This is a "once saved always saved" topic that has gotten me into lots of trouble in the past...and I must admit that I still do not fully have a firm handle on the truth about this. In my last post on "the great falling away" I bemoan the fact that I see many who at least call themselves "Christian" are falling away from the faith, and giving room to ideas that I cannot otherwise describe except to call them "doctrines of demons". So...can a person be saved, be transformed by the power of the Almighty God, be born of the Spirit (are all of these terms talking about the same or different aspects of what happens to a person?)....and then do a 180 and walk away from the Bible, from God, from everything that God reveals about Himself, and then turn to empty traditions and futile reasonings which add up to a whole lot of nothing?
As I said, I still don't have a firm grip on how this works, but I rest assured that the Lord fully knows and sees who are His, and He has promised that He will lose none of us.
Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Joh 6:39 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.
Joh 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.(KJV)
Whether those who are falling away were never saved to begin with (which is my suspicion) and only put on a show of being a Christian while it was fashionable to do so, or whether they are saved and will truly stand for the truth once the antichrist is revealed; their falling away being a temporary glitch in their walk with the Lord for the purpose of providing entry for the man of sin, is something we have yet to learn as we see it happen in the (near?) future.
In the meantime we need to pay attention to what is going on around us, and yet all-the-while keep our eyes on Jesus. The picture I have is of Peter, stepping out of the boat, and letting the scariness of the wind and the waves (which probably were extremely frightening at that moment in time) divert his attention away from Jesus. When Jesus caused Peter to turn his attention back on Him, Jesus took his hand, and all was well again. We don't have to be so afraid of the wind and the waves that we shut our eyes to everything.We just need to know that Jesus is right there with us, through it all, and that as we see these things unfold, remember that He has already told us that these things would happen.
"Once saved always saved"? Absolutely! Jesus said so, and I believe Him. :)
As I said, I still don't have a firm grip on how this works, but I rest assured that the Lord fully knows and sees who are His, and He has promised that He will lose none of us.
Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Joh 6:39 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.
Joh 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.(KJV)
Whether those who are falling away were never saved to begin with (which is my suspicion) and only put on a show of being a Christian while it was fashionable to do so, or whether they are saved and will truly stand for the truth once the antichrist is revealed; their falling away being a temporary glitch in their walk with the Lord for the purpose of providing entry for the man of sin, is something we have yet to learn as we see it happen in the (near?) future.
In the meantime we need to pay attention to what is going on around us, and yet all-the-while keep our eyes on Jesus. The picture I have is of Peter, stepping out of the boat, and letting the scariness of the wind and the waves (which probably were extremely frightening at that moment in time) divert his attention away from Jesus. When Jesus caused Peter to turn his attention back on Him, Jesus took his hand, and all was well again. We don't have to be so afraid of the wind and the waves that we shut our eyes to everything.We just need to know that Jesus is right there with us, through it all, and that as we see these things unfold, remember that He has already told us that these things would happen.
"Once saved always saved"? Absolutely! Jesus said so, and I believe Him. :)
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