Once saved always saved??? Define: "SAVED"
Bill Clinton - How to usher in lawlessness without really trying.
Do I believe: "Once saved always saved!" Yes! Absolutely! "IF" we were ever truly saved in the first place! "Are you Born-Again?" Just as we were born the first time of the flesh we can't crawl back into our mother's womb and become "un-born" again. You're born. That's it! It's exactly the same when we're "born-again". If God is your Father, then He's your Father and always will be. If you've been brought to "new life" in Christ by the Spirit then you've been "born-again". A father may "Disown" his own flesh and blood child. God the Father, on the other hand, doesn't disown but "Chastizes" all whom He loves that are His (and sometimes, momentarily, this can seem worse than being disowned).
Nothing can change a birth! Once born always born! We cannot be "un-born" ever again! We can, however, deeply grieve the Spirit. Beware of half-heartedly agreeing (like Lot's wife) to be dragged out from under the coming judgement and seemingly being forced to leave behind in Sodom much that she loved and desired. We don't speak of "grudgingly" having to give anything up in order to come under submission to our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is not how it's done! Instead we "gladly" give it ALL up for the love of God and joy unspeakable and full of glory towards Him who first loved us and gave Himself for us. If one is truly born again (i.e. saved) then nothing will ever rob him of the love and glory of God he saw and sees in the face of Jesus. For We are MADE to SEE and KNOW (the truth!).
Many times over Scripture warns us of the dangers of falling away. BUT in order to fall away from the truth/faith one has to be clinging to other things that they deem to be more worthy than Christ, in His love and glory. If so, they were NEVER saved in the first place! As a new bride so loves her new husband, desires to please him and will sacrifice all and follow him to the ends of the earth, so is a Christian to their Lord. And His Love is renewed each morning! "LOVE (a love that is based upon the truth - upon a personal relationship in the knowledge of Him) is the ONLY motivation and reason to follow Him. To follow Him not begrudgingly, not out of fear not to; not for security, not for worldly gain and not for any 'selfish' satisfaction. We follow Him simply because we are "Impelled" to love and follow Him. He has 'won', has 'captivated', has 'changed' our heart. Any choices are long past. Truth has settled it for us forever. For there is no other to compare!
So, by our 'grudgingly' or 'half-heartedly' taking His yoke upon us and learning from Him, we will find ourselves continuing to walk after the lusts of the flesh, and be deceived with gross error, calling evil good and good evil. Such ones as these are kept blind by God (because they 'insist' they can see) for His judgement. Oh they may seem very 'pious', and 'talk' a good Jesus (as if they know Him), but, like the Pharisees, it will all be show. Being shallow inside and void of the truth, they tend to be do, do, doing (like Martha), rather than be, be, being (like Mary). God 'tests' those who profess 'faith' in His Son. He puts the wheat on one side and the tares on the other. 'Faith' that doesn't contain His love AND doesn't continue in His words is not faith but wishful thinking at best.
We cannot serve BOTH God and Mammon! We cannot have two opposing yokes leading us: our will AND God's will! And those who try to live for both must question their own salvation!!! Therefore, if we end up gratifying the desires of our flesh then we shall lose our reward, our assurance and everything else, yet we ourselves will be saved...that is "IF" we were ever really saved in the first place. (1 Cor 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.) But the voice of the Master saying, "Well done good and faithful servant, enter ye into the joy of your Lord", will not be heard.
If we are to understand anything at all concerning who we are and what we're made of, then let us realize this: "When we were first born we took on the characteristics and genes of our human parents. We have their eyes, their looks, their color, many of their moods, and their sin nature. To be born again; through the operation of the Holy Spirit, means that we take on God's sinless nature in Christ Jesus. And like the vine is to the branch we have His Life flowing through our veins (i.e. our renewed spirit). We are a part of Him! I repeat: "All who are born again are God's children!" All that's lacking to see all of this perfectly with on our part is "perfection" - to see Him face to face, as we shall when He returns, to KNOW HIM (as the Scripture says) perfectly, for we'll look just like Him, one of God's family, when He returns. For now we have "faith". For now we see Him (i.e. His reflection to our spirit) in a glass darkly, but then (when the "perfect" comes) face to face in glory!"
Those born only once (of the flesh) will die, while those born twice (the second time of the Spirit) will never die, because in the Christian is the same power and life that raised Christ from the dead! "There is no salvation apart from new birth in Christ!"
So, if you are truly born-again and know it, and know that God is your Father, then you will, you must, you shall live the Christian life, and: "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus after the Spirit"... perhaps not so perfectly in the beginning, and perhaps still being greatly troubled near the end, especially with hidden sins.
Yet in you dwells His Spirit and God knows how to love, and how and when to withhold His love, and chastize those whom He loves, and bring to naught ALL of our selfish worldly dreams, loves and ambitions, in order to more perfectly follow Him and become more fully conformed into His image! THAT is why Paul could joyously say: "Phil 3:7-8 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ..."
"Are you Justified by faith?" Faith comes upon hearing the words of Christ with Holy Spirit conviction, where we then come flying to Jesus (who is high and lifted up) out of our necessity for Him to save us and make us right with God, by believing on Him, thus come to Him and receive Him into our heart. "Faith" comes by our being illuminated to and by the Grace of God that we have been brought to see and realize in Christ. We are saved by the free gift of God's Grace through faith! We can do nothing to save ourselves and earn His unmerited and undeserved favor. We can only come to Him, thank Him for it, accept it freely, and make Him our King.
"Are you being Sanctified to the Truth?" Our following on/growing up in Him (the Sanctification process) is the proof that we are indeed "Born-Again Christians" and have indeed been "Justified freely by His Grace"! For not only are we "saved/justified" by Grace through faith, but we are "being saved/sanctified" by the same Grace through our being "Conformed to, Made Holy by, Made One with the Holy Fire of His Word"! The intent of God's Word is to produce fruit: "Spiritual Fruit". Just as an apple tree is planted in order to produce natural fruit, we have been planted in Christ in order to grow up and produce "Spiritual Fruit". "Matt 7:19-21 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
The purpose of a fruit tree is to produce fruit! It has no other purpose in life! Those not producing such fruit must question whether they ever were a born-again part of God's Kingdom, no matter how loud they may protest to know Him otherwise, because this is all part of God's return, what His intentions are in His Son, and what He expects and what He is getting on His investment. (Read "The Ultimate Intention", by DeVerne Fromke)
"Justification AND Sanctification! - The Word AND the Spirit! - Grace AND Truth!" Both are necessary to save us! Saved from our sins as well as saved to Christ! Justified from sin by Grace that operates only through Faith, and Sanctified to God by Truth. We come to Jesus who is The Way, Through The Truth, for The Life! You've got to go through Him, through the cross, to die and live; dying to live! It is in our being filled with the knowledge of His tremendous love for us that "Smashes us". It is this love that Jesus is and has for us by willingly laying down His life, and the Father is and has for us by sending His own Son to die in our place.
This is a love that sacrifices "all"! It holds "nothing" back! It is with "this same dying love" that God has and is and had shown us, by paying the price FOR us ("Being manifested to us outwardly in the flesh ") in the man Jesus Christ. This is the love we are to love our neighbor by. And it is also with "this one and the same undying love" that God is and has put IN us ("Manifesting Himself in us, to us") with the Son of God, Jesus Christ. This is the love with which to love Him in return with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, being sanctified to His own Person, in holiness, made One through the truth. "Baptized with Fire AND with the Spirit!"
So let me say this as clearly as I know how: "IF" a person is truly saved then they will know and have -- on the outside towards others: the same dying love that Jesus had for others as well (they'll never think themselves 'superior' to them in any way ever again, only as being most undeservedly and greatly blessed of God, and this knowledge will forever humble them) -- and on the inside towards God: they will know and have the same fire, the same passion, the same undying love that the Son has for the Father and the Father has for the Son through the Holy Spirit"!!! This is the way it is and must be! And it is Glorious!
This dying love we've received for others fulfills the Second great commandment, and the undying love we've received for God fulfills the First great commandment! They will have the love of God for others,
and the love for God Himself as a living fire in them (purifying & sanctifying them to His Word of Truth). "They will know Him and walk with Him, and He will know them and walk in them!" They will have a holy union, an intimate relationship, a burning love of God ablaze in their heart in and through Christ! Although their commitment may temporarily hit road blocks from time to time, nevertheless they have put their hand to the plow, they have weighed all of the costs, and, like Paul, have come to the same conclusion:
Phil 3:7-14 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
So, next time anyone want's to define what a "Christian" is, you can tell them: "A Christian is someone who fits John Murray's marvelous description of one who is working OUT The Life they received inwardly IN Christ. A life centered in love, based ever upon the truth, and walked after in holiness, intent on being conformed to His image, well pleasing to Him. A life whose only rest, happiness and joy is found only when they are in complete submission to Jesus as Lord of all, therefore loving the Truth absolutely and proving it by obeying His words. Yet, if such a person is found in sin and blatant error they will take correction from those who are spiritual (who know and love the Truth), backed up by God's Word, and they will listen to them!" (Because they sat down and weighed the costs and sold ALL to follow Him, thus leaving Satan nothing of his own left with which to pull them back to him now or when they are at death's door. For they have been made 'Free' in Christ!)
(FYI I have copied and paraphrased some lines from Al Dagger's Media Spotlight on "Repentance and Bill Clinton", and thought I would share them with you. It is important that you fully realize that IN Bill Clinton lies the antiChrist spirit and the lawlessness associated with it. That is why he is such a profound deceiver and refuses to step down as any man of morals and integrity would do.)
If the polls are correct then America has decided that it will tolerate a lawless man in the highest echelon of government. The sentiment is, "Leave him alone. We don't care what he is or what he's
done; there's peace, the economy is good, and besides his crimes aren't worthy of impeachment."
We are not far removed from the possibility of anarchy, which could lead to dictatorship. Lawlessness breeds lawlessness. To offend in one point of the law is to offend in all the law. A lawless president of
the nation, governing with the approval of a majority of the people, will have no regard for laws that protect the rights of the people.
There is a great difference between personal sin and crime! If we were all to use Clinton's rationale, no one would be required to pay for their crimes as long as they said they were sorry, and/or changed the definition of sin: "lying about having "Oral" sex is not lying, not sex and not a crime". I remember him looking at the camera while facing millions of viewers saying: "I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT WOMAN!"... expecting men, women and children simply to believe him. Clinton's personal sin was engaging in illicit sex with a White House intern, and calling it something other than a sex act. Yet with true repentance (of which he has yet to show to convince any true Christain), he can certainly be forgiven.
Few would suggest that he be impeached and convicted as a felon on that basis. Yet there remains a price to pay, for sin and for crime, and those in government service and everywhere have been paying that price for being found engaging in the same sexual practices, which is in their being disgraced and terminated from their jobs. His crimes, however, are against society and, in particular against the legal system, and are thus far worse.
Were he allowed to escape indictment either by Congress or by the legal system, the rule of law would be seriously breached. If Clinton should be forgiven these crimes merely because Americans are cognizant
of their own personal sins, how can the system of justice survive?
If he were set free from his crimes, then everyone (including all of those who are now serving time for identical crimes) should be set free as well, and no one ever again should be tried for perjury or
obstruction of justice, or any other "high crimes". If he were set free, then the lowest criminal would be completely justified in crying 'foul' for being convicted and sentanced of the same or lower crimes for which the President of the United States has been exonerated of. Prisons would be forced to let out their law-breakers in droves if Clinton gets away with his crimes.
The difference between personal sins and crimes against society and its governing laws is that the former hurt only the sinner and others closely connected to his sin, while the latter can bring a nation down
into anarchy. Unless the law is administered without regard to one's station in life, there is no reason for the law to exist.***
LIBERAL LOVE - The following quotes concerning the recent impeachment of Pres.
Clinton are from PMU's 3/99 The Missions Banner:
"If we lived in another country, we would all right now go down to Washington and stone Henry Hyde to death." (Actor Alec Baldwin)
"A vote against impeachment is a vote against fundamentalism, the right-to-life
movement, and the radical right." (Harvard Law Prof. Alan Dershowitz)
"Bury the hatchet...I want to bury the hatchet IN Kenneth Starr!" (Clinton crusader James Carville).
