If we can understand the Father heart of God, we can understand how he deals with our sin. Even the very last sin we ever commit. Without it we deal with sin by human understanding
We cannot get the sin out of our lives. It's there. It's part of our flesh. It's something we will do battle with until our last breath. We can do nothing about it. John the Apostle said it best to BELIEVERS. "IF we say we have no sin we are deceived and without truth in us." I didn't say that. Read chapter one of First John. It's all there. So sin is ever with us. We confess it and Jesus forgives. That much everyone can agree on.
So, what of the unconfessed sin? One where a person never had a chance to confess? One where in a moment of failure and weakness a person has just sinned, then an atom bomb goes off. Heaven or HELL? What is his or her future? I mean the sin wasn't confessed.
Does God then say, "Well, I know you were my son, confessed Jesus as your savior, was faithful for all those years and then, you messed up; you just didn't get that confession in on time." HELL awaits. That would make Father God a vindictive IRS agent.
How foolish to think such a thing. Let's see if we can understand.
Salvation is a gift of Grace. It's unmerited favor. You didn't earn it because of anything you did, you can't lose it by being stupid in something you did. Ephesians 2:8-9 This is not a license to sin, just step away from the fear in your life from religious condemnation: Romans 8:1
IF you didn't earn it by being good, you can't lose it by being bad.
OH, it may be possible to claw your way to hell after being saved, but it requires more will than I have ever known anyone to have. Once you have received a glimpse of Glory you will not go back. Even if you fall into temporary delusions that end your life.
If you have children, they are precious to you. They are the focus of your preservation. You will do anything you know how to do to bring them to maturity. And you aren't very good at it since you are mortal and not God. But you do what you must. You give and give and even if they seemingly walk away from you, you keep calling them home.
IF one of those children rebels, gets into a bad place, does very bad things, they are still your child. You still love them. You still want the best for them. You will still will receive them into your home. Even if they take you for granted. They might even seem to reject you, but when they find themselves in terrible trouble they will speak your name, particularly if you are a mom. Remember, this is how WE deal with and care for our natural children. And we are sinful humans.
How much MORE will our Heavenly Father deal with us even more graciously when we fall and fail. Even when we do in the worst ways. He doesn't reject us because of our sin. IF He did he would be saying to us, "The price paid on the cross was not sufficient". Really? Of course the price was sufficient. One drop of Jesus blood would have been enough to wash away every sin ever committed. But He sent a FLOOD to push back anything the enemy raises against us. "For he will come like a raging flood tide driven by the breath of the LORD". Isaiah 59:19b
Now to the hard question. If a person takes their own life in a moment of despair and pain or if they are murdered on the street while engaged in something evil or if their life ends early in an auto accident while drunk, in other words they die in a moment of failure, do they go to heaven or hell? I know what tradition says: Let's see what Jesus said about tradition, "You make word of God of No Effect because of your traditions". Mark 7:13
IF a person is a son or daughter of the Father, a free gift he gave, a covenant he keeps, then is there any sin that can separate (Romans 8:38-39) or pluck them out of the hand of God (John 10:28)?
Nothing.
Or we would all be lost because we sin daily.
That is the REAL answer to the hard question people ask in these times.
Can one lose their salvation? I suppose it is possible to renounce any trust or faith in Jesus blood and His sacrifice at the cross. But, that would presuppose that they knew it at one time. And if you did know it, wouldn't that be very difficult? Or even impossible?
I have known good, even great men of God who struggle with their emotions up and down who find themselves at the end of themselves and in a moment of failure end it in a suicide. That last sin was unconfessed. Based on what we have seen I'm not God, but I know His Fathers heart. He would call to them. And they to Him. And He brings them HOME to stay. Just like a prodigal who stumbles home smelling of a pigpen. Father doesn't reject, he runs.
Looking into the Father Heart of God we can have even the Hard questions answered.
2 comments:
I know that Satan targets young people to take their own life. I heard prophet Kim Clement say this is because Satan wants to prevent them from growing up to become evangelists and great people of God, and I think that's a good point.
My niece killed herself a few years ago. She was 'churched' in a denomination but turned away into Satan-induced rebellion. When she had been still open to the Gospel before that, I had taken her to a Myles Munroe crusade and she made an altar call. The Word was planted in her but she (I think) got scared and back tracked afterwards. Some say that was 'false conversion' because she didn't show any 'fruit' after salvation but I always believed she had been saved and would eventually return to God. Several months after her death, I had two visions where I was in the multitude of people in front of the throne of God. It was so powerful to be there - I remember not wanted to return!! There was a glorious cacophony of praise noise and everyone waving palm branches to the throne!! I didn't 'see' my niece but I knew she was right by my side, along with another relative who had died recently. My sister has at times sensed my niece's spirit (not ghost) and she is at peace and complete. God is very merciful and will save when people call Him for salvation, even if the fruit is not evident...
I say, be wary of the seeds. Jesus said that some will fall on the road and some on the shoulder, some will be choked by weeds. Not all seeds will grow and produce fruit. The seeds on the road will be trampled, the seeds on the shoulder (side of the road) will be eaten by birds, the seeds in the weeds will flourish but for a short time and be smothered. Let us be like the birds that eat the seeds whole and carry them off to more fertile lands that they be strong and fruitful in their time.
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