One of the questions I had toward the end of my time in the "institutional church" was..."Why do we all have different views toward sin? Salvation? The Bible? and so on??" I began to notice that there were some of my "brothers and sisters" who felt that it was ok to dabble in sin, cry it out on Sunday and return to their own vomit on Monday! How could this be? How's this acceptable to God? Then I began to really pay close attention to various conversations I would have with others. People always tell us who they truly are through their words and actions. When they show us who they are...believe them. I had to accept some hard truths about people I genuinely liked and some I considered to be close friends....they weren't who they said they were. Their true feelings, outside of church, were in direct conflict with scripture. They admittedly didn't believe all of the Bible...just the convenient parts. This was quite evident through some of their actions. I began to question what was really going on around me? I especially had grave concerns once I began spending more time around leadership and even began working as an altar worker! How could there be so much confusion, sin and division in what we referred to as "the body of Christ"? I even began to question myself...was I for real? Did I really believe what I said I believed....or was it all church hype? How would I know whether or not I was truly in the faith? How did my life look to God? So, I began to dig, study, and pray. I needed answers from God. I began asking questions of some who were labeled as being more mature in the faith. The main question I asked them was..."How can one profess to be saved from sin and still dwell in continual sin in their life...with out any conviction or repentance?"
A few of the answers I received were as follows:
- "They are a backslider..."This is just flat out incorrect scripture application. There are no backsliders.
- "They aren't allowing the Holy Spirit to be activated in them...He's dormant" Wait so is the Holy Ghost a terrorist sleeper cell or something?! Not activated? Is He not living?!
- "They are still a babe...just an old overgrown babe." They've been here 10,20,30+ years and haven't matured one bit?! They can't even read the Bible correctly?! This is disturbing.
- "The Word is in them and they know...they're just running" Running from what or who? God or the church folk'? This is an easy blanket statement to describe so-called "backsliders".
- "Everybody wasn't raised right like you." Huh?!
And lastly the responses that really got my wheels turning...
- "They were perhaps never saved to begin with."
- "They are what's known as a false-convert."
Can a professing, born-again believer continually sin and still be saved?
What is a backslider and where do we even see backsliders in the New Testament church?
Is the body of Christ a place where sinners reside?
Who is the true body of Christ? Are they the church/denomination we are in? How do we know them?
What is it that we are saved from???
What is a false-convert??
Do I have a LOVE for the Truth??
I give you...Romans. This entire book of the Bible is awesome for understanding more about the walk of the believer, but we will focus on Romans 6.
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This passage is very straight forward. We should no longer be servants of sin if we have truly been born-again. Period. Yes...no one is perfect but we should be striving to live HOLY lives and be Holy as He is Holy. We should make no provisions for the flesh and we should not let sin reign in our lives. Verse 14 clearly says sin will NOT have dominion over us. We will be tempted but we shouldn't be overtaken and fall into sin every time we are tempted. Let's take special note of Verse 10:
"For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God."
This is for all who claim there is such thing as backsliders in the church! Hear ye, hear ye! This scripture clearly states that Jesus died ONCE for the sins of the world. If we journey over to Hebrews 10:26:
"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,"
If that's not enough, let's see what Hebrews 6:4-6 says:
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."
These are some sobering scriptures my friends. I read these and was shaken to my core. Once we are saved FROM sin, we should no longer continually give in to the sinful lusts of our flesh. The flesh should be crucified daily. Many times, we sin against God of our own will...not because Satan made us. It's a result of the sinful lusts within us...within our hearts. This is why we need to be regenerated and transformed! Only then can we overcome the flesh, through Christ dwelling in us. When we have the Spirit of God, we should not fulfill the lusts of the flesh if we walk in the Spirit. However, if we are still 100% flesh and devoid of His Spirit, we cannot help but to sin. We MUST be born again!
When looking at these scriptures, it also made me think...what if an individual was never saved to begin with? We know there is a false gospel being preached and people are worshiping a different Jesus, especially here in America! Many are being led straight to hell by false gospels. They are being deceived by Satan that they are in the faith and on the right path when they are truly in a deep spiritual deception. **Note...any teaching that makes provision for the flesh or for sin is straight from the pits of Hell!**(This is where the visible church system comes into play...but that's another article for another day.) This is why we must constantly examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith or not. We must weigh our lives in the balance against the Word of God and see where we are found wanting. We don't want to crucify the Savior Jesus Christ again, bring reproach on His name, or be lost for eternity. Our walk with God can affect others greatly! Us being true and faithful disciples inwardly and outwardly can affect many around us! Us being wicked servants and unfaithful ministers can also greatly affect those around us! We should strive to walk worthy and be good vessels that God can use.
For those who are not disciples but want to know Him...Repent...hold nothing back from God. Do you believe and know that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness from a just and holy God? Pray for God to save you from your sins, and begin to read your Bible daily. Pray that the Holy Spirit will dwell in you and teach you and lead you in all things. Seek Him relentlessly while He may be found.
For those who know themselves or others to be "backsliders" or struggling/sinning Christians...Repent! God did not send His son to die for us to make a mockery of His gift of salvation, deny the Truth of His Word or hold on to secret sins and deny His power to TOTALLY save us from sin. God can free us completely from sin! His Word tells us how we ought to live if we are in Christ. Don't take man's Word as gospel for what's acceptable to God and what isn't. Search the scriptures for yourself and strive to please Him...not just readily accept what man tells you. Let God be true and every man a liar! God more than delivered me from sins I was bound in for years and He can do it for anyone...we must first believe! What a shame it would be to sit in church buildings for years serving, listening to teachings and sermons, going through consecrations, attending conferences and fellowships, only to hear those words..."I never knew you." Stop denying Christ and His power and ask Him to truly save you once and for all!
I pray this post helps someone.
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