To see John Davis's full article, go to Part 1 of this study or go to page 22 of "Time for Truth News!" Issue 72 here: http://www.timefortruth.co.uk/content/pages/documents/1418483471.pdf
In this post I will only post (in context) his heretical statements:
"When it comes to understanding THE BOOK, Ruckman is in a different league & class compared to Cornelius Stam! Those that follow Stam, always end up hyper-diapers!!!"
What do Ruckman and Stam have to do with this? I supplied in Part 1 the quotes and information that prove Ruckman and Stam taught the same exact thing about Romans 10--that it is the plan of salvation for both Jew and Gentile under Grace.
Secondly, there are no leagues and classes in the Body of Christ. We are all one in Christ Jesus whether we be Jew/Greek, bond/free, male/female. (Gal. 3:26-28, 1 Cor. 12:12-18, Col. 3:11)
Thirdly, I would like to ask John Davis if he has ever even read the books and tracts written by Cornelius Stam and does he even know what Stam believed and taught? Because judging by how John Davis talks about Stam, it would seem that he knows very little about him.
"It is an obvious fact that the mere act of praying itself cannot save you! In Luke 18v10-14, two men go to pray at the temple, & that story ends with one man saved & the other man LOST! Cornelius prayed on a regular basis (Acts 10v2), & God honoured his prayers (Acts 10v4). But Cornelius did not get saved UNTIL he heard Peter preach (Acts 10v34-43) & he believed on Christ (Acts 10v43-47). So prayer in & of itself DOESN’T save a man!"
Yes, indeed it is obvious. There is no verse in the Bible that says we must pray to be saved (under Grace, perhaps the Law).
Prayer is a work:
Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Romans 15:30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Under Grace we are not saved by works (Rom. 3:27, 4:4-5, 5:1, 8:8, 10:4, Eph. 1:13, 2:8-9, 2 Tim. 1:9, Acts 13:38-39, 16:31, Gal. 2:16-20, 3:1-28, etc.) therefore we are not saved by prayer. We receive Christ by believing, not by praying or confessing (John 1:12-13, 3:36, 5:24). Prayer is something that we "labour fervently" in, "strive" in, "persevere" in, we do not have to do that to get saved. Salvation is easy and simple (2 Cor. 11:3), we do not strive and labour fervently to get it. There is no verse in the Bible that says we should pray to get saved nor does it ever record such a prayer for us to say.
Prayer is something we can "offer" before God:
Hebrews 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Does God accept anything we offer him for salvation? No, everything that we can offer God is filthy rags (Titus 3:5, Isa. 64:6). Jesus Christ offered Himself for us so that we wouldn't have to offer God anything (Heb. 9:14).
So of course "the mere act of praying itself cannot save you", no act of prayer can save you. The parable in Luke 18 is an Old Testament parable that has nothing to do with giving a plan of salvation for any testament, covenant, or dispensation. It is simply to show that man should not trust in himself ("And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:" Luke 18:9) The parable in Luke 18 is not giving the plan of salvation for the Gospel of the Kingdom (which was the gospel preached in the earthly ministry of Christ). In Luke 18:18-30 the Lord plainly says that you must do good works and sell all your goods to be saved, and even then the eternal life is not given until the Second Advent. (Jewish plan of salvation under the Gospel of the Kingdom).
I don't see how Cornelius in Acts 10 has anything to do with this issue of prayer and salvation.
"The idea being that prayer is a ‘work’ & man isn’t saved by works (Eph 2v8+9)."
Yes. John Davis doesn't seem to think prayer is a work. I believe that anyone who has tried to spend time in prayer knows that it is a work, the Bible plainly says that it is (Col. 4:12).
"Now there is nothing in the Scriptures that says you have to pray to get saved!"
Then that settles the issue. Why is John Davis even writing his article if he knows that the Bible doesn't say that we have to pray to be saved? The case is closed.
"At the same time, though, you cannot say that it is wrong to pray to get saved!"
What? "Now there is nothing in the Scriptures that says you have to pray to get saved!...At the same time, though, you cannot say that it is wrong to pray to get saved!" If it is not in the Bible then it is an ACCURSED false gospel (Gal. 1:5-12). It is "another gospel" that is outside of the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 11:3-4, 11:13-15). If your method of receiving salvation is not in the Bible then yes it is wrong.
"The so-called ‘sinners prayer’ finds its origin in Luke 18v13 in a parable TOLD by Jesus Christ! The publican who prayed that prayer went home justified (Luke 18v14). What made the prayer efficacious (effective!) to the publican was the person to whom it was addressed – Luke 18v11 cf. Luke 18v13; also, the spirit in which he prayed (humble ‘REPENTANCE’), & that for which he prayed (God’s mercy to a sinner!) To that prayer Christians have added ‘& SAVE ME for Jesus’ sake’ – fulfilling Rom 10v9-13."
I have already addressed Luke 18 and the PARABLE told in the Old Testament, but now Romans 10:9-13 needs to be discussed. That is the "proof text" for all pray-your-way-to-heaven proponents.
Hear are some facts that need to be established before jumping into Romans 10
- Romans 1-5 is about sin and salvation. Paul says "therefore being justified..." in Romans 5:1, so the doctrine of HOW to receive salvation and justification is found PRIOR to Romans 5 (by faith). With that being said, Romans 1-5 does not mention praying for salvation, therefore is not required to be justified in the sight of God. (else Rom. 5:1 means nothing)
- Romans 6-8 teaches the doctrines of the believers position in Christ, no longer is salvation the focus. It is written about believers.
- Romans 9-11 is written to the Gentiles discussing Israel's position dispensationally (Israel fell, is in blindness, but will be restored after the fullness of the Gentiles is come in and at the Second Advent)
Matthew 7:
[21] Not every one 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.
[22] 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 done many wonderful works?
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
Doing the will of God is believing on Christ, "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:40)
God does not hear sinners, therefore the "sinner's prayer" is ridiculous. God hears those who believe on Him, they are "righteous" and have done His will (John 6:40, Rom. 1:16-17, 3:26). God does not hear sinners because they have not been made righteous by believing on Him. There is no such thing as an efficacious "sinner's prayer" for salvation.
Now we get into Romans 10.
Romans 10:
[1] Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
[2] For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
[3] For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
[4] For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
[5] For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
[6] But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
[7] Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
[8] But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
[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.
[11] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
[12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
[13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The pray-your-way-to-heaven proponents always jump right into verses 9-13 without any regard for the context. The context is not verbal profession! Verse 9 is not about the mouth that is in your head, it is the mouth of your heart.....look at the context:
"my heart's desire and prayer to God" (Paul's HEART prayed for Israel's salvation, not the mouth in his head)
"For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (you submit to and partake of the righteousness of God by believing on Christ, not by confessing verbally)
"the righteousness which is of faith speaketh" (the righteousness which is of faith, believing in your heart, speaks)
"Say not in thine heart" (therefore the context of Romans 10:9 is saying something in your heart and praying in your heart)
The passage is referring to the mouth of your heart. The context is praying and saying in your heart, not your head. Your heart can pray, speak, and laugh:
Genesis 17:17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
Genesis 18:12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
Deuteronomy 9:4 Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.
Psalms 15:2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
Matthew 24:48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
(also see: Deut. 7:17, 8:17, 18:21, Ps. 35:25, Eccl. 1:16, Isa. 47:8, 49:21, 5:24, 13:22, Zech. 1:12, Zech. 12:5, Matt. 24:48, Luke 12:45, etc.)
Also note that Nehemiah called upon God in his heart while he was verbally speaking to a king:
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.(Neh. 2:4-5)
Also, note 1 John 4:2, 15 which state that it is when your spirit confesses Christ that you get saved. Your "spirit" confessing (inward man) is not the same as your body confessing with the mouth in your head (outward man).
1 John 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
To make Romans 10:9-13 refer to the mouth in your head rather than the mouth of your heart would be works salvation and a false gospel.
If Paul is referring to someone having righteousness imputed to them when the believe but salvation given to them when they confess, where would that put someone that only believes and doesn't confess? Would he be "righteous" but not "saved"? Would he go to heaven or hell? Romans 10:9-13 is a confusing passage if you ignore the context and say that it is referring to the mouth in your head rather than the mouth of your heart. In fact, Paul already stated in the first chapter of Romans that salvation and righteousness are given to the person that believes the gospel, not the person that confesses.....
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
"Now you baby-hyper-diapers, if any sinner prays that prayer, or a similar one, expressing the belief he has in his heart on the Lord Jesus Christ & His death, burial & resurrection, do you really think that the Lord is going to reject that act of faith IN Jesus Christ, expressed THROUGH PRAYER, after He said …him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. John 6v37???"
It is obvious that John Davis has a very wide definition of the plan of salvation. First he said that there is no verse in the Bible that says you have to pray to be saved, but then he said it is not wrong to pray to be saved. Now he gives a prayer (the one in Luke 18) and says that you can either pray that prayer to be saved, or one similar to it and be saved. The gospel does not work like that. You cannot do something "similar" to the gospel, you have to obey the gospel exactly as it is written.....else you have "another gospel" that is accursed (Gal. 1:5-12, 2 Cor. 11:3-4).
And yes, God will reject your "ACT of faith" all day long if it is not something He commanded. Yes God said "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out", but the context of that was found in the two verses before it, "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not." (John 6:35-36)
Surely John Davis is not saying that we can do any act (as long as it is done in "faith") and still receive salvation. We have to do what God tells us to do, we cannot come to God with any "act" that we come up with. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. (John 10:1)
"a CULTISH-hyper-diaper who fills his nappy as soon as you ask him whether Matthew, Mark, Luke & John were IN Christ (John 17), OR, when could you eat ‘unclean’ animals (Col 2), or, ‘According to Rom 16v7’ were there Christians IN Christ BEFORE Paul’s conversion?"
The 12 apostles were certainly in Christ long before Acts 28, Acts 13, Acts 10, Acts 9, Acts 8, Acts 2, and even the cross. They got in Christ around Matthew chapter 10, the congregation of believers is called the "little flock" and they are said to be "in Christ":
John 6:56-57 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
John Davis seems to think that the 12 apostles did not get into Christ until Acts 2. I mean no offense by saying this, but that is certainly hyper dispensationalism. The twelve apostles (excluding Judas Iscariot) were in Christ (John 6:56-57) and a church (Luke 12:32, Matt. 18:17) long before Acts chapter 2. In fact, the new believers in Acts 2 were "added" to the church, therefore the church already existed for people to be added to it. The church (believers in Christ) began with John the Baptist and his disciples, not the 12 apostles. The 12 apostles began carrying on John's message in Matthew 10 (Luke 16:16), not beginning a new church at the cross of at Acts 2 like John Davis believes. Note also that the "church" has existed since the Old Testament (Acts 7:38). According to John Davis though, the church did not begin until Acts 2 and nobody was in Christ! I mean no offense by saying this, but that is certainly hyper dispensationalism.
As for "when could you eat unclean animals", God gave the command that you could eat anything in Acts chapter 10. It was wrong to eat unclean animals before then because God had not revealed otherwise. God's words to the 12 apostles were "keep the commandments", "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven", and "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do".
I believe that the Bible teaches that Israel and the Gentile nations will be observing a modified version of the Mosaic Law in the Millennium. The New Covenant that God will make with Israel requires them to keep the Law of Moses, with some changes (Heb. 7:12). The Law will continue to be observed in the Tribulation and Millennium under God's New Covenant with Israel, but it is not to be observed under Grace. Look at how the 12 apostles of Israel observed the Law as recorded in: Matt. 5:17-20, 19:17, 23:1-3, 24:20, Luke 24:53, Acts 2:46, 3:1, 6:42, 10:10-17, 15:5, 21:18-20, 22:12, James 1:25, 2:8-12, 4:11, Heb. 7:12). This is according to Old Testament prophecy about Israel in the Tribulation and Millennium under God's New Covenant observing the Law (Ps. 66:15, Jer. 31:31-34, 32:37-42, Ezek. 36:24-28, Micah 4:2, Isa. 2:3, 42:21, 51:7, 56:1-2, 66:23, Zech. 14:16-19). Ezekiel 40-48 speaks of the temple and the memorial sacrifices that will be in the Millennium. Check the references above and also look at the main purpose of the New Covenant that God will make with Israel as recorded in Jeremiah 31.
Jeremiah 31:
[31] Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
[32] Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
[33] But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
[34] And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
I believe John Davis needs to study the New Covenant more closely, he seems to confuse it with the Grace doctrine revealed to Paul (Rom. 6:14). Had the 12 apostles ate unclean animals in Acts 2, they would have been disobeying the Lord's last words on the issue and going against the revealed will of God. Besides, if it had of been lawful for the 12 apostles to break the Law in Acts 2, then it certainly would have been made known to them by the Holy Spirit who had filled them and gave them supernatural knowledge and inspiration (Matt. 10:19-20, Mark 13:11, Acts 1:5-8, 2:4, 2:18, 4:8, 5:1-11).
"Now, if prayer is a form of calling upon the name of the Lord (& it certainly IS!) then if a man confesses his faith in Jesus Christ to God in prayer THEN HE IS SAVED! He might not have to do it just that way, but if he does HE ISN’T WORKING HIS WAY TO HEAVEN!"
Verbal prayer is a work, as shown from the scriptures already. Romans 10 is referring to your spirit confessing with the mouth of your heart (see the context and 1 John 4:2, 4:15).
It is interesting that John Davis says "He might not have to do it just that way", I suppose that means there is no set way to be saved?
"So generally speaking, a saved man will confess Jesus Christ to others! There is NO SET FORMAT to this though, just like there is NO SET ‘WAY’ to ‘prayer!’ When a baby gets hungry, he cries to let someone know! When a sinner gets saved, he will ‘call upon the name of the Lord….’ (Rom 10v13). A saved sinner, who never goes to church, or gets baptised, will still one day CONFESS Christ to someone!"
Wait a minute, how did we go from calling upon God from your heart for salvation to confessing Christ before men??? There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. We call upon Him alone for salvation, we do not need to confess to or before men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4, Rom. 10:13). God never tells lost people to confess Him before men, He told that to saved apostles (excluding Judas Iscariot). When Christ said "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." in Matthew 10:32-33 he was not talking to lost people. He was talking to saved apostles. Romans 10 and Matthew 10 have no connection. Romans 10 is talking about calling upon God in your heart while Matthew 10 is talking about confessing Christ before men in the midst of persecution (more specifically the Time of Jcaob's Trouble).
So John Davis believes that the Bible does not command us to pray to be saved, but that it is not wrong to pray to be saved, and that there is no certain or set way to do this. You can say what you want, as long as it is an "act of faith". It is also good to do this before men, not just the one Mediator.
John Davis did bring up a good example using a baby, a better illustration is that a baby only cries out to its parents after being born. Likewise a believer cries out to God after being "born again", not in order to be born again. We receive Christ through belief, not verbal confession (John 1:12-13, Acts 13:38-39).
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13)
Pray for John Davis that he will get straightened out on salvation and start studying the Bible for himself rather than plagiarizing.
--Eli Caldwell
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