The Bible's Gospel Under Attack - Pt. 2

What is the gospel that Paul preached to the Galatians?


If someone asked you, “What must I do to be saved?” how would you answer them?

Let’s look at how some would answer today.

“Ask Jesus to come into your heart” (Let Him in) Rev. 3:20
Rev 3:19-20
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

This is addressed to the saved…the church at Laodicea, not to the unsaved.

“Give your heart to the Lord”
Proverbs 23:26 is the only time a phrase like this is used, and it’s not in regard to salvation.

“Turn to Christ”
Turning gives the idea of repentance, but where’s the faith?

“Pray to receive Christ”
It’s not a prayer that saves anyone, it’s faith in Jesus.

“Ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins”
He will when we believe in Him. But the Bible never expresses salvation that way.

“Confess your sins”
The only passage that tells us to confess our sins in 1 John 1:9, and that is addressed to believers.

"Accept and invite Him into your life today"

Do you notice what is troubling about each of these gospel statements so prevalent today?…Ask, Give, Turn, Pray, Confess, Accept, Invite …Yes, they are all generated by man.

Eph 2:8-9
8 … and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

John 1:13
13 …nor of the will of man, but of God.

Rom 9:16
16 … It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire


Gal 2:16
a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus,

Gal 3:26
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Faith in, and believing in Christ are the biblical words used for salvation. Why are they often missing in our gospel message today?

The gospel is impossible (1 Cor. 1:18) for any person apart from an aggressive move of God’s grace to that person. Charles Spurgeon agrees.

"We have before us now an announcement very startling, some say very obnoxious. Coming to Christ, though described by some people as being the very easiest thing in all the world, is in our text declared to be a thing utterly and entirely impossible to any man, unless the Father shall draw him to Christ."

The Bible's Gospel Under Attack - Pt. 1

From the beginning of the church the Bible and the Gospel of Salvation have been challenged by false teachers.

2 Peter 2:1-2
there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;

This is what happened in the Galatian churches. Paul was very grieved about the false teachers who were perverting the gospel of grace he had so carefully preached and taught while in Galatia.

He was deeply grieved that the truth of God’s sovereign and free gift of forgiveness and redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, was being corrupted, made crooked, by the teachings of salvation by works…Namely that a gentile must believe in Jesus, and become a Jew surgically and ceremonially to become a Christian. Then they would have to obey and follow certain laws to maintain righteousness from the Lord.

In present day terminology, you must “do something” to be saved, and you must “do something” to remain saved. Paul writes:

Galatians 1:6-9
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

Very strong words.

Any distortion of the gospel perverts the nature, the work, and grace of Christ.

Jude writes about false teachers:

Jude 3-4
contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. 4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Even if Paul himself, or one of his associates were to change their teaching, and add any human work, the saints should not listen, but treat them like heretics, …which they would then be.

Even an angel from heaven should be rejected if they were to present a different gospel.

In other words, it doesn’t matter who the person is.
How well they are known.
How godly and good they may appear to be.
How many people come to their meetings.
Even if it is an angel from heaven…

No messenger should be believed or followed, or listened to if his teaching does not square with God-revealed apostolic doctrine.

“But he’s so kind and loving.” But what is his doctrine of salvation?
“But he promotes unity and harmony.” But what is his gospel?
“But I see Christ in him.”
“But look at the miracles that are happening.” But what does he believe???

What is the gospel that Paul preached to the Galatians?
Coming soon.

So you want to write a book?

It's amazing that I can read "The Impossible Gospel" not once, but several times and not see the misspelled words. Some I just missed, some I didn't know and didn't check for the correct spelling. Here's a few examples:

When referring to the navy, is it Navel, or Naval?
When referring to the church walkway, is it aisles, or isles?
Is it "I'm going to hear this renown speaker" or "I'm going to hear this renowned speaker"?
Is it "God is supposed to build you up" or "God is suppose to build you up"?
Is it "God should not make you feel so bad about yourself" or "God should not make you feel so badly about yourself"?
Is it "Many post-modernists and other pastors also left the stadium." or "Many post-modernists and other pastors also leave the stadium.

There are many more exampls. Thesse kind of erorrs can greatley hindre the purposse of the book...It's now oficially remooved until i can make the neccessary chances...changes.

The Impossible Gospel

Let me state the premise of this book. Scriptural truth is impossible for the fallen human mind to comprehend or understand. By one’s own intellect, human beings cannot grasp the truths contained in Scripture. Not only will you not understand, you will think it foolishness to varying degrees. Why? Scriptural truth, the Bible, which would also include the gospel message, can only be understood by the human mind and intellect through the miraculous work, and intervention of God’s Holy Spirit. It’s foolishness to the unbeliever (1 Cor. 1:18). If this is true, it has profound implications for us and to the church in our era…theo-logical implications.

Simply stated, faith does not come from human decision, choice, or human intellect. If this were the case, the wise people of this world would be smart enough to believe. It would be this group of people who would be saved. But we all know that's not what happens. That why Paul writes, 26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world" (1 Cor. 1:26-27). I don't want to insult you...but God chooses the foolish ones. The church today must throw human decision, intellect, and choice away when it comes to salvation. Then only God receives the glory, and rightly so.

Want to a copy? Pick one up at church, or give me a call (805-226-0452).

Happy Mother's Day

Not being a mother, I say the following by faith. The responsibility of Motherhood is both rewarding and consuming, especially during the early years. I think this picture just about sums it up.

The book of Proverbs begins,
"The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel."
Solomon was a great king and the son of a great king. He was famous and powerful. People bowed in his presence. They did what he said. He had immense authority and honor.
I think we can learn from how he treated his mother in this exalted role.

You recall who his mother was? Bathsheba. She had married his father David under very sinful circumstances—very displeasing to God. But she was his mother, and this is what it says in
1 Kings 2:19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king arose to meet her, bowed before her, and sat on his throne; then he had a throne set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right.

When she entered the room Solomon rose for her. He bowed to her. He even called for a throne to be put beside his for their conversation. Even kings should bow when their mothers enter the room.

There are at least three things Solomon tells us in Proverbs 1:7-9 about family.

1. The Family is God's Idea.
Proverbs 1:8
Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

Solomon takes for granted that there are mothers and fathers and children in relationship, and accountability.

The family is just a given with Solomon. It used to be with us also. Sad to say it can't be taken for granted any longer.

2. The family is God's basic school for instructing children how to live in the world. Proverbs 1:8
Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

The father is an instructor and the mother is a teacher. Therefore the family is a school.
God ordained you mom, and dad, not just to be fruitful and fill the earth with people, but to fill the earth with instructed people and taught people. Be careful who you give the responsibility to teach your children. It’s ultimately you.

3. The foundation of family instruction is the fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

In other words, … What is it that runs through your lives, daily teaching, correcting and disciplining that gives unity and meaning to it all?—The answer is "the fear of the Lord."

The reverence, fear, and the trusting of God is what family's are for.

The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord.
• Science begins to then, make sense.
• History begins to unfold as you see God’s plan unfolding.
• Economics and world events find their meaning beginning with the fear of God.

The family is a school.