"The Fire and the Hammer"
"Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh
the rock in pieces?"
Jeremiah 23:29
"What are the great deceptions?"
Great and terrible deceptions have crept into our churches. They are great because so many souls are
already under their persuasion. They are terrible because the same souls will be lost for eternity unless
their deceived minds are enlightened to the truth.
I beg you, dear reader, to examine your thinking on the subject of your salvation. Examine your heart,
and examine your beliefs. If you are deceived, then surely you do not know it. Those who are so strongly
deceived, are also, so strongly convinced they are right. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man,
but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 16:25
It is hard to persuade an opinionated man. The pride of his soul will not allow him to question his own thinking.
He would rather go to his own grave stiffnecked and believing a lie than surrender his mind and will to truth.
"Be not wise in thine own eyes:fear the Lord, and depart from evil." Proverbs 3:7
Dear reader, don't blind your heart to God's Word by relying on mere traditional or popular opinion. Remember
it was traditional and popular opinion that crucified the Lord Jesus.
So what are the great deceptions which are damning the souls of men? They are the false concepts of:
Salvation without repentance.
Faith without obedience.
Commitment without holiness.
These three concepts are preached, taught, and believed in a majority of our churches. Many preachers powder
puff the gospel so that it appeals to the sin filled hearts who wish to be flattered with false securities of heaven.
Don't just take your preacher's word for it. Search the scriptures yourself. How foolish it is to believe that you
can live a sinful, selfish, worldly life, and expect the Holy God of Eternity to welcome you into heaven's holy
ground.
The blood of Jesus was not shed so you could live anyway you please and still go to heaven. His blood was
shed so you could be forgiven and delivered from your sins. Many people want to be forgiven from sin,
(removes guilt) but do not want to be delivered from sin (removes sin itself). "If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:9
"Salvation without Repentance."
This is a heresy that is preached more by silence than by blatant declaration. Repentance is usually not blasted
from the pulpit as an evil doctrine. It is usually just not emphasized, in which case it becomes a much more
subtle deception.
If the deceiver can just get us to ignore a foundational truth, he counts it more in his favor than if he clutters
our minds with trivial falsehoods. However, repentance is the very foundation to salvation. "...Except ye
repent ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:3,5
Jesus preached repentance. "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand."
Matthew 4:17
John the Baptist preached it. "Bring forth therefore fruits mete for repentance:"
Matthew 3:8
Peter preached it. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38
Paul preached it. "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where
to repent:" Acts 17:30
You cannot be saved without repentance.
Repentance defined is:
Sorrow and regret for every sin committed in your life. If you have not grieved over your past sins, you are
still unconverted. "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of.." 2 Corinthians 7:10
Repentance is a:
change in attitude toward sin. What sin you once loves to commit, now you hate. If you find yourself still taking
pleasure in sin, then know for certain that you have not fully renounced, and repented of your sins. "Repent,
and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations." Ezekiel 14:6
Repentance is victory:
Victory and freedom from sin. By God's grace you are overcoming sin. If you find yourself constantly defeated,
and enslaved to sin, then you are in need of true repentance. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body
that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."
"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Romans 6:12, 14
True repentance is not done for the promise of heaven, nor for the threat of hell, but because you have truly
offended the loving, and Holy God who created you. Your repentance is due to a personal revelation of the
Lord Jesus's sacrificial gift on the cross. "...the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance." Romans 2:4
Rev. Gerald Capps pastor:
Church of the Lord Jesus Christ
8601 Old Pascagoula Rd.
Theodore, Al. 36582
Ph. 251-653-4472
Lord bless,
Elder Jim