"Dear God, I repent (turn away from) of all my sins (name them if they come to mind). This day I put my trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior because I know You sent Him to save me from your wrath. Please forgive me and grant me your gift of everlasting life. Change my heart, and make me who You want me to be. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen."
I think it is significant to point out that Ray Comfort, a Calvinist, speeds along the video during the preceding message, so fast in fact that the entire message only appears for one second. The message first fades in at 3:44 and is completely faded out by the end of 3:46. You can't read the message while it is fading in or out, so you can only make out some of the words for the brief second the message is displayed. Even the fastest speed-reader in the world couldn't read Ray Comfort's perverted Gospel in one second! Look for yourself. Does Ray Comfort have a false doctrine to hide? Yes.
Sadly, Mr. Comfort and his sidekick, Kirk Cameron, are doctrinally corrupted and confused; likely because they are followers of heretic John MacArthur (evidenced by Kirk Cameron promoting the John MacArthur Study Bible on his website). They are WRONG to teach that repentance unto salvation means ceasing from sin. They are also wrong to teach that repentance is a completely separate act from believing upon the Lord to be saved. These are 2 deadly heresies concerning salvation. THE TRUTH is that you simply turn to the Lord by faith to be forgiven of your sins and you are saved immediately, completely and eternally. It's that simple. We are the SINNER and Jesus is the SAVIOR!
Ray Comfort Perverts the Biblical Meaning of the Word "Repent"
The problem is that Ray Comfort totally MISINTERPRETS the Biblical meaning of the word "repent." In Mark 1:15 Jesus said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." The word repent here is the Greek METANOEO, meaning "to change one's mind." When a person realizes that they're a GUILTY sinner, under the condemnation of God's Law, deserving of Hellfire; and then that person believes upon the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness—they are saved eternally.
We are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) and until we forsake them through repentance, we cannot be made alive in Christ.
That is a lie of the Devil. Ray Comfort's plan of salvation is extremely HARD, because it requires a large amount of self-denial, self-abandonment and self-righteousness. You are required to stop all sinful activates if you want to be saved. That is a false Gospel. Romans 4:5-6 plainly teach that salvation is solely by Christ's righteousness and without our own works.
There is absolutely NOTHING in Ephesians 2:1-9 that requires us to "forsake" our sins as Ray Comfort teaches to be saved. Eternal life is a "free gift" (Romans 5:15; 6:23), paid for by Jesus' literal, physical, precious blood (1st Peter 1:18,19; Hebrews 9:12). Forsaking one's sinful lifestyle as a requirement to be saved is SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS! Ephesians 2:8 plainly states... NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD. In salvation, it is God Who changes man; and not man changing him self.
You cannot show me one Scripture that requires a person to forsake their sins to be saved! If that were true, then who could be saved... "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (John 8:7). The entire notion of forsaking one's sins to be saved is the height of sanctimonious, self-righteous, hypocrisy. Is there a Christian without sin? No! Ray Comfort has perverted the Gospel of Jesus Christ by requiring lost sinners to forsake their sinful lifestyle to be saved; thus, teaching works salvation. This heresy is called "Lordship Salvation," and it is a common lie today. Other false teachers, such as Pastor John MacArthur, teach this same garbage.
Anyone who requires lost sinners to “make a commitment” to Christ to be saved is teaching Lordship Salvation. The truth is that in salvation God has made a commitment to us, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). Salvation is receiving, not giving. Ray Comfort's plan of salvation mandates that sinners give up the sinful world, give up their sinful habits, give up their sinful relationships, et cetera; but God gave up His dear Son to pay for our sin debt, so that we could be freed from the curse of the Law. I'm tired of hearing false prophets talk about what lost sinners must give up to be saved; when they ought to be talking about what God gave up to save us, His only begotten Son. Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15; 6:23). A gift is freely given, freely offered and freely received.
We are the sinners, and Jesus is the Savior. It's that simple. Please read, What is Biblical repentance? Repentance in the Bible, when concerning salvation, NEVER means to forsake one's sins. It always refer to "a change of mind." Requiring a sinner to forsake their sins to be saved is a lifestyle change, which eliminates the growing in grace process spoken of in 1st Peter 2:2... "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."
Those are some very dangerous words at the end, “…assuming that they are safe just because Jesus died on the cross.” Are not all believers “safe” in Jesus Christ? Yes, they certainly are safe (Ephesians 1:13; Isaiah 28:16; Romans 10:11); but Ray Comfort teaches they are not. Ray Comfort is teaching heresy to say that believers who fail to forsake their sins are not safe in their salvation. Such reasoning places a heavy burden upon the sinner, requiring one to depart from sinful bad habits as a prerequisite to be saved.
Ray Comfort's teaching here beckons the question: How much sin is considered "safe"? Aren't we all willful sinners at times? Yes indeed. Is any amount of sin "safe"? Clearly, Mr. Comfort interprets "repentance" for salvation as ceasing from one's sins, which is entirely wrong. Man's only part in salvation is to believe on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43).
The major problem with Ray Comfort’s theology is his faulty understanding of what Biblical “repentance” means. It is interesting that Ray Comfort avoids defining the term directly; whereas the New Testament Greek does… METANOIA, “a change of mind.” That’s it! Ray Comfort understands repentance to mean literally forsaking one’s sinful lifestyle to get saved. He’s putting the cart before the horse. The changed life comes AFTER a person is saved; not as a prerequisite to be saved. This is what 1st John 3:4-6 means. A believer’s faith should be evidenced by a changed life; BUT, you can’t mandate that changed life, i.e., forsaking one’s sins, as part of saving faith.
Clearly, Ironside taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel. H.A. Ironside correctly recognized repentance as the confession that "one is utterly without merit" and that if one is "ever saved at all it can only be through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ." Salvation is without works of self-righteousness. Romans 4:5 plainly teaches that a man's faith is COUNTED for righteousness, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to one's heavenly record by faith. Repentance and faith are inseparable. The Gospel of John mentions the word "believe" 85-times; but the word "repent" is never mentioned even once. In genuine salvation, one who believes on Jesus Christ has repented; and one who repents has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
In sharp contrast, Ray Comfort separates repentance from faith, thus requiring lost sinners to cease from their sins as a prerequisite to placing their faith in Christ for salvation (which is a false gospel).
Ray Comfort has been caught up into the deceit of Lordship Salvation, which is nothing less than an utter perversion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mr. Comfort talks from both sides of his mouth, in one breath calling everlasting life a "gift"; but in the next breath teaching that lost sinners must forsake their sins to receive that same GIFT. No sir! A gift cannot be earned. Romans 4:5 states, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." When the vilest sinner places his faith in the Savior to forgive his sins, whether he intends to forsake them or not, that man's FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Get mad at God if you don't like that, because He said it. I realize this shocks some people today, mainly the Lordship Salvationists; but this is what the Word of God teaches, like it or not.
Does this give believers a license to sin? Of course not (Romans 3:31). 2nd Corinthians 5:17 states, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Please keep in mind that the change comes AFTER salvation, and is a RESULT of being born-again. The change is not a prerequisite to be saved. It is Jesus Christ Who is the "new creature" Who changes us. But this is a byproduct of being indwelt with the Spirit of Christ at salvation (Romans 8:9); and not a mandatory step to receive eternal life. As with the Apostle James, I would question the salvation of any professed believer who lives in open sin (James 2:18). But realize that James speaks of the FRUIT of the believer's faith; whereas, the Apostle Paul in Romans 4:5 speaks of the ROOT of the believer's faith. The Lordship Salvation crowd get these two confused, so they combine them into one and pervert the Gospel into self-righteousness.
Please read, Dr. John R. Rice Refutes Lordship Salvation.
I do not hate Ray Comfort, nor anyone else. We are all guilty, hell-deserving sinners. I do hate evil as God instructs all believers to hate (Psalm 97:10). Ephesians 5:11 tells us to "refute" (Greek: elencho, i.e., "TO EXPOSE") Satan's works of darkness. It is not too late for Mr. Comfort and I sincerely pray that he would reconsider his doctrinal position and make amends. Everyone is wrong at times in life, even preachers. I don't want anyone to believe anything I say... I want you to go check it out for yourself. We need to follow the Word of God, i.e., the King James Bible, and question every doctrine that men present to us. The best way to expose darkness is to shine the Light of God's Word upon it. Don't let the Devil make a fool out of you.
Ray Comfort is a false prophet, who perverts the Gospel message by ADDING self-righteousness. Salvation cannot be a gift if a person is required to forsake their sins to receive it. This is common sense, as well as Biblical truth. Again, the fact that Ray's INTERVIEW WITH GOD video, speeds along so fast that you can't even read his perverted Gospel message, is clear evidence to me that he is very uncomfortable with it. In my opinion, either Ray realizes he has been wrong and is too proud to admit it, or else he is being deceitful by hiding his true beliefs from newcomers to his ministry. Look at the video and you'll see. The entire video is slow until it gets to his false teaching. Either way he is making lots of money and needs to be exposed as a false prophet. John MacArthur does the same double-talk and is deceitful about his beliefs.
It's time for Christians to get into their Bibles and stop following the teachings of wayward men. You can't be misled if you diligently study the Bible and make It your Final Authority in all matters of faith and life. You don't need the latest New York Times Bestseller, you need the old 1611 King James Bible.
Ray Comfort's The Evidence Bible Exposed!