Lost Salvations

Once saved or always saved? This question was posed by one of our Alpha course attendees on her blog at http://imgodsfav.blogspot.com. Churches and families have divided over this question. Part of the reason is that both sides of the question can be supported by Scripture depending on the interpretation or emphasis used. Another reason is how one defines being "saved".

God certainly gives us free will and does not force us to obey Him. We do not become his children by obeying a set of rules or following a formula but by being sealed, changed and reborn in spirit. If, through Christ, we have received the Holy Spirit and are being led by the Spirit of Christ, then we are God's children. Only at this point can we ask the question whether this child of God can turn away from following God's Spirit, reject all of God's grace and again choose to live the life of a rebel.

The temptation is to seek a formula by which I can say, "I'm Saved!" And, having once obeyed the formula, I can now live how "I" want and not worry about heaven, hell or ignoring God will. In this case, one would be putting their hope and trust in a formula rather than in Christ. If we have little or no desire to seek God and His ways, are we actually His child? Have we actually had our heart renewed by the Holy Spirit? Are we trusting in Jesus? Or, are we still trusting in ourselves and in our performance of some ceremony, special prayer or a "good life".

We might even be trusting in our heritage. Some people believe they have always been Christians. When I was young, I believed this for a while. If we have not recognized our rebellious attitude toward God, our willing choice to lie, to cheat, to hate and to hurt others and have not changed our mind about that sin and embraced Jesus' sacrifice for our sin, then we are trusting in a false god. Jesus died for you to find life. Without Him my life would be nothing but despair. May I live this day for you, Jesus. The false salvations of trusting in heritage, ceremonies and formulas will all be lost.

Parental Temptation

Parents want to help their children avoid lack, hunger and pain. But, many times the young lions reject help and counsel. In times past, many parents themselves were young lions who made similar choices, suffered lack and hopefully learned to seek the Father who became their Lord and who is the Lover of their soul.

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. (Psalm 34:10)

As parents, we want good things for our children and we especially want them to be pain free. A parenting course called "Love or Logic" described three types of parents. Many parents are "helicopter parents", who constantly rescue their children from consequences. Other parents are "drill-sergeant parents" who attempt to control the decisions and lives of their children to help them avoid mistakes. These parental attitudes are manifest very early in the life of each child. Personally, I tend to vacillate between these types. But, we are called to be "consultant parents" who are available as life consultants. At some level, all children, even babies, can begin to learn to live with the pain or reward of their own choices and can experience the option of seeking wise counsel.

God allows the consequences of wrong choices, sin, and evil to wash over this world. Out of all this, the best thing that can happen to us is one choice -- that we choose to seek and love Him. This love is available through Jesus but it is not genuine if it is forced on us. Until we choose to seek and to love God in every part of our life, we will suffer lack. Love is eagerly waiting and will come running as soon as we choose to turn toward Him. The parental temptation is to rescue or control, but finding wisdom and love of God is infinitely more important than avoiding pain.

The Wound That Brings Life

From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, (Rev 19)

As I waited in the dentist chair yesterday, I began to think about this image in Revelations. The army of Christ is dressed in white and sitting on white horses. At the head of the army is Jesus, the living Word of God. It struck me that it is significant that he is not holding the sword in his hand. The sharp sword is in his mouth and it is a double-edged sword that can divide between soul and spirit. This sword can pierce the inner heart and thoughts of a person and give a wound that gives life instead of death. This sword is God's Word of love, reconciliation and a call to a change of mind. When it pierces a person's heart, that person has the opportunity to be healed of their rebellion toward God.

The sword that man naturally desires and carries is the sword of force, fear and death. When we don't agree with someone, we are naturally tempted to threaten, hurt and kill. This can happen at various levels. For example, one level might happen in a marriage, "No more sex" or "I want a divorce". This level is the threat and action against a intimate relationship. Another level is to "excommunicate", to cut off a friendship or to leave someone out of family gatherings. There are other threats to jobs, finances, and freedom. And, there is force against the physical body. None of these types of force can equal the power of God's sword.

Man's sword can affect external behavior and it can bring pain, discouragement and fear. But, it can not bring life. In contrast, God's sword has the power to change the inner being and to bring light, hope, and life where there was darkness, despair and death. Care is required. This sword requires a grip of love. If we try to wield God's truth out of fear, hate or anger, then we drop God's sword and we are swinging a sword made by a man. Lovingly speak the truth of God to someone today and you might give a wound that brings life.

Joy Begins Today

I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. (3 John 1:4)

As parents of older children, many of whom are adults, my bride and I definitely know what it means when it says that there is no greater joy than to see your children walking in the truth. The more our children walk in the truth, the more joy we have. Most parents want their children to grow up to walk in the truth. But, it does not have immediate priority because many concerns shoulder their way into our lives. Yet, the future spiritual strength of our children has its foundation in Today and has roots that extend into the energy of their parent's spiritual life. Parents that are depending on children's Bible classes, youth groups and the activities of their local church to make up for their own lack of spiritual life will often be disappointed. Growing children with a strong faith in Jesus and a life given to His service (no matter what their career) is a huge challenge in our culture.

So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (Rev 12)

Many young people that talk spiritual in their youth groups wind up losing that focus in college and in the early years of their careers. As a result, their young faith can become meaningless in their lives, relationships and families. Even if parents are excited about seeking and serving Jesus, their children must still come to the point of embracing or rejecting Jesus as central to their life. This is made more difficult because there is significant pressure in our culture to make Christians into the image of ignorant, rule-following, hypocritical haters. To counteract cultural pressure, children need to deeply experience the reality of Christ's love and truth in their families. The foundation of this love, truth, and faith is the responsibility of the parents. Children will become adults with free will to embrace, reject or hold Christ at arm's length. Doing all we can is no guarantee that children will walk in the truth. But, the less we do as parents focused on Jesus, the more we will expose our children to the influence and lies of our culture. If we want the joy of seeing our children walking in the truth, then we must begin today with prayer for wisdom, personally seeking a deeper relationship with Christ, and taking God led action.

But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Mark 10)

Ever Felt Like A Donkey?

Donkeys and men both have a reputation for stubbornness. God may not have intended the comparison in the following verse but I noticed how men can be compared to donkeys.

But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck ; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. (Exodus 13)

By nature, every man (or woman)aims to get his own way and does his best to live in willfulness and stubbornness until he experiences the transforming power of the Holy Spirit through the redemption of the Lamb of God.

Growing Ears

My wisdom level keeps shrinking. I thought I would be at least an adequate college student until I failed the first test I took. I thought I could figure out how to be a good husband -- until I had a wife who wanted some "changes" in me. I thought I could learn to be a good father. Plus, I could see other parents doing things that I would definitely not do. But, then my children found creative ways to disobey and I found myself trying some of the same things that I had thought were bad ideas when used by other parents.

Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. (Proverbs 2:2)

Young people are notorious for having the attitude that they already have all wisdom. Mark Twain said, "When a boy turns 13, put him in a barrel and feed him through a knot hole. When he turns 16, plug up the hole." Probably from his own experience as a young man, Mark Twain knew that young men often come to believe that they are the holders of all wisdom and one must plug the hole to stop the flow of that wisdom. In reality, this is a temptation we all face until, through experience in the School of Hard Knocks, we begin to discover the true limitations of our wisdom.

Sadly, most of our usual sources of knowledge have divorced themselves from the One who is the source of wisdom. We can not tune our ears to true wisdom by looking for it in the Evening News, in our music, in our high school, at most doctor's offices or in a history book. And even if we happen to hear it at one of those places would we recognize or reject it? Before we can digest true wisdom, we must prepare our inner ears to hear it.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. -- Jesus

Frequent listening to and thinking on God's thoughts, ways, and words will help us develop receptors in our souls where we can begin to plug in true wisdom. As a result, our thinking will begin to change. It is important to ask ourselves whether our ears are tuned to Godly wisdom or worldly wisdom because, as our thinking changes, our life will tend to change in the same direction. We all want good fruit, but the ultimate effect and even the relatively short term results of our life are going to be determined by whether we desire, recognize, and apply wisdom from above. The more we try to tune our inner radio to wisdom, the more we will grow ears capable of hearing the voice of God's Spirit.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." (Isaiah 30)

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. (James 3)

The Things I Love

The scenes of beauty, the associations of friends and family, the food, the decorations, the excitement of high powered cars, the vicarious enjoyment of sports, and the pleasure of giving things to the ones I love are all things I enjoy. But, I enjoy them too much because I sometimes make one or more of these pleasures the condition for my satisfaction and contentment in life. And, at least temporarily, they can even make me feel satisfied separate from the quality of my relationship with the Lover of my soul.

Lord Jesus, increase our hunger for You.
May you cause us and our children and our children's children and their children to never be satisfied with the riches, food and pleasures of this world.
May you, Father, be our riches, our food and our delight.
May you, Jesus, truly be our Desire and the Lord of our life this year.
May you, Holy Spirit, fill us more and more each day and cause us to overflow with love for our neighbor.
May you be the Love of my life that is greater than all the other things I love.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.

How excellent is your mercy, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of your wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of your house; and you shall make them drink of the river of your pleasures. For with you is the fountain of life: in your light shall we see light.

Ps 65:4 27:4 Mt 5:6 Lu 1:53 Ps 107:9 Lu 14:26 Joh 6:35 Ps 36:7-9

Can we find a man like this?

And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?"

Wouldn't it be great to be a man like Joseph who was guided and empowered by the Spirit of God? Throughout the Old Testament, we read of how God gave particular men His Spirit in order for them to accomplish specific tasks or purposes. These spirit empowered men, such as: Noah, Moses, Joseph, Gideon, Samson, and Jeremiah, accomplished incredible tasks and revealed God's message with power. The amazing thing is that God intends each follower of Jesus to be just such a person -- a man like Joseph in whom is the Spirit of God.

"Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8)

The Gates of Hell

So, whatever you do, don't go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that's coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:36)

It's more important than my IRA or 401-K. It's more important than my job, my house, my comfort or my peace. If the loss of my child, my 401-k or anything in this world would cause me to give up on Jesus or to have diminished trust in Him then it is best for me to face that truth sooner than later. The most important part of life is our faith which is dependent on the quality of our relationship with Jesus, the Christ.

Ideally, God wants each of us to have peace, joy and prosperity. Loss, however, may be what we actually need. The loss of money, relationship or health may be the best thing that could happen because it might be a wake-up call that would rouse us from a false, drowsy security. It could reveal a false or shallow faith and give a chance to find a genuine or deeper faith.

It is not reasonable to think one can trust Jesus for the unknown beyond death when that same person is unable to trust and follow Jesus in this life. God is kind in all His doings and will never crush a weak faith. If we have even a feeble faith, God will work in such a way that it will stand and grow. But, if our faith is false and depends on our comfort, it should and will crumble. And, the sooner -- the better. If the quality of my faith is contingent on the condition of my spouse, stock portfolio, or stomach, that faith is either too frail and needs to grow or it is a facade with which I fool myself.

Lord, please reveal anything or anyone, other than you, which has become a false foundation of life. Let each of us know where we are depending on sand rather than You -- the Rock. Lord, life is scary. Please, help each of us to more and more focus on you even as the high waves and fierce winds of this life sometimes threaten to overwhelm us. Take me, our family, our church family, and our nation beyond a weak or false faith that is contingent on comfort and having things "our way". Grow our faith into a strong, vibrant and active force that tears down the gates of hell and lets Your light shine into the dark places of this world.

The Lord is just in all His ways and kind in all His doings. (Ps 145:17)

Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me.

Jacob did it. (Gen 31:16)

God was calling Jacob to move. Earlier (over 20 years earlier), God had called Jacob into relationship and during that time God had blessed Jacob with flocks, family and character training. When God called, Jacob acted. In the same way, when God called, Abraham acted. When God called, Noah acted. When God spoke, Cornelius didn't wait -- he acted.

At the wedding feast in Cana, Mary advised the servants to do whatever Jesus told them. When they heard Jesus speak, they did it and they saw a miracle.

In contrast, we read of Cain. He heard God's voice and chose to ignore it. Lot's sons-in-law heard and laughed. Lot's wife heard the warning, but still turned to look back.

Our temptation is to water down, turn away or get distracted from God's high calling.

Who can climb Mount God? Who can scale the holy north-face?
Only the clean-handed, only the pure-hearted; Men who won't cheat, women who won't seduce. (Ps 24)

We may wonder what God is calling us to or we may have forgotten. Perhaps, like Jacob, we felt God calling us to work hard, to marry, to move, to have a pure heart or to have a deeper relationship with Him. But, our heart may have become polluted with pornography, lazy from entertainment or drawn away to worship a false god of stuff.

He is calling you to something: a new job, to marry, to be a real husband, to be a loving mother, to study, to strive with evil or to move. It might be scary or sound hard. Sooner or later the situation will get desperate. An addiction to pornography might call for dynamic action such as smashing our computer. God gets excited by wholehearted response. When we get wholehearted about following Him, He will cause surprising things to happen.

I have heard
and failed to act.
I started to act
but then got discouraged and turned back.
I have not heard
because I stopped listening,
It is not too late.
God is patiently waiting for me
to see His love in Jesus,
to trust His love,
to hear His gentle voice,
and He is eagerly waiting for me
to ACT.

My lover spoke and said to me,
"Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, and come with me."
(Song of Songs 2:10)