My response to M. Haykin’s article re the gospel.
I just received an email from an organization called Modern Reformation about ‘the meaning of the Gospel.’ They included an article written by Michael A. G. Haykin: some big wig in the Southern Baptist denomination. He was invited by MR to write this, in relation to “What is the gospel, how do we recognize it, and judge whether we are being faithful to it?”
Here are the only things I can find in his article that even suggest an answer to the question he was asked.
1/ “Faith in Christ is the duty of all men who hear, or have opportunity to hear, the gospel,”
2/ To be faithful to the central emphases of historic Calvinism, while at the same time attempting to leave preachers with no alternative but to drive home to their hearers the universal obligations of repentance and faith.[8]
3/ Those who have fled to the crucified and risen Christ for salvation
The only thing new in these answers is when someone suggested that we ought to be faithful to the central emphasis of historic Calvinism, and to leave preachers with no alternative but to drive home to their hearers the universal obligations of repentance and faith.
After serious study of Calvinism, I never found any reference to repentance in their doctrine of salvation. They believe that God has a secret list of ‘elite sinners’ who He will ’save by grace’ and all we have to do is wait and see if our name is on that list. Apparently, He will let us know at some time, if He has chosen us. Go figure!
The rest is pretty much what we have heard since the civil war. Come to Jesus: find Jesus: trust in Jesus: have faith in Jesus; accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. I guess Michael thought he was making it more powerful by stating, ‘Those who have fled to the crucified and risen Christ for salvation.’
Another contributor to this article was Stephen Roberts who wrote something entitled 'Porndemic.’ He writes: ‘Pornography addiction is currently like a pandemic within the church and society at large.’ Quite clearly, He has never studied God’s inerrant word because God assures us that all sexually immoral people go to hell.
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who have sex with men, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, slanderers or swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6:9-10
So, anyone who is addicted to porn, or guilty of any of those sins Paul listed there cannot be part of Christ’s Church. But it is common today to read nonsense like this article, written by so-called leaders of evangelical denominations. I am glad he used a small ‘c’ for church, instead of a capital one. Yes, pornography is like a pandemic in the ‘church[es].’
But preachers who assure their flocks that they are all God’s righteous kids, but cannot live free from sin, have no clue what God says in His inerrant word.
When one reads the bible, one sees that there is a theme that starts in Genesis two, and continues to Revelation 22. This theme is simply: obey God and live, or don’t, and die. It began with Adam and Eve who disobeyed God just once, and died [spiritually]. David was able to write,
If I had been aware of sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; Ps. 66:18
For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people cannot dwell. Ps. 5:4.
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my face from you. Even if you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Is. 1:15-16
He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah/America to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually provoke me to anger? Look at them thumbing their noses at me.
Therefore, I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.” Ezek. 8:17-18
The prophets, David, Solomon, Jesus, and the apostles all gave us the same truth. Obey God, and live. Jesus told us that it’s not those who call Him Lord who go to heaven but only those who obey His Father. Mat. 7:21 So that in itself, negates Calvinism as well as the modern gospel that has been preached since the death of the Holiness Movement. When the pulpits were aflame with righteousness, America sailed out ahead of every other nation in all aspects of culture, commerce, infrastructure, science, transportation, engineering, and construction. Look at her today! She is the laughing stock of the world. And that’s not primarily due to Joe Biden and his administration. Due to the absence of right-living people, Satan has been subtly destroying America, bit by bit. I was made aware of this while I spent two decades in the USA researching Christianity. I wrote a book on my return to my home country of New Zealand, clearly proclaiming God’s inerrant word, which, if believed, accepted and embraced would kick Satan’s hairy butt right back to hell. Then America, would become truly great again. The GOP cannot do it, but with them in charge, God’s true Church will ensure that healing. Very sadly, that Church does NOT exist today. My book explains how it can be re-birthed.
The message of salvation that God gives us is simply: Get to know Him: learn to fear Him: repent, and be given the Holy Spirit so you can start that awesome journey of living in Christ where there is no sin and no darkness.
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Acts 10:34-35
Moses said to the people, do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of the Lord will be with you to keep you from sinning. Ex. 20:20
Through the fear of the LORD evil is avoided. Prov. 16:6
Humility and the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life. Prov. 22:4
The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble. Prov. 19:23
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
No one who lives in him sins. No one who sins has either seen him or known him.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
No one who is born of God will sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot sin because they have been born of God.
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.1 Jn. 3:4-10
Every modern version of the bible I have read adds words to the original Greek in this passage. The KJV gives it to us correctly. I have used the NIV and left out the man-added words. The way today’s preachers use the added words to pervert this passage into Satan’s version tells us all we need to know: They have never spent time studying and meditating on God’s inerrant word with a trusty concordance at their elbow.
We all know that sinning is not doing what is right. And every preacher knows that as well. But they have to tell you lies because they have never repented and stopped sinning themselves. This must change before America can climb out of this cesspit Satan has dragged her into. We hear so many well-meaning folks calling out for more prayer today. I trust you understand the passages above that assure us that God never hears prayers from sinners.