Time to Get Serious about God!.

I'm doubling up this week on posts because the Lord put this on my heart to get out right away. Time is short. 

 

Nearly every time I read my Bible (which is daily) I find yet another Scripture that says that a believer can walk away from God and lose their salvation.  I'm always astounded when I hear most pastors struggle so hard to twist these Scriptures to match their Once Saved Always Saved Theology. It pains me to see the lengths to which they will go. No doubt, many are sincere, and were trained to believe this in Seminary (or Cemetery as I like to call it) Thank God, I didn't attend any theology schools after I got saved. It was just me, Jesus, and my Bible. After several times reading it from cover to cover, I was absolutely STUNNED when I heard pastors say that you can never lose your salvation no matter what you do. You can only lose your rewards.  Believe me, I wish that were true!!  However, I cannot and will not go against what is clearly taught in the Scriptures. I've done many posts on this before, so why do I keep talking about it?  Because I live in fear for so many professing Christians out there who have been led to believe they can sin and live anyway they want and not live in obedience and repentance and still make it to heaven. I will say, however, that I do believe it is very hard to lose one's salvation. A person has to willingly walk away from the Lord, reject the teachings of Jesus, and go back to the world. This can be done on purpose or simply through a decision to live a life of sin according to the flesh and the world.

Here are yet 2 more Scriptures I came across just last week.  I will end on a good note, so hang in there. 

 

Below, Paul is talking about how we Gentiles were grafted into the olive tree that is Israel. In other words, being grated in means a person is saved. He mentions that some of the Jewish branches (people) had to be broken off due to unbelief, and WE were grafted in. 

 

For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.  Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.  Romans 11:21-22

 

Notice the word IF If what? If we continue in His goodness. Otherwise what? We will be cut off!  Before you tell me that doesn't mean we lose our salvation, check out what Jesus said about branches that bare no fruit

 

 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned."  John 15:5-6

 

Into the fire and burned sure sounds like being destroyed in hell. 

Now, check out this verse at the end of 1 Corinthians 9 where Paul is comparing the Christian life to running a race.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.  Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Let's take a closer look at that word "disqualified". It certainly sounds like it only means you won't win the prize, right?  It is actually the Greek Word adokimos which means "reprobate, rejected, castaway, worthless".  That certainly sounds like that person is not only disqualified but totally cast off, just like the branches who bear no fruit.  Here, the Apostle Paul himself admitted that even he could be cast away.

 

These are just two I came across in the past week. There are hundreds more, which I've posted here often. I'm not trying to scare anyone or make anyone worry about their salvation. We serve a very loving and merciful God!  My purpose is to show through Scripture that we are not to continue living in willful sin, that God does expect us to stay in the faith and walk in obedience as much as we are able!  I FEAR that so many "Christians" will not go in the rapture. I FEAR many will suffer during the Tribulation and I don't want that!

 

Anyway, I promised to end on a good note.

 

The righteous perishes,
And no man takes it to heart;
Merciful men are taken away,
While no one considers
That the righteous is taken away from evil.  Isaiah 57:1

 

Let's look at the word translated "perishes". It is the Hebrew Word  'āsap̄, which means "To gather, Assemble, to take away, remove, withdraw, to gather as in a harvest"  

 

Sure sounds like the Rapture to me!   

 

Time is very short!  If you're riding the fence with one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom, time to fall into God's arms. If you're playing games with your faith and engaging in purposeful sin, time to get on your knees and repent. It's time to get serious with the Lord and serious about getting to know Him and walking in obedience. Not as a "work" but as part of a loving relationship.