One of the saddest commentaries of our time is that so many people
prioritize the beliefs, quotes and philosophies of mortal men over the Words
of God. Certainly there have been many great men of God in the past, and
many are still alive today, whom God has used mightily to reach lost souls
for Christ. But I am increasingly finding that many of the men considered
“great” in the eyes of believers today were outright heretics who preached a
perverted gospel message . . .
Aiden Tozer's False Gospel
Aiden W. Tozer (1897-1963) was a false prophet! He is revered in many religious camps today as a legendary pastor of his time. Mr. Tozer unquestionably taught the heresy of Lordship Salvation, i.e., the unbiblical teaching that a sinner MUST cease from their sinful lifestyle as a prerequisite to be saved. Mr. Tozer states:
"In the Bible the offer of pardon on the part of God is conditioned upon intention to reform on the part of man. There can be no spiritual regeneration till there has been a moral reformation"
SOURCE: The Best of A.W. Tozer, Book 2, pg. 115-117; Compiled by Warren W. Wiersbe).
That is simply NOT Biblical. Romans 4:5-6 plainly states:
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.”
A man's faith is COUNTED for righteousness, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to our record by faith in the Son of God (2nd Corinthians 5:21). Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is receiving; and not giving. Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 6:23), provided freely to all men (Revelation 22:17), by way of the precious literal blood of Jesus Christ (1st Peter 1:18,19). Amen!
It is a dangerous thing to get into the habit
of quoting great men, without taking deeply into consideration the words
which they are conveying.
Martin Luther's False Gospel
Another legendary heretic was Martin Luther (1483-1546), who is greatly revered by Christians worldwide. The average believer goes around quoting, praising and honoring Martin Luther without realizing that Luther taught damnable heresy concerning Salvation. In fact, Luther even taught that a sinner can get to Heaven without faith, as long as they are water baptized. Read Luther's blasphemous words for yourself . . .
Did Luther really believe that salvation was "only through faith in Jesus?" No, he did not, as I will prove to you. In Luther's Large Catechism he states:
"Further, we say that we are not so much concerned to know whether the person baptized believes or NOT; for on that account Baptism does not become invalid..." [emphasis added]
SOURCE: The Large Catechism (Infant Baptism) - Martin Luther
BLASPHEMY!!! How can a lost sinner be saved without faith? Luther also plainly taught that water baptism was necessary for salvation . . .
"Moreover, that it is most solemnly and strictly commanded that we must be baptized or we cannot be saved..." [emphasis added]
It confounds me why so many Christian leaders today honor and speak highly of such a reprobate as Martin Luther. The entire Protestant Movement was founded upon the heretical doctrines of Martin Luther. The Bible discourages us from following the teachings of men. Jesus plainly commanded in John 5:39 to . . . SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!!
Away with the teachings of Jacob Arminius! Away
with the teachings of John Calvin! Away with the Westminster Confession!
Away with the teachings of Protestantism! Lets get back to the Words of
God!!!
John MacArthur's False Gospel
One of the most popular, suave and sought after speakers today is pastor John MacArthur. Unfortunately, MacArthur teaches a perverted gospel of works salvation . . .
"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)
That is NOT Biblical. If it's the life we live that determines our eternal destiny, then salvation is conditional upon man's behavior and not solely upon Christ's blood sacrifice. MacArthur says that “salvation comes from a life lived in obedience and service to Christ”; but Romans 4:5 states something entirely different . . .
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.”
In sharp contrast to MacArthur's false gospel, the Bible teaches that a man's faith, by itself, is counted for righteousness, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to one's record by faith in the Lamb of God (2nd Corinthians 5:21). In salvation, God imputes Christ's righteousness to the sinner WITHOUT WORKS. So why does MacArthur foolishly teach that one must live a life of obedience and service to Christ to be saved? It is utter heresy and a false gospel message!
Literally, thousands of pastors around the world look to John MacArthur for doctrinal guidance, because most of MacArthur's teachings are Biblically sound; however, if a man is wrong on salvation he is in serious trouble with God, and the wrath of God abideth upon him. John MacArthur is an unsaved Modernist, which explains why he tramples underfoot the physical blood sacrifice of Jesus . . .
"It is not the actual liquid that cleanses us from our sins, but the work of redemption Christ accomplished in pouring it out." —Dr. John MacArthur
In MacArthur's Revised and Updated "Study
Bible," he avoids Exodus 12:13 like the Bubonic Plague... "And the blood
shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see
the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to
destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt" (KJV). MacArthur doesn't
comment directly concerning this verse. It baffles me as to why any
professed Gospel preacher would make light of the literal blood of Jesus
Christ. MacArthur has nothing good to say about Jesus' physical blood,
because he doesn't think it has any value in and of itself. What good is a
"Study Bible" that ignores the most important doctrine in the entire
Bible? 1st Peter 1:18,19 tells us just how important the blood of Jesus is:
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from
your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot."
Follow God; Not Men
These are just three of the thousands of religious heretics influencing churches today. The only sure defense is to do as Jesus commanded in John 5:39 . . . SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!
Anyone who honestly studies the Bible knows that salvation is a free gift from God, paid for by Jesus physical blood, and that a person doesn't need to be water baptized in order to be saved. It is a dangerous thing to seek spiritual answers from mortal men. What we ought to do is search the Scriptures for the answers. Tragically, some of the most educated and respected Bible scholars of our day are outright heretics, like John MacArthur. I didn't write this article to attack anyone, nor to be unkind; but rather, to encourage people to study the Bible for themselves and make their own honest conclusions. There is a grave danger in attending even a good church, and that danger is relying upon the pastor to keep one spiritual. Jesus didn't command us to search the pastor's mind in John 5:39. Nor did Jesus tell us to go out and buy the latest New York Times Bestseller. Nor did Jesus tell us to go out and buy a set of Bible commentaries. No, rather, Jesus told us to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!!
Please don't misunderstand my point, Bible commentaries are good and helpful in their right place; but ultimately we are responsible for the beliefs we hold. All I'm saying is that some men pervert the Scriptures horribly concerning salvation, while simultaneously teaching sound doctrines elsewhere. Such men are NOT true believers and should be exposed for the imposters they are. No doubt, many of them are sincere in their beliefs (Matthew 7:21-23). Howbeit, a false gospel is a guaranteed road to Hell for those who follow it. It is a big deal to God.
I have made it a priority in my ministry, and for every article I write, to search the Scriptures to ensure that the advice I am giving is Biblical. Most of the articles I write are intended to drive people into the Scriptures, which is the Seed of our salvation, the Lamp unto our feet and the Sword by which we can defeat the Devil. Let us be diligent to guard against blindly quoting, praising and honoring alleged great men simply because someone told us they were great. The Word of God should be our Final Authority on all matters of Christian doctrine, living and faith.
Follow God; Not Men
“ . . . let God be true, but every man a liar . . .” —Romans 3:4
