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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the Bibleignmenistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

It’s one thing to say I know the gospel, believe the gospel, we want to spread the gospel. But there’s something that happens little by little with people, sometimes without knowledge. And that is to drift away from the simplicity that’s in the gospel. And I want you to take your Bible and turn with me to the book of Jude, the book of Jude, right before the book of Revelation. The Bible also tells us they’re in the book of Galatians in chapter 2 about the apostle Paul making the statementVERSION that we stood true to the gospel that the truth of the gospel might continueLaun with you, the truth of the gospel.

It’s easy to go to Florida Bible College or any college. It’s easy to learn certain doctrines and truths. It’s another thing to stay true to those teachings all the rest of your life. Now here in the book of Jude, you’ll notice there in there in verse three, verse three, beloved when I gave all diligence to write into you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

This is the body of truth which not only includes the gospel but the body of truth that God has given to us that we should be found various doctrines that are found in the scriptures. But I definitely believe that of all of those things it does include the gospel which without understanding there is no faith to defend. So I want to share with you something that has happened just recently. And if you can look on your notes there are we still standing for the truth of the gospel.

This is a little conversation that I had, please don’t read ahead. Just let me go through it with you. I was totally go to a link and I went and I checked it out because it has to do with, you know, Boba College. And so some of it really catches my eye when it, about the gospel and so forth. So a person wrote this and I looked it up. So you looked at it, I wrote, I know I wrote several weeks ago about the exciting things the Lord is doing with our network of PCA, churches in Polk County, Florida.

We’ve now reached a point of putting together a website that describes our mission and vision for what’s next. Seven new churches in the next five years. We want to transform Polk County with the gospel. Look through the site to see the vision and please pray with us. Well, I didn’t mind that so much until I started reading what different ones that had gone to Bible college, Florida Bible college to be specific. What they were saying about this comment, and I found out that some did not know what PCA stood for, which was the Presbyterian churches of America, and wants to get the gospel out, and you can, well, how can you be against that?

And people that want to reach the loss, I mean, how can you be against that? So it’s only natural for us to want to be behind anybody that talks about being saved, but let them tell you this now. There are penny castles that talks about getting saved and reaching people true. And there’s churches of God that talks about reaching people. Well, the Muslims want to reach people. The Catholics want to reach people. And the Baptists want to reach people.

And everybody wants to reach people. And everybody’s got a message that they’re supposed tell the people, nor to reach people. So everybody’s got a message. The most difficult thing is doing extreme betting, finding out which one has the right message, because it’s evident they’re not all saying the same thing. So I looked there and I took off the last names of these people so that they’re not, doesn’t have to know who they are. But one name Wayne says, that’s awesome.

A lot of guys that I work with in prison were from Polk County. him. I hope they find their way into one of those churches.” And I thought okay. So I went on to the website that he was talking about and checked out what is their message. I had already had an idea, but I wanted to see exactly how they had it worded. So the next one, Penny, says, being praying, I love the thought of daughter churches rather than huge churches.

It allows the elders to help people grow in the Lord and know their gifts so they minister to others also those visitors do not get lost so smaller churches would be better than a huge church where people get lost and nobody even knows if they came or didn’t come so I didn’t have a problem with that but I saw enough that I put everything in here but I wrote a reply this was my reply Ralph Yankee Yarn. Since when has the teaching of the Presbyterian Church become an acceptable theological position of Florida Bible College alumni?

If the comments of opposing views are to remain on the alumni page, shouldn’t there also be someone who refutes these positions? I am ashamed that so many of our FBC alumni are so soon removed from the clarity of the gospel and are now praising the teachings of Calvinism. But I don’t believe they all know that they do this or they don’t see it and they just hear evangelism, they hear gospel, they hear reaching the lost and saved by grace.

So those are the terminology that we all love, so therefore we must be on the same page to say the same thing. But that’s not the case. But if you’re looking a little bit deeper and find out. What do you mean by what you’re saying? We was always taught, define your terms. You use the term or define that term. What do you mean by that? And so I wrote this. Right in the middle, look at their doctrinal statement and see if this agrees with the Florida Bible College statement of faith.

Trente belongs to the Presbyterian Church in America, a denomination holding to the historic Christian faith committed to planting new churches in North America and ministering the gospel around the world. Our full doctrinal statement is found in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster shorter and larger catechism. So I went to these and I looked at them and I highlighted some of their statements of what they say and what they want, what they believe and so I wanted people to know what they said about the gospel.

So look at the next statement. Trinity belongs to the Presbyterian churches in America. And so, number three, this was different ones. I didn’t quote their whole statement of faith, just ones that reveal their position concerning the truth of the gospel. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life. And others foreordained everlasting death. Now in my mind based upon what I believe the Bible teaches, that’s heresy. That is not true.

Though it may sound predestination, I mean everybody believes in predestination. Their word is used in the Bible. But does this mean that God has predetermined beforehand who is going to heaven and who is going to hell and it has nothing based upon whether or not they believe or not. It’s just that God chose to save some and He didn’t choose to save others. So I don’t believe that. I believe God has chosen to save whosoever believes. Anybody wants to be saved.

But that’s not what they’re saying. They’re saying that God from the very beginning has already chosen who’s going to heaven and the rest of them will go to hell. I don’t believe that. I don’t believe that’s the truth of the gospel. The next statement, number four, these angels and men thus predestinated and foredained are particularly and unchangeably designed and their number get this so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished. That means that there is a certain number that God has already chosen to be saved and that number cannot be diminished or increased.

Then if that’s That’s true. I put it here in bold. We were taught that this teaching of which I still believe is fatalistic predestination, whether I witness or not the number stays the same. Really? In other words, if I don’t witness to a soul, if I don’t become a missionary, if I don’t go to reach those lost people in these different tribes and all those places, if I don’t do anything, the number stays the same. It can’t be increased, can’t be deep.

So why should I witness at all? So there’s people who will witness on because they want to be obedient to God. But of course, they’re just going through life trying to turn light bulbs and see which ones that God has already prewired in the back. the only ones that can light up are the ones that God’s already got wired. So all we’re doing is going to the world turning light bulbs. No, I don’t believe that. So you see that does make a difference.

So the next statement down here number five, those of mankind that are predestinated in the life, God, without any foresight of faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of them or in any other thing in the creature, as conditions or causes moving Him there too. In other words, what determined God’s choice? If God chose somebody, they’re saying it not because of their faith, because God knew they would believe. It wasn’t because of any good works He did. It was just God decided to choose them and anyone, He did not choose, they cannot be saved because the number cannot be increased or decreased.

That to me is not the good news of the gospel. It means that there must be some people that cannot be saved. I don’t hear how much we preach to them because God did not give them the faith to believe. The next statement, the Lord freely offered unto sinners life and salvation. Only those whom God chose. When you see RWA, that means Ralph Wilson, I added that statement in there. They say, the Lord offered freely salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring them faith in Him that they may be saved and promising to give unto all those that ordained unto eternal life his Holy Spirit to make them willing and able to believe.

Now what I have in bold there is in their statement of faith. it’s the Lord who gives them the faith to believe, to make them willing. So they’re able to even believe on the Lord because you see we’re all dead and unless God gives them the faith to believe they can’t be saved. So God only chose to give the faith to certain individuals. Is that the gospel? That’s not the gospel. So whether we witness or we don’t witness if God is already pretty determined who’s going to heaven and it cannot be increased or decreased, then what we’re saying is all of our witnesses is not necessary.

My dedication, the sacrifice is not really necessary because whatever will be will be and I don’t believe that. So do I believe what they believe? No, I don’t believe what they believe. And so, will they talk about being saved? They talk about being saved by grace. They believe in by grace alone and Christ alone, by faith alone. They say the same words that we say. So, they must mean the same thing. No, they don’t mean the same thing. Look at the next statement.

Repentance under life is an evangelical grace. The doctrine we’re is to be preached to every minister of the gospel as well as that of faith in Christ. So you’re to preach repentance. Let’s find out what they mean by that. Number two there, by it a sinner so grieves for and hates his sin as to turn from them all under God. So are they saying that you’ve got to turn from all your sins in order to turn to God? is turning from sin.

Does that make salvation by works or that makes salvation by grace? It’s by works. It means if you don’t turn from your sins, God cannot save you. But they have to turn from their sin because God already chose them to do so. Now look at Else. He says in the next statement, letter number three, this is code number Although repentance be not to be rested in, that make any sense. As any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof, which is the act of God’s free grace in Christ.

Yet it is of such necessity to all sinners that none may expect pardon without it. So no repentance, No pardon. These good works done in obedience to God’s commandments get this and I underlined it so that you would definitely see it. Are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith? So, if you are saved, you will have fruit. And so the fruit becomes the evidence that you really believed it. That sounds so good. That sounds so spiritual.

It’s just that it’s not true. So I wrote this little statement in bold. There are no visible evidences of a believer that guarantees one is saved. This is heresy. How do I know that I’m saved? Because I’m a preacher. Because I go to church. I give money. I pray. I give demations. That’s not the evidence that I’m saved. A lost man can do that. That doesn’t make him save. The only reason I know I’m saved is because the Word of God says that if I trust Christ as my Savior, He saves me and gives me eternal life.

If I never produce one work, am I still saved? I’m still saved. Because I was him and I wasn’t trusting me. So my works or lack thereof does not affect my salvation. It sounds spiritual to say so as though you’re more godly but it’s not true. All Calvinists despise those who don’t present their position as though they have the epitome of all knowledge and they despise anyone who doesn’t rise to their level of intellectual accountability and credibility. Well, pardon me, I know what they believe and I don’t believe it.

Look at the next statement. Of the perseverance of the saints. Now this is their statement, it’s in there’s the perseverance of the saints. That’s in their doctrinal statement. Since when do we believe that saints must persevere? They whom God hath accepted in his beloved can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace. Eternal security. Boy, they believe just like we do. Not so fast. But shall certainly persevere therein to the end. If you really saved, you’re going to live and persevere to the end.

That’s the proof that you really were saved. But what happens to people who say they get saved and they don’t persevere? They fall into sin and they die. So they can’t say they persevered to the end because God’s word says that many are sick and some are weak and some are dead. So they’re dead because they were no obedient. So they didn’t persevere to the end, but they were dead, but they were believers. It contradicts the scriptures. It teaches air.

Look at the next statement. As yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and love Him in sincerity. Endeavour into walk in all good conscience before Him may get this in this life. Be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace. So how you pose a note you’re really in the state of grace because you walk in good conscience before Him in this life and you love Him sincerely. So that becomes the proof. So I wrote this statement.

We get our assurance from the Word of God, not from the walk of man. Next statement. Not only those that do actually profess Christ in and obedience under Christ, but also the infants of one or both believing parents are to be what? Baptized. That’s in their doctrine of from Satan. Now is this baptism of infants? Look what else. Although it be a great sin to neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparable next to it, as that no person can be regenerated or saved without it.

What? Anyway that was just my input. Now in the shorter catechism where they try to define it in simpler words so that you can understand a little better what is a factual calling. A factual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby convincing us of our sin and misery enlighten our mind in the knowledge of Christ and renewing our wills, he does persuade and enabled us to embrace Jesus Christ. So that’s what the Holy Spirit does. See, the Holy Spirit gives you the faith to believe, renews your will, He does persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel.

Since when do we believe that God must first give us the faith in which to believe? So they say that when He says in Ephesians 2, 8, 9, 4, by grace are you saved through faith and that, not of yourself. So faith is not of yourself. God gave you the faith to believe. It’s not talking about your faith. There’s talking about salvation. 4, by grace are you saved. We’re talking about salvation is by grace. In true faith that’s the means.

But it’s… Salvation. But anyway, look at the next statement on the bottom of the page. It’s a turn away from being our own God. Jesus says repent and believe the gospel. While we know of uncapped promises to do better, we repent is something much deeper to repent. To repent is to turn the opposite direction from where you have been headed. in the words, for example, if I’m walking this way, repent means to turn and go this way.

So if I’m living wrong and doing only bad wicked sins, I’ve got to stop my sin and turn and go this way. And God will save me if I’m really sincere. And if I endure to the end, I’ll be saved by grace. Now if I don’t do that can I still get saved by grace? Grace means unmerited but if I do that then I deserve to be saved. It’s a contradiction of the truth of the gospel and this is why so many people do not understand where are you going when you’re done?

Well I don’t really know I hope I go to heaven. I’m trying I’m doing the best I can. That’s why they say things like that. Look at the second paragraph there. If however your hope is solely in Christ, built upon what He alone has done. It does have unmistakable effects. Now get this, the Bible teaches you that a real faith in Jesus will be proven in a changed life. Now that sounds very spiritual. You shall know them by their fruit.

But that in the book of Matthew chapter 7 is talking about false teachers. The false teachers have a false message and people who believe a false message have a false salvation and they trust in their words. Look what we have done. We’ve cast out devils done many wonderful words and Jesus said, depart from me. You workers of iniquity, I never knew you. Not that you were saved and you lost it. No, you were never saved. I never knew you.

So this is why these things are so important to understand. It’s so easy to say, oh, We believe the gospel. We all believe the same way. There’s no difference. Why be so picky? Because the difference is heaven and hell. That’s the issue. And if I don’t want people to go to hell, they got to believe the gospel. And I want to have the truth of the God. I don’t want it to get so deluded and people won’t even reckon.

We’re not necessary anymore. If our message is as good as all the other churches around here that closed the doors and just go through them. Why go through all this playing this game? Or it’s not a game. Look at next statement. After that bold statement, first you will no longer wonder about God’s character. You will know him. Also you will be moved to love Jesus just as he taught that those who have been forgiven little love little but those who have been given much will love much.

You will you will you will but what if you don’t? Well then you got recently questioned your salvation that means you didn’t have genuine faith. No, look at the part that I put in bold. To state that we will is not the same as what we should. Should I love the Lord after I’m saved? But I might not. Doesn’t the Bible tell us in God’s Word, talking to my little children, love not the world. That means I could. I could.

I can love the world. My little children, these things right that you sin not that I can. What you walk, no, no, no, no, is a lot of difference between what you will and what you should. There’s a lot of things that I should do, but I don’t have to do them. And I’ll still be saved. But when you say you will, well, God, you will love God and you will go to church and you will pray and you will give money.

Well, Well, what if you don’t? That must mean you’re not saved. Causes questions and doubts about the promises of God and everything changes. Look at the next statement, somebody wrote, I was going to try and defend heart because I know some Presbyterians that are straight on the gospel, but I can’t find a statement of faith on that page. So they look and didn’t find it, I did. Cause I know them, they’re straight on the gospel. Does it sound like they’re straight on the gospel?

No, it’s not the same message. So I had this man named Hart email me, but it’s posted and everybody to read it. This post was meant as an encouragement only. It was my hope that the growth of the kingdom through the gospel presentation and church planting might be an encouragement to my FBC friends who seek the same thing, Christ alone, grace alone. See there? So now I am being rebuked because of my position. I guess I shouldn’t have jumped into that beehive.

But somebody needed to say something. And I wasn’t going to let it go. Every time I do something, it costs me a friend. But maybe somewhere along the line, I might have made one. So, he says, I have never and will never use this space to spar over doctrine. Well, he won’t. He just presents it and then hoped that nobody says anything. Most people here know who I am and my conversation overwhelms theology as a senior at Florida Bible College.

Lee Stanford threatened to withhold my diploma at the time. I was not the first FBC student to attend Westminster Seminary. I have worked in PCA, churches for over 30 years and I’m currently a ruling elder at Redeemer Church PCA, Presbyterian churches of America. Did he go to Florida Bible College? Did he graduate? That’s what he says. Lee Stanford threatened to withhold my diploma at the time. I don’t know if you ever did or not. I don’t know. I was only hoping to communicate by what we do share gospel centricity and a deep desire to affect our culture through the gospel and the expansion of the church.

So I can’t question his motive. His motive, he just trying to help. He just trying to encourage. But I don’t believe his gospel. He’s not qualified to teach a Sunday school class in our church. He may be the elder and a Presbyterian church, but he can’t speak in ranch. Why? He don’t believe the same thing and you have to watch people that are very charismatic and a very articulate but they’re wrong doctrinally because they can win his sway and woo and cause people to believe that what they’re saying is the truth when it’s not the truth of the gospel.

Notice the next statement. He says, I was only hoping to do this. So he says, Christ alone, he said, as for the Westminster Confession, it has been a standard for evangelical Christianity since 1649. Well, that’s okay. Mine goes all the way back to the first century there. Now, so I put this into bold. If you believe that a person is not truly saved, unless he proves it by his works, then you don’t believe that faith alone is enough. Let me read it again.

If you believe that a person is not truly saved unless he proves it by his works, then you don’t believe that faith alone is enough. He’s got to have the works to prove it. And if you don’t have the work, then his faith alone is not faith alone. It’s not enough. It’s got to be faith plus works. Can’t they see this? Men reserved the last Saturday of the month for the Iron Sharpen’s Iron Men’s Bible Study and Breakfast at Calvary Community Church.

Join us at 730 for a home-cooked breakfast. Then, at 8am, the featured speaker of the month will present a one-hour classroom style Men’s Bible Study in a relaxed atmosphere where questions and dialogue are welcomed. The scripture tells us that Iron Sharpen’s Iron and this Men’s Bible Study is open to those of all levels, whether new believers or mature Christians. The Iron sharpens Iron men’s Bible study and breakfast. Don’t miss this muthly opportunity for fellowship and the study of God’s Word.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep in looking up.