Originally posted by Trotter:
[qb]
So long as you are walking in the truth you are saved, but if you make a misstep you are not? How can that be? How can what you are able, or not able, to do change what God has wrought through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary?
So long as you are walking in the truth you are saved?
TRUE...
If you make a misstep you are not saved?
FALSE...
Salvation is of the heart. A continuance of willfully sinning will harden the heart. It's the hardness of the heart that turns us away from YAHWEH's saving work in us.
Hebrews 3:13-15 But exhort (warn) one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ,
if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
DON'T LET IT HARDEN YOUR HEART...
What Jesus accomplished on the cross was to pay the penalty of our sins. If that was for only the ones who accept His offer, or for the sins of all I cannot say, but I agree that everyone will not be saved.
The death of Jesus took away that which kept us from YAHWEH.
Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Through Christ we can enter the Holy of Holies. We can be one with YAHWEH as Jesus is one with YAHWEH.
John 17:11 "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me,
that they may be one as We are .
We are kept by His name, in other words, by His character in us we are kept.
Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
We conforming to His image is our work through His power.
2 Peter 1:3-4 ccording as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech
(beg) you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
This tells me that what Jesus did on the cross needs to be accepted. It is the Holy Spirit that does the application, not me, not you.
The Holy Spirit gives to us what is given to Jesus from YAHWEH.
John 16:13-15 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Do you want what the Spirit gives?
Yes. When we walk in the truth, we are in fellowship with each other and with God. When we step outside of the truth, we are no longer in fellowship, but we are still sons or daughters. We do not lose our status of family, but we do lose our closeness with our father. If I have an arguement with my wife, we are not in fellowship, but we are still married, and thus it is with our relationship with our heavenly Father.
We are Jesus' brothers and sisters when we obey His Father.
Matthew 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
We are the bride of Christ (not married yet), we will be married if we remain faithful unto the end.
How the blood of Christ or the work of the cross is applied to my life is by the working of the Holy Spirit, through the belief and faith in Who Jesus is and what He has done for me. The Holy Spirit indwells each believer, sealing him until the day of redemption (when we die or are taken). Walking in the truth is a by-product of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and our earnest desire to live through Him.
Can a Christian willfully sin after they are saved? Yes, they can, and, yes, they do. Do they lose their salvation for this? No, they lose their close fellowship with God.
Can a Christian live in blatant sin? Hard to call. I would think that they are not really a Christian, but I could be wrong. I have been in that situation, and I know that I never left His hand.
The devils believe who Jesus is.
The Spirit of truth seals us until the day of redemption...so we're not redeemed yet? We are seal by truth and are now accountable to it.
Can a Christian sin, yes, if he says he doesn't he is a liar, ooops...there's a sin.
If we sin repent and trun back, don't let it harden your heart onto death.
James 1:14-16 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Do not err, my beloved brethren.
It's a process not a one shot deal.
JCF
[ February 20, 2005, 02:06 PM: Message edited by: jcf ]
