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| Title: Is 'Once Saved -- Always Saved?' a Bible Doctrine? | |
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Date Posted：08/19/2015 4:51 PMCopy HTML Is "Once Saved -- Always Saved?" a Bible Doctrine?One of the more popular doctrines of certain denominations is that of “once saved—always saved.” The idea is that once you have accepted Christ and had your sins taken away, you can never be lost, no matter what you do. The Standard Manual for Baptist Churches states, “We believe the Scriptures teach that such as are truly regenerate, being born of the Spirit, will not utterly fall away and perish, but will endure unto the end” [p. 67, XI. Perseverence of the Saints].
Sam Morris, a Baptist preacher in Stamford, Texas wrote a little tract explaining that all the sins one may commit cannot harm the soul or cause the person to be lost. Look at the quote: “We take the position that a Christian's sins do not damn his soul. The way a Christian lives, what he says, his character, his conduct, or his attitude toward other people have nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul... All the prayers a man may pray, all the Bibles he may read, all the churches he may belong to, all the services he may attend, all the sermons he may practice, all the debts he may pay, all the or-dinances he may observe, all the laws he may keep, all the benevolent acts he may per-form will not make his soul one whit safer; and all the sins he may commit from idolatry to murder will not make his soul in any more danger... The way a man lives has nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul... The way I live has nothing whatsoever to do with the salvation of my soul" [Do a Christian’s Sins Damn His Soul?]. This doctrine was borrowed from John Calvin, Presbyterian Church founder in 1538. The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XIX, “ Of The Perseverance of the Saints,” claims: “They whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved” [pgs. 102, 103]. But Calvin is not the originator of this doctrine. It was first taught by Satan thousands of years before in the Garden of Eden. Do you remember the discussion Mother Eve had with Satan? “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'? The woman said to the serpent, ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.' The serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die!’” (Genesis 3:1-4). Did you catch what Satan said? “You surely will not die!” As we say, he told her a bald-faced lie! We know that Adam and Eve experienced two deaths. They died spiritually, as they were driven out of the garden, and away from the presence of God, and they eventually died physically, for they were denied access to the tree of life. Thus Satan convinced Eve that since she was in a right relationship with God, that relationship could never be lost. This doctrine has given much comfort to individuals through the centuries. I have known of those who have chosen to live a life that is totally in violation of the will of God, but they place faith in the belief that they cannot be lost, because “once saved, always saved.” An example of this is seen in a Newsweek magazine article (11/2/98) titled, “Sex, Sin and Salvation.” The sub-caption read: “To understand Clinton the president, you have to meet Bill the Baptist, a believer whose faith leaves plenty of license.” The writer was explaining how the president of our nation could appear so “religious” on one hand (often seen attending church on Sundays, Bible in hand), and yet so immoral at other times. There is considerable evidence that Clinton has had adulterous affairs with numerous women. Consider this statement:
Hoyt Chastain was a Missionary Baptist preacher who defended, in public debate, the idea that a child of God cannot fall from grace. In one debate Chastain affirmed that he could abandon his wife and children, move in with a sixteen-year-old girl, and the Lord would take the situation and “work it out for his good.” Unbelievable! Case in point. Another Baptist preacher, 54-year-old J. L. Pettit, seduced a fourteen-year-old girl. He was arrested and brought to trial. The girl swore on the witness stand that the minister told her their sexual activity was merely a “matter of the flesh,” and it would not “bother the soul.” Bill Foster, Baptist preacher in Louisville, KY commented: "If I killed my wife and mother and debauched a thousand women, I couldn't go to hell -- in fact, I couldn't go to hell if I wanted to. If on the judgment day, I should find that my loved ones are lost and should lose all desire to be saved, and should beg God to send me to hell with them, He couldn't do it" (The Weekly Worker, March 12, 1959). Question: At what point do we lose our free will and become robots? The logical conclusion of this doctrine is that once a person is saved, free will is lost. There is no other conclusion to be drawn from what Mr. Foster stated in the previous paragraph. Now, could someone please show me the Scripture that states that at any stage in life we lose the ability to make our own choices, either good or bad? Well, what about such passages as John 10:29? "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.” This presents no problem. No one has power over me except by my permission. No one, not even Satan, can take me away from the Lord. But I have the right to walk away if that is my choice. As stated above, God grants us free will to choose either right or wrong. As Joshua told Israel many centuries ago, “…choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…” (Joshua 24:15). They were free to choose to serve God, or serve the idols of the nation from which they had escaped. They were God’s people, God’s chosen people, but that fact did not remove from them the ability to make choices. The foregoing quotes well illustrate the position of Baptist, Presbyterian and other churches that accept Calvinism. Now, let us consider the other side. What Does the Bible Teach?Galatians 5:4: “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Paul is writing to Christians who were seeking to bind parts of the old law, the Law of Moses, and warning them of the consequences. Note that you cannot be “severed” from something that you were not once connected to. Furthermore, you cannot “fall” from something that you were not “in.” Therefore, the contention that one “cannot fall from grace” is directly contradicted by this passage. John 15:5-6: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” Here Christ admonishes his followers to be fruitful and stay faithful to him. Otherwise, the unfruitful branch is “thrown away and dries up.” If it is “thrown away” is it obvious that once it was a part of the vine, which is Christ. Furthermore, this cut off branch is “cast into the fire and…burned.” That describes hell, not heaven. Several years ago I heard a debate between Clinton Hamilton and a Baptist preacher. Hamilton took a vine before the audience, and broke a branch off the vine. That was certainly a vivid illustration of the spiritual truth which was spoken by Christ. It was hard to miss the point! Jude 5: “Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.” Note there were people who were “saved” when they escaped Egyptian slavery, but that some were “destroyed…who did not believe.” Is it possible for a “believer” to become an “unbeliever?” Obviously so. Hebrews 3:8-12: “Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, Like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tried me by proving me, And saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was displeased with this generation, And said, They do always err in their heart: But they did not know my ways; As I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest. Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God.” Again, referring to the Israelites who were delivered from Egyptian slavery, the author of Hebrews refers to those who were disobedient as having “fallen away from the living God.” Some claim that those that are lost were never truly saved in the first place, but as stated earlier, you cannot “fall away” from something that you were never “in.” John 17:12: "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.” Here Christ speaks of the twelve apostles, and refers to Judas as the one who “perished.” Judas could not have “perished” if first he had not been “alive,” that is, an accepted member of the select twelve that Christ had chosen. Therefore, Judas “fell away.” A further consideration about Judas affirms that he was once in a right relationship with God. He was an apostle, chosen by Christ, and endued with all the miraculous powers that the other apostles possessed. In Matthew 10:5-8, Christ is giving instructions to the twelve: “These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” A lost person does not have these powers. Note that among the powers Judas had was “cast out demons.” If Judas was able to cast our demons at that time, that establishes the fact that he was in a right relationship with God. Note what Christ said to the scribes when they were seeking to demonize him on the matter of casting out demons. “The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul,’ and ‘He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.’ And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!’” (Mark 3:22-26). This record of Judas completely refutes the claim that those who are lost were never saved in the first place. When faced with believers who have turned to a life of sin, those who believe in Calvinism then claim the person was never truly saved in the first place. The story of Judas destroys that argument! There was another apostle whose sin was recorded -- Peter (also known as Cephas). When Peter went to Antioch, he mingled freely among the Gentile Christians, but the problem arose when some Jewish Christians came to town. “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy” (Galatians 2:11-13). Please note that Paul said Peter “stood condemned,” and that he practiced “hypocrisy.” Question: can a “condemned” man go to heaven? So what is the difference between Judas and Peter? Judas never repented and asked forgiveness, while the subsequent record of Peter’s life is evidence that he repented and was forgiven. It was that same Peter who had an encounter with Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8. Simon had been baptized, along with many others (Acts 8:13). Later, Peter and John came, and began laying hands on the disciples and imparting spiritual gifts. Simon was amazed when he saw genuine miracles, and reverted to his old life. “Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’ But Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.’ But Simon answered and said, ‘Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me’” (Acts 8:18-24). Please note carefully the events: (1) Simon was baptized and thus had the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38); (2) Simon later sought to buy the gift of God with money; (3) Simon was told his heart was not right with God; (4) Simon was told to repent and pray; (5) Simon did repent, and asked Peter and John to pray for him. To What Does the "Once Saved ..." Doctrine Lead?Jude 4: “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." As seen in the statements and practices of those who believe this doctrine, even preachers, the results can be the practice of sin. This is what Jude has said about those “ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness…” Licentiousness is defined as “filthy, lasciviousness, wantonness.” How does one do this to the grace of God? This is done by those who teach that sin does not count, that one can live in sin and not be condemned, that one can rape and murder and not be held accountable. Who can believe it? While many who believe “once saved, always saved,” would not approve such evil practices, they cannot deny that their doctrine leads to this end. And if they are members of a church that is teaching false doctrine, then they are endorsing false doctrine. I cannot believe it, and the Word of God does not teach it. Gentle reader, if you are a part of a church that teaches this doctrine, then please understand that you are not a part of the church that Christ established, the church we read about in the New Testament. If, as the “once saved, always saved” doctrine teaches, one cannot absolutely be lost after receiving salvation, why are there so many passages warning against apostasy? Seems like it would be wasted effort. Why would God repeatedly warn us against something that cannot happen? May God help us to understand and follow the word of Christ, for, as Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life” (John 6:68). The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
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jcan071
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Re：Is 'Once Saved -- Always Saved?' a Bible Doctrine? Date Posted：08/19/2015 11:45 PMCopy HTML From the article: "If, as the “once saved, always saved” doctrine teaches, one cannot absolutely be lost after receiving salvation, why are there so many passages warning against apostasy? Seems like it would be wasted effort. Why would God repeatedly warn us against something that cannot happen?"
If one could lose their salvation, why did God not even once in the Scriptures come right out and say so ? Did Jesus ever say, if you don't do this or that, I will lose you ? No, He did not. Did Paul ever say, don't do this or that, because you will lose your salvation ? No, he did not. In fact, Jesus said, "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." John 6: 39 (KJV) And, Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." John 10: 27-29 (KJV) The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
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Re：Is 'Once Saved -- Always Saved?' a Bible Doctrine? Date Posted：08/20/2015 3:40 PMCopy HTML Rosemary,i could care less what denomination some truth comes from as long as it is truth..The reason some debate and argue is because people are set in what they are taught and believe.. We need to be open minded and a good discussion can stimulate thought and get us to study the Bible.. By the way, the article i posted was about OSAS, not about SDAs.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
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Re：Is 'Once Saved -- Always Saved?' a Bible Doctrine? Date Posted：08/20/2015 5:46 PMCopy HTML It must be the Lord who coined the phrase ad nauseam.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
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Re：Is 'Once Saved -- Always Saved?' a Bible Doctrine? Date Posted：08/20/2015 7:01 PMCopy HTML Eternal Security by Wayne S. Walker One of the tenets of Reformed theology which John Calvin adopted and propagated was that of "the perseverance of the saints." Often it is referred to as the doctrine of "once in grace, always in grace." Or stated as a proposition, it reads, "A child of God cannot so sin as to lose his soul eternally." Much has recently been said, and needs to be, concerning the relation of Calvinism to modern heresies among our brethren, but it is my purpose to examine this particular doctrine as it would be presented by a sectarian preacher of the Calvinist persuasion. The Arguments ForA primary argument made for this kind of teaching is an emotional one. It may be asked, "If your son did not do what you asked, would you completely reject him as you claim God will His unfaithful children?" The fact that many have been disinherited in times past does not seem to deter the inquirer. Nor does the fact that we cannot determine what God will or will not do by what man thinks or does, since God is not to be limited by human feelings. By applying a little reason to the situation, I think we can see a point that is overlooked. Suppose I were to make a promise to my hypothetical son -- say a new car upon graduation from college. But if he should drop out his junior year, am I still obligated to give him the car? The obvious answer is no, even though he is my son and I still love him. The reason he would not receive the promise is that he did not complete the stipulations on his part. The application is that God has promised His children eternal life, if they remain faithful to Him and do His will. But if those conditions are not met, God is under no obligation to carry out His promise, even though it involves His own children. Emotion is not the only basis for argument, however. Calvinists know well how to twist Bible passages in attempting to prove their doctrine, all the while wresting the scriptures to their own destruction. A favorite passage is I John 3:9, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." The word "commit" is not in the original language, and the present construction of the Greek verb indicates habitual and persistent sin. That is, a child of God no longer lives in sin. The word "cannot" does not necessarily imply absolute impossibility (see Genesis 19:19, 42:22) but rather conditional or permissive impossibility. Notice also that the one "born of God" is the one that "doeth righteousness" (I John 2:29), that is, continues to do righteousness. Besides, if this verse taught the impossibility of apostasy, it would have John contradicting himself, for in I John 2:1, he said he wrote to his readers that they sin not. Why write this warning if it were not possible for them to sin, or be in danger of losing their souls through sin? John recognized the possibility of apostasy. Other passages similarly perverted are John 3:16 and 5:24. We are told, "It says, 'shall not perish' and 'shall not come into condemnation.'" But note the condition of believing in both verses, again in the present tense denoting continuative action. No one denied that the true and faithful believer will not perish, but the question is, can a believer become an unbeliever? Hebrews 3:12 answers the question, "Yes!" John 10:28 is also misused: "Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." But of whom is Jesus speaking? Verse 27 says it is His sheep who hear His voice and follow Him. The possibility exists that some of His sheep will not follow. Another misapplied verse is I Corinthians 10:13, where Paul said that God will make a way of escape for the Christian in temptation. This is supposed to mean that since God has provided a means of escape, therefore a Christian cannot sin. However, the verse in no way intimates that a Christian must take the escape route. All it says is that there is a way out of temptation for the Christian to take if he will; many will not, though, and will yield as revealed in James 1:14-15. Two more passages worthy of examination are Ephesians 1:13-14 and Romans 8:34-39. According to this false doctrine, the seal of the Spirit is set upon Christians to make it impossible for them to fall. While it is true that the Holy Spirit is given us as a seal to guard and protect us, it does not discount the possibility of the seal being broken. Nowhere is it stated that the Holy Ghost must remain as a seal on someone who does not want to be sealed any longer. The Spirit can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). Then we are told, "Nothing can separate us from the love of God." Not even unfaithfulness on the part of a Christian, I suppose. Something did separate Demas from God, though -- the love of the world (II Timothy 4:10). Something separated the Ephesians from the Lord, too; they left their first love (Revelation 2:4). What Romans 8 actually teaches is that one who truly loves God (verse 28) and keeps his Word will not be separated from the love of God. What Saith the Scriptures?Turning from the defensive, we now present scriptural teaching concerning the possibility of Christians falling. I Corinthians 10:12 warns, "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall." It is argued that the context concerns the Israelites before the cross who were not under the New Testament dispensation. This reasoning is a misuse of the context and unnecessarily restricts it. The point Paul is making is that those Israelites fell because of their sins; so you Corinthians take heed lest ye fall. In Galatians, Paul plainly tells some "children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:27) that "Ye are fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:4). The reason they were fallen was that they were "removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel" (Galatinas 1:6). There is no doubt the Bible teaches a child of God can fall from grace. The question now is whether that fallen Christian will still be saved. In Hebrews 6:4-6, the writer spoke of some "who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come" who later fell away and became so hardened that it was impossible to renew them unto repentance. Their state was that they had crucified "to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." Now, can one in that condition have a home in heaven, even though he was once enlightened? Again, we turn to II Peter 2:20-22 and read of some who had "escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" but had again become entangled in them. Peter said that "The latter end is worse than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." If a person who has been born again yet falls in sin will still be saved, how is the latter end worse than the first? If one who has sinned in this manner is worse off than one who has never become a Christian, how can he go to heaven? Then in Galatians 6:1, Paul encourages his spiritual minded brethren to restore those who were overtaken in a fault. Why attempt to restore such people if they, as Christians, will be saved despite their sin? Some Calvinist preachers have made statements to the effect that they could murder, rape, prostitute themselves, even commit idolatry, and it would still be impossible for them to go to hell because they are supposedly born again children of God and He could never go back on His promise to save them. Let us see what the Bible says. Can a Christian lie? Ananias and Sapphira did in Acts 5:3. Revelation 21:8 says, "All liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." No distinction is made between "regenerate" liars and unregenerate ones. Can a child of God get drunk? Evidently it is possible, for Paul warns the Ephesian saints against it in Ephesians 5:18. Yet of drunkenness it is said, "that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:21). There is no difference here between drunkards who are Christians and those who are not. Again, can one born again commit fornication? Yes, for a brother could be a fornicator (I Corinthians 5:11). But no fornicator "shall inherit the kingdom of God" (I Corinthians 6:10). Nothing is said about children of God who commit fornication as opposed to fornicators of the world. The Bible teaches that a Christian can commit sins that are worthy of eternal punishment; and if they do, they will lose their souls in hell. ConclusionThe apostle Paul recognized the possibility of apostasy in I Corinthians 9:27. He realized that through his body, he could sin in such a way as to be rejected or cast away. The verse does not say he would be rejected by his listeners, as some claim. The word means "disqualified" in the original language. Disqualified from what? -- from running the race and gaining the prize of verses 24-26. The parable of the sower also shows that a child of God can fall from grace. In Luke 8:13-14, Jesus told of some who heard and received the Word, yet in time of temptation, or through the cares and pleasures of this world, fell away. Will they be saved eternally? Someone might ask, "Well, do you believe in eternal security or not?" Yes, I believe in eternal security, but I believe what the Bible says about it, and that is, that it is conditional. In II Peter 1:10, after listing the characteristics that one must possess to be a faithful, growing Christian, the apostle said, "For if ye do these things, ye shall never fall." Note that well -- "if ye do these things." "If" introduces a condition. Truly, Christ is "the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:9). The true Christian who constantly seeks to manifest godly qualities in his life shall never fall. But his eternal security is conditional on his remaining faithful. On the other hand, one who fails to meet the conditions and does not continue to obey, forfeits his eternal security, for God is no longer bound to keep His promise. The teaching that a child of God cannot so sin as to lose his soul in hell is a false teaching invented by the devil and is a cop-out: It allows a person to soothe his conscience and "feel saved" in spite of the sin he may allow in his life. Certainly not all who believe unconditional perseverance of the saints actually think this way, at least consciously; but anyone who accepts the doctrine does not have to be so careful with his life as one who knows that when he yields to the temptations of Satan, his sin may cause him to lose his eternal security. Then, do I doubt my salvation? Not a bit. I know that as long as I act in harmony with God's will that I will be eternally saved. And the fact that if I get out of step I may be lost provides additional motivation to live as God would have me to. I would hope that all who teach impossibility of apostasy will come to recognize the teaching for what it is -- a damnable departure from the teaching of God's Word. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
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Re：Is 'Once Saved -- Always Saved?' a Bible Doctrine? Date Posted：08/23/2015 3:51 PMCopy HTML There is noplace in the Bible that teaches such rhetoric as OSAS,THE APOSTOLES NEVER TAUGHT IT, JESUS NEVER TAUGHT IT,SO WHO CAME OUGHT WITH THIS MAN MADE DOCTRINE? The Bible is abundantly clear that salvation can be lost. 2 Peter 3:17,18 ...beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. James 5:19,20 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
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Re：Is 'Once Saved -- Always Saved?' a Bible Doctrine? Date Posted：08/26/2015 3:30 AMCopy HTML Also, Judas never called Jesus Lord, which the other disciples did. Judas called Him Rabbi, which means teacher. Rosemary do you read your Bible or is it just a paperweight? In the above your wrong as usal,take a look in the 22nd verse of Matthew 26, we read EVERY ONE OF THEM (Judas included) began to say unto him, LORD, is it I? Paul says in First Corinthians 12: 3: No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
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Re：Is 'Once Saved -- Always Saved?' a Bible Doctrine? Date Posted：08/26/2015 12:31 PMCopy HTML The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
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Re：Is 'Once Saved -- Always Saved?' a Bible Doctrine? Date Posted：08/26/2015 1:05 PMCopy HTML THE EMMAUS WALK PRESENTS:
"Was Judas Ever Saved? Or was He a Devil from the Beginning?"<!--HEAD2--> 
By A. A. Allen,Evangelist & Faith Healer <!--HEAD3-->  Judas (on left with money bag) at the Last Supper
You have heard this subject discussed pro and con. You have heard the different opinions of many ministers, but I thank God the answer is in the Word of God.Now let us take our Bibles. That's fine, God bless you. This is a message that we are going to take time with and cover the Scripture so there will be no argument, for you must accept the Word of God. I am not going to give you my opinion, and some of your minds are going to be changed by the Word of God. Isn't it wonderful that we have the Bible? Let us turn to the tenth chapter of Matthew and begin reading with the first verse: 1. "And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out, and all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. 2. "Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3. "Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Traddaeus; 4. "Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him." I would like to inform you that the twelve apostles were chosen to represent the twelve tribes of Israel, and Judas was chosen to represent one of the tribes of Israel. Judas Iscariot came from the line of Judah, the same line that Jesus came from. Jesus in the tenth chapter of Matthew is talking to the twelve chosen disciples, and in the 16th verse of the same chapter, he is still talking to the twelve chosen. 16. "Behold, I sent you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Now here he calls Judas Iscariot a sheep. Did he ever call the devil a sheep? You want to bear these things in mind; we are referring to Judas now--Jesus sends him forth as a sheep. Jesus didn't say eleven of you are sheep, and one of you is a devil, but he said I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. The 19th verse. 19. "But when they deliver you up take no thought of what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20. "For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. Judas had the same spirit as the rest of the apostles. And the 22nd verse reads: 22. "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." In John 10:27, 28, 29, Jesus said: 27. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28. "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29. "My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." Could you say he just meant some of the sheep, or did he mean all of the sheep? So if Judas was a sheep, he was once in the hands of Jesus. You know, friend, you can't deny the Word of God. Well, we have a lot of Scripture here, some of it, I believe you haven't paid much attention to. In the third chapter of Mark, beginning with the 13th verse reading through the 19th verse: 13. "And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would, and they came unto him. 14. "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach. 15. "And to have power to heal sickness, and to cast out devils; 16. "And Simon he surnamed Peter; 17. "And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Bosnerges, which is, the sons of Thunder 18. "And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew,and Matthew, and Alphaeus,and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, 19. "And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him; and they went into an house." Here in Mark he gives the chosen twelve power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils; and in the 22nd verse we read: 22. "And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. 23. "And Jesus said unto them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?'" So if Judas had been a devil would Jesus have given him power to cast out devils? Of course not, for we find in the 26th verse of the same chapter Jesus said: 26. "And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end." All right, what did Jesus ordain the twelve for? John 15: 16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." Jesus not only ordained them, but he commanded them to go. In Mark 6:7 we read, "And he called him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits." Now we are turning to Acts 1:15, 16, 17, Peter speaking: 15. "And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty) 16. "Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. 17. "For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry." In other words, Peter said, Judas used to be one of us; he ministered with us; he was numbered with us; and was one of us. Reading from the 21st verse through verse 25 of Acts 1: . 21. "Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us. 22. "Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. 23. "And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24. "And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, 25. "That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." (The place where all transgressors go--Hell.") You can't fall from some place where you have never been. What did Judas fall from? His place as a minister and an apostle of the Lord Jesus. He fell by transgression, which we know is sin. Judas fell all right, but there is always a reason for people falling, and the reason Judas fell is found in Matthew 26: 6-9: 6. "Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7. "There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8. "But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9. "For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor." John 12: 4 tells us which disciple made this statement. Reading from the 1st verse through the 6th verse of John 12: 1. "Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2. "There they made him a supper; and Martha served; but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3. "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 4. "Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, (or the one who was going to betray him) 5. "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor? 6. "This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein." Judas made this statement. No, he hadn't stolen anything yet, he hadn't fallen yet; but you know he was the treasurer of the apostles, he carried the money bag; and Paul says in First Timothy 6: 10, "For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows". When Judas went to the priests, he said, "What will you give me? And I will betray him up to you." See, it was the money he was after. A certain minister said o the radio not long ago, that Judas was not at the last supper, all right now, in Matthew 26: 17-25 we read:17. "Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? 18. "And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. 19. "And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. 20. "Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve (Judas included) 21. "And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22. "And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? 23. "And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 24. "The Son of Man goeth as it is written of him, (prophesied) but woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 25. "Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou has said." It has been said Judas never called Jesus, Lord, but in the 22nd verse of Matthew 26, we read EVERY ONE OF THEM (Judas included) began to say unto him, LORD, is it I? Paul says in First Corinthians 12: 3:"...No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." Judas had already been to the Chief Priests and asked what they would give him if he would betray Jesus into their hands. Of course, the money tempted him, but I can't believe (this is just my own opinion, and you have a right to yours) that when Judas looked into the eyes of Jesus and said, "Lord, is it I?" that he intended to do what he did do just a short time later, for Judas KNEW that Jesus was the Son of God. [I agree with A.A. Allen in this, as we do not know the evil that lurks in the deep parts of our own human hearts, but God knows it all! His eye misses absolutely nothing. "God knows my heart!" foolish people say. You've heard them say that. Yes, he does know our wicked, secret hearts! We too often are deceived by ourselves, thinking we are better than we are at heart somehow than our sinful actions testify, is that not correct? We just haven't faced the temptations that some face when we judge them and say we couldn't possibly do such terrible things! Ha! Our heart in its secret, unknown depths tells a different story, if the truth be known, that we are capable of any kind of vicious, heinous, and nasty or perverse crime, given the opportunity or strong enough temptation. Few of us indeed would stand righteously, if God once exposed us to more than we could possibly bear. I believe scripture bears this out about us all. We are wretches saved by amazing grace, as the song tells us so plainly, and offensively to some (they don't like singing "Amazing Grace" in the original lyrics, either, and change the verse, "..saved a wretch like me," to delete wretch and put in some word less offensive to them. It is the truth. Luther said we are "beggars before God"--his last written line before he died, saying the same thing as John Newton. Without grace and constant mercy, we would be lost sheep, but Jesus keeps his sheep, constantly interceeding for us in heaven! How wonderful, that He keeps us, though we cannot really keep ourselves, how hard we try. Thank God for grace and mercy! God will keep me to the end, as He has promised to do so: Stronger sheep think they can work and keep themselves--but the weaker sheep know better. "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world," Christ said to his own sheep. Yes, we may lose our rewards through some fall into sin, that goes without saying, but we shall not lose our salvation ultimately, as we pray and ask forgiveness and get up and live righteously by His enabling strength and the Scriptures daily fortifying us. Those who continue to sin and defy God in their sinning, without repenting, well, they will have to take whatever they have risked receiving for their rebellion and defiance and sin. God will judge this, fairly. I do not know how A.A. Allen spent his last days after he lost his ministry through alcoholism, but I doubt very much he spent it defiantly and rebelling against God. He knew God still had grace and mercy enough for him, despite his drunkenness and failure to live up to his responsibility as an evangelist. His example shows us that no evangelist or minister is immune to Satan's influence, and so the higher you go in the service of God, the more Satan will seek to trip you up! Therefore, we ought to all the more, seeing Allen's example and others too of recent date, to watch and pray and be sober, for the Lord is coming soon! Lord Jesus, forgive us our sins, and make us all the people of God, men and women of God and truly righteous, which you want us to be! And on our part we will watch and pray in humility, and use the time remaining to those who are lost You are the Savior for them, and to also show others by our examples and sober, watchful, praying and fasting lifestyles that we believe You are coming soon. Scripture warns us not to place any confidence in our flesh. That means, no confidence at all should be put in our flesh (or our own abilities). If we find ourselves easy-going types, believing everything will work out sooner or later by itself, assured of our making it to heaven, assured we won't fall into any "serious" or "deep" sin even if we choose to live fleshly or worldly (though not behaving "as bad as so and so,") confident that we have the strength and spiritual maturity to do well right to the end, well, that is setting ourselves up for something we probably won't like--a really bad fall of some kind. To grease the slippery slope for believers to experience bad downfalls, foolish folks say: "It doesn't take all that!" Living righteously, seeking the Kingdom, "doesn't take all that?" They are totally wrong, deceiving themselves, who believe and say that. Follow their advice, and we will be very sorry indeed someday! That is certain. Best we strive to be sober, watchful, humble, and spend our days in fear and trembling before Almighty God, assured of salvation, but never, never ever trusting in ourselves and our own faithfulness. Only God is truly faithful to the end. We can't be--but somehow God will cause us to be a good and faithful servant and to enter into his rest in heaven. No man will boast in heaven, not even the greatest saints, not even the Apostle Paul. To God alone be the glory!--Ed.] Now let us read, John 6: 64 through to the 67th verse: 64. "But there are some of you that believe not, For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him." (Now as you know that Scripture is used in reference to Judas, but I am going to tell you why I don't believe it has reference to Judas. Judas is talking to his disciples (verse 60) and goes on to say: 65. "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66. "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67. "Then said Jesus unto the twelve, will ye also go away?" (Judas among them._ Isn't it a betrayal when the followers of Jesus turn their backs on him and walk away? He said he knew who they were, and after he said that, he turned to the twelve chosen )Judas included) and said, "Will you also go away?" So I don't see how they can take that Scripture in reference to Judas. I believe it has reference to the many that did betray him when they turned back. [This is called context, understanding a scripture in context and setting, not lifting it out and then trying to make meaning of it by itself--Ed.] Then Simon Peter answered him (reading the 68th verse through the 71st verse): 68. "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. twelve.) 69. "And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. (Speaking for the twelve) 70. "Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? (not WAS, but IS a devil.) 71. "He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon, for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve." Now he is not speaking of Judas's condition at that time, but Jesus is referring to the one who is going, to betray him, but remember he is talking to the twelve he ordained to preached, the twelve he gave power to heal the sick, and cast out devils, to the twelve he called "sheep," and to the twelve he said, "It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you," and to the twelve he said, "But he that endureth (holds out) to the end shall be saved." Luke 22: 21 reads, "But behold the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table." Now here the twelve of them are sitting together, they have all had the same ministry, they have all worked together, and they have all stood together; and they began to inquire among themselves which of them it was that should do this thing. They had no more idea that it was Judas than that it was John, James, or Peter. [How is that? You must agree, because they all knew that they were unstable enough in their allegiance to Jesus that they could possibly betray him.--Ed.] Acts 1: 16 says, "Men and brethren this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus." Now turn to Psalms 41: 9, "Yea, mine own FAMILIAR FRIEND, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me." Peter said the Holy Ghost spake by the mouth of David. Now when the Holy Ghost speaks, he speaks for the Father and for the Son, in others words, you know Jesus said, "He will not speak of Himself, but He will speak of me." Now you could say that verse doesn't refer to Judas, if it wasn't that Jesus said in John 13: 18, "I speak not of you all, I know whom I have chosen, but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me." The Holy Ghost in Psalms called him, "Mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted." Did Jesus ever call the devil his familiar friend? Did Jesus ever trust the devil? If Judas was a devil from the beginning, would he have been Jesus' own familiar friend in whom he trusted? Now we have another Scripture, Matthew 26: 47-50: 47. "And while he yet spake, lo Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48. "Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he, hold him fast. 49. "And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, "Hail, master, and kissed him. 50. "And Jesus said unto him, FRIEND, wherefore art thou come? Then came they and laid hands on Jesus and took him." The Greek word, "Hetaire," used here, means comrade, closer than friend. Scofield says this is perhaps the most touching thing in the Bible, for the Lord Jesus does not disown Judas even at the betrayal. Jesus looks up and calls Judas, FRIEND [comrade]. Then let's turn to the 13th chapter of John, the first verse, "Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." (And he loved them unto the end.) John 13:2: "And supper being ended, the devil now put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; It does not say when the devil completed his work, but he had completed it at the supper. In the 21st verse of the same chapter we read, "When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me." John 13:22: "Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting (wondering) of whom he spake." Even at the last moment, they had no idea it was Judas. Reading on from the 23rd verse through the 27th verse. Reading on from the 23rd verse through the 27th verse. 23. "Now there was leaning on Jesus bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. 24. "Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25. "He then lying on Jesus breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26. "Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27. "And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly." What do you think of that, have you ever read that before? Have you ever noticed that the devil entered unto him after he put his hand in the dish? That's what the Word says, and I believe it. The devil can't enter into the devil. This apostle was once a sheep, and now the devil has entered into him. (Friend be careful, the devil can enter into a sheep in a second; he only needs the smallest opening.) [We really ought to take this advice to heart, as it comes from a great evangelist who "fell" and lost his ministry, which was truly a wonderful healing ministry full of the Word of God!--Ed.]. Matthew 27:1-4: 1. "When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2. "And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 3. "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he (Judas) saw that he (Jesus) was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4. "Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood, and they said, "What is that to us? see thou to that." I don't believe Judas ever thought they would actually kill Jesus. Judas had seen Jesus escape from the mobs and multitudes. Judas wanted the money, but when he saw Jesus was actually condemned, he went to the chief priests and repented and confessed his sin, but He never went to Jesus. It was foreordained (prophesied) that one should betray Jesus, but it didn't have to be, that is true. I wonder what would have happened, if Judas had run to Jesus through the mob and had thrown himself at his Blessed feet, and wept with a broken heart, and said, I'm sorry, but he didn't. He repented and confessed TO THE PRIESTS, but he never did go to Jesus. I am sure Jesus would have forgiven him like he forgave those who drove the nails in his hands [I have to agree, and besides, though Judas sold and betrayed Jesus to his enemies the high priests and the Pharisees, his disciples forsook Jesus and fled for their lives, leaving Jesus in the hands of his enemies, and Peter even cursed and swore that he had nothing to do with Jesus, certainly a betrayal, though he wasn't paid for it like Judas was paid.--Ed.]. He wouldn't be Jesus if he didn't forgive anyone who asked forgiveness [Jesus said, he would forgive all sins against himself, only there was one unforgivable sin, the sin against the Holy Spirit. Did Judas commit that? Scripture does not say he committed that, which is unforgivable sin. He betrayed Christ, but that was forgivable, according to Christ's own words!--Ed.]. In Acts 1:18, "Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out." Acts 1:19: "And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. Acts 1:20: "For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein; and his bishopric let another take." Psalms 69:25: "Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents. Psalms 69:26: "For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Psalms 69:27: "Add iniquity unto their iniquity; and let them mnot come into thy righteousness. Psalms 69:28: "Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous." This refers to Judas--his name was once written in the Book of Life,and according to prophesy his name was blotted out, and this prophesy was was referred to in the New Testament. Because of sin, because of transgression, he fell from his place at the side of Jesus, and his name was blotted out. There is a Scripture in Matthew 7:21, "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. Reading on: 22. "Many will say 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? 23. "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Now notice what the Word says: "They are going to stand before Jesus and say, I cast out devils and preached in your name. (Judas did.) Nobody can cast out devils without the power of God and in the Name of Jesus [yes, it is very dangerous to try that stunt, if you aren't really God's child, for in the N.T. it tells of the seven foolish sons of Sceva the priest who tried casting out devils from some demon-possessed person like the Apostles were doing, but they weren't God's true sons, and the demons beat them up thoroughly and tore off their clothes and threw them bleeding and naked into the street--so much for their wannabe-deliverance ministry! It is a wonder they weren't killed!--Ed.], and they know that Jesus knows they could not do it without his power. How could Jesus say, I never knew you. Lord, you had to know them if they cast out devils in your name, and here you say you never knew them. What does that mean? Well, the answer is in the Word, if you will turn with me to Ezekiel 18:19-32. 19. "Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. 20. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be unto him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. 21. "But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statues and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die [I say hallelujah to that! I sinned, sinned greatly, even backslid and turned into a filthy idolator, but yet the Lord forgave ME, and restored me as his true son, praise his Name, Jesus!--Ed.]. 22. "All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him [and this the Lord has done, he has not mentioned my former sins and backsliding to me, only telling me to 'Go and sin no more' so that he can bless others through me, a clean cup, as it spills over with His Word that he gives me!--Ed.], in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 23. "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? [God who loves the whole world, saved and unsaved, has no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked!--Ed.] saith the Lord God, and not that he should return from his ways, and live? 24. "But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned; in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned,in them shall he die. [This is the chilling fact of the Word, that I too must heed, lest pride overtake me and I go back into sin, and lose everything God wanted to bless me with if I continue steadfastly in his righteousness.--Ed.]. 25. "Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? 26. "When a righteous man tureth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them, for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. 27. "Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 28. "Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 29. "Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal, O house of Israel, are not my ways equal and not your ways unequal? 30. "Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31. "Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit, for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32. "For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God, wherefore, turn yourselves and live ye." I want you to notice that he is talking about the soul, not the body, eternal damnation, and eternal life. He says it doesn't make any difference how righteous you have been, if you die in sin, you will stand before Jesus as one who has never known him. The way you die is the way you will be judged. Hebrews 10:38 says, "Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." And, Second Peter 2:20, "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning." And then, we read in Hebrew 3:12, 13, 14: 12. "Take heed, brethren (not Sinners) lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing, from the living God. 13. "But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14. "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end." People love to hear words that tickled their ears, "Oh, if you're once saved, you're always saved," "if you're once born, you can never be unborn." No, but you can be CUT OFF. Luke 12:42, "And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom His lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Luke 12:43: "Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Luke 12:44: "Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. Luke 12:45: "But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; Luke 12:46: "The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers." Now he is talking about a servant here,and he is liking that to nobody but us, and if he comes and finds us out taking part with the ungodly we shall be cut in sunder, and God will appoint us our portion with the unbelievers. [TO SUM UP EVERYTHING SAID SO FAR:] JUDAS WAS ONCE A SHEEP ORDAINED OF JESUS TO PREACH, GIVEN POWER TO HEAL THE SICK AND CAST OUT DEVILS, HE LOVED MONEY MORE THAN JESUS, THE DEVIL ENTERED INTO HIM, AND HE DENIED HIS LORD. AND, YOU BE CAREFUL, DON'T YOU GO PARADING AROUND TOO SURE, YOU CAN TURN FROM A SHEEP INTO A DEVIL IN A SECOND. I WANT TO TELL YOU IT'S SERIOUS BUSINESS, YOU CAN TAKE THE WORD OF GOD, BE STUBBORN, OR DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO; BUT, I DON'T BELIEVE JESUS ORDAINED A DEVIL TO PREACH, GAVE A DEVIL POWER TO HEAL THE SICK, AND CAST OUT DEVILS, OR TOLD A DEVIL, 'IT IS NOT YE THAT SPEAK, BUT THE SPIRIT OF YOUR FATHER WHICH SPEAKETH IN YOU,' --NOT MY JESUS. In Exodus 32:32, when Moses pleaded for the sins of Israel (God's People) and desired to be blotted out for their souls sake; God said, Exodus 32:33 "...Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book." Also, in Revelation 3:5 (Jesus said) "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." (So it had to have been written in there before it could be blotted out.) First Corinthians 10:12: "WHEREFORE LET HIM THAT THINKETH HE STANDETH TAKE HEED LEST HE FALL." The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
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