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Posted in Christianity
By johninnc
I have been making note of search terms that people have used that have brought them to Expreacherman. I thought I would share twenty of the questions, along with my short answers in bold.
As you can see from the above questions, people are searching for the truth, and we are fortunate that some of them end up here at Expreacherman. Following is an appeal we made as part of an article published a few months back. I would ask our readers and commenters to once again reflect on it:
I join you in asking God to bless this ministry. I pray that those who come here who know Jesus as Savior will seek to honor God with their posts, that we will be faithful to Him and His word, that we will comfort and encourage one another, that we will be bold in proclaiming and defending the gospel, that we will be gentle and wise, that we won’t become confused with the wisdom of men, and that we will not allow our comments to become sidetracked with unimportant things.
Also, I pray that those who come here who are seeking truth, and do not know Jesus as Savior, would hear/read and understand the gospel message.
If you would like to know how to have eternal life, please click here: The Gospel
By johninnc
2 John 1:11: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
We recently featured an article on the upcoming “Harvest America” event, led by false teacher Greg Laurie. See link below:
Lordship Salvation: Greg Laurie’s Bitter Harvest
In that article, we mentioned several pastors who had endorsed Greg Laurie and/or the event.
This article will provide a complete list of endorsements from pastors and musicians, all straight from the “Harvest America” website, along with the quotes provided by the endorsers. Some of these names may be familiar to you. They may be editorial pundits for popular news media, pastors of megachurches, famous evangelists, highly-credentialed officials of large organizations, or popular musicians. They have one thing in common: they are participating in Laurie’s evil deeds.
We have had some of our commenters seemingly scratching their heads over why someone who seems clear on the gospel may provide an endorsement for Laurie. I was able to come up with only four possible reasons, none of them good:
1. They are ignorant of the false gospel that Greg Laurie teaches
2. They are ignorant of the gospel and believe what Greg Laurie teaches
3. They are not discerning enough to tell the difference between the gospel and its counterfeits
4. They know that what Greg Laurie teaches is a false gospel, but growing their own audiences and selling their wares outweighs any concern they might have
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Following are the endorsements:
Posted in Billy Graham, Calvinism, Christianity, Conservative, Lordship Salvation
By johninnc
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.
I recently received from our regular commenter Holly a couple of YouTube videos from Greg Laurie, a prominent false teacher and Lordship “Salvationist.”
This information was very well-timed to warn people of Laurie’s false doctrine, as Laurie is just days away from hosting the 29th annual SoCal Harvest, an “evangelical” event being held from August 17-19 in Orange County California. This year’s event is expected to draw between 90,000 and 100,000 attendees. The ExPreacherman ministry has warned of Greg Laurie’s false doctrine for years, but given the upcoming Harvest event, it is an opportune time to chronicle some of his teaching that contradicts the gospel.
Following are quotes from an article by Laurie entitled “How to Know You’re a Christian,” published by the BILLY GRAHAM Evangelistic Association on October 4, 2010:
Jesus essentially said the only way your sins are forgiven and to know you will spend eternity in Heaven is by putting your complete trust in Him. And there will be tangible results to show you have done that.
My comment: this is truth mixed with error. The Bible does not teach that “there will be tangible results to show you have done that.” Looking for those “tangible results” means looking away from Christ and to oneself for assurance of eternal life.
You see, the outward change is often without the inward. However, the inward change is never without the outward.
My comment: this means that if a person’s behavior doesn’t change, he does not have eternal life. This is a heretical teaching that means that no one could be sure he had eternal life unless he experienced some kind of behavioral change, which Laurie doesn’t quantify, nor specify.
By contrast, the Bible teaches that our assurance of eternal life comes from knowing we have believed in Jesus as Savior.
John 5:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word , and believeth in Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.
Fine. But what does “believing” actually mean? The Bible says that even the demons from hell believe, and tremble at what they know very well to be true (James 2:19). Here are the elements of the Good News that we must believe and receive to become a born-again child of God.
My comment: Jesus did not die for the sins of demons. This is a classic Lordship “salvation” line of reasoning, meant to convince the listener that faith in Christ is not sufficient for eternal life, generally followed by changing the definition of the word “believe” to inherently include works. In so doing, they are preaching a false gospel.
Here are the elements Laurie includes:
Realize You Are a Sinner
My comment: so far, so good.
Repent of Your Sins
To repent means to “change” or to “turn.” It’s like driving down the highway, pulling a U-turn and heading the other direction. More than simply being sorry, it is a word of action. Many people feel remorse for their sin but never truly repent. Remorse is being sorry, repentance is being sorry enough to stop.
My comment: the Bible teaches that eternal life is a free gift, without cost or obligation to the recipient. Laurie’s definition means that works are required to receive eternal life. There is no good news here.
Believe and Receive Jesus Christ into Your Life
…You need to believe that, and ask Him into your life.
My comment: one does not need to “ask Him into your life” to receive eternal life.
Do it Now!
Good intentions are not enough. Agreeing with what I have said here is not enough. You must admit you are a sinner, repent of that sin, and put your faith in Christ.
My comment: Laurie is correct only in that agreeing with what he has said is not enough. Believing Laurie’s false gospel will not bring eternal life. Laurie preaches that we must believe in Jesus as our helper, whereas the Bible teaches that we must believe in Jesus as Savior.
Following is a sample of some of the pastoral endorsements for the Harvest events:
Dr. Tony Evans
Rick Warren
JD Greear
Chuck Swindoll
Billy Graham
Max Lucado
Ribert Morris
Dr. Ronnie Floyd
Dr. Robert Jeffress
The SoCal 2018 event also features several prominent “Christian” musicians (Passion, Mercy Me, among others).
All of these pastors and musicians are throwing (or have thrown) their support behind the false gospel being taught by Greg Laurie and are therefore participating in his bitter harvest.
If you would like to know what the Bible teaches about how to have eternal life, as opposed to the false gospel Greg Laurie preaches, please click here: The Gospel
Posted in Billy Graham, Christianity, Lordship Salvation
by Johninnc
Galatians 1:8: But though we, or angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
It is extremely common in the world of professing Christendom (also known as “churchianity”) to qualify the words “Christian” and “believer” with words like “true” and “real.”
When the Apostle Paul wrote “we, or an angel from heaven,” he meant anyone, including himself. He affirms this in the very next sentence:
Galatians 1:9: As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
The “any man” could include: your mother, your father, your best friend, your pastor, the televangelist, the 19th century “prince of preachers,” the Pope, Billy Graham, the author of “Christian” books, your church, your denomination, your elder – anyone! It could even be someone who has previously presented the gospel to you faithfully.
Now, back to “true believers.” Following are some things that “true believers” may believe:
While we can’t know whether someone holding these beliefs has eternal life, we do know that these beliefs are not compatible with the truth of the gospel.
When we encounter someone who has an honest question about the seemingly endless assaults on the gospel, we will try to teach them from God’s word why these assaults are not true.
But, we will not allow the “true believers” – those who desperately cling to these types of false beliefs despite having been shown the truth from God’s word – to use this site as a forum to promote their false doctrine
Pator Tom Cucuzza put it this way:
We cannot give false teachers a place – and you’ll notice what he said – not even for an hour. Now, that’s not being mean-spirited, that’s just standing our ground.
The question, then, is not whether or not someone is a “true believer.” The question is, does the person believe the truth.
If you would like to know the truth about how to receive eternal life, click here: The Gospel
Posted in Billy Graham, Calvinism, Christian, Christianity, Lordship Salvation
by Johninnc
Galatians 1:9: As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
A friend of mine with whom I often speak regarding matters of the Gospel recently left me a false gospel tract entitled “Saving Faith,” written by the late A.W. Pink and distributed by an outfit called “Chapel Library.” He was aware that the tract did not comport with the gospel, and let me know that there was a group distributing it outside at a local event called “Speed Week.”
The tract was one of the most virulent repudiations of the gospel of Jesus Christ that I have ever read, with an attempt to substitute Pink’s false gospel.
Following are some of the quotes from that tract (in italics), as well as my comments (in bold parenthetical form):
Perhaps the reader is already a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet that, in and of itself is not proof he has been born again and is journeying to Heaven.
(My comment: STOP. RIGHT. THERE. Anyone who has trusted in Christ alone as Savior has eternal life that can never be lost or forfeited. So, why would Pink reject what the Bible says about how to have eternal life? We will never know his motives, but following are some of his false, unbiblical arguments)
“Among the chief rulers also many believed (not simply ‘about’, but) on Him.” Ah! but note what immediately follows: “but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42-43) – what a proof that they were utter strangers to a saving work of God in their souls: yet they were “believers” in the Lord Jesus!
(My comment: there are varying degrees of boldness in public identification with Christ, at various times among believers. This does not mean that the believers in Christ that Pink references do not have eternal life. In fact, the Bible says just the opposite: John 1:12: 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:)
There is a faith in Christ which is saving, and there is a faith in Christ which is not saving. Possibly, the reader says, “But I know that mine is the former: I have seen myself as a lost sinner, realize I can do nothing to gain acceptance with God, and have put my trust in the finished work of His Son.”…
Dear friends, others who were equally sure as you are now in Hell! Suffer us to enquire, Have you tested your faith by Scripture? Have you taken the trouble to ascertain whether your faith is accompanied by those evidences which are inseparable from a saving faith?
(My comment: Here again, Pink rejects the only basis for assurance of eternal life – dependence on Christ’s righteousnes – and tries to replace it with good old fashioned fruit inspection)
Have you been saved from pride, from covetousness, from murmuring? Christ died not to procure the pardon of our sins and the taking of us to Heaven, while our hearts still remain clinging to the things of this earth.
(My comment: Pink suggests here that those believers who cling to the things of this earth lack eternal life. The Bible says otherwise. Romans 12:2: And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. This was written to believers, and it means that it is God’s will that we not be worldly. But, it is not presented as a requirement for, or necessary consequence of eternal life.)
Saving faith necessarily involved the renouncing of our own sinful “lordship,” the throwing down of our weapons of warfare against Him, and the submitting to His yoke and rule. And before any sinful rebel is brought to that place, a miracle of grace has to be wrought within him. Saving faith consists of the complete surrender of my whole being and life to the lordship of Christ: “they first gave their own selves to the Lord” (2 Cor 8:5). Have you? Have you?
(My comment: the Bible repeatedly refers to eternal life as the gift of God. Saving faith does not require surrendering any, or all, of one’s being and life to the Lordship of Christ. Faith entails trusting in Christ alone as Savior. The verse that Pink cites, out of context here, has to do with liberality in financial sacrifice for the Apostle Paul’s ministry, not for the receipt of eternal life.)
I don’t know if A.W. Pink ever believed in Jesus as his Savior. His false gospel, presented in the referenced tract, would lead people away from Christ.
But, in this I am confident: whether or not Pink is with the Lord, he would now beg you to disregard the false gospel that is presented in his “Saving Faith” tract and believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior.
If you would like to know how to have eternal life, click here: The Gospel
Posted in Christianity, Lordship Salvation
By johninnc
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.
In reading comments to a handful of articles today on religion, including a couple of articles that highlighted the significance to Christians of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, I was once again struck by the assaults on the gospel that are made by people who think they are “defending the faith” against mockers and trolls.
Following are some striking examples. I have interspersed my comments in bold parentheses:
The first four comments are all from the same commenter. There were quite a few others – she was very busy protecting “the faith”.
(This sounds promising. The commenter is asserting the truth of the Bible, based on the evidence of contemporary witnesses and fulfillment of prophecy)
(Again, nothing objectionable here. So far, so good!)
(“Repenting of sins” is not a requirement for receiving eternal life. This person claims to believe that the Bible is the word of God, but has added a man-made condition to how one receives eternal life, which creates a false gospel)
(This has so many twists and turns that it is hard to believe someone could actually think all of these things at the same time. The Bible teaches that eternal life is a gift, received by grace through faith in Christ. Neither giving up sin, nor asking for forgiveness are required to receive the free gift of eternal life. True unconditional love is God providing for our salvation in Christ Jesus, given to us by grace through faith. If we were required to give up anything to receive eternal life, it would no longer be grace. What the commenter is selling I am not willing to “just accept.” Neither should you!)
The next three comments are also from one commenter.
(The commenter is not clear to point out that those things that are God’s will for a Christian are in no way requirements to receive eternal life)
(Here, our commenter is acknowledging that some atheists act responsibly, perhaps in an effort to get them to warm up to his arguments for “the faith”).
(I removed the content of what this commenter pointed to as “evidence,” because it was sensational, non-biblical tripe that would be a distraction to the overall point of this article.)
The last three comments are from three different people.
(Asking God to forgive you and turning away from the things of this world are not requirements for receiving eternal life)
(The commenter is correct that nearly all well-established denominations and many non-denominational churches are in basic agreement as to doctrine. Unfortunately, much of the doctrine that they have in common is false, often trying to mix grace with works as the basis for the hope of eternal life)
(The commenter is correct that religion will not give anyone eternal life. Unfortunately, the commenter appears to be an adherent of a false gospel, that conditions receipt of eternal life on repenting of sins, making Jesus Christ Lord of one’s life, and remorse for one’s sins. These conditions are all non-biblical man-made additions to the gospel)
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If you have been marching in the Lordship “salvation” Easter parade – or have been quietly cheering on those who do – you are on a treadmill. You are wasting your time. You are not helping anyone, and you are hurting the cause of Christianity.
If you would like to get off of the treadmill and learn what the Bible says about how to have eternal life CLICK HERE: The Gospel
Posted in Christian, Christianity, Easter, Lordship Salvation
We recommend this excellent new book, Secure Forever! God’s Promise or Our Perseverance?, by Dr. Tom Cucuzza, one of my former Assistant Pastors. Available on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. Click the book for a link to Amazon.com.
NEW E-BOOK - Links:
Tom's Church
