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Hebrews 6:1-2 encourages,
1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Revelation 3:5 says plainly:
5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
So what if one is
not an overcomer? What if they
believe the lie that they do not have to be obedient, or accept the
personal responsibility to grow in God? What if they are deceived into thinking that just believing in God and reciting the sinners' prayer is good enough? If only these had been encouraged to read the Word they might have found the scripture in James 2:19-20.
James 2:19-20
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! (Demons are not among the saved, I promise you!)
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
I Corinthians 6:9-10 informs us that the unrighteous, whether they believe or not, will not inherit God's Kingdom.
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 6:11-12 reveals the enemy that causes us to stumble.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil
(all mankind faces this battle as Satan owns this world).
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Galatians 5:19-21 is another portion of scripture that is very clear concerning the things a child of God must learn to be an overcomer however.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
How many
people in the world's churches today operate in these very things yet in their hearts
believe the lie they are OK and trust they are still written in the book of life? Just believe and you will be saved they are taught, but let us read Hebrews 10:26-31.
Hebrews 10:26
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (In other words, what Jesus did on the cross was not to cover willful sin after we are born again. His blood will have been shed for nothing in the case of ones that know better, but refuse to change.)
Let us now read verse 29.
Hebrews 10:29-31
29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.”
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Does this sound like once saved always saved? I don't think so!
There is also sin that will absolutely not be forgiven, now or ever, thus costing us our salvation.
Matthew 12:31-32
31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men (with repentance), but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
I Peter 4:14 explains what I mean.
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
Those that
mock and scoff God's people and
come against leadership, telling lies and gossiping against them surely should be afraid also for it is again the Holy Spirit that operates through these ones.
It is truth that
Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all humanity. He was sacrificed as
our Passover Lamb. He paid the price for our sins and made a way for us to repent,
be born again, and given a chance to walk as
a new creature, ever learning and finally
maturing to a new species. If we should fall short God is quick to forgive us when we
see where we are wrong and ask for His pardon. All of us fall short of perfection and thankfully His grace and mercy endures forever on behalf of those who love Him and are
earnestly trying to make the Kingdom walk. But, make no mistake, if we purposely sin after baptism, we are no different or better than Adam and Eve. They too
were new creatures or a new creation, but they willfully, or knowingly,
chose disobedience and sinned. As the result this once innocent pair became the beginning parents of the
cursed race of mankind. So we understand how the born again, that are willfully disobedient, can fall into the same category. You see, Jesus paid the price for all the sins of
Adam's race. Their minds are full of the
knowledge Adam and Eve chose from the enemy, they have traits handed down genetically from the
infusion of angel blood, but what about for the
willful sins of
those born again, new creatures with the
access to the mind of Christ, who are kin to Him through the
blood covenant? These are to be overcomers.
Here are the elementary principles of our first steps in making our walk as
an overcomer. First we must believe. Then Peter explains the next few steps in Acts 2:38-40.
Acts 2:38-40
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent (for all former sins), and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus (not the titles, Father, Son and Holy Spirit) Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (with evidence of speaking in tongues).
39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off (still for today), as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Many are called, but few are chosen as they are disobedient so still unrighteous.)
Hebrews 6:1
1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
My closing remark is this. We all must
walk the highway of holiness, because it leads to a narrow path that will take us on into Paradise. With this heart condition, if we should lose our lives anywhere along the way, we would be escorted on into Paradise by the angels. However, we will only be escorted
if found walking forward. We can't be
sliding backwards,
standing still refusing maturity and perfection,
willfully sinning, or completely off the highway and found in the devil's territory!! These will be judged as
part of the body of Satan and will perish!
II Thessalonians 2:8-12 makes this quite clear.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed (the body of Satan), whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth (truth spoken through His people) and destroy with the brightness of His coming (through His body).
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan (his knowledge, his co-workers), with all power, signs, and lying wonders (huge edifices, big congregations, money, power, fame and notoriety),
10 and with all unrighteous deception (false doctrine and lies) among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (not all are saved!)
11 And for this reason (no love for truth or desire to know more) God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, (God does not save everyone!)
12 that they all may be condemned (Old KJ says damned) who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Let us close with the rest of the scripture found in Hebrews 6:4-6.
Hebrews 6:4-6
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift (been born again), and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit (filled with the Holy Spirit),
5 and have tasted the good word of God (truth) and the powers of the age to come, (the gifts of the Spirit)
6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.