Are You Saved?

          Many believe they are saved merely because they had a religious experience, but a religious experience does not necessarily mean salvation. You can bathe and brush your teeth religiously (and you should), but this will not save you from Hell. It worries me when someone says they were so young that they don’t remember much about the experience: If you had an experience that you don’t remember much about then you didn’t have much of an experience. Many refer to certain works or ceremonies as the reason to believe they are saved, but this tends to indicate the opposite: Salvation is a personal experience with Jesus Christ and is through the finished work of Calvary (the blood of Christ), not the shed blood of Jesus Christ and additional supplements. (John 3:14-16; 1 Peter 1:19)

“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:7) There are always cases of people assuming that they are saved because they were born and raised in a certain religion or denomination or assuming that they were saved through rituals and ceremonies, and this was true of many when Christ walked the earth. (John 1:12-13; 3:1-6) The new birth is a personal experience with Jesus Christ. (John 3:5-16; Titus 3:5-7) “Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?” (John 3:10) Christ was teaching something Nicodemus should have already known through familiarity with Old Testament teachings about the Holy Spirit’s work of supernatural change in the lives of people in the new covenant age. (Ezekiel 11 & 36, Jeremiah 31, etc.)

The teaching that merely committing sin means the loss of salvation is a salvation by works (Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9) and works determine rewards but not salvation. (1 Corinthians 3:14-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Colossians 3:23-24) God gives space to repent; a child of God can lose salvation through apostacy, not merely committing sin. (Hebrews 10:26-31; 1 John 1:5-2:2) Before you insist that you would take your fill of sin if you did not believe that merely committing sin means the loss of salvation, stop, and think about what this implies about you. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” (Titus 2:11-12) “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Hebrews 12:5-11) "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John 2:19) “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3)

Did you repent? (Mark 1:14-15; Luke 13:3) Many describe a salvation experience that did not include repentance, which indicates that they are not saved. A mere belief without genuine repentance is not saving faith, as saving faith is repentant faith. (Acts 3:19; also consider Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 55:6-7; 57:15; 66:2) Repentance is the turning from sin to God, and faith is the turning to Jesus Christ (God in the flesh) for salvation. (Acts 20:21) Repentance is required for salvation; it is the effective agent for forgiveness and remission of sins through the power of the cross. (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30-31)

How do you describe Jesus Christ? Faith, like love, always has an object and the proper object of saving faith is Jesus Christ, and more specifically, the Jesus Christ who is presented in Scripture. (2 Corinthians 11:4; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 4:2-3; 2 John 7)

Was there a change in your life? “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” (Titus 2:11-12) Consider: A farmer gave his favourite pig a bath so that it would look and smell clean at the county fair. Someone left a gate open and that pig headed down the road searching for adventure. A strong wind blew the pig off the road and into a ditch. In the ditch there was garbage, a bad smell, and thick mud. When the pig realised where he was, he began thinking to himself “this is heaven on earth, this is exactly where I want to be.” Why? Because it is a pig’s nature to wallow in mud. (2 Peter 2:22) A lamb strayed from the flock and wandered down the road. A strong wind blew the lamb off the road and into a ditch where there was garbage, a bad smell, and thick mud. When the lamb realised where he was, he began struggling to get out of the ditch, and when he saw that he couldn’t get out he began crying out for the shepherd. Why? Because it is not a sheep’s nature to wallow in mud.

Do you practice sin less than before? (1 John 3:3-6. The word commit can mean practice, and so can the Greek word Poieo which is here rendered as commit.)

What about sound doctrine and religious experiences or spiritual gifts, doesn’t that confirm salvation? Not necessarily. If you went to visit a millionaire at his home and you told him you are moving into his house to live with him and he has to allow this because you are a good person and you live right, unless you happened to be related and on excellent terms with him you would not receive a positive response because he does not know you and you are not even related. If you die lost, when you stand before Jesus Christ as your judge your pleas that you were a good person and lived right will not receive a positive response. “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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23; also consider James 2:19; when you read Matthew 7:24-27 consider that sand is little pieces of rock; also consider Matthew 13:24-30)

Consider that one especially noteworthy characteristic of goats is that a goat is the most religious animal; goats spend more time on their knees keeping up an appearance of piety than any other animal: Being very religious does not necessarily mean being close to God or closer to the truth; it often means the opposite. (Consider Matthew 25:31-34)

Do you know that you are a child of God? “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14-16) “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Galatians 4:6) Many believe they are saved because they said a certain prayer and they have more faith in the sincerity of that prayer than they have in Jesus Christ, or after saying a certain prayer someone told them they are saved and they have confidence in that person’s opinion. When you pray for salvation, you should repent and believe in Jesus Christ and pray for his mercy and grace until God touches you and you KNOW you are a child of God.

If you have doubts about your salvation you should go to Jesus Christ as a lost sinner seeking salvation. What if you go to Jesus for salvation and it turns out that you didn’t need to? God will forgive you. It would be better to seek salvation and not need it than to finish this life hoping in a counterfeit salvation. 

The Promise Of Genesis 12:3

 

The promise of Genesis 12:3 is fulfilled in Christ, not the modern State of Israel.

“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13-14)

“And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)

I am hoping you will do further research, even if for no other reason than to prove I am wrong.

 

SOMETHING FOR MOTHERS TO CONSIDER

 

A wife is under the authority of her husband just as a daughter living with her parents is under the authority of her parents. (Colossians 2:20; Ephesians 5:22-24; Titus 2:3-5) A rebellious teenager is wrong, even though a teenager is a young adult from a Biblical perspective (this is not saying that all teenagers are mature). However, the mother of a teenager should consider how she would feel and respond if her husband treated her the way she treats her teenage son or daughter.

Abortion

Keeping abortion legal is important to liberals because an important part of the feminist agenda has been persuading women to degrade themselves by mimicking the sexual attitudes, behaviour, and aggressiveness of men (which merely fulfills male fantasies) instead of being the civilizing and stabilizing influence on men that they are designed to be. Legal abortion is more of a male convenience than a plus for women: it encourages women to be uninhibited and eliminates the responsibilities of fatherhood while leaving women physically and emotionally scarred. Legal abortion is more than a right to kill the unborn; it represents the "freedom" of women to have sexual relations without commitment and with men with whom they do not want to have children. (Romans 1:26) Abortion is also a modern form of Devil worship: It is the sacrifice of a living child to the god of self, and who is the god of self, the god of the flesh? (Psalm 106:37-38) Children are a gift of God and it is important to oppose the anti-family/anti-reproduction/anti-life philosophy that is infecting the society in which we live. (Genesis 1:28; Psalm 127:3-5; 128:3-4; Proverbs 24:11-12; Jeremiah 29:6; I Timothy 5:14; etc...)

It is ironic that advocates of legal abortion call themselves pro-choice. Murder is always a choice, or it wouldn’t be murder.

 

 

DATING & COURTSHIP

 

This photo does not indicate whether this couple are married or not, but I chose it because they are obviously socializing. The purpose of a dinner date is supposed to be an opportunity to spend quality time together and get to know each other better.

Here are a few reasons many single men have given up on dating: Many women have come to see a dinner date as something other than an opportunity for unmarried people to socialize and get acquainted (as a form of courtship), and many women see this as a means of using men to get free meals. For some reason many women are offended over the offer of a dinner date or coffee date from any man they do not find attractive, interesting, or appealing, and are quick to label a man as a creep or a predator, while at the same time most men do not even pretend to be able to read minds.

Many men assume that buying a woman a meal or otherwise spending money on her entitles him to fornication, and many women assume that this is characteristic of all men and behave accordingly. This makes caution well-advised.

Think about this: When courtship normally lasted one to six months before marrying and it was all about socializing to get acquainted with a view towards the possibility of marriage, because it was normal to seek a friendship that would develop into a committed and meaningful relationship, divorce was unusual. Now courtship normally lasts three years or more before marrying and is all about having a good time, and most marriages end in divorce.

Regardless of how dedicated or spiritual you are, you are still capable of bad decisions, and you can be overcome by lust if you are not careful. Here are a few points to remember:

·        It is very important to keep in mind that sexual attraction and romantic feelings tend to blind us to reality, and concerned family and friends are very likely to spot red flags that you might miss altogether.

·        Regarding the choice of a date or a mate, avoid being deceived by modern “experts” that emphasize factors and issues that receive little or no mention in Scripture while neglecting or downplaying religious compatibility. Look for someone who shares the same religious and moral values. (Psalm 119:63; Amos 3:3; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:15-17) Remember, you may change someone’s location or name, but you cannot change what someone is inside; only God can do that. 

·        Having a chaperone or double dating is often a good idea, and for private conversation a public place such as restaurant, the zoo, etc., is much preferable to seclusion (e.g., a room with the door closed, a car parked in a secluded spot, etc.).

·        Do not date anyone that does not respect their elders (parents, pastor, etc.).

·        Avoid situations that would make it easy to give in to temptation, and do not date (or keep dating) someone that says or hints that celibacy till marriage is not important. (Proverbs 4:14-15; Romans 13:14; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 15:33)

·        Never assume that you are immune to temptation. (1Corinthians 10:12-13)

·        Do not neglect regular prayer, personal Bible study, or church attendance. (Psalm 119:11, 105; Proverbs 2:3-16; 3:5-7; Hebrews 10:24-25)

 

 

 

 

DID SAUL SPEAK WITH A DECEASED PROPHET OR A DEVIL?

 

In First Samuel 28, was Saul talking to the deceased prophet Samuel or a devil masquerading as Samuel?

Saul was not an exception to the prohibition against necromancy. God would not communicate with Saul through divinely appointed means, and we should not assume that God would allow a devil to beckon the deceased prophet Samuel. (Consider Deuteronomy 18:11 & Isaiah 8:19-20)

“And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.” (1 Samuel 28:13) Note that “gods” is plural.

“Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.” (1 Samuel 28:16-19) Note that “Samuel” spoke of things any devil would know. If it was really Samuel, why didn't the prophet of God warn Saul to repent and seek peace with God?

1 Samuel 28 Bible Commentary

BACHELORS, TRY NOT TO BE STUPID

    Recently a young lady told me that when guys ask for her phone number and she tells them she has a boyfriend, some guys then say she's ugly anyway, so it doesn't matter. That is being stupid. If you are a bachelor and a nice woman has a steady boyfriend or a husband, you don't need to be pursuing a relationship with her. But the likelihood that she might have an unattached female friend or relative that you might like should make you want to stay on friendly terms with her.