Words do not save us. A desire to be cleansed from our sin by Christ is a show of placing faith in Him. He will only change a person if they want to be changed by Him.
Those who would rather change themselves through their own effort, will only see a humanly temporary change, not the change that Christ can do. God will let us do things our own way, but it will not be lasting because our flesh gets weary from the trying.
Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Psalm 46:10
"“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
If anyone just wants His blessings and the safety He has to offer, then He will not change them into a new creation and they will not have His blessings.
Proverbs 23:6
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Psalm 51:17
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
Do we want Christ? OR Do we just want His stuff?
"8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."
Too many people are trying to reach God by their own efforts, some even demanding of Him as though He owes them something, when in fact, we owe Him everything.
Christ is not a puppet to demand things from nor someone to be ignored except when we need Him. He is not there to help us be a better person, He is the one to change us into what He wants us to be, an entirely different creation from what we were before we trusted Him.
To many think their character is their own project for God, this is wrong. God works in us He makes us new, we cannot make ourselves new because it is done from the inside out, a matter of spiritual change. When we are spiritually changed, then our flesh will follow.
Ephesians 2:10
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them."
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Were You Ever Connected To The Vine?
A very good explanation as to the confusion about the loss of salvation is in the following excerpt from a sermon by John MacAruthur. So many are falling into the trap of works salvation through the belief that we can lose, what God died for us to have, complete salvation through Him alone.
Here is what MacAurthur said:
"The branches that abide in the true Vine represent those who are truly saved.The others are not properly connected to the Vine. You have seen shrubs that have weeds growing in them. The weeds are intertwined with the branches of the shrubs and appear to be part of the same plant, but in reality they are attached to a different root. They are like people who have only a superficial relation to Christ.
Tragically, some people pretend to be Christians but have no real connection to Christ. They might regularly go to church or be involved in a Bible study. They might even talk about having a relationship with Jesus. But they aren't genuine branches in the Vine. Evangelical churches are filled with false branches. Some husbands come to church only because their wives want them to. Some young people come to church to be involved in a youth program, but they are not interested in knowing Christ personally. In fact, many outwardly spiritual people never go beyond mere association with Christians.
Jesus pleads with people who are superficial branches. He says in verse 4, "Abide in Me." He is saying to those who are like Judas, "Be genuine; abide in Me and show that your faith is real; bear fruit and remain on the vine." It is like saying, "You superficial branches: be saved; have a genuine relation to Christ."
Abiding in Christ is a mark of true salvation. Sometimes a person who is active in the church leaves suddenly and never goes back to church again. Or a leader in the church may become apostate. People in the church wonder what happened. The explanation is in 1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us."
If a person's relationship to Christ is genuine, he remains. First John 2:24-25 says, "As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life." Those who abide inherit eternal life.
That is not to say that you can be saved by being steadfast. The point is that if you continue in the faith, you are showing that your connection to Christ is real; if you depart, you demonstrate that it never was."
John MacArthur
Here is what MacAurthur said:
"The branches that abide in the true Vine represent those who are truly saved.The others are not properly connected to the Vine. You have seen shrubs that have weeds growing in them. The weeds are intertwined with the branches of the shrubs and appear to be part of the same plant, but in reality they are attached to a different root. They are like people who have only a superficial relation to Christ.
Tragically, some people pretend to be Christians but have no real connection to Christ. They might regularly go to church or be involved in a Bible study. They might even talk about having a relationship with Jesus. But they aren't genuine branches in the Vine. Evangelical churches are filled with false branches. Some husbands come to church only because their wives want them to. Some young people come to church to be involved in a youth program, but they are not interested in knowing Christ personally. In fact, many outwardly spiritual people never go beyond mere association with Christians.
Jesus pleads with people who are superficial branches. He says in verse 4, "Abide in Me." He is saying to those who are like Judas, "Be genuine; abide in Me and show that your faith is real; bear fruit and remain on the vine." It is like saying, "You superficial branches: be saved; have a genuine relation to Christ."
Abiding in Christ is a mark of true salvation. Sometimes a person who is active in the church leaves suddenly and never goes back to church again. Or a leader in the church may become apostate. People in the church wonder what happened. The explanation is in 1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us."
If a person's relationship to Christ is genuine, he remains. First John 2:24-25 says, "As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life." Those who abide inherit eternal life.
That is not to say that you can be saved by being steadfast. The point is that if you continue in the faith, you are showing that your connection to Christ is real; if you depart, you demonstrate that it never was."
John MacArthur
Monday, September 22, 2014
Are You Vaccinated?
Some people have taken their Christianity the way we take a vaccination for a disease. We get a little of the disease placed in us to prevent the disease from becoming full blown. Have we taken a little of the gospel, just enough to know about it and pretend we belong to God but are vaccinated from the effects of it. John MacAruthur makes a very good point when he used this example.
Many people are full of head knowledge, they have tasted the principles of God and His glory by sitting under preaching about Him, even mouthing words at times that are truth and seen God's power but have never become born again.
Those who belong to God and have been changed into a new creation by God are brand new in their spirit and they grow good fruit. Those who claim to be believers but have not been born again, do not grow, they remain stagnant for a time and then they regress in their walk and will at some point walk away, even if only in their hearts while all the time spending time among the gathering of believers, yet they are not one themselves.
Matthew 7:16-18
"16 By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit."
1 John 2:19 "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."
Many people are full of head knowledge, they have tasted the principles of God and His glory by sitting under preaching about Him, even mouthing words at times that are truth and seen God's power but have never become born again.
Those who belong to God and have been changed into a new creation by God are brand new in their spirit and they grow good fruit. Those who claim to be believers but have not been born again, do not grow, they remain stagnant for a time and then they regress in their walk and will at some point walk away, even if only in their hearts while all the time spending time among the gathering of believers, yet they are not one themselves.
Matthew 7:16-18
"16 By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit."
1 John 2:19 "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."
Friday, September 19, 2014
Who Still Does the Lord's Supper?
The Lord's Supper is the only celebration God mandated for the Believer.
I do not observe the holidays because they were not ordained of God, there was only one celebration God mandated and that was the Lord's supper. Notice that very few people observe the celebration God ordained, but are much involved in following the man made holidays.
So often we try to please God our own way instead of searching His Book to find how He wants us to please Him.
The "Christian Holidays" are a misnomer since God never told us to celebrate these man made holidays. They were a concoction of the Catholic church and have slopped over into the denominations over the years. Catholics took much of their tradition with them when they left the church. They became born again by faith but didn't want to give up their holidays so they attempted to Christianize paganism.
Notice that the "death, burial and resurrection" are celebrated in the Lord's supper and very few people want this celebration because it involves worship without the trappings. We do not need a separate man made "Easter" celebration, God already told us how to celebrate the resurrection in the Lord's supper. Notice too that the word used to describe that, so called Christian holiday, is a pagan word used to describe the goddess of fertility.
The man made holidays offer selfish things, entertainment, gifts, self glory and revelry. They are all about self.
God's ordained celebration of the Lord's supper is all about Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:23-34
"23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat;[b] this is My body which is broken[c] for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Examine Yourself
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood[d] of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner[e] eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s[f] body.
30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come."
I do not observe the holidays because they were not ordained of God, there was only one celebration God mandated and that was the Lord's supper. Notice that very few people observe the celebration God ordained, but are much involved in following the man made holidays.
So often we try to please God our own way instead of searching His Book to find how He wants us to please Him.
The "Christian Holidays" are a misnomer since God never told us to celebrate these man made holidays. They were a concoction of the Catholic church and have slopped over into the denominations over the years. Catholics took much of their tradition with them when they left the church. They became born again by faith but didn't want to give up their holidays so they attempted to Christianize paganism.
Notice that the "death, burial and resurrection" are celebrated in the Lord's supper and very few people want this celebration because it involves worship without the trappings. We do not need a separate man made "Easter" celebration, God already told us how to celebrate the resurrection in the Lord's supper. Notice too that the word used to describe that, so called Christian holiday, is a pagan word used to describe the goddess of fertility.
The man made holidays offer selfish things, entertainment, gifts, self glory and revelry. They are all about self.
God's ordained celebration of the Lord's supper is all about Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:23-34
"23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat;[b] this is My body which is broken[c] for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Examine Yourself
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood[d] of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner[e] eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s[f] body.
30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come."
Thursday, September 18, 2014
The Heart Determines Actions
There is an old saying: "Your actions speak so loud I
can't hear a word you are saying." And, another one: "Actions speak
louder than words." Our actions prove what is inside.
When we become born again we are changed, we hate the sin we
used to love and want to run from it. If there has not been a drastic change in
our desires, then we were never born again.
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new."
No one just happens to fall into sin, it is first fostered
day after day in the heart before it can come out in actions.
A thief has bitterness and anger in his heart before he
decides that he may take whatever he wants from anyone he desires.
An adulterer fosters attitudes of anger and hate before they
decide to cheat on their spouse.
A liar fosters bitterness, anger and selfishness before he
decides to deceive others.
That's why God said that the first two commandments were the
most important, because if we obey those, if we love those, then we will not
commit cheating, left or lying. Let's review those two commandments.
Matthew 22:36-40 "36 “Teacher, which is the great
commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is
the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love
your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and
the Prophets."
If we love the Lord with all our hearts and our neighbors as
much as we already love ourselves, then we will do no harm to others. Our first
thought will be to do what is loving, kind and helpful for others first placing
ourselves last.
Mark 7:21-23 "21 "For from within, out of the
heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders,
adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality,
envy , slander, pride and foolishness. 23 "All these evil things proceed
from within and defile the man."
When we become born again, Christ writes His law on our hearts,
we don't have to try to follow them, they become a part of us and we love them.
Those who are still trying to obey the ten commandments in
their flesh, do not understand the concept that the commandments are
inter-woven into every part of any believer. When we stray, we have a sense of
shame that we may have disobeyed and disappointed God.
The Challenge of Bullies
Bullies have one goal in mind, to devastate the person they have targeted. Their goal is to alarm and frustrate their victim. When we respond in anger, they have accomplished their goal.
If we love the bully, we will not allow them to see their words or actions as effective. They need to see that their tactics don't work, that they are not able to make us hate them giving them the excuse that we deserved what they did.
Bullies only have power over us if we respond to them. I was once told by a wiser older lady that when I encounter this rudeness, I should just begin praying to the Lord out loud, turning it all over to Him. That was very good advice. The bully will either feel ashamed or if he is hardened he will leave because God becomes the power and not him. God can lead us as to what action or words we need to take.
One thing is for sure, the Holy Spirit in us can give us whatever we need to be Christlike in spite of the attacks of others.
It doesn't matter what the bully does, we are to seek to be Christlike. It would be good to read about the life of Christ and His responses to those who mistreated Him.
There isn't much we can do about the bully, but we can arm ourselves with Scriptures that tell us what we should be and do, here are a few;
Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
Matthew 15:18 "But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person."
Proverbs 16:24 "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body."
Proverbs 13:3 "Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin."
Proverbs 15:1 "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
Proverbs 21:23 "Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble."
Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."
Here is the one that is hardest to submit too, but brings the greatest joy to us and perhaps the bully;
Romans 12:14 "Bless them who persecute you: bless, and curse not."
With God's help, through prayer and meditation on His Words, we can be what we should no matter what the circumstances.
If we love the bully, we will not allow them to see their words or actions as effective. They need to see that their tactics don't work, that they are not able to make us hate them giving them the excuse that we deserved what they did.
Bullies only have power over us if we respond to them. I was once told by a wiser older lady that when I encounter this rudeness, I should just begin praying to the Lord out loud, turning it all over to Him. That was very good advice. The bully will either feel ashamed or if he is hardened he will leave because God becomes the power and not him. God can lead us as to what action or words we need to take.
One thing is for sure, the Holy Spirit in us can give us whatever we need to be Christlike in spite of the attacks of others.
It doesn't matter what the bully does, we are to seek to be Christlike. It would be good to read about the life of Christ and His responses to those who mistreated Him.
There isn't much we can do about the bully, but we can arm ourselves with Scriptures that tell us what we should be and do, here are a few;
Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
Matthew 15:18 "But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person."
Proverbs 16:24 "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body."
Proverbs 13:3 "Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin."
Proverbs 15:1 "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
Proverbs 21:23 "Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble."
Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."
Here is the one that is hardest to submit too, but brings the greatest joy to us and perhaps the bully;
Romans 12:14 "Bless them who persecute you: bless, and curse not."
With God's help, through prayer and meditation on His Words, we can be what we should no matter what the circumstances.
We Are Not Saved By Avoiding A Particular Sin
I have recently read an article by someone who claimed that the test that indicates we are saved or not saved, was whether or not we were in an adulterous marriage. I strongly disagreed with this for the following reasons:
One particular sin is not the test that one should take to determine if someone is saved. The test is whether or not they have the fruits of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:21-22 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."
IF these things are not present and there is no desire to seek God, then those are the tests, not any particular sin. The lack of desire to please God, the continual rejection of His principles are indicators of someone who is not born again. A believer is ashamed when they are confronted with their sin. A non-believer will fight to defend their sinfulness and refuse to turn from it, even declaring that they are not sinning.
We make a huge mistake when we evaluate a person's salvation based on one sin. The sin may mean that the believer is in sin right now but possibly feeling guilt and may turn from it later. A believer may never leave a particular sin, however, they are still saved and will miss blessings in heaven.
1 Corinthians 3:15 "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
Many unsaved people do not commit adultery, but their avoidance of this sin does not make them born again. We are not saved or lost by our sin.
1 John 2:1 "My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"
A child of God can and does sin, the sins vary from thoughts of adultery to acting out of adultery, but the sin of the thought and the act are all the same in God's eyes.
Matthew 5:27-28 "27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
In other words the person who lusts after a woman is coveting her in his heart, Christ says that is the same as if we committed adultery because in both cases we are desiring something that belongs to someone else. All sin begins in the heart.
A believer has an advocate because he has been born again by the Holy Spirit of God, but a non-believer has no advocate because he does not belong to God. God chastises those who are His when they sin, they have consequences in this life and if they don't confess it, they will have lost rewards in eternity, but their salvation remains.
Hebrews 12:6 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."
We don't have to make sure who is saved and who is not, we merely have to warn those who claim to be believers of the chastisement of God, remind them that if they live a lifestyle of sin they may not be born again as they think. And, we must exercise discipline with them if they claim to be saved and will not turn.
What do we do with sinful thoughts as believers?
In order to keep from acting out the thoughts we have, we must redirect our thoughts. A temptation is not the same as pondering a sin we entertain in our hearts. When a temptation becomes a continual cogitating on something, as the thoughts build and even become obsessions, then we have entered into sin. A temptation should be rejected in the heart immediately and Philippians 4:8, along with other passages from God's word, should be meditated upon to thwart sinful thoughts. When we reject and fight the sinful thoughts with the Scriptures, we can rid ourselves of them and the acts will not occur.
2 Corinthians 10:5 "5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
We know that all sin begins in the heart before any actions take place. The action cannot occur without first entertaining the thoughts, over time after much obsession with thoughts, the thoughts no longer satisfy, that is when the urges become actions.
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
We don't have to fear "giving a believer an excuse to sin", as some would say. When we have been changed into a new creation by Christ our salvation is secure. Those who are continually worried about making sure that others stop a particular sin, are operating from a fleshly standpoint, based on a religion of works.
I warn believers of their sin, that they would stop the sin and begin to honor God. I challenge them if there is a lifestyle of sin, that they may not be born again as they thought. But I don't have to make sure for my own information whether or not someone is born again, because God already knows. I don't have to worry that someone may use "grace" as an excuse to sin because God is already looking into their hearts.
Far too many people are obsessed with keeping people from sin to keep them saved, And, keeping someone from sin does not make them saved.
When we understand that Christ changed our spirits into a new creation, but our flesh is still corrupted, our hearts desire to live righteously but our flesh is weak. No sin can come in the presence of God, that's why God gave us Christ to live in us. He looks at Christ in us and sees that we belong to Him, He does not look on our sinful flesh, but on the Spirit of Christ Who lives in us.
Romans 8:1-11
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."
You see, we cannot always know who is saved and who is not, but the Word of God gives us clues, our job is to challenge believers to greater holiness and to warn non-believers of hell and bring them the good news of salvation. Another part of that job is to warn those who think they are saved to ask the Lord if they really are.
2 Corinthians 13:5 "5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you [a]fail the test?"
Many of the people who are saying that salvation is by obeying the commandments, are very likely not born again themselves, if they do not understand salvation through faith by God's grace, then they don't understand what salvation is.
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
If you are born again ask the Lord to reveal sins to be confessed and cleansed from you. If you are not born again, ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you, read the Bible and find the way of salvation!
One particular sin is not the test that one should take to determine if someone is saved. The test is whether or not they have the fruits of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:21-22 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."
IF these things are not present and there is no desire to seek God, then those are the tests, not any particular sin. The lack of desire to please God, the continual rejection of His principles are indicators of someone who is not born again. A believer is ashamed when they are confronted with their sin. A non-believer will fight to defend their sinfulness and refuse to turn from it, even declaring that they are not sinning.
We make a huge mistake when we evaluate a person's salvation based on one sin. The sin may mean that the believer is in sin right now but possibly feeling guilt and may turn from it later. A believer may never leave a particular sin, however, they are still saved and will miss blessings in heaven.
1 Corinthians 3:15 "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
Many unsaved people do not commit adultery, but their avoidance of this sin does not make them born again. We are not saved or lost by our sin.
1 John 2:1 "My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"
A child of God can and does sin, the sins vary from thoughts of adultery to acting out of adultery, but the sin of the thought and the act are all the same in God's eyes.
Matthew 5:27-28 "27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
In other words the person who lusts after a woman is coveting her in his heart, Christ says that is the same as if we committed adultery because in both cases we are desiring something that belongs to someone else. All sin begins in the heart.
A believer has an advocate because he has been born again by the Holy Spirit of God, but a non-believer has no advocate because he does not belong to God. God chastises those who are His when they sin, they have consequences in this life and if they don't confess it, they will have lost rewards in eternity, but their salvation remains.
Hebrews 12:6 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."
We don't have to make sure who is saved and who is not, we merely have to warn those who claim to be believers of the chastisement of God, remind them that if they live a lifestyle of sin they may not be born again as they think. And, we must exercise discipline with them if they claim to be saved and will not turn.
What do we do with sinful thoughts as believers?
In order to keep from acting out the thoughts we have, we must redirect our thoughts. A temptation is not the same as pondering a sin we entertain in our hearts. When a temptation becomes a continual cogitating on something, as the thoughts build and even become obsessions, then we have entered into sin. A temptation should be rejected in the heart immediately and Philippians 4:8, along with other passages from God's word, should be meditated upon to thwart sinful thoughts. When we reject and fight the sinful thoughts with the Scriptures, we can rid ourselves of them and the acts will not occur.
2 Corinthians 10:5 "5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
We know that all sin begins in the heart before any actions take place. The action cannot occur without first entertaining the thoughts, over time after much obsession with thoughts, the thoughts no longer satisfy, that is when the urges become actions.
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
We don't have to fear "giving a believer an excuse to sin", as some would say. When we have been changed into a new creation by Christ our salvation is secure. Those who are continually worried about making sure that others stop a particular sin, are operating from a fleshly standpoint, based on a religion of works.
I warn believers of their sin, that they would stop the sin and begin to honor God. I challenge them if there is a lifestyle of sin, that they may not be born again as they thought. But I don't have to make sure for my own information whether or not someone is born again, because God already knows. I don't have to worry that someone may use "grace" as an excuse to sin because God is already looking into their hearts.
Far too many people are obsessed with keeping people from sin to keep them saved, And, keeping someone from sin does not make them saved.
When we understand that Christ changed our spirits into a new creation, but our flesh is still corrupted, our hearts desire to live righteously but our flesh is weak. No sin can come in the presence of God, that's why God gave us Christ to live in us. He looks at Christ in us and sees that we belong to Him, He does not look on our sinful flesh, but on the Spirit of Christ Who lives in us.
Romans 8:1-11
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."
You see, we cannot always know who is saved and who is not, but the Word of God gives us clues, our job is to challenge believers to greater holiness and to warn non-believers of hell and bring them the good news of salvation. Another part of that job is to warn those who think they are saved to ask the Lord if they really are.
2 Corinthians 13:5 "5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you [a]fail the test?"
Many of the people who are saying that salvation is by obeying the commandments, are very likely not born again themselves, if they do not understand salvation through faith by God's grace, then they don't understand what salvation is.
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
If you are born again ask the Lord to reveal sins to be confessed and cleansed from you. If you are not born again, ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you, read the Bible and find the way of salvation!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)