Sin... - Joey Ferrell
The title says it all. Sin. That is what has been on my mind…well, not the actual sin itself, but the idea of sin. From the very time that man first sinned in the Garden of Eden, until today…and even into the future, sin lives on, and it is our worst enemy at work.
The title says it all. Sin. That is what has been on my mind…well, not the actual sin itself, but the idea of sin. From the very time that man first sinned in the Garden of Eden, until today…and even into the future, sin lives on, and it is our worst enemy at work.
Sometimes, we tend to discount sin. We might overlook this or that because of societal changes, or because “everyone else is doing it,” and so on. Sin becomes more natural to us each and every day when we allow it to enter into our lives. Sin enslaves us, making us more adept to continuing in it day after day as a habit more than a vice.
Paul had plenty to write about sin. Let’s look at a few verses:
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”
(Galatians 5:1)
“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
(Romans 6:16–18)
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
(Ephesians 2:1–7)
We could probably continue with posting scriptures about sin and how it enslaves us; however, you probably get the idea. What bothers me about sin is much more than just the idea of a trespass. I cannot help but think about the consequences of sin, the pain that sin has caused many from the age of creation, the misery in even death that was caused as a result of one man’s sin (Romans 5:12-21). I also cannot help but think about how my own sin has caused heartache for even my own family, but more importantly…my God. I am sure you can say the same thing.
But…there is some good news!
Sin CAN be forgiven. Sin CAN be overcome. Sin CAN be healed from in part.
Romans 6:23 talks about the wages of sin being death…and certainly that idea rings heavy, but don’t lose sight. The back half of that verse tells us to have hope in the eternal ife in Jesus Christ with His gift!
What does that mean? That means that even the vilest of the vile, the meanest of the mean, the lyingist of the lying, and so on…can be washed from those sins in the soul-saving blood of Christ, our Lord.
Paul recounts his conversion in Acts 22. In this story, Paul is told that he must go to find a man that would tell him all that he would need to do. He finds him. That man tells him how to be saved, and then he asks a very important question:
“Why tarryiest thou? Arise and be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord, washing away your sins…”
Did you see that? Those sins were gone with the empty mop water bucket. History. Never to be held against Paul any longer. Friend, you can have that same cleansing in Christ Jesus! Maybe you believe you are saved, yet you have not done what is required based on the scriptures. In Acts 19, there were some who had been baptized that did not know why they were baptized, or were not baptized into the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. What happened? Well, we see Paul teaching them and they were baptized…correctly after learning the truth! Hallelujah for second opportunities!
Maybe you need to find out more about the free gift of life…maybe you have questioned your own salvation in recent times. We have answers. We want to help! May God bless you as you seek truth.
What is Evangelism and Why is it Important? - Joey Ferrell
Evangelism. You may have heard this word many times and not really understand the meaning behind it. After all, you will not find the word evangelism in your Bibles. But, the concept is definitely there, and we must understand the significance and the importance of utilizing evangelism in our day and time.
Evangelism. You may have heard this word many times and not really understand the meaning behind it. After all, you will not find the word evangelism in your Bibles. But, the concept is definitely there, and we must understand the significance and the importance of utilizing evangelism in our day and time.
Definition
Evangelism is derived from the Greek noun that is used for “good tidings” or “messenger.” The Greek word looks very similar to the spelling that we have in evangelism. It is euangelion. You can notice the similarity pretty quickly.
What does it really mean? In brief, it means to tell the Good News of Jesus Christ.
While it would take a very lengthy article and time to fully expound on all of the ways that we can evangelize, what we can look at today is just a touch of how we can jump start a few ideas in which to grow upon.
The Bible clearly has multiple examples of evangelism, especially in the great commission of Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16, Luke 8 & 10, Proverbs 11:30, and many more. The “how” isn’t always as clear as they “why.” Here are a few suggestions of how to evangelize in your local area.
Card programs - if you know of people in the community who have had sickness, lost loved ones, had life changes, and so on…a nice greeting card in a timely manner may be more than enough to open a door of opportunity.
Social Media invites - There are many local area groups on Facebook in particular. In our area, there is hardly a week that goes by that someone does not post asking about a “good church” in the area. This is a great way to make an acquaintance. Just don’t be overpowering with the conversation. The goal would be to invite them to visit.
New mover and visitor bags - There are different ways to acquire new mover contacts. One of these is through the House to House mail out program. When you may receive a list of contacts, make up a small gift bag with a couple of tracts, maybe a DVD (you can order some from our website for free), a couple of small goodies like a pen/pencil, not pad, etc. and deliver it to their door step. Even if they are not at home, the bag can be left…just make sure the contact information is there for the church! These are also great for visitors that come to your building for services.
Personal invitation cards - Have some cards printed up with the church name, address, and meeting times only on the front side. On the back of the card, have a place that says “you are invited to come and visit with us. Please show this card to someone to let them know you are looking for me. My name is __________________________. My phone number is (optional) ___________. We look forward to seeing you!” Hand these cards out anywhere and everywhere you come into contact with people.
Example - Make sure that in your daily life that people see Christ within you. Christians should be happy people, and we should be people that want to tell everyone that we can about our happiness and our salvation. We should want to be “messengers of the Good News”….euangelion.
Why is evangelism important? Well, if you have read this far, you probably already have some indication of the importance. The main emphasis is simple…we are commanded by our Lord to tell others, but, the motivation should be that we love our neighbor as much as ourselves…and want to see our neighbor (friend, loved one, etc) in heaven with us.
Let’s get busy! There are souls that need us today…right now!
Our main emphasis at The Gospel of Christ is to Take the Whole Gospel to the Whole World. This is the basis of our evangelistic efforts. We pray that you will see many great resources that you can also use in your own evangelistic efforts from The Gospel of Christ including through our television broadcasts, field representative visits, free media items and our website.
We are currently reaching over 50,000 households each week through our broadcasts across the country, thousands of website visitors each week and hundreds of free media items sent out via mail and digital downloads. This is all made possible by individuals and congregations of the Lord’s church. We hope you will visit a congregation near you soon. Find our supporting congregations at www.findthelordschurch.com.
Until next time…
Joey
Once Saved, Always Saved? - Ben Bailey
One of the most destructive doctrines to the Bible and Christian character is the man-made teaching that once a person has been saved he can never loose his salvation. This doctrine is destructive to the Bible because it twists the Scriptures to their own destruction (2 Pet. 3:16). But, it is also destructive to Christian character because it provides a license for sin. Does the Bible really teach that once a person is saved he can never again be lost? Let us consider two passages of Scripture.
Once Saved Always Saved
Ben Bailey
One of the most destructive doctrines to the Bible and Christian character is the man-made teaching that once a person has been saved he can never loose his salvation. This doctrine is destructive to the Bible because it twists the Scriptures to their own destruction (2 Pet. 3:16). But, it is also destructive to Christian character because it provides a license for sin. Does the Bible really teach that once a person is saved he can never again be lost? Let us consider two passages of Scripture.
Galatians 5:4 “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” The teaching of Galatians 5:4 absolutely repudiates the idea of “Once Saved Always Saved.” In the letter to the Galatians, Paul is writing to “the churches of Galatia” (Gal. 1:2), which represents all those who have already been saved. This is very significant because some have tried to say that these people really weren’t saved in the first place. By saying this, they are saying that Paul, an inspired man of God, didn’t really know who was and who wasn’t in the church. Friend, Galatians 5:4 clearly teaches that some were at one point saved and in the church and then they later fell out of grace with God. Others have objected to this verse by saying that these people had not fallen out of grace, they had merely fallen from within the center of God’s grace. First, what difference is there? Both are without God’s richest grace. Secondly, the Greek Testament will not accept this rendering. The literal word for fallen from is the Greek preposition that means “out of”. Paul is not only saying they have just fallen from God’s grace, but that they have literally fallen out of the realm of God’s grace. Friend, the Bible does not teach once saved always saved, it clearly refutes it!
Acts 8:20 “But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!” If Galatians 5:4 teaches by principle that the doctrine of once saved always saved is false, then Acts 8:20 teaches it is false by case example. Here is a man who has been converted to the gospel by inspired teacher. He then tries to buy the gift of miracles and is found in sin. Then, Peter says to him “That’s okay you’re once saved always saved.” NOT SO! Peter told Simon that his money was would perish with him. Peter told Simon he was about to perish spiritually. Remember, here is a man who has just become a Christian and then Peter told him he was about to be lost. There could be no more convincing example than this that a person can become a Christian and shortly after that be lost. Friend, the Bible does not teach once saved always saved, it clearly refutes it!
Dear reader, please do not be deceived. Once saved always saved is not taught at all in the Bible. In fact, it is clearly refuted. Please do not let yourself get caught in the modern teachings of men, but return to the Bible.
The doctrine of once saved, always saved teaches that a Christian can never so sin as to be completely lost for all eternity. Regardless of how bad your sin is or how evil you act, you cannot be lost once you are saved. No doubt, this is a very comforting teaching but it is not taught anywhere in the Bible. In fact, it is explicitly condemned in Galatians 5:4. Let us notice two other passages in the Bible that teach once saved always saved is not biblical.
1 Corinthians 10:12 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” In this passage Paul clearly teaches that the Corinthian Christians could fall away from God. Corinth was a very wicked city and the church was becoming wicked in some ways as well. They had division, idolatry, immorality, adultery and other problems that were about to cause them to be lost. However, some might object to this passage by saying “fall doesn’t mean to be lost forever.” Let’s let the context determine the meaning. Those whom Paul is speaking about were involved in the following sins: lust, sexual immorality, idolatry, tempting Christ, and complaining (1 Cor. 10:1-11). Can anyone with these sins in their life go to Heaven? No! In fact, the context defines “fall” as “being destroyed by the destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:10). When Paul says fall he means to be lost for all eternity from God. Truly, these Christians were about to be destroyed spiritually by God and so can we if we are not careful.
2 Peter 1:10 “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall.” Once again, Peter tells Christians they can so sin as to be lost. Why must a Christian make sure he stays saved if he can never be lost to begin with? Once saved always saved is in total contradiction with this passage of Scripture. There is no need to make sure if you are eternally secure. But, someone might object by saying “These people were never saved in the first place.” Are we willing to say Peter didn’t know who his “brothers” (2 Pet 1:10) were? Peter knew who was and wasn’t a child of God and he also knew that they could be lost if they were not careful. Truly, this passage teaches that the possibility exists for Christians to be lost and fall from grace.
After considering these passages, as well as last week’s, one wonders why those who claim to believe the whole Bible teach this doctrine. Could it be because of the comfort it brings? Possibly, but it is a pseudo-comfort. Could it be because it is what we have always heard? Very likely, but we will not be judged by what we have heard but by God’s Word (Jn. 12:48). Could it be because we have not studied the Bible to find the truth? Yes! It is time for all of us to go back to the Bible and find the truth instead of letting our denominational party tell us what to believe.
In the Bible, there are clear-cut passages that teach a Christian can so sin as to be eternally lost (See Gal. 5:4; 2 Pet 1:10, 1 Cor. 10:12, Acts 8:20). However, some have tried to distort certain passages to make them teach once saved always. Let us take a moment to examine a few of these distorted passages.
1 John 3:9 “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” To the destruction of John’s overall message, some have tried to make this teach that a person cannot sin after he has become a child of God. First, this is in direct contradiction with what John has already said. In 1 John 1:8, John tells Christians “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Also, in 1 John 2:1-2 John tells Christians that when they do sin they have an advocate for their sin Jesus Christ. In these passages it is evident John realized Christians would sin and would need help with their sin. What is 1 Jn. 3:9 trying to teach? John is teaching that a Christian cannot stay saved and continue in sin. The Greek word for sin is continual in its action. All Greek scholars and lexicons agree that John is saying a Christian cannot continue in sin and be pleasing to God. John is not envisioning a one-time act, but a continual lifestyle of sin. The NIV translates 1 Jn 3:9 accurately by saying “No one who is born of God will continue to sin…he cannot go on sinning.” Isn’t it interesting that the verse that some have used to prove once saved, always saved actually teaches a Christian can be lost. John is teaching that a Christian cannot continue in sin and still be pleasing in God’s sight. But, a Christian can sin and a Christian can fall away.
In writing articles of this nature, some might think my purpose is to make fun of or anger other religious groups. Dear reader, that is not at all my purpose. In fact, while I write the truth of these articles with confidence in the Bible’s teaching, I also write with a love for your soul. If it were the case that this doctrine is not true and I never said anything about it, would I really love you? No! Please understand that I am always open to reader questions and comments. If you have a question or comment about what I say, please write to me at 607 McLish Ave., Ardmore, OK 73401. And, stay tuned next week as I answer two more alleged proof text for this doctrine.
A denominational preacher in Louisville, KY has made this statement concerning once saved always saved. "If I killed my wife and mother and debauched a thousand women I couldn't go to hell--in fact, I couldn't go to hell if I wanted to." While many who hold to this teaching would not take it this far, this has to be the logical conclusion of once saved always saved. No matter what you do, or how bad you live, you cannot go to Hell even if you want to! Let us examine another passage that some believe teach once saved always saved.
John 6:37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” Some claim this passage teaches that once you are in Christ, you can never leave Him. In context, this is not at all what Jesus is teaching. Jesus is teaching the exact opposite of that. Jesus is saying that nothing can remove him from you, not you from Him. This is very, very important to recognize. Jesus is teaching us that nothing externally (world, devil, persecution, etc,.) can take you out of his care and protection. But, you can get up and remove yourself out of Christ’s love by living a life of sin. Nothing can force you to leave Christ, but you can freely choose to leave Him and be lost. Jesus clarified this idea in John 10:2 by saying “…no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” Those who believe John 6:37 teaches eternal security must believe that we are mere robots and drones. If nothing can remove us from eternal life, not even our own decisions to leave, then we do not have a free will. The Bible teaches that we do have the free will to choose (Josh. 24:15). Dear reader, John 6:37 teaches that Jesus does not want you to be lost and has done all He can to protect you, but you can turn you back on His protection and be lost.
The Bible does not teach a person can never be lost once he is saved. In fact, the Prodigal Son is a perfect example of a son who left the Father and was dead and lost (Lk. 15:24). The younger son chooses to leave the safety of his father’s house to lead a life of sin and waste. To return to the father, the son must make a decision to repent and turn back to his father. While the son is leading an ungodly life, he is considered lost by his father. The application for us is that once we are Christians we can choose to leave the security of the house of God and be lost to our heavenly Father.