Part 10 (Parts 1-9 in ascending order following)
10 Oct 2021
THE ‘ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED’ BELIEF AND TEACHING IN THE FACE OF ONGOING NON-REPENTANCE CONCERNING ONGOING SINS IS FALSE AND NOT SUPPORTED IN SCRIPTURE
‘There Is No more Grace Provided To The Believer Who Continues To Sin’. The Bible reveals below critical factors concerning “Salvation Issues” (Heb 10:26-27).
Clear Biblical evidence below that ongoing repentance is required in the course of ongoing sinning in order to escape inevitable and adverse eternal judgment from God (Rev 20:11-15). Repenting concerning sin (Matt 18:3), and obeying God’s Will (Luke 6:46) allows escape from judgment.
* THE CRITICAL ‘BALANCE’, REGARDING THE QUESTION OF WHAT ARE “SALVATION ISSUES” (5 Points here):
(“It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God” (Jesus Christ, Matt 4:4)) – .
- Jesus Christ:
(v 27) “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).
- Jesus Christ to genuine ‘sheep’ (believers):
(v 2) “He (Jesus) called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And He said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change (repent concerning sin) and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:2-3).
- Jesus Christ to genuine (v 60; 61-62) believers:
(v 59) ‘He (Jesus) said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-bye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow (Salvation) and looks back (sins) is fit for the kingdom of God” ‘ (Luke 9:59-62).
- The Holy Spirit concerning genuine believers and Salvation:
(v 26) “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth (Salvation), 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” (Heb 10:26-27).
- Jesus Christ talking about genuine believers missing Heaven due to unrepented sin:
(v 21) “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!” (Matt 7:21-23)
Across numbers 2-5 above, we clearly see that a lack of ongoing repentance and not doing God’s Will can cause believers to consciously ‘reject’ their Salvation. In Luke 9:59-62 above, for instance, we witness the stark reality of the consequencies of not putting the call of Christ first in the face of our own important, personal tasks yet Jesus makes it clear that an ‘unprioritised’ believer is unfit for Heaven.
To elaborate, there are things that believers and non-believers alike would normally do in their ordinary course of life such as attending an essential event.
Though, Jesus in these verses states that essentially though as led by the Spirit there is nothing that any believer can put before the need to do the Will of God. This means that there will at times and often be important circumstances in life that cannot be undertaken because of the supreme importance of doing God’s Will. Thus, in light of the adverse eternal consequences that is warned about in verse 62, Jesus is clearly teaching that it is sin to do anything that contradicts the need to follow and obey a requirement of God even when that thing is essential.
What about the love and mercy of God?
While the Creator God is unfathomably loving and merciful, there is nothing in Scripture which reveals that God automatically or otherwise forgives believers of their sins in the face of continued sinning and non-repentance.
The LORD in Exodus 33:18-20 reveals that He will have compassion and mercy on whom He will have compassion and mercy on. Therefore, in saying so, it is clearly the supreme and unknown discretion of God if He for instance were to forgive a believer in the absence of repentance. In this light, then, a believer who believes that God in His mercy and compassion automatically forgives sin without one repenting is wrong.
That is, having such belief means that one effectively is unwisely ‘guessing’ or wrongly assuming that a Holy God just absolves an ongoingly sinning believer which is thoroughly unbiblical and firmly contradicts the central biblical requirement of obedience through ongoing and enduring confession and repentance in order to be ongoingly forgiven by God (1 John 1:9) and to therefore remain within His “terms” of Salvation (Matt 18:3).
~Then, as a whole, it is beyond any doubt that the passages above clearly reveal that believers are required to be ongoingly obedient and ongoingly repentant post-Salvation which acts to ongoingly enable their Salvation to be maintained until the end (Matt 24:13).
In saying this, it is important to note that the Lord Jesus for His own ‘part’ in John 10:28 above does not reverse the giving of Salvation to believers. Rather, and importantly, the Word of God is saying in the contexts of 2-5 above that sinning and unrepentant believers themselves consciously “opt out” of Salvation by independently deviating from and breaching the Covenant of Salvation through unrepentant sinning which is not the Will of God and therefore doing so disqualifies one from Heaven (1 Cor 9:24-27; Matt 7:21-23).
That is, as faith in Jesus enables a person to be Saved (Eph 2:8-9) originally amid a conscious turning away from sin (repentance)(Acts 2:38), conversely and equally a believer’s conscious faithlessness in Jesus by continued sinning turns him or her away from Salvation according to Hebrews 10:26-27 above.
Then, to conclude, the automatic ‘once saved always saved’ belief is not supported anywhere in the totality of the Scriptures above and the Bible as a whole. It is clearly a false belief and erroneous teaching in the face of continued and unrepented sinning. Ongoing sinning requires ongoing repentance which is clearly a part of the Will of God demanded for secure Salvation (Matt 18:3 above; Heb 10:26-27; Matt 24:13; Phil 2:12-13).
Part 1
14 Nov 2019
‘Don’t be deceived by inadequate and incorrect preaching and teaching on Grace’
According to God’s Word God can disqualify a Christian from entering Heaven due to unrepented sinning or unfaithful conduct after one’s initial Salvation experience. The Word of God is abundantly clear on this, for instance, Hebrews 10:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Importantly, in this context, the need for repentance has little to do with whether a person was actually Saved in the first place as some would contend but rather that the Bible repeatedly reveals that ‘true’ believers themselves can lose their salvation due to disobedience and unrepented sin: (1 Cor 9:24-27 – Paul uses himself as a potential example; Luke 9:62 – like Lot’s wife ‘looked back’; Matt 25:31-46; Matt 7:21-23).
Unfortunately, it is very sad to assert that most Christians will not make Heaven because they blindly ignore or misunderstand the biblical command of repentance of and departure from their ongoing sins before God. This is naturally required firstly to acknowledge and honour God, and, so that He would “invoke” the Blood of Jesus Christ upon a sin(s) at the time of repentance and therefore ‘take away’ that sin(s) at that time. That is, ongoing repentance is required because a person’s ongoing sin(s) is not “automatically” (and ongoingly) removed by God at the time of each sin(s) without faith and the required faith act of repentance of every (ongoing) sin(s) (1 John 1:8-9). According to His Word God cannot be mocked (Galatians 6:4-9) and He cannot permit believers to do nothing whenever they sin against Him and consequently keep sinning and still expect to enter Heaven. This would completely contradict the entire Scriptures.
False ‘Grace’ teaching says or implies that you don’t really need to talk to God and repent whenever you sin, or at least not all the time. Yet, the need to repent of one’s sin(s) is exactly what the ‘Prodigal Son’ (Luke 15:11-32) showed when he repented and returned to his father (as like ‘God’) after sinning, thereby obtaining forgiveness from him. In the father’s eyes, the sin(s) committed by his son was “taken away” at the time of his genuine confession and not merely because he was his son with the common special privileges which that brings. That is, to explain, a believer is not “automatically” forgiven of his or her ongoing sins merely because he or she was Saved at an initial point but, rather, believers must be faithful and respectful towards God which involves repenting of every ongoing sin(s), in order to, at the time of repentance, gain forgiveness and ‘right’ standing from Him as 1 John 1:9 states. In this respect, it would be absurd to believe that if for instance the Prodigal Son were to repeat his wasteful ways multiple times in the future God would not expect him to again repent on each occasion as he did originally and therefore be permitted entry into Heaven without doing so.
Thus, to not preach or teach accurately nor regularly (or at all) on the critical biblical command of (ongoing) repentance – it being the first (and ‘ongoing’) word and command of Jesus’ public ministry – is grievously sinful (Matt 4:17; Mark 1:15; John 5:13-14; 8:10-11; James 4:13-17).
Further, like all words in Scripture, a word on the Bible’s pages like “repent” is divinely “constitutional” in that it is (eternally) “fixed” and therefore always and firstly requires a strict literal or “plain words” interpretation when reading the text. Then, if necessary, this may be followed by a “reading down” of the text (a necessary “narrowing” of it) in order to apprehend the intention of the wider context of a verse or passage or the entire Bible through the use of a formal interpretation method like the “purposive” approach where a literal reading is not appropriate or does not provide clarity of meaning.
Finally, with a ‘legal’ Covenant, it is crucial to understand that a command like “repent” (Matt 4:17) which is a critical touchstone of New Testament righteousness is also a “fixed” legal ‘principle’, with its connection to Salvation, and therefore is necessarily a ‘continuing’ requirement unless such is clearly ceased by a later and different principle which it is not. Biblically speaking, and by extension legally speaking (not “legalistically speaking”), for a ‘binding’ Covenant of God, a standing principle by its very nature always requires adherence to it unless, in light of the aforementioned, it is plainly inconsistent with its context and the text and most importantly the Bible’s Message as a whole.
Part 2
8 Sep 2020
‘The majority of the Church of God, you are being unknowingly Deceived by false belief and teaching concerning Salvation and eternity’.
People of God, don’t fall for the ‘once-saved always-saved’ teaching and belief. This is thoroughly unbiblical and a deep falsehood that has placed most of the Church currently on the wide road that leads to destruction as with Matthew 7:13-14. The Scriptures are overwhelmingly clear that it is a person that individually allows oneself to be ‘snatched out of Jesus’ hand’ (John 10:28, concerning ‘snatched’) due to sin and non-repentance.
Though Jesus will unfailingly give Eternal life (John 10:28) to those that receive Him, the believer must also unfailingly ‘play’ his or her part to maintain this Salvation by understanding in balance other critical Scriptures which reveal the necessary condition (‘unless’ below) that prevents Salvation being “snatched” from a believer by one’s own doing. Just two Scriptures below among many that Jesus Christ spoke to believers which reveal and reflect the overriding Heaven Entry “test” which is the need to do the Will of God as per Matthew 7:21:
Jesus Christ (Matt 18:1-3):
1 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child and had him stand among them.
3 And He said: “I tell you the truth, UNLESS you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven”.
Jesus Christ (Luke 13:1-5):
1 ‘Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But UNLESS you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But UNLESS you repent, you too will all perish.”
In love, don’t be deceived people. Jesus Christ reveals in Luke 16:19-31 that there is literal FIRE that engulfs the unrepentant sinner in Hell (including believers) immediately upon death. Then, Revelation 20:15 shows that such a person’s final abode is being INSIDE the Lake of Fire forever.
One must escape this fate at all costs as it’s not a joke. A person must urgently take stock of his or her life now for one does not know what can happen to you today or tomorrow. Biblically and terribly, the regret will be unfathomable and forever (Luke 16:19-31) if you draw your last breath without having ongoingly repented.
It’s all over forever people when you die without having pursued and done this – as it is God’s Will – because you were doing your own will. Again, please never be fooled by the extremely deceiving and false doctrine and ‘softer road’ of ‘once-saved always-saved’. It is not the biblical truth at all, but unfortunately it is the teaching and belief of most of the Church of God which therefore the lack of attentiveness regarding this false doctrine to the urgent need for ongoing repentance concerning sin will unfailingly and shockingly land currently the majority of Christians into Hell.
We including myself have to do the Will of God people. Gotta walk in the full Word of God as well as in our respective calling(s), like the apostles and the early Church did as per Mark 13:34, for the Great Commission, which both are God’s Will that is required by Matthew 7:21.
Further, don’t be deceived by no-need-to-repent ‘Grace’ teachings and beliefs, and the absence of need-to-repent teachings. These are lies that keep the ‘always-saved’ believing person on the wide road to destruction which the demons on the other side of your last breath are only too happy to have their way with you. This is the absolute truth but our seen experiences on earth daily have lulled us into a deceptive and blinding false ‘security’ and posture of thinking we are still comfortably Saved despite lacking ongoing repentance and not doing God’s Will.
Ask God to help you to do His Will in His Word and to reveal to you your true calling(s), or to walk truthfully in your calling if you are doing your calling (Mark 13:34). Don’t let the conventional yet false teaching or misunderstanding of the Word of God concerning Salvation following your initial Salvation deceive you into Hell. You only have one life and one opportunity to get into Heaven yet you are walking very blindly along the wide road of destruction that Jesus spoke of because you regard sin (psalm 66:18) and ignore repentance as well as the urgent need to begin or continue to do the Father’s heart of sharing Jesus with others.
Brethren, there is no exit door forever when you draw your last breath in non-repentance like that terrible case in Luke 16:19-31, where he did not repent of not loving his neighbour as himself. Therefore, it’s high time to now cut out this continuous great danger in your life which Soberly affects your eternity and to remove yourself from non-repentance living and come into the truth of repentance living. Your soul’s abode upon death is highly at stake continuously.
People of God let’s pray, Father God, may You forgive us and intervene and help us to walk in Your truths and to cut out unbiblical teachings and beliefs and practices which entrap us onto the biblical wide road of destruction, as the Adversary so desires desperately. Help us daily to repent and to pursue Your true Will as with Matthew 7:21 in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth amen.
Part 3
7 Oct 2020
To share, people don’t fall for the non-existent repentance teachings. This is the Will of Jesus Christ for all people that we repent (Matt 4:17), and ongoingly (Matt 24:13; Heb 10:26-27; Luke 13:5). There is no ‘middle-ground’ or “warm” and “secure” teaching in the Scriptures where our ongoing sins do not require ongoing repentance before God following our initial Salvation experience. If a person is variously not doing the Word of God (Luke 6:46) and his or her own calling (Mark 13:34) and not engaging in the daily instructions or interactions from God (Rom 8:14), and is not repenting ongoingly (Matt 18:3; Luke 13:5), then he or she is not doing the Will of God (Matt 7:21).
Critically, unrepented sin(s) in a person remains exposed before God and always requires some act of Faith in God on the ongoing sinner’s part involving confession or repentance or belief which enables God to take away the sin(s) by the Blood of Jesus Christ at that time of repentance. That is, biblically, a person’s ongoing sin(s) is not just automatically taken away by God when he or she sins without repenting, but, rather, a person must “activate” the benefit of forgiveness arising from Jesus’ Sacrifice by ‘doing’ something. That is, by showing God an act of faith/belief to effect ongoing forgiveness for oneself. Faith or belief or an ‘act’ is always required by God in His Word whenever sin occurs because among other things it reveals the state of a person’s heart and his or her understanding of God’s Will and purposes
Part 4
6 Jan 2021
‘The Importance of New And Current Preachers Communicating The ‘Whole’ Bible: Avoiding The Insufficient And Inadequate Doctrinal Position And Fear Trap’
For preachers starting out it is critical that, from the beginning of your ministry, the full Word of God and the true Gospel is preached. Among other things, it is important that you preach about God’s grace balanced with the need to avoid sin as well as repentance, holiness, hell and the biblical and plain truth that a Believer can lose his or her Salvation in the absence of doing God’s Will (Matt 7:21) and non-repentance (Matt 18:3; 1 Cor 6:9-10; 1 Cor 9:24-27). Preacher, it is also critical that believers know that they cannot wrongly assume or presume or ‘guess’ upon God’s mercy because of the Cross and therefore think that He will automatically forgive ongoing unrepented sins and unfaithfulness post-Salvation – this is false (Exod 33:19; 1 John 1:9; Matt 18:3; Luke 13:1-5). The Scriptures above reveal He won’t.
Preacher, you don’t want to put yourself in the very difficult and unenviable predicament where you know or come to know the truth but find it very difficult or even impossible to change and start preaching the whole truth to people. This is due to the likelihood that you will be afraid or hesitant in being seen to be wrong for not preaching the truth in the first place as well as even being falsely regarded by some as now preaching ‘another gospel’ even though you have decided and have proceeded to preach the truth and the full truth of the Word of God. No, do not confuse your congregation and others. That is, preaching the truth ‘later’ has significant ramifications for how they will perceive and regard you though at the same time understandably many will applaud you for ‘seeing the light’ and being bold enough to change and preach the truth.
As stated, for those starting out, it is very critical that you preach the whole truth of the Scriptures from the beginning without fear or favour. For current preachers, in love, it’s time to urgently preach about the above so that your congregation and others will be convicted of sin before God and have godly sorrow that leads to repentance otherwise they will not make Heaven (2 Cor 7:10; Heb 12:14). Importantly, while biblically your hearers will bear their own guilt for their not adhering to the full and true Word for themselves, and will not make Heaven as a result, you, preacher, are ultimately liable for their disallowance from Heaven because you didn’t preach the full Truth to them so that they would hear about their shortcomings before God and therefore repent concerning their sins and avoid Hell (Eze 33:6, 3:18; 1 Cor 6:9-10).
Furthermore, Preacher, you don’t want to be in that dire position of being found out by God for not preaching and teaching like Paul said ‘the whole Will of God’ (Acts 20:27). This means that you have been sinning and have been exposed by not communicating full biblical truth to your congregation or those around you which is what they need and what God clearly and unequivocally commands for a preacher. Preacher, Leviticus 5:17 states, “If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible”. This reveals that there is no excuse for not knowing or searching out that the Word of God already reveals a ‘rule’ or teaching for a subject or act or practice that you have ignored or did not give heed to properly.
Biblically speaking, ignorance of the ‘law’ or ‘lack of conviction’ regarding a biblical practice is not an excuse and of course the former is even a common adage in society. In this respect, preachers, as ‘called’ church leaders, must properly understand the heart and Will of God concerning biblical doctrine and church practice and communicate this to the congregation so that they can be obeying God’s Will in all things and not be deceived and sinning against Him: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15)(Acts 20:27; Luke 6:46; Matt 7:21).
Preachers, the above is serious stuff which directly affects and impacts upon both your own eternal state and your congregation as well as those generally under your influence or who hear and or receive your insufficient or false teachings. The Word of God states, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (Jam 3:1).
Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, may You have mercy on, and forgive all preachers, all believers, and myself of our sins, I repent as well
Part 5
19 Feb 2021
Repentance is critical people.
If you’re not feeling convicted when you sin know that biblically your ‘Salvation’ is at ongoingly grave risk. There is nothing in the Bible that supports forgiveness of sins by God in the absence of ongoingly showing God a godly sorrow that brings repentance which leads to Salvation’ (2 Cor 7:10). Please see all below.
The Church has largely and falsely believed that God automatically forgives a person’s ongoing sins even if he or she continues to sin. Yet, Hebrews 10:26-27 in balance to God’s promise clearly speaks of the Fire judgment of Hell for the believer who sins presumptuously, or continues to sin. This false belief can be due to various reasons including false or inadequate teaching from the pulpit, a lack of personal reading of the Bible, love of sin and worldliness, and a fear to change and therefore blindly moving with the sinning believer crowd.
Folks, unrepented sin is extremely dangerous and detrimental for your soul right now. Don’t get swept up in the ‘once saved always saved’ belief, as, biblically, it is very false in the absence of repentance (Matt 18:3, to believers). A believer clearly ‘plucks’ oneself out of Jesus’ Salvation hands (John 10:28) by not doing the Will of God which repentance (John 5:14; Gal 5:19-21; 1 Cor 6:9-10) is a part of this Will for believers and non-believers (Matt 7:21-23; Luke 13:1-5).
Don’t be deceived people, you may not know it or believe it but unrepentant believers are right this moment on the ‘wide road’ that leads to destruction (Matt 7:13-14). This is the reason Scripture warns us that we should enter through the narrow gate (v. 13) and therefore to currently be on the typically very challenging But obedient and greatly rewarding and blessed ‘narrow road’ that leads to Eternal Life (v. 14), which soberly only a few believers will get (Matt 22:14). This ‘narrow road’ involves and includes repenting whenever we sin (John 5:14) which is a part of Jesus ‘knowing you’ in Matthew 7:23, and doing so shows respect for our holy God.
To Believers, me and you currently:
19 ‘The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God’ (Gal 5:19-21).
Again, to the ‘ongoing’ Believers in Corinth, which obviously includes me and you:
9 ‘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 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God’ (1 Cor 6:9-10).
Time to wake up folks. No escape door from Hell. Don’t ever take the chance nor presume or assume that God is ‘loving and merciful’ to excuse sin in the absence of repentance, or that you “know” that He will forgive you – this is nowhere to be found in the Bible.
We’re talking about forever HELL here, you being Immediately Inside flames of fire upon death for the disobedient believer/person (Jesus: Luke 16:19-31), and Inside The Lake of Fire forever (Rev 20:15) after that.
You already know that this biblical, true, and explicit reality warned above by Jesus and the Holy Spirit respectively will be the worst, unimaginable, unfathomable realisation of your existence, when you, your knowing soul, finds itself forever in HELL with no escape (your soul did not get saved ultimately due to sin) – due to not doing God’s Will (Matt 7:21-23) – when you could have just focused on, and understood His full Truth (Acts 20:27), and believed it, and meekly obeyed His ‘plain’ and unchanging Logos (Word) staring at you in His Text. This would have been better than entertaining sin and deception and your own false and unnecessary subjectivities and excuses, and deviations concerning the Text and life. What expensive and deadly errors made against your soul, Lord have mercy today!
We are breathing fresh air right now, no cup of water forever in Hell for us, coupled with continuous agony forever, every second (Luke 16:19-31)(Rev 20:15).
Many supposed believers will “say” on that day, ‘Me of all people, I actually didn’t make it to heaven!’
Because you didn’t do the Father’s Will in every aspect of life and your life (Matt 7:21)(25:31-46).
Finally, 2 Corinthians 7/10-11 to the Ongoing “Believer”:
‘Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to CLEAR YOURSELVES, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter’.
In other words, to be an ‘ongoing’ believer, as with the Corinthians and Galatians and all the believers in the New Testament, biblically, there is an ongoing repentance required by God for ongoing Salvation.
You need to then ongoingly Clear Yourself believer for ongoing Salvation to the end (Matt 24:13), by ongoing repentance and ongoing faithful obedience to God.
Biblically, you can’t make Heaven without this, for God cannot allow unrepentant sinning ‘believers’ into Heaven, as, we must ongoingly be presenting ourselves to the Lord without spot or wrinkle (sin) in order to meet Him (Eph 5:27).
Part 6
6 May 2021
‘Are You Deceptively Following The Outward Falsities Of Fellow Believers In Spite Of The Word Of God?
God bless all, may He grace and favour you more in the Name of Jesus Christ.
I’ve felt increasingly moved to share the below due to the growing place of Christian identity and practice among believers in a world climate calling for change to the prevailing status quo.
Would like to share that in the current climate where the line between good and bad is increasingly being blurred, the need for Christians to be mindful of this ‘line’ within Christendom is similarly standing out.
On my end, in the past I’ve learned the hard way at times concerning the desires of God’s heart and strive to learn to avoid those hard ways, or at least be empowered in the Lord when experiencing them. This thinking has inspired the below and hope it will be helpful in some way to someone or perhaps at least provoke one’s thinking in a challenging but positive way.
To share, it’s intended to encourage believers to be careful of the ‘outward’ ‘sin-snares’ of other believers which biblically can affect one’s salvation especially if one is a follower of such believers.
External factors are focused on here because Jesus Christ says that people are known by their fruits (Matt 7:16). That is, the ‘things’ they are ‘producing’ on the “outside”, like fruits found on a tree. It is pertinent to say that the ‘outward’ is typically a reflection of one’s heart or inner self (Luke 6:45). For instance, a believer may seem to have his or her calling in God and everything else all together, seemingly going very well. And, one may appear to communicate sound things or doctrines or teachings or carry oneself in an upstanding or even inspiring way. Yet, there are typically obedience deficiences in a believer’s ‘outward’ spiritual practices and ways which need addressing because biblically these amount to sin. In this regard, as the Word reveals, God will test and judge all activity by His Word only (John 12:48).
Firstly, the Bible warns that if a believer is engaging in any practice or way that transgresses the Scriptures then it is sin against God (Psa 51:5). This is irrespective of whether it is ‘outward’ or ‘inward’ and will incur adverse eternal consequences unless repented of according to the Word of God (Matt 18:3; Luke 13:5).
This predicament reveals the critical care needed by believers to not imitate or agree with fellow believers’ practices or beliefs that are inconsistent with the Scriptures, no matter how appealing or convincing or likeable they or the person may be. In this regard, it is also critical that believers are not blinded to God’s truths arising from the outward practices and ways of others that may appear ‘spiritual’ and engaging but are in fact plainly contrary to the Scriptures and are sins against God.
This is a common snare among believers and such is also pertinent to the most highly contentious topics in Christendom and, like many issues, they may raise the necessary question of “salvation issues”. Importantly, in this respect, any and every ongoing sin against God is a salvation issue because it is ongoingly unrepented of and therefore unforgiven resulting in adverse eternal judgment by God (Heb 10:26-27). There is also no sin that is “minor” in God’s eyes and which does not incur His wrath in the face of non-repentance of that sin.
The Word in Philippians 2:12 states that believers should ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’. This critically also means our Faith walk is primarily individual in nature, but with God’s help, and should not be influenced by unbiblical “liberties” and so-called “minor” transgressions of God’s Word. Oftentimes, it is the “subtle” inconsistencies or erroneous “personal liberty” practices and ways against the Word by others or ourselves that we overlook or minimise or are ignorant of. For instance, people may appear sound in doctrine, spiritual pronouncements and practices, and may be caring, and even very loving, but what are the other so-called “minor” or “insignificant” things that they are doing which are nevertheless clearly contrary to the Word and that you know of and overlook or do not cross your mind yet implies a supporting of such sins?
How do they appear? Are the speech, actions, viewpoints, spiritual practices and other outward things including the way that believers present themselves physically in right standing with God and the Scriptures in truth? All these “cross” God’s mind and He will unfailingly judge believers’ external and internal practices because He is holy and will not allow any believer with any ongoing internal or external spot or wrinkle, which refer to sins, to enter heaven (Eph 5:27).
Aside, though relatedly, the Word does not reveal anywhere in it that God will automatically or naturally be merciful and forgive people of their sins in the absence of a faithful act like ‘faith’ or confession or repentance (1 John 1:9). Rather, the Word reveals in Exodus 33:19 that it is God in His sovereign wisdom and discretion that determines whether or not He will be merciful to anyone in the course of life. Therefore, it is not scriptural for believers to presume, assume, and thus effectively guess that God will just be merciful and forgive us whenever we sin. This truth is clearly evidenced in Hebrews chapter 10 verses 26 to 27 where it reveals and implies that a believer’s continuation of sin without repentance leaves no more ‘grace’ for him or her but rather eternal judgment in fire.
Another continuing danger in Christendom is the uninformed adoption of sinful practices and beliefs which are in conflict with properly interpreted biblical topics like the false ‘once saved always saved’ belief in the absence of ongoing repentance. Such unbiblical beliefs may variously be due to false or inadequate teachings from the pulpit, a lack of personal reading of the Word, an entrapping and deceptive ‘moving with the crowd’ mentality or a fear to be different and to change, even when the truth is known.
In terms of following a practice that clearly conflicts with the written Scriptures, one pitfall is to wrongly assign a belief of being ‘led by the Spirit’ in doing so. Rather, it is the Spirit’s desire for a believer to be led by the instruction of the written Word which is spirit itself (John 6:63), and, not to stray unreasonably and even unconscionably from the Word in the guise of being ‘Spirit-led’. This snare and error is particularly illuminated when the practice or belief causes confusion to and among brethren when such disagreeing observers simply desire to follow the Word’s clear teachings for such topic without undue ‘compromise’, so to say. God is not a God of disorder but of peace (1 Cor 14:33).
Humbly, people, do not allow anything or anyone’s Word-contrary external ways and practices to influence or deceive you out of Salvation when you have the truth of the ‘plain’ Word of God yourself. This influence is particularly fraught if you have an emotional connection with such believers above because this can compromise your obedience to the Word of God and God Himself and deceptively find you following people or others’ ways instead of God.
Lastly, as above, the Word of God is clear concerning the danger of agreeing with or committing unrepented sins (Matt 18:3; Luke 13:5; Heb 10:26-27). And, God shows no partiality to any believer (Rom 2:11) in His judging of a person at the expiration of one’s earthly life (Heb 9:27).
Believer, be encouraged to keep uppermost the need to ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’ (v. 12), for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose (v. 13, Phil 2).
God bless
Part 7
17 June 2021
‘Are You Deceptively Following The Outward Falsities Of Fellow Believers In Spite Of The Word Of God?
God bless all, may He grace and favour you more in the Name of Jesus Christ.
I’ve felt increasingly moved to share the below due to the growing place of Christian identity and practice among believers in a world climate calling for change to the prevailing status quo.
Would like to share that in the current climate where the line between good and bad is increasingly being blurred, the need for Christians to be mindful of this ‘line’ within Christendom is similarly standing out.
On my end, in the past I’ve learned the hard way at times concerning the desires of God’s heart and strive to learn to avoid those hard ways, or at least be empowered in the Lord when experiencing them. This thinking has inspired the below and hope it will be helpful in some way to someone or perhaps at least provoke one’s thinking in a challenging but positive way.
To share, it’s intended to encourage believers to be careful of the ‘outward’ ‘sin-snares’ of other believers which biblically can affect one’s salvation especially if one is a follower of such believers.
External factors are focused on here because Jesus Christ says that people are known by their fruits (Matt 7:16). That is, the ‘things’ they are ‘producing’ on the “outside”, like fruits found on a tree. It is pertinent to say that the ‘outward’ is typically a reflection of one’s heart or inner self (Luke 6:45). For instance, a believer may seem to have his or her calling in God and everything else all together, seemingly going very well. And, one may appear to communicate sound things or doctrines or teachings or carry oneself in an upstanding or even inspiring way. Yet, there are typically obedience deficiences in a believer’s ‘outward’ spiritual practices and ways which need addressing because biblically these amount to sin. In this regard, as the Word reveals, God will test and judge all activity by His Word only (John 12:48).
Firstly, the Bible warns that if a believer is engaging in any practice or way that transgresses the Scriptures then it is sin against God (Psa 51:5). This is irrespective of whether it is ‘outward’ or ‘inward’ and will incur adverse eternal consequences unless repented of according to the Word of God (Matt 18:3; Luke 13:5).
This predicament reveals the critical care needed by believers to not imitate or agree with fellow believers’ practices or beliefs that are inconsistent with the Scriptures, no matter how appealing or convincing or likeable they or the person may be. In this regard, it is also critical that believers are not blinded to God’s truths arising from the outward practices and ways of others that may appear ‘spiritual’ and engaging but are in fact plainly contrary to the Scriptures and are sins against God.
This is a common snare among believers and such is also pertinent to the most highly contentious topics in Christendom and, like many issues, they may raise the necessary question of “salvation issues”. Importantly, in this respect, any and every ongoing sin against God is a salvation issue because it is ongoingly unrepented of and therefore unforgiven resulting in adverse eternal judgment by God (Heb 10:26-27). There is also no sin that is “minor” in God’s eyes and which does not incur His wrath in the face of non-repentance of that sin.
The Word in Philippians 2:12 states that believers should ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’. This critically also means our Faith walk is primarily individual in nature, but with God’s help, and should not be influenced by unbiblical “liberties” and so-called “minor” transgressions of God’s Word. Oftentimes, it is the “subtle” inconsistencies or erroneous “personal liberty” practices and ways against the Word by others or ourselves that we overlook or minimise or are ignorant of. For instance, people may appear sound in doctrine, spiritual pronouncements and practices, and may be caring, and even very loving, but what are the other so-called “minor” or “insignificant” things that they are doing which are nevertheless clearly contrary to the Word and that you know of and overlook or do not cross your mind yet implies a supporting of such sins?
How do they appear? Are the speech, actions, viewpoints, spiritual practices and other outward things including the way that believers present themselves physically in right standing with God and the Scriptures in truth? All these “cross” God’s mind and He will unfailingly judge believers’ external and internal practices because He is holy and will not allow any believer with any ongoing internal or external spot or wrinkle, which refer to sins, to enter heaven (Eph 5:27).
Aside, though relatedly, the Word does not reveal anywhere in it that God will automatically or naturally be merciful and forgive people of their sins in the absence of a faithful act like ‘faith’ or confession or repentance (1 John 1:9). Rather, the Word reveals in Exodus 33:19 that it is God in His sovereign wisdom and discretion that determines whether or not He will be merciful to anyone in the course of life. Therefore, it is not scriptural for believers to presume, assume, and thus effectively guess that God will just be merciful and forgive us whenever we sin. This truth is clearly evidenced in Hebrews chapter 10 verses 26 to 27 where it reveals and implies that a believer’s continuation of sin without repentance leaves no more ‘grace’ for him or her but rather eternal judgment in fire.
Another continuing danger in Christendom is the uninformed adoption of sinful practices and beliefs which are in conflict with properly interpreted biblical topics like the false ‘once saved always saved’ belief in the absence of ongoing repentance. Such unbiblical beliefs may variously be due to false or inadequate teachings from the pulpit, a lack of personal reading of the Word, an entrapping and deceptive ‘moving with the crowd’ mentality or a fear to be different and to change, even when the truth is known.
In terms of following a practice that clearly conflicts with the written Scriptures, one pitfall is to wrongly assign a belief of being ‘led by the Spirit’ in doing so. Rather, it is the Spirit’s desire for a believer to be led by the instruction of the written Word which is spirit itself (John 6:63), and, not to stray unreasonably and even unconscionably from the Word in the guise of being ‘Spirit-led’. This snare and error is particularly illuminated when the practice or belief causes confusion to and among brethren when such disagreeing observers simply desire to follow the Word’s clear teachings for such topic without undue ‘compromise’, so to say. God is not a God of disorder but of peace (1 Cor 14:33).
Humbly, people, do not allow anything or anyone’s Word-contrary external ways and practices to influence or deceive you out of Salvation when you have the truth of the ‘plain’ Word of God yourself. This influence is particularly fraught if you have an emotional connection with such believers above because this can compromise your obedience to the Word of God and God Himself and deceptively find you following people or others’ ways instead of God.
Lastly, as above, the Word of God is clear concerning the danger of agreeing with or committing unrepented sins (Matt 18:3; Luke 13:5; Heb 10:26-27). And, God shows no partiality to any believer (Rom 2:11) in His judging of a person at the expiration of one’s earthly life (Heb 9:27).
Believer, be encouraged to keep uppermost the need to ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’ (v. 12), for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose (v. 13, Phil 2).
God bless
Part 8
6 July 2021
. Moses was ‘perfect’ (Num 12:7; Heb 3:5).14 Sep 2021
Christians and non-Christians, be very careful.
Don’t be deceived in doing anything that is contrary to God’s written and plain Word. This is because eternity in the post-death location of Hell (Luke 16:19-31), in the absence of God, is not a joke, but Real, and will happen to you if you are found in unrepented sin (Heb 10:26-27).
You will fail and make mistakes regularly in many areas, I fail and make mistakes regularly in many areas, we all fail and make mistakes regularly in many areas.
But, don’t be ongoingly found in deliberate or ignorant opposition to God in belief and practice, and thought (Exod 20:17; Lev 19:17-18; Matt 5:22), and without repenting ongoingly of it (Matt 18:3) – ongoing repentance is the Will of God (Acts 17:30; Matt 4:17; Mark 1:15; Heb 10:26-27).
Don’t be deceived by not accepting, by diminishing, or by ignoring the plain Word of God because you enjoy your own contrary beliefs and practices, or ignore or support others doing it, yet, you don’t even see it as contrary to God even though the Word reveals that it is.
You don’t want to end up speechless and undoubtedly shocked at your last breath like the man at the Lord’s Wedding Banquet in Matthew 22, and, irredeemable, and miss Heaven forever due to among other things:
diminishing or ignoring God’s plain Word, ignoring that ongoing repentance is required by God, moving with or believing with a church or Christians which omit critical aspects of God’s Word, or naively believing or presuming that God will automatically be merciful to you in the face of unrepented sinning, or, falsely thinking you had a certain ‘freedom’ or ‘personality’ in Christ to engage in practices that plainly were in opposition to God’s written Word due to the false belief that you were being led by the Holy Spirit.
People, the Word of God is the Standard for life (John 8:28; John 6:63; Psa 119:105; 2 Tim 3:16-17). God will mark your conduct against His Word without favouritism to you (Rom 2:11). He will not, and cannot ‘bend’ His rules because His Word is His expression of Himself. God does not ‘change’ Himself and His Word to suit “modernity” and the 21st century (Mal 3:6).
Those who will make Heaven are those that will not compromise on God’s full Word, which is His Will (Acts 20:27; Matt 7:21). Whereas those who miss Heaven are those who did not follow the full and plain Word of God (Matt 7:21-23; Acts 20:27; John 14:15; Mark 10:17-19; Luke 6:46; Mark 13:34; Rom 8:14; Matt 18:3).
Many if not most Christians believe that God’s love will automatically likely cover their sins and failings without repenting of them if they have been a “good” Christian.
This is false. In His Word, the nature of God’s love for secure Salvation is overall ‘stricter’ than what most Christians may think because of Life’s influences against God and Truth (Matt 7:13-14; Matt 7:21-23: Luke 6:46; Matt 25:31-46).
God’s loving ‘Law’ contains within it His command to repent ongoingly concerning sins (Matt 18:3; Luke 13:1-5). Believers are among those He said this to. Matt 18:3 is specific to believers.
Be very careful people. You don’t know whether now or today or tomorrow is the last moment of your life. It could be. Do not be deceived by and follow the teachings of those who ignore God’s plain Word (2 Peter 2) when you have the Word of God yourself. It will cost you Heaven, because you are in unrepented sin.
Christians, and speaking to myself of course, be careful to follow and to strive to follow God’s Word for yourself. Don’t agree with or importantly endorse anyone or anything that is plainly disobeying God’s written Word.
Don’t be found by God to be engaging with any Bible-contrary practices, and without repenting of them because you were deceived believing that God doesn’t want you to be perfect, as many Christians falsely say. Jesus Christ says be perfect because your heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48). Job was ‘perfect’ (Job 1:8; . Moses was ‘perfect’ (Num 12:7; Heb 3:5).
Also, do not dilute or sideline the Word of God because of being impacted by (false) teaching and beliefs, or your own sinful beliefs and practices. God of course does not overlook opposition to His Word, nor if it is done ignorantly (Lev 5:17). It is deception which will adversely affect your eternal state.
People, as above, be regularly in repentance before God and also because you may have sinned without knowing or believing it (1 John 1:8-9).
Remember, it is only a person Saved (Acts 3:19), and ongoingly doing God’s Will by His Spirit (Mark 10:17-19; Matt 24:13; Rom 8:14), and doing one’s calling (Mark 13:34), without spot or wrinkle (sin)(Eph 5:27), and, who is ongoingly repenting (Heb 10:26-27) that pleases God and will meet Jesus Christ on the last day.
Again, be careful not to follow anyone who is plainly opposing the written Word of God in one or more areas. The Word reveals that we should imitate the obedient in Christ but do not be deceived in imitating or supporting any person’s or church’s beliefs or ways that are against God’s plain Word. God will judge us by what He reveals in His Word.
Remember to work out Your own Salvation in Christ with fear and trembling (Phili 2:12-13). You are not beholden to anybody but only to Jesus Christ and His Will.
After all, it is you alone that will stand before Jesus Christ at judgment, if you make Heaven (2 Cor 5:10), and stand before the ‘Great White Throne’ Judge, if you miss Heaven (Rev 20:11-15).
Finally, as a whole, do not be deceived and entrapped in moving with sinning, worldly, compromising, or ignorant others and Christians. They will not be able to help you on the day of your last breath if you have been moving with them and you will not be able to blame them successfully to God on that day. The Word of God is God’s Will, the ‘Test’ for Heaven entry for all mankind. His Test is not a joke for anybody when it comes to eternity without God in continuous agony which is beyond words:
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!” (Jesus Christ, Matthew 7:21-23).
The Dead (unbelievers and unrepentant “believers”) Are Judged:
11 “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire”.
*How to be Saved – (Acts 2:38; John 3:16; Romans 10:9-13, Colossians 2:6; Matthew 24:13).