The Devil Always Lies

John 8:44-45, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.”

In Genesis 3:15, Eve was able to justify in her own mind eating of the forbidden fruit. In Genesis 2:16-17 God expressly forbade Adam and Eve from eating of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge in the midst of the Garden of Eden. But God did give them permission to eat of all the other trees in the garden. But notice how sneaky the serpent (Satan) is. Genesis 3:1, “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Did you catch that? The serpent told Eve that God said they COULDN'T eat of any of the trees, but that is not what God said. The Lord said they COULD eat of all the trees, except one. The important lesson to learn here is that the Devil always lies.

While Russian president Vladimir Putin repeatedly denies targeting nurseries, hospitals and schools with Russian bombs, women and children continue to die from Russian artillery. It couldn't be more obvious that Putin is a blatant liar. Sadly, our own U.S. leaders have also proven themselves to be notorious liars. The controlled U.S. newsmedia still insist 22 years later that it was fires that caused the three World Trade Center buildings to collapse on September 11th, 2001. But that is one of the biggest lies ever told. The University of Fairbanks, Alaska, did a study decades after 911 and concluded that fires DIDN'T cause the collapse of those three World Trade Center buildings.

Lies, lies and more lies. We unfortunately live in a world of liars, especially in the United States. False advertising has become the norm in American culture. I have written some other blogs about this sad reality today. Here is one blog that I wrote titled: “Most 'Free' Things Are Not Really Free.” From the dishonest bank that promises you a 'free' gift for opening a new bank account, to the shady preacher who teaches that eternal life is a free gift from God but you must forsake a lifestyle of sinning to obtain it, they are all liars!

If you have to open a new account to obtain a gift from a bank, then it is actually an exchange of sorts, not a gift. To truly be a “gift,” something can only be freely offered and freely taken. The dictionary defines a “gift” as something given freely without compensation.

One of the biggest religious con men in this generation is Pastor John MacArthur of 'Grace To You' ministry in California. Whereas the inspired Word of God teaches in Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8-9 that eternal life is a free gift from God, Dr. MacArthur says that getting saved is an exchange, a trade of sorts (those are his exact words). How can something be a free gift, if you are required to give something in exchange for it? That wouldn't be a gift, it would be a reward for doing your part.

This is why it should be obvious to you dear reader, what is so very wrong about the false teaching today that you have to repent “of your sins” or “turn from your sins” to get to Heaven. That would be an exchange, a trade of sorts, as John MacArthur errantly teaches. The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU. Jesus came into the world to bare the weight and penalty of our debt of sin on the cross. John 3:17, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

The reason why Jesus didn't need to condemn anybody is simply because the Old Testament law already does that. 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.” Most people don't understand the purpose for which God gave the Ten Commandments (which is a summarization of the law as a whole, which in its entirety contains about 720 commandments). This includes moral, civil and ceremonial laws, which every Jew was commanded to obey under Mosaic law).

The true primary purpose of the law was not to keep in order to get to Heaven (which is what most people errantly think). The primary purpose for which the law was given by God is to give men THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN (as we just read in Romans 3:20). God intended that when humanity tried to keep the law, but failed, the law would reveal our sinnership as humans, and bring us to Jesus Christ to be saved by God's grace, through faith alone. God never intended for anyone to earn their way to Heaven by obeying the law. No one has ever been saved by keeping the law (Romans 3:20). Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

Speaking of liars, here is Ken Ham's heretical 'Answers-In-Genesis' website, and one of his ministers of unrighteousness preaching a counterfeit Gospel. ...

The FALSE GOSPEL of ANSWERS IN GENESIS and KEN HAM

The plan of salvation presented by ANSWERS-IN-GENESIS woefully contradicts the plan of salvation taught in the inspired King James Bible. Something is wrong! I smell a dead rat in Ken Ham's house. If you'd like to know more about what is wrong with Ken Ham's plan of salvation, please read this helpful article that I wrote today. Ken Ham is bad news!!! And sadly, so are Pensacola Christian College for honoring his. This is unreal. You couldn't make this stuff up. Who would have thought 50 years ago when PCC opened their college doors in 1975, that they would be one of the biggest promoters of Satanic false doctrine concerning God's simple plan of salvation.

Here again is the same video as before (because I don't want you to miss this). By the way, here is a simple free webpage where you can copy/paste a desired YouTube video into the 'Start' window, and then convert and save the file as an MP4 video on your computer. By God's grace, I now have a massive collection of favorite videos. This is also how I copy videos and reupload them to my own YouTube channels, as MP4's, which you are also welcome to do with any of my videos. I love to share. The more the merrier. God knows my labors (1st Corinthians 3:7-9). According to Ken Ham's ANSWERS-IN-GENESIS cult, to get to Heaven you must do THREE THINGS:

1. Trust in Jesus
2. Repent, by turning from your wicked way
3. Begin to follow Christ

BLASPHEMY!!! Watch the heretical Answers-In-Genesis video again for yourself. The Holy Bible disagrees with Answers-In-Genesis and teaches something very different.

Another apostate institution today is Pensacola Christian College (PCC), who wickedly bid Godspeed to hellbound infidel Ken Ham. ...

Ken Ham on Twitter: "Such a blessing to speak to 4,000+ students at PCC

The FALSE GOSPEL of ANSWERS IN GENESIS and KEN HAM

2nd John 1:10-11, “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” Pensacola Christian College (PCC) refuse to contend for the Christian faith (Jude 1:3; Titus 1:9-14; Ephesians 5:11); therefore, they have been corrupted themselves. PCC has MUCH blood on their hands according to 2nd John 1:11, because they wickedly support, praise, honor and bid Godspeed to wicked FALSE TEACHERS like Ken Ham, Gary Walton, Steve Pettit, Tim Zacharias and Jeff Redlin. The Devil always lies! Please remember that. You can NEVER trust anything that the Devil or his children say. You can always tell when the Devil is lying, just look for when his lips move.

And then there's a lot of false or bad information available on cyberspace. For example: For decades elderly Americans have been told that taking an aspirin pill each day is a good way to prevent a heart attack or a stroke, since aspirin is known to think the blood to prevent blood clots, right. We'll, not so fast partner, recent studies have shown that taking an aspirin each day can be risky and in some cases even cause a stroke or a heart attack. In fact, the FDA in recent years has advised against taking aspirin each day as a means of preventing blood clots. My own former doctor on Guam suggested that I take an aspirin pill each day, to prevent a stroke. That is what prompted me to do some research into the matter. What I found scared me, and convinced me that I need a different better doctor. Granted, I don't think my doctor meant to lie to me, but false information is just as dangerous as deliberate lies.

We live in a world of misinformation, disinformation and flat out blatant lies. I'd dare say that at least 80% of the health advice provided online about dieting, losing weight, body building and fasting is WRONG information. Yet, millions of lazy people continue to purchase powders which come in bottles and packages, believing all the hype that somehow such gimmicks will restore, maintain and improve one's health. Supplements have become a multi-billion dollar lucrative industry in America. Dear reader, nothing can substitute for a daily habit of eating fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, unprocessed meats and whole foods.

Cancer is virtually unheard of in Central and South America because they eat a diet rich in seeds, nuts, vegetables, fruits, whole meats; and they avoid processed foods which are devoid of nutrients and full of toxins (e.g., Titanium Dioxide and Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, which absolutely saturate our U.S foods). You cannot purchase 99% of baking goods that don't contain Sodium Aluminum Phosphate (which absorbs moisture to retard spoilage). Why aren't the food companies warning everyone about the risks of eating these toxic chemicals?

And then there are the crooked banks. In case you didn't know, our entire banking system in America is based on blatant fraud. The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 has perpetuated the most heinous scam and fraudulent Ponzi Scheme upon the American public since it was enacted. That's why you have to slave away for 30 to 40 years to pay down your house's mortgage (two thirds of which is just interest paid to the ungodly thieves who run the scam).

That is why I recommend that married couples save as much as they can for a downpayment on a cheaper home, and don't buy anything that you can't pay off in 10 years at most (even though you may acquire a 30-year mortgage. Just make sure that there are no penalties for paying down your loan early). That way you have the security of having 30 years to pay off your loan, if something happens and you cannot afford the higher payments; but in your mind you should buy something that you calculate you should be able to pay off early after only 10 years. The interest will kill you!

I truly hate the banks with all my heart, because they are dirty rotten thieving scoundrels. Our treasonous government leaders are mostly to blame for allowing this fraud. President Woodrow Wilson is a traitor to his oath, country and people, because it was on his watch that evil men railroaded the Federal Reserve Act fraud into law in 1913, over a quiet Christmas weekend while most members of Congress were absent. Even still today, the American public are being kept in the dark about THE TRUTH, lied to incessantly, told that fraud is law, and thievery is justice. It is shameful that less than 1% of church pastors expose fraud, deception and corruption in our U.S. federal government.

I could go on and on about all the lying deceit and deceivers in the world today, but it would require a volume of books that I couldn't possibly write in ten lifetimes! Thanks for reading. Thankfully, we have a sure source of TRUTH that we can always go to, the Holy Bible. Someone once asked me if I could sum up the Bible in as few words as possible. I said, “That's easy, just one word: TRUTH.” John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

The Worst Pervert In America Is The Gospel Pervert

Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

The heretical teaching of Lordship Salvation is totally incompatible with the Gospel of free grace. The King James Bible warns about false teachers who “PERVERT” the Scripture. The word “pervert” in Galatians 1:7 is the Greek word metastrephō, which means to “transmute; this is, change or alter in form, appearance, or nature.” Any time someone alters or changes the nature of the Gospel, they have perverted it. The nature of the Gospel is simply that all mankind are guilty sinners (Romans 3:10-23; 5:12). There is a penalty for our sins, which is death (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27). This includes a second death in Hell forever (Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8; Psalms 9:17; Luke 16:19-31). 

The “Good News” (or “Gospel”) is that God loves humanity, and has made a way of escape through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son on Calvary's cross (John 19-20; Romans 5:6-9). Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He was buried, and physically resurrected after three days (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Anyone who comes to God as a needy sinner, receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for their sins, is immediately and forever saved (i.e., born-again, regenerated, redeemed, a saint, a child of God). That is the simple, easy, free and only way to receive God's free gift of eternal life, by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 3:26).

Anyone who alters or changes the nature of the Gospel has perverted God's grace! Three of the biggest offenders today are Evangelist Ray Comfort, Pastor John MacArthur and Dr. Steve Pettit (president of Bob Jones University since 2014). These men all sinfully pervert the truth of the Gospel. These men have changed the Gospel into something different than what the Bible teaches! These men all add turning from your sins to be saved. Sadly, Bob Jones University requires people to be willing to turn from their sins to be saved. That is not the Gospel. The Gospel of John is God's Gospel tract. 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.” We find the word “BELIEVE” mentioned 85 times in the Gospel of John, but there is no mention of forsaking one's sins to receive God's free gift.

Pastor John MacArthur even calls getting saved “AN EXCHANGE” of all that we are for all that Christ is...

“Thus in a sense we pay the ultimate price for salvation when our sinful self is nailed to a cross. . . . It is an exchange of all that we are for all that Christ is. And it denotes implicit obedience, full surrender to the lordship of Christ. Nothing less can qualify as saving faith.” (The Gospel According to Jesus, p. 140.)

Dear reader, that is as Satanic as worshipping the Devil!!! Nowhere in the inspired Word of God are we taught, that to receive God's free gift of eternal life we must EXCHANGE everything we are to receive it! Dr. Steve Pettit teaches this same garbage theology:

“...faith in Jesus is not just an intellectual conviction, it is a personal commitment. Paul says, we have believed in Jesus, and the word 'in' literally means 'into' ...I am taking my life, my eternity, my destiny, everything, and I am placing it into Christ.” —Dr. Steve Pettit, an excerpt from “What Does It Mean To Be Justified?” (The Daily Platform #741)

That is false teaching! Dr. Pettit says it is not enough to trust Jesus in your mind, but there must be action that results in committing EVERYTHING in your life to Christ. That is not the Gospel, it is a perversion of God's free grace! Salvation in NOT an exchange!!! Eternal life is a free gift. Romans 5:15-18 even calls it a “FREE GIFT” multiple times. Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” It is more than a coincidence that immediately following this warning about WOLVES that come to us in SHEEP'S CLOTHING, that the Lord says in Matthew 7:21, “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.” Could the Bible be any plainer that Lordship is not the way of salvation? God's will is to BELIEVE (John 6:40).

“So I want to ask you, have you come to a genuine acknowledgment before God almighty of your sinfulness? Secondly, you have to change the way you view yourself. We call that 'repentance.' And repentance is sort of saying a 'No' and a 'Yes.'  It's a turning AWAY FROM and a turning TO. What am I turning away from? I'm turning away from my own self-righteousness. I'm to turning away from depending on me, and all that's involved in me—self-righteousness, self-will, self-assertion, living my own life—I'm to turning away from that way of thinking. And then finally what do I have to do? I'm to put my trust, or my confidence, in Jesus alone.” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit, an excerpt from “What Does It Mean To Be Justified?” (The Daily Platform #741)

What you just read is of the Devil. Jesus told the Apostle Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan” (Matthew 16:23b). So I say to Steve Pettit, “Get thee behind me, Satan!” What saith the Scripture? 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 Bible teaches something very different than what Dr. Steve Pettit is teaching! Steve Pettit says you must turn away from living your own life to be saved. That is a doctrine of devils! Steve Pettit is a devil-dog preacher! My destination is not based upon how I live my life, it's on whom that I trust to save me!!! Now that's the truth!

Salvation is salvation, and discipleship is discipleship. No one ever got saved by discipleship! That is why the religious people in Matthew 7:21-23 weren't saved. Jesus called them workers on iniquity. Jesus said He never knew them! They followed Jesus their entire life. They made full surrender to Christ! They called Him, “LORD, LORD” (there's your heresy of Lordship Salvation in the Bible). Judas followed Christ. Matthew 27:3b says “Judas repented himself.” Judas had “a relationship” with Jesus (we hear this false teaching a lot these days). Dear reader, you can follow Christ, have a relationship with Him, you can repent of all your sins, faithfully run the race, turn your life over to Him, and even trust Christ in addition to all that stuff, but YOU WILL SPLIT HELL WIDE OPEN WHEN YOU DIE!!! You are not truly trusting Jesus, unless you are COMPLETELY RESTING IN HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION ALONE TO SAVE YOU!!! 

Please don't let Steve Pettit take you to Hell with him. On March 30, 2020 he told 2,700 students and faculty that “perpetual liars” go to Hell! The Bible says that ALL LIARS go to Hell (Revelation 21:8). How many lies do I have to tell you to be a liar? Just one, right! James 2:10 confirms this truth, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” It is disturbing that Steve Pettit thinks habitual sinners are going to Hell, because we are saved by God's righteousness, nor our own righteousness. My destination is not based upon how I live my life, it's on whom that I trust to save me. How much you lie and sin has nothing to do with the gift of eternal life. If a child of God lives in willful sin, God is not an absent parent, He will chastise a child whom He loves. Proverbs 3:12, “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”

Here are some excellent helpful quotes differentiating between SALVATION versus DISCIPLESHIP...

"It is an inexcusable error to confront sinners with problems that concern the Christian life and call upon them to make promises regarding them. An unsaved person is never called upon to surrender himself to God. The saving act is in no instance represented as our 'giving ourselves to God'; it is, on the contrary, taking His Son as our Savior." Ryrie, Charles. Balancing the Christian Life. Moody Press, Inc., 1969 (p. 170). 

"The second approach finds faith in the gospel alone an 'easy Believism' and seeks to add something to faith in order to accomplish salvation. To repent is to 'change one's mind,' and to believe is to remove one's trust from that in which it has rested and place it in Christ." Howard, William. "Is Faith Enough to Save?" Bibliotheca Sacra. January-March, 1942 (p.99). 

"This kind of faith is not 'easy believism'. It is not easy to say, 'I can't save myself, I must recognize that there is something wrong with me, and I must seek help from someone else.'" Hook, H. Phillip. "A Biblical Definition of Saving Faith." Bibliotheca Sacra. April-June, 1964 (p. 133, 138). 

"Eternal life is free. Discipleship is immeasurably hard. The former is attained by faith alone, the latter by a faith that works... the former brings with it the righteousness of God so that a man is 'justified freely by his grace' (Romans 3:24). The latter develops a personal righteousness, based on good deeds, so that a man was also 'justified by works' (James 2:24). The former constituted the believer God's workmanship, the latter fulfilled the wonderful purpose for which he had been created. The former cost man nothing, the latter could cost him everything, including life itself." Hodges, Zane C. The Hungry Inherit. Moody Press, Inc., 1972 (p. 114, 115). 

"There is a vast difference between coming to Jesus for salvation and coming after Jesus for service. Coming to Christ makes one a believer, while coming after Christ makes one a disciple. All believers are not disciples. To become a believer one accepts the invitation of the Gospel, to be a disciple one obeys the challenge to a life of dedicated service and separation. Salvation comes through the sacrifice of Christ; discipleship comes only by sacrifice of self and surrender to His call for devoted service. Salvation is free, but discipleship involves paying the price of a separated walk. Salvation can't be lost because it depends upon God's faithfulness, but discipleship can be lost because it depends upon our faithfulness." DeHaan, M. R. Hebrews. Zondervan Publishing House, 1959 (p. 117). 

"For the unregenerate man, repentance is the change of mind whereby he turns from unbelief to faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ." Post, Roger. "The Meanings of the Words Translated 'Repent' and 'Repentance' in the New Testament." Master's Thesis, Wheaton College, June 1972 (p. 80). 

"There are those who, in their zeal to get people to turn from their sinful ways and receive the Lord, almost put repentance on a par with believing... Repentance, as it relates to Christ, means to change our minds about Him, who He is and what He's done to provide forgiveness and deliverance from our sins. When we place faith in Jesus as having taken our place personally on the cross and borne the penalty due our sins, then we're automatically repenting, because we couldn't accept Him in this way without having had to change our minds in some way concerning Him." Lindsey, Hal. The Liberation of Planet Earth. Zondervan Publishing House, 1974 (p. 136, 137). 

"Discipleship is frequently equated with salvation and often erroneously made a condition for becoming a Christian". Pentecost, J. Dwight. Design for Discipleship. Zondervan Publishing House, 1971 (p. 11). 

"Certainly discipleship is a most important aspect of our relation to Christ, but it belongs to the sphere of Christian life rather than entrance upon that life... One does not become a disciple in order to become a Christian, but because he has become a Christian by faith in the Savior, it is fitting that he embark upon a life of discipleship". Harrison, Everett F. "Must Christ be Lord to Be Savior?-No." Eternity, September 1959 (p. 14). 

"There is no more piously subtle abrogation of the Gospel than to tell a Sinner that he must not only believe in the Savior, but dedicate himself to do God's will, crown the Savior Lord of his life, etc., etc. Obviously, dedication and service are highly desirable, but they are the privilege and the duty of the saved, never a condition of salvation for the unsaved (cf. Romans 12:1, 2)." Unger, Merrill F. God is Waiting to Meet You. Moody Press, 1975 (p. 117, 118). 

"People are sometimes led to believe that there is saving value in some public confession of Christ, or profession of a decision. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." This is salvation. "With the mouth confession is made unto salvation." This is the voice of the newborn child speaking to and of its father. The only condition on which one may be saved is to believe." Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Salvation. Dunham Publishing Company, 1917 (p. 46). 

The evidence that we are saved is the indwelling Holy Spirit, not the way we live. 1st John 3:24, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” 

“If you have to look at your life to prove that you are saved, it proves that you're not!” —Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold; an excellent quote from the awesome YouTube sermon, “Why Lordship Salvation is WRONG!”

Don't Play With Someone's Heart That Loves You

Revelation 3:15-17, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”

I fell in love with a young woman across the street from me in 2017. I diligently tried to go back to Harvest Baptist Church where she attends, but her pastors can't get over themselves, so they refused, as they have cruelly since 2014. So much for the love of God. It's just as well, because they don't believe right at Harvest. Anyway, I bought a care bear to give the young lady, and personally gave it to her. I wrote her a long love letter. I poured out my soul to her, and pretty much told her that I wanted to properly court her and marry her. To my dismay, she coldly left the bear outside my door later that night when I returned, with a mean letter telling me never to contact her again. She was no better than her cruel pastors.

Yet, still today three years later, she waits for me every so often when I am returning home, timing herself. She hears my music (I like to feel loud music) and walks out toward me from her friend's house when I arrive. My heart leaps when I see her, and I feel happy, but yet sad later on, confused and wondering why she does that. Is she leading me on? Is she letting me know that perhaps she does have some feelings for me? Is she playing me for the fool? Is she confused herself, not wanting me, but not wanting to let go either? As you can imagine, this scenario is frustrating for a man who loves a woman. I have always loved her, and my feelings have never changed since I first saw her mowing her lawn in 2017 across the street from me. But she spurned my love in 2017, and has never told me anything otherwise. So why does she want me to see her every couple months? I am 100% sure she is deliberately doing this.

I pondered this matter this morning, and thought about Revelation 3:16-17. I think that is exactly how God felt. He was also frustrated with the church at Laodicea. They thought they were good Christians. The Bible says they were increased with goods. Like Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, they had a fancy big building. They had money. They had acceptance in the local community. They were a prestigious church, like Harvest. But also like Harvest, they were a disgrace spiritually. The Lord Himself called the Laodicean church naked, blind, poor, wretched and miserable, contrary to what they thought about themselves.

I wrote much last year in 2019 in my website articles, during the months before Christmas, about the woman across the street that I have been in love with. I thought for a time that perhaps Harvest Baptist Church was going to invite me back in love, but they didn't, and I was heartbroken again. I saw the woman that I love again last Saturday. She timed herself so that I could see her. She looked so miserable. Life will do that to you. I wish she could know my heart of love for her. I wish she could know all the wonderful things that I want to do to make her happy. She'll never find a man who would do more for her than I would. My family knows that I shower them with blessings all the time, because I love them. If I'm your friend, you have a friend for life. I would never do anything to hurt the woman I love, but she seems to want to hurt me. Leading someone on is cruel. She either wants me or she doesn't. I do, but she doesn't seem to know what she wants. I guess that's a woman for you...lol.

I think that is why Jesus Himself was so frustrated with the church at Laodicea. Jesus loved them dearly. He wanted what was best for them. But they chose rather to linger in mediocrity, just like the Harvest Baptist Church on Guam. They falsely thought they were doing well at Laodicea, but the Lord said they were wretched and blind. Like Harvest, they had plenty of resources, but they were actually naked and poor the Lord said. They were half in, and half out, which frustrated the Lord. Jesus said He would rather have them hot or cold, take your pick, choose a side!

That is how I feel toward this young lady whom I dearly love—choose me or not, reject me or love me, but don't keep me hanging for years. I'd gladly wait 7 years like Jacob did for Rachel, if I just knew there was something to wait for. But all I have is her waiting for me every so often, meeting up with me at a distance, letting me know that she remembered me for some unknown reason. As you can imagine, that is frustrating. Perhaps she wants me to write more about her, to see what I am thinking, wondering if I still feel the same about her. I absolutely do feel the same, feeling nothing but love toward her and a desire to spend the rest of my life with her, but she doesn't seem to want me, yet she leads me on. I think I know how the Lord felt about the church at Laodicea. They were the lukewarm church, half in and half out. Jesus said He wanted them to choose sides, and to stop straddling the fence.

The Harvest Baptist Church on Guam is apostate! They promote Dr. Steve Pettit, who preaches hardcore Lordship Salvation, and is a personal friend and supporter of Dr. John MacArthur (who is an alumni of BJU). These are evil men, who pervert the grace of God, and in so doing attack the God of grace! I wish my beloved friend across the street would come visit me at the Bethel Baptist Church in Yigo, where I have been attending. She is settling for chicken nuggets at Harvest, when she can have ribeye steak at a real church! Harvest cannot make up their minds on the 29 different Bible versions they use. Their own pastor admitted to me in 2014 that they have two dozen different Bible versions in their pews each Sunday. Uh, does anybody else see a really big problem with that? I sure do! Does not the Bible teach that God is not a God of confusion? (1st Corinthians 14:33) So why all the confusion?

Harvest Baptist Church on Guam is spiritually poor, naked, wretched, blind and miserable, but they don't see it. That was the same problem with the church of Laodicea—they were spiritually blind to their disease. Oh how I long for churches to get right with God. Oh how I long in my soul for churches to use only the inspired King James Bible. Oh how my heart desires for pastors to preach a free grace Gospel, and to expose the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation. Mr. MacArthur actually calls salvation “an exchange.” He uses that very word! He says salvation is an exchange of all that you are, for all that Christ is! That sounds really good and religious, doesn't it? 

The problem with MacArthur's teaching is that salvation is a gift, not an exchange! A gift and an exchange are two very different things. Yet you've got fools like Dr. Kevin Bauder, who claims that Lordship Salvation still falls within the realm of orthodox theology. Have you lost your theological mind man? Romans 11:6 teaches salvation is either by grace or works, but it cannot be both. Likewise, salvation cannot be both a gift and an exchange. You must choose sides in this debate, and your eternal destiny hangs in the balance!

I pray for Abby each day. I love her. But she seems to want to play with my heart, which is frustrating. Everybody plays the fool. I want to get married soon. I am looking diligently for a wife. I may not find the woman I want, but in the end what is really important is that I find the wife that God's wants me to have, and I will love her forever. I know the pain of not having a wife for 15 years, so when I do find her, Lord willing, I am going to cherish her every day. God is always good, no matter what! Jesus is precious!!!

Law And Grace Are Two Keys

Galatians 3:10-14, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

LAW and GRACE are two different keys—the key of law shutteth men up in condemnation, but the key of grace unlocks the door! What a beautiful passage of Scripture! What a beautiful truth! Our great God has already made TWO great divisions to His Word of LAW and GRACE. The law shows humanity our sinnership. Romans 3:19, “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.”

In these two covenants of LAW and GRACE, that is, OLD and NEW Testaments, we see the simplicity of the Gospel. The LAW shows men their need as sinners for redemption, and CHRIST provides the provision to fulfil that need. Someone has said that G.R.A.C.E. is an acronym for “God's Riches At Christ's Expense.” I love that! The sole purpose of the law in salvation is to give men “the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). There is a popular heresy being spread in ecumenical churches today, which says you must “forsake (turn) from your sins to be saved.” The errantly understand this to mean “repentance,” but it is actually reformation, not Bible repentance. True repentance is a change of mind. I think the following quote from Pastor Harry Ironside (1876-1951) is one of the best I've found on repentance:

“Which comes first, repentance or faith? In Scripture we read, 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel.' Yet we find true believers exhorted to 'repent, and do the first works.' So intimately are the two related that you cannot have one without the other. The man who believes God repents; the repentant soul puts his trust in the Lord when the Gospel is revealed to him. Theologians may wrangle over this, but the fact is, no man repents until the Holy Spirit produces repentance in his soul through the truth. No man believes the Gospel and rests in it for his own salvation until he has judged himself as a needy sinner before God. And this is repentance.” ('Except Ye Repent,' p. 16).

I think Dr. Ironside gets repentance 100% Biblically correct! I encourage you to read his book on repentance. Albeit, the inspired Holy Bible is our absolutely only authority in all matters of morality, faith and life. John 3:20-21, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” Carefully notice that repentance is unto THE TRUTH, and not from sins! 

What saith the Scripture further? 2nd Timothy 2:25-26, “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.” Oh please don't miss this truth dear friend. We plainly read earlier in Romans 3:20 that the purpose of God's law is to give humanity the knowledge of sin. No one ever got saved who didn't realize that he or she is a guilty sinner. You must see your need for a Savior. You need to know what you're being saved from. Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” You don't turn from your sins to be saved, you turn to Jesus to be saved from your sins!

Law and grace are two keys. The key of law locked us up in the prison of condemnation for our sins, but the blessed key of God's wondrous grace opens the house of the prisoners! Our text passage from Galatians 3:10-14 teaches that the law is a curse upon all mankind, indicting each and every human being as woeful guilty sinners! But Christ became a curse upon Calvary's cross. 2nd Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt of sin we could not pay! Thank God for the sacrificial gift of His dear only begotten Son!

Jesus walked this earth 2,000 years ago as the sinless Son of God, as a spotless Lamb without spot nor blemish (John 1:29). Jesus took upon Himself the penalty for everyone's sins, bearing the full weight of our sins on the cross, in ways that I don't claim to comprehend. 1st John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” I love that Bible verse! 2nd Corinthians 5:14, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:” Christ died for everyone dear friend, and that includes you and me!!! It matters not how sinful you may be, or what crimes you are guilty of, “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6-8). That is a very good and loving Savior!!!

I encourage you to get into the mental habit of viewing the Bible from the simplistic standpoint of LAW and CHRIST (or GRACE). Dr. Law shows us our disease, and then Dr. Grace heals us with the Gospel. 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.” Can you see the beautiful simplicity that is in Christ dear friend? God gave us the law as a measuring stick, by which when men compare themselves they fall woefully short of the glory of God, which is absolutely perfection (Romans 3:23; James 2:10). God literally wanted the law to give us the knowledge that we cannot save ourselves. Thus, the Old Testament LAW is as a schoolteacher, that opens our eyes to the truth that we cannot get to Heaven on our own merit or by works, and then brings us to CHRIST to be freely saved by God's grace.

I encourage you to get into the mental habit of viewing the Bible from the simplistic standpoint of LAW and CHRIST (or GRACE). Dr. Law shows us our disease, and then Dr. Grace heals us with the Gospel. 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.” Can you see the beautiful simplicity that is in Christ dear friend? God gave us the law as a measuring stick, by which when men compare themselves they fall woefully short of the glory of God, which is absolute perfection (Romans 3:23; James 2:10). God intended for the LAW to give us the knowledge that we cannot save ourselves (Romans 7:13). Thus, the Old Testament LAW was a schoolteacher, to open our eyes to the truth that we cannot get to Heaven on our own merit or by works, and that brings us to CHRIST to be freely saved by God's grace.

Salvation Is Not An Exchange That Will Cost You

Now if you fully understand what I just taught you directly from the inspired Word of God, then it should be abundantly clear that Lordship Salvation is a perverse doctrine of devils. Somewhere between the journey from LAW to GRACE, many people get sidetracked in their mind with all sorts of heretical ideas. They start embellishing LAW and GRACE into a monstrosity. Here's an example of someone embellishing LAW and GRACE. False prophet Dr. John MacArthur errantly says:

It [salvation] isn’t adding Jesus to your repertoire. It isn’t like the rock singer who said, “I've been born again but don't think it’ll change my act or my lifestyle.” It’s not that. It’s an exchange of all that I am for all that he is. It’s an abandoning of all my righteousness for all his righteousness. It’s a setting aside of everything I thought valuable for the pearl of great price. I would willingly bankrupt myself of all my human prizes, right? Hear Paul, “I count all things but dung that I may win Christ.” That’s the exchanged life. 

So, we would then say, who are the few? [the saved] Those who obey the commands of Christ and the will of the Father, those who confess Christ at any cost. And for everybody that cost may be different, but when salvation is really happening, God energizes the willingness to pay the cost, whatever it is. 

SOURCE: Jesus' teaching On Salvation

What a theological dingleberry! Pastor John MacArthur horribly butchers the Word of God. First, his particular quote from the last portion of Philippians 3:8 doesn't appear in ANY Bible version, he worded it wrong! Paul didn't say he counted all things dung; but rather, “the loss of all things.” Dr. MacArthur claims that we must exchange all things to receive God's free gift of eternal life. What saith the Scripture? ...

Philippians 3:7-9, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

Pastor MacArthur leaves off verse 9, which plainly declares that we are saved “BY FAITH.” Salvation is not an exchange of any sort. Dr. MacArthur is preaching another gospel, which cannot produce the new birth. The Apostle Paul got saved by faith, and then he decided to serve God (a second decision), which is discipleship. These two are not the same, and to combine them is to pervert the keys of law and grace. Paul's Christian testimony cost him everything. When you live for Jesus the world hates you (John 15:19). It is Jesus whom they really hate (John 7:7). Paul said in 2nd Timothy, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” I have been persecuted my whole life for my Christian faith. I have been hated, mocked, belittled, spit upon, slandered, fired, banned from ungodly churches, and a bunch more unpleasant things. Like all false prophets, John MacArthur wrests the Scriptures to his own destruction, and those who follow “led away with the error of the wicked” (2nd Peter 3:16-17).

Please notice in the preceding quotes by Dr. MacArthur that he uses the words “exchange” and “cost” in reference to salvation. Dear reader, God gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice, to die a horrifying criminal's death by crucifixion on a splintered cross. He did that for you oh ungodly sinner! And He did that for me, an ungodly sinner saved by grace at age 13 forty years ago! Jesus paid it all! We owe Him nothing in return! There is no balance to be repaid, there is no cost, nor is there any exchange that has taken place. Pastor MacArthur was inspired by demons when he wrote those lies! If you truly understand LAW and GRACE, then you know that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Romans 10:4). Christ is the key, that by grace through faith, unlocks the door to free men's souls imprisoned under the condemnation of the LAW.

Bob Jones University Agree With Mormon Repentance

John 11:25-26, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

In our text passage above, Jesus gives the simple way to be saved, by simply believing on Him. Jesus asked Martha, “Believest thou this?” Jesus didn't ask her if she was willing to turn from her sins, did He. Jesus didn't ask her if she was willing to make full surrender to Him as Lord. No, He did not. Jesus didn't ask Martha is she was willing to do full repentance, forsake self, commit to follow Him and make public confession. No, Jesus simply told her the truth that He alone is the resurrection and the life, and whosoever believes in Him shall never die! Believest thou this? 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.”

I so much wish that I could preach some sense into professed Christians today, who have bought into the Devil's lie that you must “repent of your sin” to be saved. Sincere men like Pastor Marty Herron (former longtime pastor of Harvest Baptist Church on Guam) have bought into this Devil's lie, alienating themselves from the grace of God. No one is saved who believes that you must turn away from a lifestyle of sin to go to Heaven! That is what Pastor Herron preaches, which I heard with my own two ears, while listening to him preach in 2014 at Harvest. As a true friend, I gave hardcopies of the helpful book: “I NEVER KNEW YOU” (.PDF) by Michael P. Bowen to Pastor Herron, and his assistant pastors, for which I was thrown under the bus, forced out of the church, and have been cruelly ostracized since. The new pastor Gary Walton is no better, who still ostracizes me, and is 100% in full sinful support of Bob Jones University today! 2nd John 1:11, “For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

Bob Jones University (BJU) today is very different than when Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968) was at the helm. “Dr. Bob” as he was known was 100% right on the Gospel, teaching that we simply “believe” to be saved. BJU teaches something very different today, requiring that you also repent and turn from your sins to be saved, which is exactly what the Mormons teach! First here is what BJU teaches in their official statement of faith. Bob Jones University is pulling on the same rope as the Devil! Here is a deceptive quote from their college's website:

With regard to the doctrine of Soteriology:

We believe Scripture teaches that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Eph. 2:4–10; Rom. 3:21–26; Titus 3:5) and apart from any human work of righteousness (Phil. 3:9). God offers this salvation freely to all men who are willing to repent and turn from their sins (Acts 3:19, 17:30) and place their full faith and trust in the atonement Christ made by His finished work on the Cross (Luke 24:46–48, Heb. 9:11–15, 10:10–14). [emphasis added]

SOURCE: BJU Statements of Faith

Now look at what the Mormon's teach on their official website:

“Repentance is one of the first principles of the gospel and is essential to our temporal and eternal happiness. It is much more than just acknowledging wrongdoings. It is a change of mind and heart that gives us a fresh view about God, about ourselves, and about the world. It includes turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness. It is motivated by love for God and the sincere desire to obey His commandments.” [emphasis added]

SOURCE: The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints - Repentance

That is 100% Lordship Salvation! That is exactly what Harvest Baptist Church on Guam and Bob Jones University are sinfully preaching these days, for which God's curse is upon them! Galatians 1:8, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Pastor Marty Herron is cursed! Pastor Gary Walton is cursed! BJU is cursed! Pacific Garden Mission and their 'UNSHACKLED' are cursed! Pastor John MacArthur is cursed, to whom Moody Bible Institute, BJU and the Bob Jones' crowd all bid Godspeed, making them partaker of his Calvinist counterfeit gospel! These men are devils in the pulpit today!!! The Mormon website further heretically states concerning repentance:

“Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our Father in Heaven has provided the only way for us to be forgiven of our sins. Jesus Christ suffered the penalty for our sins so we can be forgiven if we sincerely repent. As we repent and rely on His saving grace, we will be cleansed from sin.” [emphasis added] 

SOURCE: The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints - Repentance

I couldn't show you a clearer example of the heresy of partial faith in Christ, plus works. Nowhere does the Bible teach that we must repent of our sins, and continuing repenting of our sins as a lifestyle, to be saved. Evangelist Ray Comfort teaches this nightmare theology, that you must continuing repenting of your sins your whole life to be saved. Getting saved is not a process, it is a new birth! You don't get cleansed of sin as you make an effort to turn from them, and rely on Jesus' saving grace while you are doing it. This is a counterfeit gospel based upon works, and not faith alone. Do you see friend how evil Lordship Salvation is? It is a false Gospel that adds to faith. Whereas the Bible simply teaches to “believe” to be saved, proponents of Lordship Salvation require that you make an effort to turn from your sins, and then secondly trust Christ. That is NOT the Gospel which the King James Bible teaches!

All of the pseudo-Christian cults (Jehovah's Witness, Seventh-Day Adventist, Church of Christ, Roman Catholic, Mormon, et cetera) errantly teach repentance as meaning: “to turn away from your sins,” to be saved. That is why Brigham Young University actually requires their students to read Dr. John MacArthur's book called: “The Gospel According To Jesus” (which is a blasphemous piece of filth and a roadmap to the Lake of Fire). Read for yourself some of the ungodly Satanic lies set forth in Dr. MacArthur's horrible book:

“Thus in a sense we pay the ultimate price for salvation when our sinful self is nailed to a cross. . . . It is an exchange of all that we are for all that Christ is. And it denotes implicit obedience, full surrender to the lordship of Christ. Nothing less can qualify as saving faith.” (“The Gospel According to Jesus,” p. 140.)

“The gospel Jesus proclaimed was a call to discipleship, a call to follow Him in submissive obedience. . . . Forsaking oneself for Christ’s sake is not an optional step of discipleship subsequent to conversion; it is the sine qua non of saving faith.” (“The Gospel According to Jesus,” [Revised & Expanded Edition], p. 27, 142.)

“That is the kind of response the Lord Jesus called for: wholehearted commitment. A desire for Him at any cost. Unconditional surrender. A full exchange of self for the Savior. It is the only response that will open the gates of the kingdom.” (“The Gospel According to Jesus,” [Revised & Expanded Edition], p. 148.)

Pastor MacArthur was inspired by demons when he wrote those heretical statements! Sadly, Dr. Steve Petit (shameful president of Bob Jones University since 2014) fully endorses and bids Godspeed to John MacArthur. Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) exposes these men as dangerous wolves in sheep's clothing:

“Lordship salvation would make salvation a trade or a deal or maybe even a bribe. It would take away the simple reception of Christ for eternal life and would become God giving us something if we give Him something. God would say to us, 'You give Me something; I'll give you something. We will trade, and you will be saved.' Salvation is not my giving God something and God giving me something; salvation is God giving me something and my receiving it. Romans 6:23, 'For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.'” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “Lordship Salvation” (chapter 11 from his book: “Salvation Is More Than Being Saved”)

Dr. Hyles is absolutely right—salvation is not an exchange or a trade, it is a gift that we simply receive by faith. Read again what Dr. MacArthur foolishly writes:

“Thus in a sense we pay the ultimate price for salvation when our sinful self is nailed to a cross. . . . It is an exchange of all that we are for all that Christ is. And it denotes implicit obedience, full surrender to the lordship of Christ. Nothing less can qualify as saving faith.” [emphasis added] —Dr. John MacArthur, “The Gospel According to Jesus,” p. 140

Dr. MacArthur is an unsaved reprobate in the pulpit. I say that kindly, but truthfully. Pastor MacArthur is a theological liar! Eternal life is a free gift, not a deal or a trade where we must pay a price, nor exchange all that we are to receive it! Why does Bob Jones University bid Godspeed to this theological madman in the pulpit? Why does the shameful Harvest Baptist Church on Guam sell their souls, stooping low, embracing this perversion of God's grace? What does that say about the church members of Harvest Baptist Church? It says they don't care about the truth! Jeremiah 5:31, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?”

Mormonism is a demonic perverted cult! They are wrong on repentance. They are wrong on the Gospel. They are wrong on Jesus' deity. They are wrong on a bunch of things doctrinally, morally and socially. It disturbs me that the Bob Jones' crowd today are preaching the SAME Lordship Salvation junk theology as the religious cults! What is wrong with professed Christians today? This is a serious matter folks, because there is only one Gospel, and it does not include turning from your sins to be saved. Galatians 1:6-7, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” Bob Jones University is troubling our churches today, perverting the Gospel of Christ!

Woe unto John MacArthur! Woe unto Bob Jones University! Woe unto Harvest Baptist Church on Guam! Woe unto Marty Herron, Gary Walton, Steve Pettit, Sam Horn, Charles Phelps, Kevin Bauder, and other corrupters of God's grace, who are deadly wolves in the pulpit today! Ladies and gentleman, I have just proven to you that the ungodly Bob Jones University crowd are in doctrinal agreement with the hellbound Mormons on repentance. I didn't pick this fight. I simply shared some Fundamentalist Baptist Christian books and sermons with the theologically incompetent pastors of Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, to which they showed me the door and drew first blood. They started this bloody spiritual war and I'm finishing it, to God be the glory! 

What saith the Scripture? Jude 1:3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Dr. Bob Jones Sr. is right, who said in 1944, that the Gospel is worth contending for! The Gospel is still worth contending for in 2020! Dr. Jones was a living lion, and I am only a living dog, but the Bible says “a living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9:4b). To God be the glory, for Jesus said without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). I am going to preach a free grace Gospel, simply by believing to be saved, until the Lord calls me home to Heaven!

John 3:14-16, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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.”

Pastor John MacArthur's False Gospel

Galatians 1:6-8, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

One of the most spiritually dangerous religious teachers of our time is Pastor John MacArthur of 'Grace To You' ministry in California. I have nothing personal against Mr. MacArthur, but he has done more than any other preacher, to lead preachers and layman away from the true Gospel of free grace. “Lordship Salvation” teaches that faith in the Gospel is not enough to be saved; but also, you must make full surrender to Christ as your “Lord and Master,” committing to follow Him as His disciple. 

The proponents of Lordship Salvation errantly teach that a person must be willing to turn away from a lifestyle of sin to be saved. They errantly call this “repentance.” So if you profess faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, but still live in willful sin, they say you've never repented and are not saved. The Bible teaches that we repent TO believe, not repent AND believe. Repentance biblically as a noun (metanoia) simply means “a change of mind,” not a change of behavior. The verb form (metanoeo) means “to think differently.” Hence, repentance means to change your mind from WRONG THINKING to believing the 'Good News' (Gospel) of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sins, was buried and resurrected three days later from the dead. That is 'The Gospel' (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). 

The following helpful information is from Pastor Lou Martuneac:

John MacArthur's Discipleship Gospel 

In Defense of the Gospel 

By Lou Martuneac - October 7th, 2006 

The following appeared at Pulpit Magazine on September 29th, 2006. This paragraph from Dr. MacArthur’s post titled True Faith and True Grace encapsulates the major elements in the Lordship controversy. Dr. MacArthur wrote: 

“Those who teach that repentance is extraneous to saving faith are forced to make a firm but unbiblical distinction between salvation and discipleship. This dichotomy, like that of the carnal/spiritual Christian, sets up two classes of Christians: believers only and true disciples. Most who hold this position discard the evangelistic intent of virtually every recorded invitation of Jesus, saying those apply to discipleship, not to salvation.” 

One of the most significant errors with Lordship Salvation is the confusing of passages meant for the born again disciple of Christ (such as Luke 9:23-24, 14:25-33) and presenting them as though they are evangelistic appeals directed to the lost. It is from this error, where much of the Lordship interpretation of the gospel flows. This error leads to a faulty definition of faith, redefines the role of biblical repentance in salvation, both of which result in a gospel message that frustrates grace (Gal. 2:21). Following are three examples of how John MacArthur’s discipleship gospel redefines the faith that saves: 

“The gospel Jesus proclaimed was a call to discipleship, a call to follow Him in submissive obedience… Forsaking oneself for Christ’s sake is not an optional step of discipleship subsequent to conversion; it is the sine qua non of saving faith.” (The Gospel According to Jesus [Revised & Expanded Edition], p. 27, 142)  

“Thus in a sense we pay the ultimate price for salvation when our sinful self is nailed to a cross… It is an exchange of all that we are for all that Christ is. And it denotes implicit obedience, full surrender to the lordship of Christ. Nothing less can qualify as saving faith.” (The Gospel According to Jesus, p. 140)  

“Let me say again unequivocally that Jesus’ summons to deny self and follow him was an invitation to salvation, not… a second step of faith following salvation…” (The Gospel According to Jesus [Revised & Expanded Edition], p. 221) 

Lordship Salvation conditions the reception of salvation on a lost man’s upfront commitment to what should be the results of salvation. A commitment to perform the “good works” (Eph. 2:10) expected of the disciple of Christ is Lordship’s requirement FOR salvation. The lost man is expected to make a commitment toward what he will do, or become, in “exchange” for what Christ has done for him. John MacArthur states that position this way: 

“That is the kind of response the Lord Jesus called for: wholehearted commitment. A desire for Him at any cost. Unconditional surrender. A full exchange of self for the Savior. It is the only response that will open the gates of the kingdom.” (The Gospel According to Jesus [Revised & Expanded Edition], p. 148) 

In one of the clearest expressions of portraying discipleship as though it is the key to salvation Dr. MacArthur wrote: 

“Anyone who wants to come after Jesus into the Kingdom of God, anyone who wants to be a Christian, has to face three commands: 1) deny himself, 2) take up his cross daily, and 3) follow him.” (Hard to Believe, p. 6) 

The faith that saves is more than simple acknowledgment. Faith is basically a trust or confidence in someone or something. For salvation Jesus must be the object of faith. Faith goes beyond acknowledgement when the lost man transfers his dependence on Christ to save him from the penalty of sin. Mere acknowledgement of what Jesus has done does not save. When biblically defined, faith does not include upfront promises of commitment and surrender.
Discipleship comes at a cost, salvation (justification) does not! It is clear that Lordship Salvation requires much more than a faith that acknowledges one’s sin, a pending judgment for sin, and one’s need of the Savior. The Lordship position does not depend solely on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. 

Lordship Salvation, according to John MacArthur above, is a barter system, an “exchange” of what man must offer Christ to receive His free gift of salvation. To imply that receiving the free gift of God requires that man “pay the ultimate price” is a gospel of faith plus works. 

My book, In Defense of the Gospel, does not contain errors that are so common in the works of other men who have written in objection to Lordship Salvation. Many have been alarmed at the increasingly meaningless presentation of a gospel that seems to ignore the Person of Christ, the sinfulness of man, the finished work of Christ and the pending judgment of God. This gospel calls men to salvation when they have been given only a vague idea of just what they need to be saved from. There is, furthermore, a reductionist interpretation of the content of saving faith, with which I strongly disagree. The most extreme example of this reductionist view is known as the “Crossless” gospel. This is a relatively new interpretation of the Gospel originated by (the late) Zane Hodges and is almost exclusively perpetuated by the Grace Evangelical Society’s membership. 

My book does not minimize or reject the lordship of Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord and Savior throughout all eternity. We all agree that Jesus is the Savior; the only hope mankind has for eternal salvation from sin, death and Hell (Acts 4:12). We all agree that Jesus is the Lord, the King of Kings, and all power belongs to Him (Rev. 19:16; Matt. 28:18). If He is not the Lord, He is not God. If He is not God, He is not the Savior. Christ’s lordship, however, should not be used to create a message where the reception of salvation is conditioned on a lost man’s upfront commitment to surrender and submission, which Lordship Salvation does.
Pastor George Zeller wrote an article titled, The Relationship Between God’s Grace and Lordship Legalism, which appears in the appendix of my book. 

Following is a brief excerpt. 

“Don’t confuse saving faith with that which saving faith ought to produce. Don’t confuse repentance with the fruits of repentance. Behavior and fruit are the evidences of saving faith but they are not the essence of saving faith. Don’t confuse the fruit with the root. Before you can ‘come after’ Christ in discipleship (Luke 9:23; Matt. 11:29-30), you must ‘come unto’ Christ for salvation (Matthew 11:28). Discipleship is not a requirement for salvation; discipleship is the obligation of every saved person.” 

When a man tries to carefully introduce verses about discipleship as part of God’s plan for salvation, remember that the Bible teaches we come to Christ for salvation and that we come after Christ in discipleship. It is wrong to present discipleship verses as salvation verses. We must not use verses intended to teach discipleship to try to lead a man to Christ. To do so creates confusion and frustration. It becomes a gospel of faith, plus works. 

Lordship Salvation demands from a lost man a promise of what he will do, or become, to receive the gift of eternal life. Once man offers anything in addition to the finished work of Christ for salvation that message becomes false through the addition. A gospel that calls for man to do or offer anything in addition to what Christ has done is wrong! 

Dr. MacArthur - I know you mean well, you believe you are being true to the Scriptures. Changing the terms of the gospel, however, to upfront demands for commitment and surrender in “exchange” for salvation, will not make the problems of loose living carnality found in some professing believers go away.
In Defense of the Gospel fully defines and biblically answers the doctrinal and practical problems with Lordship Salvation. I wrote my book to alert Christians, across the broad spectrum of evangelical Christianity, about Lordship’s works based, man-centered interpretation of the gospel that frustrates grace (Gal. 2:21). 

There are many areas where one must balance soul liberty and Christian charity and agree to respect different views. The gospel, however, is not an area in which we can agree to disagree. The doctrine of Lordship Salvation and the Lordship advocates must be vigorously debated, and its spread biblically resisted. END

Any plan of salvation that requires you to do more than simply trust Jesus Christ as your Savior is false! Christ died on the cross for our sins. He was buried. Three days later He resurrected from the dead for the justification of our faith. The moment you believe This “Gospel” (Good News or Glad Tidings) when you hear it preached, you are saved and forever sealed with the Holy Spirit. Simply receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, trusting the risen Savior. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. God will not save anyone who is trying to be saved, He will only save those who are trusting to be saved.

You're not preaching the Gospel if you're not preaching eternal security. If you think you can lose salvation, you don't understand it and are not saved. Remember, it is God's salvation, not yours. We are saved by GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS (Philippians 3:9; Romans 10:3-4). You truly understand the Gospel when you know that you cannot lose it! If you are not preaching eternal security, you are not preaching the Gospel. Once saved, always saved!

Sealed With The Holy Spirit (Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold)