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Here is chapter one of a book I have written. It is named Call it Heresy and is copyrighted but is presented here for readers' since it is very important in an eternal sense.

Here it is:

CALL IT HERESY

WHAT IS HERESY? In "Bible Briefs Against Hurtful Heresies," by H. Boyce Taylor, Sr., heresy is defined in a very precise way as follows: "Any teaching or doctrine not found in the Bible is heresy." This is the basic, accepted definition of Heresy. Heresies conflict with what the Bible teaches and this is why the Bible is taken as the standard by which heresy is graded.

Only those teachings that blatantly conflict with the most important Bible doctrines will be addressed in this book. The most important are those associated with eternal salvation and discipleship. Again, the Bible is used as the only viable standard. If another standard were used, it would either be man-made or man-approved. Every heresy was conceived this the way. It is then vital to keep the discussion within Bible confines to avoid creating or perpetuating heresy. Let’s begin by taking a look at a very popular heresy.

We know that popularity in itself doesn’t make anything correct. Many well-meaning preachers and Bible readers don’t recognize this doctrine as heresy because of its popularity and apparent acceptance by many, much-respected religious people. The reason why this heresy is chosen as our first study topic is very simple: Most important of all heresies are those which are associated directly with eternal salvation and this is such a heresy.

First of all, let’s go to Romans 10:13 where we find: FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED. Some people, possibly sincere and earnest Christians, believe this passage teaches that a person may be saved from eternal damnation by merely "calling on the Lord" since this verse, taken out of context with the rest of the chapter and book, seems to be such a clear and direct statement. No amount of personal belief in this verse as salvation from Hell’s fires will save a person and to teach the verse this way is HERESY and dangerous. Now, if Romans 10:13 doesn’t mean what it seems to say, would you like to see what it does mean? But, let’s see first why this is so important.

Remember, with something as crucial as eternal salvation, it is necessary to trust only the Bible as the standard of truth. Salvation from eternal damnation after death isn’t a trivial thing. There’s no starting over and no changing course in eternity since there are no beginnings or endings there.

Any personal prejudice, custom or tradition must not be the reason for deciding that nothing new may be said on the subject. There is no place for pride in the selection of verses or the way we are to approach the lost. There should be no attempt to please anyone or to be accepted in an "elite" group. This is not a matter of academia or some business group that must be pleased and satisfied, it is a matter of satisfying the Great Commission in delivering the Gospel Message to the lost.

Some Bible scholars have nearly memorized entire books of the Bible. Such knowledge creates the idea that there’s nothing new here. New concepts sometimes are nothing more than appreciation for the way various elements of the subject are emphasized. Now, it is admirable when someone has a memory that can encompass a chapter or a series of verses in the Bible but if this is all that is accomplished, then there is much left undone in the process.

Many people think salvation is simply salvation from eternal destruction in hell and that this destruction is the judgment and penalty for sin and human failure by God’s standards. However, this is only one aspect of salvation. It is of great importance, however, when eternity in hell is understood to be the most miserable position in which anyone could be found. But, as a rule, it is worthwhile to remember that there is more than the eternal aspect of salvation and that God is the giver of all salvation.

Salvation has many considerations and manifestations. If we understand them, we may better understand the Bible and the mind of God. Remember first, though, there are tenses of salvation: Past, Present and Future. We’re saved from the PAST or Adamic sin, from the PRESENT sin around us in the world, and from the FUTURE effect of or the very presence of or, as some may say, the penalty of sin., We may ask ourselves, therefore, in which tense do we find Romans 10:13 being used?

Romans 10:13 is a quotation from Joel 2:32. This passage MUST be read to get a full picture of the meaning. Verses One through 32 give the context, especially verses 28-32. One can see God promising a time of tribulation for Israel and that there will be "wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord shall come." Notice: "Ye children of Zion" in verse 23 and "my people" in verse 27. No doubt that it was written to God’s people.

The tribulation or trouble that God promised in Joel 2, although in the future, teaches people not to fear them since He continues in verse 32, "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered:...." In other words, the Lord’s people will be saved or kept safe (present tense) during the time of this tribulation. But there are other related passages, which we shall now see.

We find in Matthew 27:46 & 50, when Jesus died on the cross, that there was "darkness over ALL the land" and that the Lord cried out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me." We could ask why God would forsake the Lord at the time of His death. This is answered in Psalms 22:1-3 and it must be pointed out that Christ on the cross was not quoting that passage. The verses in Psalms 22 were prophetic since they were written long before Christ came to earth. In those verses, the bottom line is verse 3: "But thou art holy."

Jesus represented sin at the time of death and it must be seen that God the Father could not be present in order to maintain His holiness. This can be grasped more completely if it is understood that at the moment of death, God could not be present. The punishment was meted out for someone receiving a criminal’s punishment, although He was innocent, as some could say, but it is more reasonable that God the Father could not be present even at a judicial mistake. God is a just God and His righteousness is supreme and all-encompassing.

In Genesis, we find that because of God’s unhappiness with mankind’s sinfulness, He withdrew his protection from the Earth. Then the thorns grew. At the crucifixion, God pulled away and we see earthquakes and storms that caused the captain of the guards to proclaim: "Surely this was the Son of God." The statement is more significant when we remember that Roman Legion officers had experience throughout their world and saw many memorable things and they probably also had some knowledge of the best and the worst in their world through conversations with others in the Legion. The scenario would make a most dramatic Hollywood film and it should leave us with no small opinion of God’s holiness and majesty. But, it also tells us that He provides protection in ways we cannot fully fathom, then and today.

Given God’s love for Law, propriety and ultimate standards, Christ’s crucifixion was similar to twisting the gauge, "tilting the scale" or buying off a jury. If God were present at Christ’s crucifixion, it would be roughly similar to a chemist remaining at his bench when he knows his compound is at about to blow up. The mess wouldn’t just get on his lab coat, he would be soiled, and the chemist could be hit by flying debris and this would not only change the outcome of his experiment, his way of doing experiments would be forever altered. This is a poor analogy since it is not an experiment with God but it shows us a principle: God could not be present at the crucifixion to maintain His holiness. Although not the reason that God turned away, it is easy to see how Satan would be quick to say that God abandoned Jesus and, in some bizarre way, attempt to confuse Biblically unlearned people, possibly saying that God wouldn’t help Jesus in His hour of need. Christians know this is not what occurred but to the ungodly, any rationale of this sort is valid.

"Let this cup pass from me" indicates that Jesus knew that the foreordained death on the cross was controlled and mandated by God. This was Jesus’ humanity speaking, some say, as if Jesus was a bit reluctant to take total credit for the value of His sacrifice on the cross. However, this is not why Jesus asked the question. It was strictly a matter of obedience and He was showing this obedience to His followers at the time and, because of the New Testament record, He shows us His continuing obedience to God yet today.

At the crucifixion, Jesus was equating to sin in a death by legal decree from an Earth-government that was condoned by God. Therefore, Jesus’ death was condoned by God. This does not mean He ordered it directly but that God the Father permitted it. However, His death, although condoned, was yet a misapplication of justice and God could not be present.

The death on the cross was symbolic of the Law putting sin to death, proving God’s wisdom in giving the Law, even though it was misapplied by the Jewish priests who wanted the death of Christ. And Christ’s death figuratively put The Law to death by effectively ushering in the Age of Grace. This symbolism isn’t unrealistic when compared to Bible examples of symbols and types and the classification of the Doctrine of Ages.

To repeat, why could God not be present at Jesus’ death? Because He is Holy! God, in His perfect, holy, sinless state, MUST remain apart from any suggestion of sin to maintain His holiness. To be holy represents to be separated from sin or evil in any and all ways. We get some insight into God’s stand on this by reading Jude 23: ...HATING EVEN THE GARMENT SPOTTED ((made Unclean)) BY THE FLESH. Compare with Zech 3:4 & 5 and Gen 35:2. This is also connected with Lev 13:50-52 and Lev 14:2-8 because leprosy is a type (symbol or religious representation) for sin.

God cannot be associated with the unsaved in order to remain holy. We have too many examples in the Old Testament to ignore this fact. God worked through Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Kings David and Solomon—even Noah. This was an oblique picture of Christ, our Great High Priest. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the bottom line and yet heads the list. He is the ONLY mediator in eternal matters. We see this in I Tim 2:5 where Paul says, "For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; ...."

Apart from Joel, chapter two, which MUST be read to know the mind of God, where else do we find such a statement in the Bible? In Acts, Chapter Two, the Jews were seeing some of the "wonders" mentioned in Joel when Peter stood up and spoke to those present and said, beginning with verse 16, "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;...." and Peter then quoted Joel 2:28-32 and this ends in Acts, Verse 21 with what we find in Romans 10:13. BUT THIS IS THAT!!! These words prove Peter was saying that what happened to the Jews just before the dispersion of the Jews around the world was what was predicted in the book of Joel.

The people addressed in Romans 10:13 were already saved since the section from Romans 10:13 through 10:15 shows the Gospel (the "good news" of Jesus Christ as Saviour) being carried by preachers, then preached, then heard, then believed. We know from John 3:16 and many other verses that a person is SAVED at this point: WHEN THEY BELIEVE! Then follow calling, confessing, and righteousness. Open-minded reading in the Bible will expose the reader to evidence of this. If people would only read Romans 10:14 it would be clear but too many people prefer to stop at Verse 13 and say it is enough for eternal salvation when it isn’t at all dealing with ETERNAL salvation.

In Romans 10, the course from Lost to Saved to Righteous is given in a different way than that to which we are accustomed. This is the difference: The progression from lost to saved to advanced levels of righteousness is given in reverse order!

Verse 13 is before verse 14 but notice that verse 14 states that one is saved and must be so before calling on the Lord. Even though verse 14 is after verse 13, the ability to call on the Lord is afterwards IN TIME due to this reverse-order progression. Remember the math teacher who put the answer to a problem on the blackboard and then said, "Now, let me show you how we get this answer." He then proceeds to put the formulas and other information needed for the answer after the answer was already written down. This is precisely what we find in Romans, Chapter Ten. However, when people are presented with the old "Romans Road Salvation," they usually leave out Verse 14 and this is actually "taking away" from the Bible by leaving the verse out and thereby inventing doctrine. Let’s continue now by looking at Revelation 22: 18 & 19:

Revelation 22:18 & 19

18 For I testify unto every man that heareth

the words of the prophecy of this book, If any

man shall add unto these things, God shall add

unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

19 And if any man shall take away from the

words of the book of this prophecy, God shall

take away his part out of the book of life, and

out of the holy city, and from the things which

are written in this book.

Notice especially Verse 19, above. Leaving out Verse 14 when trying to establish the Romans Road Salvation as a Bible doctrine is "taking away" from what the Bible says on this topic. And, Verse 14 provides the needed explanation for full understanding of what Paul is saying in this passage. It is the same as if one did not actually want to achieve understanding in others who are being taught about eternal salvation.

Now, Verse 19 isn’t saying that someone who takes away from the book will have his or her name removed from the book of life but that "his part" will be removed. This ‘part’ is where godly acts are attributed to the person and "his part" represents rewards for faithfulness, etc.

There are those who argue that Revelation was written before other books in the Bible and, therefore, they opine that the verses in Revelation only apply to Revelation. This is faulty and heretic thinking in itself. Nowhere in the Bible does any of the Bible negate or contradict other parts of the Bible! To accept Revelation and then say some verses somehow disprove or causes other Scripture to be canceled in any wise is completely false. This is done so they can rewrite Scripture to coincide with their devious doctrine that is counter to the scrutiny of Bible Doctrine. They fail the test of honesty when they do this and all their other views become questionable.

The people who say that the book of Revelation was written before some of the other books ignore something vital to their ability to believe in the Bible. If the above verses were specifically directed to the addition and subtraction of verses and selections of Revelation, and to altering this book alone in any way, they forget that it sets the principle that nothing that God says in the Bible should be changed. No taking away, no additions. This principle is applicable to the rest of the Bible, also. Therefore, this argument, that it only applies to Revelation, is an empty argument since they are saying, in effect, that Revelation is not part of the Bible as a whole or that the rules of perfection and completion applied to the Words of God do not universally apply in some way to all the Bible. Therefore, it is better to adhere to the principle of Bible integrity as we see applied in principle in the book of Revelation.

Before going on, let’s take a look at some other verses that has everyone all excited because they link it to Romans 10:13. It is in the same chapter. Take a look at Verses 9 & 10 where we see:

Romans 10

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth

the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart

that God hath raised him from the dead,

thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto

righteousness; and with the mouth confession

is made unto salvation.

What many of the same people who misuse Romans 10:13 do is try to make confession part of the plan. When they are challenged about calling on the Lord for eternal salvation, they quickly throw in a heavy dose of ‘confession’ as if it is part and parcel of eternal salvation. However, let’s take a quick look at these two verses.

Those that think that confession is connected to calling on the Lord have to stop and realize that they don’t understand the meaning of the word confession. What happens when one confesses? What does it do?

When one is a lawbreaker, confession simply is stating what happened, it is stating one is guilty or has done something. "Confession unto salvation" means the person states that he/she is saved. Nothing more! The emphasis is actually on the first part of Verse 10 where it says that "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness" and is actually what happens when one is saved. Not confession! Again, what does it mean when it talks about confession here? It simply is to say that salvation is by believing and not something done with the mouth.

Apparently, there were some even back in the time of Paul’s writings who thought they had to call on the Lord for salvation but Paul is saying that salvation is by believing in the heart and that with the mouth one confesses to what has happened in the heart. Think about it. This was not a method or mechanism for eternal salvation. It was to point out how one may know that a person is saved. Remember, when a man confesses to a crime, the confession does not make him a lawbreaker, it only confirms what has already occurred.

Confession is merely an admission of guilt or, in this case, admission of what has happened in the heart. However, the greatest proof of this understanding is that it does not contradict other scripture. To say that confession is part of eternal salvation, that it somehow "lays hold" on salvation, as some say, is reading into the verses much more than honest understanding will support. To try to interpret these verses as a means of salvation is the same misunderstanding and teaching of Romans 10:13 being a means of being saved. Why isn’t faith, believing and trust in Jesus quite enough as we find outlined in many places in the Bible? Improper interpretation of Romans 10:9 & 10 is then another source of heresy of the same magnitude as is the mishandling of Verse 13.

Romans 9 & 10 don’t tell us only what eternal salvation is, it tells us what it isn’t. They tell us that Eternal Salvation comes from believing in the heart (that Jesus died for the sins of the believer who believes that His death was for him or her) and it also tells us that it isn’t confession. Believing saves, confession is only laying out what has happened in the heart. Furthermore, "Confession" isn’t connected in some way with "calling."

In John 9:31 we find a revealing statement. "NOW WE KNOW THAT GOD HEARETH NOT SINNERS: BUT IF ANY MAN BE A WORSHIPPER OF GOD, AND DOETH HIS WILL, HIM HE HEARETH." Before going on, we must justify the use of this verse. Some question the verse, saying that it is taken out of context and would have us think that it "puts words in God’s mouth." I heard a religious leader with a Doctor of Theology degree say this and it was only because the idea of God being outside of Time didn’t go along with his Unbiblical philosophy. Also, I think he imagined he would suffer great peer pressure if he accepted the verse exactly for what it says. He and others do this without taking the time to read the entire chapter. Therefore, please notice the following regarding John 9:31:

The statement falls in line with other testimonies of Christ’s Saviourhood in the book of John

The blind man was disputing with those who were trying to denounce Jesus and was, therefore, Christ’s ally and not a foe

The passage was never refuted in the Scriptures!

Those Pharisees investigating the healing were knowledgeable in Biblical matters yet they did not say the blind man’s statement was wrong, they only resented being taught by someone who was once a beggar

In John 9:27, the healed blind man asks, "Will ye ALSO be his disciples?" ALSO? Can we find here a disciple of Christ, one who found mercy, healing, and salvation because of his faith? This appears to be the case if the entire passage is studied

Only a follower of Christ would rise to His defense in the face of the accepted religious leaders of the day. An unsaved, godless man would have proposed another argument, different from that given by the once-blind man. Saying that the erstwhile blind man’s statement cannot be accepted is merely fumbling with weak rationale. It contradicts contextual expression and ignores Biblical truth.

Winds of doctrine and heresy cause people to defend pet traditions that are counter to Bible teaching. Sometimes one wonders if these defenders of heresy are more comfortable with opinions of others than they are with the truth of the Bible! And one could also wonder just how much time they spend actually reading and believing the Bible.

A true Bible Believer doesn’t merely ACCEPT Bible truth as a matter of belief. A true Bible Believer confidently believes what the Bible says and KNOWS it because of prayerfully intense study plus great reverential awe and respect for God and His Word. However, we sometimes must have truth pointed out and emphasized when we get too engrossed with the details of the Bible and miss understanding the big picture. Changing our minds about what it says in the Bible isn’t a place for pride, shame or embarrassment, especially if it results in a more correct reading of the Bible.

Perhaps it is better to accept that we’re all disciples. This implies being a follower and a frequent student. Bible reading can be either a learning experience or a confidence builder—or both! Either we already know something and the Bible strengthens our knowledge of God’s Word or it is something we should learn. This makes it necessary to constantly be alert when we read the Bible since we often find even more wisdom in familiar areas or passages already studied.

Now that the trustworthiness of the blind man’s statement in John 9 is established, let’s read it again: "NOW WE KNOW THAT GOD HEARETH NOT SINNERS: BUT IF ANY MAN BE A WORSHIPPER OF GOD, AND DOETH HIS WILL, HIM HE HEARETH." There are many other passages that are in support of the statement in John 9:31 are Job 27:9 (to whom is it written? —Verses 7 & 8); Proverbs 1:28; Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 11:11; Psalms 50:15 (and, again, to whom written? —See verse 7 and compare with verse 16. Are these "wicked" people unsaved or out of God’s will? Verse 23 seems to clear it up as it indicates that by their praise and conversation they SHOW their salvation.) These aren’t the only verses that teach about those who call on the Lord but are certainly indicative of the mind of God. Let’s see another verse that says practically the same thing that we saw in John 9:31, as follows:

In Matthew 7:21 we read: NOT EVERYONE THAT SAITH UNTO ME, LORD, LORD, SHALL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF THE FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. Let’s connect this with what we read in John 9:31, above. We see that God does not hear those who call upon Him as a rule, and especially sinners as see in John 9:31, but He does hear those who do "the will of the Father." Therefore, the person who does the will of the Father is eternally saved from Hell’s fires and is also heard by Him. HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF THE FATHER!!! One crucial question could easily be, "What is the will of the Father?"

In John 6:40 we find the will of the Father spelled out by Christ and notice that it is not calling, mouthing the so-called sinner’s prayer or anything else. We read: AND THIS IS THE WILL OF HIM THAT SENT ME, THAT EVERYONE WHICH SEETH THE SON, AND BELIEVETH ON HIM, MAY HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE: AND I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY. This is the will of the Father.

Note in the above passage that believing on the Son (Jesus) is connected with seeing Him as a needed saviour. Also, "...May have everlasting life:" does not mean "maybe" It represents a part of speech, a verb’s conjugation where the helping verb is ‘may.’ This is the same as saying that the Believer "Is permitted to have everlasting life:"

In John 6:37 we see: ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVETH ME SHALL COME TO ME; AND HIM THAT COMETH TO ME I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT. Three things are notable in verse 37: a) The Lord won’t turn away those that come, b) The Lord won’t reject them later, and c) The security of the believer is embedded in the words "in no wise" and should put to rest the question of God’s finality in salvation. This is more than a simple statement. It is an edict or decree! Also, keep in mind that Jesus is not talking about people coming to Him to believe and be saved, He’s saying they will come to Him in Eternity. They will not be ignored or turned away.

It is strange when some Bible scholars say they understand God’s Sovereign Grace but they still insist that there must be something one can do to get God’s attention and favor! They may not say it in so many words, though. They sometimes refer to it as a "commitment" or a "move on the part of the sinner" or "taking the first step" but it nevertheless contradicts the Doctrine of Sovereign Grace as they propose and understand it. However, they often admit that there is Sovereign Grace but that this is an Eternal Doctrine while we who live on earth are personally responsible before God. Our responsibility is spelled out by Christ in John 6:41, above.

Some people oversimplify salvation and say it was all done on the cross at Calvary and all we have to do is believe it happened, that it was historical, and little else. It was not so simple and not such a singular act. Nor was salvation conceived merely for our benefit but readers don’t have to take my word for it. The crucifixion and all the other doctrines were assembled to satisfy God’s great Purpose for Mankind which conforms to a much higher necessity: God’s maintaining His holiness and perfect justice. All this was done in a way to be acceptable to God. That’s why the cup could not be passed from Jesus, as He prayed on the Mount of Olives.

Although God’s Greater Plan or Purpose must have been satisfied, it is very convenient to think in terms of the crucifixion being The Plan. Even though it is popular to think of The Plan being just for us apart from God’s Greater Plan, our limited thinking doesn’t diminish salvation’s greatness. But take a moment to consider that there were others in the Bible who saw Jesus and were eternally saved before His crucifixion. Why? Because they believed on Him. Read the book of John. It is filled with the object of eternal salvation by faith and believing and this alone.

Different facets of Salvation are reminiscent of the way we must look at the triune God, envisioned and understood as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Three personages, one person. Not so hard to understand if we use the classic explanation of a diamond: Three people may see the diamond and describe it as having reflective rays of light of different colors but they’re essentially descriptions of the same thing.

The triune God has different operations but each person isn’t limited in function or operation. God the Father is a spirit ("God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth." John 4:24 ), God the Son (Jesus) is God manifest in the flesh, and God the Holy Spirit is called variously by many names when specific operations are emphasized, such as Comforter (see John 14:26, 15:26, 16:7). Due to peculiarities of translation, some descriptive words mean more if they are compared with a concordance. Most of the mystery of troublesome words in the Bible seems to disappear if we do this.

A similar thing happens if we analyze words dealing with salvation. Different operations occur that were translated Save in the Bible, especially in the New Testament. The three aspects of salvation, as related to time and eternity, can be understood without too much trouble by studying good texts on Bible doctrine but it is wise to read several to identify and isolate radical interpretations. Repeating them here is to emphasize the different ways the word Save is used and may put readers well on the road to better understanding.

There are tenses of salvation: Past, Present and Future. We’re saved from PAST or the Adamic sin, from the PRESENT sin around us in the world, and from the FUTURE effect of or the very presence of sin when we are taken to Heaven. Just remember, salvation is a fact and God promised it, Jesus did it and the Holy Spirit points to Jesus and teaches us. No one needs a degree in theology to understand this. The woman at the well in John 4 didn’t go to a Bible college but she saw Jesus and believed on Him. It was enough for her and it is enough for us. All the rest is polish as far as eternal salvation is concerned. More about the woman at the well will be given later in this book because John 4 is typical of many Bible passages in presenting less than obvious concepts but they are still rich in meaning.

There comes a moment when every saved person saw his or her standing before God as one condemned and needing salvation from eternal damnation. God recognizes believing on Jesus as personal saviour to be the requirement to justify His promises to take effect for the person covered by Jesus’ blood covering. Consider that there were others that were saved before Jesus was born. Abraham believed God and his faith was accounted as righteousness by God. Enoch walked with God and he was not because God said, "Come up here!" and he was lifted into the presence of God. Stop and think about it. Is it enough to see a person’s position before God and say that He is Salvation and that He can save? Can we say that God the Father can do what He promises? I believe Abraham believed God and it was such complete faith that it included whatever and however God saw fit to save old Abraham, even to the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. However, such saving faith ended with the commencement of the Age of Grace. This happened when Jesus died on the cross. It isn’t enough now to have the simple faith of Abraham because now we have Jesus and His death on the cross of Calvary to look to and believe. In fact, one of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to point people to Christ and proclaim, "There He is! He’s your Saviour. Believe on Him!"

When God looks at a saved person, He sees that person abiding IN CHRIST, covered with a righteousness imputed by God’s promises to those who are saved by belief in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross in their behalf. We need not pass judgment on what God wants and requires. Does it seem too simple? Why do people try to make it something more complex? Sure, it is Majestic and largely unfathomable but it is the way God wants it. People need to accept it. Consider that the woman at the well did not need to spend years at a seminary to know the truth about Jesus and God’s plan of salvation for mankind. She did not beg, cry, plead, moan and groan. And she said, "Come see a man!" Her message was not "Come see a plan."

One must do the Father’s will: BELIEVE on the Son. This believing carries with it many implications and, as such, many implied and accepted beliefs. Most important to us are:

Believing in the existence of God the Father, that He is the father of creation and Establisher of justifiable accountability and responsibility.

Believing in God’s word (His trustworthiness), that He will eternally save those who do, in fact, believe with confidence in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross in our personal behalf.

Totally believing in Jesus as personal saviour. This will enable Believers to stand before God in righteousness due to Christ’s blood covering.

This total faith shows complete trust in Jesus and in God’s promises to the saved. Total confidence without reservation. A faith in God to be able to do ALL He promises! In this we can see the faith of Abraham. It also gives us confidence! This is the confidence that gives us strength sufficient to go through life without doubt that God will take care of us now in Time, and in Eternity. To doubt it is to deny it. To refuse is proof of disbelief.

What we’ve covered should be enough to show how Romans 10:13 was intended to be used but be aware that there is much, much more for us here. Why would Paul include this in Romans after the beginning of the tribulation of the Jews during the first century? One noteworthy explanation is because prophecy usually comes in the Bible in two waves and Paul did not know but that the time of the Great Tribulation was at hand. Paul, like us, did not know but that it could start tomorrow, or that it might even begin before the day is finished. This was, then, Paul’s warning and key to aid the Christians in Rome, whether immediately or at any time, being able to call on the Lord to deliver them from tribulation. Paul knew about the first time of the prophecy but not the second.

There were evidently some problems in Rome. Conventional Jews looked down their noses at the new believers and there were probably some non-Jews who also looked askance at their new Jewish brethren with their strange and ancient ideas. This division made it necessary for the history lessons we find in the early chapters of Romans. By the time the non-Jewish reader gets to the passage in chapter 10, it should be easy to understand the Jewish way of thinking and their strong sense of tradition. At the same time, it was a memory lesson for the Jewish reader to be reminded of God’s love for the Jew and how God stood by them through the Exodus, a most emotional time in the history of the Jews. Coupled with this was the fact that the Hebrew people were not the only ones to escape the slavery of Egypt. There were "strangers" among the people and this was a significant element to bring out at this time: From early in Jewish history, non-Jews had been allowed to be like the Jew, enjoying God’s promises as partakers of His love. However, isn’t it easier to see that we are all adopted into God’s family? How else could it be? God had only one son, Jesus Christ. We are like the grafted vine.

In large part, the book of Romans was to show Christians in Rome that God had been, and was yet, equally kind to the Jew and the non-Jew. And Romans 10:13 was mainly to show that salvation was not limited to Jew or Gentile (non-Jew). This is the significance of the word Whosoever in the verse. In this respect, the tone of the book was set early in the letter to those in Rome (see Romans 1:13-15). Notice also that the concern that Paul showed for Israel AND the Gentile in Romans 10:1 and 11:1. He clearly lets the reader know that he is a Jew himself, not an average Jew but one with significant heritage and a good, traditional education. Paul had nothing of which to be ashamed nor did he need make excuses.

After this passage, we see in Rom 11:13 how Paul becomes specific about his "office" and call to service when he says he is an "apostle of the Gentiles." This apparently is to make clear to the reader that he, Paul, is obligated in his duty to his readers, whether Jew or non-Jew.

Looking more closely, we find in Romans 10:11 as well as in verse 10:13 the word WHOSOEVER. Just how is this word significant? Because these verses bracket verse 12 where it says, "FOR THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JEW AND GREEK: FOR THE SAME LORD OVER ALL IS RICH UNTO ALL THAT CALL UPON HIM." Here we begin to see the establishment of an idea. Salvation was for WHOSOEVER. WHOSOEVER! Be careful, though. Paul was not indicating a means to eternal salvation but by quoting other scripture, which was Paul’s regular practice ("in the mouth of two witnesses shall everything be established"), he was showing salvation as a "whosoever" kind of salvation. It was promised to WHOSOEVER and not limited to Jew or Greek (non-Jew).

The preponderance of evidence is that FAITH, BELIEVING and TRUST in Jesus as Saviour is that which the Lord God recognizes as the redeeming factor in order to justify His completing the promise to eternally save those who do, in fact, believe. In the books of John alone, there are more than 100 places where Faith, Believing and Trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour are found to save one eternally. This amounts to overwhelming evidence but remember that God has NEVER had but one way of salvation. Keep in mind, also, that such complete understanding and faith cannot be mustered up on the strength of our own intellect, rationale or desire. See again First John 5:20; II Corinthians 4:6; and Ephesians 2:4, 5 & 8, 9.

Notice once more Peter’s sermon in the book of Acts. In Acts 2:21, consider exactly what it says: "AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED." See the words IT SHALL COME TO PASS??? Yes, IT SHALL COME TO PASS!!! How do we correlate "it shall come to pass" with the fact that God has never had but one way of salvation?

Calling on the Lord was shown as something for later, for a specific purpose, not from the beginning. This alone indicates that it is misused when we hear the evangelist plead, "Just call on the Lord, ask Him to come into your heart," or the like, leaving out the idea of Faith, Believing and Trust. Even used as a ploy by saying that, "It’ll get ‘em to come forward and then we can deal with ‘em," as I’ve heard evangelists say, is wrong and is just an excuse for faulty doctrine.

I once followed a young lady to the back room after she came to the front during the invitation. She was to be "counseled" as a prospective convert at the church I was visiting. The counselor repeatedly said, "Just ask Jesus to come into your heart," and continued by saying, "Let’s pray for Jesus to come into your heart." I could stand still no longer. I explained to her how God only recognizes a person who is saved by their seeing Jesus as Saviour and believing in Him as The Person who died in order for him or her to be saved. The young lady had a look of amazement and understanding flood her face and a soft smile came to her eyes, now welling with tears. And I noticed that the so-called Counselor also had the look of someone who was hearing the message of salvation for the first time. Does this explanation of salvation sound too simple? Most of all, I hope the scenario above doesn’t sound too familiar! This is what the Bible says about Salvation and is quoted from Jesus Himself in John, Chapter Six. So, why add a procedure that isn’t in the Bible?

It would appear that some Bible scholars just don’t know what the Bible says in regard to salvation, the most important of all the doctrines concerning the ultimate destiny of mankind. And they may not have read the last chapter of Revelation where it warns about adding to or taking away from the Bible. But, isn’t it nearly the same as adding to the Bible when so-called doctrine is added that does not come from the Bible? Don’t forget that merely saying that "it is in the Bible" is no excuse for distorting or skewing the intended meaning. When the interpretation is other than what the Bible intended, it is without doubt Heresy.

The Bible is the written Word of God but those words may be quoted as God’s Word. This is why we respect the Bible as God’s word although prepared and presented to us in the form of a book. This is the difference between the Christian Bible and the Moslem Koran/Quran. They have elevated the Koran/Quran to the level of the actual word of Allah. Our Bible is a written record but we don’t practice Bibliolatry. However, we have people who try to add to what God’s Word says whether orally or in tracts and other teaching material. It is actually worse than Bibliotry when people intentionally disregard the true meaning of the Word of God.

When the Bible is studied regarding the heresy of "calling on the Lord for eternal salvation," the practice emerges as a formula. It is sometimes used and accepted so much that it is commonly called The Romans Road to Salvation! It becomes a little ditty followed by a little duty that is then followed by a great emptiness in Eternity. It starts with a misconception followed by a misrepresentation. But, don’t take my word for it, check it out! Read the references from the Bible while reserving the thought that you could learn something new. And, watch those who practice this Unbiblical art and you will see that what they are doing is exactly what is shown here and it disregards correct and proper Bible teaching. But, there are many reasons they misuse Roman 10:13 and we will discuss them in a moment.

There is no place here for humanistic pride that could lead to a great disappointment and a greater destruction. But, this kind of behavior isn’t something new. Intelligent people often prove themselves to be unwise. A wise man heeds warnings and shows his love by sharing his treasures with others. There is an old proverb that relates to this and is as follows:

He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool — Shun him!

He who knows and knows not that he knows is asleep — Awaken him!

He who knows not and knows that he knows not is simple — Teach him!

He who knows and knows that he knows is wise — Follow him!

Let’s analyze some traditional objections and excuses used by many people who misuse Romans 10:13 in an attempt to justify adhering to this heresy of Calling on the Lord for Eternal Salvation which is contrary to what the Bible says:

1. The thief on the cross. It is said that he, and others in similar circumstances, "called" on the Lord when he said to Jesus, "Remember me…." But notice that in such quoted cases in the Bible, we find that the person initiates his "call" with the word LORD. What better indication of faith could there be than recognizing Jesus as Lord? The recognition of Jesus as Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God but yet a man (or, rather, God manifest in the flesh) is an excellent example of FAITH. They "see the Son and believe on Him." Also, the thief on the cross did not ask Jesus to come into his heart or any such thing. He said, "Remember me," and it means he already saw Jesus as the Son of God and the Saviour;

2. "What about Cornelius? He called on the LORD," many say. The LORD here is the Lord God, not Jesus. After studying out the whole chapter (Acts 10), it is seen that God heard Cornelius’ prayers (verse 2) beforehand but that He sent Peter to preach the gospel to Cornelius and his family, demanding the same personal response of faith as from anyone. Missionaries are sent out the same way;

3. "Calling shows faith so it is OK." This is nothing but rank assumption and supposition. Some have said that to call on some inner reserve (as might an athlete) may indicate some sort of faith but it is faith to some, perhaps, but not as a rule and, especially, not to everyone. Nor does it indicate a saving faith or that one somehow addresses a need to be personally responsible before God. This personal responsibility is already a fact. It is not necessary to perform a mental exercise, to feel a sinful, no good, rotten, stinking thing before God when not yet saved. It is not necessary or a prerequisite to go to the depths of human depravity to need salvation and Christ’s blood covering. God does not require this. Nor is it necessary to imagine going down for the third time and "calling" for a life-saver, to quote an old country preacher; and (but not lastly as there are other, less logical rationales for clinging to this heresy),

4. Some think that if they say: "It worked for me so it is good enough for others," we should be satisfied. The intent with such statements is to form a challenge with the desired effect of silencing anyone who questions them. They think no one should wonder or question that they could be induced to "call on the Lord." But, this is the same as the Charismatics who have an "experience" and believe that an experience is better than having the truth. If anyone proposes that he/she actually did call on the Lord and received eternal salvation, we should take the challenge and ask, "Did it really work? After what the Bible says about it, will you insist that it works? Because that is what you’re doing. You’re acting as if it doesn’t matter what the Bible says if it somehow worked for you. But, what is it you’ve got, now? Bible salvation or just a feeling that doesn’t come from the Bible?" We must ask some hard questions, sometimes, or risk having a friend going through life without eternal salvation. Forcing them to pause and wonder may be necessary to break through their shell of self-imposed confidence and bring them to the knowledge of true eternal salvation.

Be aware that there are some with such a mind-set on the subject that even though they may be or seem to be convinced, they will never truly and effectively change their minds. A few weeks later, they will be back to the same old theories and sermons, never studying the Bible to know the mind of God. However, let’s look at another Bible doctrine.

Many Bible scholars don’t question the doctrine of Atonement. They accept it without actually knowing what it means. Atonement covers many areas and it is a very important doctrine. The meaning is taught in Bible colleges and, as such, the doctrine presents a very useful tool for explaining many other doctrines. The acceptance and belief in Atonement sets a principle in this and other cases of looking at Bible doctrines, as we shall see.

It would appear by their actions that some people don’t really accept Atonement through understanding because they merely lack thorough Bible study. And, we find some often parrot high-sounding doctrines and appear to command a thorough knowledge of this and other Bible Doctrines. Furthermore, they prove their bias toward ignorance by a tendency to look at Atonement in only one way, not realizing that the doctrine has many aspects, all valid and useful to explain God’s self-imposed requirement for satisfaction in sin payment.

Atonement represents reconciliation between God and man through the acceptable sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Atonement is a term sometimes explained as "at-one-ment." It actually fills a vacuum because there’s no single, alternative word in English adequate to draw from to explain the doctrine. Regardless, the doctrine of atonement is accepted unquestioned by knowledgeable Bible scholars who often don’t fully understand all the implications of the doctrine. The point is, however, a discussion of Atonement is acceptable and doesn’t bring on the rash of opposition that comes when challenging "calling on the Lord for eternal salvation."

When someone says that the word CALL is frequently misused is very often ill-received and hardly acceptable. Why do people resent the challenge of the way one term is used (call) and not resent discussions about another (atonement)? The tradition that produced the aberrant use of call is apparently the same tradition that perpetuates it. Could it be that the usual explanation for the word Atonement (at-one-ment) comes from a man no one feels should be challenged but the word Call is thought so simple that no one thinks it should be questioned?

No matter how pious-sounding, maintaining false traditions is identical to heresy. When it relates to eternal salvation, the question is all the more serious. Also, any good, Biblical tradition or doctrine or word must stand on its own merit and claim existence from its origin. Otherwise, it is unacceptable. But, "calling on the Lord for eternal salvation" does not stand the test of doctrinal reliability and is yet held onto as a precious possession by many otherwise good preachers and Bible scholars. In this book, we will examine some of the reasons for this.

Let’s once more consider the woman at the well in John 4. It is a great example of salvation during Jesus’ ministry. In verses 39-41 we see that many of the Samaritans believed Jesus on the strength of the woman’s testimony although she probably didn’t fully understand everything she had just learned. Notice, however, that "many more believed because of his (Jesus’) own word...." The woman caused them to stop and listen and the message of Christ caused the people in the town to take heed and believe. No doubt seeing the change in that woman was enough for the townspeople to know that something extraordinary had happened.

Jesus’ trip through Samaria in John 4 was to establish that a prophet has no respect or credibility in his own country (Verse 44) and to give on-the-job missionary training to the disciples. It was also to show the disciples accompanying Him that a missionary does not chose his area of work, the work is chosen for him. The trip also showed how "good" Jews did not accept Jesus but the conventional enemy of the Jewish upper class did accept Him. As an aside, it may be interesting to know if Samaritan Christians remain to the present day. Also, it may be a significant point to ponder that perhaps societies considered the most hostile to Christianity, such as the Atheists or Communists, may actually have people who may well be receptive to the Gospel. However, we may have to meet them "at the well" and not in some ordinary setting in society. The way Jesus approached the woman at the well to make contact with the town may be useful as a pattern to us today. Jumping into an adversarial society without an intermediate stage may well prove to be an unwise and unprofitable endeavor. Remember, Jonah also had some "preparation" before going to Nineveh. As the woman of John 4 was notable by her reputation, Jonah was no doubt "notable" for his physical appearance after being partially digested by the fish.

In John 4:4 we see that Jesus’ trip through Samaria was a matter of "needs." Those needs were apparently satisfied through the meeting at the well and with the people in town. From the "lowest of the low" came a testimony that moved a town. It should serve to remind us, as in verses 35 through 38, that there are areas that are ripe for harvesting unbelievers if we would only notice their existence and give them our attention.

The town’s name in Samaria was Sychar and the well was Jacob’s well. The historical significance and related topics would be a good topic for Bible study. But the story remains as a lesson of love for us all. Again, note that Jesus was giving his followers, and us, a living example of missionary duty but the disciples were standoffish and seemed suspicious of Christ’s ideas. We can also see in other passages of the New Testament that His advice wasn’t always readily heeded by the disciples.

Another area to ponder about misuse of the Romans 10:13 heresy is most important: What about those who come down the aisles to acknowledge Jesus as their Saviour, AFTER YEARS OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP? Did they "call on the Lord" when they came down the aisle the first time? If they are asked, the number of those who admit that this is exactly what happened may be surprising. See Matt 7:21 again. And, should they be baptized again? If you don’t think so, then ask yourself if unbeliever’s baptism has any value? Think about it!

There are some who attempt to justify using this heresy as when one "calls on a doctor" to heal them. This is typical English usage, an idiomatic expression, and not an expression that is commonly-used in other languages, as a rule. Reading this into it is a distortion. The original language will not allow for this understanding. It then becomes an unnatural desire coupled with an exercise of the imagination for it to represent this to the Bible reader. Not everyone calls on a doctor with faith and the "visitation of the Lord," as we see in First Peter 2:12 and in Hosea 9:7, is for the purpose of God’s judgment, not salvation.

Why do some people insist on maintaining a tradition instead of simply following the Bible? Habit? Custom? Lack of attention to details or segmented reading of God’s word? Peer pressure or unwillingness to deviate from the accepted Biblical view in the religious community? Meekly going along with others because "it worked for them" and need not be challenged? It could be any one or a combination of the preceding reasons.

The great lengths some people go to in order to rationalize and reason in an attempt to prove it is possible to call on the Lord to save eternally does nothing more than demonstrate human rationalization and reasoning. Is there really a place for common sense in Bible study? Certainly — as long as it agrees with the Bible.

If we do what the Bible tells us to do, no more and no less, without reading poetic, romantic, emotional or heartrendingly pious philosophy into the Scriptures, we wouldn’t get sidetracked so much by such aberrations. Which is a more important, pet tradition or truth? Does your response coincide with your practice?

There is an element of simplicity in salvation. Of course, it is majestic and beyond our complete comprehension in some ways. God’s way of salvation may also be unfathomable to some people. But just like the woman at the well in John Four, God’s will is for simple people to become God’s people as well as all the rest of mankind. Let’s be thankful that God only expects us "to see the Son and BELIEVE on Him." Any more than that or anything else is unacceptable to God. Also, there would no doubt be many who could not manage anything more than simple acceptance and belief. And, I have no doubt that if there were actually more to it than believing, some would complain about it being too complex.

My cousin, now dead, went to a good university in the Bible Belt. She learned to be very quick to point out some weaknesses and fallacies in the Bible, according to her. These were things she learned from her Biblically lacking and doctrinally corrupt professors at the university, of course. She went down this path for several years doubting and criticizing. However, she one day returned to her roots and became a true Bible believer. Her family patiently let her go through her spiritual growth pains and their faith and wisdom stayed the course. Her mother, my aunt, was a piano teacher and was the pianist at the church for many, many years. My cousin died a believer but she was fortunate.

How about the woman at the well who knew nothing about Jesus but was also fortunate when Jesus came to see her? Compare this with my cousin who had a family that remained patient until she came to realize that the university only had questions and no answers and you can see that both my cousin and the woman at the well were fortunate indeed.

What about the people around the world who are waiting at their well for someone to bring them the message? It is of little comfort to know that their punishment will be fitting to their sins, according to God’s supremely unique justice, and that they will not suffer more than they deserve. However, we know that God will clear our tears of sympathy for family and loved ones who do not go to Heaven when we enter eternity. In a related way, I suspect some will cry also when they realize that they could have carried or given the message of salvation to someone at their well.

Just a few words passed along about Jesus and then the Holy Spirit takes over for those who know their position before God. (I John 5:20) But we still have too many who think the message of salvation is something that takes months to deliver and some churches that believe those under conviction require a "Christianity Course" and that it takes some time to prepare someone to accept Jesus as his or her personal saviour. This isn’t what happened at the well.

Many preachers, evangelists and missionaries use the delivery of gospel messages as a professional platform. They go to school to learn the "business" of passing on the message of salvation and they are taught that there are expenses they have to meet. Of course this is true but they soon come to depend on the "business" to provide their livelihood and tend to take care of business more than delivering the message of salvation. However, in the process many of those who could benefit from the message are not so fortunate because the Professional Evangelists are too busy taking care of business. Opportunities are missed for both the man of God and for those waiting at their wells. The Professionals are being rewarded here on earth but their crowns in heaven, the rewards for good and faithful service that they can place at the feet of the Lord of Glory, will not be there. Only the shadows of the crowns will be felt and their loss of reward in eternity will be met with some sorrow.

There are too many otherwise well-meaning people who want the moment of salvation to be more than God expects of us. Merely Believing in Jesus as Personal Saviour is just too simple for this kind of person. To them, WE MUST DO SOMETHING! They just can’t accept the fact that the doing was done on the Cross when Jesus was crucified and we only need to see our position before God and "simply believe" and there’s really nothing for man, woman or child "to do" for salvation. Therefore, they add this and that to it as if God is expecting more than faith and trust in Jesus and in God’s promises to save. They effectively act as gods as they try to do the work of God. God wants us as servants, not as His assistants in ways not acceptable to God. They then forget their place in God’s Army. Do they forget that God has legions at hand and they only need His command to come to His assistance?

We have mandates in the Bible to not add to Scripture and this doesn’t just mean writing it into the Book. Remember the definition of Heresy? Besides, remember that believing in Christ is about as much as most people can handle! Any more than Faith, Believing and Trust is an attempt to perform some work for salvation and isn’t Biblical. To be accurate, though, there is indeed a definite commitment when one sees the Son and believes on Him. It is called complete faith in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and complete belief in God’s promise to save those who do have this faith. The first is Salvation in Eternity, the second (faith in God’s promises) is salvation in Time (here on earth) for God to do what He promises resulting in Confidence in and Reliance on God.

Paul, the apparent penman of Hebrews, called it "faith to the saving of the soul." It is not something we can muster up on our own power, though. It isn’t faith as an idea or salvation on demand. It is seeing we need salvation and that we are not able to save ourselves. Also, we must know that God expects us to see salvation as being in Christ and that our faith is enough for God to complete His promise to the person who believes in Jesus’ death on the cross to save them. If we have this complete faith, we will be confident in our salvation and never fear the penalty of sin in our lives.

The power of sin, in Time, is often strong and perhaps sometimes too strong for us to withstand without God’s help but He promised us that He would not allow us to suffer the power of sin beyond what we can withstand. With God on our side, who or what do we have to fear?

Jesus did all the work of eternal salvation. We can do nothing. IF we make the attempt, it is unacceptable to God. To God, anything we do, any act we perform, is as if we are trying to give Him the clothes off a leper’s back. This is implied when we read in Isaiah 64:6 that our "righteousnesses are as filthy rags," then we know our works are a stench in His nostrils, dirtied with the blood and pus from open sores. To God, our efforts are about the dirtiest thing we can imagine, compared to God’s standard, and God doesn’t want them! This is "works for Salvation."

God’s imputed righteousness is pictured in the Bible as the coat of animal skins given to Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness. The animals died as a sacrifice so Adam and Eve may live to satisfy God’s laws of righteousness. It was a picture of the covering of righteousness with which Jesus envelopes the believer when placed in Jesus at the moment of eternal salvation. Could we possibly trade something analogous to a leper’s garment for the refuge Christ offers?

Tradition is hard to break and some may still ask, "What does it hurt?" In a nutshell, it hurts aplenty! First, what about those who have heard for years that calling on the Lord will take one to Heaven. By practicing some form of Calling (vocalization, mentally moving in His direction, etc.) and this without faith to the saving of the soul, they think they have somehow done everything necessary. After the passing of the years, being constantly encouraged by others ("Everything’s OK, you called on the Lord!"), death follows and this leads to surprise, disappointment, shock and dismay from acquaintance with the dismal truth. Is it then acceptable to opine "there is no hurt!"?

And, what about those people who come to a saving faith, as shown in Hebrews 10:39b, AFTER being baptized subsequent to some sort of calling? If the person isn’t baptized after salvation, due to stubbornness or lack of knowledge, the person is still not part of the church, the Bride of Christ, even though the name has been entered on the church roles. That is, unless you want to say that unbeliever’s baptism has some merit. Much better to be a part of the Bride of Christ than a mere guest at the wedding!

Another "hurt" is actually to the saved and this amounts to robbery. Christians who have their growing-up problems, afflicted by the world, have really been robbed. How, you ask? Please read the references in your Bible: Psalms 34:7, 9, 11-19 and you’ll see something. (V.7) THE ANGEL OF THE LORD ENCAMPETH ROUND ABOUT THEM THAT FEAR HIM, AND DELIVERETH THEM. To whom written? YE HIS SAINTS (V.9). And the passage from 34:11 through 19 may be summarized in verse 17: THE RIGHTEOUS CRY, AND THE LORD HEARETH, AND DELIVERETH THEM OUT OF ALL THEIR TROUBLES. …THE RIGHTEOUS CRY… May the lost be considered righteous in any way?

See also Psalms 34:15: THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE UPON THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ARE OPEN UNTO THEIR CRY. Unto THEIR cry! It doesn’t say "everyone’s cry." God cares most about the righteous, the upright and Godly. Don’t misunderstand. This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love others, though. He demonstrated His love in the offer of the free gift of salvation through Christ. The same thoughts of above are referenced in 1 Peter 3:12. See also Psalms 55:22 and Psalms 50:14, 15 but note that He’s talking to "my people" (50:7). And, coincidentally, we find in Psalms 50:16-23 the Lord’s attitude toward the wicked. Please read the Bible references to get the full impact and perhaps find other relative passages.

It is also important to remember that the saved person will not always be fully righteous as, for example, when in willful sin. GOD IS HOLY! See Hebrews 12:14, 16&17 and keep in mind that this passage refers to BLESSINGS and not to salvation in the eternal sense. Therefore, to apply Romans 10:13 to the lost has, in effect, robbed the saved person of the greatest imaginable aid in time of trouble. See also I John 1:9; 2:1&2. Remember here that First John was written specifically to saved people (I John 5:13).

One more related thought to this is that the disciples who were with Jesus in John 4 went into town to buy food and came back to the well to see Jesus in conference with the woman. To the proper Jew, they saw several questionable things in what Jesus was doing, based upon their traditional upbringing. Two are as follows:

1. A man considered Godly was speaking alone with a woman who was obviously, to them, of no good character or she would not have entered into conversation with a stranger.

2. The woman was a Samaritan, considered a "compromiser" from the days of The Captivity. Samaritans were therefore shunned, for the most part.

It was a situation that the disciples would have themselves avoided without conscious thought, driven by tradition. I suspect they gave wide-eyed glances at each other when they saw Jesus speaking with the woman. It seems they were wise to keep their tongues or perhaps what they might have said wasn’t worth repeating in the Bible.

So much for tradition! And yet, could there have been some better way for Christ to show the Jews that the age of the Law was past and to prepare for the Age of Grace by His acceptance of the Samaritans? Again, it seems that what was done was the wisest thing possible. When we analyze some event in the Bible, we may at first think it could have been done some other way but we quickly learn that the best thing was done or said to the Glory of God.

The New Testament often refers to the saved as Believers, followers, Christians, the faithful and other descriptive names. How many times are they referred to as "callers" or anything similar? No, not a single time do we find them designated Callers! Nor did the disciples go to the crowd and ask those people around about to "Call on the Lord." Now, isn’t this just a little strange when there is a great appeal to calling, as a substitute to believing, and this calling is said to be able to save someone from eternal damnation?

There is a faith to the saving of the soul (Hebrews 10:39b) and this is eternal salvation. There is another salvation, that of being kept safe from the power of sin in the world around us. We saw in Acts 2:21 how we may be kept safe during tribulation by calling on the Lord. The Bible tells us that tribulation will happen again: "It shall come to pass...." Similarly, we must call on the Lord daily to be kept safe from daily sin. A most beautiful and comforting doctrine is that we are kept! God promised it to be so, it is what He wants! This alone should fill us with joy.

Is it really within the will of God to distort His intention for this doctrine? Of course not! It is enough to read the Bible, see what God is saying to us with as much understanding as possible and try to obey God’s expectations shown us in the Bible. This isn’t for salvation, though. It is for obedience to God and to know Him better. This also increases our understanding.

Just as the righteousness we have is imputed or granted to us, the promises to keep us and the confidence we have are also given us by the Holy Spirit, who is sometimes our Comforter, and was sent by Jesus according to John 6 once Jesus went to heaven. We are now given confidence by way of the "understanding" from the Holy Spirit, the same confidence that Jesus gave the disciples. This is mentioned in I John 5:20. Confusion about the ways we are saved diminishes the Lord’s greatness when an attempt is made to reduce eternal salvation to merely calling on the Lord, something God gave but was intended for those already eternally saved and who "call" for deliverance from the power of sin in the world and not deliverance from the penalty of sin.

Want to try a disgusting experiment? Go to John 3:16 and other verses where it refers to believing in Jesus as Saviour and substitute the word CALL for BELIEVE as you read. After three or four attempts you’ll notice the unnaturalness and unwieldiness of the form. FAITH, BELIEVING, and TRUST work just fine — just as God intended. No substitution is needed. Faith, Believing and Trust: Keys to eternal life! Notice also that many other Bible verses will have new meaning once it is seen that the saved may call on the Lord for deliverance and freedom from the power of sin and stop applying these verses to the lost.

Before determining why something is in the Bible, it is wise to ask to whom it was written. The Bible is for everyone’s benefit and anyone may read it but sections and whole books were written for certain peoples and were best understood as intended for them. This isn’t to say that passages directed to certain peoples cannot also be used for profit by others. The Book of Proverbs relates many ancient conclusions that are yet appropriate, for example. And Matthew is best thought of as being written for Jews. With this, much of the book is better understood. It is the first book of the New Testament and the first one read by Jews. They can understand it much better as a first New Testament book. However, it is profitable for all to read.

We can undoubtedly benefit frequently and achieve a much greater understanding of God’s view and assessment of mankind’s estate through Bible study. Although we have an opportunity to benefit greatly from it, we don’t need to read more into Bible passages than they were intended to represent. If the principle of specific (undoctored) interpretation is applied in our Bible study, we will get from God’s Word all that God intended for us, no more and, just as importantly, no less.

The Bible message is simple regarding eternal salvation. The Bible is a book of history, of praise to God and, as we see in many Old Testament books, a book of instruction and correction. It is a book that is complete as a primer for the unsaved but also progresses to address the needs of more advanced students of the Bible. In fact, it is so advanced that it seems that many great theologians have more to learn and most honest ones will admit this is the case.

To put the final thought in the lowest terms possible, designed for the beginner of Bible study and the unsaved person, the most-quoted verse of the Bible is presented here:

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)

Isn’t this just simply clear?