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.”
BEWARE of Pensacola Christian College's (PCC) counterfeit plan of salvation. I was stunned on July 21, 2021 as I sat in Campus Church and heard Pastor Timothy Zacharias preach damnable heresy to thousands of people (victims). PCC errantly teaches that to be saved you must repent of your sins. PCC's misunderstands Bible repentance to mean that you must feel such an intense degree of remorse, guilt and conviction that it CHANGES YOUR BEHAVIOR. This is self reformation, not Bible repentance (a change of mind) toward God.
Your BEHAVIOR has absolutely NOTHING to do with receiving God's free gift of eternal life. PCC has been infected by the Lordship Salvation CULT at Bob Jones University. Satan is a beautiful liar. The Devil is extremely deceptive, always trying to advance an inch, so he can take a foot (and then he becomes a ruler).
Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold makes this tremendous statement:
“Lordship Salvation is the unsupportable and unbiblical belief that the performance of good works, the promise of good works, or the evidence of good works, must accompany faith in Christ to establish or provide evidence that such faith has resulted in eternal life.” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, "Jesus Versus John MacArthur"
That is a great quote!!!
The truth is that: "Repentance is a change mind resulting in BELIEVING the Gospel to be saved."
Pensacola Christian College are LIARS and FALSE PROPHETS!!! It is a big deal. It really is. RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!!
Pastor Tom Cucuzza makes this great statement:
“The Devil is doing his greatest work behind pulpits. [I] hate to say it, but that's the truth; because people have the presupposition that when you come to church and somebody gets up to speak, that person is speaking truth. That's the way we've been raised.” —Pastor Thomas M. Cucuzza, “Important Truths Satan Does Not Want You to Know”
The following image is an actual screenshot from a Wednesday evening Bible study at PCC's Campus Church. I added the red cancellation mark to warn people that this is damnable heresy! The bottom line dear reader is that you cannot be born-again by partial faith in Christ plus works. If you must change your mind about your sinning, to the extent that it results in a change of behavior, then you are not wholly trusting in Christ.
In genuine Bible theology, the man who BELIEVES on the name of Jesus Christ as his Savior has repented. That sinful man has changed his mind from denying that he is a sinner, to coming to God as a needy guilty sinner to be saved, by faith alone in the GOOD NEWS (Gospel) of Jesus Christ crucified on a cross, buried and bodily resurrected from the dead three days later. This is 'THE GOSPEL' according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-6. If that dear friend is your only hope for forgiveness of sins, and eternal life then you are saved. You get saved by BELIEVING that Jesus did it all for you!
The price for our sins is death (Romans 6:23). Jesus paid that sin debt with His precious blood (1st Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 1:5). JESUS PAID IT ALL!!! Hence, Jesus doe not forgive sin. You read correctly. Jesus does NOT pay for sin. Jesus has already paid for everyone's sins, with His precious blood sacrifice through Calvary's cross.
I receive countless emails each year from people who are beside themselves, because they are afraid they're going to Hell because they are not performing well enough. They have been errantly taught (by heretics' John MacArthur, John Piper, Ray Comfort, Sam Adams, Steve Peter, Marty Herron, Bob Jones University, Pensacola Christian College and Paul Washer) to focus on themselves (on their own performance), instead of upon what Jesus Christ did for them on the cross. Lordship Salvation focuses on YOU; the true Gospel focuses on CHRIST.
1st John 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
I was born-again at age 13 in Chicago. I was saved in my church pew. The pastor that day said if you can sin, and don't have any conviction whatsoever from the Holy Spirit, you don't have the Holy Spirit and are not saved. I knew right then that I did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit. I simply trusted Christ as my Savior. I have been saved now for 43 glorious years! THANK YOU LORD!!!
Damnable Heresy Being Preached At Pensacola Christian College
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."
Damnable heresies exist everywhere today. The Bible foretold that in the last days "many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:11b).
I visited a local Baptist church last Sunday. They are members of the apostate Southern Baptist Convention. I was frustrated by what I saw. Here is a photo that I took, showing the nightclub atmosphere created by shining ultraviolet black lights in the auditorium...
Today's Nightclub Churches With Blacklights
It reminds me of an episode from The Twilight Zone. The people are all glowing...lol. It is tragic that people won't attend church anymore unless it has a nightclub feel to it. The horrible Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) that they sing is spiritually lifeless, boring and woefully lacking of any heart-warming melody or Holy Spirit conviction. No doubt they would disagree.
I have a right to my own humble opinion. I am not accusing them of being insincere, they are very sincere. I do believe that some of the members are born again believers. However, whenever Lordship Salvation is being preached, the number of tares (false converts) increases significantly. Lordship Salvation is a perversion of the Gospel.
Worst of all, I heard the senior pastor announce that a young boy had received the Savior as his "Lord." That is totally backwards! We don't receive the Savior as our "Lord" to be saved, we receive the Lord as our Savior. Romans 10:9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." All of the Devil's modern Bible perversions corrupt this passage, changing it to read: “If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” There's a big difference between declaring 'Jesus is Lord' versus confessing the Lord Jesus.
I learned a long time ago from Dr. Curtis Hutson (1934-1995), who was John R. Rice's successor at the Sword Of The Lord, that as a general rule we should never interpret an obscure passage of Scripture while ignoring a clear one. The entire Gospel of John, which is God's Gospel tract according to John 20:31, mentions the word "believe" 85 times, without any mention or requirement to "confess with one's mouth" to be saved.
In Acts 16:30-31 the Philippian jailer in Rome asked Paul and Silas: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Their simple but profound answer was: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." There is no mention or requirement to repent of one's sins, surrender "all" to Christ as Lord, give the steering wheel of one's life to God, have a relationship with Jesus, become a Christ follower, nor anything else that we hear foolishly being taught in churches everywhere today. 2nd Corinthians 11:3-4 refers to the Gospel as "the simplicity that is in Christ." God had to make His plan of salvation simple, because there are a lot of unlearned, ignorant, base and educible slow people on the planet.
Paul and Silas simply told the Philippian jailer to "BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST." Yet, it is very wrong and unbiblical for wicked infidel preachers to embellish this truth, by reading more into the Scripture than God intended, requiring lost sinners to surrender control of their will over to Christ as "Lord" to serve Him, and mandating that they repent "of your sins" to be saved (no such teaching exists in the inspired King James Bible).
I have heard countless lying preachers (e.g., Pastor Charles Lawson in Knoxville, Tennessee) falsely preach that a person who is still living an ungodly lifestyle of sin never really repented, so they are not saved and their existing faith in Jesus Christ is invalid. That is so wrong and unbiblical for Pastor Lawson to preach to his congregation (and tens of thousands of people on YouTube).
Bible repentance for salvation doesn't mean to forsake a lifestyle of sinning, it just means "a change of mind" from unbelief to belief. Repentance is simply admitting to God that I am as guilty a sinner as He declares me to be in His Holy Word. We must know what we are being saved from. We are all guilty sinners (Romans 3:19-23). As such we all deserve to die (Romans 6:23). This includes a second death in Hell, fire and brimstone (Revelation 21:8). But praise be to God, Jesus paid our debt of sin on Calvary's cross, applying that shed blood to the Mercy Seat in Heaven on our behalf before the Father's presence (Hebrews 9:12, 22-24; 12:24).
The Gospel is so delicate that it is easily corrupted from saving grace to damnable heresy. In Matthew 7:21-23 we read about an unfortunate group of people, false prophets, who had served Christ their entire lives, but now they are learning that they were never saved at all. They called Jesus "Lord, Lord" (there's Lordship Salvation), but Jesus denied knowing them as His sheep. They had made the dire and fatal foolish error of living the Christian life without ever being born again (which is by faith alone in Jesus Christ). Millions of churchgoers are guilty of this sin today. They faithfully attend some church, but have never been born from above by the Holy Spirit of God (Romans 8:9; 1st John 3:24). RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!
Anyway, we will be seeing a lot more false teachers as we draw nearer toward the end of the world as we have known it for thousands of years. Each and every passing day brings us one day closer to Christ's glorious return.
I was disgusted at a local Baptist church, seeing a young boy being misled about God's simple plan of salvation. The senior pastor said that the boy had "become a Christ follower." This is the new fake gospel, to "become a Christ follower." But Judas Iscariot was a Christ follower, one of His very chosen apostles, and yet Judas died in his sins and went to Hell forever.
The infidels in Matthew 7:21-23 were also Christ followers. They called Him "Lord, Lord." Yet, Jesus denied knowing them as His sheep, and they were cast into outer darkness in Hell. Thousands of people followed Christ in the Bible to receive a handout of food, but they were not saved (John 6:26). They did not believe who he claimed to be, the very Christ (the promised Messiah). Hundreds of millions of unsaved people today are following Christ as their "Lord," but they have never ceased from their works to trust Him as their personal Savior. They are blinded by religion.
“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” —John Bunyan (1628-1688)
Bravo to John Bunyan! It is imperative that we always keep service separate from salvation. We must keep discipleship separate from sonship. 'Lordship Salvation' is the deadly consequence of combining service with salvation, confusing the two things. If we are to rightly divide the Word of Truth, then we must maintain separation between SERVICE versus SALVATION. Pastor M.R. DeHaan (1891-1965) made this helpful statement:
"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." —Pastor M.R. DeHaan, “Hebrews”; Zondervan Publishing House; 1959 (p. 117)
You don't need to receive Christ as the supreme "Lord" of your life to get to Heaven, you simply need to receive Jesus as your personal Savior, by BELIEVING on His name (John 1:12-13).
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.”
Amen! I really appreciate Norm Diamante's contending for the Christian faith. The New IFB (New Independent Fundamental Baptist) have it WRONG! Pastors' Bruce Mejia, Steven Anderson, Joe Major, Roger Jimenez, Jonathan Shelley and others in the New IFB are falsely preaching (and bullying Norm Diamante, myself and others who disagree with them) that you cannot be saved by just BELIEVING. In addition, these misled preachers all adamantly insist that you must pray, ask and call upon the name of Jesus to be saved. The inspired King James Bible does not agree with them.
Unfortunately, these pastors are guilty of ignoring clear passages of Scripture, while only focusing on obscure passages in the Bible, to justify their heresy. I learned that truth from Dr. Curtis Hutson (1934-1995). Here is an exact quote from Brother Hutson, "A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one."
Throughout the Gospel of John we find the word "believe" mentioned 85 times, without any mention of praying, serving, repenting, calling, confessing, forsaking, following, baptizing or surrendering to Christ to be saved. The people asked Jesus in John 6:28b-29, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." The dear Savior's plain answer was to BELIEVE ON HIM. This is the only WORK that a lost sinner can do to be saved, to place one's childlike faith in Christ. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.
New IFB pastors have made John 4:10 their GO-TO Bible verse to bolster up their strawman heresy. John 4;10, "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." So here we see that Jesus told the curious Samaritan woman that if she truly recognized Him, she would "ASK" Him for the living water.
It is important to point out that nowhere in the following passage does it ever mention any of the Samaritans "ASKING" Jesus to be saved. They simply BELIEVED and were saved. ...
John 4;39-42, "And many of the Samaritans of that city BELIEVED ON HIM for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more BELIEVED because of his own word; 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." [emphasis added]
No one called, prayed or asked to be saved, they simply BELIEVED ON HIM. I think it is clear to see that New IFB pastors are preaching nonsense to say that you cannot be saved without praying, asking or calling. It is certainly not wrong to call, ask or pray (but I don't do it because it can confuse people), just so long as it is explained to them that FAITH SAVES, not praying. It is a natural thing for a person at the time of salvation to feel the urge to ask Christ to save them, but it is not necessary.
Dr. Jack Hyles (1926-2001) preaches the truth that you don't have to pray to be saved...
You Don't Have To Pray To Be Saved (Dr. Jack Hyles)
When the Philippian jailer in Rome asked Paul and Silas how to be saved, they simply replied: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 16:30-31). Carefully notice that Paul and Silas didn't require the man to call, confess or pray. They didn't require the jailer to follow Christ as the "Lord" of his life, or to turn from his sinful ways to perpetually live a lifestyle of repentance, nor anything else. These are the heresies being preached today by Ray Comfort, John MacArthur, Paul Washer, Sam Adams, John Piper, Steve Pettit, Marty Herron, Gary Walton, Sam Horn, Joel Osteen and other false prophets. Eternal life is received through faith alone without works.
It is okay to pray when you receive Christ, but you don't get saved by saying a praying. FAITH SAVES!!! The Bible says you call upon the Lord because you have already BELIEVED (Romans 10:15). Anybody who says that you cannot be saved unless you pray is a liar!
Is Asking Jesus To Save You A 'Work'?
No, I humbly do not think asking Jesus to save one's self is a work. Many lost sinners ask Jesus to save them. Jesus invited the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well to "ask" Him for the living water in John 4:10. The repentant thief on the cross asked Jesus to save him. So, asking Jesus to forgive your sins and save you is not a work. However, it is totally unnecessary to ask, call or pray to be saved, because God has already plainly promised “TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE” (1st Corinthians 1:21b).
Every preacher I had heard as a teenager, and every religious tract that I had read, directed me to pray a prayer to be saved. Although I knew that I was saved by faith and not prayer, I was confused for several years, thinking that the way you put your faith in Christ is to pray and ask Him to save you. So, I kept doubting my salvation, wondering if I missed something. I couldn't remember years later what I had prayed, so I wondered if I had left an important element out of my prayer. I couldn't find peace in the matter.
At age 17 I finally went to my pastor, in tears, asking him to help me settle the matter. He assumed that since I didn't know I was saved, I must not be. He then did the absolute worst thing he could have done, he led me in another Sinner's Prayer. I had already prayed hundreds of times since age 13 for God to save me, because I was scared to tears of going to Hell. I was simply uneducated in the Word of God, and preachers had been lying to me all along, by insisting that the way to be saved is to pray. Kindly said, these New IFB pastors are doing incalculable damage today by teaching that you cannot be saved without praying a prayer. THEY ARE LIARS EVERY ONE!!!
I learned decades later that I was innocently lied to by preachers. I learned that I could be saved from my pew, by simply BELIEVING on the name of Jesus, without praying at all. Pastor Max D. Younce taught me these excellent truths in his free helpful book titled: "SALVATION AND THE PUBLIC INVITATION" (BACKUP).
Most preachers horribly require unsaved people to walk down a church aisle to learn how to be saved. That is WRONG to do! God doesn't require a person to walk down an aisle to be saved, so why should we? Heaven only knows how many millions of lost sinners never got saved, because they weren't willing to walk down a church aisle to find out how to be saved. They might have been shy, or perhaps didn't feel well physically that day, felt embarrassed, or they were nervous, et cetera. Why cannot a preacher tell people how to be saved right in their pew? Why do they need to walk down an aisle? For this reason I am against pastors requiring lost sinners to walk an aisle to learn how to be saved. Every preacher should allow people the opportunity to be saved right from their pew.
Likewise, Jesus doesn't forgive sin. He has already PAID for everyone's sins with His precious blood. I learned that wonderful truth from Dr. Bob Gray Sr., and he is correct biblically. You don't have to "ask" Jesus to forgive your sins, because He has already paid for them. All you need to do to be saved is to accept God's free gift. Simply BELIEVE that Jesus Christ did it all for you. Simply receive Jesus' sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, believing that He was buried and then bodily resurrected three days later.
God needed to make His plan of salvation very simple, because there are many uneducated, ignorant, mentally challenged and educible slow people in the world. Even a small child can understand the Gospel enough to be saved, because God's plan of salvation is so simple. 2nd Corinthians 11:3-4 calls the Gospel "the simplicity that is in Christ." Sadly, men complicate everything.
I am 100% against New IFB pastors who are falsely teaching that a person cannot be saved unless they pray. If they want to lead lost sinners in a prayer to be saved, I am okay with that as long as it is explained that FAITH SAVES, and not praying. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968) also refutes the heresy that you must pray to be saved...
The New IFB pastors have it WRONG!!! If the New IFB choose to lead lost people in a Sinner's Prayer, that is fine; but they are WRONG to criticize Norm Diamante, Dr. Max Younce, Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, Dr. Hank Lindstrom, Pastor Harry Ironside, Dr. Bob Jones Sr., Dr. Jack Hyles and myself for choosing not to lead lost people to pray to be saved.
Requiring lost people to pray and “ask” Jesus to be saved can lead to confusion afterwards, as it unfortunately did for me for several years. Regardless of your opinion, the Bible way to be saved is to BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (Acts 20:30-31). If it were necessary to pray and ask Jesus to save you, then Paul and Silas would have told the Philippian jailer so, but they didn't.
Romans 10:4, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
One of my favorite men of God, mentor, preacher and Bible scholar is Dr. Max D. Younce. In my humble opinion, Dr. Younce is one of the most unknown great theologians of our day, as scholarly as was Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) during his time. I highly recommend that all my web visitors purchase hard copies of Dr. Younce's books (so you'll have them to learn from) while they're available, because nothing good lasts forever (except eternal life). If you physically see books in your home, you're far more likely to read and benefit from them (case in point is this very article), than if you have to go look for them online. Dr. Younce has so graciously sent me his books over the years, which I cherish more than gold. PDF files are great for maintaining content format, perfect for publishing books.
Unfortunately, for numerous reasons, PDF files often don't get read. The main reason is that people are lazy! It takes sincere interest to navigate through a PDF file online, but HTML webpages are more pleasant for the not so ambitious reader. For this primary reason HTML is more user friendly, so when I find some truth that I believe is critically important for others to learn, I like to share it as HTML (hence this article). This is a fascinating and practical Bible study. For example: I learned that the Old Testament “Law” comprises about 720 commandments total. I know you'll benefit from reading this. I thought it was VERY important, because many people go astray on the Gospel when they misunderstand the purpose of God's Law, which is to give all men “THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN” (Romans 3:20). ~ David J. Stewart, webservant.
There are various claims concerning the Sabbath. Some hold that after the Resurrection of Christ, the Sabbath was changed to the first day of the week, Sunday, in commemoration of the Resurrection.
Another view, held by Seventh Day Adventists, is that the moral law, the Ten Commandments, have never been done away with; so, that we are still to worship on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.
Still another view set forth is that, after the Resurrection of Christ, the Law including the Sabbath was fulfilled by Christ; thus, quoting "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth." (Romans 10:4) They also maintain that the Law was given only to Israel and was only a shadow of future things to come. They gather together on Sunday, the first day of the week, not out of legal duty because of a commandment; but, of their privilege under grace to worship and fellowship together in commemoration of Christ‟s death and Resurrection.
Let us go to the Authority, the Word of God and get the answer.
1. "Sabbath." What Is The Meaning Of The Word?
The word "Sabbath" appears for the first time in the Bible in Exodus 16:23,
"And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, to morrow is THE REST OF THE HOLY SABBATH UNTO THE LORD...".
It simply means to "stop, cease what you are doing, or take an intermission from your previous labor and activities." The word, itself, is a transliteration from the Hebrew and the Greek. The Hebrew for "Sabbath" is "shabbath" and the Greek is "sabbaton." Both are brought over into our English, untranslated. Literally, Exodus 20:8 would read,
"REMEMBER THE REST DAY AND KEEP IT HOLY"
In the Old Testament, the word "Sabbath" is used approximately 75 times; and, in 35 cases, it is in reference to the ceremonial "Sabbath Day." The other 40 times it has reference to the weekly Sabbath on the seventh day. We also need to take notice that, in the New Testament, the word "Sabbath" occurs over 60 times; but, never appears again after Acts 18:4.
2. Many Sabbaths.
Many people are not aware that Jehovah had given other Sabbath Days, contained in the ceremonial laws. The Feast of Trumpets, which fell on the first day of the seventh month, was called a Sabbath. Leviticus 23:24,25 states,
"...In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a SABBATH, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do NO SERVILE WORK therein."
The Day of Atonement was called a Sabbath, as we read in Leviticus 16:29,31,
"...In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and DO NO WORK AT ALL, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you. (29) It shall be a SABBATH OF REST unto you..." (31)
Notice in Leviticus 23:27,28,30-32, concerning the same feast,
"Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you...And ye shall do NO WORK in that same day...And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do NO MANNER OF WORK...It shall be unto you a SABBATH of REST..."
We have the same with the Feast of Passover, as recorded in Leviticus 23:7,
"In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do NO SERVILE WORK therein."
The same was true concerning the Feast of Pentecost, as given in Leviticus 23:21.
The Feast of Tabernacles was also called a Sabbath. It lasted seven days and no work was to be done on the first day, nor on the eighth day, which was the day after the feast. Look at Leviticus 23:34,35,39.
"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do NO SERVILE WORK therein... (34,35) On the first day shall be a SABBATH, and on the eighth day shall be a SABBATH." (39)
A Sabbath for the Land to Rest. We have this recorded in Leviticus 25:1-4a.
"And the Lord spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying, (1) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a SABBATH unto the LORD. (2) Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; (3) But in the seventh year shall be a SABBATH OF REST unto the land..." (Leviticus 25:1-4).
So far, we have found that God had given many Sabbaths, besides just the seventh day, weekly Sabbath, to the nation of Israel. One can easily determine, by the context, which Sabbath the Lord has reference to. Something else we have seen thus far is that ALL the SABBATHS were REST DAYS, including the Sabbath of the Land, the seventh-day Sabbath, and the ceremonial Sabbaths.
3. The Fourth Commandment.
The Sabbath. In Exodus, Chapter 20, we have the record of the well-known Ten Commandments. In Verses 9,10, we have the Fourth Commandment, which is the Sabbath.
"Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work...But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt NOT DO ANY WORK, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates."
As one can see, the Sabbath was a day of complete rest for everyone within the Jewish nation, including the children, servants, visitors, cattle, oxen, and etc. This principle was laid down by God at Creation, as stated in Verse 11,
"For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day..." (See also Genesis 2:1-3)
4. No Sabbath For 2500 Years.
The principle of one day in seven for rest, was laid down and in the mind of God from Creation; but, was never given to man as a commandment until 2500 years later in Exodus16. We have no record of Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob ever observing the Sabbath.
Only after Israel was liberated from Egypt and received the Law, did the Sabbath appear as a commandment. We have no record of Moses ever keeping any Sabbath until Exodus 16, after Israel‟s deliverance from Egypt. This is the first mention of the weekly Sabbath, in connection with the giving of the manna. Let us notice Exodus 16:26,29,30:
"Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none. (26) See, for that the LORD hath given you the SABBATH, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; ABIDE YE EVERY MAN IN HIS PLACE, LET NO MAN GO OUT OF HIS PLACE ON THE SEVENTH DAY. So the people rested on the seventh day." (29,30)
Two things are evident:
This commandment was given only to the nation of Israel through Moses.
It was a complete day of rest and no person was ever to leave their dwelling place.
For those who maintain we are to worship on Saturday, the Sabbath, we find just the opposite in the Bible. Saturday, the Sabbath, was never given as a day of worship; but, rather, a day of complete rest. It was not a day of religious gathering; neither that of any public gathering for fellowship or business. They were commanded to rest, and not leave their homes. Here, again, is the command concerning the Sabbath.
"See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath...abide ye every man in his place, LET NO MAN GO OUT OF HIS PLACE on the seventh day." (Leviticus 16:29)
Those, today, that say we are to worship on the Sabbath, or Saturday, are laboring under a drastic misconception! First of all, they must be Jews, for the Law was never given to Gentiles.
Second, they break the Law of the Sabbath by going to church and worshipping. Remember, the Sabbath was a day of complete rest. It was not a day of worship, and you were never to leave your house.
Years ago, I was talking with a lady, who was a SeventhDay Adventist, and her husband, of another denomination. During the conversation, she stated that tomorrow (Saturday) she was going to church and it made her feel so good to worship on the real Sabbath. I asked her how far she had to drive to church and she answered "About 15 miles." It completely ruined her whole day when I told her that, under the Law, she would be taken out and stoned to death!
I reminded her that Exodus 16:29 says you are not to leave your house on the Sabbath, and Exodus 31:15 says you shall be put to death for breaking the Sabbath. Numbers 15:32-35 tells us that "Sabbath-breaking" is punishable by stoning. Her husband later told me he had never seen his wife so upset. She would have been better off to listen to the Word of God, than to her "church."
A warning to everyone is found in the middle verse of the Bible, Psalm 118:8. "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man!" The prophet Jeremiah puts it this way in Jeremiah 17:5,
"Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."
5. What Is The Law?
Many people have the mistaken idea that the Law of the Old Testament is only the Ten Commandments.
The word "law" is used in reference to the entire Law, to distinguish it from the rest of the Old Testament. The Law included the moral laws, the civil laws, the ceremonial laws; and, was given only to the nation of Israel. I have talked to several rabbis, over the years. All agreed that there are approximately 720 laws, under the caption of "The Law."
Sometimes you will find the word "Law" is in reference to the Ten Commandments or the "Tables of Stone." This is made clear by the context. Outside of this, the word "Law" is all-inclusive of the moral, civil, and ceremonial laws of God, unless, otherwise specified.
For example, in 1 Corinthians 9:9, where Paul quotes from the Old Testament Law,
"For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn..."
This appears nowhere in the Ten Commandments; but, is a civil law found in Deuteronomy 25:4; yet, specified as part of the law of Moses.
Unless a person keeps the whole Law, all 720, the Bible says they are "cursed." Paul makes this clear in writing to the Galatians...
"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." (Galatians 3:10).
This is from Deuteronomy 27:26, which is part of the Law, itself.
6. Who Changed The Sabbath?
As we have seen, the Sabbath has never been changed. There is not one verse of Scripture anywhere in the Bible to substantiate a change of the weekly Sabbath! It was always on the seventh day of the week—Saturday. To say "Sunday is now the Sabbath" is not found in Scripture. Neither is it found in Scripture that the first day of the week, Sunday, is ever called "the Sabbath."
In Romans 10:4 we read,
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
With Christ‟s payment on the Cross and His Resurrection, the Law ended. This included the whole Law, moral, civil, and ceremonial. Since this included the seventh-day, weekly Sabbath, does it then include the end of the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments? It most assuredly does!
Then one may ask, "Do we not have a moral code of laws to go by today in God‟s Word?" Yes, we do! Living in the Dispensation of Grace, or Church Age, we have all of the Ten Commandments reiterated several times in the New Testament, with the exception of one—THE SABBATH! Notice the following with their references. We are not giving all the references, just enough to suffice.
Ten Commandments & New Testament References
"Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." (Ex. 20:3) John 4:21-23; 1 Tim. 2:5; James 2:19; 1 Cor. 8:6.
"Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain." (Ex. 20:7) James 5:12; Matt. 5-33-37; Matt. 6:5-9
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image..." (Ex. 20:4). Acts 17:29; Romans 1:22,23; 1 John 5:21; 1 Cor. 10:7,14
"Honor thy father and mother..." (Ex. 20:12) Ephesians 6:1-4
"Thou shalt not kill." (Ex. 20:13) Matt. 5:21,22; Romans 13:9
"Thou shalt not covet." (Ex. 20:17) Ephesians 5:3; Luke 12:55- 21; Romans 13:9
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." (Ex. 20:8-11) Found nowhere in the New Covenant made upon Calvary!
For those of you that want to be justified by the Law; remember, you must keep all of God‟s Law absolutely perfect. This includes the moral, civil, and ceremonial laws, which totaled approximately 720. If you break even one of these laws, you are as guilty and condemned as if you had broken them all. The Word of God makes this clear in James 2:10,
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, HE IS GUILTY OF ALL."
There are those who want to justify themselves by keeping the Law, but do not want the penalty of the Law. For example, dishonoring your parents warranted the death penalty (Deuteronomy 21:18-21; Exodus 21:17). This was the Fifth Commandment. What about adultery, the Seventh Commandment? Christ said in Matthew 5:28,
"That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust hath committed adultery with her already".
Leviticus 20:10 says that both...
...the adulterer and adulteress SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH."
Those of you that want to be justified by worshipping on Saturday, the "Sabbath," have condemned yourself to death by stoning. (Exodus 31:15). If you left your residence and went to church to worship; you have broken the Fourth Commandment covering the Sabbath. You are not to leave your house for any reason, as the Sabbath was a complete day of REST, not "running around"! (Exodus 16:29,30).
Did you cook anything, or even turn on your stove on Saturday? If you did, then you are to be taken out and stoned to death. In Numbers 15:32,35, the Israelites found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath. It could have been to build a fire for warmth or cooking purposes, we do not know. Nevertheless, he had broken the Sabbath Day Law and Verse 35 gives us the Lord's response.
"And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation SHALL STONE HIM with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and HE DIED; as the LORD commanded Moses."
The Law given to Moses for Israel upon Sinai, was a perfect Law reflecting the glory of God. The Law was given to show mankind his inability to be as righteous as God, Himself. Therefore, it was a "mirror" in which man could see himself for what he is—a sinner! Romans 3:20,
"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."
Therefore, God has concluded that we,
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (i.e., His absolute righteousness).
It, therefore, becomes a matter of being justified by Grace (Mt. Calvary) or Law (Mt. Sinai). Galatians 2:16 clarifies the issue,
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
Those who extract the seventh-day "Sabbath" (Saturday) and the various laws concerning what may be eaten and what was forbidden (Leviticus, Chapter 11), seem to disregard the rest of the laws in Leviticus. As you read all 27 chapters of Leviticus, you will find myriads of laws—all received by Moses as part of the entire Law. Notice what God says in the last verse of the last chapter about all of the laws given in Leviticus.
"These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL in Mount Sinai." (Leviticus 27:34).
Therefore, when Christ died upon Calvary and was resurrected, the Law came to an end in its entirety. It could be stated no clearer than in Romans 10:4,
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth."
The end of "The Law" is the whole law, all inclusive of the moral, civil, and ceremonial laws. We are given the righteousness of Jesus Christ, Himself, upon trusting Him as our personal Savior.
"And be found in him (Christ), 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." (Philippians 3:9)
7. Why Worship On Sunday?
How did it come to be that the bulk of Christendom worships and observes the first day of the week as the Christian "Sabbath"? There are several things we need to recognize and substantiate with Scripture:
The first day of the week, Sunday, is never referred to in the Bible as "the Sabbath Day."
The assembling of believers in the Book of Acts was never on the seventh day, Saturday.
Jesus never recognized the Sabbath after His Resurrection.
We have no record, anywhere in the Bible, that Jesus ever met with his disciples, or any group, for worship on the Sabbath Day—after His Resurrection.
After the Resurrection, when Christ met with others and the day is specified, it is always the first day of the week, Sunday.
Christians are commanded to assemble themselves together for the purpose of: (1.) resting from their weekly jobs of physical labor, (2.) to fellowship, exhort, and care for one another, (3.) to partake of the Lord's Supper, (4.) to study and learn from the pastor and/or teacher of the local assemblies.
8. Christians Are Commanded To Assemble Themselves Together Regularly.
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25).
When we assemble together as Christians, what a wonderful opportunity to encourage someone who is going through some difficult times. Having a good attitude, a pleasing and happy disposition, rubs off and encourages others.
An unforgettable incident happened at my Ordination, many years ago. An elderly lady came up to me after the service and told me she had been praying for me ever since I was saved. She related how proud she was of me for yielding to God‟s call to Bible college and to prepare for the pastorate. One will never know what an encouragement that was to me to finish the course I was about to begin. Those words rang in my ears many times while going through college, especially when I was thinking of quitting!
9. The Early Church Worshipped On The First Day, Sunday, NOT The Seventh Day, Saturday.
We are told, specifically, in Hebrews 10:25, as Christians, not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Notice, carefully, that the assembling of the Christians in the Book of Acts (the "History Book" of the Early Church) was never on the seventh day, Saturday. Jesus never recognized the Sabbath (Saturday) after His Resurrection; and, we find no record that He ever met with His disciples or any other group for the purpose of worship on the Sabbath, after His Resurrection.
John 20:19 tells us that Jesus met with His disciples on the first day of the week.
"Then the same day at evening, being the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."
Then we have recorded, just one week later, the disciples assembled again on the first day of the week, Sunday.
"And after EIGHT DAYS again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you." (John 20:26)
Here is Jesus, during the 40 days after His Resurrection, meeting with His disciples on the EIGHTH DAY, or the first day of the next week—Sunday. Within these 40 days before His ascension, we can find no record that He ever met with His disciples on the Sabbath; nor does He even mention the Sabbath.
Now, let us again go to the "History Book" of the Early Church, where we find the believers meeting on the first day of the week and never on the Sabbath.
"And again the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when the disciples came to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight." (Acts 20:7).
Could the Word of God be any clearer, that the customary day of believer‟s assembling themselves together was the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, Sunday, NOT the Sabbath.
One more case in point. You may recall in 1 Corinthians 16:1,2, when Paul was writing to the Corinthians about giving.
He had advised the other churches in Galatia to take up a collection for the poor, less-fortunate Christians in Jerusalem; and, he was advising the Corinthians to do the same.
"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even do ye. Upon the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK (Sunday, not the Sabbath) let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."
This was not an isolated case with the Corinthians, as Paul had also instructed the Galatian churches to do the same thing on the same day, Sunday, the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.
Question: What about Paul preaching in the synagogues on the Sabbath (Saturday)? As we go through the Book of Acts, we do find that Paul went into the synagogues on several occasions and preached the Gospel. This, of course, was on the Sabbath, or Saturday. Those that Paul was trying to reach by preaching in the synagogues were LOST people, still trying to keep the Law for their justification. Paul‟s message to them was Grace; not, Law! Paul did not break bread or worship with them. That was not his purpose. He was capitalizing on an opportunity to reach a lot of people at one time and give the Gospel.
Paul describes it this way in 1 Corinthians 9:19,20,
"For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law."
Paul gives his purpose for going into the synagogue on the Sabbath very precisely. It was to win his kinsmen, the Jews, to Christ; not to worship or fellowship with them.
Question: How long would Paul continue this practice? Let us return to Acts 1:8, where we have the commission, or "marching papers of the Christian" given by the Lord, Himself.
"...ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth".
Paul followed this order, "To the Jew first," until they finally rejected his message. At that point, he turned to the Gentiles and the rest of the world, regardless of nationality, color, or creed.
Acts 18:4-7a is the record of the last time that Paul preached to them on the Sabbath Day.
"And he (Paul) reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks...Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the JEWS that Jesus (humanity) was Christ (deity). And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he (Paul) shook his raiment, and said unto them, I am clean: FROM HENCEFORTH I WILL GO UNTO THE GENTILES, and he departed thence..."
This is the last mention of the Sabbath in the Book of Acts. It is no more "To the Jew first"; nor, is there any more worship under the Law on the Sabbath. Why? Because...
"...Christ is the END OF THE LAW for righteousness to everyone that believeth."
Christians, today, are instructed to set aside a day for gathering together. Hebrews 10:25 tells us,
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
This would be a time of rest, physically and mentally, from our jobs of weekly labor and stress. It is a time of spiritual refreshment as Christians gather together, learning the Word of God, observing the Lord‟s Supper, fellowshipping and singing together. It also provided a special day for all Christians to unite in giving their offerings unto the Lord as the Lord "hath prospered them." This would be following the principle laid down in 1Corinthians 14:40,
"Let all things be done decently and in order."
Therefore, that one day a week which was observed by the disciples was the first day of the week—Sunday. These were Christians, set free from the law of sin and death, including the seventh-day Sabbath. Remember, whenever we find the disciples meeting together, and the day is mentioned, it is always the first day of the week—Sunday.
Let me recapitulate. John 20:19 says it was the "first day of the week" when Christ met with them. Eight days later, that again being the "first day of the week," Christ met with the disciples as recorded in John 20:26. In Acts 20:7, Paul met with the disciples on the "first day of the week"—Sunday. From 1 Corinthians 16:1,2, we find that all the churches in Galatia, as well as the one in Corinth, assembled together on the "FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK."
One can easily see God‟s will; instructing the disciples through the guidance of the Holy Spirit; in choosing a specific day for worship and fellowship; thus, corroborating His Word.
"Let all things be done decently and in order." (1 Corinthians 14:40).
This principle has been followed by Christendom, ever since it was first established by the disciples after the Resurrection of Christ. Just imagine what chaos we would have in the work force if some Christians wanted Monday off to worship. Then, there would be some who wanted Tuesday, or Wednesday, or Thursday; or maybe Friday or Saturday off to worship. No company could run efficiently if a different group of people were missing every day. God knew exactly what He was doing when He established a specific day, that being THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, for Christians to assemble together. It also protected the manufacturing plants and all companies, today, who need a full work force each day to effectively turn out their product or service.
10. What The Saturday "Sabbath" Worshippers Need To Know.
If you hold to worshipping on the "Sabbath" or Saturday, you are under the curse of the Law. You are required to obey all of the 720 laws; that is, the moral, civil, and ceremonial, all the Law of God. Your instructions are in Galatians 3:10,
"For as many are as 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."
May I also point out that you are to work six days every week— and no less; or you have also broken the Law of God and are under its curse! Notice, the Fifth Commandment concerning the Sabbath requires you to work six full days, not five, or five and a half!
"Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work." (Exodus 20:9).
Can any Seventh-Day worshipper claim this fulfillment of never missing a week of working six full days?
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in ONE point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10).
11. Our Eternal Life.
Eternal life is a free gift, bought and paid for by the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and received by faith.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9)
God does not give you the faith to believe with. He gives you the evidence of the death and Resurrection of Christ. Therefore, it becomes your responsibility to believe or not believe. You are totally responsible for your own choice. John 3:36 gives the verdict for both choices:
"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."
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1)
12. Our Earthly Walk.
At the moment we trust Christ as our personal Savior, we are indwelt with a new nature—the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13). The believer still has his old, Adamic nature he was born with. Therefore, both natures are in a battle to control the believer's life. Galatians 5:17, 18 tells us...
"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."
This includes the Law of the Saturday "Sabbath," as well as the other 719 laws!
The flesh always seeks to exalt self; whereas, the Holy Spirit seeks to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 8:1,2 is speaking of our service to the Lord and not of Salvation. The Lord makes it very clear that all works done out of the flesh will be condemned.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, BUT after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me FREE from the LAW of sin and death."
Remember, the specifics of the law of the seventh-day Sabbath were: you could not leave your dwelling place; you could not build a fire; you could not cook; nor, do work of any kind on the Sabbath. Violation of these Sabbath restrictions required the death penalty, by stoning. The Sabbath was a day of complete rest only. Those, today, holding on to the Saturday "Sabbath" ought to be so thankful they are living in the Day of Grace, and will only suffer loss of reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11-15); instead of being stoned to death under the Law! Therefore,
"...the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
We are grateful to the Lord that the disciples followed the Holy Spirit‟s leading in setting aside the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK (Sunday) for Christians to assemble. Following this example, we can use this day, not only to rest; BUT, also to worship together; partake of the Lord‟s Supper, fellowship, exhort others; and to study God‟s Word through the preaching of the Word. This provides us opportunity to exalt the Lord by the Holy Spirit, and not the flesh; by exalting self through the keeping of the Old Testament Law of the Sabbath. Proverbs 3:5,6 sums up the whole matter of the Flesh and Spirit conflict.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
THE LAW OF THE SABBATH
God gave the Law to Israel. It was never meant to save; It regulated all of life from the cradle to the grave.
It was a stern schoolmaster, and showed our lost condition; As filthy sinners bound for Hell, sentenced to Perdition.
The Sabbath Law belonged to God, a high and holy sign. That He would keep His promises to Israel in due time.
No cooking, walking, playing; it was really for the best. In "Six days may work be done; ...the seventh ye shall rest."
For foolish souls who paid no heed, the penalty was death. God wanted them to know He gave them evr'y breath.
Set apart as a nation, with a mission to win the world! Instead they crucified their King; and the Age of Grace unfurled.
You can't get to Heaven by keeping the Law. Try and you're destined to fall; If you offend in just one point, you'll be guilty of it all.
This would seem a cruel hoax making God look most unjust, To give us what we cannot keep; but, keep it all we must!
Wait! God has sent the Answer. He nailed it to a Cross. Christ, the "end of law for righteousness." Oh! What a terrible cost!
He "redeemed us from the curse of the law," and paid sin's penalty. What no mere man could ever do, Grace now extends for free!
There's neither "Jew nor Greek;" but, all in Christ are one. Israel's set aside; we're grafted in; but, this nation is not done!
When the Deliverer comes out of Zion, they'll be "forgiven by the Lord." From Tribulation to Kingdom they'll go, as promised in God's Word.
We know the Sabbath is not for today. It's a Covenant Sign to the Jews. We will follow our Savior's lead, and on Sunday fill the church pews.
Praise the Lord for His Amazing Grace, and Salvation full and free. He only asks that we use each day to "Win the lost for Me!
Scriptural allusions: Romans 11:26; Galatians 3:13,28; James 2:10; Jeremiah 31:31, Poem: Marjorie A. Younce
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.”
Joshua is a 2002 American drama film based on the novel of the same name by Joseph F. Girzone. It was produced by Crusader Entertainment LLC and directed by Jon Purdy. I enjoyed watching the film, but cringed when I heard their damnable false plan of salvation. The religious film stars journeyman actors' Tony Goldwyn and F. Abraham Murray. These are two of my favorite Hollywood actors. Tony Goldwyn plays the role of Joshua (Jesus) in the film. Unfortunately, the film is extremely ecumenical, blurring the line between the cult of Roman Catholicism and Bible Christianity.
Much worse, the film presents a deadly false plan of salvation. About halfway through the film, Joshua brings character Father Pat Hayes (played by Kurt Fuller) to a ministry music concert featuring the real life Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) group, Third Day. Character Kevin (played by Matt Zeigler) is invited to give his testimony, in which he says the following:
“Thank you. Uh, there's a long time where I felt a bit lonely, I guess, and angry. And ah, it was like I was missing something in my life, but I couldn't figure out what that something was. And I've realized that it was God who I was needing, and that all I needed to do was open my heart up and ask Him to be a part of my life; and I did.” [emphasis added] SOURCE: Joshua, Kevin speaking at a Third Day, CCM ministry concert; 2002
Dear reader, what you just read is NOT the Bible way to Heaven. The film Joshua misleads viewers to believe in a counterfeit plan of salvation—a heretical fallacy that cannot produce the new birth required to enter into God's Kingdom. Joshua 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” In the movie, Kevin fails to mention that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Kevin fails to mention that we are all guilty sinners. Kevin fails to mention Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, His burial or His bodily resurrection three days later. Nothing Kevin says is how a person gets saved!
You don't get saved by asking Jesus to be a part of your life!!! Jesus was a major part of Judas Iscariot's life, but Judas had a devil in him (John 6:70). Judas perished in his sins and went to Hell forever without Christ as His personal Savior.
We also read about the false prophets in Matthew 7:21-23 who called Jesus "Lord, Lord." Yet, Jesus denied knowing them as His sheep. They had not been born-again by faith alone in Christ alone. Instead, they foolishly served Christ as a substitute for the new birth. They preached in Jesus' name. They did many wonderful works in Jesus' name. Yet, Jesus denied knowing them as His sheep, and they were cast into Hell to burn forever. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born-again.
Dear reader, I did not write and publish this article to be critical of others; but rather, to warn you about the false gospel of the movie, Joshua. RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!! My heart's desire is for you to go to Heaven when this earthly life is over. The inspired Holy Bible teaches that you can know you are saved. We can know beyond any shadow of a doubt that we are saved, because a man's salvation does not rest upon his best performance; but rather, upon the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ. My faith is solely resting in Christ's sacrifice on the cross for my sins; upon His precious blood that He shed for my sins (1st Peter 1:18-19); upon His resurrection from the dead (1st Thessalonians 4:14). What a savior!!!
You cannot be saved by asking Jesus into your life. You cannot be saved by inviting Christ into your heart, nor by serving Him or following Him as your Lord. You must be born again!!! Salvation is a matter of coming to God as a guilty sinner and simply believing that Jesus did it all for you on Calvary's cross. Beware of all the unbiblical rhetoric today that obscures the light of the truth of the Gospel.
Please warn others. Asking Jesus into your life is another gospel. That is not the Bible way to Heaven. You must admit to God that you are a guilty needy sinner (Romans 3:19-20). You must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God (John 20:31). You must place your confidence is Jesus because of what He did to pay for your sins (Romans 4:4-7). Jesus died on a cross, paying a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay (2nd Corinthians 5:21). He was buried and after three days physically raised up from the dead (1st Corinthians 15:1-6). Thank you for reading my blog. Jesus is precious!!!
