The False Gospel Of Dr. Robert Morey
By David J. Stewart
Dr. Robert A. Morey is an admirable man. I see that he completed culinary
school a few years ago. That's great and I admire people who are ambitious.
Dr. Morey is internationally recognized as a scholar in the fields of
theology and apologetics.
Unfortunately Dr. Morey teaches a false plan of salvation. Heretics John MacArthur and Jack Chick both promote and support Dr. Morey's unbiblical Lordship Salvation teachings. I don't enjoy refuting anyone, but as a Christian I am compelled to do so. The basic essence of Dr. Morey's false teaching is that he teaches a believer cannot have the assurance of salvation without first working hard to achieve a sanctified holy life. Morey, like other Lordship Salvationists, claims to believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone; but then he totally contradicts himself by saying that assurance is based upon works of self-righteousness.
Dr. Morey states...
“Works play a role in the assurance of salvation.”
Biblically, the believer is assured of salvation by believing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The assurance of eternal life is firmly grounded in the promises of God, not human effort. The believer's assurance is based upon God's faithfulness, not man's. Dr. Morey, like other proponents of the Lordship Salvation heresy, expresses contempt for easy-believism and the sinner's prayers to be saved. Dr. Morey calls the sinner's prayer...
“Mass evangelism hysteria”
Morey sings high praises for John MacArthur's
teachings and ministry. MacArthur is infamous for his book,
HARD TO
BELIEVE, which is based in unbiblical Calvinistic teachings.
Here's the 5
basic tenets of Calvinism. Lordship Salvation is the teaching that faith
in Jesus Christ is insufficient to be saved; but that a person must also
validate their faith by holy living, consecration and surrender to Christ.
Robert Morey, John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer, Eric Hovind, Jack
Chick (and thousands of others) teach varying versions of Lordship
Salvation, but they all boil down to the same errant lie that faith in
Christ is not enough to be guaranteed salvation. They all teach that works
must either precede, accompany or follow saving-faith in order to be
legitimate.
More About Dr. Robert Morey
Here is some basic information about Dr. Morey from his own website...
“It should be noted that Dr. Robert A. Morey as a young protégé with an IQ of 185 was selected by Yale University in the tenth grade of high school to become part of its Student Mathematics Study Group (SMSG). Dr. Bob is also a Greek and Hebrew scholar and has debated some of the top scholars in the world who are against Christianity.”
SOURCE: Faith Defenders | Education and Training of Dr. Robert A. Morey
Dr. Morey is well educated and highly
intelligent, with an IQ of 185, but he is wrong on salvation. The Bible says
that God taketh men in their wisdom. 1st Corinthians 3:19, “For
the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He
taketh the wise in their own craftiness.” Morey has authored 58 books,
some of which have been translated into Spanish, French, German, Dutch,
Italian, Finnish, Chinese, Norwegian, Swedish and Polish. He is the
Executive Director of the Research And Education Foundation.
Dr. More Corrupts The Gift Of God
In his YouTube presentation titled “Lordship Salvation With Dr. Morey,” he states the following heresy, claiming that assurance of salvation is only possible by hard work to evidence that justification was genuine...
“The chapter on justification in my book, 'Studies In The Atonement'—Dr. C. John Miller of Westminster Seminar said, was worth the price of the book alone. It is a summary of the Biblical evidence that justification is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from any consideration of works.
Assurance of salvation is a totally different issue. It has to do with the Christian life.
... They prayed a prayer and yet their lives are a total contradiction of Biblical holiness and righteousness. You'd say, 'look you don't understand it, but you're lying, you're not telling the truth, you are not a child of God.'
So the old issue: Do we accept anyone as a fellow Christian who says 'Lord, Lord' and all of them going to Heaven? Jesus clearly said that many of them are not going to make it to Heaven. They will not enter the Kingdom. That's what He said. He said, 'Do you want to know who are the saved ones? They're the one's who revealed in their lives that their salvation led to sanctification. Justification, sanctification are linked. When someone's justified they are going to be progressively sanctified.
You must understanding that you're not going to become holy by running down the isle, letting go letting God ... Sanctification is going to take hard work. it is progressive, it is not instantaneous..." [emphasis added using white and underlined font]
Dr. Morey is a heretic, who teaches that many professed Christians will not get to Heaven because of sin in their lives...
"So the old issue: Do we accept anyone as a fellow Christian who says 'Lord, Lord' and all of them going to Heaven? Jesus clearly said that many of them are not going to make it to Heaven. They will not enter the Kingdom. That's what He said. He said, 'Do you want to know who are the saved ones? They're the one's who revealed in their lives that their salvation led to sanctification. Justification, sanctification are linked. When someone's justified they are going to be progressively sanctified."
Dr. Morey is wrong! He claims that justification is apart from works, but then says that assurance requires works. How can a man be declared justified and yet not have assurance? Justification does not include probation, which in effect is exactly what Morey is teaching. If you receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins (justification), but then don't work hard to be sanctified, Morey says that you were not genuinely justified (saved). That's a false plan of salvation. Morey claims that justification and assurance are totally separate. That's IMPOSSIBLE!
Dr. Morey is saying that works aren't necessary for salvation, but if you are really saved there will be works. On the contrary, the Bible is filled with believers who lived lives of sin; such as Lot, Solomon, Samson, some of the Pharisees who believed but loved the praises of men more than the praises of God (John 12:43) and Demas. 1st Corinthians 3:15 speaks of people at the Judgment Seat Of Christ whose works of wood, hay and stubble will be burned up, but they will still enter Heaven, barely escaping the fires of Hell (“yet so as by fire”). According to Morey's false teachings, these empty-handed believers who never did anything for God were never justified. They didn't work hard at “progressive sanctification” as Morey teaches.
By conditioning justification on sanctification, Morey has 100% connected the two together. Yet he deceitfully claims that they are completely separate. That's a deception! If Morey is correct that a person cannot be assured of salvation without working hard to be progressively (over time) sanctified, then how can he dare say that justification is without works? It's the same confusing double-talk, mumbo-jumbo that all of the Lordship Salvation crowd uses. Since they cannot use the Bible to prove their heresies, they naturally end up making totally contradictory statements.
Some banks advertise that they'll give you a free gift if you open a new account with them. It's false advertising. It's really a reward, because you have to open an account to obtain it. If you walked into the bank to receive your gift without opening a new account, they wouldn't give it to you. So how can it be a gift? Likewise, Morey says you cannot be assured of salvation unless you work hard to be sanctified. So how can justification by a free gift if you must work hard to qualify for it? Yet, Morey maintains that justification is by grace and faith alone. Please understand that Morey ISN'T merely teaching that works should follow faith; but rather, that faith is invalid without works.
The Bible DOESN'T teach that. As you are about
to learn, we are justified in God's eyes BY FAITH, but in men's eyes we are
justified BY WORKS. No believer has ever been justified in God's eyes by
works (Romans 3:20).
Are Christians Justified By Faith And Works?
It is ONLY in the eyes of men that we are justified by works, and not God. Dr. Morey falsely teaches that a believer's salvation is not made certain until they follow through with sanctification unto holy living. That negates the gift of God. Morey contradicts himself by saying that eternal life is by grace through faith, but then says you can't be certain that you're saved without working hard to become holy. That's salvation by post-qualification through works. The truth is that it is Jesus' blood that makes us holy, not our own self-righteousness. Hebrews 13:12, “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.”
We are justified and sanctified BY FAITH, not works. A changed life is NOT a requirement for the assurance that we are saved as Morey falsely teaches. A changed life is reformation, but that is not regeneration (i.e., being born again). Judas reformed, trying to return the 30 pieces of silver, but he was never regenerated by the Spirit of God.
Morey asks the question at the beginning of his video: Is everyone who claims to be a Christian saved? The answer is no, of course not. Most professions are insincere. But it's not because they still have sins in their skeleton closet. It's because they are trusting in a false plan of salvation. Catholics are trusting their church and sacraments. Mormons are trusting their religion and water baptism. Jehovah Witnesses are trusting their works and organization. These demonic groups all claim to be true Christians, but they are imposters. These are the unsaved people in Matthew 7:21-23 who will say “Lord, Lord,” but did not believe the gospel of Christ. They thought that their good deeds would save them. Others thought that their religion would save them. Some thought that their sincerity and generosity would save them. The Lord is going to send them all to the Lake of Fire forever.
I cannot help but point out that it's the proponents of the Lordship Salvation heresy who go around saying “Lord, Lord” more than anybody, yet they are trusting in a self-righteous false plan of salvation. Just like the Jehovah Witnesses deceitfully say that salvation is a free gift which includes human effort, so also do the Lordship Salvationists teach the same garbage, just in different words. Dr. Morey errantly teaches that no believer who lives in continued sin can be assured of Heaven. According to Morey, such a person made a false profession and never got saved at all. Is that true? Is it true that professed Christians who continue in sin were never saved? In some cases it could be, certainly. Albeit, in many cases it IS NOT TRUE! I guarantee you that there are a hundred times more good and decent professing Christians who are not saved.
We cannot know from the outward appearance if a person is saved or not. There are many Christian believers who live horrible lives of sin, but they are indeed saved. Yet there are even more upright and good people who are lost and on their way to Hell in their self-righteousness. We cannot see what is going on in their heart. We do not know if they are saved. Only God can see their heart. We are not the judge over anybody. Salvation is NOT based upon a person's lifestyle; but rather, upon faith in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ Who died, was buried and resurrected three days later.
Furthermore, whether or not a person is saved has absolutely NOTHING to do with one's assurance of salvation. Do you see what Dr. Morey is doing? He is subtly requiring a changed life as part of saving-faith. He blatantly says that the gospel is completely separate to protect himself theologically, but then he teaches that you were never legitimately saved if you don't work hard at becoming holy unto the Lord. It's a catch 22 situation. Lordship Salvationists claim that salvation is by grace through faith to deceive everybody; but then they say that you were never saved at all if you are still living in sin. So in effect, you must forsake the world, surrender to Christ and cease from sinful bad habits or else you were never saved according to Dr. Morey. That's 100% works salvation!!!
Again, compared to pretentious religious evildoers, there are a hundred times more upright and decent people who profess to be Christians who are unsaved and on the way to Hell in their self-righteousness. Lordship Salvationists are always condemning the professed Christian who sins, but they never say a word about all the religious hypocrites who are reformed children of the Devil. Have you ever noticed that Lordship Salvationists never criticize the Roman Catholic Church? Would you like to know why? It's because they teach the same religious garbage as each other.
A common chapter of the Bible that is butchered is James 2:18-21...
James 2:18 and 21, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. ... Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”
Notice that James says “shew me” and “I will shew thee” my faith. The Bible is speaking about being justified in the EYES OF MEN, not God. The apostle Paul spoke about being justified in GOD'S EYES in Romans 4:3-6. We are justified in God's eyes BY FAITH, but in men's eyes we are justified BY WORKS. The reason is found in 1st Samuel 16:7, “...for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” Further evidence of this truth is found in Genesis 15:6 where Abram (Abraham) believed the Lord and it was counted to him for righteousness (Romans 4:3-5). Isaac hadn't even been born yet.
Yet, we read about Abraham offering up his son Isaac in Genesis 22:10 (and now Isaac is old enough to talk with his father, several years later). So Abraham was justified (saved) in the eyes of God in Genesis 15:6. But Abraham was justified in the eyes of men in Genesis 22:10. This is an important truth to understand, because so many people attempt to use James 2:18-21 to teach works salvation. The passage has absolutely nothing to do with salvation. Romans teaches justification in God's eyes by faith, which is the ROOT of the believer's salvation. But James teaches justification in men's eyes by works, which is the FRUIT of the believer's salvation. Isn't that a beautiful truth from the Bible?
Christians Are Saved, Justified And
Sanctified By Faith, Not Works
Morey is correct that a changed life is the FRUIT of the believer's repentance, and not a part of the ROOT of saving-faith. However, by saying that a believer cannot have the assurance of salvation without a changed life is a false doctrine. Assurance is NOT separate from justification. It is a demonic teaching to say that assurance is separate from justification. The truth is that we are justified by Christ's imputed righteousness. That is 100% assurance!!! Morey means well, but he errantly combines the evidences of salvation with the plan of salvation, which is a false gospel. By saying that assurance involves works, Morey is corrupting the gospel. He claims that they are completely separate, but that's impossible. If my justification is conditional upon a changed life (what Morey calls sanctification), then how can they be separate?
The evidences of salvation in 1st John have absolutely nothing to do with assurance of salvation. The second you believe the gospel you have God's 100% assurance that you are saved. Every believer is SEALED with the Holy Spirit at the time of salvation (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). The new birth is irreversible. Morey teaches that if a professed Christian fails to work hard at attaining holiness, it is only because that person made a false profession. That's not true. I couldn't find one verse in the Bible that says to sanctify ourselves. The Bible teaches that God sanctifies the Church through His Word. Ephesians 5:26, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” God saves us by faith and then He sanctifies us as well by faith.
The Bible teaches that Jesus' blood makes us holy, not our own self-righteousness. Hebrews 13:12, “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.” The word sanctification in Hebrews 13:12 is the Greek word hagiazo and means to be made holy, that is, to purify or consecrate. The same Greek word is used in 1st Thessalonians 5:23, “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.” Notice that God sanctifies the believers. My friend, everything that you needed to get to Heaven was provided the moment you got saved by faith in Jesus Christ. Dr. Morey teaches the same religious garbage as Ray Comfort, that is, that you didn't really get saved unless you've ceased from worldliness and sinful bad habits. That's a false gospel of Lordship Salvation.
The big problem with Dr. Morey's theology is that he teaches that the believer's assurance of salvation is completely separate from justification. That is a false plan of salvation. My friend, you can KNOW that you are saved at the time of salvation, because God PROMISED to save those who believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31; John 20:31; John 1:12-13; John 10:9). I believe that Dr. Morey is very sincere in his attempt to discern and simplify the battle over Lordship Salvation; however, he is errant in his views and teachings of assurance being separate from justification.
Biblical salvation is without any strings attached. It is the gift of God, without works, lest any many should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Dr. Morey has a perverted understanding of the gospel. The Bible teaches that eternal life is a free gift, paid for by Jesus' precious blood (Romans 5:15; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1st Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 1:5). Salvation is based solely upon Christ's righteousness, and does not involve human effort in any way. Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.”
Dr. Morey 100% contradicts himself. Morey first correctly teaches that justification is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone; but then he horribly contradicts himself by saying that assurance of salvation can only be obtained by working hard through progressive sanctification to get it. Thus, according to Dr. Robert Morey no one can have the assurance that they are saved and secure at the time of salvation. In Morey's corrupt theology, only the test of time, through hard work to be progressively sanctified, can reveal if someone has truly been born-again. So it is salvation by post-qualification. I have heard so many false gospels that it's nauseating...
- David Cloud teaches that you must be willing to reform after you are saved as a prerequisite to getting saved. I just received a letter from a gentleman in Africa, who said that his minister told a young woman that she is not ready to be saved unless she is first willing to give up her modern dancing. That's a false gospel. David Cloud tells a similar story about a man who was cheating on his taxes and Cloud told him he had to forsake that before he could genuinely expect to be saved. The truth is that you don't give up anything to be saved, God gave up His only begotten Son to pay our sin debt (John 3:16). Eternal life is a gift.
- Jack Chick teaches that admitting one's sinfulness is not enough to be saved, but that you must also have intentions to stop sinning (which he wrongly understands to mean repentance). The truth is that Biblical repentance is “a change of mind,” not a change of lifestyle. Admitting one's guilt of sin is all that God requires, as evidenced by Romans 3:19.
- Kent and Eric Hovind (Christian Science Evangelism) teach that it is not enough to admit and be sorry for one's sins, but that also a person must “endeavor” (and that's the word they use) with God's help to go His way instead of the way of sin. That's a false gospel. First, being sorry is an emotion. Judas was sorry for betraying Christ, but still died in his sins and went to Hell forever. You don't have to be sorry for your sins to be saved. Instead, Romans 3:19 says that we need to “become guilty before God” to be saved. Admitting one's sinnership is enough. You don't have to endeavor. Where do people get this stuff? The truth is that eternal life is a gift, which means it's free, totally, without obligation. Salvation is only free because it came at the highest price to God, costing His dear only begotten Son. Men need to stop frustrating the grace of God and leave the gospel alone.
- Robert Morey teaches that you cannot know for certain whether or not you are saved until you've worked hard to achieve holiness through progressive sanctification. Morey says that justification is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone; but then he totally contradicts himself by saying that assurance of salvation is completely separate, and can only be obtained through hard work to evidence that the justification was real. Morey is another slick false prophet who subtly attempts through eloquent words to combine faith with works. Morey's teachings are literally a form of probation. That is, God justifies you on the basis of Christ's sacrifice, but then you must work hard to become holy or else you were never really freed from the curse of the Law. Morey's teachings are straight out of Hell.
- Ray Comfort teaches that faith in Christ is insufficient to save anyone, but that also there must be a ceasing from sinful bad habits and forsaking the world (which he wrongly understands to mean repentance). According to Ray Comfort, the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-25 didn't get saved because he wasn't willing to stop being covetous. That's heresy! The Lord was using the Law the way it was intended to be used, that is, to shew the young man that self-righteousness could not get him into Heaven. The rich young ruler was boasting of his own goodness. Luke 18:20-21, “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.” You see, he was self-righteous, so Jesus pointed out that he had missed the Commandment on not being covetous. The Lord knew his heart and exactly what he needed to hear. Believing on the name of Jesus does you no good unless you first realize that your own goodness cannot save you in the least way. We are saved by HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, that is, the imputed righteousness of Christ (Matthew 6:33; Romans 4:5-6; 2nd Corinthians 5:21).
The list goes on... Paul Washer, John MacArthur, William Lane Craig, Wayne Cordeiro (Foursquare Church), and thousands more heretics who corrupt the simplicity that is in Christ. 2nd Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” There is nothing simple about Lordship Salvation. They might as well be singing with the heathen Rock 'N' Roll band ACDC... “It's a long way to the top if you want to Rock 'N' Roll.” The only difference is that they're teaching, “It's a long way to the top if you want to be saved.” Lordship Salvation is a lie of the Devil, perhaps the biggest lie ever told, originating back in Genesis with Adam's fig-leaves which he sewed together in a human attempt to hide the shame of their sin. God rejected Adam's fig-leaf religion and killed an innocent animal (which pictured the innocent Lamb of God Who was slain for our sins on the cross).
Likewise, when Cain brought the best of his crops unto the Lord, He rejected it. But Abel killed an innocent animal and offered up a blood sacrifice unto the Lord (which again pictured the precious Lamb of God, without spot nor blemish, Who took upon Himself the sins of the world at Calvary). God received Abel's offering. Nothing has changed 6,000 years later. Men are still bringing the best that they have to offer God, and God rejects it totally. Men today are still sewing together fig-leaves, going around in their fig-skirts trying to impress each other in their utter hypocrisy.
Believers Can Live Above Reproach, But
Never Sin
Biblically, you and I are dirty sinners. We will sin until the day we die, because the corrupt flesh is always with us. We ought not sin, nor does God give anyone permission to sin; but we sin nevertheless because we were born with a sinful nature. That's why we read in Proverbs 24:16, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” At best, a Christian can only try to live right each time they continue to fail (and you will fail continually). You're not a good Christian because you succeed at living right; but rather, because you keep trying to live right in spite of your failures. Those false prophets who claim that perfection is possible are blinded by their own self-righteousness and fail to recognize just how sinful they truly are. At any given time we can choose not to sin, but we won't always make the right choice because we are sinners.
To clarify, each believer is pure in God's eyes because of the imputed righteousness of Christ. When God sees me, He sees the blood of Jesus instead of my sins. That doesn't give anyone permission from God to commit sin, it simply means that our salvation is safe and secure in the Lord's hands. The very fact that Hebrews 12:6-8 teaches that God chastises and scourges His children is evidence that Christians do often commit sin and need discipline from God. 2nd Corinthians 5:9-11 teaches that believers will stand in judgment at The Judgment Seat Of Christ, to give account for the GOOD and the BAD. Every believer does good and bad things. The bottom line is that we are not saved by good works, nor are we lost by bad works.
I don't care how close you get to God, nor how much time you spend in your prayer closet, nor how many chapters of the Bible you read per day—as long as you are in this fleshly tabernacle you will have a raging struggle inside daily between the Spirit (the Spirit of Christ, Romans 8:9) and the flesh. Anyone is capable of anything under the right (or should I say, wrong) circumstances. The apostle Paul struggled with sin daily...
Romans 7:18-21, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.”
Romans 7:25, “I thank God through Jesus
Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but
with the flesh the law of sin.” Only a self-righteous hypocrite goes
around teaching that Christians can live above sin. Notice that I said
“sin,” not reproach. Christians can live above reproach by hiding their
sins, by no man (saved or unsaved) can live above sin. We all sin, every
day, whether in deed or in thought. Paul Washer teaches that there's no such
thing as a carnal Christian. We'll he'd better get his glasses checked or
else study the Bible a lot better, because 1st Corinthians 3:1 says,
“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as
unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.”
The believers at the church at Corinth were carnal.
Salvation Is Based Solely Upon The Promise And Mercy Of God
The Word of God teaches Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That's a conditional promise from God, and the only condition is that you call upon the name of the Lord. John 1:12-13, “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: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” You cannot show me one Scripture which warns that salvation is not guaranteed unless verified by progressive sanctification by hard work.
Dr. Morey plainly states elsewhere in the video that works are not to be mixed with faith; yet that is exactly what he is doing by saying that justification is invalid without sanctification. The Bible says in Romans 3:28, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” Clearly Dr. Morey is teaching heresy. There are no conditions of salvation except to believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:15; Acts 10:43). Jesus died, He was buried and then He was resurrected three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). That's the gospel!
Dr. Morey mentions some of the apostle John's writings concerning assurance of salvation. We read in 1st John 5:13, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” Carefully notice that the apostle John is writing to Christians who already “believe on the name of the Son of God.” The Bible is giving us evidences (tests) to determine whether or not we've truly been born-again. I believe that Dr. Morey is sincere and that this was his intended goal, that is, to address the fact that not everyone who claims to be a Christians is genuinely saved. Many are not. In fact, most people who profess Christ are not saved, because they've either added or subtracted from the gospel.
Where Dr. Morey goes horribly astray is that he denies the assurance that is secured in Christ's righteousness at the time of justification. Since assurance of salvation is not possible according to Dr. Morey without the time-laden process of “progressive sanctification,” then neither can salvation be possible. Morey would deny that, but how can salvation be possible if there's no assurance? Morey is teaching a works-based plan of salvation (and like all false prophets he still errantly claims to believe in salvation by grace through faith).
Here is what the satanic Jehovah's Witnesses teach at their official Watchtower.org website (where their monthly AWAKE magazine is published)...
"Salvation is a free gift from God. It cannot be earned. Yet it does require effort on our part."
SOURCE: What Must We Do to Be Saved? - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
What a major contradiction!!! How can salvation not be earned, but it requires effort? Most Christians are not aware that JW's teach salvation is a free gift, but they are deceitful and in reality require self effort instead. They are liars! It tricks people's minds because once you hear that salvation is a gift, it takes your mind off guard. One of the traits of human psychology is that people tend to think about the first statement made to them, and then everything else is secondary.
Now Robert Morey doesn't teach that effort is required on our part to be saved; but he does teach that our justification is not genuine unless there is sanctification to back it up (and that, he says, requires hard work and time to become holy). In essence, Morey and the Jehovah Witnesses are teaching the same thing, that is, that there can be no salvation without human effort. Dr. Morey says that we're saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone; but then he horribly perverts the gospel by placing a qualifier on it, saying that without sanctification that our faith means nothing and is invalid. So in other words, you can't truly know your saved unless you strive with God's help to become holy.
Biblical salvation is best illustrated by a simple gift. You simply receive it. That's it! Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Proponents of the Lordship Salvation heresy are trying to force people to life righteously as part of being saved. Instead they should leave the gospel alone and let God do His job.
In Morey's corrupt plan of salvation, he mandates sanctification as a requirement for salvation, claiming that no believer has any assurance of salvation until they've achieved sanctification. So how can a person be saved by God's grace (unmerited favor) if they are required to work hard to be progressively sanctified in order to obtain the assurance that they are genuinely saved? It's 100% Lordship Salvation garbage!!! It's heresy, a lie of the Devil and a false gospel. Morey is teaching works-salvation, although very subtly I'll give him credit.
Morey's teachings are like someone falling overboard from a ship at sea. So you toss them a life-preserver, but then that person has to work hard to swim back to the ship to be saved. That's NOT what Biblical salvation is. In Biblical salvation, God saves you completely and there's nothing you can do to help out. A gift is free, no strings attached.
Biblically, whosever believes the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ has immediate assurance (based upon the promise of God) that they have eternal life, and are permanently God's child, and forever forgiven in Christ. The notion that assurance is only possible by hard work and progressive sanctification is a backdoor approach to Lordship Salvation.
- Roman Catholics require works and faith to get to Heaven.
- Lordship Salvationists require faith evidenced by works to get to Heaven.
- The Bible teaches that only faith is required to get to Heaven, because eternal life is a free gift.
1st John Lists Evidences, Not
Requirements, Of The Believer's Salvation
Dr. Morey attempts to use 1st John to prove his false teachings. Biblically, a believer can have the blessed assurance of eternal life immediately at the time of salvation. However, Morey says no, but that a believer's assurance cannot be obtained until a person works hard to achieve holiness in their life. Morey errantly uses the Epistle of 1st John to support his theory.
It is very important that you understand that the apostle John penned the Epistle of 1st John (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) as a series of tests to determine whether or not you are genuinely saved as a professed Christian; but 1st John was NOT written as a bunch of requirements to obey in order to be saved. Nor was 1st John written as a means of obtaining the assurance of your salvation. YOU ALREADY HAVE ASSURANCE BASED UPON THE PROMISES OF GOD. 1st John is simply giving us some tests to determine if we are truly saved. If you are saved, then you've had God's 100% assurance of salvation from the very beginning, because He promised to save them that believe. John 10:28, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” All State Insurance asks in their commercials, “Are you in good hands?” My friend, you'll never be in better hands than the hands of the Lord.
If you hate your brother, live in gross immorality or love the world, then you need to reexamine your faith and make sure that you are saved. That's all that 1st John is saying. Please understand that the Bible is not teaching works salvation. You don't have to stop loving the world to be saved; but if you do get saved, then there should be some changes in your life at some point. However, just because those changes may not be evident outwardly DOESN'T mean that a person is not saved. If all we had to go on about Lot was the information contained in the Old Testament, NO ONE would ever think for a second that Lot was saved. But we know that Lot was a Christian from reading 2nd Peter 2:6-7...
2nd Peter 2:6-7, “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.”
NO ONE knew that Lot was saved from his sinful lifestyle while living in Sodom. Yet, we learn that Lot was different on the inside, possessing a righteous heart. You CANNOT know if a person is saved outwardly. As Dr. Curtis Hutson often says... You can't tell how much gas is in a car's tank by the sound of the horn. I cannot look at you and determine whether you are saved or not, apart from the direct testimony from your mouth concerning Jesus Christ. The Epistle of 1st John addresses the change that should take place in a believer. The heart is desperately wicked and cannot be reformed (Jeremiah 17:9).
Please understand that becoming a born-again believer DOESN'T change the old sinful nature; but rather, it is the addition of a whole new nature, that is, the Spirit of Christ in you. The moment that we get saved God's Holy Spirit comes to live inside (indwell) our body (1st Corinthians 3:16-17). From that day forward the two natures will struggle (the sin nature against the Holy Spirit and vise versa). We have a choice of whom we yield to. We can walk in the Spirit, or we can walk in the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof (Galatians 5:16).
One of my favorite Scriptures is Galatians 5:25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Here the Bible differentiates between living verses walking in the Spirit. Every born-again believers “lives” in the Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit lives in our body. Thus, the Bible teaches that we should also yield to the Holy Spirit, that is, “walk” in the Spirit. This is a wonderful truth. Every believer lives in the Spirit, but few walk in the Spirit as we ought. We walk in the Spirit by abiding in the Scriptures and having the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:4-5).
We live right because we ARE saved, not to BE saved. You can have the blessed assurance of eternal life the moment that you believe the gospel. The Holy Spirit lives within you now and will NEVER leave. Whether a believer walks in that Spirit has nothing to do with the assurance of salvation. Many believers fail to live a consecrated life because they have never been mentored and taught. Dr. Morey is wrong to condition justification on the basis of working hard to attain progressive sanctification. According to Dr. Morey, if you don't work very hard at sanctification, then your justification is invalid. That's a works-based plan of salvation, pending post-qualification by works. Morey is subtle, but his teachings are clear.
Robert Morey claims that the believer's assurance is completely separate from justification, but that's impossible. If our justification doesn't give us the assurance of salvation unless we move onto sanctification and holiness, then how can they be separate? Justification is useless without assurance! Morey is wrong, wrong, wrong! The truth is that every born-again believer is assured of eternal life the moment they are saved. Assurance is based on God's promises and nothing else. Eternal life is a free gift, a promise from God to those who believe on the Son of God (John 1:12-13).
God commands us to walk in the Spirit, so that we will not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. At any given time we can choose to walk in the Spirit, but we won't always make the right choice because we are sinful by nature. Being a Christian doesn't erase nor remove the old sin nature. We now have Christ's nature (Christ Himself) living within us, but the old nature is still there. We must be on-guard all the time against the flesh.
1st John is simply saying that if you claim to be a Christian, but there is no Holy Spirit working in your heart, then it is because you never truly had Christ's Spirit to begin with and made a false profession. This is what Dr. Morey is trying to teach, but he corrupts the gospel by separating the believer's assurance of salvation from being justified at the time of salvation. Dr. Morey errantly bases the believer's assurance on a changed life (which he understands to be sanctification); whereas the Word of God bases the believer's assurance solely upon the PROMISES of God concerning salvation. I KNOW I am saved because God PROMISED to save whosoever believes the gospel (Christ's death, burial and resurrection). That is my hope for Heaven. I know I am saved by faith in Christ Jesus, because of the precious blood that He shed to wash away my sins. The presence of the Holy Spirit is proof that I am saved. That's what 1st John is really testing, that is, do you have the Holy Spirit of God in you? Romans 8:9 says that no man is saved who doesn't have Christ's Spirit.
There's a big difference between what Dr. Morey is teaching and what the Bible teaches. Dr. Morey teaches that you cannot have the assurance of salvation unless you do all these things in 1st John (i.e., work hard at progressive sanctification); but the Bible doesn't say that. The believer's assurance of salvation has nothing to do with 1st John. 1st John is giving us some ways of determining if we have the Holy Spirit working in us. The Bible simply teaches that if you hate your brother, live in gross immorality or don't posses the unconditional love of God, then you need to reexamine your faith to make sure that you're genuinely born-again, because something is wrong.
But reexamining one's faith has absolutely nothing to do with the assurance of salvation. Our assurance as believers is based 100% solely upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. We are saved by Christ's righteousness (and not by our own self-righteousness.) I know I am saved because God PROMISED to save those who believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:3-31; Acts 10:43; Acts 4:10-12). Titus 3:5, “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.”
Determining whether you are saved or not has
absolutely nothing to do with God's assurance of eternal security to you if
you are truly saved. That's the big difference. Morey confuses the two and
takes away the eternal security of the believer. In Morey's corrupt
theology, you have to prove sincerity in order to be saved.
1st Corinthians 5:1-5 Prove Dr. Morey's Theology False
You cannot take one or two passages to form a doctrine. You must look at ALL the Bible. If one Scripture contradicts your teaching, then you know that you have the wrong interpretation. in 1st Corinthians 5:1-5 we learn about the man in the church at Corinth who was living in open adultery with his father's wife (step mother). The apostle Paul rebukes the church and advises them to confront the man to shape up or ship out. Please note that this has nothing to do with the man's salvation. This is a saved man.
In verse 5 Paul says that if the man doesn't repent, then “deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1st Corinthians 5:5). Notice that the man's spirit is saved in the day of the Lord. This is a saved man, who is backslidden in sin. Fortunately the man did repent (2nd Corinthians 2:5-8), but we never hear again about the woman. The Bible says that many people inflicted the man because of his sin. 2nd Corinthians 2:6, “Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.” People can be cruel. Paul warns that the man may commit suicide in overwhelming grief if the Church doesn't forgive him and reassure their love for him (2nd Corinthians 2:7-8). We sure could use a lot more forgiveness and love in our churches today. Dr. Hyles often said that the Christian army is the only army in the world that slays its wounded.
This passage of Scripture evidences that even the most backslidden of saints and vilest of sinners can still be saved. According to Morey's corrupt philosophies, this man is lost because he never worked hard to be progressively sanctified. In sharp contrast, as plainly seen, this man did indeed have 100% assurance that he was saved. Paul never even hinted that the man living in unrepentant adultery wasn't saved.
Also notice carefully that it was the preaching against sin that caused this man to repent. If our preachers would preach against sin from the pulpit as they're supposed to (and get rid of pulpit committees which forbid preaching against sin), then people would live a whole lot better than they do. You'll never hear Joel Osteen preach against sin to his 70,000 weekly congregation, so they live in sin. It's the preachers job to set the standard in the Church, and that standard is the inspired Word of God. When I visit a church and I see the women all wearing pants, I know that the pastor is not doing his job. The preaching from the pulpit literally shapes and molds the character of the church. You show me a carnal church and I'll show you a carnal pastor. The holiness of the pastor's walk with God determines the holiness of his congregation's walk with God. That's why our churches are so messed up—we've got a bunch of milquetoast sissy-britches ministers who preach from the latest New York Times Best-Seller, instead of leather-lunged men of God who search the Scriptures and preach the truth uncompromisingly with conviction.
When Paul rebuked the pastor of the church at
Corinth and he started preaching against sin, the church straightened up.
Those folks just needed some godly leadership. There's nothing that couldn't
remedy America's churches if men of God would simply take charge and lead by
example from the Word of God. The reason why we've got so much bickering,
fighting and throat-slashing is because preachers don't preach against the
sins of gossip, slander and bickering from the pulpit. Most preachers are
too busy bickering and feuding amongst themselves to be of any good to their
congregations. And God deliver us from the boring, monotone, dead
sermonettes that even bore the dead. God give us some men who walk with God
and are excited about the truth, who jump and holler from the pulpit and
have something to say!!! Billy Sunday used to throw things while preaching,
climb up on the pulpit, run around, shout and holler... so no one could fall
asleep if they tried. God give us some Billy Sundays!!!
Dr. Morey Corrupts Matthew 7:22-23
Like Ray Comfort, Robert Morey misinterprets Matthew 7:22-23...
Matthew 7:22-23, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
As quoted earlier, Dr. Morey states...
"So the old issue: Do we accept anyone as a fellow Christian who says 'Lord, Lord' and all of them going to Heaven? Jesus clearly said that many of them are not going to make it to Heaven. They will not enter the Kingdom. That's what He said. He said, 'Do you want to know who are the saved ones? They're the one's who revealed in their lives that their salvation led to sanctification. Justification, sanctification are linked. When someone's justified they are going to be progressively sanctified."
Dr. Morey totally misinterprets the meaning of Matthew 7:22-23. Like Ray Comfort, Morey leaves off verse 21 which explains the context. There's the text and the context. Comfort and Morey are lifting the text out of the context, which is how they teach false doctrine. To correctly interpret the Bible we must always interpret the text within the context. Here's Matthew 7:21...
Matthew 7:22-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
If these men would diligently study the Bible, then they would rightly divide the Word of truth...
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.”
So God's will is that we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Morey and Comfort teach that the religious false prophets in Matthew 7:22-23 weren't saved because they lacked personal holiness. That's simply not true. The reason why those religious people weren't saved is because they had failed to believe on the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Dr. Morey states in the same video at an earlier time...
“Works play a role in the assurance of salvation.”
Dr. Morey is confused. Works DOES NOT play a role in the believer's assurance of salvation. Works may play a role in helping to determine if you have the Holy Spirit living within you and you were saved to begin with, but that is NOT assurance. If you are living in open sin and are not being convicted and chastised by God, then Hebrews 12:6-8 says you are a bastard (that's the word the Bible uses), an illegitimate child, not saved. God spanks His children when they disobey Him.
Albeit, this is NOT assurance of salvation. Assurance is based upon God's faithfulness and not ours. If you believe (rely for forgiveness) that Christ died and rose from the dead for your sins, you are saved. Your assurance is the promises of God (Titus 1:2). You don't have to cease from your sins to be saved, but if you continue in sin and God does not chastise you concerning your sins, then you didn't really get saved according to Hebrews 12:6-8. You may choose not to give up particular sins, as Lot chose not to, but God will convict you day and night about your sins if you are truly His child.
I don't believe that anyone can get saved and continue in gross immorality, and never have any conviction whatsoever from God's Holy Spirit Who dwells within you. It is simply not possible. If God's Holy Spirit lives within your body as a Christian, then He will convict you about your sins continually. You may not heed His voice, but you will hear His voice!
Granted, even a believer's heart can wax cold and become hardened, committing even the worst of sins. This does not mean that they were never saved, nor does it mean that they're in jeopardy of losing their salvation. If saved, always saved!!! It simply means that we are all sinners. The Bible teaches that all people have a skeleton closet of dark secrets. Some people's sins are known beforehand. Some go to prison or are punished and suffer reproach, such as a pastor who goes into adultery and forfeits all. But other people are just as sinful, they've just never been caught. 1st Timothy 5:24, “Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.”
No one on Judgment Day will be able to boast of their own goodness, nor maintain a critical view of other sinners whom they perceive to be worse sinners than them self. God knows each person's life in every tiny detail, even our thoughts (Proverbs 24:12). All men are wicked sinners. No one has a right to judge (James 4:12; 5:9; Matthew 7:2-5; Romans 14:10-12).
Beware Of Dr. Robert Morey's False
Teachings
Dr. Morey calls the sinner's prayer...
“Mass evangelism hysteria”
According to Dr. Morey Pentecost would have been considered mass evangelism hysteria. Morey's example of the woman offering Life-savers candy to children to get saved is obviously extreme. Although I am confident that such idiotic extremes exist, it is clearly NOT the norm in fundamental Baptist churches where the gospel is preached and multitudes of lost sinners come to Jesus Christ through a sinner's prayer. I suppose Dr. Morey would also criticize the 3,000 people who were added to the Church at Pentecost when Peter preached. Acts 2:41, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
Religious dead beats can't build a hotdog stand nor preach their way out of a paperbag, so they condemn and criticize the men of God who are getting the job done. Look at all the critics of the simple plan of salvation and most of them have never built a chicken-coup. All they can do is tear down and criticize those believers who are getting the job done for the Lord. The Bible says that 3,000 souls were added to the Church at Pentecost. That's the power of the gospel (Romans 1:16).
So there you have it, Dr. Morey is just another false prophet who corrupts the simplicity that is in Christ. The believer's assurance of salvation is not based upon works as Morey plainly teaches; but rather, upon the promises of God to those who receive Christ's death, burial and resurrection as payment for their sins.
