A RE-EVALUATION
ONLY YOU
BUT FIRST A NOTE: If you have a Christian friend, acquaintance, family member, or just whoever who is backslid or in the process of falling away from church please send them a computer link to this article or if you can, please make a hard copy and personally give it to them. (Mark 8:36) Thank you with all my heart. END OF NOTE.
***Your Christian relationship with God, depending on your values, is directly proportional to your reaction to and your attitude toward what the world, its people and Church people offer you and do to you.***
(John 6:63) That’s why Satan works to divert a Christian’s attention away from Jesus and His Holy Word. The Devil doesn’t want you to scripturally know how to act or how to develop a relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
Please read all of this article because it will show you by scripture where you are with God and by scripture how Jesus, with loving kindness and indescribable mercy, brings Christians back from sin. Your decision will be of your own free will but at least you will know how to make your decision by the authority of God’s scripture if you need, want and use it.
(Matt. 27:39-43 esp. V.42) The chief priests, scribes and elders of the Jews were walking around Jesus as He hung there so alone writhing in agony and covered with gore on His bloody cross. They were wagging their heads, reviling Jesus and mocking him. Then one of the chief priests said a strange and terribly cruel thing; (V.42) “He saved others, himself he cannot save.” Did the chief priest tell the truth?
When you got saved you spiritually went to Calvary with Jesus. (John 3:16 explained by 2Cor. 5:17-18 & 1Thess. 5:10) It was a back to the wall, blood and guts, knuckle and skull last stand there on Calvary, there was no way out, one of you had to die. (Matt. 26:53-54) Jesus could have quit, He could have called the angels to rescue Him, He had a chance, you didn’t, and nobody had the power to save you.
You couldn’t generate enough faith to just take salvation. You didn’t have anything valuable enough to buy salvation. You couldn’t live good enough or do enough good works to wipe out your sins and deserve salvation (2Cor. 5:17) and you surely could not change your fallen carnal human nature into something acceptable to God! (Luke 19:10 keywords: to seek and save that which was lost: Greek definition of seek: search for, desire, to seek by inquiring:) You had that awful feeling of being lost and on the way to hell. (John 6:44 & 12:32 keyword: draw: defined: pull toward, to draw by inward power, lead, impel) Yet somehow you felt drawn to Jesus but you didn’t realize Jesus was seeking you so He could save you.
Spiritually Jesus looked into your eyes and said; “I love you. I’ll die in your place, I’ll take it for you.” When you completely understood that you got saved didn’t you? The chief priest told the truth but for the wrong reason! (2Cor 5:14-15 & 1Pet. 2:24) Jesus could not save Himself because He loved you so much He was willing to give His life so you could live.
Your sin account had come due, you were helpless and had no way to pay for your sins. that was when you broke and asked Him to forgive you and save you and He did. Spiritually God gave you a pardon written in the blood of His Son Jesus: NO CHARGE: PAID IN FULL. (Eph. 1:12-14) And you knew you were saved!
That is the price He paid for your salvation, it is personal, only you. (John 14:16-18 & 23) It is personal because Jesus is in you and you are in Him through the Holy Spirit. (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13 & 22 keywords: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches) That is why you have those bittersweet, homesick feelings once in a while. That’s Jesus, He loves you and wants you back in His life.
(Read John 3:16 & Eph. 2:8) THE GRACE COVENANT IS A LOVE COVENANT
(1Cor. 1:10-13 & 3:1-6) Jesus did not bring a religion based on a denomination, not even yours, not even mine. (Heb. 10:1-10) Jesus did not bring a bunch of cold, dead impossible to keep rules and laws so He could find an excuse to send us to hell.
(John 14:6-9, 18 & 23 then Heb. 10:19-23 esp. V.20 keywords: living way) In His nail scarred hands Jesus brought the offer of an individual, living, personal love relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit according to God’s word, (1John 4:8 & 16) founded on love because God is love (Rom. 5:8-9 & Gal. 2:20) and based on love because Jesus loves us enough to die so we can get saved.
(Matt. 1:1 thru Rev. 3:22 esp. John 14:15-29) It is built on love by keeping our relationship of love with Jesus flourishing (John 1:1-4 & 1John 1:1-4) according to God’s Holy Word of love (John 14:23) through the Holy Spirit of love.
(Matt. 13:18-23) Your Christian relationship with Jesus depends on the intensity of your love for Jesus as you either grow as a Christian or fail as a Christian.
Love is scripturally mentioned several times in the above paragraph simply because (1John 4: 8 & 16) GOD IS LOVE. Love is a deep, intense, emotional tenderness, attraction to and affection for another person personalized by an intense emotional attachment and benevolent devotion to, an intimate fondness for and a yearning to share with, give to and make the other person happy. That is how Jesus feels about you. He loves you enough to die a horrible, tormented tortured death so you could live. It’s personal. Only you.
A person always examines love received by an ongoing examination and evaluation of the depth of passion (intensity of love) of the person you love. Its natural and its stupid not to. Do they love me like I love them? Is their love for me growing as they get to know me better? What am I getting for the way I act and feel? (Rev. 3:15-16) Do they have the desire to please me the way I please them? Depending on your patience and understanding, love is an eventual response to what the other person does, therefore love can be built up or torn down.
What does being loved mean to you? Even those childhood/teenager crushes count because it was all you knew about love at that time in your life experience. Please look back down your life and remember what you felt like in your heart when you were attracted to someone, your love was there, but they threw your offer of love right back in your face by refusing to even try to love you and you didn’t have a chance to be happy. People turn down Jesus’ offer of salvation all the time. I have also lived that. SEE: The Holy Spirit & You commentary, the article THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TRUTH, scroll down the article a bit over half-way and the story starts with the words PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
Remember how it felt when someone slowly quit loving you, you knew it was happening, there wasn’t anything you could do about it and you watched your happiness just dribble away? OR: When someone you loved fell out of love with you and they suddenly, harshly crushed your happiness?
OR: When you deeply loved someone but you knew they didn’t love you the same way, they took advantage of your relationship, you always felt threatened and used and you could never have that beautiful, secure free happiness? OR: When the passion of the one you loved had cooled, the communication was dwindling and your happiness was turning into the taste of the cold ashes of futility?
Remember when you discovered the one you loved was cheating on you and giving their time and affection to someone else and your happiness was smashed? What was your reaction to all this? Pain? Anger? Suffering? Soul sickness? Loss? When someone rejects the love you give it hurts you! Your own patience and willingness to give them another chance hurt you! (Eph. 4:30 the Lord’s grief & 2Peter 3:9 the Lord’s longsuffering) Now you know how Jesus lives every day because of us. SO: How much do you love Jesus? It’s personal. Only you.
If the situation was reversed you would feel this same way. Jesus gave all He had and all He was and now He offers all He has so He has the right to expect this love (Mark 12:30) “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:” Do you remember when you loved Jesus like that? That was when God saved you wasn’t it (Psa. 119:1-10 esp. V.2 & 10 keywords: whole heart) You had to or He wouldn’t have given you salvation. So, what happened?
Here is How You Started Falling Out Of Love With Jesus
***1ST QUESTION: What if you, utilizing all your resources, had given a person the greatest, most precious, most beautiful gift you could ever give that person. Then they take that wonderful, unique, infinitely precious gift and treat it like it isn’t worth much. How hurt and angry would you be?
***1st ANSWER: (Rom. 6:23) God had nothing more precious to give you when He gave you the gift of His own Son’s life so you could be redeemed (saved) through His blood. (Heb. 10:29-31 esp. V.30 keywords: the Lord shall judge his people) Christians disrespect Jesus when we deliberately sin! How hurt and angry do you think God is about our treatment of His unique, infinitely precious gift? How would feel about it if your child’s life was treated that way?
*****2nd QUESTION: You have met this person, you did him/her the greatest favor that could ever be done (salvation), you want to get to know them a little better and establish a relationship with them. (Rev. 3:20) “Behold I stand at the door and knock.” You go to their door, your heart is filled with gladness and eagerness: “Oh boy! A brand new life to explore, a brand new experience!”
You knock. They come to the door. “Can we get better acquainted with each other?” They look at you and answer; “No, I’ve got better things to do.” They close the door in your face! How embarrassed and hurt would you be? How would you feel? How many times would you come back and try again?
*****2nd ANSWER: God makes the same offer of getting better acquainted and establishing a more meaningful relationship with you when His still, small Holy Spirit voice speaks in your thoughts (Matt. 11:29 keywords: Take my yoke upon you and learn of me) His invitation; “I feel like I need to read the Bible a while.” (Eph. 6:18 keywords: Praying always) OR: “I ought to go pray and thank God for all He’s done for me.”
(James 1:12-15 & Rev. 3:20) But then you close the door of your heart in God’s face, you don’t let Him in, you refuse to learn about Him and you refuse to talk to Him. (Eph. 5:1-11) Then you go about entertaining yourself; TV, other electronics, hobby, club, sports- fan or player, etc., etc. Both God and you know the difference between entertainment and necessity!
Backsliding Further
(Rev. 2:1-5, 3:2-5 & 15-16) As time goes on you grow colder toward God. The church has lots of cold toward God Christians. Then you start missing church; “I’m tired, my significant other, old grumpy, is holding me back, they look down on me, nobody is friendly, blah, blah, blah.” Sure there’s some guilt brought on by the Holy Spirit but at your lack of response that also slows and slows until it’s only an occasional thought. How far have you backslid? Only God and you know.
God seems so big, strong and sometimes remote it’s easy to forget (Luke 15:10) God has feelings too; HE WAS FILLED WITH JOY WHEN YOU WERE SAVED and now (2Pet. 3:9 keyword: longsuffering) you are hurting Jesus (1John 1:8 & 16 keywords: God is love) because love, especially perfect love, hurts when it is ignored or rejected by backsliding Christians. We are made in God’s image. Rejected love hurts us and it hurts God. It’s personal. Only you.
(James 1:13-24 esp. V.14 keywords: every man is tempted) All of us including you, including me, are our own problem on an individual basis because so many times we act or speak before we think.
(Heb. 11:25 keywords: pleasures of sin) We get the stupids, forget, are ignorant of, or simply ignore God’s scriptural promises, admonitions and warnings and jump right into the middle of sin just because we want to and inevitably we suffer the consequences; usually in shame, despair, a slow loss of caring about Jesus and eventual backsliding. Backsliding causes other people to backslide or to never go to church, especially our families, especially the children. It happens all the time.
Backsliding starts with spiritual nibbling. (Eph. 6:11-12, 1Thess. 3:5, 2Tim. 2:24-26 & 1Pet 5:8-9) Satan watches you closely (Gen 3:1-7) just like he did Eve in the Garden of Eden, he sees your curiosity and desire then he inserts a little confusion into your thoughts about what God said.
OR: He sees some pride in you (1Chron. 21:1) and provokes you to rebel against God’s word just like he did David. OR: (Luke 22:1-6) He sees some greed or lust in you like he did Judas and he embellishes the object you want. OR: (Luke 22:31-62) Satan sees imperfections in you like he did Simon Peter, he magnifies them and you deny Jesus.
You are not alone. Sin happens to all of us Christians including me, (1John 1:7-10 keywords: we, us, our) including John the Bible writer, (Rom. 7:19-20) including Paul the Bible writer, church planter and evangelist. Some come back from sin and some don’t. Only you. It’s personal.
(John 10:28-30) Jesus boldly states no person shall ever take even one of His Christians away from Him or His Father. No person can take away your salvation (Rev. 3:5 keywords: blot his name out of the book of life) but you are free to give up your salvation if it has lost its meaning and value to you just like the prodigal son did. (Luke 15:11-24 esp. V.17 keywords: came to himself) The prodigal son came back but will you? Only you.
(Heb. 6:4-6 & Rev. 20:10-15) If you die in a backslid state you will be brought to God’s great white throne judgment and you will be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone where death and hell are. You will be forever tormented and shredded by a raging, hating, evil devil and his devils. You will forever die, always dying, and never be able to get it done. Only you.
(Heb. 6:4-6) Think very seriously about coming back because God reserves for Himself the option of finally refusing you the option of coming back to Him (Rom. 1:6-7 and 28) just like He did some of the church people at Rome. (Prov. 29:1) God says; “He that being often reproved (chastised, correction) hardeneth his neck (stiff necked), shall be destroyed, and that without remedy (deliverance). AGAIN: (Prov. 1:23-28) I was with a very dear friend during the long time it took him to die. He had refused to hear God, God refused to hear him and it was the most horrifying thing I have ever seen. You can read about it on this website, The Holy Spirit & You commentary, The Holy Spirit is Truth article about two-thirds down the text starting in the paragraph that begins with PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. Please, please read it for your sake!
THE GREAT DECEPTION
There are ignorant preachers and teachers who teach and say a Christian cannot backslide and Jesus cannot or will not take a Christian’s name out of the book of life. SO: Let me meet that teaching with 7 questions to your own heart.
Here are some scriptures to set the stage for #1-#4). (Rev. 1:1-20) (2-5) John tells us Jesus is coming to give us the words of this prophecy. (V.6-9) John tells us his qualifications. (V.10-11) Jesus started the prophecy from behind John in a trumpet like voice. (V.12-16 esp. V.13 keywords: seven candlesticks and V.16 keywords: seven stars) John turned, saw Jesus in all His glory and fainted! (V.17-18) Jesus revived John, described Himself and told John about His (Jesus’) death and resurrection. (V.19) Jesus started His prophecy. (V.20) Jesus explained the mystery of the stars (messengers- pastors, Acts 2:1-41 esp. V.17, 33 & 38 the Holy Spirit is the spiritual messenger to the Church) and candlesticks (which are the physical churches).
#1) (Rev. 3:5) Do you think Jesus was lying or cracking a joke when He said He would blot out Christian’s names out of the book of life in the church of Ephesus if they did not repent? #2) (Rev. 3:15-16 keyword: spue) Spue is defined as projectile vomiting. Do you think Jesus is going to puke up into heaven the lukewarm Christians who make Him sick to His stomach? #3) (Rev.22:18) If any man shall add to this book (Revelation) God shall add unto him the plagues written in this book. (1Thess. 4:13-18 & Rev. 7:9-17) The church will be caught away to heaven before the plagues are given so this means a person who adds to the book of Revelation will be left behind. SO: Do you think God lied in His own scriptures?
#4) (Rev. 22:19) “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy (Revelation), God shall take away his part out of the book of life,” Do you think the teachers and preachers are calling Jesus a liar when they say Jesus will not or cannot take a person’s name out of the book of life? ARE YOU CALLING JESUS A LIAR?
#5) (Heb. 6:4-6) Do you think God lied when He said Christians who had been enlightened and made partakers (a sharer) of the Holy Ghost (Spirit) if they shall fall away it is impossible for them to renew themselves again unto repentance?
#6) (1Cor. 9:27) Do you think the apostle Paul was joking when he said he worried he might become a castaway (rejected, reprobate)? #7) (Acts 1:16-18) Judas was numbered with the disciples and had obtained part of their ministry. (Luke 22:3-6 then 22:48) Do you think he was welcomed into heaven for following Satan and betraying Jesus for money? What you believe will determine your eternal destination! ONLY YOU!
YOU, ME, All Christians
The world is filled with things and people that tempt us, we sin and sometimes sin miserably, we sometimes just give up and quit, we sometimes feel like we lose our connection with God but here is God’s guarantee of our success; (1Cor. 10:13 with definitions) “There hath no temptation (test) taken you (seize, assail, grasp) but such is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer (to permit) you to be tempted (tested) above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape (flee away), that ye may be able to bear it (carry the burden).”
(1Cor. 10:13) Written again using the underlined italicized definitions to promote understanding. “There hath no test seized, assailed, and grasped you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tested above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to flee away that ye may be able to carry the burden.”
(1Pet. 2:2 keywords: newborn babes) Picture a child, a baby, learning to walk. It is inevitable that they will fall but they get up and try again. That is what (1Cor. 10:13 above) is saying; “You will fall because you are learning to walk as a Christian.” Christians are a work in progress. We are supposed to be building a relationship with Jesus through God’s word. When you fall (sin) it is up to you to get up and try again.
The following scripture is written to Christians everywhere in all times. (1John 1:1-10) (V.1-6 esp. V.1 keywords: Word of life: note: Jesus is the Word of life personified and the word you read is life itself! WOW!! End of note.) Jesus had walked with John and the disciples as a man, they had looked at His miracles, they had listened to His teaching, they had broken bread with Jesus and touched Him for more than 3 years (John 13:25) and John had actually leaned on Jesus’ chest at the last supper.
(V.7) You are backsliding back into Satan’s darkness and Satan is helping you but Jesus’ blood will cleanse us from all sin. (V.8 keyword: we: John is including himself) If you, me, or any Christian says they have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
REMEMBER THIS: ***(V. 10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Jesus a liar, and His word is not in us. (V.9) If we confess our sins, he (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness with His blood.*** (1John 1:1 thru 2:1) will be explained thoroughly below.
(1Cor. 10:13 keywords: make a way to escape) Also don’t forget the “common to man” statement in this scripture because (Heb. 4:15) Jesus was a man, a human with all the hormones and emotions of a human and He was tempted (tested) just like us but He did not sin!
(John 4:4-42) The woman at the well had been married 5 times and was living with a man out of wedlock. She had to be a beauty but she obviously had weak morals. Surely you are not foolish enough to think she didn’t give eye signals and body language invitations to this handsome Jew when she first met Him met at the well. It was a wide-open invitation to secret sin. Jesus did not sin!
(Luke 4:1-13 esp. V.5-7) Surely you can imagine what the devil showed Jesus to try to get Jesus to compromise his purpose and join the devil’s side! There were fabulous riches in piles of gold, jewels and all other riches. He offered Jesus every kingdom in the world. There was immense political power, vast armies of soldiers and every sort of sexual situations available.
Look at the harems and dancers made up of the most beautiful women the whole world had to offer. They must have been jaw dropping and mind boggling in their beauty. It was a wide-open invitation to wide-open sin for all to see. Jesus did not sin!
When you read the scripture and think about the people Jesus met you will realize He had many opportunities to sin (Luke 4:13 keywords: for a season) and Satan, the Devil, came back again and again to tempt Jesus. Jesus did not sin! (Heb. 4:15) BUT JESUS UNDERSTANDS US BECAUSE HE WAS TEMPTED JUST LIKE WE ARE (Matt. 26:41 & Rom. 7:18-23) AND HE KNOWS HOW WEAK WE ARE! SO:
(1John 1:8) Do not let the Devil tell you that you have to live a perfectly sinless life to be a Christian. God said it will not happen! You cannot do it. Only Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had the strength and will to live a sinless life because He loves you and me enough to overcome sin. SO: When you overcome the desire to sin that’s great, God is proud of you. BUT:
When you and I do sin, which is common to man God has placed this scripture, (1John 1:9 keywords: he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins), into effect for our final escape but we have to ask (confess)! God wrote it, He promised it, He means it and it works! God gives us the power of choice and time to confess.
Your Choice and God’s Giving of Time
(Heb. 4:16 with definitions) “Let us therefore come boldly (confidence, freedom of speech) unto the throne (seat occupied by a King) of grace (graciousness of manner and act, divine influence upon the heart, favor, kindness) that we may (faith, trust, confidence) obtain mercy (pity, compassion) and find grace (graciousness of manner and act, divine influence upon the heart, favor, kindness) to help (take interest in, cooperate with) in time of need (poverty, want).” Please read (Heb. 4:14-16) it’s important!
(Heb. 4:16) Written again using the underlined italicized definitions to promote understanding. “Let us therefore come with confidence and freedom of speech unto the King’s seat of graciousness of manner and act, divine influence upon the heart, favor and kindness that we with faith, trust and confidence will obtain pity and compassion and find the King’s graciousness of manner and act, divine influence upon the heart, favor and kindness to take an interest in us and cooperate with us in time of poverty and want.”
(read this: Heb. 12:5-17 esp. V.8 & 11) Poverty is in our Christian soul when the Holy Spirit chastises (disciplinary correction) us for our sin to draw us back to God and want is our desire to renew our personal love relationship of union with God and get back to our joy of serving Him. How this is put into action will be shown below.
(1John 1:1 thru 2:2 explained) (V.1 thru 7) John describes Jesus, identifies that this scripture is written to Christians, that our joy may be full and stresses the fact “the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin”.
(V.8) “If we (John includes himself) say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (V.9) If we confess our sins, he (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (V.10) If we say we have not sinned, we make Him (Jesus) a liar and His word is not in us.”
(2:1-2) “My little children (Christians), these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (intercessor, pleader, defense counsel) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And He is the propitiation for our sins.” Ultimately, propitiation is the turning away of God’s wrath by a blood offering of atoning sacrifice.
(Heb. 4:14-16) The Instantaneous Operation of the Spiritual High Court of Heaven.
(Rev. 1:9-10) John was a Christian Apostle (our brother) and he wrote the Revelation. (Rev. 12:9-10) (V.9) The great dragon is identified from the beginning (Genesis) as that old serpent (Lucifer) and is also called the Devil and Satan. (V.10) And Satan is the accuser of our brethren (Christians) who accuses US before God day and night.
During this church age (Rev. 12:10) Satan is the accuser (prosecutor). (1John 2:1) Jesus is our advocate (Defense Counsel). (Rev. 20:12) God is the Judge who announces the decision the evidence proves. (John 16:7-14) The Holy Spirit is the High Sheriff of Heaven because (V.8-9) He serves warrants to bring the lost before the High Court of Heaven to face their sin judgment in this life instead of after this life is over (V.10 & 13) and He serves a sin summons to Christians who sin.
(Isa. 6:14 & Rev. 4:8) God is absolute holiness (holy). Holy means sacred and pure. (Prov.6:16-19, Matt. 12:34-37 & Rev. 21:8) Sin is absolute evil and thus it is a sickening, reprehensible, revolting, condemnable insult to God’s absolute holiness and sin will not enter heaven.
God is so holy He sees (Matt. 5:27-28) lust as adultery (1John 3:14-15) and He sees hatred for a Christian brother as murder. God’s absolute holiness demands absolute justice but God’s absolute love demands absolute mercy. Remember? Love wants to give. So: God’s absolute justice and absolute mercy were reconciled by Jesus on His bloody cross.
(read these Rom. 5:8-11) Righteousness is the gift of innocence from God, we become righteous (innocent) through Jesus’ blood at the time of salvation. (read these Heb. 9:22-28) Jesus’ blood is the only source of sin cleansing available so man can be declared innocent of his sins. (read these John 14:15-18 & 23 and Eph. 1:13-14) That is when the Holy spirit came to live within you and he brought you a PARDON signed in Jesus’ blood; “NO CHARGE: PAID IN FULL! And you knew you were saved, its personal. Only You! You were as saved as you can ever be but:
THEN YOU SINNED. It is an offense to God’s holiness, to His love for you and to His Son. (Rev. 12:10) Satan the accuser, the prosecutor, brings the reality of the sin charge against you before the High Court of Heaven and accuses you, the Christian; “Look what they did” and he goes on and on about it by laying out every sordid detail, sound and smell of your sin over and over. The Judge issues a sin summons to the High Sheriff for you to appear in Court.
(Eph. 4:30 keyword: grieve) The High Sheriff is grieving as He leaves. (2Pet. 3:9 keyword: longsuffering) The Judge sits silent, offended and suffering and Jesus is mute, ashamed and suffering as the prosecutor rails on and on about you. (Psa. 25:6 & 103:4 then 1John 4:8 & 16) Because of their love, kindness and mercy God and Jesus suffer because of you while they extend to you a choice and a giving of time. They can only suffer in silence until you do something that will release them. Only You!
(John 14:26 The Holy Spirit will bring all things to your remembrance & 16:13 The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth). The indwelling Holy Spirit, the High Sheriff of Heaven, brings you the sin summons and starts guiding you into all truth; “You are guilty of sin and it is very bad!”
(1John 1:9) Finally, finally, finally, thank God you finally come to your senses and admit your sin guilt to yourself, you are ashamed, you know you have shamed God’s holiness, (Rom. 5:8-18) you know you have soiled (made dirty) your own atonement, justification, reconciliation with God and your free gift of righteousness from God. (Matt. 27:1-4 keywords: betrayed the innocent blood) You have betrayed Jesus’ innocent blood (Rom. 8:9-17) that was shed so you could join God’s Holy Family. Sin is serious.
You may wiggle and squirm for a while but the undeniable truth is; “I have sinned! I’ve got to get this fixed!” You finally decide to repent (turn back the other way from your sin). (John 1:9) It is a decision, not a relief and you finally realize, through the Holy Spirit’s work in your thoughts, you are going to have to confess your sins and ask forgiveness or (Rev. 21:7-8 & 27) you will not be righteous (innocent) in God’s eyes!
Sin is serious, it is a burden and a bondage to you. It is a heart-breaker to God and Jesus and a soul killer to Christians!
(Heb. 12:7-11) You possibly do not realize and are probably not thankful you have been chastised by the Holy Spirit, the High Sheriff of Heaven, who rounds up scoundrels like you and like me! You finally (Heb. 14-16 esp. V.16) drag yourself up to the throne of grace, (1John 1:9) confess your sin, and ask forgiveness for your sin. You have exercised the choice principal in a giving of time provided by the kindness and patience of God who is absolute love upon which His absolute grace and absolute mercy is founded. Love wants to give.
(Heb. 4:14-16 esp. V.16 keyword: boldly) You have come boldly (I don’t know about you but I am ashamed each time and my head is bowed low) unto the throne of grace to obtain mercy and to find grace in your great time of need. You have kept the High Court of Heaven waiting while you dithered. Your defense counsel, Jesus, presents your confession and plea for mercy.
Jesus states; (Rom. 8:15-17 esp. V.17) “This is thy child Holy Father, my joint-heir (Heb. 2:9-11 esp. V.11) brother/sister to thy kingdom bought through my shed blood, here is the prayer petition of his/her asking for forgiveness.” (1John 1:7-10) Jesus presents your prayer petition before the Judge, (John 5:22 keywords: hath committed all judgment unto the Son) “and heavenly Father I have once more applied my blood and have cleansed him/her of this sin.”
“IT IS DONE!” Thunders the Judge from His throne. The prosecutor’s shoulders slump in defeat and Satan tiptoes out of the High Court of Heaven with his head down. God’s giving of choice and a giving of time have operated in your favor.
(Heb. 12:7-13 esp. V.8 keyword: chastisement) The chastisement (disciplinary correction) was grievous for you but now you can be at peace because your righteousness has been restored (Heb. 4:14-16) when you exercised your right to come to the throne of grace in your time of need. Spiritually the High Sheriff of heaven again brings to your soul a PARDON written in the blood of the Son of God: NO CHARGE: PAID IN FULL!
(Rom. 8:15-17) Christians are the children of God. We are heirs and joint-heirs with Jesus. You are special. You are a member of God’s personal, forever family. Jesus is our elder Brother. (Matt. 18:21-22) (V.22) Jesus said if our brother trespass (to sin, to offend, to miss the mark and not share in the prize) against us, for us to rebuke (censure, admonish) our brother and if he repent to forgive him over and over again. Jesus will not give us a commandment He will not do Himself!
(1Cor. 10:13) You have utilized God’s final escape plan to escape from temptation failure! THAT’S GOD’S WORD ON THE MATTER.
All these events happen at the speed of thought except for the time you take to make up your mind to repent and pray. ADVICE: Do it as fast as you can. Don’t make Jesus suffer!
God also knows when a Christian is really not serious when asking for forgiveness (Luke 13:3 keywords: except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish) and does not really repent. God knows when a Christian is just mouthing the words to feel good about himself.
(Rom. 6:12 keyword: reign) Repetitious sin means sin is becoming your king to obey (Heb. 3:6-12) and you are hardening your own heart (Heb. 11:25) by enjoying the pleasure of sin for a season (James 1:12-15) which will bring eternal death.
God knows when a Christian is just “trying to milk the system” of His forgiveness because He said; (Rom. 6:12) “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” When you quit fighting temptation, when you quit praying, when you quit studying scripture, when you quit going to church and when you quit trying then sin reigns and becomes your king.
Common sense tells us God won’t force you to stay in church when you want to depart because you don’t love Him enough to stay in church or to repent and come back to church. Remember our discussion about love? Common sense also tells us if God did use force to keep you in church you would hate God for enslaving you against your will. God isn’t stupid. It’s personal. Only you.
(Heb. 11:25) God said sin has pleasure. You are not really happy are you, not happy like you were when God saved you are you? (Luke 15:11-24) In reality you are sometimes homesick like the prodigal son. Like him you are afraid because of where sin and pride have taken you, aren’t you? That sometimes causes you to be ashamed doesn’t it? SO:
(James 1:13-15) God also said sin has consequences (Heb. 3:12-14 esp. V.13 keywords: lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin) and that deceitfulness of sin is what is pulling you further and further away from God. You have got a choice follow sin and go to hell (Rev. 20:10-15) and on to the lake of fire (V.10) “and shall be tormented (to torture) day and night for ever and ever” or come on back home where you will be loved and appreciated like the prodigal son did.
Have you ever thought about hell? (Luke 16:19-31 esp. V.23-28) The cruel, heedless, selfish, arrogant, sinful rich man (V.23) could see, (V.24) talk, taste, touch, (V.25) hear, (V.27) understand, pray, (V.28) had memory, could reason and he loved his brothers. The most pitiful thing of all is that he did not ask to get out of hell because he knew he deserved to be there. (V.25 keywords: comforted, tormented) Lazarus and the rich man had died, both bodies were rotting in the ground but they both still had all their mental and physical attributes in their spiritual bodies. It is personal. Only you.
The devil will always point out enticing things to take your attention away from getting back where you need to be. He’ll also point out the hypocrites in church; “If they are going to heaven you don’t have a worry in the world.” I don’t like the way they act either (Matt. 13:24-30 esp. V.25 & 27 keyword: tares and V.30 keywords: burn them) but God said go to church with them or go to hell with them! (Prov. 11:9) They are part of your and every Christian’s test of heaven worthiness.
If somebody told you they’d slap your face if you showed up at church you would come if it killed you just to show them they couldn’t bluff you. BUT:
The devil is spiritually slapping your face when he whispers in your thoughts; “Just wait a while before you go.” OR “Look at that hypocrite, why go to church with that?” OR “They’ll laugh at you.” (Rev. 20:10-15 esp. V.15) The devil wants to take you to hell with him because that hell will be his kingdom of rejection, fire and torment.
Then he will have you to do with as he pleases. You take up for yourself and fight back when trouble comes don’t you? Fight back now! Take up for yourself! (Heb. 13:5-6) Jesus will help you be a winner. You don’t have to be a loser unless you just want to!
Every Christian I know has sinned and/or backslid to one degree or another at one time or another. All of us Christians know the shame of when we let Jesus down and let ourselves down. We also know it is a much greater shame to remain a failure. That’s why we repented, confessed, received forgiveness and came back to where we needed to be.
I have been where you are and it was miserable, a miserable life that was leading to a miserable forever. Only Me. It was personal. We understand exactly how you feel and we will welcome you back with open arms. Spiritually the Holy Spirit will give you a PARDON written in the blood of Jesus, the Son of God: NO CHARGE: PAID IN FULL. Only You.
BUT: YOU ARE THE PERSON WHO BACKSLID, SO COMING HOME IS UP TO YOU ISN’T IT? ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TRY, SO START. NOBODY ELSE CAN DO IT FOR YOU. ONLY YOU. IT’S PERSONAL.
With my whole heart I truly hope and pray you make it. GOD BLESS YOU and look me up if you get to heaven.