jesus_is_lord Home Page: Archive: Message #13 Date: Oct 06 1998 10:14:23 EDT From: jesus_is_lord Subject: Backslidden or Condemned? Today's "Christianity" says that if a person mumbles "the sinner's prayer" they are saved and they can live any way they want to. As a result, many heathens are walking around with a false hope of heaven. The Bible is very clear that Jesus is the author of eternal salvation unto them that OBEY Him. (Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him). In God's eyes you are either: clean or unclean holy or profane righteous or wicked pure or unpure serving God or not serving God obedient or disobedient good or evil uncorrupt or corrupt All of these are Bible terms. See books like Ezekiel, Leviticus, Malachi, Titus, etc. The Bible makes it exceeding clear that our ACTIONS indeed speak louder than our words--Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man SOWETH, that shall he also reap. Galatians 6:7 Many people claim to be Christians but they live just like the wicked. I've heard from hundreds of them. A few months ago, I was having a conversation with my husband and my pastor and one of them mentioned somebody who claimed to be backsliding. I finally said increduously, "But were they ever FRONTsliding?" Lord knows, I've just about had my FILL of people telling me, "I'm a Christian-adulterer" "I'm a Christian-sodomite" (of course they say homosexual) "I'm a Christian-fornicator" "I'm a Christian-porno lover". Notice that they say these things in the present tense--I'm not kidding. These people say that they are Christians and they live a lifestyle like the rest of this old wicked world. They look at the same tv shows, go to the same movies, whore around and everything else. A businessman who won't stop whoring around on his wife, teens listening to heavy metal, folks looking up porno on the 'net and then they stop by to confess their sins to me--I can't do nothing about it but tell them what they don't want to hear--Repent of your wickedness and stop sinnin'! Fear God. Get washed in the blood and stop making a mockery of the name of Jesus. Stop blubbering about how bad off you are when we both know that you do it because you want to. Cut off the tv. If you have to throw away the computer, do it! Stop sinnin'! Stop sinnin'! Jesus said if you hand offends you cut it off and cast it away. Get rid of the things that cause you to offend. Discipline thyself. Read the word, pray, serve the Lord, love the brethren, do good, go to a Bible-believing church. Once you get saved and washed you will lose your taste for the nasty filth of this world. I did. I can't stand it and I separate myself from it. The idea of just going to one of their movies is like a plate of dung in front of my face. But I used to love their crummy stuff. As time goes on, I detest this world more and more and that is what happens when you truly give your life to Jesus. Yes, I sin, but it ain't no where near the similitude that I did before I got saved. I try to avoid sin, but when I do wickedness I confess it in accordance with I John 1:9. People will often say, "I got saved and did alright for a couple of months but I've been backsliding since then. I love Jesus though." I have two questions that we'll address: 1. Did these people get saved or did they just say, "the sinner's prayer" 'cause they was scared of hell but WANTED to keep on livin' wicked? 2. Do they really love Jesus even though they won't obey Him? Let's have a trial here for these people who call themselves backsliders but ain't never lived for Jesus. The Judge will be the Bible. Jesus said in John 12:48, "the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." Are these people really backsliders or are they condemned people who've been deceived by "easy prayerism"? Will they be another one of the deceived people that Jesus speaks to in Matthew 7:21? "NOT EVERY ONE THAT SAITH UNTO ME, LORD, LORD, SHALL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN." Court is now in session. ***Question number 1: Did the defendant get saved?*** The first Witness is Jesus Christ. "WHOSOEVER DOTH NOT BEAR HIS CROSS, AND COME AFTER ME, CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE." Luke 14:27 The second witness is Peter. "REPENT YE THEREFORE, AND BE CONVERTED, THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE BLOTTED OUT" Acts 3:19 The third witness is Paul. "THEY PROFESS THAT THEY KNOW GOD; BUT IN WORKS THEY DENY HIM, BEING ABOMINABLE, AND DISOBEDIENT, AND UNTO EVERY GOOD WORK REPROBATE." "KNOW YE NOT THAT THE UNRIGHTEOUS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD? BE NOT DECEIVED: NEITHER FORNICATORS, NOR IDOLATERS, NOR ADULTERERS, NOR EFFEMINATE, NOR ABUSERS OF THEMSELVES WITH MANKIND, "NOR THIEVES, NOR COVETOUS, NOR DRUNKARDS, NOR REVILERS, NOR EXTORTIONERS, SHALL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul continues his testimony. "THE CARNAL MIND IS ENMITY AGAINST GOD: FOR IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD, NEITHER INDEED CAN BE. "SO THEN THEY THAT ARE IN THE FLESH CANNOT PLEASE GOD. "BUT YE ARE NOT IN THE FLESH, BUT IN THE SPIRIT, IF SO BE THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELL IN YOU. NOW IF ANY MAN HAVE NOT THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, HE IS NONE OF HIS. "FOR IF YE LIVE AFTER THE FLESH, YE SHALL DIE: BUT IF YE THROUGH THE SPIRIT DO MORTIFY THE DEEDS OF THE BODY, YE SHALL LIVE. "FOR AS MANY AS ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD." Romans 8:7-9, 13-14 The fifth witness is James. "[F]AITH, IF IT HATH NOT WORKS, IS DEAD, BEING ALONE. "THOU BELIEVEST THAT THERE IS ONE GOD; THOU DOEST WELL: THE DEVILS ALSO BELIEVE, AND TREMBLE. "BUT WILT THOU KNOW, O VAIN MAN, THAT FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD? WAS NOT ABRAHAM OUR FATHER JUSTIFIED BY WORKS, WHEN HE HAD OFFERED ISAAC HIS SON UPON THE ALTAR? "SEEST THOU HOW FAITH WROUGHT WITH HIS WORKS, AND BY WORKS WAS FAITH MADE PERFECT? James 2:17, 19-22 The sixth witness is John. "IN THIS THE CHILDREN OF GOD ARE MANIFEST, AND THE CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL: WHOSOEVER DOETH NOT RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT OF GOD." 1 John 3:10 "HE THAT SAITH, I KNOW HIM, AND KEEPETH NOT HIS COMMANDMENTS, IS A LIAR, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN HIM." 1 John 2:4 "HE THAT DOETH GOOD IS OF GOD: BUT HE THAT DOETH EVIL HATH NOT SEEN GOD." 3 John 1:11 **Question number 2: Does the reprobate defendant love Jesus?** The first Witness is the Lord Jesus Christ. "HE THAT HATH MY COMMANDMENTS, AND KEEPETH THEM, HE IT IS THAT LOVETH ME. HE THAT LOVETH ME NOT KEEPETH NOT MY SAYINGS." John 14:21, 24 The second witness is John. AND THIS IS LOVE, THAT WE WALK AFTER HIS COMMANDMENTS. 2 John 1:6 ***The Verdict*** Count number 1--Did the reprobate get saved? No. Count number 2--Does the reprobate love Jesus? No. ***The Sentence*** To be determined-- Eternal death if the reprobate is not converted. Eternal life if the reprobate is converted. **** People get confused about this issue because they won't read the Bible with clear eyes. I am sometimes asked if we are sinless after we get saved--NO!!!!!! As long as we have flesh, we will sin BUT NOT AFTER THE SAME MANNER that we did when we were in this wicked world. I simply leave you with the following witnesses. Peter. "[B]rethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure." 2 Peter 1:10 Paul. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 2 Corinthians 13:5 "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Philippians 2:12 "For our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:29 For Jesus' sake, Sis. Tracy -- http://www.jesus-is-lord.com I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. Ezekiel 2:4, 6