Some today extend the thought and idea that a Christian can lose their Salvation. These often cite passages in the Bible like Matthew 7:21, James 1:25, or 2 Peter 3:17. Many times the ones declaring that a person can lose their Salvation will put forth the idea of many places in the Bible that repeatedly warn Christians to remain in Jesus and to continue in the faith so that they don’t fall away from the faith. Some times these same ones try to debate or argue that Christians who reject their faith or shipwreck their faith using words like turn away, wander, or those who disown Jesus will lose their Salvation.
Most Christians have had moments of doubt concerning their salvation. After all, everyone has entertained thoughts and have committed acts were displeasing to God. Backsliding can no doubt cause such feelings to arise, and should hopefully move us to repentance (1 John 1:9). But for just a moment let's take a deeper look.
A Christian is an individual who has, by faith, asked for forgiveness of their sin, received and fully trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior. A Christian is not person who has simply claimed something without first requesting it through prayer, walked down an aisle, prayed because it was what their friends were doing, or been raised in a Christian family. The Bible says a genuine Christian is a new creation, redeemed, promised eternal life, and entitled to be called a child of the Living God, just to name a few.
For a Christian to lose their Salvation, God would have to go back and revoke the purchase price which He paid for redemption with the precious blood of Jesus and the new creation would have to be thrown away, reversed, and/or destroyed. For a Christian to lose their Salvation, God would have to literally go back on His Word and go back on His promise of all of what He had previously declared; as well as He would have to take away any eternal life. Redemption cannot be taken away or undone. Eternal life cannot be lost. If a Christian can lose salvation, God would have to go back on His Word and change His mind; two things that Scripture tells us God never does.
What about the Christians who have completely abandoned their faith, or those who have never shown fruit of Salvation? What about those who go to church yet live an immoral lifestyle? According to the Bible it can only determined that those were never really saved to begin with. So you can't lose what you never had possession of. Once saved, always saved is true, in the Bible, and forever. Mankind only looks at the outward appearance, and whats going on in front of them at the time. These who put forth ideas and teachings that a Christian can lose their Salvation cannot accurately assess who is really saved in the first place. The question therefore is not whether someone lost their salvation, but whether they had ever had it at all. As the Bible says in Romans chapter eight, "there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v. 38-29). The Bible says that a genuine Christian will not live a continual immoral lifestyle (1 John 3:6). The Bible says that anyone who departs the faith demonstrates that they were never truly a Christian (1 John 2:19). Such actions are evidence that they were never redeemed.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving currently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, is a tradition stretching back to before the United States was ever even formed and ultimately becoming a federal holiday until 1941. Thanksgiving is an observation to give thanks to God. Most will celebrate by coming together in the home with family and friends for a time of fellowship, feasting, and giving Glory to God; yet some will not.
Thanksgiving can be traced to harvest festivals which have been celebrated in many cultures since ancient times, the American holiday is tied to the deliverance of the English settlers by God, through the Native Americans, after the harsh winter at Plymouth, Massachusetts and that event has become the historical epic foundation of thanksgiving in North America. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three whole days providing enough food for 53 pilgrims and 90 Indians. That very first Thanksgiving was celebrated to give glory, praise, and ultimate thanks to God for His Providence in helping the pilgrims survive the brutal winter. More than half of the pilgrims who began the journey to the colonies on the Mayflower died; many more would have had it not been for God using the Native Americans in teaching the pilgrims how to harvest foods in the new land.
Thanksgiving today is sometimes celebrated differently in today's post-modern society. Some, if not most, don't even pray before any meal; much less praying before a thanksgiving meal. In this current self centered world the entire meaning of being thankful, as well as the true meaning of thanksgiving is tainted if not lost altogether.What are you thankful for this thanksgiving? Is your life lived in obedience and giving glory to the Lord, in the good times and the bad? Do you take many things in your life for granted? By looking at the world a little differently, you just might realize how much you have to be thankful for. Life should be focused on living in gratitude and love, fully aware of God's presence at all times. This is an attitude to have daily. For true Christians thanksgiving is not a once a year deal, it is an everyday way of life. Sharing this with joy and thanksgiving with others and showing the Love of Jesus Christ will help maintain a daily balance in the walk of life.
Thanksgiving can be traced to harvest festivals which have been celebrated in many cultures since ancient times, the American holiday is tied to the deliverance of the English settlers by God, through the Native Americans, after the harsh winter at Plymouth, Massachusetts and that event has become the historical epic foundation of thanksgiving in North America. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three whole days providing enough food for 53 pilgrims and 90 Indians. That very first Thanksgiving was celebrated to give glory, praise, and ultimate thanks to God for His Providence in helping the pilgrims survive the brutal winter. More than half of the pilgrims who began the journey to the colonies on the Mayflower died; many more would have had it not been for God using the Native Americans in teaching the pilgrims how to harvest foods in the new land.
Thanksgiving today is sometimes celebrated differently in today's post-modern society. Some, if not most, don't even pray before any meal; much less praying before a thanksgiving meal. In this current self centered world the entire meaning of being thankful, as well as the true meaning of thanksgiving is tainted if not lost altogether.What are you thankful for this thanksgiving? Is your life lived in obedience and giving glory to the Lord, in the good times and the bad? Do you take many things in your life for granted? By looking at the world a little differently, you just might realize how much you have to be thankful for. Life should be focused on living in gratitude and love, fully aware of God's presence at all times. This is an attitude to have daily. For true Christians thanksgiving is not a once a year deal, it is an everyday way of life. Sharing this with joy and thanksgiving with others and showing the Love of Jesus Christ will help maintain a daily balance in the walk of life.
Marriage
Marriage is a covenant and a lifelong journey. Every marriage will have ups and downs, as well as plenty of trials and rough times. The choices made during these times can most certainly make or break any commitment. But what exactly can you do when the bottom has seemed to fall out?There is couples counseling, books, conferences, and marriage gurus galore. Truth is every relationship is not a one size fits all deal, so the fix will be just as different for one as another. But one thing is for sure, if your life is not anchored to God then it will never work out for the good. If your marriage is not as solid right now as you need it to be or would like for it to be, it is definitely worth taking any risks necessary to hold on to it. Some people are willing to try anything and today's world will try to throw plenty of ideas your way. Yet the main thing is to keep the Lord first. For many this might include coming to the Lord for the first time in a long time, or maybe coming to God for the first time period.
Take 10 minutes a day to reconnect. No talking about kids, bills, jobs, etc. Talk about today, tomorrow, and the future together. One night a week for a date would be a great start as well.
Focus on the good. Stop trying to fix each other or whats wrong. The Holy Spirit can do the fixing if you will get yourself out of the way long enough. Understand each others needs. Conflict destroys marriage.
Maintain lines of communication that build up compatibility. There is always a huge valley between how couples act and what each one actually expects. Fill this valley with the Lord and Righteousness. In other words, meditate on the Lord before acting or saying anything when your spouse fails in your expectations.
Share your expectations, desires, frustrations, etc. with each other; and make a list of them together. Pray over this list and revise the list when needed.You must know your partner intimately and understand them. This is the basics of a relationship, and what true love is built out of. By the same token, if you don't have a relationship with the Lord that is intimate and understanding, then you don't know true love, and you can't give someone else something you haven't got. All things in life begin and end with God, through a relationship committed with and through His Son Jesus. This is the foundation and root of true love. The more you honor the Lord, the more honor and love will be manifested in your marriage. This will produce a joy in your marriage that is beyond any other. The more you give yourself to the Lord, the more you can give yourselves to each other. This will totally transform not only your marriage but your life as well.
Just because life is a struggle doesn't mean your marriage has to be. Trust Jesus He'll see you through.
Take 10 minutes a day to reconnect. No talking about kids, bills, jobs, etc. Talk about today, tomorrow, and the future together. One night a week for a date would be a great start as well.
Focus on the good. Stop trying to fix each other or whats wrong. The Holy Spirit can do the fixing if you will get yourself out of the way long enough. Understand each others needs. Conflict destroys marriage.
Maintain lines of communication that build up compatibility. There is always a huge valley between how couples act and what each one actually expects. Fill this valley with the Lord and Righteousness. In other words, meditate on the Lord before acting or saying anything when your spouse fails in your expectations.
Share your expectations, desires, frustrations, etc. with each other; and make a list of them together. Pray over this list and revise the list when needed.You must know your partner intimately and understand them. This is the basics of a relationship, and what true love is built out of. By the same token, if you don't have a relationship with the Lord that is intimate and understanding, then you don't know true love, and you can't give someone else something you haven't got. All things in life begin and end with God, through a relationship committed with and through His Son Jesus. This is the foundation and root of true love. The more you honor the Lord, the more honor and love will be manifested in your marriage. This will produce a joy in your marriage that is beyond any other. The more you give yourself to the Lord, the more you can give yourselves to each other. This will totally transform not only your marriage but your life as well.
Just because life is a struggle doesn't mean your marriage has to be. Trust Jesus He'll see you through.
Masks
Every October, kids, as well as adults, go to stores all over to find and buy the perfect costume. The one day of the year when it's alright to dress up and be someone or something else; and take on a role of something other than themselves. As Halloween is now over many will still wear their masks year round.
Whether Christian or non-Christian some people still wear their masks everyday. Literally living everyday as a plastic person and putting forth an image or idea that is not really them. Those who wear masks that put on a show of obedience and righteous living and all the while their hearts are calloused with greed and selfish desires. Those wearing masks that do not go to church do the same, in a sense. While they live an ungodly life unconcerned with anyone but themselves, they put on the mask that shows something different than their true person. So whether the person claims to be Christian or not the result is the same, plastic people wearing masks are not real; and anything that is not real is fake.
There are those that wear a mask pretending to be holy and righteous on the outside, but setting life goals and standards that they could never live up to. There are those that wear masks to cover their grief, fear, loneliness, and/or despair. Some wear masks in maintaining an appearance of living outside their means, only to find themselves in huge financial debt. Others wear masks all week and even put a different one on for church each weekend, projecting an image of having it all together, while inwardly struggling with sin and other skeletons in their closets.
Jesus faced these same types of people in His day as well. The Bible sometimes refers to them as the Pharisees. Jesus overcame them and provided a way for others to not be like them. Jesus saw right through the masks the Pharisees wore, and today, He sees right through our masks too. In Jesus, anyone can find freedom from wearing masks. If you are more concerned about your appearance and what others think then you are not letting God work from the inside out.
Make it your goal to live life as a real person, the person Jesus Christ has created you to be, not what you or everyone else thinks you should be. Remember that God sees everything. Our actions and our hearts as well. Today, take off the mask! God is big enough to lovingly deal with the real you and, at the same time, lead you toward being conformed to the image of Christ Jesus.
Whether Christian or non-Christian some people still wear their masks everyday. Literally living everyday as a plastic person and putting forth an image or idea that is not really them. Those who wear masks that put on a show of obedience and righteous living and all the while their hearts are calloused with greed and selfish desires. Those wearing masks that do not go to church do the same, in a sense. While they live an ungodly life unconcerned with anyone but themselves, they put on the mask that shows something different than their true person. So whether the person claims to be Christian or not the result is the same, plastic people wearing masks are not real; and anything that is not real is fake.
There are those that wear a mask pretending to be holy and righteous on the outside, but setting life goals and standards that they could never live up to. There are those that wear masks to cover their grief, fear, loneliness, and/or despair. Some wear masks in maintaining an appearance of living outside their means, only to find themselves in huge financial debt. Others wear masks all week and even put a different one on for church each weekend, projecting an image of having it all together, while inwardly struggling with sin and other skeletons in their closets.
Jesus faced these same types of people in His day as well. The Bible sometimes refers to them as the Pharisees. Jesus overcame them and provided a way for others to not be like them. Jesus saw right through the masks the Pharisees wore, and today, He sees right through our masks too. In Jesus, anyone can find freedom from wearing masks. If you are more concerned about your appearance and what others think then you are not letting God work from the inside out.
Make it your goal to live life as a real person, the person Jesus Christ has created you to be, not what you or everyone else thinks you should be. Remember that God sees everything. Our actions and our hearts as well. Today, take off the mask! God is big enough to lovingly deal with the real you and, at the same time, lead you toward being conformed to the image of Christ Jesus.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
