(Tim, I wish you would have watched the video. For then you may have a better understanding as to what this thread is completely about. Nonetheless, I do recognize that it is long, but there is not a whole lot I could do about that (with the exception of a few minor edits). Maybe you could download the audio version and listen to it on the go.)
Ok, since you both believe that Ray Comfort presents the gospel accurately, let’s take a look at this "gospel" as it is presented.
I remember reading "Hell’s Best Kept Secret” years ago, and at that time,I thought it was a great revelation.
If I remember correctly, Ray was perplexed by all the people who would make a "decision” for Christ only to immediately fall away from the faith. As he began to examine this problem, he came to understand that the problem was with the way the gospel was presented. He believed that most messengers of the gospel would present the gospel as a way for people to have a better life in the here and now (as well as eternity), but soon after "coming to Christ,” these same people would discover that life with Christ really wasn’t all that great. Instead of receiving peace and joy, these people would encounter trials and tribulation and as a result, eventually abandon the faith.
His most vivid example of this that I remember involved a plane, and a parachute. Here is this example as it appears word for word in his book (I don’t currently have the book, but I was able to track this down online):
From "Hell’s Best Kept Secret”
Not understanding how a parachute could possibly improve his flight, the first passenger is a little skeptical. Finally he decides to see if the claim is true. After strapping on the parachute, he notices its burdensome weight, and he has difficulty sitting upright. Consoling himself with the promise of a better flight, our first passenger decides to give it a little time.
Because he's the only one wearing a parachute, some of the other passengers begin smirking at him, which only adds to his humiliation. Unable to stand it any longer, our friend slumps in his seat, unstraps the parachute, and throws it to the floor. Disillusionment and bitterness fill his heart because, as far as he is concerned, he was told a lie.
There is more to this analogy, and the remainder of it provides a picture of the way that Ray came to believe the gospel should be presented.
Our second passenger gratefully straps the parachute on. He doesn't notice its weight upon his shoulders or that he can't sit upright. His mind is consumed with the thought of what would happen to him if he jumped without it. When other passengers laugh at him, he thinks, "You won't be laughing when you're falling to the ground!"
So as you can see through the above illustration, Ray came to understand that it was incorrect to motivate people to come to Christ with the promise of a better life. Instead, he came to believe that a proper presentation of the gospel should focus on the fact that man was a law breaker who rightfully deserved hell. He came to believe that if you first showed someone there guilt before God then that someone would be much more likely to turn to Christ. And not only would they turn to Christ, but they would also be willing to endure any discomfort that results from following Christ because the know the he is ultimately saving them from the righteous judgement of God.
With that said, let’s not go through a gospel presentation as suggested by Ray Comfort:
First you use the 10 commandments to show someone that they are indeed a law breaker.
Next you explain to them that because God is a righteous judge, he cannot simply ignore their lawlessness. And therefore, they are confronted with the fact that they are in a whole heap of trouble.
Once this person is confronted with the fact that they are in a whole heap of trouble, you introduce them to the good news that Jesus died on the cross to take the penalty for them. You explain to them that they can have the benefit of having theirs sins paid for through the death of Jesus if they will turn from there sin and place their faith in Jesus.
So now, what is wrong with this presentation? Well, pretty much everything thing! However, I will only focus on its most glaring fault.
Let’s pretend for a moment that someone heard this message and really came to a place of genuine fear. Let’s imagine that they realized that their sins were deserving of hell and lets imagine that they responded to the message with all their heart. Let’s imagine that they sincerely confessed every sin and diligently tried to resist their sin in the future. Let imagine that this person began to diligently read Gods word and began to spend a great deal of time each day in prayer. Let’s even go so far as to imaging that this person became so excited about the "gospel” they believed, that they would sell everything they owned and then travel the world to spread this message to the world. And finally lets imagine that this person endured much hardship and persecution because of the gospel they believed and let imagine that this person is eventually put to death for the sake of their gospel.
It is likely that you believe that this person will experience a joyful entrance into the kingdom of God. However, I am quite certain that this person will have received no such thing. And I am quite certain that this person will hear the words "I never knew you, depart from me.”
So why do I think this? I think this because this person only came to Christ as a "work.”
How was it "work?’
It was work because of the motives behind it. The initial reason that this person turned away from their sins and believed on Jesus was in order to escape hell and receive eternal life. It wasn’t the magnificence of God that provoked this man to turn away from sin and profess Christ. It was his own selfish motives that inspired his actions. And when something is done for selfish motives, God considers it work and he will give nothing to such a person.
The problem with Protestants is that they tend to think that only Catholics do work. Protestants mistakenly believe that "works” are all those physical, outward rituals that Catholics do in hope of gaining eternal life. Protestants believe that just because they do not trust in outward physical rituals as their means of salvation, that they are not working. A Protestant will claim that instead of working for their salvation they trust in the work of Jesus on the cross. They call this act of trusting in Jesus and his death - faith. And they believe that this act of faith will motivate God to give them his gift of eternal life.
However, Protestants are greatly mistaken. For this act of trusting in Jesus and his death on the cross, is just as much a work as all the Catholic rituals that are performed in the hope of gaining God’s gift.
For you see, whenever the apostle Paul tries to tell us that we are not saved my works., he is not referring to any particular outward action, but he is instead referring to the motive behind that action.
If an action is performed (whether an inward mental action or an outward physical action) with the hope of gaining something as a result of that action, it is considered work.
Why do you get up in the morning and go to your place of employment? Is it because you just love your boss so much? Or is it because you expect to be paid at the end of the week? And why does your boss pay you at the end of the week. Is it because he really likes you, or is it out of obligation because you worked?
Maybe you have a blue collar job that is physical demanding. Or maybe you have a white collar job that requires little physical effort. Regardless of these facts, the blue collar worker and the white collar worker both show up to their place of employment for the same reason ”“ because they want to be paid. And because of this, the actions they perform are considered work.
You see, it doesn’t matter what you do, or how hard or easy it is physically. If you are doing it with the hope receiving a benefit of any kind, then it is work. And once the work is done, you are not paid because your employer favors you. You are paid because he is obligated to do so.
The gospel of Ray Comfort (and the gospel that is proclaimed elsewhere in the institution called the church) is a false gospel of works. For they all teach that if we perform the action (or work) of sincerely believing on Jesus, then God will be obligated to pay us by removing our death penalty and granting us eternal life.
But oh how wrong they are. God gives nothing out of obligation. God gives nothing in response to work. God only gives his gift of salvation to those whom he feels favor towards. And God only has favor towards those who sincerely repent towards him.
Sincere repentance is not turning from sin and believing in Jesus because you realize you are a razor’s edge away from eternal torment. Instead, sincere repentance is turning to God with all your love and devotion simply because you recognize him as the good and wonderful God that he is. When someone sincerely repents, there is not one selfish motive behind it. It is all done completely for the glory and pleasure of God.
Then when God sees the sincere faith, God is filled with great delight and joy. And in his delight, God desires to bless this person of faith. And so, God gives unto them the greatest gift a person could ever dream of receiving. God makes them a son of God through the mystery of the gospel.
Ray Comfort says (as well as all other messenger from this institution the calls herself the church) that God will make a deal will you. If you do your part of the deal and believe on Jesus, then God will do his part of the deal and grant you eternal life. But the scripture clearly teaches that God offers no such deal.
But Paul says (paraphrased by me): You were given the gift of salvation because you are favored by God. You are favored by God because you have faith towards him.. You have nothing to boast about, because you did nothing worthy of boasting about. Ephesians 2:8-9
And that my friends is the truth of God’s word. And it is this truth that you will never hear proclaimed from any man who claims loyalty to this institution called the church.
As I said in my video: this institution called the church primarily exists to separate the wheat from the chaff within the kingdom of God. It is spreading the great lie that Paul spoke of in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2. And the reason you believe this lie is because you are under a very strong delusion ”“ a delusion that has been placed upon you by God himself. And unless you repent and come to a place of true faith towards God, you will continue to believe this lie until it leads you to your destruction.
