The Damnable Heresy of Ray Comfort

By David J. Stewart | May 2007

"But to him that worketh not , but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,

his faith is counted for righteousness ." —Romans 4:5

“You must not expect that you will be perfect in 'repentance' before you are saved. No Christian can be perfect. 'Repentance' is a grace. Some people preach it as a condition of salvation. Condition of nonsense! There are no conditions of salvation. God gives the salvation himself...” —Pastor Charles Spurgeon

The whole reason why Jesus came into this world was to SAVE SINNERS . Romans 4:5 teaches that Jesus justifies THE UNGODLY by faith alone .. . to him that WORKETH NOT . There's no way that anyone could please God by trying to stop committing sin (Isaiah 64:6). Ray Comfort totally perverts the gift of God by teaching that a person must try really hard to stop sinning to be saved. This is the garbage that John MacArthur teaches. Comfort, Cameron and MacArthur all misquote great preachers of the past, like Charles Spurgeon, as a secondary authority to support their heresies (because they can't use the Bible to supports their claims). But they'll never show you this quote from Charles Spurgeon! ...

Again, the reason why the religious people in Matthew 7:21-23 weren't saved is because they REFUSED to obey God's will concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It had nothing to do with personal sins that were still in their lives. Ray Comfort is a dangerous Bible teacher, who believes that he is saved because he tries really hard not to sin, in addition to whatever faith he has in Christ. The big problem with his warped theology is that you're not really trusting Christ if you're also trying really hard to stop sinning as part of your salvation. That is self-righteousness my friend; a false Gospel.

The reason why the religious people in Matthew 7:21-23 were not allowed into Heaven was because they had failed to do the will of God the Father; by believing on Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 6:40). They died in their sins, in their own self-righteousness (Ephesians 2:8-9). They ran around saying “Lord, Lord” like the unsaved Lordship Salvationists, perverting the gift of God into a lie.

It wasn't because they still had personal sins in their life in Matthew 7:22-23 that God rejected them. It was because they had churchianity without Christianity. Every believer still has sin in their life! We all sin every day. That's not to say that we have God's approval to sin, God forbid (Romans 3:31). It just means that even the best of Christians are still sinners. Ray Comfort wrestles the Scriptures to his own destruction (2nd Peter 3:16).

The group in Matthew 7:21-23 were unsaved because they refused to do God's will concerning salvation. They were self-righteous religious people. Romans 10:3-4, “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. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

“A nd this is the will of him that sent me , that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

Ladies and gentleman, Ray Comfort is teaching works salvation! According to what we just read by Ray Comfort, every believer who is still living in deliberate sin won't be allowed into Heaven. Mr. Comfort is teaching that you cannot get to Heaven unless you try really hard to stop sinning.

“These are perhaps the most frightening verses in the Bible. Vast multitudes of professing Christians fit into the category spoken of here. They call Jesus 'Lord,' but they practice lawlessness. They profess faith in Jesus, but have no regard for the divine law. They tell 'fibs' or 'white' lies, take things that belong to others, have a roaming eye for the opposite sex, etc. They are liars, thieves, and adulterers at heart, who will be cast from the gates of heaven into the jaws of hell.”

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." —Matthew 7:22,23

Sadly, Mr. Comfort and his sidekick, Kirk Cameron , are doctrinally corrupted and confused; likely because they are followers of heretic John MacArthur (evidenced by Kirk Cameron promoting the John MacArthur Study Bible on his website). They are WRONG to teach that repentance unto salvation means ceasing from sin. They are also wrong to teach that repentance is a completely separate act from believing upon the Lord to be saved. These are 2 deadly heresies concerning salvation. THE TRUTH is that you simply turn to the Lord by faith to be forgiven of your sins and you are saved immediately, completely and eternally. It's that simple. We are the SINNER and Jesus is the SAVIOR!

That is self-righteousness! Clearly, Ray Comfort believes that some personal effort to depart from sin is necessary to be saved by God. This is self-righteousness; and not the salvation of the Bible which is received freely by faith in Christ. Revelation 22:17 states: " Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely ." Romans 4:5 plainly states that one's faith in Christ makes that person righteous in the eyes of God. Adding even the slightest work of self-righteousness to the Gospel corrupts it into a false way, a false plan, a road to damnation.

"These are perhaps the most frightening verses in the Bible. Vast multitudes of professing Christians fit into the category spoken of here. They call Jesus 'Lord,' but they practice lawlessness. They profess faith in Jesus, but have no regard for the divine law. They tell 'fibs' or 'white' lies, take things that belong to others, have a roaming eye for the opposite sex, etc. They are liars, thieves, and adulterers at heart, who will be cast from the gates of heaven into the jaws of hell."

In Biblical salvation, you come to Christ by faith to be forgiven of your sins, and then God works on your heart to change as you grow in the milk of the Word (1st Peter 2:2). God chastises His children who continue in sin (Hebrews 12:6-8), but all believers sin (Romans 7:14-25). Ray Comfort says that lustful and thieving believers never got saved (as seen in the following quote).

Heresy! This is a backwards gospel, where a sinner must reform as a prerequisite to qualify for salvation. In this false gospel, the burden of changing is placed upon the sinner instead of upon the Lord. It is indeed salvation by self-righteous works. The gospel is a big deal and worth fighting over. Ray Comfort leads sinners to believe that God will not save them unless they are willing to stop sinning; but the Bible disagrees with Mr. Comfort.

“Merely being sorry for your sins, or confessing them to God won't help you. You must turn from sin (repent).”

Ray Comfort is an extremely popular evangelist, with his ministries THE WAY OF THE MASTER and LIVING WATERS . Unfortunately, Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron teach the heresy of Lordship Salvation...

HOWEVER , the big problem with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron is that they teach the damnable heresy of LORDSHIP SALVATION . Like all Lordship Salvationists, Ray Comfort errantly teaches that salvation by faith ALONE in Jesus Christ is not enough to save someone. That is a false gospel. According to Ray Comfort, a person MUST also cease from their sinful lifestyle and give up worldly living to be saved. Thus, eternal life ceases to be a gift in Ray Comfort's gospel, which has now been turned into a reward . It is much more than a matter of mere semantics. The Bible teaches one Gospel, not two .

It hurts me to write this article, because I like Ray Comfort. I believe Mr. Comfort is a sincere man, but sincerely wrong. Unfortunately, as is the case with John MacArthur and so many other heretical Bible teachers today, Ray Comfort teaches a false gospel. The great deception is that 95% of everything they say is good wholesome Bible. Ray Comfort is an eloquent speaker, and he is certainly correct on the issue of God's Law, i.e., a person cannot be saved without realizing their GUILTY condition and condemnation under the Law of God. Please read, Ray Comfort Teaches Another Gospel .

What Did Pastor Charles Spurgeon Believe About Repentance? (God saves sinners AS IS!!!)

Why doesn't MacArthur, Comfort and Cameron quote that? Salvation is not something that you do to get; it's a gift that you receive to have (John 1:12). Salvation is a matter of God keeping His PROMISE...

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

What About Charles Spurgeon?

As with other false prophets, Ray Comfort leans heavily upon the quotes of historically great men to support his unbiblical position. THE EVIDENCE BIBLE quotes Spurgeon often. Unfortunately, Ray Comfort (as does John MacArthur) horribly take Charles Spurgeon's words out of context, and claim that Spurgeon taught Lordship Salvation. Nothing could be further from the truth, as this quote by Spurgeon himself plainly reveals...

“You must not expect that you will be perfect in 'repentance' before you are saved. No Christian can be perfect. 'Repentance' is a grace. Some people preach it as a condition of salvation. Condition of nonsense! There are no conditions of salvation. God gives the salvation himself...” —Pastor Charles Spurgeon SOURCE: http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0044.htm (from a sermon preached at the New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, on September 23, 1855)

Why doesn't Ray Comfort quote those words by Spurgeon? Ray Comfort is guilty of twisting the Scriptures around and misrepresenting the beliefs of Spurgeon to support his unbiblical position.

You can't show me one verse in the entire Bible that requires a person to give up their sinful lifestyle to be saved. Salvation is receiving, not giving. It's not what you're doing that gets you to Heaven, it's where you're looking. It's not just a matter of semantics. Salvation is not something you do to get; it's something you receive to have. Why is that so hard for some people to grasp?

“LIVING WATERS” ministry logo, top left, of Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. Notice the letter “C” forms an eye in Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network, bottom 2nd from left. A Mormon apron with an eye, bottom 2nd from right. Bottom, center, Italy's City of Arts and Sciences where the Pope spake.

911 Memorial at Ground Zero

On Ray Comfort's Way of the Master website, there's a logo for Living Waters, which is an Illuminati eye. The 4 circles below the words “LIVING WATERS” make up the pupil of the eye. I believe Ray Comfort is a part of the New World Order, i.e., he is helping to lead people into the Ecumenical Movement and ultimately into a one-world religion. Ray Comfort is not as deep into the Ecumenical Movement as is Billy Graham, but he is close behind. Billy Graham's son wrote the foreword for Ray Comfort's The Evidence Bible. None of these ministers will openly expose the Catholic religion and Pope as being of the Devil. They are silent, to avoid offending anyone. We'll I will step up to plate to bat if they won't... the Pope is the vicar of Hell and the Catholic religion is straight out of the pits of Hell.



It's As Simple As Two Cookie Jars

Lordship Salvationists; such as, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer and John MacArthur, have a totally different MINDSET toward salvation than genuine born-again believers. The Bible teaches that eternal life is a free gift to be freely received, with no strings attached nor obligations required.

In sharp contrast, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer and other Lordship Salvationists, have the flawed mindset that salvation is not easy to obtain, and that the price must be paid of forsaking the world, and that faith by itself will not save a man without an earnest desire to stop committing them. They are woefully ignorant of the gift of God.

Here is some typical heresy taught by Pastor John MacArthur...

“Don’t believe anyone who says it’s easy to become a Christian. Salvation for sinners cost God His own Son; it cost God’s Son His life, and it’ll cost you the same thing.” SOURCE: Dr. John MacArthur , Grace To You, an updated quote from his book 'Hard To Believe', page 93.

That's the false teaching of Calvinism! True Biblical salvation is grounded in the promises of God, where there is no cost whatsoever to the recipient, because the gift of God has been paid in full by the Giver (1st Peter 1:18-19). This is the mindset of a true believer. The cookie jar is placed by God on the bottom shelf for anyone to receive and enjoy. Salvation is completely unconditional. You just take it freely! Christ died, that's history; Christ died for me, that's salvation!

The corrupt teaching of Lordship Salvation places a very heavy burden upon the sinner, whereas the Gospel places the full weight of our sins upon Christ alone on the cross. The requirement for a person to forsake their sinful bad habits to be saved is a very heavy burden to bear. That's why you never see Ray Comfort winning anybody to the Lord in his public street preaching meetings. Ray tells everybody how sinful they are, and that they have to turn from their sinful ways to be saved, so he has no converts! Salvation to the Lordship Salvationist is conditional upon man's intent to reform; whereas to the doctrinally sound fundamentalist, the Gospel may simply be believed to be saved.

In Acts 2:41, there were 3,000 precious souls saved in ONE DAY. They were saved simply by receiving the Gospel when they heard it preached by the apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost (i.e., fifty days after Jesus resurrected from the dead). If 3,000 people could be saved in one day by simply receiving the Gospel, then it is no different today. God made the plan of salvation incredibly simple, so that even stupid people can do it. I say that kindly, but truthfully. All that is required is childlike faith to be saved. John MacArthur actually teaches that children cannot be saved, because he says surrendering your life to Christ is an adult decision. Ladies and gentleman, that is not “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). Beware of anyone who makes it difficult and hard to be saved.



Ray Comfort is Woefully Ignorant Concerning Theology

Ray Comfort is an extremely popular evangelist. His ministries are: THE WAY OF THE MASTER and LIVING WATERS. Unfortunately, Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron teach the heresy of Lordship Salvation...

“Merely being sorry for your sins, or confessing them to God won't help you. You must turn from sin (repent).” SOURCE: LIVING WATERS ministry, SAVE YOURSELF SOME PAIN

Heresy! That is self-righteousness! Adding even the slightest work of self-righteousness to the Gospel corrupts it into a false way, a false plan, a road to damnation.



Biblical Repentance

The problem is that there is a common misunderstanding of the word “repentance.” Many false teachers today are saying that repentance in the Bible means to forsake one's sinful lifestyle. Nothing could be further from the truth of God's Word. That is the English definition of “repent,” not the Biblical Greek meaning. In Mark 1:15 Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” The Bible doesn't say, “Repent ye, and stop living in sin.” No, rather, the Bible says, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel.” I am not saying that God approves of a believer continuing in sin, God forbid. I am simply saying that the change of life which genuine repentance brings is not a part of saving-faith. We don't live for God to get saved; we live for God because WE ARE SAVED. Eternal life is a free gift. Salvation is receiving, not giving.

Here is one of the best quotes that I've read on repentance, by Dr. Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951):

“Which comes first, repentance or faith? In Scripture we read, 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel.' Yet we find true believers exhorted to 'repent, and do the first works.' So intimately are the two related that you cannot have one without the other. The man who believes God repents; the repentant soul puts his trust in the Lord when the Gospel is revealed to him. Theologians may wrangle over this, but the fact is, no man repents until the Holy Spirit produces repentance in his soul through the truth. No man believes the Gospel and rests in it for his own salvation until he has judged himself as a needy sinner before God. And this is repentance .” [emphasis added] SOURCE: Dr. Harry Ironside; Except Ye Repent, p. 16.

We are saved wholly by God's grace, through faith in Christ Jesus. We are saved by HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Romans 10:3,4, “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. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Amen!

The word “repent” in Mark 1:15 is the Greek verb METANOEO, meaning, “to think differently.” When a person acknowledges their GUILT of sin for violating God's law, and that person believes on the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, believing that He raised up from the dead 72 hours later, they are saved immediately and eternally. We are the sinners and Jesus is the Savior. It's that simple. Please read, What is Biblical repentance?



An Every Word Inspired Bible

I am dismayed when I hear professed Christians say that the Holy Bible is not something we should fight over. What? If God is going to judge us for the very words we speak (Matthew 12:36), then don't you think that the Words He speaks are equally important? Yes, of course! Everything that we believe as Christians hinge upon EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD (Matthew 4:4). Therefore, I need an every word Bible. God only wrote one Book. There are literally hundreds of English translations, which vary widely in their content, meaning and doctrine. This is why I defend, love and promote only the King James Bible. All other English translations on the market today are corrupt! It does matter, very much, that we have the right message, from a trustworthy Bible. As Pastor John Wilkerson rightly says in his excellent MP3 sermon “DOCTRINE”... “Doctrine determines your destiny!” I praise God for the inspired and preserved King James Bible!!!!!!!



Ray Comfort Says Sinful Believers are Not “Safe” in Jesus

On page 1513 of THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, under the section “Questions & Objections,” Ray Comfort addresses the statement: “Because Jesus died on the cross we are forgiven of every sin.” Here’s Ray Comfort’s reply to this statement…

“The forgiveness that is in Jesus Christ is conditional upon ‘repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Acts 20:21). It is a gift that God offers to everyone, but individuals must receive it by repenting and trusting in Christ, or they will remain dead in their sins. No one has Biblical grounds to continue in sin, assuming that they are safe just because Jesus died on the cross. See 1 John 3:4-6.” [Emphasis added] SOURCE: THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, by Ray Comfort, pg. 1513; 2003, Bridge-Logos Publishers, Orlando, Florida

Those are some very dangerous words at the end, “…assuming that they are safe just because Jesus died on the cross.” Are not all believers “safe” in Jesus Christ? Yes, they certainly are safe (Ephesians 1:13; Isaiah 28:16; Romans 10:11); but Ray Comfort teaches they are not. Ray Comfort is teaching heresy to say that believers who fail to forsake their sins are not safe in their salvation. Such reasoning places a heavy burden upon the sinner, requiring one to depart from sinful bad habits as a prerequisite to be saved.

Ray Comfort's teaching here beckons the question: How much sin is considered "safe"? Aren't we all willful sinners at times? Yes indeed. Is any amount of sin "safe"? Clearly, Mr. Comfort interprets "repentance" for salvation as ceasing from one's sins, which is entirely wrong. Man's only part in salvation is to believe on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43).



The major problem with Ray Comfort’s theology is his faulty understanding of what Biblical “repentance” means. It is interesting that Ray Comfort avoids defining the term directly; whereas the New Testament Greek does… METANOIA, “a change of mind.” That’s it! Ray Comfort understands repentance to mean literally forsaking one’s sinful lifestyle to get saved. He’s putting the cart before the horse. The changed life comes AFTER a person is saved; not as a prerequisite to be saved. This is what 1st John 3:4-6 means. A believer’s faith should be evidenced by a changed life; BUT, you can’t mandate that changed life, i.e., forsaking one’s sins, as part of saving faith.

Dr. Harry Ironside (former pastor of Moody Memorial Church, 1930-1948) correctly understood repentance to mean…

“Repentance is the recognition of my sinnership — the owning before God that I am as vile as He has declared me to be in His holy Word.” SOURCE: Except Ye Repent , by Dr. Harry Ironside, chapter 3

Clearly, Ironside taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel. Harry A. Ironside correctly recognized repentance as the confession that "one is utterly without merit" and that if one is "ever saved at all it can only be through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ." Salvation is without works of self-righteousness. Romans 4:5 plainly teaches that a man's faith is COUNTED for righteousness, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to one's heavenly record by faith. Repentance and faith are inseparable. The Gospel of John mentions the word “believe” 85-times; but the word “repent” is never mentioned even once. In genuine salvation, one who believes on Jesus Christ has repented; and one who repents has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

In sharp contrast, Ray Comfort separates repentance from faith, thus requiring lost sinners to cease from their sins as a prerequisite to placing their faith in Christ for salvation (which is a false gospel).



There is Only One Gospel

Ray Comfort once kindly wrote to me, attempting to convince me that our doctrinal differences are a mere matter of semantics (i.e., wording the same belief differently). I told him that we do not agree at all on the issue of salvation, because he believes that a person cannot be saved and deliberately continue in sin; but I do believe that. The difference is much more than mere semantics; it is night and day:

THE GOSPEL - The “Gospel” is defined as Christ's DEATH on the cross for our sins, He was BURIED, and He bodily RESURRECTED from the dead three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Anyone who judges them self as a needy sinner and believes the Gospel is saved. I believe that one's salvation is solely based in Christ's righteousness and has absolutely nothing to do with one's desire to depart from sin. Romans 4:5-6 plainly teaches that salvation is “without works” of self-righteousness, and that we are saved by the imputed righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:9; Romans 10:3-4). Salvation is of the Lord. A changed life is the FRUIT of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and not a part of the ROOT of saving faith. A person gives up their sins because they ARE a Christian (Ephesians 2:10), and not to BECOME a Christian (Ephesians 2:8-9). The changed life comes AFTER a person is saved, as a person grows in the milk of the Word (1st Peter 2:2). In the Gospel, the total weight of sin's burden was placed upon Jesus Christ on the cross. We are saved by believing the Gospel when we hear it preached (Galatians 3:2; Acts 2:41).



LORDSHIP SALVATION - Evangelist Ray Comfort on the other hand, believes that a person must stop deliberately committing sin to be saved. He thinks this is what it means to “repent.” Mr. Comfort teaches that those who profess faith in Christ but still continue in sin, are not saved because they have never given up their sins, which he teaches is necessary for salvation. This is unbiblical. Ray Comfort teaches that a changed life is part of the ROOT of saving faith. According to Mr. Comfort, a person must give up their sinful ways to BECOME a Christian. In this false plan of salvation, a sinner must change in order to be saved. Other false prophets, like Jack Chick, teach that you must “be willing to change” to be saved. Lordship Salvation places the burden of sin upon the sinner's shoulders, instead of fully upon Christ. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born again. Partial faith in Christ plus human effort is religion, and does not produce the new birth by the Holy Spirit of God.

Do you see the drastic difference between the two different Gospels? The former is the truth, but the latter is damnable heresy.

May I kindly say, You don't have to receive Jesus as your “Lord” to be saved, only your “Savior” (2nd Timothy 4:10). You don't make Jesus Lord, He is Lord. The moment that you get saved, Christ automatically becomes your Master (Lord). 1st Timothy 4:10, “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe .” Jesus is the Savior of all men, including Christ-rejecters. They are not saved, but Christ still died on the cross for their sins. To be saved, you simply need to receive Jesus as your Savior (John 1:12).

Please listen to the following beautiful, doctrinally sound, MP3 sermons, which clarify God's plan of salvation for man.

The first sermon is by Pastor Hank Lindstrom, titled: “How Permanent Is Your Salvation?” The next sermon is by Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, titled: “Caught Between Grace And Works.”

I believe Ray Comfort is sincere, unquestionably, but he is doctrinally messed up from following Dr. John MacArthur. Biblically, a person who continues in sin is of the Devil (1st John 3:8). That doesn't mean he or she is not saved. Jesus called the apostle Peter, “Satan” (Matthew 16:23). It is possible for a believer to backslide to the point of committing the most horrible of sins (Proverbs 14:14). David committed adultery, got Uriah drunk to deceive him and murdered him when the plot didn't work. The apostle John said in 1st John 5:13 that the purpose of his Epistle was to help believers “KNOW that ye have eternal life.”

It is important to understand that good works are not the evidence of the new birth; but rather, the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The world's churches are filled with unsaved people who do “many wonderful works” (Matthew 7:21-23). Here is Scriptural evidence for what I am teaching. 1st John 3:24, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us .”

When you get saved, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside your body. If God lives inside a person, we can see it by the FRUITS in their life (James 2:18-22). When a person experiences a false conversion, it's not because they never gave up their sins as Ray Comfort errantly teaches. It's because they never genuinely believed on the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:21; John 6:40). Jesus promised in John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out .” This Scripture also teaches the eternal security of every believer. God has never disowned even one of His children.



Ray Comfort Adds to The Gospel

Mr. Comfort adds turning from sinful behavior to the Gospel. That's where Ray Comfort goes astray in his theology. To teach that giving up one's sins is mandatory for salvation is a false Gospel of self-righteousness, which excludes everyone who is not willing to stop living in sin. Who can stop sinning? We all sin every day. Jesus promised in John 6:37 that He will not turn away anyone who comes to Him for salvation, and that includes the vilest sinner who isn't ready to give up his sins yet. Pastor Charles Spurgeon teaches this beautiful truth in chapter one of his excellent book, “All Of Grace.” What Did Pastor Charles Spurgeon Believe About Repentance? (God saves sinners AS IS!!!).

All God requires is that a person acknowledge their guilt of sin (Romans 3:19), and believe on the Lord to be forgiven (Acts 10:43; Romans 10:13). Acts 16:30-31, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” That's the way to be saved, i.e., to believe on Jesus as the Christ.

There are hundreds of perversions of the Gospel nowadays. Every believer needs to be a watchman, a pit bull guard dog, that shines the Light of God's Word upon the darkness. That's the only way to expose the darkness, i.e., by shining the Lamp of God's Word upon it. Salvation is simple—we are SINNERS and Jesus is the SAVIOR.

If a person must forsake their sinful habits to be saved, then salvation is extremely complicated. The hypocrisy of Ray Comfort's and John MacArthur's Lordship Salvation heresy is that NO ONE can give up all their sins. 1st John 1:10 says that we are calling God a liar if we say we are without sin. Only Jesus is completely without sin (1st Peter 2:22).



Ray Comfort's False Gospel

On Ray Comfort's ministry website, at LivingWater.com, he has a short presentation titled "The Good Test." At the end of the presentation the following heretical teachings are found...

Do you see God’s great love for you? Do you see your need for His forgiveness? Do what He commands and “Repent…that your sins may be wiped out and times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19) You must turn away from sin and turn to God. Desire to have NOTHING to do with sin, and surrender your life to the One who can save you. Jesus died to set you free, and then he rose from death to be your Lord. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” If you will confess and forsake your sins (repent) and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, God will forgive you and you’ll pass from death to life. If you are not sure how to pray, read Psalm 51 and make it your prayer. What does it mean to "put your faith in Jesus Christ?" It means to personally trust in Jesus the same way you’d trust in a parachute if you had to jump 25,000 feet out of an airplane. You wouldn’t just "believe" in the parachute; you would put it on! In the same way, the Bible says, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ..." and you will be saved. There are millions of people who "believe" Jesus exists . . . but they have not put on the Savior—there’s a BIG difference. And the difference will be obvious when you “jump” through the door of death. Today, with all your heart—turn away from sin, and surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Please don’t put it off till later. You may die today and then it will be too late. You may not yet have all the answers to your questions, but better to put on the parachute first and then ask questions, then to pass through the door unprepared, grasping for the parachute when it’s too late. You can pray something like this—"Dear God, today I turn from all my sins (name them), and I put my trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me, and grant me your gift of everlasting life. Amen." There is nothing magic about these words—it is the attitude of your heart that God cares about. (emphasis added) SOURCE: http://www.livingwaters.com/good/022.shtml

There is absolutely nothing in the Word of God which requires a person to “surrender your life to Jesus Christ” to be saved. It is a damnable heresy to require people to make a commitment to Christ to be saved. Jesus DIDN'T ask us to surrender our life to Him to be saved, He asked us to BELIEVE on His name (John 3:16; Romans 10:13). I like Ray Comfort's style of preaching, and he seems like a great person to know, but he's wrong on the Gospel. I have nothing personal against him or Kirk, God knows my heart. If Ray Comfort or Jack Chick, or Paul Washer, or John MacArthur, and hundreds more, ever correct their flawed doctrinal positions, I'll remove all my articles exposing them and instead promote their ministries.

I am presently promoting some non-denominational ministries, like Dr. Texe Marrs, because he is correct on the King James Bible and the simplicity that is in Jesus Christ. I promote Pastor Steven Anderson's ministry, even though he teaches a PostTribulation Rapture (I teach a Pretribulation Rapture). A person doesn't have to agree with me on everything for me to support their labours for Christ. Brother Anderson is 100% correct on the King James Bible and the Gospel. Those are the two big deal breakers! Ray Comfort is a good man, but in my estimation he is not saved. You cannot be wrong on the Gospel and still be saved. Here is an excellent rebuttal of Ray Comfort's false plan of salvation by Michael P. Bowen.

In sharp contrast to Ray Comfort, read what Dr. Harry Ironside (1876-1951) stated in his Gospel tract, ANOTHER GOSPEL? ...

“ When anyone comes promising salvation to those ‘who make full surrender' of all that they have to God, and who 'pay the price of full salvation' he is preaching another gospel, for the price was paid on Calvary's cross and the work that saves is finished. It was Christ Jesus who made the full surrender when He yielded His life on Calvary that saves us, not our surrender in any way to Him. ” SOURCE: Harry A. Ironside, from the Gospel tract, Another Gospel?

Dr. Ironside is doctrinally correct. Salvation is of the Lord. Surrendering one's life to Christ for salvation is a false gospel.

Romans 4:5 couldn't be any clearer on this matter... “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” It is sad that the simplicity of salvation, i.e., the Gospel, has been perverted in so many ways today. It is a shame that someone like Ray Comfort, who is a dynamic and charming speaker, and is a nice guy, is preaching a false gospel to the masses. Perhaps Mr. Comfort does it ignorantly; but nevertheless, he is teaching works salvation. It's not just a matter of semantics.