I believe that everyone who reads this blog is capable of clear, sound reasoning. It's called logic. Today I'm going to lay out an analogy regarding a biblical principal and after giving examples, I trust you'll be able to see clearly without question, a sensible conclusion. And in fact, though I will be introducing a popular concept believed by so many Christians (once saved always saved), it does not require spiritual knowledge or spiritual insight to understand THAT STATEMENT IS NOT TRUE. It only takes logic to understand. I have been scorned, mocked, laughed at, rebuked, and ridiculed, for the message I'm going to give you today. Not by the world mind you, but by believers. However, the Lord has once again pressed upon my heart to deliver this message one more time as He is coming soon and He wants His Church to wake up!
So, do I believe "once saved always saved?" Yes, I do, AS LONG AS you live in obedience to the scriptures. You must take and obey all the scriptures. You cannot cherry-pick them to create your own doctrine just to fit your lifestyle. I've been praying a lot lately, concerned why people cannot understand that they can live however they want and expect entrance into the heavenly kingdom. I simply do not understand that thinking. To me, it's not logical! Why can't people grasp that simple concept? We cannot live as we wish and be saved. We just can't. God's Word is clear. In Revelation 3 God addresses seven Christian churches and tells every one of them to "Repent" and then lists why they have fallen short and why He is unhappy with their behaviors. He warns, "you know not at what hour I will come." He instructs some to "strengthen those things which remain which are about to die for I have not found your works complete in My sight. He instructs another, "I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds. He admonishes another in verse 16, "So then because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot (indifferent-not listening-refusing to repent and turn from your sin) I will vomit you out of My mouth." That's rejection, folks! Once IN HIM, once A PART OF HIM, He vomits out the rebellious, the indifferent, those continuing in sin, HE SPITS THEM OUT AND AWAY FROM HIM like vomit never to be a part again. He also injects, "For those who overcome ("as I have overcome the world, I will not blot out his name from the book of Life" (verse 5). Only Believer's names are entered into the book of Life. BELIEVERS!! Even Psalm 69:28 testifies that your name can be blotted out of the book of Life. Your name can be removed and vomited out! Yes, once saved always saved as long as you are living in obedience and repentance. You just cannot live like you please after being "saved."
In my prayer to the Lord, I asked Him how could I make this so plain that a child could understand. That's when my spirit stirred within me. I heard Him say, "Use simple logic." I asked, "How?" Then in my mind, I envisioned a plant. Someone gives you a vibrant, healthy plant. It's a free gift. So you take the plant, you "receive it" (like the free gift of salvation), but you don't water the plant, give it sunlight to grow, or nurture it in any way. What happens? It will first become sluggish, then it dries out, growth is stunted, then it dies. So in the same sense, yes you are saved, but are you neglecting your spirit because you're too busy remaining in your old lifestyle? Are you living as you once did or the way YOU want through indifference, rebellion, and sin? If you are, you've been taught false doctrine and God is going to vomit you out of His mouth on judgment day. It doesn't matter if you toss this blog aside and ridicule me, I know there are some that will listen and truly take it and receive what the Holy Spirit is saying. We cannot live in disobedience and rebellion to His Word. The Bible clearly states in Romans 8:13, "For if ye live according to the flesh ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live." Let's break that down into 3 words: mortify, deeds, and flesh. From Websters Dictionary ...
Mortify: Subdue (the body or its needs and desires) by self-denial or discipline.
Deeds: An action that is performed intentionally or consciously.
Flesh: The body
Simply, STOP INTENTIONALLY SINNING!
Are you entangled in an extra-marital affair that you refuse to abandon, yet believe you are saved because you went to an altar and confessed Jesus as your Lord? Are you caught up in a sexual relationship outside of God's law of marriage? Yet believe you are saved because you went to an altar and confessed Jesus as your Lord? Are you involved in or fooled by the deception that homosexuality is just another diverse lifestyle and should be accepted? Yet believe you are saved because you went to an altar and confessed Jesus as your Lord? These are examples of what Christians are intentionally and purposely committing despite the fact the very Word they say they believe says these are sins. They say they follow Jesus, yet Revelation says, Jesus WAS THE WORD, made flesh (as a human), and lived among us. If you reject what The Word says, you are rejecting Him because He was and is The Word ! Unless you confess, repent, and turn from your sins, you'll die in them. "For if ye live according to the flesh ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live." Notice it says "but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds." IT CAN BE DONE!! YOU CAN STOP PURPOSELY CHOOSING TO SIN because the Spirit gives us His power to overcome! 2 Timothy 3;5 says, They have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. Have nothing to do with such people." "To him that overcomes will I not blot out of the book of Life."
The "once saved always saved" doctrine of error can also be logically understood by this analogy. You tell your child, "Listen, no matter how you misbehave and how you continue in rebellion: kick the dog, refuse to clean your room, bully the kid at school, or hurl curse words at me, I'm still going to take you out and reward you with a banana split from Dairy Queen." Really? Does that make sense to you as a parent? Well, some of you doing exactly that to God! You're demanding 'once saved always saved' no matter what. No wonder Jesus told us, "Many are called but few are chosen. Do you honestly think God is going to allow entrance into heaven by any member of His Church who remains defiant and is willfully and purposely disobedient when they know better? The same who love the pleasure of sin more than Him, when He, by the Spirit, gives you the power to OVERCOME ANY SIN OR TEMPTATION? There is no excuse for any believer to say he just cannot stop sinning so he remains in his sin. Wake up! Once saved always saved is true as long as you are walking in true repentance and obedience. We will sin sometimes, we will slip up, our flesh can be weak, but to purposely choose to remain in sin or a vice living the way you want will get you locked out of heaven. 1 John 2:28, "Little children, abide in Him that when He shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know He is righteous you know that everyone that does righteousness is born of Him." We need to live a life of righteousness, not conscious sinning. What is RIGHTEOUS? The quality of being morally justifiable (through the Spirit!). Matthew 7:21, "Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name' and then I will declare, I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness." AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! He says "depart" (He vomits you out) you who "practice" (purposely continues committing sins of choice). The entire Bible preaches repentance, obedience- obedience repentance. Who was it that entered the ark in Noah's day and were SAVED? Who in Sodom and Gomorrah were spared by God's wrath and saved? In both cases, only those who were obedient and even then there were few! And why were the others lost? Because they ignored God's rule of law. They were unbridled, unruly, unrestrained, without regard for God at all. Are you living unrestrained, choosing to please your flesh instead of bridling your body with God's help?
Jesus is coming soon! Look at the signs all around you. They are plainly displayed on the nightly news virtually every day! 2 Peter 3:14 "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent (care and conscientiousness in your spiritual work or duties) that you may be found IN HIM (not as excreted vomit) in peace without spot or blemish (without sin). "We cannot take God's Word and believe some of it and not other areas that specifically tell us things are wrong. Like: abortion, drunkenness, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and so much more. Members of Christs' Church, you must mortify those deeds in your flesh or be cut off! REPENT and turn from YOUR ways. Verse 17, "Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position."
You see, we are SECURED/SAVED unless we fall away back and remain in our sin. 1 Corinthians 10:12 "So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall." Revelation 2:5 "Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place." We were warned. You cannot live however you want and be saved just because you believe or say you are. You cannot be a part of the world and the Kingdom of heaven. You must accept and believe the totality of scripture as pure doctrine, THE Word of God, or nothing at all. Stop creating your own interpretation of what sin is or isn't that fits you and will work with your lifestyle so you can keep doing whatever it is you're doing. Do you not read the Bible? Have you not studied what it says?
I say this with love. I'm not judging you. I used to do it too many years ago until I wised up by the Holy Spirit. The Lord opened my eyes and gave me His power to overcome the sin in my life that I had pleasure committing. I thought as long as I was "saved," I could just keep on living as I was and I would be included in the rapture of the Church. NOT SO! I'm shouting to you as the Bible has, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, strengthen those things that remain but are about to die! It's not too late. Confess any unrepentant sin and turn from it. "He that overcomes I will not blot out his name from the book of Life" (Revelation 3:5). You can lose your salvation and be blotted out. If you promised your child a trip to the ice cream shop if he did what you asked but all week long he ignored you and disobeyed you, doing everything against your will, would you still get his ice cream at the end of the week? I bet not! That's not logical. However, if that same child came to you and apologized, saying he was sorry and WOULD do his best to do what you asked, I bet you would forgive him, and the next week he'd get his ice cream.
If this blog offends you, remember, these are not my words, these are quotes taken directly from the Bible. Perhaps there is something you need to go to the Lord about. Search your heart, pray, ask the Lord why this topic is bothering you so. Why are you so against this? The Lord is coming for His obedient His Bride without spot or blemish. He is not coming for those who are half in and half out. WAKE UP. Stop believing, saying, or teaching "once saved always saved" UNLESS, if you're going to preach it, say AS LONG AS you live in obedience and repentance. That is the only body of people that will be going to heaven. Pray that you never hear, "Depart from Me. I never knew you."
Until next time.
-Pat-
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