2nd
Corinthians 11:3-4, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from
the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth
another
Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit,
which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not
accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
Pictured to left is 2012 U.S. Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, who is a high-level member of
the Mormon religion. The morphed photo of
Mitt Romney as being two-faced is
a perfect representation of the secretive Mormon church.
The Bible teaches in John 8:44 that Satan is a
liar and the father of all liars. Satan is also the accuser of the brethren
and that is what he does morning, noon and night... “the accuser of our
brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night”
(Revelation 12:10).
Mormons have another gospel—a false gospel of
self-righteousness. Mormons preach ANOTHER JESUS, ANOTHER GOSPEL AND ANOTHER
SPIRIT that are all of the Devil.
Tragically, Dr. John MacArthur of the Grace
Community Church in California teaches a very similar FALSE gospel as do
the Mormons. Don't take my word for it, read what they have to say for
themselves. Here is the false gospel taught by Mormons at MORMON.ORG...
"Repentance
...To
repent we need to recognize and feel sorry for what we’ve done wrong, do
whatever is possible to repair the damage it may have caused,
and to leave our sinful behavior behind.
Repentance can be difficult
and requires a lot of honesty, but the joy and freedom we feel when we
turn away from our sins are well worth the effort. Because Christ
suffered for our sins, we can be forgiven when we repent. That’s why the
Atonement is so important to all of us.
We believe Christ's Atonement gives us the ability to repent and become
clean from sin. To say we have to repent for our sins may sound like a
punishment, but the real punishment is the guilt, sorrow, and
disappointment we feel when we sin.
Repentance is the opposite of punishment,
then, because it allows us to become clean in God’s eyes and remove the
feelings of guilt
that follow our bad choices."
[emphasis added]
"Salvation isn't the result of an
intellectual exercise. It comes from a life lived in obedience and service to
Christ as revealed in the Scripture; it's the fruit of actions, not
intentions. There's no room for passive spectators: words without
actions are empty and futile...The life we live, not the words we speak,
determines our eternal destiny" (Hard to Believe, p. 93).
[emphasis added]
"The Greek word translated 'belief' is not referring merely to
intellectual attainment or mental acquiescence but a wholehearted acceptance of
everything that is implied in the claims of Christ. You need to believe that
Jesus is God and that He died for your sins, committing your whole life to
Him in sacrifice and serving Him as Lord." (Assurance of Victory--1 John
5, Moody Press, p.12).
Is it difficult and hard to be saved?
There's no difference between the false view of repentance by
MacArthur and Mormonism. Woe unto the Mormons and John MacArthur! They both
teach a false view of repentance—requiring a sinner to amend their ways,
clean up their own life and work hard to leave behind sinful behavior so
they can be saved. In effect, both MacArthur and the Mormon church have
perverted the grace of God into a process of self-righteousness. Instead of
salvation being instant and immediate as the Bible teaches (a new birth),
Mormons and MacArthur turn it into a gradual process.
A gift is received. It's an event, not an adventure. The
Christian life may be an adventure, but the gift of eternal life is received
instantaneously. It's no different than if I give you a Christmas gift and
you receive it. You don't have to earn it, you don't work for it, nor is
there a process to obtain it. Rather, you simply reach out and take it. We
receive God's gift of eternal life by placing our faith in the death, burial
and resurrection of Jesus Christ as payment for our sins.
“'Repentance' is a grace.
Some people preach it as a condition of salvation. Condition of nonsense!”
—Charles Spurgeon
SOURCE:
http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0044.htm
(Charles
Spurgeon, from
a sermon titled, REPENTANCE UNTO LIFE, preached at the New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, on
Sept. 23, 1855)
Keep in mind that there are two Biblical meanings of the
word repentance (as explained in detail below). Repentance (a change of
mind) is necessary for salvation; but forsaking a sinful lifestyle (which is
another meaning of repent) is not necessary to be saved. Spurgeon is
condemning the latter, because it is not required for salvation. A changed
life is the FRUIT of genuine repentance; and NOT a part of the ROOT of
saving-faith.
Repentance as a Lifestyle is
Not Taught in the Scriptures for Salvation
The heresy of Lordship Salvation defines “repentance” as a lifestyle;
whereas the Word of God does not. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary
provides the following definition of repentance:
“re•pen•tance \ri-'pent-en(t)s\
n: the action or process of repenting especially for misdeeds or moral
shortcomings; synonyms see PENITENCE”
For many people nowadays, Webster’s definition
represents the common understanding of repentance within religious circles.
However, this is NOT the Biblical nor historical meaning of the word
"repent." Prior to the modern meaning of the word, which for the most part
is similar to Webster’s definition, the Classical Greek “metanoia” meant
something quite different—changing one’s mind or heart about
someone or something.
There are two New Testament Greek words which
are translated "repentance" in modern English translations: metanoia
(including its verbal counterpart metanoeo) and metamelomai. The
first term is translated as "repentance" fifty-eight times in the New
Testament, the latter only six times.
In the Greek Old Testament (aka, the
Septuagint) metanoia and metanoeo occur twenty times in the
canonical books and seven times in the apocryphal books and maintained the
SAME meaning. In most cases metanoia in the translations held to the
pre-Christian meaning of “a change of mind about someone or something.”
During the early Christian period of
Koine Greek (ca. 300
BC to 100 AD) metanoia continued to carry a sense of “a change of
mind about someone or something.”
A changed lifestyle is the hopeful, but not
guaranteed, fruit of genuine repentance; and NOT repentance itself. Heretic
Paul
Washer states...
"There is no such
thing as a carnal Christian (time: 21:40 in video)... The Bible never
teaches that a person, can be a genuine Christian and live in continuous
carnality and wickedness and sin all the days of their life... "
(time:22:20 in video)
That is simply not true!
Sadly, Washer falls short of 2nd
Timothy 2:15. He simply does not study! If
there's no such thing as a "carnal Christian," then why did the Apostle Paul
say to the believers at Corinth... "And I, brethren, could not speak unto
you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ"
(1st Corinthians 3:1).
In sharp contrast to Paul Washer's claim, the
Bible teaches that there is such a thing as a "carnal Christian." King David
was a "man after God's own heart" (1st Samuel 13:14); yet he commit adultery
with Bathsheba, impregnated her, and then murdered her husband to hide his
sin (2nd Samuel 11). Noah got drunk (Genesis 9:21). Samson had sex with a
prostitute (Judges 16:1). Jonah ran from God (Jonah 1:3). Peter cursed the
name of Jesus and used profanity (Mark 14:71). One-third of the Bible was
written by murderers: Moses, David and Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus). With
the exception of Paul, Moses and David were already saved when they commit
murder.
In Romans 12:1 we find the Apostle Paul
pleading with the believers at Rome to "present their bodies a living
sacrifice" in service to God. Clearly, those believers were saved but not
surrendered to Christ's will for their lives. This proves Lordship
Salvation is a lie.
Also, consider the unrepentant BELIEVER in 1st
Corinthians 5:5 who had been living in fornication in the church... "To
deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the
spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." Even though Satan
would destroy the man because of sinful living, Paul clearly stated that his
spirit would be saved. This sinful man was obviously a believer, for only
the saved will be blessed in eternity. 2nd Thessalonians 1:8 tells us that
those who disobey the Gospel will be punished by a vengeful God in flaming
fire.
Spurgeon simply
meant that a person who attempts to justify any sins in their life cannot be
saved, until they RENOUNCE all sins as being a violation of God's Holy
Law... "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to
them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the
world may become guilty before God" (Romans 3:19). Jesus
said in John 3:20... "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."
The world doesn't want to renounce their sins,
nor to be reproved for them. This is why there are many false gospel's
today, which don't include the Law of God. For there to be salvation,
one MUST realize his or her guilt of sin (and thus need for a Savior), being
condemned under God's Holy Law, and then believe upon Jesus Christ to be
forgiven of those sins and saved.
May I quote Pastor Charles Surgeon once
again...
"You must not expect
that you will be perfect in "repentance" before you are saved. No
Christian can be perfect. "Repentance" is a grace. Some people preach it
as a condition of salvation. Condition of nonsense! There are no
conditions of salvation.
God gives the salvation
himself..."
Clearly, Charles Haddon Spurgeon DIDN'T believe
that forsaking one's sins, or grieving, or feeling sorrow, or being willing
to turn from them, was necessary to be saved. Rather, Spurgeon
believed that they were evidences of genuine repentance. Spurgeon did in fact teach, as have other great men of God, that a sinner
ought to turn from his or her sins as evidence of genuine repentance; but
this is after-the-fact, and not a requirement for salvation itself. Spurgeon plainly taught "there are no conditions of salvation," which
is what the Bible teaches. We are sinners and Jesus is the Savior!
Man's Self-Righteousness Verses God's
Grace in the Gift of Salvation
All false gospels center around man's effort to be saved
instead of what Christ did for us to pay our sin debt. In Biblical salvation
the burden rests solely upon the Lord Jesus Jesus, Who bore our sin debt at
Calvary. But in Satan's false religions, the burdens falls upon the sinner.
Members of false religions are required to do this, do that, surrender your
will, amend your ways, leave sinful behavior, join a denomination, get water
baptized, partake of sacraments and mass, and so forth.
To get to Heaven Mormons require water baptism, and they
require leaving sinful behavior, and they require joining the Mormon
denomination, and they require keeping sacraments, and they require making
restitution with others, and they require numerous other self-righteousness
deeds.
John MacArthur doesn't require water baptism to be saved, but
his cult of followers have been led to believe that they cannot get to
Heaven unless they leave sinful behavior behind and commit their entire life
to serving God in religious sacrifice and devotion. Lies, lies, MacArthur is
teaching a bunch of lies!!! Saddest of all, Moody Bible Institute in Chicago
honors and adores John MacArthur. They teach the same false view of
salvation that he does.
Dr.
Harry Ironside (who pastored Moody Memorial Church between
1930-1948) would have another heart-attack and die if he were alive again
today.
I could easily include
Evangelists Ray Comfort, Paul Washer and Kirk Cameron. Ray Comfort
openly
teaches that confessing one's sins is not enough to be saved. Mr.
Comfort teaches that a person must leave their sinful behavior behind to be
saved, exactly like the Mormons teach.
Read Ray Comfort's teachings for
yourself. These men are all teaching doctrines of Devils. Salvation is
receiving, not giving. Eternal life is a free gift from God. There are no
obligations nor strings attached. Salvation is freely provided (Romans 5:15;
6:23), freely offered (Romans 10:13) and freely received by faith in Christ
Jesus (Revelation 22:17). Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Mormons errantly teach that repentance “allows us to become
clean in God's eyes,” and they errantly define repentance as leaving one's
sins and making restitution with others. Is that how we become clean in
God's eyes? No, not at all.
Jesus' Blood Makes Us Clean in God's Eyes,
Not Leaving Sinful Behavior
In sharp contrast to Mormonism, the Word of God teaches in
1st John 1:7, “...and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from
all sin.” Biblically it is Jesus' precious blood that washes our sins
away and clears our conscience. Revelation 1:5, “And from Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the
prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from
our sins in his own blood.” 1st Peter 1:18-19 teaches that we are
redeemed by the precious BLOOD OF JESUS!!!
Mormonism is of the Devil. Leaving one's sins does not make us
clean in God's eyes. Mormonism is wrong...
"...Repentance is the
opposite of punishment, then, because it allows us to become clean in
God’s eyes and remove the feelings of guilt that follow our bad
choices." [emphasis
added]
Mormons teach that repentance is leaving one's sinful behavior
behind. They teach that a person must do everything in their power to
“REPAIR THE DAMAGE IT MAY HAVE CAUSED.” You can leave all the sin you want
to, but you'll never get to Heaven in your own self-righteousness.
We are suffering a famine of the truth in these last days.
Amos 8:11, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a
famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of
hearing the words of the LORD.” There is a famine of the Word of God in
the world today. As corrupt Bibles like the New International Version
(NIV) become increasingly popular in our apostate churches, wickedness and
unbelief are taking a stronghold.
As you just read, Mormons teach that repentance can be
DIFFICULT and require A LOT OF HONESTY. Clearly, to be saved in Mormonism a
person must try very hard to stop sinful behavior to get to their
heaven. The Bible disagrees with Mormonism. In sharp contrast to Mormon
teachings, the Bible teaches that it is simple to be saved, and salvation is
easy. Salvation is as a simple as walking through a door (John 10:1,9).
Salvation is as simple as taking a drink of water (John 4:14). Getting saved
is as simple as eating a piece of bread (John 6:35).
The Simplicity Of Salvation.
Sadly, Dr. John MacArthur teaches the same exact thing
concerning repentance. I'm not saying that MacArthur's gospel is identical
to that of Mormonism. Mormons require water baptism to be saved, MacArthur
does not. I am saying that MacArthur teaches the same errant view of
repentance as does Mormonism. It is a corrupt gospel, a false gospel.
Biblical repentance is a “change of mind,” not a “change of
lifestyle.” The changes in a person's life are the result (FRUIT) of
salvation. It is a false gospel (as MacArthur teaches) to expect a new
convert in the Lord to surrender their whole life as a sacrifice to serve
God. That's like expecting a newborn baby to run a marathon. A baby must
nourish on milk and learn to crawl first, then walk, then run. Well, 1st
Peter 2:2 teaches that a newborn Christian needs to nourish on the milk of
God's Word. Eventually that convert grows to walk and then hopefully run for
Jesus Christ. A mature Christian is a busy Christian! I'd expect a new
believer to be idle and not be sure what to do, but if you've been saved for
10-years you ought to be aggressively serving God as a soul-winner! (1st
Corinthians 3:6-10).
Biblical Repentance Unto Salvation is a
'Change of Mind'
Jesus exclaimed in Mark 1:15, “...repentye, and
believe the gospel.” The Greek word for “repent” here is METANOEO,
which means, “to change one's mind.” This is irrefutable evidence against
the heresy of Lordship Salvation, which perverts the meaning of
“repentance” to mean “a changed lifestyle.” A changed life is the
FRUIT of genuine repentance; and not a part of the ROOT of saving-faith.
Mormons have a corrupt understanding of what it means to “repent.”
Biblical
repentance is a change of one's mind about sin and the Savior,
which causes that person to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ for
salvation. It is utter self-righteous hypocrisy for the proponents of
Lordship Salvation to demand that a person leave their sinful behavior
to be saved. Jesus saved you so you wouldn't live like that anymore; but God
doesn't mandate that you quit sinful bad habits to receive the gift of
salvation. MacArthur is so wrong, wrong, wrong!
I am convinced that Ray Comfort, Paul Washer and John MacArthur are not
saved. Is that so hard to believe? I recently learned that
84,262 Churches of Christ all
require water baptism to get to Heaven. That also teach the same perverted
view of repentance as Mormons and Lordship Salvationists. They are NOT
saved, not at all.
Mormons teach that in order for Christ to forgive a person,
they must first repent (leave sinful behavior) in order to become clean in
God's eyes. In sharp contrast, the Bible does not teach repentance as being
a separate act from believing. Although they are two different things,
repentance and believing happen simultaneously. In the Gospel Of John,
we find the words “believe” and “believed” 85-times; yet the word “repent”
is not mentioned (not even once). Clearly, the man who believes has
repented, and the man who repents has believed.
Salvation is NOT a process! Salvation is instant and
immediate. Getting saved is a new birth, a spiritual birth, a second birth.
The Salvation Army errantly
teaches that salvation is a state. My friend, salvation is a new birth
into the family of God by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9). Once a person is
born-again, it is as irreversible as the physical birth. Salvation is a
miracle of God in response to one's faith in Jesus as the Christ (John
1:12-13). Eternal life comes only from God. It is God's gift to those who
believe on the name of Jesus, to those who receive the gospel as payment for
their sins.
Here are some more perverted teachings from the Mormon
religion at MORMON.ORG...
"Having faith in Jesus
Christ means following Him throughout our lives. A relationship with
Jesus Christ is like any other—it can start to fade if we fall out of
touch. It takes effort to exercise enough faith in Christ to repent, be
baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost, but we have to strive to follow
Christ to receive all the blessings God wants to give us.
The key is to think of the gospel
of Jesus Christ as a pattern for living, rather than steps on a
checklist.
We can continue to develop our faith in Christ every day by reading His
words in the scriptures and praying to our Heavenly Father. ..."
Is the gospel a pattern for living? Is this
what the Bible teaches? No, not at all. Biblical, the gospel is the death,
burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The gospel is NOT a pattern to be
lived; but rather, it is good news to be believed...
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.”
Mormons are wrong about the gospel in many
aspects. They errantly view the gospel as a pattern by which a person can
live; and as we leave behind sinful behavior and repent day-by-day, we
eventually become clean in God's eyes. Mormons foolishly teach that this is
the way to salvation, godhood in their religion.
Mormon 'Confirmation' Heresy On The
Holy Spirit
Mormons also blaspheme the holy Scriptures and
the Holy Spirit by teaching ...
The Gift Of The Holy Ghost...
After we are
"born of water," or baptized, we can be "born […] of the Spirit" by
receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.
A person with God's authority puts his
hands on our heads and gives us the gift of the Holy Ghost
(Acts 8:17). This ceremony is known as confirmation.
BLASPHEMY! No sinful man can give another
person the Holy Spirit. Only God can give the Holy Spirit, for the Holy
Spirit is God!
According to Mormon junk theology, a person is
born-again by water baptism (a lie); and then that person receives the Holy
Spirit when a priest or elder places their hands upon one's head. Ladies and
Gentleman, this is pure Roman Catholicism. To no surprise, Mormonism shares
some of the same wicked beliefs and practices, leading gullible souls into
the World Religion of the New World Order. It is not surprising that most
false religions today share common satanic beliefs and practices.
It is admitted that Joseph Smith brought much
of Freemasonry's secret handshakes and occult practices into the Mormon
religion since the beginning of it in 1830. And to no surprise, for Smith
himself was a 33rd degree Freemason of the highest order in the cult. There
is a common occult connection
(page 2) between all
psuedo-Christian religions today in America.
First, water baptism never saved anybody and
never will. Water baptism is the public profession of one's faith, picturing
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Second, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell every
believer at the time of salvation (Romans 8:9). The lie of “Confirmation”
teaches that a Catholic priest or Mormon elder lays hands upon a person to
impart the Holy Spirit into their life. Such arrogance is blasphemy against
God. Who are mortal men to claim the power to give the Holy Spirit? God is
not a commodity. No minister can impart the Holy Spirit of God.
The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is given
to those who believe on the name of Jesus Christ, for salvation is being
born-again by the Spirit of God (John 3:5-7). You cannot be saved without
the Spirit of God. Most people today have religion without truth. They have
churchianity without Christianity. The fact that both Catholics and Mormons
admit not having the Holy Spirit until they're “confirmed” evidences that
they are not saved. Romans 8:9, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the
Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have
not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Whatever Mormons and
Catholics think they receive upon the sacrament of confirmation, it
is NOT the Holy Spirit of God.
By the way, the term “sacrament” is not taught
in the Bible. A “sacrament” supposedly bestows some spiritual grace (power)
upon the recipient, but the Bible does not teach this false doctrine. The
Bible teaches water baptism and the Lord's supper as simple ordinances,
which are symbolic in nature, but DO NOT bestow any special grace upon the
participant. Neither water baptism nor the Lord's supper are required for
salvation. Eternal life is the gift of God (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Mormonism is a Secretive Satanic
Religious Sex Cult
It is not mere coincidence that Judaism's most
holy book, the Talmud, permits
priests to have sex with 3-year old brides. Judaism, Freemasonry and
Mormonism are all rooted in Kabbala. If
you study the Jewish connection between these occult group, you'll be
shocked as I was. In an article titled “Joseph Smith's Jewish Connection,”
by Christa Woodall of JEWISH WEEKLY magazine, we read...
"Joseph Smith was a great man who made
personal sacrifices to stand by his beliefs, and that dedication is
something for which I’m grateful every day. It takes great courage and
integrity to remain true to what you know to be right despite what
outside voices say – while studying the Maccabees during Chanukah, I was
touched by how they did so as well, against all odds – and I will
forever be appreciative of those of all faiths who have the fortitude to
fight for their faith."
"Salvation isn't the result of an intellectual exercise. It comes from a life lived in obedience and service to Christ as revealed in the Scripture; it's the fruit of actions, not intentions. There's no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile...The life we live, not the words we speak, determines our eternal destiny" (Hard to Believe, p. 93). [emphasis added]
