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Recommended Reading: God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life: The Myth of the Modern Message

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Book: God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life: The Myth of the Modern Message
Author: Ray Comfort
Published: Living Waters, May 2012
Review by: Chris Poblete

 

Ray Comfort’s God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life: The Myth of the Modern Message, is a short, punchy book on a very timely topic.

Possibly the most frightening passage in Scripture

Ray Comfort considers Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21-23 “possibly the most frightening passage in Scripture.” In it, Jesus spoke of many who would consider themselves Christians and yet are not saved. He warned, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven…I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

Today’s church statistics confirm this bleak reality

According to God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life, a 2003 survey found that of all those in the U.S. who profess to be born-again Christians, 49% enjoyed sexual fantasies about other people, 33% thought it was okay to kill a baby while it is still in the womb. Other surveys concluded that 53% of the men belonging to a large Christian organization visited porn sites every week, and 30% of 6000 pastors surveyed had viewed Internet porn in the last 30 days.

The book also cites a Barna Group survey conducted in 2009 which found that among individuals describing themselves as Christian: close to half believe that Satan does not exist, one-third contend that Jesus sinned while He was on earth, two-fifths say they do not have a responsibility to share their faith with others, and one-quarter deny that the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches.

How did we get here? What is our way out?

In God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life: The Myth of the Modern Message, Ray Comfort argues that this is all a result of “the enemy subtly diverting our attention away from our core message.” He argues:

Instead of preaching the Good News that sinners can be made righteous in Christ and escape the wrath to come, we have settled for a “gospel” that implies that God’s primary purpose in saving us is to unfold a “wonderful plan” for our lives: to solve our problems, make us happy in Christ, and rescue us from the hassles of this life.

The book is, quite simply, a call away from “modern evangelistic methods” to what Comfort argues is the Biblical one. According to Comfort, the issue of man’s blindness to his need for a Savior is not so much a lifestyle issue as the “modern myth” argues; nor is it a philosophical issue or intellectual issue. Ultimately, it is a moral issue. Man needs to know of his depravity—that he is guilty in sin.

So what is is this Biblical method of evangelism?

Appealing to Galatians 3:24, Comfort tells us that the Law is a “a schoolmaster to bring sinners to Christ, just as it brought Israel to Christ.” He shares with readers the story of how he came to this epiphany and how he learned that this is a method of evangelism that has been used for centuries. He tells of how he “began to study Scripture as well as the gospel proclamation of men like John Wesley, Spurgeon, Whitefield, Moody, Luther, and others whom God had used through the ages.”

Jesus and the Law

Comfort reminds us that the Old Testaments said that the Messiah would “magnify the law and make it honorable” (Isaiah 42:21). Jesus Himself used the Law to bring sinners to repentance and point to Himself as the only one and true Savior of the world (Matthew 5). Comfort is careful to emphasize that the Law does not account for our justification (Galatians 2:16). Only the precious blood of Christ and the power of His resurrection can do that. “The Law’s rightful purpose is simply to act as a mirror to show us that we need cleansing,” says Comfort.

After laying these foundations, Ray Comfort spends the rest of his short book explaining how one can—practically speaking—use the Law as a schoolmaster to lead others to Christ.

If you have any desire to see the lost convicted of sin and saved in Jesus Christ (and as a Christian, you should!), then this short, 120-page book will serve as a great tool for Biblical evangelism. We highly recommend it.

**For a chance to win a free copy of this book, sign up for our newsletter and view the October ministry update to enter**

Comments

  1. It’s a shame to think someone actually had to write a small “how to book” to tell people who profess to be Christians, that they are not really Christians because the fruit they bear is spoiled and not from a Godly tree. This is more about how the ministry has let people down as well and maybe that is who Jesus was speaking to as well in Mt 7:21-23, but most certainly all of us in general. The church in America has let its people down once again. Mel Gibson made the movie The PASSION of THE CHRIST; this should have been made by a religious group or at the very least they should have been right alongside giving Godly advice. Obedience to God’s word comes by reading, hearing and seeing the word for one’s self. Each person is required to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling; but how can a man be saved unless he hears and how can he hear unless there be a preacher and how can there be a preacher unless he be sent. At some point in America we began to take God out of our daily life and we replaced him with TV, football, little league, soccer practice, American Idol, etc, etc. We allowed one person to take God out of our schools where he is needed most and is replaced by so called tolerance. Jesus taught us to love the sinner but hate the sin; God loves us just the way we are when we come to him, but loves us too much to leave us that way after we come to him. That doesn’t sound like tolerance to me. Jesus said if you LOVE ME you will KEEP my commandments. If you want a real book to read try the Bible and if that is not good enough then try praying and fasting until you touch the very heart of God and your prayers come up as a memorial before God. The Bible is the best HOW TO BOOK there is.

    • Reading this book would be just like listening to a sermon. If course all you need is the Bible, but the church is here to edify one another. Iron sharpens iron. It’s all about teaching each other (and worshiping God first and foremost and being equipped for the great commission).
      And I know that the content in this book is 100% on the essentials. I’ve heard tons of hours worth of the author’s sermons and messages online. No false gospel here. Nothing but beneficial instruction.

      • Unfortunately Bob, this book is based on a new false teaching. I review the commentary and outline why this teaching is not scriptural below. Your observations are welcome.

        Grace and Peace,

        Dee

    • All that can be said is amen and thanks for sharing what the Lord has shown you and for seeking encourage our purity and faithfulness to our precious Lord for what He has done.

  2. The fact that God has a wonderful plan for our lives should not be in question and even that phrase should not be criticized or mocked. The cover of this book makes me laugh. Ask anyone of the martyrs if God’s plan for their life was wonderful. They will all agree: “YES!!!” God, help us to understand the joy of knowing you in the way that our father’s in the faith did. Let us know the joy that was set before Jesus. Let us know the wonderful plans you have for our lives!

    It makes me sad that BLB gave this book attention and even a favorable review. It is promoting fear and insecurity in believers who trust that God is good and knows what we need and want. Paul said we are to put on the helmet of salvation. In my opinion, negative and critical Christians try to remove this piece of armor, one that we do not earn or deserve, but one that can be put on or taken of: the knowledge that we are saved. Bless you and this organization 🙂 I love the good work being done here, I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents this time 🙂

    <3 Jed

    • Jed, it sounds like you need to read Rays book. BLB understands that the gospel mesage has been obliterated by a worldly message in most of evangelicalism. Thats why you hear that message so often ” God has a wonderful plan for your life” . Thats not the gospel message! But it appeals to those that Paul describes to Timothy, ” they have itching ears”. Im not trying to be critical with you cause ive been there too. But I had a faithful brother tell me the truth and show me how the Gospel message must be absolutely clear to myself and when I preach to others , I’m not telling them they need a ” plan” but rather I’m praying they see their sin and the weight of it before God and they will know their NEED FOR THE SAVOIR!

      • What is the law?
        How did Jesus fulfill the law? Mat 5:16-20
        Do a word search on fulfilled

        What is the law of the Spirit of Life? Rom 7:6, Rom 8:2-4, Gal 3:2-5, Gal 5:18
        Act 15:29, Act 21:25 Those in the Spirit Rom 8:14

        Who is the Lamb? Why?

          • Should we use the Law or 10 Commandments?

            While using the Law is a biblical approach and founded on scriptural principles if one uses it lawfully. But this tool is not required in every witnessing conversation. The Law is only needed when the unsaved don’t think they have sinned against God or think they are good enough to get into Heaven based on their own standards. You will notice in the Bible that Jesus only goes through the commandments with the rich young ruler (who goes away very sorrowful), and doesn’t do that with everyone (we too need to be like Jesus and not approach everyone using the same method). Yes the 10 commandments are very useful in witnessing but not required as the purpose of the law is to show us our sin, but not to lead us to righteousness.

            When people deny they have sinned or that sin is not big deal that’s when using the mirror of God’s law helps people see how much they need a Savor. If someone is ready to become a Christian they don’ need the Law and all they need to do is place their faith or trust in Jesus that He died for their sins, was buried, and rose again. Once again, I’m not against using the 10 commandments when witnessing but suggest to only use this tool when it is needed in the conversation. And remember don’t beat someone over the head with the law but use it as a mirror to show them their true state before God.

      • Hello Charles,

        I enjoyed reading your post. As to your last thought:

        “when I preach to others , I’m not telling them they need a ” plan” but rather I’m praying they see their sin and the weight of it before God and they will know their NEED FOR THE SAVOIR!”

        How about cutting to the chase, and preaching that they will never see their unrighteousness because of utter human depravity and wickedness, will die in it and go to hell to wait for the Lake of Fire, if God doesn’t intervene with His Grace and give him faith to believe. Show them God’s Righteousness sealed in Jesus the Son of God, who died for them, and rose from the dead for them, and He it is who gives them ETERNAL life, a live in Jesus they will NEVER lose.

        Then ask Father God, out loud so the person can hear, (cause faith comes by hearing), if this is one of His children that He is calling? (Romans 1:16-17 KJV) (Or some variation of this truth by the Holy Spirit.)

        You can bet your bible that whoever you are preaching to will either come gladly, by a revelation of Jesus as the Son of God, by the power of God, or he won’t. You know, whosoever?

        His,

        Dee

    • Well, you know, Jed,

      The Lord admonishes saints to renew our minds in the scripture with the Holy spirit, or we will remain babes, carnal, and be subjected to the wiles and deceptions of the devil.

      1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

      I think we can see that the Christian religion is full of unbelievers and carnal believers, and not too many mature ones.

      Don’t you get caught out there! I have written a review of this review and book. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK or its doctrine. My reasons are written below. Comments and prayers are welcome.

      Grace, Peace and Eternal Life are in Jesus,

      Dee

    • Jed please re-read your statements. You come off on both sides of your argument. You appear to have drunk the coolaid that Comfort warns about. Like most of the modern false religious teachings, you fall into the trap of looking at constructive criticism as “negative and critical”. “Believers” need to have fear and insecurity waved about their head and ears, to double check the sincerity of their decision to follow Christ, and their degree of understanding of just what it is they truly believe in. The Church is rife with divorce, infedelity, murder(abortion), homosexuality(main line denomonations acceptance of same), false teachings on a massive scale, too many bad seminaries and Christian schools and colleges to mention, and the terribly wrong belief that spiritual “feelings” are as important as a solid understanding of scripture and it’s proper application in our life. Reality check time Jed.

      • This is more than “constructive criticism”; it’s basically judging the salvation by Law, and leaving almost nobody as saved, if one was really consistent with the teaching. The Law judges, and ALL fall short, but grace is what saves.

        Saying it’s “judging by ‘fruits'” does not help. Fruits are a possible sign, but this Lordship camp is going WAY overboard with that. So is Comfort’s life so perfect that he qualifies as truly saved? (Should it even be about “qualification”?) How many people know what goes on in his life, or even in his thoughts? (Or WASHER either, for that matter). Any preacher can come and say ANYTHING, and we’re supposed to take their word for it.

        So basically, as for why they think they’re saved, it will come down to “I keep all the Law, and do this, and this, and this; I DON’T look at porn, or lust at women, or divorce or condone gays or abortion, and I know all the doctrines, etc. unlike all these ‘worldly’ tares out there”, just like the Jews Ryan pointed out Jesus was warning about thinking they were saved by their works (and of course, the rich young ruler and Pharisee vs Publican as well. See also 2Cor 10:12).
        If that’s true for him, then praise God; but then if he really believes that’s what ultimately determines salvation, then he’s missed the boat despite all his works; again, just like those Jesus was warning (And BTW also, many who rejected the Gospel DID “call” Him “Lord” because they thought He was a political ruler and not a spiritual savior, but they still believed in salvation by works and physical inheritance).

        Of course, at the back of this doctrine (and notably not heralded that clearly) is Calvinistic Election, so that would get them around the charge of “salvation by works”, so they might think. “Grace” then is just God granting the “ability” to repent and keep the Law; (and preaching judgment at all these “tares” is really just imprecatory terrorizing of them if not elect). But this is still a “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt”(Rom.4:4) transaction (i.e. even if God “enables” it).

        As for Christians needing more fear, True Love casts OUT fear. He who fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18). Fear is what those Israelites had, thus the solution was presuming to keep the Law 150% and judge the “sinners” among them so that God would “bless” them, but what they lacked was love, and it came out when it came time for Christ to die (not take over the empire for them) and many of them were called to do likewise.
        This is what today’s Christians should be called to if you want to correct them. (And this is not to condone the “Wonderful Plan for Your Life” jargon; yes that is distorted doctrine, but then so is what Comfort is preaching). If they’re doing all that stuff, they’re not acting in love, but the point is to get them to act in love, rather than trying to scare them out of Hell (which right there promotes the very “fire insurance” mentality preachers like this criticize, so even if they did “repent FROM” all these sins, they could be all the more tares!)

  4. I think Comfort is simply deriding the milktoast, so-called gospel that is being preached today. There’s little or no mention of sin, the consequences of sin and certainly no mention of hell! The modern gospel is all about “Me” and how God wants ME to feel good about myself. Me, me, me, me! Well how about the 150,000 folks on the planet who plunge into a Christ-less grave every single day? Instead of being wrapped up in “Me”, perhaps we ought to put down the mirror and look at the eternal carnage going on around us.

    • Hi Glenn,

      You have hit on the “nut” of the apostasy and demonic deception in the Christian religion. The root of evil is the “love” (soulish) of money (the currency and the system of finances). But, if you preach that, you will suffer persecution.

      Seek the Grace of God and the Holy Spirit will teach show you Jesus and how to pray, (not to say you don’t already.)

      His,

      Dee

  6. Did they do any studies on people’s thought lives? Wonder what the spread was on statistic? Porn and sexual sins aren’t the only things plaguing believers today. This article is legalism at it’s finest. Ever thought about evading taxes? That makes you Pete Rose! FAIL.

    • Thanks for the comment, Ryan! The point I make, however, is far from the legalism you accuse of. I was NOT saying that “porn and sexual sins” are the “only things plaguing believers today.” The point: when people embrace the Savior, they ought to know what exactly they are saved from. Further, we should remember that those who truly follow Jesus are aware of their sin (regardless of what it is), they are convicted of it, and they are continuously trusting in Christ alone for salvation from it’s grip (Romans 6).

      The studies were conducted by the Barna group. They asked the questions and the staggering results were compiled from the answers of those willing to honestly share. Since the human heart is deceitful and wicked (Jer 17:9), the true statistics could be far worse.

      • I don’t know about legalism, but I have similar thoughts as Ryan when the surveys start. Sex is what is mentioned most of the time, but there is so much more of the GOD given drives that we abuse, food and sleep for example, but these don’t titillate and hit closer to home than we want to admit, so they are left out. I pray BLB is not just trying to drum up interesting topics using the worlds methods.

        Quoting 10/5 “My Utmost for His Highest” “The nature of sin is not immorality and wrongdoing, but the nature of self-realization which leads us to say, “I am my own god.” This nature may exhibit itself in proper morality or in improper immorality, but it always has a common basis— my claim to my right to myself.”
        J.

      • “When people embrace the savior, they ought to know what exactly they are saved from.”

        We need to tell them that?

        How many of the respondents in those studies do you figure *actually* needed someone to come alongside and tell them what they were doing was wrong?

        But those were professing Christians, right?

        Ok, walk up to someone on the street today and ask them if killing someone for no reason is wrong … If beating them up and taking their money is wrong … if stealing someone else’s car is wrong.

        Any guesses as to what that person *might* say?

        Now, did they need Jesus to tell them that? Did they need YOU to remind them of that?

        No.

        Frankly, the author’s “most frightening” verse in Matthew is taken completely out of context. Jesus wasn’t talking about believers who were doing things wrong and expecting to get into heaven, he was telling the listeners that they must enter by way of the narrow gate (himself)and no amount of works done “in his name” would do. “Lord, Lord, have we not done this work and Lord, Lord have we not DONE that work …?”

        It’s like he was saying, you wanna know what you need to DO? Here’s the work of the Lord … BELIEVE on the one he has sent!

        This author subscribes to “The Way of the Master” evangelization techniques, which are a huge joke and completely farcical.

        More like “The Way of Disaster” when it comes to properly dividing the word.

        Hey guys … the law DID its job. It has brought humanity to Christ. That part happened!

        • Hello Ryan,

          I think you are 99.99/100% right on and in the scripture, until you get to this part, where I am not sure exactly what you mean:

          “…the law DID its job. It has brought humanity to Christ. That part happened!

          Did you mean Father God bringing the Messiah Jesus into the earth as a man? Or humanity recognizing Jesus, or…?

          • Dee, Ryan can speak for himself, and quite well at that. What I think of when I read that particular part is that Yeshua would not have been “Messiah” and proven by the resurrection had not the LAW been fulfilled by HIM. Don’t know if that is what Ryan meant by it, but that’s my take.
            J.
            99.99/100 = 0.9999% 🙂

          • Dee, yes exactly. When the time was right, Jesus stepped onto the scene. Mr. Law fulfiller and sin killer. Out with the old and in with the New and Living Way.

            Using this text to prove “Gotcha” evangelism is complete error and a great disservice to mankind IMO

          • Hi Jerry,

            Thanks for the math lesson. I am not so good at it. All I really know is that

            Grace + Jesus = Eternal Life, eternally!

            If 99,99/100% is 0.9999. How do you write 100%, is it 1.00?

            His,

            Dee

        • Hey, Ryan,

          Thanks for that clarification, which agrees with the scripture 100%, and I therefore, agree with you.

          Thanks for the chuckle: “Mr. Law fulfiller and sin killer.” I like it!

          His,

          Dee

          • Lesson 1. Gotcha Evangelism:

            Kirk: What makes you think you’re going to heaven when you die?

            Unregenerate Joe: Gee, I don’t know. I mean, I’m a pretty good person. I give to the poor and volunteer at the soup kitchen and …

            Kirk: mmhmm … mmhmm.. yeah well, have you ever told a lie? Even a little white lie? One little eensy weensy little lie … everrrrr?

            Joe: Well, there was this one time ..

            Kirk: AHAHHH! So you HAVE told a lie! And guess what that makes you?

            Joe: Um, a … liar?

            Kirk: A LIAR! That’s right! And you know the BIBLE says that there won’t be any LIARS in heaven, don’t you, Joe?

            Joe: Well, I guess that makes sense …

            Kirk: So I guess you’re NOT such a good person after all … eh, Joe?? Guess you need a Savior after all, eh Joe??? Not so good now, are ya Joe????

            Joe: *sigh … I suck.

            Kirk: GOTCHA!!

          • Good Mornin’ Ryan,

            Ooo, nasty! Do you think he became a Christian with that gospel? Probably. And his foundation revelation from…self, is: “I suck”.

            Thanks for the insight Ryan. It is typical in the Christian religion. Pastors and teachers do it all the time, and add pulse pounding music to “getcha”.

            His,

            Dee

        • Ryan _ I’m not a fan of Ray Comfort’s ministry style myself but in no way has he taken the verse from Matthew out of context.
          In fact it’s you who has completely twisted the verse to support your opinion.
          It’s actually really scary how you completely manipulated it.
          Jesus said “not everyone WHO SAYS TO ME Lord Lord” – Understand the people he speaks to call Jesus Lord.

          You are obviously intelligent. The way you twisted scripture to make Ray look like he took it out of context was sheer brilliance.

          And you have the right to disagree with Ray. And it’s obvious you have a real hatred for their ministry. But don’t twist scriptures to support your view.

          not cool.

          • Hi Justin,

            I am just looking at your post and had a question, basically because I agreed with most of Ryan’s post concerning Mat 7. What is it exactly that you believe Ryan has twisted? He said:

            “Jesus wasn’t talking about believers who were doing things wrong and expecting to get into heaven…”

            This is true. It is obvious that these people who approached Jesus with their works, Jesus said He never knew.

            Ryan said, “he was telling the listeners that they must enter by way of the narrow gate (himself)and no amount of works done ‘in his name’ would do.”

            Not twisted out of context. Jesus talked about entering the narrow gate in earlier verses in the chapter.

            Then Ryan says, “‘Lord, Lord, have we not done this work and Lord, Lord have we not DONE that work …?’…It’s like he was saying, you wanna know what you need to DO? Here’s the work of the Lord … BELIEVE on the one he has sent!”

            It is a giant leap to another thought in another book, but it is true. Although out of the immediate context about works, Jesus says this in John about people wanting to work the works of God themselves after the loaves and fishes:

            Jhn 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

            I don’t believe Ryan has hit on the “nut”, of Jesus’ revealing to us the Satanic deception of prophesying and doing similar works of Jesus, and Him not knowing them, but what do you see?

            You said, “Jesus said ‘not everyone WHO SAYS TO ME Lord Lord’ – Understand the people he speaks to call Jesus Lord.”

            And then you stop! What were you about to say about the scriptural twisting? Were you referring to something else you have read.

            Interesting for edification.

            Jesus is Lord!

            Dee

      • Hi Chris,

        The gist of what you said is: “those who truly follow Jesus…are continuously trusting in Christ alone for salvation.”

        However, that is not what you are teaching in your review of the new “biblical evangelism”. You say “use the Law as a schoolmaster to lead others to Christ.” That is not a scriptural doctrine or concept. Although it is a scripture, albeit, out of context.

        Grace and Peace,

        Dee

  7. Rev 21:8 Rev 22:7 Please realize that thinking an evil thought is not the sin in itself-it is acting upon the sin. That is why Jesus said in His Holy Word-cast down every imagination that comes Against the knowlege and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ-For this is written. This is why one renews their mind in the word of God-to become more like Christ in word and deed-it is a process of renewing ones thoughtlife. The enemy is always lurking to plant seeds of evil-that is why the Holy Word of God is imperitive to ones salvation.

    • Amen! And the Holy Spirit, which Father God gave His saints, sons and daughters, to lead us into all Truth.

      Grace, Peace and Trust are in Jesus!

      Dee

    • “The thought is not the sin, just acting upon it.” I say that the sermon on the mount would seem to me to suggest that thinking about adultery with my neighbors wife or a stranger is committing it in my heart, I take that to mean that it is every bit the sin spiritually as acting upon it although it may not have the same physical consequences, but the spiritual wickedness is already done! Which is why I ask the Lord to direct my eyes and prayerfully repent should my eyes or mind wander. All sin is in the heart we are given a new heart but we are to fight sin which is not legalism or works, it is obedience. And if we say we have no sin we lie and the truth is not in us…(from 1 John, but he riights that we SIN NOT!

      • Eric57-I’m sorry that my message came accross the way it seemed-I was responding to a message that mentioned a inquiry regarding “one thinking of cheating on their taxes”- I was regarding that thought as not a sin in itself-but seeing it as a temptation-and to cast that thought down before it was acted upon to become a sin. I do realize Eph 4:17-24 which describes what you were referring to. Sorry for the misunderstanding in that.

        • Hey I too sorry if I speak not in love or in context and if I misunderstand anyone, Thank you butterfly for caring enough to speak to me in love. Love in Christ Jesus who first loved you and me!

          • Eric57-Amen brother. Be well in Christ and may we keep our eyes on Jesus the perfecter of our faith-Grace and Peace in Christ our beloved.

    • Does Biblical evangelism always proclaim the Law to the proud, and grace to the humble?

      The basic concept that most people use for this is: Give the Law of the 10 Commandments to proud people, and Grace (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) to Humble people (Galatians 3:24). James 4:6 says “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Notice that it does not say “God gives the Law to the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” No, it isn’t as if our humility earns the grace of God, but humility merely puts us in a position to receive the gift He freely gives. This is because only true repentance will lead to a person being humble and ready for grace (believe God, and it’s accounted to you for righteousness, Galatians 3:6), but the Law (which was four hundred and thirty years later, Galatians 3:17) is not required (although it can be helpful if used lawfully, 1 Timothy 1:8). Once a person no longer is resisting God and are humble they are ready for grace.

      Ultimately, we must leave salvation up to God. We are already born in and in rebellion against God, we need His grace which He give if we trust in Him (Psalm 18:27, Proverbs 3:34). Changing people on the inside is God’s work through His Holy Spirit (Jonah 2:9, Lamentations 3:26). It is God’s power and grace that saves people, not our efforts (Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Corinthians 3:7). If you are following a program then you have been programmed to always share the Gospel using that method. I urge you to stop and follow Jesus, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and work through you (remember you will have to give an account to the Lord, Romans 14:10-12, Matthew 12:36-37). God has called us to proclaim the message of salvation—the redeeming power and life-transforming message of Jesus’ death on the cross (Romans 5:8).

      • Dear Father God,

        Thank you for the fellowship in Your Spirit and the edification of Your truth. It has brought comfort.

        Thanks Tall Tim.

        Grace, Peace and Truth are in Jesus the Messiah,

        Dee

    • In discussion very often the non aligned viewpoint effects the most thought. If the message is slackened the audience descends to “slacktitude”, or new age psuedo gospel. Conversely no matter the intent, the better than thou or legalist message offends more than attracts. Salvation is personal. The Holy Spirit is the only means for human to come to God. As the person acknowledges unrighteousness, repenting and attempting the mind of Christ the Spirit is loosed for calling, example, preaching and converting. Peace brethren.

      • Hey Bob,

        You do come out with some profound truths. Preach on brother! You said:

        “The Holy Spirit is the only means for human to come to God. As the person acknowledges unrighteousness, repenting…the Spirit is loosed for calling, example, preaching and converting.”

        I don’t know what you meant by this: “…and attempting the mind of Christ…”

        Grace and Peace,

        Dee

    • Hi Sadie,

      Thanks, but no thanks! Are you sure this book is scripturally sound?

      His and yours in Father God’s love,

      Dee

  11. Good Morning Chris,

    I believe it took great courage to put the subject of religious apostasy, falling away, up for discussion on a largely conservative (not liberal) Christian website. I know that the Holy Spirit is continuing to confirm for the saints, the ekklesia, the times we are in. Apostasy is as sobering a truth as the knowing that Jesus will never forsake His heirs and joint heirs, that God will take back eternal life from His sons. However, I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK! It teaches yet another heresy.

    I have a few comments and observations about your review and some general comments about the apostasy of Christianity.

    Chris, you said: “Today’s church statistics confirm this bleak reality…” But this reality isn’t bleak! It is a confirmation and testimony that God’s word is truth, and His prophecies are no lie or of private interpretation! We have a hope in Jesus which is sound and sure, teaching us that God watches over His word to perform it–He is not a liar. We should rejoice and say, Even so, Lord Come! As of today, 2012, Comfort’s statistics are understated.

    While Comfort has had his eyes opened to the obvious to some extent, most of his conclusions are not spiritual but carnal, being in the soul realm. Comfort misses the mark right out the box. You wrote here:

    “‘According to Comfort, the issue of man’s blindness to his need for a Savior is not so much a lifestyle issue…a philosophical issue or intellectual issue…it is a moral issue. Man needs to know of his depravity—that he is guilty in sin.'”

    This is not scriptural. Man is not guilty “in sin”, which is moral, humanistic. He is guilty, and condemned, because of his inherited Adamic sin nature, whether he sins or not, which is spiritual! The scriptures reveal that man’s blindness is a “spiritual” issue, not soulical, which only Christ’s righteousness in eternal life, can remedy, by God’s Grace. Man has been utterly cast down by God, and man’s arms are too short to reach up to God; his righteousness is filthy rags. In fact, the eyes of humanity are blinded by the sovereign God, and He uses Satan to keep man blinded while He fulfills His plan and works out His purposes towards the end of the age and triumphant victory. These scriptures, among many, are straightforward:

    Jhn 12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with [their] eyes, nor understand with [their] heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

    2Cr 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

    Next, the review points out that “Ray Comfort considers Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21-23 ‘possibly the most frightening …’” …Jesus spoke of many who would consider themselves Christians and yet are not saved. He warned, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven…I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'”

    Not to “quibble”, but Jesus was speaking to Jews, both religious Pharisees, His disciples around Him, and the people in the area, who may or may not have believed in the prophecy of the coming Messiah and the Life He was to give. He was not talking to or about “Christians”. (This is good example of the Christian religious gentile confusion stuff which covers the truth!)

    Again, Comfort’s observations are soulish and carnal, when, after instilling fear, you do not explain why he thinks this is most frightening. The fact that Christians can and do think they are “saved”, is another obvious observation, looking at the state of Christianity. But the spiritual significance of the Lord’s warning is against deception, the deceiving by Satan, and God’s disposition to men who embrace it, live it.

    Here is what is truly amazing and scary about that verse! The fact that humans, who were NEVER known by Jesus, having no Life, can and do mimic the activities of the Holy Spirit. It is a testimony to the depth, complexity, and inherent wickedness in the soul of humanity, and its power when combined with Satanic deception and “enlightenment” (2 Cr 11:14-15 KJV). We are told that “signs and lying wonders” will be a staple in the repertoire of the wicked one (2 Th 2:9 KJV), even as now. The Satanic lie seducing men to desire to be like a god, is ever present in the total depravity of man. This is why the scriptures are filled with warnings to SAINTS to beware of seduction, deception, appearances, in their MINDS (2Cr 11:3 KJV), and the practical religious posturing found in keeping the old covenant laws, which Jesus Himself already fulfilled. (Can we say, all together now, tithing?) But how do we heed the warnings if we can’t discern the difference between spiritual and natural, carnal, soulical? The Christian religion is a base camp and training ground of the apostasy.

    1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
    2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
    Tts 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
    2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away646 first, and that man of sin be revealed , the son of perdition;

    Chris, in your approval of Comfort’s so-called “biblical evangelism method”, you say: “Jesus Himself used the Law to bring sinners to repentance and point to Himself as the only one and true Savior of the world (Matthew 5).”

    This is also unscriptural, as in, not the truth. Jesus used all the scripture to teach and confirm that He was the promised Messiah, Deliverer, Prophet, Who would usher in the Grace of God under a New Covenant. There are too many verses to cite but here’s one of my favorites, (John 5:39-40 KJV). You must read the Matthews 5 verses in their context! (Matthew 4:17 KJV; Matthew 4:23-24 KJV) Your teaching is an example of how the Christian religious gentile mindset skews the doctrine in the scriptures, in order to justify using the old covenant legal system. It is called “new covenantism” and is just as insidious and death-dealing to the Grace of God as the Christian replacement doctrine of replacing the nation of Israel by the church.

    You also say, “Comfort reminds us that the Old Testaments said that the Messiah would “magnify the law and make it honorable” (Isaiah 42:21).” This interpretation, used in the context of using the Law to evangelize, is not spiritual or scriptural. Isaiah is always pointing to the glory of God, always. God’s Glory is Jesus Who magnifies the law and makes it honorable. (Matthew 5:18 KJV; Col 2:8-10 KJV) He is the Righteousness of God!

    Finally, you said, “Comfort is careful to emphasize that the Law does not account for our justification…After laying these foundations, Ray Comfort…explaining how one can…use the Law as a schoolmaster to lead others to Christ.”

    Well, there you have it folks, in plain English in all its death! With the deceptive sleight of hand trick of twisting context, you too can lay an illusory foundation of new covenant Grace, Jesus, on which you can layer old covenant law keeping. Neat trick, and deadly. Yes, trick because it is deception! (Gal 3:1-3) Context Chris! You’ll be fooled every time without the Holy Spirit and scriptural context. Paul is exhorting the gentile believers in Galatia NOT to be swayed, fooled, by the Judiaizers, those Jews who want gentiles to be circumcised and live under the old covenant as Jews. Paul is teaching them the old covenant’s relationship to Abraham and the Grace of God, and the gentile saints’ relationship to both.

    Religion can not grasp or accept the spiritual reality of God’s Grace, of His righteousness for spiritual life in Jesus the Messiah, and the fact that God, by the Holy Spirit, will keep the believer. Paul emphatically says, probably with tears in his deficient eyes:

    Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
    Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
    Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

    Paul says bewitched, as in demonically deceived!

    Let’s be very clear. Christianity is a “religion with religious systems” for worship, education, organization, lifestyle and evangelism, similar to other religions. THERE IS NO SALVATION IN THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION or any of its organizations. ETERNAL LIFE IS ONLY IN JESUS THE MESSIAH (CHRIST), the one that the religion “refers” to. Both the Protestant and Catholic sects, have fallen away from sound doctrine, being full of idolatry and heresy through the love of money and self. The Christian church is ineffective in preaching the good news unto salvation precisely because its religious system mixes in the old covenant law keeping with God’s Grace, JESUS. There is an evil “spirit” behind the altered foundational doctrines and misinterpretation of the new covenant. (Hebrews 6:1-3 KJV)

    The book of Revelation is a prophecy, foretelling things revealed to John, that were to intensify and come to pass. Some of those events began, have begun, and continue today. When do Christians think the verses quoted above would happen? Do you believe it is only yet to come? The Holy Spirit showed Paul the reality of the apostasy over 1900 years ago. He was talking about the destruction it would bring among the called out, body of Jesus. John confirmed it in the Revelation approximately 37 years later.

    Does Christianity have true believers who call themselves Christians in its systems? Yes! Wherever the true good news of Grace is preached, the power of God is there to call forward God’s elect. The Lord Jesus tells us in Revelations a spiritual truth, that the “churches” do have, relatively speaking, “few names” in them that have not defiled their garments. They are urged to repent of the various doctrines of the “dead” groups, who are not in the Book of Life. (Rev 3:1-5 KJV, for example) However, it is a system which is not so satisfying to the true believers, who do call themselves Christian. Many of those who “drop out” of Christianity are God’s children, not willing to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers in a worldly religious church.

    Chris, I know this is a lengthy review. I hope you will seek the truth in the scriptures, with the Holy Spirit, of the comments I have made. I don’t know if you make comments on your blog, but I would be happy to have you comment. You also have my email for further fellowship.

    His,

    Dee

  12. I got this book when I signed up my boys do to the Bible Bee. It wassent me on the journey to reach the lost. I feel like I have been born again, again. Some say Ray lacks compassion in his witnessing, that could not be farther from the Truth. The man loves the lost so much that he is not willing to create false converts or baby sinners into accepting the truth. This is Biblical Evangelism at it’s best. It is not the only way to share but you need to share the Law first before the Good News can have any power to save. I have also read The Way of the Master (awesome), Out of the Comfort Zone (autobiograpy), and am currently reading his 700 page book of The School of Biblical Evangelism since I don’t want to do the video series. I will never be the same after what I have learnded.

    • Hi Cindy,

      Preaching and teaching the good news of God’s Grace is important. Ray may be the sweetest man around, but each saint of God must make sure you are standing on revealed scriptural truth. But deception is sneaky and we can be caught in it before we realize it. It has happened to me many times.

      No where in the scriptures do they teach that whaat you said: “you need to share the Law first before the Good News can have any power to save.” That is a large dose of deception. (Gal 3:1-3 KJV)

      Maybe that is not what you meant, or is the only way you understand it, but you need to check it out in the scriptures to see if it is truth.

      The Glorified Lord Jesus is the one who taught Paul the good news (gospel) of the Grace of God. This is what He taught Paul. Here is one version of Paul’s gospel (1 Cor 15:1-4 KJV). He doesn’t talk about the law; he starts at the Grace of God, Jesus dying for our sins as the scriptures say. The Holy Spirit said we will be judged by Paul’s gospel, (Romans 2:16; Romans 16:25; 1 Ti 2:8), not all these various “gospels” being taught. Find out what that means.

      That is not to say a person can’t talk about the law in the course of teaching about God’s grace. But it is precisely the preaching of the good news–that by Grace, God gave us His righteousness so we won’t perish, but have eternal life in Jesus–that is good news indeed!

      Faith to believe comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, by the one sent to preach it. There is no life in the old covenant law system. God’s power is not released by the preaching of the law. It is released by the preaching of the Grace of God. (Roman 1:16-17 KJV)

      Grace and Peace is in Jesus,

      Dee

      Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
      [Select for Copy; Double click to (de-)select all] Rom 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
      [Select for Copy; Double click to (de-)select all] 2Ti 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

      Please search the scriptures and pray

    • Cindy K.,
      Just remember you have to give an account to Jesus not Ray Comfort when you get to Heaven. Make sure you are following Jesus Christ first and foremost.
      -Tim

  13. I do believe that God does have a wonderful plan for your life if you a born again christian. However if you are an unrepentant sinner then no God doesnt have a wonderful plan for your life. It is going to be one that is simply storing up wrath for the day of wrath. The wonderful plan for your life is a life in the Spirit experiencing the comfort of God despite intense suffering and will follow with heaven for all of eternity. How much better can it get???

  14. Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
    Jhn 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. Jhn 6:29-71
    Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
    Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

  15. Dee,
    It is appaent that you have a definite zeal for the LORD, this is wonderful. However I think you are missing the point of individuals who are proponents for the book. I will start by saying Mr. Comfort as far as I can recall has always used what he terms an approach he calls the 10 canons of Scripture. This was derived from the 10 Commandments. The premise is how can one be saved if they don’t know they are lost. Mr. Comfort uses teaching of the law to show the natural man that he has violated God’s law and stands guilty before Him. In otherwards man is a sinner. Please do not get me wrong, NO ONE CAN BE SAVED WITHOUT BEING QUICKENED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THEIR EYES OPENED. We are dead in our tresspasses and sin, from the moment of our birth. A natural man is not able to understand these things because they are spiritually discerned. From my experience with Mr. Comfort and reading this book he is not saying anything any different. Rather he is getting to the point that there are many in the world who claim to be Christians but show no signs of true repentence and conversion. He is bring to life the fact that many so called churches are preaching an “easy believism gospel”. One without repentence, that is why Mr. Comfort stresses the Law so much, because when you don’t understand what you have violated chances are you were never truly saved to begin with.

    In CHRIST,

    Doug

    • Doug,
      One cannot and will not percieve “violations”, unless and untill one has FAITH.

      IT IS BY FAITH WE ARE SAVED!!!!!!!

    • Hi Doug,

      Thanks for your comments! You said: “The premise is how can one be saved if they don’t know they are lost. Mr. Comfort uses teaching of the law to show the natural man that he has violated God’s law and stands guilty before Him. In otherwards man is a sinner.”

      Here is where the problem is with this “biblical evangelism method”. Your premise is faulty! Man is a sinner without the written law. (Romans 2:12-15). Man is “lost” because humanity has inherited Adam’s sin and death. Now, man’s spirit is dead, his nature is totally depraved, and he thinks he can place himself above God. Human beings are totally depraved because of Adam, not because they don’t know the law. All have died in Adam.

      1Cr 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

      God put the law in the conscience of man and he sins without knowing the written law. The written law was added, precisely because man’s inherent wickedness transgressed anyway. The season of time that the written law was used in the earth, as the school master, was only until Jesus the Messiah, the promised seed, came (not comes). He came, eternal life is in Him by Grace through faith.

      Gal 3:19 Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

      Paul’s view uncovers the error in the “theory of evangelism that uses the law to bring people to the grace of God”.

      People can not learn of their depraved sin nature by teaching them the law. You must go back farther than the time of written law, to the beginning, to show the inherited, inherent wickedness of man. This is what the grace of God sent Jesus here to fix to whosoever He wants–the death contained in Adam.

      Saints of God can’t play around with this. What you are teaching in using the law to bring people to the “new covenant” grace, will convert them to the Christian religion and make them law keeping “Christians”. It will not bring them to Jesus for eternal life.

      You have explained this false teaching very well, by the way.

      Grace, Peace, Truth, Life is in Jesus the Messiah.

      Dee

      • You are quite correct about man being guilty of sin even without the law. God judged mankind and sent a flood but saved a reminant with Noah. As far as we are told there was no written law but God executed judgement on mankind. He was perfectly just in doing. Sin is imputed, just as righteousness is imputed by faith in Christ. This may be samantics but Human beings are depraved because they are sinners by nature wich was inherited from Adam. As his spirit died so died all mankind. Rom 5.

        It sounds like you are saying that the law is null and void and not applicable to anyone anymore.

        Please do not get me wrong I do not believe that I would gain anything (salvation) by attempting to keep the law, it is impossible as I was born in sin so I could never keep it.

        Again I think you are missing the point. The attempt is not to make people aware that they are sinners so they can attempt to comply with the law of God, that would be a cult, or Catholicism.

        At the time of conversion the Holy Spirit calls to the individual giving them the ability to believe or “trust in Jesus” at the accepting that individual is born again. Repentence is a word that is not used much anymore. Repentence is necessary for salvation, the individual being saved has to have some form of understanding that they had nothing to offer God and they have violated His Law. This can take place instantainious or over a period of time, but once the conversion takes place the individual knows they have sinned.

        When was it that you learned you had sinned?

        If an individual doesn’t know that they have sinned you can rest assured they haven’t been saved.

        This is all Mr. Comfort is trying to say.
        Man is a sinner, guilty before God, God sent His Son, Messiah, to live a sinless life (note the virgin birth, He was not of Adam, no inherited sin) to be crucified, buried and rise again the third day as an offering to pay the penalty for the sin of the world, that whosoever shall believe on Him (Christ) shall have everlasting life.

        While the law job toward salvation has been completed it is not obsolete.

        Galatians 3:25
        But after that faith is come, we are no longer under the school master.

        This verse is IN NO WAY saying the law is obsolete. The argument does not turn upon the extent or nature of the pedagoge’s(school master- “paidagogos”) authority, but upon the fact that it wholly ceased when the child becomes a “son”.

        THIS IS KEY!!

        The adult “son” does voluntary that which formerly he did out of fear of the pedagogue. But even if he does not, it is no longer a question between the son and the pedagogue (the law) but rather between the “son’ and his Father- God.
        See. Heb 7:5-10 and 1 John 2:1-2

        In Christ
        Doug

      • You really have the wrong idea about the book. You are making grave misjudgements without reading it to make a determination.

        The book nor Mr. Comfort are propigating anything that you are suggesting.

        • I’d have to agree with Doug. Comfort doesn’t teach that one is saved by keeping the law. He teaches that people need to understand that they are a sinner in need of a savior… um, I’m not sure how that is unscriptural? While the 10 Commandments are not the only way to show people that they need to repent, here in the U.S. the 10 commandments are well known. Even people who have never read the Bible know that the 10 Commandments were given by God. Yes they were given to Israel, but they were all (minus the 4th) expounded on by Jesus. The 10 Commandments are basic, but an effective way to show someone they are disobedient and need to repent.

          And yes, while we may be condemned because of Adam’s sin, we are still sinners on our own. If we cannot admit that, then the truth is not in us, 1 John 1:8-10.

          • Hello Forest,

            For clarification, the argument against what the “biblical evangelism method” teaches, is NOT that it teaches that “one is saved by keeping the law”, as you say. I have not seen that in the doctrine. NO ONE has said that, that I can see, and I certainly didn’t. But, some of the Comfort followers are saying that this is what is being said as the argument against this evangelism method.

            This, again, is not true. I think it further obscures discussion about the error. The problem is with the evangelism doctrine itself, which is being presented as scripturally sound, and says that you must teach (preach) the law in order for unbelievers to “understand that they are a sinner in need of a savior”, and that you need to evangelize the Law first toward obtaining repentance, before the good news of God’s Grace can have any power to save. Simply put by one proponent, “teach the Law and the gospel”.

            These are the issues.

            Grace and peace,

            Dee

      • Good Morning Doug,

        Let’s talk! I appreciate your comments. I will go through your post, but first, you said in the second post below this one: “The book nor Mr. Comfort are propigating anything that you are suggesting.” There are many posters who have a similar understanding of Comfort’s ideas that I have, that they are wrong. They, like I, get their understanding from things they have heard or read about Comfort’s “theology” from books, audio, meetings and BLB’s review. I have not listened to or read Comfort’s book and I don’t need to in order to understand what has already been revealed of your teaching! I have not made any suggestions. I have only given you the scriptural truth.

        You said: “Sin is imputed, just as righteousness is imputed by faith in Christ.” This is a half truth in order to begin again at the law, which justifies bringing in the law for salvation! Maybe you just don’t know what the scripture fully teaches here! The scriptures reveal sin is only imputed when the law is given (see verse 5:12 below). Man was judged and condemned in the beginning, at the sin of Adam, before Noah. Just so you will know that I am not “suggesting” this, I will quote the scriptures, using the NLT translation for clarity, (which I double checked), but you will be able to see it in the KJV and the ESV to compare. (Rom 5:12-14 KJV)

        Rom 5:12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
        Rom 5:13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.
        Rom 5:14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.

        The scripture, again, shows up your faulty premise. The sin of man starts with Adam, not Moses and his Law, so why have your gospel start at the law to reveal sin? Notice the comparison between Adam, the first man, and the Messiah, the second man, the last Adam. Jesus the Messiah was sent to earth to give Life to humanity who was dead in the first man way before the law. The Spiritual Life is based on God’s righteousness, which covers sin in and out of the law. The law was given to compound the offense.

        This is God’s idea, His plan, not my suggestions. It is unrighteousness to twist a scripture out of context, or place it in another context, for the purpose of making a theological, or any point. If you are going to show man his sin, you must tell him why God sent His son Jesus to give man a new spirit, a new nature, eternal life. That is the premise of the good news (gospel) of God’s grace. That is God’s way. That is also why Christianity is ineffective in preaching the gospel – the law!

        You said: “It sounds like you are saying that the law is null and void and not applicable to anyone anymore.”

        It is “null and void”, and God is saying it! (Romans 4:16 NLT) And isn’t that what you are supposed to be preaching to the lost, God’s grace in giving His righteousness? Did you not know that the law, being made null and void for righteousness, but fulfilled in Jesus, is God’s Grace? Hope, faith, salvation, Jesus?

        Rom 4:20-24 “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;…And being fully persuaded that, what he [GOD] had promised, he [GOD] was able also to perform…And therefore it [Abraham’s faith] was imputed to him for righteousness…Now it was not written for his sake alone…But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, IF WE BELIEVE ON HIM [Father God called Jehovah, Yahweh] that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;” My emphasis and annotations.

        This is one of Paul’s teachings (he is speaking mostly to saints) on receiving the grace of God by faith. Notice, he has gone to Abraham, not the law. I have only quoted a portion, but the law is not used here to teach about the need for God’s righteousness. The power of God for faith to come is released in the preaching of the truth of God’s UNDESERVED grace, God’s decision, in Jesus, not the law, as poster Cindy K, a Comfort follower, said.

        You said: “Repentence is necessary for salvation…” This is not what the scriptures teach. It teaches that FAITH is necessary for salvation. You have twisted God’s word to make a basis for your false teaching.

        Christian theology always goes to Peter’s cry of Repent! to try to fit it into the good news of God’s grace, but it won’t work in truth. Peter’s preaching must also be seen in context. Peter was in Jerusalem preaching to DEVOUT Jews (Acts 2:5), Jews who knew the law and the prophesies. Peter went immediately to the scriptures (Acts 2:16) and preached the prophetic word concerning the Messiah (Acts 2:30-32; 36), not the law! Then Peter said to repent and be saved. Repent of trying to obey the law? No! Repent of what you believe about the Messiah and why He came! THEN, FAITH CAME!!! (Act 2:37-39) Gentiles are not “devout Jews”, knowing the scriptures. In fact, most Jews today are not even “devout Jews”. This is why religious Christians can receive eternal life in Jesus if God’s gospel is preached or taught; they have knowledge of the law and prophecies from religious education, but their eyes haven’t been opened to see Jesus.

        Is repentance in the life of a true believer? Yes! As he is being sanctified, renewed in his mind and walk. But it is not what gives him eternal life in Jesus. Again, not my “suggestion”.

        Eternal life in Jesus is a spiritual event based on irrational, believing faith, not a mental understanding. You say “the individual being saved has to have some form of understanding that they had nothing to offer God and they have violated His Law”. Where is this taught besides in Comfort’s material? GOD says that, just like faithful Abraham, they have to believe God to do what He promised, which, if God’s gospel is preached, is fix his depraved, deserving of death, unrighteous existence and give him eternal life.

        You asked: “When was it that you learned you had sinned?” My answer: The moment I believed that God sent Jesus to save ME from sin and death, and give ME eternal life! God did that in me. And faith came! That is how the preacher presented it. I thank God I did not hear this in a church or had any Christian background. I was a practicing communist and atheist.

        Further, you said: “God sent His Son, Messiah, to live a sinless life (note the virgin birth, He was not of Adam, no inherited sin).”

        You mix in unscriptural “theology”, to support your false teaching. No where does the scripture teach that Jesus was not of Adam. Where do you think He got His humanity from, cattle? He got His humanity from Mary. It is the catholic (and apparently Protestant), doctrine which teaches the sinlessness of Mary, as well as her perpetual virginity. So that you can see it is not at all my suggestion or interpretation, here are God’s thoughts (note Hebrews 4:15, below):

        Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

        Hbr 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

        Hbr 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

        Finally, Doug, I said this before but you ignored the scriptural context and continued the deception here. You said concerning Gal 3:25: “This verse is IN NO WAY saying the law is obsolete. The argument does not turn upon the extent or nature of the pedagoge’s(school master- “paidagogos”) authority, but upon the fact that it wholly ceased when the child becomes a “son”.

        What part of “NO LONGER”, or even your words, “wholly ceased”, doesn’t mean obsolete? Doug, context, context, context! Without it, you can be deceived by anyone that can twist God’s ideas, which is what you and Comfort do here. First, Paul was teaching saints, gentile BELIEVERS in Messiah, not unbelievers. Here’s the truth.

        Gal 1:6-8: I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

        As to that “school master” twisting, I will just repeat what I showed the scriptures revealed (Gal 3:19 NIV), which you didn’t respond to:

        “The season of time that the written law was used in the earth, as the school master, was only until Jesus the Messiah, the promised seed, came (not comes). He came, eternal life is in Him by Grace through faith.”

        My words but they agree with the scripture, do they not? Again, it is clear the verse is talking about where, in the whole plan of God, the law was used, until the promised seed, Jesus, came! It is not talking about using the law as a school master to bring people to “salvation” in preaching or teaching. The only way you can make this scripture say that is to twist the meaning and take it out of context, as you have done.

        I haven’t missed the point! Your and Comfort’s teaching, that you must teach the law in order to reveal sins and bring repentance, which will bring faith for salvation, is accursed! It is another gospel. I am not trying to be harsh. But, we must see that there is an evil spirit, the doctrine of a demon, that drives teaching that is against God’s revealed will and word. That is what deception does. Satan hates God and His saints!

        Doug, you don’t have to respond to this posting if you don’t want to. The fact that you and others will read the truth of the word of God in light of your teaching, is God’s plan. (Although it would be good to hear from you concerning these comments, and talk more, in case I have missed something or misconstrued something you said.)

        Hopefully, faith will come!

        Grace, Peace and Truth is in Jesus the Messiah,

        Dee

      • Dee, you have alot of zeal, but seem to lack understanding. ( i really mean that in love).I recommend you spend some time under really good Reformed teaching. John Piper might be a good place to start. Mark Driscoll is another. Check them out.
        Charles,

        • Hello Charles,

          I am not sure I understand what you mean by I “have a lot of zeal, but seem to lack understanding.” It sounds like a vague and undefined personal attack. But, surely you are sincere. I am sure you want to help me. You know, Doug said something similar about my “zeal”. Can you break this down for me by answering my questions?

          How can you see the zeal? In what way does my lack of understanding show? Lack of understanding what–the scriptural basis of the Comfort evangelical method, the scriptures? Why is John Piper’s teaching a good place to start gaining, what, understanding? Why Mark Driscoll? What about their teaching do you feel I need to help increase my understanding?

          Yeshua Ha Mashiyach is Lord!

          Dee

      • DEE, stop and listen I just dont think you are getting it. Read Romans 1-5 again very carefully. Then when you get to chapter 5 vs. 13 look at what it says, ” sin was in the world” yes , but not imputed, that means, “set to ones account” BLB, of course we inherited Adams sin but A Good Judge must show us what we are guilty of!!! then remember that it says in chap. 1 vs. 18 and see that it says that men suppress the truth in unrighteousness. That means that man will simply deny, ignore, forget, suppress his guilt before God untill he is shown. The Law is the highest standard of righteousness there is. It is simply Gods standard of righteousness that is being revealed in the Law. And of course it takes the Holy Spirit to reveal it. But the Gospel is what the HS uses. The Gospel shows people that all have sinned. Rom. 3:23 and fallen short of Gods standard of righteousness. They need to see that they are truly guilty before a Holy God in order to know their need for a Savoir!

        • Hello Charles,

          I get it! And no matter how many times you say the same concept over and over, it still doesn’t make it scripturally sound and is, therefore, heresy. Father God has had me put a lot of scriptural information on this blog site for those SAINTS (called Christian or not), He is calling to repent of dead doctrine and works. I have written quite a bit on why the Comfort Way is unscriptural, but I don’t think you read them. No one actually comments on how their basic Comfort theories fit the truth of God’s scriptural viewpoint. All I get are reinterpretations of the same opinions, or mud slinging.

          Nothing that I read in Romans (which was written to SAINTS, BELIEVERS in Rome), says that repentance is necessary for salvation or that you must preach the Law (10 commandments or the new name for it), to show man that he is a sinner needing a savior. The letter to the Romans was not about an “evangelistic outreach”. Your method is carnal and vain. It doesn’t believe what God has said about His Grace. Your responses show that you don’t understand what Grace is! You can get a lively discussion going with unbelievers because it doesn’t take faith to know that you are a liar or a fornicator or a thief, but it takes God to save one of them.

          Why not cut to the chase, do like the scriptures do, (see Romans 1-5; Gal 3), and announce that all died in Adam, all are made alive in Jesus. Tell them that by God’s grace, God is satisfied with Jesus’ sacrifice and payment for sin, and Jesus, having fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law (much more than 10 commandments), gives you eternal life. It takes faith to believe that, and God will send it.

          Faith is needed to believe that you can be reconciled to God and live forever with Him, and it comes when you preach the good news of God’s grace, not the law! That is because God is the One who orchestrates salvation, not your methods.

          So, you have answered not a one of the questions I asked after you wrote to me “in love”. But that is okay. I’m done and I really didn’t expect you to.

          Grace, Peace, Truth – Yeshua Ha Mashiyach.

          Dee

          • DEE, answer me this one thing, what do you think about some of the great evangelist in church history, George Whitfield, D.L. Moody, etc.?
            Charles,

  17. Awaiting, praying for the Holy Ghost, seeking the will of God despite the doctrines, methods, platitudes and memories of scriptures renders one usable for the Father’s purposes.

    2Cr 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God
    Eph 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
    2Ti 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

    We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together Hbr 10:25 and where 2 or 3 are gathered in my Name there am I, Mat 18:20 direct us into communion with our family. However, there is no blanket absolution.

    Israel worships corporately, observing the holy days established in the law. Fervent performance remains empty.

    Mat 23:38, Luk 13:35

    Rom 11
    Phl 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
    Phl 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,
    Phl 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
    Phl 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
    Phl 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
    Phl 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
    Phl 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
    Phl 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

  18. simply said, we don’t know what sin is except by the Law(Romans 7:7). And by the Law we see sin as “exeeding sinful” (Romans 7:13). It seems today we only want to preach about God’s love and not His holiness! “The Way of the Master” is just that…The way of the Master. It’s not a evangelistic method, BUT a biblical TRUTH!! Read the book of Acts and look at the witnessing encounters. Those men were not preaching just about God’s love…the cover of Ray’s book points that out. Would we be killed today for the message we are preaching in America?

    • Great Exhortation Scott,

      I am encouraged to go and reread the book of Acts.

      I have one small point of edification for you. You said: “we don’t know what sin is except by the Law(Romans 7:7)”. And your point is based on that scriptural verse put forth by Paul. But there is an added dimension Paul teaches precisely because the law is spiritual (Romans 7:14). He shows us that “gentiles” (or any who don’t know the law) can sin WITHOUT knowing the law, that sin exists without knowing the law, because it is written in man’s conscience by God. He says:

      Rom 2:12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;[…]
      Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
      Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

      I point this out so we don’t get fooled into thinking that knowing the Law is based on mental, head knowledge (carnal), gained from reading the bible.

      Grace, Peace, Truth and Life is in Jesus,

      Dee

  19. Dee: Not to “quibble”, but Jesus was speaking to Jews, both religious Pharisees, His disciples around Him, and the people in the area, who may or may not have believed in the prophecy of the coming Messiah and the Life He was to give. He was not talking to or about “Christians”. (This is good example of the Christian religious gentile confusion stuff which covers the truth!)”

    Based on this statement revealing your interpretation of Scripture, Dee it would then seem that the whole “sermon on the mount” (Mt 5 – Mt 7) would not apply to me as a Christian. Is this truth?

    One thing that I have learned through the years, books can be good and preaching is ordained of God BUT we must be Bereans searching the Scripture to see if these things are so. Often we get so caught up on how or what we are taught that it is hard to hear what the Scriptures are really saying. (The thoughts and interpretations of man is what the Jews in Jesus’ day and the Christians of the dark ages accepted as truth – it is certainly happening again today). May we all pray for His humility and let both the Spirit AND the Word bring us life.

    May I suggest that you reread Mt chapters 5 – 7 and ask God if indeed that that one statement that you made that I have put in quotations is truth.

    May we all continue to grow in grace

    • Joan,
      Yeshua never speaks of “Christianity” in the “Good News”. Show me where HE does? Christianity is a religion gentile believers in the Hebrew Messiah created for themselves to co-opt the Covenants, Promises and Kingdom that the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob gave to Israel (Jacobs’s new name). Study the origin of the “Christian” religion. Yeshua, the Ambassadors, the believers and the vast majority of those listening to Messiah were Jews. No Christians around. Before you get to Mat 5- Mat 7 HNV read Mat 4:23 HNV and where HE was speaking from and who HE was speaking to.
      J.

      • Jerry~

        You wrote that “Yeshua never speaks of “Christianity” in the “Good News. Show me where HE does.” In the first place, we know that we are to look to ALL Scripture (II Tim. 3:16) for truth, not just to the specific words of Jesus. In Acts 11:26, Peter says, “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” What this means is that Yeshua wouldn’t have even used that particular word because it wasn’t even in existence when He was speaking. Secondly, they did not give themselves that name. They “were called” that by others. As I wrote in an earlier post, a “Christian” is a follower of Christ. Why does the fact that the disciples, who were students of Christ, are called Christians, who are followers of Christ, cause you so much grief? Also, after I had explained in an earlier post that some Jews, like my grandmother, who accept their Messiah call themselves Christian while others prefer to be called Messianic Jews, you wrote that you understood. Why, then, are you, again, making such a big deal out of what names people use? Yeshua/Jesus, Ekklesia/Church, Christians/Messianic Jew/Follower of The Way. Who cares? The sheep know Him, and He knows them. I think what is of greater importance is that believers grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Finally, the reason that “the believers and the vast majority of those listening to Messiah were Jews,” is because that’s who Messiah was sent to teach, the house of Israel (Matt. 15:24) so that they would take His gospel message to the world.

        You didn’t give any support for your claims, so I am assuming that are you referring to Constantine and the founding of Catholicism as the “religion of gentile believers.” Is this the “origin of the ‘Christian’ religion” to which you are referring? What I’ve noticed is that the people who want to condemn all of Christianity of heresy and not following the true Jesus of the early church many times point to the Catholic Church as undeniable proof of Christianity gone amuk, but they never seem to be able to show any correlation between the practices, history, and teachings of Catholicism with those of true Christianity. Except for saying they are sinners in need of a Savior and the Trinity, I don’t know of one single doctrine or practice that the RCC teaches that can be found in the Bible, which is why we know that it is not really Christian. Unfortunately, too many people don’t look any further than a denomination’s claim of being “Christian” to find out whether it truly is or not.

        Furthermore, that the RCC has been loud and proud for 1700 years doesn’t mean that there wasn’t a group of true disciples, Jews and Gentiles, who weren’t always following the Savior, Jesus Christ, during those early years and beyond, because He told us, And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18), so despite what the RCC has accomplished in its inglorious history, it never was able to destroy the church that Christ founded upon a new covenant whose followers were first called “Christians in Antioch” and are still called Christians throughout the world today. That there are counterfeits today means nothing; it doesn’t negate the fact that there are denominations that are true. Again, much ado about nothing. Another related point has to do with another line of logic used to condemn Christianity. I’ve actually heard people say that that Christian churches today are corrupt because their roots can be traced back to Catholicism, which is obviously a fallacy. If anything, they come from the Protestant Reformation, and no, I do not agree that everything that Martin Luther said or did was right. However, that so many people were loosed from the ungodly yoke of the RCC through him and others illustrates that God is on His throne.

        Finally, you lump all denominations that consider themselves Christian together in your wholesale condemnation of Christianity, groups that you claim “…created for themselves to co-opt the Covenants, Promises and Kingdom that the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob gave to Israel…” You didn’t give any evidence to support your claim, so I am asking for it. I attend a Baptist church. Would you please tell me exactly what “Covenants, Promises, and Kingdom” that the Baptist church has “co-opt[ed]”? Thank you.

        Barbara

        • Barbara,

          With all that being said that you wrote, it is still the scriptural truth of the Living God that Yeshua (Jesus) never speaks of Christianity, and neither was His audience Christians, in the scriptures. The Christian religion, and you, can interpret all it wants, but it is still true that Jesus didn’t speak about the Christian religion.

          Yeshua is Lord!

          Dee

          • Dee~

            You are absolutely right, Dee; “Jesus didn’t speak about the Christian religion” if you want to nit pick words. However, if you’re nit picking theology, you are absolutely wrong. I’m certainly not suggesting, as I have written before, that all groups that use the title “Christian” are really Christian, but as we know from all of your posts these past weeks, you are speaking of Christianity in general although you do allow for a minute number of “true believers” who think like you do. What I don’t understand, however, is that along with your accusations, you have never offered even one example or one piece of evidence to support your claim, which is more than suspicious; it is a fallacy, voiding your argument. Now, if you would like to offer some support, then everyone will have something to consider, something to check, as we are commanded in Acts 17:11. While Jerry prepares his answer, I will pose the same question to you that I posed to him because, I assume, if you felt the need to respond to my post to him, then you agree with his opinion. Here is my last paragraph to him:

            Finally, you lump all denominations that consider themselves Christian together in your wholesale condemnation of Christianity, groups that you claim “…created for themselves to co-opt the Covenants, Promises and Kingdom that the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob gave to Israel…” You didn’t give any evidence to support your claim, so I am asking for it. I attend a Baptist church. Would you please tell me exactly what “Covenants, Promises, and Kingdom” that the Baptist church has “co-opt[ed]“? Thank you.

            If these statements, for some reason, don’t accurately reflect your opinion, then you can give clarification along with your proof.

            Barbara

          • Actually Barbara,

            You are the one at the tail end. Jerry was commenting to Joan who was asking a question and commenting to me about a post I wrote which contained scriptural truth on Jesus, Christians and the Jews.

            You are still slandering and wrongly assuming; and, you have brought your antagonistic mud slinging to this blog page. Barbara, get a grip!

          • Dee~

            I understand to whom Jerry was writing. I disagreed and posted my comments to him. Everyone, including you, interjects comments into other people’s dialogues, so I figure that I can do likewise.

            Also, you had written to Charles (Oct. 5, 12:13), and I have some comments, which I’m just going to post here:

            In your letter you wrote, “Then ask Father God, out loud so the person can hear, (cause faith comes by hearing), if this is one of His children that He is calling? [Romans 10:16-17] (Or some variation of this truth by the Holy Spirit.)”

            In the first place, nowhere does Scripture tell anyone, including preachers, that they are to ask God “if this is one of His children that He is calling.” This is because He is not calling “His children” at all; He is calling “sinners to repentance” (Mk. 2:17). Secondly, you are not correctly using Romans 10:17 because you have left out the last half of the verse, which says, “and hearing by the word of God.” This verse and its context have nothing to do with a person hearing another person ask God something about someone’s salvation or anything else. It has to do with a person hearing what the Word of God is saying through someone, and verse17 is clearly saying that faith can only come by hearing and that hearing, itself, can only come by God’s Word.

            Regarding free will, on September 27, you wrote, “God says this is “total depravity”, as written below. The Christian religion doesn’t like this because they want a little “free will”. On October 3, you wrote, “Many who hold that a person can lose their salvation base their view on what is called the free will of mankind, stating that man, independently of God, has the ability, within himself to choose to accept the Sovereign God, despite God’s declarations to the contrary (Psalm 14:1-3 KJV, Romans 1:25 KJV, and much more).”

            Again, you are using Scripture incorrectly. Psalm 14:1-3 says nothing about either mankind’s free will or God’s sovereignty, and Romans 1:25 says absolutely nothing about “God’s declarations” about His sovereignty, mankind’s free will, or mankind’s depravity, so your conclusion that mankind has no free will to lose his salvation because God is sovereign is unsupported by the verses you have given.

            You are right on one thing. Mankind is a creature of “totally depravity,” meaning that he can, in no way save himself. As John 1:13 says, our new birth has nothing to do with “blood” (human birth), the “will of the flesh” (human effort), or the “will of man” (human volition). Does this mean, however, that we have no part to play in it, that God did not give us free will to either choose or reject His gracious plan of salvation? If mankind doesn’t have free will with regard to salvation, what’s left except that God forces people to surrender to Him. Is that what you are suggesting? When we are born again, it means that we have willingly brought ourselves under Christ’s lordship. That’s the integrity of God’s plan of salvation. The alternative is that His plan is so lacking, so undesirable, and so bereft of redeeming value that it cannot stand upon its own, that there is nothing that would make us even want to use the free will that God Himself gave us for the express purpose of being able to either accept (or reject) Him, initially, continually, and finally. There are a couple of other alternatives that are put forth, but Scripture does not support them. One, which appears to be what you are suggesting, is by “[asking] Father God…if this is one of His children that He is calling,” but because this puts salvation before a born-again experience, this view is biblically intolerable. Being awakened to one’s salvation is not taught in God’s Word. (If I am wrong in how I have viewed your position, let me know.) There is also predestination as taught by Calvin, and I don’t know if this is the same thing to what you are referring, but both John 3:16 and II Peter 3:0 put that theory to rest.

            The fact is that we can reconcile God’s sovereignty, mankind’s free will, and mankind’s depravity to find the truth, and this truth can be found in the very clear order of salvation:

            1. God, ALONE, draws us. This is God’s sovereignty.

            As John 6:44 says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

            As Revelation 3:20 says, “”Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
            (I will address your interpretation of this verse later.)

            2. Man, ALONE, either accepts or rejects God’s call upon his life. This is his free will.

            If anyone in the world (Jn. 3:16) “hears” and “opens the door” (Rev. 3:20), he or she will DO the following, keeping in mind, of course, that these are not human “works” that we offer a holy God in order to have our sins covered to receive salvation but, rather, an acknowledgement of our need for a Savior. (Caps mine)

            ~ “But as many as RECEIVED him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that BELIEVE on his name” (Jn. 1:12).

            ~ “REPENT therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

            ~ “that if you CONFESS with your mouth the Lord Jesus and BELIEVE in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9).

            ~ “For ‘whoever CALLS on the name of the LORD shall be saved'” (Rom. 10:13).

            The above verses are very clear. Whosoever “believes,” “receives,” “repents,” “confesses,” and “calls” will be saved, and one can only do this if he or she has free will.

            Note: In a previous dialogue that I had earlier in the year, the other person refused to acknowledge that these verses even existed. While he was able to then prove that God’s sovereignty is all there is to take into consideration, I’m sure that you can see that this is a totally erroneous way to arrive at doctrine.

            3. God, ALONE, saves us, chooses us out of the world in accordance to His plan before the foundation of the world. This is His sovereignty.

            ~Matthew 19:25-26
            ~Ephesians 1, 2:8

            Scripture very much, then, teaches that both God and man have a part to play in our salvation. He takes those of us who have affirmatively responded to His gracious intervention upon our lives and conveys us into the kingdom of God (Col. 1:13). He calls. We respond. He saves. If we have no part in our salvation, then to what are the verses in point 2 referring? What are the spiritual truths are being put forth?

            On September 24, you gave the following interpretation: “Again, lets put the scripture in context. (Rev 3:19-22 KJV) The door Jesus is standing outside of is that of the apostatized religious (church?) system having both true believers and fake “believers”. He is not “knocking on the heart of an unbeliever to let Him in” as is taught in Christianity. Those folks inside are “having church and worshiping” without Jesus. They have left Jesus outside the church doors!”

            When one offers an interpretation, it is expected that there is something within the text to substantiate the claims being made, and with yours, there is nothing. The context, which is the entire chapter, is made up with the letters to the last two of the seven churches in Asia and some final thoughts from Jesus. Nowhere, in this chapter or chapter 2, is there even a suggestion, let alone a statement, that can support the claim that this is the “apostatized religious (church?) system having both true believers and fake ‘believers.’” That is a sheer fabrication. Similarly, nowhere is there even one word or hint about there being “both true and fake ‘believers.’” The word “apostasy” (apostasia, Strong’s G646) means a “falling away, defection.” How, then, can the word “apostatized,” as you have used it, be applied to a “religious system” that has “true…’believers’”? In other words, you’ve condemned the entire system of apostasy even though there are true believers in it. This is illogical.

            What we are told in the greater context is that for each of the seven churches (bodies of believers), Jesus gives a commendation, a criticism (except Philadelphia), an instruction, and a promise. The churches are still very much believing churches although they have fallen into sin (not apostasy), and the entire context is Jesus telling each church that IF they “repent” and “overcometh,” they will be given certain elements having to do with salvation, not losing the point that the same admonition applies to individual believers as well, that while we do some things pleasing to the Lord, He expects us to repent of our sins and overcome the world and our flesh, and in return, we, too will receive the promises. Verses 19-22 are general teachings to all seven churches, and as Jesus says in verse 18, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent,” and verse 21 tells us that we must “overcometh.” That these believing churches are called to repent illustrates that they are not “without spot or wrinkle” as you believe, and the consequences also illustrate that they can very much lose their salvation if the do not repent and overcome.
            The “door” in Revelation is “thyra” (Strong’s G2374). According to Vine’s, it is used metaphorically “of Christ’s “entrance” into a repentant believer’s heart.” According to Strong’s, it is also metaphorical: “is said of Christ seeking entrance into souls, and they who comply with his entreaty are said [There is something in Greek here, but the meaning is clear from the first phrase].

            I would appreciate it if you would address what I have written.

            Barbara

          • Dee~

            I have one, final thought. One of the most used fallacies used in argument is attacking the person rather than the issue, and it is one that you have used throughout your responses to me. We are after God’s truth, so I am going to ask you not to do this anymore. If my theology is wrong, then attack away, as long as you can give me reason and Scripture. Just leave me out of it, okay? Thank you.

            Barbara

      • Who condemned anybody? No motives mentioned either. Only Yeshua is found worthy to do that, Rev 5 HNV. The reason the Book of Romans HNV was written was to stem the very trend found amongst the gentile believers that I refer to. You take offense to the opinions I write for some reason that I can’t help you with. I suggest taking it to the LORD and let’s not get personable about this.
        J.

        • Jerry~

          I’m sorry, Jerry. I guess I didn’t understand the rules. Let me get this straight. You can write anything you want, and if you are asked to provide any type of explanation or scriptural support, it’s okay if you respond with the less-than-clever remarks of “Can’t help you there Barb,” or “Can’t help you either,” or “Sorry. Leave it to the LORD,” or “Take it up with HIM,” or “I’m sure you would know;” however, if someone writes something that you think is out of line, then all of a sudden, some type of accountability is in order?

          You wrote, “You take offense to the opinions I write.” No, Jerry, what I take offense at is you, or anyone, making claims about what the Bible, mankind’s only touchstone for God’s truth about salvation, does or does not say without offering any evidence and then making condescending remarks in lieu of an answer. The bottom line is that the truth can be defended, and if you had it, you would be more than happy to share it. It isn’t like you had given a well thought-out answer supported with Scripture, and I just couldn’t get it through my thick skull so that only alternative left was for you to tell me to “Take it up with HIM.” Sorry. I came out of a cult, and I have studied them, and the bottom line is this. People who have a saving relationship with God are not only more than happy to share the truth of God’s Word, they are able, especially when another brother or sister asks. They might not always be right on every issue, because we are all growing, but they don’t resort to the tactics that are evident in your posts to me.

          You wrote, “Who condemned anybody?” Well, Jerry, you did when you wrote, “Christianity is a religion gentile believers in the Hebrew Messiah created for themselves to co-opt the Covenants, Promises and Kingdom that the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob gave to Israel (Jacobs’s new name).” You see, I am a Christian as are most of the people on this Christian blog, so when you say that we have done these things, I do take it personally. Why does this surprise you? Do you think that we’re just going to let you say what you want and not ask you to prove it? I, for one, am not, and the reason is that I was delivered from what is now a 13 million-strong cult that began with one person with the gift of gab, using Scripture, telling everyone who would listen that “that all their [Christian] creeds were an abomination in [God’s] sight” (Joseph Smith-History 1:18–19). They were then told to distrust the revealed Word of God and to trust him and his revelations instead. Sadly, these people did not “[search] the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11b), and now there is a very real possibility that 13 million people (and growing) are going to spend eternity in hell. Sorry, Jerry, not on my watch. Every single person on this blog is accountable to the Word of God, and this includes you. If someone questions what you or anyone else is putting forth as truth, then that person is responsible to give a reasonable answer with Scripture to back it up. The burden is not ours to “Take it up with HIM;” it is yours.

          Now, you have brought some very serious charges against Christianity. If you are able to provide an answer for my questions, please do so.

          Barbara

          • Barb…
            You can defend the Christian religion all you want, there’s plenty to defend against. Besides it’s an open forum, or at least the “Comments Policy” implies it is. And if your defenses against the opinions I post aren’t enough to satisfy you then there is nothing I can (or will) do for you. You know absolutely nothing about me beyond a name on a page and anything you think you know is pure conjecture on your part. So if you choose to continue to post accusations about someone you never even met. Go right on, I know who my Defender is and “Whose I am”, besides, in my opinion you just embarrass yourself.
            J.

          • Jerry

            You are right. This is a public forum, and that I why I have and will continue to call attention to anything you or anyone writes that is not compatible with the Word of God, that has not been rightly divided (II Tim. 2:15), as all of God’s people are called to do (Eph. 5:11, Jude 1:3). The problem, as I think you are saying in your second sentence, is that you think you have given these great defenses in support of your opinion, but you have given exactly zero, and the fact that I don’t know you is irrelevant. The fact is that, rather than take the opportunity to set me and everyone else straight about why Christianity is all the things you accuse it of being, you attempt to discredit me, which is all Dee does when I’ve asked her to explain why her theology doesn’t agree with God’s Word. This is exactly what Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses do. They support their doctrine through proof texting, make great and false accusations about the body of Christ because only they have the “real truth of God,” and when they are called into any accountability, they will repeatedly refuse to address the issues that don’t fit neatly into their theology, and they will divert the attention away from that fact by attacking the person, just as you have done here and Dee has done throughout her posts. You can say anything you want about me; it still doesn’t change the fact that you are wrong because ANYONE who has the truth to the degree that he or she can condemn Christianity, as you and Dee most certainly have, can certainly do it without fallacy. The truth can stand in the light to be investigated. It is only the lie that seeks to be hidden from scrutiny.

            Jerry, it doesn’t matter that you can say that you know “who [your] Defender is” and “Whose [you] are.” I spent over 40 years singing “I am a Child of God,” but that didn’t make it so. It doesn’t matter how many times that you and Dee and others say that Christians are following the lies of men. Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russell, and E.G. White said exactly the same thing to fool people into doubting the revealed Word of God. What matters is that our beliefs line up with the whole counsel of God (II Tim. 3:16), and we know that we can do it because Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” In other words, God’s Word is a weapon, a weapon that He has given us that, when wielded correctly, goes forth immediately with such exacting force and unparalleled accuracy that there is absolutely nothing in the spiritual realm and absolutely nothing in the physical realm, including the very thoughts of our minds and the very motives of our hearts, that can stand against or escape its purpose and power. Absolutely nothing. Therefore, anything that is being put forth as truth is subject to this truth.

            I heard something some years ago, and it is something of which we all need to be mindful: If our mind says something different than the Bible, then our mind is wrong, and if our heart says something different than the Bible, then our heart is wrong. Jerry, if God has given you the truth, and if God has you on this blog to share that truth, then God will give you the ability to explain the truth. You have written that “Christianity is a religion gentile believers in the Hebrew Messiah created for themselves to co-opt the Covenants, Promises and Kingdom that the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob gave to Israel (Jacobs’s new name)”? I attend a Baptist church, and I am asking for you to please tell me exactly what “Covenants, Promises, and Kingdom” that the Baptist church has “co-opt[ed].’” I will await your answer.

            Barbara

    • Good Morning Joan,

      Thanks for your comments on this excellent subject! To answer, you asked: “Based on this statement revealing your interpretation of Scripture, Dee it would then seem that the whole “sermon on the mount” (Mt 5 – Mt 7) would not apply to me as a Christian. Is this truth?”

      Joan, I have read the chapters again, as you requested, and I continue to know that the sermons preached in Mt 5-7 DO NOT apply to true believers, saints of God, born from above by the Holy Spirit, having eternal life. If you have a revelation from God that you are in any one of God’s description of His children, the body of Jesus, then I do not see in the scripture where those sermons apply to you.

      Jesus was talking to the Jews, mostly, under the old covenant about Himself as Messiah the giver of eternal Life, as the promised Deliverer, and the coming kingdom of God. Here’s what the Holy Spirit through Paul, teaches about believers in Jesus the Messiah (Christ). There are numerous thoughts from God on this, but this is my favorite, and I am sure, one of Father God’s favorites as well:

      Eph 1:3 KJV: Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ:
      Eph 1:4 KJV: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
      Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
      Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

      This truth is not theoretical or “positional” as taught in Christian theological education. It is spiritual reality now! The saints of God (including any who call themselves “Christian” and are not fake), have been given ALL spiritual blessings! Not just the blessedness that comes from performing any of the laws outlined in Jesus’ sermons, but All blessings. (Romans 8:2 KJV) I mean, can anyone do those things Jesus outlines without the Holy Spirit? No. For example, Jesus said:

      Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

      How does anyone, Jew or gentile, get a greater righteous than the religious people of the day so they can enter the kingdom of heaven? By keeping the law and doing good works? God forbid! And neither do saints have to try, because all the Righteousness of God is contained by His wonderful Grace, in Jesus. And by faith, not works, we get God’s eternal life. We can now learn to be led, AND, more importantly, learn to follow, the Spirit of Messiah (Christ) until we go Home. (Romans 8:8 KJV)

      Even the “Lord’s Prayer” must be seen in light of the new birth in Jesus. The new heart given to the believer will want to see God’s will being done on earth as in heaven. But true believers are not under the old covenant conditions of Jesus’ sermons. Now we have the intercession ministry of Jesus AND the Holy Spirit to help us because, unless God’s shows us the application of His Will, we don’t know what to pray as we ought, and carnality will prevail. (Romans 8:26)

      This is where the Christian religion fails in pointing to Life in Jesus, because it doesn’t understand what God has revealed about what His Grace is. There is an inability in religion to see, spiritually, the separation between law and Grace, and apply the revealed Will of God. Instead, religion sees naturally or carnally and sets up works based on knowledge of the law. It’s systems, especially evangelism, education and organization, sees keeping the law as the application of the Will of God. It cannot be led by the Spirit of God.

      Joan, you also said: “we must be Bereans searching the Scripture to see if these things are so. Often we get so caught up on how or what we are taught that it is hard to hear what the Scriptures are really saying.”

      This is very true. The problem comes in when we, individually, are not able (unbelief), or taught (carnal believers), to discern or distinguish the difference (Hebrews 5:12:14 KJV), between what is God’s spiritual perspective (being given by the Holy Spirit), from what is man’s carnal and vain wisdom (taught religion). If you read Acts 17;10-12 carefully, you will see that Paul preached the good news of God’s grace given in Jesus to the Bereans. We know what Paul’s “gospel” is (1 Cor 15:1-4 KJV, for example, in part). It was readily received (faith came), then the Bereans searched to see if what Paul preached concerning that “truth” of that good news was true (in the old testament scriptures!), and they believed. We must search in faith for the truth of the “good news of God’s grace”. That is our marker, our standard, our plumline, our “gospel”. Not hunt down every word to shore up head knowledge, with no spiritual application. If whatever “gospel” is being taught, preached, doesn’t line up with the revealed good news of God’s UNDESERVED Grace, then we should reject it. God, the Holy Spirit, will give us more light only if it glorifies Jesus, because that is what He is here to do. We can get lost in the details, and this is how Christian heresies and denominations have developed. Even the world says, “the devil is in the details”!

      Finally, you also said: “(The thoughts and interpretations of man is what the Jews in Jesus’ day and the Christians of the dark ages accepted as truth – it is certainly happening again today). May we all pray for His humility and let both the Spirit AND the Word bring us life.”

      I believe this is a good exhortation to walk with Jesus by the Spirit of God. We do have the mind of Messiah, if we would spend time with the Lord so He can reveal how to access it, walk in it b.y the Holy Spirit We must humble ourselves under the Mighty Hand of God, not man.

      I hope I have answered your question.

      Grace, Peace, Truth, Life are in Jesus the Messiah,

      Dee

  20. One thing to consider: When John the Baptist (Mt 3:2), Jesus (Mt 4:17), and the disciples(Mk 6:12) and more told the people to “Repent!” What were they repenting of? The answer is sin.

    What does the Bible define as sin? The transgression of the law and anything that is not done through faith in Christ ( whosoever believes). (Please look up the Biblical defintions of sin to see if this is so)

    So is the law essential to evangelism? What sayeth the Scripture?

    Indeed it is only Jesus who cleanses from sin. We must put our faith in Him and receive the gift of repentance that He so willingly gives that will lead to life in Him.

    • Hi Joan,

      Comment. You said: “What does the Bible define as sin? The transgression of the law and anything that is not done through faith in Christ ( whosoever believes).”

      It can’t be both ways, sinning because you DO NOT obey the law, and sinning by not walking in faith in Christ.

      What is God telling us? What is the truth?

      Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

      Being led by and following the Spirit of God, by faith is Life and Peace. Obeying the written Law for righteousness, salvation, good works, love or peace with God, or anything, saved or unsaved, is death, it won’t work.

      Please see my response to Doug above about this question.

      Peace,

      Dee

      • First of all, I never said nor implied that anyone has ever been justified by anything other than faith in Christ alone. Also you are being very persumptious about Mr. Comfort’s methodology being heresy. He preaches salvation by faith alone in Christ Alone, period. You are confusing his methodology with his message. But by reading some of your posts I can understand why.

        I am sure you are familiar with Mr. George Whitfield and Mr. John Wesley. These two men were greatly used by the Lord during the Great Awakening revival. Now these two individuals were on complete opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to salvation. Whitfield was a Calvinist and Wesley was an Arminian. Although their theology was at odds they had a great respect for each other, so much that Whitfield said he would have no other man preach his funeral than Wesley. Both of these men differed greatly with theology but yet both preached Christ crusified for the sins of the world and the only way to be saved was to have faith in the Lord Jesus and his finished work. The same can be said about Mr. Comfort, you may not like his approach but it is not heresy.

        • Hello Doug,

          Let’s deal with this. You said, “I never said nor implied that anyone has ever been justified by anything other than faith in Christ alone.” Neither did I say that you or Mr. Comfort did, Doug. I challenge you to find anywhere that I said that you or Comfort taught that salvation was by anyone other than Messiah (Christ). Please see my new comments to you above, if you like.

          Second, you said, “Also you are being very persumptious about Mr. Comfort’s methodology being heresy.”

          The word heresy is in the scriptures and, as translated from the Greek in the KJV concordance (hairesis S G139), can mean:

          A body of men following their own tenets (sect or party), such as, of the Sadducees, of the Pharisees, or even of the Christians (Acts 24:14 KJV); also, dissensions arising from diversity of opinions and aims (1 Cor 11:19 KJV)

          There are many scriptures defining this word. I don’t know what you thought the word meant, but is that not what we have here with the new “biblical evangelism”? Mainly, you and Comfort base your evangelism, i.e., preaching the gospel, on different theological ideas. Based on review of your ideas, it is proved that they are not soundly based in the scriptures. And, it is not just methodology when you teach things like, repentance is necessary for salvation, or that the virgin birth meant that Jesus was not of Adam, rather than what is clearly taught in the scriptures. You have moved beyond just methodology. It is doctrinal. You mention Whitfield, Calvin, Wesley, etc., but they weren’t just about methodology either. Their theology split the Christian religion along theological and scriptural lines, which it has never recovered from to this day. It is still confusion and heresy. Maybe you meant something else, but it hasn’t been said here or in Chris’ review of approval.

          Finally, Doug, what could you possibly mean by “But by reading some of your posts I can understand why.”? What can you understand, you don’t say? Would you care to be specific? Do my other posts address this issue?

          Why is it that instead of responding to what I have written concerning the scriptures and my comments and observations, (and I do know the scriptures and perspective revealed by Father God),you and other Christians on the blog, start “slinging mud”, innuendos, personal asides and saying things I didn’t say, when you don’t like what I am saying? That approach doesn’t address or change whatever scriptural truth or error you think I have written! Why would you do this instead of writing about the facts? Is this part of Christian discussion methodology? Actually, this is always the way it is when the truth is being preached. Jesus calls it “Persecution for righteousness’ sake.”

          Doug, that way of dealing will not get the teaching of your new gospel method understood.

          Grace, Peace, Truth and Love are in Yeshua Ha Mashiyach.

          Dee

  21. Thanks to Ryan for pointing out this sudo-cult of personality para-church ministry that always seem to float their way in and out of the assembly of believers. Mr. Comfort, I love that name. It appears the Shofar has been blown and a message sent out to the followers and they are defending the BLB promotion. Nicky Gumbel’s “Alpha Course” is one that comes to my mind and is probably what Ray Comforts “Way of the Master” course was designed to now come to fix. The “course” usually comes with a lot of documentation, workbooks, manuals both teacher and student versions, bumper stickers, buttons and pins, hats, etc., etc. Oh, all at a cost, but don’t worry pastors, the Lord will provide you just need to run a “faith believing fund drive promotional” before hand and the money will roll in. Jhn 2:13-17 HNV.

    Followers, I pray the Lord of the Harvest step between you and whatever work has taken your mind off of HIM.

    J.

    • Yes Jerry,

      I too thank the Holy Spirit for revealing the heresy in this method of evangelism, and I thank all the posters He has used to open up the truth of His scriptures, using questions, comments and observations.

      Thanks for your summation. Father God is faithful.

      Dee

    • Jerry, Before you bash someone doing the hard work of evangelism, like Jesus did, I think you should check yourself to see if you are in the faith. Not sure that you are, myself! Just a thought.
      Charles

      • Do you mean like Jhn 10 HNV when the religious leaders wanted to kill Yeshua there and then after HE “bashed” them for their false teaching and hard work profiteering off HIS sheep? Or do you refer to something else?

        My FAITH is in Yeshua alone, no one and/or nothing else added. 30 pieces of silver not withstanding.

        J.

        • Jerry,

          Your reply is classic in deadpan comebacks, and gave me a chuckle.

          People are quick to throw personal asides and innuendos (and that one was real low), rather than address what you said in your post such as, “It appears the Shofar has been blown and a message sent out to the followers and they are [did you mean, not] defending the BLB promotion.”

          I just addressed another one on this blog who also used mud rather than talk about the truth.

          Oh yeah, the apostasy is here alright.

          Grace and Peace is in Yeshua Ha Mashiyach,

          Dee

          • “It appears the Shofar has been blown and a message sent out to the followers (of the book being reviewed) and they are defending the BLB promotion.” If that helps answer your question.
            J.

          • Thanks Jerry,

            I was reading it wrongly, thinking you were saying that the followers (saints) were approving and defending BLB’s promotion. You meant the followers of that book were defending BLB’s promotion.

            I say again, the apostasy is alive and growing in the Christian religion and it’s going to get worse. People in the churches are so confused but don’t know what to do about it.

            But I am rejoicing. Rejoicing in the Lord and His prophetic truth. Look up, for your redemption draws nigh!

            Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

            Truth is in Yeshua. He alone gives Light.

            Dee

  22. Having been involved with street ministry preaching the gospel I can say from my experience that the average Joe on the street when asked, “Would you consider yourself to be a good person?” most will say yes. Thus the need is there for using the Law to show their need for a Savior. Howbeit without the supernatural conviction that only the Holy Spirit can supply, they will never repent. There is an outward calling as well as an effectual inward calling which is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. No man can come to me, Jesus said, unless the Father draw him. Simply preach the Law and the Gospel and leave the results up to God. If you don’t care about where a soul spends in eternity, you need to be born again.

    • Having been involved and around many cultic religions and ministries I have found that when good intentions get questioned the average follower takes offense instead of entertaining the thought they could be wrong and doing a self evaluation. How can anyone who cares so much be questioned let alone the specter of fault start to appear? My observance of this phenomenon has also shown an effectual underlying motive of pride covered over with a healthy layer of greed. I would venture to wager (opps, there goes my proclivity towards gambling surfacing itself again (sarcasm, for those who don’t recognize it)) that most witnessing takes place without a single word being said and most of that without our knowledge of it even happening, too bad (more sarcasm).

      Leave it to the LORD and trust HIM. The CREATOR of all things has everything well in hand without our postulating and effectual conniving for whatever motives tickle our fancy. Follow HIM wherever HE goes and be prepared for whatever HE may have in store. And remember, Mat 7:21-23 HNV and Rev 16:13 HNV.

      J.

    • Lance, your response is the best i,ve read. Thanks for being about your Fathers business. Its amazing how the lies are so pervasive about evangelism, here you have a man like Ray Comfort who goes out and preaches the gospel to a world who would never otherwise hear it, and instead of supporting him you have so many who criticize and hide behind their excuses to not do the work. Keep preaching brother, I am also a fellow street preacher.
      Charles,

      • Finally, someone about their Father’s business. We also go into the highways and byways and witness and use the teaching of “Way of The Master.” Unless you are out there, speaking to strangers on a regular basis, how can you criticize this book? It takes “religion” out of the mix, Muslims, Hindu, Buddhist, Mormon… recognize the 10 commandments and agree that they are a good standard for living. When a person sees their sin and that Christ paid their fine for that sin– many make the connection and you can witness the working of their mind as the Holy Spirit shows them– It is crazy exciting!
        I speak to many many many people who have NEVER heard the Gospel. Never had a Bible. Never thought about their sin. I can’t recommend this enough. You can argue scripture until you turn blue, God told me that people are dying and going to that awful place by the thousands every day all over America and I needed to share Jesus.

        • Right on bell, i agree when i am preaching the gospel out in the streets, there is nothing like it. The reward is well worth any difficulty or ( minor in this country) persecution. I use Way of the master, and depend on the Master Himself. As the Spirit leads I prepare and preach, teach and cousel. It is always good to have a guide. Ray Comforts methods have been very helpful , however I would not limit myself to them only use as a guide. But keep being about your Fathers business, press on.
          Charles

    • Hi Lance,

      You said, “Simply preach the Law and the Gospel and leave the results up to God.”

      Can you tell me where God says this? A scripture reference would be very helpful.

      Thanks.

      His,

      Dee

  23. Indeed curious… all it takes for a ship taking a long voyage to get off course is to be off by 1 arc-second. 1/3600th of a degree, which is 1/360th of a full circle. Our best telescopes today only give us a 5 arc minute of angular view. One arc minute is 1/60th of a degree.

    The law simply shows us who we’re being compared to, and it acts as a school master to show us where we go wrong. It never actually provides the cure– it just shows us the symptoms, and illness.

    Grace means nothing without law. Grace has nothing to point us towards when we’re on that voyage called life.

    Grace can however heal our hearts (Ezekiel 36:25-27, John 3:3-21, Romans 6-8), teach us obedience (Titus 2:11-14), and give us God’s nature(2 Peter 1:2-4), and motivate/spur us on to live godly lives (1 Cor 15:10, Titus 2:14).

    Notice in the Ezek 36:27 passage– God will give us His Spirit and will “cause us” to live in obedience to his commands, and do them. This matches perfectly with Romans 13:8-10, and Romans 8:3-9.
    The idea of stating the Law is a matter of no one can know their true appearance without a mirror. James states this in his letter, first chapter. I may be pretty, I may be ugly. I do not however know, without some objective source that can make me aware.
    The law possesses no inherent or intrinsic capacity however to actually make me look better. It just acts as a mirror! Nothing more, nothing less.

    Jesus however, God’s Grace however– they possess the intrinsic and inherent capacity to heal us. Jesus paid the penalty of my sin– our sins– which gives me immediate access back to God. His resurrection makes me legally just before God (Romans 4:23-25). My faith in what God has done makes it mine– personally(Hab 2:4, Rom 3-4, Gal 2). My belief of God’s testimony– like leaning back in a chair and lifting up my feet and hands, places all my weight/trust on the one/two legs of that chair. I am to place all my weight on God’s Grace, being taught what real godliness is.

    God’s Grace is active, and aggressively teaching me, guiding, and directing me (Titus 2:11-14)– with God’s Law constantly in front of me (Gal 3-4, School master), showing me my sins, and simultaneously giving me the choice to confess my sins, agreeing with God, in the way, along my way (1 John 1:5-10, 2:1-2), and then giving me the gift of repentance to live in obedience(Rom 2), as a lifestyle of godly choices.

    Ray’s idea is not a new “doctrine of false teaching” as Dee has stated up top. It’s restoring a godly balance to law/grace.
    As stated– Law cannot free me. It can only point out my sin. Law is the judge– you’ve violated the Law of Truth. Grace cannot point out my sin, and if there is no law to demonstrate my sin, there would be nothing to heal. It’s like the surgeon standing there with no films, no lab reports, nothing to show him where my illness is, so he can operate on my disease, and give me a fighting chance to life

    Grace heals. Grace restores to the right-state of being or condition of being.
    Grace is what we need to be made whole. Law is what we need to know what Wholeness is/consists of.

    Together they work in harmony to show the doctor the labs/films/reports so he can see where the disease is. It acts as a guide to show him where he must operate. Only the training of Grace gives him the tools to do so.

    What I will agree with– is how to make the Law/Grace part of our message to the unsaved.

    Jesus did indeed die for our sins. If we do not repent– we will perish. The Justice of Law– God’s Law demands it. This is why Jesus came to die.

    • Hello Steve,

      I want to comment on a few of your comments. First you said, “new ‘doctrine of false teaching’ as Dee has stated up top.” To be clear, I did not mean an entirely new doctrine, never before heard of doctrine, as can be understood by the context of my post. I meant a new presentation of unscriptural doctrine, which, by the way, is still heresy.

      You said: “The law simply shows us who we’re being compared to, and it acts as a school master to show us where we go wrong.”

      The law only shows (to Jews and anyone who tries to keep any part of the old covenant, “saved and unsaved”) that they are under a curse because they are not able to keep the law. It is Adam’s sin, which lost salvation for humanity in the first place, that compares man to the need for the savior, Jesus. Even the scripture compares the two!

      It seems that in this theological construct, the “schoolmaster concept”, is the foundational key for preaching the Law and the Gospel, as Doug told me up top, and Chris, Lance, Bob, Cindy K and you, so far, proudly speak of. This idea is based on Gal 3, where Paul is giving a lesson to already born again BELIEVERS about the place of the law in human history. He says, and I quote once again, in part from the ever popular NIV. Pay attention to verse 25 in its context:

      Gal 3:19 What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator….

      Notice, the Holy Spirit says the purpose of the law was because transgressions were already in play without the law, and to impute sin to sinners by the law; not added for the purpose to reveal sin.

      Gal 3:22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
      Gal 3:23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.
      Gal 3:24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ [fn] that we might be justified by faith.
      Gal 3:25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

      The word schoolmaster is used in the KJV in verses 24 and 25. Can you honestly answer who is the “we” that is being referenced in the verses? Now I ask you, again, in all honesty, is God talking about evangelism, or is He talking about the coming of Christ, in in God’s plan, to do away with the law for righteousness? Where in these verses is God telling anyone to preach the law before the good news of grace in Jesus the Messiah? You have stretched this truth way out of proportion to the revealed truth. It is now a heretical truth.

      You said about the law: “it just shows us the symptoms, and illness.” All God’s references to mirrors, glass and reflections are address to BELIEVERS, already saved. For eternal life, Adam’s sin is the cause of sending Jesus. But you know this, don’t you?

      You said, “Grace means nothing without law. Grace has nothing to point us towards when we’re on that voyage called life…Grace is what we need to be made whole. Law is what we need to know what Wholeness is/consists of. ”

      After these comments, I will not continue this discussion with you. (I know that if God doesn’t reveal His truth to you folks, it will not be seen, but I am praying Eph 1:18, that:

      The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

      Grace, Peace, Truth and Love is in Jesus, the promised Messiah Who has already come and brought eternal life. He is coming again!

      Dee

  24. Fulfilled is the key to the application of the law. Is Jesus sufficient? The miracle of the New Testament removes the barrier sin that is anathema that cannot exist before perfect righteousness. Hbr 10:4, Psa 51:16-17 etc. Mat 26:26-28, Mar 14:22-24, 1Cr 2:7-8, Jhn 14:17, Rom 8:26, 1Cr 2:7-11, 2Ti 1:9, Tts 1:2, Gal 4:4,
    2Cr 5:21 For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
    Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
    1Pe 1:2-25
    1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls.
    1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace [that should come] unto you:
    1Pe 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
    1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

    Jhn 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

    The law is fulfilled. The problem with returning to that which is fulfilled is exactly guilt. The accuser of the brethren has not ceased to apply this control.
    Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

    The guilt of sin can be removed. The objection, the problem with application of that which is fulfilled is the strength, the control that Jesus liberated us from. Religion is filled with applications of the law. Now uneven application of that which is no longer necessary is at least confusion and inevitably contention. Col 2:

    Mat 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
    Mat 12:3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
    Mat 12:4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
    Mat 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
    Mat 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is [one] greater than the temple.

  25. When I was 12 years old, I got my fire insurance by joining the church. However, though I had a different attitude toward God I was not changed. When I was 26, I came under deep conviction for sin in my life. I believe it was because my best friend got saved and began diligently praying for me. At a crisis moment, I asked Jesus to reveal Himself to me and if He was real, I would serve Him the remainder of my life. He did and I have. My heart was changed and I became a new person, born again. Was I saved when I was 12 or was it just part of the journey that made me who I am today? I had a different attitude when I was 12 and it did impact many of my decisions but I did not have a face to face encounter with God until I was 26. I actually use both methods of evangelism depending on how the Holy Spirit directs me to speak to the person. I think we need both methods in our arsenal as a soldier of the cross. The key is listening to that still small voice inside telling us how to deal with each person, then look for the evidence of a changed life. I believe there is a place for gently sharing that there is a better life through Jesus and also a message that, as Billy Sunday preached, “Payday Someday.” All that to say, I am a proponent of being born again and not what I call Bar Code Christianity.

    Blessings,

    Jim

  26. I’ve worked (for a weekend event) with a ministry that solely uses the method of evangelism that Mr. Comfort recommends in his books. I found it to be excellent in attracting the attention of those who were truly open to hearing about what the Lord has done for all of us. I find it to be concise and Biblical, and easy to use in that it helps me to keep focused should someone want to get into an argumentative debate.

    If I were to find fault with Mr. Comfort’s statements, it would only be that he believes this to be the only way we should share. I prefer to use other “methods” – sometimes I give my testimony, or sometimes it’s appropriate to address something that the individual is struggling with. I don’t think that this is the only Biblical way to share my faith, but I do think that it’s a good one, and that it’s Biblical, and quite effective.

    I’ve read statistics such as the ones Chris posted, and don’t want to be in the number of those who don’t tell others about Jesus! This is our commission, and to have a simple go-to tool + the leading of the Holy Spirit, is an excellent gift! I rarely walk away from anyone anymore wondering if I made my point well enough.

    • Amen Teresa,

      Being led by the Holy Spirit, following Him, is not a method.

      It would be interesting to see the “stats” of how many “true believers”, the ones that stick, come to Jesus based on this method. How many came in your event?

      Grace and Peace in Jesus,

      Dee

      • Hi, Dee,

        The event was a local annual festival where this evangelistic ministry set up a booth amidst the vendors. We talked to hundreds of people in the 2 days that we were there, and I don’t recall how many received Christ, but I do remember that it was a fantastically fruitful endeavor. Really, it would’ve been so if only one truly follows Jesus as a result of our being there! 🙂

        When witnessing in such a venue, it’s always hard to know how many truly continue in the faith, and how much seed is snatched away, or lost in the tangles of life’s cares. Because of that, I don’t know how one could obtain accurate statistics as to how many are truly saved, but I could be wrong…maybe there’s a good stat out there. I looked at The Way of the Master’s website to see if they record anything like this, but didn’t see anything.

      • Dee,

        Why don’t you tell us your understanding of evangelism as you see it in scripture? From reading all of your comments, it appears that one can believe on Jesus and keep living the same way they’ve always lived. 1 John 3:6 – “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.” Would this not indicate that in order to KNOW Him, one would have to KNOW they’ve sinned (and by definition know what is and is not sin) and that once a person comes to know Him, that they ought to walk in the same way in which He walked? What does one do with all of Jesus’ teachings? Does one just get saved through faith and then not try to live according to Jesus’ teachings? Doesn’t Jesus’ teachings reflect a lot of what is in the Law? I agree with you and believe that once a person is truly born again, sanctification begins (being made more and more into the image of Christ) – and this is actualized through continual repentance of sin and growing in hatred of sin, among other things. By inference, the previous sentence also means growing in love and growing in all things righteous. According to your idea of evangelism, what happens after faith? Are we to leave it at that? With no discussion on sin (or what constitutes sin?) At some point, the discussion of sin has to take place. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. When do you bring up sin? How do you propose planting seeds (as a sower)? Please expound on your idea of evangelism. Thank you. In Christ.

  27. Try applying what just happened with this last posting to the John 10 HNV parable(not the salvation issue) we are studying with Justin Alford.
    J.

      • Apply the cast of characters listed in the John 10 HNV parable to the cast of characters (all sides of the issue to be fair and honest) commenting to this posting and let the LORD teach and show the who’s who of it all.
        J.

        • Jerry,

          I see what you mean. I am slow on the uptake yesterday and today. Believers and hirelings and Jews, oh my!

          Dee

  28. Rom 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
    Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

    The Holy Spirit is the witness. Jesus became flesh by the Holy Ghost yet did not begin His ministry until after His baptism. Jesus told the apostles and disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. Their ministry began upon receiving the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit builds His church throughout the book of the Acts. The Holy Spirit witnesses through us; we may think we do but it is the Spirit. This is the image of God. Listen to what Jesus is saying.

  29. Many years ago, I was struggling with questions about the Christian faith. I happened to listen to a teaching by Ray Comfort entitled “Hell’s Best Kept Secret”. After listening to the teaching, I understood clearly why I was a sinner. I understood clearly why without a Savior I would be headed to hell. I understood clearly why Jesus had to die. I understood clearly how to accept Jesus as my Savior. Thank you, Father, that Ray was obedient to Your call.

  30. I am joyful that the clarity on this subject has been shown on living the Christian life through the Law. Through scripture we can clearly see this and any book written by man on Christian principles has to be undergirded with scriptures, not one verse.

    From Genesis to Revelation we see Gods message is clear to keep his commandments and when we don’t; there are consequences.
    Adam & Eve experienced it, the children of Israel experienced it, and if we are not careful so will we continue to experience it.

    Why not to long ago I was in a debate with one of my brothers in Christ at my very church. He keep on showing me scriptures reflecting that only buy grace we are saved (In which I totally agree) and he pointed to Gal 2:16 to make the point that we are no longer under the law and that we are no longer under the Ten Commandments.

    He went as far as asking me If I Loved God the Farther with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and I replied yes. He then proceeded to explain to me that there is no way that I love him that much other wise I would have to be sinless. Since I cannot state that I am completely sinless I then need Grace and not the Law.

    I first began to pray on this subject and then started to search the scriptures.
    The Holy Spirit began to reveal scripture after scripture on this subject and without reading this book, by Ray Comfort, God show me how wrong he was. I started to share these scripture with my brother but have not been able to convince him since he has been heavily indoctrinated with this false teaching.

    I am praying that my brother and other Christians who are living false doctrines would wake up before they met their Maker.

    I know I have a way to go and that this Christian walk is a life process and the only guide I have is the Law of God. Jesus stated in John 14:21, He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

    REV 22:14 Blessed [are] they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

    I ask that everyone pray for my Brother and all our Brothers & Sisters who are being taught false doctrines. We are in the Last Day Church WAKE UP.

    Antonio Torres
    Chaplin, The Bronx

    • Ok brethren, from the heart. This may not be read by many before the new subject is posted. This life is an apprenticeship. The Holy Spirit does the calling and the instruction yet the choices are exercised by each person. There would be nothing gained by the exercise that is human life without this freedom of choice. The entirety of our existence is not the span of this flesh; it is a momentary exercise to prove who we are. We are made in the image of God. God is a spirit. We unite with His Spirit or we rebel. This is who we are that is more than the flesh in which we personally first became aware. This is why bigotry and racism are so tragic since the child of God is not that flesh. The crippled or diseased body is a different test of spirit. The child of God in these instances still chooses to unite with God or is unrighteous. We did not choose our flesh, or where we were born into this existence.

      Jesus insists that we must be born again. With the gateway opened through His body and blood there is now the ability to reunite with God. Those that come into this union will align with the One Who gave us the commandments. Now those who align with the Spirit of God will be in agreement with the commandments. The declaration, “only begotten Son” confirms that there is just One. Jesus was the only perfect life without sin. When we sin we have an advocate, the highest priest Who removes that sin with His blood. The insistence that we must be born again is a component of the new, the different testament. Does this void the promises to the fathers and the covenants with Israel, absolutely not!

      Jesus emphasized the spirit over the flesh. Jesus is, “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Rev 13:8”. Jesus did not make provisions for His body and did not encourage His church to build for those things of the flesh. Jesus warned us that the world will hate us. The world disdains the very concept of the preeminence of the Holy Spirit. To choose to live with the Holy Spirit will discomfort people of the world. The Spirit filled life is not a physical wealth endeavor. It is not a free ride where the Holy Spirit takes over. The church is persecuted as was our Savior Who was slain. To choose the Holy Spirit is a decision to open up to God in denial of what this world offers. This is not the behavior of someone who does not intend to work, it is rather, a deadly commitment.

  31. The truth is God loves you & He has a wonderful plan for your life. If you were to die today, do you know for sure beyond a shadow of doubt that you would go to heaven? The bible says we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23); The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom 6:23) & the bible also reads whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.(Rom 10:13)

    “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Rom 2:4) The Gospel means Good News… The Gospel message is not “You’re going to Hell!” but “You don’t have to go to Hell!” Hell is a real place and so is Heaven…people are dying to get there.

    When I share the Gospel, I always start out by saying, “God loves you & He has a wonderful plan for your life…” I do not say it to give them false hope or to imply they will never have a problem as a Christian. God actually has a plan, a wonderful plan for every person on earth. It’s the plan of Salvation. Which is more than repeating a prayer, that’s only the beginning? They must also believe in their heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God & that God raised Him from the dead.(Rom 10:9)Salvation is a whole plan, it’s not just about going to heaven, although that would be good enough for some. The plan starts now…After you accept Jesus Christ as Lord, now you must tell others the Good News! (Mark 16:15) Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. (Matt 10:8) The believer is empowered to be a witness when they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8) The Holy Spirit is also the Comforter. (John 14:26)

    Wow! And this is just a taste! What a Wonderful plan God has for our lives…and it all starts by confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. Since 2005, I have had the privilege of praying with over 29,000 people who have received Jesus Christ as Lord, many who are no longer alive on earth today…and I’m not going to stop preaching the Gospel & sharing the GOOD NEWS that God has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life! 🙂

      • Thanks for making that clarification, Teresa, so there’s no confusion about which of us is commenting! As you can see, I’ve added an initial to set myself apart, too.

        God bless you as you serve our Savior!

  32. Jesus is perfect theology – both doctrine and practice. John declares him to be “full of grace and truth.” He leads no one in a “sinner’s prayer”, tells no one “get in a Bible-believing church’, asks no one if they are “current on your tithe?” And yet, his obedience requirements are very high.

    Sinners love to be around him, and he does not appear to be quoting verses from the Law about their sin. Bible thumpers are his critics, and he uses the Law to shut them down.

    Yet, the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) becomes an evangelist after hearing that the Father is seeking true worshipers. The woman taken in adultery is simply asked “where are your accusers?” then told “go and sin no more.” The Gadarene demoniac gets enrolled in a “One Step Program” and ends up “clothed and in his right mind” after being freed from his demons.

    Peter is told, in back to back comments, “on this rock I will build my church” and “get behind me Satan” after which he denies Jesus three times. During his post-resurrection restoration talk with Jesus, I do not recall Jesus telling him “If you love me, confront everyone with the Law so that they realize their sin and get scared of Hell.”

    Is Jesus soft on sin? Perhaps instead of swapping proof texts, you might consider chatting with Jesus about how He would like you to confront those for whom he died.

    • You didn’t read the book if you think there’s “on your way to hell” talk. Do you consider sharing the Good News confrontation? Jesus DID ask the woman at the well some questions. He didn’t ask her if she’d ever told a lie….

  33. Dee,

    Why don’t you tell us your understanding of evangelism as you see it in scripture? From reading all of your comments, it appears that one can believe on Jesus and keep living the same way they’ve always lived. 1 John 3:6 – “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.” Would this not indicate that in order to KNOW Him, one would have to KNOW they’ve sinned (and by definition know what is and is not sin) and that once a person comes to know Him, that they ought to walk in the same way in which He walked? What does one do with all of Jesus’ teachings? Does one just get saved through faith and then not try to live according to Jesus’ teachings? Doesn’t Jesus’ teachings reflect a lot of what is in the Law? I agree with you and believe that once a person is truly born again, sanctification begins (being made more and more into the image of Christ) – and this is actualized through continual repentance of sin and growing in hatred of sin, among other things. By inference, the previous sentence also means growing in love and growing in all things righteous. According to your idea of evangelism, what happens after faith? Are we to leave it at that? With no discussion on sin (or what constitutes sin?) At some point, the discussion of sin has to take place. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. When do you bring up sin? How do you propose planting seeds (as a sower)? Please expound on your idea of evangelism. Thank you. In Christ.

  35. Salvation is simple. You folks make my head hurt. The average lost person would read this blog and say i dont want any of that. It stuff like this that makes me believe the computer is a c urse. Stop hyper analyzing ever jot and title . Relax get a job. Others are going to heaven to. Not just yall