by David J. Stewart
There
is a popular Christian film produced by the Christiano Film Group titled
THE
APPOINTMENT (1991) starring Liz Watson. The film is advertised as:
Liz Watson, a hot-shot reporter has written a series of anti-God editorials for her paper. One day, a mysterious visitor, claiming to be from the Lord, enters her office informing her that in eight days on September 19th at 6:05 PM she will die… Is this a hoax? An Angel? Will she die? The SUSPENSE begins… Running time 39 minutes[1]
The film repeatedly teaches a false message of Lordship salvation, teaching that the way to Heaven is to “accept Jesus” and to “receive Jesus as Lord and Savior” and “accept Jesus into our life” and to “have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.”
NOT ONCE does the entire film, neither before, during, nor after mention the DEATH, BURIAL and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ, which is the Gospel according to the Word of God...
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.”
I believe that the film's producer Rich Christiano (also Wes Llewellyn and Keith Vivrette) are sincere people with good intentions, but they have fallen prey to Satan's lies which have crept into our churches today. All across the world the Devil has convinced people that receiving Jesus is the way to Heaven, but it's not the way.
This false view of salvation is often known as “Lordship Salvation” and is rooted in the false idea that a person must “make Jesus Lord” of their life to be saved, thus forsaking sinful bad habits and making a full surrender to Christ to be saved. Please carefully consider that Judas received Jesus and was one of Christ's very own apostles. Yet Judas went to Hell in his sins.
Receiving Jesus is not the Gospel.
Surrendering to Christ is not the Gospel.
Making amends of one's ways is not the Gospel.
Forsaking the world is not the Gospel.
Committing one's life to Christ is not the Gospel.
Having a relationship with Jesus Christ is not the Gospel.
Turning over a new leaf is not the Gospel.
Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior is not the Gospel.
Praying a sinner's prayer is not the Gospel.
Inviting Jesus to come into one's heart is not the Gospel.A person may do all of these things and yet never be saved at all.
BIBLICALLY, THE GOSPEL IS THE DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!
If you acknowledge your sinnership and receive the Gospel as payment for your sins, then you are saved immediately, irrevocably and eternally. That is the only way to Heaven my friend—through faith in Jesus, the Christ Who died, was buried and rose again. That is the Gospel; not receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. A person may receive Christ as Lord and Savior and yet may never be saved at all. Beware of anyone who teaches a plan of salvation that doesn't mention the death, burial and literal, bodily, resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Because of a series of Hollywood so-called “Christian movies” (including The Appointment, The Moment After, The Moment After II, The Endtime Harvest, Six: The Mark Unleashed, Time Changer, Blink Of An Eye, Joshua, Lay It Down, Jerusalem Countdown, Final Exit, The Gathering, Tribulation, Revelation, et cetera) the Lordship Salvation heresy has spread worldwide via film and is prevalently taught today in churches. Every one of these films (just to name a few) corrupts the Gospel message, failing to mention the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They all require receiving Jesus as Lord and having a relationship with Christ as the way of salvation. This is not the Gospel.
Many of these films are produced by John Hagee Ministries and Jack Van Impe Ministries (both false prophets). TBN's Jack and Rexella Van Impe love the Roman Catholic Church, who both praise the pope openly and have even said “The Catholic doctrines are right on.” Right on to Hell you mean!!! None of these films exposes the demonic Roman Catholic Religion. Every devout unsaved Catholic believes in receiving Jesus, having a relationship and surrendering to Christ. Again, this is not the Gospel according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4.
To Hell with Roman Catholicism where it belongs!!! If you follow the pope and the Vatican, you will go straight to Hell the very second you die, just as the rich fool in Luke 16:19-31. Catholics don't teach the Bible; but rather, their own manmade hellish doctrines rooted in self-righteousness and superstition (Mark 7:6-13).
Most of these films are wonderful as far as content and acting. They are moral and family films. They are certainly far better than Hollywood's trash that blaspheme the Lord's name and promote sexually suggestive smut. Yet, in a real sense these movies are even more dangerous than Hollywood movies because they pervert the plan of salvation. They all present a false plan of salvation that lead naive people into religion without salvation. A demon's favorite activity is to make people feel religious without salvation. Religion is the worst thing that ever happened to this world. Religion wants to fit us with glasses, but the Lord wants to open our eyes with the truth. Religion will lead you into Hell.
The demonic teaching of Lordship Salvation has spread like wildfire around the globe, corrupting the Gospel message with lies. Either adding or subtracting from the Gospel message perverts the simplicity which is in Christ. There are hundreds of false gospels circulating in America's churches today. Tens-of-millions of people have religion without truth, and churchianity without Christianity. Most people who profess belief in Christ have a misguided faith—trusting instead upon a prayer, their own self-righteousness or a personal relationship to get them to Heaven.
It is tragic, but nonetheless true, that the self-righteous Lordship Salvation doctrine is right in line with the demonic Roman Catholic false view of what it means to be saved. They're all on a highway to Hell. I hear so many Modernists (an unsaved person who thinks they're saved) talking about how they prayed a sinner's prayer, or one woman said she “prayed the Jesus prayer” to be saved. Others speak of having made a commitment to Christ to be saved, but this is not the Gospel. Sadly, even Moody Bible Institute requires sinners to make a commitment to Christ to be saved. My friend, Judas had a very personal relationship to Christ, following Jesus everywhere that He went; but that couldn't save Judas from Hell. Judas was committed to serving Christ as one of the apostles.
Our sins must be forgiven. The cross must be included or there can be no salvation. The precious blood that Jesus shed for our sins is the only means of forgiveness. 1st Peter 1:18-19, “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.” There is no other way to be saved. When we receive the Gospel as payment for our sins, Christ's blood washes our sins away (1st John 1:7) and Christ's righteousness is imputed to our record (Romans 4:5-6).
Satan is subtle and knows that the strongest lie is one that comes closest to the truth. Lordship Salvationists, such as Ray Comfort and John MacArthur, all correctly profess that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ Jesus; yet, they subtly ADD the requirement for sinners to forsake their sins in order to qualify for salvation. They teach that a person must “surrender all to Christ” and “receive Jesus as Lord” to be saved, making a commitment to Christ. This false teaching totally defeats the purpose of Christ paying for OUR sins and offering us HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS...
“For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
We have NO righteousness to offer God (Isaiah 64:6). That's why we need Christ's righteousness (2nd Corinthians 5:21). Lordship Salvationists confuse the whole matter of salvation, placing the burden upon sinners to change. In Biblical salvation, Christ alone bears the burden of our sins on the cross and we are not obligated to do anything to be saved except believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31; John 20:31; Ephesians 2:8-9). What a precious Savior!!!
All that God requires for salvation is that a person acknowledge their guilt of sin (Romans 3:19) and BELIEVE on Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. One's faith is counted for (or equivalent to) righteousness, i.e., the righteousness which is freely provided to us by Jesus' blood sacrifice (1st Peter 1:18,19).
It is difficult for me to comprehend why any professed Christian would even imply that one must give up their sins to be saved. Such teaching places the burden of salvation upon mankind; instead of solely upon the righteousness which is in Christ. Forsaking one's sins is a part of growing in the Christian life. Babes in Christ don't generally decide to live a consecrated life for God until they've been discipled, mentored and had time for the Word of God to work in their heart. Expecting a new convert to forsake sinful bad habits is just as ridiculous as expecting a newborn baby to run a marathon. Making a commitment to Christ is a matter of discipleship and consecration, not salvation. That is not the Gospel.
Jesus died, was buried and rose again! This is the Gospel according to the Bible in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4. There's no debate. There is no controversy if we believe the Bible! Beware of today's plethora of false Christian films which propagate a perverted plan of salvation that does not include the Gospel.
I Never Knew You
(The Horror Of The Great White
Throne Judgment And How You Can Avoid it)
"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." —John 3:16
