Luke 15:17-20, “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”
The father had no idea why his son was coming home. The father didn't know if his son was sorry or if he had changed. For all the father knew the son wanted to ask for more money.
Yet, the inspired Holy Bible says that the father ran to meet him on the way. I heard this great sermon truth today from Pastor Jack Hyles. The sermon is called, “When He Was A Great Way Off.” I made this helpful sermon excerpt and titled it, “The Prodigal Son Just Came.” Dear reader, God loves you so much and wants to give you eternal life, that even before you get to Him, He'll will save you while you're coming!
“Come as you are” God says, and “I'll clean you up when you get there!” 1st John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” You don't have to commit to forsake your sins to get to Heaven, you JUST COME AS YOU ARE! Whatever changes that God wants to see happen in your life is His department. You don't have to forsake your sins to get saved; Jesus paid for your sins through Calvary' cross with His blood, sprinkling that literal blood upon the heavenly Mercy Seat (Hebrews 9:12, 22-24; 12:24). No matter who you are, oh needy sinner, COME to the Lord and He will give you rest!
“We suppose there are many faulty ideas about repentance, but we will deal here with the more popular ones. Perhaps the most popular false idea is that repentance is turning from sin. We have heard some well-known preachers say, If you want to be saved, repent of your sins, turn from your sins.' If turning from your sins means to stop sinning, then people can only be saved if they stop sinning. And it is unlikely that anyone has ever been saved, since we don't know anyone who has ever stopped sinning.” —Dr. Curtis Hutson (1934-1995), booklet titled: “Repentance,” p. 4; © 1986, Sword of the Lord Foundation“Several years ago I read a book by a professor at a fundamental university. Under the chapter on salvation, he said, 'Quit your sinning, and God will give you a new heart.' He presented repentance as turning from sin. I wrote this dear brother and expressed my concern, knowing that such teaching frustrates the unbeliever and makes him think that salvation is unattainable since he cannot live a sinless life.” —Dr. Curtis Hutson (1934-1995), booklet titled: “Repentance,” p. 5; © 1986, Sword of the Lord Foundation
“You don't get better to get saved; you get saved to get better. You can't get better until you do get saved.” —Dr. Curtis Hutson (1934-1995), booklet titled: “Repentance,” p. 5; ©1986, Sword of the Lord Foundation
Woe unto all the wicked pastors today who are preaching a counterfeit plan of salvation of partial faith in Christ plus something else!
You don't have to repent of your sins to be saved.
You don't have to take Jesus as the supreme “Lord” of your life to be saved.
You don't have to be water baptized to get to Heaven.
You don't have to become a Christ follower to get to Heaven.
You don't have to keep any sacraments to be saved.
You simply need to COME AS YOU ARE AS A SINNER and receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that He was buried, and then physically raised up from the dead three days later. This is THE GOSPEL (Good News) by which all who BELIEVE IT are saved. The Gospel is not a lifestyle to be lived, it is simply GOOD NEWS to be BELIEVED! Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” BELIEVE IT, oh sinner, and the work is done! John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, 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.” Believe! Believe! Believe! 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.” Believe! Believe! Believe!
Just as the Prodigal Son just came to his father, that's all you need to do dear reader to be saved, just come to God by faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus, the Christ. Simply believe that Jesus did it all for you! John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Believe! Believe! Believe!
