The First Myth Concerning Salvation - A Person May Pray to Be Saved, Only to Be Rejected
Imagine this: You are sitting in a church while the minister is preaching. He tells the following story:
"Years ago, I preached a three-week revival in North Dakota. There was a man there who came to the last service. The Spirit of God was there in a mighty way. The man heard a clear presentation of the gospel. I made it clear that the Lord was dealing with him, and he needed to pray while the Lord was dealing with him. However, the man walked out of that service lost.
"After the revival had concluded, I preached the following week in South Dakota. The same man showed up. After service, he came to me and said he wanted to talk to me. We talked. He said that since he left the revival the previous week, he did not feel the Lord dealing with him and was afraid that he couldn't be saved. I said, 'Son, let's go to the altar right now and pray, and see if the Lord will save you.' We prayed at the altar for two solid hours. The man wept like a baby, begging God to save him. After the man quit praying, he looked at me and said, 'I'm still lost!' This man waited too long, and since the Lord is no longer dealing with him, he cannot be saved. He is doomed to be lost forever."
Now, dear reader, what is wrong with that story? The problem with that story is simple. There is little about that story that is Biblical. Now, please understand, I am not referring to any particular story that I have heard. I am not referring to any particular preacher. I am singling no one out. I have heard stories exactly like this one on several occasions. It is a story where someone tries to pray, but God refuses to save them because they waited too long.
People who tell these stories and believe in the possibility of God rejecting pleading sinners have used a few scriptures to support their belief. Let me point out these scriptures, then rightly divide them.
Advocates of this belief first go to John 6:44, where Jesus states, "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." This is the most popular verse among this crowd. They interpret this verse to say that if you don't feel a certain way, you can't be saved. If you are not trembling under conviction, then God is not dealing with you. Consequently, if God is not dealing with you, you can't be saved.
But let's look at it closer. Let me say first that there will come a time when people will pray to be saved, but they will be rejected. People will pray in hell, and will not be saved (Luke 16:19-31). People will try to escape the wrath of God at the coming of the Lord and find no escape (Revelation 6:14-17). People will pray and find no salvation on the Great Day of Judgment (Matthew 7:21-23). However, in this blog post, I am discussing whether people can pray only to be rejected IN THIS LIFE.
Notice what Jesus said. He said, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." Let's look at this word "draw." Look at what Jesus said in John 12:32, 33 - "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die." Here, Jesus very clearly connects the "drawing" to His death on the cross. Friend, when Jesus died on the cross, at that point, with hands outstretched, He drew, and continues to draw, the entire world to salvation. Because of the blood of Christ that washes our sins away, the Father says in Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Because of the blood and water that flowed from the cross, the Son says in John 7:37, "...Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." Because of the cross, Revelation 22:17 states, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
Wow! Did you get all that? Jesus said that when He is lifted up on the cross, He will draw ALL MEN unto Him! Because of the cross, the Father draws, saying, "Come." The Son draws, declaring, "Come." The Spirit and the bride are drawing men, saying, "Come." And this great invitation is not to a select few who "feel convicted." It is not limited to those who feel goosebumps. It is not exclusive to those who tremble in fear. It is clearly to WHOSOEVER WILL.
So, you may be wondering if I believe the Lord ever ceases to deal with an individual. It is possible, but it is rare. Jesus did not come to close the door to mankind; He came to open it wide open. The Bible does, however, speak of the reprobate in Romans 1, who the Lord "gave them over" and "gave them up." One thing the Bible does teach is this: If the Lord ceases to deal with an individual, that person will have NO DESIRE to pray and seek God. Notice Romans 3:11 - "...there is none that seeketh after God." This means that no one seeks the Lord on their own. In the story I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, there was a man who wanted to pray, and had a desire to get right, but somehow felt that the Lord was not dealing with him, and therefore concluded he could not be saved. THIS IS ABSOLUTE FALSE DOCTRINE. The desire to pray in itself is evidence of the Lord drawing an individual. "There is NONE that seeketh after God." You did not seek the Lord on your own. If you are taking steps to God, praying, asking the Lord to save you, then the Lord most certainly is drawing you to be saved.
So, you may now wonder if I believe in any possibility of someone trying to pray, but being rejected. My answer: NEVER IN THIS LIFE. Of course, I do understand that the praying person must believe with all their heart. But, my point is that if a person prays, believing and trusting the Lord to save them, He absolutely will save them.
Note this. In the same chapter where Jesus stated that a person must be drawn of the Father, He made another statement that is often overlooked. For those of you who believe that a person can pray and beg God to save them, and the Lord will turn them away, you need to put this other verse in your doctrine, because it is not there. John 6:37 - "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT." This means that if a person prays, believing with all their heart, Jesus Christ will UNDER ABSOLUTELY NO CIRCUMSTANCE cast them away. You say, "What if God has ceased to draw them?" The very fact that the person is praying, asking God to save them is proof that He is dealing with them.
Now, I will point out a few other verses that this crowd uses. I will show how ALL of these verses are taken out of context, and will show the true meaning of these verses.
Proverbs 1:24-28
"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out mine hand and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as a desolation, and your desolation cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; They shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:"
This passage is preached often and sinners are told that if they do not come to God right now, they may try to come later, but will be rejected. Advocates of this belief use verse 28 especially - "Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer." This passage is ALWAYS taken out of context when it is used in this manner.
This passage IS NOT DEALING WITH SALVATION. To use it this way is to take the verses out of context. In this passage, God Almighty is not even the one speaking. If you will just back up a few verses and read verse 20 - "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets..." Then the following verses tell what Wisdom is saying. Wisdom, in this passage, is personified. She is telling all who will listen that they need to receive wisdom now, BEFORE calamity comes. She says, "If you seek wisdom after your life is in shambles, wisdom will do you no good." The purpose of wisdom is to keep calamity from coming. This passage is about receiving wisdom, not about receiving salvation. Simply reading the entire passage clears this up.
Hosea 4:17
"Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone."
This verse is used to indicate that there may be a time when God quits dealing with an individual to be saved. First, in reply to this, I have made it clear throughout my blog that I do believe in a possibility of God ceasing to deal with an individual. If this happens, however, you should note that this is a rare experience. Jesus did not come to tell people they couldn't be saved; He came to open a fountain for sin and uncleanness and declare the glad tidings that WHOSOEVER WILL could be saved. It is equally important to note that, if the Lord ceases to deal with an individual, that person will have NO DESIRE to make things right with God. The desire to be saved is evidence of God's dealings. I cover this more extensively in my previous blog post.
Hosea 4:17, however, IS NOT DEALING WITH INDIVIDUAL SALVATION. This verse is another that is often taken out of context. Ephraim is not an individual, but a group of people. God had dealt with them, sent prophets to deal with them, and gave Ephraim many opportunities to return to the Lord. Now, judgment had come, and it was too late for Ephraim to pray. This is proven in Hosea 5:11 - "Ephraim is oppressed and broken in JUDGMENT..." Judgment had come! I stated clearly in my previous post that there are three places where man will pray to be saved, but it will be too late - in hell, at the coming of the Lord, and at the judgment. Friend, when judgment comes, it will certainly be too late to pray. For Ephraim, judgment had come. Chapters 4 and 5 of Hosea do not deal with individual salvation, but rather with a tribe of people who were facing God's judgment, and for them to be saved, it was too late. The correct way to preach Hosea 4:17 is in this manner: "If you wait until judgment to make peace with God, you'll be left alone." Thank God we are not at the judgment yet. If you do not know Jesus, and are not in hell or at the Great Judgment, then this verse does not yet apply to you! You can be saved today! However, if you wait until judgment, this verse will apply to you - you will be left alone.
Genesis 6:3
"And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man..."
This verse is more popular among those who believe the faulty teaching which I discuss. They state how "God won't always strive, or deal, with man." They conclude that if you try to pray after God quits striving, then you will be rejected.
This verse does not deal with individual salvation, but rather with God's dealings with mankind as a whole.
This chapter introduces Noah. God tells Noah that He will destroy the earth with a flood. He is tired of man's wickedness. He tells Noah, "My spirit shall not always strive with man." This is because God had plans to destroy mankind. He was through dealing with mankind as a whole. The Lord dealt with man just a little longer, giving mankind an opportunity to enter the ark to be saved. But after it started raining, God's dealings with mankind as a whole was finished, and the whole earth was destroyed. Then, God began dealing with mankind afresh, with those who were on the ark. Jesus Christ compared His coming to the day when Noah entered the ark. Jesus Christ, the King of kings, is coming to destroy the wicked. Only those who are in the ark, which is Jesus Christ, will be saved. When the hour of His coming arrives, His striving with man will be over. You must get in the door of the ark while it is open. It is open for all who will enter! But one day, the door will close on all of mankind. God's spirit will cease to deal with man at that point.
Hebrews 12:16, 17
"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."
This passage, like the others, is taken out of context when it is used to say that a person can seek the Lord, only to be rejected. In this passage, we have Esau, a wicked man. He lived his life as a fornicator. Then, it came time for him and his brother Jacob to stand before their father to receive their inheritance. Esau received no inheritance, no blessing. He was rejected. He began to weep and cry to his father to bless him, but no blessing came. Even when he begged and cried, he was rejected. Some preachers take this passage, and preach that it is possible to beg and plead to be saved IN THIS LIFE and be rejected by Christ. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
In this passage, the most important detail to note is the setting. When was Esau rejected? Our passage says, "when he would have inherited the blessing." Esau was standing before his father, and was rejected. Of course, he tried to repent then, but it was too late. What the Hebrew writer is telling us is this: If you wait until you are standing before the Father, at the time when rewards will be given (the Day of Judgment) it will be too late to repent. If you wait until then, you will be rejected. THIS PASSAGE IS NOT REFERRING TO PEOPLE BEING SAVED PRIOR TO STANDING BEFORE GOD. It deals with people trying to repent as they are standing in judgment, and there it will be too late, even if they seek repentance with bitter tears.
CONCLUSION
Clearly, "today is the day of salvation, and now is the accepted time." It will be too late when judgment comes. The good news is this: you still have breath in your body. The Lord has not yet come. We are not yet standing before God. You are not yet in hell. The door is still open to you! But when your eyes close in death; or, when Christ comes to gather His elect and destroy the wicked; it will be everlasting too late. Repent of your sins today. Confess Jesus Christ as Lord. Ask Him to save you, believing that He will do so, and you will be saved today.
The Second Myth Concerning Salvation - One Must "Pray Through" in Order to Be Saved
I've heard it over and over in many churches - "I prayed for months and months. Finally, after several months of crying and praying, I got saved." I don't mean to minimize anyone's salvation experience. Nor do I wish to impose my experience on everyone. You do not have to get saved the same way I did, as far as the details of your experience. However, let me say it this way: If it took you two weeks of praying to get saved, it did not take the Lord two weeks to save you. He did it instantly! The split second you believed on Jesus Christ was the split second you were born again.
There is a great myth in many churches today, and it has been around for years. This well-known myth is the belief that one must "pray through" in order to be saved. By "praying through," I mean "praying until you 'feel' saved." Not one place in the Bible does it say that you must pray for a long period of time to be saved. Not one scripture indicates that you must shed tears to be saved. Yet, in many churches, when a lost person comes to the altar to be saved, people just gather around them, and encourage them to pray for a long time, giving little or no guidance concerning how to be saved! I'm amazed at how many people come to our churches to pray to be saved, and, rather than declaring to them how it is done, we just stand around and let the spiritually blind grope their way to "feeling better."
As I begin, let me say that salvation is simple. Many church people can't stand that statement. They have a list a mile long of rules to keep, standards to obey, and these lists define their salvation. If you really think salvation is difficult, you need to get on your knees, open your Bible to John 19, and read the story of Christ's crucifixion again, because you missed something in it. If the Lord wanted to make salvation hard, don't you think He would have just left us under the law? Friend, Jesus Christ performed the work necessary for salvation, taking the hard part out of it. Jesus did the hard part! Jesus subjected Himself to living in the flesh after leaving the splendor of heaven. He gave His back to the smiters; He gave His cheeks to them that would pluck out the hair; He gave head to the thorns and His hands and feet to the nails. When He was on the cross, His blood flowing out of Him, He cried, "It is finished!" Friend, I believe it's finished. There is not one thing for me to add to this great plan of salvation! All we must to believe, or trust, the work of Christ for our salvation. One day I asked the Lord to save me, and believed Him to do it - and that's exactly what He did. A friend of mine made this statement, and he is exactly right - "I can almost preach that what Christ did on the cross SAVED the entire world. There's not one thing to do; the whole world is saved." Now I know we must believe what Christ did and trust in Him to save us. I'm not taking away from that. But I can sure preach that Christ saved the whole world when He died on the cross before I can preach that we have to add a bunch of things to it. Friend, Christ finished it! Thank God for the simplicity of the gospel!
The myth that one must "pray through" before they are saved is a prominent one in various churches, especially among Pentecostal groups. Some churches make you feel like if you didn't leave a puddle of tears and a puddle of snot at the altar, you didn't get saved. When I first started preaching, I thought that's the way it was. If people didn't spend a good deal of time praying, I didn't think they got saved. Then, I noticed something. I noticed that some who prayed for a long period of time, crying, weeping, and wailing, NEVER CAME BACK TO CHURCH. I noticed others who came to the altar, prayed for a short time, and showed little or no emotion, are going to church to this day and are strong Christians!
In many instances, those who pray for a long period of time to be saved are some of the most unstable people in our churches. I am not picking on them, but look at our youth. Some of them go to the altar at youth camps, spend hours each night there, and give them two weeks and they're out of church. Then, the next year, at youth camp, they "get saved again." This is a repeated process. Those whose salvation is based on how much they prayed and how good they felt when they got up from an altar have an emotion-based salvation. Their salvation is built on it. If you ask them, "How do you know you're saved?" many of them will tell you, "Because I felt this way or that way." Sure, they "prayed through" to a certain feeling. But what happens when the feeling departs (and it will)? They drop out. They're gone. Feelings are wonderful, but they do not provide my assurance of salvation. I KNOW I am saved because of what GOD SAID, and NOT because I "prayed through" until I felt better. Please understand, if it took you a good deal of time to be saved, I am not negating your experience. If you are saved, then thank God for it. But you're salvation better be built on what God said, and not how you feel. If you would have asked me the day after I got saved, "How do you know you're saved?" I would not have said one word about how I felt. I would have said something like this: "God said that if I would ask Him to save me, He would. I asked, and He did." My salvation hinged on what God said. That never changes. Feelings change. God's Word doesn't.
Romans 10, the great salvation chapter, states that ALL a person must do to be saved is confess with the mouth and believe with the heart. When you confess Christ as Lord, and believe (or put your trust in) the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for your salvation - you are saved. There is not one thing said about "feeling a certain way." There is no indication that you must pray a certain length of time. It says nothing of tears. There is no concept of "praying through" regarding our salvation visible in Romans 10. I have more than 26 verses in the New Testament that state clearly that ALL you have to do to have eternal life is believe. He is not speaking of merely believing in God's existence; the devils do that. It is not just saying, "I believe that Jesus died on the cross." The devil knows that. "Believing" means "putting your faith in what Jesus did. It means you are not trusting your works, your good deeds, your religion, your background, or anything else to save you. You are completely trusting Jesus Christ to save you, and you ask Him to do so based on this truth. Consequently, because you ask, believing Him to save you, HE DOES! It's that simple.
For all these people who believe you must "pray through" in order to be saved, I have a question for them. EVERY TIME in the New Testament, when someone received salvation and their prayer was recorded for us to read, their prayer was EXTREMELY SHORT. Why is this? When Saul of Tarsus changed directions on Damascus Road and began following the Christ He saw, his prayer went this way - "Lord, what would you have me to do?" When the publican prayed, he simply smote his breast, saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner," and went home justified. The thief on the cross said simply, "Remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom." As for the eunuch in Acts 8, there's no record of any prayer whatsoever and the Bible doesn't even tell us that he did pray. The eunuch simply told Philip, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Philip then baptized him. Now, I'm not saying that praying is not important in your salvation. I am saying that your praying better hinge on your "believing" of Christ, or all the praying you do will be in vain.
Two things to do to be saved - Confess with the mouth and believe in the heart. I promise you this - If you believe with all your heart that God will do exactly what He said, it will not take you hours, days, weeks, or months to get it confessed. The moment you believe, you will be saved.
I am not throwing away the idea of "praying through." This concept is a good one for believers. Believers need to get back to praying through. We need to get in our prayer closet, close the door, shut everything else out and pray until answers come. We need to quit worrying about time and just worry about touching the Father. I believe strongly in this kind of "praying through." But as for salvation, just ask the Lord to save you, believing that He will, and you are saved. A lot of our weeping and begging God to save is unnecessary. He is more ready to save than man is to be saved!
The Third Myth Concerning Salvation - Works that Cannot Get One Saved Can Keep One Saved
This idea that we are saved solely by grace and kept by trusting in works is prevalent in churches today. This idea is a myth. It is possible that one who is reading this post is seething with anger, hating every word I write. It could be that someone reading this post is a staunch advocate of “staying saved” by keeping commandments. If you are that person, I have questions for you, and I would love for you to email me, and answer these questions.
Question 1 – What percentage of your faith is in Jesus Christ and what percentage is in law-keeping?
If 100% of your faith is in Jesus Christ, and you are trusting solely in Him, why do you preach that keeping our salvation requires us to keep laws and commandments? YOU CANNOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. Either all your faith is in Christ, or it is not. If your salvation depends upon keeping commandments, at least some of your faith is in WORKS. I am asking – what percentage is in Christ; and what percentage is in law-keeping?
Now, I have heard preachers get up and preach this way – “If you’re going to ‘stay saved,’ you must…” then they preach a list. Then, if you were to corner these preachers after church, they would make it clear – “Oh, I don’t believe that we are kept by works…I believe we must keep our faith in Christ…I just believe that if we really have our faith in Christ, good works will follow.” WHOA! Wait a minute! That’s an entirely different message than what was preached from the pulpit! If you believe that we are both saved and kept by trusting Christ, then don’t get up and preach that we must keep a list of works in order to “stay saved!” YOU CANNOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. So, answer me. How much of your faith is in Christ and how much of your faith is in keeping laws and commandments? As for me, 100% of my faith is in Jesus Christ, and 0% is in the keeping of laws and commandments. How about you?
Question 2 – If part of your faith is in Christ and part of it is in law-keeping, what does Romans 11:5, 6 mean?
Romans 11:5, 6 reads this way – “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
These verses refer to our election, or the method by which God chooses us. We are chosen by God not by works (our doings), but by grace (God’s doings). Verse 6 makes it clear – if we are chosen by grace, there is no working (on our part) involved. If we are chosen by works, then God has nothing to do with it. This passage makes it plain that you cannot split your faith between Christ and law-keeping. You cannot be saved by grace at the altar, then by works when you get up. It is either all God’s doing, and we put our faith in Him; or it is all our doing, and we put our faith in works. If I am reading these verses wrong, educate me. Answer the question clearly – what does Romans 11:5, 6 mean?
Question 3 – If works can’t get you saved, how can works keep you saved?
When you went to the altar and asked the Lord to save you, you were resting solely upon Jesus Christ and His work on Calvary. You knew that all of your works were powerless and could not save you. But when you got up from the altar – those powerless, dead works of law-keeping suddenly have power! The same works that you would not trust at the altar, you now trust to keep you saved. Those works couldn’t give you life in Christ; but now they can sustain life in Christ. I don’t understand. Help me. Laws that never could give salvation can maintain salvation. How is this possible? If works can’t get you saved, how can works keep you saved?
Question 4 – Why is Jesus Christ and His work on the cross not good enough for you?
If you are preaching that children of God must keep laws in order to “stay saved,” the work of Christ is insufficient for you, and I want to know why.
You should note that the work that Jesus did – His death, burial, and resurrection – is extremely pleasing to the Father.
Isaiah 53:10 – “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”
Matthew 3:17 and Matthew 17:5 – “…This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
When Jesus died on the cross, He cried out, “It is finished.” If it is finished, why do you add to it? Why is your message, “Trust the Lord for salvation, but after you’re saved, keep a list of commandments?”
In the book of Galatians, twice Paul emphasized the fact that Christ GAVE HIMSELF.
Galatians 1:4 – “Who GAVE HIMSELF for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present, evil world.”
Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live: yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and GAVE HIMSELF for me.”
When Christ GAVE HIMSELF, He gave His ALL. How can you have a silly opinion that Christ’s all is not enough to save us, or keep us saved? How can you tell anyone that what Christ did is enough to get us saved, but if we’re going to “stay saved,” we must keep commandments?
Christ’s giving of His all is so pleasing to the Father. I do not understand how you can be so displeased with Christ that you require law-keeping to “stay saved.” I look forward to your answer to this question.
Question 5 – If you were in the Philippian jail, and the jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved?” what would your response be?
You say, “Oh, I would say, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.’” Of course you say that, because it’s the right answer. But, why don’t you say that when you tell someone how to be saved? Why do you tell people, that, in order to “stay saved,” it is going to take law-keeping? If you believe in keeping laws to “stay saved,” you disagree with Paul’s message of salvation to the Philippian jailer – “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Question 6 – Why are you so eager to put us under the law of Moses?
I elaborate on this throughout my blog, so I will not expound much on it here. However, it does demand an answer. Galatians 3:10; Galatians 5:3; and James 2:10 all teach plainly that if you are under ANY of the law of Moses, you are under ALL of it. Understanding this, why would you want to subject yourself to such bondage? The entire nation of Israel was under the law for 1,500 years, and not a single individual could ever keep it. And then, we have preachers, who want to strap that law to everyone with whom they come in contact. Everyone in Israel who tried to carry the law of Moses died under its weight. So, why are you so bound and determined to put us under the law of Moses?
Question 7 – If you believe that Christians are kept saved by keeping laws and commandments, how do you explain Galatians 2:16; Galatians 2:19; Galatians 2:21; Galatians 3:11; Acts 13:39; Romans 3:20; Romans 3:28; Ephesians 2:8, 9; and Titus 3:5?
All of these verses contradict the very thought of justification (salvation) being a result of law-keeping or works of any kind. You cannot ignore these verses. If you are kept by keeping laws, then I want to know what each of these verses mean. You owe an explanation here!
Question 8 – Why do you sing songs that emphasize faith in Christ alone if you do not believe them?
If you believe that we are kept by keeping commandments, there are a host of gospel songs you should never sing again. I will mention only a few.
Amazing Grace – The third verse states, “Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come! ‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far and grace shall lead me home.” If you believe that works will lead you home, then sing it that way! Quit singing a song you do not believe!
Nothing but the Blood – The third verse reads this way – “Nothing can for sin atone, Nothing but the blood of Jesus! Naught of good that I have done, Nothing but the blood of Jesus!” If you believe that good works keep you saved, then you do have faith in “good that you have done.” You do not believe this song, so leave it alone!
The Solid Rock – The first verse reads, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but WHOLLY lean on Jesus’ name.” Either lean wholly on Christ or quit singing the song.
Jesus Paid it All – The title is self-explanatory. If you do not believe that the work of Christ pays for your sins in full, throw this song out.
Christ is All I Need – You do not believe it if you need works to maintain your salvation.
‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus – The second verse says, “O, how sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to trust His cleansing blood, Just in simple faith to plunge me ‘Neath the healing, cleansing flood.” The writer forgot to add that we are trusting in commandments as well. If you sing this song and do not believe that it’s all in Jesus, you are singing a lie.
If you believe that works keep you saved, and you sing these songs, I want to know why you sing lies. I look forward to your answer.
Conclusion
If the reader believes that keeping commandments is keeping you saved, I sincerely encourage you to email me, answering these questions. These questions are serious, not sarcastic. I genuinely want to know how you deal with these questions if all your faith is not in Christ. I look forward to hearing from the one who believes that we are kept by works.
Proverbs 1:24-28
"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out mine hand and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as a desolation, and your desolation cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; They shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:"
This passage is preached often and sinners are told that if they do not come to God right now, they may try to come later, but will be rejected. Advocates of this belief use verse 28 especially - "Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer." This passage is ALWAYS taken out of context when it is used in this manner.
This passage IS NOT DEALING WITH SALVATION. To use it this way is to take the verses out of context. In this passage, God Almighty is not even the one speaking. If you will just back up a few verses and read verse 20 - "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets..." Then the following verses tell what Wisdom is saying. Wisdom, in this passage, is personified. She is telling all who will listen that they need to receive wisdom now, BEFORE calamity comes. She says, "If you seek wisdom after your life is in shambles, wisdom will do you no good." The purpose of wisdom is to keep calamity from coming. This passage is about receiving wisdom, not about receiving salvation. Simply reading the entire passage clears this up.
Hosea 4:17
"Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone."
This verse is used to indicate that there may be a time when God quits dealing with an individual to be saved. First, in reply to this, I have made it clear throughout my blog that I do believe in a possibility of God ceasing to deal with an individual. If this happens, however, you should note that this is a rare experience. Jesus did not come to tell people they couldn't be saved; He came to open a fountain for sin and uncleanness and declare the glad tidings that WHOSOEVER WILL could be saved. It is equally important to note that, if the Lord ceases to deal with an individual, that person will have NO DESIRE to make things right with God. The desire to be saved is evidence of God's dealings. I cover this more extensively in my previous blog post.
Hosea 4:17, however, IS NOT DEALING WITH INDIVIDUAL SALVATION. This verse is another that is often taken out of context. Ephraim is not an individual, but a group of people. God had dealt with them, sent prophets to deal with them, and gave Ephraim many opportunities to return to the Lord. Now, judgment had come, and it was too late for Ephraim to pray. This is proven in Hosea 5:11 - "Ephraim is oppressed and broken in JUDGMENT..." Judgment had come! I stated clearly in my previous post that there are three places where man will pray to be saved, but it will be too late - in hell, at the coming of the Lord, and at the judgment. Friend, when judgment comes, it will certainly be too late to pray. For Ephraim, judgment had come. Chapters 4 and 5 of Hosea do not deal with individual salvation, but rather with a tribe of people who were facing God's judgment, and for them to be saved, it was too late. The correct way to preach Hosea 4:17 is in this manner: "If you wait until judgment to make peace with God, you'll be left alone." Thank God we are not at the judgment yet. If you do not know Jesus, and are not in hell or at the Great Judgment, then this verse does not yet apply to you! You can be saved today! However, if you wait until judgment, this verse will apply to you - you will be left alone.
Genesis 6:3
"And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man..."
This verse is more popular among those who believe the faulty teaching which I discuss. They state how "God won't always strive, or deal, with man." They conclude that if you try to pray after God quits striving, then you will be rejected.
This verse does not deal with individual salvation, but rather with God's dealings with mankind as a whole.
This chapter introduces Noah. God tells Noah that He will destroy the earth with a flood. He is tired of man's wickedness. He tells Noah, "My spirit shall not always strive with man." This is because God had plans to destroy mankind. He was through dealing with mankind as a whole. The Lord dealt with man just a little longer, giving mankind an opportunity to enter the ark to be saved. But after it started raining, God's dealings with mankind as a whole was finished, and the whole earth was destroyed. Then, God began dealing with mankind afresh, with those who were on the ark. Jesus Christ compared His coming to the day when Noah entered the ark. Jesus Christ, the King of kings, is coming to destroy the wicked. Only those who are in the ark, which is Jesus Christ, will be saved. When the hour of His coming arrives, His striving with man will be over. You must get in the door of the ark while it is open. It is open for all who will enter! But one day, the door will close on all of mankind. God's spirit will cease to deal with man at that point.
Hebrews 12:16, 17
"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."
This passage, like the others, is taken out of context when it is used to say that a person can seek the Lord, only to be rejected. In this passage, we have Esau, a wicked man. He lived his life as a fornicator. Then, it came time for him and his brother Jacob to stand before their father to receive their inheritance. Esau received no inheritance, no blessing. He was rejected. He began to weep and cry to his father to bless him, but no blessing came. Even when he begged and cried, he was rejected. Some preachers take this passage, and preach that it is possible to beg and plead to be saved IN THIS LIFE and be rejected by Christ. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
In this passage, the most important detail to note is the setting. When was Esau rejected? Our passage says, "when he would have inherited the blessing." Esau was standing before his father, and was rejected. Of course, he tried to repent then, but it was too late. What the Hebrew writer is telling us is this: If you wait until you are standing before the Father, at the time when rewards will be given (the Day of Judgment) it will be too late to repent. If you wait until then, you will be rejected. THIS PASSAGE IS NOT REFERRING TO PEOPLE BEING SAVED PRIOR TO STANDING BEFORE GOD. It deals with people trying to repent as they are standing in judgment, and there it will be too late, even if they seek repentance with bitter tears.
CONCLUSION
Clearly, "today is the day of salvation, and now is the accepted time." It will be too late when judgment comes. The good news is this: you still have breath in your body. The Lord has not yet come. We are not yet standing before God. You are not yet in hell. The door is still open to you! But when your eyes close in death; or, when Christ comes to gather His elect and destroy the wicked; it will be everlasting too late. Repent of your sins today. Confess Jesus Christ as Lord. Ask Him to save you, believing that He will do so, and you will be saved today.
The Second Myth Concerning Salvation - One Must "Pray Through" in Order to Be Saved
I've heard it over and over in many churches - "I prayed for months and months. Finally, after several months of crying and praying, I got saved." I don't mean to minimize anyone's salvation experience. Nor do I wish to impose my experience on everyone. You do not have to get saved the same way I did, as far as the details of your experience. However, let me say it this way: If it took you two weeks of praying to get saved, it did not take the Lord two weeks to save you. He did it instantly! The split second you believed on Jesus Christ was the split second you were born again.
There is a great myth in many churches today, and it has been around for years. This well-known myth is the belief that one must "pray through" in order to be saved. By "praying through," I mean "praying until you 'feel' saved." Not one place in the Bible does it say that you must pray for a long period of time to be saved. Not one scripture indicates that you must shed tears to be saved. Yet, in many churches, when a lost person comes to the altar to be saved, people just gather around them, and encourage them to pray for a long time, giving little or no guidance concerning how to be saved! I'm amazed at how many people come to our churches to pray to be saved, and, rather than declaring to them how it is done, we just stand around and let the spiritually blind grope their way to "feeling better."
As I begin, let me say that salvation is simple. Many church people can't stand that statement. They have a list a mile long of rules to keep, standards to obey, and these lists define their salvation. If you really think salvation is difficult, you need to get on your knees, open your Bible to John 19, and read the story of Christ's crucifixion again, because you missed something in it. If the Lord wanted to make salvation hard, don't you think He would have just left us under the law? Friend, Jesus Christ performed the work necessary for salvation, taking the hard part out of it. Jesus did the hard part! Jesus subjected Himself to living in the flesh after leaving the splendor of heaven. He gave His back to the smiters; He gave His cheeks to them that would pluck out the hair; He gave head to the thorns and His hands and feet to the nails. When He was on the cross, His blood flowing out of Him, He cried, "It is finished!" Friend, I believe it's finished. There is not one thing for me to add to this great plan of salvation! All we must to believe, or trust, the work of Christ for our salvation. One day I asked the Lord to save me, and believed Him to do it - and that's exactly what He did. A friend of mine made this statement, and he is exactly right - "I can almost preach that what Christ did on the cross SAVED the entire world. There's not one thing to do; the whole world is saved." Now I know we must believe what Christ did and trust in Him to save us. I'm not taking away from that. But I can sure preach that Christ saved the whole world when He died on the cross before I can preach that we have to add a bunch of things to it. Friend, Christ finished it! Thank God for the simplicity of the gospel!
The myth that one must "pray through" before they are saved is a prominent one in various churches, especially among Pentecostal groups. Some churches make you feel like if you didn't leave a puddle of tears and a puddle of snot at the altar, you didn't get saved. When I first started preaching, I thought that's the way it was. If people didn't spend a good deal of time praying, I didn't think they got saved. Then, I noticed something. I noticed that some who prayed for a long period of time, crying, weeping, and wailing, NEVER CAME BACK TO CHURCH. I noticed others who came to the altar, prayed for a short time, and showed little or no emotion, are going to church to this day and are strong Christians!
In many instances, those who pray for a long period of time to be saved are some of the most unstable people in our churches. I am not picking on them, but look at our youth. Some of them go to the altar at youth camps, spend hours each night there, and give them two weeks and they're out of church. Then, the next year, at youth camp, they "get saved again." This is a repeated process. Those whose salvation is based on how much they prayed and how good they felt when they got up from an altar have an emotion-based salvation. Their salvation is built on it. If you ask them, "How do you know you're saved?" many of them will tell you, "Because I felt this way or that way." Sure, they "prayed through" to a certain feeling. But what happens when the feeling departs (and it will)? They drop out. They're gone. Feelings are wonderful, but they do not provide my assurance of salvation. I KNOW I am saved because of what GOD SAID, and NOT because I "prayed through" until I felt better. Please understand, if it took you a good deal of time to be saved, I am not negating your experience. If you are saved, then thank God for it. But you're salvation better be built on what God said, and not how you feel. If you would have asked me the day after I got saved, "How do you know you're saved?" I would not have said one word about how I felt. I would have said something like this: "God said that if I would ask Him to save me, He would. I asked, and He did." My salvation hinged on what God said. That never changes. Feelings change. God's Word doesn't.
Romans 10, the great salvation chapter, states that ALL a person must do to be saved is confess with the mouth and believe with the heart. When you confess Christ as Lord, and believe (or put your trust in) the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for your salvation - you are saved. There is not one thing said about "feeling a certain way." There is no indication that you must pray a certain length of time. It says nothing of tears. There is no concept of "praying through" regarding our salvation visible in Romans 10. I have more than 26 verses in the New Testament that state clearly that ALL you have to do to have eternal life is believe. He is not speaking of merely believing in God's existence; the devils do that. It is not just saying, "I believe that Jesus died on the cross." The devil knows that. "Believing" means "putting your faith in what Jesus did. It means you are not trusting your works, your good deeds, your religion, your background, or anything else to save you. You are completely trusting Jesus Christ to save you, and you ask Him to do so based on this truth. Consequently, because you ask, believing Him to save you, HE DOES! It's that simple.
For all these people who believe you must "pray through" in order to be saved, I have a question for them. EVERY TIME in the New Testament, when someone received salvation and their prayer was recorded for us to read, their prayer was EXTREMELY SHORT. Why is this? When Saul of Tarsus changed directions on Damascus Road and began following the Christ He saw, his prayer went this way - "Lord, what would you have me to do?" When the publican prayed, he simply smote his breast, saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner," and went home justified. The thief on the cross said simply, "Remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom." As for the eunuch in Acts 8, there's no record of any prayer whatsoever and the Bible doesn't even tell us that he did pray. The eunuch simply told Philip, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Philip then baptized him. Now, I'm not saying that praying is not important in your salvation. I am saying that your praying better hinge on your "believing" of Christ, or all the praying you do will be in vain.
Two things to do to be saved - Confess with the mouth and believe in the heart. I promise you this - If you believe with all your heart that God will do exactly what He said, it will not take you hours, days, weeks, or months to get it confessed. The moment you believe, you will be saved.
I am not throwing away the idea of "praying through." This concept is a good one for believers. Believers need to get back to praying through. We need to get in our prayer closet, close the door, shut everything else out and pray until answers come. We need to quit worrying about time and just worry about touching the Father. I believe strongly in this kind of "praying through." But as for salvation, just ask the Lord to save you, believing that He will, and you are saved. A lot of our weeping and begging God to save is unnecessary. He is more ready to save than man is to be saved!
The Third Myth Concerning Salvation - Works that Cannot Get One Saved Can Keep One Saved
This idea that we are saved solely by grace and kept by trusting in works is prevalent in churches today. This idea is a myth. It is possible that one who is reading this post is seething with anger, hating every word I write. It could be that someone reading this post is a staunch advocate of “staying saved” by keeping commandments. If you are that person, I have questions for you, and I would love for you to email me, and answer these questions.
Question 1 – What percentage of your faith is in Jesus Christ and what percentage is in law-keeping?
If 100% of your faith is in Jesus Christ, and you are trusting solely in Him, why do you preach that keeping our salvation requires us to keep laws and commandments? YOU CANNOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. Either all your faith is in Christ, or it is not. If your salvation depends upon keeping commandments, at least some of your faith is in WORKS. I am asking – what percentage is in Christ; and what percentage is in law-keeping?
Now, I have heard preachers get up and preach this way – “If you’re going to ‘stay saved,’ you must…” then they preach a list. Then, if you were to corner these preachers after church, they would make it clear – “Oh, I don’t believe that we are kept by works…I believe we must keep our faith in Christ…I just believe that if we really have our faith in Christ, good works will follow.” WHOA! Wait a minute! That’s an entirely different message than what was preached from the pulpit! If you believe that we are both saved and kept by trusting Christ, then don’t get up and preach that we must keep a list of works in order to “stay saved!” YOU CANNOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. So, answer me. How much of your faith is in Christ and how much of your faith is in keeping laws and commandments? As for me, 100% of my faith is in Jesus Christ, and 0% is in the keeping of laws and commandments. How about you?
Question 2 – If part of your faith is in Christ and part of it is in law-keeping, what does Romans 11:5, 6 mean?
Romans 11:5, 6 reads this way – “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
These verses refer to our election, or the method by which God chooses us. We are chosen by God not by works (our doings), but by grace (God’s doings). Verse 6 makes it clear – if we are chosen by grace, there is no working (on our part) involved. If we are chosen by works, then God has nothing to do with it. This passage makes it plain that you cannot split your faith between Christ and law-keeping. You cannot be saved by grace at the altar, then by works when you get up. It is either all God’s doing, and we put our faith in Him; or it is all our doing, and we put our faith in works. If I am reading these verses wrong, educate me. Answer the question clearly – what does Romans 11:5, 6 mean?
Question 3 – If works can’t get you saved, how can works keep you saved?
When you went to the altar and asked the Lord to save you, you were resting solely upon Jesus Christ and His work on Calvary. You knew that all of your works were powerless and could not save you. But when you got up from the altar – those powerless, dead works of law-keeping suddenly have power! The same works that you would not trust at the altar, you now trust to keep you saved. Those works couldn’t give you life in Christ; but now they can sustain life in Christ. I don’t understand. Help me. Laws that never could give salvation can maintain salvation. How is this possible? If works can’t get you saved, how can works keep you saved?
Question 4 – Why is Jesus Christ and His work on the cross not good enough for you?
If you are preaching that children of God must keep laws in order to “stay saved,” the work of Christ is insufficient for you, and I want to know why.
You should note that the work that Jesus did – His death, burial, and resurrection – is extremely pleasing to the Father.
Isaiah 53:10 – “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”
Matthew 3:17 and Matthew 17:5 – “…This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
When Jesus died on the cross, He cried out, “It is finished.” If it is finished, why do you add to it? Why is your message, “Trust the Lord for salvation, but after you’re saved, keep a list of commandments?”
In the book of Galatians, twice Paul emphasized the fact that Christ GAVE HIMSELF.
Galatians 1:4 – “Who GAVE HIMSELF for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present, evil world.”
Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live: yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and GAVE HIMSELF for me.”
When Christ GAVE HIMSELF, He gave His ALL. How can you have a silly opinion that Christ’s all is not enough to save us, or keep us saved? How can you tell anyone that what Christ did is enough to get us saved, but if we’re going to “stay saved,” we must keep commandments?
Christ’s giving of His all is so pleasing to the Father. I do not understand how you can be so displeased with Christ that you require law-keeping to “stay saved.” I look forward to your answer to this question.
Question 5 – If you were in the Philippian jail, and the jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved?” what would your response be?
You say, “Oh, I would say, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.’” Of course you say that, because it’s the right answer. But, why don’t you say that when you tell someone how to be saved? Why do you tell people, that, in order to “stay saved,” it is going to take law-keeping? If you believe in keeping laws to “stay saved,” you disagree with Paul’s message of salvation to the Philippian jailer – “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Question 6 – Why are you so eager to put us under the law of Moses?
I elaborate on this throughout my blog, so I will not expound much on it here. However, it does demand an answer. Galatians 3:10; Galatians 5:3; and James 2:10 all teach plainly that if you are under ANY of the law of Moses, you are under ALL of it. Understanding this, why would you want to subject yourself to such bondage? The entire nation of Israel was under the law for 1,500 years, and not a single individual could ever keep it. And then, we have preachers, who want to strap that law to everyone with whom they come in contact. Everyone in Israel who tried to carry the law of Moses died under its weight. So, why are you so bound and determined to put us under the law of Moses?
Question 7 – If you believe that Christians are kept saved by keeping laws and commandments, how do you explain Galatians 2:16; Galatians 2:19; Galatians 2:21; Galatians 3:11; Acts 13:39; Romans 3:20; Romans 3:28; Ephesians 2:8, 9; and Titus 3:5?
All of these verses contradict the very thought of justification (salvation) being a result of law-keeping or works of any kind. You cannot ignore these verses. If you are kept by keeping laws, then I want to know what each of these verses mean. You owe an explanation here!
Question 8 – Why do you sing songs that emphasize faith in Christ alone if you do not believe them?
If you believe that we are kept by keeping commandments, there are a host of gospel songs you should never sing again. I will mention only a few.
Amazing Grace – The third verse states, “Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come! ‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far and grace shall lead me home.” If you believe that works will lead you home, then sing it that way! Quit singing a song you do not believe!
Nothing but the Blood – The third verse reads this way – “Nothing can for sin atone, Nothing but the blood of Jesus! Naught of good that I have done, Nothing but the blood of Jesus!” If you believe that good works keep you saved, then you do have faith in “good that you have done.” You do not believe this song, so leave it alone!
The Solid Rock – The first verse reads, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but WHOLLY lean on Jesus’ name.” Either lean wholly on Christ or quit singing the song.
Jesus Paid it All – The title is self-explanatory. If you do not believe that the work of Christ pays for your sins in full, throw this song out.
Christ is All I Need – You do not believe it if you need works to maintain your salvation.
‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus – The second verse says, “O, how sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to trust His cleansing blood, Just in simple faith to plunge me ‘Neath the healing, cleansing flood.” The writer forgot to add that we are trusting in commandments as well. If you sing this song and do not believe that it’s all in Jesus, you are singing a lie.
If you believe that works keep you saved, and you sing these songs, I want to know why you sing lies. I look forward to your answer.
Conclusion
If the reader believes that keeping commandments is keeping you saved, I sincerely encourage you to email me, answering these questions. These questions are serious, not sarcastic. I genuinely want to know how you deal with these questions if all your faith is not in Christ. I look forward to hearing from the one who believes that we are kept by works.
