The True Gospel vs. The False Gospel
It’s amazing how subtle the false gospel is. I have prepared two gospel’s below. Gospel A and Gospel B. See if you can discern which gospel is the false gospel and which is the true.
| GOSPEL A Condition for acceptance:
The Good News (of Gospel A):
|
Gospel B Condition for acceptance:
The Good News (of Gospel B):
|
The verdict:
Both Gospel A and Gospel B are 100% TRUE. But Gospel A is only part of the truth. In fact it is a partial truth which makes it a lie and false gospel!
Concerning Gospel A: There is not a single person on this earth who would not like a free ticket out of hell and into heaven. But of these people there are very few who would like to see God rule (Lord) over their life. Gospel A offers a free ticket out of Hell and into Heaven based on a mere intellectual acknowledgment and decision for “Jesus”. The good news of Gospel A is merely a free ticket out of Hell… Jesus is Savior but not Lord. Often proponents of Gospel A add in additional humanistic motivations such as emotional pain relief, a quenching for out of control materialistic desires (void filler) and many other motivations of the man centered gospel.
In Gospel B: The central focus is restoring the man to God aka reconciliation (2 Cor 5). God created us to worship and glorify Him through the pursuit of God (John 17:3). The good news of Gospel B restores man to God so that he can now live for God. Gospel B is the good news that repentance and lordship is available despite your sin which renders you separate from God and deserving of wrath. This is the true gospel. I can now begin to live for, know and worship God from now on throughout eternity. This is a gospel nobody in their depravity wants! It takes an effectual calling to bring someone into acceptance of this Gospel.(John 6:44; John 6:56; Acts 16:14; Acts 13:48; Matt 16:17; Matt 11:27; Acts 2:39; Romans 9:10-24; Romans 12:3; Phil 1:29; Eph 1:4; John 10:26; John 1:13; Psalm 65:4; James 1:18; John 17:9) Because salvation is a complete work and miracle of God it frees me to preach the true gospel without having to worry about men being offended by it.
Arguments used to support the false gospel:
- I got saved through Gospel A. Actually no… You got saved in spite of the partial Gospel. God’s Holy Spirit was already doing a work in your heart and you responded when you heard it. I don’t deny that Gospel A reaps a legitimate harvest. My problem with it is that it also confuses true Christians and lies to unbelievers. It tells those who are headed for destruction and judgment that there is safety ahead (Ezekiel 33:7-9). Perhaps this is why Paul said, “I am innocent the blood of all men because I have not shunned to declare to you the full counsel of God.” (Acts 20:26-27) And perhaps indicates a stricter judgment for the teachers and preachers of God’s word.
- Gospel A works. It gets more people. Since when was results the litmus test for validity? Again it only seems to get more people because you are inviting anyone and everyone who still desires to live in rebellion against God to accept a free ticket out of hell. Who wouldn’t want that? Does not Jesus say, “not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the ones who do the will of my father in heaven” (Matt 7:21) see also: (1 John 2:4; 2 Peter 2:13ff; James 2:14; Heb 6:6; Titus 1:16; Eph 2:10; 2 Cor 13:5,1 Cor 6:9; John 8:31; Matt 7:21; Jude 1:4).
Justin Esposito said:
Amen and amen. Revival will bring repentance in the church, and that turning will be one that goes away from gospel A towards gospel B… but many pastors and teachers will not admit that their ministry has been so falsely lead by pragmatism and philosophy rather than biblical theology… and they will be judged more harshly in the Day. Praise be to God, we are saved by grace through faith, and that NOT OF OURSELVES, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast!!!
Shon said:
thanks for the straw man chart and also …. please show me from the Word …. anywhere …. that trusting in Jesus for salvation was ever made this complex and intricate. I guess …. we need this chart to get saved … too bad the thief on the cross or the Roman jailor only had to BELIEVE in their hearts to receive eternal life. And I guess young kids need to go through a special John Piper course before they can feel worthy and reformed enough to even hear the message of the cross. Dude .. chill out with making the Gospel hard to find and understand. read Paul and Jesus …. and less of Macarthur and Piper
randy said:
Salvation is impossible. But with God all things are possible.
It is not complex, in fact it is quite simple. Man lives in rebellion against God. As a result he is rendered separate from God and deserving His wrath. Jesus died on the cross for our sins; but not just so we can continue in rebellion… Instead he died to reconcile us to God. Yes; it frees us from Hell… But no, it’s not a ticket to continue in rebellion.
Jesus turned many who didn’t understand away in John 6. He also told the rich young man to sell all he had and follow him. I guess Jesus should have left out the “Follow me”.. and I guess the apostles should have left out repentance…
Are you saying that had the thief on the cross been converted and continued living on earth he would of continued as a thief? That doesn’t quite jive with Jesus’ message to “go and sin no more”.
And it sounds to me by your consistent comments on my blog that you are quite bitter towards the word of God. I pray the Lord continue His work of salvation in your life as well as in mine.