God made it so simple to be saved, so that even a small child can be saved. God had to make the plan of salvation very simple, otherwise the educable slow couldn't be saved. If you admit in God's eyes that you are a guilty sinner (Romans 3:19), and you believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay your sin debt, who raised up 72 hours later, you are saved eternally, irrevocably and securely in the Father's hands. God does all the saving. Our part in salvation is only to believe. God does notrequire us to “turn away from sins” to be saved, because that would be impossible and a work of self-righteousness. Granted, no believer has God's approval to continue in a deathstyle of sin (Romans 3:31), but you have that choice. That's why Hebrews 12:6-8 was written, warning that God scourges and chastises His children, unless they be bastards (i.e., not really saved).
The Catholic Religion is of the Devil, Preparing for Antichrist
The Catholic religion is a sure road to Hell. Kindly, the Pope will split Hell wide open when he dies. Why? Simply because he has never been born-again. The popes publicly pray to Mary, rarely mention Jesus Christ, never warn anyone about coming judgment, nor the coming eternal punishment in the fires of Hell. Is this the vicar of Heaven? That's what Catholics foolishly call the pope... “the vicar of Heaven” (i.e., God's representative on earth). I say truthfully that the Pope is the vicar of Hell. Please hear me out, friend.
I do not attack the Pope personally, but what he teaches. You can believe anything you want, but if you're going to teach heresy to other people, I'm going to expose your darkness with the light of God's Word. So what it boils down to is whether or not you believe the Holy Bible. Sadly, there are many religions that claim to believe the Bible, but they teach doctrines that are not found anywhere in the Bible. For example: The Catholic religion calls their priests “Father.” The Bible clearly forbids such reverence of men in Matthew 23:9, ”And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” Only God is our spiritual Father. Another example: Although the Catholic religion claims that they don't worship Mary, they openly admit that they pray to God THROUGH Mary. The Bible says in 1st Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” The Bible clearly commands us NOT to even “bow” to any image.
Exodus 20:4 gives us the second of God's Ten Commandments, which is, do not bow to the likeness of any person or thing upon the earth, under the earth, nor in Heaven. The worshipful act of bowing to Mary is wicked idolatry. Catholics are deceived by Satan, having convinced themselves that calling their priests “Father,” and bowing to statues of saints, and praying to Mary, and teaching celibacy for its priests, is acceptable behavior. However, the Holy Bible (even their own Douay version) condemns all these things. Read 1st Timothy 4:1-3, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” The Roman Catholic priesthood is a repository of homosexual perverts, no doubt because of the Vatican's unbiblical restrictions on marriage for its ministers. Hebrews 13:4 approves of marriage for everyone (i.e., heterosexual and monogamous). Catholics are intentionally led away from and discouraged by their wicked priests, from reading and studying the Word of God, lest they see the truth and forsake the whore of Rome. Oh, how Satan blinds people with religion!
I believe that the people who send me e-mails asking “why?” I trash other religions are sincere. From a secular point of view it makes sense to accept everyone's religion as legitimate. And believe me, I'd like to just to make everyone happy by accepting every religion, but I cannot do that because my conscience wouldn't allow me. The Holy Bible is NOT just another book folks, it is incredibly powerful (Hebrews 4:12). It is God's inspired Words. No other book on the face of this earth explains the sin-nature of man, the unconditional love of God, the redemptive plan of salvation, the blessed attributes of our Divine Creator, and what to expect in the future. The Islamic Quran contains no prophecy (none at all). The King James Bible contains 31% prophecy. Bible prophecy is history written in advance. The Holy Bible hits-the-nail-right-on-the-head concerning man's unquenchable hunger for violence and his never-ending thirst for evil. There's just something about the Holy Bible. Yes, it is the inspired Words of God!
IF MEN WOULD WRITE THE BIBLE, THEY COULDN'T; AND IF THEY COULD, THEY WOULDN'T!!!
I titled this article, “Why You Shouldn't Accept Other Religions.” A lot of people have asked me to accept other religions, but I cannot, because it would be against the Holy Bible. You see, God never promotes any certain religious denomination in the Bible. Instead, the Gospel is promoted. I am an independent fundamental Baptist. However, there is no such thing as “the Baptist church”! We must beware of religious denominations who exalt their own manmade writings over the Words of God (e.g., The Westminster Confession, Vatican II and III, Martin Luther's Catechisms, et cetera). America's churches are awash with manmade doctrines. Sadly, even a large number of our independent Baptist churches have succumbed to heresy. Lordship Salvation is a form of works salvation.
There are born-again Christians who are members of various religions, but it is not their religion that is going to take them to Heaven. The ONLY way to Heaven is through the miracle of the new birth by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You must confess to God that you are a guilty sinner, believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who died upon the cross for your sins, and believe that Christ bodily raised up from the dead 72 hours later. It's that simple to be saved. Salvation is NOT found in any religion, but in a Person—THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! You are not saved by repenting, you are saved by putting your faith in Jesus Christ. But if you didn't repent (i.e., change your mind), you would never believe on the Lord.
Thus, repentance is a silent partner, an inseparable part of salvation, the flipside of turning over a coin. The man who believes has repented, and the man who repents has believed. Repentance and faith are not the same thing, but they happen simultaneously at the time of salvation. Repentance is a grace from God, which facilitates a man's acknowledgment to the truth that he is a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God, and needs Jesus as his dear Savior. It is heresy to teach repentance and faith as two separate steps in salvation. There are no “steps” to being saved, just one step... “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED” (Acts 16:31a).
Religion is the Worst Thing That Ever Happened to This Sinful World
Why do I criticize “other” religions? Simply because you cannot be saved through a religion. Some religions like the Baptists teach God's plan of salvation so I do not criticize them. I am a Baptist myself. But you can be a Baptist and still go straight to Hell when you die if you have never accepted Jesus into your heart as your own Saviour (Revelation 3:20). The Presbyterians teach the plan of salvation, so I do not criticize them either. I have never been a Presbyterian, but Pastor Vernon McGee was a legend amongst preachers. I do not endorse any religion, I endorse Jesus Christ. So to be truthful, I am against all religions from the standpoint of trusting in it to get to Heaven. It's the Gospel of Jesus Christ or Hell forever. Religion is man's interpretation of the truth. The Bible can only be interpreted one way if you don't interpret it.
I would rather be divided over truth, than to be united in error. I have every intent to “expose” every false religion on the planet. A “false” religion is any religion that teaches a way to Heaven apart from child-like faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6). You CANNOT get to Heaven by doing good works, nor by getting water baptized, nor by keeping sacraments. This is what the Bible teaches. These are works, and no one can be saved by works (Romans 3:20; Titus 3:5). Getting water baptized will get you wet, that's all. Doing good works is filthy in God's sight if your trying to earn Heaven by it (Isaiah 64:6). You cannot buy Heaven, it is a free gift for sinners, who deserve nothing less than Hell-fire (Romans 6:23). I include myself as a woeful sinner deserving of Hell. I will never accept any religion that blinds people from the truth, misleading them with the heretical traditions of men. Mark 7:9, “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” And so it is in nearly every religion today. And by the way, I do expose those corrupt Baptist churches today who are teaching the satanic heresy of Lordship Salvation. This is the “turn away from your sins to be saved” crowd. Forgiveness of sins is a gift (Romans 4:5; 6:23).
Do you know Jesus my friend? Have you ever come to the place in your life where you knew you were a horrible sinner under the condemnation of God's Law? It is true. We are all sinners, facing God's wrath if we have not been born-again (Psalm 7:11). I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was 13 years old. I only had a child-like faith, but it was all that God required. I distinctly remember the day when the Holy Spirit of God first convicted my heart about sin. It was a scary moment for me and I wanted to be saved. It's been over 35 years now. I thank God for saving me and for coming to live within my heart. By the way, we also live in Jesus' heart if we've been born-again (John 14:20).
“Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” —Luke 13:23-24
Whatever changes that God expects of a new believer is the Holy Spirit's department and you can be assured He will attend to that. It is a horrible mistake and evil, to change the Gospel in an attempt to force men to reform their sinful ways. The Gospel is a free gift, and a gift need only be received. If there are any additional obligations or requirements, then it is not truly a gift. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Anyone who comes to God as a needy sinner, receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, is saved immediately, irrevocably and permanently. You have God's Word on it! John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
Surrendering to Christ's Lordship is NOT a requirement to be saved. Forsaking the world and having intent to reform is NOT a requirement to be saved. Inviting Jesus into your life is NOT a requirement for eternal life. All God requires is that you see yourself as a needy sinner and BELIEVE (rely upon) The Gospel. Believing is the way to be saved. Forsaking sinful behavior is NOT part of the Gospel. Justification and sanctification are two separate things. Consider this truthful quote by the author of the classic book Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan:
The Scriptures explain themselves very well. Galatians 3:24-26, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Repentance is a change of mind about what we want to do to get to Heaven, to what God says that we must do to get to Heaven. Repentance is simply admitting that I am a needy sinner in God's eyes, realizing that I am guilty and totally incapable of saving myself in any way.
Here is an excellent and needful writing by Dr. Mark G. Cambron (1911-2000) on the subject of REPENTANCE. Please read the following quote carefully, because Dr. Cambron is one of few theologian who gets it, that is, he understands the simplicity of the Gospel and that repentance does not mean turning from sin as proponents of Lordship Salvation foolishly teach. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.
Here is what the inspired King James Bible teaches, as explained by Professor Mark Cambron...
Repentance is necessary for salvation.
The Greek word for repent is metanoeo, which, translated into English is: to change ones mind. It does not mean to turn from sin. That would add works to salvation.
Repentance for salvation means a change of mind from men's ideas of salvation and religion, to an acceptance of Gods only way of salvation.
This results in a completely new creation, not a reformation of the old. The old nature remains as evil as ever after salvation and has not been reformed . . . The old nature can now be controlled by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
God guarantees salvation. This is His gift to us.
God guarantees reward and fruit to the obedient son.
God guarantees chastening and loss of rewards to the disobedient son.
God does not cast out disobedient children, but in some cases, does take them home. He does not permit His children to live as they please without His discipline and guidance.
Many teach repentance for salvation incorrectly, by including some form of human effort or righteousness, such as willingness to turn from sin, or turning from sin. This is heresy and has confused many people. It adds works to salvation and causes many to not understand Gods great gift. It is probation, not salvation. It is completely unscriptural. It is Galatianism and a counterfeit of the gospel.
It is a tragedy that many Christians live shallow Christian lives. The Cambron Institute is dedicated to the task of training Christian men and women in the importance of total dedication and making Jesus the Lord of their lives not to be saved but because they are saved.
Shallow Christianity cannot be cured by adding works to salvation.
Salvation is not the result of what we do, but is by receiving what God has done for us. Acts 13:38, 39; Acts 20:20: Gal. 1:8,9; Gal. 2:4; Gal. 2:21; Gal. 3:1.3; Gal. 5:1-4; Eph. 2:8-10; II Cor. 5:21;John 3:16-18; Phil. 3:9; Titus 3:5-8:11 Cor. 11:13-1 5.SOURCE: The Cambron Institute
The man who comes to Christ has repented, which is the very reason he is coming to Jesus to be saved from his sins. Repentance and faith happen at THE SAME TIME, and are inseparable. Repentance without faith is mere declaration of sinnership or reformation (turning over a new leaf), but is not Biblical repentance unless it is accompanied by faith in Christ. Judas repented (a different Greek word meaning to feel remorse afterwards) in Matthew 27:3, but still went to Hell in his sins. Judas had no faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Judas was sorry he got caught, but he hadn't realize that he is a guilty sinner in God's eyes for breaking God's commandments.
If you acknowledge your guilty condition and inability to save yourself, simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Who died in your place) and receive His payment (the Gospel) to be saved. That's how salvation works, that is, you cease from your own DEAD WORKS, and you simply REST in what Christ has done to pay for your sins instead. We are saved through believing; Jesus does the saving! We are saved by God's grace and mercy.
1st Corinthians 1:18, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
You do NOT have to be water baptized nor doing anything to get to Heaven other than trust upon the Lord as your Savior. Romans 4:5 proclaims... “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him (Jesus) that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” What a wonderful truth! Our faith is COUNTED for righteousness! There is NO self-righteousness involved in salvation. It is the gift of God. You see, we have no righteousness of our own to offer God. No amount of good can undo the bad we've done. Thus, Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay. Salvation is receiving, not giving. We are Sinners and Jesus is the Savior. Jesus is precious!
Unbelief is the only sin which can keep you out of Heaven.
Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. All of it!
Trusting Jesus is meaningless without the cross. You must believe that Jesus died, was buried and rose again. 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 teaches that the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
God's simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe on Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.
You say, “Surely, it cannot be that simple!” Yes, that simple. It is scriptural; it is God's plan. My friend, believe on Jesus and receive Him as Savior today.
If you've never been saved, then now is the time to believe upon the name of Jesus, the Christ, that your sins will be blotted out forever and you can know that your name is written in Heaven.
Christ died for your sins. You are a sinner by nature and by choice. Jesus took your sins and charged them to His own record. He went to the cross and paid the penalty for your sins. He says if you're willing to receive Him in faith; He will transfer His payment to your debt, and His righteousness to your sins. He will impute to you His goodness, and impute to His own record your sin; if you in faith will trust Him as your Savior.
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.”
If you would like to search for a good church where you live, CLICK HERE.
Mark 1:15: “...repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
The Gift Of Eternal Life Is Wrapped In The Wonderful Package Of Jesus
Meaningful Quotes By Evangelist Bob Jones Sr.
The Gospel In Just One Minute (by Pastor Max D. Younce)
1st Corinthians 16:24, “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
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