If you have responded to God's offer of salvation with a sincere heart --truly intending to walk with Him, turning away from a lifestyle of sin and receiving cleansing of His blood -- that first smiting of the rock was sufficient. The life, the water that came from it, became yours and you never have to return to an altar for salvation.
For Carter Conlon to make a blanket statement that you will never have to return to the altar for salvation -- if you were ever previously saved -- is to ignore many scriptures which mention others who did or which state the possibility of such a need. Here are a few:
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:19,20, ESV)
For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:24)
Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. (Rom 11:20-23)
I observe people coming back for salvation every time they fail. They don't realize that when they first came to Christ, their sins were dealt with, and they were given a cleanness in Christ. If sins were imputed to those who belong to Jesus, they would be saved at one o'clock, lost at two o'clock, saved at three, lost at four -- just hoping that they were on the right side of the clock when their heart finally stopped beating. But that is not the way it works. As a genuine believer in Christ, sin is not imputed to you. Yes, sin can affect your relationship with God, dulling your mind and causing you not to hear His voice.
The truth is, a Christian's future sins are NOT already forgiven and Jesus himself, after his death on the cross, could see the sins of people previously saved (Rev. 2 and 3)! That demolishes this myth that a Christian's sins are hidden from God as taught by Carter Conlon and many others. They are not hidden. Why doesn't Times Square Church teach this obvious truth? The Lord Jesus told 5 of the 7 church congregations in Asia Minor to repent. Jesus could see:
Carter Conlon also stated:
You might even start living in a certain way, but God will never let you go if you are a genuine believer in Him.Carter Conlon and Times Square Church are again giving false salvation assurance to all the backsliding people, who have become drunkards and/or addicted to porn and/or liars, etc! He is parroting the popular false gospel and doctrine of demons of once saved always saved. Carter Conlon could never warn Christians that sin will drag even them to hell (Mark 9:43-48; etc.) by teaching like that. Carter Conlon's religious fable that You might even start living in a certain [SINFUL] way, but God will never let you go is diametrically opposed to the Biblical message. The truth is:
Carter Conlon and Times Square Church, therefore, have a dangerously distorted view of the image of a Christian, final salvation and God himself. He is presenting the mythical god of eternal security as the true God of the Bible -- the counterfeit as the genuine -- while also mentioning the blood of Christ. Carter Conlon went on with this:
... If I allow people to come to the altar for salvation every week, I offend the work of God ....Folks, please be aware that there is no Scripture which says that any Christian would offend the work of God if he allows, without interference, people to repent for salvation weekly. Imagine, trying to dissuade a person who wants to repent for salvation's sake! That is what Carter Conlon is doing and he is trying to justify his actions by saying if he didn't it would offend the work of God. Shocking!
If you are a child of God and have trusted in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God help me if I make you feel that the blood of that cross does not apply to you and you have to keep coming back to the altar over and over.Carter Conlon refers to a past moment of salvation, but nothing about how holy and faithful to God one is living in the present time. To him it is not where are you at this moment, but were you ever saved. That is foundational to once saved always saved. Carter Conlon also teaches something about the blood of Christ which is not found in Scripture anywhere! Carter Conlon must wrongly think a continual cleansing of the blood of Jesus is guaranteed for all who were ever saved, even if they are now living in wickedness. That is dangerously demonic.
I have also noticed people who teach a license for immorality mention the blood of Christ (as Carter Conlon does) which serves them as a type of smokescreen. Their audience is usually so poorly taught that if a preacher mentions the blood or the cross, they tend to think he is sound in his teaching when that is not true! Reader, do not be deceived, even Catholic leaders can talk about the blood of Christ!
... If you are wondering why you even bother to call yourself a Christian, the Lord says to you, "The sacrifice still applies. Your sins are still forgiven -- you don't have to come and be saved again. Come and just talk to Me!"
Do you understand this incredible invitation? "If you are thirsty, talk to Me! If you are hungry, talk to Me! If you are fearful, struggling, caught in a besetting sin, talk to Me! Don't wait until you are strong, come when you are weak. And come boldly, for I have invited you in. This is not a walk for the strong only, it is for all people -- all races, all cultures, whether you are on top of the mountain, or underneath the mountain. Come with confidence -- you are My child; you don't have to hide from Me.
If you are acquainted with the New Testament you will agree that such is not found anywhere. Clearly, Carter Conlon is subtly teaching a license for immorality, since he declares a person once saved is still saved in besetting sin! Carter Conlon's portrayal of a Christian allows for a mere form of godliness. By the way, previously Carter Conlon stated sins are not imputed to the Christian, so how could the Christian get trapped in besetting sin? Does he also believe in eternal security's imputed righteousness? He talks like he does. Carter Conlon also went on with this:
... The prodigal son thought it was holy when he came home with his mantra, "I have sinned, I am not worthy, make me a slave in your house" (Luke 15:18-19, paraphrase). However, the father did not even answer him but instead simply embraced him, put shoes on his feet, struck up the band and exclaimed, "Let's have a celebration! Finally my son has come home!"Carter Conlon neglected to mention the father stated the prodigal was spiritually lost and dead, before he repented. He had become alive again after repenting for salvation (Luke 15:24). The repentant prodigal sincerely and humbly returned to the Father to serve him. He wasn't falsely trying to be holy in what he said.
But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." (Num 20:12)
"After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes." (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.) (Num 27:13,14)Hence, what Moses did had nothing to do with offending the work of God by making people think the blood of Christ doesn't apply to them for their continued ongoing salvation, even in besetting sin, etc.!
May God help all Bible believers to be alert and recognize people who dangerously teach like influential Carter Conlon and to cleave to and defend the message of the Bible, even if it means, at times, to speak out against the popular and influential. Please do not think as senior pastor of Times Square Church that Carter Conlon is beyond dangerous heresy. He certainly is not! If you support Carter Conlon of Times Square Church, you will share in his wicked work (2 Jn. 10,11).
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