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It's chapter 11 and there's a lot in that chapter. We're going to look at the first six verses again. So Romans 11 and verses one to six say this from verse one. I say then, have God cast away his people? God forbid, for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away his people, which he foreknew. What ye not what the scripture saith of Elias, how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets and dig down nine altars, and I am left alone and they seek my life. But what saith the answer have gone unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time, also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. And the title of my sermon today is Repent of Your Sins and Similar Work Salvation. Repent of Your Sins and Similar Work Salvation. I'd like to pray before we continue. Father, thank you for, well, for this chapter and just the many, many other, just clear place in scripture, which just helped us to just understand exactly how easy salvation is, how clear salvation is. However many people out there, how many false prophets try and change the simplicity of the gospel, please help me to just preach this message clearly, this message that you laid on my heart this week, to just preach it boldly and accurately. Help everyone here to have attentive ears, attentive hearts. Lord, even if it's sort of old ground for some to go over, just to really listen to what your word's got to say and just cement it in their hearts. In Jesus' name, pray with us. Amen. Okay, so Repent of Your Sins and Similar Work Salvation. It's been quite a while since I've, I think it's probably about two years since I've just focused solely on this in a sermon. I know obviously we covered this a bit when we looked at the Book of Jonah, but for those of you that have been knocking doors for any length of time, this is one of the number one answers to the big question, isn't it? You ask someone, you know, are you 100% sure you're going to heaven and you kind of get onto the subject of why and what and how. And pretty much a lot of people are going to say something along the lines of repent of your sins, giving your life to Christ, you know, turning from your sin, et cetera, and the many, many versions of this. And there are really pretty much many versions of this. Some of them are things like things off the top of my head when I made my notes. Well, I've got to be more Christ-like. Many people have heard people say, well, you've got to be more Christ-like or maybe I've got to turn from my sin. I've got to give my life to Christ. And that's quite an interesting one, isn't it? Because Christ gave his life for us, yeah. And sometimes you'll say to someone, and I've had this many times, I said, well, there is actually only one thing you've got to do. And pretty often I've lost count of the amount of time someone will go, you've got to repent, or you've got to repent of your sins, and what they mean by repent and what God means when he says you've got to repent, very nearly almost 100% two different things, aren't they? And it's a funny thing, I was thinking about this as well, that even the Muslims believe you've got to repent your sins. Let's be honest, pretty much most false religions believe some version of you've got to repent of your sins or whatever they misconstrue at least repentance to mean for salvation. And someone does have to repent, but what repenting for salvation actually is and what the vast majority believe are two different things, aren't they? And we're going to explain that today. Keep a finger here and turn to Matthew chapter seven. The point with this is it shouldn't surprise us, should it? And like you say, you might be sitting here going, look, we know all this, brother Ian, you'd be surprised. Some people will get their heads turned by this, some people will get their faith at least shaken a little bit by this will be less confident. Some people will actually believe this and you'll get a cross section of people in a church like this, so this is an important message whether or not it's old ground for many of the people here. Like I said, it shouldn't surprise us that the majority believe some version of this because since when was the majority of a wicked adulted generation correct though? But the majority will believe this, right? The majority will. And one of the challenges of getting saved in the first place is to overcome the world and it's false religion, isn't it? That's one of the challenges in life is to overcome the false religion and the false religion is work salvation. And you don't have to end up at first John five, five, you're turned in Matthew seven, first John five, five says, who is he that overcomes the world? But he that believes that Jesus is the son of God. That's how we overcome the world is by putting our faith, our trust in Jesus Christ. And many people say, oh, but Christianity is huge. You're saying many aren't there loads of Christians out there and a lot of people believe that, don't they? And you'll see sort of stats that it's the world's biggest religion. I don't know if Islam's apparently overtaken that or not, but they're counting obviously all these Roman Catholics are counting all these so-called versions of Christianity. But believing that Jesus is the son of God means to trust and to have faith in him and that is actually a straight and narrow way, isn't it? Okay, believing there was a guy called Jesus, okay, isn't believing that Jesus is the son of God. Yeah, that's believing the gospel. Matthew seven and verse 13, when you turn to it says this, it says, enter ye in at the straight gate, this is Jesus Christ talking, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in there at. So according to Jesus Christ here, Matthew seven, 13, broad is a way that leads to hell and many are going there. And again, that's a hard truth for many. That's a hard truth when you first get saved, isn't it, as well, is because you like to think, well, you know, I've said this before, you see someone with a cross, you're like, oh, great, another Christian. Or you see like, you see a fish on the back of a car. You think, oh yeah, they're just everywhere, aren't they? But the truth is no broad is the way that leads to destruction and many there be which go in there at. It's a broad way to hell and sadly, the vast majority of people are going there. You don't have to turn there, but Isaiah five, 14 says, therefore, hell hath enlarged herself and opened her mouth without measure and their glory and their mulching and their pomp and he that rejoiceth shall descend into it. Look, most people are going to hell, okay? That's why it's enlarged itself. So many people are going to hell and the sad thing is it's so easy not to, it's so easy not to, but the vast majority are. It said here, hell hath enlarged herself. The road there is broad. The vast majority of what we call Christians have basically floored the accelerator on the way there, haven't they? It's not just that they're kind of going down this slippery slope tentatively there. They're just full speed ahead to hell, okay? And often and most of the time when people call themselves a Christian, they believe that they somehow have to be good enough to get to heaven. Well, verse 14 says, because straight is a gate and narrow is a way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it. Straight is narrow, not wide and even this way, this verse, sorry, it's been used in a phrase that suggests it's about living right, turning from sin, doesn't it? If you think about that straight and narrow, the old I'm on the straight and narrow now, the old ex con, yeah, on the straight and narrow. They've basically taken this verse and made it sound like you're basically repenting of your sin in some way, yeah? Or I'm going straight now, I'm going straight, yeah? You'll hear that. In fact, was it, there was a, I think if I remember, there was an old comedy called Porridge about this old, don't worry, if anybody didn't grow up in England, just nod and agree for now. But I think they did a follow up called Going Straight. Okay, this was like quite a big kind of comedy series in the old days. But anyway, point being that that's not what it's talking about here because look, good on you. Yeah, you're an ex con and you're going straight. Good on you, hats off to you. That's got nothing to do with salvation with heaven. And something else we could probably get straight early on here, okay, is that anyone believes that they're saved because of they've repented of their sins. They've repented of some of their sins. They've turned away from their sins. They continue repenting of their sins. They're not saved, okay? They're not saved and there's only one place to go. Hell, okay? Anyone believes any version of that, if that's what they believe, that's what they're trusting in, they're going to hell, okay? Clear as day and we're going to show you that in a second. There's only one way of salvation and it's got nothing to do with your attempts not to sin. Nothing to do with that at all. And again, you might be sitting here going, yeah, yeah, I agree with that. But sadly, so many Christians, even that believe that, even that believe the gospel will try and just be a bit sort of sympathetic to those that do believe that. Well, maybe they don't. Maybe they're just saying they got to repent of their sins but really what they mean is they've just got to admit they're a sinner because some try and claim that one, don't they? Well, maybe they say, you know, that they gave their life to Christ. What they actually meant is they put their faith in Jesus Christ. Look, out of the abundance of the heart and the mouth speak of, okay? And what people believe usually comes out of their mouth pretty early on, right? However much they might try and deny it, we want to see the best and hope that everyone, or the vast majority aren't going to hell. Now, salvation has always been and will always be grace through faith alone, okay? So it's what Jesus Christ did, not what we do. The straight gate and narrow way isn't a popular path, is it? And again, that can be hard because we're sheep, we have a sheep mentality, okay? As people, we see what the majority do and we kind of get swayed by that, don't we? Okay, we get swayed by how the majority do things, how the majority dress, how the majority behave, how the majority believe, and then it can be hard to be the vast minority to the majority. And that can mess with us a lot. And we can often question ourselves because we're thinking, are we just some sort of, why do we think we know? You know, people will say to you, why do you think you know best, yeah? Who tells you you know best? You know, why do you think you know more than, you know, Vicar, what's his name? Who says you know more than the theologians? Well, no, we just know what the word of God says, don't we? We're going to see what the word of God says here. So why do so many people believe otherwise, though? Because there are false prophets everywhere, okay? There are false prophets everywhere, yeah? The carnal mind, the flesh, loves to believe that they're somehow good enough to get to heaven. The pride in us wants us to believe that we somehow can earn it, can achieve it ourselves. And then on top of that, you've then got a lot of false prophets just in many different flavors and ways of false profitness, you know, giving you what you want, yeah? And there's a flavor of false prophet for everyone, isn't there, yeah? And for some, it will be different to another. And they're all telling you some version of it's got something to do with you other than just accepting a free gift. Verse 15 here says this, beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. And depending on what breed of so-called sheep you are, it affects the clothing that they come in, okay? So whatever potential sheep, whatever you believe the sheep should look like, then depends on what clothing the wolf comes in. So the average Brit, the average Brit might see a man in a dress with some silly collar without a tie, which is a bit bizarre anyway, and think, wow, I mean, that looks like a sheep, yeah? So they see the vicar, they see the kind of the priest, father, whatever, and go, okay, you know, that's a sheep and that wolf is, that's his sheep's clothing, yeah? And then for many around the world, it's pretty similar, isn't it? However, that particular guy is gonna probably have learned Latin as well. So that sheep is gonna be a similar in a dress, you know, calling himself father something or other. However, he's kind of likes to use the word priest instead. And obviously we're talking about the Catholic priest there, yeah? And for them, they might think, well, that's good sheep, you know, in fact, they don't think it's sheep's clothing. They think that's a sheep, that's a man of God. For others, it's an imam in a dress with a, hey, look at me beard, yeah? And it's, it is, isn't it, it's a, hey, look at me beard, yeah, and it's like, I'm gonna grow this as long as I can, make everyone look at me, and I'm gonna wear a dress as well, because it's always dresses, isn't it, usually, most things. And for others, though, it will be a dress where a dancing around and claiming holy fire, yeah? And doing all that weird stuff, and again, usually wearing a dress. And then you've got the opposite, then you'll have a similar holy fire and everything else, but it'll be a woman often not wearing a dress, wearing a pair of trousers, you know? And they're like, that's their sort of sheep, you know? And everyone's kind of, and obviously they think this is even more than a sheep, this is like a leader of the sheep. And then you've got nowadays the generic sheep with skinny jeans and tight t-shirts, yeah? And they're kind of the generic sort of more worldly sort of so-called preacher of God's word and everything else. And for similar sheep as us, though, for those sitting in a church like this, the wolf dresses in a suit and tie, carries a King James Bible, and sometimes he's even perfected the sheep bleating. And he'll even say things like, you have to believe it's grace through faith, yeah? And you're like, man, he's gotta be saved. He said it's grace through faith. Because they do, they perfect the bleating as well, yeah? But eventually what they believe comes out of their mouths. And that's what it says here in verse 16. It says, you shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. And what are the fruits? Well, the parallel passage in Luke 6, 45 says, A good man out of the good treasury of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasury of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil, for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. Okay, that's the fruits, is what comes out of their mouth, yeah? And eventually, look, they might be able to hide it for a while, but eventually, firstly, they can't get people saved. And secondly, what comes out of their mouth eventually will betray them, will at least expose them for what they are. They speak what's in the heart. And do you know what's in all of these people's hearts? It's prideful work salvation of one sort or another. That's what it is, isn't it? It's pride, it's work salvation one way or another. And for the suit-wearing, KJV-holding, Bible-believing, claiming, snarling wolf, when they howl even, they try to make it sound like a bleep. So what they do is they use a nice biblical word like repent and then either add some other words, so they'll go repent and then add of your sins, or of your sin, or something else which isn't biblical, or they'll just keep going on about the word repent, but try and persuade you that it means some form of work, some form of stopping sinning, turning from sins, stopping certain sins, continuing to turn from sins, et cetera. And it sounds, it sounds biblical, doesn't it? Well, man, he's using a biblical word. It's why they love this one, because you can change the definition of the word then and just have a load of people going, well, yeah, you've got to repent. You have all these idiots in high streets and things holding stupid billboards up going, repent of your sins or repent and everything. And people are like, yeah, yeah, no, it's because the heart, not only the heart, but everything you're hearing from every single angle is, you've got to work your way to heaven. And you could say it's clever, it's pretty basic, but it's, you know, it works, it works on our weaknesses. Or like I say, they just redefine the word. So what are these dirty dogs really trusting for their salvation? So all these people, all these people that like to go on about the word repent and everything else, what is it? Well, verse 21 says this, not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father, which is in heaven. And what's his will? Well, John 6, 40 says, you have to turn there. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the son and believeth on him may have everlasting life or raise him up at the last day. God's will is that you put your faith in Jesus Christ, okay? God's will is that you get saved. Many, he said in verse 22, look at that word, many, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name have done many wonderful works. What's funny is he's repenting of his sins, he's love to go to these verses and try and say that they prove that there are people that aren't doing what God wants them to do, and that's why they're not going to heaven because they don't repent of their sins. But that's not what it's saying. What's it saying is that these people are trusting in their works, but they're calling him Lord, aren't they? They're trusting their so-called repentance. They're repenting of sins, they're repenting of their old sins, they're trying not to sin, they're continued repentance of their sins. And verse 23 says this, and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. No, he never knew them. He never knew them, okay? And he didn't know them because they were never saved. You can't lose your salvation. He never knew them because they never put their faith in Christ. They've always trusted in their works. I've always found this verse interesting because workers of iniquity are reprobates, okay? Their work salvation is false prophets, really. They're children of Belial. Yet they're standing in front of the Lord Jesus Christ saying to him in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not done this? Have we not done that? They actually are trying to persuade him, but look at everything we've done, why are we not going to heaven? And it's always interested me that, and of course we use this verse just to show those that believe in works, but ultimately these people are the worst of the worst. These are people that have been given over. These are works of iniquity and they're trusting their work and they're still trusting their works. Yeah, and even though they're so full of wickedness and it's ironic when you talk to these people so often they're so full of wickedness, yet they still somehow are trusting their works. It's bizarre. However, verse 22 did say there are many, didn't it? Verse 22 said many, many. Many, many false prophets, basically. Many works, salvationists, false prophets will say to me in that day that. And shouldn't be surprising, you don't have to turn there again, 1 John 4.1, 1 John 4.1 says, beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the world. There are many, you know, there are many, many false prophets. And again, hard to get your head around when you're first saved. Because when you're first saved, you're thinking, yeah, well, they must be all right. They can't be that bad because it's just hard to really believe how many people will just stand behind pulpits around the country or whatever version of it, they have altars in other churches or whatever else, and just lie. And just lie about the Bible and claim to believe it and claim to study it and lie and lie and lie. And these people are wicked people and there are many of them out there. There are many of them out there. Go back to Romans 11. So how do we know it said try every spirit? How do we try the spirits? Well, there's only one way. What does they say? Does what they say line up with what God says? That's the way we try the spirits and praise God that we have his preserved words in our hands, right? We have the preserved word of God and it doesn't take long to find out the truth when it comes to salvation, does it? Salvation is crystal clear. Romans 11 is talking about the vast minority here of the physical nation that we're trusting Christ alone for salvation, okay? So Romans 11 and verse one says this, I say then, has God cast away his people? God forbid, for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away his people, which he foreknew. What ye not what the scripture saith of Elias, how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets and dig down nine altars and I am left alone and they seek my life. Now this is, you don't have to tell me, but this is from 1 Kings 19. And Elijah feels that he's the only one left and it can kind of feel like that sometimes, can't it? For many, before they got into a church like this or for others, maybe even sometimes in a church like this, you can feel like you're at least one of the few, can't you? You can feel like you're pretty alone. You feel like just all these people. And again, when I first got saved and I'm trying to find place, trying to talk to people, I just said, where is everyone? Where are other people that just believe that there's a preserved word of God? Where are the people that just believe the gospel? Where are the people that just believe what the Bible actually says about other things as well? Where are they? And it can be hard, can't it? That's why we need church. We really do because without it, it's a hard, hard road. And for those, and we have people that watch online and people that visit even that are in countries where they don't really have a church, but you need to meet up with other believers, don't you? Because it is so hard without. It's so hard to just be on your own, being the only one just being surrounded by basically work salvationists in one way or another. And you're just surrounded by them, they're everywhere. And it's hard, and let alone the fact that because their work's outrageous, well, firstly, they don't believe the Bible, okay? But secondly, they can't really understand the Bible either. They can't understand the real truths. They can't understand the spiritual thing. So you're just surrounded by these people that you're so unequally yoked with. And it's so difficult, and Elijah here is feeling this. He's just like, what on earth? And again, we're not gonna go to 1 Kings for sake of time, but for him, he's just thinking, I'm the only one left. He's being hunted down. He thinks he's about to die, okay? And verse four then says, but what saith the answer have gone unto him? I have reserved to myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal, even so than at this present time. Also, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. So back in 1 Kings 19, he told Elijah that he has 7,000 men who have not bowed their knee to the image of Baal. There are 7,000 men that have basically not bowed to the devil, okay? That have not bowed to the image of the devil. And in this nation, I don't know what the numbers are, but yep, there's somewhere like that 7,000, I'm sure there are more, who have not bowed their knee to the image of Baal. There are 7,000, at least as a comparison here, there are men in this country, there are women in this country, there are children in this country who put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. They are out there, okay? And the church like this will gather those with time. And there are others, sadly, that will never come to church, but they are out there, okay? They are out there. And here though, here he did say, he said, I've reserved myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Then he said, even so then at this present time, okay? So this is now sort of many years later, also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. So he's saying now as well, there's a remnant. There's always gonna be a remnant, yeah? There's gonna be people that believe the truth. Did he say there's a remnant that had given up enough sins? He did it, didn't he? A remnant according to their ongoing good works? He didn't. A remnant according to a random election based on no criteria at all? He didn't say that either, did he? It was a remnant according to the election of what? Of grace. And what's grace? What's grace? It's free, unmerited or undeserved favor or goodwill. That's what grace is. It's free, it's undeserved, it's unmerited. How do you receive it? Well turn to Romans chapter five. Said there was a remnant according to the election of grace. And Romans five, you're in Romans 11, Romans chapter five and verse one says, Romans five one, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. So we have access by faith into this grace. That's how we get the grace, it's by faith. And many will hear the words grace through faith. Many of the repent of your sins will talk about grace through faith, but you've got to really believe that it's grace through faith, don't you? The grace is accessed by faith. And what's the faith in? The death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paying for all your past, present and future sins. That's what our faith is in. That's what our trust is in, isn't it? This remnant in chapter 11 where it says elect, or you could say another word similar would be selected because they had received grace due to their faith. The criteria was grace, which was received by faith. That's why they're described as elect, which is a word often used for God's people, the elect. Did it have anything to do with their turning away from sin? No. Trying not to sin, no. Giving up services, continuing to give up future sin. Had nothing to do with any of that. It was grace. It was grace, that was the election. Because you know why? Because all of that, every single part of that, any version of that, is works. It's hard work. Some of it's pretty hard work. Giving up your sins, well, many people here have probably tried to give up their sins many times, yeah? It's not actually that easy, is it? Some are easier than others, right? And some aren't. Trying to at least give up, it's all work. It's all work, yeah? Yeah, it's rewarding work. Yeah, it's great work. It's got a great end to it. And we should be repenting of our sins every day, okay? We should repent of our sins on a day-to-day basis, but it's got nothing to do with going to heaven. Nothing at all to do with salvation. It's got nothing to do with heaven. And if you believe it does, then you haven't put your faith or trust in Jesus Christ. All of it's work. And grace is free. Romans 5, in verse 15, where you are, look at Romans 5, verse 15. It says, but not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one, many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. So salvation's a free gift, okay? It's by one man, the Lord Jesus Christ, and what he did, what he did, not what you did, that we're safe for eternity. So what is it that these false prophets are teaching? What does repent of your sins mean then? Because there are many versions of this, okay? And those who spout repent of your sins, those who have on their tracks repent of your sins, those who preach from pulpits repent of your sins, those who you knock on the door and go, well, you've got to repent of your sins, they all believe some different version of repent of your sins. I heard it preached once that there's, I think he called it like the repentance spectrum. I think Pastor Anderson once preached it. So you kind of got this huge, long spectrum and you got kind of opposite ends and then you got everyone somewhere who says this sort of thing on this sort of spectrum of repentance or so-called repentance. What is it that these false prophets are teaching? Well, like I said, they're varying levels, okay? An interpretation of what is, and it's all a damnable heresy, okay? Every part of it is a damnable heresy because I know, look, on one extreme, okay, you've got the you must give up all your sins to go to heaven, okay? There are people that honestly believe that and preach that. You must repent of your sins. I repented of my sins. I gave up the this, that, this, that. That's why I'm saying, okay, that's ridiculous. But there are people that get, like I said, there's a flavour for everyone, okay? And maybe the most super prideful and everything else think, yeah, okay, yeah, that's the one for me, yeah? But then you've got those that claim, and I've been around these people, that repenting of your sins means to acknowledge or to admit that you're a sinner. Has anyone heard that before, yeah? Yeah, well, no, repent of your sins just means to just acknowledge that you're a sinner. It just means to accept that you're a sinner. Why on earth would you use that phrase? Why on earth would you use the phrase repent of your sins? Or even say you must repent and then go, oh, that means acknowledge or admit you're a sinner. So why don't you just go, you must acknowledge or admit you're a sinner? And why don't you explain what repentance actually means? And I'll tell you why. Because what these people do is they like to sit on the repentance fence. So they sit on the repentance fence, and then that way they can have those repent of your sins come to their church. But then also they can have those people that are really saved to come to their church as well. And then they can just sit on the repentance fence and please everyone and hopefully have a bigger church and not say enough, because what do they really, let's change it slightly, okay. You're a man of God. You preach from behind a pulpit. You've got people everywhere. All religions, every type of works of religion say you've got to repent of your sins. Okay, what are you going to be clear as day about? Salvation, aren't you? What are you going to be clear as day about? What repentance really means, surely. Surely you're just going to go, no, repentance means you change your mind from what you did believe to faith in Christ. So as soon as you start trying to go down any other route and start, or going, oh yeah, yeah, well, we just mean that. That's why we put repentance, what do you really believe? Shall I tell you what? They believe you've got to repent of your sins. And if you know, none of those guys go soul winning. None of those guys really preach the gospel when they do do their form of outreach. We were talking about this the other night, about these sorts of churches, and many of these sorts of churches are bound. Where they don't quite say enough for you to go, you're a downable here to come out of there. But what they do is they try and just say enough to weaken you, to soften you, to try and put you off soul winning a bit, to try and put you off. But what do they really believe? Shall I tell you why they never really give the gospel clearly? And why when they go out, outreach, they just have debates. And why they try and basically persuade you to come to church, because they don't really believe you can get saved by the gospel. They don't believe it. They believe that you have to come into their church and basically be indoctrinated by them into some form of work salvation to be what they call saved. And many of them don't even believe that you're saved once they've always saved anyway. I mean, you have these weird, these people all over this country, and they'll have on their statements of faith, you know, grace through faith, then they'll have something a bit shady with repentance. And when you ask them, they're kind of looking at you, you see they kind of size you up. What should I say to this one to please him, you know? And then afterwards, after that, they eventually come out with, oh yeah, you've got to repent of your sins. What on earth, but what these people, some of these people, they claim that they believe that, there's one that a friend of mine was telling me about recently up north up in Scotland, I think, who their pastor believed that, and I've heard people talk about this stuff before, that you could still be saved, even if you believe you can lose your salvation. I mean, how retarded is that? How can you be saved if you believe that you're still working to keep your salvation? Because you're not trusting Jesus Christ. And however many people there are, and however much we want to appease sort of all those people who think, oh, that can't be that straight and narrow. The gate surely isn't as straight as that. It can't be that narrow, because that means even more people are going to hell, and we don't like that. Most normal people don't, you know, sometimes, you know, there's the false prophets, you don't mind going to hell, yeah? But so people start to then give them kind of a little, yeah, well, you know, more maybe people that believe, they're just a bit confused. Look, there are people that are a bit confused, okay? They're a bit unsure. But if you believe in your heart that someone can get saved and still believe in a work of salvation, then you're not saved. Because you don't believe there's only one way of salvation. You believe that people can work their way, at least believe they're working their way to heaven. Still go to heaven, it's nuts. But, and it's everywhere, all over this nation, all over, and they're obviously the slightly more subtle ones. So, like I said, they're varying levels. So you've got that. You've got the fence sitters. And then you've got everything in between. Then you've just got everything in between. You've got sort of, you know, well, it's kind of feeling sorry for your sins. Oh, well, it's like trying not to sin. Well, it's at least, you know, it's at least feeling remorse every time you do. Oh, well, it's just continued asking for forgiveness every time you sin. And it's every single one of them is work of salvation. And it doesn't matter how theological they might sound, how studious they are, what nice people they might appear to be, how good the biscuits are at church, or any of the rest of it. It doesn't matter. They're all preacher work of salvation. And it's wicked. But before we look at some of those, let's just make it clear what the biblical word repent actually means then. So turn to Exodus chapter 13, which is the first time we see the word repent itself used. Okay, so back in Genesis, we see that God repented. And by the way, God repents more than anyone else in the Bible. So obviously, clearly, repenting itself doesn't automatically have anything to do with sins, unless we see it have something to do with the sin, yeah? So, but Exodus 13 is the first time we see the word repent itself as the form of the word repent used. It says this in Exodus 13 and verse 17. Exodus 13, 17 says this. And it came to pass when Pharaoh had let the people go that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, lest peradventure, which is kind of like saying maybe, the people repent when they see war and they return to Egypt. Has that got anything to do with them stopping sinning? Nothing at all. Trying to stop sinning? Did he say unless, just in case the people try to stop sinning when they see war? Anything to do with them admitting they're a sinner? Just, lest peradventure the people admit they're a sinner when they see war and they return? No, no. It's talking about them changing their mind. It's talking about them changing their mind and returning back to Egypt. That's all it's saying there. And that's exactly what it means, the context of salvation. Turn to Matthew chapter 21. It's a change of mind from what you did believe to faith in Christ alone for salvation. That's all it is. And that's why John the Baptist was telling them to repent. It was to repent for work, salvation of faith in Jesus Christ. Matthew 21 and verse 23. Matthew 21 and verse 23 says this. Matthew 21, 23. And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him, this is Matthew 21 and verse 23, unto him as he was teaching and said, by what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered, said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or of men? And they reasoned with themselves saying, if we shall say from heaven, he will say unto us, why did you not then believe him? But if we shall say of men, we fear the people for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered, Jesus said, we cannot tell. And he said unto them, neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. But what think ye? A certain man had two sons. And he came to the first said, son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered, said, I will not. But afterward he repented and went. And he came to the second and said, likewise. And he answered, said, I go, sir, and went not. Okay, so you've got two sons here. He says, whether of them twain did the will of his father, which of the two did the will of his father? They said unto him the first, Jesus said unto them, verily I say unto you that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. So you've got this one son that did what? Said he would have do it, then changed his mind and went. Okay, that's what that repentance was. The other one said he would, and then didn't. Verse 32 says, for John came unto you in the way of righteousness. Okay, what's he talking about? Did John come going, you've got to be really good people. You've got to be 100% perfect. No, you don't have to turn up at Romans 3 23 says, even a righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all that believe, for there is no difference. Okay, that's the righteousness that John came in the way of. And ye believed him not, but the publicans and the harlots believed him. And ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward that ye might believe him. What did the repentance result in? Faith in Christ. What's the repentance? A change of mind. They changed not their mind afterward that they might then believe John, which was, he was preaching the righteousness which comes by faith in Jesus Christ. That's the way of righteousness. So according to Jesus in Matthew 21 32, the repentance or change of mind would have resulted in them believing John, yeah? That's what it's about. What was John preaching? Now I've turned about Acts 19 four says, then said Paul, John verily baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him which had come after him. That is on Christ Jesus. Okay, that's what John was preaching. He was preaching faith in Jesus Christ. They had to repent of what they did believe, faith in Jesus Christ. And look, people have to do that, okay? They have to repent of what they did believe to trust in Jesus Christ. And that's exactly what we preach at this church. And that's exactly what I've been trying to encourage people to preach at this church when they preach the gospel, okay? And for me, look, I had an example yesterday. I had a lady, she said at the beginning, she wasn't sure she was going to heaven. She wasn't really sure what she believed. She didn't really know, got to the end of the gospel presentation. She listened to it, she heard it all, she believed it all, or claimed she believed it all, got to the end. And I said to her, right, and by the way, just one of the many reasons why calling on the name of the Lord is part of salvation, okay, because we got to the end and I said to her, right, are you ready to put your faith in Jesus Christ? And she said, she said, well, I was already saved. And I said, no, you weren't. And I said, look, you have to accept, you have to accept, because this is what we got to the point, you have to accept that you would have gone to hell before we had this conversation and she wouldn't accept it. I was already saved. She wouldn't repent. She wouldn't turn from what she did believe to putting her faith in Jesus Christ. She wouldn't accept that she needed a saviour, basically. She wanted to add them onto each other, yeah? She wanted to go, well, I kind of believe something like that. I must have believed the whole thing. I must have already been saved, okay? That's not repentance, okay? Repentance is a change of mind from what you did believe to faith in Christ. You don't add on Jesus Christ, yeah? You have to accept you need a saviour. You have to accept that you're going to hell. She wouldn't accept that. I tried every which way. She wouldn't have it. Her bride got in the way. She wouldn't get saved, okay? Now, I could have gone away and God, she said she believed all of that, saved. Would she have been saved? No, she said she believed it all. Was she saved? No, because there comes a day, there's a point where you put your faith in Christ when you call on the name of the Lord. However many idiots are out there right now trying to attack the doctrine of calling on the name of the Lord, that is putting your faith in Jesus Christ. It's the same thing, okay? Don't listen to that junk. That stuff's all over YouTube right now. All these idiots running around trying to say that calling on the name of the Lord is works. We have one of these morons come here. He came here when we had our pastor the first time, this idiot called Tom Worrell that I keep seeing on YouTube comments trying to attack men of God, calling them work salvationists saying that you ask for salvation by calling the name of the Lord. This guy came here and he was fishy straight away. He was just so arrogant, so prideful, and he wanted to get baptised by our pastor. And I said to him, and I said, okay, so when do you get saved? Oh, well, you know, I just believed. I said, okay, so when did she, when did that happen? He said, oh, I just, I don't know, just believed. So I said, was there a point when you called on the name of the Lord and he just kind of gave me a really sketchy answer, oh yeah, oh yeah, I put my faith in. You know, it was really odd. And the way he talked to our pastor and to miss share it, it was just, there was like nothing but disrespect for them as well. And I just thought, this guy's weird. Anyway, he went away. And then when one of these idiots tried this attack on us online, suddenly he's on the comments going, I heard it out of Taverner's mouth. I heard it come out of his mouth. He said, you have to call on the name of the Lord. Yeah, you do. Yeah, you do. You have to put your faith in Jesus Christ, yeah? And what a surprise, this guy's still all over the place trying to attack people. And yeah, just another one, yeah? And point being, guys, look, there comes a point in your life where you have to accept that you're on your way to hell. You put your faith in Jesus Christ. You do that by asking him for salvation, okay? It's all the same thing. And another way you could say that is that, well, repentance equals faith, equals calling on the name of the Lord. It's all the same, it's all part of the same thing. You can't separate them, okay? Anyway, we preach that at this church. And every time I get to the end of a gospel presentation before I say to them, right, you ready to get saved? I'll always say to them, so where were you going? Before I saw you today, before I spoke to you, where would you have gone if you'd been run over? And unless they say hell, I'm not calling the name of the Lord with them, okay? Because otherwise they're not accepting they need a savior. Okay, and they're not repenting of what they do believe. Yeah, okay. So, where are we? What were the, okay, so, what are the false prophets teaching them? Well, like I said, they use the ambiguity of this biblical sounding word to teach a workspace salvation, okay? So, the word, because the word is, you know, it's like repent, what does that even mean? Most people are like, what does repent even mean? So, you know, we're trying to talk to the lay people, aren't we? And sometimes I'll say to them, you've heard the word, repent, so let me explain that to me, because I know they will have heard it anyway, yeah? But, like, why would you go out into a high street or go out into a busy road or something else and have a sign up saying a word which no one uses in normal conversation? Repent, you know why? Because even if they don't put obvious sins, really they know what people think it means. That's why they're constantly trying to use that word, because really that's what they really believe deep down, right? So, turn to Jeremiah 23, because like I said, you've got the more open and obvious heretics who just had the word of your sins, okay? And like I said, adding of your sin or of your sins is adding words to scripture, okay? You're just adding words. And again, if anyone's not aware of this, and I know many people are, not once in the Bible does it ever say that you have to repent of your sins, okay? The phrase isn't found in the Bible. So, why would you use the biblical word repent then add your own words of your sins and try and convince people that's got to do with salvation, because you're trying to sound like you're quoting scripture, basically. You're trying to sound like you're quoting scripture because you're using the biblical word that normal people don't use, but then you're adding your own words, it's a lot of nonsense, okay? Okay, you don't find it anywhere. And this is why, because, well, you're turning to Jeremiah 23, Proverbs 30 in verse five says, every word of God is pure, okay? Because every word of God is pure. When it comes to salvation, it's not complicated. He's a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and now be found a liar, okay? And these people are liars. They're all adding to his word and they're getting reproved from this pulpit today. And you might, oh, well, they're not even here. Well, look, it doesn't matter. That's the best we can do. Hopefully some of them might watch it on YouTube. You never know, okay? Never know. Maybe someone in here does believe this, okay? And hopefully if you do, well, you're going to either change your mind or, well, none of the door hit you on your way out. Right, so Jeremiah 23 you've turned to. And verse 29 says this, is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in peace. I love that verse. That is a great verse of Bible, isn't it? The word of God is like a fire and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. Because what does it do? It burns and smashes the lies out there, okay? Those, even just the verse I've just read alone and out of the Bible today have already just burned and smashed the repent of your sins and all the other versions of work salvation, haven't they? It's grace. It's a free gift. It's grace through faith. It's clear as day, isn't it? Verse 30 says, therefore behold, I'm against the prophet saith the Lord that still my words, everyone from his neighbour. Behold, I'm against the prophet saith the Lord that use their tongues and say, he saith. There's a lot of them out there, aren't there? Behold, I'm against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them and cause my people to err by their lies and by their likeness. Yet I sent them not nor commanded them, therefore they shall not profit these people at all, saith the Lord. And when this people or the prophet or a priest shall ask, he's saying, what is a burden of the Lord? Thou shalt say unto them, what burden? I will even forsake you, saith the Lord. And that's basically what they're doing. They're adding to salvation a burden. They're adding this burden that you have to, you have to do a load of stuff. And in the many versions, you have to give up this. You have to try to give up that. You have to ongoing give up this. That's not salvation, it's a free gift. They're adding a burden, okay? And he's saying, you should say unto them, what burden? I will even forsake you, saith the Lord. People that are adding burdens are getting forsaken by the Lord. People that are preaching a false gospel are being rejected by the Lord. On mass, these people, these wicked false prophets are being rejected. They're being forsaken by God for adding a burden to salvation. He said in verse 34, and as for the prophet and the priest and the people that shall say the burden of the Lord, I will even punish that man in his house. Thus shall you say everyone to his neighbor and everyone to his brother, what have the Lord answered and what have the Lord spoken? And the burden of the Lord shall you mention no more for every man's word shall be his burden. For ye have perverted the words of the living God of the Lord of hosts, our God. And that is a majority of so-called preachers in this nation and probably most nations in the world, isn't it? Yeah, preach your false gospel. They're perverting the words of the living God of the Lord of hosts, our God. And of course, some of them, some of them are really clever. Some of them will find a verse that's got nothing to do with salvation in the Bible and try and pretend that God's talking about something he's not and use that to try and teach a work of salvation in one of its many forms. But you've got to get it into your head, these people are wicked, okay? God says you perverted the words of the living God of the Lord of hosts, our God. Does he then go, oh, well, nevermind, every man to himself. It's just a different interpretation. They just interpret the words of God differently. Well, it's just a different path to God. Is that what he says? Of course he didn't say that. He says he will punish them, he will punish that man in his house. He said he will forsake them. In verse 33, I will even forsake you, saith the Lord. Okay, that's some pretty heavy stuff, isn't it? Okay, this is an important subject. This is probably the most important topic. It is the most important topic in salvation, isn't it? Right, turn back to Romans 11 because it's the more subtle ones that we have to have an eye on. It's the more subtle ones. Well, you've got to at least be willing to give up your sins once. You've, you know, well, you've got to repent. Well, we just mean acknowledge your sin, yeah? Oh, well, that sounds all right. It's just acknowledging your sin, yeah. But what are you really teaching? What do you really believe, Pastor, I don't preach the gospel to anyone? What do you really believe? What do you really believe, Pastor, you need to do some sort of discipleship course to be a part of our church where I'll sit down and teach you all sorts of heresies? I'll tell you what they believe. They believe that the gospel doesn't save. That's what they believe. They believe they need to persuade this person to give up their sins. They need to persuade them to be a disciple to get them saved. The, you've got to feel sorry for your sins. No, we should feel sorry for our sins, but does everyone here feel sorry for everyone and their sins? Anyone here even know every one of their sins? You've got to turn off your sins. You've got to, and then you could just fill in the gap, couldn't you? You've got to. You, you, you. You have to do this. You have to do that. You have to do this. It's all just your own works, yeah? You said in verse five, even so then at this present time, there's a remnant according to the election of grace. And this verse I love. I preach it a lot when I preach the gospel. And if by grace, then is it no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. It's one or the other, okay? It's either grace through faith alone. It's either repentance for salvation being a change of mind, or it's work salvation. There's, it's not a, it's not a bit of both. And again, you might think, well, that's obvious, but you'd be surprised. The, oh, of course it's grace through faith, but you can't just live in sin. It's no more grace, it's works. Yeah? Oh, it's like, well, what does that person really mean? No, no. I'll tell you what they really mean. They mean work salvation. The, oh yeah, grace through faith, but you must make him Lord of your life. Is no more grace, it's works. Anyone who's going, yeah, I got saved because I made Jesus Lord of my life. Now look, we'll keep questioning them because we just want to make it even clearer because we know when we get to the end, they're going to say something like, oh, well, that's what I meant. Yeah? But what do they really mean? I made Jesus Lord of my life. Basically, I've started following God's commandments. That's what I'm saying. It's not grace, it's works. The, oh yeah, it's grace through faith, but you can't just continue in your old life and we're trying to work out which way around do they mean it, et cetera. It's no more grace, it's works. Okay, let's just be clear. It's works. It's works salvation. And if it be of works, then there's no more grace. Otherwise work is no more work. And you will keep working till you burn in hell for eternity. That's the truth. However little you think your works are, have a little bit of, wait, just a little bit, just a little bit of just the intention. I know that I've got to at least try not to sin to be saved. However little bit. At least, oh, well, I know none of those sins will cast me to hell, but I've got to at least have them, I've got to at least try. Your work's taking you to hell. Why don't you just put your faith in Christ alone? And the gospel, look, we've got to be clear on the gospel, don't we? We've got to be uncompromising on the gospel. It's the gospel. It's the good news. It's not just, well, yeah. There's no different interpretation. Different interpretations work salvation. Clear as day. Turn to John chapter one. Romans four, five says this, but to him that worketh not, so basically someone that does no works, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, that's Jesus Christ, his faith is counted for righteousness. You're turning to John chapter one, that was Romans four, five, but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. And they'll say, well, you've got to just be willing to stop sinning, won't they? You've just got to at least be willing. When you got saved, you were saying, I'm willing, I'm now trying, I now want to serve God. Yeah, they'll say that one. Oh, that's a bit sketchy. Do they still believe? Well, John one and verse 12 says this, but as many as received him, talking about Jesus Christ, to them gave you power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. They put their faith in Jesus Christ, which were born. These are the people that have got saved. Not of blood, it's nothing about your blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Got nothing to do with your willingness to be a good person. None of that's got anything to do with salvation, salvation, except in a free gift. It's grace through faith. The only way you'll ever get into heaven is by what God was willing to do, not what you're willing to do or not to do. It's what God was willing to do. He came in the flesh and done the cross for you. All you had to do is accept it. And you did that when you put your faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians two and verse eight says this, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is a gift of God, not of works as any man should boast. It's not of yourselves, okay? It's got nothing to do with you. It's clear as day, isn't it? And you might be, maybe you've sat there and gone, look, I knew all that, brother Ian. Yeah, I knew all that. We know that it's grace through faith. We wouldn't be sitting here if we thought that we had to work. But you know what? We are often, I think, weak on those that don't believe that. We're often just a little bit sympathetic. We're just a little bit, well, they might say that on their tract, but I've been there because I want to see the best because I just don't want to have to leave another church. Come on, maybe it doesn't really mean that. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's grace through faith. Oh, phew, okay. And then, you know, a few months later, you must repent of your sins. You're like, oh, man, you know? And we've all been there, haven't we? You're there and they're going, you must repent of your sins for salvation, said this wicked new pastor down at Bethel Baptist in Wimbledon. So we're like, okay, well, let's try and explain to him. Let's try and show him. Was it even worth it? You're standing behind a pulpit, man. You've been in church for about 20 years and you're standing there making that statement. We should have just walked straight out, but you try. Oh, okay, let me have a look. I'll get back to you. Two weeks later, have you had a look at all those verses I showed you? I've been very busy. Very busy? It's the gospel. It's the gospel, isn't it? How can you not be sure? It's nuts, isn't it? And so many of us have been there and try and, but look, we're sympathetic, but the truth is they're wicked damnable heretics. They're false prophets. They're preaching false gospels, okay? And when we come across someone, when I come across someone and they claim to be a pastor or something, and they say that they, you know, and they start trying to tell me any form of that, lordship, salvation, any start of that, any part of that, I just go, okay, have a good day, see you. What a waste of time. They don't even deserve me trying to preach them the gospel. And if any come to you preaching another gospel, let him be accursed. Let him be accursed. And that's the truth, isn't it? That's what the Bible says. So look, although that's mainly the repent your sins, it's all the same, yeah? All different versions of it. All different versions of, somehow I could work my way to heaven. Now, just to make, just to clear this up for anyone that's maybe a bit unsure about things like this. Look, if someone just goes to a church or doesn't, and they believe something like this, look, they're fair game for salvation, right? Okay, try and get them saved. Try and explain, try and show them the gospel. Just preach the gospel like you would anyone else. Show them how it's crystal clear it's grace through faith alone, okay? But if they're preaching that, if they're a preacher at a church, if they're some sort of pastor, some sort of false prophet, they're coming to your door preaching that, look, they're wicked, okay? You keep away from them. But for everyone else, look, we just want to show them the truth because everyone believes this to some degree, some version of work salvation, yeah? Let's try and show them the truth. Let's get out there this afternoon, preach the gospel to people and pull them out of the jaws of these lines, yeah? On that, let's pray. Father, thank you for salvation. Thank you that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us, that he did it all for us. It's not what we do. It's not about our continued works. It's not about our works. Nothing to do with any of that. It's just accepting a free gift. We do that, we put our faith in you, calling the name of the Lord for salvation. Help us to preach that loud and clear this afternoon, Lord. Help us to be uncomfortable, help us to be uncompromising with it, to make it clear, be polite and respectful to those that, you know, that aren't obviously preaching this false message. But Lord, just help us to just, you know, make it very clear as well, though, just help us to show more people, help us to get out more, help us to get out so many more, help us to return for the softening service. In Jesus' name, pray all this. Amen.