"Thus, "accepting Christ" involves far more than just accepting the blessings that Jesus' superlative sacrifice offers. Obedience is required. ... So we must do more than simply hear and believe."
SOURCE: What Must We Do to Be Saved? - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
Psalms 102:25, “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.”
In 1989
Dr. Kent Hovind started Creation Science Evangelism (CSE)
ministry. I greatly admire Dr. Kent Hovind as a man who stands for his
convictions. My heart goes out to Dr. Hovind and his entire family. They've
been through so much, especially over the past several years. Satan is
trying to destroy all of God's children.
I admire Dr. Kent Hovind for his tireless work over the decades to straighten
out all the messed-up kids and adults today alike, who've been fascist-style
Nazi-indoctrinated with the lies of
Devilution.
Albeit, my first allegiance, love and loyalty is to Jesus Christ and the inspired King James Bible. I have little patience with heresy and the neo-evangelical garbage of John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer, Kirk Cameron and others who sinfully teach that a person MUST try really hard to stop sinning (or determine to do so) in order to receive the free gift of eternal life by God's grace. Salvation is by grace through faith PLUS NOTHING! I'm tired of religious people saying they believe that, but then require people to make changes to be saved. In this article I will make my heart's appeal to all who are curious and interested and I pray you'll hear me out as a humble servant of my King, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Eric Hovind and Paul Taylor of Creation Science Evangelism (CSE) may not realize it, but they are in theological agreement with the demonic Jehovah's Witnesses cult. May I say, God makes the changes in a person's life! Our part is to believe the Gospel. Our part is to acknowledge our sinnership and trust the Savior for forgiveness. Salvation is without obligation on the part of the sinner. God is obligated to keep His promise to save those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no obligation in any way whatsoever upon the sinner to stop sinning, be willing to stop sinning, forsake the world, nor change anything in order to be saved! Eternal life is received, not achieved. Change is a result of genuine repentance, and not a prerequisite to be saved.
I greatly admire the Hovind family and have prayed for
Kent often during his tribulations for the Lord. I pray for the Lord's will
to be done in Brother Hovind's life. That is also my prayer for all my web visitors,
and my own. I always pray for
God's will, not my will. God sees what we don't see. He knows all. I
continually pray for God to work in the hearts and lives of my web visitors.
It's God's ministry, not mine. Nothing matters if it's not bathed in prayer.
God resists the proud, but giveth grace to the humble (James 4:6). I need
God in everything I do. I can't do it alone. I need thee every hour.
CSE's False Gospel
Having said that, I was saddened, hurt and angered this week (June 20, 2012) when I found the following heresy at the Creation Science Evangelism (CSE) website. I've promoted their ministry for a long time and I feel betrayed when I see stuff like this...
“How can you be saved?
First, you must recognize the truth of what I have written above — that you are a sinner, who deserves hell and who needs and wants a Savior.
Second, repent of your sin. This means that you must turn completely away from your sin. It is more than just saying sorry; it is a complete change of direction as you endeavor, by God’s power, to go His way, instead of the way of sin.
Third, you must trust in Jesus completely. You see, He took the punishment for your sins on the cross. He is the only person who never sinned — yet God the Father punished His Son in your place and in my place, if we will accept Him. So put your complete trust in Jesus. Pray to Him (this is like talking to Him) and ask Him to forgive you. He always and immediately forgives those who genuinely call on Him in this way.” [emphasis added]
The Bible doesn't anything about being sorry for one's sins to be saved. Some people are, but is it required? We must be careful not to ADD to the Gospel, nor SUBTRACT from it. CSE says not only is being sorry for sins not enough, but the sinner must also make a complete turn about in his or her life—they must ENDEAVOUR!!! That's the word CSE uses. My intent is not to criticize CSE, but to defend the simplicity that is in Christ. It's not just CSE... Lordship Salvation is becoming the rot of dead churches everywhere. Evangelist Lester Roloff beautifully put it this way... “Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not live like that anymore.” This is very different than requiring a person to endeavor to BE SAVED. No Sir, you don't have to endeavor to be saved. Jesus bore our burden of sin upon Calvary's cross so that we wouldn't have to spend eternity in the fires of Hell.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines endeavour as “to attempt (as the fulfillment of an obligation) by exertion of effort.” Is this the Gospel? Does God require a person out of OBLIGATION to attempt and put forth effort to stop committing sinful bad habits? I mean, according to this corrupted teaching by Eric Hovind and CSE, a person would have to try really hard to stop going to the gambling casino, race track, strip-joint or whore house to be saved.
Check this out... CSE's interpretation of REPENTANCE is in 100% agreement with the Mormon cult's understanding of repentance...
"To repent we need to recognize and feel sorry for what we’ve done wrong, do whatever is possible to repair the damage it may have caused, and to leave our sinful behavior behind. Repentance can be difficult and requires a lot of honesty, but the joy and freedom we feel when we turn away from our sins are well worth the effort. Because Christ suffered for our sins, we can be forgiven when we repent. That’s why the Atonement is so important to all of us."
SOURCE: Jesus Christ | Mormon.org
I have absolutely nothing personal against Eric Hovind, God knows my heart. I like the Hovind family from everything I've read and learned. I'm like a pit-bull on the internet, standing guard against heresy. My bark is louder than my bite. Actually, I don't bite at all; but I can bark quite loud sometimes and amen to that! Someone needs to take a stand! I have to be careful who and what I bark at, which can sometimes be difficult, but I pray for God to guide my heart. I am barking here in this article against this blatant false teaching concerning salvation.
Look for yourself and you'll learn, that CSE has aligned themselves with Mormon theology. Let's get back to the Bible folks! “Repentance” in the Greek in Mark 1:15 is metanoeo, which I'm going to cover in detail in a moment. It simply means “a change of mind,” no more.
One of my personal heroes is Harry
Ironside (old ironsides they called him). Listen to how eloquently
this wise man who never stepped foot into a seminary, explains the
simplicity of the Gospel...
Jehovah's Witnesses And 'Creation Science Evangelism' Agree
Here is what the satanic Jehovah's Witnesses teach at the Watchtower.org website...
"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?
Now read and see that Eric Hovind and Paul Taylor teach at 'Creation Science Evangelism' (CSE), which is the same exact heresy...
“How can you be saved?
First, you must recognize the truth of what I have written above — that you are a sinner, who deserves hell and who needs and wants a Savior.
Second, repent of your sin. This means that you must turn completely away from your sin. It is more than just saying sorry; it is a complete change of direction as you endeavor, by God’s power, to go His way, instead of the way of sin.
Third, you must trust in Jesus completely. You see, He took the punishment for your sins on the cross. He is the only person who never sinned — yet God the Father punished His Son in your place and in my place, if we will accept Him. So put your complete trust in Jesus. Pray to Him (this is like talking to Him) and ask Him to forgive you. He always and immediately forgives those who genuinely call on Him in this way.” [emphasis added]
Here again, the Jehovah's Witnesses are teaching the same exact false understanding of repentance as CSE...
The message is clearly that admission of sinnership and faith in Christ is NOT enough to save a person; but that there must also be some amount of personal effort to depart from iniquity and ENDEAVOR to go God's way instead of the way of sin. That my friend is 100% self-righteousness!!! The Jehovah's Witnesses teach at Watchtower.org that eternal life is a free gift, and that it cannot be earned; but then they turn right around and also teach that some amount of effort is required ON OUR PART.
That's exactly what the Creation Science Evangelism team is teaching as well, that is, that admission of being a sinner and believing the Gospel is NOT enough to get saved... there must also be “A COMPLETE CHANGE OF DIRECTION AS YOU ENDEAVOR.” Oh, that our churches and ministries who profess the name of Christ would wake up to what's going on in the world today. Satan with all his corrupt Bibles and corrupt Bibles teachers (like heretics Ray Comfort and Paul Washer) are redefining what it means to have “faith,” what it means to “repent” and what term “Lord” means in relation to salvation. By wrongly redefining terms, they are preaching ANOTHER GOSPEL that cannot save, for it is a false plan of salvation based in personal effort instead of the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
Any plan of salvation that places the burden of sin upon the sinner, instead of completely upon Christ is a false Gospel. Anyone who teaches that salvation is a free gift, but some amount of personal effort is required is a liar. Paul Washer, Rap Comfort, John MacArthur, Paul Taylor, Pat Robertson, Benny Hinn, Eric Hovind, Max Lucado, Joel Osteen, Moody Bible Institute (and the list is growing larger quickly)... all teach that faith in Christ is not enough to save; but that some amount of personal effort is required (which they wrongly understand to mean repentance).
The only object of repentance is to believe the Gospel (Mark 1:15, “repent ye, and believe the gospel”). A sinner repents of unbelief, which compels them to believe the Gospel. That's all that repentance means, that is, a change of mind.
False prophets turn salvation into two steps. They require repentance as man's part (to stop living in sin); and then they say to place faith in Christ (which is God's part). That's not what the Bible teaches. Salvation is one step of believing the Gospel. Repentance is part of the same act of believing. That is, one who has repented has believed, and one who has believed has repented. Repentance without believing is turning over a new leaf or amending one's ways, but it is not Biblical salvation.
Judas repented (Matthew 27:3), throwing the 30
pieces of silver onto the ground, but he wasn't saved because he didn't
believe the Gospel. The word “repented” concerning Judas is an entirely
different Greek word, which means “to have remorse afterwards.” That is
quite different from “a change of mind,” which is the Biblical definition of
repentance concerning salvation.
Pastor Harry Ironside (1876-1951) Has it Correct
Please read the following excellent explanation of the Gospel by former Moody Memorial Church pastor, Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951)...
“The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past …
Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.”
SOURCE: Dr. Harry A. Ironside, from the sermon: What Is The Gospel?
Clearly, Ironside correctly taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel. Amen! Don't mess with the Gospel. Just believe it!
Charles Spurgeon required sinners to renounce every sin, which simply means not to hold back on any sin. Not one! We must confess to God every sin and acknowledge that we are as guilty as He says in His holy Word (Romans 3:19). Lordship Salvationists have it all backwards. They mandate change as a requirement for salvation; but a changed life is the FRUIT of genuine repentance unto salvation, and not a part of the ROOT of saving-faith.
CSE requires... “A complete change of direction as you endeavor?” This is a false plan of salvation. The only direction that a person needs to go to be saved is the cross of Calvary. Why do so many people pervert the Gospel message? Just leave it alone unless you truly understand it. Christ died, was buried and rose again. If that's your hope for \Heaven then you're saved. Kent Hovind is So close to accurate. I watched a handful of videos and he did a great job presenting the Gospel, then He sounded like an entirely different persons HERE (teaching Lordship Salvation).
If they ever correct their beliefs
concerning salvation at CSE, then I'll gladly promote them and count
them friends in the work of the Lord. Right now I feel like they're
working against me as I'm trying to preach the integrity of the
Gospel. We mustn't add nor subtract from it, and if I do, or you do,
or anyone else does, let him be accursed as Galatians 1:7,9
warns!!! Let's not pervert the Gospel as Ray Comfort and John
MacArthur blatantly and arrogantly do. I'll gladly be considered the
villain for doing a hero's dirty work. Someone's got to be on the
firing line for God. Here am I Lord, send me!!!
Kent Hovind's Disturbing False Gospel
Beware of anyone who associates with the Ray Comfort Crowd (who idolize and sell John MacArthur's books on their websites). Sadly, Dr. Kent Hovind also teaches a false view of repentance. In the video, Dr. Hovind errantly says...
“God's looking for a change in your attitude where you say, “Lord I don't want to do wrong anymore. I'm sorry. I've offended you. I want to do right.” And you turn from sin, and you turn to God, and you say, “Will you please forgive me.”
SOURCE: Kent Hovind Says You Must "Repent of Your Sins" to be Saved - YouTube
Ladies and gentleman, that is NOT the Gospel taught in the Scriptures. Do you have to change your attitude to be saved? Repentance is changing your mind so you'll believe the Gospel (Mark 1:15); not changing your mind so you'll stop living in sin. You depart from sin because you are saved, not to get saved. It is a big deal, because people are going to Hell.
Where does the Bible say that we have to desire not to do wrong any more? Kent Hovind admits that he refused to receive Christ for salvation the first couple times he was approached by a soul-winner. He was honest and said, I know that God will expect changes when I get saved and I'm not ready for that. I've had unsaved people tell me the same thing, that is, that they aren't ready to get saved because they're living in sin. I commend them for being honest, but Hell awaits them.
Men are saved by believing the Gospel, not by changing their attitudes. True repentance is the change of attitude that causes a man to believe the Gospel; not a change of attitude that causes man to to amend one's ways, forsake the world and cease from sinful bad habits. A sure sign of Lordship Salvation is when a false prophet says that being sorry for one's sins is not enough to be saved, but that there must also be a desire to cease from personal sins as well.
The truth is that neither are required to be saved. No where in the Scriptures are we told that a person must be sorry and feel remorse (penance) for their sins to be saved. That is Roman Catholic false doctrine. Romans 3:19 says that God's Law was given that all the world might become “guilty before God.” A person need only acknowledge their guilt of sin and believe the Gospel to be forgiven and saved eternally.
It's really tragic... R.B. Thieme Jr. mentors John MacArthur, then John MacArthur mentors Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron and thousands of his followers, then Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron infect ministries like CSE, Moody Bible Institute, et cetera. Moody publishes all of MacArthur's newer books, but McArthur thinks Jesus' literal blood soaked into the ground at Calvary's hill and stayed there. Hebrews 10:29 says that MacArthur is cursed for trodding underfoot the precious blood of Jesus as if it were a unholy (common) thing, like trash or an old tire, or a toilet plunger. Oh my friend, Jesus' precious and literal blood is tonight on the mercy seat (Hebrews 9:22,24) in the heavenly Holy Place (Hebrews 9:12).
Churches today are plagued with this type of neo-evangelical liberalism. First, if the Death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is not mentioned, then there absolutely can be no salvation, because the cross is the way of salvation. By definition, 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 tells us plainly that the Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord.
Biblical repentance unto salvation is “a change of mind” that compels a man to believe the Gospel (Mark 1:15); but to teach that a person must have a changed attitude—a desire to clean up their life of sin—is a false plan of salvation. Repentance pertains only toward believing the Gospel; NOT ceasing from a sinful lifestyle. It is a subtle difference, but the difference between free-grace verses self-righteousness.
In other words, the Gospel is the object of
true repentance; not ridding one's life of sin, which is what heretics like
Ray Comfort and John MacArthur teach. Mark 1:15 plainly teaches that the
Gospel is the object of repentance. Men repent and believe the Gospel. That
is salvation. Repentance and believing are not two separate steps to
salvation; but rather, repentance is a change of mind that prompts a man to
believe the Gospel. They are two parts of one step. The man who has repented
has believed, and the man who believes has repented. This is why the Gospel
of John mentions the word “believe” and “believed” 85-times, but the word
“repent” is never mentioned, not even once.
An Important Basic Lesson On The Greek Meaning Of 'Repentance'
Mark 1:15, “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
ONE WORD can start a war, end a war, turn the tide in a battle, and even restore lifelong friends who were previously separated by one word ill-spoken in gossip. Ah, yes the power of words.
What does the word “repent” mean here in Mark 1:15? The important word “repent” here is the Greek word metanoeo, meaning “to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider.” That's not my opinion. This is what the original Greek word means. Hence, it is upon realizing one's sinfulness and need for the Savior that a sinner places faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That's what repentance means. Repentance is a change of mind, not of lifestyle nor priorities. CreationToday.org is teaching a false gospel of self-righteousness. Like most false prophets, they maintain their belief in salvation by grace through faith in their official statement of faith; but then teach something totally different in their daily ministry.
The Gospel is so very simple that people miss it entirely. Most people don't think they need the Gospel. They don't think they're going to Hell. Others just don't care because they're either too young and having fun, or too old and growing cold. Most people think they can get to Heaven by their own merit and following a few church ceremonies like water baptism, confession, holy matrimony, last rights, et cetera. My friend, none of those things can help you get into heaven. Your sins are the issue. Your sins need to be forgiven and only the God-Man with the nail-scared hands and feet can save you.
Kindly, Jack Chick needs to learn that metanoeo in the Greek means “To think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider.” Then he'll stop being so blind and stubborn on the issue and edit his tracts a bit. Here's the WHOLE PROBLEM (and please listen carefully everyone)... Ready? ...
Whereas the Bible teaches that repentance is a change of mind which leads to believe the Gospel; Jack Chick teaches that repentance leads to turn away from sins.
Whatever has been hindering you from getting saved, repent (change your mind) about the matter, so you'll believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and get saved.
Jack Chick does the same thing. So also does Ray Comfort. So also does Paul Washer. They're all Making Salvation Hard. It is ashamed that so many professed Independent Baptists have fallen into the neo-evangelical falsehood of the Lordship Salvation heresy. I wish Eric and Kent Hovind would just go back to the plain ole Gospel.
Not only do they completely fail to mention the DEATH, BURIAL and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ (which is the Gospel according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4); but they also REQUIRE that a person completely change the direction of their life concerning sin to be saved. This is 100% Works Salvation!!! ...
Ezekiel
28:13-19, “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every
precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the
diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the
emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy
tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that
thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth;
and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God;
thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast
created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of
thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with
violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as
profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O
covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine
heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted
thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the
ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine
iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I
bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee,
and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of
all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the
people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and
never shalt thou be any more.”
In 1989 Dr. Kent Hovind started his ministry called
