The Ray Comfort Question

Ray Comfort (on the right)

It seems this entire controversy between what some have called lordship salvation, which is really works based or legalism, and free grace, which is really antinomianism is (surprise) nothing new under the sun, and like all vain disputations, Paul has already dealt with them thoroughly in his epistles. But I'll get back to that in a minute. The big dialogue in this debate has been between Comfort and John MacArthur, who are both muddled in their thinking to a certain degree with respect to a totality of hermeneutics. MacArthur is a total cessasionist with a pre-millennial eschatology but Comfort mixes philosophy with his teachings and evangelism and "post-decision for Christ legalism". I know, I know. Who am I to attack these two great giants on the Christian scene today? I'm nobody and I'm thankful for that in many ways because I seek not the attention of men (or try not to), but the praise of God which is far greater as I'm sure you'll agree. 
In my research, I kept seeing references to Colossians, which was my gut instinct first of all, so I went and re-read that great book and it simply clears up a lot in this matter. As Paul writes there: 
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ.9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities[b] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.[c]


Bible Gateway passage: Colossians 2 - English Standard VersionFor I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not se...

Luther called reason a 'sorceress'. The minute we rely on it in preaching, we deny the revelation power of God's Word and lean upon human thinking which, you know, is sinful and fallible. I'm not talking about apologetics--there is a place for Christian philosophy and that might even be your calling, I don't know, but apologetics never convicted anyone of sin. Only Spirit empowered preaching does that. God may use it, of course he uses everything, but why not stick true to the power source itself--the Holy Spirit--and PROCLAIM the gospel instead of putting yourself on the argumentative defensive and merely defending it. The Bible calls the Word of God a sword, a weapon to be used, not a shield. Faith is our shield. Isn't that what Ephesians 6 says?
Anyhow, there's a good book that's called, The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel by C.F.W. Walther that I'm sure Comfort didn't read, or if he did, didn't get its meaning. I highly recommend it in this matter. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' preaching inherently abides by it because, if you look at all the sermons in the New Testament, that's what's done there--first the law is applied, then the gospel. But Comfort then goes back to the law afterwards and mucks the whole thing up, creating confusion. As far as that goes, Paul also addresses that in Colossians:
16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions,[d]

Bible Gateway passage: Colossians 2 - English Standard VersionFor I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not se...


 puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
You see, Comfort does exactly that in his evangelism. The danger here, of course, is a tendency towards antinomianism which Paul further goes on to address in this short but sharp epistle and in many other places in his writings which I don't want to insult your intelligence with. I just want to explain myself in terms of my critique of Ray Comfort. That is all. Plus his associating with Kirk Cameron speaks volumes in this matter. (Why do these kind always come in twos?) They get involved in 'culture wars', attacking gays, atheism, science, etc. when a true evangelist, as is apparent in Scripture, focuses exclusively on our sinful condition and Christ's work upon the cross to redeem us to God. Too many rabbit holes in their position, I say.
Well, I could write a book about this but who will read it? I really don't mean to condemn, but to encourage and, hopefully, to enlighten. There are some hard choices we all have to make in our walk with the Lord but Christ warned of this, didn't he, when he said: For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?--Luke 14:28.
Hopefully, I have expressed Scripture truth and not just my opinion. When Christ said, "When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8) If you look at this last part of the sentence in the original Greek (and I just double checked it), the actual translation is: Will he find THE faith, not just faith. That's a very important definite article here and as, I'm sure you can guess, it means that there is only one faith, not many or many ways of interpreting it. God has given the grace to a few men throughout church history to rediscover this one faith and to defend it and explain it again to His people, i.e., Augustine, John Owen, Martin Luther and Martyn Lloyd-Jones being the latest and the greatest just to name a few. The truth sounds strange when you've been fed fiction all your life. I know this experimentally but praise God for His exceeding patience and mercy toward His elect!  
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected--2 Timothy 3:8






Ray Comfort with the magician, Penn from Penn and Teller