Sermon Tone Analysis

*You Think You're Saved, But You're Not!*

(January 2002)

What a horrifying reality, to think you will enter God's presence on the day of your death, but then, come to find out on that day, you were actually deceived, and you find yourself in hell.

Such is, and will be, the terror of most who call themselves Christians today (Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:24; 2 Peter 2:2).

They will find themselves weeping and gnashing their teeth (e.g.

Matthew 8:12; 22:1-14; 25;14-30; Luke 13:28).

If you are involved with the kind of Christianity that views the "church of Christ," or Billy Graham, or Rick Warren, or Joel Osteen, or James Dobson, or Pat Robertson, or John MacArthur, or Tony Evans, or Greg Laurie, or Charles Stanley, or Chuck Smith, or Fred Price, or J. Vernon McGee, or Charles Blake, or Chuck Swindoll, or Gene Scott, or Harold Camping (Family Radio), or John Piper, or T. D. Jakes, or David Jeremiah, or Charles Spurgeon, or Dave Hunt, or David W. Cloud, or Perry F Rockwood, or Neil Anderson, or Robert Schuller, or Jack Hayford, or Benny Hinn, or Miles McPherson, or Ray Comfort, or Jim Cobrae, or Chuck Colson, or C. S. Lewis, or Pope John Paul, or Hank Hanegraaff, or Paul Chappell, or any of the like (or any of the likes on "Christian" TV or radio) as godly men, you are not saved.

Why? Because, you are on the broad way (Matthew 7:13; 2 Peter 2:2; 2 Timothy 4:3).

You have not the characteristic of Christ's sheep (John 10:5).

And, men such as these are wells without water (2 Peter 2:17).

*I.

The Broad Way*

Jesus warned,

*Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.*

(Matthew 7:13)

The false teachers mentioned above, and the many like them (2 Timothy 4:3), all teach a broad theological road that supposedly leads to heaven (e.g.

see some of our reports on these men).

False teachers differ as to how broad this way is, but nonetheless, they all teach a broad way.

As Charles Spurgeon put it,

What is the reason why there are so many [Christian] sects in the world?

Surely it must be because we don't follow the guidance of the Spirit of God.

If we followed the Word of God and the will of God in all things, we should be very much more alike than we are.

I do not think that even then we should all run in the same groove, for *the road to heaven may be sufficiently wide to have several different paths in it*, and yet shall they all be in the same way and in the same road.

(Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol.

61, p. 514-515, Sept., 28, 1870, bold added)

Spurgeon lies and speaks the exact opposite of Christ when he says, "the road to heaven may be sufficiently wide to have several different paths in it."

Spurgeon believed both Calvinists and Arminians were on this wide path to heaven (see our report /Spurgeon, An Ecumenical False Teacher/).

Jesus says it's narrow.

Spurgeon says it's wide.

Such teaching is damning.

False teachers, like those mentioned above, teach that amongst saved Christians there is a wide spectrum of conflicting doctrines and this manifests itself as differing forms of Christianity (e.g., see our report on Chuck Smith, or note Chuck Colson's book, /The Body/, or C. S. Lewis' book, /Mere Christianity/).

False teachers create this delusion by holding to some form of creed, creeds, essentials, fundamentals, or core belief that supposedly unifies all true believers.

If one stays within the bounds of this central belief, often called "orthodox Christianity," or "historic Christianity" (e.g.

/Christianity In Crisis/, p. 31, 43), then a person is considered to be in the truth.

And, other doctrines that the Bible addresses are counted as peripheral issues (or "secondary" or "non-essential") and are perceived as matters that do not pertain to salvation (e.g.

ibid., p. 47).

As the phrase that's been attributed to the Catholic of old (Augustine) puts it,

In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, charity.

(/Christianity In Crisis/, by Hank Hanegraaff, copyright 1993, p. 47)

These words well sum up the broad way (Matthew 7:13).

They make room for many who do not see eye to eye regarding a myriad of Scriptural subjects.

Thus, they create a wide theological path (as Spurgeon said) that supposedly leads to heaven, but in reality leads to hell; because people are led to "*not receive the love of the truth*" (as in 2 Thessalonians 2:10).

With this "essentials" doctrine (or any mentality like it), the broad way (Matthew 7:13-14) breeds complacency like gangrene in the hearts of men and women.

Since there are so many matters in the Scriptures that are considered not pertinent to salvation, trembling before the word of God is made obsolete (Psalm 119:120; Isaiah 66:2, 5; Philippians 2:12), and no one makes haste to keep His commandments (Psalm 119:60).

No one makes haste to keep all His precepts (Psalm 119:128, 151).

So, wisdom cries out,

*How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?

For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge.*

(Proverbs 1:22)

When "Christians" agree to disagree over what the Bible teaches, and only the "essential" matters matter (in regards to salvation), there resides an unbiblical simplicity in the mind and a deadly cancer (2 Timothy 2:16-17) in the hearts of such fools (false Christians) who learn to scorn and hate knowledge.

Because, their perspective is, "Hey, it's not a matter of salvation."

Therefore, their complacency will destroy them (Proverbs 1:32).

Contrary to any "essentials," Christ said,

*Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.* (Matthew 4:4)

Life is had "*by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God"* (i.e.

Genesis to Revelation).

It is trust in the word of God that saves, as James exhorts,

*Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

*(James 1:21)

It is the word of God that saves (e.g.

Luke 8:11-12).

It is the word of God that must be believed (e.g.

Genesis 15:5-6; Romans 4:3).

If you are directed away from faith in the word of God, whatever the issue, this can lead to the destruction of your soul.

Because, Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:5-6; Romans 4:3).

If you do not believe God, it will be accounted to you as wickedness (Psalm 119:118; 1 John 5:10).

Therefore, there are no Biblical issues we can agree to disagree upon, because Scripture warns and instructs,

*If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

From such withdraw yourself.*

(1 Timothy 6:3-5)

If anyone teaches anything other than holy writ and does not heed Scriptural correction ("teaches otherwise and does not consent" 1 Timothy 6:3), then we are instructed to withdraw and turn away from such a person (1 Timothy 6:5) (2 Timothy 3:5).

This is the opposite of agreeing to disagree.

It is rather, agreeing to leave and not fellowship with them.

Because,

*He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who refuses correction goes astray.*

(Proverbs 10:17)

Those who go astray from the word of God, are not in the truth, and are not saved; and their words are words of deceit, as Psalm 119:118 declares,

*You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, for their deceit is falsehood.*

God rejects all those who stray from His word.

It does not matter what the subject matter is.

There is no salvation for any who heed not holy writ, as Psalm 119:21 proclaims,

*You rebuke the proud, the cursed, who stray from Your commandments.*

No matter who you are, you are cursed if you do not follow after God's word.

Thus, it is eternally important to love correction, as Proverbs asserts,

*For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life.

*(Proverbs 6:23)

*Cease listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

*(Proverbs 19:27)

This is what the false Christian world has done.

They have strayed from the words of knowledge (2 Timothy 4:3) (2 Peter 2:18), and followed after a broad path that leads to hell (Matthew 7:13-14).

In opposition to a wide path, is the theologically narrow way that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:24).

How narrow?

In the very context in which Christ warned about the broad way (Matthew 7:13), He ended His sermon with this warning.

*Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.

And great was its fall.*

(Matthew 7:24-27)

In the context in which Jesus spoke these words (Matthew 5:3-7:23), He preached about contriteness, mourning, meekness, hunger, thirst, purity, peace, persecution, anger, divorce, adultery, oaths, love, giving, prayer, forgiveness, fasting, possessions, needs, worrying, judging, rebuking, seeking, false prophets, etc.. Do you see any "non-essentials" in there?

Christ makes no distinction concerning any of the many matters He addressed in His sermon.

For Him, it all matters eternally.