Once Saved Always Saved,

A Doctrine That Damns People To Hell

 

A Message To Those Who Keep On Sinning

    

"Should You Not Fear Me?" Declares The LORD.

 "Should You Not Tremble In My Presence?"

 - Jeremiah 5:22

    

     God is to be greatly feared. The gospel is not a soft, shallow thing. It is a solemn matter which has to do with time and eternity, life and death, eternal mercy and eternal judgment, salvation and damnation, Heaven and Hell.

     Jesus said to His friends (His disciples): "To you My friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you Whom to fear; fear Him who, after He has killed, has the power to cast into Hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him." - Luke 12:4-5

     If His disciples were already secure in Him why did Jesus give them this warning? I suppose you can assume that Jesus was just being polite when He used the term “My friends.” But Jesus was and always is, very careful with His choice of words. (In fact in John 15:14-15 Jesus reserves the term “friends” to those who are obedient and have been discipled extensively by Him.) Considering that Jesus, when He was on earth, taught and gave this warning to His original disciples face to face, how much more should we take this as a very serious warning from Jesus. For Jesus never speaks idle or inaccurate words.

     The “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrinal controversy has been around for a few hundred years now. I will not go into its history. That is not the intent of this booklet. The intent of this booklet is to make an appeal to you, who in the past, truly repented and received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but with time have now gone back into a sinful lifestyle.

     To those who are back into the mire of sin, I wish I could get across to you the extreme and eternal danger you are in. As I write this I am in tears about you and all the other people who are being damned to an eternity in Hell because of the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine. I realize you are currently in your sins because you don’t believe this way. But I hope you read all of this booklet before you pass judgment on what I have to say. Again the purpose here is not to win an argument but rather to help you understand and turn away from sin. Perhaps you have not thought about it much, but your sin (even your secret sins) has repercussions on those who have never known Christ -- especially your family and friends. They see your sinful life and so are kept out of God’s kingdom by your sin. Many of those people will be damned eternally in Hell because of your sinful life. If your life is to be light, but your light is darkness, how great is that darkness. (Mat 6:23)

 

     1.  The “Once Saved Always Saved” Doctrine Is Not Biblical

     In spite of very strong Scriptures against it, the claim of the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine is the belief that: “Once saved by an initial commitment to Jesus, a person can never lose their salvation regardless of how sinful they live after their initial commitment.” By looking carefully at the Bible, and if one believes the Scriptures one will be able to see that this belief is false.

     The words "Once Saved Always Saved" are not found in the Bible. Nor is there anything like them. In fact, there are many Scriptural passages that strongly oppose the “Once Saved Always Saved” concept. (Heb 10:26-31, 2 Pet 2:20-21, Eze 18:24-32, Eze 33:12-13, John 15:6, Rev 3:5, Exo 32:30-31, Gen 3:1-6, 1 John 2:3-4, 1 John 3:7-8, 1 John 3:10, Luke 15:11-32, Luke 12:42-46, Titus 1:16, and many others.)

     I also realize there are many Scriptures that provide an assurance of salvation for those who are IN Christ Jesus. These Scriptures are also true and to be believed and cherished. Now, I hope you notice how I capitalized the word IN. For it is only those who remain IN Christ Jesus that are provided the assurance of salvation. As I will later explain, those who lose their salvation, lose it because, by their deliberate sinful lifestyle, they have separated themselves from Jesus and so can no longer be considered to be IN Christ Jesus anymore. Jesus Himself says in John 15:6 that, “If anyone does not remain IN Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” Please notice here that Jesus is referring to branches that did not REMAIN IN Him and so the branches are referring to true believers that were once IN Him but who later separated from Jesus. Remember sin always separates you from God. Ever since Adam and Eve we know this. Sin indeed separates you from God. All of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation reveals this. Isaiah 59:2 expresses this very thing:

     “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”( Isaiah 59:2)

     Notice also 1 John 2:5b-6 which states that: “This is how we know we are IN Him: Whoever claims to live IN Him must walk as Jesus did.” and 1 John 3:24a, “Those who obey His commands live IN Him, and He IN them.” Notice also 1 John 3:10, which states that: “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God.”

     In other words, according to the Bible, you cannot be considered to be IN Christ Jesus or a child of God if you are being disobedient and are living in a deliberate sinful lifestyle. “Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God.”(1 John 3:10b)

     With this in mind, I pray that those who believe the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine will completely and carefully read this booklet with an open heart and an open mind. Above all, I urge every reader to check and truly believe each Scripture presented as written – and then check the context that the Scriptures are quoted in by prayerfully reading at least ten verses before and ten verses after. And please pray to God to open your eyes to see the truth about this subject. The consequences to getting this wrong are eternal. I realize that if you are in sin, that your flesh will not want to pray -- for you know in your heart that you are guilty. Ask the Lord to show you the vileness and ugliness of your sins. Ask Him to impart the fear of God into your heart.

     In spite of your sins, God wants you back but He cannot accept you back unless you repent (renounce and stop your sinning). If you repent, God the Father will happily and joyfully accept you back just like the story of the prodigal son. But you must repent. Remember in the prodigal son story the father was waiting patiently and compassionately for his son to return back. I am sure he probably looked out several times a day to see if his son was returning. That is why he saw his son returning even when his son was far off. Oh, how God the Father loves you and desires so greatly for you to return to Him. Why continue to hurt Him so? Please come back to Him with all your heart. If you really want to turn away from all your sins and come back to the Father please read all this booklet with a believing heart.

     I have prayed and prayed as I was writing this booklet that every word and phrase be inspired from the Holy Spirit. The whole intention of this is so that you are reconciled back to the Father and you will be blessed again with the joy of His salvation. The same joy you felt when you first came to Christ. If you believe, you will be able to repent and overcome all sin and then you will truly have an assurance in your heart because you will truly sense God’s presence in your life again. Remember, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”(Mat 5:8) I know sin has had a very destructive way in you with respect to your walk with God. You don’t sense Him any more. You don’t have His presence anymore. The reason is, because your sin has separated you from your God (Isa 59:2) Your sin has grieved the Holy Spirit. I know the Holy Spirit has spoken to you, telling you: “I love you, return back to Me, as My child. Let go of your sins.” His voice is so soft. He will not force you to repent, for He has given you a free will.

 

     2.  Message To Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, And Teachers

     Eventhough this subject may seem to be a subject to be avoided (because of its controversial nature), it is vitally essential that the truth about this be dealt with earnestly and seriously. Why? Because precious eternal souls are hanging in the balance. If people believe and live by a false doctrine concerning salvation or its possible loss, they could end up in a Hell full of fire, brimstone and torments.

     To those apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers that would rather avoid this subject altogether, consider 1 Timothy 4:16 which states that: “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” Also recall what the Lord said through Paul (2 Cor 10:5), let us “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Even if the leaders of the true body of Christ avoid this subject because of the fear of controversy (which is really just the fear of man), the demons of deception will not let up on their deception of scores of believers.

     Even though many pastors and teachers know in their hearts that the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine is not right they avoid preaching against it in the name of unity. They don’t want to offend other leaders in the church that (incorrectly) believe in the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine. But you must realize there is no real unity unless the unity is with Jesus and the truth. Unity apart from Jesus and His Word is called rebellion. For example, when Jesus was on earth, those sitting in the seat of Moses -- the Pharisees and the experts of the law -- were all in unity against Jesus. So we see that unity for unity’s sake is dangerous and in fact detestable if it is not unity with and in Jesus. (Remember also the unity that man tried to accomplish, separate from God, in the tower of Babel.)

     The type of unity that God wants us to embrace is one where we all believe and obey Jesus, and lovingly teach the truth of God’s Word. And remember presenting a warning should always be done because of love for those in danger. If you truly love those who are backslidden you will warn them in accordance with God’s Word.

     Some brothers and sisters in the Lord may disagree with you greatly, but you must not forsake the truth of God’s Word. This is not to say that one should name names and publicly condemn others who disagree with the truth as you have learned it. Rather as a good and faithful ambassador of Christ, present the truth that Jesus has taught you without malice or rancor. People may oppose you, but be faithful to Jesus. In the end, many of those who oppose you will be won over because of your obedience and faithfulness to Christ.

     Of more immediate urgency, is the destruction that the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine has had on weak believers -- causing them to fall and keeping them separated from Christ. This is the most urgent reason, that as a leader, you must warn and correct God’s people about the falseness of the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine and about the eternal destructiveness of sin.

     To see how destructive this doctrine really is, reflect on the following testimony a concerned mother had about the devastation that the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine is having on her four oldest children,

     “When I first came to the Lord 30 years ago, we got into an independent Baptist Church which, of course, taught eternal security [Once Saved Always Saved]. Now my four oldest children believe it doesn't matter how they live. They seem to find no problem in drunkenness and fornication, etc. My eldest daughter, 31, tells me that I cannot be telling them or anyone they are doing wrong because I'm not to judge. I do know I am to warn and how can a loving, caring parent not want to warn the off-spring of the dangerous lives I see them living?” [ Testimony From: Evangelical Outreach (http://come.to/the.gospel), P.O. Box 265, Washington, PA 15301 ]

     Her four oldest children are only four of multitudes that have been spiritually hurt, and even eternally damned, by the venomous teaching of the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine. There is extreme, eternal harm in this doctrine. This is not about arguing fine points of theology. Real people are going to the real hell as a direct result of this deceptive doctrine. Truly, this teaching needs to be openly refuted as never before. Please pray for these deceived ones to repent before it's too late.

     According to Ezekiel 3:17-20 the Lord will hold us (leaders and lay people alike) accountable for the blood of those fallen believers that we had opportunity to warn but didn’t. Because of this, to the leaders of the church I submit the following Biblical command from the Lord:

     “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me...When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: BECAUSE THOU HAST NOT GIVEN HIM WARNING, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; BUT HIS BLOOD I WILL REQUIRE AT THINE HAND.” (Ezekiel 3:17,20  KJV)

     Dear leaders of the church, I am only an unknown lay person. I don’t have as much influence as you do among believers. I not only urge you, but I beg you, for the sake of our weak and prodigal brothers and sisters, that you please study and pray and fast concerning this subject until you get a revelation and impartation from the Holy Spirit concerning this subject. After this if the Lord directs you to devote yourself to preaching the truth about this subject recognize that satan will attack you even through those believers around you. Remember how even Peter, the Lord’s chosen apostle, tried to dissuade Jesus from the sacrifice that the Father had willed for Him.

     It is guaranteed that you will suffer reproach. As 1 Tim 4:10 (KJV) says “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God.” When you earnestly start trusting in God’s Word alone and not those prevailing doctrines that are not based on the full counsel of God’s Word, then you can expect a great deal of opposition. And the opposition will come from people and leaders inside the church. Even some of your closest friends and family will end up opposing you. When this happens (there is no if about it, it will happen) don’t fall into hate, resentment, bitterness, etc. with them. Rather pray and love and teach the truth -- don’t succumb to the fear of man. This will be a hard but worthwhile road. And if the Lord directs you to do it, you will end up saving “both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Tim 4:16)

 

     3.  Doubting God’s Word Is Fatal To The Soul

     It was a lack of faith that was the first step that Eve took when she decided to doubt God and then, thereafter, disobey Him by eating of the forbidden fruit. Recall that satan told Eve that she would not die if she ate of the fruit, whereas God told her she would die. Notice that Eve chose to doubt God’s explicit Word and instead chose to believe satan. Let us read what God told Adam and Eve:

     Genesis 2:15-17   “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’ 

     Please take very special note of the phrase that God gave Adam, “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Take careful notice that the word “die” meant spiritual death and not only physical death (which also was part of the warning but not the primary part). Although it’s true that part of the consequence of Adam and Eve’s disobedience was their physical death the more serious consequence was their spiritual death which caused a separation between God and Adam and Eve, and all of mankind thereafter.

     Let us now read where satan (the serpent) enters in to deceive Eve:

     Genesis 3:1-6  “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, `You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ " The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " “You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”

     The fall of all mankind (all of the sins, crimes, wickedness, murders, adulteries, immorality, violence, and all forms of evil) are a result of the sin of unbelief leading to disobedience that Adam and Eve committed against God. Again, with regard to the death that God mentioned, this death was about their spiritual death. Which in time had consequences on the physical body in the form of physical death.

     As you can see, satan’s trickery worked on Eve for basically three reasons:

(1) Eve was disposed to accept satan’s lie by the lust of her eyes “When the woman saw the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye”,

(2) She was seeking to depend on her own mind instead of faith in God’s Word, “desirable for gaining wisdom,”and

(3) Satan was able to convince Eve that she would not surely die if she ate of the tree, “‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman.”

     It is uncanny how satan’s trickery of Eve resembles the current “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine. Through the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine, satan has been able to convince many of God’s people that: “You will not surely die if you indulge your sin”,  or “As a ‘believer’ you will not surely lose your salvation if you live a sinful life.”

     I certainly hope you see the parallel. The same tactics that satan used to deceive Eve toward sin is the same that he is using on Christians today in the form of the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine. Satan told Eve, in so many words, “God is easy -- he won’t punish you for disobeying. You can eat the fruit and indulge your lust. You won’t have to pay for it!”

     That was a deadly lie from Hell. And satan is using the same lie on Christians today to advance greater and greater lawlessness even among professing believers. Day after day, he’s convincing multitudes of believers that they can indulge their sins without paying any great penalty -- if any. It’s a demonic scheme to pervert Christ’s gospel of grace, turning it into a license for immorality. The situation is precisely just as Jude 1:4 says, “They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” (Jude 1:4)

     Tragically today, many who profess to follow Christ, but who love to sin, are using the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine as a license to sin. How can we deny this? I am sure you have seen or heard about believers backsliding and committing adultery and staying in that situation (not repenting), or those who persist in sleeping around and even living with their girlfriends or boyfriends. And the worst part about it is that those who do such things still think they are in good standing with Jesus. And all because they have been led to believe that there was no way they could lose their salvation even when Scripture after Scripture tells them they are not in good standing with Jesus under such a life of sin.  (Heb 10:26-31, 2 Pet 2:20-21, Eze 18:24-32, Eze 33:12-13, John 15:6, Rev 3:5, Exo 32:30-31, Gen 3:1-6, Jude 1:4-5, 1 John 2:3-4, 1 John 3:7-8, 1 John 3:10, Luke 15:11-32, Luke 12:42-46, Titus 1:16, and many others.)

     Jude 1:4 describes the situation perfectly. The Lord has given us Scripture after Scripture warning us against falling away because of sin. We very well know that people use the “Once Saved Always Saved” as a license for immorality but we still refuse to believe that Jude 1:4 and the other Scriptures about falling away are talking about loss of salvation. What will it take for us to believe God’s Word as written?

     The following testimony, given by a Vietnam veteran, reveals how deceptive and destructive the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine really is.

     [ The person giving this testimony explicitly mentioned the name of the “Once Saved Always Saved” teacher. I changed the teacher’s name to CTA -- not his real initials.  (I won’t mention his name because at some point I hope he realizes his folly and turns to the real truth of God’s Word.) Before getting into the testimony I want to mention a few things about CTA. Although there are several “Once Saved Always Saved” proponents, CTA is one of its key and most popular teachers. He is a well known radio and television teacher. If I mentioned his name you would probably immediately recognize his name. He has a very wide audience and is a very well known leader in a main line Christian denomination. This particular teacher has, for the most part, many correct biblical teachings (that is why he attracts such a large following). But the one area that he is definitely dead wrong on is in his doctrine of “Once Saved Always Saved.” Because of his popularity and his otherwise respected position he is causing tremendous harm in the Christian community. Because of his teachings millions are going to be damned to Hell. Even though he may not realize it now, CTA will have the blood of millions on his hands and he will regret promoting the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine for eternity. I will restrict most of the exposition here to the “Once Saved Always Saved” teachings of CTA -- because his teachings accurately represents the whole of the “Once Saved Always Saved” camp. The other teachers of this false doctrine seem, for the most part, to fall in with CTA’s view. ]

 

Testimony by Vietnam veteran:

“I have never believed in the eternal security [Once Saved Always Saved] doctrine that is being taught today .... I think it is one of the most dangerous doctrines on earth .... I am a Vietnam vet and believe me when I say that I lived life to the fullest and was a firm believer in the saying ‘If it feels good, do it,’ but when Jesus came in, all that other stuff (sin) had to go .... I cannot understand how people can say they are saved and still do the things they used to do. I couldn't, nor wanted to .... I do believe you are wasting your time trying to explain your position to eternal security believers .... their desire and lust for the things of this world has hardened their hearts to the truth. They really do believe that they can have it both ways -- righteousness and sin.

     I give this example. I have a friend at work who is a 100% believer in [CTA’s] teaching .... he also loaned me a copy of [CTA’s] book, which I read and after reading it, am totally convinced that he is wrong .... As I stated earlier, I think this doctrine is extremely dangerous. This friend of mine is married, one son, another child on the way and a girlfriend on the side that he sees several times a week. He smokes, drinks and curses. He is also one of the largest drug users and dealers in our area. This guy is always telling me that he is ready to go. Ready to meet the Lord. He even tries to witness to other people whenever he doesn't have a drug deal or a party or a girlfriend to go to. I have seen first-hand the damage that this person is doing and it sickens me .... All of this because of the eternal security doctrine .... It doesn't matter what I say or what Scriptures I give him. He thinks he's OK .... These people love the world too much to listen to reason.” [ Testimony From: Evangelical Outreach (http://come.to/the.gospel), P.O. Box 265, Washington, PA 15301 ]

     Tragically, many who came to know Christ -- who at one time lived a righteous life -- are succumbing to this spirit of lawlessness. They have been ensnared by this deception of satan. They have been convinced by satan’s subtle but powerful lie -- that “God doesn’t punish for sin!”

     In 2 Thes 2:9-10 Paul says deception and deceivers will rise to power because people will be blinded and deceived by their own sin: “and with all deceivablenesss of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thes 2:9-10). I realize this particular verse applies to non-believers but the same principles apply to believers. When it comes to sin, God doesn’t have a double standard -- one for non-believers and another for believers. If anything God has a higher standard for believers.

     The apostle is saying, “Those who refuse to obey or respect God’s Word will fall under a powerful delusion. At first they’ll wink at their sin. They’ll justify it. But soon they’ll actively seek out a message of easy grace. They’ll invent grace that is far beyond what God intended. His grace never leads to license. It always leads to repentance!”

     Many, even professing believers are under the seductive power of a satanic lie. The demonic lie that is blanketing them is a false assurance. It’s the idea that they can do whatever they please with no fear of consequences. How can anyone say they are desiring and following Jesus and desiring and following sin at the same time?

     It is astounding to contemplate but there are scores of professing believers who are involved in immoral relationships, sleeping with their girlfriends or boyfriends and thinking very little of how or whether it is breaking God’s heart. Many others are carelessly destroying their lives and their family’s lives through drugs and alcohol. People of all ages who profess Christ (and truly came to Christ at one time) are now treating God’s laws casually, thinking, “What I’m doing must be okay, because I’m getting away with it.”

     Paul warns, “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from truth, and shall be turned unto fables [lies].” (2 Tim 4:3-4)

     Who are these deceived people that Paul is talking about? They are deceived Christians! Paul wrote this letter to the Thessalonian church -- to born-again believers! He was addressing people who had truly received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and had known God’s truth. Yet they went back into their lusts -- and now they sought out heresies that would comfort them in their sins! Those in bondage to their lustful pleasures, turned to false teachers and false doctrine to try to find peace. They ended up accepting “damnable heresies.. and many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” (2 Pet 2:1-2) And notice in this last verse that the ones promoting those “damnable heresies” were professing Christians! That is why Peter said, “by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”

     All of Paul’s messages on backsliding and deception were aimed at compromisers in the Christian community. They weren’t meant for the idolaters of Rome, the heathen of Greece, or the pagan tribes in remote places. Paul’s message was one of urgent importance to the church -- and he wrote it to be read in churches, directly to believers!

     In addition to Paul’s messages about backsliding all of the book of 2 Peter, all of the book of 1 John, and all of the book of Jude are warnings about backsliding into sin. In 2 Peter 1:10, Peter tells us, “be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.” In 1 John 2:1, John explains that, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.” In Jude 1:3-4, Jude felt it urgent to tell us, “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” Notice very carefully that all these books were addressed to believers -- to the elect, to God’s dear children, to the saints -- and they were all warning us against backsliding and falling away back into a sinful life-style.

     I hope you are starting to understand that doubting God’s word about the consequences of sin is most definitely fatal to the soul. How could it be a just thing that God would send a lost sinner, who never knew Christ, to Hell for eternity for his sins, and not send someone who came to know Jesus but went back to sinning in the same detestable way as the lost sinner? Do you really think God has a double standard? That sinning is not acceptable for the non-believer, but it is allowable for God’s people? That those who are supposed to be righteous can get away with a sinful lifestyle, but that the non-believer cannot? Is this not calling evil good, and good evil? Is this not calling bitter sweet, and sweet bitter?

     Paul addressing believers states: “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done.’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil ... FOR GOD DOES NOT SHOW FAVORITISM.” (Rom 2:5-11)

     I realize the Blood of Jesus covers us when we truly repent and live the Christian life genuinely from the heart. This is why Paul said in Rom 2:7 that, “those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life.” Believe me, I know that it is only by being covered with the Blood of Jesus that anyone will go to heaven (Eph 1:7). But as will be described later, there are very strong Scriptures that tell us that THE BLOOD OF JESUS DOES NOT COVER SOMEONE WHEN HE PERSISTS IN AND DELIBERATELY KEEPS ON SINNING. (Heb 10:26-31, 2 Pet 2:20-21, Jude 1:4-5, Rom 11:17-22, etc.) I realize that this is something we do not hear much, if at all, from the pulpit. But it is extremely vital that you believe God’s Word about this. It really can mean the difference between you or someone you know going to Heaven or going to Hell. Sin always destroys. And when you deliberately keep on sinning you are in danger of Hell (Heb 10:26-31).

     The reason Eve disobeyed God is because she chose to DOUBT AND NOT BELIEVE God. God told her -- you shall surely die if you eat from the tree of good and evil. Instead, Eve chose to believe Satan's lie which was that she would not die if she ate from the tree of good and evil.

     As Genesis 3:1 shows, satan can be very crafty. And we must always be on guard against his schemes and deceptions. That is why Jesus instructed us to “be as shrewd as serpents, but as innocent as doves.” (Mat 10:16)

     It is also instructive to understand why Eve was disposed to doubt God’s Word -- because of the lust of the eyes. The enticement of sin and doubt work very much together. This is the situation for those who love their sin and feel they can get away with it, and not lose their salvation, because they have been led to believe that “Once Saved Always Saved.” Can’t you see how the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine is a direct attack against God’s Word -- casting doubt on God’s first warning to man that “If you eat of it [sin] you will surely die” ? And can’t you see that any doctrine that leads to doubt of God’s warnings is not of God? And can’t you see that through doubt of God’s warnings the way is made clear for someone who wants to sin to go ahead and indulge their lust? Can’t you see that the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine truly is a license to sin? And lastly can’t you see that any doctrine that gives a license to sin cannot possibly be a correct and godly doctrine? Do you really think that God would put forth a doctrine that encourages evil?

     Those who don’t seek to live in sin may end up believing the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine because they try to depend on their own fallible human minds “human wisdom” instead of the Holy Spirit and all of God’s Word together, to make sense of God’s assurance of salvation Scriptures. For they make the mistake of forsaking, that is doubting or practically rejecting (for all intents and purposes), those Scriptures that warn believers about falling away because of sin. (Heb 10:26-31, 2 Pet 2:20-21, Rev 3:5, Exo 32:30-31, Gen 3:1-6, Eze 18:24-32, Eze 33:12-13, John 15:6, 1 John 2:3-4, 1 John 3:7-8, 1 John 3:10, Luke 15:11-32, Luke 12:42-46, Titus 1:16, and many others.)

     As you can see, in the fall of Adam and Eve, man first destroyed His relationship with God through a lack of faith. In contrast, it is now through faith that man regains and remains IN relationship with God. With this, it is now very understandable why God puts such a premium on faith -- not just for your initial salvation but throughout all your life. If you believe God -- which means believing His Word -- then you will subsequently obey Him. If you doubt God then you will, at some point, disobey Him. In other words, if you choose to doubt God then you will get ensnared with the lies and deceptive power of the enemy.

     Take as another example, the people in the city of Nineveh repenting at the preaching of Jonah. They repented because they believed God’s warning. Let us read,

     Jonah 3:4-10  “On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.’

     THE NINEVITES BELIEVED GOD. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: ‘By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.’

     When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.”

     I wish I could write the four words in Jonah 3:5a in 100 foot letters: THE NINEVITES BELIEVED GOD! The Ninevites repented because they believed God!

     But let’s say that the people in Nineveh had decided NOT to believe Jonah. What if they had said to themselves, “The Lord will not destroy us. We’ve been carrying on this way for scores and scores of years. God will not destroy us. He is too good to destroy us.” What do you think would have happened? Almighty God most definitely would have destroyed them.

     But the Ninevites did believe God. And because they believed God they subsequently obeyed Him and acted in the way that pleased God. Hence we see the truth of Heb 11:6 which says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” From this we see that faith and obedience to God is very much intertwined.

     Why am I making such a big point about having faith in God’s Word? The reason is because the Scriptures that I will be presenting in the rest of this booklet will involve passages that you probably have either “breezed over” too quickly in the past to properly and fully understand, or that have been “explained away” and so practically rejected (for all intents and purposes) by those who promote the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine.

     It is extremely and vitally important that you do not reject the Scriptures that warn of the dangers of falling away. All Scripture is to be believed and not to be ignored, taken lightly, or doubted. For it may be that those scriptures you ignore or doubt (or drop because other Scriptures, that you prefer, seem to contradict it) can make the difference between salvation and damnation. Those Scriptures indeed can make the difference between Heaven and Hell -- either for you or someone you know. Because of this it is vital that any interpretation of Scripture must adhere to all the relevant Scriptures and not just those parts you prefer.

     On the other edge of the sword (and remember it is the same sword), the assurance of salvation Scriptures are also very valuable and are to be believed as written and as they are intended. Many times people fall into sin, accept defeat, feel like they are powerless to overcome it, and don’t believe that God will or has forgiven them when they validly repent. Others feel that even when they genuinely confess and repent of their sins, God will not forgive them until they perform some kind of penance or something to make up for their past sin. The Lord knowing this has included both type of Scriptures, as well as others such as forgiveness Scriptures (for example 1 John 1:9).

     Remember, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16) The point here is to believe all of God’s Word -- especially those Scriptures you don’t prefer. In fact it is probably those scriptures that you don’t prefer that you are most susceptible to deception and error. It is not wise to ignore or reject any Scripture.

     We must approach God's Word with an intention to believe fully and obey fully -- without ignoring any Scriptures relevant to the case at hand.  For spiritual truth cannot be worked out soley or even primarily through mental means. It must be worked out with faith in all of God’s Word, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and in actual practice. (You obtain the assistance of the Holy Spirit by praying earnestly for understanding of Scripture and with a true willingness to obey it.) This is the only way to a right understanding of God's Word -- especially those Scriptures that seemingly contradict each other. This principle is in accordance with our Lord's teaching in John 7:17 where He said, "if any man does His will, he shall know of the doctrine." The essence of our Lord's word here is that understanding follows obedience.

     Therefore, when it comes to spiritual truth, the goal is to walk it out in faith rather than to just figure it out. When we do walk it out in faith, the understanding part of it will amazingly take care of itself. (This is not to suggest that the study of Scripture ought to be abandoned. Rather, I'm specifically addressing the proper motive and attitude by which we are to approach our study of the Scriptures.) The Scriptures are given to us to be fully believed and fully obeyed, so that we can “be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17).

     With this in mind let us look at how destructive and fatal, unbelief and doubt of God’s Word can be.

     Jude 1:4-5   “For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered His people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.”

     As you know, deliverance out of Egypt is symbolic for deliverance out of the evil world system into the Kingdom of God. In Jude 1:5 God saved the people. Then they believed not or entered into unbelief so He had to destroy them! God destroyed those who did not believe Him after He had saved them! “the Lord delivered His people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.” (Jude 1:5)

     Here in Jude 1:4-5 we have such a perfect description of the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine. It has changed the grace of God into a license for immorality. It denies Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord by (for all intents and purposes) permitting disobedience without much penalty -- thereby denying Christ’s Lordship.

     And what is the ultimate consequence of such immorality and unbelief? According to Jude 1:5 it is DESTRUCTION! (“but later DESTROYED those who did not believe”) The type of destruction described in 2 Thes 1:8-9 whereby “He will punish those who ... DO NOT OBEY THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS. They will be punished with everlasting DESTRUCTION [Hell] and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power.” The destruction being talked about in Jude 1:4-5 and 2 Thes 1:8-9 is everlasting Hell! And notice that this is being promised for those who “do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” -- for those who persist in their sinful ways. And notice Jude 1:4-5 is referring to those who at one time believed (remember they applied the Blood to their doorposts) -- having once escaped the corruption of the world. This Scripture is much too clear for us to avoid this truth.

     And notice here that the key means through which God’s people went back into sin was because of unbelief. They didn’t believe that God would destroy them for their sin.

     I urge you with all my heart and soul that you please believe God’s warning about sin. When God says “you will surely die and suffer everlasting destruction if you continue in sin.” Believe Him! The Lord never, ever gives idle warnings. He always means precisely what He says, and He will most certainly do precisely what He says.

     Don’t count on the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine -- which is a man made doctrine -- to save you. The teachers who promote “Once Saved Always Saved” are not going to be there with you on the day you stand before God face-to-face on the day of judgment. Don’t risk your eternal life on a doctrine that gives license to what God detests. God has never given anyone license to sin and to do evil. God hates sin with a passion. There is no way that He will allow any unclean thing or person into His Kingdom. “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.” (Rev 21:27) And as Paul said TO BELIEVERS in Rom 11:20b-21, “Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either.” Meaning that if you persist in your unbelief against God’s Word and warning, by deliberately continuing in your sins, your name will be stricken out of the Lamb’s book of life, as Rev 3:5 and Exo. 32:33-34 shows. (Section 7 of this booklet discusses who will be erased from the Lamb’s book of life more at length.) I realize this all sounds very severe but God’s Word cannot be broken. The Lord truly means what He states in His Word. And He gives you these warnings so that you can come to your senses and come back to Him with all your heart.

     Jesus will graciously and lovingly forgive if you truly repent. But if you don’t repent He cannot forgive you. God is perfectly and eternally Holy and He will never, ever accept evil into His Kingdom. For if God were to accept evil that would mean that He Himself would be evil. And you know with all your heart and being that God is perfect and good without even a hint of darkness. “For God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

 

     4. The Fear Of The Lord

     As mentioned briefly in the beginning of this booklet in John 15:14-15 Jesus explained that His “friends” (His disciples) were those who did what He commanded, knew his master’s business, and those to whom He made known everything that He Himself had learned from His Father. “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:14-15)

     Now notice very carefully, the solemn warning that Jesus gave to His friends -- His disciples.

     Luke 12:4-5  “To you My friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you Whom to fear; fear Him who, after He has killed, has the power to cast into Hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him.

     Now if Jesus gave this warning to His original disciples face-to-face, of how much greater is the warning toward us? This is one area in our walk with the Lord where we have all but ignored or disregarded the dangers and consequences involved in not fearing God and taking His commandments and warnings so lightly.

     For example in Acts 5:1-11, Ananias and Sapphira, did not have the fear of the Lord in their heart and because of this they figured they could lie before the Lord and get away with it. But they were stricken down. And notice this, Ananias and Sapphira were giving offerings at a much higher rate than almost all modern day Christians. They only held back part of the land they sold. In today’s standard it was probably some thing like a $200,000 plot of land and where they held back about 25% for example, making the gift to be about $150,000 -- which would have been a generous gift, if it had been done with integrity. In addition, they were most likely (relative to the world) law abiding and seemingly decent people. However, Ananias and Sapphira were stricken down for their hypocrisy -- for pretending to give all the price of the land they sold. And notice this, their death at God’s hand had a chilling effect on the rest of the church for it says in Acts 5:11, “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.” No doubt, many in the church at the time learned a very valuable lesson about God’s severe judgment against sin. Make no mistake about it, GOD WILL JUDGE SIN! 

     In the absolute sense, Ananias and Sapphira’s sin was mild compared to today’s professing Christian who indulges in sinful ways. If Ananias and Sapphira’s sin deserved such stern judgment how much more do those who deliberately indulge in a sinful lifestyle. If you are living a life of sin I would very much be afraid of God’s judgment. You may not sense the danger now but when you die and you are present before the Lord your sinful ways will be revealed even to your own mind in full clarity of its wickedness. I know these seem like hard words but sin is so deceptive and clouds and deadens your sensitivity to sin, that very direct words have to be used. And I would be exceedingly grateful to the Lord for His life preserving rebuke and warning. For a warning ahead of judgment is an exceedingly merciful offer on God’s part. But you must take it to heart and truly repent, otherwise the only thing left is “a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire [Hell] that will consume the enemies of God.” (Heb 10:27)

     Professing Christians, who are living in sin, are not that much different from Ananias and Sapphira. They truly do not fear God. They truly do not believe in their heart that God will send them to Hell for living in a sinful lifestyle. Ever since Adam and Eve, God has told us many times, over and over again, through His Word and through examples of judgment, “If you eat of it [evil] you will surely die.” (Gen 2:15-17)

     I hope you realize that the Lord truly keeps His Word -- whether it is a promised blessing or a promised judgment. If God says: “If you confess and repent from your sins and turn to Me, I will be merciful and forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.” (He does say this in 1 John 1:9.) And if you truly repent, Father God will most definitely keep His Word. In fact it is the greatest desire in His heart to show mercy to one who repents. He will forgive you, and cleanse you, and shower you with His blessings -- for He loves you greatly, to an extent much greater than anyone else can ever love you.

     But the Lord has also given us a very serious and eternal warning. For Almighty God also says: “If you don’t repent but rather you persist in your sins then I will come at a time you do not expect and assign you a place with the unbelievers -- in Hell.” (He does say this in Luke 12:42-46.) And if you don’t repent, then this is precisely what is going to happen to you. Remember God cannot lie. The Lord truly means what He says. Of course, if it does come to that, He will take absolutely no pleasure in bringing judgment upon you -- but out of justice and righteousness He has to do so. Your sin will force His hand against you. If you refuse to repent, it will pain and grieve Him greatly to have to destroy you, but He will have to render justice. For He is a just and Holy God.

     “But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.’ ” (Luke 12:45-46)

     Let us look at another example, in Leviticus 10, of the dangers of not fearing God. Before reading this let me explain that Nadab and Abihu were Aaron’s sons and so Moses’ nephews. You can be sure that both Moses and Aaron gave them careful instructions on how the sacrifices were to be offered to the Lord. They were carefully trained and given much attention and good examples both on how to live right and how to properly present the offerings to the Lord. Since Moses and Aaron saw the fearful judgments that the Lord brought on the Egyptians and the rebellious people of Israel, they most definitely made sure (as much as they were able) to warn Aaron’s sons about fearing God and about seriously respecting every detail and command of the Lord. From all this we can reasonably assume that Aaron’s sons avoided the obvious detestable practices of the worldy Egyptians or the rebellious in Israel. Otherwise neither Moses or Aaron would have let them make the offering to the Lord. In spite of all their precautions, neither Moses nor Aaron knew everything that was in the heart of Aaron’s sons. Relative to common human standards they were probably good boys, but they lacked a very necessary attribute for anyone who would be in the presence of the Lord -- the Fear of God. Let us now read Leviticus 10, beginning in verse 1:

     "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their censers and put fire therein and put incense thereon and offered strange fire before the Lord which He had commanded them not [to do]. There went out fire from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.

      Then Moses said unto Aaron, 'This is it which the Lord spake' -- I will be sanctified in them that come near Me; and before all the people, I will be glorified.’  And Aaron held his peace." ( Lev 10:1-3)

     This was a very shocking thing! Aaron had to watch, apparently, as his two sons were killed instantly. Probably by two flashes of intense fire! It came flaring out of nowhere and with an intensity and heat that it consumed all their flesh and maybe turned them into cinders, I don't know.

     But this happened because they disrespected God -- they did not fear Him. They profaned His holy name by failing to carry out their responsibilities in the attitude and the manner He had prescribed. And I want to point out, that it didn't matter that they were Aaron's sons, or Moses' nephews. There is no respecter of persons with God. There is no partiality in His judgment. That quick, they lost their lives. What mattered was that they didn't fear God enough to give Him the honor that He deserves. God's justice struck out to leave a witness for all time. Indeed as Heb 10:31 says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

     Let's drop down here in Leviticus 10, and go to verses 6 and 7:

     "And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, 'Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes, lest you die, and lest wrath come upon all the people; but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled. And you shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.' And they did according to the word of Moses." (Lev 10:6-7)

     Do you know what Moses did here? He cautioned Aaron and his two remaining sons to not even mourn. Do you know why? Lest they give the impression of further disrespect by showing a questioning of God's judgment in seeking pity from God's people.

     I'll tell you, Moses understood a thing or two!

     "Don't you dare even weep because if you weep that will be taken by God as a sign that you don't agree with what He did.”

     That's pretty stern isn't it? How would you feel if it were your two sons who were burned alive? That's the side of our God that we don't like to deal with! He's showing us a side of Him so that we will understand that this fear of the Lord runs the gamut all the way from shear terror, to a loving, wonderful, reverential awe of Him! It includes the whole gamut because we need the whole gamut because otherwise we fall into sin! We don't even understand ourselves very well. And this is precisely the reason we need to have a real genuine fear of God in our hearts -- so that we will not sin. As Proverb 16:6 states “the fear of the Lord makes men turn from evil.”

     When we see God’s judgment in its full sternness our human minds are taken aback. We just don’t like to believe that His judgments are real. But they truly are real -- and they are eternal. The only reason we don’t see many of them in this life is because God is so tremendously patient, not wanting anyone to perish. But make no mistake about it, when the time for judgment comes, the Lord will judge with righteousness and justice, and without partiality to anyone. For “righteousness and justice is the foundation of His throne” (Psalm 97:2, also Psalm 89:14).

     People have the mistaken notion that God’s judgments are controlled by His emotions. Although the Lord is greatly pained and grieved when He has to judge, you must come to understand that the Lord judges according to righteousness and justice -- in accordance to His unbreakable Word. This is exactly the reason why you must believe God’s warnings about sin -- not as men want it to be, but strictly in accordance to what God actually states in His Word. For God cannot break His Word. He simply cannot violate His Word.

     Let us now look at the greatest earthly judgment in recorded history -- the flood in Noah’s time. Let us read,

     Genesis 6:1-8  “When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."

     The Nephilim were on the earth in those days -- and also afterward -- when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

     The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

     The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth -- men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air -- for I am grieved that I have made them."

     But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”

     In contrast to the rest of humanity, Noah followed after God. In Genesis 6:9 we are told, “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with Him.” (New Living Version).

     As you know the Lord instructed Noah to build the ark. It took Noah many years to construct the ark. No doubt many around thought he was crazy but, “Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.” (Gen 6:22) Then the flood came.

     Genesis 7:17-24   “For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet. EVERY LIVING THING THAT MOVED ON THE EARTH PERISHED -- BIRDS, LIVESTOCK, WILD ANIMALS, ALL THE CREATURES THAT SWARM OVER THE EARTH, AND ALL MANKIND. Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. EVERY LIVING THING ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH WAS WIPED OUT -- MEN AND ANIMALS AND THE CREATURES THAT MOVE ALONG THE GROUND AND THE BIRDS OF THE AIR WERE WIPED FROM THE EARTH. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.”

     When I think about the total destruction that God had to bring upon man in the flood I become terribly afraid of God’s awesome judgment. Every time I contemplate the total destruction that God brought on all mankind in the flood I feel queasy and nauseous and my heart feels weak. I realize how sinful and evil we (mankind) are before God and how justified God truly would be if He so chose to destroy all of us for our rebellious sinful ways. But God keeps on giving us chances to repent and turn back to Him. But there does come a time where He stops contending with rebellious man and then His judgment comes -- swiftly and surely. Almighty God did not give us an empty warning when He told us, “If you eat of it [evil] you will surely die.”

     God’s judgments are very real and He truly should be greatly feared. Those who don’t fear God are the ones who are the most in danger. They are the ones who fall into sin so casually.

     I now desire to ask a very important question. But you must understand that I intend no vindictiveness or contempt against you. To the professing Christian who deliberately keeps on sinning:

     IF GOD WAS WILLING TO COMPLETELY DESTROY ALL OF MANKIND BECAUSE OF THEIR SIN -- AND NOTICE THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS AND PERHAPS BILLIONS OF PEOPLE -- WHY WOULD YOU THINK HE WILL NOT DESTROY YOU FOR YOUR SIN?

     Remember, God does not show favoritism. (Acts 10:34) Also recall what we are told in Romans 11:17-22  “If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.’ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. DO NOT BE ARROGANT, BUT BE AFRAID. FOR IF GOD DID NOT SPARE THE NATURAL BRANCHES, HE WILL NOT SPARE YOU EITHER. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided you continue in His kindness. OTHERWISE, YOU ALSO WILL BE CUT OFF.”

     In Ezekiel 18:20a the Lord tells us “The soul who sins is the one who will DIE.” This is the same thing that the Lord told Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:17, “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely DIE.” Here the word DIE refers to spiritual death -- which is separation from God.

     As mentioned before, that sin separates from God is explained in Isaiah 59:2, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Sin indeed separates you from God. And the separation will persist forever until you repent. However, you can only repent while you are still alive physically. After you die God will not accept your repentance. For, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”(Heb 9:27)

     Ephesians 2:1-2 explains that one can be spiritually DEAD even when one is physically still alive. “As for you, you were DEAD in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” (Eph 2:1-2)

     If a person is in such a state of spiritual DEATH when he physically dies then he will forever be separated from God thereafter -- that is he will be condemned to Hell. Needless to say, someone who is physically alive but DEAD in transgressions and sins is in an extremely dangerous situation. He can be one day or even one hour away from the eternal torments of Hell.

     All of these points are very foundational elements of the nature of sin and its consequences. In fact, you may be wondering why I am taking so many pains to explain something so basic. The reason I am carefully explaining these things from the Word of God is because some people of the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine say that the word DIE in Ezekiel 18:20 and other similiar verses is referring to physical death and not the spiritual type of death. But it was the same person -- the Lord God Almighty -- that gave us Ezekiel 18:20, “The soul who sins is the one who will DIE,” as Genesis 2:17, “for when you eat of it you will surely DIE.” And both the word DIE, and the context, since it regards the consequences of SIN, is the same in both verses.

     That sin leads to the spiritual type of death is also explained in Romans 6:20-23,

     “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in DEATH! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:20-23)

     As you know Rom 6:23 is a very favorite verse used by evangelists and soul winners to explain to the lost sinner that the consequence of his sinful life is spiritual DEATH -- the kind that leads to everlasting punishment in Hell. “FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23)

     Jesus also used the word DEAD to describe the spiritual separation of the prodigal son from his father. “For this son of mine was DEAD and is alive again; he was LOST and is found.' So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:24)

     What is even more significant about the prodigal son is the fact that the prodigal was previously with the father. This represents the person who truly gave his life to Jesus in the past, but then went back to a life of sin and immorality. And notice that Jesus referred to him (when he was in a prodigal state) as being DEAD and being LOST. The fact that Jesus used both of the words, DEAD and LOST, clearly means that the prodigal was spiritually separated from Father God. Therefore if the prodigal would have died physically while he was in the prodigal state he most certainly would have gone to Hell. Otherwise we would have to say that the LOST can make it to heaven -- but that would contradict the whole gospel of Jesus Christ.

     Jesus again repeats that the prodigal was DEAD and LOST in verse 32 when talking to his other son, “But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was DEAD and is alive again; he was LOST and is found.” (Luke 15:32)

     That prior righteousness does not secure eternal life with God, when a person later persists in sin, is also explained to us in the book of Ezekiel. Again, keep firmly in mind that it is the Lord God Almighty who gave us these warnings through Ezekiel, and so the meaning of the word DIE is the same as what God gave in Genesis 2:17, “for when you eat of it you will surely DIE”, and in Ezekiel 18:20a, “The soul who sins is the one who will DIE.”

     Listen to and believe what the Lord promises in Ezekiel 18:24-32 and 33:12-13,

     “But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.

     Yet you say, `The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

     If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die.

     Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, O house of  Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your  offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed,  and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! [Ezekiel 18:24-32]

     Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, `The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness. If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; HE WILL DIE FOR THE EVIL HE HAS DONE.’ [Ezekiel 33:12-13]”

     It is true that the Blood of Jesus covers our sins if we repent from them, but Heb 10:26-31 states that professing believers who deliberately keep on sinning (and hence refuse to repent) are not covered by the Blood of Jesus and that they should expect eternal damnation in Hell for their persistent deliberate sinning. I realize that this is very rarely preached but this is definitely in the Word of God (as is clearly explained in the next section).

     God takes no pleasure in destroying anyone to Hell but justice requires Him to destroy those who persist in sin. You must, you must come to believe that God is eternally and deadly serious about His warnings about sin.

      "To you My friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you Whom to fear; fear Him who, after He has killed, has the power to cast into Hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him." (Luke 12:4-5)

    

5.  The Judgment For A “Believer” Deliberately Persisting In Sin Is Hell

     Did you know, according to Heb 10:26-31, that for someone who previously gave his life to Jesus, the judgment for deliberately persisting in sin is Hell? This passage is so important that it would be wise to read it 1000 times, if you have to, to get the full import of and to believe what God is saying in this passage. Actually the passage is not difficult to understand. The difficult thing for most people is to believe it. The “Once Saved Always Saved” teachers skirt around this passage and “explain it away”. They come up with all sorts of elaborate reasons why “this passage does not really mean what it says.” They even misapply other Scriptures to cast doubt on the passage. But we should never use one Scripture to cast doubt on another. We do not have the authority to accept one Scripture and reject another. Remember the Word of God is a double-edged sword (Heb 4:12) -- and it cuts both ways. Believe both types of Scriptures and pray for the Lord to give you understanding so that you can see how both can be true at the same time. As mentioned in a previous section, it is vital that any interpretation of Scripture adhere to all the relevant Scriptures and not just those parts you prefer.

     When someone (even if it is yourself) is giving you a very elaborate explanation as to why a passage of Scripture “really doesn’t mean what it is saying.” Throw that “elaborate explanation” out the window. That elaborate explanation, even if it comes with all sorts of fancy theological words or elaborate human reasoning, is totally unreliable because it is attacking the truth of God’s Holy Word. It is better to acknowledge what God’s Word is saying, AS STATED, and take it as true. Coming up with all sorts of fancy explanations and rationalizations why it can’t be true is not going to change God’s Word. In the end, that Word is still going to be used to judge you.

     Instead of doubting God’s Word, or setting it aside, or avoiding it, face up to the fact that God is not going to change that Scripture, and pray earnestly to God to help you understand what it is saying. Like I said, read it 1000 times for days and days if you have to. If your eternal life is at stake, any price is worth knowing, ahead of time, how God is going to judge you in the end.

     For now let us read Heb 10:26-31 at least one time very carefully: 

     Hebrews 10:26-31  “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

     Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

     How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the Blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

     For we know Him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”(NIV)

    

Remarks:

     First notice here that this passage is referring to those, who in the past, made a true commitment to Christ (“covenant that SANCTIFIED HIM”), but now deliberately keep on sinning. Notice also that the believer who wrote Hebrews (many believe it was Paul) included himself as being subject to its warning, “If WE deliberately keep on sinning.. ”

     Also notice that Heb 10:26 is not talking about one act of sin (which, of course, must be repented of immediately), but a continuous willful action of it (“If we deliberately keep on sinning”). This clearly means, like the other Scriptures here do, that one can lose their salvation. If one goes on deliberately sinning willfully, then there is no more atoning sacrifice for those sins (“no sacrifice for sins is left”). In other words if you are back willfully living a life of sin, the Blood of Jesus does NOT cover you anymore and, according to this Bible passage you can expect the “fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire” -- that is Hell -- if you do die in your sins (“no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God” Heb 10:26-27).

     If you believe the Bible at all I very much hope you believe this Scripture as written. God does not play around with His Word. The Lord never, ever violates His Word. If you don’t believe God’s clear Word, you do so at your own eternal peril. I wish there were someway to tell you these truths softly but if I do you may not understand the seriousness of what danger you are in by continuing to pursue sin. I urge you to believe the Word of God. Men may lie or be in error -- but God never speaks falsely or incorrectly.

     In Heb 10:26-31 it is referring to the person “who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the Blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace.” Most people, even though they know they are living in sin, when they read this, feel that this does not apply to them, but only to those who are blatant enemies of God such as atheists, etc. But sin is very deceptive, Heb 10:26-31 is referring to those WHO PROFESS CHRIST (“CONVENANT THAT SANCTIFIED HIM”) but who “DELIBERATELY KEEP ON SINNING.” And it states that by their deliberate sinning they are “trampling the Son of God underfoot.”

     I very much hope you understand the importance of what “trampling the Son of God underfoot” and “treating the Blood of the covenant as an unholy thing” really means. By your ongoing deliberate sinning you are treating the Blood of Jesus as an unholy thing and so you are despising and rejecting “the Blood of the convenant that sanctified him.” You may not be doing this with words but you are doing it with actions. And actions count more than words. Recall what Jesus said in Mat 21:28-32 about the son who said he wouldn’t obey, but later did; and the son who said he would obey, but didn’t. Also take note of Titus 1:16 which states that, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him.”

     Hence by your willful, deliberate, ongoing sinful actions you are rejecting “the Blood of the convenant that sanctified him [you]” and so according to verse 26 (“no sacrifice for sins is left”). Please take note this means that: BY DELIBERATELY PERSISTING IN SIN, THE SACRIFICIAL BLOOD OF JESUS NO LONGER COVERS YOU. And once the Blood of Jesus no longer covers you then God will hold you personally accountable for all the sins in your life. Instead of the Blood of Jesus taking the penalty of your sins, you personally will have to pay the judgment for your sins. And as verse 27 says, the judgment for this is nothing short of eternity in Hell (“a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”)

     Just like many others, at one time I thought this Heb 10:26-31 passage might have been talking about the disciplining of God’s children but this view of simple discipline cannot be reconciled with the phrase “a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” The penalty for those who “deliberately keep on sinning” is the same as that for the enemies of God -- eternal torment in Hell. I sincerely hope that you believe God’s Word as stated. We must come to understand that God never violates His Word. God ALWAYS adheres precisely to His Word -- whether it is a promised blessing or a promised judgment.

     Again sin is very deceptive. Some will be thinking, “But this only applies to the lost who have heard the gospel but who refuse to believe.” But Heb 10:29 and all of Heb 10:26-31 (also Heb 10:38-39) is referring to those who once believed (“the Blood of the covenant that SANCTIFIED HIM”). If you have given your life to Jesus in the past, but are now willfully living a life of sin -- this passage of Scripture is addressed directly to you. Not to the atheist, not to a lost person who has never known Christ, but to those who were previously SANCTIFIED. Please, please, please believe God and His Word. God never lies to us or just says things for effect. He always means precisely what He says in His Word.

     A much worse and severe punishment is in store for the backslider who does not repent.  I am sure you have seen or heard about believers backsliding and committing adultery and staying in that situation or those who persist in sleeping around and even living with their girlfriends or boyfriends. Or those who are consistently getting drunk and high on drugs. That my reader is deliberate and persistent sinning. And even if you don’t believe it, those who do such things and don’t repent and die in that state will go directly to Hell. For God never violates His Word and there is no question about it “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.

     Let us read a few verses that list some of the sins that will send a person to Hell. Now remember, according to Heb 10:26-31, those who deliberately keep on sinning forfeit the covering of the Blood of Jesus and so they will receive the full punishment for their sins in the lake of fire.

     “He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.’ " (Rev 21:6-8)

     “But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.” (Luke 12:45-46)

     “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6:9-10)

     Remember God is faithful and He always keeps His Word. In spite of all the Scriptures that he is aware of, the unrepentant backslider expects God to violate His Word. But the Lord cannot violate His Word. If the Lord were to violate His Word then He would be a liar. If the Lord allows you to enter heaven in an unrepentant backslidden state then He would have to break His Word. Do you really think God is going to break His Word?

     The following testimony is one that Charles G. Finney had in part of his sermons. It is about a person who was warned about his drunken lifestyle. The Lord warned this person, through a dream, that the consequence of his drunken life, if he continued in it, would result in his damnation to hell. I realize that the inclination of so many is to doubt. But the nature of this testimony is so consistent with the warnings in the Scriptures that I believe we all should take this testimony very, very seriously. For God’s Word is true and unbreakable. Yes, you can doubt God’s Word. You have that choice. But the consequence is still going to be what God promises in His Word.

     ---------- Beginning of Excerpt ----------

     Excerpt from the Sermon, “The Self-Hardening Sinner’s Doom”

in the book “The Way Of Salvation” , Sermons by Charles G. Finney, 1891

Release by G. FREDERICK WRIGHT / OBERLIN, OHIO, September, 1891.

     Sometimes he brings the lives of men into great peril, so that there shall be but a step between them and death; as if he would give this movement of his providence a voice of trumpet power to forewarn them of their coming doom. So various and striking are the ways of God's providence in which he reproves men for their sins.

     God also reproves men by his Spirit. According to our Saviour's teachings, the Spirit shall "reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." Hence when sinners are specially convicted of sin they should know that God has come in his own person to reprove them. His spirit comes to their very hearts, and makes impressions of truth and duty there revealing to the sinner his own heart, and showing him how utterly at variance it is with a heart full of divine love.

     Again, I have no doubt that in the present as in former days, God reproves men of their sins by means of dreams. If all the reliable cases of this sort which have occurred since the Bible was completed were recorded, I doubt not they would fill many volumes. I am aware that some suppose this mode of divine operation upon the human mind has long ago ceased; but I think otherwise. It may have ceased to be a medium of revealing new truth doubtless it has; but it has not ceased to be employed as a means of impressing and enforcing truth already revealed. Sometimes the great realities of the coming judgment and of the world of doom are brought out and impressed upon the mind with overwhelming force by means of dreams. When this is the case, who shall say that the hand of the Lord is not in it?

     A striking instance of a dream in which the hand of the Lord may be seen, is related by President Edwards [President Edwards was a descendant of Jonathan Edwards and President of Oberlin Bible College]. One of his neighbours, an intemperate [alcoholic] man, dreamed that he died and went to hell. I will not attempt to relate here the circumstances that according to his dream occurred there. Suffice it to say that he obtained permission to return to earth on probation for one year, and was told distinctly that if he did not reform within one year, he must come back again. Upon this he awaked, undermost solemn impressions of the dreadful realities of the sinner's hell. That very morning he went to see his pastor, Pres. Edwards, who said to him, "This is a solemn warning from God to your soul. You must give heed to it and forsake your sins, or you are a ruined man for eternity." The man made very solemn promises. When he had retired, Edwards opened his journal and made an entry of the principal facts: the dream, the conversation, and of course the date of these events. The inebriate reformed and ran well for a time; attended church and seemed serious; but long before the year came round, he relapsed, returned to his cups, and ultimately in a fit of intoxication opened a chamber door in a shop which led down an outside stairway pitched headlong and broke his neck. Pres. Edwards turned to his journal and found that the one year from the date of his dream came round that very night, and the man's appointed time was up!

     Now it is no doubt true that in general, dreams are under the control of physical law, and follow, though with much irregularity, the strain of our waking reveries; and for this reason many persons will not believe the hand of the Lord ever works in them; yet their inference is by no means legitimate; for God certainly can put his Hand upon the mind dreaming as well as upon the mind waking, and multitudes of instances in point show that He sometimes does.

     Again, God reproves the sinner whenever his Spirit awakens in the mind a sense of the great danger of living in sin. I have often known sinners greatly affected with the thought of this danger the terrible danger of passing along through life in sin, exposed every hour to an eternal and remediless hell.

     Now these solemn impressions are God's kind warnings, impressed on the soul because He loves the sinner's well-being, and would fain save him if he wisely can.

     Often God's Spirit gives sinners a most impressive view of the shortness of time. He makes them feel that this general truth applies in all its power to themselves that their own time is short, and that they in all probability have not long to live. I am aware that this impression sometimes originates in one's state of health; but I also know that sometimes there is good reason to recognise God's own special hand in it; and that men sometimes ascribe to nervous depression of spirits what should be ascribed directly to God himself.

     Again, God often makes the impression that the present is the sinner's last opportunity to secure salvation. I know not how many such cases have fallen under my own observation, cases in which sinners have been made to feel deeply that this is to be the very last offer of mercy, and these the very last strivings of the Spirit. My observation has taught me in such cases, to expect that the result will verify the warning that this is none other than God's voice, and that God does not lie to man, but teaches most solemn and impressive truth. Oh, how does it become every sinner to listen and heed such timely warnings!

     ---------- End of Excerpt ----------

     It is important to notice that the drunkard truly did repent from his sins, “The inebriate reformed and ran well for a time; attended church and seemed serious;” Later, however, he went back to his sinning and the Lord judged him and sent him to hell -- just as God had promised. As you can see God does keep His promises. He is not happy about having to judge. But God is perfectly faithful and His Word cannot be broken.

     And it is very important to notice something else. This drunkard was a professing Christian, for notice the sentence, “That very morning he went to see his pastor, Pres. Edward,” From this we see that the person knew very well that what he was doing was sin. Also when he repented he made an honest effort to obey Jesus. Jesus truly was his Lord during the time he ran well. But he went back to loving his sin more than Jesus and went back to his sinful drunken lifestyle. And that was his destruction. And now he is an example of God’s eternal judgment.

     Yes, I realize that you can come up with all sorts of possibilities that maybe Jesus never was Lord of his life, etc. But if your heart is so set on finding excuses in order to continue pursuing or justify sin in your life then you are in even greater danger than you realize.

     6.  Those Who Fall Away Are Worse Off Than Those Who Never Believed

     As you know all unbelievers will be condemned to hell at their death. This we know from many Scriptures. For example Jesus Himself said so in Rev 21:8, “But the cowardly, THE UNBELIEVING, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. "

     For the unbeliever, Hell is a place of relentless and excruciating pain and torment. And everybody in Hell longs for even the slightest reduction in the torment. For notice what the rich man said in Luke 16:23-24, "And being in torment in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame,...' "

     The rich man wasn’t even asking for a stop to his eternal punishment in Hell -- he knew he fully deserved it and that it would never stop. He was justing hoping for even the slightest reduction in its fiery torment, “that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”

     The sinner in Hell will wish that he had committed one less sin. Because then the fire would be that much less intense. He will even wish that he had never been born or that his life on earth had been shortened by decades, even one less year, one less month, one less week, even one less day -- because he would have sinned that much less. Any reduction in torment is longed for by those in Hell. It is ironic, but the sinner while on earth wishes for more time to “live it up” in sin. But in Hell he will wish that his life had been drastically shortened. It boggles the human mind but this is the reality of Hell. It is not comfortable to think about it, but it is nonetheless true.

     An illustration of how terrible Hell truly is, can be seen from the following testimony taken from the book A Divine Revelation Of Hell, by Mary K. Baxter, Whitaker House (1993). In this book the author describes what Jesus showed her about Hell. In fact Jesus took Mary into the spirit realm and into actual Hell and showed her several people who are condemned there. This was done over a course of 40 days. Mary Baxter saw the torment and suffering that the damned were and are suffering. I have read this book several times and have compared what is described in Baxter's book with the Bible. I also have prayed and listened to the Holy Spirit concerning the author's truthfulness.

     I believe what the author is saying because: (1) It is very consistent with all that the Bible has to say about Hell, and (2) The Holy Spirit has confirmed in my heart that what the author says is a true testimony. Also take note of the scripture passage 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 where the Apostle Paul states: "It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell; God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell; God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." (1 Cor 12:1-4)

     From this passage we can conclude that believers having spiritual revelations of the after life (either heaven or hell) is not impossible and has happened before, in accordance with what God wills. Considering that God is Sovereign and all powerful and has created everything --  the heavens, the earth, the plants, the animals, man, everything -- surely it is not impossible for God to give an individual a spiritual revelation. For any of us humans to try to put restrictions on what God can or cannot do is not our place. (We can’t anyway.)

     Again God is Sovereign. Everything that God does, He does with wisdom and with purpose. Our place is to believe Him and obey Him. What Paul said in 1 Cor 12:1-14 shows that God can and does give spiritual revelations to those He wills. It is as Charles G. Finney stated, “I am aware that some suppose this mode of divine operation upon the human mind has long ago ceased; but I think otherwise. It may have ceased to be a medium of revealing new truth doubtless it has; but it has not ceased to be employed as a means of impressing and enforcing truth already revealed.” God uses the types of divine revelations that He gave Mary K. Baxter to reinforce those things He has already stated in His Word.

     Anyway, the book begins with Jesus appearing to Mary K. Baxter. Jesus then takes Mary into the spirit realm and into Hell.

     ---------- Beginning of Excerpt From A Divine Revelation Of Hell, by Mary K. Baxter ----------

     [Jesus takes Mary K. Baxter into Hell and tells her:] "These things you are about to see will always be with you. The world must know about the reality of Hell. Many sinners and even some of My people do not believe that Hell is real. You have been chosen by Me to reveal these truths to them. Everything I will show you about Hell and all the other things I will show you are true."

        

Jesus had shown Himself to me in the form of a bright light, brighter than the sun. The form of a man was in the center of that light. Sometimes I saw Jesus as a man, but at other times He was in the form of a spirit.

        

He spoke again, "Child, when I speak, the Father has spoken. The Father and I are one. Remember to love above all else and to forgive one another. Come now, follow Me."

        

As we walked, evil spirits fled from the presence of the Lord. "0 God, 0 God," I cried. "What is next?"

        

As I said previously, I had all my senses in Hell. All those in Hell have all their senses. Mine were working now in full force. Fear was on every side, and inexpressible dangers lurked everywhere. Each step I took was more horrible than the one before.

        

There were doorways about the size of small windows, opening and shutting very fast at the top of the tunnel. Screams filled the air as many evil creatures flew by us, up and out of the gateways of Hell. Soon we were at the end of the tunnel. I was trembling with fright because of the danger and fear around us.

        

I was so thankful for the protection of Jesus. I thank God for His almighty power to protect us, even in the pits of Hell. Even with that protecting shield, I kept thinking, Not my will, Father, but Yours be done.

     I looked at my body. For the first time I noticed that I was in a spirit form, and my form was in the shape of myself. I wondered what was next.

        

Jesus and I stepped from the tunnel onto a path with wide swaths of land on each side of it. There were pits of fire everywhere as far as the eye could see. The pits were four feet across and three feet deep and shaped like a bowl. Jesus said, "There are many pits like this in the left leg of Hell. Come, I will show you some of them."

        

I stood beside Jesus on the path and looked into one of the pits. Brimstone was embedded in the side of the pit and glowed red like hot coals of fire. In the center of the pit was a lost soul who had died and gone to Hell. Fire began at the bottom of the pit, swept upward and clothed the lost soul in flames. In a moment the fire would die down to embers, then with a rushing sound would sweep back over the tormented soul in the pit.

        

I looked and saw that the lost soul in the pit was caged inside a skeleton form. "My Lord," I cried at the sight, "Can't you let them out?" How awful was the sight! I thought, This could be me. I said, "Lord, how sad it is to see and know that a living soul is in there."

        

I heard a cry from the center of the first pit. I saw a soul in the form of a skeleton, crying, "Jesus, have mercy!"

        

"0, Lord!" I said. It was the voice of a woman. I looked at her and wanted to pull her out of the fire. The sight of her broke my heart. The skeleton form of a woman with a dirty-grey mist inside was talking to Jesus. In shock, I listened to her. Decayed flesh hung by shreds from her bones, and, as it burned, it fell off into the bottom of the pit. Where her eyes had once been were now only empty sockets. She had no hair.

        

The fire started at her feet in small flames and grew as it climbed up and over her body. The woman seemed to be constantly burning, even when the flames were only embers. From deep down inside her came cries and groans of despair, "Lord, Lord, I want out of here!"

       

She kept reaching out to Jesus. I looked at Jesus, and there was great sorrow on His face. Jesus said to me, "My child, you are here with Me to let the world know that sin results in death, that Hell is real."

        

I looked at the woman again, and worms were crawling out of the bones of her skeleton. They were not harmed by the fire. Jesus said, "She knows and feels those worms inside."

        

"God, have mercy!" I cried as the fire reached its peak and the horrible burning started all over again. Great cries and deep sobs shook the form of this woman-soul. She was lost. There was no way out. "Jesus, why is she here?" I said in a small voice, for I was very scared.

 

Jesus said, "Come."

        

The path we were on was a circuitous one, twisting in and out between these pits of fire as far as I could see. The cries of the living dead, mixed with moans and hideous screams, came to my ears from all directions. There were no quiet times in Hell. The smell of dead and decaying flesh hung thickly in the air.

        

We came to the next pit. Inside this pit, which was the same size as the other one, was another skeleton form. A man's voice cried from the pit, saying, Lord, have mercy on me!" Only when they spoke could I tell whether the soul was a man or woman.

     Great wailing sobs came from this man. "I'm so sorry, Jesus. Forgive me. Take me out of here. I have been in this place of torment for years. I beg You, let me out!" Great sobs shook his skeletal frame as he begged, "Please, Jesus, let me out!" I looked at Jesus and saw that He too was crying.

     "Lord Jesus," the man cried out from the burning pit, "haven't I suffered enough for my sins? It has been forty years since my death."

     Jesus said, "It is written, 'The just shall live by faith!' All mockers and unbelievers shall have their part in the lake of fire. You would not believe the truth. Many times My people were sent to you to show you the way, but you would not listen to them. You laughed at them and refused the gospel. Even though I died on a cross for you, you mocked Me and would not repent of your sins. My Father gave you many opportunities to be saved. If only you had listened!" Jesus wept.

        

"I know, Lord, I know!" the man cried. "But I repent now."

        

"It is too late," said Jesus. "Judgment is set."

        

The man continued, "Lord, some of my people are coming here, for they also will not repent. Please, Lord, let me go tell them that they must repent of their sins while they are still on earth. I do not want them to come here."

        

Jesus said, "They have preachers, teachers, elders -- all ministering the gospel. They will tell them. They also have the advantages of the modern communications systems and many other ways to learn of Me. I sent workers to them that they might believe and be saved. If they will not believe when they hear the gospel, neither will they be persuaded though one rises from the dead."

        

At this, the man became very angry and began to curse. Evil, blasphemous words came from him. I looked on in horror as the flames rose up and his dead, decaying flesh began to burn and fall off. Inside this dead shell of a man, I saw his soul. It looked like a dirty-gray mist, and it filled the inside of his skeleton.

        

I turned to Jesus and cried, "Lord, how horrible!"

        

Jesus said, "Hell is real; the judgment is real. I love them so, My child. This is only the beginning of the frightful things I have to show you. There is much more to come. Tell the world for Me that Hell is real, that men and women must repent of their sins. Come, follow Me. We must go on..."

     As we walked past the pits of fire, the hands of the lost reached out to Jesus, and in pleading voices they called out to Him for mercy. Their bony hands and arms were gray-black from the burning-no live flesh or blood, no organs, only death and dying. Inside myself I was crying, 0 earth, repent. If you don't, you'll come here. Stop before it is too late. We stopped at another pit. I felt such pity for all of them and such sorrow that I was physically weak and could hardly stand. Great sobs shook me.

     "Jesus, I hurt so inside," I said.

        

From the pit a woman's voice spoke to Jesus. She stood in the center of the flames, and they covered her whole body. Her bones were full of worms and dead flesh. As the flames flickered up around her, she raised her hands towards Jesus, crying, "Let me out of here. I will give You my heart now, Jesus. I will tell others about Your forgiveness. I will witness for You. I beg You, please let me out!"

        

Jesus said, "My Word is true, and it declares that all must repent and turn from their sins and ask Me to come into their lives if they are to escape this place. Through My blood there is forgiveness of sins. I am faithful and just and will forgive all those who come to Me. I will not cast them out."

        

He turned, looked at the woman and said, "If you had listened to Me and had come to Me and repented, I would have forgiven you."

        

The woman asked, "Lord, is there no way out of here?"

        

Jesus spoke very softly. "Woman," He said, "you were given many opportunities to repent, but you hardened your heart and would not. And you knew My Word said that all whoremongers will have their part in the lake of fire."

        

Jesus turned to me and said, "This woman had sinful affairs with many men, and she caused many homes to be broken apart. Yet through all this, I loved her still. I came to her not in condemnation but with salvation. I sent many of My servants to her that she might repent of her evil ways, but she would not. When she was a young woman, I called her, but she continued to do evil. She did many wrongs, yet I would have forgiven her if she had come to Me. Satan entered into her, and she grew bitter and would not forgive others.

     "She went to church just to get men. She found them and seduced them. If she had only come to Me, her sins would all have been washed away by My blood. Part of her wanted to serve Me, but you cannot serve God and satan at the same time. Every person must make a choice as to whom they will serve.

        

"Lord," I cried, "give me strength to go on." I was shaking from my head to my feet because of the horrors of Hell.

        

Jesus said to me, "Peace, be still."

        

"Help me, Lord," I cried. "Satan doesn't want us to know the truth about Hell. In all my wildest dreams, I never thought that Hell would be like this. Dear Jesus, when will this end?"

        

"My child," Jesus replied, "only the Father knows when the end will come." Then He spoke to me again and said, "Peace, be still." Great strength came upon me.

        

Jesus and I walked on 'through the pits. I wanted to pull each person I passed from the fire and rush them to the feet of Jesus. I wept much...

     In the next pit was a woman on her knees, as if looking for something. Her skeletal form also was full of holes. Her bones were showing through, and her torn dress was on fire. Her head was bald, and there were only holes where her eyes and nose were supposed to be. A small fire was burning around her feet where she was kneeling, and she clawed the sides of the brimstone pit. The fire clung to her hands, and dead flesh kept falling off as she dug.

        

Tremendous sobs shook her. "0 Lord, 0 Lord," she cried, "I want out." As we watched, she finally got to the top of the pit with her feet. I thought she was going to get out when a large demon with great wings that seemed to be broken at the top and hung down his sides ran to her. His color was brownish-black, and he had hair all over his large form. His eyes were set far back into his head, and he was about the size of a large grizzly bear. The demon rushed up to the woman and pushed her very hard backward into the pit and fire. I watched in horror as she fell. I felt so sorry for her. I wanted to take her into my arms and hold her, to ask God to heal her and take her out of there.

        

Jesus knew my thoughts and said, "My child, judgment has been set. God has spoken. Even when she was a child, I called and called her to repent and to serve Me. When she was sixteen years old, I came to her and said, 'I love you. Give your life to Me, and come follow Me, for I have called you for a special purpose.' I called all her life, but she would not listen. She said, "Someday I will serve You. I have no time for You now. No time, no time, I have my life of fun. No time, no time to serve You, Jesus. Tomorrow I will.' Tomorrow never came, for she waited too long."

     The woman cried out to Jesus, "My soul is truly in torment. There is no way out. I know that I wanted the world instead of You, Lord. I wanted riches, fame and fortune, and I got it. I could buy anything I wanted; I was my own boss. I was the prettiest, best-dressed woman of my time. And I had riches, fame and fortune, but I found I could not take them with me in death. 0 Lord, Hell is horrible. I have no rest day or night. I am always in pain and torment. Help me, Lord," she cried.

        

The woman looked up at Jesus so longingly and said, "My sweet Lord, if only I had listened to you! I will regret that forever. I planned to serve You someday -- when I got ready. I thought You would always be there for me. But how wrong I was! I was one of the most sought-after women of my time for my beauty. I knew God was calling me to repent. All my life He drew me with cords of love, and I thought I could use God like I used everyone else. He would always be there. Oh yes, I used God! He would try so hard to get me to serve Him, while all the time I thought I didn't need Him. Oh, how wrong I was! For satan began to use me, and I began to serve satan more and more. At the last I loved him more than God. I loved to sin and would not turn to God.

        

"Satan used my beauty and my money, and all my thoughts turned to how much power he would give me. Even then, God continued to draw me. But I thought, I have tomorrow or the next day. Then one day while riding in a car, my driver ran into a house, and I was killed. Lord, please let me out." As she spoke her bony hands and arms reached out to Jesus while the flames continued to burn her.

     Jesus said, "The judgment is set."

        

Tears fell down His cheeks as we moved to the next pit. I was crying inside about the horrors of Hell. "Dear Lord," I cried, "the torment is too real. When a soul comes here, there is no hope, no life, no love. Hell is too real." No way out, I thought. She must burn forever in these flames.

        

"Time is running out," Jesus said. "We will come back tomorrow."

        

Friend, if you are living in sin, please repent. If you have been born again and have turned your back on God, repent and turn back to Him now. Live good and stand for truth. Wake up before it is too late, and you can spend forever with the Lord in heaven.

        

Jesus spoke again, "Hell has a body (like a human form) lying on her back in the center of the earth. Hell is shaped like a human body -- very large and with many chambers of torment. "Remember to tell the people of earth that Hell is real. Millions of lost souls are here, and more are coming every day. On the Great Judgment Day death and Hell will be cast into the lake of fire; that will be the second death."

     -------------------- End Of Excerpt --------------------

     As mentioned previously, after reading Baxter's book several times, comparing what is being said to the Bible, and listening to the Holy Spirit, I very much believe that this testimony is truthful. I suggest that you compare what is being said with what is written in the Bible. You cannot be led astray if you read and compare testimony or what is being said to see if it is supported by the Bible. For this reason I present some scriptures that are relevant:

     "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second  death." (Revelation 21:8)

     “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6:9-10)

     "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to Hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 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; 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; ... if this is so, then the Lord knows how to ... hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment." (2 Peter 2:4-9)

     "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into Hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into Hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into Hell, where "`their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' " (Mark 9:43-48)

     "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36)

     As you can see from the above testimony, the punishment in Hell for non-believers is intensely painful and never ending. As bad as the punishment is for the non-believers it is even worse for backsliders -- those who once came to Jesus but went back into the mire of sin, those who deliberately keep on sinning. When God gives us warnings and examples of His judgment either in the Word or in revelations, or in actual experiences He does not exaggerate. God means precisely what He says in His unbreakable Word.

     Even if you are not sure that the above testimony is true, God’s Word still remains true as Rev 21:8, 1 Cor 6:9-10, 2 Peter 2:4-9, Mark 9:43-48, John 3:36 and many other Scriptures state. However, bad you think Hell is -- in reality it is much worse. Just like we don’t comprehend how infinite God is in His blessings toward His true children, we don’t comprehend how infinite God’s wrath is towards the wicked. As Psalm 90:11 states, “Who knows the power of Your anger? For Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due You.” Notice that God’s wrath is as great as the fear that is DUE Him -- and not the fear that people actually express toward Him. Those who deliberately sin so casually don’t fear God. But if they realized what was truly in store for them because of those sins they would not be acting so rebelliously. In the midst of this you must also understand that God takes absolutely no pleasure in destroying the wicked. As the Lord says in Ezekiel 33:11 “‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Sovereign LORD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!’ ”

     Again I realize all this sounds so fearful but the reality is that the true terror of Hell, being depicted here in words, does not even come close to the real terror of the real Hell. I know I am repeating myself, but God really did mean His first warning to us -- all of mankind -- when He told us, “When you eat of it [evil] you will surely DIE.” (Gen 2:17)

     I mentioned the following before, but I think it bears repeating: How could it be a just thing that God would send a lost sinner, who never knew Christ, to Hell for eternity for his sins, and not send someone who came to know Jesus but went back to sinning in the same detestable way as the lost sinner? Do you really think God has a double standard? That sinning is not acceptable for the non-believer, but it is allowable for God’s people? That those who are supposed to be righteous can get away with a sinful lifestyle, but that the non-believer cannot? Is this not calling evil good, and good evil? Is this not calling bitter sweet, and sweet bitter?

     If you believe that God will side with you in unrepentant deliberate persistent sinning you are tragically, tragically mistaken. It is not that God doesn’t love you. He loves you dearly and desires greatly for you to return to Him. But if you are caught dead in unrepentant deliberate persistent detestable sinning, whether it be immorality, or drunkenness, or drugs or witchcraft, etc. (Rev 21:8, 1 Cor 6:9-10) you will end up directly in Hell. Again I realize these are strong words, but considering just the scriptures presented in this booklet how can we conclude otherwise?

     Now regarding the fate of unrepentant backsliders -- both those who profess to know Christ and those who actually came to Him in the past, but who now deliberately keep on sinning -- let us read what Jesus said in Luke 12:45-48. And keep in mind that in this passage, Jesus is addressing His servants -- those who profess to believe and serve Him: “But suppose the servant says to himself, `My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him A PLACE WITH THE UNBELIEVERS [HELL]. That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:45-48)

     With this in mind, 2 Peter 2:20-21 reveals that the torment promised for those who previously knew Christ, but who went back to a sinful lifestyle, is much worse than for the unbeliever who never knew Christ. The backslider (he who deliberately keeps on sinning) knows extremely well that the sin he is involved in, deserves eternal punishment in Hell -- much more so than what the unbeliever knows it. However, the unrepentant professing Christian has been deceived into believing that even in an unrepentant state all his sins are still under the Blood of Jesus. But Heb 10:26-31, Luke 12:45-48, and now 2 Peter 2:20-21 says the exact opposite.

     Because the unrepentant backslider knows extremely well the just consequence for his sin, the torment for him in Hell will be that much more extreme. However painful the torment will be for the non-believer, the pain for the backslider -- those believers who went back to a life of sin -- will be even more intense. And remember, any reduction in the torment is greatly desired by everyone in Hell. If you read and believe Heb 10:26-31, Luke 12:45-48, and 2 Peter 2:20-21 (and other Scriptures that warn about falling away) there is no other biblically consistent conclusion that can be reached.

     Again just like the Heb 10:26-31 passage, the passage in 2 Peter 2:20-21 is not difficult to understand. It is very advisable to read it and re-read it, and read it again, as many times as is necessary to believe this Scripture -- AS WRITTEN! Yes, you can turn to the “Once Saved Always Saved” teachers to try to “explain away” this Scripture --  but the fires in Hell, for those who sin in this way, are not going to diminish in their intensity.

     It is wise counsel for anyone, who is currently living in a sinful lifestyle, to fear God intensely now -- before risking one more day -- and let that fear of God guide you to utterly reject sin totally from your life.  In fact, pray earnestly for God to impart the fear of God into your heart so that you can turn away from sin and into the Father’s loving hands. There is no one who loves you more than God the Father -- your loving Creator. The sacrifice of His One and Only begotten Son proves how much He loves you. He never intended for Hell to be your fate. But God is also perfectly just and perfectly holy and He cannot allow any unrepentant, sinful, unclean person into His Kingdom -- even those who previously repented but then went back to a life of sin.

     Let us now read 2 Peter 2:20-21 with a true intent to believe and with the fear of God in our heart:

     2 Peter 2:20-21  “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. 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.”(NIV)

     Here the Apostle Peter is talking about those who at one time repented (“escaped the corruption of the world”) and came to “know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” However, later these same people were again “entangled” in “the corruption of the world” by sinning and disobeying Jesus. Notice that at one time they had “known the way of righteousness” (verse 21) just like everyone who has given their lives to Jesus. But now they were back into doing the corrupt things of the world -- sinning and disregarding the commandments of the Lord.

     And what was the sacred command? The sacred command was truly receiving and remaining in Jesus as Lord of their lives -- by obeying Jesus and always staying away from sin in their lives. At one time, they truly repented (renounced and rejected all pursuit of sin and committed to follow and obey Jesus). But now they willfully chose to go back to pursuing sin. They, of course, remember the previous commitment that they had made to Jesus. But now, in order to pursue the pleasures of sin, they broke the covenant of obedience that they previously had with Jesus. Because of this 2 Peter 2:20 states that they are now “worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.”

     Again, I wish there was some softer way to submit the words on these pages to you, but the danger you are in and the seriousness of this matter requires that I be as direct and truthful as I can be. Please believe God and His Word.

     At the beginning, before you knew Jesus as Lord, you were on the path to Hell -- as are all lost and non-believing sinners. But now, ... now (according to 2 Peter 2:20-21) you are even worse off than you were as a lost sinner before you knew Christ. After having known Christ, the guilt of your sinful life is now much worse than before knowing Christ. For now you know the penalty that a sinful life deserves but because of your love of your sin you are back to pursuing sin instead of pursuing Jesus Christ. In other words Jesus is not Lord of your life anymore. Jesus even warned us in Matthew 7:21 that, “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

     Some of you readers are thinking. “But my sin is not that bad. God will not send me to Hell.” The question you need to ask yourself is: “Am I entangled again in deliberately sinning?” Please answer the question honestly. Call a spade a spade. Kidding yourself is not going to change the facts. In fact, kidding yourself is deadly.

     If you find yourself resisting even answering this question, shouldn’t that be a sign to you that you are trying to avoid being honest with yourself and with God? If this is your case, I would be extremely fearful of what God’s judgment is going to be at the minute of my death. Many say that we should avoid fear. This is correct when the fear is with respect to anything or anyone other than God, but the Word of God actually commands that we fear God. “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come.”(Rev 14:7a). For “the fear of the Lord makes men turn from evil.” (Prov 16:6) and “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and they who live by it grow in understanding.” (Psa 111:10)

     So with the fear of the Lord in your heart please answer this question honestly and humbly: Are you entangled again in deliberate sinning?

     If the answer is yes, then 2 Peter 2:20-21 and Heb 10:26-31 applies to you. Again not to the atheist, not to the lost sinner who has never known Christ, but to you -- you who “once have known the way of righteousness” in Christ. Don’t you know how deadly and deceptive sin is? It destroys your sight on how ugly and wicked your sin really is. That is why it is absolutely essential that you believe God’s Word about your condition.

     The Lord does not give you idle words in Heb 10:26-31 and 2 Pet 2:20-21, He KNOWS and tells you precisely your condition and where it is leading you. God desires -- even yearns to forgive and cleanse you, and cover you again with the precious Blood of Jesus. But if you persist in your unrepentant state, He cannot. He has given His Word and Holy Standard in Heb 10:26-31 and 2 Peter 2:20-21 as well as many other Scriptures.

     It is like a sickness where you might feel ok, no major problems felt, but you go to the doctor and he tells you, you have the beginning of cancer and you need treatment immediately. Because you feel ok, you may choose not to believe the doctor and so you tell Him or yourself. No, I’m ok. I feel fine. Yes, you may feel fine now, but unless you get treatment, in 10 months you will be very dead! The doctor KNOWS what he is talking about. If you want to live you will trust the doctor’s Word and you will get treatment immediately! This is exactly the urgency that you need to have with the Word of God about your sinful condition. In fact you should have a much greater urgency, since we are talking about your eternal life and not about physical life.

     What is stated in 2 Peter 2:20-21 is the same as what is stated in Ezekiel 33:12-13 -- where it states that prior righteousness (when you truly followed Jesus and obeyed Him) will not be remembered if you go back to doing evil and sinful actions. Listen to and believe what the Lord promises in Ezekiel 33:12-13,

     The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.' If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; HE WILL DIE FOR THE EVIL HE HAS DONE.” (Eze 33:12-13)

     Doing the will of the Father is living a holy, godly life by obeying Him. Even though by your words you may be professing Jesus as Lord, the disobedient sinful actions of your life (and heart) that you are persisting in, are denying that Lordship. You may be able to fool fallible man or even deceive yourself, but there is no fooling God. He knows very well the true motives and intentions of your heart. God has given you every ability to obey Him. Every commandment that God gives you He also gives you the power to fulfill. And He will supply all the power you need to overcome -- if you really truly desire to put away sin and follow Him.

     But if you still insist on disobeying Him, by continuing in your sin -- you do have that freedom of will -- but your choice of living a disobedient sinful life carries an eternal price. And according to 2 Peter 2:20-21 that price is a greater suffering in Hell (“they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning”). There are degrees of torment in Hell -- and it is in direct proportion to the light you have. And obviously those who remained in a lost state never having known Jesus had far less light than those who did receive Jesus as their Lord, but who later went back to a sinful lifestyle. That is why Peter was inspired to say what he did in 2 Peter 2:20-21. I know some of you may feel that I am judging you, but this is really a heartfelt warning. Because I love you. I cannot bear to see anyone go to Hell. I urge you sincerely and with much tears, please believe God’s Word as written. Repent from pursuing sin. Pay any price to get out of your sin.

     If you are living in sin with another person, or causing them to sin with you, you must realize that you are contributing to their sin and to their damnation also. So not only are you damning yourself, you are also dragging someone else to Hell with you. And please notice that if you continue in deliberate sinning Heb 10:26-31, 2 Pet 2:20-21, and Luke 12:45-46 are all promising Hell. Again, this is not something I made up. It is God’s precious and truthful Word. Eventhough the other person may not understand it, the most loving thing you can do for that other person, that you are living in sin with, is to separate completely from them and hence stop causing them to participate in the sin with you. It is painful and not comfortable -- but eternity in Hell (for both of you) is much more painful and is eternal. There is not even any comparison.

     True repentance is not merely a sentimental feeling or merely a confession of your sin without any change of action. To repent means to completely turn around from pursuing sin toward now pursuing full and complete obedience to Jesus. Repentance is an act of the will. Don’t wait until you feel like repenting because chances are you won’t feel like repenting until you are in the torments of Hell. Repentance is an act of the will and is a solemn, deliberate decision to obey Jesus completely no matter what the cost -- and it is followed up with real actions. Not just words but actions! (Recall what Jesus said in Mat 21:28-32 about the son who said he would obey but didn’t, or what John the Baptist said: “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” Luke 3:8).

     There is absolutely no way that you can both serve Jesus and sin. If you deliberately keep on sinning your lord (the one you follow and belong to) is satan and not Jesus. The devil’s servants serve him by sinning, and Jesus’s servants serve Him by obeying and NOT sinning. And please realize that this last statement, also, is not something I made up, for read and hear what 1 John 3:7-8 is saying:

     "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. HE WHO DOES WHAT IS SINFUL IS OF THE DEVIL, because the devil has been sinning from the very beginning." - 1 John 3:7-8

     I hope you understand that this warning is meant to awake and help you. It is better to get a warning before you die rather than no warning at all and end up in Hell forever. Don’t you see the compassion and grace that Jesus is extending to you right now by bringing you this word. Some people may never get the warning that you have been provided here. Please recognize the offer of grace that Jesus is extending to you again. You received it once in the past. Why not receive His grace again? Do you love your sin that much -- that you would deny Christ by your actions and risk eternity in Hell forever? I hope this is not your heart. Please let this not be your heart.

     As an illustration of how horrible judgment is going to be for those who deliberately keep on sinning, I present another part of the divine revelation of Hell that the Lord gave to Mary K. Baxter. From this we see a fearful example of God judging not only unbelievers but also those who once knew Him but who turned their backs on Jesus and are back living a life of sin.

     ---------- Beginning of Excerpt (From "Divine Revelation Of Hell", by Mary K. Baxter) ----------

     As we walked on through Hell, Jesus and I came upon a very large and very dark man. He was enshrouded in darkness and had the appearance of an angel. He was holding something in his left hand.

        

Jesus said, “This place is called outer darkness.”

     I heard weeping and gnashing of teeth. No where before had there been such utter hopelessness as I felt in this place. The angel that stood before us had no wings. He looked to be about thirty feet tall, and he knew exactly what he was doing. He had a large disk in his left hand and was turning slowly with this disk lifted up high as though he was getting ready to throw it. There was a fire in the middle of the disk, and blackness on the outer edge. The angel held his hand beneath the disk and reached far back in order to get more leverage. I wondered who this giant angel was and what he was about to do.

        

Jesus knew my thoughts and said again, "This is outer darkness. Remember that my Word says, 'The children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'  "

        

"Lord," I said, "You mean your servants are here?"

     "Yes," said Jesus, "servants that turned back after I called them. Servants who loved the world more than Me and went back to wallowing in the mire of sin. Servants that would not stand for the truth and for holiness. It is better that one never starts than to turn back after beginning to serve Me."

        

"Believe Me," Jesus said, "if you sin, you have an advocate with the Father. If you repent of your sins, I will be faithful to cleanse you of all unrighteousness. But if you will not repent, I will come in a time you think not, and you will be cut off with the unbelievers and cast into outer darkness."

        

I watched the dark angel as he cast the large disk far, far out into the darkness.

        

"My Word means just what it says: they 'shall be cast into outer darkness."'

        

And then, immediately, Jesus and I were in the air following this disk through space. We came to the outside of the disk and stood looking in.

        

There was a fire in the center of the disk, and people were swimming in and out, over and under the flaming waves. There were no demons or evil spirits here, only souls burning in a sea of fire.

        

Outside the disk was the blackest of darkness. Only the light from the flames in the disk illuminated the night air. In that light I saw people trying to swim to the edges of the disk. Some of them would almost reach the sides when a suction force from inside the disk would drag them back into the flames. I watched as their forms turned to skeletons with misty-gray souls. I knew then that this was just another part of Hell.

        

And then I saw, as in a vision, angels opening seals. Nations and kingdoms appeared to be locked beneath them. As the angels broke the seals, men and women, boys and girls marched straight into the flames.

         

I watched in ghastly fascination, wondering if I knew any of the fallen servants of the Lord who were marching past. I could not turn my head away from the sight of souls marching into the fire, and no one was trying to stop them.

        

I cried, "Lord, please stop them before they reach the fire!"

        

But Jesus said, "He who has ears should hear. He who has eyes should see. My child, cry out against sin and evil. Tell my servants to be faithful and to call upon the name of the Lord. I am taking you through this awful place so that you can tell them about Hell."

        

Jesus continued, "Some will not believe you. Some will say God is too good to send men and women to Hell. But tell them My Word is true. Tell them that the fearful and unbelieving will have their part in the lake of fire."

     -------------------- End of Excerpt --------------------

     Relevant Scriptures:

 

"But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:12, KJV)

     "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. ... But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, `My master is staying away a long time,'  and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  (Matthew 24:42-44,48-51)

     In the above testimony by Mary K. Baxter, notice how precisely Jesus stated what He inspired Peter to write in 2 Peter 2:20-22.

      “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. 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.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.’ ”(2 Peter 2:20-22, NIV)

     As you can see from the above scriptures and testimony, judgment is not confined only to non-believers who refused to come to Jesus for salvation. God also will condemn those who once knew and obeyed Him but are now disobeying and living a life of sin. The condemnation is especially severe for these people.

     If you are one of these people take heed to what the Spirit is telling you. If this is your case, Jesus brought you to salvation once but if you are living in sin and are disobeying God, pay careful attention to what 2 Thessalonians 1:8,9 is saying: "and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction[Hell] from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,..." . Also take heed of Hebrews 10:26, "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God."

     This is the Word of God and God does not violate His Word. At one time the Lord was always so near to you, but now because of your sin He is so distant from you. The Lord has come to you many times reminding you to repent of the sins that you are involved in. That is the Holy Spirit telling you to turn back to Jesus -- before it is too late. Even now the Holy Spirit is speaking to you to turn away from sin and to come back to Jesus. Pray the following prayer:

     "Lord Jesus, forgive me. I have sinned against you. I repent of all sin. Cleanse me from all sin and wash me in your precious Blood. I have been so unworthy. Help me to overcome all sin.”

     Be absolutely honest with God. Do whatever it takes to come back in obedience to God. As John the Baptist said: “produce fruit in keeping with repentance”(Luke 3:8). This act may involve a cost. However, whatever cost is involved, it is nothing compared to being eternally condemned to Hell. If you are living in sin with someone break up with them immediately. If you are getting drunk and high with your buddies, stop going out with them altogether. You CAN say no to sin. Whatever God commands you to do, He empowers you to do.

     "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into Hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into Hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into Hell, where `their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' " (Mark 9:43-48)

     I now present one more part of the divine revelation God gave Mary K. Baxter. This is also very relevant to the subject of this booklet.

     ---------- Beginning of Excerpt (From "Divine Revelation Of  Hell", by Mary K. Baxter) ----------

     A Prophecy From Jesus to All

        

Jesus said, "These things are now beginning in the earth, are yet to be, and are soon coming upon all the earth. The fiery serpent is part of the beast. These prophecies you are about to read are true. The revelations are true. Watch and pray. Love one another. Keep yourselves holy. Keep your hands clean.

     "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church. Husbands and wives, love each other as I have loved you. I ordained marriage and blessed it with My Word. Keep the marriage bed holy. Cleanse yourself from all unrighteousness and be pure, even as I am pure.

     "The holy people of God have been led away by flatterers. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked. Understanding will come to you if you will open your ears and listen to Me. This is the Lord's message to the churches. Beware of false prophets who stand in My holy place and deceive with flatteries. 0 earth, My holy people have fallen asleep to the sound of false doctrine. Awake, Awake! I tell you that all unrighteousness is sin. Cleanse yourself from all sin of the flesh and the spirit.

     "My holy prophets lived holy lives, but you have rebelled against Me and My holiness. You have brought evil upon yourself. You have sinned and brought yourself into bondage to sickness and death. You have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled against Me. You have departed from My precepts and from My judgments. You have not hearkened to the words of My servants, the prophet and the prophetess. Curses instead of blessings have come upon you, and still you refuse to return to me and repent of your sins.

     "If you will return and repent and if you will honor Me with the fruit of righteousness, I will bless your homes and honor your marriage beds. If you will humble yourselves and call upon Me, I will hear you and bless you.

     "Listen, you ministers of My Holy Word. Do not teach My people to sin against their God. Remember that judgment begins at the house of God; unless you repent, I will remove you for the sins you have taught My people. Do you think that I am blind that I cannot see and deaf that I cannot hear?

     "You who hold the truth in unrighteousness and line your pockets with silver and gold at the expense of the poor -- repent, I say, before it is too late. On the day of judgment you will stand alone before Me to give an account of what you did with My Holy Word. If you call upon Me in repentance, I will remove the curse from your lands and bless you with a mighty blessing. If you will repent and be ashamed of your sins, I will have mercy and compassion on you, and I will not remember your sins anymore. Pray that you may be an overcomer.

        

"Awake to life and live. Repent to the people you have led astray and taught false doctrine. Tell them you have sinned and that you have scattered My sheep. Repent to them.

        

"Behold, I am preparing a holy army. They will do mighty exploits for me and destroy your high places. They are an army of holy men and women, boys and girls. They have been anointed to preach the true gospel, to lay hands on the sick and to call the sinner to repentance.

         

"This is an army of working men, housewives, single men, single women and school children. They are common people, for not many noble have responded to My call. In the past they have been misunderstood and mistreated, abused and rejected. But I have blessed them with boldness in holiness and in spirit. They will begin to fulfill My prophecy and to do My will. I will walk in them, talk in them and work in them.

        

"These are they who have turned to me with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. This army will awaken many to righteousness and purity of spirit. I will soon begin to move upon them, to choose for My army those I desire. I will search for them in the cities and in the towns. Many will be surprised at those I have chosen. You will see them begin to move across the land and do exploits for My name's sake. Watch and see My power at work.

        

"Again I tell you, do not defile the marriage bed. Do not defile the body in which the Holy Ghost dwells. Sins of the body lead to sins of the spirit. Keep the marriage bed holy. I made man for woman and woman for man and decreed that the two should be united in holy matrimony. Again, I say awake."

        

-------------------- End Of Baxter Excerpt --------------------

     If you are a minister that has in the past promoted false doctrine -- and as you can see in this booklet “Once Saved Always Saved” is one of those false doctrines -- then take heed to what Jesus is telling you in this prophecy. If there is any sin in your life repent of that first before trying to figure out what all these scriptures about falling away really mean. Sin is very deceptive and if you are under its sway, then satan has a wide open door to keep deceiving you and enslaving you into his seductive doctrines.

     Take special note of Jesus’ instructions in the above prophecy, “Awake to life and live. Repent to the people you have led astray and taught false doctrine. Tell them you have sinned and that you have scattered My sheep. Repent to them.”

     And keep in mind that ministers and teachers of God’s word are judged much more strictly. As James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” Make very, very certain that what you teach regarding salvation and what you teach about falling away is in line with ALL of God’s Word. Pray earnestly to God that He correct you in those areas where you are wrong. Pray like you never have before. Study God’s Word like you never have before. And believe when God shows and reveals things to you about this subject. And again if there is any sin in your life -- repent of it. Otherwise, satan is going to lead you into greater and greater deception.

    

7.  Names CAN Be Erased From The Lamb’s Book Of Life

     As you know, one's name must be found in the Book of Life at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev 20:11-15) if one is to escape the sentence of the lake of fire -- which is the second death. The greater question though, for those who have received Christ in the past, and the question we will seek to answer in this section is: “Once one has been saved and his name has been recorded in the Book of Life, is it possible for his name to be erased or removed from the heavenly record?”

     The overwhelming biblical evidence is that such a possibility does indeed exist. One scripture that bears considerable weight on this subject, is the message of the Lord Jesus Christ to the church of Sardis:

     Revelation 3:5 “He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before his angels.”

     The Lord's promise here is clearly conditional. If one is to avoid being "erased" from the "book of life," Jesus taught that it is imperative that he "overcomes." Scripture teaches that the true children of God are those that obey God and overcome the world, “For everyone born of God overcomes the world.” (1 John 5:4a). Recall also 1 John 3:10a, “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God.”

     The context of Jesus' words to the church of Sardis as well as a host of other passages prove the fact that not all believers (by their own choice) automatically and inevitably overcome. The church of Sardis was filled with many compromisers (Rev. 3:1-3), but only a few overcomers (Rev. 3:4). The Lord's glorious promise not to erase the overcomers names from the book of life to those in Sardis, also served as a solemn warning to the compromisers in Sardis. Jesus warned the backsliders -- those who deliberately kept on sinning -- in Sardis who had at one time "received and heard," that they needed to take His warning seriously and repent or else He would come upon them "like a thief" and it would be too late:

     “Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it and repent. If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.”  (Rev 3:3)

     Here we see that Jesus does not promise the compromisers in Sardis that He will not erase their names. Rather He warns them that if they refuse to wake up He will return to them as a thief. Notice that this was a very serious warning. Recall how, Jesus often warned His disciples to be ready for His return, for He would come back as a thief to all who were not prepared to meet Him. This means that they may very well die in their unrepentant state without any chance of repentance to get right with God again -- and such would be condemned to Hell (Mat 24:42-51, Luke 12:35-48, 1 Thes 5:1-5, Rev 3:3, Rev 16:15).

     One can confirm that Hell is indeed the judgment by recalling the scriptures that Jesus gave in the gospels when He spoke of returning “as a thief.” According to Jesus Himself, “returning as a thief” means sudden destruction and damnation. The relevant passage is in Mat 24:42-44,48-51 where it states:

     “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. ... But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, `My master is staying away a long time,'  and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place [in Hell] with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  (Matthew 24:42-44,48-51)

     Notice very carefully that those that Christ comes upon “like a thief” will be assigned a place in Hell, “He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place [in Hell] with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

     A similiar passage is in Luke 12:35-48,

     Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so That when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.

     But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

     Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?"

     The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

     But suppose the servant says to himself, `My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:35-48)

     Again, carefully notice that Jesus was addressing His servants -- those who have genuinely believed. Everyone who “knows his master’s will.” He was warning believers about falling away and getting entangled back into the sinful ways of the world.

     Jesus, after rebuking the compromisers in the church at Sardis, encourages the overcomers in the church of Sardis "But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with me in white; for they are worthy" (Rev 3:4). From all this, we see that overcomers must remain loyal, "stay awake," and "keep" their "garments" clean, lest Christ return to them as a thief: "Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame" (Rev. 16:15). Many in the church of Sardis had backslidden and rather than "staying awake" dozed off into spiritual death; rather than keeping their garments clean, they were soiling them in the sin and filth of the world (Rev. 3:1-3).

     One cannot "stay awake" unless he has first been made awake! One cannot begin to "keep" his garments unless he has first been given garments to keep! This proves that these warnings were (and are) to previously genuine believers who fell back into spiritual death and, since they were not overcoming, were having their names erased from the Book of Life. Rev 3:5 leaves no other possibility. Those who were compromising and soiling their garments were being erased from the Book of Life and their destination (in their unrepentant state) was now eternal Hell.

     It is in the context of these warnings about returning “as a thief” that Jesus promises that He will not erase the names of the overcomers from the Book of Life (Rev. 3:5). From this we see that the obvious condition to remaining in the Book, according to the Lord Jesus Christ, is overcoming obedient faith. Obviously those in Sardis who had soiled their garments, could not be considered overcomers and so they were being erased from the Book of Life. Jesus' intent was that they would recognize their spiritually DEAD (prodigal) condition in His church and repent.

     Because of its serious implications, let us keep looking at Rev 3:5. For “he who overcomes... I will not erase his name from the book of life.” This is a solemn and tremendous claim. The very same finger of Christ that writes, is the very same finger that can erase, a name from the Book of Life. It is wise to take special note of the plain and solemn implication that your name will be struck out of that Book -- if you deliberately keep on sinning and keep soiling your garments. The words of Jesus in Rev 3:5 (as well as Heb 10:26-31, 2 Pet 2:20-21, and many others) are much too plain to be neglected or misunderstood. It is possible that a name, like the name of a dishonest official, can be struck off the rolls. Do not let unbelief or the distractions of this world blind you or deceive you from that fact. Take it into account in your daily life. It is possible for a man to "cast away his confidence" (Heb. 10:35). It is possible for him to make a shipwreck of his faith (1 Tim. 1:19). And, if your name is not in the Lamb’s Book of Life, then at the moment of your death you will be cast into eternal Hell.

     My dear ex-brethren, I wish, I really wish, I could accurately call you brethren. Oh how I wish it. But I cannot and neither can Jesus call you His own anymore because of your willful deliberate sinning against Him. It is only the overcomers whose names are kept upon the roll. Those soiled people at Sardis had a name to live by and obey, and they thought their names were in the book of life. But when they died and the Book was opened: Behold! A Blot! Their names were not there!

     Likewise, what a shock it will be for millions of disobedient professing Christians at the Great White Throne Judgment who were taught that they need not be overly concerned about Jesus' words in regard to overcoming as they could never really be blotted out of the book of life. What a shock it will be for multitudes, that have been lulled into a false sense of security believing that no matter how much they soiled their spiritual garments their names would remain in the Book of Life. What a shock it will be as the fatal illusion to which they had succumbed is shattered as they hear Christ's words echo throughout the judgment hall, "Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41b).

     Again, I realize this all sounds very fearful, but if you deliberately persist in your sin, the reality is that God’s promises of judgment truly are to be greatly feared. For it states in Isaiah 8:12-13, “The Lord Almighty is the One you are to regard as Holy, He is the One you are to fear, He is the One you are to dread.” ( Isa 8:12-13)

     As you have seen, warnings against forsaking God’s kingdom for the kingdom of the world are found throughout scripture. Scripture teaches that if we love the world, we shall perish along with the world (1 John 2:15-17). Paul tells us that Demas who was one of his “fellow workers” in the Lord (Phil 24, Col. 4:14) forsook him having loved this present world (2 Tim. 4:10). God further warns us that believers who forsake their first love for the world become spiritual “adulteresses” and “makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). The scriptures make it abundantly clear that one cannot serve sin and hence satan, the “god of this world,” and the true and living God at the same time (Mat 6:24, 12:30, 1 Cor. 10:21).

     The scriptures warn, those who profess Christ yet deliberately keep on sinning, of spiritual death (Heb 10:26-31, 2 Peter 2:20-21). Jesus promised “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death ... If anyone keeps My word, he shall never taste of death” (John 8:51, 52b). Note that this promise is only for the one who “keeps” His “word,” not for those who love their sin and deliberately keep on sinning. The scriptures are clear that deliberate sinners experience spiritual death (Lk. 15:24, 32, Rom. 8:12-13, 1 Tim. 5:6, 11-12, 15, Heb 10:26-31, Heb. 12:9, James 5:19-20, 1 John 5:16). This truth is especially significant to our study, as those who were failing to overcome in the church of Sardis, and thus were having their names blotted out of the “book of life,” are described by Jesus as those who “are dead” (Rev. 3:1), and “about to die” (Rev. 3:2). Thus the “book of life” contains the names of those who have been given life in Christ by God’s grace and have their citizenship in heaven. Those forsaking Christ, His word, His grace and His kingdom will experience spiritual death and have their names “blotted out” of the “book of life.”

     The scriptures are clear that THOSE WHO PRACTICE SIN AND REFUSE TO REPENT WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD (1 Cor. 6:9-10, Eph. 5:1-8, Gal. 5:16-21, 6:7-9, Rev. 21:7-8). By refusing to repent they refuse to have their sins cleansed by the precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And without the Blood of Jesus there is no salvation.

     Do not seek to gain the world at the expense of your very soul (Lk. 9:23-27). “See to it that you do not come short of the grace of God.” Do not exchange your heavenly “birthright” for the “deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 12:14-16, 3:6, 12-14). Truly repent from all sin and thereafter keep your garments white as snow through living obedient faith in the cleansing Blood of the Lamb (Rev. 3:4, 16:15, 22:14-15). Pray seriously and sincerely to God (and follow up with action) that He instill a real fear of God into your heart. Pray that you may become an overcomer in the faith and not a compromiser with the world, that you may rejoice in Christ’s promise now and at the final judgment.

     In spite of Rev 3:5 some still believe and state that God never erases names from the book of life. The fatal flaw of this thinking is not only the fact that it has no biblical support, but that it is clearly contradicted by scripture. As we shall see, the perfectly Holy God most certainly does erase names from the book of life! In Exodus Ch. 32 we see that after Moses had ascended the Mount to receive the ten commandments he returned to find the children of Israel in a grave state of idolatry as they danced and worshipped the golden calf so soon after the Lord had delivered them from Egypt. This was a “great sin” (Exo. 32:30-31) and for starters three thousand people were immediately put to death (Exo. 32:28). Subsequent to three thousand people being wiped out Moses began to make intercession for the people, praying:

     "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. But now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from thy book which thou hast written!” (Exo. 32:31a-32)

     First of all let it be noted that Moses evidently did believe that names could and would be blotted out of the book of life and offered the blotting of his name on behalf of his people. Now notice that the Lord does NOT tell Moses that: “He never blots anyone’s name from His book of life.” On the contrary, the Lord emphatically states just the opposite:

     "AND THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, WHOEVER HAS SINNED AGAINST ME, I WILL BLOT HIM OUT OF MY BOOK but go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, my angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.” (Exo. 32:33-34)

     To hold or promote the idea that “God never erases a name from His book of life” in the face of God’s very own declarations affirming the opposite is extremely fatal and rebellious thinking, and to teach such a doctrine to others is unconscionable. So serious was their idolatry that God promised to BLOT THEIR NAMES FROM HIS BOOK!

     In the New Testament, Christians are warned to not be deceived about the fact that idolaters would not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10). “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor IDOLATERS nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6:9-10)

     As you can see, the scriptures state clearly that idolaters will go to the lake of fire. “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the IDOLATERS and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." (Rev 21:8)

     No wonder the beloved apostle John closes his first epistle warning believers, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols" (1 John 5:21). Let us guard ourselves from the idols of this age. Let us keep in mind that such Old Testament judgments were recorded in the scripture as “examples” to warn us new covenant believers, of the judgment we will face if we turn away from the living God to the idols of sin and wickedness (1 Cor. 10:1-13). (If you fantasize and like to get involved in your sin -- that my reader is your idol -- which you love above God, eventhough He so loved you and sacrificed for you.)

     Contrary to what some are teaching, Jesus did not say you can get away with anything and “I’ll never erase you out of My book.” Christ taught that the one “who overcomes ... I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before his angels” (Rev. 3:5).

     To those who deliberately keep on sinning (as Heb 10:26-31 describes) I solemnly submit the following warning. It is very direct and strongly worded. But I tell you this not because I hate you but because I love you. If you were driving off a cliff unawares I would scream and yell at the top of my voice to warn you. Please receive this warning in that spirit:

     If you insist on sinning and not repenting and if you die in that state, then at the Great White Throne Judgment you will find that, contrary to what some deceived teachers are promoting, Jesus’ words as written in the Bible will prevail. How shocked you will be when you learn too late the truth about the consequences of your wickedness. How shocked you will be when you learn that, contrary to the popular seductive lie that “nothing” you could possibly do, and “under no circumstances” could you forfeit your place in the Book of Life, you discover to your own eternal loss and dismay, that you have been totally deceived, and stricken from the Book.

     What weeping and gnashing of the teeth will abound when you learn the horrible news that you were totally deceived when you bought into the lie that you could continue in sin and still be saved, and find out that you have lost your very soul forever -- without hope, without mercy, and with the eternal realization that you will suffer in Hell without end. And all of this because you loved your sin over and above God your loving Creator, His Son Jesus who suffered a horrible death on the cross for you, and the Holy Spirit who repeatedly called and tried so desperately to bring you back to the Lord.

 

As you are reading this message you probably sense danger in your heart. That sense of danger is the “Fear of the Lord” and it is essential in guiding you back to the ways of the Lord. Don’t reject it. Thank God that He is still working in your heart to believe. For the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But I must forewarn you that unless you allow that understanding lead you to true repentance toward the Lord, then the enemy will come in later and steal this word from your heart. It is extremely dangerous to cast away the solemn warnings from the Lord. And believe me, as the days and weeks go by, the tendency will be to forget and hence reject “the Fear of the Lord” from your heart. But if you do cast away God’s gracious warnings away from you, and continue in your sin, then your heart will become harder and harder as time goes on. (And remember death can happen at any time. There truly is no guarantee that you will live even one more day.)

     One of the things that I know about sin is that if you continue to think and act upon it, your spiritual sensitivity to God will keep getting duller and duller until you hardly sense God at all in your life. God is still there at times trying to get you to repent of sin and to turn back to Him but it is very soft because of sin's dulling effect on your conscience.

     I will relate to you a true story. I remember once when I was in college. I would use an alarm clock (a very loud one) to wake me up. (I always “intended” to wake up early.) There was a time, however, when I would ignore the alarm clock. The first few days the alarm clock would ring (loudly). I did awake and turn off the alarm clock and went back to sleep. Then in later days I did awake but then I did not even bother turning off the alarm -- I simply went back to sleep. Throughout all these times I always intended to “wake up.” But I didn’t follow through on my intentions. In still the next few days I did the same thing -- the alarm went off and I awoke -- I heard the alarm -- but again I ignored it, did not turn it off, and went back to sleep. Eventually, I got to the point where the alarm came on (and remember it was a loud alarm) but I didn't even hear it anymore, and it didn't even wake me up anymore! I became insensitive to the loud alarm clock!

     This is exactly the way sin operates in your life. If you keep thinking after and committing sin and ignoring God's voice calling out to you to turn away from those sins, and to turn to Him, then eventually you get to the point where you become insensitive to God's voice. Basically your conscience is seared and is not able to sense the evil and destructive nature of the sin you are involved in.

     Yes, you can continue in sin and rebellion against God and risk that your life may not end in the near future. But what if it does? You may find yourself in Hell forever. And once you are there -- you are forever doomed in severe eternal painful torment. In pain more excruciating than being burned alive. This is not a comfortable subject, I know, but it is better for you to know about this now -- when you can do something about it -- rather than later, in Hell, where you will never be able to get out.

     This message you now have in your hand is a “very load alarm clock” being given to you so that you can wake up. What will you do now that God has so graciously provided you this message? Please don’t turn off, ignore, or sleep through this alarm. Take it to heart. Repent of your sins now -- now that the alarm is loud and clear upon your spiritual ears. For surely when the weeks go on and your memory gets further away from this message, will you awake when the alarm is thereby relatively silent? If you don’t repent now when this message is so strong on your mind, what would cause you to repent later when this message is much duller on your memory? This is the very reason that the Word of God says in Heb 3:7,8a, “So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.’ ”

     Please do not turn away from this message. As Heb 3:12 says, “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” If you ignore this message by not repenting now, you are essentially turning away from this message and thereby turning away from the living God. Don’t do this. Please don’t do this. Turn back to Jesus now. He loves you so dearly. Even though you have backslidden, Jesus still loves you and wants you back. Please repent and turn back to Jesus. He desires so much to forgive you and restore you.

     “Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it and repent. If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with me in white; for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 3:3-6)

    

8.  The Precious Blood Of Jesus

     Regardless of each person’s destiny at their death -- whether it be heaven or hell -- everyone, without exception, will forever understand the extremely precious worth of the Blood of Jesus. Those who go to heaven will forever be grateful for the Blood of Jesus, and those in Hell will forever painfully regret having refused or profaned the Blood of Jesus.

     Eventhough I have read about the Blood of Jesus I still cannot fathom how extremely precious the Blood of Jesus truly is. It is like trying to comprehend all the world’s monetary wealth --which runs into the trillions -- and multiplying that number by a trillion times a trillion times a trillion. The number is just so beyond human grasp and comprehension. In fact, the Blood of Jesus is truly priceless. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed but with the precious Blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

     The most direct way that I can appreciate what the Blood of Jesus bought for me is that: If it were not for the Blood of Jesus we would all go to Hell -- and we would all fully deserve it. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) In fact, God would have been completely justified in not sending Jesus to die on the cross for us and let us all be damned to Hell forever -- whether we wanted to reach Him or not. Simply put: We all deserve hell -- all of us! The only thing that makes heaven possible at all for any of us is the precious Blood of Jesus.

     Because of its extreme and eternal importance it is a wise thing to understand more from the Word of God about the Blood of Jesus  -- under what conditions it covers us and under what conditions it does not cover us. For this reason, I now present a little about the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was symbolic of the eternal and perfect atonement sacrifice that Jesus bought by His precious Blood. God commanded Israel’s priests to obey the rituals involving the ark of the covenant and the blood of sacrificed animals, with the intention of showing New Testament believers wonderful truths about the salvation through Jesus Christ and truths about the lack or even loss of salvation.

     A Covering For Sin: The Atonement Cover (Also called the Mercy Seat in the KJV)

     Exodus 25:10-22

10"Have them make a chest of acacia wood--two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. 11Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it.

     12Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the chest to carry it. 15The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. 16Then put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you.

     17"Make an atonement cover of pure gold--two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends.

     20The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover.

     21Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. 22There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.”

     The Mercy Seat (Atonement Cover) was a lid on the Ark of the Covenant. In Hebrew the word for Mercy Seat is “Hilasterion” which is a derivation of the Hebrew word “hilaskomai” which means to “be merciful” and “make reconciliation for.” The Hebrew word “hilaskomai” is from the Hebrew word “hileos” which means to conciliate, that is to atone for sin, or to be propitious, as in propitiation for sin. It also means to be gracious as in “God be gracious.” That is in averting some calamity.

     When we read “propitiation” we can replace it with the idea of saying “God be gracious in averting some calamity.” God averted the calamity of man having to die by the propitiation through Jesus Christ. Mankind must die due to sin -- a calamity. This calamity is averted by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Other verses speaking of “Propitiation” [Mercy Seat]:

     “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation -{mercy seat} - [God be merciful in averting a calamity] through faith in his Blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” (Rom 3:24-25)

     “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation - {mercy seat} - [God be merciful in averting a calamity] for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2)

     “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

     Cherubims, Always In The Presence Of God, Are Looking Upon The Atonement

     Heb 9:4-5 “Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.”

     Inside the Ark were the golden pot of manna, rod of Aaron, and Tablets of 10 Commandments (Law). The golden pot of manna represented God’s provision to give us life. The rod of Aaron is a symbol for God’s authority. And the Tablets of the Covenant is the Law given to us by God. Notice very carefully that the Mercy Seat was a COVER over all these things.

     The Cherubims were on the Mercy Seat and were an integral part of the Mercy Seat. The Cherubims looked on the Mercy Seat. The Cherubim looked at the PROPITIATION. This is where God met man. “There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.”(Exo 25:22)

     In Ezekiel 10:1,14 the living creatures are also called Cherubim: “I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne of sapphire above the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim...Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.”

     The living creatures in Revelation 4:6-8 are the same as the Cherubim mentioned in Ezekiel: “Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." (Rev 4:6-8)

     Since Cherubims were on the Mercy Seat, they were in the Most Holy Place. As Rev 4:6-8 also shows, Cherubims are always in the presence of God.

     The Most Holy Place is prohibited to sinful mankind. A man would DIE should he enter this place. For God's presence dwelt in that room. “And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.”(Lev 16:2)

     Why put the Ark there with Cherubims on it? What is God saying to us? There is a message in this. Let us read Revelation 5:8-10. “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your Blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."(Rev 5:8-10)

     The Four Living Creatures -- the Cherubim praise God for redeeming men from all nations by the Blood of the Lamb. “with your Blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”(Rev 5:9)

     Peter also states that true believers in Christ are redeemed by the Blood of Jesus, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”(1 Pet 1:18-19)

     With the Cherubims being on and looking upon the Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place, we realize they speak about the Redeemed standing IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE -- where sinful man would die!

     We see that the redeemed people are in God's Most Holy presence. How can we be in there? The redeemed are in the Most Holy Place only by virtue of the Mercy Seat (Atonement). The only way they can be there is if there is a covering in there that covers the Law which condemned us all to death. The only way we can be with God again, and not die, is by the covering (mercy seat) Jesus made for our sins.

     God wants us all who are lost: to believe, receive Christ’s atonement and be in His presence. Just like the Garden was blocked by Cherubims. The Most Holy place has Cherubims also. God was sending a message to us: "I want you to come home"

     The Blood Was Sprinkled Seven Times

     The High Priests sprinkled the blood before the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant 7 times (Leviticus 16:14). He, also, did this on the golden Altar of Incense (Leviticus 16:19).

     “And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.” (Lev 16:14)

     The Cherubim ALWAYS looked on the Mercy Seat where the blood was sprinkled. This is where God met man. God met man where blood was sprinkled. This is why we can be reconciled to God. The Cherubim in Revelation 4:6-7 are ALWAYS before the throne in God’s presence. So long as we rely on the Blood, we can be with God and be freed from death. For receiving mercy we look to the propitiation. Look to Jesus dying IN OUR PLACES for salvation!

     It is very interesting, pertaining to the Ark of the Covenant, that Jesus’ Blood flowed out of His body seven different times. The first was the crown of thorns placed on His head. The second was the whip that was used on His back -- the cat-of-nine tails. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth time was for the nails that were driven into His right hand, left hand, right foot, and left foot. The seventh time was when He was pierced with a spear in His side and blood and water flowed out. (John 19:34)

 

It is also very significant to notice that 7 is the number of perfection. Meaning that the sacrifice of Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. It is the only sacrifice that God the Father accepts for the salvation of any human being.

     “And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.” (Lev 16:14)

     Removing The Mercy Seat

     Remove this truth, and stop believing you need the Blood, and you will die. Think you can get to heaven by the law alone, and you will die. Persistent deliberate sinning (Heb 10:26-31) profanes and also removes the Blood.

     We need the Blood. Jesus' death on the cross was required so that we could go to Heaven.

     1 Samuel tells us that the Philistines captured the Ark and then sent the Ark back to Israel after experiencing some terrible plagues resulting from stealing the Ark. They sent it back on an ox cart and it went directly to the region of Bethshemesh. When it was there, the following happened: 1 Sam 6:19-20, “And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?”

     When they looked into the Ark, thousands died!

     In order to look in the ark, one must: Remove the covering -- that is remove the Mercy Seat. This also included removing the Cherubims looking at the blood, and of course removed the blood sprinkled on the Mercy Seat. Once the blood covering was removed, one would then face the Law of condemnation.

     Interpretation:

A believer who backslides by deliberately persisting in sin (Heb 10:26-31) is removing the cover of the Blood. That believer will die. No matter what happens in life, NEVER profane the Blood by living in sin! There is no calamity in this earth that is worth throwing our eternal salvation away. Don't go to hell for anything! Don't throw heaven away. Don't go to hell just to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

     By not looking to the Blood, one, in effect, removes the Mercy Seat. Only the Blood covers the law away from us. Only the Blood frees us from eternal damnation.

     In the 9th and 10th chapter of Hebrews, the Ark of the Covenant and the Blood of Christ is discussed. This provides the context for the passage in Heb 10:26-31 where it was explained that the Blood of Jesus does not cover those who were previously sanctified but now deliberately keep on sinning.  If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” (Heb 10:26-27)

     Every day we must look to the Blood. Everyday we must trust in the Blood. No one is going to Heaven to live eternally who rejects or profanes the Blood.

     The ark represented God's Presence. In Heaven is the Presence of God. No one can stand in His presence without a covering for sin. His holiness literally destroys anything sinful. Therefore we need a covering for our sins so we can go to Heaven.

     When we look to the Blood of Jesus, we are able to enter His presence and go to heaven. Looking to the Blood tells God that we receive upon us the Blood of Jesus by repenting and asking for His forgiveness. It speaks of a state of the heart and the state of knowing we are lost without Jesus. Knowing we can never be with God unless we believe in Jesus' death in our places. And it is doing just that -- believing in Him and then living for Him. Unless we give our lives to Him and live for Him, we are not looking at the Blood. We must believe Jesus died in our place and then live for Him in order for us to get to heaven.

     We Are Saved By God’s Grace And Not By Our Works

     Because the LAW is inside the Ark, under the Mercy Seat, we can say that we are not under Law -- but under grace. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Rom 6:14)

     We go to heaven only by virtue of the Blood of Jesus. The Blood redeems us! “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”(Eph 2:8-9) Jesus' Blood paid all the penalty our sins deserve. The only way to get to Heaven is by Jesus' death on the cross, and giving our lives to Him to no longer live a sinful life with the rest of this world.

     Gold represents DIVINITY. Many things are made from wood covered in gold. Wood is perishable, organic. Wood represents flesh. The sides and bottom of the ark are made of wood covered in gold. But the Mercy Seat (Atonement Cover) was made of pure gold. Let us again read Exodus 25:10-11, 17-19 which talks about this.

     “Have them make a chest of acacia wood -- two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it.”(Exo 25:10-11)

     “Make an atonement cover [Mercy Seat] of pure gold -- two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends.” (Exo 25:17-19)

     Since Gold represents Divinity and the Mercy Seat is pure gold, this means that the Mercy Seat and its atonement nature is totally God's work. Human flesh can never do the work to make us worthy before God, "not of works lest any man should boast". God did the work of atonement. The work of Jesus' death, shedding His Blood saved us. “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17)

     Again, no wood is involved in the Mercy Seat part of the covenant.  The Mercy Seat is not of humanity. Not saved “of yourselves,”  that is not saved by anything you have or can do. God had to do the work to save us and cover our sin. That is why God sent His Son to save the world. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”(Rom 4:7-8) When we look to the Blood of Jesus in faith, our sins are covered.

     Breaking The Law Is Breaking The Covenant

     "Not under law" means that trying to keep the Law, by itself, cannot justify us. For one thing, no human, except Jesus, has ever kept it perfectly. Rather, it is the Blood of Jesus, through faith, that justifies us. However, the Law helps us recognize our sins then we repent and plead the Blood to be purified. Thereafter the Blood of Jesus then justifies us. Without the Law we would never realize the calamity we are heading towards. This is one reason that the Law is so vital and essential.

     Wantonly breaking the Law means a breaking of the covenant -- since the Law was a vital part in the Ark of the Covenant. Notice that the Law -- the Tablets in the Ark -- were written by the finger of God. To reject the Law is to reject the authority of God Himself.

     There is nothing wrong with the Law. The wrong comes in when human pride enters in and tries to use the Law to think that salvation can be earned. Salvation can not be earned by the Law, but Salvation can be lost by flagrantly breaking the Law.

     According to Heb 10:26-31 persistent sinning is profaning the Blood and results in losing the Blood covering. Without the Blood of Jesus covering you, you will perish in Hell forever. Remember what happened to the men of Bethshemesh (1 Sam 6:19-20) when they took off the Atonement Covering (Mercy Seat) off the Ark and looked inside the Ark. They Died! Thousands of them! 1 Sam 6:19-20, “And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?”

     As previously mentioned, notice that the Law is still included in the Ark of the Covenant and so the Law is also part of the New Covenant. The Law serves an extremely important and essential purpose. It is a vital part of our covenant with God. Among other things, the Law is necessary for showing us our need for God’s forgiveness. As Rom 7:7a,12 states, “What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law...So then the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.”

     Notice that the sides and bottom part of the Ark of the Covenant that was not the Mercy Seat (Covering) was made of wood. As Exodus 25:10-11 states, “Have them make a chest of acacia wood--two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it.”

     The wood part of the Ark represents our acts of obedience -- our works -- which we do in the love and fear of God. God gives us the commandments of the Law -- this represents the overlaying with pure gold -- since they are Divinely given to us by God Himself. And we are to obey Him and carry out His will in our life. Our acts represent the wood.

     Notice that without the construction of wood (which represents our works of obedience) there would be no Ark of the Covenant and hence no covenant with God. It is true that our works don’t make us deserving of salvation but they are a fruit of Jesus’ salvation of our soul. Our faith and covenant with God requires that we act in obedience to His commandments.

     Again as Heb 10:26-31 states, by deliberately persisting in sin and disobedience we essentially reject our covenant with God and hence the Blood of Jesus no longer covers us. Without adherence to a covenant commitment, there is no wood, no “Ark of the Covenant” to cover with the Atonement covering, and therefore no longer any covering with the Blood of Jesus.

     As James 2:14 states, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?” In fact in James 2:24 it is stated (and notice this very carefully) that, “a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” We have heard many statements that faith alone is all that is necessary to be saved, but here we see, from the Word of God, that a person is justified by both faith and by what he does, “a person is justified by what he does andnot by faith alone” (James 2:24). In verse 26 James states that, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” In other words, a true living faith results in righteous deeds. To claim that you have faith without deeds is an impossibility. It is like saying you are faithful to your spouse but you go out committing adultery every week. The claim of faithfulness is directly contradicted by the actions actually taken. As Titus 1:16 states, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him.”

     Sometimes, in our zeal to emphasize God’s mercy we have neglected and even implicitly rejected (for most intents and purposes) the justice of God’s righteous Law. As Rom 11:22a states, we need to “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God.” We need to consider BOTH the kindness AND the sternness of God.

     We have considered the kindness of God but we have almost all but ignored the sternness of God. But carefully notice that we are commanded to consider the sternness of God. Just as strongly as we believe in God’s mercy we are to strongly believe in God’s judgment. The Bible gives the right balance on consideration of both. This also ties in very well with Hebrews 4:12a which says, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword.” God’s Word is a double-edged sword. The same Word that gives us promises of grace and mercy is the same Word that gives us promises of judgment if we deliberately keep on sinning. (Heb 10:26-31)

     True Believers Are One With Jesus

     The Cherubims were part of the Mercy Seat. One solid piece of gold made the Mercy Seat and Cherubims. This also represents true believer’s unity in Christ. “For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.” (Eph 5:30) This is also implied in Heb 2:11, “For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.”

     True believers are ONE with the One who is perfect! The One who never sinned -- who rose from the dead and is forever alive! That work made us one so much so that He is not ashamed to call us brethren!

     When Jesus died the veil tore open. This means that there is no more barrier to the Most Holy Place. Jesus’ death opened the way to be in the presence of God. “Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.” (Mat 27:50-51)

     Notice in Heb 10:19-22 that Jesus’ body is referred to as the curtain, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the Blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us THROUGH THE CURTAIN, THAT IS, HIS BODY, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”(Heb 10:19-22)

     In Exodus 26:31-34 the curtain is blue, purple, and scarlet in color. This represents the bruised and bloody body of Jesus when He went to the cross for us.

     Exodus 26:31-34  “Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman. Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Put the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place.”

     Jesus sacrificed His body so that those who believe in Him could be One with Him in the Most Holy Place and become part of the Body of Christ. Jesus so desires that all people would be saved and become One with Him. Jesus suffered so that none of us would have to suffer for our own sins in hell.

     Isaiah 53:4-5  “Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

     If you truly repent and ask His forgiveness, Jesus will cleanse you and receive you back to Himself with great joy. He wants you back. Jesus sheds tears and longs for you to come back to Him.

 

COME BACK HOME!

    

9. Come Back To The Father With All Your Heart

     Let us now read the Story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32.

     “Jesus continued: There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, `Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

     Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

     So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

     When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ‘I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.

     But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

     But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

     Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. `Your brother has come,' he replied, `and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

     The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, `Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

     `My son,' the father said, `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' ”

     Remarks:

     The son who left his father's house is an example of the souls who forsake God and His house. That son went to a far off country where he wasted his inheritance in immoral living. When he spent it all, he began to be in need. So he worked feeding the swine and he longed to fill his belly with the pods that the swine did eat.

     All this gives us a picture as to what sin and living away from God might lead to. But as soon as that son felt how bad his situation was, he arose and came to his father asking forgiveness. This parable shows us the steps toward repentance. The Lord Jesus said regarding that son, "He arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him." (Luke 15:20)

     How strong these words are and how explicit this illustration is by which the Lord Jesus wanted to show His great love and compassion to backsliders.

     "But when he was a great way off." What do these words show us except yearning and waiting? I am sure the father probably looked out several times a day to see if his son was returning. That is why he saw his son returning even when his son was far off. Oh, how God the Father loves you and desires so greatly for you to return to Him. The earthly father, emotionally moved, waits for his son who had forsaken him and went out to do many sins. If this is the case with the earthly father whose life is full of weaknesses, how much then of the feelings of the Heavenly Father toward those who have backslid?

     Jesus told us about God’s love and His desire to be good to us in another part of the Bible saying, "If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to those that ask Him?" (Mat 7:11)

     What was the reaction of the father upon seeing his lost son? "He had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him." The father had proceeded with all these steps toward his son even before the son uttered one word. That the son was turning back to the father showed to the father that this previously wayward son was truly humbling himself and truly wanted to make things right. And notice that the returning son was not seeking or demanding any rights. He was merely seeking forgiveness and the chance to now truly obey his father if only as a servant -- not even with full privileges as a son.

     The father’s compassion for his son just overtook the father. The father could not contain himself. He had to celebrate the returning of his son. That is love which forgives and truly forgets all sins. If the physical father showed that great love toward his sinful son, how much greater is God's love toward the prodigal ones who sincerely turn back to Him. In spite of the sins of the backslider -- which fully deserve eternal punishment in Hell -- God will immediately forgive the truly repentant just as He promises and so longs to do.

     God has compassion upon them and desires so intensely to free them from their slavery? He is the One Who said, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Mat 9:12-13)

     The father experienced all these feelings for his son, but how did the son act toward his father? While the son was in the far off country, he promised himself to apologize to his father, saying, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no worthy to be called your son, make me as one of your hired servants." (Luke 15:18-19) However, it happened that when he met his father, he uttered those words but the father did not let him say the last sentence which is, "Make me as one of your hired servants." This behavior on the part of the father has a very important significance in our relationship with God. When we sincerely repent, God reinstates us as sons. Jesus paid with His Holy Blood as price for this sonship. "For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers. But with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Peter 1:18-19) The expression "Our Father" is a beautiful one which the Lord rejoices in hearing. That is why He asked His disciples to use it. "When you pray, say, 'Our Father, Who art in heaven.'" (Luke 11:2)

     In this parable, what happened after the lost son apologized and repented? The father ordered his servants to "Bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf and kill it and let us be merry. For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." (Luke 15:22-24)

     The son became naked by sinning and the father put clothes on him -- the best robe He had. This is what repentance does, it puts robes of righteousness on the sinner. Robes that were bought by the precious Blood of Jesus. We might wonder and ask ourselves, Doesn't the older son, who spent his life obeying his father, deserve all that? But this is the compassion of the father, for the father pities the sick son more than the rest of his brothers. Also, the Heavenly Father pities the spiritually sick more than the ninety-nine who did not need a doctor.

     The ring which was put on his hand is a sign of the covenant between the father and his son. He does not remember his sins anymore. All that the father cared to do was to cover his son's nakedness so that he might look like a son again, as if he had not done any evil. All that the son offered his father was his heartfelt repentance and a true willingness to obey from that point on, even as a servant. But the father rewarded him with all his blessings. Likewise in our relationship with our Heavenly Father, we need only offer Him our sincere repentance and a true willingness to obey from that point on, and He will accept us and give us of His abundant richness and spiritual gifts to re-establish the blessings that were lost by sinning.

     My reader, look at God's great mercy and His love and compassion to you and His eagerness to re-establish you to salvation. Even though you have disobeyed Him and turned your back to Him, truly repent from your heart and ask God to forgive you by praying as follows:

 

     “Lord Jesus, I realize I have turned my back to you. But now I turn back to You, Lord Jesus. Come back into my heart and forgive me of all my sins. Wash me in Your Blood, and make me clean again. I have sinned against heaven and before You and am not worthy to be called a son. I receive You again by faith as my Lord and Savior.

     I also realize that Lordship means that I commit from my heart to willingly obey You in all things. As I repent and confess my sin I know you are faithful and just to forgive me of all sin and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. This you promise in your Word. I know I don’t deserve Your mercy but I know you are merciful to me because You are faithful to Your Word. Jesus, cover me in Your precious Blood. Lord, I commit never to profane your Blood ever again. And I know in your strength that I can overcome. Lord, I no longer want to sin against you.

     Thank you Jesus for forgiving me.”

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APPENDIX: Scriptures and Notes

 

Ezekiel 18:20a, 24-32   “The soul who sins is the one who will die...”

     "But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.

     "Yet you say, `The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

     If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die.

     Yet the house of Israel says, `The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, O house of  Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your  offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed,  and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

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Ezekiel 33:12-13   “Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, `The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.' If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done.”

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Genesis 2:15-17   “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’ 

     “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in DEATH! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:20-23)

     “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from DEATH to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” (Rom 6:13)

     “Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey -- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to DEATH, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Rom 6:16)

     “As for you, you were DEAD in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” (Eph 2:1-2)

     “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were DEAD in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved.” (Eph 2:4-5)

     “For this son of mine was DEAD and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:24)

     “But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was DEAD and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” (Luke 15:32)

     “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to DEATH, and of faith in God” (Heb 6:1)

     “In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: a righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.” (Ecc 7:15)

     "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." (Luke 22:31-34)

     Job 1:6-12  “One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."  "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.  But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.”

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Job 23:13-16 (KJV)

"But He Is Unique,

And Who Can Make Him Change?

And Whatever His Soul Desires, That He Does.

For He Performs What Is Appointed For Me,

And Many Such Things Are With Him.

Therefore I Am Terrified At His Presence;

When I Consider This, I Am Afraid Of Him.

For God Made My Heart Weak,

And The Almighty Terrifies Me;"

    

Job 1:8 (NIV) “ Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."

     ----------

Philippians 2:12 says we are to work out our own salvation with "fear and trembling". In Isaiah 66:2, the Lord says, ". . . on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word." The Psalmist writes, "My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments." (Psalm 119:120) This is godly terror! This is far more than "reverential awe"! THIS is the BEGINNING of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10)!

-----------

Jesus says, ". . . if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." An appropriate question to ask is, "If your trespasses (sins) are not forgiven, where do you go?" The answer? Hell! This is exactly the picture Jesus paints later on in Matthew as He deals with the same subject matter in Matthew 18:21-35. At the end of this section, Jesus says, "And His Master Was Angry, And Delivered Him To The Torturers Until He Should Pay All That Was Due To Him. So My Heavenly Father Also Will Do To You If Each Of You, From His Heart, Does Not Forgive His Brother His Trespasses."

     That is no picture of salvation! It is a picture of eternal torment. Note Jesus' words, "until he should pay all that was due to him". When someone is in prison, they have no way of ever being able to acquire funds to pay any debt! This is a description of Hell!

     Jesus' warning about forgiveness in both Matthew 6:14-15 and Matthew 18:21-35 (and Mark 11:25 26) is a serious warning!

------------

     Ezekiel 18:20a, 24-32

     “The soul who sins is the one who will die...”

     "But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.

     "Yet you say, `The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

     If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die.

     Yet the house of Israel says, `The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, O house of  Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your  offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed,  and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

     ----------

     Ezekiel 33:12-13

     “Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, `The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.' If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done.”

    

9.  Your Sinfulness Is Damning Others To Hell

     Sometimes the greatest detriment to winning someone to Jesus is a professing Christian.

     “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”(2 Pet 2:1-2, KJV)

     “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. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.”(2 Pet 2:1-2, NIV)

     “BUT false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;”(2 Pet 2:1-2, NASB)

     “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their licentiousness, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled.”(2 Pet 2:1-2, RSV)

    

Hebrews 13:4   Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

     2 Timothy 2:19   Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

     Hebrews 12:25,29   See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? ... for our "God is a consuming fire."

     2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.

Matthew 8:12 (KJV)

But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

2 Peter 2:15

They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

     2 Thessalonians 2:12

“and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

     Revelation 2:14-16

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

    

Jude 1:4-5

“For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.”

    

Mark 13:13

“All men will hate you because of Me [Jesus], but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

     Remarks:

     Look again at the second half of that sentence. Jesus is saying that to be saved you must stand firm (for Him) until you die. Conversely He is therefore saying that those who do not stand firm will not be saved! Notice that I am not quoting Paul or any other Apostle or Disciple, but the Son of God Himself.

    

John 15:6

“If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

    

Luke 12:42-46

“The Lord answered, ‘Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.’ ”

    

Luke 12:47-48

“That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

    

"They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him" (Tit. 1:16a).

     "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" (Jam. 2:14).

     "We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 Jn. 2:3,4).

     "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very beginning" (1 Jn. 3:7,8).

     "This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother" (1 Jn. 3:10).

     In the KJV version this reads: “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the Blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”(Heb 10:26-31)

      In the NASB version this reads: “For if we go on *sinning willfully after receiving *the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of *judgment and *THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. *Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. *How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve *who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean *the Blood of the covenant *by which he was sanctified, and has *insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, «*VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.» And again, «*THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.» It is a *terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the *living God.” (Heb 10:26-31)

     In the RSV version this reads: “For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries. A man who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the Blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb 10:26-31)

     In the KJV version this reads: “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. 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.”(2 Pet 2:20-21)

     In the NASB version this reads: “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.”(2 Pet 2:20-21)

     In the RSV version this reads: “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.”(2 Pet 2:20-21)

    

    

The Degree of God's Anger Against Sin

 by Charles G. Finney

     It is plain that the degree of God's anger against the wicked ought to be equal to the degree of their wickedness, and must be if God is what he should be. The times of heathen ignorance and darkness "God winked at;" the degree of their guilt being less, by as much as their light is less, than that of such cities as Chorazin and Bethsaida. God does not hold them innocent absolutely; but relatively they might almost be called innocent, compared with the great guilt of sinners in gospel lands. Against those who sin amidst the clearest light, his anger must burn most intensely; for example, against sinners in this place and congregation. You may be outwardly a decent and moral main, respected and beloved by your friends; but if you are a selfish, impenitent sinner, the pure and holy God loathes and abhors you. He sees more real guilt in you than in ten thousand of those dark-minded heathen who are bowing down to idol gods, and whose crimes you read of with loathing and disgust.

     Think of it. God may be more angry against you for your great wickedness than against a nation of idolators whose ignorance he winks at, while he measures your light and consequent guilt in the balances of his own eternal justice. Oh! are you living here amid the blazing sunlight of truth; knowing your duty every day and every day refusing to do it; do you not know that in the eye of God you are one of the wickedest beings out of Hell, or in Hell, either, and that God's hatred against your sin is equal to your great guilt?

     But you say perhaps, ‘Am I not moral and honest?’ Suppose you are moral. For whose sake are you moral, and for what reason? Is it not for your reputation's sake only? The devil might be as moral for such a purpose as you are. Mark, it is not for God's sake, not for Christ's sake, that you are a moral man, but because you love yourself. You might be just as moral if there were no God, or if you were an atheist. Of course if so, you are saying in your heart, Let there be no fear of God before my eyes, no love of God in my heart. Let me live, and have my own way, as if there were no God. And all this you do, not under the darkness of heathenism, but amid the broadest sunlight of heaven's truth blazing all around you.

     Do you still ask, What have I done? You have arrayed yourself against God, rejected the gospel of his Son, and done despite to the Spirit of his grace. What heathen has ever done this, or anything that could compare with this in guilt? The vilest heathen people that ever wallowed in the filth of their own abominations are pure compared with you.

     Do you start back and rebel against this view of your case? Then let us ask again, by what rule are we to estimate guilt? You pass along the street and you see the lower animals doing what you would be horrified to see human beings do, but you never think of them as guilty. You see those dogs try to tear each other to pieces; you will perhaps try to part them; but you will not think of feeling moral indignation or moral displeasure against them; and why? Because you instinctively judge of their guilt by their light, and by their capacity for governing themselves by light and reason.

     On nearly the same principle you might see the heathen reeking in their abominations, quarrelling, and practising the most loathsome forms of vice and selfishness; but their guilt is only a glimmering taper compared with yours, and therefore you cannot but estimate their guilt as by so much less than your own as their light is less! Your reason demands that you should estimate guilt on this principle, and you know that you cannot rightly estimate it on any other. For the very same reason you must conclude that God estimates guilt on the same principles, and that his anger against sin is in proportion to the sinner's guilt, estimated in view of the light he enjoys and sins against. The degree of God's anger against the wicked is not measured by their outward conduct, but by their real guilt as seen by Him whose eye is on the heart.

    

Excerpt from Charles G. Finney’s Sermon: Sin Persisted In Is Fatal To The Soul

     Any form of sin persisted in is fatal to the soul, because it is inconsistent with true repentance. Sin, however great, will be forgiven if repented of. But what is repentance? Repentance is not mere sorrow for sin, but it is the heart-renunciation of sin; it is the giving up of sin from the heart, and of all sin as sin; it is the rejection of it because it is that abominable thing which God hates; it is the turning of the heart from self-seeking to supreme love to God and equal love to our fellowmen; it is heart-reformation; it is heart-rejection of sin; it is heart-turning to God. Now, while any one sin is persisted in and not given up, there can be no true repentance; for, after all, this form of sin is preferred to the will of God the indulgence of sense in this particular is preferred to pleasing God. There can, therefore, be no true repentance unless all known sin be for the time utterly abandoned.

    

“Once Saved Always Saved, A Doctrine of Demons”

     “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from

the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim 4:1, KJV)

     It's an awesome thought to consider the capabilities of demons! Among other things, demons actually formulate teachings (1 Tim. 4:1). Since Satan can readily quote Scripture (Mt. 4:6), we should not think the teachings of demons will be filled with apparent gaping holes that can be easily noticed with little or no effort.

     Also, the way Satan succeeded in verbally communicating his wishes for Job to "curse God" (Job 1:11; 2:5) through his wife (2:9) is astounding. But it is even more astounding that Satan actually spoke through Peter, one of the Lord's chosen apostles (Mt. 16:22,23).

     Should we, then, consider it ludicrous for a "doctrine of demons" to come through well-known and popular teachers of the Word? Most assuredly not!

     There is one thing we can be sure of. The devil has our eternal harm in mind. In other words, he will try to harm us, especially spiritually. One of the best ways to do this is to downplay the ultimate danger of sin, while not going too far in the other direction so as to be easily detected. This is exactly what the teaching of unconditional eternal security (a.k.a. Once Saved Always Saved) does! By this I mean, unconditional eternal security teachers will readily preach against sin -- openly declaring the pain, shame and regret it brings, even the loss of eternal rewards and one's position in the kingdom, but will never declare such has the potential of keeping a person who was once saved out of the kingdom all together, in spite of the many clear Scriptures which show this possibility (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:19-21; 6:8; Rev. 22:19; etc.)! Seemingly, this fact has been hidden from their understanding for some reason. Probably because they are relying on their own fallible human minds (which is susceptible to satan’s deceptions), instead of the Holy Spirit to guide them in these areas. We should not be surprised that large numbers of people will be attracted to this type of message! See 2 Tim. 4:3,4.

     Although there are several “Once Saved Always Saved” proponents, one of its key and most popular teachers seems to be a well known radio and television teacher whose name I will write as CTA. (I won’t mention his name because at some point I hope he realizes his folly and turns to the real truth of God’s Word.) If I mentioned his name you would probably immediately recognize his name. He has a very wide audience and is a very well known leader in a main line Christian denomination. This particular teacher has, for the most part, many correct biblical teachings (that is why he attracts such a large following). But the one area that he is definitely dead wrong on is in his doctrine of “Once Saved Always Saved.” Because of his popularity and his otherwise respected position he is causing tremendous harm in the Christian community. Because of his teachings millions are going to be damned to Hell. Whether CTA makes it to heaven or not (only Jesus knows), he will have the blood of millions on his hands and he will regret promoting the “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine for eternity. I will restrict most of the exposition here to the “Once Saved Always Saved” teachings of CTA -- because his teachings accurately represents the whole of the “Once Saved Always Saved” camp. The other teachers of this false doctrine seem, for the most part, to fall in with CTA’s view.

     CTA teaches that, quote: “The good news is, God’s pencil has no eraser” [Referring to the erasing of one’s name from the book of life]. (From a book by CTA, dated 1990). This may seem like good news for those who would seek to change God’s wonderful grace into a license for sin (Jude 4, Gal. 5:13), but this is hardly the good news of the gospel.

     CTA believes, quote: “It doesn’t make any difference how wicked and how vile you act” (From a teaching tape by CTA).  CTA promises that one may “sin like the devil ... [and] you won’t lose your salvation” (Ibid.)

     How can someone who calls himself a Christian believe such a thing? Obviously CTA doesn’t believe the clear scripture of 1 John 3:7-8 which states:

     "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. HE WHO DOES WHAT IS SINFUL IS OF THE DEVIL, because the devil has been sinning from the very beginning" (1 John 3:7-8).

     This scripture is saying that “HE WHO DOES WHAT IS SINFUL” (not even taking it to CTA’s extreme of “sinning like the devil”) is “OF THE DEVIL.” And if one is of the devil, then one is not of Christ. One cannot be both of the devil and of Christ at the same time. Based on this scripture the apostle John would say “he who sins like the devil is of the devil” whereas CTA is saying one may “sin like the devil ... [and] you won’t lose your salvation [i.e. you are not of the devil, you are of Christ].”  Obviously, CTA’s belief here is in direct opposition to the Word of God in 1 John 3:7-8. It won’t make a difference whether you look it up in the Greek, Hebrew, Sanskrit, or Esperanto; the words here are too direct and simple for them to mean anything else. If you don’t believe this then look them up in the Greek, Hebrew, or any other language you like. God’s Word is not going to change!

     CTA further states that, “no one needs to live with the fear that his or her name will be erased from the book of life sometime in the future. But if that is the case Revelation 3:5 is no longer a problem” (Ibid.).

     When someone states: “Oh, that scripture is no longer a problem.” That should trigger extremely loud alarms in your spirit. You know the truth is being trampled on when a scriptural verse is being downplayed and is being considered “no longer a problem.”

     I hope you notice here how CTA is using HIS OWN DOCTRINE about that you can “sin like the devil .. [and] you won’t lose your salvation” and that “no one needs to live with fear that his or her name will be erased from the book of life”  to discredit or try to make irrelevant Revelation 3:5. In other words CTA is using his “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine as proof that Revelation 3:5 really doesn’t mean what it is saying. Instead of letting God’s Word take first place, CTA is putting his doctrine in first place, over and above God’s Word.

     In other words, by saying “Revelation 3:5 is no longer a problem” CTA is saying don’t worry about what Revelation 3:5 is implying. (Rev 3:5 says that it is the overcomers that will NOT be erased from the book of life). In contrast, CTA is essentially saying: Whether you are an overcomer or not, your name will not be erased from the book of life.

     Jesus and CTA are NOT saying the same thing here. Jesus says: “He who overcomes... I will NOT ERASE HIS NAME FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE” (Rev 3:5); whereas CTA is saying, quote: “no one [whether overcomer or not] needs to live with the fear that his or her name will be erased from the book of life sometime in the future.”

     As you know, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus, is the One who holds the keys of death and Hades?(Rev 1:18) Jesus is the Great Judge of all Heaven, Earth, and Hell. And so we know that it will be the Word of Jesus which will prevail at judgment time and not that of CTA.

     When put next to what Jesus is actually saying in Rev. 3:5 and its context, it is clear to see that CTA’s view is false. All of those who have been deceived by CTA’ teaching into believing that they can “sin like the Devil,” and live, “wicked” and “vile” lives, and remain in the book of life are in for a horrible surprise on judgment day. Contrary to what CTA says, Revelation 3:5 IS A PROBLEM for those who deliberately keep on sinning, and IT IS A PROBLEM WITH ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES!

     The Lord’s promise in Rev. 3:5 is conditional. It is the one who overcomes who can rest assured that his name will not be erased from the book of life. Recall also, that in the previous section we examined whether or not God erases names from His book of life, and there we found that, for those who sin against Him, GOD DOES BLOT OUT NAMES FROM HIS BOOK OF LIFE? (Exo. 32:33 as well as Rev 3:5, also Rev. 2:11)

     "AND THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, WHOEVER HAS SINNED AGAINST ME, I WILL BLOT HIM OUT OF MY BOOK but go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, my angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.” (Exo. 32:33,34)

     CTA even goes so far as to teach that if one becomes an antichrist and turns against Christ as a false messiah he will remain saved and have nothing to fear (From a book by CTA, dated 1990).

     To teach that such apostates will remain saved, never be erased from the book of life, and not die spiritually (which is always promised for  those who live wickedly) is in direct opposition to the biblical definition of an overcomer (Rev. 12:11), and against scores and scores of Scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments.

     If one can “sin like the Devil”, and live “wicked and vile” lives as CTA claims this would naturally have to encompass that one can become a murderer, a rapist, a bank robber, and practioner of any other detestable sin or sins and remain confident that his name is still in the book of life.

 

How does this position measure up against Scripture. Let us look at

    

    

CTA believes, quote: “It doesn’t make any difference how wicked and how vile you act.” (From a teaching tape by CTA).  CTA promises that one may “sin like the devil ... [and] you won’t lose your salvation” (ibid.)

     How can someone who calls himself a Christian believe such a thing? Obviously CTA doesn’t believe the clear scripture of 1 John 3:7-8 which states: "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. HE WHO DOES WHAT IS SINFUL IS OF THE DEVIL, because the devil has been sinning from the very beginning." (1 John 3:7-8).

     This scripture is saying that “HE WHO DOES WHAT IS SINFUL” (not even taking it to CTA’s extreme of “sinning like the devil”) is “OF THE DEVIL.” And if one is of the devil, then one is not of Christ. One cannot be both of the devil and of Christ at the same time. Based on this scripture the apostle John would say “he who sins like the devil is of the devil” whereas CTA is saying one may “sin like the devil ... [and] you won’t lose your salvation (i.e. you are not of the devil, you are of Christ).”  Obviously, CTA’s belief here is in direct opposition to the Word of God in 1 John 3:7-8. The words here are too direct and simple for them to mean anything else.

     CTA even goes so far as to teach that if one becomes an antichrist and turns against Christ as a false messiah he will remain saved and have nothing to fear (From a book by CTA, dated 1990).

     To teach that such apostates will remain saved, and not die spiritually (which is always promised for  those who live wickedly) is in direct opposition to the biblical definition of an overcomer (Rev. 12:11), and against scores and scores of Scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments.

     If one can “sin like the Devil”, and live “wicked and vile” lives as CTA claims this would naturally have to encompass that one can become a murderer, a rapist, a bank robber, and practioner of any other detestable sin or sins and remain confident that his name is still in the book of life.