Matthew 24:5, “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”
Jesus foretold that in the last days, false prophets would come claiming to
be Christians, admitting that Jesus is the Christ; but they would preach
ANOTHER GOSPEL of faith in Jesus plus something else.
I was listening to Pacific Garden Mission's program UNSHACKLED today, titled, “Ronnie Pt1” (episode #3471), in which a false Gospel message is taught. The following is Ronnie's lame salvation testimony...
“God, it's me, Ronnie again... If you're real, I'm going to need You all the time. In these moments and the good ones. I don't want that Sunday only kind of faith, with nice clothes, and fancy words and dusty Bibles. I've messed up a lot. But if what they say is true, seems like You might love me anyway. I want to follow You! And I want You to make something of my life, something that serves You.”
SOURCE: Pacific Garden Mission's UNSHACKLED, program #3471 (time in audio, 17:58)
That's it? That's all Ronnie says concerning getting saved? Yes, sadly, that is all he says. Folks, Ronnie is NOT a born-again believer. There is no mention of “the Gospel.” The Bible proclaims THE GOSPEL plainly:
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 GOSPEL is that Jesus DIED on the cross for our sins, He was BURIED, and then after three days Jesus RESURRECTED from the dead. When you place your trust in that Gospel (which means “Good News”) you are immediately and forever saved. There is no other way to be saved. You don't get saved by “following Jesus.” Judas followed Christ, being one of His very apostles, but he was lost and went to Hell. Ronnie is deceived, and no thanks to Pacific Garden Mission will spend eternity burning in the Lake of Fire. You cannot get saved by putting your faith in Jesus, plus turning away from sins. You cannot get saved by putting your faith in Jesus, plus forsaking the world. You cannot get saved by putting your faith in Jesus, plus surrendering your life to serve God. Please listen to the excellent MP3 sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles, titled, “THE GOODNESS OF GOD LEADETH TO REPENTANCE!”
Here is another heretical episode of UNSHACKLED aired in 2016, titled, “Jane Page Classic Pt2.” They ought to to rename the show to “SHACKLED”...
“Then Raymond and Lillian took Clara and me to an evangelistic meeting in Cincinnati, where I prayed in repentance to God, and my heart and life were transformed. I experienced an immediate change!”
SOURCE: Pacific Garden Mission's UNSHACKLED, program #3422 (time in audio, 2:42)
Folks,
that is junk theology! Again, there is no mention of THE GOSPEL, which I
just quoted to you from the Holy Scriptures. God vomits out UNSHACKLED's
reprobate theology!!! In hundreds of Scriptures, we read that people were
saved simply by BELIEVING. UNSHACKLED features actors, portraying people as
rejoicing that they've been saved by giving their life to Jesus, deciding to
follow Christ, turning away from their sins, asking Jesus into your heart,
praying a prayer—anything and everything EXCEPT THE GOSPEL!!! Don't take my
word for it, listen to UNSHACKLED for
yourself and prove what I say.
The problem with a deceived person is that they don't know they're deceived, or they wouldn't be “DECEIVED.” A deceived person doesn't know that they are deceived. Deception is a subtlety. I speak of half the independent Baptist churches in America, who have been woefully deceived. Salvation is not a cooperative venture where you do your part and Christ does His part. God doesn't save anyone who is TRYING to be saved, He only saves those who are TRUSTING to be saved. Jesus doesn't need our help saving us. To be saved, our part is zero, Christ's part is full. Christ paid our sin debt on the cross.
Notice in the following Scripture that Jesus “BY HIMSELF PURGED OUR SINS.” Hebrews 1:3, “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Jesus DOESN'T need our help to save us!!! Anyone who believes that turning away from sinful behavior is required to be saved, is as lost as the Devil. If you believe that a professed Christian, who continues living a lifestyle of sin, is not saved because they've never repented of their sins, you are not saved yourself. You don't get saved by repenting of your sins. You get saved by placing your trust in the crucified, buried and risen Savior!!! That is the GOOD NEWS!!!
Consider the following quote by the mighty man of God, Dr. Harry Ironside (1876-1951)...
“Repentance is the recognition of my sinnership — the owning before God that I am as vile as He has declared me to be in His holy Word.”
SOURCE: Except Ye Repent, by Dr. Harry Ironside, chapter 3
This is vastly different than forsaking sinful activities to be saved, which is a false gospel. Pastor Ironside is correct—Repentance is simply realizing that one is a guilty sinner in God's eyes. This is why we need a Savior. Thankfully, Jesus paid the price with His own literal precious blood (1st Peter 1:18,19; Hebrews 9:12).
Pastor Ironside further states (and this is one of the best quotes I've ever read)...
“Which comes first, repentance or faith? In Scripture we read, 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel.' Yet we find true believers exhorted to 'repent, and do the first works.' So intimately are the two related that you cannot have one without the other. The man who believes God repents; the repentant soul puts his trust in the Lord when the Gospel is revealed to him. Theologians may wrangle over this, but the fact is, no man repents until the Holy Spirit produces repentance in his soul through the truth. No man believes the Gospel and rests in it for his own salvation until he has judged himself as a needy sinner before God. And this is repentance.” (Except Ye Repent, p. 16)
Here's a beautiful quote from Pastor Charles Spurgeon that false prophets like Evangelist Ray Comfort and Dr. John MacArthur will never show you...
“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...” —Pastor 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 September 23, 1855)
Please look at our text passage of Scripture
again from Matthew 24:5, “For many shall come in my name, saying,
I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” I had always thought Jesus was saying that false prophets would
arise, claiming to be the Messiah. But that is not what Jesus is saying. The
Lord is saying that many false prophets would indeed testify that JESUS IS
THE CHRIST, while at the same time teaching a counterfeit gospel message.
Many false teachers will
come, claiming to be Christians, but are not. Instead, they offer a
counterfeit message of Jesus plus works, and this message cannot save. If
the message of the Gospel is not correct, then no one can be saved. Most of
the churches today have succumbed to a false gospel message.
Matthew 7:21-23. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” The is one of the most remarkable and frightening of all Bible passages. These were very sincere religious people, who preached in Jesus' name, who believed that Jesus is the Christ, but who were horribly DECEIVED concerning the Gospel.
In fairness, Pacific Garden Mission SOMETIMES gets it right in their UNSHACKLED programs, but there are so many contaminated programs (most of them) that a little leaven leaveneth the while lump. Although I enjoy listening to legitimate Gospel testimonies, I cringe every time I hear someone rejoicing that mere religion has changed their life. I mean, why not invite Roman Catholics and Mormons to share their life's testimonies while you're at it? Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born-again. Remember, the god of this evil world, Satan, blinds the minds of unbelievers, to hinder them from seeing the glorious Gospel, lest they should be saved (2nd Corinthians 4:3-4). Anything that obscures the simplicity that is in Christ is an enemy of soul-winning (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). Satan's primary goal is to hide the Gospel. One way that the Devil does this is with the plethora of modern Bible versions (all of which are corrupt and pervert the Gospel message). Another way that Satan hides the Gospel is with Wrong Repentance. Another way is with the heresy of Lordship Salvation (aka, Calvinism). The Devil is a beautiful liar!!! In a desperate attempt to force people to live holy lives, wicked pastors and theologians have perverted the Gospel in a futile attempt to do so. Many pastors have blood on their hands! Eternal life is a free gift, which cannot require turning from sins.
I've noticed that oftentimes after hearing a horribly corrupted UNSHACKLED program, then a narrator from PGM will vaguely mention the Gospel. Unfortunately, because of this constant mixing of terms, multiple plans of salvation and mumbo-jumbo religious garbage, Pacific Garden Mission at best is a house of confusion. Acts 19:32, “Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.”
I hate to say this, but it appears to me that PGM is more interested is money than truth. Jesus warned that no man can serve mammon and God. Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Like most religious groups nowadays, which are nothing more than money-making businesses, PGM wants to make everybody happy, at least the majority, to keep the donations coming in. PGM's UNSHACKLED is doing much damage to the cause of Christ, perverting the Gospel with all sorts of embellishments. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.
