Should Christians
engaging in evangelism counsel the lost to ask Jesus Christ to come into their
hearts, rather than employing Scriptural terms and Scriptural explanations for
how the gospel is embraced, such as “repent,” “believe,” “come to Christ,” and
so on? The following testimony, by a man
who was a Bible-believing Baptist pastor and zealous evangelist, but was unconverted
because he had been led to embrace and propogate the unscriptural terminology and
methodology of calling on the lost to ask Christ into their hearts, should both
be enlightening and a warning both to those who employ this methodology and to
those who heard it at the time of their professed conversion to evaluate their
conversion and their evangelistic practice by Scripture.
engaging in evangelism counsel the lost to ask Jesus Christ to come into their
hearts, rather than employing Scriptural terms and Scriptural explanations for
how the gospel is embraced, such as “repent,” “believe,” “come to Christ,” and
so on? The following testimony, by a man
who was a Bible-believing Baptist pastor and zealous evangelist, but was unconverted
because he had been led to embrace and propogate the unscriptural terminology and
methodology of calling on the lost to ask Christ into their hearts, should both
be enlightening and a warning both to those who employ this methodology and to
those who heard it at the time of their professed conversion to evaluate their
conversion and their evangelistic practice by Scripture.
The Other Jesus:
The Gospel Perverted
Pastor Ovid Need, Jr.
“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus…” 2 Corinthians 11:4. “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from
him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel… and would
pervert the gospel of Christ,” Galatians 1:6. The warning from God is quite clear: false
prophets abound who preach another Jesus, another gospel, a perverted gospel
which is no gospel at all. [Mat 7:13, 14]
him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel… and would
pervert the gospel of Christ,” Galatians 1:6. The warning from God is quite clear: false
prophets abound who preach another Jesus, another gospel, a perverted gospel
which is no gospel at all. [Mat 7:13, 14]
We greatly underestimate the enemy of our souls. We can fully expect him to
have a false plan of salvation to present to Bible believers; it will be an
exact duplicate of the real thing, yet miss the truth just enough to miss
Biblical salvation. The enemy will not deny the blood atonement nor the verbal
inspiration of the Scriptures, yet he will not place the blood atonement in its
proper place. Of course, his plan would have to be so close to the truth that
it would look exactly like the truth, thereby avoiding detection by even the
‘best scholars.’ [From this preacher’s experience, only those who have been
caught in the deception are readily able to understand the perverted gospel’s
devastating closeness to the truth, yet the lost condition of those in it.]
have a false plan of salvation to present to Bible believers; it will be an
exact duplicate of the real thing, yet miss the truth just enough to miss
Biblical salvation. The enemy will not deny the blood atonement nor the verbal
inspiration of the Scriptures, yet he will not place the blood atonement in its
proper place. Of course, his plan would have to be so close to the truth that
it would look exactly like the truth, thereby avoiding detection by even the
‘best scholars.’ [From this preacher’s experience, only those who have been
caught in the deception are readily able to understand the perverted gospel’s
devastating closeness to the truth, yet the lost condition of those in it.]
Though the perverted gospel claims the blood atonement, it avoids it ever
so slightly just enough to miss eternal life. Can we expect anything less from
the best deceiver ever created, the father of lies?
so slightly just enough to miss eternal life. Can we expect anything less from
the best deceiver ever created, the father of lies?
In these next few pages, we will attempt to look past the apparent perfect
message, which makes the perversion so appealing, so that we might see its
underlying perversion.
message, which makes the perversion so appealing, so that we might see its
underlying perversion.
Many who read this will say, “You are splitting hairs.” Certainly! The
father of lies is an expert at splitting hairs and misusing words. Did he not
try to misuse the words of Scripture with the Lord Jesus? We can be assured
that he will do no less to those today who believe God’s Word; what better
place to misuse words than in the plan of salvation? [Mat 4:6] One of the primary responsibilities of a teacher of
God’s Word is to “divide asunder the soul and spirit, and… the joints and
marrow” with the word of God. [Heb 4:12]
father of lies is an expert at splitting hairs and misusing words. Did he not
try to misuse the words of Scripture with the Lord Jesus? We can be assured
that he will do no less to those today who believe God’s Word; what better
place to misuse words than in the plan of salvation? [Mat 4:6] One of the primary responsibilities of a teacher of
God’s Word is to “divide asunder the soul and spirit, and… the joints and
marrow” with the word of God. [Heb 4:12]
This perverted plan probably has come into wide acceptance since the ’40’s.
[Undoubtedly, it is deeply rooted in the “Christian” Mystics of old who longed
for some kind of a mystical experience with God.] It is centered around various
basic instructions:
[Undoubtedly, it is deeply rooted in the “Christian” Mystics of old who longed
for some kind of a mystical experience with God.] It is centered around various
basic instructions:
“You must ask Jesus into your heart to be saved – You must ask Jesus to
save you – If you will pray and turn your life over to God, you will be saved –
You must pray and trust the Lord to take you to heaven – You must pray and
trust the Lord to come into your heart to save you – Receive God (Christ) into
your heart, life, etc.”
save you – If you will pray and turn your life over to God, you will be saved –
You must pray and trust the Lord to take you to heaven – You must pray and
trust the Lord to come into your heart to save you – Receive God (Christ) into
your heart, life, etc.”
There are abundant variations on this idea, none of which emphasize – most
avoid completely – the absolute necessity of trusting in the substitutionary
death and payment of Christ for our sins. As we will see, all of Scripture
points to this “Ask Jesus into your heart” plan of salvation as being the
perverted plan of the other Jesus of Paul’s warning [Gal 1:6-9; 2 Cor 11:1-4, 13-15]. (Try to fit the idea of “Ask Jesus into your heart”
into the law of the atoning sacrifice in the Old Testament. Were the people
commanded to ask the bullock to come into their hearts or to turn their lives
over to the bullock? [Lev 1:4] The only thing that will work according to the Old
Testament sacrificial law is trust in the Sinless Sacrifice to pay the sin debt
in the place of the repentant sinner. All of the Lord’s statements, e.g., John 3, must be viewed in the light of the Old Testament
sacrificial law.) “Implicit in this justification is the substitutionary
sacrifice for sin sincerely offered as noted in Ps 51:16-19. The righteousness of God’s heirs of salvation is
the righteousness of the Messiah attributed to them by God through faith in the
redemptive work of Messiah in which God declares them righteous only because of
the grace provided through that redemptive work.” TWOT, Moody Press, pg. 755.
This could not be any clearer. Any other emphasis is the devil’s lie.
avoid completely – the absolute necessity of trusting in the substitutionary
death and payment of Christ for our sins. As we will see, all of Scripture
points to this “Ask Jesus into your heart” plan of salvation as being the
perverted plan of the other Jesus of Paul’s warning [Gal 1:6-9; 2 Cor 11:1-4, 13-15]. (Try to fit the idea of “Ask Jesus into your heart”
into the law of the atoning sacrifice in the Old Testament. Were the people
commanded to ask the bullock to come into their hearts or to turn their lives
over to the bullock? [Lev 1:4] The only thing that will work according to the Old
Testament sacrificial law is trust in the Sinless Sacrifice to pay the sin debt
in the place of the repentant sinner. All of the Lord’s statements, e.g., John 3, must be viewed in the light of the Old Testament
sacrificial law.) “Implicit in this justification is the substitutionary
sacrifice for sin sincerely offered as noted in Ps 51:16-19. The righteousness of God’s heirs of salvation is
the righteousness of the Messiah attributed to them by God through faith in the
redemptive work of Messiah in which God declares them righteous only because of
the grace provided through that redemptive work.” TWOT, Moody Press, pg. 755.
This could not be any clearer. Any other emphasis is the devil’s lie.
The perverted gospel seemingly has all of the right words, feelings and
works. [2 Cor 4:3-6] Its counterfeit is so perfect that only a
supernatural work of the Holy Spirit can separate it from the truth. The true
plan of salvation was best described by C.H. Spurgeon: “The gospel is
that Jesus Christ suffered in the place of all sinners who trust Him as their
Saviour; that He endured what they ought to have endured and made atonement to
God for all the sins that they would ever commit; and if you thus trust Him,
you are saved. The simple act of relying upon Jesus as your Substitute and
Saviour puts away your guilt and sin forever.” He continues, “Pride must come
down, self-righteousness must die, and the sinner must glorify the grace of God
by knowing that he has no merit of his own, or he cannot be saved. … Say,
‘Lord, I deserve to die; I deserve to perish; I deserve to be destroyed. I will
have no cavils with Thee about my sentence, for how can a worm dispute with the
Almighty? Who am I that I should reply against my Maker?’
works. [2 Cor 4:3-6] Its counterfeit is so perfect that only a
supernatural work of the Holy Spirit can separate it from the truth. The true
plan of salvation was best described by C.H. Spurgeon: “The gospel is
that Jesus Christ suffered in the place of all sinners who trust Him as their
Saviour; that He endured what they ought to have endured and made atonement to
God for all the sins that they would ever commit; and if you thus trust Him,
you are saved. The simple act of relying upon Jesus as your Substitute and
Saviour puts away your guilt and sin forever.” He continues, “Pride must come
down, self-righteousness must die, and the sinner must glorify the grace of God
by knowing that he has no merit of his own, or he cannot be saved. … Say,
‘Lord, I deserve to die; I deserve to perish; I deserve to be destroyed. I will
have no cavils with Thee about my sentence, for how can a worm dispute with the
Almighty? Who am I that I should reply against my Maker?’
“When you have taken that position, rely upon the freeness of divine grace.
Grasp, as with a death-clutch, this great fact and say, ‘Lord, Thou dost
forgive sinners for Thine own name’s sake. Thou canst not find anything in us
that is good, anything that can move Thee to pity! But, oh, by Thy mercy and
Thy love, let men see what a gracious God thou art! For Thy great name’s sake
have mercy upon us, and save us!’”
Grasp, as with a death-clutch, this great fact and say, ‘Lord, Thou dost
forgive sinners for Thine own name’s sake. Thou canst not find anything in us
that is good, anything that can move Thee to pity! But, oh, by Thy mercy and
Thy love, let men see what a gracious God thou art! For Thy great name’s sake
have mercy upon us, and save us!’”
“You can plead that Jesus said, ‘Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise
cast out.’ [Jn 6:37].
cast out.’ [Jn 6:37].
“Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and
let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God
for He will abundantly pardon.”
let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God
for He will abundantly pardon.”
“I cast aside all my former confidences, and all my boastings, and come as
the worst sinner must come, for I feel that, in some respects, I am the worst
sinner who ever came to thee. I come as an utterly lost, undone, bankrupt
sinner, and I look to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus for all I need.”
[Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 53, Sermon “Rule of Grace,” pp 500-502,
Pilgrim Publications, Pasadena TX]
the worst sinner must come, for I feel that, in some respects, I am the worst
sinner who ever came to thee. I come as an utterly lost, undone, bankrupt
sinner, and I look to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus for all I need.”
[Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 53, Sermon “Rule of Grace,” pp 500-502,
Pilgrim Publications, Pasadena TX]
Observe:
First, we must realize we are sinners without hope. Second, we must recognize
that we can do nothing at all to avoid the wages of our sin. Third, we must
understand that Christ paid all the penalty for our sin through His atoning
sacrifice, enduring what we should endure. Fourth, the sinner must rely upon
Jesus as his Substitute for his sins and as his Saviour. Fifth, this simple act
puts away the guilt of sin forever. Anything less than this is not Biblical
salvation. If these basic things are not made clear to the sinner before he
makes a profession, then it is impossible for him to be saved. [Eph 1:12-14]
First, we must realize we are sinners without hope. Second, we must recognize
that we can do nothing at all to avoid the wages of our sin. Third, we must
understand that Christ paid all the penalty for our sin through His atoning
sacrifice, enduring what we should endure. Fourth, the sinner must rely upon
Jesus as his Substitute for his sins and as his Saviour. Fifth, this simple act
puts away the guilt of sin forever. Anything less than this is not Biblical
salvation. If these basic things are not made clear to the sinner before he
makes a profession, then it is impossible for him to be saved. [Eph 1:12-14]
The sinner is saved because he has trusted in what Christ has already done;
he has trusted in Christ to pay his debt for him, to pay what he should have
paid: “To endure what he ought to have endured.” Then the Spirit of Christ
comes to dwell in the heart of the believer. One is not saved because he asks the
Spirit of Christ to come to dwell in him. If salvation were the result of the
Spirit of Christ coming to dwell in a person, there would have been no need of
the atoning sacrifice of Christ.
he has trusted in Christ to pay his debt for him, to pay what he should have
paid: “To endure what he ought to have endured.” Then the Spirit of Christ
comes to dwell in the heart of the believer. One is not saved because he asks the
Spirit of Christ to come to dwell in him. If salvation were the result of the
Spirit of Christ coming to dwell in a person, there would have been no need of
the atoning sacrifice of Christ.
Notice the order in Ephesians 1:13, 14: “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye
were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our
inheritance…” It matters not how much the sinner wept, the degree of
conviction, his sincerity or the intensity of the emotional experience
involved, if the substitutionary payment of Christ’s atoning work was not made
understandably clear. How could he trust in something he didn’t know about?
truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye
were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our
inheritance…” It matters not how much the sinner wept, the degree of
conviction, his sincerity or the intensity of the emotional experience
involved, if the substitutionary payment of Christ’s atoning work was not made
understandably clear. How could he trust in something he didn’t know about?
We fail to recognize the tenacity of our soul’s enemy. Luke 9 records a man who brought his son to Jesus for help, and
right at the feet of Christ, the devil made a final effort for the boy. (As he
was yet coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him, v. 42.) The Enemy has
not changed! Many with the world’s best intentions have been offered something
else by the devil as a last ditch effort to keep them from trusting in the
atoning sacrifice of Christ.
right at the feet of Christ, the devil made a final effort for the boy. (As he
was yet coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him, v. 42.) The Enemy has
not changed! Many with the world’s best intentions have been offered something
else by the devil as a last ditch effort to keep them from trusting in the
atoning sacrifice of Christ.
We have heard pastors preach “Trust Christ as your Saviour,” yet we see
their congregations go out and spread the “gospel” as “You must ask Jesus into
your heart to be saved.” Where is the salvation in this? The simplicity that is
in Christ is “You must trust Christ to pay the penalty of your sin.” The other
Jesus is: “You must trust Jesus to come into your heart.” Look at the two
completely different things for which Christ is being trusted: one, you are
trusting Him to pay the penalty for your sin; the other, you are trusting Him
to come into your heart. There is a clear distinction between the two.
their congregations go out and spread the “gospel” as “You must ask Jesus into
your heart to be saved.” Where is the salvation in this? The simplicity that is
in Christ is “You must trust Christ to pay the penalty of your sin.” The other
Jesus is: “You must trust Jesus to come into your heart.” Look at the two
completely different things for which Christ is being trusted: one, you are
trusting Him to pay the penalty for your sin; the other, you are trusting Him
to come into your heart. There is a clear distinction between the two.
The argument arises, “Brother Need, you are arguing over semantics. All the
best scholars agree that the two mean the same.” Being without Scriptural
foundation, their argument is heretical because there is not one contextual
Scripture which will support salvation as a result of trusting Christ to come
into one’s heart. A text without a context is a pretext. [2 Pe 3:16]
best scholars agree that the two mean the same.” Being without Scriptural
foundation, their argument is heretical because there is not one contextual
Scripture which will support salvation as a result of trusting Christ to come
into one’s heart. A text without a context is a pretext. [2 Pe 3:16]
Obviously, the dividing line between the two plans is only a hair’s width,
maybe only a word or two. But let us be reminded that our enemy specializes in
splitting hairs and misusing words. His specialty is making a verse say
something that it does not actually say.
maybe only a word or two. But let us be reminded that our enemy specializes in
splitting hairs and misusing words. His specialty is making a verse say
something that it does not actually say.
See here for this entire study.
The paragraph under the word, "Observe" you stated, "Fifth, this simple act puts away the guilt of sin forever. Anything less than this is not Biblical salvation." I feel guilty for sins I commit because it grieves the Holy Spirit and affects my relationship with the Lord. Should I not have guilt for the short accounts of sin after salvation?
Just that alone (no need for the other three) is excellent truth and proves the point.
Thomas, I read through the entire study and it was valuable. I have some questions on it, though. Ovid Need is unknown to me, so I do not have any desire to either defend or attack his position.
I was troubled by his replacement for "ask Jesus into your heart." The whole "Take my hand" thing seems to be replacing an unbiblical philosophy with one that is closer but still unbiblical. I do not see anything like that in the Bible.
It is not clear from his article, but was he endorsing that tactic? Why make that request? It smacks of the whole "Prove it with a sign" soulwinning philosophy. It is as if in taking the hand the preacher has assurance and can now present the person as saved.
That is troubling. When the Ethiopian Eunuch asked to be baptized, Philip asked him to testify. The man had to confess with his mouth the Lord. That did not save him, but it gave Philip the evidence to know the man's condition. It showed Philip "the answer of a good conscience toward God".
As I said, I do not do know Ovid. I suspect you do not support this, but rather support the careful parsing of the terms used in preaching the gospel and presented it for that reason. Is that an accurate understanding?
Dear Farmer,
You are correct, and I also doubt that Pastor Need tells everyone to take his hand when he says he has come to Christ. Conversion will evidence itself in confessing Christ before men in the act of baptism and in other ways in all normal situations.
Dear Anonymous,
I believe he was saying that your guilt before God is put away forever in that you are justified, declared righteous, forever, not that when you sin you should not feel guilty.
Thanks for the comments.
It may be true that the following three parts are not "necessary," but I think they will be very interesting to many readers, even, just perhaps, to the one who is saying they are not necessary right now.