Oneida, Tenn. (BNC) by John T. Polk II — A printed sign was placed in the front yard of our church building by non-members which read: “Receiving the Lord Jesus Christ will take you Straight to HEAVEN Read Romans 10:9-13.” The opposite side of that same sign read: “Believing that Acts 2:38 is God’s Plan of Salvation will take you … Straight to HELL!”

This was done in daylight on a Friday before our Sunday services, and called to our attention by one of our members who passed by the building. Our security cameras showed that one man planted the sign while another videoed the incident.

“Who” planted the sign is not as important as “what” was on the sign, because the sentiment expressed is held by many sincerely misguided souls who just haven’t seen their belief so abruptly stated. It is hoped that this may open hearts to further examine their beliefs and compare them with the Word of God in the Bible.

#1. God’s Word never contradicts God’s Word!

God’s Word is absolute and true! “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you’” (Hebrews 6:13-14). “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:17-18). God’s Word is the unchanging “faithful word” so Christians may be able, “by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:33). The yard sign makes the Word of God appear to contradict itself, therefore causing needless confusion.

#2. The sign’s “acceptable” Scripture ends in Romans 10:13 with: “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

How does a sinner “call upon the name of the LORD” to be saved? Saul of Tarsus “made havoc of the church” (Acts 8:3) and admitted responsiblity for “many of the saints I shut up in prison…and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them” (Acts 26:10). Jesus appeared to Saul while he was on the road to Damascus to continue his persecution and told him to “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6). In Damascus, “he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank” (Acts 9:9) for “he is praying” (Acts 9:11). “A certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias” (Acts 9:10) was sent by the Lord to tell Saul, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Saul believed, repented, and prayed, but was not washed from his sins until he was “baptized.” It was in the act of being baptized that he called upon the name of the Lord. The yard sign, therefore, by using Romans 10:9-13, would have to be teaching the necessity of being baptized in order to call upon the name of the Lord. If not, why not?

#3. The Devil’s first lie was to contradict God’s Word.

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden”?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:1-4).

John, in the Book of Revelation, made it clear that the “serpent” was “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan” (Revelation 12:9). Jesus said the devil “is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). Whatever God commands, the Devil condemns; what God condemns, the Devil commends! The first time the completed Gospel of Jesus Christ was preached was on the Day of Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection, as recorded in Acts Chapter 2. After being overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit to speak as the Spirit gave them words, Jesus Christ was preached as the only Prophet God speaks through today. The Apostles concluded:

“’Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:36-41).

This was a salvation issue, for in order to receive “remission of sins” those who believed had to “repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” No one received “remission of sins” who refused to “be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” God commanded Acts 2:38, and all who obeyed it were following “God’s Plan of Salvation.” Acts 2:41 says those baptized were “added” and Acts 2:47 says, “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” That “Plan of Salvation” began to be followed from that day onward. Refusing to follow that “Plan of Salvation” will let the Devil keep people out of the church of Christ. Only the Devil would tell people that following Acts 2:38 “will take you straight to Hell!”

4. Baptism gives a sinner access to the blood of Jesus Christ.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:1-7).

The Holy Spirit-inspired Apostle Paul clearly wrote that “as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death.” Baptism is the entrance to the death of Christ Jesus. Everyone who has been told to confess their sins forgiven before they are “baptized into His death” are still in their sins because, by their confession, baptism was not into the death of Christ Jesus for remission of sins! Only by the burial in baptism is the sinner made free from the ”body of sin” and “united together” with Jesus “in the likeness of His resurrection.” Walking in “newness of life” is only for those who have been “baptized into His death.”

5. Saying God’s commandments will send one to Hell is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit!

“And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He has Beelzebub,’ and, ‘By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons’” (Mark 3:22). And Jesus replied: “’Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation’ — because they said, ‘He has an unclean spirit’” (Mark 3:28-30). To say that casting out demons was by the power of the Devil was blasphemy (speaking hurtfully, injuriously) of the Holy Spirit. Now, to quote the Holy Spirit-inspired Scriptures, which is the power of God to salvation, as sending one to Hell, is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. No one can ever be saved believing that God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit, when followed, will lead to Hell.

“If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death” (1 John 5:16-17).

Only repentance can deliver one from dying of Holy Spirit blasphemy. Since God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), He “now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Yard sign printers and planters must repent of their blasphemous statement before it’s too late! To correct the malicious yard sign, hear God’s Word:

“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:7-8).

Keep it clear, obey God to be saved!

John is an evangelist working with the Oneida congregation.

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