Tag Archives: 2 Peter

Separating real salvation from the fake

Posted on April 15, 2015 by | Comments Off on Separating real salvation from the fake

bible-sepiaToday I want to ask you if your salvation is real. Before you answer or get offended, I want to share a part of my life with you. I once prided myself in being saved in August of 1988; I do not remember much about the day besides having a conversation with Dr. Whittman, a man who sincerely believed in the Lord and who was genuinely concerned with the well-being of my soul. Sure, I walked down the church aisle the next Sunday and made my profession of faith known to all who were there. That evening I was baptized. Surely, having undergone all this I must be saved. If only that were truly the case. Although I had the head knowledge of Jesus there had been no great transformation, no real change in my heart.

The apostle Peter wrote, And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall (2 Peter 1:5-10). Although Peter is writing to Christians and are encouraging and reminding them of the importance of salvation, he reminds us about the changes that happen within the heart of the believer. Any Christian, or rather any real believer in Christ, should have the characteristics that Peter discusses. The problem is when we claim to be a Christian and do not have these traits we actually have a false salvation.

From 1988 until 2006, I really believed I was saved, after all, I had been baptized and was even regularly attending church. According to the world’s standard I was behaving exactly the way a Christian was supposed to behave. There was no struggle with the flesh because I would try to appease my sin nature and really felt no guilt. This is the danger of having a false salvation – it becomes easy to justify committing sins under the guise of “God understands” and “I can always ask for forgiveness.” While the Bible does teach that God will forgive sins it also teaches we are to avoid the situations that would easily allow us to yield to the temptation to sin. Since my spiritual life was fake and real salvation was not what I had, I felt no guilt about the lifestyle I was living. The only time I felt shame or conviction was when I was afraid that someone in the church where I was attending might find out what I was doing. In fact, I thought that every Christian felt like that and I was simply fighting the same battles as everyone else. What I didn’t understand was that not only was I lost, but the conviction and shame I was feeling was the Holy Spirit moving within my heart and mind.

When I finally gave my life to the Lord and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior on August 21, 2006, I knew there was something different – I told the Lord I was giving my life to him, rededicating myself to following His teachings. For a while I simply thought I had rededicated my life to Christ and began to fight the guilt and tremendous shame I felt for the way I lived between 1988 to 2006. This was nothing more than Satan trying to distract me from what had actually happened – I had become a new creäture through Christ, freed from the burdens of sin, reborn in His image! Satan began using those years where I believed I had been saved to keep me from the blessings and joy of the Lord. As I began to grow in my faith and learning the joys of real salvation, I began watching the control that Satan had on my life weaken. Now, please keep in mind that I am not perfect. In fact, I still struggle with temptation, but now have an understanding to avoid the temptations and situations that cause me to stumble.

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When God uses others to teach us

Posted on January 7, 2015 by | Comments Off on When God uses others to teach us

God uses othersEvery Christian has experienced what today’s post is about. God uses others to teach us important lessons about our faith, about ourselves, and about others around us. There are times when we will be the one that God uses to teach others. In either case, we must be ready to listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and to seek out what it is that the Lord wants us to learn. The apostle Paul, a person that the Lord still uses to teach Christians about the faith, wrote: Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. (Galatians 6:6). In the end, with every lesson that is taught to us, the Lord will always get the glory.

God will often bring people in our lives for us to gain some understanding about ourselves, our relationship with the Lord, and our relationship with others within the body of believers. According to various research groups, roughly 85% of all people are visual learners. Yes, they may read about something, but real understanding comes from watching. They need to be shown for the lesson to become real and to truly understand what the Lord is teaching. I think what the apostle Paul wrote, And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works (Hebrews 10:24) actually fits into this area nicely. No person who ever accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior ever learned how to minister and teach others immediately after they were saved. We can, however,  learn what it means to truly minister to other people by watching how older-in-the-faith Christians minister to others. By watching them, we are being provoked to do the same good works, just as the apostle Paul wrote.  No one instantly knows how to be a servant of Christ simply because they have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ. It is learned behavior.

Paul also writes that as Christians, we have an obligation to teach other Christians that may not be as mature in their faith the things that we understand. He wrote, Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Exhort means to encourage or to teach through encouragement. Again, we are to minister to the needs of others by teaching those who may not be as strong in the faith as we are, or who may not fully understand how they are to behave as Christians. we must be ready at any time to teach the things that we know about the Lord to others without stumbling or confusion. There are those who we will come across in our lives who are saved but may have not developed a close relationship with the Lord or those who are lost that the Holy Spirit has been ministering to bring them to salvation. When we are asked questions about our faith, we are placed in a teaching position: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15) Just as God uses others to teach us, God will also use us to teach others.

There are several places within the writings of Paul where he encourages those who are more mature in the faith to become teachers of those who are still young. In his letters to Timothy, Paul encourages him to accept the responsibility of teaching what he understands about his faith. Paul writes in his first letter: If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach (1 Timothy 4:6-11). In several verses of his second letter to Timothy, Paul continues to encourage him: And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2) and And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient (2 Timothy 2:24). Not only does Paul encourage Timothy to teach others, but he reminds Timothy to be patient and to teach others so that they will be able to go out and teach what he teaches them.

When we are led learn, we must realize that we are not to discard the person teaching us because they do not fit into what we think they should look like. The Lord is very clear that those who will teach us may not come from a position of authority above us, but may come from among us, or maybe in a position subservient to us. He also clearly teaches us that when it comes to the leading of the Holy Spirit, those who teach us may even be younger than us, which is not what many people expect. Even Job found this out the hard way in the form of a rebuke from a young servant boy: And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion. I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding (Job 32:6-8). Paul even waned Timothy not to allow people to discredit his message because of his age: Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity (1 Timothy 4:12). He also instructed Timothy to not consider social status when teaching others: And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort (1 Timothy 6:2).

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Saved but longing for your old self?

Posted on March 27, 2014 by | Comments Off on Saved but longing for your old self?

Cross-Easter

Earlier this week, every daily Bible reading seemed to focus to a single theme – Christians who, after experiencing the grace of God begin to mourn the loss of their old lifestyle.  In the past, I have come across a lot of Christians that will eagerly share, with much excitement, the old life that God called them from.  Now while sharing a testimony of how the Lord found you is a powerful personal evangelism/witnessing tool, for a handful of Christians there is that attitude of “them were the days…” or “wow, those were some parties back in the day…”  I once knew a gentleman that actually told me that since he had become a Christian, he missed the camaraderie and fellowship that he had with his lost friends.

Even the apostle Paul was confounded by Christians who longed for their old lives. He even wrote to the early Christians at Galatia, Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? (Galatians 4:8-9).  There were Christians in that church that not only longed for the “good old days” but also longed to worship the old gods through the old faith.  Maybe it is because of a lack of discipleship or maybe their acceptance of Christ was from the head and not the heart, but they truly felt that they better understood their old faith – a religious system created by man – than the liberating force and faith that Christianity truly is.

Even Solomon, the wisest of all Jewish kings, wrote, As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly (Proverbs 26:11).  The apostle Peter understood this proverb and even used it as a part in his discussion on those who make a profession of faith and then long for the old life: These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 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. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire (II Peter 2:17-22).

Peter refers to these people as being “wells without water” because of the impact they can have on other people.  By still hanging on to the things of the world and of the flesh as a Christian, they are not only causing a crisis of faith for weaker Christians, but they are also deceiving themselves.  As a Christian, our sins are forgiven – And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses (Colossians 2:13) – but it does not give a license for us to continue to willfully live and seek out the pleasures of sin.  Even the apostle Paul explained this to the Christians and early church in Rome: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid (Romans 6:14-15). We should never willfully seek to disregard the grace of God!

The Lord Jesus Christ was not silent on this very topic either.  During one of Jesus’ many travels during his earthly ministry, he had a conversation with a few members of the crowd that followed after him: And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:57-62). I think that it is telling that each man that approached Jesus wanted to follow him, but only after they did one more thing before they could go.  Jesus then gives us his view on those who accept salvation then longs for their old life, with its sin and depravity.  Jesus tells us they are not fit for the kingdom of God.  I often have wondered if that is because their salvation was not real and they are actually lost but had become caught up in the emotion of the moment or if they are the ones that will be in Heaven, but upon understanding God’s grace, will weep out of their own embarrassment and shame before Jesus wipes away their tears.

As Christians, when we choose to live a carnal life much like we did before we accepted Christ as our Savoir, we remove ourselves from a place of blessings and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  I often wonder why would anyone want to turn back to their old life, because before they knew God, they lost to his grace.  The apostle Paul states, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23), and with this in mind, an eternal separation from God to be cast into the lake of fire for eternity does not sound like much cause for rejoicing or celebrating.  In fact, Jesus gives a description of what it will be like: And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:45). What a bleak outlook for anyone that has never accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior! Why would any blood-bought Christian want to hold onto the old fleshly nature knowing what their eternal destination would have been if not for the grace of God?

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