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SALVATION IS FOREVER
God loves us and gave us Jesus Christ, unto eternal life, in our family of faith, the church. He guarantees our salvation
once we believe on Him and His finished work on our behalf for remission of our sins and washing by His blood. He did it and
still does it by His precious blood in Heaven as our High Priest ( Hebrews 1:1-3; 9:11-15; 1 Cor.6:20; Rom. 3:25; Col. 1:21-22).
HE KNOWS WHO WE ARE and has sealed us (2 Tim.2:19) (a seal signifies a finished transaction,
ownership, and security).
Saved by grace (Eph.2:,8).
"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,it is the gift of God"
In Christ we are forgiven of all our sins and washed in His blood (Eph.1:7; Heb.9:14; Col.1:14).
We are a new creation. "Therefore, if any man be in Christ he is a new creation; old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new" (2Cor.5:17)"
We are redeemed from the curse of the law (Gal.3:13).
"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed
is everyone that hangs from a tree."
We are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor.6:19).
Blessed (Gal.3:9).
A saint (Rom.1:7;1 Cor.1:2; Phil.1:2).
Holy and without blame (Eph.1:4).
One of God's elect (Col.3:12; Rom.8:33).
Established to the end (1Cor.1:8).
Strong in the Lord (Eph.6:10).
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might".
Dead to sin (Rom.6:2,11).
More than a conqueror (Rom.8:37).
Joint heirs with Christ (Rom.8:17).
Sealed for life with the Holy Spirit (Eph.1:13).
In Christ by His doing (1Cor.1:30).
Accepted in the beloved (Eph.1:6).
Complete in Him (Col.2:10).
Crucified, buried, risen and alive with Christ (Gal.2:20; Eph2:5).
Reconciled to God and free from condemnation (2Cor.5:18; Rom.8:1).
A fellow citizen with the saints and of the household of God and qualified to share in His inheritance (Eph.2:19; Col.1:12).
"Now, therefore, you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of
the household of God;..."Eph. 2:19.
Overtaken with blessings and God's workmanship, created in Jesus Christ for good works(Eph.1:3; 2:10).
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that
we should walk in them."
We are the righteousness of God, His chosen, and His ambassador (2Cor.5:21; 1Thess.1:4; 2Cor. 5:20).
We are being changed into His image (2Cor. 3:18).
Raised up and being seated in heavenly places with Christ (Col.2:12).
Beloved of God and delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of his dear Son (Col.1:12-14).
Access by one Spirit to the Father (Heb.4:16; Eph.2:18).
"Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in time
of need"
God gave us the truth in His word, the bible. He gave us the Holy Spirit at the moment we believed that Christ is our Savior
and has delivered us from ALL our sins and paid the final bill for them with His life. He KEEPS us saved no matter what, because
He is the worker behind our eternal life, not we. Our life now and forever is guaranteed by His faithful service to all of
mankind, ever, who believe on Him. When we sin we go to our Father and have a loving talk telling GOD what we did and how
we feel about it as HIS son or daughter and do so in Jesus name. GOD forgives because His SON died for us and will remember
the sins NO MORE. (1 John 1: 6-10; 2:1-2).
When we need help He will answer us with blessings that HE knows is best for us according to HIS will for us (1 John 5:14-15).
God has told us that the MORE we study HIS word the closer we will walk with HIM and the stronger we will get. HIS word is
the truth. It is LIFE for us. We are not like the world. The world is not for GOD it is for itself! (1 John 2:15-17; 3:1-3;
4:2-3).
The Holy Spirit will help you understand the bible and the words of GOD to you. But you need to take it most seriously and
apply yourself. It is the greatest gift you will ever get besides Jesus Christ. GLORY TO GOD. HE loves us so much and has
made sure our life is in HIS hands (John 10:27-29: Romans 8:28-39 ).
SAVED FOREVER
What a Savior we have in Jesus. Through him "once saved always saved" is a God enforced truth. We believe the beautiful gospel.
So many of us have walked the path of doubt as to our salvation after conduct unbecoming a saint. And because of a lack of
bible study, or the failure of good counsel, we have found ourselves between a rock and hard place.
The demons gleefully jump up and down on the t.v screen and The Prince of this world makes his accusations before our Father.
And Jesus says "My blood is on this one" and The Father says "its done".
We are not greater, smarter or more slick than Satan. He could destroy our life in a moment. We are in Christ and He is in
us. Be mindful that which is in us (The Holy Spirit) is greater than that spirit who is the ruler of this world.
Let's review the scriptures for comfort and maturation.
SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS AND THE SURE HOPE OF ETERNITY
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ" (Eph.1:3:").
We who believe, are seated in Christ in the heavenlies! This is the exalted position He has given us! No matter what our condition
is down here, we are positioned in Him above. We are blessed right now with all spiritual blessings. Have you ever stopped
to think what you have in Christ? We are justified and sanctified in Him. Either lay hold of them or not. We are most blessed
of all peoples.
In His plan for the ages God the Father made a blueprint so to speak. Here is the one for the church.
1. He chose us in Christ. Eph. 1:4
2.He predestined us to the place of son ship. Eph. 1:5
3.He made us accepted in the Beloved (Christ). Eph.1:6
"According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love" (Eph.1:4).
The spiritual blessings which you and I have been given are in accord with the divine will and in perfect unison with God's
purpose. We are to open our gift to see what God has done for us and then move out IN FAITH and lay hold of them and live
on His high plane He has brought us in Christ. This was God's plan before creation. The church was planned, God the Son paid
for us, and God the Holy Spirit protects us. The source of all our blessings is God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The
source of our salvation is not of ourselves (works), God is. (Eph.2:8-9).
God planned our salvation before we were! Christ came down in time to deliver it in His completed work on the cross. The Holy
Spirit is the One who convicts us of sin. He brings us to a place of faith in Christ and to a saving knowledge of the grace
of God that is revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ.God does the saving and we, the sinning. We were lost and He found us! God
chose us before the foundation of the world. He did not choose us because we were good! He chose us so that we could do some
good. It is by His sovereign will and His goodness and wisdom that we are here now serving Him.
"You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you..."(John 15:16)
"...that we should be holy and without blame before him in love"
God's choice of us was in order to sanctify us that we might be holy. A holy life is demanded by God's election. We don't
then go out and do as we please (Rom.6:1-2). We can't use grace as a license to sin. If we are living IN SIN it is because
we are sinners who haven't been saved. A sinner who has been saved will show a change in his way of living.
We are elect of God that we should also be "without blame". God chose Israel and would not allow Balaam to curse Israel or
to find fault with His people (Num.23:21). But God found fault with them AND JUDGED THEM in order to sanctify and purify them.
God will discipline us when sin is present and un-confessed.
If there is no evidence of change in our lives then we must ask ourselves, "are we one of His elect"? This is what we look
for, and God has made provision to absolve us from our sins which all of us do (1 John 2:1-2). The fact that we know we sin
is a change in our life! There is NO limited atonement. Christ died for the world as this verse shows.
"And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the world" (1 John 2:2)
The call of God has gone out to the whole world. If we hear it and respond, according to our free will, then we are one of
the "elect"(John 6:37). Some chose not to. They are the lost.
"CHOSEN US IN HIM".
God has made His choice.
"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved in the Lord, because God has
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereby he called
you to our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 2 :13-14).
Peter writes in 1 Pet. 1:2, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification
of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ..." God saves sinners needing the blood
of Christ to clean them (Rom.9:14-16).
No one knows who the elect are, only God knows. We are to preach His Gospel of Grace to all.There is no such thing as limited
atonement. The elect are those who heed God's call. Those who don't, have by their free will chosen sin over salvation and
are not elect (Rom.9:14).
"Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will" (Eph.1:5).
We need to know that we have been chosen in Him in order to stand for God today. This assurance will make a world of difference
in our life.
The elect are the whosoever wills and the non-elect are the whosoever wonts according to His purpose.
The doctrine of election lays an ax at the root of pride, presumption, and despair.)
Predestination means that when God saves you He will see you through to the end. This is all about our
sanctification, our spiritual development. It is the work of God in the heart and life of the believer. Our salvation and
development as a son and daughter of God is guaranteed by His perfection and His responsibility towards us. Jesus is the author
and finisher of the faith He gave us in Him. No one will be lost who is found in Christ according to God's predetermination.
See Luke15 and the parable of the one lost sheep. There were 99 left but that one who strayed was as important as the 99.
All of us are of equal importance with God. This is election! God will NOT lose one of us! (Rom.8:28-39).
Eph. 1:7. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace".
God the Son paid the price for the church. Back in eternity past God chose us, predestined us, and made us accepted in the
beloved. In time, these plans were realized when Christ walked out unto the stage of life in human form to redeem us who are
His church. That redemption was solely and exclusively by His blood (Mt.20:28) We were bought with a price; the life and love
of Jesus who gave Himself for us (1 Cor.6:20) . This was a final liberation of us by Him (Gal.3:13).
Actually, it is very logical and very scriptural to embrace the eternal security doctrine. My eternal security in Christ is
based on my RELATIONSHIP with God, not my fellowship with Him. I am not saved because I fear God and serve Him, but rather
because I have entered into a Father/Son relationship with Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. I was once a child of the Devil
and a child of wrath (Jn. 8:44; Eph. 2:3), but now I am a son of God (John 1:12; I John 3:2; Rom. 8:14; Gal. 4:5). Upon receiving
Christ as my Saviour, I was SEALED with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30; II Cor. 1:22), and I am KEPT
by the power of God (I Pet. 1:5), not by my own power. Jesus will never leave me nor forsake me (Heb. 13:5; Mat. 28:20), because
He BOUGHT me with His own blood (Acts 20:28; I Cor. 6:19-20).
If I choose to be a disobedient child, then my Father in Heaven will CHASTEN me (Rev. 3:19; Heb. 12:4-8; I Cor. 11:30-32),
but I will remain a saved and sealed son of God (John 5:24; I John 5:11-13; Rom. 8:38-39; Phi. 1:6; John 6:37; 10:28-29).
True Christians are eternally secure in Christ.
Do we serve our Lord out of Love? If so we will keep His commandments. We will serve Him in love because He loved us first
(1 John 4:19) and gave His life for us (John 14:15). And because we have God the Spirit in us we will love one another and
confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (1 John 4:10-16).
Paul says in Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus..." And expands that truth to it's conclusive triumph in Romans 8:33:
"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies."
Nothing can change what is ours through the Lord and our faith in His blood sacrifice that cleaned us forever...and does so
each day.
Paul continues: in Romans 8:34-39:
"Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, and that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who makes intercession for us".
Now hear what the Spirit, through Paul, has to say:
"What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep
for the slaughter. In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither
death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything created, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord."
Now let's hear what Jesus has to say in John 10:27-28:
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give to them ETERNAL LIFE"
(my emphasis).
He goes on to add in verse 28-29:
"And they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave
me to them, is greater than all; and no man is able to take them out of my Father's hand".
You see it is not us who holds on but God who holds us. God is supreme and all powerful. Once saved always
saved is guaranteed by Jesus.
CHRIST DIED FOR ALL OUR SINS
Difficult Passages Used To Question The Security Of The Believer Explained
Case 1: The unforgivable sin
Mark 3:22-30, NKJV
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said,"He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."
23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.
27 No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder
his house.
28 "Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter;
29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" --
30 because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."
Matthew 12:22-32, NKJV
22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man
both spoke and saw.
23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"
24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the
demons."
25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every
city or house divided against itself will not stand.
26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will
plunder his house.
30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
31 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, 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.
That Jesus was working mighty miracles among the people of His day was undeniable. The lame walked, the dumb spoke, the deaf
heard, the dead arose and the demon-possessed were set free.
The religious scribes and Pharisees who were against Jesus could not ignore or deny the miracles performed by Him, especially
those that were done right before their eyes and in front a large crowd of witnesses. So they had two choices: To attribute
Jesus' miraculous powers to the Spirit of God, or to attribute His powers to a demonic spirit. Of course, they did the second.
Jesus told the people that He cast out demons by the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28). But the scribes said
to the people, "He has Beelzebub. By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons." The Pharisees said the same thing: "This
fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."
In other words, they credited the wonderful and gracious works of God that were setting oppressed folks free to the most evil
being -- Beelzebub, the prince of demons. They rejected the obvious truth before them and perversely twisted it to influence
the crowds. By doing this, they were also implying that Jesus was a sorcerer in league with Satan.
That was how hardened and firmly set their hearts were against accepting Jesus as the Messiah. They kept rejecting the Christ
despite all the proof given by the Holy Spirit. Their blaspheming against the Holy Spirit was equivalent to rejecting Christ
with such finality that no future repentance was possible.
This is the unpardonable or unforgivable sin -- permanently rejecting all attempts of the Holy Spirit to draw one to Christ.
Pre-cross, the Holy Spirit's role was to empower Jesus to perform all sorts of miracles (Luke 4:18, Acts 10:38), thereby proving
that He is the Messiah. Post-cross, the Holy Spirit's role is to confirm the gospel with signs and wonders (Acts 14:3. Romans
15:18-20), as well as to convict the world of sin (John 16:8-9). What sin is that? It is the sin of all sins -- unbelief in
the Christ, which only non-believers can be convicted of.
The unpardonable sin is not this idea of speaking generally against the Holy Spirit. For example, some Christians believe
that they are on their way to hell because they had a bad thought towards the Holy Spirit or because they had said some unkind
words to Him. Then, there are some Charismatic Christians who say that traditional Christians who attribute speaking in tongues,
holy laughter or miraculous healing to demons have committed the unpardonable sin. They say that such Christians have spoken
against the Holy Spirit and are thus hell-bound. All that is simply not true and it just shows a lack of understanding of
what blaspheming against the Holy Spirit really is. Those who believe such nonsense should read the verses again in context.
When the scribes and Pharisees spoke against the Holy Spirit, it was because their hearts were already firmly set against
accepting Jesus as the Messiah. Their sin was the permanent rejection of Christ as their Saviour. But when traditional Christians
speak unknowingly and unintentionally against the Holy Spirit by attributing tongues, holy laughter and other supernatural
manifestations to demons, it simply shows their ignorance of Scripture and even their fear of the supernatural.
They simply do not believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still for today. Most of them are just naive and do not know
any better. Therefore, they attribute supernatural manifestations in the church to trickery, psychology, science or demons.
But they are certainly not rejecting Jesus as their Saviour. How can they be when they are already Christians? And they are
certainly not out to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. Why would any Christian want to speak against the Spirit of God?
Case 2: 'Not all who call Me Lord, Lord...'
Matthew 7:21
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father
who is in heaven.
A rule of thumb in Bible study is to interpret difficult verses in the light of simple, clear-cut ones. We cannot build doctrines
on one or two difficult verses.
That said, many have taken the above verse to mean that Christians can lose their salvation if they do not do what God tells
them to do. To them, the "will of my Father" means just about everything God tells them to do.
But if that is true, who can enter heaven? Who can obey God perfectly all the time?
Obviously, the "will of my Father" here is not to be interpreted generally as "anything and everything that God tells us to
do". So, what is it, specifically?
The context of the verse is salvation -- "enter the kingdom of heaven". So, the Father's "will" should relate, specifically,
to salvation, and it does.
John 6:29
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
John 6:39
39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last
day.
John 6:40
40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise
him up at the last day."
1 John 3:23
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to
love one another as he commanded us.
God's will in Matthew 7:21 is simply salvation for man. In fact, He is not willing that anyone should perish.
Matthew 18:14
14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to
perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
How, then, do we fulfill the will of God in Matthew 7:21? What should we do? Actually, there's nothing we can do except to
believe, since everything that needs to be done for man to be saved has already been done perfectly by Christ Jesus. We cannot
add to it. Our part is simply to believe.
John 6:29
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
1 John 3:23
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
So, in Matthew 7:21, Jesus is saying that only those who believe in Him will enter the kingdom of heaven. He is not saying
that He will reject some Christians because they were not obedient enough. If entering heaven depended on our obedience, we
would all fry -- and rightfully so!
Case 3: 'I never knew you...'
Matthew 7:22,23
22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform
many miracles?'
23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
"On that day" refers to the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, when He returns to earth in power and great glory (Matthew
24:30) to reign as King for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4,6).
At that time, many non-believers will call Him "Lord" out of fear or because it will be apparent to them that He is the Christ.
But it will be too late then. The time is up. They should have believed earlier. They can't be saved now by calling Him "Lord"
since faith is no longer required -- they can see with their own eyes that Jesus is Lord.
Therefore, Jesus will tell these people that He never knew them and to depart from Him. After all, they never had a personal
relationship with Him, and calling Him "Lord" then will just be a vain attempt to start one.
But how can we be sure that these people are not Christians who had, at some point in their lives, lost their salvation (assuming
that it is possible for a Christian to lose his salvation)?
The clue lies in the word "never" when Jesus says, "I never knew you". If Jesus is addressing Christians who had "lost their
salvation", He would be lying if He said "never" because He would have known them at least once -- perhaps the first 10 years
of their Christian life before they "lost their salvation".
So, who are these people who prophesied, drove out demons and performed miracles?
It must be noted that the "evildoers" themselves are making these claims, not Jesus. It sure sounds like they are saying those
things in a desperate attempt to gain the Lord's recognition and acceptance.
Perhaps it will be Syed Baba, some Taoist spiritualist or a cult leader saying those things "on that day", with a misguided
belief that they had performed all those counterfeit miracles in the name of God, whom they now realize is Jesus.
Today, such non-believers do have demonic power to sort "heal" the sick, "tell" the future and "drive out" another demon if
the demon whom they serve holds a higher authority in Satan's kingdom.
Such exorcists often invoke a higher spirit to get rid of a lower one. But a demon's retreat which draws attention to another
of Satan's servants would only be a strategic retreat. The "deliverance" is thus not long-lasting and worse, it usually comes
with a price -- the demon doing the job will want something in return.
Case 4:If you deny Him, He will deny you
2 Timothy 2:11-13
11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. 12 If we endure, We shall also reign with
Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
Let the Bible interpret the Bible. Is there a similar passage in the Bible that helps us understand what Paul is saying?
Yes, there is in the gospel of Matthew. Here Jesus Himself talks about disowning Him:
Matthew 10:32-35
32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
If you look at the context of Matthew 10, Jesus is talking to the Jews about Him coming to the earth and Israel, and the Jews
acknowledging or not acknowledging Him as their Messiah.
So He, like Paul, is telling the Jews, "Look if you reject, deny or disown Me as Messiah, I will also reject, deny and disown
you."
The gospel of Matthew is written to the Jews. That is why the term "kingdom of heaven" appears rather than "kingdom of God".
The Jews don't say the name of God because they fear taking God's name in vain. It is the reason Messianic Jews spell "God"
as "G_d".
So 2 Timothy 2:11-13 is not talking about a Christian losing his salvation because he chooses to deny or disown Christ. (Whenever
we make such statements, we are ignoring the work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian.)
What is comforting though is that same passage says that when we are faithless, Jesus remains faithful. So even during those
difficult times when you are angry at God and you turn away from Him and even deny Him, "He remains faithful" and will help
you get back on your feet again!
Here is a verse in that helps us understand what "He remains faithful" means. Again let the Bible interpret the Bible.
1 Corinthians 1:8-9,
8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
Case 5: Those who 'fall away'
Hebrews 6:4-8
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy
Spirit,
5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,
6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again
and subjecting him to public disgrace.
7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives
the blessing of God.
8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
The book of Hebrews (as its name implies) was written to Jewish believers and non-believers, not so much to the Gentile church,
although Gentile Christians can benefit greatly by reading the book. Contrast this book to Paul's epistles to the churches
and the difference is quite clear. In fact, the very first verse of the book of Hebrews tells us, "In the past God spoke to
our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways." The author says, "our forefathers", which means that
he is addressing his fellow Jews because God spoke to their forefathers through the prophets. So unless you are a Jew, "our
forefathers" does not include your forefathers.
The Jews were deeply entrenched in the laws, customs and sacrifices of Judaism. That is why Hebrews focuses on the fact that
Jesus is the final sacrifice and the High Priest of high priests, and that He supersedes Moses, Abraham and all the other
heroes of faith mentioned in the Old Testament (Hebrews 12:2).
Due to spiritual blindness (John 12:40, Romans 11:7), the Jews had failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. They rejected
His message of salvation by grace and crucified Him.
Now, after knowing better -- having "been enlightened", having had the gospel explained to them via the Apostles, having seen
miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit in Acts -- if they continue to reject Christ, they are in a sense putting Jesus back
on the cross -- "crucifying the Son of God all over again".
In fact, in chapter 2, the author already gives them this warning:
Hebrews 2:3
3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?
Is it possible that persons "who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness
of the word of God and the powers of the coming age" can be non-believers?
Yes. Judas Iscariot was one such person. He had been with Jesus for about three years, sat under His teaching and even seen
the power Jesus demonstrated through the Holy Spirit. Yet, Judas was not a believer. He never addressed Jesus as "Lord". You
cannot find this in the Bible. Judas had only addressed Jesus as "Master" (Matthew 26:25).
Similarly, today, there are many people who have "tasted" Jesus and the gospel, seen miracles performed right in front of
them or even on them, and yet turn away from God. They are the "land" that has been rained on, yet does not produce any crop
but thorns and thistles only (verse 8).
Note also that the verse only says "enlightened", "tasted" and "shared". These are not words the Bible associates with being
saved. We know that salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). We don't get saved by being "enlightened", by "tasting"
or by "sharing". All that is good but we must still believe in our hearts and confess Jesus as our Lord and righteousness
(Romans 10:9).
Finally, let's not forget to read verses 9 and 10 as well.
9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case--things that accompany salvation.
10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue
to help them.
Here, the writer suddenly shifts his focus to the "beloved", as opposed to those who have tasted and rejected Christ. He tells
them that although he has said those negative things (verses 4 to 6, 8), he is confident of better things in their case, "things
that accompany salvation", not condemnation. He goes on to assure them that God is not unrighteous to forget their works of
love done in the name of Jesus.
Again, these two verses show that there are two groups being addressed in the entire passage: Those who reject Christ after
hearing the gospel (Hebrews 2:3) and those who are already saved. So, any Christian who feels afraid after reading verses
4 to 6 and 8 because he thinks that they address believers, should read verses 9 and 10 as well to know that the latter verses
are not referring to Christians.
Second Interpretation Regarding Believer's
Many who have read these passages find themselves in a state of high anxiety fearing a loss of salvation for something they
did or failed to do. And there are many bible expositors who might go along with this false and highly punitive interpretation.
Take heart for what we read above is true: salvation is assured by God once and for all time."He Keeps His Word". But REWARDS
are not!
What the writer is talking about is repentance. Repentance is something God has asked believers to DO. Look at Revelation
2 and 3.
He says to every one of the churches to repent. The fruit of salvation are rewards. The root is Christ. The discussion here
is about the things that accompany salvation which should be the fruit of the Christian life and the rewards that come to
us as its result.
We are being warned of the danger of losing our rewards. They can burn up by our failure to repent (1 Cor.3:11-15).
The work of every Christian will be tested by fire. What we do in the flesh will burn up. What we do in the power of The Spirit
will bring rewards. One day we will come before the judgment seat of Christ, not for punishment, but for hopeful commendation.
Has your life counted for Him? Is He first? Oh how we all need Him to be FIRST.
Case 6: Those who 'sin willfully'
Hebrews 10:26-30
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
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?
Christians have used this passage to say that if a Christian sins willfully, he will lose his salvation. If you think about
it, most of the sins that we commit after we are saved are willful sins! We know that we should not do it, yet we choose to
do it. Does that mean that the majority of Christians are on their way to hell? The suggestion itself is ridiculous.
Christians have also used this passage to say that if a Christian keeps sinning, he will lose his salvation. In the first
place, a Christian does not keep sinning or live a lifestyle of sin. Paul made it clear when he said, "What shall we say then?
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Romans
6:1-2)
So if the willful sin here has nothing to do with a Christian sinning today, albeit willfully, what is it then?
As explained in Case 3, Hebrews is written mainly to the believing and unbelieving Jews. Under the old covenant of law, the
priests had to offer animal sacrifices for the sins of the Israelites year after year because the blood of bulls and goats
could not take away sins (Hebrews 10:4), but only cover their sins until the next sacrifice. That is why these animal sacrifices
could not make the offerers perfect (Hebrews 10:1). Neither could they clear the offerers' consciousness of sins. In fact,
they reminded them of their sins (Hebrews 10:3), causing them to have a sin consciousness or what the Bible calls an "evil
conscience" (Hebrews 10:22).
But now that the true Lamb of God has come and taken away their sins (John 1:29) once for all (Hebrews 7:27) through one perfect
sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 10:12) to end all animal sacrifices, if the Jews continue to reject the Christ, "there no longer
remains a sacrifice for sins" (verse 26). Christ is it. If they reject Him as their sacrifice for sins, there is no other
sacrifice for sins that they can turn to. The system of animal sacrifices has ended or expired. Christ is not going to come
down to die for them again. Neither does God the Father have a "plan B" of some sort. Christ is it!
So the willful sin of the Jews here would be to reject their Messiah. It would be willful because they would be rejecting
Christ "after we have received knowledge of the truth" (verse 26). So there were many Jews who rejected the Christ after the
truth of the gospel was preached to them. And the Jews who did this "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" (verse 29).
To count the blood a "common thing" is to put the eternal blood of the Son of God on the same level as the temporal blood
of animals. To insult the Spirit of grace is to slap God's hand of grace, to reject the covenant of grace, to reject the Holy
Spirit, and to go back under law, works and sacrifices.
This was the unpardonable, willful sin of many of the unbelieving Jews. And the result was "a certain fearful expectation
of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries" (verse 27). Did such a terrible judgment come to pass?
Yes, their temple in Jerusalem was burned and utterly destroyed by the Romans in AD70.
So the author of Hebrews, which I believe is Paul, was addressing his fellow Jewish brothers, both the believing and the unbelieving.
For those who refused to believe in Jesus, it was a warning. For those who believed, it was an exhortation to hold on their
faith and not "draw back" (Hebrews 10:38). This does not mean that many of the believing Jews drew back by renouncing their
faith and thus lost their salvation. The passage does not say that. In fact, Paul said, "But we are not of those who draw
back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul." (Hebrews 10:39)
Case 7: Those who 'turn their backs'
2 Peter 2:20,21
20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in
it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their
backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.
Who are "they" here? It becomes clear when we read the whole chapter. In fact, verse 1 already tells us that "they" are the
"false teachers" (and the like) who deny Christ. And people who deny Christ cannot be Christians.
2 Peter 2:1
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly
introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
The entire chapter talks about the terribly sinful lifestyles of these people and the punishment that awaits them. Besides
introducing "destructive heresies", they are "not afraid to slander celestial beings", "blaspheme in matters they do not understand",
behave like "brute beasts", "carouse in broad daylight", have "eyes full of adultery", "every stop sinning", are "experts
in greed", "appeal to the lustful desires of sinful human nature" and so on. People who live like that are certainly not Christians.
Romans 6:2
2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
1 John 3:6,9
6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has
been born of God.
In fact, Peter makes a distinction between such "ungodly" and "lawless" people, and "righteous" and "godly" Christians, when
he talks about Noah's flood, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In other words, there is a clear "they" (the lawless
non-believers) and "you" (the Christian) differentiation.
2 Peter 2:5-9
5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of
righteousness, and seven others;
6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to
happen to the ungodly;
7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men
8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw
and heard)--
9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment,
while continuing their punishment.
The last verse in this chapter also shows us that Peter is not talking about Christians.
2 Peter 2:22
22 Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the
mud."
The Bible usually refers to believers as "sheep" and non-believers as "goats" or "wolves". Here, the terms "dog" and "sow"
are used. Straightaway, we know that the verse is not referring to Christians.
Also, it does not say "a sheep transforms into a dog again and returns to its vomit". Once you are born again and have become
a "sheep" belonging to the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, you cannot lose your salvation and turn back into a goat or dog again!
You will never find such analogies in the Bible. Nature itself teaches us that -- a butterfly cannot change back into a caterpillar.
Finally, "knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" or having "known the way of righteousness" (verses 20 and 21) does not
make one a Christian. There are Bible scholars who know Jesus Christ and the gospel, and yet are not Christians.
There are people who have attended church for many years who are not born again. My friend's mother was one such person. We
both thought that she was a Christian, since she had been attending an Anglican church for many years. One Sunday morning,
she attended our church service. When our Pastor gave the altar call, to our surprise, she raised her hand, went to the front
and prayed to receive Jesus Christ into her heart.
The KJV translation shows more clearly that verses 20 and 21 refer only to head knowledge of Jesus Christ and not genuine
conversion:
2 Peter 2:20,21
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from
the holy commandment delivered unto them.
In fact, in verse 21, it says that the "way of righteousness" was only "delivered" to them, to which they rejected it by turning
their backs on it. A person who has been shown the way of righteousness -- Jesus Christ -- yet turn his back on the Saviour,
is obviously not a Christian.
Case 8: The sin unto death
1 John 5:16
16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin
not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
This verse has been used to say that a Christian who commits the "sin unto death" is beyond hope, and will ultimately lose
his salvation and end up in hell. Is this true? To answer the question, we have to know just what the "sin unto death" is.
Instead of relying on man's interpretation, let the Bible interpret the Bible. Does the Bible talk about the sin unto death
elsewhere? Yes, it does:
Romans 6:16
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto
death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
From this verse, we know that the "sin unto death" is the opposite of "obedience unto righteousness". And in the context,
"obedience unto righteousness" simply means obeying the gospel or believing in Jesus as your Saviour and thus becoming righteous
by faith.
So the opposite of that, which is the "sin unto death", would be the rejection of Christ as your Saviour. That is the unpardonable
sin (see Case 1). That is the wilful sin (see Case 5).
What about the use of the term "brother"? Does not "brother" refer to Christians? Not necessarily. In the Bible, "brother"
can also refer to the unbelieving Jews. Paul, for instance, often called the unbelieving Sadducees and Pharisees "my brothers":
Acts 13:38, NIV
38 "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
Acts 23:1, NIV
1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to
this day."
Acts 23:6, NIV
6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers,
I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead."
IN HIM WE KISS FOREVER
His love, in He who gave His life for us, we aspire to reach in full, that in OUR LIFETIME, we might kiss this dawn of forever,
where eternal love abides, through the slow extinction of our dead "self" we seek so badly for GOD to make disappear.
So that in trials and infirmities, we rejoice in Him , and see exposed, more of His glory, as we are filled with The Spirit.
For it is clear, His grace is sufficient, when He can freely move in us, through our weakness, then when we are dead to Him
in self will, and lost in the futile wars of our old mind, and our failure to grow on the truths of His Word .
YOU ARE HIS
You were His from before the earth was made
His to bless His heart of Love
You were His to give Him the glory
His while you waited in the womb of your blessed mother
Your days were known to Him
Your faithfulness guaranteed
The hairs on your head counted
Your breaths measured
Your life in His hands
You were His for eternity
His when you first awoke from a death's sleep
His in your moments of doubt
His in the battle
His when you rise and lay down
He will never give you up
You are His precious possession
His no matter what transpires
His in the New Jerusalem
You are His in love forever
You are because He is.
(1) "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before
the world was" (John 17:5).
(2) "Father, I will that they also, whom thou has given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold
my glory, which thou has given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24)
(3) "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according
to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9).
(4) "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the
world unto our glory" (I Cor.2:7).
(5) "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began"
(Titus 1:2).
(6) The Lamb was slain in the purpose of God before the foundation of the world;"Who verily was foreordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you" (I Pet. 1:20)
BECAUSE OF YOU, LORD
Because of you, Lord, we live forever.
Because of you, non else will do.
Because of you we have a reason.
In your great love, Because of you.
Because of you, life never ending,
Because of you our faith abides.
How could we hate when hope rejoices.
Because of you our humble adoration.
No worldly fame could claim our joy.
For when we see your majesty awaken,
The gift of life a world begun.
Because of you the heavens Glory.
Because of you the battle won.
Because of you no fear can hold us.
Because of you, our Father's Son.
WE WILL SERVE THE LORD
In Luke 9:23 the Lord states the imperative of a believer who lives through Him: "...If any man will
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me"(See Mark 8:34-38)
Jesus is our first love. He loved us before we were in our mother's womb. He gave Himself for us so that we will live forevermore
in glory with the family of Christ in the presence of God. He gave us life here, His life, through His Spirit, that will never
leave us, no never! How is our life? Are we seeking to live it through the blessings of Christ or in the "I" of self?
"Now, therefore, fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which
your fathers served on the other side of the river, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers
served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord"(Josh.24:14,15).
Isaiah 43:2-3, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; When you walk through the fire
you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
SAFE IN HIM
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall
never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can
snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one" (Jn.10:27-30).
SALVATION IS IN HIS GRIP!
Q) I am miserable. I failed the Lord many times. I know he forgives my sins and his blood cleans me daily. Help me to overcome
this guilt.
(A)Your salvation is secure in Christ. You are, like Saint Paul, having a bad time of it. Confess your sins and renew fellowship
with Him. Paul cried out:"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom.7:24). Does this mean he lost his salvation? No, listen to Paul in Romans 8:1: "There is
now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
All of us have failed God at one time or another. And all of us have sinned after we became Christians. In fact God tells
us, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John.1:8).
OUR SALVATION IS GUARANTEED BY CHRIST
"...Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood..."(Rev.1:5).
Jesus keeps us in grace, we do not.
It is His blood our Father has accepted for all our sins.
His blood keeps us in fellowship as we confess our sins daily.
It is true the Holy Spirit will comfort, teach, and empower us for real service, but we still sin by virtue of our fallen
nature.
God is gracious to forgive us our sins as we confess them through Jesus Christ and our fellowship with Him continues.
SALVATION IS NEVER LOST.
God's eternal gift of everlasting life comes to us by the completed work of Christ.
We cannot fall from grace because He cannot.
He is the author and finisher of our faith.
And He will never leave us.
He cannot fail.
WHAT A SAVIOR WE HAVE IN JESUS!
WHAT A FATHER WE HAVE IN GOD!
GOD WILL WORK IN YOUR NATURAL WEAKNESS
2 Corinthians 12:9-11
"And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore
most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
SERVICE IN HIM
Count The Costs Phil. 3:7-8
At 29 I had no idea God was directing my life and one day would call me out to live as one of the homeless in America ,ministering
to bag ladies and "bums" of whom I was chief.
The hand of our Lord is upon us before the world was made.
Blood family, judges and lawyers of the highest positions, record companies and top musicians, friends of long standing, even
those in the work a day world I met treated me as a leper, a man who lost his marbles.
Rejection was not enough to lure me back. The Lord strengthened me. I fed 80 homeless a day from dumpster food I retrieved
behind fancy food markets. I delivered discarded bouquets of flowers to the bag ladies I sang praise songs to at 6 am walking
down the streets of glitter and scorn in downtown LA. They were my congregation.
Here was my training field. I learned the lessons of the Holy Spirit that in becoming nothing in the world, I became someone
God could use for His glory.
HIS WORD IN YOU
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him"(Col.3:16-17).
WALK IN THE LIGHT
"If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His
Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:6-7
LET US BE LOVERS OF HIM AND EACH OTHER
Dearly beloved in Christ our Lord. Let us show kindness, one to another, looking out for each other's welfare according to
His word, in a manner not unbecoming a saint of God.
Let us love each other in His love and show the lost the Spirit in the saved.
For we were bought with the precious blood of God our Savior.
Let us live then, mindful that, but for the grace of He who saved us, we too would be lost forever in the deadness of our
sins that so easily entrap us, that He has delivered us from, into a new and eternal life through Him.
EVERYTHING GOOD IN HIS LOVE
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding bronze,
or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though
I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing"
From 1 Cor. 13th Chapter Saint Paul
THAT DAY
Every time I see the sky, I see The Lord, His brush, His eye.
Every time I feel the earth, I sense The Lord, He stands beside.
The sea and mountains, oceans rage, a sun and moon in flight,
The hand of God, in truth I swoon, the grace of Him abides.
In streets of scorn, in children's cry, the in between of live and die,
In comfort pure, eternal life, He it is who'll end the fight.
In nations born, in pilgrims flight, I see the hand of Almighty might.
In war and peace does man remind that God is truth and we but strife.
Why is it that we come and go? we mourn, we try, forget and sigh?
Mortal now, one day we'll shout, "Praise the Lord" the day we rise.
Praise GOD all you saints and priests. You believed the gospel and were chosen by God The Father for His Son.
Your Father loves you and made you heirs of eternal life through the blessed Savior, Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is a good time to serve. God loves us as nobody loved us. We are nothing without His love.
If love is in our life's work for Him, we strive in perfection.
Reach out beyond the reality of this lost world and love somebody.
Tell them the truth about Jesus, the mighty Savior of the world .
In that, there is great love.
CONTEND FOR THE FAITH IN LOVE
Mt.5:43-48:
We express our love giving out the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not by warring.
In His love, refute the lies. Better we love them with His wisdom and truth and His heart of eternal love. "Forgive us our
sins as we forgive those who sin against us" .
And when they lie about Jesus feel sorrow, for they shall never see Him, but in darkness and fires they will dwell forever,
if they die in their sins.
Luke 6:27-32
Rom. 12:17-21
Like Steven, the first martyr of the church, full of The Spirit, who said, as the Jews were stoning him to death:
"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this he fell asleep"( Acts
7; see esp 7:54-60).
This is our time to love (Eccl.3:8). To be examples. (1 Tim. 1:5). Don't rejoice when an enemy falls( Prov.24:17-20; 25:21).
If we cannot war in love, only with distaste, better we stay home until we can.
JESUS, OUR HIGH PRIEST
Christ became our High Priest by His resurrection from the dead; He has eternal life. We come to God through Christ (Heb.7:24-28;
9:24; 1Jn.2:1).
We are to confess our sins to our Father through Him and live in the power of our new life, a life He gave us by His sacrifice
and resurrection (Heb.8:1-2).
By the Lord's daily intercession on our behalf, and the pleading of his blood, we can live our life here in His Spirit and,
one day soon, share in the rewards God has laid up for us in eternity. "Glory To The Lord"
I gratefully acknowledge the scholarship of many brethren that has benefited me
in this endeavor. May God bless this study and those He knows who helped me to organize it.
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