Welcome to Truth Time, where you'll get a shot of the truth with no chaser.
And now your Truth Time host, Trey Searcy.
Welcome in to another Truth Time transmission.
We start the show off with a comment from Don.
Don writes, I heard you quote Ephesians 2:8 and 9, but what about verse 10?
No one can be saved by faith alone.
Verse 10 says that works must also be included.
I think you'll see this if you just read it again.
Okay, we appreciate the comment, Don.
Dialogue is a good thing.
This is how we learn.
This is how we grow in the knowledge of the truth.
Let me start by saying, many confuse salvation verses with service verses.
They confuse His works with their works.
We must rightly divide the word of truth.
We must rightly divide the word of truth in order to gain a proper understanding.
Salvation and service are not only spelled different, they are different.
His works and your works are simply different, not the same.
Salvation is what the Lord Jesus Christ did for you, His works.
Service is what you do for him, your works.
He saves you and you allow him to work in and through you to reach others.
Your service, whether good or bad, in no way will affect your salvation.
What you can't gain from being good, you can't lose from being bad.
Now, with that said, after a saved person dies, they will attend something called the judgment
seat of Christ.
This is where Christ will evaluate every saved believer's works.
So yes, your service, your works do matter, but they have no effect on your salvation.
And more importantly, if you think that your works affect your salvation, there's a good
chance that you're not even saved.
You've placed your faith in the wrong information and now you're religious and lost.
This lordship salvation teaching goes totally against Romans 11:6.
There you'll find a verse that plainly tells you that you cannot mix grace with works and expect to be saved.
Why?
Because they're mutually exclusive.
We never work to be saved.
We work because we are saved.
Romans 11:6, And if by grace, then is it no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace.
So if Ephesians 2 verse 8 is right in saying that we are saved by grace, and if Romans 11 verse 6 is right in saying that if we mix works with grace, then grace is no more grace, then it's evident that there are millions of people that have been and are being deceived.
There are those who have died, and there are those who are alive and will die, that trusted in a false message for their salvation, one that said it took faith plus works to be saved.
They died or are dying thinking that salvation is found in what Jesus did on the cross plus how they lived their life.
I'm all for people living a good life, but what I'm not for is the false message that says living a good life plays a part in a person's salvation.
That's a poisonous, prideful message.
The word pride, picture it in your mind.
What do you see in the center of the word?
Think about it, P R blank D E.
P R blank D E.
Yeah, you have I in the center, a false salvation gospel that has left you thinking that you are the center of attention.
You're the I in pride.
If you've fallen for the faith in Christ plus what you do, you've fallen for the subtle lie of Satan that will keep you religious and lost throughout all eternity.
Now let's use our brains for a moment and think through this.
How can a lost person be saved today?
Well, the answer is simple, and it's found in Ephesians 2:8, For by grace are ye saved.
Now that's simple enough for anyone to get.
Ephesians 2:8 gives a direct answer to a direct question.
How can someone be saved?
The only answer is, by grace.
And then if you compare that with Romans 11:6, you see that you mustn't mix the two.
Works with grace was once required for salvation, but now works mixed with grace will only leave
you lost.
Your works for your salvation destroys His grace.
You see, if you want to learn what saved people are saved for, just look at the verse our Truth Time listener Don brought up, Ephesians 2:10.
Listen to the book, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.
So you see Don, you can't be saved by your works.
You can only be saved by God's grace.
So are works important?
Absolutely.
But do works save us?
Absolutely not.
According to the verse, that's why, not how, but why we're saved.
Ephesians 2:8 tells us how to be saved, and two verses later tells us why we're saved.
And folks, there are millions of people that are being deceived into thinking that these two verses mixed is what saves a lost soul.
Well, God disagrees, and it's why He said in verse 9 that salvation is not of works.
If you've fallen for this so-called gospel, you're lost and you don't even know it.
You're worshiping Satan and you don't even know it.
You're praising the God of this world's system, Satan, and you don't even know it.
Did salvation at one time depend on a person's faith plus works?
Absolutely.
And that's where some have been confused.
They've placed their faith in a time-past doctrine that at one time would save but will not save today.
When the apostle James said faith without works is dead, he meant it.
The confusion comes from not knowing who he meant it to.
It wasn't you.
And we know that by the very first verse of his very first letter, James 1:1.
Here James with great plainness of speech makes it crystal clear that we are not the intended recipient of his letter.
Listen to the very words of James himself.
James 1, verse 1, James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes.
Now who was this letter written to?
The twelve tribes.
Who were the twelve tribes?
The circumcised children of Israel.
And you're not one.
When reading your Bible, you must read it through the lenses of a Gentile.
Enough with the identity theft.
Haven't you heard?
Identity theft is illegal.
Your salvation does indeed depend on works.
It's just not your works.
Your salvation rests in what Christ did on your behalf.
Your salvation depends on His works, not yours.
The only response needed from you for salvation is faith.
F-A-I-T-H.
Romans 4:5, listen to the book.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Did it say your works?
No, your faith.
You see, in order for you to have a successful Christian life, there are some things you've got to do.
Works are definitely required.
However, in order for you to be saved, there is not even one work to be done by you.
The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has already done all the work necessary for your soul's salvation.
Salvation comes by you trusting in His finished work, and that alone.
We who are saved need to stop ignoring the fact that there are droves of people in our own circle who think they're saved but are not.
Some will be at your church this Sunday, some at the next family get-together, and some, perhaps, even in your own home.
Let's say that you had a life-threatening disease, and ah, your doctor found a cure that healed you.
Now, later on in life, you learn of a close friend, a co-worker, or even a family member that had been diagnosed with that same disease.
What would you do?
You'd get on the phone and call them, or send them an email, or you'd get in the car and drive to their home as fast as you could to tell them the good news.
You don't have to die.
I know someone that has the cure.
Well, do you know anyone that is unsaved?
Anyone that has an eternal, life-threatening disease?
So what are you doing about it?
Yeah.
You see, if they had a life-threatening disease like cancer, and you knew someone that could cure them, you'd run over and disturb them as fast as you could.
But when it comes to someone's eternal life, suddenly you get all prim and proper, not wanting to offend anyone.
After all, in this day and time you've got to be politically correct, don't you?
We need to get back into the public arena of debate, and stand up for what we're passionate about and sincerely believe in.
Today it's popular for people to agree to disagree.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with healthy debates.
I remember when they used to be on the radio and television, but no, not anymore.
It's just not the Christian thing to do.
Apparently Paul and Barnabas didn't get the memo.
You know, the one on how arguing is just not the Christian thing to do?
They both had many disputes, debates, and arguments concerning their faith, and we need more inferred arguments like Paul and Barnabas had today.
Do you remember the one they had with the men of Judea back in Acts chapter 15?
Matter of fact, Barnabas started debating way back in chapter 9 when he disputed against the Grecians.
Some people just can't handle the truth.
Barnabas made them so mad that they tried to kill him.
He also had the same type of arguments with Jews and devout people just two chapters later when he went into the synagogue.
They went at it head to head every day in the marketplace, Acts chapter 17 verse 17.
This is unheard of today.
Can you imagine doing that?
Think about it.
You go into town, debate scriptures with people that want to hang your head on their living room wall, go home, get a little shut-eye, wake up and start all over the next day.
And for how long?
Well, Paul argued boldly for three months with some people in Acts chapter 19 verse 8.
And after their hearts were hardened, he left to go to the school of Tyrrhenius, where he again disputed.
How often this time?
Every day.
For how long?
Two years.
Verse 9, listen to the book, Disputing Daily in the School of One Tyrrhenius.
Verse 10, And this continued by the space of two years.
You're listening to truth time, and we need to be truthful and just call it as it is.
You know you've always heard, I call it as I see it.
What we need to do is call it as it is, and not as you see it.
That's the problem with Christianity today.
We've followed after those who've called it as they've seen it, instead of calling it
as it is.
They took the lazy approach.
It's easy to call it as you see it, but it takes research.
It takes study to actually uncover the truth and call it as it really is.
People are now left with many misguided perceptions of how the Bible actually operates.
It's created pride.
Pride is blinding.
Most have been seduced by a self-righteous belief system that places you at the center of attention.
You've become the I in pride.
Let's call it as it is.
It's truth time, not tradition time, not what's the pastor's opinion time, or how do you feel about it time.
It's truth time.
Most religious denominations want to control you.
A real Bible teacher has no desire whatsoever to control you.
A real Bible teacher would rather influence and educate you.
People need to be educated.
Education will then shape their decisions.
Most people today don't have the guts to tell the truth.
While I do understand that there are not many who even know it, most of the ones that do won't tell it.
After all, they take great pride in their position in the church.
They take great pride in their position in the community.
In their social status.
And the truth sets people free.
And oops, there goes the control right out the door.
It's those with diseased minds who tend to get into power.
Have you ever noticed that?
The very ones with diseased minds are often the very ones who wind up in positions of authority.
Well, salvation is about you trusting in Christ alone.
It has to do with submission to God, not submission to man.
Look at what Paul had to say about Israel in Romans 10 verse 3.
For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
There you go.
That just might be the number one problem concerning salvation today.
Your religious tradition has taught you that salvation depends on what Christ did on the cross plus what you're doing, plus what you do during your lifetime.
What you do during your lifetime does matter.
It matters greatly.
But it has zilch to do with being saved.
Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone.
Salvation is not about what you do, and until you're willing to submit yourself unto the righteousness of God, you'll never be saved.
Just like the verse says, for they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness.
That's what most denominational religious traditional churches teach today.
Wake up, open your eyes, and take a good look at what's going on around you.
There are many wily people in power today.
They have authoritative positions.
The foxes are loose, and we're undergoing a process of organized confusion.
Be aware, for those involved are very cunning, and possess a knack for hiding things in plain view.
It's amazing how few there are today that adhere to the study method of comparing scripture with scripture, rightly dividing the word of truth.
It's God's prescription for Bible understanding, and in fact, Miles Coverdale understood this more than four hundred years ago.
Listen to what he wrote.
It shall greatly help thee to understand scripture, if thou mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom, and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goeth before, and what followeth after.
There you go.
That's the study method of comparing scripture with scripture, rightly dividing the word of truth, being promoted over four hundred years ago from a man who published one of the first completed English Bibles.
There are thousands upon thousands of church pastors, radio, TV, website, and YouTube teachers
who insist on mixing covenant and grace doctrines together.
Someone once said, when the literal sense makes good sense, be careful not to make nonsense.
Yes, those who spiritualize the Bible when it should be taken literally, they do God's word a terrible injustice.
2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
I don't say the things I say to be liked.
I say the things I say because I'm not ashamed of the truth, the gospel.
What about you?
Are you more concerned with being liked, fitting in, gaining popularity, playing the numbers game?
Sounds good, and appeals to the flesh, huh?
I'm not here for your self-esteem.
I'm not concerned with whether or not your checkbook is balanced.
I'm in no way burdened over whether or not you're experiencing your best life now.
I am, however, deeply concerned about where you'll spend eternity.
And by the way, I don't want my best life now, for that would mean I'm going to hell.
I once heard it said that your best friend is the one who tells you the most truth.
The sad fact is, many have become so sensitive, they no longer accept the truth.
Are you one of those, having skin so thin that you get offended by those who dare tell
you the truth?
This is nothing new, and we see that Paul experienced the same thing.
Galatians 4:16, Paul wrote, Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
Here we are back with more Truth Time.
It's Truth Time because there's no better time for truth than right now.
2 Corinthians 5 verse 7 says, Walk by faith, not by sight.
And 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us why.
Because the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him.
Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
This saved by grace through faith, without any works of any kind, is foolishness to the natural man.
So it takes patience, and we must continue to preach and teach the word of truth rightly divided.
The present dispensation is a spiritual, not physical, dispensation.
Everyone in the Bible was saved by faith, but it's only in the letters of Paul that we see that there is no more works required to keep salvation.
Paul is the due time Grace Apostle declaring that it is no more of works in Romans 11:6.
If Paul in Romans 11:6 says no more of works, then that of necessity means works was once required as a part of a soul's salvation, but not anymore.
In this dispensation, it's faith alone, faith plus nothing for your soul's salvation.
Faith in what?
Faith in the fact that Christ, finished, completed the work on your behalf.
And thank God He did, because you will never be good enough to do the work required for a soul's salvation.
Work was once required, but now it's faith alone.
And in time past, they needed a herd, a temple, and a priest in order to keep their salvation.
When we come to Scripture, we must rightly divide the word of truth.
Are you saved by works, as said by Peter in Acts chapter 10 verse 35, or not by works, as said by Paul in Titus 3:5?
Can't be both.
You must rightly divide the word of truth.
What is the word of truth?
The gospel of your salvation.
Another question.
Should you give a 10% tithe, as we can clearly read about in Malachi 3:10, or should you freely give as you purpose in your heart, as Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 9:7?
These verses are opposite, not the same.
Another question.
Are you saved through the rise of Israel, Isaiah 60 verse 3, or through the fall of Israel, Romans 11: 11?
Can't be both.
Can you lose your salvation, Psalms 51:11?
Or does Christ promise to seal you by the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13?
How long are you sealed?
Check out Ephesians 4:30 for the answer to that.
Does your forgiveness of sins depend on you forgiving others, Matthew 6:14, and 15?
Or, are you forgiven as a result of Christ's death on the cross, Galatians 1:4?
Can't be both.
You must rightly divide the word of truth.
Are we not supposed to study. Mark 13:11?
Or are we supposed to study, 2 Timothy 2:15?
Today, do we not need teachers, 1 John 2:27?
Or do we need teachers, 1 Corinthians 4:17?
In comparing the ministry of the 12 apostles with that of the apostle Paul, we must observe very carefully.
The 12 were chosen by Christ on earth, Luke chapter 6 verse13, while Paul was later chosen by Christ
in heaven, Acts 9, verses 3 to 5, and Acts 26, verse 16.
Logic is a wonderful thing.
Logic comes from God.
But there's laws of logic.
One such law is called the law of non-contradiction, which basically says that two opposites cannot
both be true at the same time.
We must remember that two opposites can't both be true at the same time.
Let's look at Scripture, Scripture that will support this point.
Let's say the subject is salvation, eternal life.
Before Christ went to the cross and paid the sin debt, a man came to him and said, Matthew 19:16, good master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?
Now did Jesus say, trust in my death, burial, and resurrection for all of your sins?
No.
Verse 17, Jesus said, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Okay, same subject.
The subject is salvation, this time, after, not before, Christ went to the cross and paid the sin debt.
What happened?
A man came to Paul and Silas and asked them the same question.
Acts 16, verse 30, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Did they say, keep the commandments?
No.
They said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
That goes along with Titus 3:5, Romans 4:5, and Ephesians 2:8 and 9, all pointing to salvation by grace alone without any works of any kind.
And it's not of works because that would give man a right to brag, a right to boast.
Now simple question for basically anyone that has an ounce of discernment.
Is what we just read the same or is it different?
Be honest and answer the question.
The word gospel means good news.
However, there are those of you who will go to the grave ignoring that there is more than one gospel in the Bible.
I just read two, and they are not the same.
Before the cross, Christ told the man to do works for salvation, keep the commandments.
And he went on to say, sell all that you have and follow me.
However, after the death of Christ, after he went to Calvary and made the sin payment for you and I, the one that we couldn't pay, he returns to our apostle Paul, gives him the revelation of the mystery, the revelation that explained exactly what he did on your behalf at Calvary's cross.
And salvation no longer has works attached to it, none whatsoever.
Salvation is by grace through faith, not of works.
You see, this truth is on record.
It's really not debatable.
We just read it straight from the Bible.
When rightly dividing the word of truth, we don't have to change the word or say, oh well, what this really means is, no.
When you read the word of truth, rightly divided the way God intended for you to read it, the dots start to connect and the puzzle begins to come together forming a beautiful and clear picture of God's grace.
The answers to your questions can at that time be easily found in the Bible.
The Bible is reliable, and you need reliable, collected data in order to form a correct belief system, otherwise you're just left with faith in a false set of beliefs.
You can't make bricks without clay.
Thanks for joining me on this edition of Truth Time.
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