Sunday, August 21, 2022

The Love Of Money Has Ruined Most Pastors Today

1st Timothy 6:4-12, “He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

The human race is prone to self-deception. Even when we as humans are going astray, being deceived, we still insist that nothing is wrong. Case in point, consider this true quote from famous author Mark Twain: “It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.” That is so very true! I have spent the past 20 years of website ministry attempting to open the eyes of misled preachers with THE TRUTH, but most of them have refused to listen. Go figure! You'd think that if anyone in this world would listen to words of truth, it would be a man of the cloth (clergy).

Sadly, that is usually not the case at all. Preachers are among some of the most blinded, stubborn and ungodly of people. But don't take my word for it, listen to what the Word of God says:
  • Jeremiah 2:8, “The priests said not, Where is the LORD?  and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.”
  • 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?”
  • Jeremiah 10:21, “For the pastors are become brutish (lacking good sense), and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.”
  • Jeremiah 12:10, “Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.”
  • Jeremiah 23:1-2, “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!  saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.”
  • Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”
  • Matthew 15:7-9, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
These are but a small handful of hundreds of inspired Scripture passages teaching us that religion is often corrupt, preachers are often false prophets, churches are often cults and worship is often done in vain.

I would like to direct your undivided attention dear reader to Matthew 15:7-8 again:
    Matthew 15:7-9, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
    Most churchgoers will read this Bible passage and think of obvious cults; such as, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witness, Roman Catholic, The Moonies, Heaven's Gate Cult or the cult of Scientology. But dear friend, I am also talking about most Baptist churches today! I have been a Baptist all my saved life, since age 13. However, I have seen my own denomination become woefully deceived, misled and corrupted over the past 50 years. Not surprisingly, as Calvinism increases in popularity in the United States, so also is Christianity declining in our country. That makes perfect sense when we consider that Calvinism (aka, Lordship Salvation) is NOT the free grace Gospel taught in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4).

    The love of money has corrupted 99% of church pastors and preachers in this generation! I find little genuine concern for people anymore by pastors. I have attended several churches around Pensacola and I can only name one preacher (he's not even the church pastor) who made me feel like he gives a damn about me as a human being. That is so tragic! People just want to be loved folks, but you won't find that love at Campus Church or Pensacola Christian College. Pastor Jeff Redlin mistreated and abused me on numerous occasions. I pray for him regularly, that God will humble his arrogance and stiffnecked pride. Oh, how today's pastors need to be humbled, realizing that he that is greatest among men must be their humble servant. Jesus Himself spoke those words of truth, and He set the example, washing His disciple's dirty feet. May we all be more like our dear precious Savior.

    Friday, August 19, 2022

    Why I Disagree With All Five Points Of Calvinism

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


     
    by Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995)

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

    Dr. Loraine Boettner in his book, "The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination" says,
    "The Calvinistic system especially emphasizes five distinct doctrines. These are technically known as "The Five Points of Calvinism". And they are the main pillars upon which the superstructure rests."
    Dr. Boettner further says,
    "The five points may be more easily remembered if they are associated with the word T-U-L-I-P , T, Total Inability; U, Unconditional Election; L, Limited Atonement; I, Irresistible (efficacious) Grace; and P, Perseverance of the Saints."
    These are the points of Calvinism.

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

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

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


    I. Total Inability

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    II. Unconditional Election

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

    This teaching so obviously disagrees with the oft-repeated invitations in the Bible to sinners to come to Christ and be saved that some readers will think that I have overstated the doctrine. So I will quote John Calvin in his "Institutes," Book III, chapter 23,
    "....Not all men are created with similar destiny but eternal life is foreordained for some , and eternal damnation for others. Every man, therefore, being created for one or the other of these ends, we say, he is predestined either to life or to death."
    So Calvinism teaches that it is God's own choice that some people are to be damned forever. He never intended to save them. He foreordained them to go to Hell. And when He offers salvation in the Bible, He does not offer it to those who were foreordained to be damned. It is offered only to those who were foreordained to be saved.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    III. Limited Atonement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    IV. Irresistible Grace

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

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

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

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

    Again Proverbs 1:24-26 says,
    "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh."
    Here the Bible plainly says, "I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof." That doesn't sound like irresistible grace. God calls, and men refuse. Is that irresistible? God stretches out his hand and no man regards it? Is that irresistible grace? No. The Bible makes it plain that some men do reject Christ, that they refuse His call. John 5:40 says, "Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life." That verse plainly teaches that men can and do resist God and refuse to come to Him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    V. Perseverance of the Saints

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

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

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

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

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

    The Bible makes it plain that the believer is kept. He does not keep himself. First Peter 1:4,5 states:
    "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
    The Bible says in John 10:27-29:
    "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand."
    Now that doesn't sound like perseverance of the sheep or the saints. Here the sheep are in the Fathers hand, and they are safe-not because they persevere, but because they are in the Fathers hand.

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

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

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

    There is a belief that if one does not teach universal salvation, he must either be a Calvinist or an Arminian. In this book, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, Dr. Loraine Boettner says on page 47,
    "There are really only three systems which claim to set forth the way of salvation through Christ [And he names them]:
    "(1) Universalism, that all will be saved. (2) Arminianism, which holds that Christ died equally and indiscriminately for every individual......., that saying grace is not necessarily permanent, but that those who are loved of God, ransomed by God, and born of the Holy Spirit may (let God wish and strive ever so much to the contrary) throw away all and perish eternally; and (3) Calvinism."
    He continues,
    "Only two are held by Christians." That is Calvin's position and Arminius' position."
    Calvinists would like to make people believe that if one does not teach universal salvation, he must either be a Calvinist or an Arminian. And since the Arminian position does such violence to the grace of God, many preferred to call themselves Calvinists. But a person doesn't have to take either position.

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

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

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

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

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


    OBJECTIONS ANSWERED

    Dear Rev__________:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Sincerely in Christ,
    Curtis Hutson

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

    Tuesday, August 16, 2022

    God Cannot And Will Not Pardon Anyone Without Justice

    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.”

    I have often heard unsaved people (both religious and non-religious) say that if God is a loving God, then He won't send them to Hell. Billions of people throughout human history have made the eternal fatal error of assuming that a loving God would never send anyone to Hell. Oh, how wrong they are!

    Although God is certainly a God of love, He is equally a God of justice. There must always be justice! Mankind is predictably unpredictable. I read in the news years ago about a man in Alaska, who drove his wife out to a secluded area on a snowy night, and then murdered her with a gun. The judge only sentenced him to 8 years in prison. Yet, in another sad story, a mother in Kansas was sentenced by a harsh judge to 45 years in prison for possessing 1/16th an ounce of cocaine. She was an addict. She needed help, not to be locked in a cage and tortured with loneliness and claustrophobia. In man's court system, there is little justice!

    I have felt sickened lately, to see the U.S. Justice Department going after former honorable U.S. president Donald Trump. Yet, the corrupt U.S. Justice Department refused to investigate and prosecute the culprits behind the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, claiming that it was a matter of “national security.” What rotten scoundrels! The corrupt and injustice U.S. Justice Department also used the same lame excuse not to investigate and prosecute the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, or the HSBC Banking Scandal (laundering Mexican drug cartel money) in 2015, or the Mena, Arkansas drug trafficking ring (by then horrible corrupt Arkansas thug governor, Bill Clinton).

    THE TRUTH is that the U.S. Justice Department is a puppet on a string, controlled by the demonic Masonic powers that really control the United States, a proxy of Israel since 1948. Thankfully, God sees all the injustice, and He will ultimately execute justice!!! Ecclesiastes 5:8, “If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.” Amen and amen!

    I once heard the famous movie actor, Jackie Gleason (known as “The Great One”), say that he didn't think that God would send him to Hell for committing one sin. Kindly said, Jackie Gleason was so WRONG! James 2:10, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” It is tragic that he didn't know Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, which is the ONLY way to Heaven. Mr. Gleason said publicly on 60 Minutes in 1984 that his greatest fear was not making Heaven. Sadly, that appears to be what happened, he missed Heaven and went to burn in Hell forever and ever. The inspired Word of God is very clear that a person MUST BE BORN AGAIN to enter into the Kingdom of God. John 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.”

    By God's mercy and grace, in response to my faith in the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus' death on the cross, burial and bodily resurrection, I was born-again in 1980 at age 13. I thank God for the gift of His precious only begotten Son, Jesus. I do not deserve to go to Heaven. I deserve to go to Hell to burn forever, because of my own sins. Even one sin is enough to condemn a person to the Lake of Fire for all eternity, without hope or rest. God the Father in His genuine unconditional love, sent His only begotten (biological) Son into the world, to die a criminal's death on the cross, as a substitutionary sacrificial lamb for you and me dear reader.

    Jesus paid it all! If you want to escape the fires of Hell, and spend eternity with Jesus and the hosts of Heaven in splendor and joy, then you must be born-again. Your sins must be paid for. Either you must spend eternity in Hell paying for your own crimes against God and man, or else you can receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins instead. I assure you, upon the authority of the Holy Bible, that God will NOT let you slide someday for your wickedness. God doesn't forget those wicked sins and crimes that you commit in your youth, that humanity doesn't know about, or time has effectively seemingly erased. No doubt there are murderers, pedophiles, rapists, thieves and atrocious criminals at large still, who have never been caught by the police yet. But you cannot escape the omniscience and justice of our holy God. Hebrews 4:13, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

    According to God's promises in the Bible, no one ever gets away with anything! Matthew 12:36 warns that God will hold men accountable even for their words. Proverbs 24:12 warns that even if men deny their wrong doing, God knows their very thoughts and intents of the heart, and will call them LIARS! You cannot hide or deceive God dear friend, because He knows and sees everything about you (Psalms s139:1-6). Romans 14:10-12 warns that all men will stand before the judgment of God, and give account. This means you! This means me! This means everyone! God is not a respecter of persons. It matters not how rich or poor you are. It matters not whether you are famous or unknown. It matters not if you are big or small, short or tall, learned or ignorant, cultured or uncouth, et cetera.

    There MUST be justice! Sin must be paid for. No one can enter into Heaven merely because God is merciful and kind. You must consciously accept God's free gift of eternal life, which is only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:9, “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:”

    So please do not make the grave mistake of foolishly thinking that just because you would let someone off the hook easily, that God is like you, because I assure you that HE IS NOT! God's holiness demands absolute justice, and justice cannot be foregone, overlooked or dismissed. That is exactly why Christ had to die on a cross to PAY for our sins, which were grievous and many. There was no other way of escape:
    Romans 5:8-10, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
    Did you read that friend? The Bible teaches that we are justified BY HIS BLOOD. John MacArthur is a theological liar, who says that Jesus' blood actually only means His death. No, Mr. MacArthur, you are an infidel on your way to everlasting destruction. We are saved BY THE BLOOD of Jesus Christ (1st Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 1:5, 7:14; 1st John 1:7). Jesus willingly shed His precious blood on Calvary's cross, and then took that liquid blood to Heaven (Hebrews 9:12), to sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in the Holy Place (Hebrews 12:24), in the presence of God on our behalf (Hebrews 9:22-24). Praise the Lord!!!

    Please make sure that you have been born-again! Being religious is not the way to Heaven. Attending church, following Christ, surrendering all to God, giving your life to serve Jesus, turning away from sinful ways—these things are all proper in their place along the Christian journey of sanctification, but NONE of these things comprise THE GOSPEL (1st Corinthians 15:1-6); and you may do all these things and yet never have been saved at all. YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN (John 3:3b).

    That is the ONLY way to meet God's demand and standard for justice. There is nothing that you can do to remedy your own dilemma. You are a hopeless sinful wretch dear reader, and so am I. Apart from Christ's sacrifice through Calvary's cross, there is no hope for anyone!!! If you will simply humble yourself before almighty God, to admit that you are a hopeless guilty sinner in need of a Savior; and cast yourself at the beautiful feet of the only begotten Son of God, by putting your complete reliance in Jesus Christ to save you, then He promises to do so immediately. John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

    Simply believe (put your trust in) THE FACTS of the Gospel, that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God (John 20:31), who died in your place on the cross, was buried, but three glorious days later He bodily resurrected from the dead. This is THE GOSPEL by which all who believe it are saved (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). That is how you can be declared JUSTIFIED by God in Heaven, JUST-IF-I'D never sinned at all. What an awesome God!!! Micah 7:18, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?  he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.”

    Saturday, August 6, 2022

    Beware Of 'UNSHACKLED' Radio's Deadly False Gospel

    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.”

    I was listening to 'UNSHACKLED' today. I've heard a couple dozen episodes over the past couple days. I wanted to vomit as I heard PGM spewing their lies of LORDSHIP SALVATION, WRONG REPENTANCE and OTHER HERESIES!

    Case in point is 'UNSHACKLED' program #3590 (aired in 2019). A man named Matthew gets a flat tire and stops in a little church, meeting a church member named Ted, who listens to Matthew's troubled life's story and offers this horrible advice:
    “I believe God loves you, and wants you to invite Him into your life. I believe that is the change you may be looking for!”
    This type of junk theology saturates the UNSHACKLED series! Folks, you don't get saved by “inviting Jesus into your life”! Judas invited Jesus into his life, becoming one of Christ's very apostles, but Judas had a devil in him (John 6:70), and went to Hell.

    In little later in the UNSHACKLED program (after being coached by his religious sister to “REPENT and RECEIVE THE INVITATION”), Matthew prays and tells Jesus that he wants Him to be his Savior, but there is no mention of Christ's death, burial or resurrection (The Gospel). Matthew says:
    “I got up from my knees and I was free. I was new. That day God delivered me from my addictions! Within minutes of my spiritual salvation, he took away my impulse to use [drugs].”
    Folks, that is junk theology! Here is the truth...
    “Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.” —Heraclitus of Ephesus (535-475 BC)

    What saith the Scripture? ...

    Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
    I am unalterably opposed to Pacific Garden Mission's junk theology, which says that a sinner must “REPENT and BELIEVE” (two steps) to be saved. The problem is that PGM wrongly understands repentance to mean full surrender to Christ, and to turn away from one's sins. This is the heresy of Lordship Salvation. I am against the heretical idea that if a person comes to Christ, they will instantaneously be changed. The only difference when you get saved is the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God (1st Corinthians 3:16-17; Romans 8:9; 1st John 3:24).

    As I just showed you from Romans 12:1-2, the Bible says we are TRANSFORMED (changed), by the RENEWING OF OUR MIND. This is very different than the false message being propagated by UNSHACKLED that your life will immediately change at the time of salvation. It is junk theology, meaning it is not Biblical; it is JUNK!!!

    Growing in grace takes time. Granted, you cannot sit under the Word of God and not be changed! Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” However, it takes time for a new believer to change, as they are renewed in their mind by the Word of God (Romans 12:1-2). That is why I am very much against the junk theology being promoted by Pacific Garden Mission's 'UNSHACKLED' radio program, which relentlessly promotes the idea that the moment a person comes to Jesus Christ, they will instantly become a 'new creature' in behavior, and all desire to commit sin will be gone forever! PGM errantly understands this to be repentance.

    When they tell people to “REPENT and BELIEVE” in all their UNSHACKLED episodes, what they really mean is to turn away from your sins AND then also place your faith in Christ. It is a TWO STEP false plan of salvation! What they are really saying is that a person must commit to KEEPING THE LAW before Christ will accept their faith in Him for salvation. This is “ANOTHER GOSPEL,” which is accursed by God (Galatians 1:6-7). Case in point!


    The Corrupt 'UNSHACKLED' Religious Experience of Debbie Brooks

    Many of UNSHACKLED's heart-touching stories are a nice fairytale, but they are not Scriptural! Here is PGM's 'GO TO' Bible passage—2nd Corinthians 5:17-18, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” There is a fine line between faith and foolishness! God knows that I am not trying to be negative, nor criticize Pacific Garden Mission without a cause; but rather, they are pressuring sinners to make a commitment to turn away from sin to be saved, which is not true.

    For example: In UNSHACKLED program #3589 (aired in 2020), a woman named Debbie Brooks meets with a religious friend named Sharon:
    SHARON: Trusting Jesus is the only thing that can make a difference in my messed-up life.

    DEBBIE: I keep hearing that in church, but I don't get it—how something that EASY can be a life-changer.

    SHARON: Oh Debbie, it's not easy—believing in Jesus means repenting and asking forgiveness for all the old ways, and then GIVING THEM UP FOR GOOD. When you find the COURAGE TO DO THAT, He'll help you CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

    DEBBIE: Huh, well, I'll have to think about it. Dear reader, what you just read taught by Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago is of the Devil, straight out of the pits of Hell. I hope you see how evil this is. According to this UNSHACKLED program, it is NOT EASY to be saved; because you are required to GIVE UP YOUR OLD SINFUL WAYS PERMANENTLY! That is “another gospel” accursed by God!
    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.”

    Pacific Garden Mission are PREACHING ANOTHER GOSPEL!!!

    The Gospel is not open to embellishment. There is a certain degree of allowable semantics in presenting God's plan of salvation, but the Gospel itself is set in concrete! Here it is:
    1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
    There you have it—Jesus DIED, was BURIED, and miraculously RESURRECTED three days later. There is no mention of turning away from sins, forsaking the old ways for good, speaking in tongues, getting water baptized, joining a church, praying, confessing Jesus publicly, nor of anything else to be saved! The apostle Paul said this is, 'THE GOSPEL,' which Jesus personally gave to Him.
    Galatians 1:11-12, “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
    The Corrupt 'UNSHACKLED' Religious Experience of Angel Feliciano

    I listened to program #3588 (aired in 2019) about a Hispanic man named Angel Feliciano. Unfortunately, PGM uses a lot of junk theology, and I am simply trying to help believers solidify their faith, by exposing the unbiblical teachings of UNSHACKLED radio. For example: Toward the end of this episode, the UNSHACKLED narrator says:
    “Jesus will gladly receive you, and he wants you to receive Him. He wants a relationship with you. Angels' life changed forever when he asked Jesus Christ into his heart. The same can happen for you if you so desire. Just talk to the Lord. Tell Him you're sorry for the sins in your life. Receive Him as your Savior and trust in Him. It's that simple!” [emphasis added]
    There are a few problems with the preceding corrupt plan of salvation:
    First, having “A RELATIONSHIP” is not part of the Gospel. Judas had a relationship with Jesus, but still went to hell in his unbelief.

    Second, you don't have to “ASK” Jesus to save you, because He has already paid for all your sins on the cross with His precious blood; Jesus is OFFERING you eternal life.

    Third, you don't have to “TALK TO THE LORD” to be saved. All the Bible teaches is that you “BELIEVE” on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved (Acts 16:30-31).

    Fourth, don't get saved by “ASKING JESUS INTO YOUR HEART.” A heart is a muscle twice the size of your fist, that pumps blood 100,000 times per day!

    Fifth, you don't have to receive Jesus as your Savior AND trust Him. To receive Christ is to trust Him, and to trust Jesus is to receive Him!

    Sixth, you don't have to "BE SORRY" for your sins to be saved. You don't have to "BE SORRY" for your sins to be saved. We are ALL guilty at some point in our Christian life of embellishing the Gospel with junk theology. I used to tell people to 'invite Jesus into their heart' many years ago, but when I learned that it was unbiblical, I immediately stopped doing it! I question everything now!!!
    Seventh, there is NO MENTION OF THE GOSPEL. Where is Jesus' death, burial and bodily resurrection the third day? The Bible plainly defines 'THE GOSPEL' in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 as Jesus' death on the cross, burial and literal physical resurrection. Tragically, religious people everywhere are guilty of corrupting the accuracy of the Gospel, by embellishing and changing it (2nd Peter 3:16-17). They don't do it on purpose; but rather, because they are woefully ignorant, and many are still unsaved. A false gospel cannot produce the new birth (John 1:12-13).
    Much unnecessary worry, fear and uncertainty are caused by the lie of Lordship Salvation. No one ought to wonder if their life has changed enough to prove they're saved.

    Dear friend, if you need to look at your life to prove you're saved, IT PROVES THAT YOU'RE NOT!!! Eternal life is a completely free gift, which imposes no obligations or demands on the recipient. You simply come as a guilty sinner and receive God's free gift of eternal life, by believing the record given in the Holy Bible of Jesus Christ, Who died in your place on the cross. Simply receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. I love this powerful quote by Dr. Yankee Arnold:
    “There is power in this Gospel message. Most people just don't know how to present it... The clarity of the Gospel is what makes it easy for them to believe.” —Pastor “Yankee” Arnold, a quote from the excellent MP3 sermon titled, “WHY GRACE CAN SAVE THE WORST MAN!