Ephesians, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Pastor John Stephen Piper (born January 11, 1946) is an American Reformed
Baptist continuationist minister and author, who is the founder and leader
of DesiringGod.org, and also is the chancellor of 'Bethlehem College &
Seminary' in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Unfortunately, Dr. Piper teaches 'ANOTHER GOSPEL' of the Devil's Lordship Salvation [commonly known as “Calvinism,” because a man named John Calvin (1509-1564) popularized the idea of salvation by faith plus works in the 16th century].
I am going to prove to you, by quoting Dr. John Piper's own words below, that he is teaching a works based plan of salvation, which cannot produce the new birth in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Piper spoke to a large group of high school graduates in 2009, speaking on the topic: “REMEMBER THE RICH YOUNG MAN,” in which he made these statements (using Matthew 19:16-26 as his Scripture text)...
Life Through the Law?
He sought eternal life through works of the law
And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16)
He’s thinking the way to have eternal life is keeping the law. Jesus responds by directing him back to the law. “You want to go with the law? Let’s go with the law.”
He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.” (Matthew 19:18–19)
And then instead of finishing the list and adding all the others, he simply gave the one that sums them all up. He said,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
“There isn’t anything more important for you to have than eternal life because you could be killed tonight.” The ruler didn’t get it. He said in verse 20: “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Something’s troubling this guy, because he came asking, How can I have eternal life? Which one do I have to do to have eternal life? And now he says he has kept those. Now Jesus is done dealing with this list business and here’s where Jesus goes.
Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)
Now, the key command there is: “Follow me.” You want to be perfect? There is one way for sinners to be perfect. Follow me. I think the picture in Jesus’s mind that the ruler’s got his money in his hand. He got his money in his hand and he’s holding on extremely tight. But Jesus is supposed to be in this hand, as his supreme treasures. And Jesus says, “Okay, you want to be perfect? You got to follow me and in order to follow me, have me you have to drop that money. And where it falls is on the poor. Just don’t let it fall on the ground. Divest onto the poor. Now your hand is free. Take me. The young man would not let go of his dollar. [emphasis added]SOURCE: Pastor John Piper; graduation speech titled: 'Remember The Rich Young Man' June 2009
Kindly, Dr. Piper started off on the right track, realizing that the Rich Young Man was foolishly attempting to KEEP THE LAW to merit salvation. Pastor Piper got that much right, but then he goes horribly astray by making THE SAME MISTAKE as the young man! Dr. Piper errantly says that to be saved, the Rich Young Man needed to “DROP THAT MONEY” and “FOLLOW ME”! That is WORKS! Dr. Piper is preaching a FALSE GOSPEL!!! You don't achieve PERFECTION by following Christ! I can't believe that so many preachers get this Bible passage wrong!!! The only sensible conclusion is that these corrupt religious teachers (e.g., John MacArthur, Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Ray Comfort, Rick Warren, Beth Moore, Charles Stanley, Joel Osteen, Paul Washer) and John Piper, are not truly saved! No one is saved who is WRONG ON THE GOSPEL!!!
The Rich Young Man was indeed trying to earn his way to Heaven by KEEPING THE LAW. What saith the Scripture? Galatians 3:2-3, “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? ” There you have it folks—we are saved solely by the HEARING OF FAITH!!! When you hear (or read) 'THE GOSPEL' (the GOOD NEWS) of Christ crucified, buried and risen, you are immediately and forever saved the moment you BELIEVE (RELY UPON) IT!!! That is “THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST” (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4).
It is so simple to be saved, that even a small child like Timothy can be saved (2nd Timothy 3:15). The apostle Paul makes very clear in Galatians 3:2 that salvation is NOT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, but BY THE HEARING OF FAITH!!! Dr. Piper errantly says that we are saved by FOLLOWING JESUS! Someone is WRONG! My friend, BELIEVING THE GOOD NEWS is very different than FOLLOWING JESUS!!! John Piper is preaching 'ANOTHER GOSPEL,' which is accursed by God! Galatians 1:9, “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.” John Piper is cursed by God!!!
It gets much worse! Read for yourself what Pastor Piper foolishly says to these misguided students! ...
Salvation by Faith
You face a massive life choice. Most of you at this point have been governed in your lifestyle pretty much by your parents. Not entirely, but pretty much. And now probably pretty soon, you’re going to be calling all the shots. Jesus said when the man walked away, here’s what he said.
Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:23)
Why is it so hard to enter the kingdom of heaven or to enter life if you’re rich? Why is it so hard? I mean, isn’t salvation by faith? Salvation is by faith. Entering the kingdom is by faith, not divesting or having. Faith.
So, what’s the deal? Why can’t a rich man just do faith? And the reason is that faith is not just trusting Jesus as your Savior. How much rich people would love to paste a savior on their bank account and nothing changes. No lifestyle changes, no spending changes, no nothing. But I got a savior. Home free in my back pocket. Fire escape.
More Than a Savior
Who wouldn’t want that? That’s easy. Evidently that’s not what’s going on here because Jesus said it’s hard. And the reason it’s hard is because that’s not what faith is. Is it? No, it isn’t. Faith in Jesus is more than accepting him as Savior. ... [emphasis added]SOURCE: Pastor John Piper; graduation speech titled: 'Remember The Rich Young Man' June 2009
LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE!!! I say that kindly, but truthfully, on the authority of the Holy Scriptures! Dr. Piper says the reason why it was hard for the Rich Young Man to be saved, is because getting saved requires MORE THAN FAITH!!! What saith the Scripture? Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” A lot of people cherry-pick the Scriptures, only seeing what they want to see. By doing so, you can fabricate just about any doctrine you want! Pastor Piper perverts the true meaning of Christ's teaching on The Rich Young Ruler!
Dr. Piper started off right, teaching that the Rich Young Man was trying to KEEP THE LAW to be saved, but he goes horribly astray when he says the answer is to FOLLOW CHRIST. Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Again, there is no mention of following Christ; but rather, FAITH! John Piper perverts the Scriptures, wrestling them to his own destruction (2nd Peter 3:16-17). The Word of God says we are JUSTIFIED BY FAITH! The Rich Young Man didn't have to give up his money to be saved, he needed to realize that no one can be justified by keeping the law. That is why the apostle Paul said in Romans 2:13, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” Paul was NOT giving the Romans a plan of salvation,
I often tell people that the hardest part about getting somebody saved is to first get them lost. Salvation requires submitting to the grace of God. We read in Romans 10:3-4, “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” That's really what repentance and faith are, that is, submitting to God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ because you have judged yourself as being a guilty sinner.
“Faith in Jesus is more than accepting him as Savior.”
SOURCE: Pastor John Piper; graduation speech titled: 'Remember The Rich Young Man,' June 2009
What saith the Scripture? 1st Timothy 4:10-11, “For
therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living
God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially
of those that believe. These things command and teach.”
Does the Bible tell us to teach that Jesus is “MORE THAN A SAVIOR” (as
Mr. Piper errantly says)? No, the Bible instructs Christian believers to
“command and teach” that JESUS “IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MEN, SPECIALLY OF
THOSE THAT BELIEVE”!!! I didn't say that, God did! John Piper is a
theological liar, adding to the Gospel of free grace, misleading people to
think that they cannot be saved BY FAITH ALONE!!!
Pastor John Piper is a Wolf in Sheep's Clothing!
John
Piper butchers the passage from Matthew 19:16-26 about The Rich Young Ruler!
The Lord wasn't giving the young man a plan of salvation, He was using the
LAW as it was intended to be used—“Now we know that what things soever
the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may
be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the
deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight:
for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” By
pointing out his sin of covetousness, Jesus was showing the Rich Young Man
that he had failed to perfectly KEEP THE LAW, by which he was trying to
merit eternal life. Jesus was trying to GET HIM LOST, so that hopefully
later He could GET HIM SAVED!
In sharp contrast, John Piper heretically says that Jesus was giving him a different plan of salvation, which required dropping his money to follow Christ instead. That is THE SAME as trying to KEEP THE LAW to saved, which is a false gospel of damnation!!! John Piper sinfully teaches that faith isn't enough to be saved, but he says MORE IS REQUIRED!!! Dear friend, you cannot BE PERFECT by following Christ as Lord. Judas followed Christ, but look where that got him! Judas is burning in the fires of Hell forever. Matthew 27:3 even says Judas repented of his sins, but you don't get saved by repenting of your sins! You get saved by BELIEVING on the only begotten Son of God. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
