So, can a
Believer (you and I) loose eternal life if we sin? What exactly does sin do to a believer?
Answer to
first question is no. Did you hear the
record scratch? Yes, you heard me right, NO. When I came to full realization of this, my
mind went back to what I was taught growing up-the opposite. I was taught that if a believer sins, they loose eternal life until they repent and turn to Him. This also means, that if that person sins, and
they die before repentance, they will go to hell. We cannot determine if they repent or not,
only God can do that. At least this is
what I came to believe after years of going to church.
Every believer struggles with sin. As I mentioned last week, we are restored to
having relationship with God, but it is definitely not ‘before the fall’ status. Paul tells us in Romans 7:25, that we have
deliverance from this struggle through Jesus Christ our Lord. In Romans 8:1, he continues by saying that because we have this deliverance through
Christ, we DO NOT stand condemned.
God does not condemn us, and therefore, NO ONE and NOTHING can. Paul
later says in this chapter this; “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Versus 38-39. NOTHING can separate us from Christ.
Jesus also
said in John 10: 27-28, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they
follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no
one will snatch them out of My hand.”
We, the sheep, know Christ voice.
This tells me that since I belong to Him, I know His voice. It may need fine tuning, and sometimes it
might be harder than other times to hear His voice, BUT, we DO know His voice.
In verse 14 and part of 15, Jesus says that He knows His sheep and His sheep
KNOWS Him. No maybe or might, but a sure
thing.
So, if sin does not unborn me again, then
what happens when a believer sins?
As far as our status as God's children and having eternal life, nothing. A believer should repent and accept Christ's
forgiveness, and move on. Simple. The bible reminds us many times that we must constantly be fighting our
old nature, and that as fallen humans, we can stumble and sin. Paul says this
in Romans 7 well. As believers, our focus should be on the
Spirit and what the Spirit is telling us. We like to remind ourselves of the bad things
around us, how incapable we are of accomplishing what God wants, but the truth
is that we only need to accept God’s gift of salvation, and walk by the Spirit
thereafter. Galatians 5: 16 says ‘So I
say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.’ Our focus need to shift. We
cannot do anything to earn God’s favour.
God view our hearts because our motives are hidden there. He responds to a sincere heart. We cannot TRY to be Christians. We either do it, or don’t. No middle ground. We Belizeans (and other people in the world) love to play middle ground. I will hold on to this, even though I want to
change to this,-just in case! We like to let sleeping dogs lie; not realizing
that is why the truck run them over.
RENEW YOUR MINDS! We have been hearing the truth for years, and where
are we because of it? Revelations 3:1," I know your deeds; you have a
reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen
what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the
sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and
heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a
thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you." Listen to what the Spirit is saying. Those who like to ‘play it safe’ are the lukewarm people that God wants to spit our of His mouth.
I pray that as you have read the truth, being careful to review the scriptures for yourselves, that you will choose to life accordingly and therefore have the freedom that Christ offers.
I pray that as you have read the truth, being careful to review the scriptures for yourselves, that you will choose to life accordingly and therefore have the freedom that Christ offers.
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