Nathan Brewer
Do me a favor. The next time you see the fellow who preaches where you attend services, ask him what a sinner needs to do to be saved.
If he says, “A sinner has to ask Jesus into his heart by praying for forgiveness,” then ask him to show you where the Bible teaches that. Then ask him to show you an example in the Bible of a sinner doing that to be saved.
He won’t be able to, because neither the instruction nor the example of praying for forgiveness exists. That’s right—the sinner’s prayer is a myth.
If he says, “A sinner simply has to believe. At that point he’s saved,” then ask him to show you where the Bible teaches that. Then ask him to show you an example in the Bible of a sinner doing that to be saved.
Sure, people are told that believing leads to salvation. But ask where the Bible teaches that a sinner is saved the instant he believes that Jesus Christ rose from the dead as Savior.
Then ask him why Peter told people who already believed in Jesus that they still had to do something in order to be saved in Acts 2.
If believing is all it takes, then those believers should’ve already been saved. If believing is all it takes, then what was Jesus talking about in the Sermon on the Mount? He says in Matthew 7:21-23 that there will be people who’ll believe in Him and try to serve Him, yet He is going to turn them away from heaven, saying that He never knew them. If believing is all it takes, why will He do that?
If you get this far, then ask why there are so many churches today when, in the New Testament itself, there was only one. Back in the first century, when Peter and Matthew and Paul and John were around teaching Christ’s message, there were many congregations of the same church. Only one.
If you haven’t taxed his patience too far, and if you’re still willing yourself, then ask your preacher about his title—whether it’s Pastor or Reverend or Father. Ask him to show you in the word of God where preachers are supposed to be called such things.
But more importantly than asking anyone else about them, ask yourselves these questions. Because on Judgment Day, you won’t answer for what your preacher taught. He’ll answer for that, but you’ll answer for what you believed and what you did (2 Cor. 5:10).
On Judgment Day, pleading ignorance of God’s law won’t work. Don’t take any man’s word for what to do to get to heaven. To make your calling and election sure, study the Gospel of Christ and do what it says.
