KNOWING YOU’RE SAVED PART 4

September 6, 2011 at 4:05 PM (Doctrine, Knowing You're Saved)

SALVATION AND PERFECTION

As we’ve already seen in Ephesians 2:8, you’re saved by grace. Salvation is a gift of grace. It’s unmerited, undeserved, and unearned. You can’t do anything to earn God’s salvation or grace. His grace, and the salvation that goes with it, is totally sovereign. God saved you because He wanted to, not because you deserved to be saved. Brethren, no one deserves to be saved! We all deserve Hell and damnation because of our sins. But God saved us because it was His sovereign pleasure and goodwill to save us.

Now because salvation is purely a matter of God’s grace and not something that you can work for, then you must understand that YOUR SALVATION ISN’T CONDITIONED OR DEPENDENT ON YOU BEING SINLESS OR PERFECT. THE ONLY REQUIREMENT FOR SALVATION, THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO TO BE SAVED, IS REPENT AND BELIEVE IN JESUS. John 3:16 promises, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God, you see, didn’t say you had to be sinless before He saves you. He didn’t condition your salvation on you being perfect first. To be sure, God wants you to be perfect, Matthew 5:48.  But perfection isn’t a condition or requirement for salvation! If you believe in Jesus and have received Him as your personal Lord and Savior, then you’re already saved and JUST BECAUSE YOU AREN’T PERFECT DOESN’T MEAN YOU AREN’T SAVED!

SIN’S EFFECT ON YOUR SALVATION

Okay. Let’s get this straight up front. Christians aren’t perfect. Christians can sin. Christians do sin. There’s isn’t a Christian around who doesn’t sin. We all sin from time to time. We try not to. Some try harder than others. But the bottom line is, we all sin. The difference between us is, some of us try harder than others. Some give in easier than others. We differ in the kinds of sin we commit. And the number of times we sin. So when it’s all said and done, we all need God’s forgiveness and the cleansing blood of Jesus to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness.

YOUR SINS ARE NOT UNFORGIVABLE. I know I’ve said it lots of times already. But it bears repeating because we all need God’s assurance that He’s forgiven us. 1 John 1:9  assures us that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It’s sins. Plural. We sin any number of times and that’s how many times we’re forgiven. No sin is left unforgiven.

YOUR SINS WILL NOT KEEP YOU OUT OF THE KINGDOM. You’ve got to repent of them, of course. And you’ve got to keep trying hard not to sin. But when you asked God to forgive you, He forgave you. And that sin—those sins—now forgiven and blotted out from God’s sight and memory will not keep you out of the kingdom. When Jesus said, I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand, that means you’ll not perish in perdition. You won’t end up in Hell. Jesus similarly said in John 6:39, And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. As God’s sheep, GOD WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO SIN A SIN THAT’S UNTO DEATH OR PERDITION! Before you die God will make sure you repent of your sin and are forgiven. The promise is, they shall never perish.

YOUR SINS DON’T MAKE YOU QUIT BEING A SHEEP. SIN DOESN’T TURN A SHEEP BACK INTO A GOAT. YOU DON’T QUIT BEING A SHEEP JUST BECAUSE YOU SINNED. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is quite enlightening on this point, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

What does the Lord call these people who were sinning? He calls them My people. They’re sinning. They haven’t repented yet. But the Lord still calls them My people because they’re still His people. Beloved,  sheep don’t quit being sheep when they sin. A straying sheep doesn’t become a goat.

If you sin or backslide for a time, God will come after you and He’ll find His one lost sheep, Luke 15:4-6. Since God promises that they will never perish, then  GOD WON’T ALLOW YOU TO DIE IN SIN OR IN A BACKSLIDDEN CONDITION. As the parable of the lost sheep teaches us, God will rescue His wandering sheep and He’ll restore them to Himself before they draw the last breath.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 5. More on sin’s effect on salvation. Stay posted.

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KNOWING YOU’RE SAVED PART 3

August 27, 2011 at 9:03 AM (Doctrine, Knowing You're Saved)

HOW TO KNOW FOR A FACT YOU’RE SAVED

Here are some practical steps you can take to keep yourself free from the torment of doubt about your salvation.

1. SETTLE THE FACT NOW, ONCE AND FOR ALL, THAT YOU’RE SAVED AND ARE GOD’S SHEEP.  Brethren, if you’re not sure you’re saved because you don’t remember a time when you asked the Lord to come into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior, you just don’t remember if you ever had a conversion encounter or experience with Christ; then make sure right now by repenting of all your sins, ask Jesus to forgive you and be the Lord and Savior of your life. Give your life to Him right now. And do you know what? Jesus accepts you and saves you. He doesn’t reject you! Friends, there’s no such thing as coming to Jesus for salvation and Jesus refusing to save you! If you come to Jesus, He’ll save you. That, my friends, is His will and it’s His promise.

Jesus said in John 6:37, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Jesus went on to say in verse 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: and I will raise him up at the last day.

If you’re prone to forget, write today’s date in your Bible or make a note of it somewhere, frame it on a wall, and let it be known that on this particular day  you received Jesus Christ into your heart and you became a child of God. You’re now, and forever will be, God’s sheep. The next time the question or doubt about your salvation comes to mind, refuse to entertain the thought. Don’t meditate on it. Quit asking the question! Point to the inscribed date in your Bible and say, “I am saved.” Praise the Lord for saving you. I guarantee you the Devil will beat a hasty retreat when he hears you praising God and rejoicing in your salvation!

Now that you’re saved, here are some things you need to know about salvation.

YOU’RE SAVED RIGHT NOW: YOU DON’T NEED TO BE SAVED

When you gave your life to Jesus and asked Him to save you, He saved you at that very moment and gave you eternal life.

  • John 3:36a, He that believeth on the Son hath (present tense, has) everlasting life.
  • John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath (present tense, right now, this very moment, has) everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (the future guarantee); but is passed from death unto life (the present reality).
  • John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath (present tense, not future; not going to have, but already has) everlasting life.
  • 1 John 5:11-13 And this is the record, that God hath given (in the Greek, past tense, God gave) to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. {12} He that hath the Son hath (present tense, you have it right now; not future) life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. {13} These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have (present tense, you already have it right now) eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Brethren, you’re already saved. You’re saved right now! Do you know what this means? It means YOU DON’T NEED TO BE SAVED ANYMORE! Why? Because you’re already saved! Salvation isn’t something you’re going to get someday in the future when you stand before God’s throne: it’s something you already have right now!

Now because you’re already saved, then you must understand that your salvation isn’t going to be determined at the end of your life. God doesn’t wait until you’ve lived your whole life to decide if He’s going to save you and let you into Heaven. You’re saved right now, you have eternal life, you’re going to Heaven, and you’ll never perish.

You see, the torment about your salvation comes in you not realizing that you’re saved right now. Torment sees salvation as something in the future. And since it’s in the future, since it’s something you think you don’t have right now, then, naturally, you’d be worried and anxious about not having something that you desperately want to have.

Brethren, salvation isn’t something you’re going to have one day hopefully some time in the future. If you’ve given your life to the Lord, then salvation is something you have right now. Quit worrying about something that you already have. Quit worrying about something that can never be taken away from you as God’s sheep. Quit worrying about where you’re going to spend eternity!

YOU’RE SAVED RIGHT NOW: YOU DON’T NEED TO WORK TO BE SAVED

Let’s clear the air, once and for all, about the relationship between salvation and works. Torment not only sees salvation in terms of the future: it also sees it as something you’ve got to work for. With this wrong theology, you’re constantly working for your salvation. But, with every fall you suffer, with every sin you commit, with every lingering shortcoming or imperfection, you realize what a hard task it is for you to attain to salvation. So you fall into despair and lose hope of ever being saved.

SALVATION’S A GIFT. Brethren, you don’t work for your salvation! Salvation is given to you by God. It’s not earned. It’s a gift God gives. If you’ve already given your heart and life to Jesus, then you’re already saved! God’s already given you the gift!

YOU CAN’T WORK FOR YOUR SALVATION. You can’t earn it, merit it, or deserve it. Why is that? Because you don’t have enough power or good will in you to earn it. Paul says in Romans 7:18, For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. Without Christ in your life to save you and change you, you can’t rise above sinful human nature. The Lords asks in Jeremiah 13:23, Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. In the power of human flesh, no matter how noble or well-meaning, we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away (Isaiah 64:6).

Brethren, without a changed heart and a changed nature, you can’t rise up to the level of perfection or righteousness that God demands of His people. Everything in the Christian life starts with salvation. Unless you’re saved first, you aren’t going anywhere but to Hell. You certainly can’t work your way into Heaven.

You can’t work for your salvation because God made salvation something that no one can ever work for or earn. Ephesians 2:8 reads, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Why did God make salvation something you can’t work for? So that you won’t be proud and take credit for saving yourself. Verse 9 reads, Not of works, lest any man should boast. Brethren, quit trying to work for your salvation. You can’t work for it! You can’t save yourself! Only God can save you. and the good news is, if you’ve given your heart and life to Jesus, He’s already saved you. Quit trying to work for something that you already have. You’re already saved! You don’t need to be saved anymore!

NOW THAT YOU’RE SAVED YOU NEED TO DO GOOD WORKS. God saved you first of all. Then He commanded you to do good works. Ephesians 2:10 goes on to say, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.  Titus 2:11-14 similarly tells us, For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, {12} Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; {13} Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; {14} Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Once you become a Christian God wants you to live a life of godliness and good works. But while God obliges you to do good works, you must nevertheless understand that you’re not working for your salvation: you’re already saved. What you’re doing now, now that you’re already saved, is, you’re working out your salvation. Philippians 2:12 puts it this way, Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out (not, work for) your own salvation with fear and trembling.

There’s a big difference between working for, and working out, your salvation. Here’s an analogy that I find very helpful and easy to understand. You apply for a job as a computer technician. You’re hired. Now you go to work repairing computers. You repair computers because that’s your job. You’re not repairing computers to get a job: you already got the job. You’re repairing computers because that’s your job; you’re only doing what you were hired to do.

In much the same way, when God saved you He ‘hired’ you to do all kinds of good works, Ephesians 2:10. You do good works because that’s your job, that’s what you were ‘hired’ to do. You don’t do them because you want to be saved: you’re already saved. You do them because that’s what you were saved to do. YOU DON’T DO GOOD WORKS TO BE SAVED: YOU DO THEM BECAUSE YOU’RE SAVED. Good works are a matter of obedience, not a matter of salvation. You do them because you want to obey God, not because you want to be saved. Brethren, you’re already saved: you don’t need to be saved anymore.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 4. More things you need to know about salvation. The more you know, the more you’ll be settled and sure about your salvation. It’ll clear up the air even more. So pop in. God’s got the air purifier going. You’ll be breathing good in no time.

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KNOWING YOU’RE SAVED PART 2

August 24, 2011 at 9:04 AM (Doctrine, Knowing You're Saved)

DELIVERANCE FROM THE TORMENT OF DOUBT AND UNCERTAINTY ABOUT YOUR SALVATION, continued

The Devil wants to keep you confused and tormented about your salvation. There are demonic spirits at work here. In my previous post we looked at a lying spirit and the spirits of unworthiness and rejection. Now for the rest.

(4) THE SPIRIT OF TORMENT IS A SPIRIT OF CONDEMNATION.  When you sin or disobey the Lord, the Devil is real good at reminding you of these sins and keeping you condemned for them. True, you don’t have any excuses. You knew better, but you went ahead and sinned. As a result, here comes the Devil’s lies: “God’s rejected you, He’s not going to forgive you, He’s set His face against you, and He’s determined to keep you out of Heaven.” SIN, YOU SEE, OPENS THE DOOR TO CONDEMNATION. CONDEMNATION OPENS THE DOOR TO UNWORTHINESS. AND UNWORTHINESS OPENS THE DOOR TO REJECTION. The end result is, you’re tormented with thoughts and doubts about your salvation. Sin, I’m saying, plays a huge role in torment and in order for you to get rid of the torments you’ve got to deal with the sin and rebuke the spirit of condemnation that’s keeping you condemned for your sin.

The first thing you need to do is repent for your sin. If you’re not sorry for it and have every intention of doing it again, then you may as well forget about going through the motions of repentance because you’re not truly repentant. God isn’t fooled by outward shows of grief or remorse. And He isn’t obliged to forgive anyone who’s unrepentant.

But if you’re truly sorry and are doing your best not to sin, then repent of that sin. Ask God to forgive you. Then, by faith, receive His forgiveness. God, you see, forgives you when you repent and ask Him for forgiveness: HE DOESN’T WITHHOLD FORGIVENESS FROM YOU. HE DOESN’T REFUSE TO FORGIVE! 1 John 1:9 assures you, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Do you know what this means?

It means, first of all, that it’s God’s will to forgive you of your sin. He doesn’t like the fact that you’ve disobeyed Him. It grieves Him that you’ve sinned. But YOUR SIN DOESN’T CHANGE GOD’S MIND ABOUT FORGIVING YOU. IT DOESN’T CHANGE HIS WILL OR DESIRE TO FORGIVE YOU. Brethren, you serve a very forgiving God! Don’t you ever forget that!

The promise of God’s forgiveness, in the second place, isn’t qualified or conditioned on the type of sin that you committed. If we confess our sins. You see, God didn’t list the different kinds of sins that He would forgive, nor did He say that there are some sins that He will not forgive. Sin is sin. If you sinned, then it’s forgivable. And it’s already been forgiven if you repented for it.

The only sin that’s unforgivable is the unpardonable sin and if you’ve committed that sin you wouldn’t be concerned, bothered, or convicted by it; you wouldn’t be seeking God’s forgiveness for that sin.

Aside from the unpardonable sin, THERE IS NO SIN THAT’S UNFORGIVABLE. THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS AN UNFORGIVABLE SIN. NO SIN THAT YOU’VE COMMITTED IS UNFORGIVABLE. Brethren, no matter what sin it was that you committed, it’s a forgivable sin and it lies within God’s desire and will to forgive. THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SIN, MY FRIEND, DOESN’T CHANGE GOD’S DESIRE OR WILL TO FORGIVE YOU!

Lastly, God’s faithfulness and justice require Him to forgive you of your sin when you repent of it and ask Him for forgiveness. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.  The reason why God forgives you is because His nature demands it. He forgives you because He has to. If He didn’t, He would be unfaithful and unjust. And if He were unfaithful and unjust, He would quit being God. He would no longer be God. Friends, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD NOT TO FORGIVE YOU WHEN YOU REPENT OF YOUR SIN AND ASK HIM FOR FORGIVENESS! GOD WOULDN’T BE GOD IF HE REFUSED TO FORGIVE YOU! Do you seriously think God’s going to quit being God because of you and your sin? Fat chance.

If you’ve repented for your sin, then there’s no such thing as an unforgiven sin in your past. Psalm 103:3 plainly tells you, He forgiveth all thine iniquities. Brethren, there’s no exception to that promise! THERE’S NO SIN IN YOUR PAST THAT REMAINS UNFORGIVEN IF YOU’VE REPENTED FOR IT. THERE’S NO SIN IN YOUR PAST THAT CAN KEEP YOU OUT OF THE KINGDOM. Listen once again to what Jesus said, I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish. Brethren, if God has forgiven you, you stand forgiven right now! You’re not condemned! Don’t let the Devil tell you otherwise!

Romans 8:1  assures us that there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Read it again and read it slowly. God said right now, this very moment, there is no condemnation. Brethren, THE LORD DOESN’T CONDEMN YOU FOR SINS THAT YOU’VE REPENTED OF. He forgives you.

If you’re not sure you’re saved because you sinned and you find yourself mired in remorse, unsure of God’s forgiveness; then chances are, somewhere along the line, you’ve opened the door to a demonic spirit of condemnation. It’s the Devil who’s condemning you. And in order for you to get delivered from the torment of condemnation and unforgiveness you’re going to have to renounce and rebuke this spirit of condemnation and get that demon out of you. Start with repentance for your sin. And while you’re at it, repent to God for your refusal or failure to believe the fact that He’s already forgiven you. Believe that God has forgiven you. Accept His forgiveness. Then go after that demon of condemnation, command him to loose you and come out of you in Jesus’ Name. He has to and he will. Then the next time that demon comes around, telling you your sins haven’t been forgiven, rebuke that lying demon and put that spirit of condemnation on the exit ramp.

(5) THE SPIRIT OF TORMENT IS A SPIRIT OF UNBELIEF.  Unbelief and torment go together and they work together. Those who are demonically tormented don’t really believe that God loves them and wants them to go to Heaven. They don’t believe they’re saved. They’re a pretty hard group of people to deal with and get through because they’ve so completely swallowed up Satan’s lies.

But nothing is too hard for the Lord to do, He can prevail and bring His unbelieving sheep to faith and repentance. Friends, to get rid of all these doubts that plague your mind you’ve got to get rid of unbelief and resolve in your heart that you’re going to quit arguing with the Word and quit finding all sorts of reasons why you can’t possibly make it into Heaven. Repent of your unbelief and believe everything the Lord says about you and your salvation. Don’t argue with Him!

Unbelief is like the gas that fuels and powers your car. When you deprive a car of gas, you deprive it of its ability to run. Brethren, YOU’LL BE FREE FROM TORMENT WHEN YOU DECIDE YOU’RE NOT GOING TO FEED AND FUEL THAT TORMENT WITH YOUR UNBELIEF ANYMORE. Believe and confess God’s promises, especially those that we’ve just look at, and get rid of that demon of unbelief!

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 3. Now that we’ve got the Devil out of the way, it’s time to fix the messed up theology that tormented people have about salvation. It’s theology that’s actually very interesting. Captivating. Definitely not dry-as-toast. Water bottles or Heimlichs not needed here.

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KNOWING YOU’RE SAVED PART 1

August 20, 2011 at 4:06 PM (Doctrine, Knowing You're Saved)

The following blog builds upon everything I covered in my five blogs on Eternal Security. If you haven’t read them I urge you to do that now. These blogs on Knowing You’re Saved are dedicated to all God’s people who question their salvation. They’re posted with the prayer that God will bless you with the knowledge and peace of His loving, saving, forgiving hand. From His heart to yours, you can be sure you’re saved!

DELIVERANCE FROM THE TORMENT OF DOUBT AND UNCERTAINTY ABOUT YOUR SALVATION

In reading through these Scriptures that we’ve just read in my previous post (Eternal Security Part 5), the thing that I’d like most for you to see is the fact that God comforts and assures His sheep of their inalienable salvation. It’s God who tells them that their salvation will never be taken away from them, no one will ever be able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand, and they will never perish. GOD, I’M SAYING, COMFORTS HIS PEOPLE WITH THE FACT THAT THEY’RE SAVED AND GOING TO HEAVEN. BRETHREN, IT’S NOT THE LORD WHO TORMENTS YOU WITH DOUBTS AND FEARS ABOUT YOUR SALVATION!

GOD’S NOT TRYING TO KEEP YOU OUT OF HEAVEN. His invitation is, always has been, and still remains, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). Whosoever, my friends, means you! It includes you! God’s not trying to keep you out of Heaven. He’s trying to get you into Heaven and Calvary is the proof of that! Jesus died for you so that you wouldn’t have to spend eternity in Hell.

Your torments and doubts about your salvation come from the Devil. He’s the one who’s planting all these doubts in your mind, telling you you’re not saved or going to Heaven. Do you know why he’s doing it? Because he’s trying to render you useless as a Christian, trying to tell you you’re no good to God, so that you’ll turn your back on Him and go to Hell.

In order for you to be rid of these torments you’ve got to come face to face with the Devil, do battle against him, and silence his lying tongue. Brethren, you’ve got to fight the Devil if you want to be freed from the torments that plague your mind. If you don’t feel like fighting the Devil, ask God for the grace, willingness, and courage to fight. God promised you in Philippians 2:13 that He would make you willing and able to do His good will or pleasure. God, my friends, will give you the willingness to fight and with that willingness, He’ll give you the victory in the fight, you’ll win over the Devil and the torments will cease. But you’ve got to fight the Devil for your freedom.

Now there are any number of demons that are directly responsible for tormenting you about your salvation. You need to wait on the Lord for wisdom as to which demons in particular you’re fighting against. Here are a few of the ones that are commonly involved, and work together, in any warfare relating to your salvation, preservation, and eternal destiny.

(1) THE SPIRIT OF TORMENT IS A LYING SPIRIT.  One of the first things you should know is, if you’re a true child of God, then a lying demon will come to you at some point in your Christian life and try to convince you you’re not saved. He’ll tell you all kinds of things that may even sound good and right. But the truth of the matter is, they’re all lies. He’s lying to you because he doesn’t want you to go to Heaven. He doesn’t want you to believe you’re saved. Brethren, there’s a lying demon talking to you and he’s trying to rob you of your faith and assurance regarding your salvation. Don’t listen to him or believe him. Come against that demon in faith and in the name of Jesus. Rebuke him, tell him to shut up, then send him to the abyss where he belongs.

(2) THE SPIRIT OF TORMENT IS A SPIRIT OF UNWORTHINESS. One of the things a lying demon will tell you is that you’re not worthy of God. You’re nothing to God. God isn’t the least bit interested in you. This is the spirit of unworthiness talking to you.

While it is indeed true that we are unworthy, in and of ourselves, and that we are to have a humble view of ourselves and not be lifted up with pride; the unworthiness that’s involved here is a false humility that robs its victims of their joy (they’re not joyful because they’re just miserable, unwanted sinners); it robs them of their faith (they can’t believe God for the promises because they’re unworthy of God’s goodness); and it robs them of their victory (they live defeated lives of depression, convinced of the lie that God doesn’t love them).

The truth of the matter is, God has made us favored and accepted in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1:6 once again reads, God hath made us accepted in the beloved. Do you know what accepted means? It means favored. God has made us favored in Christ, He looked upon us with favor and made us an object or recipient of His goodness and love.

There are two things about God’s favor that I’d like for you to note. First, God has already, past tense, made you favored in Christ. It’s not something that’s going to happen to you sometime in the future. To the contrary, it’s something that’s already done! You’re already favored in God’s eyes. You’re favored right now!

And second, it’s God who made you favored. You didn’t do one thing to earn God’s favor and there’s nothing you can ever do to earn it. God favored you because it was His sovereign will and pleasure to do it. While you are truly unworthy, in and of yourself, nevertheless, by God’s grace, He has made you worthy, favored, and accepted in His sight. Brethren, despite your desire to be humble in the sight of God, don’t open the door to this spirit of unworthiness. Don’t let him convince you you’re no good in God’s eyes. Believe and quote the truth of Scripture: God has made you favored in Christ. You are a favored child of God!

(3) THE SPIRIT OF TORMENT IS A SPIRIT OF REJECTION.  Another thing a lying demon will tell you is the lie that God doesn’t love you or want you, He hates you, and He’s out to damn you. This is where another demon, the spirit of rejection, comes in. This spirit of rejection doesn’t want you to know, or believe, that God loves you and has made you accepted in Christ. If the Devil can talk you into believing God doesn’t want you, then you won’t want God; it’ll be useless for you to want God because He doesn’t want you anyway (so the Devil says); so you quit walking with God, you don’t talk to Him, you turn away from Him and give up on Him.

Brethren, if you’ve received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, then you need to know that God accepts you, He wants you, and it’s His will for you to spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Ephesians 1:6says God hath made us accepted in the beloved. GOD ACCEPTS YOU, NOT REJECTS YOU!

Read what Jesus promised in John 6:37, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Friend, GOD DOESN’T REJECT ANYONE WHO COMES TO HIM FOR SALVATION. HE DOESN’T TURN ANYONE AWAY. AND THAT INCLUDES YOU! God’s will is to receive you, not reject you. He said if you draw nigh to Him, He’ll draw nigh to you (James 4:8). Brethren, God’s won’t step away from you when you take a step towards Him. He loves you, wants you, and accepts you.

If you find yourself constantly feeling rejected by God, then you need to know that THE FEELINGS OF REJECTION THAT YOU BATTLE DO NOT COME FROM GOD. The Scriptures that we’ve cited above make this abundantly clear. The rejection that you battle is a work of Satan and chances are, somewhere along the way, you’ve opened the door to oppression by a spirit of rejection. Repent to God for believing these lies of the Devil and for giving in to these feelings of rejection. Believe the promise of God’s acceptance. Then ask God to deliver you from this spirit of rejection.

You can get another believer to pray with you and take you through deliverance. If there’s no one around, you can address the Devil yourself and command the spirit of rejection to loose you and come out of you in the name of Jesus. As long as you resist him, the spirit of rejection cannot stay inside you. He cannot defy you and oppress you against your will. He must come out and the torments must cease. Proclaim your deliverance and confess the promise of Ephesians 1:6, God has made me accepted in the beloved. When you start to battle feelings or thoughts of rejection, send that lying, rejecting demon packing!

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 2. A couple more demons to get rid of. God’s cleaning house, so don’t harbor these fugitives. Aiding and abetting are not allowed.

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ETERNAL SECURITY PART 5

August 13, 2011 at 11:17 AM (Doctrine, Eternal Security)

WHAT GOD’S DOING FOR YOU

Now the promise of God’s preservation doesn’t absolve or relieve you of your responsibility to live as sheep. Just because your salvation and place in Heaven cannot ever be taken away from you doesn’t mean you can relax and not live the Christian life or obey the Lord anymore.

To the contrary, if you’re God’s sheep you’ll live as sheep because sheep can’t do anything else but live the life of a sheep. A sheep will hear, believe, follow, bear fruit, obey, and persevere. If you’re not living the life of a sheep, then you’re not a sheep. It’s just that plain and simple.

But if you’re a sheep and if you’re living in fear and torment about whether or not you’re going to make it into Heaven, then here are some things God wants you to know. Please keep in mind, before we go any further, that the Lord’s only talking to sheep. The promise of His preservation applies only to those who are following Him. If you don’t want to live the Christian life and have no intention of obeying the Lord, then the promises and comforts that we cite here are not for you.

GOD IS EVER VIGILANT AND HE UNCEASINGLY WATCHES OVER YOU.  God has His eyes on you. He will not ever take His eyes off of you. He sees you at all times. Brethren, no demon or trial is going to come upon you without His seeing or knowing it.

  • 2 Chronicles 16:9, For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
  • Psalms 121:1-8,  I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. {2} My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. {3} He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. {4} Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. {5} The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. {6} The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. {7} The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. {8} The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

GOD’S ABIDING PRESENCE IS ALWAYS WITH YOU. No matter what God allows to come upon you, He will never leave you or forsake you. He’ll never give up on you and say “I’m through with you.” As God’s sheep, God is with you to stay. He’s right by your side to protect, preserve, and give you grace. Brethren, you’re never alone to face life’s trials and battles on your own. Satan who fights against you also fights against the God who stands beside you. Know for a fact, my friends, that the Devil will not prevail against God or you!

  • Psalms 37:28, For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
  • Isaiah 43:1-3, But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. {2} When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. {3a} For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.
  • Hebrews 13:5-6, Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. {6} So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

GOD’S LOVE FOR YOU WILL NEVER COME TO AN END.  GOD WILL NEVER QUIT LOVING YOU. I know, and God knows, that you’re not perfect. None of us are. But He will keep on loving you, working with you, and preserving you. YOUR SINS OR IMPERFECTIONS DO NOT MAKE GOD QUIT LOVING YOU. Do you know why? Because His love doesn’t fail, it doesn’t come to an end.

  • Lamentations 3:21-23, This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. {22} It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. {23} They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
  • Isaiah 54:10, For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. See also Jeremiah 32:36-42.
  • Romans 8:31-39, What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? {32} He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? {33} Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. {34} Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. {35} Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? {36} As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. {37} Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. {38} 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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

GOD KNOWS HOW TO DELIVER YOU.  God knows what to do to get you out of a jam. He knows how to deliver you out of all your trials. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished, 2 Peter 2:9.  

GOD IS FAITHFUL TO KEEP YOU IN THE PATH OF LIFE.  God’s faithfulness means a lot of things, but I’d like to stress two things in relation to the salvation and preservation of the sheep. The first is, GOD’S FAITHFULNESS MEANS HE WON’T EVER ALLOW A TRIAL, TEMPTATION, OR CIRCUMSTANCE OF LIFE TO COME UPON YOU THAT WILL END UP CAUSING YOU TO TURN YOUR BACK ON GOD. The trials of life are many times hard. But you don’t ever have to give up on God because God has tailor-made each and every trial you go through to be bearable on your part! You can endure the trial! You don’t have to walk away from God because of the things He’s allowed to happen to you. 1 Corinthians 10:13 comforts us with these words, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

And second, God’s faithfulness means He’ll forgive your every sin if you repent and come to Him for forgiveness. John 1:9 assures you, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Brethren, AS LONG AS YOU’RE REPENTANT, THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS AN UNFORGIVABLE SIN. THERE’S NO SIN THAT CAN KEEP YOU OUT OF HEAVEN!

Now lest we be mistaken, this doesn’t mean it’s alright for you to keep on sinning. Please don’t go out and sin! Sinning with a high hand, or sinning haughtily, willfully and deliberately against the light you have, is a damnable sin that can keep you out of the kingdom. Read what God said in Hebrews 10:26-27, For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, {27} But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. For you to continue in sin only proves you’re not a sheep. Sheep don’t keep on sinning. They obey the Lord and bring forth fruits of repentance and righteousness.

But having said all this, the promise of God still remains for those of you who want to walk with God and obey Him, for those of you who hate sin and are grieved by it. And the promise is this. IF YOU’VE REPENTED, YOUR SIN HAS BEEN FORGIVEN. IT WON’T KEEP YOU OUT OF THE KINGDOM!

GOD’S OMNIPOTENT POWER IS WORKING ON YOUR BEHALF.  He gives you all the grace you need to endure a particular trial so that you emerge victorious and intact as a Christian. Brethren, the power to endure is not in yourself: it comes from God. And God has plenty of it to give you whenever you need it. YOU WILL NEVER FAIL OR LACK FOR THE POWER, GRACE, OR ABILITY, TO ENDURE.

  • Psalms 91:14-16, Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. {15} He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. {16} With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.
  • 2 Corinthians 2:14, Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
  • 2 Corinthians 9:8, And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
  • Philippians 2:13, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
  • Hebrews 13:21, {God} Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

GOD WILL KEEP YOU TO THE VERY END.  GOD HAS CHOSEN AND CALLED YOU UNTO SALVATION AND HE WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT YOU MAKE IT INTO THE KINGDOM. YOU WILL NOT FALL AWAY!

  • John 6:39-40, And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. {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: and I will raise him up at the last day.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. {24} Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
  • 2 Timothy 4:18, And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
  • 1 Peter 1:3-5, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, {4} To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, {5} Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
  • Jude 24-25, Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, {25} To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen.

Going back to John 10:27-29 once again, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: {28} And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. {29} My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. Brethren, it is the Father’s will to hold you securely and eternally in His hand. He will not let you go. It’s His will for you to be saved. He wants you to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. And He will personally guarantee, and make sure, that you never perish. Bless God for His love and care for you!

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Knowing For A Fact You’re Saved Part 1. The remainder of my sermons on Eternal Security dealt specifically with helping God’s people—not a few—who just can’t seem to be sure about their salvation. They’re always worrying or doubting that they’re really saved. Their burden became God’s burden and mine. So I renamed the remaining messages on Security to reflect God’s message to these tormented souls. If you’re wondering if you’re really saved, these next blogs are for you. The Doctor’s in and your appointment is set for next week. No Cancellations Accepted.

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ETERNAL SECURITY PART 4

August 10, 2011 at 11:53 AM (Doctrine, Eternal Security)

WHO JESUS GAVE THE PROMISE TO

The promise of God’s unfailing preservation applies only to His sheep. Note John 10:27-28 once again, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: {28} And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Who does our Lord preserve unto life eternal? His sheep.

Now who, or what, is a sheep? How do you know if you’re one of God’s sheep? Well, the Lord tells us here in John 10 who His sheep are. Brethren, you’re God’s sheep if you meet our Lord’s criteria or description of sheep. Here’s what He said about His sheep.

SHEEP HEAR GOD’S VOICE. John 10:3, the sheep hear his voice. What does it mean to hear God’s voice? It means you recognize God’s voice. You know when He’s talking to you. You can discern and tell the difference between God’s voice and the voice of devils or deceivers.

SHEEP DON’T FOLLOW STRANGERS. John 10:5, And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers (see also verse 8). Sheep are not fooled or beguiled by the smooth words and treacheries of false prophets and teachers. They know when a stranger or deceiver is talking to them. Does this mean that a true Christian can’t ever be deceived or be misled?  Of course not. We’ve been deceived at one time or another, so we’re a perfect illustration of the fact that God’s sheep can indeed be deceived, at least for a time. BECAUSE TRUE BELIEVERS ARE GOD’S SHEEP, THEN, IN ORDER THAT THEY NOT PERISH IN DECEPTION AND PERDITION, GOD WILL OPEN THEIR EYES TO BEHOLD THE TRUTH, GRANT THEM REPENTANCE, AND RESTORE THEM TO THE TRUTH. HE’LL RESCUE THEM FROM DECEPTION.

SHEEP FOLLOW GOD. John 10:3-4, To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. {4} And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. They go where Jesus takes or leads them. They obey Him. They stay close to Him and stay in communion with Him. They have a close walk with God.

SHEEP KNOW GOD. John 10:14, I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. Sheep have a personal relationship with Jesus. They commune with Him and know Him. They know His Word. Brethren, sheep are discerning. They can hear God’s voice because they know God’s voice. They know God.

SHEEP BELIEVE GOD AND HIS WORD. John 10:26, But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. Sheep aren’t gullible, they’re not easily misled, nor do they believe everyone or everything they hear, because they’re discerning and they know God. God’s sheep believe the Lord and whatever He says to them. Like the apostles, they may struggle with doubt from time to time, but they always end up believing because, in the end, they recognize the fact that God’s Word is always right and God never lies. SHEEP, MY FRIENDS, DO NOT RESIST THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD. THEY’RE NOT PLAGUED WITH UNBELIEF. THEY’RE NOT CONSTANTLY WRESTLING WITH GOD AND THE SCRIPTURES. They may not understand some part of the Word or believe it at first. They may question and argue with it. But, in the end, they end up believing it because they’re sheep. Sheep will believe God! Friend, IF YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS AND HIS WORD, THEN YOU’RE A SHEEP and you’ll never perish.

SHEEP ARE UNDER ONE SHEPHERD. John 10:16, And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. SHEEP ARE NOT REBELLIOUS, SELF-DETERMINED, OR INDEPENDENT OF OUR LORD. They don’t seek to stray from the Lord and become their own boss. They don’t live without Christ. They stay with the Lord and abide under His lordship, rule, and authority.

SHEEP ARE IN ONE SHEEPFOLD. John 10:16, And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Sheep are not independent, separatists, isolationists, or divisive. Sheep don’t argue and fight with one another and set up a thousand different sheepfolds or denominations. They gather with other sheep and abide with other sheep because they recognize each other as being God’s sheep who are under the protective care of the Master Shepherd.

SHEEP HAVE LIFE. John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. In addition to eternal life, Jesus gives us a life that is truly worth living on this Earth. The Christian life isn’t a life of torment and drudgery. Sure, there are trials and persecutions to go through. The crucifixion of Self isn’t pleasant. And obedience isn’t always a real joy to the flesh. But in all this, there’s an attitude of joy, peace, and victory that permeates the Christian life because God gives them this abundant life. If you’d allow me to put it in my own words, sheep enjoy the Christian life. They have inward peace and satisfaction in being sheep. They don’t want to be goats. They’re happy and content, living under Christ’s authority. They like it that way and they wouldn’t give up Christ and Christianity for anything the world or the Devil can offer them.

SHEEP ARE FED BY THE LORD. John 10:9, I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. When the Lord goes before His sheep He leads them and guides them to green pastures where their souls can be nourished and fattened. God, my friends, isn’t leading His people to churches where they can’t grow or where they’ll end up being deceived by false teachers and ministers. Sheep grow spiritually. They bear fruit.

SHEEP ARE KNOWN BY THE LORD. John 10:27, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Our God is an omniscient God. He knows everything and everyone. But when He says I know my sheep, that means He knows them personally, He’s involved in their lives, He’s working in their lives, He knows them savingly.

SHEEP OBEY THE LORD. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. {22} Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? {23} And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Friends, there are all kinds of professing Christians in this world who talk the talk. Some people who aren’t going to be in Heaven can do great things for the Lord and even work miracles. But they aren’t going to spend eternity in Heaven because they haven’t obeyed the Lord. They weren’t repentant about their sins or lusts. They didn’t give them up. Instead, they continued to do things that the Lord hates. They lived a life of sin. Brethren, IF YOU’RE NOT IN THIS NUMBER, IF YOU’RE STRIVING TO OBEY THE LORD AND HAVE GIVEN YOURSELF TO OBEDIENCE AND THE CROSS, THEN KNOW FOR A FACT THAT YOU’RE ONE OF GOD’S SHEEP. You’ll make it into the kingdom.

SHEEP WILL LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND PRODUCE FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.  Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-20, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. {16} Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? {17} Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. {18} A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. {19} Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. {20} Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Brethren, IF YOU’RE LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE FROM DAY TO DAY AND ARE BEARING FRUITS OF REPENTANCE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, THEN KNOW FOR A CERTAINTY THAT YOU’RE ONE OF GOD’S SHEEP. You’ll make it into the kingdom.

SHEEP WILL ENDURE TO THE VERY END.  Jesus promised in Matthew 10:22, he that endureth to the end shall be saved. He said in James 1:12, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. He said it again in Revelation 2:10, Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Friends, IF YOU’RE ENDURING YOUR TRIALS AND STRIVING TO BE FAITHFUL, THEN KNOW FOR A FACT THAT YOU’RE A SHEEP, GOD HAS HIS HAND ON YOU, AND HE’LL NEVER LET YOU GO!

Now the comfort of the sheep’s perseverance is this: God gives them the grace and willingness to persevere. He puts it this way in Isaiah 41:10, Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. In other words, those who are in God’s hand will persevere to the very end. God will watch over them, control their trials, and give them grace, so that they end up enduring without falling apart at the seams and apostatizing into perdition. Going back to John 10:28, I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.

Brethren, you need not be fearful about what might happen to you. NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO YOU THAT YOU CAN’T ENDURE. NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO YOU THAT WILL RESULT IN YOU TURNING YOUR BACK ON GOD AND CHRISTIANITY. GOD SIMPLY WILL NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN! HE LOVES YOU TOO MUCH! HE WON’T ALLOW YOU TO GIVE UP! HE’LL MAKE SURE YOU ENDURE TO THE VERY END!

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 5. God’s gonna give us gobs and gobs of verses about what He’s doing to make sure you make it to Heaven. If the Devil’s hassling you about your salvation, these verses will shut him up. Tune in and I’ll show you where the mute button is.

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ETERNAL SECURITY PART 3

August 5, 2011 at 7:56 PM (Doctrine, Eternal Security)

GOD’S PROMISE TO YOU

John 10:27-29 provides one of the greatest comforts in Scripture. God assures us, as many as believe and follow our Lord, that we won’t backslide or apostatize into perdition. We will not ever lose our salvation. For as long as we’re alive on this Earth, our Lord will keep us safe in His hands and He’ll bring us safely to glory. Note these simple truths from verse 28.

  • God gives us eternal life. He cannot damn us and save us at the same time. He either does one or the other. John 10:28 makes it very clear what the Father’s wishes and will are with respect to us: it’s His will to give us eternal life, not eternal death or damnation. He wants us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven!
  • We are in God’s hands. God has His hands on us. Even though we’re still on this Earth and can’t see His hands around us, nevertheless we’re in His hands. And that, my friends, spells security and safety. We’re not on our own!
  • No one can pluck us out of God’s hands. There are all kinds of men, demons, and adverse circumstances of life that would love to get their hands on us and bring us down into perdition. But the good news is, they can’t! Hallelujah! They can’t get their hands on us because they can’t get their hands on God! Like flies or bees on the attack, God just brushes them aside. He’s keeping us. He’s holding on to us. And He’s not going to deliver us into their hands! Thank you, Father, for your hands!
  • We shall never perish. Do you know what never means? It means it’s won’t ever happen. We face all kinds of trials and persecutions in this life. Some of us wonder or worry if we truly are going to make it all the way through life, enduring and being faithful as a Christian. We wonder if we’re really going to Heaven when we die. But the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13 is, WE NEED NOT WONDER OR WORRY AT ALL BECAUSE GOD WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT THERE’LL NEVER COME A TIME, OR A TRIAL, OR A DEMON, OR A PERSECUTOR, THAT WILL CAUSE US TO TURN OUR BACKS ON GOD SO THAT WE END UP IN PERDITION. FRIENDS, THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN! God said, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. In other words, they shall never perish.

Brethren, God Himself will not take our salvation from us! He requires a lot of us. He takes all kinds of things away from us: things like resentment, pride, selfishness, unforgiveness, a critical and unloving attitude, worldliness, the love of money, things having to do with the occult, and many more. But the one thing HE’LL NEVER TAKE AWAY FROM US IS OUR SALVATION. Do you know why He won’t take it away from us? Because that’s not His will, that’s not what He wants to do! IT’S HIS WILL FOR US TO BE SAVED AND HE’S DEVOTED HIMSELF TO MAKING SURE WE DON’T EVER LOSE OUR SALVATION. HAVING ETERNAL LIFE, BRETHREN, MEANS WE’LL NEVER PERISH. IT’LL NEVER HAPPEN! HELL, MY FRIENDS, IS ONE THING WE NEED NEVER WORRY OR FRET ABOUT! WE’LL NEVER GO THERE! THANK GOD!

The promise of John 10:27-29 is, God will personally see to it, and make sure, that we enter into Heaven. He’s guaranteed us that we will not ever lose our salvation, nor will we spend eternity tortured and pained in the fires of Hell. As sheep, we don’t have to be doubtful or uncertain about where we’ll spend eternity. We don’t have to wonder or worry if a trial, temptation, or circumstance of life will come about that will cause us to lose our faith in God, turn our backs on Him, and end up losing our salvation. Brethren, this will never happen! God will never allow it to happen! GOD HAS DEVOTED HIMSELF TO OUR SALVATION. HE HAS DEDICATED HIMSELF TO OUR PRESERVATION. AND HE’LL PERSONALLY DO EVERYTHING THAT’S NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE WE END UP IN HEAVEN.

Brethren, you can know with absolute certainty where you’ll be going when death comes or when the trumpet of God sounds out the rapture’s call. If you don’t know where you’ll be spending eternity, if you’re not sure; it’s my prayer that you’ll know it by the time you’re finished reading these blogs. God gave them to me—and you as well—for this very purpose. It’s your Father’s will to comfort and assure you of your eternal salvation that will not ever be taken away from you.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 4. I’ll be looking at who Jesus gave this promise of eternal security and preservation to. How can you know the promise applies to you? Gosh, I’m so excited, I’m on the edge of my seat. If you hear a thud, come and pick me up, okay? You are a pal!

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ETERNAL SECURITY, PART 2

August 3, 2011 at 9:18 AM (Doctrine, Eternal Security)

SOME WHO LOSE THEIR SALVATION WERE NEVER TRULY SAVED

While Scriptures comfort us with the truth that the sheep will never perish, we nonetheless also see in Scripture that many professing Christians will end up perishing in perdition. How can this be? The answer is two-fold. SOME PROFESSING CHRISTIANS END UP LOSING THEIR SALVATION IN THE SENSE THAT THEY WERE NEVER REALLY SAVED TO BEGIN WITH.

1 John 2:18-19 explains what, at first, seems like a real contradiction or paradox, Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. {19} They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. In other words, some professing Christians or churchgoers were never truly sheep, or saved, to begin with.

A lot of people profess to be Christ’s, or Christians, but were never regarded as such by Christ. He never considered them His, nor did He ever regard them as true Christians or saved. Matthew 7:21-23 makes this very plain.  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  (22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

These people professed to be Christians. They called Jesus Lord. They prophesied and worked miracles in Jesus’ Name.  They actually did miracles! They did a lot of good works for Christ. But Jesus said to them, I never knew you.  Why did He say that? Because they never gave up their sins. They continued to live in sin. They lived a double life of hypocrisy.

Professing Christians can believe in Jesus and work miracles. But they’re not true Christians. And the proof of that is, they continued to live a sinful life. Brethren, you’re a true Christian if you live a righteous life. GENUINE CHRISTIANS DON’T LIVE SINFUL LIVES. Yes, they can sin. And they do sin from time to time. But they don’t live for sin. They don’t live to sin. They don’t live like heathens. They don’t live sinful lives.

If a person isn’t saved in God’s sight, then they don’t have any salvation to lose. They were never truly saved. Thus, a professing Christian can lose his or her salvation only in the sense that they thought, they believed, they were saved and had salvation. In losing their salvation they lost what they thought they had, but never really, truly had to begin with.

Closely related to this is the fact that many people truly believe in Jesus, but their faith is not a saving faith. James 2:19 is relevant here. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. Demons believe in God. They know there’s a God. They know there’s a Heaven and Hell. They’re believers, if I may use the term loosely. But they’re not saved because  they persist in their anti-God behaviors or activities. Their faith, or what they believe, doesn’t change them: it doesn’t change the way they live, think, or act.

In much the same way, many people believe in Jesus. They believe the facts and doctrines relating to Jesus. But they’re not saved because, like demons, they continue to live self-willed, sinful lives just as Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:21-23. The point is, many people truly believe. But theirs is not a saving faith. Faith without acts—in this case, faith without a transformed, holy, obedient life—is dead. It’s faith, but it’s dead. And being dead, it has no power to give life or save.

SOME WHO LOSE THEIR SALVATION WERE INDEED TRULY SAVED

While some professing Christians were never truly saved to begin with, we nonetheless also see from the Scriptures cited in our first blog post that some Christians were indeed truly saved but they end up losing their salvation. How? We showed you how. By tampering with the Scriptures (God will take away his part out of the book of life); by being spiritually fruitless (every branch in me); by becoming lukewarm (I will spue thee out of my mouth); by not enduring to the end (If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth); by reverting to works salvation (ye are fallen from grace); by committing the unpardonable sin; and by apostatizing (those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift).

As we see in John 10:28 quoted previously, God’s sheep will never perish. Since the sheep will never perish, since God gives them eternal life and no one will ever take it away from them; then the only logical implication or conclusion we’re left with is this: those who were truly saved but who nonetheless end up losing their salvation were not sheep. They were saved, howbeit temporarily, but they were not sheep. Don’t ask me how that can be because I don’t have the answer right now. Instead of trying to figure out how a person can be saved and still not be a sheep, I’m going to spend my time finding out how I can be a sheep. I want to know for a fact that I’m a sheep. If this is your heart’s desire, come along with me and let’s follow the Good Shepherd.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 3. Now comes the good part. Eternity security is God’s promise to the believer. Everybody wants in on the promise, so it’ll be a sell-out crowd. Come early if you want a seat. If you’re late you’ll have to tear the roof apart. [Bring money to pay for repairs.]

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ETERNAL SECURITY PART 1

July 29, 2011 at 9:39 AM (Doctrine, Eternal Security)

GOD’S PROMISE

John 10:27-29, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: {28} And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. {29} My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no one is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

INTRODUCTION

The doctrine of eternal security is the fifth of Calvinism Five Points, also known as ‘the perseverance of the believer’. In Baptist circles, this doctrine of eternal security, or the eternal preservation of the believer, is also known by the popular maxim, ‘once saved, always saved’. The maxim is a great source of encouragement to those of us who are truly God’s sheep and who trust Him to preserve us our whole life through and usher us safely, gladly, to Heaven’s shores.

Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous, sinning brethren among us, falsely-so-called, who use these words of our Lord to give themselves a false sense of security. They think they can keep on sinning and live any ole way they please because they can never be lost or damned. Yet, that is the farthest thing from the truth. The promise of the Lord’s preservation, as we shall see, is not given to sinners—be they professing Christians or downright heathen.

The doctrine of eternal security, simply stated is this. GOD PRESERVES THOSE WHO PERSEVERE. AND THOSE WHO PERSEVERE DO SO BECAUSE THEY ARE PRESERVED BY GOD.

IT’S POSSIBLE TO LOSE YOUR SALVATION

Before I get to the promise of God’s preservation and the eternal salvation of the believer, I’d like to bring the balance of Scripture into focus and let you know that it is indeed possible for a professing Christian to lose his or her salvation. Scriptures make this clear and the point is beyond debate. If you know what factors lead to the loss of salvation, you’ll guard yourself from them and thus assure yourself that you won’t lose your salvation.

HOW SALVATION IS LOST

(1) BY LIVING A LIFE OF SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE. Matthew 7:21-23 tells us, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. {22} Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? {23} And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

(2) BY BEING SPIRITUALLY FRUITLESS. Jesus warns us in John 15:2, Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away (see also Luke 13:6-9, Matthew 25:14-30).

(3) BY BECOMING SPIRITUALLY LUKEWARM, whereby you’re not on fire for the Lord, but then, you’ve not gone back totally to the world. Revelation 3:15-16 reads, I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. {16} So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

(4) BY TAMPERING WITH SCRIPTURE. Revelation 22:19, And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

(5) BY REVERTING TO WORKS SALVATION. Those who want to work for their salvation will end up losing it if they persist in works-salvation. Galatians 5:1-4 warns us, Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. {2} Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. {3} For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. {4} Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. A professing Christian can lose his or her salvation.

(6) BY DEPARTING FROM THE TRUTH. 1 Timothy 4:1 warns us, Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (see also 2 Timothy 4:2-4).

(7) BY NOT ENDURING OR ABIDING TO THE VERY END. Jesus said in Matthew 10:22,  he that endureth to the end shall be saved. He went on to say in John 15:6, If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. Revelation 3:5 continues along this line, He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels (see also Matthew 10:33). Verse 11 goes on to exhort us, Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

(8) BY COMMITTING THE UNPARDONABLE SIN. Matthew 12:31-32, Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. {32} And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

(9) BY APOSTATIZING. Hebrews 6:4-6, For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, {5} And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, {6} If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 2. If God’s sheep can never perish, and if some Christians end up perishing; we have a real paradox here. How we need God’s wisdom and understanding! Stay within ear’s reach of the school bell and when classes resume I’ll clear up the air with the Bible’s version of Glade. You’ll understand the paradox in no time.

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THE INESTIMABLE VALUE OF YOUR TESTIMONY, PART 2

July 25, 2011 at 9:29 PM (Christian Living)

We’ve looked at Naaman. Now I’d like for us to look for a moment at this servant girl.

A. IN ORDER FOR US TO TESTIFY WE’RE GOING TO NEED TO LOVE PEOPLE. Place yourself in the sandals of this captive, Israelite girl. You’ve been forcibly uprooted from your home, maybe even your family. You’ve been taken against your will and you’ve been made a slave. For the rest of your life you’re going to do whatever your master wants you to do. Chances are, you’ve been raped and abused. You’ll not know the joys of being independent and free to do whatever you want to do with your life. You can’t go wherever you want to go. You can’t love and marry whoever you want to love and marry. Your life has all been planned out for you and you have absolutely no say about it. Your master is the enemy who’s responsible for your present and lifelong predicament in slavery. He’s a leper. You can rejoice in his misfortune and hope he dies:  “I hope you die.  Maybe then I can go free, or stand a better chance of running away.” Or you can feel sorry for him, love him, and try to help him. You can tell him about the miracle-working prophet in Israel who can cure him. The girl had a choice. To be bitter and shut up. Or love and speak up.

Brethren, YOU CAN’T BE EVANGELISTIC AND TESTIFY IF YOU DON’T LOVE PEOPLE. IF YOU WANT TO TESTIFY FOR THE LORD AND CHANGE PEOPLE’S LIVES AND DESTINIES FOREVER, YOU’VE GOT TO LOVE AND CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU MEET. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALL AROUND YOU.

B. IN ORDER FOR US TO TESTIFY WE NEED TO HAVE FAITH. As a servant girl you’ve got to have some measure of confidence and faith that the prophet is going to heal your heathen master. Remember, the Syrians and Israelites are sworn and mortal enemies. Girl, what makes you think the prophet is even going to want to heal this heathen enemy? Sure, Elisha’s done a lot of miracles. But he’s never healed leprosy (Luke 4:27). What makes you think he can heal your master? What if Elisha tries to heal Naaman and can’t? So it boils down to this: Can the prophet heal him? And if he can, would he even want to heal him? You see, it’s going to take faith on your part to speak up and tell your master about the miracle healing prophet in Israel.

C. IN ORDER FOR US TO TESTIFY WE NEED COURAGE. As a slave in Naaman’s house you’ve got to be courageous enough to tell Naaman’s wife that there’s hope and healing for him in Israel. You’ve got a thousand doubts and questions racing through your mind. What if Naaman goes to Israel and it doesn’t work? What if he comes back home a leper still? Wow, he’d be so mad at me, he’ll kill me.

Why don’t we tell people about Jesus? It is because we’re afraid to speak up? Because we don’t really believe they’ll want to get saved? Because we don’t really love and care enough about them to share the Lord with them?

IN CLOSING

As we bring this sermon to a close, what do we do with something truly priceless and valuable? (1) WE SAFEGUARD IT. We protect it and keep it safe so that we don’t lose it, no one steals it from us, no one breaks or ruins it.

Friends, you can lose or ruin your testimony by living a heathen life or by setting a lousy example of what a Christian should be. If you cuss on a regular basis; if you lie, and steal, and cheat people; if you enjoy listening to, and telling, dirty jokes and stories; if you’re a drunkard and hang out in the bars with the guys; if you gamble and fornicate like the rest of your heathen friends; if you’re into porn or sexual abuse; if you seduce women and children; if you flirt with men, or entice young boys; you’re ruining the one thing that you can use to bring your friends and loved ones to the Lord.

WHEN YOU RUIN AND LOSE YOUR TESTIMONY YOU’VE GOT NOTHING TO OFFER PEOPLE. They’re not going to receive your testimony because you’re nothing but a hypocrite, a sinner who calls himself a Christian and a church-goer. You’re no better than the rest of them. God can’t use you to reach others for Him because you’ve lost the only thing that will bring them to Him—you’ve lost your testimony.

So what happens if you’ve lost your testimony? Work hard to get it back. That might take some time. But get it back. And keep it. Quit acting like a heathen. YOU CAN’T BE EVANGELISTIC IF YOU’RE LIVING AND ACTING LIKE A HEATHEN. A TRUE CHRISTIAN WILL BRING PEOPLE TO JESUS. A HYPOCRITE WILL TURN PEOPLE AWAY FROM HIM.

In the second place, what do you do with something truly valuable? When it comes to earthly things, we hide it. We don’t let a whole lot of people know about it because we don’t want our homes to get broken into. But in the spiritual realm, (2) WE DON’T HIDE OR HOG OUR TESTIMONY. WE DON’T KEEP IT TO OURSELF. WE DON’T KEEP QUIET ABOUT IT.  WE SHARE IT!

You can’t take your money or possessions to Heaven. THE ONLY THING YOU CAN TAKE TO HEAVEN WITH YOU ARE THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO YOU’VE IMPACTED AND CHANGED BY YOUR TESTIMONY.

How many of you are saved today because someone told you about the Lord? Someone brought you to church? Your parents? A preacher? A teacher? A Sunday School worker? A friend? A nameless servant girl? Pay it forward and go thou and do likewise. You’ll have a lot of people thanking you in Heaven for the part you played in getting them saved. May God bless you and help you safeguard, and share, your testimony.

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