By johninnc
Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Bible explains clearly how to receive the gift of eternal life that is freely offered by our gracious God through his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This is the most wonderful news EVER!
Unfortunately, many seem to miss the simple message due to its corruption by the world of professing Christianity (aka “churchianity”). Churchianity has created a seemingly endless array of false gospel substitutes in a free-for-all that attempts to turn the good news into bad news.
Merrium-Webster.com has the following definition for free-for-all:
Free-for-all: a competition, dispute, or fight open to all comers and usually with no rules : BRAWL
also : a chaotic situation resembling a free-for-all especially in lacking rules or structure
I recently came across a youtube video by a prominent false teacher. I didn’t watch the video, but read some of the comments. Many of them were appalling! Here a few excerpts that I selected (italicized), along with my comments:
I want them to repent of their sins and give their lives to Christ so that they can have salvation and an eternal home in Heaven.
Neither “repenting of sins” nor “giving one’s life to Christ” is a condition for receiving the free gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus. These things are works, As such, this is teaching the false gospel of Lordship “salvation” (works for salvation) defined as follows:
Lordship “salvation” (LS) is the unsupportable and unbiblical belief that the PERFORMANCE of good works, the PROMISE of good works, or the EVIDENCE of good works MUST accompany faith in Christ in order to establish, or provide evidence, that such faith has resulted in eternal life.
The false teachers today are mostly from the western (America) Church who are preaching the EASILY disproven issues of the Pre Trib Rapture and Once Saved always saved doctrines. Maranatha
The Bible clearly teaches that eternal life begins the moment one believes in Jesus as Savior. If eternal life could be lost, it would not be eternal life.
John 5:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
This commenter’s objection to the pre-tribulation rapture is likely rooted in his mistaken belief that Christians will have to endure the great tribulation in order to keep their eternal life. This is a false gospel of works. This commenter’s testimony is that he does not presently possess eternal life, and that he is hoping to earn it through his perseverance.
One must hear the word (Romans 10:17, Matthew 7:24); Believe in God and Jesus- (John 3:16, Acts 16:31); Confess faith in Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9-10); Repent from sin by changing direction (Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38); Be Baptized in water into the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit in order to receive forgiveness of sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 19:5, Acts 8:12,38, Acts 22:16); Be faithful for the remainder of your life (1 John 1:7-10, Phil 1-27-28 and Hebrews 3:13-14).
This is quite a checklist! But, it’s wrong. Believing in Jesus as Savior is how one receives the free gift of eternal life. The Bible never conditions receiving eternal life on confessing Christ, turning from sin by changing direction, being water baptized, or remaining faithful for the remainder of one’s life. People who believe in Jesus as Savior receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Universal Church at the moment of belief in Jesus as Savior. This commenter’s testimony is that he will have eternal life once he completes this false non-biblical checklist.
The true Christian reads the Bible daily and knows the truth when they hear it, and is also able to detect the false teachings.
This is subtly teaching a false gospel of works. If a “true Christian” reads the Bible daily, then one would have to read the Bible daily to confirm that he had eternal life. Not all Christians read the Bible daily, and it is likely that some non-Christians do read the Bible daily. This commenter’s (tacit) testimony is that if he reads his Bible daily, he has eternal life.
Ray Comfort always said about accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior in your life, believe He died on the cross and rose on the third day, whenever he preached to strangers. Ray Comfort gives the best in gospel with repentance of sins. Because so many false Christians think they do not need to repent and some of them says repent means change your mind about Jesus. It is very dangerous.
Ray Comfort is a false teacher who teaches works for eternal life. This commenter is one of the fruits of Ray Comfort’s false doctrine of LS. This false gospel presents Jesus as necessary for eternal life, but not as sufficient for eternal life. In other words, in this false view of the gospel, God’s complete provision for our salvation must be accompanied by our works of turning from sin in order to receive the free gift of eternal life. This commenter’s testimony is that he knows he has eternal life because he has believed the gospel and because he has turned from his sins. Hence, that if he had failed to turn from his sins, he would lack eternal life.
Chaos seems to rule in a free for all, resulting in great confusion. We know that God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). So, who is it that is behind this free for all?
2 Corinthians 4:3-4: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
The god of this world is Satan.
The Bible repeatedly calls eternal life a gift or a free gift, available to anyone who believes in Jesus as Savior. But, the Bible never conditions receiving the free gift of eternal life on any of Churchianity’s free-for-all.
If you would like clarity regarding the gospel of Jesus Christ, click here: THE GOSPEL
Notes From A Retired Preacher 
The Pentecostals don’t like MacArthur because he does preach against their false teachings. They both preach against each other, neither have it right with the gospel. Anyone can get the peripheral stuff right to a degree, but be a false teacher.
chas, I’m glad the article is encouraging!
The MacArthur story is interesting. Like you, I doubt that the “prophet” is really a prophet, particularly given how poorly-targeted his message was.
thank you for the answer I was expecting and clarifying what I had previously read, or miss read, Totally in agreement, andy
Great article, John!
You may not post very often, but when you do, it’s always encouraging to me.
Once again my Irony Meter is pegged (possibly damaged) by the twisted “reasoning” of LSers, be they straightforward J-Mac types who say one must “turn from sin to be saved”, or the sneaky back door LSers who insist that “if you’re really saved, you’ll turn from sin.”
If any of these people have ever believed in Christ alone for eternal life (then got confused) there’s gonna be major bonfires at the Bema when their trusted works are burnt to nothing.
I’ve probably posted along those lines before, but it feels good to say it again. Sorry.
Speaking of J-Mac, Friday I watched a video of a recent lecture of his being interrupted by a “prophet” who climbed up onto the stage and rebuked him for teaching–now get this–cessationism. Now, I’m no cessationist, but J-Mac has far, far bigger issues than that. I doubt seriously that the “prophet” in this case was speaking for the Lord, in that a rebuke for LS teaching would have been much more on target. But then, so many “spirit-filled” congregations are led by teachers of fleshly ideas of salvation. It’s not surprising to see such misfires. Poor guy probably did it because he felt his own salvation was in question if he didn’t “step out in faith” and “hold forth”, etc-etc.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Andy, I see no biblical imperative to ask Jesus to save us or to come into our hearts. This type of gospel appeal can be confusing, because asking is not a substitute for believing. If one asks Jesus to save him, but has never believed in Jesus as Savior, he does not have eternal life. And, if one has believed in Jesus as Savior, asking Him to save is unnecessary.
As far as “mind” versus “heart,” if someone believes in Jesus as Savior, I see no biblical imperative for trying to determine a distinction.
sorry I missed the conversation on asking Jesus into your heart as part of salvation, my question is can we be saved by accepting the fact that Christ died on the cross to pay for all our sins, past, present and future with our mind or do we need to ask him to save us and into our heart to be saved, sorry if this is rehashing an old topic
Thank you for the clarification ☺️
thanks for confirming, I heard him speak a few times and was never able to find fault so that’s why I was wondering if there was any connection, he was clear with his message even though he had just had a stroke or was just getting over one, but i’ve heard others that were on seemingly on target one time and completely different the next, keep fighting the good fight
Dustin, the “free-for-all” referred to the seemingly endless false gospels that are preached, which is why I included the definition of free-far-all, its application to LS doctrine, contrasted with the genuine gospel.
You are correct that eternal life is available to all as a free gift. I had tried to make that point toward the end of the article:
The Bible repeatedly calls eternal life a gift or a free gift, available to anyone who believes in Jesus as Savior. But, the Bible never conditions receiving the free gift of eternal life on any of Churchianity’s free-for-all.
I’m not sure why you refer to “free for all” as a lordship doctrine? That is very confusing because the gospel of grace IS “free for all” who simply believe in Jesus Christ as savior.
Andy, Ron Comfort seems to have a clear gospel (from what I could see on his page), with no ‘repenting from sin’, ‘surrendering all’, or any of the other false conditions Ray Comfort adds. Plus I do not believe Ray was raised Roman Catholic.
Holly, it is unfortunate how people cling to the traditions they were taught. It is such a shame that they so often resort to personal attacks when their “church speak” is challenged.
People cling stubbornly to the tradition they were taught. Recently we had a little hoopla about one who felt we shouldn’t even say anything about asking Jesus into your heart. He felt it was perfectly fine since He does come to indwelling us. He used also Eph 3:17 (spoke to believers, not a salvation verse). He ended up calling us legalistic, lordshippers and hyperdispensationalists, just for encouraging people to keep the gospel clear. I wish people would read through John, Acts and 3-8 of Romans and just look at the examples.
LD, thanks for your words of encouragement. It really is a simple, yet profound concept, despite all of the efforts to complicate and corrupt it.
Andy, I’m glad you liked the article!
I’m not aware of any connection between Ray Comfort and Ron Comfort, but perhaps one of our other readers may be.
God’s free gift is truly amazing indeed.
If people would understand this simple, yet, profound concept, then many would be able to enjoy the blessings thereof and be saved forever all thanks to Jesus and His finished work on the cross for the payment of all our sin’s penalty.
As always, be blessed in Christ Jesus to you Johninnc and to others reading this.
Johninnc, Thanks for posting this great and simple plan of salvation, Jack Weaver style. Do you know if there is any connection between Ray comfort and Ron Comfort , Andy Race