Program #L13—“The Theological Adventures of Johnny Lukewarm and Pastor Loophole: More Grace Loopholes (Cont’d)”
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Radio Show Transcript, © 2001, Persuade The
World Ministries, Gordon James Klingenschmitt, Servant. Copying
and distribution (without editing) is highly encouraged.
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<Many more transcripts and free MP3 radio shows CLICK HERE>
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Opening introduction by Mark
McWilliams…
Welcome and thank you for joining this radio
broadcast of Persuade The World Ministries. You’re
about to hear our radio production of the book written and taught
by Gordon James Klingenschmitt, entitled “License To Sin,
The Number One Reason America Is Losing Its Moral
Foundation.” If you call us in the next hour,
we’ll mail you a free cassette tape of today’s
broadcast, which you can copy and give to your friends. Just
call our toll-free phone number: 866-Obey-God. That’s
toll free, 1-866-O-B-E-Y-G-O-D. Gordon James Klingenschmitt
is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, and a
seminary graduate of Regent University, holding both M.B.A. and
Master of Divinity degrees. He’s also the founder and
servant of Persuade The World Ministries, a 501(c3) tax-exempt
religious non-profit corporation in Colorado Springs, dedicated
to persuading individuals in America and throughout the world to
forsake their sins and submit their hearts and minds to the
loving rulership of our Lord, Jesus Christ. And now with
today’s teaching, here is Gordon James Klingenschmitt.
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Thanks Mark. Today we continue our
mini-drama entitled “The Theological Adventures of Johnny
Lukewarm and Pastor Loophole.” You remember our
characters: Johnny Lukewarm is a non-Christian who calls himself
a Christian. He wants to go to heaven when he dies, but
doesn’t want to obey Jesus as the Lord of his life. So
he gets his advice from Pastor Loophole, who tells him everything
his itching ears want to hear.
(Higher) “Pastor Loophole, I’m very upset about this particular passage of scripture. It seems as though God is commanding me to do something I really don’t want to do. Do I really have to repent, and stop sinning, and obey God? Or is there some other alternative?
(Lower) “Why, certainly there is, Johnny Lukewarm, you just
relax. I can offer you dozens of alternatives, and give you
very logical reasons why you don’t have to obey God.”
(Higher) “Oh, thank goodness. For a minute there, I
thought I’d actually have to change my behavior and obey
God!” Johnny breathes a big sigh of relief. He
sits forward eagerly, with his itching ears searching for some
way of escape from the Holy Spirit’s conviction. But
the Spirit of God is grieved away, and He slowly withdraws his
conviction from Johnny’s life.
Now let’s continue with Loophole #15,
entitled “The Cross Plus Nothing” So here’s Pastor
Loophole again.
(Lower) “The Cross plus nothing, Johnny. The blood
Jesus shed on the cross is the only thing that can pay for your
sins. And you can’t add one thing to the work Jesus
did for you on the cross. When Jesus hung on the cross and
said, ‘It is finished,’ [1] he meant that nothing else could be added to
that finished work. So if you try to be holy, you’re
just adding to the finished work of the cross. Your
holiness can’t atone for your sins, so it must not be
required for your salvation. You don’t have to be holy
to go to heaven. Jesus did all the work that was required.
There is only one requirement for salvation: The Cross plus
nothing.”
TIME OUT !! Let’s look at the
scriptures everybody, and analyze Pastor Loophole’s advice.
Let’s rightly divide the word of truth, and separate the
truth from the lies in the advice given by Pastor Loophole.
First, I want to acknowledge the true part. It’s true
that the blood Jesus shed on the cross is the ONLY thing that can
atone for, or pay for, your sins. So if you do live a holy
life, your holiness doesn’t help atone for, or pay for, your
sins. Who can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood
of Jesus. Amen! But just because the cross is the
only payment for your sins, that doesn’t mean it’s the
only requirement for salvation. Payment is not the same as
requirement. If the cross was the only requirement for
salvation, then everybody in all history would be saved, because
the only requirement for everybody was already met! The
cross is sufficient to atone for the sins of all mankind, but in
reality it only covers the people who meet God’s other
requirements. If you don’t meet God’s other
requirements for salvation, then what Jesus did on the cross
doesn’t apply to you.
For starters, the cross does not apply to you, if you refuse to
believe in the Lord Jesus. If the cross was the only
requirement for salvation, then faith in Christ is not
a requirement for salvation.
(Lower) “Oh, well I meant to include that one.” says Pastor Loophole, “Just two requirements: The cross plus believing. I didn’t really mean to say ‘the cross plus nothing.’ I meant to say ‘the cross plus believing.’ But certainly those are the only two requirements for salvation.”
No, God has more requirements. If the cross is the only
requirement for salvation, then receiving Jesus as your Savior is
not a requirement.
(Lower) “Oh yeah, I forgot—it’s the cross plus two
things. The cross, plus believing and receiving Jesus as
Savior. But don’t add any more. We don’t
want to add to the finished work of the cross.”
No, God demands more. If the cross was the only requirement
for salvation, then you don’t need to be born again.
(Lower) “Hmmm.” says Pastor Loophole. “I
know Jesus said ‘You must be born again,’[2] so I guess there are three things. Believe,
receive Jesus as Savior, and be born again. O.K. O.K.
The cross plus three things. But don’t add any more.
We don’t want to add to the finished work of the
cross.”
Sorry, here’s two more: Paul writes that if you
confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe
in your heart that God raised him from the dead,[3] you will be saved.
(Lower) “Well, yeah, that’s in Romans 10. O.K.,
I’ll give you those two. It’s the cross plus five
things.” But Pastor Loophole is starting to get
frustrated.
But here’s one more. If the cross is the only
requirement for salvation, then repentance is not a requirement.
But if you don’t have to repent, then why did all the
prophets tell people to Repent and live! [4] Why
did John the Baptist preach repentance?[5] Why did Jesus
demand repentance as the first way to enter the kingdom of God?[6] And why did Peter preach, “Repent,
then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out?”[7] Why didn’t he
say, “you don’t have to repent, and your sins may be
wiped out?” Why did Paul preach repentance, and warn
people to prove their repentance by their deeds? [8] Because all these
preachers knew, repentance is required, or the cross won’t
atone for your sins!
(Lower) “No way. That’s too much.” Pastor
Loophole gets angry. “You can say the cross plus five
things, but never six. Now you’ve crossed the line.
You’re adding way too much to the finished work of the
cross. I never liked the word ‘repent,’ anyway.
Sounds like ‘salvation by works’ to me.”
But Pastor Loophole has drawn his line in the sand. First
he said the ‘cross plus nothing,’ and then he conceded,
‘the cross plus five things,’ but now he draws his
line, when all the prophets in the Bible require
repentance. Why does he stand against them? What
makes him so uncomfortable? What’s the real
reason he says ‘the cross plus nothing?’ Does he
want to water down the gospel, and black out God’s
requirement that we repent? Why does he only like half the
Bible, and hate the other half? Does he love his own sins
too much to forsake them? What liberal seminary taught
Pastor Loophole his theology? Who were his favorite Bible
teachers? Did they work for God or for the devil?
But wait, God requires more. If the cross is the only
requirement of salvation, then you don’t have to confess
your known sins to God. But the Bible says, If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins...[9]
(Lower) “Oh, stop adding to the finished work of the
cross!” shouts Pastor Loophole.
Nope, I can’t delete God’s requirements from His Word. I’ll preach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I’d rather die than silence the half of the Bible you don’t like. But wait, here’s a few more requirements:
John 17 says you must know Him, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ, whom he has sent. This is eternal life.[10] 1st John 1 says if we walk
in the light, as he is in the light…the blood of Jesus, his
Son, purifies us from all sin.[11]
1st John 2 says This is how we know we are in him:
whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.[12] Hebrews 10 says if you deliberately
keep on sinning, no sacrifice or atonement for your sins is left.[13] Hebrews 12 says without holiness, no
one will see the Lord.
Romans 8 says those
who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.[14] Revelation 3 says “To him who
overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my
throne.”[15]
1st Corinthians 15 says “By
this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I
preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.”[16] Revelation 2 says “Be faithful,
even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of
life.”[17] If you don’t
meet all the Bible’s requirements for salvation, then you
don’t meet the Biblical requirements for salvation. Look
these up in your own Bible. It’s not my list,
it’s God’s.
(Higher) “But wait,” says Johnny Lukewarm, “You just read 16 New Testament requirements for salvation. But what if there’s more? What if I overlook one, and I miss heaven on a mere technicality?”
Relax, Johnny Lukewarm, because Jesus boiled all these
requirements down to only two. If you just obey the two
commands of Christ, they’ll encompass all the other
requirements in the Bible. If you really want to be safe,
read Luke chapter 10.
An expert in the
law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked,
“what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the law?” he replied. “How do
you read it?”
“He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with
all your mind.’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do
this and you will live.”[18]
Oh my. Did you hear what Jesus said? All of God’s commandments can be summed up in these two: Love God and love your neighbor. Do this and you’ll inherit eternal life! All of those requirements we read in the Bible: believe in the Lord Jesus, receive Him as your personal Savior, be born again, confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, repent and turn to God, confess your sins to God, know Him the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent, walk in the light, as he is in the light, walk as Jesus did, don’t deliberately keep on sinning, be holy, be led by the Spirit of God, overcome sin and the world, hold firmly to the word that was preached to you, be faithful even to the point of death, all these commandments, and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Now when Jesus says in Luke 10, “love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. Do this and you will live.” What is he saying? Is he adding to the finished work of the cross? No, he’s laying out God’s requirements, if you want the cross to atone for your sins! Love God and love your neighbor. Do this, and the cross will atone for your sins! Now holiness, or loving God and loving your neighbor, doesn’t atone for your sins—only the blood Jesus shed on the cross can do that. But if you don’t love God and love your neighbor, then what Jesus did on the cross doesn’t apply to you. Forget about ‘the cross plus nothing.’ It’s the cross plus love. Love God and love your neighbor. Do this and you will live.[19]
Read it for yourself in Luke 10. Now let’s take a short break.
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Middle segment by Mark McWilliams…
Thanks Gordon. He’ll be back in just a moment. But first, do you know somebody who needs to hear today’s message? If you call our toll-free number in the next hour, 866-Obey-God, we’ll mail you a free cassette tape of today’s broadcast, which you can copy and give to your friends. All our tapes are copyable and free, but please remember we need your donations to stay on the air and to give away these free tapes. So please pray and obey, then send us your best possible donation, after you receive your free cassette. (Gordon: Hey time out! If it’s your first time calling us, no donation is required! Just call us!) Our toll free number is 866-Obey-God, that’s 1-866-O-B-E-Y-G-O-D. And please specify you’re requesting today’s program. Do you believe America needs to hear these messages? If so, then we need you to sponsor us, by joining the Persuader’s Club with a monthly pledge of just $15. If you join the Persuader’s Club, we’ll also send you an autographed copy of Gordon’s book that you’ve been hearing. Just visit our web-site at persuaders-club.com. Or call us in the next hour at 866-Obey-God. Right now, let’s return to Gordon James Klingenschmitt.
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Thanks again, Mark. Now let’s continue with loophole number 16, entitled “positional sanctification.” Here’s Pastor Loophole again:
(Lower) “Now Johnny, holiness isn’t required for your
justification, or eternal salvation. No, holiness is only
needed for your sanctification, or your personal growth.
And when we talk
about sanctification, there’s really two kinds: First,
there’s ‘positional’ sanctification, and then
there’s ‘actual’ sanctification. Now
here’s how it works, Johnny. When you accept Jesus as
your Savior, you’re ‘positionally’ sanctified.
You gain a position in Christ, so God pretends that you’re
holy, even when you’re not. Your position in Christ is
all that matters, because God doesn’t look at those sins you
keep on enjoying, He only looks at what Jesus did for you on the
cross. Now once you’re ‘positionally’
sanctified, you can take your sweet time about becoming actually
sanctified, or actually holy, because actual sanctification is a
lifelong process. You have the rest of your life to grow in
holiness. You don’t have to be holy all at once, you
can do it gradually and slowly, because actual sanctification is
a life-long process. There’s no hurry, because actual
holiness is optional when it comes to salvation. God
already sees you as positionally sanctified because of what Jesus
did for you on the cross.”
(Higher) “Wow, thanks Pastor Loophole,” says Johnny
Lukewarm. “I guess I’ll just forsake my sins gradually,
a little bit at a time. I’ll give up some easy ones
now, but I think I’ll delay forsaking my favorite sins until
later on when it’s more convenient. After all, actual
sanctification is a life-long process. And I’m
positionally sanctified until then. I’m saved and
going to heaven, even if I don’t give up all my sins, right
away.”
TIME OUT !! Let’s look at the scriptures everybody, and analyze Pastor Loophole’s advice. First, I want to acknowledge the true part. It’s true that once you get saved, you’ll spend the rest of your life growing in knowledge, and it’s a life-long process to learn about what pleases God. But the lie is that after you realize you’re walking in sin, you can take your sweet time and gradually forsake your known sins. You can’t gradually repent, you’ve got to repent immediately! God demands you forsake all your known sins immediately, not gradually. Yeah, you can gradually grow in knowledge, but repentance and holiness must be immediate! You can’t delay repentance, and wallow in your sins a while, and take your sweet time to become holy. You’ve got to repent immediately! Not later on in life, right now! Your knowledge will grow gradually over time, but your actual holiness must be immediate.
Now the whole idea of “positional sanctification” is a lie of the devil. People who say you can be positionally sanctified are preaching the antinomian heresy, saying “without holiness, everyone can see the Lord.” They think repentance is optional, and you can go to heaven without real holiness, and Jesus died on the cross to forgive your sins, even while you continue to enjoy them. But positional sanctification is a false theological construct, and it’s not based on the Bible. The Bible says without holiness, no one will see the Lord.
So if you’re
thinking, “I can gradually and slowly forsake my known sins,
and I can delay repentance, and I can wait until later to get actually
sanctified.” If you believe this, you believe the lies
of the devil. Only the devil wants you to delay repentance,
and wallow in your sins a little while longer. Don’t
do it. God wants to set you free from your sins right now,
not tomorrow.
Repentance and
holiness and sanctification aren’t optional, they’re
mandatory for salvation. If you didn’t repent and
change your heart when you got saved, then you didn’t really
get saved. If you didn’t forsake your known sins, and
stop sinning, when you got born again, then you didn’t
really get born again. 1st John says, We know
that anyone born of God does not continue to sin…No one who
is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains
in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.[20]
And Hebrews 10
says, if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received
knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice (or atonement) for sins is
left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging
fire that will consume the enemies of God. So if you
deliberately keep on sinning, you don’t have any atonement!
What Jesus did on the cross doesn’t apply to you. You’re
not saved. If you deliberately keep on sinning, your future
is in the raging fire and judgment that will consume the enemies
of God. Read that for yourself in Hebrews chapter 10.
Now let’s continue with loophole number 17, entitled “growing in grace.” Here’s Pastor Loophole again:
(Lower) “Johnny, we have to grow in grace. The
Bible says, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Now growing in grace means that
you forsake your sins gradually and slowly. It takes time
to grow. Don’t feel like you have to be holy all at
once. Take your sweet time, and grow in grace.”
TIME OUT !! Let’s look at the
scriptures. It’s true that Christians grow in grace.
But the lie is that growing in grace means you can slowly and
gradually forsake your known sins. Did you know that even
Jesus grew in grace? The Bible says Jesus grew in wisdom
and stature, and in favor with God and men. [21]
Now Jesus grew in favor with God—Jesus grew in grace. But
that doesn’t mean he slowly and gradually decided to obey
God. Jesus was holy immediately and consistently. So
growing in grace doesn’t mean you gradually forsake your
sins.
Charles Finney said
in 1840, “Many persons seem to understand the command
‘Grow in grace,’ as implying that gradual giving up of
sin.....If growth in grace implies the gradual giving up of sin,
then God has commanded men not to give up their sins at
once—they must give them up gradually. The truth is
that growth in grace implies the immediate relinquishment of sin
to begin with.”[22]
Now let’s continue with loophole number 18, entitled “Our righteousness is like filthy rags…” Here’s Pastor Loophole again:
(Lower) “Johnny, you can’t be righteous in God’s
eyes, no matter what you do. The Bible says, ‘all
our righteous acts are like filthy rags’ [23]
in God’s sight. So no matter how holy you try to be,
God only sees it as filthy rags. And if your holiness can
never measure up to God’s standard, then it must not be
required! Holiness can’t be required for
salvation.”
TIME OUT !! Let’s look at the
scriptures everybody. It’s true the Bible says, “all
our righteousness acts are like filthy rags.” But
the lie is that if God changes your heart, and God fills your
heart with actual holiness, that’s also like filthy rags.
But here’s the truth: there’s one kind of actual human
righteousness which measures up to God’s standard—the
righteousness which comes by faith. With genuine faith
(or whole-hearted submission to the Lordship of Christ) you can
please God. But without faith it is impossible to please
God.[24]
When your heart is submitted to the Lordship of Christ, you can be
found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes
from the law [of Moses], but that which is through faith
in [or submission to] Christ—the righteousness that
comes from God and is by faith.[25] Now when righteousness comes from God,
and is by faith, does God view it as filthy rags? No!
If God himself changes your heart, and produces actual holiness
in your heart, does God view it as filthy rags? No!
(Lower) “But that’s just the righteousness of Christ,
imputed to you while you continue to enjoy your sins,” says
Pastor Loophole. “It’s like you’re wearing a
Jesus mask. You don’t have to be holy with your
actions.” But watch out for his lies, Johnny. Do
not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is
righteous, just as he is righteous.[26] whosoever
does not righteousness is not of God,
neither he that loves not his brother.[27] The truth is there’s an actual
righteousness, initiated by God and acted out by holy people.
And God doesn’t view it as filthy rags. It’s
called genuine faith, and it’s pleasing to God, and it
expresses itself through love.
Let’s pray for a moment. Would
you just stop what you’re doing, and pray with me to God?
Pray these words out loud, with me, to God: “Father in
Heaven, please cleanse my mind, and help me get rid of every
false loophole and excuse to remain in my sins. I renounce
every argument against holiness, and I embrace your truth. I
know that sanctification must be immediate, and it’s not
optional. I know I must love God with all my heart, and
love my neighbor as myself. I know that growing in grace
doesn’t mean I can delay holiness, or gradually let go of my
sins. No Lord, I forsake them all immediately, right now.
Come and rule my heart, Lord, and fill me with genuine
righteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Did you just pray with me? If you prayed with me, would you
raise your right hand up to God? Wherever you are,
it’s OK. Just raise your right hand up to God, as a
sign that you prayed with me and gave your heart back to God.
Some of you are receiving a physical healing in your bodies right
now, as God’s forgiveness takes over in your heart. But
if you prayed with me just now, I hope you’ll write to us
and get a copy of this book you’re hearing me teach from.
I’ve been very fortunate and blessed to have this book read
and endorsed by people like C. Peter Wagner, and professors Tony Campolo
and Jon Mark Ruthven, Pastors Ted Haggard and Floyd McClung, and
Joy Dawson and Bill Hamon. So you know it’s
trustworthy. In our book and in our future broadcasts,
we’ll answer the questions you may have about faith versus
works or eternal security, and you’ll hear more theological
adventures of Johnny Lukewarm and Pastor Loophole. So I
hope you’ll write us and tune in next time. Now I love
you, and I care about you. So here’s Mark with more
information.
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Closing trailer by Mark McWilliams…
Thanks Gordon, and thanks everybody for listening. Do you know somebody who needs to hear today’s message? If you call our toll-free number in the next hour, 866-Obey-God, we’ll mail you a free cassette tape of today’s broadcast, which you can copy and give to your friends. All our tapes are copyable and free, but please remember that we need your donations to stay on the air and to give away these free tapes. So please pray and obey God about how much these teachings are worth to you, and return to us your best possible gift after you receive your free cassette. (Gordon: Hey time out! If it’s your first time contacting us, no donation is required! Just call us!) Our toll free number is 866-Obey-God, that’s 1-866-O-B-E-Y-G-O-D, and please specify you’re requesting today’s program. Now do you believe America needs to hear these messages? If so, we’re specifically asking you to join the Persuader’s Club, and to sponsor this radio broadcast with a monthly pledge of just $15. If you join the Persuader’s Club as a monthly partner, we’ll send you an autographed copy of the book you’ve been hearing, written and taught by Gordon James Klingenschmitt, entitled, “License To Sin, The Number One Reason America Is Losing Its Moral Foundation.” Just visit our web-site at persuaders-club.com. That’s persuaders-club.com. It’s the monthly donations of our Persuader’s Club partners who keep this program on the air. Now if you have comments or questions about today’s broadcast, you can email us at “persuadetheworld@yahoo.com,” Or you can write to us. Or you can always call us toll free, at 866-Obey-God. And if you remember, please tell us the call sign of the radio station you’re listening to. May God bless you, and thank you for supporting Persuade The World Ministries. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
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<Many more transcripts and free MP3 radio shows CLICK HERE>
[1] John 19:30 (NIV)
[2] John 3:3 (NIV)
[3] See Romans 10:9
[4] See Ezekiel 18:32
[5] See John 3:2
[6] See Matthew 4:17
[7] Acts 3:19 (NIV)
[8] See Acts 26:20
[9] 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
[10] See John 17:3
[11] See 1 John 1:7
[12] See 1 John 2:6
[13] See Hebrews 10:26-27
[14] See Romans 8:5-17
[15] See Revelation 3:21
[16] See 1 Cor 15:2
[17] See Revelation 2:8
[18] Luke 10:27-28 (NIV)
[19] Luke 10:28 (NIV)
[20] I John 5:18, 3:9 (NIV)
[21] Luke 2:52 (NIV)
[22] Charles G. Finney, Principles of Sanctification, Ed. Louis Parkhurst, Jr. (Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis, 1986), p.34.
[23] Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)
[24] Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
[25] Phil 3:9 (NIV)
[26] 1 John 3:7 (NIV)
[27] 1 John 3:10 (KJV)