Once Saved, Always Saved?

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth." - 1 Timothy 4:1-3, NKJV 

"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." - 1 Corinthians 10:12 

It is impossible to fall from a place you have not been. This means that reference is made in the above two passages to those who have been in the faith. In the Bible, there are examples of individuals who left the Christian faith. Demas forsook Apostle Paul and the faith and went back to the world. "for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia." - 2 Timothy 4:10. Ananias and Sapphira turned away from their Christian beliefs and embraced the lies of Satan and unfortunately paid the price of their sin - instant death (Acts 5:1-11)

We are admonished, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." - 1 John 2:15-17. The world continues to beckon on God's people. The epistle of John was written to believers and it is fair to say that there is always the possibility of a believer loving the world and all that is in it, and thereby returning to it. Of course, such a believer would have been in a backslidden state (for a period of time) and consequently decided to abandon the faith. 

God will never interfere with the freewill He has given mankind. At every point of our lives, we have the God-given right and freedom to exercise our freewill. Our freewill is conditioned by God to the extent that we surrender to Him. It is obvious then that the individual who is submissive and surrendered to God is one who abides in Jesus. The only way to abide in Jesus is to surrender to Him 100%. Many proponents of the 'Once Saved Always Saved' (OSAS) idea quote John 10:28, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ' John 10:27-28. Well, there is nothing in this passage that suggests a believer cannot reject eternal life. In fact, the sheep make a decision to follow Jesus and as long as they continue to follow Jesus, eternal life is their portion. The characteristic of eternal life is not dependent on the recipient and it is not functional in the recipient without the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is disregarded, disobeyed and rejected, the individual forfeits the benefits of eternal life. It is completely unimaginable that someone who deliberately turns away from Jesus will continue to benefit from eternal life against his or her will. Rejecting eternal life does not make it temporary life; it just means that the one who rejects it has given up his or her rights to it. In fact saying that one is always saved in spite of what they do is saying that God is confused or He is trying to confuse His people.

"For it is impossible 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 to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame." (Hebrews 6:4-6) 

To assume that one's rejection of Jesus does not disqualify one from the blessings of salvation is to say that God is unfair to the unbeliever who decides to reject Jesus right from the word 'go'. Falling away from the faith has dire consequences including spiritual death. What is the difference between the individual who abandons the faith and the one who refuses to receive Jesus in the first place? Spiritually speaking, nothing. They are both spiritually dead. 

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God." (Revelation 3:1-2, NKJV)

The members of the church in Sardis were not physically dead. Most of them were dead spiritually. In verse 4 of Revelation 3, Jesus said, "Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief." (Revelation 3:3, NLT). It is clear that Jesus was reminding them of what they had received and believed at first, meaning that they had been believers before they became spiritually dead. Being spiritually dead means just that whether the individual involved is an atheist or a backslider. 

As long as we are abiding in Jesus, we are secure in His protection and victory by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me." (John 15:4, AMP). We are commanded to abide (remain) in Jesus. The word 'abide' is an action word meaning that abiding in Jesus is our responsibility. God will never force anyone to abide in Jesus and therefore the thought of God keeping someone in a relationship against his or her will is simply erroneous.

It is true that we sin. In fact we are reminded in 1 John 1:8-10, "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." (1 John 1:8-10, NLT)

Believers are not sinners but saints who sin. The point is that for the believer, sinning is not a lifestyle. The unbeliever unashamedly commits sin without batting an eyelid whereas the believer is convicted of sin when he or she sins and turns to Jesus in repentance (1 John 1:9). Jesus has made this possible whereby repentance of our sins ushers in a restoration of our relationship with Him. The one who falls away would have decided to reject Jesus completely, with no desire whatsoever of returning to Jesus. Why then should God keep him or her against his or her will? 

My brothers and sisters, let us not live our lives based on false hopes. God will keep those who continue to trust in Him, who continue to run the Christian race, who continue to seek Him diligently by faith and not sight, who continue to press on even when the going is tough and rough, who continue to fix their eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who continue to draw near to God so that He might draw near to them, who continue to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Nothing can separate us from God except ourselves and that is because God has never overridden our freewill and will never override our freewill. 

Let us remember that the Bible says some shall depart from the faith. You cannot depart from a place you have not been. Let us heed the warnings of God in the Bible. God has His part to play and we have ours although life is not a game. The hopelessness of hell is something that no one should wish his or her worst enemy. Embracing the false doctrine of 'Once Saved, Always Saved' sends a wrong message to believers and even unbelievers, and leads many to be lackadaisical about their faith. That is dangerous. 

"Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’ When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live." (Ezekiel 33:12-16, NKJV) 

 This passage is unambiguous and delivers a clear message about the mercy and justice of God. The sinner who repents and turns away from sin, receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour is saved. The one who rejects Jesus before or after salvation is condemned. As we continue to fix our eyes on Jesus, He will keep us empowered, victorious, joyful, fruitful and Heaven-bound by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lukewarmness is something that Jesus frowns upon and in addressing members of the church in Laodicea, He said, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16). Vomit is waste, good for nothing. The dog is the only creature that eats its vomit. The point is that believers must work out their salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). We cannot save ourselves but we are required to be active in the faith after salvation. We are not to become lukewarm, lazy or lackadaisical. We must hold on tenaciously to our faith and not take our hands of the plough. That is the Word of God. Let us not take the grace of God for granted. Have a blessed day.

Putting the Cart before the Horse

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:31-34)

It is really amazing how simple common sense rules get flouted all the time. Most children become very adventurous when told, 'Don't.....'. Their curiosity index rises and they do the very thing they have been warned against. Fortunately most of them become wiser. Smokers frequently ignore the Surgeon General's warnings about smoking and indulge themselves nevertheless. They disregard the health warnings stamped on packets of cigarettes and thereby accelerate the death process through a rather cynical appraisal of valuable health advice. What is the point? In both cases the individuals' priorities are misplaced. 

Priorities are an essential part of life which is why mathematicians have what they call the acronym 'BIDMAS' representing Brackets, Indices, Division, Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction. Calculations are carried out in that order. Where a calculation has only multiplication or division signs, the calculation is carried out from left to right. The same process is undertaken when a calculation has only addition and subtraction signs. This is called the Order of Operations. That is the way calculators are programmed and in life there are also priorities and an order of living. Jesus clearly stated 'But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you'. It isn't complicated; it is not ambiguous; it is not incomprehensible; it is simple and straightforward, yet time and time again, people get it wrong. What is really happening? There are no ifs or buts in the command - it's just a functional command that makes a lot of sense. Jesus was saying, if you want your needs met, put the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first. Jesus is not a liar, He is the Truth. Jesus will never misguide anyone, He is the Way. Jesus will never cause anyone any harm, He is the Life and He gives life more abundantly. 

Seeking all other things first instead of God's Kingdom and His righteousness is equivalent to putting the cart before the horse. It is not only unwise, unhealthy but results in pain and loss. Pursuing temporal or other things in preference to the will of God demonstrates a disregard for God Himself. When we do that we are like children disregarding the good advice of their parents. Not only does it show a blatant contempt for God but it highlights the casual and illogical attitude to life of the smoker who deliberately inhales poisonous fumes. 

There is something else that arises from this. God knows what we need and He is committed to supplying our need (Philippians 4:19). The Bible says, "The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing." - Psalm 34:10. It is interesting that the word 'seek' is used in Psalm 34:10 which is in line with the word 'seek' in Matthew 6:33. It is fair to say that the action that is prescribed here is continuous. We should never stop seeking the Lord God Almighty. A very important implication of Matthew 6:33 is that in pursuing what God has commanded us to do, our needs not our wants will be abundantly supplied. A further consideration of this passage puts into perspective what the Bible says in "Now godliness with contentment is great gain.For we brought nothing into this world, and it is  certain we can carry nothing out.And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." - 1 Timothy 6:6-8. If we disagree with this, we disagree with the Word of God. God, who created us, who knows us better than we know ourselves, who is omniscient states that contentment will be our portion when our needs are supplied by Him - something He is 100% committed to. Our bills are not really the issue - our priorities are the issue. What comes first in your life? Your job, business, education, family, hobby, etc.?

Jesus said, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."- Matthew 10:37-39. Pretty tough, right? Well, it is said 'That's the Way The Cookie Crumbles'. Let's pay attention to God's Word. He does not mince words - He says what He means and means what He says. The only way to pleasing God is by obeying Him which is why Jesus said, "If you love Me,  keep My commandments." - John 14:15.  

As we ponder over this, we ought to remember that we walk by faith and not by sight (1 Corinthians 5:7). If we are going to function as ambassadors of Christ, soldiers of the army of our Lord, a chosen generation and a peculiar people, then adherence to God's Word is key. A demonstration of this fundamental principle of faith in our lives is of essence in fulfilling our ministerial responsibilities on earth. Otherwise, we face prolonged periods of discontentment, chaos and confusion, listlessness and a waste of space and time.

As we heed the Word of God, He will enable us to be instruments of blessings in His hands, shining with His light and proclaiming with all amount of vigour that JESUS IS LORD. Have a blessed day.

The Bait of Satan or the Blessings of God

Bait as a noun is defined as 'food placed on a hook or in a net, trap, or fishing area to entice fish or other animals as prey.' As a verb it is defined as 'deliberately annoy or taunt (someone)'. Whatever one thinks about it, the ultimate purpose of bait is enticement. And the devil is good at dangling bait before God's children.  The Bible says, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. " (John 10:10, AMP). These were the words of Jesus and He knew what He was talking about. Jesus came to seek and save the lost and to give them life more abundantly - overflowing life that would create mighty powerful impacts in the lives of many others. The devil (Satan) is only interested in destroying lives and he is very clever. He is not bothered by people getting wealthy because he knows that money has the potential of drawing people away from God. All the devil has to do is convince whoever, that it is okay to give God 99% and not 100%. Well, there is always that possibility that 99% today will gradually decrease to about 40% to 50% in a few months or years later, if care is not taken. The gradual, almost unnoticeable descent into a backslidden state, a lackadaisical existence, a lethargic, unfocused life riddled by procrastination and rendered useless by sheer indulgence into the unholy is the goal of Satan. He is relentless and committed to his diabolical plans and has made up his mind to press on with his evil schemes up to his eternal imprisonment in the lake of fire. 

It is therefore quite interesting that the Bible says, "And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14, NKJV). That is to say, he masquerades as an angel of light. Wow! The devil puts up an appearance of something that is diametrically opposed to what he really is - evil, the darkest and most debilitating, most dehumanising, most incapacitating, most destructive and most putrid kind of evil. While he may succeed in hiding his true nature, he is utterly committed to his devilish ways. So would you be swayed by the eye-catching bait of the devil or stand firm against his wiles, in the power of the Holy Spirit? Will you be deceived by the lies of the devil or believe the Word of God? Make no mistake about it, if you are not standing upon God's Word, you are embracing the deception of Satan. Satan would even use what may appear to be logically sound and biblically true. Remember that when he was tempting Jesus, he quoted Scripture. "Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In  their  hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”Jesus said to him, “It is written again,  ‘You shall not  tempt the Lord your God.” - Matthew 4:5-7 

Just because something has a verse or two attached to it does not mean it is from the Lord; just because it looks good does not mean it is from the Lord; just because it appears to sort out your bills does not mean it is ordered by the Lord. As a dear brother of mine usually says, 'Not every good thing is a God thing'. The devil is cunning, determined and persistent to propagate his evil schemes. You see, just because something seems okay does not mean that it cannot be part of a diabolical scheme.

In order not to be deceived by the devil, we must find out what God is saying. We must remember that we are not blessed because of the acquisition of some temporal gift, we are blessed because God says we are and because of Who God is. He has declared by the Holy Spirit, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. - 1 Peter 2:9-10. If we are a chosen generation, chosen by God, then there is no doubt that we are blessed. God is for us and not against us and that fact is not a function of circumstances. IT IS GOD'S INFALLIBLE WORD.

Satan uses bait effectively; he seeks to excite the senses - what we see, feel, taste, hear and smell. How many of us have been tempted by good food to overeat, yielding to gluttony? How many of us have been carried away by that action movie that we have excused scenes of sexual immorality? How many of us have yielded to the pull of sleep (because it feels good) when we should be praying? How many of us have listened to music that does not glorify God because of what we think is good beat? Bait comes in different forms. How many of us have been tempted to tell a white, brown or even yellow lie? It's quite interesting because some think if the lie is not black or brown or blue, it is okay. Hmm, who colour-codes the lies? A LIE IS A LIE and lies are the speciality of Satan. In modern times, the devil has propagated ideologies (based on lies) like Wokeness, Cancel Culture, Critical Race Theory, etc. and many have been sucked into these philosophies that appear good on the outside but are really weapons of deception of Satan. 

Jesus said told the Pharisees, "You are of your father the devil, and the  desires of your father you want to  do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and  does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." - John 8:44. Every lie has its origin from the devil but Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). God will never, never lead you astray or ask you to lie. NEVER. The devil will not hesitate to encourage you to tell a lie because lying is his master weapon. No wonder we are admonished, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." - 1 Peter 5:8-9 

The blessings of God become our portion when we obey Him unconditionally. The Bible states, "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be  in the country. Blessed shall be  the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks." - Deuteronomy 28:1-4. God spoke these words to the children of Israel and the idea was that they would be blessed (beyond what they could ask or think) if they obeyed the commands of God. God has not changed and He will never change and these principles hold true today. God is still at work in the lives of His people to enable and empower them to be instruments of blessings in His hands. Hallelujah!

So, let us reject the bait of Satan and cling to the blessings of God. Let us reject the lies of Satan and embrace the truth of God's Word. Let us draw near to God and He will draw near to us. Let us surrender unconditionally to God and we shall be moulded into the image of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

May the blessings of God be your portion as you hearken diligently to His unchanging Word in Jesus' Name.