"Faith" Him When You Can't Feel Him

by Evangelist Lester Roloff (1914-1982)

“Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!” —Job 23:3

The thing that will reveal your faith is praying when no answer comes. That's the supreme test. I've gone over a number of chapters in the book of Job again. In one of them, Job said, "Oh that I knew where I might find Him." He was looking for God. Can you imagine? He was the best man God had and he couldn't find Him. He said "Lord, I want you to show me why you're doing this to me. We've always been on good terms and you've been my best friend. I'm not against you and am not going to turn against you, but I need an explanation and I want you to give it." But the Lord didn't pay him any attention. I imagine the Lord just kind of smiled and said, "Later on. After a while."

So finally Job said "I went forward and He wasn't there. Backward. I couldn't perceive Him. On the left hand where He doth work. I couldn't behold Him. On the right hand where He hid himself and I couldn't see him." That's all the directions isn't it? Forward, backward, left, right. He said "I couldn't get one glimpse of Him." Then he said, "But He knoweth the way that I take and when He hath tried me, He will bring me forth as gold. My feet have held His steps. His way have I kept and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips. I've esteemed His words more than my necessary food." That's the secret of it right there. It was the most severe test he ever had. It wasn't when all of his ten children died. It wasn't when he lost all of his camels, oxen and sheep and goats and chickens. It wasn't when he lost all of his servants. The greatest loss was not when Mrs. Job came and said, "Just curse God and die." That wasn't his most severe test. That was just part of it.

Then three fair-weather friends came and looked at him and they didn't speak for seven days. Not one word. Finally they opened their mouths and skinned him and scalded him and scathed him and ate him up alive. But that wasn't his greatest test. Do you know what the greatest test was? You've never been there until you've reached this place, and that is when you look up to God and there's not any God. You just pray like you used to pray and there's no answer. There's no response. There's no God. There's no feeling and your faith is severely tested. But let me tell you something. You're going to have to learn to believe God when you cannot perceive God. You're going to have to learn to "faith" Him when you can't feel Him. Unless you do, you're going to be in bad shape before this thing's over with. There'll come a time when God reserves the right to cut you completely loose from Him and then see what your faith will lead you to do. "In all this, Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly."

SOURCE: Brother Lester Roloff, a quote from the sermon: 'SOMETHING EVERYBODY CAN DO'

The Bible Purpose For Church Discipleship

Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Luke 8:11-15, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”

What is discipling? It is part of The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, to "GO YE" into all the world preaching the Gospel. And then water baptize those converts as a public profession of their faith. Water baptism symbolizes THE GOSPEL (i.e., the death on a cross, burial and bodily resurrection of Jesus the third day). And then The Great Commission includes "teaching" (indoctrinating) new converts with all the things Christ taught us (i.e., the truths of the inspired Word of God).

The simple yet profound idea behind The Great Commission is for the Gospel (Good News) to perpetuate itself. That is, we lead someone to Christ, and then TEACH THEM to go lead others to Christ; and then those new converts go TEACH THEIR CONVERTS to go win more lost sinners to Christ. Double a penny each day for 30 days and you'll have over $1,000,000 at the end. Do the math if you don't believe me! This is the magic of compounding interest, and the idea behind The Great Commission.

Sadly, nearly all Baptist churches today don't teach soulwinning, so with each new convert the line of faith dies. I praise God for every soul saved in churches, but God's perfect will for EVERY SAINT is to mature to bear fruit. We have failed utterly in this spiritual duty. 1st Corinthians 9:16, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”

This is what the curious parable of The Sower And The Seeds in Luke 8:11-15 is about. I've heard false teachers like Ray Comfort and Paul Washer errantly teach that this parable is about getting saved. Ray Comfort says the 2nd group in Luke 8:13, who had shallow roots, lost their salvation. Ray is WRONG! This parable is about soulwinning, not salvation. The "seed" is the Word of God according to Luke 8:11.

1. The first group heard the Gospel (the seed - 1st Peter 1:23), but the Devil came along and took away the seed, so they didn't get saved.
2. The 2nd group DID get saved. We know this because the seed began to grow, but due to having no strong roots, the plant was uprooted when the winds of persecution blew. I read online that The Beatles member John Lennon became a Christian, seeking answers. Sadly, John reached out to Oral Roberts (whom John had seen on TV). Oral Roberts mistreated John, and the public persecuted John for his new found faith, so he fell away from maturing and gave up on it. I believe John Lennon is in heaven today. This is what Luke 8:13 is saying, for people like John Lennon, who never grew deep roots that cannot be uprooted.
3. The 3rd group in Luke 8:14 were choked by the cares, riches and pleasures of this temporal earthly life. This is where I think 90% of saints are today. We're all so busy with life, work and family that we have no time for soulwinning. They bring forth no fruit to perfection the Bible says. This parable is about maturing, growing in God's grace, to become a soulwinner.
4. Ah, I love verse 15, "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." This is what proper church discipleship should produce, a fervent soulwinning Christian. I wanted to share this with you, because I think this truth is so important, which we rarely hear taught anymore. God bless.

If today's church pastors and laymen fail to TEACH SOULWINNING to all of our converts, then we are utterly failing to obey The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. It reminds me of the old truthful cliché: “Give a man a fish and you've fed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you've fed him for a lifetime.” Yes, it is so true! That is what is wrong with this spoiled rotten millennial generation today, who blame everyone for their failures except themselves, expecting a handout from society instead of making their own way by hard work, purpose and tenacity.

The same applies to soulwinning! We've got a bunch of lazy pastors and churches today! Everything rises and falls on leadership! If church leaders are too inept or lazy to go door-to-door soulwinning in public, then how can we expect church members to go soulwinning? And then when we do see people get saved here and there, we fail to train them to obey The Great Commission. The average church doesn't teach or go soulwinning. Some churches will teach soulwinning once or twice a year, but it is more of a topic that is covered once and a while, instead of a way of live for a local New Testament church. SOULWINNING ought to be the MAIN THING, not an occasional topic that is covered.

The primary purpose of church discipleship is so that our converts will become soulwinners themselves. Thank you very much for reading my blogs. To God alone be the glory. I love you (whosoever you may be) with Christ's love. Please email me if you need prayer, or have any Bible questions, that is why I am hear, to feed Jesus' sheep. God bless.

Yours Truly

The “Fruit” Men Are Know By Is The Type Of Gospel They Preach

Matthew 12:31-37, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

What is the “fruit” by which men are known? It is the Gospel according to Verse 31, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.” The ONLY unpardonable sin that any person can commit is not to accept God's free gift of eternal life by faith alone in Jesus Christ:

John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

The latter part of John 3:18 is the “unpardonable sin.” The only sin which can keep a person out of God's Kingdom is unbelief. Therefore, the only sin from which men must turn away to be saved is UNBELIEF. Even the vilest sinner upon the earth, if he or she BELIEVES ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST as their personal Savior (believing that Christ died on the cross for their sins, was buried and resurrected physically three days later) is immediately, irrevocably and forever born-again by the Holy Spirit. Nothing more is required nor allowed by God to get to Heaven. We are saved by God's righteousness, which is by grace through faith in Jesus.

So we see that the subject at hand here is THE GOSPEL. We can know a preacher's “fruit” by the type of Gospel that he or she preaches. Sadly, Joyce Meyer is a damnable false prophet. Joyce Meyer's fruit is rotten and she is a corrupt tree.

Also, Evangelist Ray Comfort preaches a damnable false gospel. Ray's fruit is rotten because his tree is corrupt!

Another damnable false teacher is Evangelist Steve Pettit (theologically incompetent president of Bob Jones University since 2014). Steve Pettit is a corrupt tree that produces rotten fruit.

These are dangerous religious figures who do not rightly divide the Word of Truth (2nd Timothy 2:15). They wrest the Scripture to their own destruction, and of those who foolishly follow them (2nd Peter 3:16-18). These false prophets preach another gospel, rotten fruit.

I wrote this blog to teach you that we can know who is of God or the Devil, by the salvation testimony and message which they preach! Anyone who differs in their gospel preaching from the Good News (Gospel) taught in the Holy Bible is a false prophet. I'm sure you've heard Bible teachers say that our “works” are the fruit, but they are wrong! Unsaved religious people do good works all over the planet. In Acts 10:1-5 we read about Cornelius, a good man (as far as good sinful men go), gave alms to the poor. He prayed and fasted. He helped others. But Cornelius was still hellbound in his sins. Cornelius didn't get saved until Acts 10:43 when he BELIEVED the Gospel which the Apostle Peter preached to him. So if good deeds were evidence of being saved, then Cornelius would have been saved, but he wasn't.

The only “fruit” by which we can know a false prophet is the plan of salvation which they preach. All manner of sin committed by men will be forgiven them, except that of not getting born-again by faith alone in the Good News of Jesus Christ (1st Corinthians 15:1-4; Acts 16:30-31; Galatians 3:26). Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” We've got a bunch of lying preachers in church pulpits today, adding their own words to God's eternally inspired Word, preaching another gospel accursed by God (Galatians 1:6-9). By their “fruit” shall you know them!!!

One Bible Verse Proves Repentance Heretics All Wrong!

Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”

Here is a wonderful Bible verse I just read that PROVES WRONG James Melton, John MacArthur, Sam Horn, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer, Marty Herron, Steve Pettit, Chuck Phelps, Gary Walton, Jeff Redlin, Timothy Zacharias, Chip Ingram, William Lane Craig, Rick Warren, Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, Steven Furtick, John Hagee, Charles Stanley, Adrian Rogers, Keith Gomez, Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Mormons, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witness, Roman Catholics, Church of Christ, Moody Bible Institute, Bob Jones University, Pensacola Christian College, Liberty University, Master's University, Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary, Pacific Garden Mission's 'UNSHACKLED' radio series, and MILLIONS more heretics on Bible repentance, who all falsely teach that genuine repentance results in a change of behavior (without which change they ASS-U-ME that you have never been born-again at all)...

Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”

If a Christian CHOOSES to continue living like the Devil, for the remainder of their natural life, GRACE WILL ABOUND!!!!!!! That is, they can never forfeit, jeopardize nor lose God's free gift of eternal life, which is by faith alone WITHOUT WORKS (Romans 4:4-7).

Christian author Michael Patrick Bowen accurately states in his excellent book titled, “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” on page 114:

“Repent, as Christ meant it to be in terms of salvation, means to change your mind from trusting in what you can do for God to trusting only in what He can do for you.” ~Michael Patrick Bowen, “I NEVER NEW YOU” (p. 114)

The beloved Pastor Bob Gray Sr. correctly preaches:

“Repentance means to change your mind—change your mind—change your mind about how you want to get to Heaven to what God says you've got to do to get to Heaven. If you've got to repent of all your sins, you're still headed for Hell tonight.” ~Pastor Bob Gray Sr., Why You Should Be A Part Of A Growing Church

Here is an excellent and needful writing by Dr. Mark G. Cambron (1911-2000) on the subject of REPENTANCE. Please read the following quote carefully, because Dr. Cambron is one of few theologian who gets it 100% correct, that is, he understands the simplicity of the Gospel and that repentance does not mean turning from sin as proponents of Lordship Salvation foolishly teach:

Repentance is necessary for salvation.

The Greek word for repent is metanoeo, which, translated into English is: to change ones mind. It does not mean to turn from sin. That would add works to salvation.

Repentance for salvation means a change of mind from men's ideas of salvation and religion, to an acceptance of Gods only way of salvation.

This results in a completely new creation, not a reformation of the old. The old nature remains as evil as ever after salvation and has not been reformed . . . The old nature can now be controlled by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

God guarantees salvation. This is His gift to us.
God guarantees reward and fruit to the obedient son.

God guarantees chastening and loss of rewards to the disobedient son.

God does not cast out disobedient children, but in some cases, does take them home. He does not permit His children to live as they please without His discipline and guidance.

Many teach repentance for salvation incorrectly, by including some form of human effort or righteousness, such as willingness to turn from sin, or turning from sin. This is heresy and has confused many people. It adds works to salvation and causes many to not understand Gods great gift. It is probation, not salvation. It is completely unscriptural. It is Galatianism and a counterfeit of the gospel.

It is a tragedy that many Christians live shallow Christian lives. The Cambron Institute is dedicated to the task of training Christian men and women in the importance of total dedication and making Jesus the Lord of their lives not to be saved but because they are saved.

Shallow Christianity cannot be cured by adding works to salvation.

Salvation is not the result of what we do, but is by receiving what God has done for us. Acts 13:38, 39; Acts 20:20: Gal. 1:8,9; Gal. 2:4; Gal. 2:21; Gal. 3:1.3; Gal. 5:1-4; Eph. 2:8-10; II Cor. 5:21;John 3:16-18; Phil. 3:9; Titus 3:5-8:11 Cor. 11:13-1 5.

SOURCE: The Cambron Institute

Amen! I fully agree. The only thing that is required to be saved is to realize one's need as a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God (Romans 3:19-20). You must know why and what you are being saved from, which is from the consequences of our sin, which is to suffer the Second Death in the Lake of Fire forever (Romans 6:23; Revelation 21:8). Jesus Christ paid our debt of sin on the cross, so that we could escape this horrifying judgment and eternal fate (Romans 5:9). I also fully agree with what Pastor Harry Ironside says about repentance:

“The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past …Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.” ~Dr. Harry A. Ironside, 'What Is The Gospel?'

Yes, it is possible dear reader for a true believer to CONTINUE IN SIN, and still have the 100% absolute confidence and peace of soul that he or she is saved safe and secure in the Father's hands. Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” No matter how much we may choose to sin as a child of God, GRACE WILL ABOUND. That refutes every false prophet who errantly preaches that if a person's faith is real, then they will live a changed life. No, there is no Biblical proof of that claim. Not all saints live changed lives. In fact, many are downright rotten to the end! Certainly, every one of God's children continue in sin to some degree, because no one is without iniquity.

So if your church pastor says to “turn from your sin” or “repent of your sin” to be saved, ask him exactly what he means by that (because 95% won't tell you plainly unless you ask them directly). If he answers that there must be conviction of sin, so that you see your need to Christ, then he is okay. Albeit, he shouldn't be using those unbiblical phrase “turn from your sin” or “repent of your sin” because they confuse people!

But if your pastor answers that genuine repentance results in a change of behavior, then I plead with you to either tell your pastor that he is wrong, or LEAVE THAT PLACE in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ if he refuses to repent of his wrong repentance!!! Sadly, 99% of pastors are full of sinful ego, stinking pride, so that they greatly resent someone questioning or God forbid, correcting, THEIR doctrine. The ideas of “turn from your sin” or “repent of your sin” are MANMADE commandments, and not the COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. Mark 7:9, “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”

To sinfully tell someone that repentance by implication cannot just mean “a change of mind” is to corrupt the inspired Word of God. In fact, repentance does just mean a change of mind in the original Koine Greek New Testament. We are saved by BELIEVING the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is, the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ crucified on a cross, buried and bodily risen the third day (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). If turning away from sinful behavior were necessary to be saved, then the Apostle Paul would have included it in his defining of the Gospel, which Paul said we are saved by if we BELIEVE IT!!!

Furthermore, the Epistle of 1st John is perhaps the most misunderstood in the Holy Bible. Certainly 1st John is often misunderstood. 1st John 3:8, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” John is not saying that a professed believer who wilfully sins is not saved, God forbid. The next verse in 1st John 3:9 says, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” Since every saint still sins, we know that this verse must mean when we choose to sin, it is the FLESH and not the HOLY SPIRIT that is committing sin.

We find the answer in Romans 8:4, “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”

And we read in Romans 8:8, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” The most important verse in 1st John, in my humble opinion, is 1st John 3:24, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” In my mind, I have always thought that the only way to KNOW you're saved (1st John 5:13) is by one's FAITH in Jesus Christ. But the Bible says we KNOW that we are God's child by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

It is my humble opinion that the reason for which God said this, is simply because there are millions of people who have heard the Gospel their entire life, and are very familiar with what is required to get to Heaven, but they (as Judas) just don't believe. I have heard Benny Hinn preach the Gospel correctly in one meeting, and preach damnable heresy in the next. Will the real Benny Hinn please stand up! I have heard the same hypocrisy from Dr. John MacArthur. My spiritual discernment tells me that Benny Hinn knows the details of the Gospel, but he doesn't believe a word of it, he just manipulates people and exploits Christianity to make billions of dollars in filthy lucre. Hebrews 4:2 says that the Jews in the Wilderness heard Moses preach the Gospel for 40 years! But they perished in their sins because they didn't have any FAITH in the Gospel.

I think that is why God authored the Epistle of 1st John, so that we as INDIVIDUALS can self-examine our own soul, to determine if we have the HOLY SPIRIT. John never once says that works are evidence of being saved; but rather, if we are saved we will be convicted by the indwelling Holy Spirit about the sins in our life. It is false doctrine to look at one's life to prove that we are saved. Please don't do that. If you have God living in you, then YOU KNOW IT! Since the age of 13, I have known the sweet presence of God's Holy Spirit in my life. I wasn't aware of the Holy Spirit when I got saved at age 13. It wasn't until age 18 that I began to learn about who the Holy Spirit is. But now that I have been born-again for 34 years, I can look back with the joy of the Lord, and clearly see God's presence throughout my life, through the good times and the bad. I know that I am saved from John 3:16, because I BELIEVE on the only begotten Son of God, the Christ (John 20:31).

But I have the added confirmation that I have eternal life, by the presence of the blessed Holy Spirit in me. I love Jesus (even though I don't always live as I should). I love the Word of God (even though I don't always read it as I should). I love my fellow saints (even though I sometimes avoid them because they are mean). I love God's commandments (even though there have been times in my life when I wilfully lived in open sin). I have always felt Holy Spirit conviction over the sins in my life (Hebrews 12:6-8; Romans 8:9).

I don't feel Holy Spirit conviction over the shortcomings, failures and foolish decisions I've made in life, because those things are a natural part of being a human being, and God doesn't expect me to be perfect. In fact, it was all those mistakes, foolish decisions, mistakes and shortcomings that has enabled God to greatly bless and use my website ministry to reach others for Jesus Christ. God uses humble nobodies, because then He gets all the credit!!! So it is not my life that confirms I am saved, but the indwelling Holy Spirit. No one should worry or try to live right to feel saved, that is very wrong to do. Clearly, no one is saved who is wrong on repentance and the Gospel.

Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” You may have the Holy Spirit in you, and still choose to live like the Devil your whole life (like Samson, Demas, Lot and Solomon did), but the indwelling Holy Spirit will convict you about those sins, and you will be of all men most miserable. That is all I think John is saying in his epistle. But no this, WORKS have no place at any point in receiving God's gift of salvation. Believers SHOULD live godly (Titus 2:12), but the Bible doesn't say that we MUST or WILL live godly in Christ Jesus. Thank you for reading my blogs.

How Wrong Can A Preacher Be On God's Simple Plan Of Salvation And Be Saved?

By the phrase "fallen from grace" in Galatians 5:4, the Apostle Paul is simply saying that the Galatians have missed the only bus going to Heaven. God's grace is the only way to be saved! Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Here is a helpful excellent sermon, by Pastor Afshin Yaghtin of the New Covenant Baptist Church in Spokane, Washington. The sermon is titled: "The 'Repent Of Your Sins' Heresy."

In Galatians 1:6, Paul said that the Galatians had "removed" themselves from the Gospel unto "another gospel." NO ONE is born-again who is trusting in another gospel.

Albeit, I do understand your question. Where do we draw the line between who is saved and who is not? How wrong can a preacher be on God's plan of salvation and be saved? That is a great question!

We read in Acts 15:1, "And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." This false teaching confused the brethren (Christians). They got into a big theological debate, wondering if a man who believes on Jesus Christ is really saved if he hasn't been circumcized according to Mosaic law. So the matter was brought before the apostles, and this was their answer in Acts 15:24, "Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:"

So, clearly, the religious teachers in Acts 15:1 were in fact FALSE PROPHETS!!! The resounding answers is: "No, a person does not have to keep the law to be saved." What is the law? It is the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. Thou shalt not covet, et cetera. How then is keeping the law any different than turning away from one's sinful ways to be saved? It is the same thing.

If a man must cease from fornicating or stealing to be saved, then he is being required to KEEP THE MOSAIC LAW. Romans 3:19-20, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." The law was given for the primary purpose of giving mankind THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.

We learn in Galatians 3:24-26, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."

The Bible is abundantly clear that NO ONE has ever been, nor ever will be, saved by KEEPING GOD'S LAW. Nor has anyone ever been saved by PARTIAL FAITH IN CHRIST, plus WORKS. All humanity are guilty sinners, as we just read. The Old Testament LAW shows us our sinnership, and then brings us to CHRIST in the New Testament to be saved by grace.

“The law tells me how crooked I am. Grace comes along and straightens me out.“ —Billy Sunday

Kindly, Pastor James Melton ASS-U-MEs that repentance is a change of mind about sin that will result in a change of behavior. Sadly, this is exactly what Campus Church at Pensacola Christian College errantly teaches. Pastor Jeff Redlin (their senior pastor at Campus Church) is angry at me, refusing to allow me to attend their church anymore, because I called them out on their heresy. It is a very big deal. RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!

The big problem is that by associating a change of behavior with God's free gift of eternal life, it misleads many people to think that they are not really saved, unless their behavior has changed. So this compels people to try to avoid sinning to prove that they are saved. It confuses people. It instills fear and worry in them, wondering if they've really born-again because of the sin in their life (which we ALL have).

I heard infidel pastor, Paul Washer (a devout Calvinist), say that his own mother worried that she is not saved because of sin in her life. Her preacher son foolishly told her that her worry was proof of salvation. That is ridiculous! Judas felt bad, so bad that he gave back the 30 pieces of silver, but Judas still died in his sins and went to Hell forever.

To say that WORKS are required to prove that you're really saved, is just another clever way of saying that you have to have WORKS to be saved. There's no difference! So for James Melton to teach that a saved person WILL have works (a changed life), is the same as requiring works to be saved.

How can a preacher be saved who requires water baptism for salvation? That is a false gospel. That means all Church of Christ, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists and Roman Catholics are not saved, because they all require water baptism to get to Heaven.

It is no different when a bad pastor like James Melton, Marty Herron, Steve Pettit, John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, Gary Walton or 'UNSHACKLED' radio (by Pacific Garden Mission), perversely teach that you must repent "of your sins," by turning away from the old ways and forsaking a lifestyle of sinning to get to Heaven. They are LIARS!

Kindly said, how can those men be saved when they are wrong on God's plan of salvation? They will all lie to deceive, by claiming that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, but then they contradict themselves by teaching that if you don't have works in your life, your faith is not genuine, it is not real, and you were never saved at all.

What James Melton errantly preaches is the same as what the Seventh-Day Adventist cult teaches. They have a very different view of faith than what the Bible teaches. In the Bible, faith simply means to trust in Christ, but look what Miss Ellen G. White (SDA prophetess errantly teaches). ...

“That so-called faith in Christ which professes to release men from the obligation of obedience to God, is not faith, but presumption. 'By grace are ye saved through faith.' But 'faith, if it hath not works, is dead.'” ~SOURCE: Ellen G. White, Steps To Christ, p. 61.

So “faith” according to Ellen White is not simply trusting upon the Gospel to be saved. In addition, Miss White teaches that faith encompasses all of the obligations of living the Christian life. The Bible says that a faith without works is “dead,” but it is still faith. A dead faith is still faith! In other words, if people don't see holiness in you, then they won't be convinced of your faith, because it is a dead faith; however, God still honors your faith in His only begotten Son, and you cannot ever lose eternal life.

Pastor James Melton is in agreement with the cults! All of the pseudo-Christian cults teach to turn from sins to be saved. ...

• https://www.soulwinning.info/fd/lordship_salvation/jw_agree.htm
• https://www.jesusisprecious.org/false_doctrine/lordship_salvation/macarthur_mormon.htm

So to answer the question of: "How wrong can a preacher be on God's plan of salvation and be saved?," the answer can only be, Biblically: The moment that a preacher (or anyone) adds anything to the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ—namely, Christ's death on the cross, burial and bodily resurrection from the dead the third day—he is not saved, nor ever has been saved. The only prerequisite to being saved is that you realize your need as a guilty sinner, so that you will BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST and be saved (Acts 16:30-31; John 6:28-29).

The 'Repent Of Your Sins' Heresy