Warning: How Did You Get Saved?

by David J. Stewart | March 2016

Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

       I found the above Bible verse today while “SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES” as Jesus commanded in John 5:39, and it jumped out at me. What a powerful truth! This Scripture speaks volumes! I had never really noticed this Bible verse before, but it says it all. Please notice that capital “S” in “Spirit,” for the “Holy Spirit.” The apostle Paul is writing to the church at Galatia, which is centrally located in modern Turkey. Paul says he only wants to know ONE THING... HOW DID YOU GET SAVED?

What is so beautiful is the simplicity by which Paul describes salvation. Paul simply asks them if they have been saved by the WORKS OF THE LAW, or by the HEARING OF FAITH. I love that... THE HEARING OF FAITH!!! We read that 3,000 souls were saved on the Day of Pentecost because they “gladly received his word” (Acts 2:41). I don't care if it harelips every dog in the county, it is that easy to be saved. IT IS SO EASY TO BE SAVED—Simply receive the sacrifice of God's only begotten Son on the cross for your sins, believing that He raised up bodily from the dead. BELIEVE THE GOSPEL AND YOU ARE BORN-AGAIN!!! 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.” Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. Oh, my friend, how did you get saved?

I am horrified as I read and listen to all the false Gospels being propagated in the churches, religious radio, and on the internet. Pacific Garden Mission's UNSHACKLED radio has been contaminated with all sorts of false teachings. I've heard dozens of episodes lately which tell people to “Invite Jesus into their life,” and to “Ask Jesus into their heart,” and to “Ask Christ to transform their life” as part of being saved. Repeatedly UNSHACKLED leads people to “turn from sins” and to “turn from their wicked ways” to be saved. None of these constitute the Gospel. Biblical repentance DOESN'T mean forsaking your sinful habits. To do so is religion!!!

“The worst pervert in America is the Gospel pervert!”
SOURCE: Brother Lester Roloff, from the sermon, “The Gospel Perverts Or Jesus?

When a person gets saved, the Holy Spirit comes inside their body to live. Theologically, this is known as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 1st Corinthians 3:16-17, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” The apostle Paul received word that false doctrine had crept into the church at Galatia. So Paul writes to the professed believers at Galatia and asks them a direct question: HOW DID YOU GET SAVED—BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, OR BY BELIEVING THE GOSPEL THAT YOU HEARD? I was saved solely by believing the Gospel. I gladly received the Gospel message. How about you? The Gospel is Good News to be BELIEVED, not good advice to be followed.

Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

Many preachers have been deceived by the Devil. They claim to believe that eternal life is a free gift, and that men are saved by faith alone, through God's grace alone, in Jesus Christ alone; yet at the same time those preachers teach that if there are no lasting changes in that person's life, and if they don't declare “Jesus as Lord,” and turn away from a sinful lifestyle, THEN THEY ARE NOT REALLY SAVED. In effect, such wayward preachers are requiring people TO KEEP THE LAW to be saved. It doesn't matter if WORKS are added before, during, or after a person professes faith in the Gospel, it is ANOTHER GOSPEL if at any point in their life they are REQUIRED TO KEEP THE LAW TO BE SAVED!!! The Devil is subtle; he tricks preachers, due to ecclesiastic peer pressure, to combine works with grace, by teaching that works are necessary by virtue to validate one's faith. This is ANOTHER GOSPEL. The evidence of salvation is the indwelling Holy Spirit (1st John 3:24), as evidenced by Lot's conviction in his heart in 2nd Peter 2:7-8.
 

Evangelist Paul Washer Errantly Says Worldliness is Cause of False Conversions

For example: Southern Baptist Convention evangelist, Paul Washer, states:

“The great majority of people in America, and in the church, believe themselves saved when in fact they are not; and they prove they are not, because although they claim to have walked through that one small gate, they live in the broad way—They look like the world, they act like the world, they talk like the world, and their lifestyle will be the very thing that condemns them on the Day of Judgment!” [emphasis added]

SOURCE: Evangelist Paul Washer; How To Know For Sure You're Not Going To Hell.

Paul Washer is correct that most churchgoers who think they are saved are not really saved; but he is terribly wrong to say that it is because they are still worldly. The reason why they are not saved is because they're living the Christian life, but have never been born-again. Many of them have made shallow decisions for Christ, but they have never believed the Gospel. Others are following the false Gospel of Billy Graham and Paul Washer, who require people to live moral lives to prove they are saved (which becomes a part of their hope for salvation). It is ANOTHER GOSPEL to require people TO KEEP THE LAW to prove that their faith is legitimate. It's a backdoor approach to Lordship Salvation.

In sharp contrast to Paul Washer's religious nightmare theology, the Word of God teaches we are saved simply BY FAITH:

Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Evangelist David Cloud Teaches Same Heresy as Roman Catholics On Repentance!

Evangelist David W. Cloud also adds works to faith. He teaches Another Gospel:

“A sinner who can flippantly pray a sinner's prayer without being ready conjointly to follow Christ has not repented in a biblical fashion and is not saved. Those who accept such a thing and proclaim such people 'saved' and include such people in their 'salvation statistics' are not following the Bible and are creating endless confusion. Sinner's prayers divorced from a repentant faith are empty.”

SOURCE: Repentance and Lordship Salvation

Mr. Cloud wrongly understands “repentance” for salvation to mean forsaking sinful ways. This is religion, not the new birth. God never requires a person to turn away from a sinful life in order to qualify for divine forgiveness and eternal life!!! God does require turning away from sin to be right with Him as a Christian; but not to receive the free gift of eternal life. If the Lord did require such changes, it would be a reward and not a gift.

Did you know that Roman Catholics define repentance the same as Paul Washer, John MacArthur, David Cloud and Lordship Salvationists:

But what does it mean to truly repent? The Greek word for repentance that is used in the Gospel is metanoia, which literally means "to change one's mind." This "change" of "mind" necessarily entails a profound interior conversion in which we firmly turn from worldly darkness, and embrace a new way of life as Christ's disciples. Thus repentance is not merely to know of Christ, nor is it a matter of picking and choosing—with an intellectual arrogance—some aspects of our Lord's teaching while coldly rejecting others; rather, it is a union of mind, heart and soul to the Person of Christ. To repent is to die to Christ, discarding our former way of life in favor of the Way, Truth, and Life that is Christ himself. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: A Lenten Reflection On Repentance — Catholic Online

The preceding quote is from the Catholic.org website. As with many false teachers on repentance, they begin by correctly defining “repent” (METANOIA) as “a change of mind,” but then they completely wrest (twist) it to mean something different. By the time Catholic.org gets done corrupting the word “repent,” they teach it to mean: to “firmly turn from worldly darkness, and embrace a new way of life as Christ's disciples” and to “die to Christ, discarding our former way of life in favor of the way, truth, and life that is Christ himself.” Whoa horsy!!! So you see, Roman Catholicism has highly and adversely influenced our evangelical churches today. John Calvin's teachings are virtually synonymous with Roman Catholicism's concerning repentance.

In sharp contrast, the holy Scriptures teach something VERY, VERY, DIFFERENT:

Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

The Bible gives us a much simpler meaning of salvation than the Roman Catholic church. In view of Galatians 3:2, repentance simply means to REPENT TO BELIEVE, that is, you change your mind to believe! Repentance is the acknowledgement that I am a guilty sinner in God's holy eyes for breaking His commandments. The Bible says that the PURPOSE of God's law is to show all men their sinful condition, so that “ALL THE WORLD MAY BECOME GUILTY BEFORE GOD” (Romans 3:19). Hence, to “repent” means to admit that I am a guilty sinner, which compels a man to BELIEVE the Gospel to be saved. Thus, we are saved by BELIEVING, not REPENTING AND BELIEVING!!!

The very idea to “firmly turn from worldly darkness, and embrace a new way of life as Christ's disciples and to “die to Christ, discarding our former way of life in favor of the way, truth, and life that is Christ himself” [emphasis added] is entirely a matter of DISCIPLESHIP, not SALVATION!!! Notice that Catholic.org even mandates embracing “a new way of life” as one of “Christ's disciples” as a requirement to be saved. Yes, Roman Catholics teach Lordship Salvation. Few Christians realize just how much the satanic cult of Roman Catholicism has crept into our churches today!!! All sorts of heresy has crept into our churches these days, even into our Independent Baptist Churches!!!
 

Repentance is Absolutely Necessary for Salvation

Yes, repentance is 100% necessary for salvation, because a man would never come to Christ if he didn't repent (John 3:20); but repentance does NOT mean turning away from sinful behavior and surrendering one's life to serve Christ. These are religious works (human effort) which cannot produce the miraculous new birth. Being “born-again” is a supernatural miracle of God in response to a person's faith in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:12-14). Whether doing good works, or ceasing from bad works, these are all DEAD WORKS!!!

The Gospel of John mentions the words “believe” and “believed” 85 times, but the words “repent” is never mentioned. This evidences that the man who believes has repented. If repentance from sinful behavior, and forsaking worldliness, were a requirement for salvation, then the Bible wouldn't continually just tell us to “BELIEVE.” 1st Corinthians 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” Here again we are taught that the way to be saved is simply TO BELIEVE.

Once again, the Bible wonderfully teaches:

Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

Carnal Believers Are Still Forever Saved and 100% Eternally Secure

Paul Washer, in the same sermon, claims that the doctrine of a “CARNAL CHRISTIAN” is purely an American invention, which is not true. Even the apostle Paul said, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). The believers at the church at Corinth were “carnal” (1st Corinthians 3:1). Mr. Washer errantly teaches that professed Christians who are still continuing in sin are not really saved. This is false doctrine.

Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

The Holy Bible is filled with believers who horribly sinned, and habitually, including Samson who liked his prostitutes (Judges 16:1). Noah went from being the captain of his ship, to a drunken sailor (Genesis 9:21). King David commit adultery with Bath-Sheba, conspired to do evil, deliberately got Uriah drunk, and commit murder, to name a few of his sins. Solomon was a sex-pervert who forsook God's holy commandments. On and on, the Holy Bible is filled with unholy believers—God's children—the righteous (by God's imputed righteousness alone). Romans 4:5-6 teaches that the vilest and most wicked man is deemed righteous in God's eyes BY FAITH!!! Romans 4:6, “David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.” Did you read that friend... WITHOUT WORKS!!! Why then do so many pastors doubt the salvation of professed believers who GLADLY RECEIVE THE GOSPEL, waiting to see whether they go onto serve God, forsake sinful ways, confess Christ before men, surrender their life to God, and acknowledge Jesus as their “Lord”? These all pertain to the WORKS OF THE LAW!!!

Evangelist Ray Comfort DOESN'T believe in the doctrine of eternal security. He bases his false assumption on Luke 8:13, where the seeds (the Word of God - Luke 8:11) fell upon shallow ground and were uprooted and blown away when persecution came. Mr. Comfort says these were people who believed, but were not saved, because they didn't repent (turn from their worldliness and sins). In sharp contrast, the Lord said that these people were born-again believers (saved), but weren't willing to suffer persecution for the Lord (just as the chief rulers in John 10:42-43 who believed, but refused to confess Christ, because they loved the praise of man more than the praise of God). These believers in Luke 8:13 were truly saved, but never matured to bear much fruit. Bearing much fruit is God's will for every believer (Luke 8:15). Hence, Ray Comfort has no Biblical basis for his denial of the eternal security of the believer. Have you ever seen Ray Comfort win multitudes to Christ while street preaching? Of course not, because he requires them to forsake sinful behavior, which no one is willing to do on a dime. Whereas, eternal life Biblically is a free gift that you can have without obligation or sacrifice (Ephesians 2:8-10). It is easy, simple and free to be saved!!!

Romans 11:6 teaches, “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.” Most pastors are Caught Between Works And Grace (an excellent MP3 sermon by Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold). The great lie of the Devil is that a person must “turn away from their sins” to receive the free gift of God. How can the gift of eternal life require giving up anything except unbelief? You won't read much about the Biblical doctrine of imputation in most books these days, because it does not support the satanic agenda of Lordship Salvation.

All you need to know if that the Gospel is very simple and easy. If you admit that you are a guilty sinner in the eyes of a holy God, and believe His only begotten Son died on the cross for your sins, was buried, but then He bodily resurrected three days later, you are forever and securely saved!!! Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. How did you get saved friend? Did you simply BELIEVE the hearing of the Gospel?

Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?


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