GOD’S HOLY INSPIRED WORD
“REPENT YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL”
THE SLICK SALESMAN EVANGELIST
“IT’S EASY JUST PRAY A PRAYER”
SLICK SALESMAN EVANGELISM
We have all had to deal with a slick salesman at one time or another, you know the smooth talker that will say anything and make any promise necessary to make that quick sale and pocket your money. There was an episode from Little House on the Prairie that I remember well where a slick tonic salesman came into town and ripped off many people. The damage was overwhelming as you can imagine with false hopes and false promises being dashed when they realized there was nothing to the tonic and it had no mystical healing powers and the same pains, aches and illness still plagued them. You would think this would never happen in the Church. Think again!
Today in the Church body we have the slick salesmanship of the easy believism pusher. Nowhere in the Bible can you find anything showing that we will be rewarded by the numbers we bring to Christ. The Bible does say that we are rewarded for remembering the truth we have been taught and abiding in the doctrine of Christ, full of grace and truth. (2 John 1:8, 3 John 1, John 3:21, John 4:23-24) Moreover the Bible also very clearly teaches that to be in Christ and in the Spirit is to be in truth. If you are not in truth, guess what, you are not in Christ or in His Spirit but worship a different spirit, one of antichrist (1 John 2:18-21).
There is a deception or lie that has crept into the Church and is giving people a phony hope in something that is so false it will damn them to hell. This damnable heresy cannot be found in a bottle like the magical elixir from Little House in the Prairie but in the false prayer of easy-believism and it is weakening the church body like a bad infection weakens the human body. It needs to be attacked and destroyed so that the Body may function as it was meant to, in truth. Of course when you come against this false teaching you are immediately accused of teaching Lordship or Works Based salvation but I believe you can stand up against easy-believism and still not compromise towards either of those false teachings. The key is in the word repentance, a word that was preached by old time preachers but has been overlooked, trodden on and rejected by the new and improved false gospel teachers.
What is repentance?
The word “repent” includes more than sorrow; it is not enough to be sorry for your sins but you must actually have a change of mind. No one can come into a true and right relationship with God until that persons mind is changed about who God is, about their sin and about the need to have that sin paid for. It is like walking down a road, the direction is hell and punishment because of the sin we were born into. Like Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3) we are enemies of God because of our sinful condition (Romans 5:10) and need to be reconciled. Then a wonderful miracle happens we are shown a great light (Matt 4:16) who is the Lord Jesus Christ also known as the way, the truth and the life. When presented the truth that we are sinners and that Christ died for us and paid for our sins we have a decision to make. You can either reject it and keep walking down that road or as it is so beautifully put in Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (WOW that should make you jump up and shout!!). This scripture says clearly there is a turning!! From darkness to light, and from Satan to God, isn’t that GREAT, AMEN. This is the repentance you now turn on that road and head the other way, no longer a hell bound sinner you are now a heaven bound saint. God will put in you a Holy disgust for sin, not that you will be perfect as you are still in your sinful flesh (which was not born again and will not be replace till Christ comes again) but your direction will be different. You will now have a desire after the things of God; to meet with fellow believers, to read God’s word, to spread the Gospel, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Rom 8:1)
Perhaps you are the product of an easy-believism prayer and have asked a Christian friend, Pastor or preacher about your doubt. If they are easy-believism preachers they might say something like “Do you believe the Bible?” or “Did you pray a prayer?” and if you answer “YES” they say “Well then you are saved.” But what the Bible teaches, if you really want to know the truth, is in 2Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
If you have been truly repentant you can have assurance of salvation. You might ask how can I or someone sin so much and God doesn’t seem to do anything about it, well the following are God’s words and not my own so you better heed and understand what this means. Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Why is it not easy?
Easy-believism preachers will skip over repentance and push you into repeating a prayer after them and then have you put your trust in that prayer. They mostly say, “It is EASY to be born again.” This is another false teaching. Although the plan of Salvation is simple and only takes child like faith, it is not easy (Matthew 18:3, 4). The pride of man makes it difficult to humble himself and accept the simplicity of God’s wonderful plan which is total dependence on Him and Him alone.
Mark 10:24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
The above text taken from the book of Mark shows how those that it is hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God. Riches equate to human self preservation that is why the disciples were astonished because basically all men are born leaning on their own lusts. To fully understand this text you must know what the eye of the needle is talking about. There are two acceptable interpretations and they do not contradict each other but show measurable difficulty but not impossibility.
The first is a gate in Jerusalem called the eye of the needle through which a camel could not pass unless it stooped and first had all its baggage first removed. After dark, when the main gates were shut, travelers or merchants would have to use this smaller gate, through which the camel could only enter unencumbered and crawling on its knees.
The second less known and not so widely accepted is passing a camel hair through the eye of a needle which was also a difficult task. If you have ever tried to thread a thick thread through a tiny needle you know what I am talking about. No matter which you lean towards they both speak of great difficulty but not impossibility. Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. In fact the Bible teaches that you cannot even come to Jesus unless God the Father draws you, not some fast talking slick evangelist! (John 6:44)
Why are numbers so important in easy-believism?
By changing the method of Salvation to an easy repeat after me prayer which does not appear ANYWHERE in scripture the slick evangelist is playing a numbers game.
If you have ever been in marketing or sales one of the first things you will learn is that sales is a numbers game. The more numbers the more sales, the more sales the more money. Note that throughout scripture the methods of man are never God’s methods. The Bible does not tell us to count the amount of souls we lead to the Lord but to Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:2-4)
Someone preaching the true Gospel 50 years ago would probably see more souls saved than someone preaching the same true Gospel today with the same unction and determination. Does that mean their reward would be less? The Bible says the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine? The number of souls coming to Christ by the preaching is not a measure of faithfulness of the preacher but does show 2 Timothy 4:2-4 to be true.
It is my observation that preachers that are interested in quantity are not interested in quality and use the numbers to build their reputation. This reputation is built on numbers rather than truth. These “great soul winners” have lead thousands to the Lord supposedly but when you visit their Church they only have a handful of people attending. They have led thousands to the Lord by leading them in a magical prayer but ignore the plain teaching to 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: (Matthew 28:18-20)
Where is the teaching and disciplining that we are commanded to do in God’s Holy Scripture? Where is the FRUIT? Colossians 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; 6 Which is come unto you, as [it is] in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as [it doth] also in you, since the day ye heard [of it,] and knew the grace of God in truth:
I have news for you, salvation does not come by repeating a magical prayer you are cohersed into saying by a crafty and slick salesman like evangelist. If you repeated a prayer and there was no repentance involved then you are just as lost and on your way to hell as before you echoed a bunch of words. Those responsible of preaching this damnable heresy better realize what they are up against.
(2 Peter 2)
Not only do these numbers translate to a built up reputation to the simple (Romans 16:18) that sit in church but, as any salesman knows sales are all about numbers and these numbers also translate into money. The fact of the matter is that the same money changers that sat in the back of the temple are with us today in the Church sitting at the back table peddling their wares in the guise of great soul winners, evangelists and of course pastors.
So what does the Bible say about those that would defile God’s People and take advantage of them? These men that take rule over God’s people rather than minister to them as Jesus did?
We see in God’s Word that Jesus Christ himself did not tolerate such behavior and twice at the beginning (John 2:13-17) and at the end (Matthew 11:15-18,
Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-46) of His ministry physically drove out the money changers from the temple and kicked over their tables. Oh that there would be some men of God with the courage to go into the back of churches today and in the Spirit of Christ kick over the money changer tables today. Yes, the religious Pharisees of today will react the same way they did in Jesus day (John 10:20) and hold council against you (Matthew 12:14) but remember 1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. In the world is exactly where these religious Pharisees are from and not from God.
What do we do now?
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
It is better to be divided by TRUTH
than to be united by error.
It is better to speak the TRUTH that hurts and then heals
than lie that comforts and then kills.
It is better to hear tough or even rough TRUTH
than tender or polished lies.
It is better to be hated for telling the TRUTH
than loved for telling a lie.
It is better to stand alone for the TRUTH
than stand with a crowd in a lie.
It is up to you now. Will you continue to cower to the money changing religious Pharisees and stay in the dark or are you willing to stand on truth and come into the Light.
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.