Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
I love my ministry! I love contending for the Christian faith. Pastor Jack
Hyles (1926-2001) once said if you find something that you are
passionate about, then you know you've found the work God wants you to do.
By God's wondrous grace, for the past 18 years online since 2002, I have
proclaimed the purity of the inspired Word of God, proclaimed the accuracy
of the Gospel of free grace, and done all I can to help edify the saints,
evangelize the sinner, and exalt the Savior!
The greatest truth I could ever share with you dear friend, is that we are saved by God's imputed righteousness, and not our own! 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;” It's Not Your Righteousness, it's God's! ...
Romans 10:1-4, “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 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.”
Did you read that in Romans 10:3—GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! This is why we read in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” You need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, that is, GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS!!!
Oh, how I wish I could get everyone to understand this critical truth. Sinful human's tend to errantly think that the way to get to Heaven, is by turning away from BAD WORKS and doing GOOD WORKS, but that is not the way of salvation. What saith the Scripture? Titus 3:5a, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...” Jesus said that the harlots and the publicans go to Heaven before the religious chief priests and elders. I love the following passage of Scripture...
Matthew 21:28-32, “But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”
Carefully notice that Jesus didn't say they
“repented not afterward, that ye might turn from sin”; but rather, Jesus
said they “repented not afterward, that ye might BELIEVE HIM.” The
object of repentance (i.e., changing one's mind) is TO BELIEVE. Jesus said
the self-righteous religious crowd refused to repent to believe. If
you hear a pastor or preacher telling you to “turn away from your sinful
ways,” as a requirement to receive the free gift of eternal life, you know
he is a lying FALSE PROPHET!!! Forgiveness of sins and eternal life are a
free gift! You don't have to give up anything to receive A GIFT! If you have
to modify your behavior to obtain a gift, then it cannot truly be a gift. I
sometimes see banks offering “a gift” for new customers who open an account,
but that is not “a gift,” it is a reward, because you have to open a new
account to get it! You cannot pay for the sins that God has already paid
for!
Jesus Doesn't Forgive Sins, He's Already Paid for Them, You Simply 'Believe'
You
don't have to “ask” Jesus to save you. You read correct! Jesus doesn't
forgive sins, He has already paid for everyone's sins with His precious
blood (1st Peter 1:18-19). All we need to do to be saved, is to receive
Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for our sins, simply by
BELIEVING! 1st Corinthians 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of God the
world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching
to save them that believe.” Anybody is A
LIAR who says that we are saved by grace alone, but then they say you can't
go out and live any way you want, or else it proves you were never really
saved. YES, YOU CAN GO OUT AND LIVE IN SIN!!!
In fact, even the most dedicated Christian still lives in sin. There is no such thing as not living in sin!!! Just because you decide not to live a worldly life of open sin anymore (boozing, fornicating, drug abuse, cursing, filthy talk, et cetera), doesn't mean that you can live above sin. The very idea that deciding not to commit willful sin anymore is a requirement to be saved, stay saved, or prove that you're saved, is ANOTHER GOSPEL!!!
Kindly, I cringe every time someone hands me a Chick Tract, which all teach ANOTHER GOSPEL!!! Jack Chick's false plan of salvation is not content with admitting you're a sinner; but also, he requires to “Be willing to turn from sin (repent),” which is step number 2 in his counterfeit Gospel. It is not merely a matter of semantics. There are not two different Gospels! Either a person must be willing to turn away from sinful behavior to be saved, or they don't, but it cannot be BOTH! This is a very important matter! Preachers are greatly divided in sharp disagreement over this doctrinal chasm in the churches today. The problem is that many preachers don't understand the Word of God, so they “wrest” (twist) it to their own destruction. ...
2nd Peter 3:16-17, “As also in all his [the apostle Paul's] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.”
I love what one of my favorite preachers, Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold said...
“'You can't tell me you can trust Christ as Savior, and then go out here and live like the Devil, and still go to Heaven!' Yes, I can tell you that! That's what the Bible says. If you don't come to the conclusion, that—Yes, you can trust Christ as your Savior and live like the Devil, and still go to Heaven when you die—you don't get grace, because that is the exact truth! That is the truth! I do not have to change my life! I don't have to stop one sin! You say, 'I've never heard a preacher say that.' You just heard one! And you listen to me—I want to live as holy and as godly as I possibly can. I am now 70 years old. I've been saved for 52 years. ... the only reason I'm going to Heaven is because, 52 years ago in a little living room, I accepted Christ as my Savior.” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, a great quote from the awesome sermon, “Calvinism And Grace Are NOT Compatible | MP3”
Jesus said that THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION TO THEM THAT ARE IN CHRIST! John 3:18a, “He that believeth on him is not condemned...” Therefore, as far as one's eternal life is concerned, it doesn't matter how you choose to live as a Christian! Some Christians commit horrible sins and crimes, being sentenced to life in prison, but they are still 100% safe and secure in their eternal life. God preserves us, and we are safe under the everlasting arms. Belief is what saves, unbelief is what keeps a person lost! Once you believe, you are forever saved! If saved, always saved!!!
God makes us righteous BY FAITH, declares us holy, and seals us with His Holy Spirit. It is not our righteousness by our works! Our righteousnesses are as “filth rags.” Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Could the Word of God be any clearer? I think not. Jesus spoke about the straight way and the narrow gate...
Matthew 7:13-15, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
Faith alone in Christ alone is the straight and narrow gate!!! The Lord warned about FALSE PROPHETS (those who teach the heresy of Calvinism, aka, Lordship Salvation)! John MacArthur is false prophet! Ray Comfort is a false prophet! John Piper is a false prophet! William Lane Craig is a false prophet! Rick Warren is a false prophet! Joel Osteen is a false prophet! Kirk Cameron is a false prophet! Billy Graham is a false prophet! Jack Chick is a false prophet! Beth Moore is a false prophet! Bill Wilkin is a false prophet! Paul Washer is a false prophet! Charles G. Finney is a false prophet!
No one can legitimately condemn a Christian!!! Romans 8:34, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” You may murder 500 people and be sentenced to 1,750 years in prison here on earth, but if you are a redeemed child of God, in God's sight you are as sinless as Jesus Christ! That is the miracle of imputed righteousness, which is obtained BY FAITH alone! Romans 4:5-6, “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.” Isn't that beautiful? GOD IMPUTETH RIGHTEOUSNESS WITHOUT WORKS!!! That means God the Father credits all of His only begotten Son's righteousness to us, simply because we are relying upon Him. Anyone who relies upon Jesus Christ—Who died on the cross, was buried and raised up the third day—has their sins remitted and has eternal life. Acts 10:43, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”
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