The majority of Evangelical view is that once someone has accepted Christ as Saviour they are guaranteed salvation. But is it safe to assume that once we are saved, we are saved for always?
David Pawson investigated this through biblical evidence, historical figures such as Augustine, Luther and Wesley, and evangelical assumptions about grace and justification, divine sovereignty and human responsibility. He asks whether something more than being born again is required so that our inheritance is not lost. This book helps us to deicide whether ‘once saved, always saved’ is real assurance or a misleading assumption. The answer will have profound effects on the way we live and disciple others.
There is one trick up the devil’s sleeve that he got me with many times and he will ALWAYS use against many Christians. He got away with it with Eve in the garden when he tried to convince her with his famous lie: “you shall not surely die”.
He disguises himself as a your friend, someone who care for you, somebody who tells you “you don’t need to suffer or struggle”, “satisfy yourself”, “God loves you”, “HE WILL NOT LET ANYTHING BAD HAPPEN TO YOU”.
He did that from the beginning in the garden and He tried to pull that on Jesus Himself in the wilderness when he said to Him (Luke 4:9-11):
If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’
and
On their hands they will bear you up, (((( LEST YOU STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE. ))))
The devil wanted to tempt Jesus by telling Him: ‘You are the SON OF GOD, you can do anything you want’, ‘God will not let anything happen to you’. But Jesus called him out.
Sometimes the devil will use the CLOSEST family members to do that to you. They will tell you that “you don’t need to suffer, that you are worried too much about God, that it is ok to satisfy our flesh, it is normal, we are human. God loves you no matter what, He will forgive you”.
Dear brothers and sisters, call him out. Do not believe them. It is the devil trying to tempt you by using the closest to you. He also tried to do that with Jesus:
Matthew 16:22-23
And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ((((((( Far be it from you, Lord! THIS SHALL NEVER HAPPEN TO YOU. ))))))) But he turned and said to Peter, ((((((( “GET BEHIND ME, SATAN! ))))))) You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
If that is the best trick of the devil, will you take heed dear friends?
What if I told you that it is the trick he is using today with these doctrines you see in your church (Once Saved Always Saved and Pre-tribulation rapture), would you believe me?
What is the fruit of “Once Saved Always Saved”? :
“Don’t worry, you shall not surely die, it is ok to sin a bit sometimes, you are safe, you are already saved, God will forgive you”
What is the fruit of “pre-tribulation rapture”?:
“Don’t worry, you don’t need to suffer for Christ, these things will not happen to you, you will be raptured out of here”
Dear friends, keep your EYES ON JESUS and His words. Keep His words IN YOU and YOU WILL KNOW when the devil is trying to deceive you. By the Spirit of God, we will DISCERN.
16:55 Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small reads John 15 to Donald Trump, who heard the abiding part, and what happens to those who don’t abide, but then Trump talked with the man next to him, missing Jesus’ desire that our joy would be full, when we abide in the Vine, walking in love.
21:43 Trump challenged to love his enemies. His reaction shows he heard and understood the challenge.
24:44 Rick Wiles’ example: loving and forgiving our enemies — ‘no hate.’
29:30 “I’ve seen people needlessly suffer. I’ve seen them go to the grave with their diseases, unwilling to forgive.” – Rick Wiles
“When we refuse to forgive as a Christian, our sins are not forgiven by God the Father. … Forgiveness of others is mandatory, required if you want God to forgive your sins. … If you are unwilling to forgive even one person in this life, your sins that you have committed since you’ve been born-again, your sins aren’t forgiven. Jesus said if you won’t forgive your brother God the Father will not forgive you.”
31:25 “So it’s a sad thing to watch President Trump and Nancy Pelosi sit there at the prayer breakfast fume and steam, and have hatred and bitterness and unforgiveness in their hearts towards each other. It’s sad.”
Best 6-minute summary I’ve ever seen. George nails it!
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SHOULD WE FORGIVE IF THEY DON’T REPENT?
Some Christians say that if a brother does not repent, if they don’t come back to say they are sorry, we should not forgive them. They use the passage when Jesus said “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” (Matthew 18:15)
Dear brothers and sisters, a true Christian is a dead man to the world. They don’t keep record of wrong, they don’t care about their pride and their ego. They don’t care about being treated unjustly because they are dead to this world.
The passage that speaks about confronting our brother who sins against us in Matthew 18 is about a fellowship setting. If we are in fellowship together as brothers and sisters, we need to brings everything out into the open. We need to rebuke, correct each other but IN LOVE. This is because we need to stay in one accord and to walk together, we need to agree together.
However that doesn’t mean that we should not forgive anyone who has wronged us even if they don’t repent, not only Christians but also unbelievers.
When Jesus was on the cross, He said: FORGIVE THEM because they know not what they do. The people who crucified Him did not repent prior to Jesus saying that. The same with Stephen when he was being stoned, he said: “don’t lay this to their charge”.
There is no place for resentment in the heart of a Christian. We need to forgive everyone and for anything. We need to trust Jesus to deliver righteous judgment when we will stand before Him. He will repay, it is not up to us to repay.
John 10 is being used to deceive the sheep — many ‘pastors’ today lying by omission. This first part of the passage (v. 27) is rarely quoted when they claim Jesus is saying we cannot lose our salvation. Jesus’ sheep hear His voice and follow Him, and no one can snatch them out of Jesus’ hand.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
Who is “them?” Those who hear Jesus’ voice and follow Him.
Then look at what Jesus says in John 15 about the Vine and the branches. Branches that don’t abide in Him, not producing fruit that remains are cut off, thrown into the fire and burned.
Jesus increased the purity requirement in Matthew 5, because now we have the Holy Spirit to help us overcome. He’s saying how serious lusting is, because it really will cost us our souls if we don’t overcome this.
27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old [old covenant], ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say [new covenant] to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Excellent message about American Christianity verses real Christianity. How theologians have twisted the written word of God!
“Fear” means fear! Lukewarm is gross to God!
27:10 “I’m praying that something I’ve said through the years sticks, and especially this morning, that the Holy Spirit of God would light a fire in some of you to where you work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, right now.”
Many years ago about, 35 years ago I was severely backslidden, I had turned away from Jesus and I was serving satan well. I was in corporate business and doing extremely well. …
Please go back to Him, because as long as you are away from Jesus, if there’s sin between you and Jesus, you are in danger of hellfire. We have to make sure that there is no sin between us and Jesus.
Most modern Bible versions cut off the second part of Romans 8:1, which is in Michael’s song here, and in the more reliable, Syrian, Textus Receptus Greek text that the KJV and some other translations like the NKJV and WEB are based on.
The NIV and most other popular versions rely on the Egyptian manuscripts, which were likely intentionally altered, as my links below the video demonstrate. The shortened version has become the #1 OSAS (“once saved, always saved”) greatest hit: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” — which is a complete misinterpretation of what Paul says in four different ways in 8:1-17 (see below).
This song is the unaltered real deal, what the text is really saying:
“There is therefore now *no condemnation* to those who are IN CHRIST Jesus, who don’t WALK according to the flesh, but ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT.”
Michael Fackerell sings this from Australia via Facebook, saying “Another new song with words taken from Romans 8:1”
UPDATE 11/10/19: Michael posted it on YouTube, apparently naming it this time:
This is the place of rest that Jesus and the writer of Hebrews talks about (chapter 4), when we surrender all, walking not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit — surrendered — letting Him lead, and we follow — resting.
Mt. 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, 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.”
Keith Green starting at 5:55: “If you’re here, sitting in front of what they call the ‘boob tube,’ and feel like you’re real empty inside. … Maybe you gave your life to Jesus…, but you haven’t been following Him with your whole heart. Talk to somebody and pray to receive Jesus. And if you once prayed to receive Him, then pray to commit your whole life to Him. … Let Jesus take over your life, and let Him be your Lord. He’s not your Savior unless He’s your Lord. … Call in and get right with Him. Because unless you’ve given Him your whole life He doesn’t want any of it unless you give Him the whole thing.”
When Paul warned about “works,” he was warning about “works of the law.” The Judaizers were trying to put followers of Christ back under the old covenant law. Now we’re to be led by the Spirit instead:
“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” – Gal. 5:18.
“There is therefore now *no condemnation* to those who are IN CHRIST Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” – Romans 8:1
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” – Romans 8:14
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warningthepeople
Published on Aug 8, 2018
You Might be in the Flesh FAR More than You Think
If you have received the Holy Spirit then every single day you keep in step with the Spirit, you deny yourself, you take up your cross and you follow Jesus with ALL of your might.Many of us are in the flesh FAR more than we let on.So many Christians THINK that they are being led by Jesus but they are led by THEIR OWN HEART.They follow after the desires of the FLESH, and even though they KNOW the words of Jesus, THEY LIVE BY THEIR OWN UNDERSTANDING.Are you really DAILY denying yourself?From the time that you wake up are the things of Jesus on your mind?
Is He your Father? Does He guide you, does He teach you?Is your will completely to do the will of the FATHER IN HEAVEN?When you lay down on your bed to fall asleep are you STILL praying?Are you thinking about Him and His will?Have you truly surrendered to Him?Or are you still living for yourself? Do you call yourself a Christian yet you are not denying yourself, you are not living for the Lord? You are not keeping in step with the Spirit?Check yourself to day.Are you really a child of God led by the Holy Spirit?OR ARE YOU IN THE FLESH FAR MORE THAN YOU THINK?May the grace of Jesus be with you.
I originally wrote this in response to this cartoon being posted on Facebook.
I explain below how this cartoon is false teaching, and what the Bible really says — and how ‘ONE’ will happen “that the world will know!”
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Actually, there is a target we must all hit, a test we must all pass, as Paul did himself, running his race to win, working out his own salvation through fear and trembling.
Jesus said in John 15 that we, the BRANCHES must abide in the VINE, connected to Him, bearing fruit (“apart from Me you can do nothing” – v. 5), or we’ll be *cut off*, cast into the fire and burned. We must stay connected to Him, where *He wants our joy to be full!*
“*If* you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love…. I have spoken these things to you, *that my joy may remain in you*, and *that your joy may be made full*. This is my commandment, that you *love one another, even as I have* loved you.” (John 15:10-12)
The cartoonist quotes Paul in Romans 3, where Paul was saying we’re not justified by works *of the law* (“apart from the works of the law” – v. 28). Paul then goes on to say in Romans 8:1 that in order to have “no condemnation” we must abide in Christ, not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit:
“There is therefore now *no condemnation* to those who are *in Christ Jesus*, who don’t *walk* according to the flesh, but *according to the Spirit*.”
He then states that we must abide in Christ to overcome to be true children of God:
“For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if *by the Spirit* you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are *led by the Spirit* of God, these are children of God.” (8:13-14)
“..we are children of God…, joint heirs with Christ; *if indeed we suffer with him*, that we may also be glorified with him. (8:16-17)
Paul practiced what he preached. He worked out his own salvation with fear and trembling, running his race to win, making sure he lived in “no condemnation” by ALWAYS being right with God and men, so he was able to publicly say:
“Herein I also practice *always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men*” (Acts 24:16).
When a group of people live this way, able to worship God in Spirit and in truth, the long-prophesied revival, ’ONE’ will happen “that the world will know” — Jesus prayer in John 17:
“Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who believe in me through their word, *that they may all be one*; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be *one in us; that the world may believe* that you sent me. *The glory* which you have given me, I have *given to them; that they may be one*, even as we are one; I in them, and you in me, that they may be *perfected into one; that the world may know* that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me.” (17:20-24)
This could easily happen in Anchorage this year, if we make sure we’re right with God and men and women. By His grace, we can be ‘ONE’ “that the world will know” — no longer in the doldrums — overcoming together!
Praise Jesus!
– Jeff
Not one verse says we cannot lose our salvation, while there are many dozens that prove we can, such as:
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled….” – Hebrews 12:14-15
Once-saved-always-saved pastors present a deadly opiate. Many “Christians” are now ignoring their consciences, believing false teachers instead.
Romans 11:20 ..Don’t be conceited, but FEAR; 21 for if God didn’t spare the natural branches [the Jews], neither will he spare you. 22 See then the GOODNESS *and* SEVERITY of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, IF YOU CONTINUE in his goodness; OTHERWISE YOU WILL ALSO BE CUT OFF [like in Mt. 7:19 and John 15:6].
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“The vague and tenuous hope that God is too kind to punish the ungodly has become a deadly opiate for the conscience of others.”
Full text of Piper’s points: Are You Going To Heaven? John Piper’s 15-Point Test
– – These 15 points from John Piper are good. The problem with John Piper’s Calvinistic teaching is that he believes all born-again Christians will walk this way or they weren’t truly born-again. See:
The truth: God has sovereignly chosen to give us free will. Those who are born-again don’t have to obey. God will always enable us to, but we must decide to walk according to the Spirit or according to the flesh. Romans 8:
13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.
The main thing is to maintain a clean conscience before God and men so we’ll have faith to enter when we see Jesus face to Face, like Paul did:
“..I also practice ALWAYS having a conscience void of offense toward God and men” (Acts 24:16).
These 15 points are good. The problem with John Piper’s Calvinistic teaching is that he believes all born-again Christians will walk this way or they weren’t truly born-again. See:
The truth: God has sovereignly chosen to give us free will. Those who are born-again don’t have to obey. God will always enable us to, but we must decide to walk according to the Spirit or according to the flesh. Romans 8:
13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.
The main thing is to maintain a clean conscience before God and men so we’ll have faith to enter when we see Jesus face to Face, like Paul did:
“..I also practice ALWAYS having a conscience void of offense toward God and men” (Acts 24:16).
Host: “Can a born-again Christian lose his or her salvation?
John Piper:
“The answer to that question biblically is a resounding, clear, emphatic, joyful, glorious no. … The life that is imparted in the new birth is precisely eternal life.”
“Perseverance in faith is the evidence that we’ve been made part of Christ. And when that perseverance doesn’t hold, then we were never in.”
“It’s assurance rooted in our confidence in an absolutely sovereign, covenant keeping God….”
This is erroneous because God sovereignly states His covenants are conditional. The new covenant is conditional upon us abiding in Christ, which dozens of New Testament scriptures say. See:
