Tom Hank's Born Again
“Experience”
(Being Born-Again is Not
an Experience)
By David J. Stewart | April 2008 | Updated March 2015
I recently read a statement by actor Tom Hanks that disturbed me:
'Because of all the people I lived with, I had a chequered religious upbringing. Then, when I was in high school, I had a serious born-again experience,' Tom explained in a Los Angeles Times interview. [emphasis added]
Being born again is NOT an experience, it is a new birth. Many people today speak of being born again as merely an “experience” in their past, but salvation MUST involve the guilt of personal sin, the condemnation which God Law brings, the sacrifice of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins, and one's personal faith in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness.
Hanks was raised in the Roman Catholic church, but as a boy he also attended Mormon services with his stepmother and Nazarene services with his aunt. He has said that in high school he had "a serious born-again experience", and he joined the Greek Orthodox Church when he married his second wife, actress Rita Wilson.
Tom Hanks is listed under “Famous Greek Orthodox Christians.” The Greek Orthodox Church is nothing less than diet-Catholicism. Greek Orthodox Church members are required to observe the Seven Sacraments, just as in the Catholic religion, to be saved. Salvation is by works and faith in the Greek Orthodox religion. Sacramental salvation is required, which means they require water baptism in order to become a true Christian. Of course, this is completely unbiblical. Baptismal Regeneration is of of the Devil. Eternal life is the free gift of God, paid for by Jesus' precious blood which He shed for our sins.
Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), Tom
Hanks is a brilliant actor and very likable person, beloved by millions of
people. After watching his movies, you feel like you've known him
personally, which I think is something special. My intent in writing
articles is never to hurt or criticize anyone; but rather, to help people
see the truth of God's Word. This earthly life is very short, but eternity
is forever. What we believe matters, more than most people could ever
comprehend. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is as important as the truth
concerning salvation. If you're wrong on that, you'll miss Heaven and burn
in Hell forever. I don't want that to happen; hence, this article.
What it Really Means Biblically to Be 'Born-Again'
I wrote this article to draw attention to the true Biblical meaning of being born-again. Jesus Himself said in John 3:3, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 1st Peter 1:23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” To be “born-again” means to have Jesus Christ, Who is the beginning, born in you. The Word of God is the seed by which we are born-again if we believe the Gospel. No amount of religion, prayer, good works or generosity can substitute for the new birth in Christ Jesus.
It means that the Holy Spirit of God regenerates you the moment you believe on Christ. A person is saved (born-again) simply by believing that Jesus died in their place on the cross and raised up from the dead three days later. 1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” Being born-again is a supernatural miracle of God in response to our faith in the Gospel (John 1:12-14).
Salvation is receiving, NOT giving. We are saved by trusting, not by trying. Man's part in salvation is simply to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:31). There is no need to guess or be confused concerning what God expects of a person to have eternal life. The Bible plainly states . . .
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.”
And again we read . . .
John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
Lest there be any room for error, the Holy Bible plainly defines the Gospel (good news) for us . . .
1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
There you have it, the good news is that God sent His only begotten (biological) Son into the world, Who DIED on the cross for our sins, was BURIED and then bodily RESURRECTED after three days. That is the good news, by which if you believe it, you are saved. All mankind are guilty sinners in God's eyes (Romans 3:19). The penalty for those sins is death (Romans 6:23), including a second death in the Lake of Fire forever (Revelation 20:6, 11-15). In the fires of Hell, God takes out His vengeance upon the wicked forever (2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9). That is what the Bible teaches!
No works are
required for salvation other than believing on the Lord for salvation... "Jesus
answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him
whom he hath sent" (John 6:29—All Scriptures are quoted
from the Authorized King James Bible). Thus, the Greek Orthodox
Church is straight out of the pits of Hell. I say that rudely, but in
knowledge, for your sake. 2nd Corinthians 11:6, “But
though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge...”).
Worldliness, Blasphemy and Apostasy
In the movie, Philadelphia, Hanks played a gay lawyer with AIDS who sues his firm for discrimination. Certainly, it is not befitting for a professed Christian to endorse gay rights. In another movie, Charlie Wilson's War, with Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks appears butt naked for all to see. A fan of the movie stated:
"In this new film, we get plenty of nude girls galore in a Vegas hot tub with Tom Hanks himself. Hanks even shows his butt too and though he's a long way from "Forrest Gump" the man has got guts. This guy is a Congressman surrounded by naked women in a hot tub..."
SOURCE: Reader's Review: Charlie Wilson's War - Movie News - Latest Movie Reviews and trailers
Real fine Christian testimony, huh? No professed born again believer should be sitting in a hot tub with a bunch of naked women, even if it's just to make a movie... “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Romans 1:32). I don't condemn Hanks or anyone else, because I am just as much a sinner. We are all sinners by nature and by choice. The Holy Bible warns us about condemning others, because we are sinners too (James 4:12; Matthew 7:1-5; Romans 2:1). No one has a right to condemn anyone.
Albeit, there is a proper kind of judging that is not wrong, when we take a stand for what is right, which is what I am doing. What Mr. Hanks does in his personal life is none of my business and I would never criticize him even if I did know about something. However, to wilfully appear butt naked in a film for money is horrible. What kind of message does that send to people? Deliberate public nudity is a sin. When Noah got drunk and was naked in his tent, his two sons Shem and Japheth walked backwards with a blanket to cover their father's nakedness. How does this compare to today's blatant sinful indifference in America towards nudity? Woe unto America!
Speaking at the London premiere of the film on 09-01-08, Tom Hanks told BANG Showbiz:
"That's the great thing about being an actor - you play characters have a little bit of something in common with or you play characters you have nothing in common with at all... But hey, I'm a professional - I've never been a playboy and I've never had a taste for the life." [emphasis added]
Tom Hanks refers to himself as only being “a professional.” Sadly, wicked Americans have actually turned being a horrible sinner into a respectable profession. Acting or not, it is sinful. It's an abomination unto God Almighty! Is it any wonder why we've renamed one of our most popular cities... SIN CITY!
Is it any wonder why America suffers more gun deaths than any other nation in the world, when we glamorize violence in Unholywood? Japan has the lowest gun death-rate in the world... only 1 gun death per 2,000,000 people. In America, we have 285 gun deaths per 2,000,000 people!!! statistics So you're 285 times more likely to be shot to death here in “The land of the free” than you are in Japan. This fact evidences how Americans abuse their freedoms and liberties. God bless America? I don't think so. I wholeheartedly agree with Pastor Jeremiah Wright (and he is RIGHT!)... God is going to damn this country because of the way we are rebelling against God, mocking His Word, exploiting the poor, and because of our tyranny and as a nation.
Although God has given mankind a freewill, no one has a right to be immoral, nor to promote immorality. We ought to give up our WRONGS, not our RIGHTS! Freedom and immorality are diametrically opposed to each other. This is why America is slowly but surely becoming enslaved to sin. We are losing our freedoms to the same degree we are turning away from God's Word in apostasy. Hollywood ought to be renamed to “Unholywood!” God's hand of blessing is being removed from America, and we have cursed ourselves. James 4:4, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
Furthermore, Mr. Hanks promotes blasphemy against the Lord Jesus Christ in his new movie, The Da Vinci Code, based on the novel by Dan Brown of the same title. It appears (no pun intended) that Tom Hanks likes to expose himself nude in public, as he did again in front of the Mona Lisa . . .
Hanks' church boast
April 27 2006 - by AskMen.com EditorsTom Hanks hopes the 'The Da Vinci Code' will make people flock to church.
The Oscar-winning star hopes church leaders use his new movie - which investigates the possibility that Jesus had a child with former prostitute Mary Magdalene - to increase attendances. [emphasis added]
He told US magazine Entertainment Weekly: "I think the movie may end up helping churches do their job.
"If they put up a sign saying, 'This Wednesday we're discussing the gospel,' 12 people show up. But if the sign says, 'We're discussing 'The Da Vinci Code', 800 people show up."
Earlier this month, it was revealed Hanks stripped in front of the Mona Lisa while filming the controversial movie, which has angered Catholic Church officials.
Leave it to Unholywood to portray the Lord Jesus Christ as an adulterous fornicator who impregnates a prostitute through an immoral affair. Tom Hanks starred in the film and promotes this blasphemy!
Also, in the film The DaVinci Code,
doubt is cast upon Christ's deity.
The Free Gift of Eternal Life
True salvation is by faith ALONE in Christ Jesus. Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” 1st Peter 1:18,19 tell us that it is Jesus' precious blood that washes our sins away, and not religion or sacraments (the term is not even found in the Bible). Tom Hanks (as many people today) has religion without truth, churchianity without Christianity. To be saved, a person must realize their guilt of sin, i.e., that they are condemned under God's Holy Law (the Bible) and are justly deserving of Hellfire, and then turn by faith to Jesus Christ to be forgiven of those sins. We are the sinners and Jesus is the Savior. Salvation is found ONLY in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:10-12). Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Salvation is not an experience, it is a sinner coming to the Savior to be forgiven, born anew from above by the Spirit of God. Although salvation may be accompanied by some type of experience (as evidenced by Saul's conversion in Acts chapter 9), salvation itself is NOT an experience. You can have an experience and never be saved at all. Many people errantly think they are saved because they remember a religious experience. This is not Biblical salvation. Psychics and false prophets abound today, with stories of past experiences or near-death-experiences. Many people have been genuinely saved without any accompanying experience. We are not saved because we feel something or remember an experience; but rather, because we have completely rested in what Christ has done to pay for our sins on the cross and His resurrection. If you believe, apart from all self-righteous works, you are saved.
Salvation is not a prayer, although one may certainly pray a sinner's prayer to express his or her faith in the Lord and a desire for forgiveness. Salvation is a supernatural act of God almighty in response to one's FAITH in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is one's faith which causes him to pray the sinner's prayer. The very moment we place our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, we are saved forever. The Bible states concerning Abram (i.e., Abraham) in Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” This is the simplicity of God's salvation. Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15;6:23), for all sinners who are willing to receive it by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:26), because of the precious blood that He shed to pay for our sins (1st John 1:7). Salvation is not an experience, it is a sinner repenting, i.e. changing his mind and turning by faith to the Savior to have his sins blotted out.
Neither doing good works or ceasing from bad works is required to be saved. Christians ought to live right because they ARE SAVED, not to BE SAVED. If anyone thinks that giving up sinful behavior was necessary for their salvation, they've never truly been born-again. Salvation is NOT partial faith in Christ plus human effort. Salvation is placing all your trust in Christ. The world is filled with devout religious people who have religion, but not the new birth. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born-again. I fear this is the boat that Tom Hanks is presently riding in.
The fact that Mr. Hanks is extremely
ecumenical, supportive of umpteen religions, is alarming. For example, Hanks
mentions that the Mormon religion was part of his upbringing. Mormonism is a
satanic religion, rooted in sexual immorality and perversion of the truth;
yet you'll never hear a critical word from Hanks about Mormonism. That in
itself doesn't mean that Hanks is not saved, but the fact that he doesn't
profess anything more than “a serious born-again experience” back in
highschool speaks volumes. That's not salvation. Furthermore, Hanks present
membership in the Greek Orthodox religion is also alarming, because they
require keeping Seven Sacraments to be saved, which is a false plan of
salvation according to the Holy Scriptures.
Salvation is Not an 'Experience'
I did not write this article to be unkind. I wrote this article because something is very wrong with a professed Christian whose salvation testimony is summed up merely as an “experience.” What about the issue of sin? No one ever got saved who didn't know that he is a sinner. What about faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ? Salvation is a matter of dealing with one's sins. The only remedy is the precious blood of Jesus Christ that washes our sins away (Colossians 1:14; 1st John 1:7; Revelation 1:5).
Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” There is little evidence of Tom Hanks being a true Christian, other than his claim of having had an “experience” as a youth. If Mr. Hanks is following the damnable teachings of the Greek Orthodox Church, than we know for certain that he's not saved. Sacramental salvation is of the Devil and is taught by most Protestant religious groups. Adding any amount of human effort to the simplicity that is in Christ corrupts the Gospel (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). Have you believed a lie?
God deliver us from so-called “born again” Christians who consider it a legitimate profession to be filmed butt-naked in a hot tub with several naked women. May every true believer let his or her light shine, by abstaining from such sinful living, for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Granted, forsaking sinful behavior is NOT necessary or allowed to be saved. The religious workers in Matthew 7:21-23 did many wonderful works in Jesus name, yet they were called workers of iniquity because they failed to solely trust Jesus Christ for their salvation. The fastest way to go to Hell is to try to get to Heaven. What irony! My friend, if you want to go to Heaven, then you need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, that is, God's righteousness which is through faith in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”
"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning." —2nd Peter 2:20
