"Once Saved Always Saved"

Do you ever wonder how people come up with some of the doctrine taught today? One doctrine that has always been dumbfounding is the doctrine of "Once saved, always saved!" Years ago there was a couple I was studying with. The lady believed in this doctrine. When she was converted to Christ she revealed it was always a great doctrine to believe in and follow because she could do as she pleased (and she did) and couldn't ever be lost! There was no fear of God before her eyes. There was no trembling at His word. Just a life of fun and frolicking in sin and in the end you're saved. Today that lady is so grateful to the saving grace of Jesus because of her unbelief in ignorance.

Too many believe that one cannot fall from grace. I have some books written by scholarly minds but believe in the doctrine that one cannot fall from grace. No one takes into account that the majority of the nation of Israel was lost because of sin. I know that's Old Testament but it shows that just because one belongs at one time doesn't mean they are a shoe-in! What about Judas? A hand-picked apostle of Jesus Christ yet the best he offered was 30 silver coins rattling in his pocket and later in the temple and suicide! And what of Demas? Paul said he loved the present world too much and deserted him (II Tim. 4:10). When you read the book of Hebrews it is completely devoted to warning against leaving Jesus. Those Hebrew Christian's weren't "once saved always saved." What all this means is one can't be protected from themselves in spite of themselves! One can come but they can also go. Christianity is a life, not a one time happening.

Walking in the Light is just that...a life lived in the Light. To say one has fellowship with the Lord and walk in sin, they lie and do not practice the truth (I John 1:6-7). The Galatian congregations were warned that those who turn back to the law for their justification are severed from Christ, fallen from grace (Gal. 5:4). People don't fall from works or law. They fall from GRACE!

Fear the Lord! Hold fast to the name of Jesus! Humbly walk with the Lord with a whole heart trusting in His grace. And His grace will lead us home!

"House Rules"

I was playing ping-pong at a friends house. During the final point, my friend returned the ball and it hit the ceiling, bounced off the light fixture and landed on my side of the table. "Game!" he stated loudly. "House rules are in order here!" In other words because we are playing in his house it is his rules and he won.

That made me think how more and more people today are using "house rules" in their approach to God. Many have an idea about how they want to approach God, worship God and run with it. Because they are sincere in their heart, they believe it is completely acceptable. Recently I had an elder at a congregation tell me that "our ideas of worship are out-dated" and we need a new, fresh approach so they brought in things that were, well, appealing to people and the community. "House rules!" I hear more and more talk of what moves us and what makes us feel closer to the Lord. I hear little talk about what is acceptable to the Lord. "There's nothing in the Bible that says it's wrong!" is the argument of many. I guess that means "House rules"!

It was Jesus who said that not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter God's kingdom but only those who do His will (Matt. 7:21) Heaven and fellowship with God is God's place! Being in fellowship with God is what He allows because of His mercy and grace. That means His "house rules" and He sets the standards, not man. We seem less and less concerned about His will and more and more involved in our will. If we are going to be pleasing, have an edifying worship, who determines what that is and acceptable? Remember Cain offered his ideas of what was acceptable to God and God rejected him. God determines what is acceptable. When are we going to learn?

Paul understood it is God's "house rules" that matters. He understood that to cause a brother or sister stumble was a terrible offense in the eyes of God. Paul went as far as saying if it is food that causes my brother or sister to stumble he would never eat meat again (I Cor. 8:13). How many have that kind of heart for the will of God today? How many times do we see that depth of love practiced? To sin against brethren when they are weak, you sin against Christ (I Cor. 8:12). Paul knew something about reverence for the Lord and awe to his God. That's what many are missing today. What we are seeing in the church is dividing up into two separate congregations while one group worships their way allowing the other to worship another. How close is that to the will of God? Does it promote unity and oneness in the Lord or create division? What does the voice of the Lord want? What we are speaking of in each of these cases, "House rules!" and it's not about God's house from heaven we are addressing.

"Sin Creates Death"

We are way too careless with our attitudes toward sin and in our lives at times. The love of God is spoken so often (which is right) but we seem to miss the seriousness of sin in God's love. I had an elder in the congregation where he served tell me that we "accept anyone who comes to us. We just love, love, love! What more is there?" It shook me a little so I had to inquire further to which I found out what I thought he was saying. They were looking for numbers and no matter what in the life of an individual, they were made to feel warm and accepted. The real question is does God accept them? Yes, but based on Him and His righteousness and not us.

How many times have we heard or quoted, "The wages of sin is death!" (Rom. 6:23)? Death...death...DEATH! Sin is a horror to God. Simply stated, you sin, you die spiritually. You don't just continue to live in a loving relationship with the Lord in unrepented sin. You don't just 'slide' in and have fellowship with God. Because people accept you, pat you on the back, embrace you and tell you how much they love you doesn't take away the reality that the blow of sin has dealt in your life. Sin separates one from God! Let me repeat: sin separates one from God! Not kinda...not just a little mistake but death encompasses the soul and the heart senses are dulled because sin has an eternal impact on the human. If we would only look seriously at the cross there we would see the impact of sin. The horrific scene that sin was out to destroy everything of God. The agony, the immense struggle, the pain staking in the heart of God because sin kills humans and Jesus death shows that.

You sin, you die! That's the fact. To just embrace everyone without their heart turning to the Lord and embracing Him leaves one in death. To tell people we love them without their whole heart turning to the Lord because their heart was touched by the price paid for their personal death keeps them in death. They may act alive and say they believe but death is theirs to the fullest and only by coming to Christ can one have life (I John 5:12). If we continue just embracing people without their heart turning to the Lord, we end up with a congregation of...DEATH! (And those very ones that are 'loved' without their heart turning use the brethren to the fullest! That's another outreach of death.)

"Grace At Work"

Our service to the Lord must be from our love because of God's grace, not duty. Too many cheapen God's grace because they want to perform a favor so as to repay. You have heard the people, "You owe me one!" when they did you a favor. That's repay not love.

It was Jesus who was trying to open the eyes of the people (and ours) when He taught that when you give to help the needy, don't sound it out there so others will know (Matt. 6:2). People want to know who is giving what and some just want credit for what they do! That's not love because of grace, that is seeking merit!

But it goes further than that. Jesus said in Luke 6, "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." (v.27) "Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (v.28) "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back." (v.30) "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (v.36) "But is you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount." (v.32-34)

Please think carefully...to love the Lord is not about our goodness to Him. Remember Jesus died for us when we were His enemies (Rom. 6:8). Any effort we put forth to compensate God for His gift to us will cheapen His grace toward us. Our service to the Lord should be completely 100% love and gratitude while being devoted to Him because of His grace to us. Our works, our offerings to God are the result of being born anew, from an enemy to an adopted child, not the cause of it! Too many feel acceptable because of what they do for the name of the Lord. It is out of their sense of "good works" that make them feel acceptable. That eliminates the love and grace aspect. Paul said we are created in Christ Jesus for good works (Eph. 2:10). Who created us to be new? Was it because you were good and showing your goodness or by His grace 100%? No wonder so many are miserable with little zeal. No wonder many in the church want to "do" something and demand something be done because the Lord commands us. They simply feel the need to work. But work done in love is a completely different element. It is not to show or feel like something needs to be accomplished but a love that reaches to the heart and follows without anyone demanding or knowing. They simply love the Lord because His grace is sufficient and it is seen in their humble service!

"I Am Barabbas"

Could he have heard the cries of the crowd? In the deepest of dungeons he sat waiting his time. It wouldn't be long before the Roman soldiers would come for him. His family surely couldn't figure out what went so wrong in his life to deviate so far from the right path. It was one of the most horrible deaths ever devised. It was lingering pain, sometimes lasting a full day. There was no mercy and little by little the life's blood would drip from the body. The Roman Crucifixion was reserved for the worst of criminals. It was death by suffering!

The noise of soldiers walking down a hallway preparing to open the cell door. His chains stopped rattling for a moment as he paused and waited. His life had made a journey to which he was about to face the consequences. The door opens and the men approached. The commander reaches out and says, "We have come to set you free!" It stunned him for a moment. Maybe they were toying with him? Just another dig in him to advance what was about to take place. "The governor has signed the authorization to set you free. Your sentence has been commuted!" Was this a dream? What was going on? The confusion set in. Here he was an insurrectionist, having tried to over-throw the government and he had committed murder in the process. How he must have hated the established authority yet they were setting him free.

In the background, the raising of voices, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" His thoughts were trying to figure all this out. We know nothing about what happened to his man or where he went but he was set free and someone had taken on his death sentence. I don't know if he ever met Jesus or heard anything about Him but one thing I know, Jesus was substituted in his place to die his death and the multitude of people witnessed this horrible death. This crowd crying out had just let an insurrectionist and murderer go free. They loved a murderer more than Jesus! Maybe the next time we bow in prayer, or sing a song of praise or worship with the others, we need to introduce ourselves to the Father and Savior of us all, "I AM BARABBAS!" The just for the unjust. And we can't see the Father's love?

"Just Thank God"

Life is filled with disappointments and can break our hearts at times. Many times it seems such a great struggle just to move forward. Every time you look for an opportunity, the door is shut. Sometimes our spouses are hypercritical or maybe our children are so ungrateful for all that is done for them. Whose kids are these that are so disrespectful? We face illnesses and life threatening situations and they seem to suck us dry.

Along comes this inspired writer James and he pens for the saints, "Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials." (Jam. 1:2) Right there, from the throne of heaven we are told to thank God for our disappoints and struggles. The loss of a loved one or the gut wrenching heartache over your child and heaven speaks, "Just thank God!" It makes no sense in our weak and wandering hearts. But we seem to miss God at times. We don't know our heavenly Father very well and at times do a poor job at trusting Him. Our attitudes wain and our demeanor turns sour and we still hear, "Just thank God!"

But then if we would look more closely, it is through that great struggle, that heartache that God calls, "I'll use the horror, the dread and hurt for your betterment!" God doesn't cause the problem but does something in us because of the battle at hand. Maybe our lives get a little too comfortable or we get a little too independent and God uses these times to speak to us to draw near, come back! People can use things to harm us but God uses them to help us. Each and every thing we face will make us and mold us into something we lacked if we would "Just thank God."

"Grace"

The last two verses in II Peter 3 encourages to be careful we aren't carried away by the error of others. How can we make certain we aren't carried away? By growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (II Pet. 3:18)

Pay close attention to what Peter tells us. Grow in grace and knowledge. Grace, the unmerited favor of God. Grace saves and instructs! "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age." (Titus 2:11-12) Grace is a teacher! Grace is not careless and carefree! Grace leads us to avoid wrong and enforces that which is right. Grace gives us the ability to say "no" instead of following the desires of others. Grace changes lives!

Many have a lot of Bible knowledge but not true knowledge. Many can define grace but not understand its power or purpose. We are to grow in grace along with knowledge. Let me see if this helps: first, tell people what God has done before anything else. Point people to God's grace in Christ Jesus. Let them see grace, this unmerited favor extended through the dying Lord and Savior. Secondly, tell them the response God is looking for because of His grace extended. Too many seem to tell the response without the grace and you end up with a lot of fleshly, dead lives that never learned or grasped salvation. To these, salvation is spoken because that's the religious thing but the reality is not found.

Grace cost heaven everything that heaven had! Grace costs us all we have! Grace is free but not cheap. Cheap grace is grace without commitment. God's grace calls us to Himself, to deny ourselves and live a life of dedication and commitment because of the freedom that was extended to us in Christ. Your failures were died for! Your silent, heavy sins paid! The guilt you live with, exchanged in the blood of Christ! Reach out and take hold of grace. Let it teach you, instruct you and move you toward God and away from you. Grace over what we deserve...how sweet the sound!