"Modern Evangelicals preach the same Gospel that was proclaimed in the First Century. We preach that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death, and... rose bodily from the grave. We preach that man is a sinner and stands guilty before God in need of salvation. We preach that God offers salvation by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone, and the moment anyone repents of his sin, puts his faith in Jesus, and calls upon His name, that person is born again. That’s the Gospel they preached, and the Gospel we preach." - Steve Gaines, a mega SBC church pastor, in his Kindle book "Pray Like It Matters." [from Charles Page's Charles P]
Sing F Lau
Mr Steve Gaines affirms that Modern IvanHELLicals preach these:
1. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death, and rose bodily from the grave.
2. Man is a sinner and stands guilty before God in need of salvation.
3. God offers salvation by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone
4. The moment anyone repents of his sin, puts his faith in Jesus, and calls upon His name, that person is born again.
That’s the gospel that Mr Gaines and Modern IvanHELLicals preach.
Mr Steve Gaines claims that he preaches the SAME gospel preached by the apostolic evangelists of the first century. Does any one agree with that?
Thanks.
Sing F Lau
4. "The moment anyone repents of his sin, puts his faith in Jesus, and calls upon His name, that person is born again.
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Is there one smallest shred of gospel / good news in this?
What good news is this smooth sounding promise to one who is not born again yet, i.e who is still dead in trespasses and sins?
This statement is actually a very cruel, wicked, and grievous mockery to any one who is not born again, i.e any one still dead in trespasses and sins. Such smooth words bring no good news, it leave the dead in their deadness.
It is like making the promise of the dead, "The moment any one smells his deadness, puts his trust in life, and calls upon life, that person is brought to life." It is cruel, wicked and grievous mockery. It is no good news.
Is anyone who is not born again, i.e. still dead in trespasses and sin, able to repent of his sins, able to put his faith in Jesus, or calls upon Christ?
What is the nature of any one who is in his native state of sin and death, i.e. not born again yet?
Do you actually believe Christ's own words which He REPEATEDLY declared,
"Except a man be born again, he CANNOT....... HE CANNOT......."
Christ repeatedly stated the ABSOLUTELY NECESSITY, and the PRIORITY of the new birth before the performance of any spiritual activity like believing, repenting and calling upon the name of Christ. Do you believe that life must be prior to the activities of that life?
VERY MANY are too MODERN for the ANCIENT truth from Christ Himself.
Steve C
3. Faith is a fruit of the Spirit ... so how a fruit can be turned into the cause of salvation is quite baffling.
4. The words "born again" certainly mean that someone must have been dead in the first place, else it is impossible to be born again because he was never dead to begin with. And hence, can a dead person do anything? (such as repent, put his faith ... in the first place, he hasn't got any faith, let alone put his faith). Surely, it has to take a living person to be able to repent, put his faith ...
"Does any one agree with that?" ... well, 9 out of 10 (it's probably closer to 10 out of 10) agree with that ..... and that makes me quite lonely *LOL* ..... but, just got to remember that the majority was outside Noah's ark ...
Sing F Lau
4. "The moment anyone repents of his sin, puts his faith in Jesus, and calls upon His name, that person is born again.
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This statement is INIMICAL to the gospel of the grace of God.
inimical - adjective, harmful, injurious, detrimental, deleterious, prejudicial, damaging, hurtful, destructive, ruinous, pernicious; antagonistic, contrary, antipathetic, unfavorable, adverse, opposed; hostile, unkind, unsympathetic, unfriendly, ill-disposed, malevolent; unwelcoming, cold, frosty; literary malefic. See note at hostile . antonym friendly, favorable.
The statement declares that a man's new birth is CONDITIONED UPON his activities of repenting his sins, putting his faith in Jesus, calling upon the name of Jesus. It repudiates salvation by free and sovereign grace of God!
A man who IS dead in trespasses and sins must perform these activities in order to be born again of God. Stupid and deluded men insist this is good news! Right minded men believe such is insult and mockery of the dead!
Requiring a dead man to perform these duties in order to be born again is no gospel at all.
Charles P
I disagree with Gaines! his gospel is 168 years old!
Sing F Lau
Let me see 2013-168 = 1845. I see!
Valluri
Gospel unchanged, only human kind stone heart.
Charles D
I agree with Sing. and Steve Some will say in the last day LORD, LORD and Jesus will say I never knew you. So there is more to salvation like fruit than just calling on the LORD.
Sing F Lau
3. God offers salvation by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone
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God offers salvation! To whom does He offer it? Surely to those without salvation! Offering salvation to those without salvation sounds really kind and benevolent and gracious, doesn't it?
Now, what is offered requires the acceptance of it by them who are without salvation. Surely that is common sense enough!
Think for a moment please. What is the spiritual condition of those to whom God offers salvation? Those without salvation are still in their native state of sin and condemnation, i.e. spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. Such has no desire nor capability to accept the offer, no matter how sincere and fantastic the offer may be! In fact, he is hostile and in enmity towards the good news of salvation.
What does that imply? Either the modern ivanHELLicals are very stupid themselves, or they foolishly make God to appear very stupid like themselves. For only a stupid dumb god will offer salvation to sinner who are dead in trespasses and sins, THAT IS, condemned and dead spiritually, and wholly unable to accept, but instead actively consider such salvation as foolishness.
No American is stupid enough to offer an American big-Mac to a dead American, but modern evangelicals believe in a stupid god who offers salvation to sinners dead in trespasses and sins.
Smart but superstitious Chinese do offer roast swine to their dead ancestors, and the swine ends up in their own bellies!
God DOES NOT offer salvation! Instead He sovereignly and unilaterally and actively APPLIES / BESTOWS the salvation to individual elect who are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins.
To say otherwise is to take the name of God in vain. It is to bear false witness of God. It is impugn His wisdom!
Jesus DID NOT offer life to Lazarus. He sovereignly and unilaterally SUMMONED Lazarus out of death to life! Supposing Jesus had offered life to Lazarus, what good would the offer have done to him? What good? Zilch!
stupid |ˈst(y)oōpid|
adjective ( -pider, -pidest)
lacking intelligence or common sense.
Such are modern ivanHELLicals!!!
Jorge
haha, what a sense smart words! it's a hard saying to the stupid ones,
Sing F Lau
3. God offers salvation by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone.
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God DOES NOT offer salvation, and waits for that salvation to be accepted! The all-wise God does not do such foolish and stupid thing!
He sovereignly and unilaterally bestows salvation, and EFFECTUALLY calls an elect out of his native state of sin and death into the state of righteousness and life. An elect is conceived in sin, born in sin, grew up under the dominion of sin... until God intervened sovereignly!!!)
He BESTOWS salvation... He bestows it freely without man meeting any condition. If there were any condition that a man must meet to be given salvation, that condition would never been met by man.
God BESTOWS salvation by His grace... without any condition, NOT even through faith. A man without salvation is death in trespasses and sins, and is in enmity against God, and is incapable of exercising faith, much less believing in Christ alone! Such show enmity and hostility, not faith!
God BESTOWS salvation freely, i.e. by grace alone. This describes the manner in which that salvation is bestowed. But the salvation that is bestowed freely is a salvation that is based solely on the faith OF-OF-OF Jesus Christ alone.
The salvation that is freely bestowed by God is the salvation accomplished and secured through the faithfulness of Christ in meeting all the conditions for the redemption of His people. His faithfulness secured the full and perfect righteousness needed by His people, and His faithfulness atoned for all the sins of all His people. Salvation is based solely upon the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Faith in Jesus Christ is an effect, a fruit, a consequence of the salvation freely bestowed by God's free grace. An effect of salvation CANNOT possibly be the means to obtain the same salvation.
Breath is an effect of life. An effect of life can't possibly be the means or instrument to obtain that same life! A dead man cannot breathe in order to become alive! Only stupid people think otherwise.
Robert
Excellent!!
Sing F Lau
2. Man is a sinner and stands guilty before God in need of salvation.
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At best this is a very deficient, and therefore misleading and deceptive statement on the STATE / condition of man in his state of sin. Such deficient understanding of the true state of man leads these MODERN ivanHELLicals to believe that sinners are able to perform spiritual acts in order to be saved!
Christ repeatedly said except a sinner be born again from above, they remain dead and cannot perform any spiritual activities! Let Christ be true but every modern ivanHELLicals a LIAR.
Man is not just a sinner; he is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. That is, in his native state, he is not only devoid of any ability to draw nigh unto God, he is positively hostile towards, and in enmity against God. He is utterly incapable to receive the things of the Spirit. He has no ability to discern spiritual things. The gospel is complete foolishness to him.
Modern ivanHELLicals diagnose sinners are spiritually SICK.
Apostolic evangelical diagnose sinners as spiritually DEAD!
Sick sinners are still capable of doing a few things to get themselves saved. That's why modern ivanHELLicals imagine that sick sinners CAN, and must perform a few things to get themselves saved!
Dead sinners are utterly helpless in and of themselves! They are completely dependent upon external power acting upon them if any of them are to be saved. Sinners are not even passive nor neutral. Sinners' neutrality is a lie from the pit of hell! They are positively and actively hostile and in enmity towards all things of the Spirit of God!!!
This basic and fundamental fact points to the absolute necessity of salvation by the free and sovereign grace of God! God freely and sovereignly bestows eternal salvation to sinners who are dead in trespasses and sins.
Charles D
You did not have to accept your physical life GOD gave you what makes u think u have to accept spiritual life when he gives it.
Sing F Lau .
1. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death, and rose bodily from the grave.
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The truth stated here of WHO Jesus is, and WHAT He has done, are true enough. The big trouble is that the necessary implications of these truths, especially the latter, are neither noted nor understood! Let me explain.
Jesus lived a sinless life!
- He lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to all the laws of God.
- He lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to all the laws of God as a substitute, in the stead of His people, those whom God has given to Him.
- He did this to save His people. He did this to secure the perfect righteousness which is the absolute necessary for the justification of His people before God.
- Sins, the transgression of God's law, brings condemnation and death.
- Righteousness, the obedience to God's law, secures justification and life.
Rom 3
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
The righteousness of God's provision is through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Justification of condemned dead sinners is on the basis of that righteousness which God Himself has provided through His Son Jesus Christ!
Jesus lived a sinless life on behalf of His people, those whom the Father has given to Him before the foundation of the world, to secure the righteousness for their justification unto life.
Rom 5
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
It is by the perfect sinless life of Jesus that a sinner is justified and accepted before God. It is not by or because of the actions of the sinner at all. All the actions of a man towards God are the EFFECTS of his justification unto life by the free grace of God.
Justification unto life is through the REDEMPTION that is in Christ Jesus.
Justification unto life is NOT through your faith in Christ Jesus.
Justification unto life through the REDEMPTION that is in Christ Jesus is APPLIED to a sinner under the condemnation of death FREELY by God's grace, i.e. not by anything that sinner does!
Sing F Lau .
1. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death, and rose bodily from the grave.
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Jesus died an atoning death!
- Jesus lived the life that His people, under the condemnation of death, are INCAPABLE of living to attain the justification unto life.
- Jesus died the dead that His people, under the condemnation of death, DESERVE to die.
- The death that Jesus died bore away the curse and condemnation that is due to all the sins of all His people.
- The wages of sin is death. All the sins of all His people were imputed to Him, and He bore and suffered for all the sins of all His people when He endured the hell of being forsaken by God... a hell every sinner deserves!
- Jesus died in the place of His people to bear away completely the full and righteous wrath of God that is due to His people.
- He paid the full and complete price for the redemption of His people. 'It is finished,' He declared.
- There is nothing else for His people to do to be saved. The redemption Jesus Christ has accomplished is APPLIED freely and sovereignly by the Spirit of God to each of Christ's people at their appointed time.
- Once that redemption is applied to each personally, they are made capable of responding to the gospel ministry of declaring to them the truth of their salvation by God's grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.
His ATONING death DID ATONE (simple past tense, a done thing, completed and settled) for all the sins of all His people. The eternal condemnation due to their sins was once, and forever dealt with and SETTLED.
Heb 9:12 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."
Having obtained! Having obtained what? ETERNAL REDEMPTION. For who? For us, i.e. everyone, as many as, whom God the Father has given to Jesus Christ.
Let modern ivanHELLicals deal with, and spell out the implications of what they claim that Jesus has done when they mutter that "Jesus lived a sinless life, died an atoning death." Otherwise it is just cheapskate religious shibboleths that mislead and deceive!
