Eternal Security
What the Holy Bible has to say about it!
This is the first part of a series on this subject.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
As I was reading the word of God, the Holy Spirit of God Just came over me and I started weeping seemingly for no reason. I have been going through a season of sickness and hardships and couldn’t seem to break through the spiritual darkness that seemed to surround me. I never doubted that there wasn’t a reason for this, because God will allow trials to take place in our lives to test us and to increase our faith in him that he will meet all of our needs and to make us stronger after we have overcome the trials. God is right by our side while he is sending us through these fiery trials, and this was the time for me to conquer this trial. You see God has been dealing with me on this subject for many months and I have been reluctant to write about it because of the divisions that Satan is causing over it. I am going to share with you what God has told me to share with you.
From the time that I was a teenager I have known that God was calling me to follow him, but I largely ignored him and went on my way. I would go to church and would even go to the altar and promise to follow him, but I would soon drift away as soon as the temptations would come my way. The years passed and the Holy Spirit would continue to draw me, it seemed that the more that the Spirit would draw me, the deeper that I would go into sin and rebellion against the calling of God. It seemed that my life was in a tailspin downward, but I continued to resist the Holy Spirit’s calling. One day the ladies from the church just down the road came to visit my wife and ask her to come back, my wife had been a teacher there before we had met, and had drifted away as I had. My wife approached me to start back to church with her and she told me that things would never be right in our home until we get things right with God. I knew that she was right, so we started back to church, but when the Holy Spirit would start drawing me to Jesus I would get up and walk out of the church in an attempt to get away from the drawing of the Holy Spirit. God was bringing me to the place where I was going to have to make a choice. I had no idea just how much danger my soul was in at that time. There was a battle going on in my life, a spiritual battle. This battle went on for several weeks until one Sunday in October of 1971, the Holy Spirit was drawing me to Jesus and as I got up to leave the church, as in times passed, I got as far as the outside aisle and turned to the door to leave, something happened to me that had never happened before. The Spirit of God spoke to me in an audible voice, and told me if I left the church this time that I would never be able to come back! I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was receiving my final call to salvation and I was getting my final chance to answer the call to serve Jesus Christ. I turned and ran to the altar and gave my heart soul and all that I had left of my life to Jesus, When I went to the altar there was about 150 people there, but when I was through praying and talking to Jesus there were only about three people left praying there with me. I had a lot of things that I needed to get right with Jesus. I don’t remember just how long that I was there before God but I needed to pray through and be sure of my salvation, and God done a work in my life that day. I have never regretted or turned back since that day.
Now you may ask what does this have to do with eternal salvation. I will tell you, every time that I had went to the altar of God and ask him to forgive me for my sin, God was faithful and just to forgive me, and when I walked away from him I was just as lost as I was before I had been before I repented. You may ask where I find this in the word of God; well one place is Romans chapter 11:20. Paul told the church there that the Jews were broken off because of unbelief, but he said, talking about the gentiles that had repented, you stand by faith, then he warned them not to be high minded, but to fear; if God sparred not the natural branches, to take heed, (that means to listen to what he was going to warn them about) lest he also spare not thee. Verse 22 he told them to behold the goodness and severity of God; Severity on those who fell, but toward thee goodness: but there he gives them another warning, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise thou shall also be cut off. (This means that you are lost and undone and cut off from the main tree trunk which is Jesus Christ). You see I had not continued in his goodness, but instead had listened to the powers of this world and obeyed them.
Now let us go to verse 29. Here Paul tells them that the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance. You see you cannot repent for not going; you have to go and do the thing that God is calling you to do. Not my will but God’s will be done.
The problem today is that we do not have preachers that understand the nature of God nor do they understand the kingdom of God, or how God works in the lives of those who he has chosen. They have credentials on the wall but not in their hearts, or lives. What are they missing? The teaching of the Holy Ghost in their hearts and souls is what they are missing. 1John 2:27 but the anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but that same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him.
Jesus said that God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24. These people have resisted the true Spirit of God, and want the things of the world more than the things of God. And the truth is not in them. They are listening to the lying spirit of Satan.
Now I want to go to 2 Peter chapters 3:14. Here Peter gives us a key to understanding the scriptures he said wherefore beloved seeing that you look for such things (a new Heaven and a new Earth where dwelleth righteousness) be diligent that you may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
And account that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul (the Apostle) also according to the wisdom given unto him has written to you. (Take note of wisdom)
As in all of his epistles, speaking in them of things; in which some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, (this means that they wrestle with the truth of these scriptures) as they do also with the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
You therefore beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. To him be the Glory forever amen.
Those who teach that you can not loose your salvation do not have a complete grasp of the scriptures as a whole. They do not view the Bible as the book of life; a spiritual book, which will guide you through this life into the next life. As God is a spirit and must be worshiped in the spirit, his word must be studied spiritually. God has designed his word to help those who follow and work in his kingdom, to grow spiritually and away from the things that separate them from God. That is why he said in Revelation chapter 3, seven times God said, (to him that overcomes). What are we to overcome? We are to overcome the works of Satan. We can only do this through the word of God and the Holy Spirit that lives within the kingdom of God, which is within you the Christian. Many of these people who teach that you cannot loose your salvation, also reject the infilling of the Holy Spirit, which is the very thing that they need to overcome, and worship God in the spirit.
This subject is one that starts in Genesis and goes to revelation, and I will take up where I left off in the next devotional.
Yours in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior: brother Sam.