by David J. Stewart | March 2016
Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
Kindly, the Church of Christ is NOT a
genuine Christian organization. The reason is because they teach “ANOTHER
GOSPEL.” 2nd Corinthians 11:3-4, “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. For if
he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we
have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit,
which ye have not received, or another gospel,
which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
The Bible plainly teaches, as evidenced by our text Bible verse and hundreds like it, that we are saved by simply BELIEVING THE GOSPEL. If you understand that you are a guilty sinner in God's holy eyes for breaking His Law (Romans 3:19), and you BELIEVE the Gospel message when you hear it, YOU ARE IMMEDIATELY BORN-AGAIN!!! The Apostle Paul one wanted to know ONE THING from the professed Christians at the church at Galatia... HOW YOU GET SAVED? Paul asks them if they were saved by the works of the law, or by believing the Gospel when they heard it. It's that simple! Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15,18; 6:23). You cannot earn it, nor merit it. Salvation is received, not achieved. Salvation is a take proposition, not a give proposition.
A popular heresy (known as “Lordship Salvation”) these days circulating in various religious denominations is that eternal life is a free gift, but you don't really have it unless you're keeping the works of the law. So (according to Lordship Salvation) a man who professes faith in Jesus Christ, but continues living in adultery, is said to be a “false conversion” because he has never repented from his sins. Thus, effectively, the works of the law have been added to grace in this false plan of salvation. Everyone is teaching this satanic heresy; namely, John MacArthur, Kirk Cameron, Ray Comfort, Chip Ingram, Pacific Garden Mission's UNSHACKLED radio show, William Lane Craig, John Piper, John Hagee, Rick Warren, Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Joel Osteen, Paul Washer, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminar, Southern Baptist Convention, Moody Bible Institute and Churches of Christ!!!
Check out how much extra baggage the Church of Christ (COC) ADDS to the Gospel:
5. We believe that through the atonement of Christ all men may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel; viz. : Faith in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ; Repentance and Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; Laying on of Hands for: (a) Ordination; (b) Blessing of Children; (c) Confirmation and the Gift of the Holy Ghost; (d) Healing of the Sick.
SOURCE: Church of Christ - Basic Beliefs
“Viz.” is an abbreviation for “videlicet,” which means, “as follows.” Hence, the COC lists all their requirements to be saved. As you just read for yourself, they require water baptism and discipleship (obedience to laws and ordinances) to be saved. If you research the COC concept of repentance, they clearly interpret it to mean forsaking sinful behavior and surrendering to Christ's will. This is human effort, which produces religion, and not the new birth by faith alone in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You cannot show me even one Bible verse that says to “turn from sin” or “repent from sin” to be saved. The Bible word for “repent” is metanoia, which simply means “to think differently,” but everybody and their scholarly dog has butchered that definition to mean everything but what it means. For example: Look what Catholic.org does to the word repent:
But what does it mean to truly repent? The Greek word for repentance that is used in the Gospel is metanoia, which literally means "to change one's mind." This "change" of "mind" necessarily entails a profound interior conversion in which we firmly turn from worldly darkness, and embrace a new way of life as Christ's disciples. Thus repentance is not merely to know of Christ, nor is it a matter of picking and choosing—with an intellectual arrogance—some aspects of our Lord's teaching while coldly rejecting others; rather, it is a union of mind, heart and soul to the Person of Christ. To repent is to die to Christ, discarding our former way of life in favor of the Way, Truth, and Life that is Christ himself. [emphasis added]
The preceding quote is from the Catholic.org website. As with many false teachers on repentance, they begin by correctly defining “repent” (METANOIA) as “a change of mind,” but then they completely wrest (twist) it to mean something different. By the time Catholic.org gets done corrupting the word “repent,” they teach it to mean: to “firmly turn from worldly darkness, and embrace a new way of life as Christ's disciples” and to “die to Christ, discarding our former way of life in favor of the way, truth, and life that is Christ himself.” Whoa horsy!!! So you see, Roman Catholicism has highly and adversely influenced our evangelical churches today. John Calvin's teachings are virtually synonymous with Roman Catholicism's concerning repentance.
In sharp contrast, the holy Scriptures teach something VERY, VERY, DIFFERENT:
Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
The Bible gives us a much simpler meaning of salvation than the Roman Catholic church. In view of Galatians 3:2, repentance simply means to REPENT TO BELIEVE, that is, you change your mind to believe! Repentance is the acknowledgement that I am a guilty sinner in God's holy eyes for breaking His commandments. The Bible says that the PURPOSE of God's law is to show all men their sinful condition, so that “ALL THE WORLD MAY BECOME GUILTY BEFORE GOD” (Romans 3:19). Hence, to “repent” means to admit that I am a guilty sinner, which compels a man to BELIEVE the Gospel to be saved. Thus, we are saved by BELIEVING, not REPENTING AND BELIEVING!!!
Organized religion is of the Devil if you trust it to save you. The apostle Peter wasn't a devil, yet Jesus called him Satan when he thought like Satan. Matthew 16:23, “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” Anyone or anything that changes the Gospel is of the Devil. Galatians 1:7 warns that anyone, even an angel from Heaven, that corrupts the Gospel is CURSED!!!
We are plainly warned in the holy Scriptures about PERVERTS who pervert the Gospel:
Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
Religion is like the calm eye of a hurricane,
which offers a false sense of hope to the adherent.
The Wonderful Epistle of Galatians
I love the Pauline Epistle of Galatians, written by the apostle Paul to the church at Galatia, which is located in the central regions of the country Turkey today. If you grasp what God is teaching us in this passage of Scripture, it is a clear condemnation of the whole concept of the damnable heresy of “Lordship Salvation” (i.e., trying to perfect in the flesh what began in the Holy Spirit). In other words, a believer gets saved and indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God by BELIEVING THE GOSPEL; but some religious people have been bewitched by the Devil who attempt to perfect that salvation by keeping the works of the law:
Galatians 3:1-14, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
What God is saying in the preceding passage of Scripture is that if you try to be saved by keeping the law, then you must continue therein perfectly, and keep it 100% without fail. Since NO ONE can perfectly continue in the law of God, keeping it absolutely, there is a CURSE on anyone who is trying to keep the law to get to Heaven. Galatians 3:10b, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” But Christ has taken our curse upon Himself, for “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13b). Christ has been made a curse FOR US on Calvary's tree when He was crucified for our sins, redeeming us from the curse of the law. That is why Galatians chapter three is teaching. So the promise of the indwelling Spirit (capital “S,” as in, Holy Spirit) comes only by THE HEARING OF FAITH:
Hebrews 4:1-2, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”
If you hear the Gospel preached and you gladly receive it, believing what you hear, then you are forever and securely saved!!! Amen!
In Galatians chapter three the apostle Paul is
warning the professed believers at Galatia, who began by faith in the Gospel
to receive the indwelling Holy Spirit; but now they are getting caught up
into a local religious cult that requires keeping the law as part of being
saved. So Paul admonishes them that it is heresy to start in the Spirit by
faith, but then perfect that faith by the doing of works. Ladies and
gentlemen, this is 100% what is being taught in multitudes of apostate
churches and false religions today. This includes
Billy Graham and his
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. This includes
Chip
Ingram. This includes
Paul Washer, John MacArthur and Ray Comfort. As I have plainly shown you
in a preceding quote from Catholic.org, they also wrongly define repentance
as a change of behavior, which requires following Christ as a disciple.
Evangelist David Cloud is in good company with Roman Catholics on
repentance. On and on, I could continue to mention names of false prophets
who pervert the Gospel.
Beware of the Modern Counterfeit Bible Versions!
The satanic Church of Christ support and use the plethora of modern corrupt Bible versions, including the Easy-To-Read version (ERV). I also know Independent Baptist Churches who use this dangerous corruption of the Word of God. Look how they butcher Hebrews 6:1, as compared to the trustworthy King James Bible:
EASY-TO-READ VERSION (ERV) - Hebrews 6:1, “So we should be finished with the beginning lessons about Christ. We should not have to keep going back to where we started. We began our new life by turning away from the evil we did in the past and by believing in God.”
KING JAMES BIBLE (KJB) - Hebrews 6:1, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.”
May I say, repentance from “DEAD WORKS” does NOT mean “turning away from the evil we did in the past.” Folks, this is reformation! This is not part of the Gospel. I feel like the apostle Paul who said: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel” (Galatians 3:1). I truly marvel that so many pastors today, especially Independent Baptists (who have been blessed to have so many faithful men of God: Harry Ironside, Curtis Hutson, Jack Hyles and others to warn us), naively fall for the lie of the Devil that discipleship is required for salvation.
One of the main reasons for so much corruption in the churches today is the onslaught of new counterfeit Bible versions, which wrongly redefine “repent” to mean “turning from sin” and to “change your life” to be saved. Instead of the inspired Words of God changing men, men have changed the Words of God into a lie (Romans 1:25). I marvel that few pastors get upset over Satan tampering with the Holy Bible. I marvel that multitudes of Independent Baptist pastors support, use and preach a variation of Lordship Salvation from the new counterfeit Bible versions, lacking the spiritual discernment and guts to stand for THE TRUTH!!!
The Bible says repentance is from DEAD WORKS, that is, trying to keep the law to earn Heaven. If you look at the Textus Receptus Greek for the phrase “DEAD WORKS,” you will discover that “dead” is the Greek word nekros, which means exactly what it says, “dead.” The word “works” here in Hebrews 6:1 is the Greek word ergon, which means “to work, toil.” Clearly, there is no mention of forsaking a sinful lifestyle to be saved, which would constitute human effort necessary for salvation. This is not to say that we have God's permission to sin as Christians, God forbid (Romans 3:31; Hebrews 12:6-8; 2nd Corinthians 5:9-11).
Thus, Hebrews 6:1
in the King James Bible defines “repentance” for salvation as changing our mind from trying to do
Dead Works to get to Heaven, to trusting upon Christ's sacrifice
upon the
cross for our sins and His resurrection three days later. Literally, the Bible
is teaching us to change our mind from trusting in our own human effort,
to
trusting in God's righteousness through faith in Christ.
God Cannot Be Worshipped With Heresy, Lies And a False Gospel
How can churches help people develop a heart for God, if they don't themselves have a heart for THE TRUTH??? Are you worshipping God in vain? To be a TRUE WORSHIPPER, which God seeks to worship Him, you MUST worship God in THE TRUTH (John 4:24). This means you cannot use a corrupting satanic counterfeit Bible version, which trashes out the person of Jesus Christ, and teaches a false plan of salvation!!! This means you cannot study with a heretic like Dr. John MacArthur—who says children cannot be saved because salvation is an adult decision, and who teaches that Jesus' blood is not sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in Heaven, and who teaches that it is hard to be saved, and he says Jesus didn't die on the cross for all mankind, and is an admitted 5-point Calvinist, et cetera!!! I don't hate Mr. MacArthur, but he is a false prophet, and he is super popular in thousands of churches across America. Moody ministries in Chicago promote Dr. MacArthur and publish all his books. Why in God's holy name would any professed Christian promote such a doctrinally flawed man? MacArthur says to be saved it will cost you everything!!! That is ANOTHER GOSPEL!!!
This week I found Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) diva, Amy Grant, listed as a famous Church of Christ member. Miss Grant has openly shown support for her homosexual fans. Queer magazines have openly embraced Amy Grant as one of their heroes for siding with them against God. I cannot link to more articles, because homosexuals are so perverted that they have no morals, posting lewd and nude photos of women on their websites. We are surviving in a sick, perverted and untoward generation in 2016. Certainly, this is not “living” for a God-loving Christian. I want to go home to Heaven and leave this filthy world of sin. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!!! Sadly, Catholic.org gives praise to Amy Grant, who is so shallow and ecumenical in her fake Christian testimony that even hellbound unsaved religious people love her!!! Truly, hardly anyone is saved anymore!!! No wonder Jesus asked the rhetorical question in Luke 18:8 if He would find any faith when He returned? The answer is a resounding, “NO!” Luke 18:8, “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
Please understand that I don't write these articles to attack, upset or embarrass people; but rather TO HELP YOU IN THE LORD. I am a very beloved and hated Christian man. The wicked world hated Jesus too. John 15:18, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” It doesn't bother me that people hate me, because that means I am doing something right for God. Anytime you lift your head above the crowd, someone is going to hate and attack you, trying to bring you down. It's in our human nature. Both Amy Grant and Billy Graham have been honored by wicked Hollywood with a shameful star cemented on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. This is because they are both actors!!! Multimillionaire Evangelist Billy Graham is a big actor, a sinister minister of Satan; for even the Devil is transformed into an angel of light—a master actor (2nd Corinthians 11:13-15). The Devil's preachers look, talk and appear just as God's ministers of righteousness; but they are revealed as false prophets by their false words, associations, teachings, and the Bible versions they use (1st John 4:1; Galatians 1:6-9).
Romans 16:17-18, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
The Holy Bible is not only our final authority, it is also our ONLY authority. I hear many false prophets attempting to use the teachings of wayward preachers as a secondary authority to bolster up their strawman argument. Anyone who goes contrary to the Bible is a heretic. Even if we didn't consult the Greek meaning of the word repent in the Bible, the plain teachings of dozens of Scripture passages; such as, Galatians chapter three, teaches that we are saved simply by believing the hearing of the Gospel. The life we live has NOTHING to do with the gift of eternal life. If a preacher says that you cannot know for sure if a newly professed believer is saved, until time has proven whether or not they follow Christ in discipleship, he is a satanic false prophet!!! If you believe the Gospel, you are immediately saved, there is nothing else needed to validate your status as God's child.
Beware of the satanic Church of Christ! Beware of COC member Amy Grant, who has done her evil part to build an ecumenical bridge between the world and the evangelical churches. Beware of Balaam prophets for hire, Billy and Franklin Graham. Both of these men require discipleship for salvation. I wrote this article FOR YOU friend. How did you get saved? If your answer is anything other than simply BELIEVING THE GOSPEL as a guilty sinner, then you are not a born-again Christian...
Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
