The Gospel is thus often misstated in various and subtle ways. The more common of these are the following terms:
1. ACCEPT – This term is commonly used by many to teach that you need to “accept” Jesus Christ into your heart to be saved. But the Scripture, not even once, warrants to this kind of scheme.
From all mentions of the word “accept,” “accepted,” “acceptable,” “acceptance,” etc., you will find that it was God accepting someone, and not man accepting God. First mention is in Genesis 4:7, and last mention is in 1 Peter 2:20.
The saved individual is accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6; 2 Cor. 5:9). And there is a truth that is worthy of acceptation (1 Tim. 1:15; 1 Tim. 4:7), and that is “Christ Jesus came in to the world to save sinners!”
God can now accept sinners, not sinners accepting God, by the work and merit of Christ.
2. RECEIVE AND BELIEVE – many would insist that receiving and believing are separate obligations to be imposed on the unsaved. They confuse receiving Christ as receiving material and tangible things. Many carelessly use “Prayer” as means to receive. But it is not so. Please observe the following:
“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.” – Luke 8:13
“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:” – John 1:12
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” – 1 Thess. 2:13
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” – 1 Cor. 15:1-2
In these passages of Scriptures you will observe that “receiving” and “believing” go together. That is to say, to receive is to believe. In other words, “believing” the truth is “receiving” the truth. Receiving Christ means believing Christ.
The uses of the word “EVEN” in the King James Bible
a. To add emphasis when making a comparison
b. To describe a situation, person or things which is equal or the same thing
Note on the second usage and observe how the Holy Ghost provides clarity in our subject matter using the King James Bible alone.
“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:” – John 1:12.
“(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, EVEN God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” – Romans 4:17. “whom he believed” refers to “God.”
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, EVEN the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:” – 1 Cor. 2:7. The “wisdom of God in a mystery” is the same with the “hidden wisdom.”
“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, EVEN Christ:” – Eph. 4:15. “the Head” refers to “Christ.”
“If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, EVEN the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;” – 1 Tim. 6:3. “the wholesome words” is the “words of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Thus, the right interpretation of John 1:12 is that those who “received Him” are the same with those who “believe on His name.” That is how important that little word “EVEN” in our KJV Bible.
BELIEVE TO RECEIVE
We can also find in the Scripture verses denoting “to believe to receive” but never “to pray to receive” salvation.
“(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that BELIEVE ON HIM SHOULD RECEIVE: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” – John 7:39
“To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHALL RECEIVE remission of sins.” – Acts 10:43
“He said unto them, Have ye RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST SINCE YE BELIEVED? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.” – Acts 19:2
“RECEIVED CHRIST”
“As ye have therefore RECEIVED CHRIST JESUS THE LORD, so walk ye in him:”
This wonderful verse is being used wrongly as proof text that the sinner must receive Jesus Christ in their heart. Its interpretation is obviously manipulated by many to support a long held traditional soul winning practice. And we know that it is not what the Scripture meant.
The verse is conclusive by the use of the word “therefore,” which clearly concluded what the believer has already received (Christ) rather than the act of receiving Christ. To rightly put, at the moment of salvation which is by Faith or believing, the believing sinner received Christ instantly, in the person of the Holy Ghost (Gal. 3:2). He is instantly sealed and indwelt by the Spirit (Eph. 1:13; Gal. 4:6). Christ dwelt in the believer the moment he trusted Christ’s finished work for his soul salvation. At that moment also Christ becomes the believer’s Hope of Glory (Col. 1:27).
In Romans 15:7 – Christ received us!
EXAMINE HOW CHRIST IS IN YOU
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?
Does He dwell in your heart because you ask Him by prayer to come to you? Or He dwells in you upon hearing of faith?(Gal. 3:2).
“Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” – Gal. 3:2
3. CONFESS AND BELIEVE – the mishandling of Romans 10:9-10 is the root of modern soul-winning schemes today. The formula of Faith plus confession is equal to salvation (faith + confession = salvation) was developed out of Romans 10:9. The danger of this interpretation is that it implies that “Faith alone” in Christ’s finished work is not enough for salvation.
Salvation is of the heart, NOT the mouth. “For with the HEART man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). It is with the heart that we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. The confession of the mouth can only follow the believing of the heart. It is the believing of the heart that makes us righteous in God’s eyes because of Christ’s righteousness which is applied to our account (Rom. 3:22). If we believe on Christ in our heart but fail to confess Him to men with our mouth, we are still saved. Why? Because it is “with the heart” that a person believeth unto righteousness. The very fact that a mute person cannot confess Christ audibly is proof that God doesn’t require it as part of saving-faith. Salvation is of the heart. We are saved by believing on Christ.
BELIEVING PRECEDES CONFESSION
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One cannot truly confess Jesus as Lord unless he is a believer (Romans 1:10; 14). Believing comes before confession (Acts 19:18; John 12:42).
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One cannot truly confess Jesus as Lord apart from the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 12:3; Gal. 4:6; Romans 8:14-16; 1 John 4:2,15).
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One cannot have the Spirit of God apart from believing (Gal. 3:2; Eph. 1:13; Acts 10:44; Acts 19:2).
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And with the heart man believes unto righteousness (Romans 10:10).
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“And out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”
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“And as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”
Therefore, in Romans 10:9-10,13-14, it was not actually the sinner confessing or calling Jesus to be Lord, but the believer. So it can rightfully term as “Believer’s confession” or “Believer’s call.”
It is NOT what you say in a sinner’s prayer that is important. In fact, you don’t need to pray at all to be saved. What does matter is that you BELIEVE in your HEART that Jesus is the sufficient Savior, the Son of God, and you trust upon Him and His blood sacrifice to wash away your sins. You need not open your mouth to be saved, for salvation is a matter of the heart.
4. RESPONSE TO GRACE – We all believe that salvation is by grace through faith apart from human works (Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 1:9). And we all agree that Grace means pure unrecompensed, unmerited, unrestrained, unadulterated, undefiled, limitless kindness and favor of God. What is done in grace is done graciously.
However, their response to grace would ruin the nature of grace by mingling it with even slightest human effort or merit. From the exact meaning of grace there can be no departure; otherwise grace ceases to be grace (Rom. 11:6). To arrive at the scope and force of the Bible doctrine of salvation by grace alone we need to follow consistently the path indicated by the exact meaning of the word.
Only by believing or through faith would the principle of grace to remain consistent with its exact nature and meaning. Any form of response apart from a response of faith or believing, no matter how small or sincere is a form of work and spoil the grace of God.
“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that WORKETH not, but BELIEVETH on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” – Romans 4:4-5
“And if by grace, then is it no more of works: OTHERWISE GRACE IS NO MORE GRACE. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” – Rom. 11:6
For grace to remain uncompromised and unadulterated is to apprehend it by faith. “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace…” – Rom. 4:16
“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.” – Eph. 2:8-9
Evangelist Rodgie Quirante
The Workman’s Treasure Study Series