Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
My
question to you is, Are there two Gospels? That is, are there two plans of
salvation from God for man? The answer is a resounding, “NO!” Yet, there are
two very different Gospels being taught today in the churches across
America...
- LORDSHIP SALVATION — The false gospel of John MacArthur, Ray Comfort,
Kirk Cameron, Paul Washer, Jack Chick, Aiden Tozer, Rick Warren, James
Dobson, David Cloud, John Piper, Charles Lawson and others, which requires a person
to forsake (or be willing to forsake) their sinful behavior,
make amends, and change their ways, as a prerequisite to saving faith.
This false gospel confuses the FRUIT of the indwelling Holy Spirit with the ROOT of
saving-faith. The sinner is required to change their own life. Believing
is not enough, the sinner must commit to forsaking sinful behavior
to be saved. This is a false gospel of manmade repentance. In Lordship
Salvation, the sinner changes their own life, which is wrongly
understood to be repentance.
- THE GOSPEL — The Biblical Gospel teaches that sinners are saved solely by Christ's righteousness, and that no self-righteousness of any kind is required, nor permitted, because we have none to offer (Isaiah 64:6); neither does a person have to quit any sin to be saved. A changed life is the FRUIT of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; Galatians 2:20; 5:22-23), and not a part of the ROOT of saving-faith. We don't give up our sins to BE saved; but rather, we give up our sins because we ARE saved. Believing is enough to be saved! God makes the changes. Our part is simply to believe, God does the rest. Romans 4:5 teaches that a person's faith is COUNTED for righteousness! The “Gospel” defined in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 is that Christ DIED on the cross for our sins. He was BURIED. And then miraculously, after three days, Jesus physically RESURRECTED from the dead. This is “the Gospel” (i.e., Good News) by which sinners are born-again if we “BELIEVE.”
One's salvation is solely
based in Christ's righteousness and God's
PROMISES (Titus 1:2),
having absolutely nothing to do with a sinner's desire to cease from
committing sins. Lordship Salvationists place the cart before the horse. Romans 4:5-6 plainly teaches that
salvation is without works of self-righteousness, and that the ungodly are saved
by the
imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ
(2nd Corinthians 5:21).
Salvation is of the Lord.
A changed life is the FRUIT of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20;
5:22-23); and not a part of the
ROOT of saving faith (Romans 4:5-6). Abraham was saved in Genesis 15:6
when he believed upon the Lord; but Abraham's faith was demonstrated in
Genesis 22:10 when he offered up his son Isaac in obedience to God. A person gives up their sins because they ARE a
Christian, and not to BECOME a Christian. The changed life comes AFTER a
person is saved, as a person grows in the milk of the Word (1st Peter
2:2).
A lot of Christians have brushed the issue aside as a matter of semantics, but the difference between the two Gospels is day and night. One includes a certain degree of self-righteousness (human effort), which is a false gospel; but the other is solely based upon Christ's righteousness and God's PROMISE, which is by the precious literal, physical, blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ in Heaven (Hebrews 9:12, 24; 12:24; Revelation 1:5).
Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born-again. We're hearing a lot of talk these days from religious radio, religious books, and in the churches about: “inviting Christ into your life” and “starting a personal relationship with Jesus” and “becoming a Christ follower” and “receving Jesus as one's 'Lord'” and “surrendering all to Christ” and “turning away from your sins,” but NONE OF THESE are the Gospel!!! You can do every one of these things and yet never have been born-again at all, and still go straight to burn in the fires of Hell when you die.
My friend, Jesus warned, “YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN” (John 3:3-7; 1st Peter 1:23). We don't hear that term much these days from the neo-evangelical camp. And sadly, America's independent Baptist churches are not as “independent” as they claim. Even amongst independent Baptist, thousands are following reprobates like Dr. John MacArthur, Paul Washer and others whop have erred from the faith concerning the simplicity that is in Christ (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). To teach that a person must turn away from sinful activities to be saved is “ANOTHER GOSPEL.” That is not what “repentance” means in the Greek in the Bible. Repentance is simply a change of mind unto the Gospel itself. Please read, The Great Meaning of the Word “Metanoia”!
Salvation is not something that we do to get, it is a gift that we receive to have. Jesus doesn't forgive sin! That is correct. Jesus has already paid for everyone's sins with His blood. Thus, forgiveness of sins and eternal life are free gifts which we simply need to receive, by faith in Jesus Christ! Nor do you have to “ask” Jesus to save you, because God has already promised “TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE” (1st Corinthians 1:21). Beware of the Devil creeping heresy into the churches. There is only one Gospel, as defined in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4. Beware of Dr. James Dobson's nine extra steps to be saved! Beware of Evangelist Billy Graham's false Gospel. I am being your friend to tell you the truth. We are saved by “BELIEVING” the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nothing more!
