Bible Studies 17 (For newest Bible Study see "Bible Studies 18")
Nothing New Under the Sun (added 3/13/2021)
When most people think of the first original sin, they think it was when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit. But that is not accurate. Adam and Eve sinned even before they ate the fruit. Adam’s original sin was pride – satan told Eve when they ate the fruit “your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5b). Eve liked that idea and wanted to be “as gods” (Please know Adam was right there beside her when she was speaking to satan who was using the serpent to beguile her.) Adam and Eve became prideful and wanted to know good and evil like God so they ate the fruit God had forbidden them to eat. And if you go way back, it was satan (lucifer) who actually committed the first sin against God. The Bible tells us satan was perfect and the most beautiful and magnificent of all of God’s creations (Ezekiel 28:11-19). He held a special place of honor and prestige among the heavenly host. Then satan started to read his own press releases and became prideful. It was satan’s pride which caused him to declare in his heart his 5 “I Wills”. He decided he was mightier than God. Isaiah 14:13-14 tells us satan declared:
So God squashed satan’s rebellion and He threw him out of heaven and down to earth where satan became the “Lord of the Flies” and the “Father of Lies” (Two perfectly fitting names among many others for this repugnant, pure-evil creature.). And ever since God created man, satan has set out to destroy him (mankind). He will do everything in his limited power to usurp God. Because of his pride, and his corrupted mind, he still thinks he is going to ultimately win against God. (But we’ve read the back of the book – we know he gets his just deserts in the end.). My Aunt Lainey Mercer said “Satan has always imitated God but GOD is DEITY - The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost is ONE GOD; but Satan can NEVER be deity because he was and is only a created being.”
Now that you know the backstory, let’s move forward. satan knows all he has to do is get people (us) to think about anything else but God and he wins the battle. So what tools does satan use to bring about mankind’s downfall? What tricks does he have in his arsenal? We have to remember satan knows human nature – I mean he actually had a major role in the shaping of fallen man’s sinful nature, remember?! He knows what makes us tick. satan and his forces (demons) have a lot of weapons at their disposal: lies, slander, half-truths, lust, greed, envy, hatred, murder, deceit, corruption, etc. However, if you really give it some thought, all of mankind’s sins can be directly pointed right back to pride. So satan uses our pride to destroy us and if we are Christians he uses our pride to destroy our testimony. (As this bible study started coming together I thought to myself “This is pretty good.” – There’s that pride, huh?! Hmm, time for Proverbs 11:2 right here - “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”)
satan knows he can rely on his tried and true methods to take us down. Pride was what brought him down – so he knows pride works wonders on mankind too. (The Reverend Billy Graham said, “‘The sin of pride particularly has caused the downfall of Lucifer in heaven; most certainly it can bring mortal man down too.’ He sums it up by saying ‘He (Satan) forever tries to discredit the truthfulness of the Word of God; he coaxes men to deny the authority of God, and persuades the world to wallow in the deluding comfort of sin.’”) So he builds us up and tells us we do not have to listen to, or obey, Creator God. He tells us we do not have to be concerned with right or wrong, good or evil. We can live our lives how we want to. It is entirely up to us. We do not have to bow down to anyone. We are our own god! Pride exalts man, and his desires, above God. Pride tries to usurp God’s authority and sovereignty over man and His (God’s) creation. Pride says to God:
A perfect example of how much satan (through pride) can manipulate and mislead us is the LGBTQ community - they have chosen “Pride” as their battle cry and the rainbow (God’s creation and a symbol of a promise He made to mankind) as their flag and standard.
But God hates and despises pride because He knows just how much it completely destroys the heart and mind of man. Proverbs 16:5 tells us “The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.”
In the book of Job (chapters 38-41) God finally had enough of the conversations Job and his friends were having. “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, ‘Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me” (38:1-3). And Creator God asks Job where he was when He (God) created and formed the sky, the earth and planets, and all that are in them. (If you have never read these chapters, please read them. They are a masterpiece in God describing His majesty and Holiness.)
So, how do we combat satan and pride and keep him from manipulating and using us in his evil agenda? Well, we cannot do it in our strength. Satan knows our hot-buttons too well. He is the master manipulator and knows the “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked …” (Jeremiah 17:9a).
No, we must rely on God and His Holy Spirit. We must put our faith and trust in Jesus. We need to understand and acknowledge how satan works and ask our God to give us strength, wisdom, and discernment. James 1:13-15 tells us “‘When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire (pride) and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.’”
We do what James tells us in 4:7-8 “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
As followers of Jesus we are washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb. We are saved and set aside for His service though His cleansing blood and our submission to Him as Lord. When we realize we’ve committed a sin - no matter how “minor” or “small” it may be - we immediately ask forgiveness for that sin and repent – we turn away from it. We put on the full Armor of God daily (Ephesians 6) and pray without ceasing, giving thanks (worshipping God) in all things. We ground ourselves in the Word of God (Jesus and the bible) and we practice the presence of God by continually residing/abiding/staying in his presence and subject to His counsel; through the Holy Spirit.
Above all we realize God is our Rock, our Shield, our Buckler. That without Jesus as our Savior we are lost and doomed to hell. We know we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and we know greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world. (Philippians 4:13, 1 John 4:4). We rely on Him to give us His Truth, His compassion, His humbleness, His wisdom, His discernment, His mercy, and His love. We submit (obey) God in all things. We are His chosen people. A royal priesthood! We are saints of God – so we must take up the battle and go forth victorious, unapologetic, and unswerving in the face of the enemy – we will Overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony! (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 12:11) Amen and Amen!
Here are just a few passages from God’s Word to get into our minds and spirits:
You may have noticed I do not capitalize the name of satan/lucifer. It may seem petty to some, but I refuse to honor him in any way, so I choose to not capitalize his name when I write it. Maybe silly, but that’s me. :)
The Hill (added 5/9/2021)
On the hill that day there were three men. One was on a mission. He had a purpose and a reason to be there. The other two men had a reason to be there as well. They also had a purpose – they just didn’t know it at the time.
One was there to fulfill his destiny (or at least to continue his destiny). It was his choice to be there. The other two did not have a choice, but they were there to fulfill their destiny as well. There was a different fate awaiting each man at the end of the day. How did they meet and what were they doing on that hill that day?
Here’s the backstory: Mankind became corrupted spiritually not long after Adam and Even were created. They decided their will - their pride - was more important than obeying their Creator God and they sinned against Him. They ate the fruit which God had told them not to eat. They completely understood it was forbidden to them. Yet they chose to disobey God and they were punished for their sins. Their disobedience caused the fall of mankind when God announced their punishment – a death sentence (Genesis 3). And that sentence was also exacted upon every person who would come after them. Every single one of us is born with a sin-nature. We instinctively rebel against God and push Him away. We sin and we disobey.
But God loved Adam and Eve, the only creation made in God’s own image. And He knew there was only one way to cover their nakedness and to forgive them of their sins: So God killed an animal and made clothes for the pair. That was the first blood offering to cover someone’s sin. The bible tells us life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). It takes one life to redeem or allow for forgiveness for the sin of another. Romans 6:23a tells us “For the wages of sin is death.” Eventually; God would give Moses the law and would instruct His people how to offer blood sacrifices for forgiveness and covering of their sins. There was a flaw with the law given to Moses though. The people had to continue to make sacrifices to be forgiven for their sins. The Mosaic Law was not complete. But don’t think the flaw was not intentional. God knew there was a missing piece to the salvation puzzle. And He would reveal His plan in His perfect timing.
God knew there was a need for mankind to be forgiven and set on the right path to holiness, to righteousness. God loves each of us so much that He set into motion the killing of one last sacrifice which would preclude any future need for additional sacrifices (Romans 6:9-11). You see “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God created us in His image so we could spend our eternity with Him in His glory. To secure our rightful (once forgiven) place with Him He sent Jesus to die for us – in our place. We should be sentenced to death and separation from Him for all eternity, but instead He sent Jesus to pay our debt and to cleanse us with His redeeming blood. One life, one sacrifice, one time. For all mankind. The rest of the verse in Romans 6:23 reminds us “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
In 1 Peter 1:3-5 we are told “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” We are bought with the blood of Jesus. And 1 Peter 1:18-25 says “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.”
We have our Hope in Jesus. When we ask forgiveness for our sins and put our trust, our faith in Jesus and turn from our wicked ways we are sanctified and set apart for Him.
On the hill that day there were three men. One was on a mission. His name is Jesus, the Christ – our Messiah, our Redeemer, and our Savior. He had a purpose and a reason to be there. The other two men had a reason to be there as well. They also had a purpose – they just didn’t know it at the time.
Man # 2 realized he deserved to be sentenced and die for his crimes, but he also knew Jesus was pure and sinless. He knew Jesus did not deserve to die. He had committed no crime. So he told the 3rd man to be quiet and asked Jesus to forgive him for his crimes, for his sins. Jesus told him that he would be with Him in paradise that same day. His sins were forgiven and he was made white and clean by the sacrificial blood of the Lamb of God. The 3rd man rejected Jesus. He died in his sins and is in hell right now and for all eternity. That was his choice to make. He chose poorly. (Luke 23:32-43)
One was there to fulfill His destiny (or at least to continue his destiny). It was His choice to be there. The other two did not have a choice, but they were there as well to fulfill their destiny. All three men died on a cross that day and there was a different fate awaiting each man at the end of the day.
We know Jesus is sitting at God’s right hand in heaven right now. As far as the fate of the other two men, which will you choose? It is up to you whether you accept or reject Christ Jesus. Reject Him, join man # 3, and be sentenced to hell for all eternity. Accept Him and someday you too will join man # 2 and be with the Lord in paradise. Your decision. Choose wisely. This is your eternity decision.
The sad state of the “Christian” today (added 5/9/2021)
“One way the civilized world destroys men is by preventing them from thinking their own thoughts.
Our ‘vastly improved methods of communication’ of which the shortsighted boast so loudly now enable a few men in strategic centers to feed into millions of minds alien thought-stuff, ready-made and predigested. A little effortless assimilation of these borrowed ideas and the average man has done all the thinking he will or can do. This subtle brainwashing goes on day after day and year after year to the eternal injury of the populace – a populace, incidentally, which is willing to pay big money to have the job done, the reason being, I suppose, that it relieves them of the arduous and often frightening task of reaching independent decisions for which they must take responsibility. (A.W. Tozer, “Of God and Men” published 1960)
Not only are millions being brainwashed and led down the wrong paths by the power elite in the secular world, but even worse, millions are (and have been) inadvertently led astray by the men and women in the pulpit: the leaders of the church. For as long as I can remember preachers, teachers, and lay persons in the church (basically anyone trying to sincerely lead people to Christ Jesus) tell the lost all they have to do is say a prayer and “ask Jesus into their heart”. I admit until very recently those are the words I said too. But these words (directions) are misleading, vastly incomplete, and very dangerous to those who are instructed in this way. Yes, I do believe when people tell someone this they are being sincere and really believe they are leading someone to Jesus the right way – the way they were taught to do. But you see, when we tell people all they have to do is “ask Jesus into their heart” or “accept Jesus” or similar sentiments like these, we usually leave out crucial information and additional direction and we may, unknowingly, be preventing them from truly being saved from hell – from being redeemed. Now you’re saying “Wait one minute there Slick! How can you say these things? Who do you think you are to say people who ask Jesus into their hearts may still go to hell?!!! When they ask Jesus into their hearts they become a Christian and are going to heaven!” Well, not necessarily. Let me ask you a question: where in the bible does it tell us all we have to do is ask Jesus into our hearts or just say a prayer? Where does it say all we have to do is accept Jesus? You won’t find it because it is not there.
The Western Christian is, for all intents and purposes, a Christian in name only. The vast majority of people who call themselves Christian do not have any idea what that means, nor do they care. They “identify” as “Christian” the same way society tells us today that we can identify as something we are not, nor ever could be. These people have no biblical foundation upon which to stand, nor are they grounded in the Truth that is Christ Jesus (John 14:6). They do not know Jesus the Christ as their personal Saviour and certainly not as their Lord and King. They know Him (if they think of Him at all) as a hippy-type dude who may do things for them when they pray or when they need something. They think His sayings are archaic or just nice and quaint. They think of God as some kind of cruel yet benevolent being that is up there in the sky that is easy to displease and hard to understand. They think His rules and commandments are not applicable today because people and society have changed. They think He will not judge them against His standards and against His Word. They do not care to read the bible and really could care less what it says about their eternity or their pending doom. They think they are “doing the Lord’s work” by going to church and maybe serving on the worship team or in the kid’s room, or taking food to the elderly. They volunteer and put in quite a bit of time serving, yet the majority are lost. Yes, they know the right words and can talk “Christian” but they do not care to know Jesus. They know some passages and can quote their chosen, go-to verses at just the right moment to make them look righteous, but they pick and choose what they believe out of the bible because they do not truly believe the bible. Like Jesus said they are clean on the outside, but inside they are putrid graves with dead bones in them (Matt 23:27). They have created their own god and have their own version of Jesus. Both of whom love them and like them, and serve them (not them serving God and Jesus, but the other way around) because they believe EVERYONE is a child of God. It is okay with their god and their version of Jesus to live any way they want because God will not condemn anyone to hell because all paths lead to heaven. They think they are going to heaven when they die, but many will not.
You cannot pick and choose what to believe in the Word of God. Either you believe every word is true or you believe the bible is a fable. The same with Jesus – either you believe He is fully man and fully God; was born of a virgin; lived a perfect, sinless life; died on the cross; rose the 3rd day; and is the Savior and Redeemer of those who put their faith and trust in Him and in His cleansing blood, or you think He was a liar or a fake or did not exist at all. You cannot believe parts of the bible and believe Jesus is who He said He is and not be changed in your very core: your spirit, mind, and soul. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot pretend to be a Follower of Jesus and live a secular life. The vast majority of the people who are told by Christ to pick up their cross daily and follow Him (Matt 16:24-25) will instead, as Paul told us in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (Amplified), “For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching [for something pleasing and gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold, and will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions.”
So, if I have not offended you enough to quit reading this before now, and you are still with me, you may be saying “Hold on there Jim! Who do you think you are to call out your fellow Christians? You aren’t perfect and you can’t just spout all of this and walk away from it.” Glad you asked. Not walking away. You see when people are told all they have to do is say a prayer and ask Jesus into their hearts, they are being misled. They are missing crucial information. So many believe they are saved just by saying a prayer and “asking Jesus into their heart”. But then they go on living their lives the same as they did before they “became a Christian.” There is really no difference in their mind, heart, spirit or their lives. They continue to do those things they used to do, but now they think they are going heaven because they “accepted Jesus”. They continue to enjoy the secular world: music, television, raunchy comedy, dirty jokes, wickedness, etc. James 4:4-10 tells us “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Most are never taught that when they say the “Sinner’s Prayer” they are to turn away from their sin (repent) and are expected to live their lives striving for holiness and righteousness. They are not taught they are only saved by putting their faith, their trust in Jesus, and in order to become a child of God, and Joint-Heir with Jesus, we are directed to confess our sins to God, and ask God to forgive us of our sins. We are to believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, was born of a virgin, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again on the 3rd day – defeating satan for all eternity. We are to follow the words of Jesus we find in Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” If we do this we will not just say a pray and ask Jesus into our hearts. We will live to serve our Lord, our King. We will strive to please Him and do His will. We will want to change not just so we “act like a Christian” but so we change in our heart, in our mind, in our soul, in our spirit. We cannot live for Jesus if we are not filled with His Spirit! When we confess our sin and put our faith and trust in Jesus we are then cleansed by His shed blood. We are made into a new creature and redeemed through His blood. Then He sends His Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to come to live in us and guide us to be the Man-of-God or Woman-of-God He created us to be. We yearn for change and to live for Him!
Today, more than at any time since Jesus founded the church Christians are being persecuted and told they must deny their faith. And instead of standing resolutely on the Holy Word of God (the bible – every single verse is God’s Truth) they are not only accepting those demands, they are bowing down to society and political correctness and denying their faith, denying the truth, denying the cross, and denying Jesus. They are spitting in the face of Jesus and making a mockery of the cross. We cannot serve God and satan at the same time. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
If you said the “Sinner’s Prayer” and “asked Jesus into your heart” but you have never truly changed, have never truly put your faith and trust in Jesus, now is the time to complete what you have started: Turn to Jesus and repent of your sins. Serve the Lord and stand firm in your faith!
I leave you with Hebrews 11:39-40 and the notes from the Scofield Bible for the word “faith” in verse 39: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”
Scofield Bible note: “Hebrews 11:39: [1] faith: The essence of faith consists in receiving what God has revealed, and may be defined as that trust in the God of the Scriptures and in Jesus Christ whom He hath sent, which receives Him as Saviour and Lord, and impels to loving obedience and good works John 1:12 James 2:14-26. The particular uses of faith give rise to its secondary definitions: (1) For salvation, faith is personal trust, apart from meritorious works, in the Lord Jesus Christ, as delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification Romans 4:5,23-25. (2) As used in prayer, faith is the "confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us" 1 John 5:14,15. (3) As used in reference to unseen things of which Scripture speaks, faith "gives substance" to them, so that we act upon the conviction of their reality. Hebrews 11:1-3. (4) As a working principle in life, the uses of faith are illustrated in Hebrews 11:1-39.
***** ADDENDUM TO THE ABOVE BIBLE STUDY *****
Yesterday (5/9/2021) I wrote a pretty scathing indictment of the state of the Christian in today’s world (attached below). Although I would not change one word of what I wrote, I do feel led to help you understand a little more of why I wrote it and where those Christians who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ stand as far as their salvation and their holiness.
The reason I wrote that bible study was not to condemn anyone with my words. My words were blunt, and pointedly directed at those who say they are Christians but are not any different from the world in which they live: Those who did say a prayer and “asked Jesus into their heart” but since then have made no real change in their lifestyle and beliefs; and I also wanted to address those Believers who were once Followers of Jesus, but have since slidden back into their old ways, back into the world. I wanted to get these two groups of people to reevaluate their position in Christ - I wanted to exhort them to action to grasp just how tenuous their salvation may be and urge them to reevaluate their own salvation. (I must say here too only God can judge the state of our soul and only He will judge our eternal destiny.) And just as importantly, I want each Believer to fully understand this is not just some kind of checkmark game to get more people to Jesus – “I did 1, 2, and 3 and now chalk up another believer on my count” (Yes, I did the same thing too). But instead to help each one to comprehend, with profound understanding and discernment, the need for true repentance and a complete need to teach a new Believer how to put their trust and faith in Jesus.
I do absolutely believe a majority of today’s Christians are headed for hell. They have deluded themselves with their false views and thoughts of God, Jesus, salvation, and repentance. They have no desire to change because satan has convinced them that they are secure in their salvation and they are happy to be able to live just like their “non-saved” friends live. They are perfectly content wallowing in their putrid lifestyle with their debased beliefs. They say “God loves me and He is not going to condemn anyone to hell - if there even is such a place.” As much as I would love for my words written yesterday (and these today) to get them to truly, completely see where they are headed and to put their trust in Jesus, I fear most are too far gone and do not even want to change.
So, today I want to address those who have put their trust in Jesus, perhaps they said the Sinner’s Prayer (I said that prayer too) and they asked Jesus into their hearts (me too). They were sincere when they prayed the prayer and the Holy Spirit does indwell them. And since then, they have tried to live for Jesus. They sincerely and desperately strive to turn away from the sin-nature they were born into and become the new creation in Christ God formed them and created them to be. But they struggle and are unsure of what to do and some even wonder (fear) if they are truly saved. (I grew up in a Pentecostal church and we were pretty sure a person could lose their salvation if they weren’t careful.) I’m talking that group of people who are just like me. The Believers, the Followers of Jesus who have good days and bad days. They are trying to live for Jesus, but sometimes they get overwhelmed with life and don’t know what to do next. This is the group who do everything God asks of them one day and the next day they can’t get off of Facebook (me too). This is for the people who try so hard, but struggle with addiction, loneliness, fear, pain, sickness, or just plain life. I want to address those people (I am one of those people). To us and those like us: First and foremost, I want to help you truly understand and comprehend this: If you put your trust, your faith in Jesus, repented of your sins, and there is change in your heart, mind, and spirit due the Holy Spirit indwelling you – YOU ARE SAVED AND GOING TO HEAVEN! Once you are saved you are sealed with the Spirit: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). The evil one may try to tell you that you aren’t good enough or that God doesn’t love you, but remember: satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and he will do or say anything to get a Believer away from God. Here are a few more passages to help you to be convinced you ARE saved:
So, please believe you are saved! Now how about being a child of God? John 1:11-13 “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” You ARE a Child of the Most-High God.
How about being a priest? Jesu is the High Priest, but are Christians considered to be priests in God’s kingdom? In 1 Peter 2:9-10 we read “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
What about being called a saint? Isn’t that just something the Catholic Church has? Don’t they declare who the Saints of God are? Nope! In 15 books of the New Testament Christian Believers are referred to as saints and they (we) are addressed by the title “saint”. So, yes – YOU are, right now, a Saint of God!
Now, I’ve shown you that you cannot lose your salvation, you are a Child of God, and He considers you to a Priest and a Saint in His Kingdom – right now.
Now to one last practical matter – sinning and slipping away from God. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US have sinned against God and slidden away at least once since getting washed clean by the Blood of Jesus and saved through the grace of God. Does that make you (us) any less saved or worthy to be called Christian? Does that mean we cannot serve, obey, love our Lord and be Holy and Righteous? No, it does not. It means we are still human, living in a fallen world, and we still battle temptation. What we do need to do is not wallow in self-pity or self-loathing. We cannot let satan tell us we aren’t’ worthy to serve God any longer. That God cannot love us because we are filthy sinners - we must not allow satan to get us separated from God (remember no-one can take God or his love away from us, but we can allow satan to take us away from God – see the difference?). So when we sin, we must immediately ask God to forgive us for the sin and turn away from it. We set aside time each day to spend time with Him: reading His Word, worshipping Him, and spending time with Him. Remember, our relationship with our Father and our Lord Jesus is just like our relationships with those we love. We can laugh, and cry, and be happy, and be sad, and talk to God. We can love on him and He will love on us. And on those days when we just don’t get around to God, again don’t beat yourself up. Declare you will do better the next - then set your alarm clock and do it. J
Let me leave you with just a few more of my favorite verses:
I could just keep putting more verses in here, but I hope you get the idea. You are loved by God and chosen by Him to be His child. Jesus died for you and through His blood you are redeemed. God has a ministry, a mission, for your life that only you can fulfill. I urge you to get about our Father’s business and begin to live for Jesus! Soon He is coming back and we will be stand before for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and we will hear Him say “Well done good and faithful servant.” What a glorious day that will be! See you there!!!
Grievous Error (added 8/18/2021)
I have made a grievous error. I owe everyone an apology and I owe Jesus an apology as well. Here is why: I need to recant some of the statements I made in the Bible study (see Bible Studies, page 15) I wrote 2 years ago entitled “I am not a Christian Any Longer” (5-19-2019). I must repent and ask forgiveness for my words.
You see, when I wrote that bible study, I was very down on those people who call themselves Christians, but are living lives contrary to the Word of God. So, because of how I felt in being lumped into the same category as them, I declared I was no longer a Christian and I would not call myself a Christian any longer. After, some long and deep thinking on this I admit I made a rash decision that I did not think through logically. Here is what I mean.
(Let me preface this revision by stating: I am not addressing here those who may be new to Christianity, or who are truly struggling with issues and sin. You are like the rest of us: A Christian is a broken, imperfect person who is learning and growing in holiness and righteousness. We are not perfect, and do not claim to be. Only Jesus is perfect. But we believe in the whole Word of God and are trying to be obedient to our Lord and grow in Him.)
In the bible study I cited Pete Buttigieg who is married to another man and calls himself a Christian. I also mentioned various other lifestyles and stands supposed Christians have made concerning what they consider to be societal and theological issues like abortion; believing Jesus is not the only way to heaven; believing Islamists and Christians worship the same God; not believing every word of the Bible; picking and choosing what they believe and follow in the Bible; not supporting Israel; whether Jesus was born of a virgin and is indeed the Savior; the resurrection of Jesus; etc. The list of falsehoods and lies that people who profess to be Christians stand for, and believe, is inexhaustible – and all are wrong. Each of these things is addressed by God in his Holy Word – the Bible. Jesus is the Savior. He is the only way to heaven. Homosexuality and sexual perversion/sexual sin of any kind is condemned by God. Abortion is murder. We are told by God in the Bible to support Israel. Islam and Christians do not believe in the same God. God, Creator–God, is different from Allah. Allah is a false god. I could go on and on.
So, what is a Christian? Who are Christians? The word, title, and beliefs of Christians date back to right after the death of Jesus (Acts 11:26 is the first use of the word in the Bible). The Disciples and fellow Believers faced enormous persecution and hatred. They were reviled and despised by everyone who was not a Christian (just as we are seeing more and more on the world-stage now). There is a long history of Christians being brave in the face of certain death and injury. They were beheaded (Paul); crucified (Peter); stoned to death (Stephen); tortured, thrown in jail; and hunted down for their beliefs. But a true Believer, a true Christian, did not shrink in the face of the enemy. They did not back down. They spoke life and the Truth. They were the light of the world and the salt of the earth … and that is how we must conduct ourselves too. We must be strong and courageous declaring Jesus and Him crucified. That is our mission on this earth. To glorify the name of God.
From now on here is what I am going to do. I declare I AM a Christian. And I also declare this: if a person does not put their faith and trust in Jesus, repent of their sins (to turn away – do a 180 degree turn), and align their beliefs and take a stand for ALL of God’s Holy Word THEY are NOT Christians. They may identify themselves as Christian, but they are not. (When a person is saved and has put their faith and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, they are then filled with the Holy Spirit and true change - repentance - begins. God works in them and they begin to learn the Word and obey the Lord.) Although some would say our role is to judge those on this earth it is not (that role belongs to Jesus alone), but we are to build up, chastise, rebuke, instruct, love those fellow Believers who are truly Followers of Jesus (Christians) and we are reject and turn-out those who are false and apostate believers – those who do not hold to God’s Word (they are not Christians). To those people I declare God’s Word: James 4:4-10 “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
And for my fellow Christians I say it is now time to stand up and be counted. Hold fast to the Word of God. Stand firm in your faith! Be bold and courageous in the face of the enemy. The victory is ours declares the Lord. The Day Is Near “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh (romans 13:11-14).
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).
When most people think of the first original sin, they think it was when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit. But that is not accurate. Adam and Eve sinned even before they ate the fruit. Adam’s original sin was pride – satan told Eve when they ate the fruit “your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5b). Eve liked that idea and wanted to be “as gods” (Please know Adam was right there beside her when she was speaking to satan who was using the serpent to beguile her.) Adam and Eve became prideful and wanted to know good and evil like God so they ate the fruit God had forbidden them to eat. And if you go way back, it was satan (lucifer) who actually committed the first sin against God. The Bible tells us satan was perfect and the most beautiful and magnificent of all of God’s creations (Ezekiel 28:11-19). He held a special place of honor and prestige among the heavenly host. Then satan started to read his own press releases and became prideful. It was satan’s pride which caused him to declare in his heart his 5 “I Wills”. He decided he was mightier than God. Isaiah 14:13-14 tells us satan declared:
- I will ascend into heaven.
- I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.
- I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.
- I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.
- I will be like the most High.
So God squashed satan’s rebellion and He threw him out of heaven and down to earth where satan became the “Lord of the Flies” and the “Father of Lies” (Two perfectly fitting names among many others for this repugnant, pure-evil creature.). And ever since God created man, satan has set out to destroy him (mankind). He will do everything in his limited power to usurp God. Because of his pride, and his corrupted mind, he still thinks he is going to ultimately win against God. (But we’ve read the back of the book – we know he gets his just deserts in the end.). My Aunt Lainey Mercer said “Satan has always imitated God but GOD is DEITY - The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost is ONE GOD; but Satan can NEVER be deity because he was and is only a created being.”
Now that you know the backstory, let’s move forward. satan knows all he has to do is get people (us) to think about anything else but God and he wins the battle. So what tools does satan use to bring about mankind’s downfall? What tricks does he have in his arsenal? We have to remember satan knows human nature – I mean he actually had a major role in the shaping of fallen man’s sinful nature, remember?! He knows what makes us tick. satan and his forces (demons) have a lot of weapons at their disposal: lies, slander, half-truths, lust, greed, envy, hatred, murder, deceit, corruption, etc. However, if you really give it some thought, all of mankind’s sins can be directly pointed right back to pride. So satan uses our pride to destroy us and if we are Christians he uses our pride to destroy our testimony. (As this bible study started coming together I thought to myself “This is pretty good.” – There’s that pride, huh?! Hmm, time for Proverbs 11:2 right here - “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”)
satan knows he can rely on his tried and true methods to take us down. Pride was what brought him down – so he knows pride works wonders on mankind too. (The Reverend Billy Graham said, “‘The sin of pride particularly has caused the downfall of Lucifer in heaven; most certainly it can bring mortal man down too.’ He sums it up by saying ‘He (Satan) forever tries to discredit the truthfulness of the Word of God; he coaxes men to deny the authority of God, and persuades the world to wallow in the deluding comfort of sin.’”) So he builds us up and tells us we do not have to listen to, or obey, Creator God. He tells us we do not have to be concerned with right or wrong, good or evil. We can live our lives how we want to. It is entirely up to us. We do not have to bow down to anyone. We are our own god! Pride exalts man, and his desires, above God. Pride tries to usurp God’s authority and sovereignty over man and His (God’s) creation. Pride says to God:
- I do not need you.
- My ways are above your ways.
- I know better than you.
- I am higher than you.
- I am greater than you.
- I am smarter than you.
- I am wiser than you.
- I am my own god!
- I am (One of the names God has given Himself - “I Am”.)
A perfect example of how much satan (through pride) can manipulate and mislead us is the LGBTQ community - they have chosen “Pride” as their battle cry and the rainbow (God’s creation and a symbol of a promise He made to mankind) as their flag and standard.
But God hates and despises pride because He knows just how much it completely destroys the heart and mind of man. Proverbs 16:5 tells us “The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.”
In the book of Job (chapters 38-41) God finally had enough of the conversations Job and his friends were having. “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, ‘Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me” (38:1-3). And Creator God asks Job where he was when He (God) created and formed the sky, the earth and planets, and all that are in them. (If you have never read these chapters, please read them. They are a masterpiece in God describing His majesty and Holiness.)
So, how do we combat satan and pride and keep him from manipulating and using us in his evil agenda? Well, we cannot do it in our strength. Satan knows our hot-buttons too well. He is the master manipulator and knows the “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked …” (Jeremiah 17:9a).
No, we must rely on God and His Holy Spirit. We must put our faith and trust in Jesus. We need to understand and acknowledge how satan works and ask our God to give us strength, wisdom, and discernment. James 1:13-15 tells us “‘When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire (pride) and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.’”
We do what James tells us in 4:7-8 “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
As followers of Jesus we are washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb. We are saved and set aside for His service though His cleansing blood and our submission to Him as Lord. When we realize we’ve committed a sin - no matter how “minor” or “small” it may be - we immediately ask forgiveness for that sin and repent – we turn away from it. We put on the full Armor of God daily (Ephesians 6) and pray without ceasing, giving thanks (worshipping God) in all things. We ground ourselves in the Word of God (Jesus and the bible) and we practice the presence of God by continually residing/abiding/staying in his presence and subject to His counsel; through the Holy Spirit.
Above all we realize God is our Rock, our Shield, our Buckler. That without Jesus as our Savior we are lost and doomed to hell. We know we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and we know greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world. (Philippians 4:13, 1 John 4:4). We rely on Him to give us His Truth, His compassion, His humbleness, His wisdom, His discernment, His mercy, and His love. We submit (obey) God in all things. We are His chosen people. A royal priesthood! We are saints of God – so we must take up the battle and go forth victorious, unapologetic, and unswerving in the face of the enemy – we will Overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony! (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 12:11) Amen and Amen!
Here are just a few passages from God’s Word to get into our minds and spirits:
- John 14:23-24 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
- 1 Peter 5:5-8 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
- Romans 12:3 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”
- Romans 12:6 “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
You may have noticed I do not capitalize the name of satan/lucifer. It may seem petty to some, but I refuse to honor him in any way, so I choose to not capitalize his name when I write it. Maybe silly, but that’s me. :)
The Hill (added 5/9/2021)
On the hill that day there were three men. One was on a mission. He had a purpose and a reason to be there. The other two men had a reason to be there as well. They also had a purpose – they just didn’t know it at the time.
One was there to fulfill his destiny (or at least to continue his destiny). It was his choice to be there. The other two did not have a choice, but they were there to fulfill their destiny as well. There was a different fate awaiting each man at the end of the day. How did they meet and what were they doing on that hill that day?
Here’s the backstory: Mankind became corrupted spiritually not long after Adam and Even were created. They decided their will - their pride - was more important than obeying their Creator God and they sinned against Him. They ate the fruit which God had told them not to eat. They completely understood it was forbidden to them. Yet they chose to disobey God and they were punished for their sins. Their disobedience caused the fall of mankind when God announced their punishment – a death sentence (Genesis 3). And that sentence was also exacted upon every person who would come after them. Every single one of us is born with a sin-nature. We instinctively rebel against God and push Him away. We sin and we disobey.
But God loved Adam and Eve, the only creation made in God’s own image. And He knew there was only one way to cover their nakedness and to forgive them of their sins: So God killed an animal and made clothes for the pair. That was the first blood offering to cover someone’s sin. The bible tells us life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). It takes one life to redeem or allow for forgiveness for the sin of another. Romans 6:23a tells us “For the wages of sin is death.” Eventually; God would give Moses the law and would instruct His people how to offer blood sacrifices for forgiveness and covering of their sins. There was a flaw with the law given to Moses though. The people had to continue to make sacrifices to be forgiven for their sins. The Mosaic Law was not complete. But don’t think the flaw was not intentional. God knew there was a missing piece to the salvation puzzle. And He would reveal His plan in His perfect timing.
God knew there was a need for mankind to be forgiven and set on the right path to holiness, to righteousness. God loves each of us so much that He set into motion the killing of one last sacrifice which would preclude any future need for additional sacrifices (Romans 6:9-11). You see “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God created us in His image so we could spend our eternity with Him in His glory. To secure our rightful (once forgiven) place with Him He sent Jesus to die for us – in our place. We should be sentenced to death and separation from Him for all eternity, but instead He sent Jesus to pay our debt and to cleanse us with His redeeming blood. One life, one sacrifice, one time. For all mankind. The rest of the verse in Romans 6:23 reminds us “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
In 1 Peter 1:3-5 we are told “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” We are bought with the blood of Jesus. And 1 Peter 1:18-25 says “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.”
We have our Hope in Jesus. When we ask forgiveness for our sins and put our trust, our faith in Jesus and turn from our wicked ways we are sanctified and set apart for Him.
On the hill that day there were three men. One was on a mission. His name is Jesus, the Christ – our Messiah, our Redeemer, and our Savior. He had a purpose and a reason to be there. The other two men had a reason to be there as well. They also had a purpose – they just didn’t know it at the time.
Man # 2 realized he deserved to be sentenced and die for his crimes, but he also knew Jesus was pure and sinless. He knew Jesus did not deserve to die. He had committed no crime. So he told the 3rd man to be quiet and asked Jesus to forgive him for his crimes, for his sins. Jesus told him that he would be with Him in paradise that same day. His sins were forgiven and he was made white and clean by the sacrificial blood of the Lamb of God. The 3rd man rejected Jesus. He died in his sins and is in hell right now and for all eternity. That was his choice to make. He chose poorly. (Luke 23:32-43)
One was there to fulfill His destiny (or at least to continue his destiny). It was His choice to be there. The other two did not have a choice, but they were there as well to fulfill their destiny. All three men died on a cross that day and there was a different fate awaiting each man at the end of the day.
We know Jesus is sitting at God’s right hand in heaven right now. As far as the fate of the other two men, which will you choose? It is up to you whether you accept or reject Christ Jesus. Reject Him, join man # 3, and be sentenced to hell for all eternity. Accept Him and someday you too will join man # 2 and be with the Lord in paradise. Your decision. Choose wisely. This is your eternity decision.
The sad state of the “Christian” today (added 5/9/2021)
“One way the civilized world destroys men is by preventing them from thinking their own thoughts.
Our ‘vastly improved methods of communication’ of which the shortsighted boast so loudly now enable a few men in strategic centers to feed into millions of minds alien thought-stuff, ready-made and predigested. A little effortless assimilation of these borrowed ideas and the average man has done all the thinking he will or can do. This subtle brainwashing goes on day after day and year after year to the eternal injury of the populace – a populace, incidentally, which is willing to pay big money to have the job done, the reason being, I suppose, that it relieves them of the arduous and often frightening task of reaching independent decisions for which they must take responsibility. (A.W. Tozer, “Of God and Men” published 1960)
Not only are millions being brainwashed and led down the wrong paths by the power elite in the secular world, but even worse, millions are (and have been) inadvertently led astray by the men and women in the pulpit: the leaders of the church. For as long as I can remember preachers, teachers, and lay persons in the church (basically anyone trying to sincerely lead people to Christ Jesus) tell the lost all they have to do is say a prayer and “ask Jesus into their heart”. I admit until very recently those are the words I said too. But these words (directions) are misleading, vastly incomplete, and very dangerous to those who are instructed in this way. Yes, I do believe when people tell someone this they are being sincere and really believe they are leading someone to Jesus the right way – the way they were taught to do. But you see, when we tell people all they have to do is “ask Jesus into their heart” or “accept Jesus” or similar sentiments like these, we usually leave out crucial information and additional direction and we may, unknowingly, be preventing them from truly being saved from hell – from being redeemed. Now you’re saying “Wait one minute there Slick! How can you say these things? Who do you think you are to say people who ask Jesus into their hearts may still go to hell?!!! When they ask Jesus into their hearts they become a Christian and are going to heaven!” Well, not necessarily. Let me ask you a question: where in the bible does it tell us all we have to do is ask Jesus into our hearts or just say a prayer? Where does it say all we have to do is accept Jesus? You won’t find it because it is not there.
The Western Christian is, for all intents and purposes, a Christian in name only. The vast majority of people who call themselves Christian do not have any idea what that means, nor do they care. They “identify” as “Christian” the same way society tells us today that we can identify as something we are not, nor ever could be. These people have no biblical foundation upon which to stand, nor are they grounded in the Truth that is Christ Jesus (John 14:6). They do not know Jesus the Christ as their personal Saviour and certainly not as their Lord and King. They know Him (if they think of Him at all) as a hippy-type dude who may do things for them when they pray or when they need something. They think His sayings are archaic or just nice and quaint. They think of God as some kind of cruel yet benevolent being that is up there in the sky that is easy to displease and hard to understand. They think His rules and commandments are not applicable today because people and society have changed. They think He will not judge them against His standards and against His Word. They do not care to read the bible and really could care less what it says about their eternity or their pending doom. They think they are “doing the Lord’s work” by going to church and maybe serving on the worship team or in the kid’s room, or taking food to the elderly. They volunteer and put in quite a bit of time serving, yet the majority are lost. Yes, they know the right words and can talk “Christian” but they do not care to know Jesus. They know some passages and can quote their chosen, go-to verses at just the right moment to make them look righteous, but they pick and choose what they believe out of the bible because they do not truly believe the bible. Like Jesus said they are clean on the outside, but inside they are putrid graves with dead bones in them (Matt 23:27). They have created their own god and have their own version of Jesus. Both of whom love them and like them, and serve them (not them serving God and Jesus, but the other way around) because they believe EVERYONE is a child of God. It is okay with their god and their version of Jesus to live any way they want because God will not condemn anyone to hell because all paths lead to heaven. They think they are going to heaven when they die, but many will not.
You cannot pick and choose what to believe in the Word of God. Either you believe every word is true or you believe the bible is a fable. The same with Jesus – either you believe He is fully man and fully God; was born of a virgin; lived a perfect, sinless life; died on the cross; rose the 3rd day; and is the Savior and Redeemer of those who put their faith and trust in Him and in His cleansing blood, or you think He was a liar or a fake or did not exist at all. You cannot believe parts of the bible and believe Jesus is who He said He is and not be changed in your very core: your spirit, mind, and soul. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot pretend to be a Follower of Jesus and live a secular life. The vast majority of the people who are told by Christ to pick up their cross daily and follow Him (Matt 16:24-25) will instead, as Paul told us in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (Amplified), “For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching [for something pleasing and gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold, and will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions.”
So, if I have not offended you enough to quit reading this before now, and you are still with me, you may be saying “Hold on there Jim! Who do you think you are to call out your fellow Christians? You aren’t perfect and you can’t just spout all of this and walk away from it.” Glad you asked. Not walking away. You see when people are told all they have to do is say a prayer and ask Jesus into their hearts, they are being misled. They are missing crucial information. So many believe they are saved just by saying a prayer and “asking Jesus into their heart”. But then they go on living their lives the same as they did before they “became a Christian.” There is really no difference in their mind, heart, spirit or their lives. They continue to do those things they used to do, but now they think they are going heaven because they “accepted Jesus”. They continue to enjoy the secular world: music, television, raunchy comedy, dirty jokes, wickedness, etc. James 4:4-10 tells us “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Most are never taught that when they say the “Sinner’s Prayer” they are to turn away from their sin (repent) and are expected to live their lives striving for holiness and righteousness. They are not taught they are only saved by putting their faith, their trust in Jesus, and in order to become a child of God, and Joint-Heir with Jesus, we are directed to confess our sins to God, and ask God to forgive us of our sins. We are to believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, was born of a virgin, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again on the 3rd day – defeating satan for all eternity. We are to follow the words of Jesus we find in Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” If we do this we will not just say a pray and ask Jesus into our hearts. We will live to serve our Lord, our King. We will strive to please Him and do His will. We will want to change not just so we “act like a Christian” but so we change in our heart, in our mind, in our soul, in our spirit. We cannot live for Jesus if we are not filled with His Spirit! When we confess our sin and put our faith and trust in Jesus we are then cleansed by His shed blood. We are made into a new creature and redeemed through His blood. Then He sends His Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to come to live in us and guide us to be the Man-of-God or Woman-of-God He created us to be. We yearn for change and to live for Him!
Today, more than at any time since Jesus founded the church Christians are being persecuted and told they must deny their faith. And instead of standing resolutely on the Holy Word of God (the bible – every single verse is God’s Truth) they are not only accepting those demands, they are bowing down to society and political correctness and denying their faith, denying the truth, denying the cross, and denying Jesus. They are spitting in the face of Jesus and making a mockery of the cross. We cannot serve God and satan at the same time. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
If you said the “Sinner’s Prayer” and “asked Jesus into your heart” but you have never truly changed, have never truly put your faith and trust in Jesus, now is the time to complete what you have started: Turn to Jesus and repent of your sins. Serve the Lord and stand firm in your faith!
I leave you with Hebrews 11:39-40 and the notes from the Scofield Bible for the word “faith” in verse 39: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”
Scofield Bible note: “Hebrews 11:39: [1] faith: The essence of faith consists in receiving what God has revealed, and may be defined as that trust in the God of the Scriptures and in Jesus Christ whom He hath sent, which receives Him as Saviour and Lord, and impels to loving obedience and good works John 1:12 James 2:14-26. The particular uses of faith give rise to its secondary definitions: (1) For salvation, faith is personal trust, apart from meritorious works, in the Lord Jesus Christ, as delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification Romans 4:5,23-25. (2) As used in prayer, faith is the "confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us" 1 John 5:14,15. (3) As used in reference to unseen things of which Scripture speaks, faith "gives substance" to them, so that we act upon the conviction of their reality. Hebrews 11:1-3. (4) As a working principle in life, the uses of faith are illustrated in Hebrews 11:1-39.
***** ADDENDUM TO THE ABOVE BIBLE STUDY *****
Yesterday (5/9/2021) I wrote a pretty scathing indictment of the state of the Christian in today’s world (attached below). Although I would not change one word of what I wrote, I do feel led to help you understand a little more of why I wrote it and where those Christians who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ stand as far as their salvation and their holiness.
The reason I wrote that bible study was not to condemn anyone with my words. My words were blunt, and pointedly directed at those who say they are Christians but are not any different from the world in which they live: Those who did say a prayer and “asked Jesus into their heart” but since then have made no real change in their lifestyle and beliefs; and I also wanted to address those Believers who were once Followers of Jesus, but have since slidden back into their old ways, back into the world. I wanted to get these two groups of people to reevaluate their position in Christ - I wanted to exhort them to action to grasp just how tenuous their salvation may be and urge them to reevaluate their own salvation. (I must say here too only God can judge the state of our soul and only He will judge our eternal destiny.) And just as importantly, I want each Believer to fully understand this is not just some kind of checkmark game to get more people to Jesus – “I did 1, 2, and 3 and now chalk up another believer on my count” (Yes, I did the same thing too). But instead to help each one to comprehend, with profound understanding and discernment, the need for true repentance and a complete need to teach a new Believer how to put their trust and faith in Jesus.
I do absolutely believe a majority of today’s Christians are headed for hell. They have deluded themselves with their false views and thoughts of God, Jesus, salvation, and repentance. They have no desire to change because satan has convinced them that they are secure in their salvation and they are happy to be able to live just like their “non-saved” friends live. They are perfectly content wallowing in their putrid lifestyle with their debased beliefs. They say “God loves me and He is not going to condemn anyone to hell - if there even is such a place.” As much as I would love for my words written yesterday (and these today) to get them to truly, completely see where they are headed and to put their trust in Jesus, I fear most are too far gone and do not even want to change.
So, today I want to address those who have put their trust in Jesus, perhaps they said the Sinner’s Prayer (I said that prayer too) and they asked Jesus into their hearts (me too). They were sincere when they prayed the prayer and the Holy Spirit does indwell them. And since then, they have tried to live for Jesus. They sincerely and desperately strive to turn away from the sin-nature they were born into and become the new creation in Christ God formed them and created them to be. But they struggle and are unsure of what to do and some even wonder (fear) if they are truly saved. (I grew up in a Pentecostal church and we were pretty sure a person could lose their salvation if they weren’t careful.) I’m talking that group of people who are just like me. The Believers, the Followers of Jesus who have good days and bad days. They are trying to live for Jesus, but sometimes they get overwhelmed with life and don’t know what to do next. This is the group who do everything God asks of them one day and the next day they can’t get off of Facebook (me too). This is for the people who try so hard, but struggle with addiction, loneliness, fear, pain, sickness, or just plain life. I want to address those people (I am one of those people). To us and those like us: First and foremost, I want to help you truly understand and comprehend this: If you put your trust, your faith in Jesus, repented of your sins, and there is change in your heart, mind, and spirit due the Holy Spirit indwelling you – YOU ARE SAVED AND GOING TO HEAVEN! Once you are saved you are sealed with the Spirit: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). The evil one may try to tell you that you aren’t good enough or that God doesn’t love you, but remember: satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and he will do or say anything to get a Believer away from God. Here are a few more passages to help you to be convinced you ARE saved:
- Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our
- Lord.”
- Philippians 3:14, 1:21 – “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” and “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
- John 10:27-29 – Jesus’ words – “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”
- Romans 10:9-11 - If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’”
- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
So, please believe you are saved! Now how about being a child of God? John 1:11-13 “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” You ARE a Child of the Most-High God.
How about being a priest? Jesu is the High Priest, but are Christians considered to be priests in God’s kingdom? In 1 Peter 2:9-10 we read “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
What about being called a saint? Isn’t that just something the Catholic Church has? Don’t they declare who the Saints of God are? Nope! In 15 books of the New Testament Christian Believers are referred to as saints and they (we) are addressed by the title “saint”. So, yes – YOU are, right now, a Saint of God!
Now, I’ve shown you that you cannot lose your salvation, you are a Child of God, and He considers you to a Priest and a Saint in His Kingdom – right now.
Now to one last practical matter – sinning and slipping away from God. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US have sinned against God and slidden away at least once since getting washed clean by the Blood of Jesus and saved through the grace of God. Does that make you (us) any less saved or worthy to be called Christian? Does that mean we cannot serve, obey, love our Lord and be Holy and Righteous? No, it does not. It means we are still human, living in a fallen world, and we still battle temptation. What we do need to do is not wallow in self-pity or self-loathing. We cannot let satan tell us we aren’t’ worthy to serve God any longer. That God cannot love us because we are filthy sinners - we must not allow satan to get us separated from God (remember no-one can take God or his love away from us, but we can allow satan to take us away from God – see the difference?). So when we sin, we must immediately ask God to forgive us for the sin and turn away from it. We set aside time each day to spend time with Him: reading His Word, worshipping Him, and spending time with Him. Remember, our relationship with our Father and our Lord Jesus is just like our relationships with those we love. We can laugh, and cry, and be happy, and be sad, and talk to God. We can love on him and He will love on us. And on those days when we just don’t get around to God, again don’t beat yourself up. Declare you will do better the next - then set your alarm clock and do it. J
Let me leave you with just a few more of my favorite verses:
- Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”
- 1 John 4:4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
- (1 Peter 4:11) "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it."
I could just keep putting more verses in here, but I hope you get the idea. You are loved by God and chosen by Him to be His child. Jesus died for you and through His blood you are redeemed. God has a ministry, a mission, for your life that only you can fulfill. I urge you to get about our Father’s business and begin to live for Jesus! Soon He is coming back and we will be stand before for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and we will hear Him say “Well done good and faithful servant.” What a glorious day that will be! See you there!!!
Grievous Error (added 8/18/2021)
I have made a grievous error. I owe everyone an apology and I owe Jesus an apology as well. Here is why: I need to recant some of the statements I made in the Bible study (see Bible Studies, page 15) I wrote 2 years ago entitled “I am not a Christian Any Longer” (5-19-2019). I must repent and ask forgiveness for my words.
You see, when I wrote that bible study, I was very down on those people who call themselves Christians, but are living lives contrary to the Word of God. So, because of how I felt in being lumped into the same category as them, I declared I was no longer a Christian and I would not call myself a Christian any longer. After, some long and deep thinking on this I admit I made a rash decision that I did not think through logically. Here is what I mean.
(Let me preface this revision by stating: I am not addressing here those who may be new to Christianity, or who are truly struggling with issues and sin. You are like the rest of us: A Christian is a broken, imperfect person who is learning and growing in holiness and righteousness. We are not perfect, and do not claim to be. Only Jesus is perfect. But we believe in the whole Word of God and are trying to be obedient to our Lord and grow in Him.)
In the bible study I cited Pete Buttigieg who is married to another man and calls himself a Christian. I also mentioned various other lifestyles and stands supposed Christians have made concerning what they consider to be societal and theological issues like abortion; believing Jesus is not the only way to heaven; believing Islamists and Christians worship the same God; not believing every word of the Bible; picking and choosing what they believe and follow in the Bible; not supporting Israel; whether Jesus was born of a virgin and is indeed the Savior; the resurrection of Jesus; etc. The list of falsehoods and lies that people who profess to be Christians stand for, and believe, is inexhaustible – and all are wrong. Each of these things is addressed by God in his Holy Word – the Bible. Jesus is the Savior. He is the only way to heaven. Homosexuality and sexual perversion/sexual sin of any kind is condemned by God. Abortion is murder. We are told by God in the Bible to support Israel. Islam and Christians do not believe in the same God. God, Creator–God, is different from Allah. Allah is a false god. I could go on and on.
So, what is a Christian? Who are Christians? The word, title, and beliefs of Christians date back to right after the death of Jesus (Acts 11:26 is the first use of the word in the Bible). The Disciples and fellow Believers faced enormous persecution and hatred. They were reviled and despised by everyone who was not a Christian (just as we are seeing more and more on the world-stage now). There is a long history of Christians being brave in the face of certain death and injury. They were beheaded (Paul); crucified (Peter); stoned to death (Stephen); tortured, thrown in jail; and hunted down for their beliefs. But a true Believer, a true Christian, did not shrink in the face of the enemy. They did not back down. They spoke life and the Truth. They were the light of the world and the salt of the earth … and that is how we must conduct ourselves too. We must be strong and courageous declaring Jesus and Him crucified. That is our mission on this earth. To glorify the name of God.
From now on here is what I am going to do. I declare I AM a Christian. And I also declare this: if a person does not put their faith and trust in Jesus, repent of their sins (to turn away – do a 180 degree turn), and align their beliefs and take a stand for ALL of God’s Holy Word THEY are NOT Christians. They may identify themselves as Christian, but they are not. (When a person is saved and has put their faith and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, they are then filled with the Holy Spirit and true change - repentance - begins. God works in them and they begin to learn the Word and obey the Lord.) Although some would say our role is to judge those on this earth it is not (that role belongs to Jesus alone), but we are to build up, chastise, rebuke, instruct, love those fellow Believers who are truly Followers of Jesus (Christians) and we are reject and turn-out those who are false and apostate believers – those who do not hold to God’s Word (they are not Christians). To those people I declare God’s Word: James 4:4-10 “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
And for my fellow Christians I say it is now time to stand up and be counted. Hold fast to the Word of God. Stand firm in your faith! Be bold and courageous in the face of the enemy. The victory is ours declares the Lord. The Day Is Near “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh (romans 13:11-14).
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).
