I picked up a free Gospel tract tonight and began to read through it. Sadly,
I was soon disturbed by the unbiblical rubbish which the tract contains. The
title of the tract is called: “Are You Forgiven?” On page 5 of the religious
tract we read these heretical words:
Coming to God
Now the question is, how do we come to God? The answer is in the Bible. “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). God, through His Holy Spirit, makes us aware that we are sinners and in need of a Savior. sometimes we don't fully understand God's call. We may begin to notice an empty, lonely feeling in our heart—a need of something, a feeling we are not right, a conviction we are lost.
When we become aware of this restlessness in our spirit, we need to open our heart to God for direction. The Load of sin will become very heavy, and our heart will become remorseful because of our past sinful life. God wants us to surrender our life to Him in true repentance. When God sees our broken and contrite heart and our readiness to fully do His will, He forgives our past sinful life, and we receive forgiveness and peace. (Psalm 34:18; 51:16-17) Oh, how happy we now are, and we want to share with others what Christ has done in our heart!.
This is not something that is only intellectual, or a change of one's mind. It is a work of the Holy Spirit in the heart that converts us to the new life. Through this power of the Holy Spirit we have faith to trust God so we can lay down our own will and forgive others. 2nd Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
The Bible way of forgiveness is beautiful. A trusting faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, coupled with a complete surrender to God and His will, removes the guilty from our heart. Our sins are completely covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. [emphasis added]
SOURCE: “Are You Forgiven?”; GOSPEL TRACT AND BIBLE SOCIETY, published by the Church of God in Christ (Mennonites)
Dear reader, what you just read is of the Devil. Heresy always comes wrapped in truth, to confuse the masses. Satan's most effective deception is the half-truth, because in part it can be defended with irrefutable logic. Do you see how the preceding religious tract focuses on YOU! YOU are required to change your heart and life to be saved. That is not the Gospel. True repentance is NOT surrendering your life to God to do His will. True repentance is simply acknowledging that you are a needy sinner, so that you will BELIEVE the Gospel to be saved (Romans 3:19-20). God doesn't forgive you when you're willing to stop living in sin and change your life; God saves you when you come as a guilty sinner and cast yourself upon the Savior, resting wholly in Him because of what Jesus did on the cross to pay for your sins. Turning away from one's sins, or a willingness to turn away from one's sins, has absolutely NOTHING to do with getting saved.
Here is a direct quote from the preceding horrible tract...
The Bible way of forgiveness is beautiful. A trusting faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, coupled with a complete surrender to God and His will, removes the guilty from our heart. Our sins are completely covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
SOURCE: “Are You Forgiven?”; GOSPEL TRACT AND BIBLE SOCIETY, published by the Church of God in Christ (Mennonites)
Folks, do you see where they have sinfully ADDED words to the Gospel? All you need to be saved, Oh sinner, is a TRUSTING FAITH (resting in Christ, period - Hebrews 4:10-11). There is no Biblical requirement for you to offer, “A COMPLETE SURRENDER TO GOD AND HIS WILL.” That is NOT the Gospel once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3). Pilgrim's Progress author and persecuted Gospel preacher, John Bunyan (1628-1688) made this great helpful statement:
“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.” [emphasis added] —Evangelist John Bunyan
That is exactly the big problem with the Lordship Salvation crowd today, they go around confusing everybody about how to be saved. Victims of Lordship Salvation email me frequently, worried that they are not really saved because of the sins in their private life. I tell them they are not saved, because they have been lied to by Paul Washer, Marty Herron, Steve Pettit, John Piper, John MacArthur, David Cloud, Gary Walton and Ray Comfort (to name but a few unsaved Calvinist preachers destroying churches today). If you have to look at your life to prove you're saved, it just proves that YOU'RE NOT!!! Christ paid it all! My hope is build on nothing less, than Jesus blood and His righteousness!!!
Since I have ceased from my own works (good and bad works alike), and am resting in Christ's sacrificial death for me on the cross, His burial and subsequent bodily resurrection three days later (THE GOSPEL), I have peace like a river. I KNOW that my name is recorded in Heaven, written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Dear friend, your childlike faith in Christ must not be “COUPLED” with anything else, or else the new birth cannot happen.
Please read again what the preceding Devil's tract propagates to unsuspecting readers...
The Bible way of forgiveness is beautiful. A trusting faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, coupled with a complete surrender to God and His will, removes the guilty from our heart. Our sins are completely covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
SOURCE: “Are You Forgiven?”; GOSPEL TRACT AND BIBLE SOCIETY, published by the Church of God in Christ (Mennonites)
No, no, no! What saith the Scripture? John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” We find the beautiful word “BELIEVE” mentioned 85 times throughout the Book of God, and yet not even one mention of the word “repent.” That is simply because repentance is automatic. The man who believes has also repented, and the man who repents has also believed. There are not steps to salvation. You simply BELIEVE the GOOD NEWS of Christ crucified, buried and risen and you are saved, period. Nothing more is required, nor even allowed.
Please don't allow these corrupt religious men, imposters, who think they know more then God, steal your faith and lead you into a counterfeit plan of salvation—that induces constant fear and uncertainty into the minds of its victims. If we must turn away from sins to be saved, then how much sin is acceptable? No one has ever turned away from ALL their sins, no one. 1st John 1:10 says we are calling God a “LIAR” if we say we have no sin. I sure have lots of sins, and so do you! Friend, you don't have to turn away from your sin to get to Heaven, you must be 100% sinless and perfect!!! Obviously that is impossible! That is why we need GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, which is through faith in 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:”
Dear friend, the only thing that can keep you out of Heaven is unbelief. No amount of sin can prevent someone from entering into God's Kingdom who believes. All you need is a little faith, as a seed of mustard grain (mustard seeds are very tiny). The smallest amount of faith SAVES!!! When Pastor Marty Herron (vice president of Faith Baptist Bible College And Theological Seminary) gets up to lie, saying that you must turn away from a lifestyle of sinning to be saved, he is inspired by demons!!! That man is not going to Heaven unless he repents! You don't have to give up anything to be saved, God wants to give you eternal life as a free gift. Salvation is a TAKE proposition, not a GIVE proposition. Salvation is RECEIVED, not ACHIEVED. Eternal life is the gift of God (Romans 6:23).
I have said it over and over and over for years and years and years, and I'll say it until the Lord's says it's my time to go home to Heaven—you don't get saved by surrendering to God and His will, you simply BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31). We already know what the Father's will is in John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” The Father's will concerning how to go to Heaven is to BELIEVE ON HIM!!! Amen and amen! The Bible doesn't say anything about coupling our faith with an extra requirement to surrender ALL to God and His will.
You do know what a coupler is used for don't you? That's a device used to hitch a trailer onto your truck or car, so you can pull it wherever you go. The Devil wants to hitch a religious trailer called the Law (filled with works) on back of your faith, to weigh you down with WORKS. The Lordship Salvation crowd want to scrutinize your life and put you on probation, to see if you QUALIFY for the award of Heaven. If you think I am exaggerating, please take a look at the shocking monstrous theology that Dr. Steve Pettit preaches at Bob Jones University. This is NOT the Gospel, not even in the ballpark. It is the Devil's Calvinism! These people are NOT God's children by faith alone in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:26). They are religious imposters, who preach “ANOTHER GOSPEL” (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4; Galatians 1:6-9).
The most dangerous thing you will ever do is to get your theology from today's shallow and corrupt preachers!!! Let the inspired Word of God speak for itself. You don't need any preacher to explain the Bible to you. You have God's indwelling Holy Spirit, Who has promised to TEACH US all things (John 14:26; 16:13). 1st John 2:27, “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” John is speaking about the blessed anointing of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which every believer has. The Holy Spirit is often called the Spirit of Truth! Hey, truth seems to sound important to God, don't you think? I mean, after all, the Bible keeps mentioning THE TRUTH. You had better believe that God cares about TRUTH. Jesus said in John 18:37 that the whole reason God sent Him into the world was to bear witness unto THE TRUTH.
I love the next Bible verse. John 18:37b, “Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” John 3:20-21, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” I love that! The Bible is so plain and clear, if we'' just allow the Bible to interpret itself. In John 18:37 Jesus said that every one who DOES THE TRUTH hears Christ's voice. John 3:21 says that whosoever DOES THE TRUTH comes to the light, which is Jesus. John 9:5, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Carefully notice that the Bible doesn't say whosoever turns away from his sins comes to the light; but rather, the Bible simply says whosoever DOES THE TRUTH comes to the light. That is what true repentance is, an acknowledgement of THE TRUTH. 2nd Timothy 2:25, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;”
Do you see dear reader, how repentance
is simply “A CHANGE OF MIND,” and not a turning away from our sins, not
surrendering all to Christ, not following Jesus no matter what the cost
(John MacArthur teaches this lie), not exchanging all that we are for all
that Christ is, not counting the cost and then paying the price (as Billy Graham
errantly teaches). President of Bob Jones University (BJU), Dr. Steve
Pettit, foolishly says you must start the race, faithfully run and finish the race
(i.e., living the Christian life) in order
to qualify to earn the AWARD of Heaven itself (those are his exact
words). Folks, somebody needs to cry, “WOLF!!!” I am doing it! For crying
“WOLF!!!”I have been humiliated by BJU pastors. I have been persecuted by
BJU churches, banned, ostracized and treated treacherously as the “ENEMY”
for telling THE TRUTH (Galatians 4:16). God has promised to avenge me (Romans 3:4). When we see
Jesus it will be worth it all!!! I have an open heart, an open mind and a
pure heart (because God gave it to me). I am a truth-seeker. I love THE
TRUTH, so God allows me to see things that others are to blind to see (2nd
Corinthians 3:13-15). The truth is obvious to those who want THE TRUTH! The
truth is only hate to them that hate THE TRUTH.
Their is a Famine Of THE TRUTH in These Last Days
I really adore this next passage of Scripture, because it teaches us much about the relationship between a Christian man who lives in his inspired King James Bible, and how doing so affects his viewpoints, attitude and
Psalms 119:97-105, “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Please notice with me what David said:
Those are some beautiful attributes! You'd never think that you could obtain so much value and usability from God's inspired Book, but you sure can and a whole lot more! The one common thing that we see in Psalms 119:95-107 is that David greatly loved God's Word. David loved it so much that he meditated (thought about) in the Scriptures night and day (Psalms 1:1-5). David was absolutely determined to continue keeping and obeying God's commandments, laws and precepts. The psalmist esteemed the Lord's commandments as being sweeter than a box of KrispyKreme donuts! Yeah buddy!!! David esteemed God's Word as being more tasty than a big delicious honeycomb!!! Oh, that all men would esteem God's inspired Word as being more tasty than a big vanilla milkshake!!! I haven't had a milkshake yet since I've been in Pensacola. They sell them at WHATABURGER, but I am trying to lose weight and maintain muscle. But SOON, soon, I am going to reward my body with a dairy delight. WHATABURGER now sells s seasonal, Peaches And Crème flavor milkshake, and it looks so good! Lord willing, maybe Sunday after church.
I am a truth-seeker! I love THE TRUTH. I am not a perfect man, nor do I claim to be a good Christian. But God knows my heart. The Lord knows that I sincerely desire to think right, live right and do right. I want to be a blessing to the people around me, everywhere I go, anyway that I can. It saddens my heart when I see professed Christians who ar selfish, serving their belly and not the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 16:17-18). We've got too many shallow Neo-evangelicals today, who parasite off of the churches and Christian parents (parents with money who send their children to those horrible colleges). Truth doesn't matter any more to most Christian leaders. That is why they use, sell and support 29 different Bible revisions, which is insanity! God only Authored ONE HOLY BOOK!
Galatians 1:6-7 teaches that there is only ONE GOSPEL. The junk theology that the “GOSPEL TRACT AND BIBLE SOCIETY” are propagating is alarming! At some point in the history of the organization, they began teaching a false gospel of partial faith in Christ PLUS something else. Anytime you see words such as “coupled” or “in addition to” regarding the Gospel, you need to RUN!!! We get saved by simply “BELIEVING” the Gospel (the GOOD NEWS) of the Lord Jesus Christ (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). The GOOD NEWS is that Jesus died on the cross in our place. Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay (2nd Corinthians 5:21). JESUS PAID IT ALL! Don't ever forget that. Salvation is not about YOU dear friend, it is 100% about JESUS, and what HE did for you. The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU. Jesus is precious!!!
