Acts 15:1, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”
Here in Acts 15:1 we have a clear example of a false Gospel. A certain group
of men came down from Judea, who errantly taught that circumcision was
mandatory for salvation. This is the same works based salvation which we see
in many religions today; such as, Catholicism which requires keeping the
Seven Sacraments to be saved.
This Scripture also exposes the evils of Lordship Salvation, which adds works to the Gospel. Lordship Salvation is the heresy that a sinner must amend their ways to be saved. The false prophets who teach Lordship Salvation don't consider forsaking one's sinful lifestyle as a “work,” but it certainly is. If a person has to amend their ways, clean up their life and give up the sinful world to be saved, then a certain degree of self-righteousness is required for salvation.
Of course, Lordship Salvation is unbiblical. God only requires that a person acknowledge their guilty condition and believe on Jesus Christ for forgiveness. Acts 10:43, “To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.”
The wicked men in Acts 15:1 were teaching that no man could be saved unless he was circumcised. Later in the chapter we find the Apostle Peter straightening them out with the true Gospel.
There are many wolves in the churches today, bringing damnable heresies with them into the Church. Anyone who adds anything to simple faith in Jesus as the Christ is teaching a false Gospel. With the abundance of corrupt Bibles being published these days, we consequently find corrupt doctrines everywhere.
One of the greatest challenges of being a Christian has always been to defend the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Satan is working around the clock to corrupt the truth, to blind men's minds and prevent them from being saved (2nd Corinthians 4:4).
Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-15 that the way unto life is narrow and strait and few men ever find it. This is because nearly all religion perverts the Scriptures, corrupts the Gospel and most people won't come to the Light of God's Word. I've met so many people throughout life who wanted religion in their life, but not the Bible. The entire Catholic religion is based upon a system of beliefs that supersede God's commandments. Catholics don't obey the Bible. They follow the Vatican instead. From bowing to idols (Exodus 20:4-5) to chanting vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7), Catholics go about to establish their own righteousness (Romans 10:3-4). Jesus told us to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES (John 5:39).
So we see that even in Bible times there were
many false prophets. Titus 1:10-11, “For there are many unruly and vain
talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must
be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not,
for filthy lucre's sake.” Every false prophet that I expose on the
internet asks for donations. Just as Titus 1:11 says, they teach lies for
filthy lucre's sake. I've never asked, nor received, one penny and never
will for serving the Lord. Thankfully, the King James Bible is not
copyrighted by greedy men. All modern Bibles are owned and corrupted. Shame
on any pastor that uses the New International Version. It is so
corrupt!
The Simple Plan of Salvation (Jesus died on the cross and rose again)
The Gospel is simple according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4: Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and resurrected from the dead three days later!
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.”
We again find the wonderful, Biblical, plain, easy, plan of salvation taught in 1st Thessalonians 4:14...
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.”
Who will Jesus bring with Him when He returns at the Rapture? The Lord is coming to bring those who “believe that Jesus died and rose again.” There's how to be saved, plain and simple. The spirits of the saints (the ones whom the Lord brings with Him and the ones who are alive at the time of Christ's return) will be reunited with their new, resurrected, glorified, immortalized, bodies in the twinkling of an eye (1st Corinthians 15:52-57; Philippians 3:21). What a glorious day that will be. The unsaved world will not partake of this event, nor will they be aware it has happened. The world will look at all the billions of unsaved religious people who are still on earth and discredit the theory by a perceived nutty few that this could have been the Rapture. People will start to get saved after the Rapture, who are the ones “beheaded for the witness of Jesus” during the Tribulation as read in Revelation 20:4.
We are SINNERS and Jesus is the SAVIOR. I will continue to defend the simplicity of the gospel, just as the Bible tells us... Titus 3:12, “This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.” God commands us to REBUKE THEM SHARPLY who corrupt the Gospel. That is what I am faithfully doing. I don't enjoy exposing false prophets, but I do know that God is pleased with me for upholding the simplicity of the Gospel (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). Paul addressed the issue of works salvation often. It was a big problem in the New Testament, just as it is today. Please read, Romans 2:13 and Fallen from Grace.
Just as false prophets in Acts 15:1 added circumcision to faith alone in Christ's sacrifice on the cross and resurrection to be saved, so also do tens-of-thousands of bad pastors and evangelists today add giving up bad works to be saved, which is a false plan of salvation that cannot produce the new birth in Christ. We are saved by completely resting in Christ's sacrifice for our sins on the cross, His burial, and His resurrection from the dead three days later (Hebrews 4:10-11; Romans 1:16; 1st Corinthians 15:1-4; John 3:16).
