Posted on 09/09/2012 3:08:47 PM PDT by CHRISTIAN DIARIST
A recent sermon by Pastor David Jeremiah has been weighing heavily upon my mind.
He recounted the true-life story of contemporaries William Franklin Graham and Charles Templeton, up and coming young evangelists who began their ministries during the 1940s.
Most thought Templeton, rather than Graham, would achieve greater things in the name of the Lord.
But, in fact, the former fell away from his Christian faith – actually declaring himself atheist – while the great Billy Graham remained a good and faithful servant of the Most High.
Pastor Jeremiah shared the story of Graham and Templeton to remind his congregation (as well as those of us watching on TV or listening on radio) that, as Christ followers, “we are expected to run with endurance the race that has been set before us.”
Yet, in his next breath, the pastor said that, while Templeton did not finish the race he started, he still has a place in God’s kingdom.
Because, said Pastor Jeremiah, it mattered not that Templeton renounced the Christian faith he espoused as a young evangelist, nor that he went to his grave an atheist, since he one time gave his life to the Lord, he’s secure for all eternity.
That is the doctrine preached in many, if not most Christian churches, with which I have the most difficulty:
Once saved, always saved.
No matter how it is preached, or by whom it is preached – including Pastor Jeremiah, whom I greatly admire – I am unable to accept it.
For why would the Apostle Paul encourage us to run with endurance the race set before us if simply answering an altar call one Sunday gives us a lifetime Get Out Of Hell Free card?
And speaking of the Apostle Paul, suppose his life story was reversed. Suppose he spent the first part of his adult life preaching Christ’s salvation, but the second part persecuting Christians.
Would he be today in Paradise?
I think not.
“For it is impossible,” the Scripture warns, “for those who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”
The takeaway from that Scripture is that it is not enough to give our lives to Christ for a season, then fall away from our faith. We do not have a free pass to sin as it pleases us. We are expected to abide in Christ, as He abides in us; to live our lives according to his Word.
So those of us who believe ourselves saved should not be deceived. The Scripture warns, “Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Those who abide in such sins will spend eternity separated from their Creator. Even if they were one-time Christ followers, like Charles Templeton.
By its very definition, if eternal life could be lost then it is not eternal.
The scriptures clearly teach that once you are saved you are always saved and there are passages which depict eternal life as occurring in the present (1 John 5:13 - "that you may know [present tense] that you have eternal life.").
However, the scriptures also teach that many who claim to be saved ... are not! And it at least suggests that in some cases, we who are believers cannot be certain that everyone who claims to know Him, does.
The scariest verse in all the Bible ...
Matt. 7:22-23
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.’
These folks certainly addressed Christ correctly, calling Him Lord. They did many great works in His name, He does not dispute that those works were done.
However, he tells them He never knew them ... why? Because they continue in their sin, they practice lawlessness, their lives never demonstrated the fruit of repentance.
The scriptures describe the impartation of eternal life as a supernatural process by which the Holy Spirit brings a sinner to true repentance, imparts eternal life to him/her, and permanently indwells him/her.
If you could loose your salvation, what Biblical process is described in the scriptures that REVERSES this process?
Is John the Beloved presenting a tautology here?
New International Version (©1984)
If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
So can a true Christian ever hate his brother?
Leaving aside the matter of post hoc ergo propter hoc being a basic logical fallacy, what you are saying that two individuals can both undergo an experience of conversion, both can be convinced of their "eternal security", both can face great temptation - and the one who succumbs is therefore lost and the one who does not fall is saved. So the fact of the one's election and the fact of the other's damnation is not really knowable to either, or to the people who know them, until one falls. Do you see the difficulty?
People say forgiveness is hard, and I’d agree with that, but if someone truly believes in the message of Christ, and truly follows His teachings, I can’t believe they’d find “hate” easy.
All of us are so tainted by our own sins we cannot ever be trusted to be objective about the sins of others. If any of us point endlessly at one kind of sin and saying it’s worse than any other, or keeping count, then we are doing it simply to divert attention away from our own sins! It might fool other people but it doesn’t fool God.
The LORD doesn’t expect any of us to live a full three score and ten without racking up a rap sheet a mile long! We all sin! Every single day!
But we’re all so arrogant and flawed and sinful that we have to convince ourselves that some sins are worse than others. And which sins are the least bad of all? The ones we commit, obviously...
That’s the hypocrisy Jesus kept on talking about. That’s why Jesus invited those without sin to cast the first stone.
It’s a lot more difficult to really feel a visceral hatred for anybody, if you’ve come to terms with that uncomfortable truth. To God, their sins are no worse than your own sins.
Luke 15 pretty much ruins that argument.
Follow the Lord. He will either preserve your life or not, but either way it's His call, not yours.
No man can pluck us; but we ourselves can choose to leave Him.
Since we KNOW that the Bible is the GOD-breathed Holy Scripture it stands to reason that God will not contradict himself. "Pretending" that verses say something other than what they clearly say cuts both ways. There is a discipline of understanding the Bible called Hermeneutics and one of the major points is that you interpret Scripture by other Scripture. That words IN CONTEXT mean what they say, is another important part. This is how we can KNOW that when Jesus said those who "believe in him HAVE everlasting life" we can have assurance that he was speaking the truth. Any other verses that seem to contradict that simple truth must be read following those principles.
It's a shame, but those who use the doctrine of OSAS to rationalize their refusal to pick up their cross and follow Christ need to get used to the idea of Christ telling them, "I never knew you".
I think the far greater "shame" is when people live their lives in fear that at any time God might end their lives and they die with no assurance that they will be with him for eternity. The shame is when people do their good works for God out of terror rather than out of gratitude for what Christ did for them. Those that Jesus will tell he NEVER knew them will be the ones who say, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’" (Matt. 7:22) They will NOT be the ones who believed the words of Christ and who received his gift of everlasting life by faith, resting in his precious promises, and, instead, live lives of holiness and obedience because of the Spirit nature within by which they were reborn in him. They HAVE picked up their "crosses" and followed him because it was what God created them to do and their new nature, which is conforming to the image of Christ, desires to do God's will out of love. I have YET to meet a genuine, born-again Christian who thinks he can accept Christ's gift and then go out and live like the devil. I don't know, maybe because such a person is only a figment of someone's imagination because they fear the freedom that is in Christ?
I don't see the difficulty. This "matter" of being a basic logical fallacy was addressed by the Apostle John in his first epistle. In I John 2:18-27, he says:
There IS a difference between someone coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ and one who "claims" he has. God tells us that one way to know for sure is that the "anointing remains" in us and the Holy Spirit is present within teaching all things. It cannot be counterfeited - at least not to God's view. Granted, there are people who become backslidden in their Christian walk, and the causes are varied, but a TRUE child of God will not remain in that state. The pastor in this article who claims to now be an atheist, has forsaken his faith - but, if he ever really had it, he will not die in that state. At some point, he WILL return home. Only God knows his heart and, just as the father of the prodigal in Jesus' parable, our heavenly Father WILL welcome him home.
So, they’re not blowing smoke you just know more than them and therefore dismiss what they say.
Thanks for making it clear that dismissing portions of Scripture you disagree with is your standard operating procedure.
never did understand your Catholic religion did you???Confession saves noone...Catholics all know that, repentance does the saving and somewhere in the Bible it says (as you were taught in your Catholic upbringing)whose sins you shall forgive are forgiven and whose sins you shall retain...they are retained.
Confession aside, it is one of the seven sacraments, all of which have very strict requirements, Catholics are saved with Baptism and by accepting Christ as their savior......sound familiar??? HOWEVER Catholics realize that '"you shall know them by their works"....will your works get you through the pearly gates???NOPE but they will go a long way to pointing out that you accept Christ and therefore follow His EXACT teachings.
seems to me that you can claim to accept Christ and ignore His teachings at your own peril. While salvation is a gift from God....it is certainly possible to reject that gift by ignoring the teachings of Christ.
Christ established the Eucharist for your benefit, and since "leaving" the Catholic church, you have rejected his gift....not wise.
the reason that I put the word leaving in parentheses was to point out the fact to you that you cannot leave the Catholic church. You can be non-practicing, fallen away whatever, but you are still a Catholic. All you have to do is repent of your admitted foolishness and be welcomed back to the fold. Anglicans are doing so in droves as we speak!!!
WELCOME HOME!!!!!!
Excellent!
That would indicate that the "genuine" ones you've met don't believe in OSAS.
even though some may “feel” that way, they are backsliders not condemned. Paul said.Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
He knew that whatever we did, God forgave us. That is the point of being sealed with and not by the Holy Spirit, Our salvation can not be altered if we put our trust in Him.
I would like to argue the point with you but everything you said was devoid of the Bible. Although you alluded to what the bible permits/not permits, there were no biblical references. I am afraid that too many people are persuaded by “rational” arguments instead of Biblical facts.
See my response to the original posts for Biblical references and rebuttal to your post.
Then he would be what? Borned again—again!
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