False Teachers Distort Jesus
A preacher who seeks to profit off of God’s sheep needs to twist the Gospel. He must change the message of Jesus to get what he wants. There is nothing about the Gospel of grace that is useful to those who want to make merchandise of God’s people. God becoming a man in the form of a servant and dying a terrible death on the Cross to pay the debt of mankind is not an attractive message in general. It takes a work of God for it to make sense. But the rest of the story is absolutely fatal to manipulation and servitude. After death on the Cross, Jesus is raised to new life and offers us the same freely without anything offered on our part. Jesus replaces the old sinful man we were with a new man and simply tells us to follow Him from that moment forward. Abundant life follows. For more reading new life, read here What Does it Mean to be Born Again? Salvation freely given and never earned is not useful to false teachers. They can’t use it to get their hooks in people so they distort it…in big ways and more subtle. We have the more drastic examples where men have created totally different faiths in order to control people. Mormonism and the Jehovah’s Witnesses are two examples of obvious attacks on grace. When they show up at your door preaching their grace-less doctrine, it is obvious that they are not like us. It is when the grace robbers are more subtle that the danger increases. They come into our churches and present a Jesus who seems like the same Jesus we worship but sets forth a Gospel message that is all about our works. If they can shift our focus from what Jesus did to what we need to do, this is when we are open to exploitation. John Mulinde is one of these subtle grace robbing teachers. His message sounds good initially. It appeals to our fleshly desire to justify ourselves. But it is not Jesus’ Gospel.
For more on the Mormon issues see The Mormon Historical Problems and A Conspiracy of Silence. For more on Jehovah’s Witnesses, read Should I Talk with Jehovah’s Witnesses.
John Mulinde’s preaching and testimony have been all over the internet. A self proclaimed he also travels world spreading the word about what he calls his prophetic message. He is an engaging and powerful speaker. His delivery is smooth and seemingly heartfelt as he lays out his message. He claims it is one of repentance and a call to prayer. When we listen to it closely, though, it is something very different. It is the work of someone trying to steal our liberty, our freedom that Jesus bought for us on the Cross. Mulinde’s sermon is presented in the style of a personal testimony. He claims that Jesus came and spoke with him in a vision. This sounds wonderful, but I am not sure I want to see John Mulinde’s Jesus. He is very different than the Jesus of the Bible. You see when Jesus appears in his story, it is not to praises with awe and joy from one of His followers. Rather though it is a story of Jesus on the surface, when we drill down it actually focuses on Mulinde, what he did and did not do. This is always a sign of something amiss. The story of Christianity is all about Jesus and His glory. If we are focusing on ourselves, something has gone wrong. Mulinde doesn’t stop with simply being self-centered in his message. He goes way further and describes a very different Jesus. Mulinde’s Jesus is mad at him for not working hard enough. Mulinde’s Jesus is demanding. His Jesus is also focused on the works of His creation rather than on His own work on Calvary. The Savior who preached the Gospel of Grace is not actually full of grace – unmerited favor – in Mulinde’s story. The created sinful one is somehow the center of a story about the Creator, Jesus. Our salvation is by grace through faith according to Ephesians. According to Mulinde, it is contingent on how good we are. This is outrageous. For more on Grace, read What Grace Really Means: Freedom and Jesus Doesn’t Need our Penance.
According to the multiple tellings of this vision, Jesus appears in order to rebuke the Mulinde for his sin. Mulinde is a Christian at the time of the vision. Despite believing in Him, Jesus is reported as telling Mulinde that if He returned for his church today Mulinde would not be taken to heaven. Why? Because his work was not enough according to Jesus. His repentance was not pure enough. His heart was not good enough. His work was not up to Jesus’ standards. This is the core of the issue why Mulinde is preaching a false gospel. Jesus says come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. He guaranteed our acceptance into the family of God by offering it for free to those who come to Him. He never says come if we perfectly understand how bad we are. He never says come if our works are pure. Jesus just says come and HE will save us. He gives us new life in Him thanks to His completed work on the Cross. It is for Him and by Him, we are Born again, not for us and by us. For more read What does it Mean to be Born Again and 11 Life-Changing Verses about being Born Again. Mulinde’s Jesus says salvation is contingent on us. This is very different than the Bible’s Jesus.
Repentance is Not Enough is a Lie
Mulinde’s Jesus goes even further than simply demanding works. When Mulinde tearfully repents of his alleged sins, Mulinde’s Jesus refuses his repentance. Mulinde’s Jesus decides that he was not sorry enough. If your skin is crawling right now that is a good sign. This Jesus is not filled with love for His sheep. This Jesus is not filled with compassion for his very flawed creations. He is demanding and arbitrary. This gospel is one of achievement and striving. More, more, more, Mulinde needs to do more works before his repentance will be accepted. That is right, the Savior evidently is reliant upon the sinful creation to make His redemption work. This is required to allow the grace robbers to get their hooks in us. They need to shift the focus from God’s completed work to His imperfect creation. Once that is done, they can work us into the ground. They can turn Godly conviction into human condemnation and work us into the ground. The Gospel that saves even the worst sinners, from the Thief on the Cross to you and I, into a whip to beat us with until we do what they want. For more on the Thief on the Cross, see Am I too Far Gone for Jesus? For more on the idea of worthiness, see Feeling Unworthy?
Hushed voice and tears in abundance accompany the tale. It is a vivid and compelling story offered by a talented showman. Mulinde has been drawing people in all over the world in person and through online videos. There is one major problem with the message though. It is heresy. It defames the name and nature of Jesus the Savior. It steals Jesus glory in the name of focusing on a man. In doing so, it also appears to be a rehashing of the message of the ancient opponents of the Gospel, the Judaizers, in a new and shiny package. It is a message that comes in a shiny package but is filled with poison designed to rob us of the grace that God has for us and the love and gratitude we should be showing Him. No One is Too Far Gone for Jesus!
John Mulinde is not alone in his false perversion of the Gospel message. There are many people preaching this version of the gospel out there today. It has been a consistent threat to Christians since Jesus walked the Earth. It is compelling to our flesh, yes, emotional, sure. It is a great message to get people to try harder, sure, but it’s counter to the message of Jesus.
The message of the Bible is pretty simple. In regards to keeping the Law, God says that it is impossible for man on his own to do. The Law is perfect and holy, but man is sinful and will sin no matter how hard we try not to sin. We are fallen and therefore imperfect. We can never be good enough for God as a result. Jesus says come anyway and I will bless you. Jesus sets us free from this nonsense. Grace Means Freedom!
The Apostle Paul Tried to be Perfect too
Paul was the picture of this futility as every moment of his life before Christ was about trying to work for God and keep the law. He tried really hard to be perfect and thought he was doing a great job of it. Yet, when Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life was exposed as being all about sin. What he thought was good enough to reach God on his own was actually rebellion, coveting and evil doing. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”, Jesus said. Paul tried really hard to be good but failed spectacularly. It turned out he was just trying to get what he, Paul wanted. A few of us can relate to that level of failure, I suspect. It is only Jesus and the Cross that sets us free from this futility through His atoning sacrifice. Not by making us better, we still fall on our faces on a regular basis and need His continual work in our lives through sanctification, but through His blood washing us clean in the eyes of God. That is, though we still sin and will always
It is only Jesus and the Cross that sets us free from this futility through His atoning sacrifice. Not by making us better, we still fall on our faces on a regular basis, but through His blood washing us clean in the eyes of God. That is, though we still sin and will always when God looks at us He sees the righteousness of Jesus on us. We are seen as righteous not because we actually are righteous, but because of how our great Jesus. He completely paid the price for our sins so God takes His payment on our behalf. It is finished meant our debt was completely paid for us.
Payment for our sins was done forever by the One whose life was given as payment for those sins. Our sins no longer have power over us because Jesus defeated them and the accuser.
Those that would steal from us the grace of God from the beginning have not been happy with this simple answer to the question of sin. Having been offered a way out of the prison of their own sin caused by their own effort by the grace of God, they bind themselves with the chains of legalism. Originally, the Judaizers argued that those who became Christian through the work of God were not truly saved unless they also kept the Law, ignoring the fact that it is impossible to keep the whole Law, Paul addresses this in multiple writings, but Galatians 5 comes to mind.
Originally, this looked like the Judaizers who argued that those who became Christian through the work of God were not truly saved unless they also kept the Law. They ignored the fact that it was impossible for them to keep the Law and tried to put weights on those for whom the Law was never intended, the Gentiles. Paul and Peter put a stop to this in the Book of Acts.
The modern grace-robbers are more subtle but no less dangerous. They usually argue that true salvation is Jesus plus something that depends on our efforts. They take the free, full grace of God and make it contingent and frankly arbitrary. They base it upon some guy’s made up standard set out to define what is good enough for God.
We Can Never Save Ourselves
It is like a person being rescued from a shipwreck on the high seas and placed in the middle of an Indiana cornfield. That person then began to make swimming motions and decided that whether they were going to drown or not was based on how well they were pretending to swim. The actions of the rescued pretending to save themselves adds nothing to the rescue and detracts from what the actual savior accomplished. It also makes little sense when one understands the context.
Similarly, God’s grace also goes from a free unconditional gift given by a loving Father to His children because He is good, to a prize given to one’s self. The creation dictates to the Creator whether we have met His standard. Honestly, even on our best days when we feel like we are doing a good job for God, how many sins do we overlook? Yet, those who seek to be good enough by works want us to make our righteousness dependent on our actions. Yikes, no thanks. Grace is freely given without anything on our part contributing ….or else it’s not grace.
Honestly, even on our best days when we feel like we are doing a good job for God, how many sins do we overlook? Yet, those who seek to be good enough by works want us to make our righteousness dependent on our actions. Yikes, no thanks. Grace is freely given without anything on our part contributing ….or else it’s not grace.
The worst part about the message of the grace-robbers is that it appeals to all of us to some degree and it relies upon elements of truth to ensnare us. Our flesh wants to make the worship about us and what we do. Man has been doing this since the beginning. We love building our religious towers of Babel to try to work our way to God.
God’s conviction shows us that despite the great work of Jesus saving us, we through our flesh still sin every day in ways that disgust us. Our human desire is to want to try harder to do things to be better. Jesus’ answer though is to simply trust Him. He will continue the good work He started in us until its completion. He invites us to cast our cares, including cares about our failures and sins on Him so He can care for us through the struggle. If we make it about relying on Jesus, then every struggle is about trusting in Jesus. If we make it about us, then who is the struggle about?
Which brings us back to John Mulinde and his ilk. His message is that Jesus appeared to him in a vision. Jesus then told him that he would not be coming to heaven if Jesus returned that day, that his repentance was not enough and that John Mulinde had to work harder. This is false doctrine. John Mulinde contradicts the Bible so he is a false teacher. Jesus plus works for salvation is not the real Jesus.
It is also worth noting that it takes the attention off of Jesus and what He did to the created being and his works. Taking attention away from Jesus is never good. He gave everything to save us completely. A gospel that is inconsistent with that laid out in the Bible is not good news at all. As Paul said in Galatians 1:
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
I’ll stick with the Gospel, thanks!
This is a scary twisting of The Real Gospel. I imagine that some people think, “if a pastor might not go to Heaven, what chance do I have? I’d better listen and do what this pastor says!” This generates fear, and there is no fear in love. Thanks for sharing this!
Yeah, it is really deceiving and subtly appeals to the pride in us as well. Even while watching a second time, part of me was drawn to what he was saying. I think it is because he takes a truth, we really are not worthy and then mixes in an appeal to our pride and self involvement saying we can justify ourselves. It sounds so attractive but is so wrong.
Thanks for the taking the time to comment brother!
I think you missed the point. God was pointing out sinful attitudes that John did not even think about much less repent of. Do you think God does NOT deal with our attitudes ? Read again Paul’s letters to the churches where God speaks through Paul about attitudes and hidden sins. God loves us and has mercy but He does not LEAVE us with our hidden sins. If we seek after Him as John did, SURELY God will honour that desire . As He did with King David through Samuel. Do uou think God does NOT call us to holiness ?
Respectfully, if John Mulinde was just saying that God deals with our secret attitudes and sinful ways, I would have no problem with it. Of course God cares about holiness.
This is a repeated accusation of comments here defending Mulinde – that by criticizing Mulinde I somehow don’t care about holiness. This is dramatic misstatement of what the actual problem is with Mulinde.
Mulinde claims that Jesus will reject His sheep, Christians like you based on a vague set of sins that you may not even be aware of.
There is so much wrong with his testimony, but the worst part of it is it contradicts the Gospel of Jesus and diminishes the Cross of Jesus.
If you think about it – Mulinde talks on and on about I”I did this, I did not do this, I felt this way “ – It was totally focused on himself – not Jesus and His Cross. Jesus was just there as an angry figure popping out of nowhere to scold one of His people.
He misuses and misquotes the Bible in the process as well.
Sometimes when people listen to a preacher, they take from it what they think he should have said or what they expect him to say. They gaslight themselves rather than accept that the teacher is opposing the Gospel of Christ.
It is sad that fellow ‘Christians’ are coming out to chide others when they just simply sharing their testimony and own experiences. I don’t think in any way was John Mulinde out of line or had intention to spread a false message nor did he diminish any of what the Gospel of Christ says about grace. Are you suggesting we cannot share personal experiences or testimonies (if you think they are incredulous, then don’t believe them, who cares)? Even in the Book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah himself was writing in the first person and it perfectly okay to share your honest thoughts and experiences. It does NOT in any way diminish or conflate what Jesus did on the cross; in fact it is after his experiences, he did say that he had a better revelation of what Jesus had done for His people that He loved.
Did we even watch the same video? Unfortunately OP has to pen an entire piece labelling others as a false teacher; as a fellow brother, I would earnestly ask you to repent and search your heart. What you said about grace is correct; however, it has to square with all the other bible verses and teachings! Citing from 1 Corinthians 6:9-20, Paul is addressing ‘believers’ from the Corinth church, so there is nothing wrong with telling ‘believers’ that even after you are saved, you should aim to lead a sanctified life. Was there something wrong about saying those hidden sins should be addressed?
What about Matthew 7:21-23? Or Revelations 3:10-11. God’s grace is sufficient but grace translates into action/perseverance/fruit of the Spirit
One last point; one of OP’s arguments was that John Mulinde was trying to redeem his own salvation with own strength through rectifying those hidden sins; honestly watch the video again – John Mulinde did not say that; he even emphasised at the end how everything should be done in God’s will and His ways.
Hi Barry,
Thank you for taking the time to comment and share your thoughts. I read your comments and, respectfully, would ask you whether you are responding to what I wrote or do you just not like that I think John Mulinde is a false teacher? I ask because you start with this:
t is sad that fellow ‘Christians’ are coming out to chide others when they just simply sharing their testimony and own experiences. I don’t think in any way was John Mulinde out of line or had intention to spread a false message nor did he diminish any of what the Gospel of Christ says about grace. Are you suggesting we cannot share personal experiences or testimonies (if you think they are incredulous, then don’t believe them, who cares)?
I don’t know where you get the conclusion about testimonies from – particularly since I share a lot of my testimony here and I often share the testimonies of others on this blog. I also don’t spend my time picking at other Christians as they minister to and for the Lord. We are all imperfect in our rolls as God’s people.
What I do have a problem with and what sharply and dramatically separates Mulinde’s testimony from others is the fact that Mulinde puts words directly into the mouth of Jesus. Mulinde claims that Jesus – the High King of Heaven said that Mulinde’s salvation was not enough to save him. His attitude was too bad and overrode the Cross of Jesus.
Again – if Mulinde just claimed this and owned that it was coming from him I would respectfully disagree and move on. But Mulinde puts that claim into the mouth of an angry Jesus ready to strike one of His own sheep down. Despite being shrouded in emotion and soothing tones, this message is directly contrary to the Gospel of Jesus.
Citing from 1 Corinthians 6:9-20, Paul is addressing ‘believers’ from the Corinth church, so there is nothing wrong with telling ‘believers’ that even after you are saved, you should aim to lead a sanctified life. Was there something wrong about saying those hidden sins should be addressed?
Again – I am not sure what you are responding to with this claim. It is, quite frankly, a common response but it serves as a misdirection of the actual issue. I agree that sin is bad and that we should lead sanctified lives. Jesus takes sin seriously and when we understand His perfection, the idea that sin is acceptable or that we should live any other way but following Jesus is repugnant. Jesus miraculously saved me and healed me from lots of sins that were killing me.
But Mulinde is saying much more than this – He says that you have to get rid of a certain unstated amount of sin or else Jesus will be intensely angry with you, not tell you, and then suddenly appear, berate you, and reject you. Mulinde never says the word, specifically, but his statement that Jesus would not take him makes clear that despite the Gospel, Jesus will send you to hell if you fail to live up to Mulinde’s standard.
You mention 1 Corinthians 6 and that is a great comparison – after going through the list – adulterer’s fornicators, ect – Paul writes:
And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Sin once defined them. They were condemned. Then Jesus washed them, cleansed them, and justified them so that sin no longer defines them – only Jesus does. This is awesome and focuses on the work of Jesus – not theirs and that is a good thing. Why?
Do you remember the circumstances of the writing of 1 Corinthians? The church in Corinth is a total mess – they are drinking in service, arguing about who is the greatest, in factions saying I follow Paul, I follow Peter, and thinking it makes them special, and being sexually immoral. Yet, Paul writes to them as the saints – those called out to God – in Corinth.
According to John Mulinde’s standards, those in Corinth don’t deserve anything but teh intense, white hot blazing anger of Jesus. Paul does not agree because of verse 20:
For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body [g]and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Bought – past tense – the deal is already done.
Good word Thomas. If it’s okay with you I’d like to link this post to one I’m just about to publish. It is titled Are Spiritual Experiences from God?
Hi Rob, thanks and sure, please do. I look forward to reading your post!
I just posted it. WordPress has been acting strange these past two days. Weird characters being inserted, etc.
Ok, great! I will check it out.
Hi Thomas. My mother is very familiar with Mulinde’s work and is a licensed family and christian therapist. We noticed you didn’t put any references in your article and she said she hasn’t noticed anything of the likes in his books or otherwise. Could you please provide references for these accusations of self focus and the condemning unloving Jesus? Thank you!
Hi Jennifer – have you are she heard any of his testimonies? I sat through a sermon by John Mulinde during which he laid out his testimony of his claimed vision of Jesus. I then watched the same testimony on YouTube that he has repeated many times. It is during these presentations that he actually speaks for Jesus and claims that Jesus would not accept him even though he was a Christian because he did not work enough. He does it with tears and lots of emotional appeal but it is a great example of false teaching that is very well done and sympathetic. It is terribly sad. I have not read his books because I will not read a book from a man who presents a false Jesus.
That is supposed to be “you or she”. Sorry and God bless you.
It wasn’t because he didn’t WORK enough. It was because he was judging others while hiding sin in his own heart. God’s mercy does not mean He is blind to us continuing in sin.
It is subtly exactly the same thing. Sure, Mulinde tries to make a distinction between works and repentance and how he is doing his works, but everything that he references in the message as lacking are things outside of the faith that saves us – they are therefore works. So don’t judge, don’t sin – these are things based on us that Mulinde claims saves or doesn’t saves us.
Jesus rejects Mulinde based on his subtle acts and attitudes.
That is nuts.
Wait till you need the Jesus of the book of Revelation 2 and 3. Then you’ll know the Lord disciplines those He loves so they will escape future condemnation. The False Grace message denies the need for repentance.
By the fruit of the prophet we know. Superficial repentance and the real can be seen in Isaiah 58. Your Jesus settles for the lip based repentance or none at all. I’ve heard False Grace teachers say there’s no need to even repent after you’re saved cos Jesus did it all. Talk about heresy! 1 John was written, according to him, to unbelievers and believers so verse 9 of chapter 1 is for the unbelievers. Talk about twisting Truth.
The Lord is kind and severe. You’ll know that soon enough. It’s at the door. As the Jews of old, Christians presume immovability, refusing to read Romans 11. But! —Faith comes from hearing God’s word. What’s the fruit of Mulinde’s story? Deep seated avoidance of sins of the heart like adultery in thought. Yes, I’ve heard the messages. I would like to ask if you are free of those internal sins he said Jesus spoke about?
Ita – you seem to make conclusions about me that are incorrect.
I clearly state John Mulinde is a false teacher, yes. Why? Because he diminishes the work of Jesus on the Cross. Mulinde claims that he was a follower of Christ, one of Christ’s sheep, when his claimed vision happened. He claims the Good Shepherd appeared and told him that he would be rejected if Jesus returned today DESPITE being a Christian.
This is awful, ugly false doctrine. It diminishes the Cross of Christ. It also makes our salvation less about Jesus and what He did on the Cross and more about us and our arrogant belief that we can actually earn salvation.
I never said grace was easy – Jesus died to set you free. The Bible says that you are not only free but adopted into God’s family. Mulinde says that after being adopted and promised eternal life, born into new life in God, you will be cast out if you don’t do enough….what?
I also never said God will not discipline us or that there are not false converts – those who pay lip service but don’t believe. That is not what Mulinde says though. He uses guilt, shame, and the name of Jesus to contradict the teachings of Jesus.
Corrected
Wait till you meet the Jesus of the book of Revelation 2 and 3. Then you’ll know the Lord disciplines those He loves so they will escape future condemnation. The False Grace message denies the need for repentance.
By the fruit of the prophet we know. Superficial repentance and the real can be seen in Isaiah 58. Your Jesus settles for the lip based repentance or none at all. I’ve heard False Grace teachers say there’s no need to even repent after you’re saved cos Jesus did it all. Talk about heresy! 1 John was written, according to him, to unbelievers and believers so verse 9 of chapter 1 is for the unbelievers. Talk about twisting Truth.
The Lord is kind and severe. You’ll know that soon enough. It’s at the door. As the Jews of old, Christians presume immovability, refusing to read Romans 11. But! —Faith comes from hearing God’s word. What’s the fruit of Mulinde’s story? Deep seated avoidance of sins of the heart like adultery in thought. Yes, I’ve heard the messages. I would like to ask if you are free of those internal sins he said Jesus spoke about?
How about Galatians 2?
19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
You know, this is so often the knee jerk response of those who defend guys like Mulinde and the ugly systems that grow up around them. It is easy to charge “You just wait” and “You preach you can do what you want” or “Just want to sin”.
I do none of those things. I take God’s holiness very seriously and know that His judgment is righteous, perfect, and inescapable. He will pour out His wrath on the world.
The problem is simply the fact that if we base our salvation on ourselves and our holiness we will fail, every single time. You cannot keep the Law perfectly. I cannot keep the Law perfectly. The Jews could not keep the Law perfectly – it is why God sent a Savior to save them and us. His blood to cleanse us, once and for all.
Does that mean we can now sin, of course not – as Paul says – let it never be so. Sin should be offensive and we should welcome God’s discipline. It is just that if we turn around from the One who saved us through His Cross and say, “Thanks, it is now all about my work”, that is both foolish and self involved.
You ask what the fruity of Mulinde’s ministry is? That is exactly the point. It is focus on self. It is pride. It is legalism. It is thinking Jesus did not say “It is finished” and would reject His sheep because they are not good enough. He already knew we are not good enough – it is why He died for us.
Man centered religion comes in many forms. Mulinde’s is just packaged in a veneer of self righteousness.
“The problem is simply the fact that if we base our salvation on ourselves and our holiness we will fail, every single time. You cannot keep the Law perfectly. ”
Based on what you have said here, you have misunderstood the reason Pastor John Mulinde gave his testimony. A Christian working out their salvation makes it clear that Christian has some role and responsibility in keeping their salvation which can definitelybe lost (due to irresponsibility).
This does not mean you are your own Savior as alluded to in your statement above. I believe this is the key aspect that you may be missing in your position. Jesus is the giver of the gift of Salvation, and every Christian who understands the value of the gift is admonished to cherish and keep this gift, by obeying Jesus’ commands and not grieving the Holy Spirit.
To your reference about the impossibility of an “inherently” flawd humans ability to be perfect, I say by the power of the Holy Spirit we can be perfect if we allow Him to work out our flaws. Grace comes into play every time we fail and fall. We fall and we get up and stop refrain the same mistakes that bind us.
As a child in middle school, I struggled to keep my white shirts clean. Now as an adult , there are hardly ever any stains on my white shirts. Every matured Christian must keep his robe of righteousness clean by crucifying their flesh daily.. We can not keep making excuses why out garments are stained. We have a responsibility to grow up!
Paul said when a was a child I acted as a child, but when a became a man I put away childish things.
Let’s stop using human flaws as an excuse to continue in unholiness and unrighteousness. Let’s stop using grace as an excuse not to walk before God and be perfect as He is perfect.
As you already know, anything that defileth shall not enter heaven.
And finally, I noticed you have not (at least in all I have read so far) referenced the power of the Holy Spirit in our grace walk.
With the help and power of the Holy Spirit missing in your doctrine of grace, you interpret accountability in our Christian walk as “falling every time we base our salvation on ourselves.”
I pray that the body of Christ will put away errors and grow up in things of the Spirit. Time is short and the Age of man is coming to an end. Let’s live our lives soberly, come out of the world and seek God in truth and in Spirit.
God help those who are willing to change. Amen.
Friend – I am sorry you agree with Mulinde as if you really try to follow that sort of doctrine you put yourself back under the Law.
You say that I misunderstand him but then say this:
As a child in middle school, I struggled to keep my white shirts clean. Now as an adult , there are hardly ever any stains on my white shirts. Every matured Christian must keep his robe of righteousness clean by crucifying their flesh daily.. We can not keep making excuses why out garments are stained. We have a responsibility to grow up!
Paul said when a was a child I acted as a child, but when a became a man I put away childish things.
Which is exactly what I am saying is the false doctrine of John Mulinde.
Applying your example – when does the level of stains on your shirt cause you to lose your salvation? You admit yourself that you still get some stains on your shirt so when does that rise to the level of cast out of the Kingdom of God? Who gets to make that decision?
The problem with the doctrine like Mulinde’s is right there in your example. If it is up to you to keep your shirt clean then your entire Christian life will focus on you and yourself – not Jesus and His mercy and grace. This is the very thing Paul addressed in the book of Galatians when he wrote;
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed [b]among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
And
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Paul gets to the heart of the problem. If there is any way that man could obtain salvation that is based on us then the sacrifice of Jesus was for nothing.
Mulinde’s claimed vision of Jesus scolding him is offensive against the Savior who died to set us free from our own failures.
These accusations are not true I heard Dr. Mulinde’s teaching and testimony and he does not teach a doctrine of works at all. This is wrong to spread this when this is untrue .
Dee – thanks for the comment and for reading the post even though it seems like you like John Melinda. I disagree with you, though. Mulinde teaches as part of his “vision” that Jesus Himself told him that He, Jesus, would reject Mulinde because Mulinde was not good enough…despite Mulinde being a believer. Mulinde’s secret sins were too many.
This sounds good to us. It appeals to a truth – we are ugly sinners and our thought lives could never be acceptable to a perfectly holy God on our own. It appeals to our judgment of ourselves based on our standards. So we need to get better and try harder or Jesus will reject us.
This is monumentally offensive to Jesus. It is not what Jesus says. It is not what the Gospel teaches. You are forgiven fully, loved perfectly, and pardoned fully if you are in Christ. You are new creation created by God Himself. This is not because you are good or you will be good in the future. It is because of Jesus’ death on the Cross only. The perfect One died for us ugly sinners.
Now, this does not mean we should willingly sin. Sin is hugely offensive to God. But the Cross of Jesus Christ is bigger than our sin. Jesus said “It is finished” as He poured out His blood for you.
The question is whether we believe that or not. Do we really think we can add anything to that?
Mulinde does what the Apostle Peter was trying to do in Antioch when he refused to eat with the Gentile Christians. Peter was giving the message that the Gentiles were “less than” the Jewish Christians because they were not Kosher. That they needed to keep the Law to be fully acceptable to Christ.
Read and ponder Paul’s response to this set out in Galatians. He says that Peter was perverting the Gospel and diminishing the work of Jesus. Think about Mulinde’s claim that he needed to get “more holy” before he would be acceptable to God in light of Galatians 2:21:
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!
If you need to work to gain righteousness then Christ died for nothing.
God bless you.
Pastor Unlikely, have you ever come acrross a verse in the bible that admonishes us “to work out our salvation with fear and trembling”?
Hi Norman – I am aware of Philippians 2:12 and do not ever ignore the fact that God is perfectly just and holy. In fact, God is so holy that we imperfect sinful humans could never live in a way that could earn His approval. Our works are filthy rags before Him and all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Where does that leave us if salvation is up to us?
Thankfully, we cannot also underrate the grace and mercy of God displayed through Jesus. He is either our Savior by grace through faith – a free gift that cannot be earned so that no man (including John Mulinde) can boast. It is God’s work so how can any many claim responsibility and boast over what he has done. This is the Gospel of grace – Jesus on the Cross saying “It is finished” – your debt is paid.
Mulinde’s response subtly perverts this Gospel. He says that Jesus’ work was not complete and your salvation is not totally in Jesus. He claims that salvation is not actually by grace through faith – a free gift – but that you have to continually earn it, over and over and over again. In doing so, he misrepresents and diminishes Jesus. His blood is not sufficient to wash us clean. You have to help the perfect Savior do His job.
The Bible says that it is by grace so that no man may ever boast. Yet, Mulinde’s whole claimed vision is a what we call a humble brag. He pretends to be humble in claiming the Good Shepherd shamed and scolded him for his failures in life. But what is his real point?
To brag about how HE has been given this special knowledge and if you listen to him and follow what he says, you can be as great as he is. He drags attention from Jesus and His wonderful grace and perfect peace to place the spotlight squarely on one man – John Mulinde.
This is manipulative false teaching. It is encouraging people to be self focused and legalistic. It is just another version of the man centered prosperity gospel people love so much.
It has nothing to do with the real Jesus.
The Prosperity Gospel is Garbage – A Simple Response to a False Gospel
Galatians 2:
For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
Don’t set aside the grace of God in favor of your own righteousness. It tells Jesus you think He died for nothing.
The man, was telling the truth.John Mulinde was in sin. If he or we continue to sin and not repent WE WILL go to hell. That’s in the bible. What John Mulinde was saying in that video IS the truth and it’s based on the Bible. Don’t read watered down versions of the Bible read the King James or the Amplified bible. We still have responsibility to repent regardless of what Jesus did at the cross. Roman 6- 8 talks about repentance. That6 the whole message right there. Repent means to turn away from our way into God, not just a mental change but behavioral as well. My God church wake up!! Don’t let the devil tell you that 🤥 lie.
Hi Paulette – I read the KJV and the Amplified and neither supports the idea that Jesus will reject His sheep He died for on the Cross of Calvary because they sin after salvation. Jesus said that He gave His sheep eternal life – and no man can take them out of His hand:
27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30I and my Father are one.
Mulinde claims that Jesus was not telling the truth when He said He gives us eternal life and we will never perish.
He entirely misses the point of Galatians 2:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
If we could earn or lose Christ’s approval based on our claimed sinlessness, then Christ died in vain. Mulinde’s claim seems like it is presenting a standard for holiness. It is actually insulting to Jesus.
Yes, we should turn from sin. Yes, we should be holy and righteous. But if righteousness comes through our behavior then we are all doomed. It is only through the grace of God so that no man, like John Mulinde, may boast in himself.
I don’t agree with you. I’m a follower of Jesus and I started my walk in love with Jesus. But as years have gone by I saw myself changing back to darkness. My thoughts were dark and the joy was gone. As I prayed God spoke to my spirit to look up defilement so I did. Defilement means to make something unclean. He began to show me other scriptures and at the end I understood I allowed bitterness in my heart. This bitterness is what Paul says defiles. God was teaching me and showing me what was causing the darkness in my thoughts and attitude. Why I couldn’t pray and I didn’t feel connected anymore. But he also showed me there is hope. If once people become believers that’s it they are saved, why in revelation does God give warnings to church to repent and change before he comes? I can only speak about my experience but I can also see how many people on the church don’t understand about guarding our hearts. There are so many scriptures that talk about the heart and that is what God will judge at the end. He has given us a new heart but we must guard it because that’s what the enemy is after.
Hi there – thanks for the comment. I do appreciate your thoughts, even if I ultimately don’t agree. One of the big contrasts in the Christian faith is the difference between what our emotions and senses tell us that our faith should be and the full Gospel set out by Jesus in the Bible. There are so many things, big and little, that we think should be one way in our relationship with Jesus based on our ideas of fairness, merit, and just what is “right” that simply aren’t so. Our general sense of fairness pushes us to see our life in Christ as one based on how well we are doing, how much we study the Bible, or how much we don’t sin, for example. Or we base our view of how we are doing with Jesus on how we feel – I feel bad about myself, therefore Jesus must feel bad about me. These make sense within the human and worldly structure of man – but Jesus specifically refuses to play by our rules. If He did, then none of us would ever be saved.
Instead, Jesus saves us because of Him and His goodness – our goodness (lack of) plays no part in that. Jesus paid our debt on the Cross and to make sure we knew what He was doing declared “It is finished” before dying. The Greek word used tetelestai was a word that was used in ancient accounting to mean “Your debt is paid”. So your sins were poured out in Him and your debt is paid – It is finished. When you are saved, you receive God, the Holy Spirit as a downpayment of what is to come in eternity and are born again through a miracle of God. The Bible promises that Jesus was the author of this faith, will keep this faith, will perfect this faith, and will complete the good work He started in you. Jesus also very clearly states that no one will take His sheep from His Father’s hand in John 10:
7 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”
We are also promised in elaborate terms that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ in Romans 8:
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[a]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul goes to great lengths to make sure we understand that nothing means nothing – including our own sin, failure, doubts, and feelings about ourselves. This is the reason why Jesus promise to give us rest makes sense – Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. We are secure in Christ, indwelled with God Himself, born again through a miracle of God. What human thinks they can undo such a miracle?
In addition, I ask you the question that should keep you up at night if you truly believe John Mulinde’s teaching and this viewpoint. How much is enough? I am serious – If you are truly honest with how you view yourself before God, do you honestly believe that you love your God with all your heart, mind, and soul – as He deserves. Do you not defile yourself one bit – even in little ways. Do you never lust after a person of the opposite sex, give as you are called, think only of the Lord’s Kingdom as you should? Martin Luther used to spend up to 6-8 hours at a time in confession before the Protestant Reformation examining just these issues – he was honest about himself, did not blind himself with pride, and detailed every one of his sins because he thought his faith relied on him.
If you think this way – where is the line between saved and unsaved? What if you are so prideful you don’t realize you are sinning just a little too much? Are you out of luck? This should lead to a life of terror and toil, if you view your own life in view of God’s perfection. You can only rest in this sort of system if you delude yourself or make up rules that God never set down.
So, I certainly understand the feelings that you describe. Every believer has a choice how they live in Christ. You can make it miserable through license or legalism. You can toy with sin. Life as a living sacrifice is certainly better and more full of Jesus. Yet, life in Jesus that is focused on you and how you feel or act in order to keep your standing with Jesus misses the entire point of the free gift of eternal life that was guaranteed by the only work that matters – Jesus on the Cross. The enemy is after you making life all about anything but Jesus – focusing on yourself, your feelings, or your works does that just as well as indulging in messier looking sins.
Agreed. The finished work was done at the cross but we have to run our race . We must die to self,the old man. This pastor John did not even realize the sin in his heart. Jesus showed him as well as the others . After we are saved we must go on to maturity. Be ye Holy as He is Holy. Carnal ppl say you can never be sin free? But if the son sets u free ye are free indeed. We believe it by faith till it is manifest in us. Till that which is perfect is come. Christ in us the hope of glory. We believe by faith Christ Jesus lives in us till it is manifest in us. Does Christ sin? God forbid. We are liars if we say we have not sin. Yes cuz we are born in sin. But by the Holy Spirit we are being shown sin not.even we are.aware of. Who can.know the heart. Praise God for open eyes taught of the Holy Spirit going on to finish this race and to manifest Christ Jesus in us some 30 some 60 and some 100 percent . Many are called few are chosen . Blessings .
This pastor John did not even realize the sin in his heart. Jesus showed him as well as the others . After we are saved we must go on to maturity.
Hi there – you and the other poster seem to be mixing together a number of concepts that are not the same in order to get to what is a vague assertion that we must get to “maturity”.
I want to ask you right now to spell out exactly the point where you are secure in Christ because of maturity?
Mulinde claims that he was a Christian working for God when Jesus appeared at scolded him telling him that he was not safe despite his belief because of sin. Tell me exactly when you and he, both of whom are sinful, are safe from berating by Jesus?
Jesus promised those who believe eternal life. At what level of achievement according to your scale does that kick in and become trustworthy?
How does this apply to the Apostle Peter, too? Peter was saved and taught by Jesus Himself. Peter went out and preached the Gospel boldly. He then denied Jesus. He followed this by arguing with God in Acts when the sheet came down and then was a hypocrit who had to be rebuked by Paul in Antioch. Under your and Mulinde’s doctrine, was Peter not saved up until Paul’s rebuke in Antioch? Was he saved, then unsaved with teh denial, then saved to preach in Acts 3, then unsaved again.
My point is that Mulinde’s self focused and subtly prideful view of his standing before God makes his and your life in Christ all about your subjective opinion of yourself. It has nothing to do with glorifying Jesus and His eternal unwavering love for you. It sounds like he is being holy, but he is actually demeaning Jesus. Galatians 2:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
Response to PastorUnlikely:
You asked the question–“I want to ask you right now to spell out exactly the point where you are secure in Christ because of maturity?”
Answer– You are secure in Christ as long as you continue in your belief in Him.
Peter sinned against Christ by denying Him, and Jesus restored Peter just as God restored David. Apostle Paul rebuked Peter who acted hypocritically, and Jesus restored Peter when he repented.
Yes, “Jesus promised those who believe eternal life,” so please be mindful that this B.E.L.I.E.F. is an action on going verb.
Hebrews 10.39 warns us:
But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
PastorUnlikely, what do you think about this bible verse, and what do you think God is saying to His Church for our edification?
Look forward to your response.
Hi there – thanks for the response, even though you are not the person I put the questions to. Your responses highlight the huge problems with John Mulinde and his claimed visions of Jesus:
You asked the question–“I want to ask you right now to spell out exactly the point where you are secure in Christ because of maturity?”
Answer– You are secure in Christ as long as you continue in your belief in Him.
I do understand your position here, even though I may or may not disagree with it – depending on what you mean regarding losing salvation. I would agree with you that belief is the only qualification that gets and keeps us in Jesus’ Kingdom.
The problem is, John Mulinde disagrees with you and under his standard, your belief in Jesus is not enough. If you recall his claimed vision, Mulinde claimed he was a believer in Christ and working for Christ when Jesus appeared to him and harshly rebuked him – telling Mulinde that he would not be taken with Jesus if Jesus came today. This was not because of lack of faith – he believed – but because of sin. Mulinde explicitly rejects salvation by faith, therefore, and instead makes up a new standard that he puts on people – a vague standard of doing enough or not sinning too much in order to be saved. This is why I asked the question – How much is enough?
The inherent problem with all false standards people put on Jesus for salvation is the fact that they are based on people’s pride. They have enough pride to think that they can do enough to keep salvation and the blindness to fail to see the sins that continue in their life. The standard from Jesus for good enough is perfection – love your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, love neighbor as self, don’t lust, covet, be angry or otherwise transgress in any way – outwardly or in heart. It is what makes Mulinde’s claims so absurd – he sins in a thousand ways every day since he is a man and he actually thinks he can just “do better and do more” and that will make him more ok than the Cross of Jesus. His work is more important than Jesus’.
This whole trend is actually an expression of one’s flesh, not a statemen of holiness – it is what Paul talks about in Colossians 2:
Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and [n]neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Yes, “Jesus promised those who believe eternal life,” so please be mindful that this B.E.L.I.E.F. is an action on going verb.
Hebrews 10.39 warns us:
But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
PastorUnlikely, what do you think about this bible verse, and what do you think God is saying to His Church for our edification?
Look forward to your response.
I want to be clear here and say again that I do respect those who believe that you can lose your salvation from lack of belief. I disagree with the conclusion, but there are biblical arguments you can make for it.
But this is not what John Mulinde sets out in his claimed vision. He has Jesus coming to a believer in Jesus and scolding him severely for not doing enough. He depicts Jesus the Good Shepherd coming to one of His sheep and beating that sheep up and then rejecting it. The same Good Shepherd who promised to leave the 99 to save the 1 and whose whole mission was to come to us while we are still enemies because God so loved the world, rejects a wayward sheep because that sheep was unworthy.
I know the vision sounds powerful and appeals to our desire to be enough for Jesus and to be approved, but Mulinde’s whole message that he claims is from Christ goes directly against the Gospel. Jesus is the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23;
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
So it comes back again to the question – When does security come in Christ if we are subject to Jesus appearing at any time and scolding us and telling us we are failures in Christ? Jesus promised rest when we come to Him – how can anyone rest if our salvation depends on doing “enough” or not sinning enough?
Romans 8:
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are either unable to be separated from the love of Christ by any created thing, that means everything in existence, or we are not.
Thank you for this.
God bless
You are welcome and you too.
Greetings,
I read many of the posts and also your answers. From my understanding and also revelations from what I read, I believe you need prayers as we all do! You come across as a bitter and jealous person, whose warped interpretation of the Bible must be accepted. Don’t you know that the Holy Spirit brings unity of thought and understanding to the body of Christ? Many people here are trying hard to steer you right but you’re resisting. I pray that God gives you what you really need if you’re truly a folower of Lord Yeshua, Amen!
Hi Rosalyn – I do certainly needs prayers and make no claims otherwise. I am a flawed person who fails on a regular basis and who knows that it is only Jesus and His perfect love that saved me, keeps me , and continues to teach me. Part of the reason I write here is because I enjoy discussing the Lord and thinking about questions from different perspectives than mine. I try to be open to bein shown that I am wrong and, honestly, have been grateful when people have shown that I was wrong about something. I am sorry if I come across as bitter in writing, that is far from my heart and I don’t think anyone who has ever met me has ever called me bitter.
Assuming you are accusing me of being jealous of John Mulinde, I can say that I am the farthest thing from jealous of him and the people he has under his influence. I have fallen into legalism and fallen for showmanship and emotionalism at times in my walk with Christ and it has been nothing but misery, exhaustion, and emptiness. I honestly don’t know where Mulinde himself stands with Jesus, but he has painted a picture of Jesus that is contrary to the biblical Jesus and is highly insulting to Jesus and His Gospel. Jesus stated that He came to set the captives free and Mulinde’s teaching effectively puts them back into prison. As Paul wrote about those who were also telling Christians that Jesus alone was not enough in Galatians 1:
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
Accursed means beyond salvation – I don’t want any part of that. BTW – I also understand that I could have more people listen to me, a bigger stage, and lost of defenders if I preached a similar message that encourages the flesh. I assume that is what you mean by jealous. I am not interested as I the Gospel of Jesus saved me from my own self destruction and allows me to rest in the sufficiency of Jesus’ work on the Cross. I would rather have that by myself than all of the riches of the world given for preaching something different.
I just want to encourage you brother, that like many of the posters here, I too once believed in the legalistic doctrine of works (Arminian in practice) which is taught in Pentecostal-Apostolic charismatic type churches Like the one I was raised in. Do to my call to ministry, I invested in my education and exposed myself to the early church history and the teaching of the early church fathers. I failed to find any evidence that the apostles or their disciples taught or believe this heresy.
Furthermore, most charismatic believers are unwilling to acknowledge the necessity to submit their understanding of scripture to an exegetical (to draw out) interpretation – where the bible reader has to ask themselves what is God is saying through the scriptures? While they commonly opt for an eisegetical (to read into) interpretation – where the bible reader tries to interpret scripture with presuppositions and anecdotal experiences.
I listened to this Pastor’s testimony many years ago as well as recently and I too was convicted, inspired to repentance, and held captive by his compelling and obvious pleas for self-evaluation and accountability. However, I noticed how subtle he revealed his wrong understanding on key gospel points that it clearly stated in scripture:
Eph. 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.”
John 10:27-30 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
Many other bible texts and the ones you mentioned in earlier responses as well details the Jesus (God) and the apostle’s understanding of grace and salvation (there is nothing we can humanly do to obtain it or keep it).
Unfortunately, when you SUBMIT to the authority of scripture (the written word of GOD), you humbly have to discern the false teaching, no matter how compelling the claims of spiritual encounters and personal experiences. I know what that means now and Pastor John Mulinde’s testimony is a perfect example of this dilemma the modern Christian face.
As quoted by Charles Spurgeon:
“Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.”
In closing, several posters reference the book of revelation as a rebuttal to the warning of this false teaching. Whether Pastor John Mulinde’s false teaching is rooted in unintentional error or blatant heresy, it is still diverges from sound scriptural doctrine. In Revelation 22:18-19 warns of adding or deleting to the word of God (the Book of Revelation specifically):
“For I testify together to everyone who hears the Words of the prophecy of this Book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add on him the plagues that have been written in this Book. And if anyone takes away from the Words of the Book of this prophecy, God will take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which have been written in this Book.”
Paul specifically warns of something similar with respect to the gospel when he said in Gal. 1:8-9:
[9] As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. [10] For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Many blessings to you brother and even the posters who I pray will study to show themselves approved…and discern false doctrines that frustrate the grace that Christ extended towards us at Calvary.
Thank you for the encouragement, my friend! I appreciate it, the love of the brethren that compelled it, and reading about your history with this sort of teaching. Praise the Lord for leading you out of that! This is the part that is so hard for so many:
I listened to this Pastor’s testimony many years ago as well as recently and I too was convicted, inspired to repentance, and held captive by his compelling and obvious pleas for self-evaluation and accountability.
Mulinde and many others are really good at mixing powerful truth with destructive lies that appeal to our flesh while hiding behind claims of righteousness, it is so easy to get sucked into the trap of pride, shame, and all the other ugly self focused emotions that are drudged up. That Spurgeon quote:
“Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.”
is awesome and so true! I know I have read it before, but thank you as you provided it at exactly the right time to shine light on something my wife and I are struggling with. Praise God again!
Many blessings to you brother and even the posters who I pray will study to show themselves approved…and discern false doctrines that frustrate the grace that Christ extended towards us at Calvary.
You too and amen! Tom
Greetings. I listened to Dr. Mulinde’s testimony over the weekend and I must admit that it has left me feeling quite unsettled. I am a firm believer in Christ and after listening to the interview, a grave unsettled feeling came over me and has been there for the past few days. I keep wondering, how can a man who is believer doing the work of God as he claimed, be told by Jesus that if He came now he wouldn’t accept him? If this man is going around, setting up churches, casting out demons in the name of Christ, prophesying and praying for hours daily is going to be rejected by Christ, then what chances do I have? Is there no room for Grace? Is this the Jesus of the Bible?
I started feeling so unworthy (and yes, we are all sinners and are unworthy), but I started to ask myself if I could ever be so good where I can earn Christ’s promise of salvation (even though I am already saved). I started feeling ashamed even when I went to pray because of that unworthy feeling. I find I started to focus more on what I am doing and not doing and have done and have not done (basically focusing on myself) and not on what Christ has done and the promises He has made.
The unsettling feeling i get is not one which is inspiring me to repent and sin no more….on the contrary, it has a feeling of hopelessness because what if that is not enough? Can I truly not sin no more? So I decided to research Dr. Mulinde and came across this post. I resonate with your characterization of his message being grace robbing. It feels that way.
I will never stop believing in Christ. I cannot earn His salvation. No amount of works I do will ever be enough. I will continue to rely on His Grace and love to keep me whole and worthy, not my actions or abilities.
Hi Georgia – thank you for this comment! I am so glad that the Lord led you to research and that you followed His leading. Though this is the post of mine that gets the most criticism – there are a lot of people who support John Mulinde and are vocal about it – stories like yours are why I wrote this and keep it published. People are so often entrapped with these type of messages and tricked into discarding the grace of God, it is just tragic!
I will never stop believing in Christ. I cannot earn His salvation. No amount of works I do will ever be enough. I will continue to rely on His Grace and love to keep me whole and worthy, not my actions or abilities.
Amen! If my righteousness and standing before God was up to me, I would be in a huge amount of trouble. Praise God that the Good Shepherd paid the price to not only get me into His flock, but to also keep me there eternally!
You do such a great job in breaking down the personal affect of this sort of false teaching on all of you in your comment. Would you give me permission to post it as a new blog post with some comments from me? I think so many people go through exactly what you describe when they hear a Grace Robbing sermon like that, I am betting it would be helpful to them to read.
God bless you!
Hi PastorUnlikely. Sure, you have my permission. I understand that people have differing options on the matter for various reasons. At the end of the day, I hope that through Holy Spirit will guide them to the right conclusions. God bless you and all persons in this post and those whom you will share further with.
Two weeks ago a Christian YouTuber posted John Mulinde’s testimony on his social media platform. I must say I had never heard of John Mulinde. As I was listening to his testimony I found myself not nodding along as the Christian YouTuber was doing. Alarm bells were going off for me. I do not usually view videos of sermons on line without doing my research on the Pastor/speaker first for there are many wolves disguised. I will say I was 17.34 minutes into the video when I said noooo….time to do my research! Honestly, I was planning to stop the video way before those 17 minutes. I am so glad I came across this post! Though as a Christian who reads the scriptures, seeks the Lord in prayer, believes and has faith we know this:
1 Corinthians 14:33
King James Version
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
God Bless everyone!
Hi there – thanks for sharing this, my friend. I am glad that the post was helpful. I have not watched the YouTubers post on Mulinde, but I have seen too many good people get sucked into mulinde’s version of the gospel that is not really a gospel at all. It is sad, but it goes to how appealing legalism is to us as people. The peace and freedom of Jesus are discarded for such a paltry imitation. Praise God that the Spirit led you away from that bondage.
Hi – I watched John’s testimony and was left feeling troubled. My peace was gone (sign something is amiss). My thought was if this Pastor would not be taken at the Rapture then who will? We are all sinners saved by grace. If we are born again and our hearts as far as we know are right before God (no known sin in our lives)… what more can you do?
I know and do repent of known sins. Pastor John claimed he repented and repented… he said he did not know what else to repent of – but his Jesus was cross with him? My understanding is, that it is the Holy Spirit’s job to show us our sins and guide us into all truth.
Jesus has done everything for us, that alone should cause us to be forever grateful and to keep our hearts clean.
Personally, Pastor John’s testimony felt like a burden to heavy to bear and could, I imagine, cause Christians to give up in despair.
I will stand on God’s word and not listen to people who steal my job or make me doubt my salvation.
I know Jesus has rescued me and he is a FAITHFUL LOVING AND HOLY SAVIOUR. AMEN
Hi Deborah, thanks for taking the time to share your reactions and insight. I agree with your points, particularly:
Personally, Pastor John’s testimony felt like a burden to heavy to bear and could, I imagine, cause Christians to give up in despair.
This exact reason is why I wrote the post. If you actually listen to Mulinde’s claims, there would be no way to ever feel secure as a Christian. He turns Jesus into kind of a boogey man who will pop up unexpectedly and tell you that you are failing in Christ and you are not saved, no matter that you believe and that you have been serving Him. How can anyone do enough to live up to the perfect God giving His life for us? This is not the real Jesus who promised those who come to Him will have peace. Thankfully, as you said – we are saved by grace, preserved by grace, and at peace through grace.
I will stand on God’s word and not listen to people who steal my job or make me doubt my salvation.
I know Jesus has rescued me and he is a FAITHFUL LOVING AND HOLY SAVIOUR. AMEN
Amen!
PS: The first thing Jesus warned us about in the End Times is : DECEPTION
I believe that Pastor Mulinde is mixing two kinds of repentance. Reptance unto salvation and Repentance unto godly works (that involves the abadonement of past action as a christian that does not align with the word of God)
Repentance unto Salvation is the initial expression of repentance that leads one to be born again. This kind of repentance needs not to be repeated, once you are in the kingdom of God (I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Lk 15:6–7)
But as Children of God we will offend/Sin against Him at some point in our journey with the LORD. This does not deny us of the salvation we have obtained in Him. (If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1:9). But the nature of this kind of repentance is such that we cannot continue to live in the sin that the LORD has brought to our attention, even though we remain his children.
Romans 6:1-4 KJV
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Hi and thanks for your thoughtful comments. I certainly agree with you that repentance should be a regular part of our lives as Christians. If anything, we are likely to have more awareness of our sins since we are filled with the Holy Spirit. But yes, you set out the issue clearly:
This does not deny us of the salvation we have obtained in Him. (If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1:9).
It took the Cross and a miracle of God to get us into the Kingdom, nothing can separate us from that sort of love.
It is understandable to go through a time where you may worry about eternal security, question salvation, or mix up concepts as a Christian. What makes Mulinde’s claims so wrong and so anti-Gospel is he presents them through his claimed vision and therefore has Jesus saying them. The end result of his claims is Jesus contradicting the Gospel. That is just sad.
his sermon was beautifully said and wants us to all examine of our secret sins…
Hi Doug – I agree that God wants us to examine our secret sins and that is a good message. The problem is that sermon did not say that. Instead, Mulinde’s message was your secret sins have the ability to defeat the salvation of Jesus. That is offensive to the Gospel of Jesus.
The Bible says that nothing can separate you from the love of Christ Jesus. John Mulinde disagrees with that.
I have just started listening to dr john w. mulinde. He is a great pastor ( god sent) to help people who really want to be closer to god. This article written about him i 100% disagree with. To me it contains a lot of arrogance, hypocrisy, anger, and strife. All of these things are unholy. And to me personally sound very much like the voice of the (accuser) we all know who that is and what his mission is. If you feel Dr. Mulinde is doing something ungodly you should pray on it maybe even try to reach out to him and show him/teach him where he is wrong.
This sounds feels looks like an attempt to sabotage. Beware too because if he is not as you are claiming and trying to paint him to be than GOD our father will certainly deal with you. So far I witness dr mulinde trying to teach gods people how to get closer to him via SCRIPTURE. His experiences I dont doubt nor do I KNOW to be true. I do know tho that in the bible there are others who have had the same experiences as he. And in the bible God has spoken and worked with in others some of the same ways dr. mulinde claims the Lord has in and with him. If he
is lying about his experiences he is a fool and he will have to answer to God. But his bible teaching fall perfectly according to what i read in scripture and they are just as pure and clear as your attempt to sabotage is. Your writings on him also contain sarcasm which is basically anger and God ask us not to act on our anger.
That alone causes me to totally disregard you. So whether you believe you are wrong or right your intent seems to come straight out of hell. I will pray for you and I will pray on this matter. Regardless of it all be blessed. May God always spare you from any harm and may his very DEVINE will be done in your life and all our lives. Amen.
Hi Mark – I am sorry that you feel this way. You state repeatedly that this looks like I am trying to sabotage John Mulinde. Do you realize that this is one of the classic tactics of false teachers and cults? They use defensiveness and accusations of others trying to hinder the work of God to silence critics and make sure no one thinks about what they are saying. It comes out in accusations like this:
To me it contains a lot of arrogance, hypocrisy, anger, and strife. All of these things are unholy. And to me personally sound very much like the voice of the (accuser) we all know who that is and what his mission is.
Which contain lots of insults and conclusions that make the followers of a false teacher feel righteous and self justified, but never actually respond to the facts of the false teaching.
Jesus never responds this way. When questioned in the Bible, the Lord welcomes the people in and deals with their questions. Come let us reason is the invitation in Isaiah – it is not just to charge that someone who disagrees is bad because they disagree.
I have no doubt John Mulinde is a powerful speaker and is great at pulling at emotional strings to get reactions from people.
I also have no doubt that he makes people feel like they are unworthy and they should do more in their lives.
It is also clear as day when you listen to his alleged testimony that he presents a false Jesus. How do you know this is true? John Mulinde’s Jesus contradicts the Bible – rejecting a professing Christian because he is not good enough – according to Mulinde.
This is a lie that Satan would love you to believe because it not only contradicts the Gospel, but it also puts the focus of your Christian life on you and not Jesus.
The truth is none of us, no not one, is worthy of Jesus by our actions – no matter how hard we try. It is by grace we are saved and by grace we are kept. It is teachings like John Mulinde’s and the temptations in each of us to be the older brother from the Parable of the Prodigal Son that led Paul to write the book of Galatians –
Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir [c]of God through Christ.
Galatians 4:1-6
Mulinde’s testimony – if you apply these words from Galatians to it has Jesus rejecting the heir and saying that he has no right to say “Abba Father”.
Hopelessness and despair was how his testimony ultimately left me feeling. Thank you for this article and sharing biblical truth. I see you handling each rebuttal on this thread with the utmost respect and godly love, as you share scriptural truth. Peace and blessings to you, brother in Christ 🙏🏻
Hi Kristin – I am sorry that you went through that pain after hearing Mulinde’s testimony, but it is exactly that sort of reaction that led me to write this post to begin with. Satan loves when we draw back into ourselves and focus on ourselves, in this case, when we are manipulated with guilt and shame into legalism. That legalism does come in a convincing package, but it is nothing like what Jesus calls us to. It is for freedom that He set us free!
Thank you for the encouragement on my responses. I honestly have had to stop and edit myself, at times, as my own pride and self seeped into how I was responding. But that doesn’t help anyone escape from the clutches of false teaching. I pray that I continue to love these folks and follow Jesus’ example.
God bless you.
This is the half a million views YouTube message Pastor Unlikely has discredited. Anyone who hates the truth about God is an enemy of God. Let it be known.
https://youtu.be/SCEo6mNumhY
Debo – I am sorry that you don’t like what I wrote and my opinion on Mulinde, but I wonder if you notice the common trend with the comments that support John Mulinde here? I do understand why one would like him, his presentation is excellent and his testimony is high drama. Yet, those who are calling me names and apparently claiming that I am an enemy of God do not use the Bible to show why this is true. The Bible is God’s Word for us and our guide on all things Jesus. It is how God revealed Jesus to all those who came after Jesus earthly ministry. In it, there are many, many warnings to you about false prophets and false teachers – some examples:
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1
Jesus Himself told you and I:
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15
Paul wrote that the Bereans were noble for testing even his words against the Scripture in Acts 17:11:
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
So the Bible clearly warns you that false teachers will come and claim they speak for Jesus. The Bible also tells you that you should use the Word to test their message.
I have set out in multiple ways how Mulinde’s testimony goes against the clear Gospel of Jesus Christ by depicting Jesus the Good Shepherd rejecting a sheep of His. It is not difficult to do as it violates one of the most important doctrines in Christianity:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
And replaces it with a made up standard of righteousness.
The fact that many people like the video or like him or believe him are understandable, but don’t change the essential facts of his claims. Mulinde goes against Jesus repeatedly so I will stick with Jesus.
I’m not sure I would trust this article. Lucifer is known as the Great Accuser, who accuses God’s children before the throne, seeking those whom he may devour. So, when a believer starts criticizing other believers, something is terribly wrong.
Jesus told a parable where we should allow the wheat and the weeds to grow together, and only the angels will sort everything out. It is not our place to criticize or gossip about other believers. If John Mulinde’s messages are not from God, he will disappear as quickly as he came. If it indeed is from God, the author of this article should repent, as John Mulinde said we should, and should stop calling himself a pastor.
The Lord told the prophet Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 8:6 I listened and heard, but they didn’t say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Everyone turns to his course, as a horse that rushes headlong in the battle.
I am sorry that you feel the need to equate me with Lucifer, but have you really thought through what you say here in defense of John Mulinde:
Lucifer is known as the Great Accuser, who accuses God’s children before the throne, seeking those whom he may devour. So, when a believer starts criticizing other believers, something is terribly wrong.
I know you mean it to point at me, but what is at the very heart of John Mulinde’s supposed vision? It is the worst sort of accusations – against both Jesus and every single believer, including you.
Mulinde claims that Jesus told him, Mulinde, that if Jesus came for His people right then that Mulinde would not be taken. This is despite the fact that Mulinde said he was a Christian at the time. That Mulinde needed to work harder and repent more in order to be worthy of Jesus. This claim appeals to most people across the pride spectrum. To the prideful, it tells them that their own view of themselves as superior is correct and reinforces the idea that it is all about them. To those prone to shame, it beats them over the head with condemnation and confirms that it is all about them and their failure. The key is with both it is all about the person and not Jesus.
But regarding Jesus, Mulinde accuses Jesus of lying when Jesus said from the Cross, “It is finished”. It claims that Jesus is not the Good Shepherd who will not allow His sheep to be taken from His hand. It also claims that Jesus’ sacrifice was not enough and, instead, you need to add your own sense of self righteousness to the Cross in order to be saved. Think about Romans 8:
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
Mulinde subtly claims this is not true. His version of an adoptive father rejects His adopted child whenever He feels like it without warning. Romans 8 continues:
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Again, Mulinde’s position is this is not true. Paul is lying when he wrote that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus. In fact, Jesus may suddenly appear to you and tell you that you have been separated from His love. Mulinde’s Jesus is not perfectly loving and merciful to His people sealed by His blood. His version is actually more like Zeus – vengeful when you displease Him.
Consider the enormity of these accusations – Jesus blood is not enough, His work is not finished, and we are not secure in Him – talk about the work of the accuser.
As applied to you – Mulinde’s accusations are just as disturbing. Jesus promised if you come to Him, you will find rest. How in the world can any honest Christian rest if Jesus may appear at any moment and reject them? That is Mulinde’s version of Jesus. Then Mulinde also takes you and puts you back under his version of the Law. He says you must work, work, work, aka keep another version of the Law in order to avoid God rejecting you. This is not a New Testament standard for New Testament followers of Christ:
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” Galatians 2
If righteousness comes through your work – as alleged by Mulinde – then Christ died for nothing according to Paul.
As for the claims that we should not criticize other believers, the Bible is filled with specific commands to you and I to test teachers and those who claim to speak for God and reject them if their doctrine is false. The Lord calls you to contend for the faith – here are 39 verses on false teachers – https://pastorunlikely.com/39-bold-bible-verses-on-false-teachers/.
In fact, in Galatians 2, Paul even explained how he was forced to publicly rebuke Peter and Barnabas, among others because of their conduct. They had been swept up in a claim that is very similar to what John Mulinde preaches – in their case, that Gentiles must become Jewish in order to be fully approved of by Jesus. The false teachers in that case, like Mulinde, did not claim that the Gentile Christians were not following Jesus, but they did claim that “just following Jesus and relying on His grace” was not enough. They MUST DO MORE to earn Jesus’ approval….sound familiar? Galatians 2:
14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, [g]why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
I am not sorry that you think I am untrustworthy – I am just a guy on the internet. You should test everything I say against the authority I provide from the Bible, regardless of your emotional reaction to it. Yet, I would ask you if you do the same with John Mulinde’s claims.
I understand many people like him and his claims, but that alone means nothing and doesn’t explain why his claims contradict the Gospel of Jesus.
God bless you – Tom
Thank you for this article exposing Mulinde. It seems like there have been a lot of so-called preachers who have visions of Jesus, or supposedly went to heaven and were told things contrary to scripture. They also seem to be a lot of people coming out countries like Nigeria and Uganda with basically the same false message: if you have any kind of sin in your life, and you’re a believer, you won’t go to heaven. Jesus‘s death was not enough. That’s not good news.
I remember seeing something similar with a so-called preacher, who died, spoke to an angel, and was told he wouldn’t go to heaven because he harbored unforgiveness. And just like this guy, people fell for him, and think he has a great testimony. It shows how so many believers fail to open their Bible and read it for themselves. More people need to study the word of God, and not rely on something or someone that looks legitimate. Satan has disguised himself as an angel of light, and is leading millions astray. We need to pray for these people. Please keep exposing these false teachers and don’t let the haters get to you.
Hi Lynda – thanks for the comment and the encouragement! I agree with you that there is a lot of these guys and they tend to preach the same thing. It is sad that they deceive so many, but the message is tremendously attractive to the flesh. It makes Christian life all about you, your work, your effort, your pride or shame – rather than Jesus. The problem is that this sort of Christianity is empty and exhausting.
And yes, I will be praying for them. Thanks again and God bless you.
I tried to read through all the comments from your opponents to the truth about Mulinde, but it was, like you aptly put it, exhausting! I, a die-hard believer in the grace of Jesus Christ, too, was at first impressed by the 1 and-a-half hour long video, but as I continued to listen, I felt my spirit starting to prick when he began talking about his vision and Jesus telling him he would be not allowed into heaven. That’s what happens when you’re grounded in The Truth! Your opponents go on and on about sin and retribution when, in fact, Jesus settled the sin question on the cross: we are DEAD to Sin (noun), although we have this sin nature because there is no redemption for the flesh. We will sin in thought, actions and deeds till He returns. We are dead to the consequences (punishment and condemnation) of sin is what Paul is saying in Romans 7 and 8. If we try to say we should be dead to actions and deeds (verb) and constantly repent by beating our chests, weeping and cry out to God for forgiveness every time we sin, then it becomes a work of self-righteousness, and we blaspheme The Holy Spirit by saying Jesus didn’t do a finished, perfect work at the cross. Repentance just means changing our minds, people! Maybe that’s what Jesus was trying to tell Mulinde, as I noticed he constantly quoted from the Old Testament prophets. True grace (favor) makes us not want to sin, yet when we do, we know that we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, who has already forgiven every past, present and future sin. A lack of understanding of true grace makes people believe that salvation is the starting point, and now we must continue to keep ourselves saved by not willfully sinning (1John 1:9). News flash!: ALL sin is willful. To keep count would be futile as we wake up with ungodly thoughts (or maybe it’s just me, idk). Paul said anything not of faith is sin. 1John 1:9 was not for believers, but agnostics (any good biblical scholar translation will probably agree) in the congregation (another newsflash!: not every person sitting in any congregation is saved) who were saying that they had no sin. Faith (righteousness) or the righteousness of faith comes by hearing and by hearing the words of Christ, over… and over… and over… again because if we forget that we live by God’s unmerited, unearned and undeserved favor more than a few weeks, we are back into works righteousness because grace is not a “natural” state but a “supernatural” one. I am so glad that I no longer have to walk in my own righteousness. I breathe a sigh of relief every day because I so want to please Him (as a child, I was the one who always WANTED to be obedient!) and give thanks daily and now know the true meaning when Jesus said, “my yolk is easy and my burden is light.” Thanks be to my heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, my Lord, and His Holy Spirit. I didn’t mean to be preachy, but if this helps someone else, to God be all the praise, honor and glory because He is indeed worthy!
Hi – thanks for taking the time to respond and for such an insightful comment! The amens kept coming from me as I read it. There are many excellent points you make, but I recently went through Mulinde’s message again and you highlight one tactic that many false teachers use to frame their messages and to draw people away from the Gospel:
Repentance just means changing our minds, people! Maybe that’s what Jesus was trying to tell Mulinde, as I noticed he constantly quoted from the Old Testament prophets.
Mulinde claims to be a New Testament believer in Christ, yet, he framed his entire message supposedly from Jesus with a quote filled with anger and wrath from Jeremiah. That is a wonderful book and I love the Old Testament, but the specific quote was God speaking to Israel regarding their standing under the Old Covenant. It has nothing whatsoever to do with Christians – not because we are in any way better then Israel, but because Jesus took our wrath, suffered for us, and guarantees that we are safe and secure in Him. Salvation by grace is all about Jesus and His finished work on the Cross – it is not about our failures. If it was about our failures, then it is not salvation by grace.
It is, in essence, Biblical bait and switch. Claim to be talking about the Church, but put them back under the Law. It is sad.
And “yes” I am right there with you on the response to Mulinde – it seems powerful and moving until you realize that he is appealing to the old man of the flesh. Praise Jesus that he save us from that and that He is so patient as so many struggle with leaving that old man behind!
God bless you!
Tom
Loved your response! Amen and Amen! Tell me where your church is and how to contact you for I believe your ministry is “good ground” and I’d love to plant some seed into it. Blessings in His name!❤️
Hi again – I do pray that we are good ground as we just try to love people like Jesus commands and humbly preach God’s Word. This is us – https://calvarycatonsville.org/ . Hope you are bless today!
“There is no human effort that will ever fulfill the standard of the Lord.” He’s not the skiing works. He’s saying to leave your ways behind that you have returned to since the time you first came to him. Repent and let him clean you once again and forsake the sin that so easily besets you. It’s not condemnation it’s conviction. We don’t know our hearts as well as he does. There’s nothing wrong with repentance. It’s just a one time thing when you “ accept Jesus.” Oh and you can’t accept him he accepts you. Good bless.
Hi Kendra – thank you for taking the time to comment and doing so gracefully, even though you don’t agree with me. I do understand what you are saying and agree that repentance is a good thing. We need to repent from the very beginning of our faith – the most important repentance is turning from unbelief – and we will be repenting throughout our lives. I also heard John Mulinde say your quoted line:
“There is no human effort that will ever fulfill the standard of the Lord.”
He also talks about grace briefly. The problem is that almost his entire message directly contradict these words. Even worse, Mulinde puts words in Jesus mouth that directly contradict this and demand works in order to be accepted by God. Look at this direct quote from a transcript of his testimony that Mulinde claims was from Jesus:
But I want to say to you, if I had come today, to take my bride, you wouldn’t be part of that. I wouldn’t take you. I can’t describe the shock came upon me. I think it was in shock. I didn’t even respond, it was like to hit me. And He repeated it said, I wouldn’t take you.
Mulinde clearly stated that he was a Christian at the time. Yet, he claims Jesus said that he would be excluded from the church, the Bride of Christ if Jesus came for the church at that time.
This means that Mulinde has Jesus declaring him as unsaved and not part of the church at that point. For what reason?
This is incredibly important. It is not because Mulinde did not have faith in Jesus or was not a follower of Jesus. By Mulinde’s own words, it was because of a problem with his works.
What specific works? Well, he goes through a list of sins, which are certainly not good.
But then he also adds that it was because Mulinde did not repent enough – he needed to meet an unspecified standard of “deeper repentance”.
So despite his statement, Mulinde’s very clear message is that faith is not enough, believing in Jesus is not enough, even some level of repentance is not enough – you need to have a super deep repentance feel like you are following Jesus in every thing in order for Jesus to accept you and not suddenly appear and be furious with you. Consider Mulinde’s own words:
If you could truly repent, I will bring you back. And I’ll restore you. And I will make you my mouthpiece.
Bring you back? You can read this as repentance, but remember Jesus has specifically told John Mulinde that he is not part of Jesus’ bride due to his actions. The only way to read this, therefore, consistent with Mulinde’s own words is that Jesus again is saying that he is not saved – despite his faith.
and
So as I was still trying to reason it out, again, that wave came over me. And the scripture fell on my heart, Romans chapter two, verse one, to five. And it says, You therefore have no excuse you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you die, the other, you are condemning yourself, because you pass judgment, do the same things. Now, we know that God’s judgments against those who decide things is based on truth. So when you meet a man pass judgment on them, and yet you do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the reaches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance? But because of your stubbornness, and your unrepentant heart, you’re storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when he is righteous judgment will be revealed.
Again – this is not repentance. Mulinde has God threatening to release His wrath on one of His children because of his children’s actions – despite faith and despite the completed work of Jesus on the Cross.
If you want more evidence, look at how Mulinde selectively read 1 Corinthians 6 – again I am quoting him directly from his testimony. He read verses 9 and 10 – putting them in the mouth of Jesus:
And he spoke to me these words written in the book of First Corinthians chapter six. He just quoted them. I found them later. I couldn’t even remember that the way in the scriptures but when, later on, I found them in the Scriptures. And it says in verse nine, do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexual offenders. No thieves. No greedy. No drunkards, no slanderous, no swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
These are scary verses and seem to support his claims about Jesus. Yet, he left out the most important verse of all for a blood bought follower of Jesus – it is the very next verse, verse 11:
And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
You were washed – it is already done. You were sanctified – again, it is finished. You were justified – the word that refers to your legal or positional standing before God – you were declared innocent. All in the name of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 6 have a completely different meaning without the actual point of that passage – you were, you are no longer because of Jesus. And he was writing to the Corinthians, a group of Christians that were seriously messed up at that moment.
Quoting that passage without verse 11 and trying to apply it to a Christian is just abusing the Bible for your own purposes. It is certainly not what the Holy Spirit through Paul meant there. Paul’s point is one he expressed over and over again in the Bible – it is faith that matters, not your own judgment of your works:
Galatians 5:
1Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
John Mulinde’s message was difficult to understand and if you didn’t listen all the way to the end, you will wrongfully write him off as a false prophet. His message is for those who have ears to hear. And those who don’t will disregard him to their own destruction.
Hi Ginny – Thank you for your comments. There is nothing that hard to understand about Mulinde’s message and I have listened to it many times by now and read the transcript of it. He presents Jesus, the One who died for you and who promised you eternal life and rest in Him if you believe in Him, as willing to reject you if you don’t do enough to calm down His anger. Mulinde does contradict himself many times in the message, partly from what appears to be his desire to humble brag about all that he has done in ministry along with his doctrine not making sense when compared to the Gospel, but once you hear him present the Good Shepherd as angry, unforgiving, and without mercy or grace with His sheep, Mulinde’s message is quiet clear. It is just not the real Jesus’ message.
I will comfortably disregard John Mulinde and any man, regardless of their own claims to righteousness, when they present a gospel of their own creation and a different Jesus. Paul’s words on the issue are quite clear:
6I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
10For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. Galatians 1
Could it be possible that it is YOU that could be perverting the gospel of Christ? But nullifying others’ testimony. I mean it is either you are in Christ or you are in Satan
Ok, Barry – I don’t know with what spirit you ask that question, but I would honestly answer and tell you that I question my own conclusions all the time. I also examine my own emotions to see whether my own sin or attachments are guiding my opinions. I accept the fact that I am wrong about something and appreciate when people show me that I am as I am just a flawed servant of the perfect God.
In this case, I have been told repeatedly I am possible from Satan because I call out a false teacher – despite the fact that we are repeatedly called to do just that in the Bible:
https://pastorunlikely.com/39-bold-bible-verses-on-false-teachers/
What I have not sees through application of the Bible is an explanation of why Mulinde’s claim that salvation does not actually mean saved does not contradict the Gospel. I have not seen how Mulinde’s taking Jesus Himself who laid down His life for His sheep, while we were still enemies, and turning Him into an angry, disgusted Shepherd makes sense. You would think that if this was really Jesus, then when Thomas stubbornly refused to believe in the resurrection (talk about a terrible heart attitude) – Jesus’ sudden appearance would have gone very differently. Is Mulinde’s Jesus who cuts him off, is disgusted with Him, and is seeting mad at him, the same Jesus who lovingly offers Thomas His hands and side?
I heard you say as well as many others that John was being rebuked for not working hard enough. You dangerously grossly and wrongly misunderstood him. HE was the one who brought up his works to Jesus, just like the people who told Jesus we’ve done mighty miracles in your name. What you missed is John saying he finally understood it was his secret sins, sins of undressing a woman with his eyes, selfish ambition in wanting to be a better preacher than others. Works will never save anyone! But sins like these that can’t be seen by anyone but God will never be covered over with even the greatest miracles, as it is said in the Bible. Only true repentance will restore us to Him and John admitted his repentance was not complete. Half-hearted repentance is a danger to us all. Repent means to STOP doing the sin, yes even a wrong attitude. Look at the list of sins in Romans 1 – selfish ambition is just one. John didn’t even recognize his own sin he had tolerated it for so long. This is a dangerous place to be. And like scripture says plainly he was one of the 5 foolish virgins who would not be taken home. You yourself are being beyond foolish to not see the clear scriptural warning here, worse yet, you are wrongly calling him a false prophet. You sre mollycoddling yourself and others into thinking a half-hearted “sorry” is true repentance just like John once did. He prayed and “repented” every night for adultery, yet his repentance was not true because the sin kept happening every day along with his pride and ambition in his “works” for God. Jesus wanted him to fully surrender his life and truly repent, NOT work harder. It is all about the heart attitude and motivations, not works. You missed it. Go back and listen to the whole 1 hour and 37 minutes again. You misunderstood him and you’ve falsely accused him on the basis of your misunderstanding.
You missed it. Go back and listen to the whole 1 hour and 37 minutes again. You misunderstood him and you’ve falsely accused him on the basis of your misunderstanding.
I am sorry you think so, but honestly, you are misunderstanding my point about “works” and what legalism looks like. Why do I say that? Your description here:
Only true repentance will restore us to Him and John admitted his repentance was not complete.
Is a perfect description of a work and John Mulinde’s attempt to get you trapped in self involved legalism. Remember, John Mulinde claims Jesus said this to him when Mulinde was already a Christian. So Mulinde claims he was a born again follower of Christ when Jesus appears and rejects him – why?
Because Mulinde’s work – in this case not repenting enough – was insufficient. Jesus’ blood spilled on the Cross was not enough, God’s making Mulinde into a new creation was not enough, the Holy Spirit living in John Mulinde was not enough – Jesus’ faithfulness hinged on Mulinde’s not partially, but fully repenting. The enormous amount of pride involved in this claim is astounding. Despite Jesus never treating His disciples this way in the Gospels, Mulinde’s argument is Jesus always like this and you have to figure out how to appease Him.
Which brings up the related question – what exactly is enough repentance? Mulinde literally puts your salvation on the line with his claim, yet the only direction is to do it enough or fully. What in the world does that mean? You are told to love your God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. I can guarantee that you don’t do that, just as I don’t and fail at it every day. Have you repented of every single time you have failed at it? Is Jesus stewing in His anger toward you, ready to show up and cast you off?
The Jesus of the Bible isn’t. John Mulinde’s is according to Mulinde’s description.
But sins like these that can’t be seen by anyone but God will never be covered over with even the greatest miracles, as it is said in the Bible.
This is the heart of the issue. In Jesus, our sins are not covered over like those of the Old Testament Jews. They had to return to the Temple over and over again in order to have their sins covered and, in their case, only one person could go into the Holy of Holies once per year on the Day of Atonement. That only bought them the covering. The contrast set out over and over again in the Bible is salvation in Jesus is so much better than that. Look at Titus 3:
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
There is only one miracle that washes away every single sin and allows us to look to God and cry “Abba”, Father, and that is being born again through the Cross of Jesus. If you try to add to that, then you set aside the enormity of God’s grace and puff yourself up in place of Jesus. It is Paul’s point in Galatians 2:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
If salvation and righteousness was about us, then Jesus died for nothing.
I am sorry but legalism is exactly what you are doing; scrutinising word for word and trying to misrepresent people’s intentions without giving people the benefit of doubt.
I hope you can see your own hypocrisy here and repent.
You know, many people love the picture of the Berean’s searching the Scripture to see if what Paul said was true in the Book of Acts when it does not disturb their worldly attachments. The question is what is your reaction when you don’t like the answer.
You also seem to minimize the issue involved – Mulinde uses Jesus Himself to try to change the Gospel of Jesus and, by extension, the Bible. That is no minor theological dispute.
I may not be very good at English like everyone else here, I may not be well groud in scripture like everyone else here. I’m not a pastor like I suppose most of you here are. I’m a Ugandan from Africa, the country where John Mulinde comes from. I must say we have been blessed by his ministry and personality. If you have anything against his teaching, don’t you think it will be prudent to reach out to him and help him get right with God instead of sreading everything here. What benefit do we get as Christians when we expose our own? Is that the unity that Christ talked about in John 17? Sir, the wisdom and biblical knowldge that you have, with due respect, is meant to facilitate unity and not divisions in the body of Christ.
I find these allegations true if John Mulinde was outrightly saying the grace alone is not enough or that without grace man can still have access to eternity. But even with the Grace, God expects us to walk right with Him. Should we just keep quiet about sin simply because the grace came?
I know you’ll answer me with a lot of english and scriptural references, which is good. But kindly restrain yourself from attacking people who are making a difference in the lives of many through the gospel. Even if he was false teacher, is this really the best way to address it. Just imagine if we on writing such articles about people that we don’t agree with in faith, would we be still having anyone to look up to (apart from Jesus). And what’s wrong with someone usisng their past experiences of how God dealt with them? Especially if these experiences draw many to Christ? If i may ask, does this article draw men to Christ or it repells them? Christ said if I’m lifted up, I will draw men (many) to myself. Our role is to lift Jesus and leave the drawing of men to Christ to Himself. But look where we are, we are discussing a man. If a non-believer past by here, would he be drwan to Christ or to a man who is trying to prove who’s doing the work of God right and who’s doing it wrong?
Remember, I warned you about my English……
I come in peace though……
Hi John – thank you for taking time to comment. I appreciate what you are saying and what seems to be your heart for the church and its unity. I think there is a major difference between a situation where a brother or sister in your life is sinning and a pastor who is traveling around the world claiming to pass on the direct words of Jesus. I would, of course, go to a person in my life and speak with them if there was an issue. Truthfully, in most situations with folks who are struggling, I don’t do that as that is the Holy Spirit’s job.
John Mulinde is different because he is regularly giving this message which is directly against the Gospel and he is claiming it was Jesus who said the things which are against the Bible. There are many bad teachers of the Bible who teach false doctrine. John Mulinde is notable because he attempts to defile Jesus by putting the false words in His mouth and many people listen to him – look at how many people have supported Mulinde here. The Bible warns us against false teachers many times and tells us to call them out.
I find these allegations true if John Mulinde was outrightly saying the grace alone is not enough or that without grace man can still have access to eternity. But even with the Grace, God expects us to walk right with Him. Should we just keep quiet about sin simply because the grace came?
John – respectfully, you are doing the same thing that many of the people who listen to Mulinde and don’t like what I have said seem to do. That is, you jump from Mulinde’s extreme position to the opposite position – that sin doesn’t matter and think that is what my point is. That is not my point at all. It is not grace comes and therefore we disregard sin – that would show we are not grateful to Jesus and have a problem with our love of Him.
Mulinde is actually saying much worse than the regular argument of you need works to go along with grace. Really think about the words he puts in Jesus’ mouth and the impact that would have on the Gospel. Mulinde says he was a Christian doing lots of works for God at the time of the claimed vision of Jesus. Not only does this mean he would have had the grace of God toward him, but he also did lots of works. Yet, Jesus still shows up suddenly and says that this is not enough – Jesus would reject Mulinde if He came that day. This claimed attitude of Jesus’ is awful and against the Gospel.
Why is it so bad?
If Jesus really said this, how could anyone ever rest in Jesus, trust in Jesus, love Jesus?
Sure, Mulinde picks out sins in his life and says it was due to them, but every single Christian in life could look at their life and see sins – if they are honest and humble. What would stop John Mulinde’s Jesus from showing up for you – looking at your imperfect walk with you and rejecting you?
The answer is nothing. John Mulinde’s Jesus is one that is one that is meant to inspire fear, drive you to work in fear, and one that is not trustworthy. He can pop up and cast you off without warning like he threatened to do with Mulinde. This is not the same Jesus as the One who died for us while we were His enemies. Look at what Paul wrote in Romans 5:
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus chose to die for us while we were sinners and this death brings us into His family. Mulinde’s Jesus would then have Jesus reject us and kick us out of God’s family because we are sinners. His Jesus loves us more when we are His enemies than He does when we are His brothers. That makes no sense.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Verse 9 then clearly sets out that it is based on Jesus’ blood that we are saved from the wrath of God. Mulinde’s Jesus says “Not so”. Despite the blood of Jesus, wrath is coming for you unless you do enough to keep angry Jesus away from you.
Mulinde’s Jesus is an angry, untrustworthy Jesus. His Jesus is also a Savior whose blood does not save us, a Shepherd who allows His sheep to be taken out of His hand, and a brother who may turn on us at any moment. His Jesus is a false one, in other words. This is why there cannot be unity with a man who teaches such anti-Gospel claims. He regularly insults Jesus and His cross, but does so while hiding behind false claims of holiness.
Acts 20:
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
I rest my case in the hands of the righteous judge and I urge you to pray for him instead of outraightly exposing whoever is trying to do the work of God in a way that YOU think is not right.
John – I understand what you are saying, but it is not a case of me disliking how someone does the work of the Lord. I love Christians of all denominations and regularly encourage freedom in Christ.
It is a case of John Mulinde putting words in the mouth of Jesus that the Lord would never, ever say.
It is Mulinde creating a different Jesus and getting people to believe in that his made up version is anything like the real Jesus. There is no room for just agreeing with someone who claims Jesus is ready to show up suddenly with anger for His people and will reject them. That is a different gospel that is no gospel at all.
“There is no room for just agreeing with someone who claims Jesus is ready to show up suddenly with anger for His people and will reject them. That is a different gospel that is no gospel at all.”
Jesus is ready to show up suddenly – please read Luke 12:40; 1 Thessalonians 5:2
with anger for His people and will reject them – please read Revelations 2:14-16; Luke 21:34
I mean I don’t even know what else to say; clearly we are tasked to lead a sanctified life even after believing and that does not NULLIFY the gospel of grace; on the contrary it is through the realisation of His love and grace, we try to lead a sanctified life with His strength and involves a lot of God’s testing. Repentance on the other hand requires us to know what to repent; there is ALOT of unconscious sins we make everyday and we are too comfortable in them; Mulinde in the video is simply saying that we should be made aware of them and repent.
You are arguing that every sin (even hidden ones) will and is already covered by Jesus’s blood. By His grace, yes God will forgive even the most habitual of sinners but make no mistake, habitual sin or the way of sinful living is in itself a sin, not just the sinful actions, it is the unconscious intention/level behind the sinful actions. So God is dealing with that in Mulinde’s testimony! Because he only repented of the actions, not the heart/unconscious behaviour behind some of those actions! It is like asking Jesus please forgive me of my drunkenness every week. Yes, God’s grace is more than sufficient to forgive 7 times 77 times but the deeper sin is why am I drunk every week which unless you are made aware of your unconscious desires, you cannot repent on that. God is exposing that so you can understand more about the nature of your heart and you seek repentance from that
You are arguing that every sin (even hidden ones) will and is already covered by Jesus’s blood. By His grace, yes God will forgive even the most habitual of sinners but make no mistake, habitual sin or the way of sinful living is in itself a sin, not just the sinful actions, it is the unconscious intention/level behind the sinful actions.
So – we get down to the issue. Are you washed clean by the blood of Jesus or not.
You say covered and perhaps that is a minor word choice, but just in case, in the New Testament, it is not just our sins, but ourselves who are washed clean by the blood of the Lamb – once an for all. The Old Testament sacrifices only covered them and the priests needed to keep on sacrificing day after day, year after year. Hebrews 7 contrasts this old way with the one High Priest Jesus who offered one sacrifice for all and then sat down because all of the necessary work was done.
So if we are in Jesus – our confessed sins are washed away – but are you saying that the picture of the once and for all sacrifice of Himself by Jesus the High Priest is not enough for hidden sins?
If so, at what level does this kick in?
It is like asking Jesus please forgive me of my drunkenness every week. Yes, God’s grace is more than sufficient to forgive 7 times 77 times but the deeper sin is why am I drunk every week which unless you are made aware of your unconscious desires, you cannot repent on that. God is exposing that so you can understand more about the nature of your heart and you seek repentance from that
I agree with you here too, my friend, and I praise the Lord for His mercy, grace, and leading in this process in my life every day.
BUT – again, are you saying if you don’t realize Jesus’ leading on a hidden sin and therefore don’t repent, then Jesus will reject you as His sheep?
That is what John Mulinde claims. That doesn’t seem like a very thorough savior or competent Shepherd.
In addition, using your drinking example – if you ask for forgiveness for your drunkenness and intend to stop drinking, but you struggle with drinking for the rest of your life – are you saved then? How about if you stop drinking for most of your liofe after, but the year prior to your death, you fall apart – will Jesus get intensely angry and reject you?
How about if you stop drinking but get hugely prideful or you brag about it?
You very salvation is on the line – and yet, under Mulinde’s version of Jesus all you get is do more, be more perfect…or else.
Pastor Unlikely, below is a quote of your thesis statement on “Grace Robbers”:
A preacher who seeks to profit off of God’s sheep needs to twist the Gospel. He must change the message of Jesus to get what he wants. There is nothing about the Gospel of grace that is useful to those who want to make merchandise of God’s people.
I am grappling with this statement and I wonder how easy it is to make merchandize of people when you ask them to repent and live a life of the fruits of righteousness unto good works.
QUESTION 1
Can you reconcile the logic of your position/argument with your thesis statement?. If for example, Pastor John Mulinde is a “Grace Robber,” how does he gain financial profit if he leads people to repentance and an even deeper relationship with God in righteousness and holiness?
QUESTION 2
My next question is about an encounter of an American lady (similar to Pastor John Mulinde’s) where God warns her that He (Jesus) demands 100% from her. Jesus rebuked her lukewarm attitude towards Him, saying He wants ALL of her or she is in Jeopardy of eternal destruction. Jesus admonished her by reminding her that many are called but few are chosen. I will be posting below.
–Is this encounter supported by Scripture?
Hi there – thanks for taking the time to comment and to thoughtfully consider this challenging issue. Identifying grace robbers is hard work for us Christians, but not because they are difficult to identify or their words are really that confusing. John Mulinde does contradict himself, to some extent, and his claims clearly contradict the Gospel of Jesus. The reason that they can be incredibly tough to see is their messages usually appeal to our flesh. They make sense to us as people and seem to be the logical way to approach God. In essence, they are more intuitive to the flesh than the Gospel so it seems safer to go with them over Jesus. The Gospel itself offers nothing pleasing to your flesh, in contrast.
This temptation seeps into much of life and makes it hard to even see what Jesus actually said and meant because we are so used to the adulterated version. So your question starts with:
I am grappling with this statement and I wonder how easy it is to make merchandize of people when you ask them to repent and live a life of the fruits of righteousness unto good works.
I understand what you are saying here, but looking at what you write “when you ask them to repent and live a life of the fruits of righteousness unto good works” – is that really what John Mulinde is doing? Is that all that he is doing? Even if he is just doing that – is his ways and methods in doing it consistent with the Gospel?
When you break down Mulinde’s argument, he includes words like repentance and good works, but what is his starting point to get you there? It is really important (and totally unbiblical) – his whole argument is based on the claim that Jesus is angry with you. If you really drill down on his entire claimed vision, it amounts to the claim that Jesus was furiously angry at him (Mulinde) for having a bad attitude while serving Jesus. Jesus was so mad with Mulinde that Jesus treats him dismissively, silences him, tells him not to pray, and tells him that He, Jesus, rejects Mulinde, despite the fact that Mulinde was a Christian. The implied warning is if Jesus could be this furious with a man who was doing all sorts of miracles and had given up his life for Jesus, what does Jesus think of your life?
At very least, you have to add to your statement
You threaten people that an angry Jesus is going to appear suddenly warning of wrath coming for you even when you don’t realize you are sinning…you ask them to repent and live a life of the fruits of righteousness unto good works or else.
Please know that I am not making light of your statement or otherwise being flippant – I do understand how confusing these type of messages are and struggled with them for years. But do you see how Mulinde has to fundamentally change Jesus, the Gospel, salvation, and Jesus heart toward His church in order to get to his appeal? By the time he gets to the appeal, it is impossible to live a life a righteousness and discipleship as Mulinde defines it since you accept an entirely different Jesus.
QUESTION 1
Can you reconcile the logic of your position/argument with your thesis statement?. If for example, Pastor John Mulinde is a “Grace Robber,” how does he gain financial profit if he leads people to repentance and an even deeper relationship with God in righteousness and holiness?
Making merchadise of someone does not necessarily involve getting them to give you money and profiting off of God’s people doesn’t need to involve money. It often does, but there are also many other ways to use, abuse, and trade on God’s people for one’s own benefit. But there is money involved as well.
Did you notice how the message from Mulinde is packaged?
It is not directing people to the Word of God and their safety and sufficiency in Jesus. It is not about trusting in the Word of God and the grace of God so that you can go to God in your time of trouble to receive mercy and grace like it says in Hebrews. It is most certainly not pointing people to the greatness of Jesus’ work on the Cross and our wonderful eternal place in God’s family Jeses gave us through the Cross. Mulinde subtly, but emphatically rips the attention away from Jesus and places it on what?
I know you will likely be tempted to say Jesus here, but if you really sift through it, what is his whole thing about? The spotlight is on the real hero of the message – Mulinde – who is the only one with this special message.
So Mulinde repeatedly talks about how he feels and what he thinks of himself – I felt like I couldn’t get release, I felt like I couldn’t pray or worship, I did all these great things, but I still felt….
Feelings are not bad nor are they something that indicates that we are self involved, on their own, but the entirety of his build up to Jesus appearing is all about him. The problem is, the Christian life is about denying self – taking our eyes off of ourselves – and following Jesus. It doesn’t sound that bad when you hear it, but things like I couldn’t pray or worship are the utmost in self involvement and reflect a view that is against the Gospel. Jesus said come to me and saved us while we we still sinners. He does not force us to get clean before coming to the throne of Grace – we would never get there.
But this is minor compared to his story about Jesus. When you push past the drama and the feeling of shame and guilt that his words inspire, Mulinde’s claimed vision about the Alpha and Omega, the King of Kings diminishes Jesus and makes Him a bit player in the John Mulinde show. What is Jesus’ supposed message?
That His Cross is not enough to save John Mulinde, it is really about how good or bad Mulinde thinks he is.
That Jesus’ perfect love is not the point of the Gospel – that eternal life hinged on Mulinde’s attitude.
You hear it over and over again in the message – I felt, I did, I secretly – but then it is right there in his version of Jesus’ words to Mulinde: You did, You felt, You lusted, You got me so angry that the Cross is not applicable, you need to….
So, I am sorry for the long answer, but this is where Mulinde makes merchandise out of you:
He uses guilt, shame, and his claim that Jesus is burning with anger against you to strip you of all the things that Jesus promised you in the Gospel. You are not loved – Jesus is spitting mad at you. You are not protected – Jesus despises you. Jesus’ Cross and Promise of eternal life are not enough to cover a loser like you.
Once he marshals all of these ugly thoughts and emotions, getting you to view you like Jesus never does, he then sets the hook.
Yeah, you are terrible, but my special message only given to me offers a way to fix it. What is the message? You have to repent fully, work perfectly, give up everything…even if you think you are safe in Jesus and have done these things, you haven’t. Repent fullerer, work harder than you were working hard, give up everything, but make sure that your attitude is always perfect while doing it or you will be in trouble.
I ask you – if you really, honestly try to follow what John Mulinde says, is anything you do ever really enough? Will you ever receive the rest Jesus promised to those who come to Him?
This is the sort of view of God and our relationship to him that led Martin Luther to begin the Protestant Reformation. He viewed God a lot like Mulinde claims Jesus acted and worked every day to try to live up to that God and His standard. Luther’s problem was that while he was extremely disciplined and worked from 4 am until bedtime in works of God, he was also honest. While he knew he did good things, he realized that he could never do enough to live up to God’ sstandard of holiness and to pay God back. He also saw that despite himself and a desire to do good, he sinned all the time. Luther was tormented by the question of why God would demand we live up to His standard to be one of His, while he could not honestly say that he did.
Like Mulinde’s version of Jesus, Luther’s version of God was just waiting to show up and crush him. Luther remained wracked by guilt and shame until he read Paul’s clear, powerful, and dramatic rejection of this view of God in Galatians and Romans. His question was answered in a way that Luther did not expect – God did not expect us to live that way. Jesus’ paid the price and did the work 2,000 year ago on Calvary. We inherit His work despite not being worthy of it, ever, and this is the source of our rest and assurance. Believing that we need to add to the Cross is actually offensive to Jesus.
But this message does not get people donating to Mulinde’s claimed world mission. It does not get him invited to share his special message with the world. It also doesn’t force people to do all sorts of “works” out of fear of Jesus. I have no idea what Mulinde’s money situation is, but he certainly has many people who think he is annointed of God, the special messenger, and super holy guy who needs to be listened to. He profits in getting people to follow him, be yoked by his message, and listen to him over Jesus.
QUESTION 2
My next question is about an encounter of an American lady (similar to Pastor John Mulinde’s) where God warns her that He (Jesus) demands 100% from her. Jesus rebuked her lukewarm attitude towards Him, saying He wants ALL of her or she is in Jeopardy of eternal destruction. Jesus admonished her by reminding her that many are called but few are chosen. I will be posting below.
I haven’t seen this woman before and haven’t heard this message yet. I will try to as soon as I get a chance. But, from what you set out, it does not seem that her message is at all consistent with the Jesus of the Bible or the Gospel. She seems to show the same subtle pride – God wants 100% of her – really? Whenever someone can honestly say that they love the Lord God with all their hearts, minds, and souls and love their neighbors as themselves perfectly, every day without fail;, 100% – then this standard could possibly make sense. Yet, if someone says that, they are either super prideful and blind or a liar. If we were able to be that, then Jesus did not have to die on the Cross for us.
Galatians 2:
I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Do better is not the Gospel. Do it yourself is not the message of our Savior.
Hello again – after replying to your comment, I was able to watch a good amount of this video. I am about 1/2 way through it but it is enough to understand what the person is claiming. So your questions:
QUESTION 2
My next question is about an encounter of an American lady (similar to Pastor John Mulinde’s) where God warns her that He (Jesus) demands 100% from her. Jesus rebuked her lukewarm attitude towards Him, saying He wants ALL of her or she is in Jeopardy of eternal destruction. Jesus admonished her by reminding her that many are called but few are chosen. I will be posting below.
–Is this encounter supported by Scripture?
The short answer is no, it is not supported by Scripture. You are right to group it with John Mulinde as it presents a similar picture of Jesus that contradicts the Gospel and contains many of the same aspects. There were a couple of things that stood out to me.
1 – The fundamental position that the woman advocated can only be attained if you are blind or tremendously prideful. It also contradicts the Bible. Yes, there is a difference between having an intellectual understanding of Jesus and real faith in Jesus, but she appears to say that you have to give 100% of yourself to Jesus as Lord and live in a way that completely renounces your sins – live a sinless life, in other words or face judgment. She says we have to live up to God’s standard or be in trouble. Yet, if you really understand the burning white hot intensity of God’s holiness where every thought, intention, deed, and moment is perfectly holy, is anyone really that prideful to say that even the best of Christians get anywhere near that. Look at the disciples – Peter argues with Jesus at the Last Supper, every one of them abandons Jesus, Thomas doubts the resurrection – these are followers of Jesus who mess up big time and yet, Jesus still loves them. Even after the Resurrection of Jesus, Peter hears God’s voice from heaven command him to take the unclean animals and kill them and eat them. What is Peter’s response? He argues with God speaking from heaven. Peter further is listed as not only going against Gospel in Galatians, but also leading others astray. The point of the Bible and the examples of this great Christians is not that they are perfect and you can be too. They are not and you can’t be. It is that Jesus is already perfect and His grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness is so great that it doesn’t get ripped away from us.
2 – Again – what sort of Jesus does this present? Is there any example of Jesus treating His sheep like this in the Bible?
The short answers again – this presents a fickle and untrustworthy shepherd who abandons His sheep when they go astray, rather than one who leaves the 99 to find the one.
Jesus’ example from the Gospels is just the opposite, in fact. Peter swore and made oaths that he did not know Jesus when confronted in the courtyard of the High Priest. We don’t know exactly what he said, but these oaths usually involved swearing to God. So Peter likely invoked the name of God while denying Jesus, only hours after arguing with Jesus and pridefully telling Jesus that even if all the others left, he (peter) would never leave him. That is just terrible.
I would ask you to honestly consider what should happen after this terrible betrayal if Jesus was really like John Mulinde or this woman describes? How would their furious, angry, demanding, willing to cast you aside if you don’t meet his standard version of Jesus respond to Peter?
We know how the real Jesus responded. He appeared and gave all of the fearful, hiding, defeated disciples peace:
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were [e]assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
John 20
Peace – the word means nothing is missing, all is well, peace to you – Jesus presence brought peace among the failures, not fear and pain. Jesus next showed up on the beach making food for the disciples and addressed Peter directly:
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of [b]Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [c]love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of [d]Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [e]love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of [f]Jonah, do you [g]love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Any raging anger at Peter’s failure? Do you see a long list of the failures and threats against Peter? Does Jesus repeatedly slap Peter’s wrists with a yard stick for every sin?
No – Jesus already paid the price for Peter’s sins, your sins, my sins, and every one of our sins. It was hugely costly to get us into His family. He is not now going to cast us off or treat us like an abusive parent.
The saddest part about this woman’s appeal is she uses a lot of truths as part of her presentation. There are many people who struggle with understanding their salvation, feeling saved, with watered down teaching, and with wanting more in Jesus but not knowing how to find it. These are tremendously painful things. But her answer does nothing to alleviate these burdens and just adds the crushing weight of legalistic moralistic religiosity to that which is destroying them.
Oh and last thing – she said quite forcefully that raising your hand and immediately being saved was not biblical and there is no example in the Bible of it. I would argue that though the hand raising may not be involved, being born again being an immediate thing in response to the Gospel is seen throughout the Scripture. Directly from the lips of the Apostle Paul, for example:
27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Acts 16
Please watch to the end before you come to a conclusion.
I have had to read your write up at least two times to get a good insight into your position. Please do not judge or conclude until you hear her full testimony. Be blessed sir.
Fair enough on your point about watching the whole thing – and on my point. There is a whole lot to go over with these claimed visions and testimonies. God bless you as well!
If you really seek God with all your heart and dont put him in a box then you will experience God in a way that people in the Bible did including dreams, visions, and messages of correction calling people to Repent…just like in the Bible. Unfortunately American church has never experienced the reality of the spiritual world we live in and has put God in a box and there lack of faith has limited their experiences with God. That’s why a lot of them don’t hear God, see visions from God, or have gifts of the Holy Spirit. Yet it’s all in the Bible, but not in their own lives. Anyways. Grace gives us the power to repent. Jesus said go and sin no more and he told people to repent which in no way does imoly works at all just because it makes you afraid or sweat because the message itched your ears. Imagine if John the disciple of Jesus was alive today and he just had his vision from Revelation. Some people will be like “wow John, false teacher, wolf in sheep clothing, false prophet, you’re preaching a works based salvation. That is not the Jesus we know! It’s all about grace! Take it easy bro! You’re making me worried with the letters to the churches!! And that vision you had? Hmm I don’t know if God gives people visions anymore, that was only when Jesus was alive and before that!”
Hi JD – thanks for taking the time to comment, but you are making an incorrect assumption in your argument.
I don’t take issue with John Mulinde claiming to have a vision. In fact, I embrace the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and in the life of the church. I have seen miracles in my time following Jesus and don’t try to limit dreams, visions, or prophecy.
But the Bible tells us to test everyone who claims to be speaking for the Lord. Here, importantly, Mulinde claims to be speaking what Jesus spoke to him. That is a huge claim that should be held up to scrutiny. In the Old Testament, one who made such a claim falsely was put to death. That is how seriously God takes His own word. I don’t put God in a box, but He described Himself in a book and that book says that John Mulinde’s message is not from Jesus.
You mention John in isolation – but it was John who wrote:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world
1 John 4
The truth shall set you free…
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits b of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen[c] away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
24 The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.
13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.
3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace.
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
4 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.
For,“Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.
18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.
21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Blessing to you my dear brethren,
I pray God opens your eyes to see His truth
Hi Mike – thanks for the comment. I always appreciate Scripture being cited, but I would honestly question whether you and the other posters who are throwing around accusations at me and about me realize what you are doing?
I understand that I disagree with you on a person who claims to have a message from the Lord and that might be upsetting. But I am a born again believer who loves Jesus and seeks to teach His Word. I don’t deny the need for repentance, the role of sin in life, excuse sin, or otherwise encourage people to use freedom in Christ as an excuse to sin. Rater, I reject the same heresy that Paul rebukes so firmly and directly in Galatians – the belief that your own work, for good or evil, can add or subtract from the completed work of Jesus on the Cross. With the Galtians, Paul refused to agree with those who came in and claimed that the Galatians were not yet “super Christians” because they had to repent of their being Gentiles and be circumcised – despite already believing in Jesus. John Mulinde’s claim is that you have to reach a higher special level of repentance and devotion in order for Jesus not to be mad at you – even though you are already a Christian. This claim is directly contrary to the Gospel of Jesus. It is a false version of the Gospel, one that preys on the pride, fear, and flesh of people. The Bible is very clear on this sort of claim:
Galatians 1:
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert[a] the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be [b]accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
Galatians 2:
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Galatians 3:
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you [a]that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
That is just a few, but the Bible is also clear about false teachers and false doctrine:
2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
2 Peter 2:1-3
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
So I reject the message of a man who claims to speak on behalf of Jesus because his claims don’t match the Word of Jesus and His clear directions to us and, yet, the consistent response is that I have my eyes closed to Jesus, that I am choosing sin, and rejecting Jesus to subtly encourage sin. I am sorry, but it seems that you all put an awful lot of faith in the words of one man who is not anywhere near Jesus, one man whose teaching if you actually follow it as stated would leave you in perpetual bondage and terror of the Lord.
I would ask you to really think about the arbitrary and self involved standards John Mulinde’s message places on you – without a preconceived opinion as to what is enough repentance. If what Mulinde says is true – that Jesus could be filled with rage at one of His sheep because His sheep, you, have a bad attitude and are not working enough – is anyone safe from judgment? Mulinde says repent “fully” but what exactly does that mean? If you repent of what you are aware of but don’t realize something, is Jesus furious with you? If you are wrong about what you are saying here, is Jesus going to reject you? Mulinde’s standard honestly requires perfection for rest in salvation – which should be a terrifying thought as there is no one good, no not one. In stark contrast, Jesus promised you rest. Which one are you going to choose?
I doubt that you understand what you are doing. I’ve been reading through your responses and you basically respond with long messages, thinking you’re proving your point when you’re not. That’s the problem with you grace preachers. Jude warned us about people like you, who take the Grace of God and use it as a license to be immoral. That testimony was Christ rebuking John, especially because of the condition of his heart. It is true that God searches our hearts and minds, to give each person according to his work and deeds (Jeremiah 17:10). Many of us are saved but we harbor bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy…so would such a person enter heaven? Stop fooling yourself and others. Repent and stop with all this pride. If you don’t understand, ask The Holy Spirit to help you understand. And please don’t respond with long messages. Just do what is right.
Hi Lelo – thanks for your comment, but two things really surprise me about it.
1 – You call me a grace preacher as if that could ever be a bad thing. It is only by grace we are saved and by grace we stand.
8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2
21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Galatians 2:21
Directly to the contrary, Mulinde says “No, set aside God’s grace when I say so and accept my super secret formula for fixing things.
No thanks.
2 – How you make sense of this position:
“Many of us are saved but we harbor bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy…so would such a person enter heaven?”
You say people are saved, which from Ephesians 2 above we know if only by grace which is the free gift of God that no one deserves and no one could ever earn.
But then you say these saved people cannot enter heaven because they have not earned it. So they are saved but they are not saved. They cannot ever earn it but they get punished for not earning.
You also take issue with long messages – while my long messages are long because I am providing the Biblical basis to disagree with people repeatedly claiming John Mulinde is speaking for Jesus. That is a huge claim that people seem to be offering and, as Christians, the only way to say one way of the other is to look at the Scripture. The Holy Spirit never contradicts Scripture.
“It is true that God searches our hearts and minds, to give each person according to his work and deeds (Jeremiah 17:10).”
This is a good example. You appeal to the Old Testament improperly to apply to New Testament Christians. Frankly, you better hope that God does not give us according to our works and deeds outside of God’s grace and mercy. If so, then you and I and every other sinner is headed to hell. It is only pride that leads us to try to stand on our own righteousness.
You appeal to the Old Testament improperly to apply to New Testament Christians. Frankly, you better hope that God does not give us according to our works and deeds outside of God’s grace and mercy.
Huh?? Your response to Jeremiah 17:10 is astounding
Jeremiah 17:10 is in line with Revelation 22:12; Romans 2:6; Matthew 16:27; Galatians 6:7–9
Both these verses in OT and NT apply to ALL Christians; there is no such thing as OT or NT Christians
Not sure what you are saying here, man, but reading the Old Testament as applying one to one to Christians exactly as it applied to Old Testament Jews misses the huge occurrence that is set out in the Gospels – the life and ministry of Jesus which fulfils the Law and made access to salvation and the family of God based on grace alone through faith alone. Ephesians makes the point about “so that none may boast” along with Romans stating that we were God’s enemies when Jesus dies to save us to emphasize that if access to God was based on our works, then we are going straight to hell. This is grace and our only foundation of our relationship with Jesus.
Many people accept this part as it applies to salvation, but then turn around and say that after salvation we must earn our standing with God or else we face judgment. Yet, the truth is, if you honestly judged yourself by God’s standard of perfection, you still would fail miserably. Just try to commandment – love your God with all of you heart, might, and soul – and see how you do. Then add love your neighbor as yourself – you can say you do, but do you really take care of your neighbor, look out for them, comnstantly think about what is best for them? Unless you have a dishonest view of yourself, you fail at these and all of the rest of Jesus’s directions on a regular basis.
SO – outside of Jesus grace over your whole life – if you are repaid according to the thousands of times you failed Jesus with knowledge of who He is – do you really want to be paid back appropriately for this? You can think that you did good too, but outside of free grace, that is not how things work. You don’t get aquitted for a crime if you do other things.
Does Jesus actually save you fully and love you or does He merely tolerate you until you mess up enough and then kick you to the curb (despite Him knowing how messed up you were when He promised to save you).
Hello PastorUnlikely
I just wanted to ask if you have considered reaching out to To Pastor John Mulinde and talking about his testimony. Surely his heart is not to deceive people but that christians may come to repentance. If this was about some false properity gospel prophets I would understand but for a man trying to point back the church to Christ in repentance, I would consider talking to him first then if surely he is bent on deceiving people we can then publish such articles. I think this has gone too far and out of hand, brethren are up in arms against each other ‘For What?’. Please may this stop and may you please talk to Mr Mulinde and I believe that’s were there will be resolve. Thanks. Let’s keep serving Jesus in truth for He is coming back soon and coming back for a Holy Church. Much love God Bless
Dear Tom
(Slightly edited for typos version)
I do echo your despair at and godly dislike of poorly (or even well) disguised self-help seminars when it comes to Christian doctrine. I read carefully twice your message here, and followed the (increasingly repetitive) comments section…… until I’d spend about quarter of an hour doing so! I personally found JM’s testimony (not quite finished listening) very helpful, and I am secure in my acceptance with the Lord, and have been since mid-December 1984, praise Him. I am inclined to agree with the post before mine that suggests you contact John directly. At least pray about this. I have a feeling he would shudder at the thought that trying harder is the answer or that Jesus was angry. To give more of a considered doctrinal answer would take more time than I have at the moment, but let me make it clear that I understand that you are in no way advocating for sin in the life of a believer or against the pursuit of holiness. If you were to (graciously I’m sure) accuse me of being logically inconsistent, I might have to think deeply and reply at length, because I understand that I’m appearing to be so. The Lord, to Whom ALL glory is due for both His work for us and His within us, bless and lead and encourage you. P.S. I do like and commend the writings of Andrew Murray (1800s). Ben, UK.
Hi Ben – I appreciate the thoughtful comment and the effort you put in to get to the facts of the issue. I would not have a problem talking with John Mulinde, but this is not a situation where there is any direct relationship like a member one dealing with a pastor and his church. I think it is more similar to those instances where Peter and Paul write letters to the church warning them about a false teacher and pointing out the errors in their doctrine. There is no evidence that Paul directly contacted the Judaizers of Galatians, for example, before saying that they should be accursed for preaching what is essentially a very similar line of doctrine as Mulinde – the whole Jesus is good, but He is not enough to secure your salvation and make you a super Christian. I would respectfully suggest that assuming what his response would be is kind of part of the issue. Mulinde makes what seems to be a dramatic heartfelt, emotional appeal with lots of Christian language involved. Yet, he puts words in Jesus’ mouth that Jesus would never say since they contradict Jesus. That doesn’t seem to the actions of a heartfelt believer in Christ – so what is the problem. I love Charles Spurgeon’s quote on issues like this – discernment is not the ability to tell the difference between right and wrong. It is the ability to tell the difference between right and almost right.
The Lord, to Whom ALL glory is due for both His work for us and His within us, bless and lead and encourage you.
You too! I pray the Lord