Evangelist Tom Gilliam Exposed Part 2 - False Gospel Continued

This is the second part in a series exposing Tom Gilliam. Part 1 can be found here. His Calvinist teachings can be found here.

Tom Gilliam is a travelling evangelist, visiting Christian schools and churches. He claims to be a Baptist yet he preaches a gospel which is riddled with works. This post will further expose this false prophet for what he truly believes.


Taken from Bro. Gilliam's blog post on 9/15/14:

Let us muse again today from Matthew 9:6-7 and the theme of Jesus the King. In our text today we see that forgiveness creates obedience. Our Lord says what He is doing with the man of palsy is so the gain sayers might know. Did their knowing ever turn into believing, I doubt it only made them without excuse. This dear man has had all his sins forgiven and this forgiveness created immediate obedience. When told to arise, fold his blanket, walk to the house, things he had not done for a long time, he immediately obeyed. I wonder if the reason there is so many in our churches that live in disobedience is because their sins have never been removed by Calvary’s blood.

Brother Gilliam enjoys casting doubt over a person's salvation if he's not "evidencing" it properly with obedience and works. It's his personal hobby horse. Disobedience or obedience are not the proper indicators of a person's salvation. True salvation is marked by what a person believes in his or her heart. There is a confession unto salvation which involves your mouth speaking what you believe from the heart. Instead of looking at a person's outward actions, you should rather look at what they believe. If you believe and have no works, according to the Bible you are saved. Romans 4:5 says, "But to him that WORKETH NOT, but BELIEVETH on him that justifieth the ungodly, his FAITH is counted for RIGHTEOUSNESS." Whether we choose to give God our obedience or not after salvation is totally and completely irrelevant to making it into heaven.

A blog post from 4/30/14,

Let us muse again today from Matthew 7:22-23 and the theme of Jesus the King. In our text today our King tells us of the results of not doing His will. Many our Lord says will come in that day and speak of their works of preaching and casting out devils but no mention of doing His will. They speak of what they have done as being wonderful works. Although they claim to know Him the ultimate test will be does He know us? He confesses to them who did not do His will, not that I knew you and forgot you but I never knew you. This is a sobering thought that should cause us to constantly seek to do the will of the Father.

He leaves so much room for ambiguity here. The will of God in this case is stated in John 6:40, "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life." The will of God is that you would believe. Doing God's will in other areas of your life, such as obeying Him, is works. Those appearing before Christ in Matthew 7 and saying, "Lord, Lord!" are those who are trusting in their works to get them to heaven. They didn't do the will of God to get into heaven, and what is that will? That we believe on Jesus Christ. Is that something we need to be doing "constantly"? That's a one-time, once in your life decision. I'm not seeking to obey God to make sure I'm saved. I already know I'm saved because I believe in His Son. Obedience to the commands of God can't save me.

A blog post from 4/29/14,

Let us muse again today from Matthew 7:21 and the theme of Jesus the King. In our text for today we are confronted with doing the will of God. Our King speaks of the pronunciation of His Lordship versus the practice of His Lordship. The act of saying He is Lord and living out He is Lord is two different things. One can say over and over again Lord, Lord speaking of His Lordship, they can make confessions through religious ceremonies, but if we do not practice it in our living by doing His will in all of our life it will have no eternal value of security to our lives.

If we don't "live out" our faith, we'll show that we never really had salvation to begin with - bogus! Faith alone isn't enough, according to Gilliam. It's faith plus works. It's faith plus doing God's will in all areas of our lives. That's a pretty tough course to getting to heaven, isn't it? I wonder if Bro. Gilliam is living out God's will in every area and every day of his life? That sounds like something called "pride." Ephesians 2:8-9 says that salvation is NOT OF WORKS. Not before, after, during, or at ANY TIME are works required! Romans 4:5 states that "to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Romans 4:5 is a verse that ought to be shouted from every Baptist pulpit. It stresses the simplicity of salvation being by faith alone and not of any works, ever. Does Bro. Gilliam stress the simplicity of salvation? Or does he muddy and pervert it?

 In a post from 4/9/14,

In our text today we find in discerning the way of our leaders we must have discernment about their fruits. We must look for such fruits as the following: Christ likeness, prayerfulness, and holiness of person. If you see none of the above you can rest assured the fruit is bad.

Remember, if you don't see any holiness in a person's life, that person is not saved- not true! Acting like Christ, praying, and becoming more holy are all great things, but it doesn't mean you're "bad fruit" in the eyes of God. Paul didn't define fruit as works in Romans. "Fruit" involves winning other people to Christ. Paul said in Romans 1:13, "Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles." He goes on in Romans 1 to say how he is ready to preach the gospel to the people in Rome. And therein lies how a Christian bears forth fruit: by preaching the gospel and winning souls to Christ. A believer can beget more believers, aka "fruit." But he intends for "fruit" here to mean works - and without these works, you're not truly saved. Since when did WE have to be holy to be truly saved? Christ lived the perfect life - not me! His holiness is upon me - not my own!

In a post from 4/7/14,

Let us muse again today from Matthew 7:13-14 and the theme of Jesus the King. In our text today our King gives lessons on discernment. The discernment is between the narrow way and the broad way. The majority today [are] on the broad or liberal way as far as doctrines, morals, and spiritual things. The narrow way is a very difficult way because it demands self-denial, strictness of behavior, and a watchful eye of prayer. We who traveled the narrow way find it very lightly populated. I find the narrow way is in the middle of the broad way going the opposite way. Let us remember the narrow way will end with endless life in heaven while the broad way will end with eternal damnation in hell.

Gilliam refers to the "narrow way" as a difficult way of living in which you must deny your worldly lusts, behave correctly, and continue in prayer. This will lead you into everlasting life, and if you don't trod this narrow way, you'll end up in hell. Did Gilliam convert to Catholicism without my knowledge? Let's see what Matthew 7:13 really means. Matthew 7:13, "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." What is the way to everlasting life? Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Going through the narrow way isn't how you live your life, it's about Who you believe upon! Jesus is the narrow way to heaven! And you don't get to heaven by any of the behaviors he listed.

In a post from 12/21/13,

Let us muse again today from Matthew 5:20 in the theme of Jesus the King. Today our text tells us our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the legalist if we are to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many today argued over things of dress and liberties we can take upon ourselves in the area of going or doing, when the Scripture clearly tells us not to trifle with the law or the prophets but let our lives fall on the side of exceeding what the legalist thinks is right or wrong. Let our holiness, reverence, integrity, and purity be the same on the outside as that of Christ who lives in us. He shall produce in and through us a righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the legalist. If it is a close call for one’s doing when the Bible is not clear upon the subject let us be careful in our liberty to fall on the side of doing that which exceeds what the legalist would do or not do.

Technically, if you were completely perfect and without sin, you could make it into heaven. However, we have all sinned, so we're not perfect and blameless. The holiness, integrity, and purity we do have and exhibit cannot save us, nor does it have anything to do with our salvation. The point Christ made was that you have to be more righteous than the Pharisees. It says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." The only way to have more righteousness than the most righteous people on earth is to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ. The Bible says in Romans 10:10 it is "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. God imparts the complete and total righteousness of Jesus Christ on all who believe. That is how you have the righteousness which exceeds that of a Pharisee. It's amazing how he can twist that passage into meaning that we must produce more righteousness than the Pharisees! He's a Pharisee, a legalist burdening others with works in order to be saved.

From a post on 9/9/13:

Let us muse again today from Matthew 3:1-2 and the theme of Jesus the King. In our text we find a hint of John’s message. As I look at John’s message I am reminded that we should have a similar message. His message was repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. As our Lord’s coming draws near may our message be repent or perish, turn or burn. The word repent means to have a change of mind or 180° turn from sin. May I, may you put away, turn from with disgust anything that would grieve His Holy Spirit.

In another post from 8/10/11, he defined repentance as turning from sin:

The word repentance means to have a change of mind or make 180° turn from sin.

Does repent still mean to turn from sin in the following verses?

Exodus 32:14: And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
Amos 7:6: The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.
Jonah 3:10b: God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Again, in a post dated 8/11/11, he warns that if you don't repent of your sins, you will go to hell:

Our nation has not yet connected the dots but let us not stop telling people to repent or they will perish, turn or you will burn.

Does God have sins to turn from? No, because it would not make sense in the above verses. Maybe Brother Gilliam should recheck his definition of repentance. Repent just means turn. You'll have to actually read the Bible for a passage's context to obtain what needs to be turned from - something Gilliam doesn't have the time for.

Evangelist Tom Gilliam is a classic "turn or burn" preacher, teaching us that we must turn from our sin or spend an eternity in hell. When the Philippian jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" did Paul reply back with "Repent! Repent of your sins and thou shalt be saved"? No - he said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Thank God I don't have to turn from all my sins in order to be saved. That would be what the Bible calls "works" if that were the way to avoid hell. What does God consider repentance of sins? Jonah 3:10 says,

And God saw [Nineveh's] WORKS, that they TURNED from their EVIL WAY; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

The same verse is recounted in Matthew 12:41,

The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they REPENTED at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

According to the Bible, God considers turning or repenting from sins works. The Bible says that salvation is not of works! And if we had to repent from our sins, how many would we have to turn from? Some, or all of them? It's impossible to stop sinning so long as we have the flesh! Our only ticket out of hell is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing more, nothing less. John the Baptist preached, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel." The word "repent" should always be defined in its context. Every time the Bible mentions repentance, Bro. Gilliam likes to add "of your sins" to the end of the word. God repented of the punishment He was going to execute on Nineveh in Jonah 3:10 (quoted above). We know God doesn't have sins to turn from, so that's definitely not the definition of "repent." Repent, in its basic definition, means to change or turn. What would one have to change if he wants to get saved? He would have to change his mind about what he believes in regard to the Bible and Jesus Christ. He would have to agree with the Bible and gospel, that he is a sinner condemned to hell, that Jesus Christ paid his entire sin debt (past, present, and future) through His death, burial, and resurrection, that the only way to be saved is to put your faith or trust in Christ alone, and that the gift is everlasting life, meaning it never ends (once saved, always saved).

If a person believes in a false religion or works-salvation, he would have to repent of those false beliefs and trust in Christ. Turning from sins is works, see Jonah 3:10. Turning from your sins will not save you from hell! Believing that lie will take you there! In fact, if one believes he must repent or turn from his sins to make it into heaven, HE NEEDS TO REPENT! Quit boasting about the sins you turned from and simply trust Christ 100%.

Gilliam wrote a post wherein he essentially denied the doctrine of eternal security on 5/20/10:

Let us begin today to muse from Colossians 1:23a and a great verse on the subject of Perseverance. Do not confuse the doctrine of eternal security with perseverance. Many who teach eternal security, once saved always saved, lean towards a belief that even if you live your whole life in sin you will still end up in Heaven. Paul, in verse 23a, deals with a Definite Perseverance in the phrase, ‘if ye continue in the faith’. The word ‘if’ here when used with this particular verb tense means ‘you will assuredly do’. The one who is truly saved will assuredly continue to live in the faith. It is not a question of ‘if you do this or that’ you will be saved. But it is a question of because you are saved ‘you will do this or that.'

Focus on the first bold-faced text section. "Once saved, always saved" means that once you have been saved by faith in Christ, you will always be saved - no matter what. There are no exceptions. So if I live a sinful life after I believed on Christ, will I make it into heaven? Yes a thousand times. Jesus said if we believe on him, we have everlasting life (John 3:15-36, John 6:47, John 10:28). If we present to Brother Gilliam a Christian who says he has believed on Christ but continues to drink, and as a result he dies of his alcoholism, Gilliam would likely say he was never saved and is in hell. If my salvation was dependent on my ability to refrain from sins and vices, my salvation would be gone tomorrow. Thank God I don't have to persevere until the end of my life, otherwise grace would be no more grace and heaven would be completely out of reach for me.

Eternal security teaches that once you've believed, you'll be saved no matter what you do - so long as you have believed. Since salvation is not of works, you do not have to keep any commandments after you are saved. You are free to live however you please, and your home in heaven will remain unchanged. That's because salvation is a free gift, meaning it has no strings attached. Let me repeat that: it's free. You do not have to persevere afterwards to "prove" you were saved. If perseverance is required, then salvation is by works. How did Saul make it into heaven? Or Samson? Did those men "persevere" until the very end? They're in heaven, yet they did not endure in obedience and faith until the end of their lives. They're in heaven because they believed God, not because of how they lived their lives.

Tom Gilliam is a Calvinist. This evidences itself in his teachings. He denies the ability of man to look to Jesus Christ of his own free will for salvation. He states that "true" salvation must be evidenced by works. Since when does a free gift cost me anything? Which works are necessary for me to evidence to prove I'm saved? How many of those works? The thief on the cross had no works when he went to heaven. 1 Corinthians 3 says that some men will get into heaven so as by fire, having all their empty works consumed by the fire. And Romans 4 says that if you have faith but no works, you're still declared righteous.

Thank God that He won't look at my outward righteousness to determine if I'm truly saved or not. Tom Gilliam does exactly the opposite. He is a works-inspector. He'll tell you if you don't have works, you're not truly saved. If you don't persevere in your Christian life, you won't make it to heaven. Has he made salvation crystal clear? Or has he muddied it? I believe it's the latter. Galatians 6 warns us of these people, who desire to make a fair show in the flesh and constrain men to live as they do in order to be saved.