Insecure Believers

I apologize for the delay in picking up where I left off on this topic of salvific certainty. I have enjoyed some needed time away and the opportunity to see some family I have not seen in actually years.

This topic is becoming more dominant as I travel and interract with other pastors and church attenders. The conversations usually are the same with baffled looks and expressions of "how can they believe this?" The fact of the matter is that there are those within evangelical circles that are being taught that they can lose their salvation. They can miss out on going to heaven. Where do they get this?

Now, last time I mentioned that I had spoken with a lady who felt that one could never be "kicked out of God's family, but you could choose to leave God's family." The basis of this was founded upon "logic." I am in no way trying to belittle this individual. However, the basis of such a dangerous position was not directly from Scripture, but from a feeling of logical conclusions.

To this one and many others the impression is that if I sin and make the conscious decision to abandon God, renounce my faith, and leave off following the will of God, then I am no longer a "born again" individual.

To some other individual's credit they will turn to passages of Scripture. One that really amazed me was when one used Luke 9:23 which says,

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Now I do understand that in Luke discipleship and salvation go hand in hand, but to equate this verse with a possible dropping of the cross meaning you have left the ranks and am no longer a Christian is beyond the context or the intention of what Christ is referring to.

Others use Hebrews 6; 2 Peter 2:20, 21; Romans 8:13; Revelation 22:18, 19; etc. I recently received a book entitled, The Believer's Condtional Security. It was written by David D. Corner who was unknown to me and no biographical information is on the book. The book runs close to 800 pages and tries to discredit the stance of eternal secuity. Corner's contintion amongst many is that an apostate is a believer that leaves the faith. Thus if this one is saved and is then described as Scripture does, then one can lose his or her salvation.

Now we will leave this hanging for a time and I intend to come back with some further provocation as well as some hopeful answers. Take a look at these verses and see if you see a problem with the direction these individuals take them.

Eternally Insecure

Although this is by no means a new debate or one that is fresh on the horizon of theological consternations, the issue of eternal security has been hitting me and some of my church members rather hard over the past few months.

I am amazed at the differing views this postion holds. Some would say that resident sin in one's life can lead to a "losing of one's salvation." Others would argue that God would never allow that to happen, but you can choose when to walk away from your faith. You and I have the power to renounce our faith and leave God's care, so they would argue.

Now on the other end of the spectrum are those who would say that once saved, you are always saved. Of course that is what I would agree with, but what of these statements.

Now again, I know that there are books written on this topic, but apparently those books are not being read by many well meaning believers. Just this past week at our annual "crusade to win the children of our community," or as most these days call it, VBS, a child came up to our missionary speaker and asked him what was salvation. David Flinck, missionary appointee to Chile, proceded to explain what God required for forgiveness of sin. The boy quickly responded that he asked God to forgive him every time he went to church. I was then speaking with the boy after one of the sessions and his mother came in to hear the discussion. Her affirmation was that God would never kick us out of His family, but we could leave the family. We have the choice to leave if we so choose, but God will always be there to welcome us back.

The greatest question I have for such statements is "where in Scripture do we read that?" Many run to Hebrews and into the Gospels, but many do not read these passages through with such interpretations.

Over the next few weeks, I want to "ramble" some thoughts down on this topic of eternally insecure. If you have any leading thoughts or questions I will do my best to interact. However, the greatest resource would be for comments on passages of Scripture that people (perhaps youself) use to come to such a conclusion that one can lose salvation or "fall from the faith" to such a point that eternal security is in question.

As a Good Soldier

This next week our church will begin its annual crusade to win the children of our community. What a great challenge in these days to not just capture a child's attention, but to actually know where to begin in explaining the Gospel message. Vacation Bible School has been a highlight for us as long as I can remember. It is a tremendous amount of work, but usually very rewarding at week's end.

The challenge however is growing. Usually there is a large assortment of kids present. Most have a sordid assortment of religious backgrounds from mainstream denominations to various other groups. But have you noticed the changes over the past few years? I talk with some of these kids and first they have never been to church. This week may be for a few of these kids the first time they have ever stepped into a church building, let alone into an organized event that centers around the Bible and discussion about Christ. Just two weeks ago a family in our church was working with a foster child they have currently. She had no clue what church or the Gospel meant.

Now, VBS comes. Where do you start? Making sure these kids leave with a clear and powerful presentation of the Gospel is now a thought provoking performance. No longer can we count on a framework or a reference point, we need to be certain we are getting it across to this next generation.

Our theme this year is a military theme. We will be having Boot Camp - "Biblical Outlook and Opposition Training." The theme verses are found in 2 Timothy 2:3-4, "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier." (NASB)

Pray that we will be able to first enlist new recruits this week. Then pray that these new recruits will be equipped to go out and become the next generation to take the posts and perform the duties suitable to soldiers in the Lord's Army!

I pray that each of us will be living "as a good soldier" for Christ. May we be keeping a Biblical Outlook and being alert that we face constant Opposition.

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8 NASB)

Going under the knife

Tomorrow by this time I will be without my full compliment of organs. I have been instructed that my gall bladder is giving up its reputation for being efficient and has decided to go on a permanent leave of absence. My doctor is in colusion with my gall bladder and will gladly accept my part in his pension plan. The "Gall!"

I have never been one who does well with needles and such. The anticipation of pain and surgery as "minor" as it might be is not a thought that I deeply cherish. I am of course a man and pain and sickness, along with sharp objects make me cower in fret and nervousness.

As I sat in my doctor's office and listened to him explain how my gall bladder was supposed to work and how it now wasn't, it brought to my mind the reality of a few things. (Honestly I have had this conversation with some and so it isn't a grasping at straws here.)

Sin entered. Adam and Eve fell. The bruising was not a scraping of flesh, but a scrapping of all that was right. And so sin entered. Man has been enduring the effects ever since. Noah, Abraham, Lot, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David, and then came the last Adam, Christ Jesus.

The affects of sin on conduct is obvious, but the unforeseen affects on our bodies is something we are becoming more aware of. I find it somewhat interesting that when something is affecting your life how many others you come across that have or are going through the same things.

One of my brothers called me after I sent a quick email to my family and he told me that he had just had two conversations within the last 24 hours with people having just had or getting ready to have the gall bladder removed. It must be a conspiracy! In our church we have at least three people who have had theirs out. Common, routine, "minor surgery" as they call it. When did having parts of your anatomy cut out become routine? Remember sin entered and the effects of sin are abounding. Cancer, disease, disorders, and all the vast titles of procedures and medications we pop and inject.

I am reminded of the story found in John's Gospel:

John 9:2-5 And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (3) Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. (4) We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. (5) As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

The effects of our corruption and the consequences of one man's sin still lingers and will until we are freed from this corruptible and made incorruptible by the power of our living Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. In Him was no sin (1 Peter 2:22). Thus He came free from the curse, free from the condemnation of death, and free to give to us what we could not obtain in our own flesh - LIFE!

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

And what is Paul's hope and anticipation?

Rom 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Sin entered. Sure, but so did God. He entered our existence to offer us what we could not have - hope, peace, love--LIFE! He entered our space to make a space for us with Him for all of eternity.

So, I will be less the man I was, but one day all will be made complete and what is corruptible now will one day be free from all that is polluted and contaminated. I will be free from sin and free from its consequences. I and my body will be as God intended them to be from the very beginning. "Thanks be to God!"

Relevance or Importance

Recently a freind of mine emailed me a link to view an interview with Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven Life and other books along that same line. He has become synonomous with the "mega-church" movement and the Purpose Driven Church movement around the country as well as other parts of the world. If you have time, here is the link to see the interview for yourself.

ABC News: Rick Warren and Purpose-Driven Strife

One of his comments made me stop and think for a moment about our view of what is "relevant" to this society. I do believe that we cannot simply do it the way we have always done it and expect this society here in America to still "get it." However, at what expense and to what lengths are we willing to go to make sure they do "get it?" At what point does the message then alter itself in our attempts to convince the world that they don't have "it."

Recently E-bay has been running some adds about what you can sell and find on its web-based auction sight. The point is that you can get "it," whatever "it" is. What you are looking for, you can find "it." Seems like we are trying to fit our churches into that same mold. Instead of us having the only thing that will change lives, we want to make that fit what the world thinks "it" should look like. But what does the world know about truth, God, the Bible, salvation, newness of life, repentance, and eternity?

Now here is my thought on this "it" that they are looking for. As the church, we need to be able to take those who come in to our facilities, into our services, and especially into our individual lives and take them from their view of what "it" looks like and show them what God says HE looks like. We need to be relevant, but never for the sake of just being able to say we are reaching people. Are we reaching them or just making them feel comfortable with their opinion of Who Jesus is, what the Gospel is, or what they think the church is?

They are the outsiders, and they stand out there looking in. Are we clear on what we are? What we are supposed to look like? Who we are trying to reach? And how are we doing that?

All the Rick Warrens of the world would claim that they are very clear on their knowledge of truth and the criteria for salvation. That's great, but is the world they are claiming to be reaching "getting it?"

Look forward to any takes on this subject. What do you think we should be doing, are doing right, and what is your view on this "purpose driven" style? Are we doing a good job at getting "it," Jesus and His plan of salvation across to the masses? Or is there something that needs to change? Where is the balance and how do we know if we are balanced? Let me hear them.