can't.' Say, 'I won't!'"

And the man said, "Then, I won't!"

But another man said, "I will!" Then another said, "I will!" And another said , "I will!" Until scores came to trust Christ as Saviour.

Some Calvinists use John 6:44 in an effort to prove total inability. Here the Bible says, "No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him...."But the Bible makes it plain in John 12:32 that Christ will draw all men unto Himself. Here the Bible says, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."

All men are drawn to Christ, but not all men will trust Christ as Saviour. Every man will make his own decision to trust Christ or to reject Him. The Bible makes it clear that all men have light. John 1:9 says, "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Romans 1:19,20 indicates that every sinner has been called through the creation about him. And Romans 2:11-16 indicates that sinners are called through their conscience, even when they have not heard the Word of God.

So in the final analysis, men go to Hell, not because of their inability to come to Christ, but because they will not come to Christ-"Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."

The teaching that men, women and children are totally unable to come to Christ and trust Him as Saviour is not a scriptural doctrine. The language itself is not scriptural.


II. Unconditional Election

By unconditional election Calvin meant that some are elected to Heaven, while others are elected to Hell, and that this election is unconditional. It is wholly on God's part and without condition. By unconditional election Calvin meant that God has already decided who will be saved and who will be lost, and the individual has absolutely nothing to do with it. He can only hope that God has elected him for Heaven and not for Hell.

This teaching so obviously disagrees with the oft-repeated invitations in the Bible to sinners to come to Christ and be saved that some readers will think that I have overstated the doctrine. So I will quote John Calvin in his "Institutes," Book III, chapter 23,

"....Not all men are created with similar destiny but eternal life is foreordained for some , and eternal damnation for others. Every man, therefore, being created for one or the other of these ends, we say, he is predestined either to life or to death."

So Calvinism teaches that it is God's own choice that some people are to be damned forever. He never intended to save them. He foreordained them to go to Hell. And when He offers salvation in the Bible, He does not offer it to those who were foreordained to be damned. It is offered only to those who were foreordained to be saved.

This teaching insists that we need not try to win men to Christ because men cannot be saved unless God has planned for them to be saved. And if God has planned for them to be eternally lost, they will not come to Christ.

There is the Bible doctrine of God's foreknowledge, predestination and election. Most knowledgeable Christians agree that God has His controlling hand on the affairs of men. They agree that according to the Bible, He selects individuals like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David as instruments to do certain things He has planned. Most Christians agree that God may choose a nation-particularly that He did choose Israel, through which He gave the law, the prophets, and eventually through whom the Saviour Himself would come- and that there is a Bible doctrine that God foreknows all things.

I have often said, "Did it ever occur to you that nothing ever occurred to God?". God in His foreknowledge knows who will trust Jesus Christ as Saviour, and He has predestined to see that they are justified and glorified. He will keep all those who trust Him and see that they are glorified. But the doctrine that God elected some men to Hell, that they were born to be damned by God's own choice, is a radical heresy not taught anywhere in the Bible.

I have in my hand a booklet entitled TULIP written by Vic Lockman. In the booklet Mr. Lockman attempts to prove the five points of Calvinism. Under the point, Unconditional Election, he quotes Ephesians 1:4, but he only quotes the first part of the verse: "He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. " However, that is not the end of the verse. Mr. Lockman, like most Calvinists, stopped in the middle of the verse. The entire verse reads: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." The verse says nothing about being chosen for Heaven or Hell. It says we are chosen that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

Under the same point, Unconditional Election, Mr. Lockman quotes John 15:16, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." Again, Mr. Lockman, like most Calvinists, stops in the middle of the verse. The entire verse reads: "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

The verse says nothing about being chosen for Heaven or Hell. It says we are chosen to go and bring forth fruit, which simply means that every Christian is chosen to be a soul winner. The fruit of a Christian is other Christians. Proverbs 11:30 says, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise."

Nowhere does the Bible teach that God wills for some to go to Heaven and wills others to go to Hell. No. The Bible teaches that God would have all men to be saved. Second Peter 3:9 says that He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." First Timothy 2:4 says, "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

Those who teach that God would only have some to be saved, while He would have others to be lost are misrepresenting God and the Bible.

Does God really predestinate some people to be saved and predestinate others to go to Hell, so that they have no free choice? Absolutely not! Nobody is predestined to be saved, except as he chooses of his own free will to come to Christ and trust Him for salvation. And no one is predestined to go to Hell, except as he chooses of his own free will to reject Christ and refuses to trust Him as Saviour. John 3:36 says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

Nothing could be plainer. The man who goes to Heaven goes because he comes to Jesus Christ and trusts Him as Saviour. And the man who goes to Hell does so because he refuses to come to Jesus Christ and will not trust Him as Saviour.


III. Limited Atonement

By limited atonement, Calvin meant that Christ died only for the elect, for those He planned and ordained to go to Heaven: He did not die for those He planned and ordained to go to Hell. Again I say, such language is not in the Bible , and the doctrine wholly contradicts many, many plain Scriptures.

For instance, the Bible says in I John 2:2, "He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." The teaching of Calvinism on Limited Atonement contradicts the express statement of Scripture. First Timothy 2:5,6 says, " The man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all...."

The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Saviour of the world. John 4:42 says, "And said unto the woman, Now we believe , not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." Again I John 4:14, "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." The Scriptures make it plain that Jesus came to save the world. John 3:17 says, " For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

No man will ever look at Jesus Christ and say, "You didn't want to be my Saviour ." No! No! Jesus wants to be the Saviour of all men. As a matter of fact, I Timothy 4:10 says, "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe."

The Bible teaches that Christ bore the sins of all people. Isaiah 53:6 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." There are twos "alls" in this verse. The first "all" speaks of the universal fact of sin- "All we like sheep have gone astray." And the second "all" speaks of universal atonement-"and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." The "all" in the first part of Isaiah 53:6 covers. If all went astray, then the iniquities of all were laid on Christ.

Not only did He bear the sins of us all, but the Bible plainly teaches that He died for the whole world. Look at John 2:2, "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world." If that isn't plain enough, the Bible says His death was for every man; "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Hebrews 2:9).

Nothing could be plainer than the fact that Jesus Christ died for every man. First Timothy 2:5,6 says, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all. . . . " Romans 8:32 states, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

Look at the statements--statement after statement: "that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man"; "Who gave himself a ransom for all"; "delivered him up for us all."

John 3:16 has often been called "the heart of the Bible." It has been called "the Bible in miniature." "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jesus died for the whole world. He suffered Hell for every man who has ever lived or ever will live. And no man will look out of Hell and say, "I wanted to be saved, but Jesus did not die for me."

Some argue that if Jesus died for the whole world, the whole world would be saved. No. the death of Jesus Christ on the cross was sufficient for all, but it is efficient only to those who believe. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross made it possible for every man everywhere to be saved. But only those who believe that He died to pay their sin debt and who trust Him completely for salvation will be saved.

Again I quote John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. . . ." Everybody is potentially saved, but everybody is not actually saved until he recognises that he is a sinner, believes that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the sin debt, and trust Him completely for salvation.

The atonement is not limited. it is as universal as sin. Romans 5:20 says, "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." Isaiah 53:6 states, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

A famous English preacher spoke in an English town, then rushed to catch his train for London. A sinner who heard him preach felt that he must immediately settle the matter of salvation. So he followed the preacher to the train. Just as the train pulled into the station, he took hold of the preacher's lapel and said, " I want to be saved! Tell me how!"

The minister said, "I must catch this last rain to London. Do you have a Bible?"

"Yes, I have one at home," said the anxious inquirer.

"Then go home and find Isaiah 53:6. Read it carefully. Go in at the first all, and come out at the last all, and you will be saved."

The preacher rushed away, and the anxious sinner was left alone. He went back to his home, and opening his Bible, he turned to Isaiah 53:6. What did the preacher mean, he wondered--"Go in at the first all and come out at the last all, and you will be saved"? He found the verse and read it carefully: "All we like sheep have gone astray."

Well, he thought to himself, I can certainly go in at the first all. I have gone astray. I am a poor, lost sinner. The he read the last part of the verse, "And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." He said to himself, "If I come out at the last all, I must believe that all my sins were laid on Christ, that He took my place and paid for my sins. And if I rely upon that, I will be saved. That's what the preacher meant."

He then trusted Christ and was saved. He believed that he was a sinner, and that all his sins had been laid on Christ.


IV. Irresistible Grace

The fourth point of Calvinism is irresistible grace. By irresistible grace, John Calvin meant that God simply forces people to be saved. God elected some to be saved, and he let Jesus Christ die for that elect group. And now by irresistible grace, He forces those He elected, and those Jesus Christ died for to be saved.

The truth of the matter is, there is no such thing as irresistible grace. Nowhere in the Bible does the word "irresistible" appear before the word "grace". That terminology is simply not in the Bible. It is the philosophy of John Calvin, not a Bible doctrine. The word "irresistible" doesn't even sound right in front of the word "grace."

Grace means "God's unmerited favour." Somebody said G-R-A-C-E- God's riches at Christ's expense. Grace is an attitude, not a power. If Calvin had talked about the irresistible drawing power of God, it would have made more sense. But instead, he represents grace as the irresistible act of God compelling a man to be saved who does not want to be saved, so that a man has no choice in the matter at all, except as God forcibly puts a choice in his mind. Calvinism teaches that man has no part in salvation, and cannot possibly co-operate with God in the matter. In no sense of the word and at no stage of the work does salvation depend upon the will or work of man or wait for the determination of his will.

Does the Bible say anything about irresistible grace? Absolutely not! The Scriptures show that men do resist and reject God. Proverbs 29:1 states, "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." Notice the word "often" in this verse. If God only gave one opportunity to be saved, then man could not complain. But here the Bible says, "He, that being often reproved.. . " This means the man was reproved over and over again. Not only was he reproved many times, but he was reproved often. But the Bible says he "hardeneth his neck" and "shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." That certainly doesn't sound like irresistible grace. The Bible teaches that a man can be reproved over and over again, and that he can harden his neck against God, and as a result will be destroyed without remedy.

Again Proverbs 1:24-26 says,

"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh."

Here the Bible plainly says, "I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof." That doesn't sound like irresistible grace. God calls, and men refuse. Is that irresistible? God stretches out his hand and no man regards it? Is that irresistible grace? No. The Bible makes it plain that some men do reject Christ, that they refuse His call. John 5:40 says, "Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life." That verse plainly teaches that men can and do resist God and refuse to come to Him.

In Acts chapter 7, we find Stephen preaching. He says in verse 51, "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." To these Jewish leaders, Stephen said, "Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost."

So here were people; some of whom had seen Jesus and heard Him preach; others who had heard Peter at Pentecost; others who had heard Stephen and other Spirit-filled men preaching with great power. And what had they done? They were stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. That is ,they were stubborn and rebellious against God. The Bible plainly says, "They resisted the Holy Ghost."

Notice the words of Stephen in verse 51, "Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." Here the Bible teaches that not only were these Jewish leaders resisting the Holy Ghost, but that their fathers before them had also resisted the Holy Spirit. Stephen says that all the way from Abraham, through the history of the Jewish nation, down to the time of Christ, unconverted Jews had resisted the Holy Spirit.

There is absolutely no such thing as a "can't-help-it-religion." God doesn't just force men to be saved with His so-called irresistible grace.

God offers salvation to all men. Titus 1:11 says, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." But man must make his own choice. He must either receive or reject Christ . John 1:12 says. "But as many as received him , to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."

When Jesus wept over Jerusalem, he said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, ho often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" Here again the Bible clearly indicates that God would have gathered them together as a hen gathers her chickens, but they would not. That certainly shows that they could reject and resist Christ.

"I would, but ye would not" does not fit the teaching of irresistible grace. So people do resist the Holy Ghost. They do refuse to come to Christ. They do harden their necks. They do refuse when God calls.

That means that those who are not saved could have been saved. Those who have rejected Christ could have accepted Him. God offers salvation to those who will have it, but does not enforce it upon anyone who doesn't want it.


V. Perseverance of the Saints

The Bible teaches, and I believe in, the eternal security of the born-again believer. The man who has trusted Jesus Christ has everlasting life and will never perish. But the eternal security of the believer does not depend on his perseverance.

I do not know a single Bible verse that says anything about the saints' persevering, but there are several Bible verses that mention the fact that the saints have been preserved. Perseverance is one thing. Preservation is another. No. The saints do not persevere; they are preserved.

The Bible states in Jude 1. "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ..." First Thessalonians 5:23 says, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit and soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The other morning I opened a jar of peach preserves. I don't know how long those peaches have been in that jar. But the jar had been sealed some time ago, and the peaches were preserved. When I took out the preserves and ate them with a good hot biscuit, they were as good as they were the day they were placed in the jar.

But wait a minute! The peaches had nothing to do with it. They were not fresh and good because they had persevered. They were good and fresh because they had been preserved.

The Bible makes it plain that the believer is kept. He does not keep himself. First Peter 1:4,5 states:

"To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

The Bible says in John 10:27-29:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand."

Now that doesn't sound like perseverance of the sheep or the saints. Here the sheep are in the Fathers hand, and they are safe-not because they persevere, but because they are in the Fathers hand.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "I do not believe in the perseverance of the Saviour."

To be sure, the Bible teaches the eternal security of the believer. But the believer's security has nothing to do with his persevering. We are secure because we are kept by God. We are held in the Father's hand. And according to Ephesians 4:30, we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption.

So I disagree with all five points of Calvinism as John Calvin taught it.

There is a belief that if one does not teach universal salvation, he must either be a Calvinist or an Arminian. In this book, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, Dr. Loraine Boettner says on page 47,

"There are really only three systems which claim to set forth the way of salvation through Christ [And he names them]:

"(1) Universalism, that all will be saved. (2) Arminianism, which holds that Christ died equally and indiscriminately for every individual......., that saying grace is not necessarily permanent, but that those who are loved of God, ransomed by God, and born of the Holy Spirit may (let God wish and strive ever so much to the contrary) throw away all and perish eternally; and (3) Calvinism."

He continues,

"Only two are held by Christians." That is Calvin's position and Arminius' position."

Calvinists would like to make people believe that if one does not teach universal salvation, he must either be a Calvinist or an Arminian. And since the Arminian position does such violence to the grace of God, many preferred to call themselves Calvinists. But a person doesn't have to take either position.

I am neither Arminian nor Calvinist. I believe in salvation by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ. I believe in the eternal security of the believer. I believe that Jesus Christ died for all men, and I believe what the Bible says, "That whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

But I disagree with all five points of Calvinism as John Calvin taught it.

In conclusion, let me say that Calvin and those who followed him claimed to believe and follow the Bible. They claimed to find at least a germ of the Calvinist doctrine in the Scriptures. But a careful student will find that again and again they go beyond Scripture, and that Calvinism is a philosophy developed by man and depending on fallible logic and frail, human reasoning, with the perversion of some Scriptures, the misuse of others, and the total ignoring of many clear Scriptures. Calvin did teach many wonderful, true doctrines of the Scripture.

It is true that God foreknows everything that will happen in the world. It is true that God definitely ordained and determined some events ahead of time and selected some individuals for His purposes. It is certain that people are saved by grace, and are kept by the power of God. That far Calvinists may well their doctrines by the Scriptures. But beyond that, Calvinism goes into the realm of human philosophy.

It is not a Bible doctrine, but a system of human philosophy, especially appealing to the scholarly intellect, the self-sufficient and proud mind. Brilliant, philosophical, scholarly preachers are apt to be misled on this matter more than the humble-hearted, Bible-believing Christian.


OBJECTIONS ANSWERED

Dear Rev__________:

I have your letter which came recently, objecting to my article, "Why I Disagree With All Five Points of Calvinism." In the second paragraph of page 1, you say, "As to will. . . "Then you spend the next two or three pages talking about will and calling attention to Bible verses. You mention Titus 3:5 where the Bible says, " Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

I have just read this section of your letter over several times, and you seem to confuse works with will. For instance, you call attention to Isaiah 64:6 where the Bible says, " all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. " Trusting Christ for salvation is the opposite of works. When a man believes that Jesus Christ died for him and fully trusts Jesus to save him, and nothing else, then he's not working for salvation. He's trusting Christ and what Christ did at Calvary.

But it is his own will that he trusts Christ. God doesn't make anyone trust Him. In John 5:40 Jesus said, "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." He did not say you cannot come; He said you will not come.

You go on to say in this particular part of your letter, "We are sinners from birth. . . as Adam, we hid ourselves from God."

It is true that Adam hid himself from God. But when God came and called for Adam, Adam answered God of his own will and he came out from his place of hiding of his own will. God did not take Adam by the hand and drag him out of the place of hiding. He simply called and Adam came out. Every man comes to God of his own will.

In Matthew 23:37 Jesus said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"

Still discussing the matter of will, you make reference to Romans 5:12 and say that we are dead in sin. Then you continue, "Note a dead person cannot move, respond, walk, nor anything."

Now, you have a misunderstanding of death. Death is not annihilation. Death is not cessation of existence. Death is simply separation. Physical death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body, and spiritual death is the separation of the man from God.

In the parable of the prodigal son, when the prodigal returned home the father said, "This my son was dead, and is alive again." The prodigal son was dead in the sense that he was separated from the father. He was certainly capable of making decisions while he was in the far country separated from the father. As a matter of fact, he made the decision and went back to the father. Luke 15:18-20 says, "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee. And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father."

Now, here is a dead person who could move, respond, walk, see his need, decide to do something about it, and go to the father. And verse 24 says, "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found."

Your misunderstanding of death has led you to build a false doctrine based on an illustration, instead of Scripture. In Genesis 2:17 God said to Adam, "..for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." If you'll read the next few chapters of Genesis, you will find that Adam did not die in the sense of ceasing to exist when he partook of the forbidden fruit. As a matter of fact, Genesis 5:4 says, "And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters." According to this verse, Adam lived eight hundred years after he begat Seth, and Seth was not begotten until after Adam disobeyed God.

Now, was God wrong when He said to Adam, "Thou shalt surely die"? No. Well, did Adam die? Yes, He died in the sense that God drove him from His presence, and he was separated from God because of his sins.

When the Bible says that men are dead in trespasses and sins, that does not mean they cannot move, respond, walk, nor anything as you said in your letter. Adam did a lot of moving and a lot of responding and a lot of walking in the more than 800 years he lived after the fall.

So you see, when the Bible says that "death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned," that "death" is not to be compared with the body of a dead man lying in a casket. I might say that what you see in the casket in the funeral home is really not the man. The body that you're looking at is only the house in which the man lived. The man who lived in that house is still alive. He's either with Christ in Heaven, or he's in Hell, depending on whether or not he trusted Christ as his Saviour. If he's in Heaven, he can certainly move, respond , and walk. And if he's in Hell, he can certainly move, respond, and walk.

I won't take the space to quote the many Bible verses concerning the dead, but I suggest you read the story of the rich man in Luke 16 and you will see that though he had died he could still talk and make decisions. And if you'll read Revelation 6:9-11 and Luke 15: 7 and 10, you will see that people who are in Heaven are conscious. You will see that they rejoice. They talk. They know what's happening on earth, and they ask questions of the Lord. So you're wrong when you compare the spiritually dead state of a sinner with that of a body lying in a casket.

Further in your letter, you tell of a young girl who was supposedly led wrong by what you call Baptist doctrine. You say she accepted Christ, and now she is living immorally and impure.

Now, Mr.___________, I can only say what the Bible says in Hebrews 12:8, "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." If the young girl you mentioned has trusted Christ as Saviour, I can assure you that she has everlasting life and she will be chastened. John 3:36 says, " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." Now that's a fact. It's not a matter of what I think about it. It's a matter of what the Bible says. And Hebrews 12:8 makes it clear that those who trusted Christ as Saviour will be chastised.

On page 5 you say, "Now as to perseverance..." and you call attention to Revelation 3:5 and talk about overcoming. You imply that this overcoming is some kind of perseverance or effort.

First John 5:4,5 says, "For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" Here the Bible says plainly that the victory that overcometh the world is our faith. We overcome the world by trusting Christ, not by persevering.

I made it plain in my article that I believe in eternal security, but the saints are not secure because they persevere. They are secure because they have been preserved. The word "perseverance" is defined in Webster's Dictionary as "a persistent effort." "Preservation" is defined as "the act of keeping or state of being kept from injury or decay."

The victory that overcomes the world is not your perseverance. It is your faith, according to 1 John 5:4.

You close your letter with a P.S., "Note no human is born of his own will but of the will of the parents. Christ says we are to be born again."

Again, you make the mistake of using a human illustration in order to build a Bible doctrine. You seem to make the same mistake that Nicodemus made in John chapter 3. He tried to compare the spiritual birth to the physical birth. In John 3:4 he said to Christ, " How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"

You cannot compare the physical birth to the spiritual birth. Jesus said in verse 6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." They are two different things. You will be better off if you will build Bible doctrine on what the Bible says rather than on illustrations.

I hope this letter helps you to better understand my position. I want you to re-read the sermon, "Why I Disagree With All Five Points of Calvinism," carefully.

I'm glad you receive THE SWORD OF THE LORD, and I want you to feel free to express your opinions about anything you find written in the paper.

Sincerely in Christ,
Curtis Hutson

Copyright 1980 by Sword of the Lord Publishers
ISBN 0-87398-931-7

Free Grace Theology Versus A Counterfeit Gospel

2nd Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

I found these helpful charts today by Dr. Steven R. Cook contrasting a FREE GRACE THEOLOGY to some popular HERESIES. ...

Free Grace Theology Versus 5-Point Calvinism (larger chart)

Free Grace Theology Versus 5-Point Calvinism (larger chart)

†    †    †    †    †    †    † 

Free Grace Theology Versus Lordship Salvation (larger chart)

Free Grace Theology Versus Lordship Salvation (larger chart)

I encourage you to diligently study these helpful charts. Every Christian needs to be prepared to give any answer to others who have a wrong understanding of God's simple plan of salvation. 1st Peter 3:15-16, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” Thank you dear friend for reading my humble blog.

My sin belongs to me; my righteousness is Jesus Christ's.

Pastor Harry Ironside Was NOT A Calvinist

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.”

On Moody Bible Institute's website, they boldly lie and misrepresent Dr. Harry Ironside, calling him a moderate Calvinist:

“Doctrinally during the 30 years after his resignation from the Salvation Army, Ironside underwent a gradual transition through the prayerful study of the Scriptures to a position of moderate Calvinism.”

SOURCE: https://www.moodymedia.org/articles/harry-ironside

WRONG!!! The leaders at Moody who wrote and sanction the preceding statement are LIARS!!! Kindly said, I have all of Dr. Ironside's books and and I agree with 99% of Dr. Ironside's theology. I love the guy! Where in the world did Moody Church (who today have chosen to become wicked Calvinists), get the wrong idea that their former pastor Dr. Ironside, was a Calvinist? Well, they are twisting the truth, as false prophets always do!

Dear reader, the Holy Bible is very simple to understand if you keep it simple! It shocks me that Moody Church today would even dare to connect Pastor Harry Ironside with Dr. John MacArthur. These men teach two VERY DIFFERENT plans of salvation from one another. Take a look for yourself at what Dr. MacArthur teaches, and now look at what Pastor Harry Ironside teaches! I am telling you with biblical authority that John MacArthur is wrong and of the Devil!!! Dr. Ironside gets the Gospel 100% correct!!! Shame on Moody Church and Moody Bible Institute today and beware of them! I wouldn't give you a dime for what Moody Bible Institute has become spiritually. CALVINISM IS OF THE DEVIL!!!

Calvinism is often described by using the helpful acronym, T U L I P:

T - Total Depravity (This heresy claims humans are so depraved as to not be able to even make a choice, total inability to believe. This ends up in teaching that man must be born again BEFORE he believes. I agree with Pastor Harry Ironside that men are totally depraved, and that the Holy Spirit must draw men to Christ, but the Bible is very clear that the Holy Spirit draws “ALL MEN” (John 12:32), not just some whom God chooses. The grace of God that brings salvation appears to “ALL MEN” (Titus 2:11). So, clearly Harry Ironside did not ascribe to the typical Calvinist's misunderstanding of the total depravity of the sinner. Dr. Ironside was no Calvinist!

U - Unconditional Election (Calvinists errantly teach that God has chosen who will be saved and who will go to Hell, because these latter have not been gifted to believe. This is supposedly to the glory of God. Faith gifted to the elect by the Holy Spirit is said to bring true conversions, while personal faith is considered a “work” that produces false conversions. Calvinism says we believe because we were chosen; the truth is that God chose us because we believe.)

L - Limited Atonement (Many Calvinists errantly teach that Jesus Christ died only for those He chose to be saved, and that the Gospel is not for all. Pastor Charles Spurgeon succumbed to this horrible false doctrine, as does Dr. John MacArthur and Moody Bible Institute. In sharp contrast to the heresy of Limited Atonement, the Holy Bible says in 1st John 2:2 that Christ “is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”)

I - Irresistible Grace (Calvinists errantly believe God only calls some to be saved, and they cannot resist. They will be saved automatically, regardless of whether they want to be or not, while those whom He deems 'reprobates' have no chance of salvation. Is grace truly grace if it cannot be rejected? Throughout the New Testament we find the word “WHOSOEVER,” which is an open free invitation from God for all sinners to come to Christ by faith alone in the Gospel for eternal life.)

P - Perseverance of the Saints (This heresy says those whom God chose will not be lost, and they will continue in faith, love, holiness and righteousness. However since these people do not know who the “elect” are, there is the torment of uncertainty, which results in a works/Lordship salvation in an attempt to prove to themselves they are indeed elect. In sharp contrast, Biblical Christianity teaches the Preservation of the Saints, not the persevering (hanging on for dear life to convince yourself you are really saved). Harry Ironside believed in the perseverance of the Holy Spirit, with which I fully agree. As Dr. Ironside rightly says, if someone who once claimed to be a born-again Christian, now denies Christ as Savior, it just means they were never saved at all. Dr. Ironside did not ascribe to the Calvinist heresy that a person who still lives in willful sin, never repented, so their faith in Jesus is counterfeit. As 1st Corinthians 3:15 proves, not all saints 'persevere' in holiness, because this horrible man received no heavenly rewards, “saved; yet so as by fire.”)

I haven't found any teachings by Pastor Harry Ironside to convince me that he was even a one-point Calvinist. Quite the contrary, this dear man of God was very sound in his theology, unlike Moody Bible Institute today (who promote John MacArthur and openly promotes Satan's counterfeit Bible revisions).

By the way, all the modern Bible revisions pervert the meaning of repentance. Instead of correctly defining repentance as “a change of mind,” all of the new Bibles render it as turning away from sin and a changed life. Case in point, look at Mark 1:15 in the Satanic Easy-To-Read version (ERV). The false idea that a person must turn away from their sinful ways, as a requirement to be saved, perverts the Gospel of free grace. Effectively, it means keeping the law to be saved. As Christians we SHOULD live for Christ. That is what the Bible teaches in Romans 3:31. If we MUST live for Christ, that is the heresy of works. If we WILL live for Christ, that is the heresy of Calvinism.

Here are some great helpful quotes from Pastor Ironside...

“Turn to your Bible and read for yourself in the only two chapters in which this word predestinate or predestinated is found. The first is Romans 8:29-30, the other chapter is Ephesians 1:5 and 11. You will note that there is no reference in these four verses to either heaven or hell but to Christ-likeness eventually. Nowhere are we told in scripture that God predestinated one man to be saved and another to be lost. Men are to be saved or lost eternally because of their attitude towards the Lord Jesus Christ. Predestination means that someday all the redeemed shall become just like the Lord Jesus” —Pastor Harry Ironside, a quote from his awesome book: “Full Assurance,” chapter 9

“D.L. Moody used to put it very simply the elect are the 'whosoever wills' the non-elect 'whosoever wont's'. This is exactly what scripture teaches, the invitation is to all, those who accept it are the elect. Remember, we are never told that Christ died for the elect.” —Pastor Harry Ironside, a quote from his awesome book: “Full Assurance,” chapter 9

“Whosoever means, whosoever. Only a biased theologian, with an axe to grind, could ever think that it meant only the elect.” —Pastor Harry Ironside, a quote from his awesome book: “Full Assurance,” chapter 9

I love Pastor Ironside, who gets repentance 100% correct:

1. "How may I be sure that I have repented enough?"

Very often the real difficulty arises from a misapprehension of the meaning of repentance.

There is no salvation without repentance, but it is important to see exactly what is meant by this term.

- It should not be confused with penitence, which is sorrow for sin;
- It should not be confused with penance, which is an effort to make some satisfaction for sin;
- It should not be confused with reformation, which is turning from sin.

Repentance is a change of attitude toward sin, toward self, and toward GOD. The word (in the Greek Testament) literally means "a change of mind." This is not a mere intellectual change of viewpoint, however, but a complete reversal of attitude.

SOURCE: Pastor Harry Ironside, a quote from his awesome book: “Full Assurance,” chapter 9

What a great and helpful quote! Penitence is sorrow for sin. Penance is trying to atone (cover) your sin by righting your wrong. Reformation is turning from sin. NONE of those are repentance! In the Bible we see that Judas was sorry for betraying Jesus. The Bible says he even returned the 30 pieces of silver. Judas hung himself and went to Hell. You see, you cannot be saved by penance, penitence or reformation; the Bible says: YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN! (John 3:3-7).

Biblical repentance is simply “a change of mind” from WRONG THINKING to believing the Gospel to be saved. It's that simple! You don't get saved by repenting, you get saved by BELIEVING! Repentance is automatic. The man who believes has repented. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

It is clear to me that Pastor Ironside was NOT even a one-point Calvinist, in the traditional sense of the word. Moody Bible Institute are being very dishonest. I can see why they would try to change the truth, to defend themselves, since they have shifted in their beliefs over the past 75 years. Shame on Moody Bible Institute for accusing Pastor Ironside of “gradually transitioning” his views from that of a free grace Gospel, to one of perverse Satanic Calvinism!!!

Sadly, Moody today promote one of the biggest heretics in history; namely, Dr. John MacArthur (the godfather of modern Calvinism, who boasts of being a 5-point Calvinist). By the simplistic Biblical explanations that he gives, Dr. Harry Ironside can no more be called a “Calvinist” than the apostle Paul could be called a Roman Catholic. Dr. Ironside was right in his theology, and Moody Church is all wrong today! The folks at Moody should be honest and just admit that they have decided to become Calvinists, straying away from their free grace roots begun by Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899). Get right with God all you folks at Moody!

Dr. Harry Ironside And The Perseverance Of The Saints

“Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do!” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “God's Reversal Of Psalm 51”

1st Corinthians 16:24, “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”

Eternal Security

There Is No Eternal Security In Calvinism

Luke 10:20, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”

Our precious Lord plainly said that WE CAN REJOICE that we are saved certain, right now, today, this very moment. I am sick and tired of hearing ungodly Calvinist false prophets saying that you cannot know that you are saved at the moment of faith. Read for yourself their horrible heretical self-incriminating statements...

Evangelist Steve Pettit (president of Bob Jones University) heretically said this:

“You can't just speak about getting saved, and you accepted Christ, and then that's it! There is a justification; There is a sanctification; There's ultimately a glorification, and though there are three parts, they are all part of the whole, and you cannot separate them. In order for you to qualify for the award, you have to get into the race, you have to stay in the race, and you have to finish the race. If you want to win, you have to run to the end; and winning in the Christian life is everything, because if you lose—if you don't finish—you lose everything—you lose your SOUL. And so, the Christian race is the life of faith that begins, is run, and is finished when we cross over into Heaven!” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 11:34)

Pastor Paul Washer heretically said this:

“We talk about the Germans of the 20th centuries that brought on their higher criticism. It is not near as dangerous as conservative Baptists with their gospel reductionism. How dare we, all these stupid evangelists walking around telling men after they've made some little prayer that they need to write their name in the back of their Bible, and put the date and if the Devil ever comes to them, they need to show him that. That is Roman superstition, it is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. You see we've turned the gospel into a flu-shot.” —Paul Washer Sermonette

On page 1513 of THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, under the section “Questions & Objections,” Evangelist Ray Comfort addresses the statement: “Because Jesus died on the cross we are forgiven of every sin.” Here’s Ray Comfort’s heretical reply to this statement:

“The forgiveness that is in Jesus Christ is conditional upon ‘repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Acts 20:21). It is a gift that God offers to everyone, but individuals must receive it by repenting and trusting in Christ, or they will remain dead in their sins. No one has Biblical grounds to continue in sin, assuming that they are safe just because Jesus died on the cross. See 1 John 3:4-6.” [Emphasis added] —THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, by Ray Comfort, pg. 1513; 2003, Bridge-Logos Publishers, Orlando, Florida

Do you see how these ungodly false teachers are pervert the new birth, instead teaching that you cannot KNOW 100% that you are eternally secure at the time you get saved. This is because they are deceived rotten Calvinists! In the Calvinist's errantly mindset, you must prove the reality of the genuineness of your faith by living a changed life, by turning away from a lifestyle of sin and living a permanent lifestyle as such. If you think I am exaggerating, please read this shocking heresy by Ray Comfort, in which he heretically requires people to LIVE LIFESTYLE to get to Heaven!!!

How do all those preceding heretical statements of discouragement, doubt and fear compare to our blessed Savior's command for all believers to REJOICE, BECAUSE YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN??? The dear Savior spoke with solid confidence, not uncertainty hinged upon one's improved behavior, commitment to serve Christ and faithfulness to persevere in the Christian life. ...

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

Dear friend, there is no eternal security in Calvinism!!!

Paul Washer Rejects Believing the Gospel for Immediate Salvation

Here again Paul Washer berates “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4), criticizing Easy-Believism. Washer likens Gospel tracts, praying a Sinner's Prayer, and being born-again to a quick fix-it-all FLU-SHOT:

I ask people, “Are you saved?” They say, “Don't worry about me preacher, I took care of that a long time ago.” You did what? “I took care of that a long time ago!” Oh, something like getting a flu-shot I suppose. “Yep, don't worry about me, I repented and I believed.” Only to tell them—Sir, the evidence that you truly repented unto salvation on that day is that you're still repenting today; and the evidence that you truly believed unto salvation on that day a long time ago, is you're still believing today and growing in both these graces. It's not a flu-shot. It's not something you get done! It's not something you take care of!

How do you know you're a new creature? Because you do the things new creatures do!

SOURCE: How Do I Know If I'm Saved?

Those are some frightening words made by Paul Washer. He says getting saved is not something you get done. Washer is wrong!!! Paul Washer says salvation is not something that you take care of. He is oh so wrong!!! Do you see how corrupt Mr. Washer is in his perverse theology? In Washer's thinking, your entire life either validates or condemns your profession of faith, so that no man can boldly say that he is born-again and safe in Jesus Christ, until he has spent his life proving himself that his faith is sincere, real and lasting. This is works salvation, and not the gift of God. This is NOT the imputed righteousness of God (Philippians 3:9). Genesis 15:6 tells us that Abram (Abraham) was justified by faith, so that HIS FAITH WAS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! This truth is reiterated in our text verses from Romans 4:5-6.

Jesus gives an invitation for those who are tired, weary and burdened to come unto Him. Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” I thank God that my salvation is solely based upon completely resting in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul Washer's plan of salvation is something very different, which requires a life of turning away from sin and following Jesus as Lord. This is exactly what Seventh-day Adventist heretic Ellen G. White teaches. Sadly, over half of America's Baptist churches are going straight to Hell to burn in torment for ever and ever, because they are trusting in ANOTHER GOSPEL.

If you agree with Paul Washer that a person cannot write down the date, time and place when they became a born-again child of God, then you have believed ANOTHER GOSPEL. The very fact that Washer would teach something like this evidences that he rejects the simplicity that is in Christ for salvation. Washer rejects the idea of an immediate, guaranteed, eternally secure, salvation. Evidently Mr. Washer has never read in Acts 2:41 that 3,000 people got saved in ONE DAY!!! Amen! Paul Washer condemns any preacher or church who claims to have won hundreds (or thousands) of souls to the Lord in a short time frame. Well, then you had better criticize God Mr. Washer, because 3,000 people came to Jesus Christ in one single day. Gotta love soul-winning!!!

Acts 16:30-31 Proclaims The Simplicity That Is In Christ

Acts 16:30b-31, “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.”

I marvel how multitudes of corrupt preachers today have made God's simple plan of salvation so utterly complicated. In our text passage we find one of the simplest explanations of the plan of salvation in the Bible. The Roman jailor asked the Apostle Paul a very direct question. The jailor wanted to know how to be saved. Acts 16:30b-31, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Let the Apostle's simple response forever silence the foolishness of the Bob Jones University camp, who have turned Calvinist in recent decades to their own destruction. Acts 16:30b-31, “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 Apostle simply said to BELIEVE on Christ. There is no mention of repenting and turning away from your sins.

If this were so, then when asked by the Roman jailor what must be done to be saved, Paul would have said so in Acts 16:31, but he didn't. Acts 16:30b-31, “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.” If something more than believing were necessary to be saved, then Paul would have said so. Dear reader, this is so important that you understand this. We've got a bunch of ignorant pastors nowadays who are preaching a perverse gospel that requires you to repent of your sins to be saved. Is that what Paul said in Acts 16:31? No, the Apostle Paul simply said to BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!

Although they are not the same thing theologically, they are one and the same event. The man who believes has repented, and the man who repents has believed. A soulwinner ought never bring up repentance while witnessing the Gospel to them, unless you explain clearly what repentance means. I never bring it up to avoid confusing people. But in simplest terms, repentance is simply the admission that one is a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God. A person must know what they are being saved from. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). 

Please keep in mind that the Apostle Paul didn't mention repentance in Acts 16:31. The Roman jailor asked a very direct question: SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED??? The answer was very clear: BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!!! Let's keep it simple. Did you see anything about persevering to run the race until the end (which is what Steve Pettit heretically teaches)? I didn't. Did you see anything in Acts 16:31 about living a lifestyle of repentance (which is what Ray Comfort heretically preaches)? I didn't. Did you see anything about turning away from a lifestyle of sinning (which is what Marty Herron heretically preaches)? I didn't.

Did you see anything in Acts 16:31 about living the Christian life to prove the genuineness of the reality of your faith (which is what Chuck Phelps heretically preaches)? I didn't. Dear friend, how do all these bizarre extra-Biblical requirements compare to the simplicity that we just read in Acts 16:30-31? Romans 3:4, “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”

I don't know who reads my blogs. I don't get paid to do this. I have labored diligently night and day for the past 19 years since 2002 for Christ. I have never received a single penny for my ministry. I do what I do as a labor of love for God, truth and people!!! I don't know who reads my blogs, but I sincerely hope and pray that God will burn the truth into someone's heart out there, so that you'll continue my work and take the mantle to help preach THE TRUTH.

I get so frustrated that so few saints of God get upset these days over falsehoods, false doctrine, false Bibles, false teachers, false gospels, false Christs, false churches and false preachers. Everywhere I turn all I find are money-minded pastors who refuse to take a stand against anything! They are serving their belly and not the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 16:17-18). Jesus warned in Luke 16:13 that NO MAN can serve God and mammon (money). Pastor after pastor whom I meet in the shameful Pensacola Christian College (PCC) camp are yellowbellied cowards, refusing to take a Biblical stand against the damned Bob Jones University cult today.

Sinful compromise with neo-evangelicalism is the bridge that destroys fundamentalism! PCC is on the same road to apostasy as BJU because they tolerate them. The next generation will embrace them!!! SHAME on Campus Church at Pensacola Christian College for not standing against the evil Bob Jones camp today with their Satanic “Lordship” salvation, Devil's Bibles and misunderstood repentance that perverts the grace of God. I care! Do you care? The PCC camp couldn't care less because they are raking in millions of dollars in revenues! Truly, the love of money is the root of all evil (1st Timothy 6:8-11).

Acts 16:30b-31, “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.” You won't find a simpler passage of Scripture outlining the wonderful plan of salvation than Acts 16:30-31. All that God requires for salvation is that a person BELIEVE the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine oh sinner! Christ was buried and three days later He miraculously resurrected from the dead. This is the GOOD NEWS (the Gospel): Christ crucified, buried and risen for you and me! Simply BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be instantly, irrevocably and eternally saved!!!

Refuting The Calvinist Heresy Of Limited Atonement

1st John 2:1-2, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Limited Atonement is the false teaching that Jesus Christ only died for the saints. We know this is theologically wrong simply from examining our text passage in 1st John 2:2. I love big theological words in the Bible like imputation, sanctification and propitiation. The word “propitiation” means “to appease one's wrath.” It is through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross that man can obtain peace with God, appeasing the wrath of a holy God against all sinners. Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Jesus is the one Mediator between God and men, in Whom we obtain peace with God. 1st Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Only through Jesus can anyone be saved!

The heresy of Limited Atonement is commonly taught as part of five false doctrines popularized by John Calvin (1483-1546) in the 16th century. John Calvin (1483-1546) was an unsaved reprobate and a heretic. Calvin taught Baptismal Regeneration (the false doctrine that water baptism is required for salvation). Calvin was wrong on many doctrinal issues, including Limited Atonement. If Christ only died for believers, then why would He have wasted His time trying to convert the unbelieving Pharisees and Scribes? I mean, if God chooses who will or won't be saved, then why bother to go soul-winning? Why bother to try to get anybody saved? Yet, the Scriptures teach us to be “fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19, “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Isn't that beautiful?

I am going to give you a Bible verse that IRREFUTABLY proves Jesus died for ALL mankind, and NOT just for the church. Many foolish believers have bought into lie that Jesus didn't die for those who go to Hell. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus Christ shed His blood for ALL mankind. 2nd Peter 2:1, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” Did you read that? ... "Even DENYING THE LORD THAT BOUGHT THEM." 

According to the Calvinist heresy of "Limited Atonement," Jesus only redeemed those whom He knew would one day get saved. The Word of God never teaches limited atonement. On the contrary, the Bible states: "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." How could anyone teach that Christ only died for certain sinners, when we're ALL sinners?

2nd Peter 2:1 is very clear. Jesus, with His blood, bought false prophets too! 2nd Peter 2:1b, “even denying the Lord that bought them...” Did you read that? ... "Even DENYING THE LORD THAT BOUGHT THEM."  If I buy you a gift for your birthday, that doesn't mean you have to accept it. You could reject my gift and refuse to accept it. This is exactly how salvation works. Romans 5:15b calls salvation a "free gift." Again we read in Romans 6:23b that eternal life is a "gift," paid for by Jesus' blood. God put forth salvation to mankind as a free gift, and all He asks of us is that we believe upon His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be saved eternally.

Christ died, He was buried. He physically miraculously resurrected three days later from the dead for our sins. That is the “Gospel” according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4. If you receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, then you are saved immediately and eternally. It is Jesus' precious blood that washes our sins away (1st Peter 1:18-19; 1st John 1:7; Revelation 1:5). We are born again by the Spirit of God (John 1:13), by faith in the seed of God's Word (1st Peter 1:23). The inspired King James Bible teaches in John 3:16, “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The 5 Points Of Calvinism Refuted
(an awesome MP3 sermon by Pastor Steven L. Anderson)

Calvinists have a hard time understanding how God can love wicked, Christ-rejecting, sinners. Many people misunderstand that there are various types of love in the Bible. Two of them are the words agape and phileo. God agapes (unconditionally loves) the world, which sent Christ to the cross to die for men's sins; but God only phileos (is fond of) those who receive Christ and obey Him. Agape is a choice. I choose to love everyone. Phileo is a feeling, a fondness. I am fond of my loved ones. God does not phileo the wicked. But God unconditionally agapes the world. Phileo is conditional. Agape is unconditional. Some preachers make fun of these Greek words, but they shouldn't, because the Bible uses these different Greek words for love.

The whole concept of God's love for mankind is that "...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). For Calvinists to claim that Jesus only died for the saved, is to say that Jesus didn't love unsaved people enough to suffer the cross for them, or to die for them. 1st John 3:16, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." Think about how selfish and cold it would be if God said to lost sinners: "I'll love you enough to die for you, IF you accept me as your Savior; but if you reject me, then I don't love you enough to suffer for you, and you mean nothing to me." Does God only love those that love Him? How shallow that would be.

The Deceptive Doctrine of Calvinism
(a helpful article by Pastor Bob Gray Sr.)

Was it not Jesus Himself who said in Matthew 5:26, "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?" Only an ignorant or malicious person would teach Limited Atonement in lieu of Christ's plain teachings. Jesus would not contradict His teachings on love, by only loving those who love Him back. In contrast we read in 1st John 4:19, "We love him, because he first loved us." The whole idea of limited atonement is absurd.

Here's another Scripture which teaches that Christ is the Savior of all humanity. 1st Timothy 4:10, “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” Jesus is the Savior of ALL MEN—especially those that believe! How much clearer could the Bible be in this matter?

If Jesus didn't die for unsaved people, then how can we preach the love of God to them? No, Jesus died for ALL humanity, saved and unsaved alike, just as John 3:16 proclaims, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The Calvinist doctrine of 'Limited Atonement' is a LIE of the Devil;

Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of “EVERY MAN” . . .

Hebrews 2:9, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

If you're not DEAD, God's not DONE!!!

“AMERICA'S PULPITS HAVE BECOME WEAK!”

—Pastor Jeff Owens, “Unloved Preachers”

“The Great Commission is not to preach the Gospel to congregations, but to individuals.” —Dr. John R. Rice, a needful quote from the book titled: 'PERSONAL SOUL WINNING'

Salvation Doesn't Require Forsaking All To Follow Christ

Matthew 19:21-30, “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”

This is one of the most misunderstood passages in the Holy Bible. A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one. In the following quote from Evangelist Paul Washer, who is a heretical Calvinist (and so also is Steve Pettit, Sam Horn, Marty Herron, Bob Jones University, Moody Bible Institute, Pacific Garden Mission's Unshackled, Ray Comfort and John MacArthur), he perverts the Gospel by applying Matthew 19:27 (“we have left everything and followed you”) to redemption.

At first glance, Matthew 19:21-30 can seem frightening to a free grace believer, shaking our faith and making us question if perhaps we were wrong. It sure does seem like Jesus is teaching Lordship Salvation, doesn't it? Dear reader, nothing could be further from the truth. Ephesians 2:8-9, “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.” Carefully notice in Matthew 19:27 that the Apostle Peter is BOASTING of his own good works, “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?” 

You must keep in mind that Jesus just rebuked the rich young ruler for trying to earn his way to Heaven. The Lord wasn't giving that young man a plan of salvation (as the Lordship Salvation crowd foolishly think), Jesus was using the law the way it was intended to be used, to show the young man that he was NOT GOOD ENOUGH to get to Heaven by his own merit. When the Lord told him to go sell everything he owned, and give it to the poor, the rich young ruler went away very sad. The Lord afterwards told his DISCIPLES that it would be easier to thread a needle with a camel, than for a rich men to go to Heaven. The disciples responded by asking in verse 25, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied by saying that it is IMPOSSIBLE with men, but with God all things are possible (John 1:12-13). 

The context of this seemingly difficult passage is very clear—no one can keep the law to be saved, salvation is of the Lord, it is the free gift of God. We must remember that Peter is still ignorant of theology, and is asking ignorant questions. The Lord had just told the young man to go sell everything he owned, and give it to the poor, if he wanted to perfectly keep the law of Moses to be saved. So now Peter is thinking, “Hey, I've given up everything, so what am I going to get out of all this?” The Lord beautifully responds by assuring the disciples, that in addition to their salvation (which is by faith alone), they will inherit all things as God's child, and also be rewarded by God for their sacrificial service for Him (Matthew 10:42; 1st Corinthians 3:6-9). Revelation 21:7, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” Romans 8:32b promises that in addition to giving us His only begotten Son, God will also give the saints “ALL THINGS” in eternity. 

That is what Jesus was teaching His disciples in Matthew 19:21-20. It is sad that the advocates of Lordship Salvation pervert this passage, as they wrestle the whole Bible, to their own destruction: 

2nd Peter 3:16-17, “As also in all his [Paul's] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.”

Please do not be led away with the error of Bob Jones University, which has been infiltrated and taken over by infidels. I hope by God's grace dear friend that I have made Matthew 19:21-30 easy for you to understand. The very fact that Peter is boasting of following Christ, ought to tell us that this cannot be the way of salvation, because it would contradict Ephesians 2:8-9 that salvation is by grace through faith WITHOUT WORKS! The Lordship Salvation gang (i.e., Calvinists), all twist and pervert the Holy Scriptures. The Bob Jones' camp are arrogant beyond belief today, stiffnecked and full of sinful pride. Their leaders all get paid lucrative 6-digit salaries (including Steve Pettit, Sam Horn, Marty Herron and John MacArthur). Dr. MacArthur's net worth is $14,000,000. Spiritual crime pays well! Their arrogance will cease when they stand before God someday (Hebrews 9:27). Lordship Salvation is a perversion of grace, and is not the Gospel taught in the Gospel of John.

When Jesus spoke with the rich young ruler, He was talking with an unsaved person; but afterwards the Lord spoke with His disciples, who were already saved by faith. So we need to keep this in mind when interpreting such Scripture passages. To whom was the Lord speaking, to the saved or unsaved? In the case of Matthew 19:21-30, Jesus was speaking to the saved. It is gross theological incompetence for anyone, like Paul Washer, to apply this passage to the free gift of eternal life, which is received by faith alone in the dear Savior.

In closing, if you'll go back to view the photo and quote I shared with you earlier by Evangelist Paul Washer, you'll see that he says salvation requires following Jesus “AT ALL COSTS.” Dear reader, Jesus paid your debt of sin on the cross with His precious blood, because you owed a massive debt that you simply could not pay! THERE IS NO COST TO RECEIVE GOD'S FREE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE!!! Paul Washer is a dingleberry for a theologian! If you and I were to pay for our own sins, to repay the wages of sin that we owe, we'd have to burn and suffer in the torments of Hell-fire forever and ever. If you don't understand that, it is only because you fail to grasp just how holy and righteous God is, and how much He absolutely cannot allow or tolerate sin (1st Corinthians 6:9-11; James 2:10). 

The full payment for your sins has been made dear friend (1st Peter 1:18-19). Your gift of eternal life is waiting for you to come get it, which is wrapped in the wonderful package of Jesus Christ! With mere childlike faith, if you'll simply come to God as a needy sinner, receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, believing that He was buried, and three days later physically resurrected from the dead, you will be immediately and permanently saved! This is “The Gospel” (1st Corinthians 15:1-4), by which we are saved, to them that believe (Romans 1:16). You have God's Word on it! John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”