Dear Rayburn, Just read your wonderful Blog & it is grand! I have a question: My dearest friend @ great Christian (when I met her) is on a very downhill slide. While they were young & hungry & had 6 little kids, they both worked very hard to stay afloat. And stay afloat they did. Now, her husband who is an independent geologist and lately EVERYTHING has turned to gold. I don't believe her husband ever rec'd Christ as his Savior. Well, now they have bought a gorgeous condo in Destin and the nice big cars, etc. BUT now, my friend drinks wine like it's water and cusses like the proverbial drunk sailor. She seldom goes to church (we go to the same church). Now, do you think she's still saved? She has told me that "once saved, always saved" but do think she has walked away from God? Do you think a person can walk away from God.? Her big "FUN" now is the casinos. I really am concerned about her. It's probably not fair to ask these questions but I'm sure you have heard it before. Thanks, ______.
My response:
______, it is, of course, impossible
to know if your friend was ever truly a Christian. I think there are as many
unsaved, professing Christians in churches as there are truly born again
Believers. None of the Apostles recognized that Judas was faking it. When the
Lord said, "One of you will betray me", each of them asked, "Lord is it I?"
They doubted themselves but evidently did not suspect it was Judas. On the other hand, your friend may be
truly saved but has gotten off track like Apostle Peter when Jesus told His Apostles he would soon be persecuted and crucified in Jerusalem. In that moment of fear and anger, Peter did the unthinkable ... "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. "But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." Matt.16:22-23. Later, when Jesus' prediction came true, Peter denied even
knowing the Lord... "I know not the man", he told his accusers. Then, was Apostle Peter, the leader of the Apostles suddenly unsaved again for the second time in two days? Of course not. If that were so, we would all get unsaved and saved again every day of our lives. Nobody could stay saved long enough to serve out a day. He was simply a head-strong, type "A", blusterous Christian who had not fully matured as a Christian. If his sinful bluster made him lost again, the scripture would have recorded a new conversion after each of his failures. And, if that were so, Peter would have to be baptized again after each conversion because the baptism of an unsaved person means nothing. If your friend is truly a Christian, she has to be under a terrible
load of guilt, as Peter was. If she has no real concern about her backsliding, she probably
isn't saved and maybe never was. If a person doesn't know the Scripture
thoroughly, they could mistakenly think they are saved when they are not. A
person who really knows their Bible also knows the difference and knows when
they are out of fellowship with the Lord and knows what they have to do to get
back close to Him. The important thing right now, for you, is to stay steady
and be a testimony to her..... whether she is really a Christian or not. I will
pray today for her ... and for you as you are a key to her future life.
Psm.115:1, Rayburn
Her response to my response:
So, you don't think a person can knowingly WALK AWAY from God?
My answer:
Many a lost person, under conviction, has done just that. I don't think a
true Christian would "intentionally" walk away from God. In frustration and
resentment, at losing a loved one or some other disappointment, a weak
Christian might turn away for a short time as Simon Peter did. But backslidden Christians usually
get in that state a tiny step at a time and usually don't realize it is
happening until they finally "come to themselves", like the prodigal son in the
pig pen, who then said "I will arise and go to my father , and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee..." Lk.15:18.
This is not only a layman's problem. Preachers, like doctors, can slowly grow indifferent, cold and impatient with the people they serve... and not even be aware of it... right in the pulpit or office. That will always happen to Christians who cease to have a worshipful prayer life, study God's word and witness to others. When a professing Christian uses the old expression, "once saved, always saved," to cover their sins, it reflects a callousness toward sin... and God, that is not a "Christian" trait. I am not saying she isn't saved; judging is not my calling or right, but it makes me wonder.
This is not only a layman's problem. Preachers, like doctors, can slowly grow indifferent, cold and impatient with the people they serve... and not even be aware of it... right in the pulpit or office. That will always happen to Christians who cease to have a worshipful prayer life, study God's word and witness to others. When a professing Christian uses the old expression, "once saved, always saved," to cover their sins, it reflects a callousness toward sin... and God, that is not a "Christian" trait. I am not saying she isn't saved; judging is not my calling or right, but it makes me wonder.
There is a prophecy in 1 Tim. 4:1-2, in reference to "departing from the
faith", that describes what we are talking about. Those being discussed could be backslidden Christians or unsaved, professing Christians who are members of
some Christian church, and will "depart from the faith" when it is no longer
profitable, beneficial or politically correct to claim to be a Christian. It is all too obvious, in this country, that we have entered such a time as
Paul describes. Here is his prophecy: "Now the
Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the
faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies
in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron
..."
I did a piece recently entitled, "All Hell Is
Breaking Loose" which dealt, in part, with what is now happening in the
Christian Churches. Many entire churches are "departing from the faith and
giving heed to seducing spirits and even doctrines of devils". I have been
witnessing the descent of churches and professing Christians into this black
hole, for most of my 82 years, but suddenly, the rate of decline increased as
if we have fallen off a cliff and entered a new era of the last of the "Last days". We have nothing to fear. All truly
born again Christians can do, in this storm of wickedness, is take up the indifferent slack, repent, pray, absorb God's
word, and be faithful witnesses. Also keep a look-out for the Lighthouse
and deliverance from above. Good sailors can get dizzy, sea sick and depressed,
but they don't jump over-board in a storm. Man the lines. Lend a hand. Do your calling. RB
No comments:
Post a Comment