Do You Know This Repentance?

By Justin Edwards

Do you know of the godly sorrow that produces repentance leading to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10)? Have you turned from sin toward Christ to love Him and obey Him as He rightly deserves as sovereign Lord and King?  If you do not know this kind of repentance, then you are still a slave to your sin.  As I mentioned on facebook on Saturday,

Repentance means to let go of what you shouldn't love, and embrace Whom you should love. You can't love God and love sin at the same time, nor can you live for Christ and continue to live in sin at the same time. Love God and live, or love sin and die.

Let's now take a look at another biblical definition of repentance as defined in the note for Acts 26:20 in The New Geneva Study Bible:

"Repentance means changing one's mind, so that one's views, values, goals, and ways are changed, and one's whole life is lived differently.  Mind and judgment, will and affections, behavior and lifestyle, motives and plans:  all are involved.  Repenting means starting to live a new life.

"The call to repent was the fundamental summons in the preaching of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2), Jesus (Matthew 4:17), the Twelve (Mark 6:12), Peter at Pentecost ( Acts 2:38), Paul to the Gentiles (Acts 17:30; 26:20), and the glorified Christ to five of the seven churches in Asia (Revelation 2:5, 16, 22; 3:3, 19).  It was part of Jesus' summary of the gospel that was to be taken to all the world (Luke 24:47).  It corresponds to the constant summons of the Old Testament prophets to Israel to return to the God from whom they had strayed (e.g., Jeremiah 23:22; 25:4, 5; Zechariah 1:3-6).  Repentance is always set forth as the path to remission of sins and restoration to God's favor, while impenitence is the road to ruin (e.g., Luke 13:1-8).

"Faith and repentance are themselves fruits of regeneration. But as a practical matter, repentance is inseparable from faith.  Turning towards Christ in faith is impossible without turning away from sin in repentance.  The idea that there can be saving faith without repentance, and that one can be justified by embracing Christ as Savior while refusing Him as Lord, is a dangerous error.  True faith acknowledges Christ as what He is, our God-appointed king as well as our God-given priest, and faith that trusts in Him as Savior will submit to Him as Lord also.  To refuse this is to seek justification with an impenitent faith, which is no faith.

"The Westminster Confession says that in repenting

a sinner, out of the sight and sense, not only of the danger, but also the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God, and upon the apprehension of His mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for and hates his sins as to turn from them all unto God, purposing and endeavoring to walk with Him in all the ways of His commandments (Westminster Confession, 15.2). 

"Feelings of remorse, self-reproach, and sorrow for sin generated by fear of punishment, without any wish or resolve to forsake sinning should not be confused with repentance.  David expresses true repentance in Psalm 51, having in his heart the serious purpose of sinning no more, and of living a righteous life (Luke 3:8; Acts 26:20)."

Have you this repentance, my friend?  If your faith is absent of this repentance, then you do not understand life-saving faith.  Please see the link on Eternal Life, or contact me if you'd like to talk about it. Don't waste your life, and don't wait until it's too late - you are not promised tomorrow.  Repent and believe the Gospel.

What Is Wrong with NON-Lordship Salvation? - Part 6

By Justin Edwards

Chosen vessels of mercy, notwithstanding their backslidings, are brought back; but ah! remember that nine out of ten of those who backslide never were God’s people. - Charles Spurgeon

In this series addressing the erroneous arguments in Dr. Andy Woods' article against lordship salvation titled, What Is Wrong with Lordship Salvation?, I have attempted to biblically counter each of Dr. Woods' points with regards to saving faith, repentance, carnal Christianity, and sanctification. In each of these articles, it has been shown that Dr. Woods has a flawed view in these respective areas and significant misunderstanding as to what lordship salvation actually is. The reason for this, of course, is primarily because Dr. Woods adheres to a low view of God's glory in our salvation, which causes him to attribute any type of repentance or committing one's life to Christ as works-based effort to achieve salvation. With a biblical view of salvation, one understands that eternal life begins and is completed with God, and it is His work, not ours, that causes us to be born again and subsequently progress into holy living, without which no one will see God (Hebrews 12:14).

The common theme throughout the articles in this series (as is the common them throughout Scripture) has been the view of the glorious sovereignty of God in our salvation. God's sovereignty is so critical in understanding the doctrine of salvation (soteriology) that if one fails to grasp its fundamental truths, then the rest of their understanding of salvation will crumble or not make any sense. The doctrine of biblical assurance of salvation is no exception to this and will be the final argument addressed in Dr. Woods' article.

Part 6 - Biblical Assurance of Salvation

Dr. Woods opens his fifth and final argument with the following:

Fifth, Lordship Salvation destroys the believer's assurance of salvation. 

On the contrary, NON-lordship salvation gives false converts false assurance of salvation whereas lordship salvation exhorts one to examine himself in the mirror of God's Word:

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. - 2 Corinthians 13:5

Whereas NON-lordship salvation condemns any such self-examination because it assures potential false converts that as long as they were once sincere when they "asked Jesus into their heart" they are saved, Scripture tells us in Jeremiah 17:9,

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

The truth of the matter is, biblical assurance of salvation cannot be destroyed when one entrusts himself to the promises of God by engaging these promises in the objective truth of God's Holy Word. Too often, men and women depend on their feelings and subjective experiences to give them assurance of salvation, and what's worse, they have easy-believist pastors of the false modern evangelical gospel potentially leading them down the path of destruction instead of encouraging them to examine themselves in the Scripture.

Dr. Woods continues,

Lordship advocates never precisely define what kind of commitment to Christ is necessary in order to become a Christian. 

I find this to be an interesting false premise as I never have a hard time telling people what kind of commitment is necessary to become a Christian. Jesus was pretty clear in this regard when He said, 

whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. - Luke 14:33

Salvation costs us everything, Dr. Woods. Whatever has been revealed to us is what we must forsake. If there is anything for which the cost has been counted and we are not willing to lay it at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, then we do not want a Savior any more than we want a Lord. Let's use a practicing homosexual as an example.

Joe is a practicing homosexual and has just been exposed to Dr. Woods' gospel message, which according to his article, might be something like this:

Jesus loves you and wants to forgive you of your sins. All you have to do is ask Him to forgive you and trust Him to be your Savior. If you ask Jesus to come into your heart, He will!

So Joe prays a prayer to ask Jesus into his heart, then Dr. Woods might say something like this,

If you just said that prayer and are sincere in believing in Christ as your Savior, then you're saved and I welcome you to the family of God!

Now Joe, being that he knows nothing of repentance, the holiness of God, the judgment of God, and the power of God in our salvation to change the hearts of men, continues to practice homosexuality. When Joe said the "sinner's prayer", he was not broken over his sin and certainly did not repent of it, yet believes himself to be saved because he believes in Jesus to have forgiven him of his sins. Years later, Joe, still an unrepentant homosexual, runs into Dr. Woods and expresses doubts that he is saved. Dr. Woods might tell Joe he remembers him coming to the alter a few years back and as long as Joe was sincere in believing in Christ, he is saved. If given the chance, Dr. Woods might also tell Joe that he needs to submit to the second part of God's plan for his life and commit his life to Jesus as a disciple. In the end, Joe continued as an unrepentant homosexual and never turned from his sin, but because he "changed his mind about God and Jesus", Joe will die a homosexual saint.

Blasphemous! Can you see the obvious error in this false gospel? I used the sin of homosexuality because it is often seen by the evangelical church as a "worst-type sin". But the same verses that condemn homosexuality, are the same verses that condemn drunkenness, adultery, fornication, idolatry, thieves, liars, revilers and more (1 Corinthians 6:8-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5-6).  It is for this reason that one cannot remain in their sin and abide in Christ (1 John 3:6).  When God justifies us, He also washes us and cleanses us from these sinful lifestyles (1 Corinthians 6:11) so that this will be true:

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. - 1 John 3:9

To be clear, this verse is not saying Christians do not sin. The Apostle John is referring to living in a habitual pattern of practical righteousness rather than living in a habitual pattern of sin. The Christian walk, therefore, is a lifestyle of repentance where one is continuously repenting (out of godly remorse) as they are progressively sanctified (2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:10) and directionally conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; 12:2).  This is why John says the following in 1 John 3:10,

In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

And as if it could not be any more clear:

Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. - 1 John 3:7-8a

 
Even though these Scriptures make it abundantly clear that the Christian does not and cannot habitually practice a lifestyle of sin, there are many in the easy-believist camp who might say all Christians habitually sin because we are sinful creatures.  They twist the Scripture to fit their agenda or misunderstanding of salvation and sanctification, or perhaps to justify the grip that sin has on their own lives, yet we see in the Word of God that sin no longer has dominion over the believer (Romans 6:14) and Christ came to destroy the work of the devil (1 John 3:8). What's more, those who have been set free by the Truth have been freed from the bondage of sin (John 8:34-36; Romans 6:17-18) to where it no longer controls us (Romans 8:1-2; Galatians 5:16-26). Therefore, an assurance of our salvation is whether or not we are controlled by sin to obey it or controlled by the Spirit of God to obey Him (Romans 6:22).

Dr. Woods asks,

How much surrender is required? 

That's also an easy question to answer, Dr. woods. Total and absolute surrender is required. When Christ purchased us with His precious blood, we became His exclusively (1 Corinthians 6:20). This means our money, our time, our possessions, our family, our bodies and our very life are now His. He owns us. We may not realize at the time of our salvation just how much He owns us, but He owns us nonetheless. The evidence that one is born again, therefore, is the willingness to continue to surrender to the Lordship of Christ (Luke 9:23).  This total and absolute surrender is simply devotion and unwavering allegiance to Christ the King. It's as simple as giving up control of one's life and submitting to the will of God in as much as one knows what that means at the time of salvation. As God conforms us to Himself, we will increasingly understand what it means to surrender to His will, and as He destroys our idols one by one, we will all the more surrender to His Lordship.

Dr. Woods also asks,

How long is this surrender to last?

Another easy question to answer. Surrender is to last forever, Dr. Woods. The evidence of this can be found in Scriptures that tell us we must abide, finish the race, persevere, and live in the Spirit such as 1 John 2:24, Colossians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, Hebrews 12:1-2 and Romans 8:12-14. These, of course, are only possible by the hand of God who will allow nothing in all of creation to snatch His children out of His hand (Romans 8:38-39; John 10:27-29). Every Christian, then, abides, finishes the race, perseveres, and walks in the Spirit as a pattern of life.

Dr. Woods, again, has another easy question to be answered:

How much fruit must this surrender produce?

Jesus tells us this fruit will be a hundredfold, sixty, or thirty (Matthew 13:23). How much is this? I don't know exactly, but the point is there is fruit indeed. By this we know there is no such thing as a continuously fruitless Christian. 

Dr. Woods asserts,

Because these questions are never precisely answered, the believer spends the rest of his Christian life wondering if he truly made enough of a commitment to become a Christian. 

It seems I have answered these questions, Dr. Woods. In any case, the Christian does not spend the rest of his life wondering if he has committed enough to become a Christian. The false convert, on the other hand, may never have biblical assurance of his salvation if he does not examine himself in the Scriptures to know whether he has the Spirit to testify with his spirit that he is a child of God (Romans 8:15-17). Yet, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) and diligently seek God (Hebrews 11:6) through the Word of God do not have to worry about whether or not they are saved. This is because their hunger and thirst for the things of God through the application of the Living Word will manifest the fruit that gives evidence of one's salvation.

On "backsliding, Dr. Woods points out,

Because of the believer's potential for “backsliding,” the Christian can never really know until his dying day if he is a committed Christian. 

It is important to define terms here. If by "backsliding" Dr. Woods means one can remain "backslidden", then no, there is no such thing as a backslidden Christian. Such a person needs to be born again. But if by "backsliding" Dr. Woods means one can fall into sin and be restored unto fellowship with God by the discipline of the Father through the Holy Spirit, then yes, Christians can "backslide". Lordship salvation does not teach otherwise.

Assuming that Dr. Woods' definition is of the first definition, he sets up another false premise to suggest lordship salvation causes one to never know "until his dying day if he is a committed Christian." (On a side note - "committed Christian" is redundant as all Christians are committed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ). This is ludicrous as the born again believer, eg one who has surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, most certainly may have biblical assurance of salvation during the extent of their Christian walk. It is when the born again believer falls into sin that their assurance might be shaken, which is why we are called to make our calling and election sure to see that we are progressing in our sanctification (2 Peter 1:5-11; Philippians 2:12-13). Under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the continued exposure to the Word and believers to hold us accountable, we will be brought to repentance and restoration of our assurance. This is all part of the loving discipline of the Father to assist His children to becoming more like Christ. If one never undergoes such discipline, God Himself says they are not His child:

But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. - Hebrews 12:7-11

Lastly, Dr. Woods concludes his argument stating,

Thus, Lordship Salvation steals the joy that accompanies the knowledge that one's eternal destiny is sealed. Far from such a guessing game, Christ gives all believers instantaneous assurance of salvation at the point of justification (John 5:24; 6:47).

The true Gospel, Dr. Woods, yes, the true Gospel according to so-called "lordship salvation", actually gives rest to the souls of men. By obtaining assurance of salvation through objective examination in the Bible, the souls of men and women can rest in the grace of God as they begin to see their reflection in the mirror of God's Word. This, of course, is quite different than giving mere lip service for the assurance of salvation. Do you suppose God gives instantaneous assurance of salvation to the rocky soil and the thorny soil hearers?  Of course He doesn't as they are not saved (Matthew 13:20-22).

The evidence of our salvation does not come from prayers or emotional experiences; rather, the evidence of our salvation comes through God's preservation of our souls as we continue in the faith and can see the progression of the work of grace in our lives (Titus 2:11-14; 2 Peter 1:5-9). And why is this case? Because salvation is of the Lord and it is He who is perfecting His work in us through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit.  If one can see no evidence of grace-bearing fruit in their life, then they have every reason to believe they may not be saved.

Whether one is truly born again or has surrendered to the Lordship of Christ can perhaps most easily be seen in asking this question:  have I entered into the yoke of Christ to be taught in the way of righteousness? (Matthew 11:29-30)

This is true rest for our souls. And what is the condition of our finding rest for our souls? To bow in humility and put on the yoke of Christ. To be lowly in heart and meek, which is to say to be submissive to the authority of one's master. Christ, our Master, has called us to a life of obedience, so when one confesses the Savior as Lord (Romans 10:9-10), he is confessing to God that he is willing to obey Him and trust that He will direct our paths.

Submitting to the Lordship of Christ means nothing more and nothing less. Out of love for the Sovereign King and Pierced Savior, we commit our lives to Jesus because this is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1). The evidence that we love Christ is whether we obey Him (John 14:15, 23; 1 John 5:3; 2 John 1:6). If one is not willing to obey Christ, then how could they possibly have assurance, much less be saved? Even more so, how can one claim to love authority when they do not obey them or have the desire to learn from them? That is as ridiculous as it is absurd.

Dr. Woods and those of his persuasion are the very cause of the false conversions and continuously carnal Christians who hold faulty fire insurance policies. They base the assurance of one's salvation solely on mere profession and attempt to make the narrow gate as wide as possible. The Word of God is clear, however, that those who are born again and love Christ have departed from wickedness (2 Timothy 2:19) and yield to the command to "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22). The blood-bought believer is committed to righteousness, holiness, and newness of life (Ephesians 4:24; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Romans 6:4).  The believer desires to please the Lord in everything (Ephesians 5:10) and constantly seeks to understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:17).

The believer is zealous for good works (Titus 2:14) and has a heart to see lost souls saved (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15). The believer loves the brethren (1 John 3:14) and does not forsake fellowship with believers (Hebrews 10:24-25). The believer increasingly manifests the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:8-10) and puts off the old man and the works of darkness (Ephesians 4:17-24; Colossians 3:1-17).

These are just some of the evidences or marks of one who is now a slave to righteousness - a born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. These things will become realities in the life of the believer in increasing measure as God perfects His righteousness in the life of the Christian until the day of Redemption (Ephesians 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Romans 8:29-30). It is because God has planted His seed in us that we can no longer live according to the flesh and remain lovers of our sin to live in it (1 John 3:9), but rather we will increasingly love the things that God loves (righteousness) and hate the things that God hates (evil). As Paul tells us in Colossians 3:1-4,

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

The only alternative to the person described above is found in Philippians 3:19-20,

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.

Believers set their mind on heavenly things as a pattern of life, while nonbelievers set their minds on earthly things as a pattern of life. There is no middle ground, regardless of what Dr. Woods and others might teach.

That brings us to the end of Dr. Woods' arguments against lordship salvation. We have covered saving faith, repentance, carnal Christianity, sanctification, and biblical assurance of salvation. In an effort to tie up loose ends, I will hopefully conclude with Part 7 by the end of the week.

In the mean time, I highly recommend going through the following series from Paul Washer titled, Biblical Assurance of Salvation. It is a 5-part series that will help you understand further the contrast between the born again believer and a mere professor of the faith.

If any man be not sure that he is in Christ, he ought not to be easy one moment until he is so. Dear friend, without the fullest confidence as to your saved condition, you have no right to be at ease, and I pray you may never be so. This is a matter too important to be left undecided. - Charles Spurgeon

An Open-air First in 1st John

This article was originally posted at The Speak:Truth Project

By Justin Edwards

For several months now, I believe the Lord has been drawing and preparing me to preach in the open air. Through wonderful ministries like Go.Stand.Speak and Living Waters, God has equipped and greatly encouraged me to get “on the box“.  I knew the day was coming when I would preach on the street for the first time, and that day came on Friday.

Over the last week I had the opportunity to meet a great new friend, Scott Smith, who had organized an evangelism outreach in Charlotte, NC for the NCAA tournament with Bill Adams of Sports Fan Outreach International. I joined the group on Friday afternoon in front of Time Warner Cable arena, where they were already set up with microphone and speaker.  Having fellowshipped and witnessed with a few of the guys for a couple of hours, I was asked if I was ready to preach.  Truth be told, I had not planned on preaching on Friday, but as this new group of friends encouraged me and gave me a few pointers, what better day to preach the Gospel than this day? After taking a few minutes to prepare, I prayed that God would strengthen me and give me the words to bring Him glory – and I’m here to tell you our God did not leave me or forsake me. The Holy Spirit was with me every second!

Having learned much from Project Ezra and being drawn to preach from 1st John, I began with the Apostle Paul’s exhortation in 2 Corinthians 13:5,

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

From there, I gave a brief testimony as a false convert for 22 years, and bridged this into an introduction of 1st John. I then proceeded into chapter 1 verse 5 where the Apostle John tells us,

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

I have never preached before. And even though I was nervous before I started, and my flesh resisted and was looking for any excuse to not get on the microphone, God empowered me to preach His Word and helped me overcome my flesh.  This was one of the most clear experiences I have had to step out on faith. There is no way possible I could have done this on my own, much less have wanted to, but through faith and obedience, God equipped me to serve Him through the proclamation of His Word. Once I got into my testimony and proceeded into 1st John, it was as if I had preached many times before. I was not nervous, and God gave me every word necessary to fulfill His purposes. Amazingly enough and to the glory of God, I preached for 30-45 minutes.

1st John is a beautiful gift God has given us for faith examination and biblical assurance of salvation. As you can see in the first test in verses 5-10, there is a clear contrast between those who give mere lip service to God, who are Christians in name only, and those who by sovereign grace have surrendered to His Lordship and are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  There are numerous such tests in 1st John, and I found it to be a wonderful book to preach from on Friday.

1st John is also so varied that you have opportunity to touch on many biblical doctrines such as the deity of Christ, saving faith, sanctification, false disciples, perseverance, false conversion, holy living, practical righteousness, deception, sacrificial love, brotherly love, proof of one’s love for God through obedience to His commandments, testing the spirits, defending the faith against cults and heresies, and assurance of salvation. Expositing through 1st John enabled me to preach from many other passages in the New Testament that included godly sorrow, repentance, surrendering to Christ’s Lordship, forgiveness, loving your enemies, hell, the wrath and judgment of God, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Law, mercy, and grace.

All this to say, you will not be short of a sermon by preaching through this epistle!

I share this with you as an encouragement to step out on faith in whatever area of evangelism you find yourself fearful or lacking. I can’t tell you how joyful it was after open-air preaching for the first time, and God gave me every tool I needed, not lacking in anything! God has been molding me, just as He is molding you as “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

A dear brother sent me a message on facebook after I posted a status update about preaching for the first time. It was his first time witnessing one-to-one with a stranger. Just like me, God is helping him overcome his fears, and just like us, God will help you overcome your fears. You just got to trust that He will and step out on faith. To put into perspective what God has done in me recently, this time last year I had never handed a Gospel tract to someone before, much less witnessed to a stranger. Not only that, but public presentation has always been an obstacle for me.  But see what God has done?

So what’s keeping you from taking that next step? Every born again believer is commanded to obey the Great Commission, so if one of hundreds of potential fears is holding you back, what are you going to do about it? We shouldn’t and can’t wait for people to come to us for witnessing opportunities. After all, when was the last time you went fishing and the fish jumped in the boat? You have to cast your line into the sea if you are to catch any fish. Are you ready to accomplish your next first?

If you are faithful in prayer and hiding God’s Word in your heart, “the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:12).  We can then “preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

I’d like to personally thank Scott Smith, Andrew Burgess, and Alex Burroughs for encouraging me to leap over this hurdle of faith on Friday. Additionally, I’d like to thank in the deepest respect Tony Miano, Chad Williams, Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron, Pat Necerato, and the many associated evangelism ministries that God has used to bring me to where I am today in fulfilling the Great Commission. May He eternally receive all the glory, honor, and praise!

If you would like to go through the book of 1st John with other believers, I encourage you to join us as we go through the remainder of the New Testament, beginning with 1st John tomorrow on facebook.

Are You Living a Lie?

By Justin Edwards

When I come across brothers and sisters in Christ who have a similar testimony as me, I rejoice in the fact that God removed the scales from their eyes like He did mine, but I am made all the more aware that there are still so many people out there who cling to a false assurance of salvation. Carnal Christianity, as it is called, is a cancerous epidemic in the visible church today. It gives rise to a false security, which oftentimes comes in the form of trusting in a prayer someone once prayed at the altar, or perhaps even "rededicating" one's life to Christ. The reality is, however, such decisionism - determining out of one's flesh that they are "gonna get it right this time" or trusting in the once-said prayer prayed 20 years ago as the assurance of salvation - will only lead to death because the evidence of salvation is nowhere to be found in the life of this professing Christian. Please allow me to explain why that is the case.

Are you living a LIE?

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe (Romans 1:16). We are not born again because of something we do, no, we are born again because God supernaturally transforms us. He does not make our old life better, no, He actually makes us a new creation. It is therefore futile and unbiblical to believe that man can simply just change the way he thinks, or as someone like Rick Warren teaches, to undergo behavior modification (Pelagianism). That is why so many people, though they profess to believe in God or Jesus, profess to know Him but they deny Him with their works (Titus 1:16) and walk as enemies of the cross because they have their minds set on earthly things (Philippians 3:18-19). Scripture, on the other hand, tells us the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly, righteously, and godly lives today (Titus 2:11-14). In other words, being conformed to Jesus Christ is not an option for the believer, it is a necessary consequence. And it is not because of some methodical man-made plan, but because of the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit to those who have been regenerated, or born again.

My dear friends, as I trust many of you know but some may have not come to grips with these biblical facts, there is no such thing as a continuously carnal Christian! Yes, Christians do sin, but the difference between the Christian who struggles or wrestles with their sin and their flesh and the carnal Christian - that is, the non-Christian or Christian in name only - is that the Christian is a slave to the righteousness of Christ whereas the non-Christian is a slave to their sin. The one is a slave to God, while the other is a slave to the god of this world. The one is a slave to obedience, while the other is a slave to disobedience. The one follows their Master every day, not just superficially on Sundays like carnal Christians who follow the devil Monday through Saturday. The one is a child of God, while the other is a child of wrath. The one has in store for him the riches of the Kingdom of God as a co-heir with Christ, while the other has stored up for him the fury of God's wrath for His unrepentant heart. While the one has crucified his flesh with its passions and desires, the one still continues to love the world, manifesting the works of the flesh and the pride of life, revealing that the love of God is not in him.

Do you see the difference? Merely believing the facts about Jesus does not save you. An emotional experience that urged you to "make a decision" for Christ or "ask Jesus into your heart" on a Sunday morning does not save you. Yes, there are no doubt born again believers who have done both of these things and are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, but they are not saved because of what they did. They are saved in spite of what they did because salvation is the work of God alone by His grace alone. However, it must be made clear, if one made such a decision, and their life reflects one that is in rebellion against God, that "decision" or superficial prayer did absolutely nothing but give you a false assurance of salvation.

This is what the Word of God says:

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. - 1 John 3:9

Can it be any more clear? Now, perhaps this might need to be hashed out a bit to avoid any confusion as to sinless perfection, the heretical doctrine that teaches that Christians do not sin. Let us then look at the words of the great 19th-century preacher, J.C. Ryle:

A person who has been born again, or regenerated, does not habitually commit sin. He no longer sins with his heart and will and whole inclination. There was probably a time when he did not think about whether his actions were sinful or not, and he did not always feel grieved after doing evil. There was no quarrel between him and sin; they were friends. But the true Christian hates sin, flees from it, fights against it, considers it his greatest plague, resents the burden of its presence, mourns when he falls under its influence, and longs to be completely delivered from it. Sin no longer pleases him, nor is it even a matter of indifference to him; it has become a horrible thing which he hates. However, he cannot eliminate its presence within him.

If he said that he had no sin, he would be lying (I John 1:8). But he can say that he hates sin and that the great desire of his soul is not to commit sin at all. He cannot prevent bad thoughts from entering his mind, or shortcomings, omissions, and defects from appealing in both his words and his actions. He knows that "in many things we offend all" (James 3:2). But he can truly say, in the sight of God, that these things cause him grief and sorrow and that his whole nature does not consent to them. What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?

That is the question, professing Christian - are you born again? Are you solely and completely sold out to God? Have you forsaken everything as the Lord Jesus Christ commanded in Luke 14:33? Have you denied your will, control, and lusts of the flesh, taking up your cross as you slay the misdeeds of the body, and continuing to follow after the Lord Jesus Christ as He commands in Luke 9:23? Or, professing Christian, does your life give evidence that you continue to fulfill the pleasures of your flesh? Do you continue to ride the fence trusting that, although you know you're not living right, one day you will submit to Christ? That God is full of infinite chances and will allow you to continue to trample on the blood of His Son as if you hated Him?

The fact is, dear carnal Christian, you hate God. You are His enemy. Your lip service is only making your destination to hell more comfortable. Unless you cry out to God out of the brokenness of your soul for having offending His holiness and disregarding the grace He freely offers you, you will die in your sins. Jesus said in Luke 9:24-25,

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

Is your sin worth it, carnal Christian? Is your sin worth an eternity in hell? This is what Jesus commands in Matthew 5:29-30:

If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Please don't go to hell, dear carnal Christian! Repent from your sins and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ! For if you continue procrastinating, if you continue seeking the pleasures of life and the abominations of the flesh (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), the eternal destruction of your body and soul will be the pleasing aroma of a Holy, Holy, Holy God, and He will be glorified in the fury of His wrath against you. Do not be deceived. Do not justify your lifestyle. He knows your every thought and your secret sins, and demands for you to obey the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Out of Christ flows living water, my friend. Jesus did not command you to invite Him to come into your heart - He commanded you to follow Him! His yoke is easy and His burden is light and He will give you rest for your soul (Matthew 11:28-30). Take refuge in the grace of Almighty God. Run to Him with nothing in your hands. Turn your back on this world and the things of it. Neither your friends nor your sin is worth an eternity without the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, repent from your sins, and be saved!

Now, returning to the opening paragraph of this post, I'd like to direct you to the following video. My new friend, Jay Wingard, posted this on his wonderful blog, Soli Deo Gloria, and I want to share with you. Both Jay and Ryan Richie (from video) have seemingly identical testimonies to my testimony. As false converts for 20+ years, we trusted in a prayer, was deceived by the incomplete doctrine of "once saved always saved", and fooled into believing that there are two types of Christians - holy Christians and carnal Christians. Such false assurance permitted us to live the worldly lifestyle, and it's only by the grace and mercy of God that we now stand covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and eternally sealed by the Spirit through repentant faith. I pray Ryan's testimony, in addition to this post, will cause you to examine yourself to see if you are truly born again (2 Corinthians 13:5).

I'm always available to talk about your situation. All you have to do is ask.

Heart Inventory - do you serve god or God?

By Justin Edwards

Please take inventory of your heart as you read this post, and know that these things as described below are the overall markings of an unbeliever or false convert, and a child of God saved by repentant faith. We are all at different levels of maturity, but rest assured, those who are redeemed children of God possess sovereign grace,

teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.- Titus 2:11-14

Whether by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ or by death, our days are numbered. The question is, are you ready?  Please contact me or comment below with any questions or concerns.

Do you serve the god of this world, or the One True God of the Bible?

If you serve the god of this world (Satan), the world will love you. If you serve God, the world will hate you (John 15:18-19; 1 John 3:13).

If you serve Satan, you try to serve two masters. You may profess to know God, but He takes a back seat in your priorities. Your money, your will, your control, your desires - they are your master. If you serve God, you serve Him alone (Matthew 6:24).

If you serve Satan, the idea of submitting to the lordship of Christ is repulsive to you. You desire to hold on to your sin, while receiving the benefits of salvation. You think you can receive Christ as Savior, but not as Lord. You are proud, and God resists you. If you serve God, you humble yourself before the Lord, donning the yoke of Christ, and with meekness, you commit to serving Him all the days of your life (James 4:6-10; Matthew 5:5; 11:29-30).

If you serve Satan, you love the world and the things of this world. If you love the world, the love of God is not in you. If you serve God, you hate the things of the world because you love God and His love abides in you (1 John 2:15).

If you serve Satan, you are friends of the world. This makes you an enemy of God. If you serve God, you are not conformed to this world (James 4:4; Romans 12:2).

If you serve Satan, your closest friends are of the world and they corrupt you. If you serve God, you are not yoked to unbelievers, rather, your closest friends are born again believers (1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14).

If you serve Satan, you take pleasure in unrighteousness. You love fornication and idolatry. If you serve God, you flee sexual immorality and idolatry and you hunger and thirst for righteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:14; Matthew 5:6).

If you serve Satan, you do not obey the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you serve God, you obey the Gospel (1 Peter 4:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:8).

If you serve Satan, your mind is set on earthly things. If you serve God, your mind is set on heavenly things (Philippians 3:18-19; Colossians 3:1-2).

If you serve Satan, you are a slave to sin. If you serve God, you are slave to righteousness (Romans 6:17-18).

If you serve Satan, you are most concerned with the affairs and cares of this world, you seek to fulfill your fleshly desires, you love money, fornication, and drunkenness. If you serve God, you have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (1 John 2:16; Galatians 5:24).

If you serve Satan, you walk in the flesh and are controlled by the works of the flesh. If you serve God, you walk in the Spirit and are controlled by the things of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-23).

If you serve Satan, you stand condemned as you have from the beginning. If you serve God, there is no condemnation in  you (John 3:18; Romans 8:1).

If you serve Satan, you are controlled by him and he has dominion over you. If you serve God, you have been freed (2 Timothy 2:26; 1 John 5:19; Ephesians 2:2; Colossians 1:13; John 8:36).

If you serve Satan, you are blinded by him. If you serve God, He has shined His light through you (2 Corinthians 4:4-6).

If you serve Satan, you justify and/or deny your sin. You give yourself excuses to live any way you want to, and expect God to just forgive you. You call God a liar, and the truth is not in you. If you serve God, you confess your sins and He cleanses you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-10).

If you serve Satan, you profess to know God but you still walk in darkness. You claim to have fellowship with God, but your lifestyle confirms otherwise. You do not practice the truth, and you are not saved, although you think you are. If you walk in the light, however, you are a child of God and have fellowship with the brethren, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 1:5-7).

If you serve Satan, you do not keep the commandments of God or the teachings of Jesus. If you serve God, you love Him, which means you obey His commandments and teachings (John 14:15; 2 John 1:6; 1 John 2:3-5).

If you serve Satan, you hate the brethren. You have no fellowship with the brethren, for you'd rather hang out with your worldly friends. You have no actionable desire to fellowship. If you serve God, you love the brethren and seek fellowship with them (Hebrews 13:1; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 John 3:14-15; 4:20-21).

If you serve Satan, you rely on your self-righteousness to get you to heaven. You believe good works, church attendance, tithes, and being "good enough" will ensure your eternity in heaven. If you serve God, you realize there is nothing in you that is good, no amount of good deeds can save you, and it is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone that you are saved (Romans 3:10; Revelation 3:14-22; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-9).

If you serve Satan, you call Jesus Lord but you do not do what He says. If you serve God, you confess Christ as Lord and you do the will of His Father (Luke 6:46-49; Matthew 7:21-23; 12:50).

If you serve Satan, you practice sin as a lifestyle. If you serve God, you practice righteousness as a lifestyle (1 John 3:4-9).

If you serve Satan, you cannot please God and you walk in the flesh. If you serve God, you walk as Jesus walked (Romans 8:6-8; Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 2:6).

If you serve Satan, you wallow in your sin and you love your sin. If you serve God, you purify yourself as He is pure, and you become holy as He is holy (1 John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 2:15-16).

If you serve Satan, the commands of God are burdensome to you. His expectations are just to high for you. If you serve God, you love His commandments and they are not burdensome (1 John 5:2-3).

If you serve Satan, you follow his voice as a false shepherd. If you serve God, you do not follow strange voices, but you hear and know the voice of your Shepherd, and you follow Him (John 10:1-30).

If you serve Satan, you are still dead in your trespasses. If you serve God, you have been made a new creation in Christ (Ephesians 2:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

If you serve Satan, you may have received the Gospel with joy and continued for a time, but when trials and tribulations came, or when you desired the cares of the world, you fell away and were choked out by the pleasures of life. If you serve God, you received the Gospel with a noble and good heart, and go on to produce fruit (Luke 8:11-15).

If you serve Satan, your idea of repentance is being sorry because you got caught. Your sorrow is of your flesh, and the guilt you feel is that of feeling guilty of the consequences. If you serve God, the repentance you know is wrought from godly sorrow, for you are sorry for offending God. This causes you to hate the sin that offended Him, and by His grace, you turn from it, which leads to salvation (Matthew 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 7:10).

If you serve Satan, you refuse to forgive those who offend you. If you serve God, you forgive everyone, no matter what they have done to you (Matthew 6:14-15; Luke 17:3-4; Ephesians 4:31-32; Colossians 3:12-13).

If you serve Satan, you hate your enemies. If you serve God, you love your enemies and bless those who persecute you (Matthew 5:21-23; 44).

If you serve Satan, you create a god in your own image, one that is not holy, just, or righteous, and one you believe is only love and will forgive you no matter what kind of lifestyle you live. This gives you license to sin and you trample on the grace of God. There is no actionable desire in you to love and serve the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. If you serve God, you know the holiness, righteousness, and justice of God, and because He loved you first, you can love Him. You yearn to serve and love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength (Jude 1:4; Exodus 20:3-4; Psalm 45:7; Deuteronomy 10:12; 30:6; Mark 12:30; 1 John 4:17-19).

If you serve Satan, you will perish in the Lake of Fire for all eternity. If you serve God, you have eternal life (Revelation 21:8; John 17:3).

Are You Ready?

By Justin Edwards

But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. - Luke 21:34-36

Are you ready? Don't just look over these words. Meditate on them. Are. You. Ready?

Is the life you are living one that is ready for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ? Should you die today, in the next few minutes, what would happen to you? Would you be embraced in the arms of Jesus, hearing the words "well done, faithful slave", or would you enter your destruction from the wrath of an angry God?

As is often proclaimed on this blog, Jesus is coming soon. This is not fantasy, nor conjecture. It is reality based on the sovereign truth of God's Word. God penned in Scripture thousands of years ago the very things we are witnessing today, yet most are not ready. Are you ready?

Yes, Jesus is coming. Soon. But He is only coming for those who are ready. He is only coming for those who love Him, who obey Him, and who live for Him. Is that your life? Can you honestly say you are a slave to the Master? Do you love His Word? Do you read it? Do you thirst for it? Are you submitted to His will? Are you surrendered to His Lordship? Do you long to see Him? Are you sick of this world? Do you anxiously await heaven? Do you hate sin?

Or do you merely give God lip service? Are you fearful of His return? You say you know Him, but does He know you? Do you hear His voice? Do you follow Him? Or do you follow the world? Do you follow your own will? Do you follow your flesh? Are you a slave to your sin? Do you love your sin? Do you love the world? Do you love yourself more than you love Jesus? How does your lifestyle answer that question?

Jesus is coming. Are you ready? Today is the day of salvation. There are no second chances. If you hear the pure Gospel truth now and disobey it, I don't believe it will be possible for you to be saved during the tribulation. God Himself will send you a strong delusion, and you will believe the lie of Satan. This will happen because you did not love the truth, you did not obey the Gospel, and because you took pleasure in your unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

Please watch the following video from Loran Livingston from 2/13/11. Ask yourself, and be honest, are you ready? Is your sin worth an eternity in hell? Are you eady?

To love God is to obey Him.

Are. You. Ready?

Are You Ready mp3

People Who WILL NOT Go to Heaven

By Justin Edwards

For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. - 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

As pointed out in Dear "Carnal Christian", the visible church is overburdened with professing Christians who have never been truly converted. What I mean by "visible church" is that there is a distinction between the professing church and the true Church. The professing church, or visible church, is comprised of both genuine believers and mere professing believers who are still dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1). On the other hand, the invisible church, or Body of Christ or true Church, is exclusively comprised of born again saints who have been sealed by the Holy Spirit through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

So how do we distinguish between a true believer and a false convert? One simple test can be found in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (which reflects Galatians 5:19-21 and Ephesians 5:3-5). From the text:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

Do not be deceived, dear professing Christian. The mark of a true convert is that their life is no longer representative of these sins. Galatians 5:19 indicates these things are manifest (evident) as a lifestyle for those who are still walking in darkness, i.e. those who are not saved. Let's take a closer look in defining these terms:

Fornicator - one who participates in unlawful sex, which is to say of one who indulges in sexual activity outside of the boundaries of legal marriage. It can also mean giving oneself over to false gods, eg religious idolatry. Referring to sexual acts, these would include premarital or post-marital (divorcees) sex of any form (heterosexual, homosexual, incest, pedophilia), but also to include adultery.

Adulterer - one who engages in inappropriate behavior or unlawful sexual activity in violation of legal marriage vows. Such would be the case for two married individuals engaging in inappropriate conduct, or a single individual violating the boundaries of marriage with a married individual.

Idolater - one who worships a false god, or has created a god in their own image (which is to say the "Christian" god they worship is not the God of the Bible). This might include worshiping a god from any of the worlds religions, worship of a person, or worship of an object, such as money.

Homosexual - one who engages in homosexual activity, or same-sex intercourse. This would include those in same-sex relationships, celibate or not.

Sodomite - one who offers himself as a male prostitute to engage in homosexual activity.

Thief - one who steals. Forms of thievery would include embezzlement, robbery (violent force), or by non-violent means, such as cheating, downloading illegal music, or shoplifting.

Covetous - one who is greedy to gain material wealth, or one who is not content or satisfied with their belongings and envies the possessions of others.

Drunkards - one who gets drunk or intoxicated with alcohol.

Revilers - one who is a blasphemer or is marked by contemptuous, disrespectful, or disdainful speech.

Extortioner - one who blackmails for profit, or unlawfully obtains wealth or information through coercion.

The message is clear: those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21). Yet, the visible church is so polluted today that sins such as drunkenness and fornication are swept under the rug and widely accepted by the vast majority of professing Christians. The same could be said for the other sins with regards to church acceptance, homosexuality for instance, but I want to focus on drunkards and fornicators because I used to be both while professing Christ as my Savior.

A Message for Carnal Christians

This message is for the professing Christian living a worldly lifestyle.

I want to be very frank, not only because what I am about to say is the truth, but because the hour is urgent. The world is falling apart all the more each day and the signs are screaming that Christ is returning any moment for His church. Not only that, but you are not promised to live another second, so I want you to give strict attention to my words as if it's the last time you will ever have the opportunity to hear them.

If your lifestyle reflects one of sexual immorality or drunkenness, then you will not inherit the Kingdom of God. To be more clear, you will perish in hell for all of eternity. Forever. If you think 1 second is small in comparison to 1 trillion years, that one second is infinitely greater than 1 trillion years compared to eternity. Though you profess to believe in Christ, though you believe you are saved, all biblical indicators give evidence you are not (Philippians 3:18-19), and you may wake up one day in hell to your surprise.

Perhaps you live with your boyfriend or girlfriend? That in itself gives the appearance of evil, but woe unto you all the more if you are sleeping with them. Maybe you don't live with your partner, but rather engage in sex whenever it's convenient. The Bible could not be more clear - anyone who habitually practices sex outside of marriage will suffer the wrath of God for eternity.

Perhaps you continue to party at the club scene? Or you like it low key at the bar or night lounge? Or maybe you revel at the beach or lake party? How about the football or concert tailgates? Or maybe you indulge yourself in the privacy of your own home. It's all the same - drunkards will not inherit the Kingdom of God!

You can make all the excuses you want. You can justify your sin a million different ways. But God sees what you are doing and He considers you in violation to His holiness. If you partake in these things while professing to be a Christian, you are trampling the blood of Christ under your feet and are using the grace of God as a license to sin. You perhaps think if you do enough good, if you pray enough to say you're sorry, if you go to church every Sunday, if you pay your tithes - you can somehow balance out your offenses against God. Unfortunately for you, God sees you as an idolater. And unless you repent from this idolatry, you will suffer the wrath of God forever (Romans 2:5).

This is what God requires from you - a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). He does not want your sacrifices of religiosity or guilt produced from worldly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10). No, He requires you to be broken and mournful of your sins against Him. He requires you to forsake it all for Him, never looking back. As long as you continue to hold on to your idol, whether it is sex or alcohol, you cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:33).

Do not confuse these words to mean you must clean yourself up before you come to God. You never will because you can never change on your own. What you must do is come to Him now. Recognize yourself as dead in your sins and apart from the grace of God you will remain there. Throw yourself at the foot of the cross and cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ to save you! Trust in Him alone and surrender to His rule and reign over your life. Give up on yourself, give up your control, give up your own will, cast your sin before Him, and give it all, your very life, to the Lord Jesus Christ. He will accept nothing less than unrivaled allegiance. He demands it.

By the grace of God I realized this nearly two years ago. God showed me how desperately I needed Him because I had so violated His holiness through my own idolatry. He showed me in His Word that my life as a professing Christian did not match up to the biblical definition of Christian. He then broke me, and I conceded to His lordship. I acknowledged His rightful authority over my life, and yielded myself to be His servant.

What will you do now? This could possibly be your last warning. Once your conscience is seared, it will be too late. The longer you run from this message and refuse to heed to God's mercy, the more difficult it will be for you to respond to His grace. These are the last days, my friend. Stop playing games with your eternity. The world is not worth it, nor is the temporary fulfillment of your sinful lifestyle. Run to Christ and never look back. Surrender to the One who was nailed to the bloody cross and who reigns at the right hand of God today. Is He not worthy? Does He not deserve your unwavering devotion? Does He not deserve your love, which is evidenced by obeying what He teaches?

Run to Him!

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. - 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

To learn more about testing your faith, please see this series: Biblical Assurance of Salvation

Dear "Carnal Christian" with Video

By Justin Edwards

I previously delayed the posting of Sunday's message but have now updated the article. Please click here for complete article or view below:

Dear "Carnal Christian"

By Justin Edwards

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! - 2 Corinthians 13:5

Note - if you are not willing to test yourself as Scripture commands of all professing Christians, then this article is not for you. Neither is this message for anyone who has need of nothing. There is no hope for either one of you as long as pride enslaves you. This article is, however, for every professing Christian who has a desire to make sure their faith is genuine. Most especially, if you profess Christ but your lifestyle indicates otherwise (Phil. 3:18-19), then this is for you. And please, know that I love you - it's the reason I'm telling you the truth.

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Carnal "Christianity" is a cancer in the visible church. Millions have bought into the lie of the devil that as long as you once said a prayer, as long as you once professed Christ as Lord, as long as you go to church, or pay your tithes, or serve the poor, or any number of things to keep you in right standing with God, then you are saved and heaven-bound. If you attach your assurance of salvation to any of these things, then you are an idolater and have yet to be saved by the grace of God. A sinner's prayer does not save you, nor does a decision to "ask Jesus into your heart" save you, nor does fulfilling a list of religious duties save you - it is only by the unmerited favor of God, the grace that comes to those who repent and fully trust on the Person and work of Jesus Christ alone, that you may be saved. Eternal life is in a Person, not a decision or good works.

Yesterday morning, my pastor, Loran Livingston, preached one of the most powerful, Spirit-filled messages I have ever heard from him. Coming off the previous week's message where grace was emphasized, he balanced the doctrine of grace alone with the doctrine of Christ's lordship by defining, with Scripture, the marks of a genuine born again believer. In other words, the grace that saves us is the grace that changes us, without fail. Pastor Livingston began with the following passage from Romans 5:20-6:2,

Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What a wonderful truth, knowing that the grace of God triumphs over the sin of His children. This means there is no sin or sinful lifestyle too great to be covered by the blood of Christ. However! Anticipating the argument from those who would suggest grace is a license to sin, Paul continues:

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

"By no means!" That is the strongest language possible used by Paul to underscore that grace does not give the believer license to sin. On the contrary, Paul makes it clear the believer will not live in sin because they have, in fact, died to sin (Romans 6:3-4).

In this postmodern church age where sin is tolerated, church doors act as floodgates for the world's cesspool of sin and abominations. Fine-arts centers, mega-church businesses, and high-tech entertainment venues are replacing biblical churches preaching the pure Gospel and worshiping God in spirit and in truth. The church, collectively, is no longer conforming to Christ and is being conformed to the god of this world. The church is no longer for God's sheep, but for those with itchy ears who have turned away from the truth to myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4). The Gospel has been tossed to the wayside, easy-believism reigns, the liberal social gospel is hailed, holiness is branded legalism, and absolute truth has been exchanged for moral relativism. So what is the consequence for watering down the Gospel and embracing worldliness into the church? Answer - a countless number of false converts with counterfeit fire insurance policies.

The church is bursting at the seams with professing Christians believing they have a license to sin. They do not obey the Gospel, they bear no fruit in the sight of God, they walk according to the flesh, and they love the world and the things of the world. Is that you, professing Christian? If you suspect your lifestyle is not one chasing after the holiness of God, then please, listen up - born again people do not act like sinners! If you believe you can flirt with the world, enjoy its benefits, and still go to heaven, you are wrong. Dead wrong, and you are playing games with your eternity.

Let me be clear - those who practice the works of the flesh as a lifestyle are not saved and they will not inherit the Kingdom of God! (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5) You are storing up wrath for yourself due to your unrepentant heart (Romans 2:5), and because you continue to disobey the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, a day is coming when He will slay you with the sword from His mouth and sentence you with everlasting destruction! (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

The truth is, God's grace does not only cover His children from the multitude of sin in which they once lived, but it teaches them to desire and conform to holiness. Titus 2:11-14,

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

My dear friend, holiness is not an option for the believer. God tells us without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14); therefore, the grace He saves us with will teach us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and it will teach us to live self-controlled, righteous, and godly lives now.

Another test of Scripture we must look to is found in 1 John 2:3-6:

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Do you see that? We may know! If our lifestyles are not ones that habitually obey the commandments of God out of love for God, then at best we can have no assurance of salvation, and at worst, we have no salvation. Every one born of God will indeed practice righteousness (1 John 2:29) and they will love the commandments of God (1 John 5:3), which means they will abide or continue in them. 1 John 3:6-10 could not be more clear:

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's  seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

This does not mean the Christian will live a perfect and sinless life, but it does mean the Christian will strive for perfection and pursue the holiness of God because the seed of God has been planted in him (1 John 3:9). Practically speaking, this means the Christian is no longer a slave to sin, but a slave to obedience (Romans 6:17-18). It means sin no longer has dominion over the Christian (Romans 6:14) because the Christian has crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24). It means the desires and satisfactions of this world you used to have no longer appeal to you (Ephesians 5:8), in fact you grow sick and tired of the things you used to love. It means you grow to hate what God hates (sin), and you grow to love what God loves (purity, holiness). Sin becomes obnoxious and detestable to you. It stinks and you want nothing to do with it. You flee from it. You cut it off, including the people and the things that cause you to stumble.You no longer follow the ways of the world as you now follow the Lord Jesus Christ. One or the other, certainly not both. That is impossible (James 4:4).

There is no such thing as a continuously carnal Christian. There is no such thing as "backsliding". These are lies from the pit of hell bent on giving people false assurances of their salvation. You are either saved or you are not, and those who are saved habitually practice the things of God. Jesus said His sheep hear His voice, and they follow Him . They do not follow the voices of strangers, they obey the call of their Master (John 10:1-30). If you find yourself in a place where the joy of the world has consumed you and you realize your relationship with Jesus Christ is empty, today is the day of salvation!

The days are numbered for you, whether by death or by Christ's return. You must be born again. You must repent, or you will perish. Simply believing the facts about Jesus does not save you, you must follow Him as one of His sheep. You must put on the yoke of Christ and surrender to His rule and reign over your life. You must hunger and thirst for righteousness, and you must love His Word, obey His Word, and love His people - the Church.

I pray these words spurn you to examine your heart against the mirror of God's Word. There will, no doubt, be millions of professing Christians in hell one day because they refused to examine themselves. Please don't be one of them. I love you and I am so passionate about this because I was once a false convert myself. I don't want you to end up in hell with the false assurance you thought you would end up in heaven. If you do not desire holiness today, then you will be separated from the holiness of God for eternity. Listen to His voice. Repent and trust in Christ today.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep...My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.- John 10:11,27

I invite you now to watch this critical message from Pastor Livingston:

Who Am I According to God? Who Are You?

By Justin Edwards

I am not good (Romans 3:12).

I was a sinner in rebellion against Almighty God (Romans 3:23; 1 John 3:4).

I loved my sin and I loved darkness (John 3:19 ; Psalm 36:1-4)

I was a mere hearer of the Word (James 1:22).

My righteous acts were filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

I was a thief, an adulterer, a murderer, an idolater, a blasphemer, a fornicator, a drunkard, and a liar (Matthew 5:21-22; 27-28; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). 

I was a friend of the world and an enemy of God, in fact, I hated Him (James 4:4).

I was a slave to my sin and hostile to the Law of God (John 8:34; Romans 8:7)

The works of the flesh were manifest in me  (Galatians 5:19-21)

I loved the world and the things of the world, and the love of the Father was not in me (1 John 2:15).

The world loved me (John 15:19).

I was a child of wrath and lived to gratify the lusts of my flesh (Ephesians 2:3).

I followed the ways of the world and submitted to the god of this world (Ephesians 2:2).

I did not understand the things of God, nor could I (1 Corinthians 2:14).

I was a dead man walking (Ephesians 2:1).

I did not seek God (Romans 3:11).

I willfully lived in sin and was of the devil (1 John 3:8).

I hated the brethren (1 John 5:1-2). 

I walked in darkness (1 John 1:6).

I lived according to my sinful nature and had my mind on what that nature desired (Romans 8:5). 

I was born into sin (Psalm 51:5).

I lived as an enemy of the cross and my mind was set on earthly things (Philippians 3:18-19).

I was ashamed of the name of Jesus (Luke 9:26).

I stored treasures on the earth (Matthew 6:19-21).

I tried to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).

I lived in worldly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10).

I claimed to know God but my actions denied Him (Titus 1:16).

I was on my way to hell, and deservedly so (Romans 6:23)

But God!

Snatched me out of the flames because of His grace and mercy! (Romans 9:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Ephesians 1:4-6)

I have been granted repentance (2 Timothy 2:25).

I have been adopted as a son according to the sovereignty of God and the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:4-11).

I have been washed, sanctified, and justified by faith alone (1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:10; Romans 3:24; Romans 5:1).

I am clothed with the righteousness of Christ (Philippians 3:9).

I have been made alive in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4). 

I am forgiven and redeemed (Ephesians 1:6).

I am born again of the Spirit of God (John 1:13; John 3:5-6; 1 Peter 1:23).

I am the prodigal son (Luke 15:24).

By God's grace, I am surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Luke 9:23; Luke 14:33; Luke 18:22).

I have God's seed planted in me and no longer live a habitual lifestyle of sin (1 John 3:9).

I have the yoke of Christ upon me so I may learn from Him (Matthew 11:3).

I am a sheep of the Good Shepherd, and nothing in all of creation can snatch me out of His hand (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:38-39).

I have been chosen to bear fruit that will last (John 15:16).

I abide in Christ and He abides in me (John 15:4; 1 John 2:24-25, 28).

I have overcome the world (1 John 5:4-5).

I am purifying myself in cooperation with the Holy Spirit (1 John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 7:1). 

I love the commandments of God and they are not burdensome to me (1 John 5:3).

I desire to love the Lord my God will all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37-40).

I desire to love all of my enemies (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27-28).

I have a passion to reach the lost (Mark 16:15).

I love God and am able to love God because He first loved me (1 John 4:10).

I am hated by the world because the world hated Christ first (1 John 3:13; John 15:18).

I am sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14).

I am a co-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:7).

My life is not my own because I have been bought at a great price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

I am crucified with Christ and it is no longer my life but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20).

I have the Peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7; John 14:27).

I have the enduring Hope within me (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

I am covered by the blood of Christ and can boldly approach the throne of God (1 John 1:7; Hebrews 4:16).

I am dead to sin and can no longer live in it (Romans 6:2).

I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I have died to myself and am now free from sin (Romans 6:6-7).

I am a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1; Romans 6:22).

I am a slave to obedience (Romans 6:16-18).

Nothing good lives in my sinful nature, which is still in me, but does not have dominion over me (Romans 7:18; Romans 6:14)).

There is no condemnation in me for I am in Christ Jesus and have been set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1).

By the power of the Holy Spirit I now walk according to the Spirit (Romans 8:4-5; Galatians 5:16).

I have a Father in heaven by whom I call, "Abba", like a child who calls upon his daddy (Romans 8:15).

I share in the sufferings of Christ (2 Corinthians 1:5; 1 Peter 2:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:12).

I am most blessed through persecution and there is a great reward awaiting me in heaven (Matthew 5:10-12; 1 Peter 4:14-16).

I can count it all joy when I got through all kinds of trials (James 1:2-3).

I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).

I offer my body as a living sacrifice to God because this is my reasonable service (Romans 12:1).

I am no longer conformed to the world but am being conformed to likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29).

I am being transformed by the renewing of mind (Romans 12:2).

I am storing my treasures in heaven, where I am an eternal citizen (Colossians 3:2; Philippians 3:20).

There is waiting for me a glorified body, which I will receive in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet call (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

I seek to not be yoked with unbelievers or anything of the world (2 Corinthians 6:14).

I hate sin and the things that God hates (Psalm 119:104).

I am blessed by the fruit of the Spirit within me (Galatians 5:22).

I have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24).

I am a child of light (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

I am faithful (Ephesians 1:1)

I am called to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15; Hebrews 12:14).

I desire to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1).

I desire to conduct myself worthy of the Gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27).

My strength is in Christ (Philippians 4:13).

Christ is my life (Colossians 3:4).

I am not ashamed of the name of Jesus or the proclamation of the Gospel (Matthew 10:32; Romans 1:16).

I long for the appearing of Christ, and there is a award awaiting me in heaven (2 Timothy 4:8).

God works in me to do His will and act according to His good purpose (Philippians 2:13).

By God's grace, I am a doer of the Word (James 1:22).

I live for the will of God (1 Peter 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:3).

I love the brethren (1 John 4:7).

I am kept from the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10).

I have eternal life (1 John 5:11-12).

And I will reign with the King of kings and the Lord of lords forever and ever (Revelation 5:10). Amen!

So, who am I? I am nothing...apart from Christ (John 15:5).

How about you? 

Who are you according to the Word of God?

Is there anything in the second list you cannot identify with? Do you find yourself trapped among the things in the first list? What other things might be included in these lists pertaining to the old and new natures?

Let's talk about it - please post your questions or comments below.