Twisted Thinking!

Most of our presidents including the last three believe that Christ is not the only way. Those who say they are Christians believe in all ways but happen to choose for themselves Jesus Christ, except for Obama, he clearly denied and mocked Jesus Christ.

Don't be overwhelmed with excitement these days when a public official says they are a Christian, their meaning may be, that it happens to be their personal choice but also embrace the idea that everyone has their own reality.

The language is so clever these days it will fool even the elect if possible.

A Catholic will tell you they are saved by grace too, just as we are, however its a different kind of grace.

When we say we are saved by grace through faith in Christ we mean that we do not deserve it but God extends it to those of us who place their faith in Him.

The Catholic will tell you that they obtain more graces by doing more good deeds. They never know for sure if they are saved, but are working hard to pile up points in heaven to have a greater chance of making it. In other words it all depends on them to get to heaven, even though they never know until they die if they will make it.

The born again believer knows they are secure in their salvation, through the promises of God.

Ephesians 1:1315 "…13 And in Him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, having heard and believed the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. 14 The Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory. 15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,…"

Those who say they are Christians but believe one can lose their salvation are following in the footsteps of the Catholic faith. A faith based on their own performance, a sort of ....."we need to help Christ out, because His sacrifice was not enough."

Beware of those who say you can lose salvation, they do not understand the gospel message, nor do they trust Christ. He said we are secure, therefore we are, it was all finished on the cross. The passages they use to justify faith in self effort are misunderstood and twisted to make them fit their belief system.

The confusion comes because some appear to walk away, back into sin even defending their sin. These who love their sin, have not walked away from God, they never belonged to Him to begin with. These people are pretenders, they are in the gathering, they say the right things and even do good works but they never belonged to God.

Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"

Notice the phrase in verse 23, "I NEVER knew you." It was not that He knew them as His children but now they are not, its that they were never His, they were pretenders.

Those who trust Christ trust Him for everything, their salvation, their cleansing, their growth and for their going home when His time is right.

1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Notice that HE cleanses us as we grow in holiness.

1 Peter 2
2 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
3. if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the very corner stone,”
8 and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;

Notice in these passages that we are precious to Him, God never throws away those who are precious to Him. Instead He disciplines those who are His to cause growth in holiness.

Proverbs 3:11-12 "…11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not loathe His reproof; 12 for the LORD disciplines those He loves, as a father the son in whom he delights."

Even earthly fathers who love their children discipline them, those who do not discipline do not love their children.

The principle God gives us for disciplining our own children is the same principles He uses with His children.

Proverbs 13:24 "24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently. "

God does not hate His children who disobey and He does not leave them. His love is greater than man's, man would reject their children without discipline for not measuring up. God is not like that, He does not leave us to our own devices, He works with us day after day until we come back to obedience. He sends us consequences and illnesses to get our attention.

Just as the Holy Spirit remains silent within us when we refuse to listen to Him, so does the earthly parent remove himself to allow the world to teach them through life experiences. If we love our children we will withdraw from them when they are rebellious and disrespectful. Withdrawing allows them to be taught and trained by God without their ability to blame their parents or anyone else for their own consequences.

When we are being obedient we may still have difficulties because God is strengthening us. The same way an weight lifter has to strain hard day after day to build strong muscles, the Lord is straining our spiritual muscles to become strong.

Romans 5:1-5 "5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Keep looking up brothers and sisters, the Lord is never far off, His Spirit lives in us and He is returning soon to take us home. Hallelujah!!!