But My Pastor Said I could Still Sin!

I actually hesitated to write this post. It's not like I haven't warned about this before in countless posts and countless ways, and usually gotten flack for it. But the Lord kept pressing me, so here I am. I believe we are so very close to the rapture and that is why the Lord wants these warnings put out there as often and as clearly as possible. 

Last week, I was reading through an online post about the rapture and the signs in the sky and feast days and various evidences of the rapture happening this year.  I agreed with everything this person said and found the article encouraging. But then I came to the bottlem where he or she laid out the Gospel. Here is what it said

 Interested in getting raptured so you don't have to go through the 7 year Tribulation? God made it the easiest way possible to get there:

First off, no, you don't need to turn from your sins and do good deeds. In fact, Christ said that if you bring your works and don't rely solely on Him, that He will say to you, "Away from me, I never knew you." — Matthew 7:21-23

The way to heaven is to simply believe the gospel (the good news) found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 — that (1) Christ died to pay for all your sins (past, present and future), and (2) He was buried, and (3) He rose again the third day. Believe that and you're saved.

You can't lose your salvation for any reason either. The nanosecond you believe the gospel, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of your salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14 — In Him [Jesus] you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance [eternal life] until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.).

I knew this kind of teaching was out there. I've heard parts of it from pastors and other Bible teachers, but I had not truly heard this very first sentence uttered by anyone. "You do not need to turn from your sins."  It shocked me, and I'm very hard to shock these days. 

The thing is, you can pick any Scripture out of context and make a doctrine out of it, but you have to take the entire Bible as a whole. The Bible interprets the Bible, and having read the Bible several times through from front to back, I can tell you with 100% confidence that you must REPENT of your sins when you turn to Jesus.  The word "Repent" is in the KJV New Testament 105 Times!  In the following articles I quote dozens and dozens of Scriptures that prove that you must turn from your sin and follow Jesus with all your heart. 

Once Saved Always Saved? Doctrine of Demons
Can you Be Unborn?
Can a Christian lose their salvation?

The person in this article has obviously not looked up the meaning of the word Believe in the verses he or she quotes.  It's the Greek word pisteuō, which does not mean just a head belief, but it means commit unto, commit to one's trust, be committed unto, be put in trust with, be commit to one's trust, believer.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. James 2:19

But let's use the verses this person completely perverted to prove him wrong. Here's those verses in context with my commentary

 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  (so if it's so easy to get saved and you can't lose that salvation, why are there so FEW who find it?)

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (So, we can tell a false prophet by his fruit, which means his words, deeds, etc. So, we should be able to tell a true Christian by the same criteria, right? Yet, if Christians don't have to turn from their sins and can keep sinning, how can we tell if someone is truly saved or not?)

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  (So, if a person continues in their sin and hence, produces bad fruit, looks like they get cast into the fire)

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

 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.  (And what is the will of the Father? Yes, to believe in Jesus, but is that it? Or does the Father want us to live righteously and turn from our sins?)

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.

This person is saying that the people who cast out demons, prophesied and did wonderful works in the name of Jesus were doing those things, trying to earn their salvation. I will allow that may be true. But he then goes on to say that it was because they were trying to earn their salvation through works that Jesus rejected them.  But that's not what Jesus said. He didn't chastise them for their works. He chastised them by saying two things. 

1. He never knew them. That word knew in the Greek is ginōskō. It means to be intimately acquainted with... it is used even in the sexual relationship between a husband and wife. So, Jesus is saying, We never had a relationship. 

2. Jesus told them they were workers of iniquity, which means unrighteousness, wickedness.  

He made no mention of their good works at all. He wasn't rejecting them because of those works! He rejected them because they had no relationship with Him and they lived a sinful, unrepentant life!

Salvation through Jesus is a FREE Gift and only given by God's magnificent Grace. We can never EARN it by anything we say or do. We merely receive that Free Gift! Yes!  But Once we get that gift, we must hold onto it. We must have a relationship with Jesus. We must repent of our sins and continue to pick up our cross and follow Jesus daily. We don't just have a mental assent about Jesus and then go on our merry way!  What a lie from the pit of hell! 

The Lord is screaming from the rooftops, doing all He can to warn the people who have been fooled and tricked by such blasphemous words as this person wrote.  He is saying "You will be left behind if you do not repent and come to Me!"   

 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Titus 1:16

I will end with one more thing I heard recently from a pastor who knew someone who had an After Death Experience, met Jesus, and came back. The person was thanking Jesus for all the suffering He endured on the cross and he said that surely that was the worst suffering of all. But Jesus replied that No, that wasn't the worst suffering for Him. For Him, His worst suffering would occur when during the Tribulation and afterward, He would have to send people to the Lake of Fire. You see, Jesus loves all of us, even those who reject Him. If any of us can imagine sending one of our own children to eternal torment, then you might get a glimpse of the pain of our Savior. 

It's NOT about Works, It's about a relationship, and in that relationship as we come to know Jesus, we will want to turn from our sins. We will want to repent and we will want to obey Him and live as righteously as we can. 

If you have believed the lie that you don't have to turn from your sins and you only have to believe in your mind about Jesus, it's still not too late. It only takes a second to get on your knees, repent of your sins, and tell Jesus you want to know Him, you want to have a relationship with Him, and to please help you follow Him with all your heart.