15 Statements Biblical Christians Would Never Make!
By Dr. Ken Matto
Ephesians 4:15 (KJV) But speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Ephesians 4:15 tells us that we are to speak the
truth. The English words “speaking the truth” have one Greek word behind it
which carries with it the meaning of “speak the truth or be truthful.” It is
used only twice in the New Testament. The other place is Galatians 4:16.
Galatians 4:16 (KJV) Am I therefore become your enemy,
because I tell you the truth? It is translated
here as “I tell you the truth.” The Apostle Paul was always getting into trouble
because he did not cease from telling whoever he was speaking to or whatever
crowd he was addressing the total Gospel truth. In the context of Galatians
4:8-20, it shows that “alatheuo” was referring to Paul’s work in presenting the
truth of the Gospel to the Galatians. The reference in Ephesians 4:15 also
reflects the same idea however it adds more of a doctrinal element. In this
context, it equates to presenting the larger body of Christian truth with the
aim of promoting Christian maturity.
Have you ever wondered why Christians are so immature?
When was the last time you had a serious biblical conversation with a believer?
One of the major reasons that Christians have stagnated in ignorance is because
they have relegated all their thinking to others. They let their pastor think
for them or someone they hear on the radio or on TV. This is not to say that
media ministries have no value. Many of them do but some are just counterfeit
ministries with a counterfeit gospel. Instead of Christians checking what they
hear and letting the Scriptures judge their message, they allow themselves to be
intellectually and spiritually victimized by preachers and teachers who have
about as much spiritual acumen as a rock in a garden.
Acts 17:11 (KJV) These were more noble than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and
searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
The word “searched” in this verse carries with it the meaning of “examine,
judge, investigate, or inquire.” They literally scrutinized the Scriptures. It
was not done because they did not trust the Scriptures but they wanted to check
out what they heard from Paul and others to see if it lines up with the
Scriptures. This is something that each Christian must do. God did not give us
His Word for the purpose of placing it on a mantle but He gave it to us so we
may check out what we hear so that we will not be deceived.
Acts 20:29-31 (KJV) For I know this, that after my
departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. {30}
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away
disciples after them. {31} Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of
three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
The apostle Paul is stating in Acts 20:29-31 that he warned the Elders of the
church of Ephesus one time, NO, he continually warned them for three years that
out of their own congregation would rise men who would try and draw disciples
away from the church unto themselves. Many of the cults that we are familiar
with were birthed in churches such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day
Adventists, Church is dead teaching by Family Stations Inc. out of Oakland,
California, United Pentecostal Church, International Church of Christ, Emerging
Church, etc.
Now in this article I am not going to focus on the
cults. What I wanted to show was that the Apostle Paul was totally correct in
that out of churches come the cults. I want to focus in this article on the
nomenclature or vocabulary which has been adopted by Christianity in general and
accepted without biblical validation. Christianity has become a very clichéd
belief system and that has resulted in the acceptance of false or non-existent
doctrines. Christians just accept sayings willy-nilly without the least bit of
desire to see if what they are accepting and repeating is biblical. Remember the
verses we started out with that we are to speak the truth in love and to tell
the truth continually. These trite sayings which I am going to present are found
nowhere in Scripture and neither is there any underlying doctrine to support
them. They are unbiblical and need to be shredded because every time a Christian
uses one, they are violating the Scriptures in disobedience.
Make Jesus Lord of Your Life
Acts 2:36 (KJV) Therefore let all the house of Israel
know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both
Lord and Christ. How does a dead sinner make
Jesus Lord of his or her life? We read in Acts 2:36 that God the Father has
already made Jesus Lord. Whether the unbeliever knows it or not, Jesus is Lord
of all. Acts 10:36 (KJV) The word which God
sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord
of all:) The dead sinner has no authority to
make Jesus do anything and those that teach this belief may be condemning
someone to hell if they believe they have made Jesus Lord of their life, when
they have absolutely no power to do so. I have heard this statement on many free
will broadcasts and there is not a shred of biblical evidence to back up such a
heretical teaching.
Ephesians 2:1 (KJV) And you hath he quickened, who
were dead in trespasses and sins;
Ephesians 2:5 (KJV) Even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Notice that it was God who did the quickening or
making the sinner alive unto Christ and not the sinner himself. God controls
salvation, not the individual.
Jesus Loves You
Everybody thinks that Jesus was this sweet little guy
who ran around Palestine but they forget that He was God incarnate. The reality
about the love of Jesus is that His love is qualified.
John 13:1 (KJV) Now before the feast of the passover,
when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world
unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them
unto the end. Does this verse say that Jesus
loved everyone or just His own? Hebrews 13:8
(KJV) Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Since Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, that means the
love of Jesus is as qualified today as much as it was when He walked on earth.
Who is His own? It is those who are born again in Christ and the unbeliever does
not enter the realm of being loved by Jesus until they become born again. If you
place this on a bumper sticker and put it on your car, then you might be lying
to the one behind you that will never become a Christian. To tell an unbeliever
that Jesus loves them is to give them false hope if they do not become
regenerated in Christ. Ephesians 5:25 (KJV)
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave
himself for it; In Ephesians 5:25, we read that
Christ loved the church. It does not say He loved everyone in the world but He
loved the church, that is, the body of believers.
God Loves You
Just as the love of Christ is a qualified love, the
love of God is also qualified and limited to those in Christ.
Ephesians 2:4 (KJV) But God, who is rich in mercy, for
his great love wherewith he loved us, If you
notice in Ephesians 2:4, it talks about God being rich in mercy and His great
love. Does it say he loved the whole world or loved “us?” Who is the “us” that
Paul is speaking of? It is the body of believers in Christ.
John 14:21 (KJV) He that hath my commandments, and
keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of
my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Notice in John 14:21 that those who love the Lord Jesus Christ will be loved by
the Father. It does not say that God loves everyone but His love is limited to
those who love the Lord Jesus Christ and that are those who are born again in
Christ. Conversely, those who hate Jesus hate the Father.
John 15:23 (KJV) He that hateth me hateth my Father
also. This is further illustrated in 1 John
2:23. 1 John 2:23 (KJV) Whosoever denieth the
Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the
Father also. So to say to anyone who is not
born again that God loves you constitutes a lie at that point. God loves those
who love His Son and those who do not deny Him. In other words, God’s love is
qualified and limited to those who are saved.
I Gave God Permission to…..
One of the most heretical statements I ever heard
coming out of the free will movement is that “I gave God permission to work in
my life.” I actually heard a woman teacher on the radio state that she gave God
permission to work in her life. Hey, who is the potter and who is the clay? God
is the Sovereign Creator of all people and he does not need, nor does He seek a
person’s permission to work in their life. Did he seek permission to work in
Job’s life? I can’t find one verse where God asked Job’s permission to allow
Satan to test him. Did God ask Ruth’s permission to take her husband in death so
she could be with Naomi? I can’t find one verse. Did God ask Joseph for
permission to work in his life by having him sold as a slave and then throwing
him into prison? I cannot find one verse where God asked permission. God works
His will out in our lives according to what He has already planned for us.
Ephesians 2:10 (KJV) For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them. >>>>Genesis 50:20 (KJV) But as for you, ye
thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is
this day, to save much people alive. God worked
out His plan in Joseph‘s life without his permission and because Joseph was
faithful, God’s plan for him worked out beautifully as we read in Genesis 50:20.
There is not one shred of biblical evidence to back up the free will heresy that
a person has the authority to give God permission for anything. That belief is
just exuding great personal pride.
Repent of Your Sins
How many times have we heard this especially listening
to Billy Graham. His first requirement for salvation is that a person must
repent of their sins. First of all, how does a spiritually dead person who is
not saved able to repent of their sins when they are still in an unsaved state?
Second of all it is God who grants repentance.
2 Timothy 2:25 (KJV) In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if
God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
If God is the one who grants His Elect repentance, then how is it that preachers
teach that the sinner has it within him or herself to repent of their sins.
Repentance is a change of mind and the only ones who have a change of mind about
their sins are those who are saved. Those who are still unsaved will still
retain their desire to sin since their soul is dead and their flesh rules their
life. If I must repent of my sins as a requirement for salvation, then it is
salvation by works and not grace. Repentance of sin follows salvation which
always comes first. A saved person has the Holy Spirit who helps the believer
deal with their sin and exposes any sin which is in their life. The unbeliever
does not have this privilege until they are saved and not before. Once a person
receives repentance from God, they will then acknowledge the truth and that
includes any sins that they may be holding on to. There is not one shred of
biblical evidence that a spiritually dead person has the ability to repent of
their sins before salvation.
There are two interesting verses found in Jeremiah 31
which speaks to this very issue. Jeremiah
31:18-19 (KJV) I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast
chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn
thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God. {19} Surely after
that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my
thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of
my youth. If you notice that Jeremiah is
speaking about the tribe of Ephraim and how they walked opposite of the Lord. If
you notice in verse 19, God had turned them from disobedience to obedience and
it was only after they were turned back did they repent. So here we see that
turning or conversion comes first and then comes repentance, never in the
opposite order.
Accept Christ
This is probably the most popular heresy to come out
of the free will movement. It is the belief that a spiritually dead person can
make a decision for or accept Christ. I have heard it preached by free will
preachers that the Apostle Paul accepted Christ. Whenever I looked at the
account of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9 and 22, I do not find one verse where
Jesus asked Paul if he would accept Him. No Jesus just saved him and then sent
him on his way to begin his Christian life. Does one honestly think that if a
person has free will that the Apostle Paul would have decided that he was going
to serve Jesus? HELLO! Saul was on his way to Damascus to imprison and kill as
many Christians as he could. He just consented to the death of Stephen and then
all of a sudden without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he was going to
switch sides? The reality is that Christ accepts us, we do not accept Him.
1 Peter 1:9 (KJV) Receiving the end of your
faith, even the salvation of your souls. 1
Peter 1:9 teaches plainly that we receive salvation, we do not initiate it.
John 6:44 (KJV) No man can come to me, except
the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Here is an interesting verse in that no one comes to the Lord Jesus Christ
unless the Father draws them. The word “draw” in the Greek carries with it the
meaning of “being dragged.” That does not sound like someone who is willing to
“accept Christ.” It sounds more like someone being dragged into salvation
against their will. John 1:12-13 (KJV) But as
many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to
them that believe on his name: {13} Which were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Here is a pair of verses which has been used to make a presentation of the
Gospel. Unfortunately, verse 13 is always left out when the free will preachers
make their “plea.” Verse 13 is very clear that it is not the will of man who
initiates salvation but the will of God. This verse is very plain and to the
point. The only people who become saved when an invitation is sent out in a
gospel meeting are those whom God has already pre-qualified by opening up their
ears to the Gospel. Luke 24:45 (KJV) Then
opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Jesus opened the understanding of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and
that principle holds true for every believer. If God did not open our
understanding to Scripture, then we would never be able to understand and
realize how much we need a Savior. So we see that the sinner does not initiate
salvation but God does for those whom He has chosen before the foundation of the
world. Ephesians 1:4 (KJV) According as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in
love:
Have Faith
How many times have we heard someone tell another to
have faith in God. Once again, unless a person is saved they do not have the
ability to believe in God. Galatians 5:22 (KJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, Notice that one of the fruits
of the Holy Spirit is “faith.” One cannot have faith unless they are indwelled
by the Holy Spirit which means a person does not possess faith until they have
become saved. Oh yes, unsaved a people can possess a lesser type of faith in the
worldly realm. We can sit on a chair and have faith it will not collapse. We can
go on an airplane and have faith that it will not crash. We may get in our cars
and have enough faith that the car will not break down. This type of faith is a
worldly faith and is unable to be applied in the spiritual realm. The only type
of faith which can be applied in the spiritual realm is the faith that the Holy
Spirit gives to a person when they become saved. That type of faith is
non-existent in the unsaved person. Galatians
3:11 (KJV) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is
evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Notice the verse states that the just shall live by faith. The just are those
who are saved. They live by the faith dispensed by the Holy Spirit.
Free Moral Agent
This is another one of those heretical statements
which I have personally heard coming out of the free will movement. They
describe a person as a free moral agent with the ability to choose or reject
Christ. Let us analyze this phrase and see how absurd it is.
Free - This idea that an unsaved
human has a free will is totally demolished by Scripture.
John 8:34 (KJV) Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I
say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
The first principle is that those who commit sin are the servant or slave of sin
which describes the unbeliever since they live in sin.
Romans 6:18 (KJV) Being then made free from sin, ye
became the servants of righteousness. Now we
see a saved person is made free from sin but is not free because they are now a
servant of righteousness. So one is either a servant of sin or a servant of
righteousness. One or the other, no in between.
Moral - Moral means one of upright
character or one who is conformed to rules of right.
Job 15:16 (KJV) How much more abominable and filthy is
man, which drinketh iniquity like water? Notice
what Job states about man, “drinketh iniquity like water.” Does not sound like a
description of a moral man. Proverbs 1:10 (KJV)
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Proverbs 1:16 (KJV) For their feet run to evil,
and make haste to shed blood. Look at Proverbs
1:10 & 16. Verse 10 speaks about sinners enticing a man and verse 16 states that
they make haste to shed blood and do evil. That does not sound like the makings
of a moral man. If man was moral and obedient to the law of God, then there
would have been no need for a Savior but man is evil and filled with darkness
and that is not the definition of a moral man.
Agent - An agent is one who is
trusted with the business of another. 2
Corinthians 5:20 (KJV) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Those who are saved are agents of the Kingdom of God, here called ambassadors
for Christ. Luke 22:3 (KJV) Then entered Satan
into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
Judas was an agent of Satan as he betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ. So one is
either an agent for the kingdom of God or the kingdom of Satan.
So we see that there is no such thing as a free moral
agent. It is another heretical title coming from the free will camp.
Respond to the Gospel
Here is another quote from the free will camp
concerning those who respond to the Gospel invitation especially at a meeting or
a crusade. Why is it there are two people hearing the same message and one
cringes in fear and the other yawns. The reason that a person truly responds to
the Gospel is because they have been qualified to hear it by having their
spiritual ears opened plus they were named before the foundation of the world as
one who is to become saved at some point in their life. Ephesians 1:4 (KJV)
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and without blame before him in love: We have previously seen
this verse that the believer has been predestined for salvation, that is, chosen
before the foundation of the world. The one that was chosen will become saved
sometime in their life.
Revelation 13:8 (KJV) And all that dwell upon the
earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Here is a very important verse which must always be taken into consideration
when speaking of God’s salvation plan. The beast which will be given power by
Satan will be worshipped by the whole world except those whose names are written
in the Lamb’s book of Life. This means that God had already named those He was
going to save before the foundation of the world. Those who believe in free will
normally avoid the core truth of this verse. If God already named who He was
going to save, then no one outside that book can ever become saved. This is
called Limited Atonement and is hated by all those who teach the free will of
man in the area of salvation. It is only the named body of believers who will
not bow down to the beast. This verse is also very illuminating in the area of
salvation. The question always arises concerning, was their grace in the Old
Testament? The answer is a resounding yes, because in principle, Christ was
slain before the foundation of the world. This would mean, that along with whom
God named as heirs of salvation in the New Testament after the physical
crucifixion of Christ, that those in the Old Testament would become saved the
same way by means of Christ being slain before the foundation of the world. This
is why Abraham could have faith because he was a Christian saved by the
pre-creation crucifixion of Christ, although in principle, was to become a
physical reality in time. No person could ever become saved by any type of works
and that is why those in the Old Testament such as David, Moses, Solomon, and
others were saved because they were saved by the grace of God through the
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is how we have the Elect line going
through Israel up to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said in Romans
9:6, that not all of Israel was of Israel, that meant two lines coming through
the whole Old Testament. There was the Elect line which was those who were saved
and the secular line, those who were not saved.
Revelation 17:8 (KJV) The beast that thou sawest was,
and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition:
and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in
the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast
that was, and is not, and yet is. This verse is
similar to that of Rev. 13:8 where it speaks about those on earth will wonder
who is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life which was written before the
foundation of the world. The true believers are written in the Lamb’s Book of
Life. The beast will come with such religious deceptions and those deceptions
are aimed right at Christianity and those deceptions will be so close to the
truth, that many in the churches will wonder who the true believers are. The
greatest blow that the kingdom of Satan took was at the cross of Christ when it
seemed like his kingdom was defeated yet he bounced back and that kingdom will
now come wrathfully against the kingdom of God, especially in the last days when
the forces of evil and good will face off for a final battle.
So we see plainly in Scripture that those who are
named for salvation before the foundation of the world will hear the Gospel some
time in their life and will respond because they have been qualified and chosen
to respond. There is nothing in man that is able to regenerate him of his own.
Just like Lazarus had to be raised from the dead from an outside source, namely
the Lord Jesus Christ, unsaved man also has to be regenerated from an outside
source to make him alive unto God.
Invitation to Receive the Lord
In almost every evangelistic meeting, the preacher
gives an invitation to the audience that if anyone wants to “accept Christ” they
can come forward and receive Him. We have all seen that some come forward and
many do not. Those who truly respond to the preaching of the Gospel are those
who have been qualified to hear it. Romans
10:17 (KJV) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Here is the essence of the matter. Those who are truly saved are never saved
apart from the hearing of the Word of God. It has been asked that what happens
if there is a tribe somewhere in the world that never hears the Gospel? If that
is the case, then that means there was no Elect among that specific group and
therefore the word of God did not have to be preached to them, but we do not
know whether there is Elect among any nation so it is our responsibility to
continue to send forth the Gospel everywhere we can. Presently there are some
people who believe that we do not have to hear the gospel to be saved. Billy
Graham and Robert Schuller have taught that you do not have to hear the true
word of God to become saved. They are convinced that there will be many in
Heaven from different religions. That is so heretical because we read above that
faith (salvation) comes from the hearing of the word of God. When the Elect of
God are hearing the Gospel proclaimed and it is their time of salvation, then
they will become saved on that hearing. The absence of the Gospel is not a means
of salvation. If it was, then we should stop all Bible preaching so people can
become saved without the Gospel. Isn’t that ridiculous, especially in light of
the Lord’s Great Commission. (Mark 16:15 KJV)
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature. If a person can be saved outside of
hearing the Gospel, then why did the Lord command us to go and preach to all the
world? He should have said, go and be silent in all the world. When people
espouse theories like that, they should be branded a heretic but what do
Christians do with people like that? They send them millions of dollars to keep
them preaching their heresy. May God forgive us for supporting heresy based on
the personality of the one bringing it. I do not find one shred of biblical
evidence in Scripture where God invites people to accept His Son. Verses like
John 3:16 are intentionally misinterpreted to bolster the free will view that
anyone can respond to the invitation. Sorry, the Bible teaches that only those
chosen from the foundation of the world will truly respond.
The Sinner’s Prayer
At every free will evangelism meeting at the end after
the invitation is given, those who “want” to be saved will come forward and then
the preacher will lead them in something called the “sinner’s prayer.” Here is a
sample from a Chick tract:
Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I
believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am
willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart as my
personal Saviour.”
The sinner’s prayer has given false hope to many
people over the years. The reason is simple because saying a few words does not
mean that a person has become saved or will be saved. The problem is that this
is a forced prayer normally led by the preacher. I remember back in the 1980’s
when Jimmy Swaggart used to hold crusades and he led the people in the “sinner’s
prayer.” At the end of it, he would proclaim that the people who said it were
saved. That takes a lot of gumption to pronounce someone saved because they say
a few words. The true test of salvation is time. Is a person progressing in the
spiritual life? Is the person walking with the Lord more than they are walking
with the world? Is there evidence of desire to serve the Lord in truth and not
out of requirement? I have heard the testimony of many people who claim they
said the sinner’s prayer when they were young and then walked away from the
Lord. The reality is that they never became saved because once a person is truly
saved, they will not lose their salvation or walk away from the Lord. The
sinner’s prayer is a dangerous routine and should never be used.
Make a Decision for Christ
Again this falls under the umbrella of how does a
spiritually dead person make any kind of decision for Christ? Just because a
person has the freedom to pick their color of clothes or to pick a car type does
not mean they have the ability to make a decision for Christ and regenerate
themselves. The only one who can become truly saved is the one God has chosen
from the foundation of the world and at some point in their life God applies
salvation to them without them doing anything.
Ephesians 1:4 (KJV) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
I know this because that is how it happened to me about 33 years ago, no bells,
no whistles. There is not one person in the Bible who made a decision for Christ
and therefore making a decision for Christ falls under the umbrella of false
teaching. It is a completely man made and man-centered approach to salvation.
Give Your Life to Christ
This is another false teaching because there is no way
a person can give their life to Christ. It is God who prepares the true works
for His children. Ephesians 2:10 (KJV) For we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them. No
one can just give their life to Christ at any time because one must be saved to
truly serve the Lord. A good example of this is Mother Teresa who gave her life
to Christ serving the sick in India and no one is downing her humanitarian effort.
The problem was, she was involved in a false religious system namely Roman
Catholicism plus she was not saved because her fruit was corrupt, in that, she
helped a Hindu become a better Hindu, or a Muslim to become a better Muslim. She
did not tell them they needed a Savior and that Christ was that Savior, instead,
she led them to increase their involvement in their false religions. So a person
can give their life to Christ while remaining unsaved and in reality, they are
serving themselves trying to get to heaven by means of good works and that is an
impossibility. John 14:6 (KJV) Jesus saith unto
him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me. Jesus is the way and not good works.
Christ Died for the Sins of Everyone in the
World
Here is another false teaching because if Christ died
for everyone, then everyone would be saved.
Matthew 1:21 (KJV) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Notice what this verse states, it says Jesus came to save “His people” from
their sins. It does not state He died for every last person but only for His
people, that is, the Elect of God. The words “shall save” are in the future
tense, active voice. This means that true salvation will only be given to His
people, that is, those who were named in the Lamb’s Book of Life from the
foundation of the world and the fact that it is in the Active Voice, means that
Christ is the one taking the action for salvation and not the one receiving it.
What about 1 John 2:2?
1 John 2:2 (KJV) And he is the propitiation for our
sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
How do we understand this verse? It is simple, the term here is not speaking of
everyone in the world but all the Elect in the world. John is stating that
Christ’s sacrifice not only covered their sin but also those elect within the
whole world. Remember what Matthew 1:21 states concerning who is doing the
saving? It is Christ who is active in the salvation and the person receiving
salvation is passive. The term “whole world” sounds universal but it is a
limiting term. Romans 1:8 (KJV) First, I thank
my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout
the whole world. Here the Apostle Paul is
telling the Roman church that their faith is spoken of throughout the whole
world. Now does that include Australia? South America? Canada? Greenland? No, it
simply means that the testimony of the Roman Christians is known throughout the
whole world as Paul knew it, that is, the Roman Empire and maybe beyond their
borders. 1 John 5:19 (KJV) And we know that we
are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
Here the term “whole world” means the “whole world” because sin is universal. No
matter where you go in the world, you will find sinning unbelievers. The
difference in the use of the same terminology is that we read in different parts
of the Bible that salvation is limited to those who are chosen from before the
foundation of the world whereas sin has infected every single person in the
world. 1 Corinthians 15:22 (KJV) For as in Adam
all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Notice 1 Corinthians 15:22 states that in Adam all die which means every human
being on earth, including the Elect, but the difference is, those in Christ will
be made alive, that is, upon physical death the believer goes into the presence
of the Lord. So we must discern carefully phrases in the Bible and never isolate
them to what we want them to say.
Babies who Die go right to Heaven
If that was the truth, then why would any Christian be
against abortion? It would be the ideal evangelistic tool, one for one.
Psalms 58:3-5 (KJV) The wicked are estranged from the
womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. {4} Their poison is
like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her
ear; {5} Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so
wisely.
The reality is there is not one verse in Scripture
which states that babies, upon death, go to Heaven. If they are the Elect of
God, then they will go to Heaven, but if they are not, they will await the
judgment like all other sinners. Psalm 58:3-5 teaches us plainly that the moment
a person is born, they start sinning. Why? Because babies are born with the
sinful, Adamic nature and there is none who is born without it. The problem is
that this teaching is emotional and not biblical. We look at babies and see they
are cute and innocent. God looks at them and sees the fact that they are already
vile sinners because of the Adamic nature which is in rebellion to God. He sees
them as vile as snakes who cannot be charmed because the evil nature in humans
cannot be tamed but has to be crucified. Romans
6:6 (KJV) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of
sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
The sin nature is so strong and destructive, that the Bible tells us it must be
crucified. So free will preachers have to stop lying about a mythical age of
accountability because that is nowhere found in Scripture.
Summary
I have given 15 statements which are taught openly in
today’s Christianity. These 15 have no source in the Scriptures and are just
man-centered and emotional clichés used by Christians without any thought of
researching to see if they are telling the truth. These are all statements based
upon the belief that man has free will when in essence he is a slave to sin and
has no free will. Man has taken the gospel of Christ and turned it into a
totally man-centered teaching making God and the Lord Jesus Christ out to be the
beggars and man to be the sovereign. It is the other way around, God and the
Lord Jesus Christ are the Sovereigns and man is the beggar. Christians need to
seriously get back to studying the Scriptures and stop allowing their pastors to
do all their thinking for them because the majority of pastors are unqualified
and need to be ousted from their pulpits. The other arena Christians have to
stop relying on is the media ministries, some of them are good but the majority
of them are dangerous and are preacher centered which means whatever that
preacher teaches is now the Gospel. These things should never be. God gave the
Holy Spirit to every believer for the purpose of guiding and teaching them but a
major shift has occurred and that is Christians refuse to do any research for
themselves relying totally on others. In this way, they quench and grieve the
Holy Spirit.
1 John 4:1 (KJV) Beloved, believe not every spirit,
but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are
gone out into the world.