“There but for the grace of God go I.”

“There but for the grace of God go I”
Another Way To Blame God When Things Don’t Go Right?

I was reading the paper today about a tragic accident that happened on I-95 where a six year old child was killed.  The driver was the father who had a car load of children on their way to a church function.  All came out fine except for the death of the father’s child.  One of the children said to another, “God was with us,” which those around were in agreement and with much thankfulness.  But I can’t help but think, was God not there for the six year old who was killed? And what about the grieving family?

How many times have we heard, “There but for the grace of God go I?”   Many times it has to do with escaping  some horrible accident, escaping death, various addictions, or some type of disaster.  “By God’s grace” he helped me find a job, a spouse, pay my bills, that my house didn’t get flooded during the storm, etc., etc..

I used to have a co-worker who used that phrase quite often, BUT, what about those who were not as fortunate as to experience all of this supposed grace?  What about those who end up with flooded homes, no job, or loss of a child in some horrible accident, etc. etc.?  I have never noticed anyone using the phrase directly at the person experiencing the problem.  Could using the phrase, “There but for the grace of God go I” be a self-righteous smug remark when others are faced with disaster, disgrace or the like as a result of their actions or no fault of their own?  Does it not imply that they could have been in the same position but were fortunate enough to escape such disasters because God favored them more?  Is such an expression found in the Bible?  I haven’t found it yet.

I have a friend from Germany who needed help with the grammar of this expression, “There but for the grace of God go I.”  He could guess from the context but didn’t get the exact meaning.  He said the sentence would not work in his native tongue, German.

My reply to him was:

I guess one could explain it as a person who experiences bad things in life and it could have happened to me, but it didn’t because God was watching over me. I can give an example. This past May my neighbors around the corner from us were flooded out of their homes. They lost everything and had to find shelter. I could easily have said, “There but for the grace of God go I.”  It’s another way of saying, “Too bad God wasn’t watching over and protecting them, but God protected me instead from such disaster.”

His response hit the nail on the head, because it is the fruit of Calvinism.

But isn’t that exactly the attitude of everyone who believes in an unconditional  election of the individual either to salvation or to damnation? They say, this way all honor goes to God, if we see his “sovereignty” in this way. And people  would be humble then, as they believe to have added nothing to their salvation. But I’m convinced it’s the other way round. It is no coincidence that the “Apartheid”  ideology was developed in a country that was dominated by Calvinist  Boers. If you believe to be “elected” because of reasons not intelligible to  human minds, you have to feel “metaphysical” superior, superior in a way that isn’t even intelligible to human minds. And you believe the others deserve to be eternally tormented because of reasons they never had a chance to even understand. This is the ultimate arrogance and a great wickedness, indeed.

I would have to agree.  I think it is such a terrible saying for those who face such disasters, and to think we come out squeaky clean because God favored us more.   It is one of the dangers of attributing an event to God’s direct involvement.  In the Bible there are three men who did such a thing.  Job lost all his friends, family, property, and health to terrible diseases and these three men said, “God is punishing you!”  But God told these men they were wrong!  God was not responsible for Job’s suffering, Satan was.

Another danger of this kind of thinking is concluding that disastrous events did not happen to you because of your good relationship with God, or by those who think they have a relationship with God.  A person can say, “God saved me from getting hit by that drunk driver,” but the question could well be, “Don’t you think that God was maybe ’saving’ you to give you another chance to repent!?

As another has aptly said,

Let us credit God for blessings received because as our creator, God is ultimately responsible for all things.  However, let us not attribute actions to God that are beyond our knowledge. Doing so takes us away from God’s word. We walk on tenuous ground when we base our faith on our own presuppositions regarding improbable events. Faith, the Bible teaches, comes from hearing God’s word (Romans 10:17).  Let’s leave it at that.

More later……

Misconception About A Christian’s Warfare

It appears there is misunderstanding about spiritual warfare in a Christian’s life.  We are so ingrained with the teaching that a Christian’s life is one where he must sin every day in thought, word, and deed (if you claim you don’t….watch out!).  We are taught that Romans 7 is the “Normal Christian Life.”  Do these people not know anything about the victory over sin in Romans 6 and do they not know anything about chapter 8!

So what we have is a “Christian” who is stuck on sinning every day (using Romans 7 as an excuse), and that they must get victory over these sins, so they are taught.

We must understand this, for it is crucial. A Christian’s warfare is not with inner struggle with sin, hoping to have more victories rather than defeats.  Sin was taken care of at the point of true repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  Christ sets us free from sin and we become servants of righteousness.  (See Romans 6)

The Bible is clear that it is not a Christian fighting to have victory over sin in his life that is the problem, but his battle is with TEMPTATION. (Temptation is not a sin.) His war is not from within himself, but from without.  A Christian’s battle should be against sin, not a defensive one.

All Christians should be able to identify with one another, and that is by those who keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight. (1 John 3:22)

It is wrong for a teacher or preacher to say that a Christian will have sin in his life every single day until he dies.  Those who profess to be Christians and yet continue in sin are dangerous enemies of God and His children. Sin and righteousness cannot co-exist, but yet this is what they preach.

No one has to sin.  God’s word calls for holy living from Genesis to Revelation.

Anyone walking in the Spirit is not walking in the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). We don’t have to give in to temptation.  (1 Cor. 10:13)

More later….

Tid Bit – Prideful to live a holy life?

It’s interesting that one would be accused of being prideful if he confesses to living a righteous life, and on the other hand, a Christian will be proclaimed as humble if he confesses to sinning daily in thought, word, and deed.

God has always required a person to live a holy life.  A person who practices righteousness is only doing what God requires, and it is done out of love for God.  His commandments are not burdensome.

But a person who claims to be a Christian and habitually sins, would this not be considered pure arrogance rather than humility?

The Bible doesn’t call us to be habitual sinners, but to forsake all sin (repent) as a condition of salvation.

More later…..

Never Saved To Begin With?

The Bible is full of warnings to Christians how one can exclude themselves from the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Eph. 5:3-5; Gal. 5:19-20; Rev. 21:8, etc. etc.). The Bible is clear that saved people can go back to loving the world, cast off their first faith, and follow after Satan (2 Tim. 4:10; 1 Tim 5:11-15, etc.). Many, many examples can be given from Christ Himself, as well as throughout the New Testament, of the warnings we must heed lest we fall away.

I often get email that it is impossible for a Christian to go back to living a life of sin. I am told it only proves they were never saved to begin with. I am told it is impossible for a Christian to go into apostasy, but yet there are many examples of saints who fell away to prove otherwise.

Apostasy means a departure from the faith. What do the unsaved depart from?

Jesus said many will turn away from the faith and betray and hate each other.

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” -Matt. 24:9-13

“They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.” -Luke 8:13

Notice there were some who believed, but not for long. In time of temptation they fell away.

“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” -John 6:66

“Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.” -Rom. 11:19-23

Now, to claim that it’s impossible for a Christian to turn away from God and back to a sinful lifestyle is to clearly ignore the many Bible passages of Scripture.

Is it possible to know who is saved and who is not?

Let’s examine some Scriptures.  

To say such a person was never saved to begin with is to deny how we can know who is saved and who is not. The Bible says we can KNOW who is a child of God by their behavior.

“In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” -1 John 3:10

“Doeth” is one who continues to do something. In this case it is not practicing righteousness.

“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. -1 John 3:7-8

This is talking about those who practice righteousness. If they are practicing righteousness, they are righteous even as he (Jesus) is righteous. Those who practice sin are of the devil.

Those who like to lay claim that Christians can’t help but sin every single day in thought, word, or deed, ought to reexamine themselves to see whether they are in the faith or not. (2 Cor. 13:5) Because of this false teaching, they are not able to comprehend the above verses. They try to find ways of explaining the verses away.

John also says,

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” -1 John 2:3,4

Whose commandments? Why Jesus of course! How can one who lives in sin still be saved, even after having experienced true saving grace at some point in his life? If he doesn’t obey the commandments of Jesus, he is a liar and the truth is not in him! NONE of the apostles, this includes Paul, ever went against the teachings of Jesus. They all preached Jesus and what He taught! They did exactly what Jesus told them to do (Matt. 28:19-20. Also see Matt. 7:24).

Question: If a Christian turns to wickedness, and then you want to claim he was never saved to begin with, how do you identify him as a non-Christian before his departure from the faith?

The Bible clearly shows how we can tell who is a child of God and who is not.

So far we have identified how we can know those who are a child of God, but you may be asking, “What does this have to do with those who claim, ‘They were never saved in the first place’ if they return to a life of sinning? Well, this is just to show the inconsistencies in such a claim. How so?

Question: Well, would you say that David, Solomon, and Peter were never saved to begin with?

David was guilty of adultery and murder (2 Sam. 11)
Solomon turned to idolatry (1 Kings 11:4-10)
Peter denied Jesus three times (Matt. 26:33,34)

The only thing we know from Scripture is that David and Peter repented. Solomon, on the other hand, continued in his wickedness. There is nothing in Scripture that says Solomon repented and turned back to God. The argument is destroyed by these three Bible characters alone of the “They were never saved in the first place.” Who is going to deny that any of these men were never really saved? What would have happened if David and Peter did not repent? (Ezek. 18:20-22,24; Luke 12:9; 2 Tim. 2:12; 1 John 2:23)

Another flawed argument.  To say that a true Christian who turns back to unrighteous living was never really saved to begin with is to say that true Christians will always obey God.  But yet, in the same breath, say that Christians sin every single day in thought, word, and deed, and appeal to Paul in Romans chapter 7:14-25 as the normal Christian life!

First we are told that no one is able to obey the commandments of God, then we are told we are able to obey the commandments of God, and then we are told everyone sins every day in thought, word, and deed. Which is it?

The Bible is full of examples of people who were disciples and followers of Jesus and later fell away. There are many pitfalls that confront us. Many toils and snares await along the narrow path to life. We can become deceived and fall away (2 Peter 3:17; 1 Tim. 4:3-4). We can become entangled in the worldly lusts and forfeit our salvation (Matt. 13:21; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-20; Eph. 5:5-7). We can grow weary and lose hope (Gal. 6:7-10). It is possible to depart from the faith (1 Tim. 4:1), make shipwreck of the faith (1 Tim. 1:19), we can be thwarted by persecutions (Luke 8:13), and return again to sin and fall from grace (2 Peter 2:20-22; Gal. 5:2-4). We are told to make our calling and election sure by Peter. Jude told us to keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 1:21). These are just a “few” of the scriptures that continually admonish us to remain ’steadfast’ in the Lord. To ignore these warnings may cost us our soul.

Another flawed argument of this “Never saved to begin with.” We are to believe that we can’t know who is a true Christian as long as he remains alive because they might apostatize. Again, apostasy is to depart from the faith. This does not happen to lost people.

Question: If it is not possible to tell who is truly saved, couldn’t your preacher be one of those who was “never saved to begin with?” How about your wife or husband?

So where does this argument of “never saved to begin with” originate from? There are few passages that are misused to teach such nonsense.

Matthew 7:23 (I never knew you)
Matthew 25:12 (I don’t know you)
1 John 2:19 (They went out from us, but they were not of us)

In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus is talking about evil doers.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

These were ‘religious people’. The context shows they were never saved because they were evil doers (ye that work iniquity)! If they were saved, their conversion would have shown that they were free from sin and washed by the blood (Rom. 6:22; John 8:43-36; Rev. 1:5, etc.), which doesn’t mean it is not possible for those who had a true conversion to fall away.

Now let us look at the 10 virgins who were waiting for the bridegroom. What did Jesus say to the foolish virgins?

“Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” (v. 11-12)

Jesus didn’t say, “I never knew you.” He said, “I don’t know you,” implying they were once known (saved), but lost their salvation. The door was shut to the foolish virgins.

Where it concerns 1 John 2:19, this is simply referring to the people who did not believe Jesus was the Christ if you read it in context (see 1 John 2:22).

“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.”

There was no evidence of saving grace since they denied Jesus was the Christ. Their doctrine was wrong. These people were known as “antichrist,” for they continually denied that Jesus was the Christ.

Conclusion

In order to defend Calvin’s 5th T.U.L.I.P, and excuse gross immorality from those who call themselves Christians, they must use the phrase, “They were never saved to begin with.” And yet, at other times, will continue to teach unconditional eternal security of the believer! He is secure no matter what he does! They will claim such things as the immoral brother of 1 Cor. 5 was still a Christian and saved even though he was involved in sexual immorality! This can only be twisted out of joint because of another false teaching that all future sins are automatically forgiven (we will get to that another time).

The proponents of unconditional security will say, “Once you are saved, you can never lose your salvation no matter what you do.” Let’s call it like it is! What they are really saying is, “You can never lose your salvation no matter how many sins you commit.”

To not let one off the hook so fast, they will follow up with, “You will simply lose some rewards and God will take you home early if you continue to live in sin.”

Imagine! The ultimate reward for any believer is to be with Jesus forever. If you are not worried about losing some rewards, just sin like the devil so God will take you home early! They may scream foul, but that is exactly what the bottom line is when you take away all the fluff and empty words. They are contradicting, inconsistent, and send a double message. They ignore or explain away the clear passages of Scripture which shows a person can become lost again (spiritual death) through sin.

The first one to teach unconditional eternal security was the devil, and they still continue to spread his message given in the Garden (Gen. 3:4).

“Ye shall not surely die.”

Don’t fall for the lie! It is YOUR soul at stake.

See my video: Must We Sin?

More later….

Immoral Christians?

The Immoral Man of 1 Corinthians 5:5.

The Eternal Security (do not confuse with eternal salvation) proponents use 1 Cor. 5:5 as one of their strongest arguments to prove that once saved, always saved. The verse reads, “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

1 Cor. 1:5 speaks of a man committing sexual sin that not even the pagans were guilty of doing, but yet the eternal security advocates will say this man was saved, that this Christian, who was committing sexual sin, not even named among the pagans, was bound for heaven!

There are some facts about this man when we read God’s word in context and believe what it says.

1. 1 Cor. 5:5 shows this man was without salvation. The Christians were to kick him out from being among them (v. 13) and hand him over to Satan (v. 5) so that his spirit “may be saved.” So he was not in a saved condition at the moment.

2. “May be saved” does not mean this fornicator was saved now. Paul used this same phrase a few chapters later (1 Cor. 10:33) and it is clear what he meant. “Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”

How is that any different from 1 Cor. 5:5? This man was sexually immoral, and according to the Bible, all sexually immoral people are on their way to Hell, which is totally opposite what the eternal security teachers would have us believe.

3. In 1 Cor. 5:13, the Bible calls this man who was committing sexual sin, “wicked.” This same word can be found in Matt. 13:49-50 where Jesus tells us the destiny of the “wicked”.

4. The Bible has a name for all people who commit sexual sin. They are called, “fornicators,” who will be excluded from God’s kingdom. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” –1 Cor. 6:9-10

Paul warned us not to be deceived! The man in 1 Cor. 5:5 was a fornicator. It is clear what the word of God says about fornicators, and that is a man who needs to be saved!

Now we need to look at what the eternal security advocates are actually promoting by saying this man was saved. It reveals just what kind of message they are sending out to get a Christian off their spiritual guard. Really think about this. They would have us believe that one could be just as vile and worst than the pagans and still have salvation. Imagine that!

I heard a preacher say that once someone is in the body of Christ, they can never lose their salvation because that would make Christ mutilate his own body. Do you mean that Christians who once had a “moment” of true saving faith, who goes back to living a life of sin, Christ will keep those vile wicked sinners in his body? Actually, Christ will vomit them out of his mouth! (Rev. 3:16)

You say he will only lose some rewards because of his vile sins? Where is that in Scripture? Folks, the ultimate reward for a Christian is to be with Christ for all eternity, and he’s going to worry about losing “some rewards”? This kind of thinking will simply allow him to be off his guard thinking he’s heaven bound.

According to Scriptures, sin can defile (Heb. 1215), corrupt (James 3:6), contaminated (James 1:27), soil our spiritual clothing (Rev. 3:4), enslave us again (2 Peter 2:20,21), and make a person unclean (Matt. 15:19,20; Mark 7:21-23). To leave such a sinner in the body of Christ would also defile Jesus, and Jesus will allow that? The same sins that will keep the unsaved from God’s kingdom are the same sins that will let a Christian in the kingdom? This is their version of grace. It’s perverted and twisted.

Paul taught the message of true grace.

“For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” -Eph. 5:5-6

Jesus said in Matt. 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Again, sin can make a person defiled and bring a righteous man to spiritual death (Luke 15:24,32), which is what Paul wrote could happen to any Christian who lives according to the flesh (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:19-21; 6:8). See also James 1:14-15.

More later….

Contradictions of Eternal Security

A wise brother commented the below:

Contradictions of the Eternal Security Proponents….
Do they really believe in Eternal Security as they teach it?

1. Those who are not Calvinists, but believe in unconditional eternal security, teach that all infants go to heaven when they die. This is based on 2 Sam. 12:23. However, when the child gets older and sins, he now needs to be saved or born again or he is on his way to hell. So what we have is that a saved person as an infant who lost his salvation later in life needs to get it back again or he will suffer eternally in hell.

Think about it, with the above said, the eternal security advocates don’t really believe in unconditional security. The once heaven-bound person becomes hell-bound and needs salvation, in their own theology!

2. Unconditional eternal security advocates will accuse those as not saved who reject their doctrine of eternal security. They contradict their own belief system, for if anyone who rejects their doctrine had a true moment of faith in Jesus and became biblically saved, then they are saved regardless what they later believe on various doctrines, including unconditional security. To remain rational and sound sane, they cannot logically say those who reject their doctrine are unsaved, for their own theology won’t allow it. According to their theology, if one becomes a heretic or unsound in doctrine, but at one time had a true moment of faith in Jesus, then they are still saved. If they say otherwise is to logically deny their own doctrine.

More later….

Lose Salvation?

Can A Person Lose Their Salvation?

For some reason, when the doctrine of unconditional eternal security can be proved to be false from Scripture, the objections and cries is to accuse the other of advocating that one can “lose” his salvation, and basically teaching a “works salvation.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

An image develops when accusing the other of teaching that one can “lose” salvation. It’s like a child who loses his toy and is saddened because he has lost it. In the same way, the proponents of unconditional eternal security set this image in the mind of another who teach that salvation can be “lost.”

Though the Bible doesn’t use such terminology as a person “losing” his salvation, the Bible does tell us of those who have “cast off” their faith (1 Tim. 5:11-12). It would be better if we define the person as being lost rather than salvation being lost. This can be understood as we read the story of the Prodigal Son – he “was dead,” - he “was lost” (Luke 15:24). A person who is alive (saved) is not lost, but a person not saved or possessing salvation is considered as “lost.”

I have heard many times that salvation is a gift (which it is), and for God to take back a gift, would make Him an Indian giver. The problem isn’t with the one who gave the gift, but what the person does with the gift once he has received it. The definition of “lose” in Webster’s Dictionary is; to undergo deprivation of something of value: to free oneself from: get rid of.” A person can throw away a gift, or lose it through neglect.

None of us can merit salvation, it truly is a free gift, and although it is a gift, it is connected to our present relationship to God (1 John 1:7). It is also true that God keeps us, but it is also true that it is only through faith that He does (1 Peter 1:5; See also 1 Tim. 5:11-12 once again). It is possible to despite the Spirit of grace and depart from the living God. It is also true that God will never leave us nor forsake us, but yet it is possible to forsake Him (Heb. 10:29; 13: 5; Heb. 3:12). We can gradually drift and grow cold through neglect (Heb. 2:1-3), and fail the grace of God (Heb. 12:15).

Proponents of unconditional eternal security may say that one “losing salvation” is not a biblical term, but they also fail to realize that that there is no such term as “eternal security” as well! I agree that terminology can be legitimate if it summarizes Scriptures accurately. An example of this would be concerning the Trinity. The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, but there is great evidence that describes God in this manner and the term is used for brevity. In the same manner, we can define apostasy as a “loss” of salvation. So we can abandon the idea that “losing” is something that is out of our control.

Jesus said He is the Vine from which all life flows (John 15:1-6), and if we abide in Him, and He in us, we will not be cut off (Rom. 11:19-23). It is possible for us to become deceived and fall away (2 Peter. 3:17; 1 Tim. 4:3-4). We can become entangled in the worldly lusts and forfeit our salvation (Matt. 13:21; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-20; Eph. 5:5-7). It is possible to depart from the faith (1 Tim. 4:1), be thwarted by persecutions and fall away (Luke 8:13), and can return again to sin and fall from grace (2 Peter 2:20-22; Gal. 5:2-4).

Again, it is possible to depart from the living God, and this means separation from the life of God, which is the absence of salvation, thus, the person is lost and dead. He has lost salvation, not because God took it back, but because the person departed from the living God. His heart grew cold through neglect, and failed to live in the grace of God.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared
to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and
godly in the present age.” Titus 2:11-12

More later….

It’s Not Impossible.

All through the Bible God has always commanded people to live a holy life. God is against people sinning and wants them to stop committing sins.

As unbelievers, we lived a life of sin. Some are more steeped in it than others. However, when a person comes to Christ in faith in repentance, Jesus saves him from his sins. He is forgiven of all his past sins, and by the power of the holy Spirit, and His grace, he can now live righteously.

The worst and most discouraging thing I hear today from other “Christians,” is to tell another brother or sister in the Lord that they are not free from sin, and that they sin everyday in thought, word, and deed. So what it boils down to is that the Christian was totally defeated as an unbeliever and is still totally defeated as a believer.

What does the Scriptures say about sin?

“Stand in awe and sin not.” Ps. 4:4

“Awake to righteousness and sin not.”—I Cor. 15:34.

“Go and sin no more.”—John 8:11.

“How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”—Rom. 6:2.

“He that committeth sin is of the devil.”—I John 3:8.

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.”—I John 3:9.

“Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not.” —1 John 3:6.

The Bible is plain. We are not to sin. For that matter, a Christian should NOT want to sin.

One of the famous verses pulled out of context to try and deceive a brother or sister in the Lord is 1 John 1:8. I read a story today from W.E. Shepard concerning this topic. I thought it was an excellent article. And here it is:

WRESTED SCRIPTURES MADE PLAIN

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”—1 John 1:8.

The quotation of this text is used probably more than that of any other in the Bible in the attempt to refute the doctrine of holiness. Perhaps it would be better to say the attempted quotation, for few ever get it right, and we never knew one to give chapter and verse. It is generally quoted thus:

“He that saith he liveth and sinneth not is a liar and the truth is not in him ;“ and that said over so very rapidly that one can scarcely catch the words. Perhaps this rapidity is due to its frequent use. “Practice makes perfect,” and practice in thus repeating such texts makes perfect adepts in denouncing Christian perfection.

We are reminded of a certain lady who quoted these words to a young preacher, a friend of the writer, and was told that such a text was not in the Bible. She replied that it was in her Bible. In about two weeks or so the preacher asked her if she had found that text yet. She said she had read through the Psalms, the four Gospels, and most of the Epistles, and had not found it, but still declared, “It is there.” One good result was that she got to reading her Bible.

If we take this verse away from its context it would seem to teach that it is self-deception for one to lay claim to freedom from sin. But is it honest to snatch a text, or a portion of one, from the context either to prove or refute a doctrine, when the tenor of Scripture teaches otherwise?

For one to take this text for a weapon against the experience or profession of holiness, proves that he is either ignorant of the Word of God, or else he is a designing man. If he is ignorant, he should not attempt to teach; if he is a designer, then he should be shunned.

If one is justified in taking a verse, or a part of the same, out of its place, then anything can be proved from the Bible. In one place it says, “There is no God ;“ but taking in the context it says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” Again we read, “Let him that stole, steal ;“ but when we read the whole verse it says, “Let him that stole, steal no more.” Three verses below the one in question, the apostle John could be made to say, “My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin.” But who would have the audacity to say that John taught the people to sin? When we add the next word and read, “that ye sin not,” we get just the opposite thought.

So it is with I John 1:8 and many other wrested Scriptures. Instead of teaching what opposers of holiness claim they do, they convey quite a different thought, and sometimes the very opposite.

What, then, does our text teach? Read the verse above, which is I John 1:7: “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Suppose a garment were spotted with ink, and it were put through a process which cleanseth from all ink, how much ink would remain? Now, if a statement were made to the effect that there was no ink left, would there be any self-deception in that? On the same principle, then, if “the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin,” how much sin is left? Then, if all sin is cleansed, where is the self-deception if a testimony should be given to that effect? Of course we would not advocate self-righteousness nor self-exaltation, but on the contrary always put Jesus first, and let everybody know that all we are is through Christ Jesus. Instead of saying, “I am saved” and “I am sanctified,” putting “I” first, say, “Jesus saves” and “Jesus sanctifies.” Let the people see Jesus and not ourselves. We should be hidden away, but at the same time magnify what the Lord has done for us. Give Him all the glory.

To get at the true meaning of the verse in question, let us suppose a conversation between a Christian depending, as all must, on the blood of Christ for salvation, and a self-righteous sinner, who thinks he is good enough and has no sin, consequently no need of the cleansing blood.

Christian: My friend, did you know that “if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin?” I have proved this to be true, and if you will come to Him as I did you may prove it for yourself, and be cleansed from all sin.

Self-Righteous: But I have no sin to be cleansed away; I have no need of the blood of Jesus.

Christian: What? You say you have no sin? “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Surely you are wrong and self-deceived. You should repent, confess your sins, and be saved, for we read in I John 1 :9. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Self-Righteous: But I have never sinned, and do not feel that I have anything to confess or repent of. I pay my honest debts, and treat my neighbors well, and support my family, and I believe I am just as good as anyone. I am not a sinner, and have never done anything wrong.

Christian: Surely, in saving that, you are making God a liar, for in I John 1:10 it says: “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him. liar, and His word is not in us.”

Thus we get at the meaning of the last four verses of I John 1. The text in question, then, does not have any reference whatever to one who has been cleansed from all sin, but to one who says he has no sin to be cleansed from, when he really has sin in his heart. It is also just as applicable to the unsanctified Christian who denies the further need of cleansing.

Why should we turn lawyer and plead for sin as if the atonement was a failure and sin a necessity? How some people fly to these wrested Scriptures and there pillow their heads, and slumber on in their carnal security, when God is thundering in tones of Sinai, “Sin no more !“ He is swinging the awful danger signal down the ages, “Stand in awe, and sin not.”

What sad disappointment it brings to some peo­ple when God’s prohibitions diametrically cross their carnal desires! And so they seek for comfort and ease in those misconstrued passages which will allow them to sin “just a little.”

A professing Christian lady, living in the 7th chapter of Romans, doing things that she ought not, and leaving undone the things she ought to do, because she was carnal, sold under sin, and it was no more she that did it, but sin that dwelt in her—pleading her cause one day in a conversation with a sanctified lady, asked her to read a verse in the 7th chapter of Romans, as she supposed, for her vindication. The sanctified lady, knowing that she had made a mistake in the chapter and verse, nevertheless read the one cited, when lo, it read: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein ?“ Whereupon the pleader for sin exclaimed, “That is not the verse I meant.” An unsaved person, overhearing the conversation, spoke out and said, “Hold on! That’s Bible, just the same.”

Surely we have need of consistency; it is a great jewel.

More later….

No Contradictions

James and Paul Do Not Contradict One Another

When one starts defending the gospel against the deadly OSAS (Once Saved Always Saved), the one thing that seems to get so distorted is to accuse another saint of proclaiming a “works salvation.” Apparently “works” is confused with “faith that is active.”

I will even hear things like Paul and James contradict one another when they don’t. James and Paul believed the same thing. The most quoted verse is James 2:21, but they will not continue with vss. 22-25. James and Paul agree. (Rom 4:3; James 2:23) “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”

And when they get to Rahab? The poor woman, they stumble and fall all over her. One young gentleman wrote,

I think we know that Rahab the harlot was not saved because she turned from her sins.

‘Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent [them] out another way (James 2:25)?’

Did you ever wonder when Rahab stopped being a harlot? Here’s the verse where Rahab is justified,

“And the city shall be accursed, [even] it, and all that [are] therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that [are] with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent (Joshua 6:17).”

This is the last mention of her,

“And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel [even] unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho (Joshua 6:25).”

If she repented of her sin, why is she still a harlot? I must’ve missed the part where Rahab got down on her knees and said,”God, I’m sorry for having sex with strangers for money.”

The OSAS doctrine is such a deception that people can’t seem to get counsel from the whole word of God. They get stuck on certain verses and can’t release themselves because they are too busy defending a doctrine that is not Biblical. As seen from above, they don’t even make sense when trying to defend this awful doctrine.

The Bible says nothing about “working for your salvation,” because one cannot earn it, it’s a free gift; however, once a person believes on Christ, his faith will be proved by his works! It is not enough to just believe, but there must be obedience to God. Even the Bible says, “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him; (Heb. 5:9) We are saved by GRACE THROUGH FAITH. We cannot save ourselves, nor is salvation of works, but once one is saved, he’ll prove his faith by his works. The Bible says we can KNOW those who are saved (1 John 2:29; 1 John 3:24; 1 John 5:2; 1 John 5:18 , etc.). It just doesn’t stop at believing in God, or saying the one time miracle sinner’s prayer that is not followed by any change in character.

Grace has been dangerously distorted by such teachers as Charles Stanley, Bob George, Chuck Swindoll, etc.. And the reasons why this straw man argument of a works salvation accusation is given is because grace has been presented as a license for immorality for so long, and without challenge, that it seems strange to people in our day to hear the real truth, even it it is directly read from the Bible!

I asked this same gentleman I quoted above, “A man admits that he’s a sinner and believes on Jesus Christ for salvation. He does good for a number of years, but hard times come and he goes back into his life of sinning. He wants nothing to do with Jesus anymore, he divorces his wife, and sleeps around with other women. Is this man still saved?”

Needless to say, the question is always avoided. Why? Because, by conscience and Biblical truth, they know it’s wrong, but the doctrine of OSAS must be defended at all cost!

True grace that brings salvation teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. It teaches us to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. (Titus 2:11,12)

Though we are saved by grace through faith, the Bible is clear that sin can bring a true saint to his spiritual death (Rom. 6:16; 8:13; James 1:14-16; Luke 15:24, etc.). It is possible for a true saint to “depart from the faith” (1 Tim 4:1). These warnings have been given to the saints. There are certain sins that will keep one from inheriting the kingdom. The sins of the flesh will do that (Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Rev. 21:8, etc.). Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14)

Our faith will be proved by our works as James says. “Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” It said nothing about working for salvation, but works will prove our faith. Faith and works go together and make faith perfect! Abraham believed God and showed it by his actions. He obeyed God.

As for Rahab?

She had a statement of faith. The agreement followed her confession. (Jos.9-11) Her faith too was proved by her works. God’s word shows that this “harlot,” despite whatever her past was before her conversion to Israel and the true God, was later considered among the righteous in Hebrews 11.

By the way, she ended up marrying an Israelite, Salmon, and by means of that marriage became one of the actual physical ancestors of Jesus (Matt. 1:5-6)!

The Bible shows Rehab as an example of active faith.

“By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” (Heb. 11:29-34)

Did Rahab or Abraham “earn” their salvation? No. They believed in God and showed it by their actions (works). Faith without works is dead. Without works, our faith is not made perfect.

More later……