About

I was raised in A Christian home but never knew whether I was saved or not growing up because I was not discipled to understand the doctrine of salvation.  I always thought it was me holding onto God instead of God holding onto me.  So therefore every time I would have a lustful thought through the natural hormones of the teenage years, I thought I lost my salvation.  I was very keenly aware of the verse where Jesus said,” if a man looks after women to lust after her, he has already committed adultery in his own heart.”  As a young man that verse haunted me for many years because I realized through all the Temptations that I faced as a teenager it seemed like that I’d be saved one day and lost the next.  I truly was where Augustine and Luther lived.  I felt it was hopeless to ever think I could have the assurance of my salvation.  It wasn’t until I went to Liberty University and Seminary that I was given the opportunity to study reformers like Calvin, Luther and Zwingli. It was then I begin to realize that the doctrine of justification is much different than the doctrine of sanctification.  I realized that only through Christ’s imputed righteousness could I ever be saved and that it had nothing to do with my good works.  I do believe that good works prove that you are saved but they can never save you or give you eternal life.  This is why we must never compromise as protestants and join together with Catholics who believe that Works is a part of salvation.  Their doctrine and the council of Trent which teaches that those who believe that salvation is by grace through faith and that not of ourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast should be declared Anathema.  They have never refuted the council of Trent and still hold to this today.  RC Sproul and John MacArthur were right to disagree with those who wanted to unite together with the Catholics in the latter part of the 20th century and bring protestants and Catholics together.  It wasn’t until I understood that the old account was settled long ago before the foundations of the world that I found peace.  I continue to sin even though I hate sin because of the Holy Spirit who lives within me.  But as sinners, that’s what we do, we sin, even though we are justified believers none of us have completely reached sanctification.  I constantly live in Romans chapter 7 where Paul said, “the good that I want to do, that I don’t do, but the very evil I don’t want to do, I end up doing, Oh wretched man that I am.”  Anyone who calls themself a Christian and does not feel this way, I doubt if they really have been saved.  Jesus spoke kindness and love to those who were ignorant and unaware of the truth that was found in the mosaic law and given to the Jewish race.  He preached nothing but judgment to the religious lost who thought they were good enough to earn their salvation and can make it to heaven by their own merit.  Pharisaism is what Jesus condemned the most.  Thank God for his grace that has redeemed me and even though I still stumble and sin there is a redeemer that paid the price and I can always come to him asking for forgiveness when I repent.  This is the message I always want to take to the streets when I do evangelism whether it be at Super Bowls or other sporting events or in my every day life as I hand out tracts or my favorite book outside of the Bible, More Than a Carpenter.  I am simply a sinner who has found some bread and wants to give this bread to others.