Here is a great article it really brings out the difference between Decisionalism and True Conversion!!!!

Check out this article by our dear friend Bryan... It speaks volumes of truth!!!

by His grace alone
Bill




The Doctrine of Salvation, What does it mean to believe?, What is true saving faith – Bryan Lewis




March 29, 2007 - The most damaging false teaching in the world today is not necessarily on Charismatic issues concerning tongues, end time restoration of Prophets, or whether certain gifts exist today or not; instead it is on the subject of salvation.

Millions of Americans and people all over the world claim to believe in Jesus and they say they are Christians. Is this enough? What does it mean to believe? Does “believe” mean giving mere mental accent to Jesus? If so then I submit to you that you will mentally accent to Jesus right into hell.

You may say, “Bryan, you are just making this salvation thing difficult”; to which I reply; no! If you believe in a wrong way of salvation, then you have nothing more than a false sense of security and have been duped into believing you have been converted when you have not.

Men today preach a message that makes everyone loved and accepted regardless of how they live their life. This easy message leaves people in their sin and lacks the warning of repentance. Preachers today say that repentance is something you do at the alter one night and never again. Those who sell an easy accept Christ gospel and a repent one night at the alter gospel, are liars, who are duping people into believing they are Christians when they are not. Everyone that says Lord, Lord, shall not enter the kingdom of God Mt 7:21.

The first step in salvation is realizing that man is totally depraved and dead in his sins Eph 2:1. This means he has no ability in himself to come to Christ on his own. He can not decide to accept Christ by his own so-called freewill. Christ must first give that man an understanding of his wickedness and sin then draw that man to himself and then grant to him repentance. These are not the works that a dead man can do!

Can any dead man decide by his own freewill to come back alive? Could you while in your mothers womb say, “I don’t want to be born”? No! The bible says in Isaiah 64:7, “none calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee”. Likewise, in Psalms 110:3 it says, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy (God’s) power”; not by their own.

Not to long ago, I was traveling down the interstate toward North Carolina when I heard a man come on the cb radio cussing up a storm and also trying to preach at the same time. Yes, a cussing preacher, LOL! He said several obscene things, but ended by saying the Lords name. You get my drift? When he did this, he quickly back peddled and said, “oh sorry Lord”. I could not resist so I ask the man, “So normal cussing won’t send you to hell but saying the Lord’s name will?” He said, “Yes, but when it comes to normal cussing I can just ask for forgiveness”. Again I had heard this man trying to preach to others on the cb radio just moments earlier.

So Bryan what is your point? This story is the result of false synergistic, self fulfilling salvation (Synergistic meaning God needs your cooperation for salvation, which typically does not show man his sin – this is false teaching). God has not dealt with this man’s heart yet and he might not choose to; it seems as if this man is still in an unregenerate state. Yet, this man believes he is on his way to heaven and even preaches to others at times. He is deceived and has been duped into believing that he gave his life to Christ one night at the alter; so now he is ok for life. However, I saw no Christ conforming fruit.

So what does it truly mean to believe? Believe is the verb form of faith “pisteuo” in the Greek; verbs shows action. “He that doeth truth cometh to the light”, John 3:21. If you truly believe then you will show fruits of saving faith. You must have the kind of belief that beckons you to constant repentance and causes you to agonize over your sin; not make light of it.

Please heed this warning! Do not listen to these modern day preachers who have deserted the truth and failed to discern the phrase, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”.