“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” (Matthew 21:32).
In Matthew 21:32, Jesus
plainly taught that repentance is synonymous with believing on Jesus. Who
was it that believed?; the publicans and harlots. It was the self-righteous
crowd who refused to repent and get saved. The Bible doesn’t tell us that
the publicans and harlots gave up their sinful lifestyle. No, rather, the
Bible simply states that they repented and believed on Jesus, i.e., they
acknowledged their guilt of sin and wanted Jesus to save them. Eternal life
is a free gift, freely given, and freely received.
There is a large
group of heretics in America today, most of them from California, who
require lost sinners to literally forsake their sins to be saved. Who can do
that? Everybody, even the best of Christians, sins every day. Do you know
why California has been nicknamed the “Granola state”? It’s because it’s a
place filled with fruits and nuts. For some reason California leads the way
in false prophets.
I don’t enjoy exposing anyone as a false prophet;
but it is my duty as a Christian (Ephesians 5:11). I have received much
criticism lately for exposing Ray Comfort’s false gospel. I do so without
apology. Mr. Comfort is far more subtle than John MacArthur in his false
teachings; but by careful scrutiny of Ray Comfort’s doctrinal position as
compared to the inerrant Word of God, he comes up lacking. Mr. Comfort
plainly states in THE EVIDENCE BIBLE (in his commentary concerning
John 3:16) that a person cannot be made alive in Christ until they forsake
their sins through repentance…
"We are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) and until we forsake them through repentance, we cannot be made alive in Christ." —Ray Comfort
SOURCE: THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, by Ray Comfort, pg. 1345; 2003, Bridge-Logos Publishers, Orlando, Florida
You cannot show me this
teaching anywhere in the Scriptures. Although it is true that a carnal
believer cannot fully please God; there is nowhere in the Scripture where
God says he won’t save a person who holds on to personal sins. Ray Comfort
is wrong on salvation, which makes him wrong on everything else too. Get mad
at me if you want, the Bible is on my side. Salvation is the free gift of
God… WITHOUT WORKS! Romans 4:5 and 6 couldn’t be any plainer: “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.”
I love that word… imputeth! That means God literally takes Jesus Christ’s
righteousness and places it upon our sinful record, declaring us justified…
JUST-IF-I’D never sinned at all. What a Wonderful Savior!
Misleadingly, Ray Comfort and John MacArthur horribly take Charles
Spurgeon's words out of context in many of their sermons and writings,
claiming that Spurgeon taught Lordship Salvation. Nothing could be further
from the truth, as this quote by Spurgeon himself plainly reveals...
"You must not expect that you will be perfect in "repentance" before you are saved. No Christian can be perfect. "Repentance" is a grace. Some people preach it as a condition of salvation. Condition of nonsense! There are no conditions of salvation. God gives the salvation himself..." —Charles Spurgeon
SOURCE: Charles Spurgeon, from the sermon titled, REPENTANCE UNTO LIFE, New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, on September 23, 1855.
Why doesn't Ray Comfort and
John MacArthur quote that? What Spurgeon did teach was that a sinner must
“renounce” (i.e., reject one's sins) to be saved. To "renounce" does not
mean to literally forsake, otherwise Spurgeon would have used a different
word. It is clear from Spurgeon's own statement that he didn't believe in
Lordship Salvation at all. Ray Comfort and John MacArthur are barking up an
empty tree. Spurgeon simply believed that a person who attempts to justify
any sins in their life cannot be saved, until they RENOUNCE all sins as
being a violation of God's Holy Law... "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" (Romans 3:19). Jesus said in John 3:20...
"For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the
light, lest his deeds should be reproved." It is not that we cannot be
saved by holding onto our sins; but that our love for sin will prevent us
from coming to the Savior to be saved.
Lordship Salvation is of the
Devil and I’m going to fight it for the rest of my life. Salvation is
receiving; not giving. You don’t have to give up anything to be saved. A
gift is given unconditionally and freely received (Revelation 22:17).
I recently heard John
MacArthur on the radio (his sermon tape, The Call To Repentance), in
which he said that a person must exchange the world for salvation. This is
unbiblical. If a person must give up the world to be saved, then how can
salvation be a “free gift” (Romans 5:15; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9)? The errant
theology being taught today by unscholarly men is akin to a bank offering
you a “free gift” if you open a new account with them. Is it really a gift
since you have to open a new account to obtain it? No Sir, not at all; It’s
false advertising. A genuine “gift” means you don’t have to do anything
other than freely receive it. Well, there’s a lot of false advertising in
the religious world today concerning salvation.
Salvation is not a
reward; but rather, a free gift. If you have to open a new bank account to
obtain a so-called “gift,” then it’s not truly a gift; but rather, a reward
that you earned by opening a new account. Anyone who tells you that
salvation is a free gift; but first you have to forsake your sins to get it,
is a liar! Salvation is not a reward; It’s a free gift paid for by Jesus’
literal, physical, precious blood (1st Peter 1:18,19; Hebrews 9:12).
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