16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." John 3:16-18 (ESV)
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NASB)
The above scriptures are just some of the Bible passages that many peeople or even some Pastors use to justify their sinful way of life. But what they don't realize is that those very same passages, without a deep understanding of it, can easely misleading anyone, causing them to take a way that is not pleasing to God.
Most people even argue that “once saved, we are always saved” -- that we can be saved once and for all, only by repentance and saving grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
They go on to say that once a person has accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, he/she is forever saved and nothing else is required. To them, it doesn't matter how many more sins a person keeps committing, there is still salvation as long they repent every time they commit it.
But unfortunately, it's not so. We are being deceived by the devil in thinking that way.
- It is true that “God loved the world so much, that he gave his one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
- It is also true that "There is absolutely nothing that will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
What then, should we keep sinning because of God's mercy?
Don't you realize that sinning with the intention of asking forgiveness drains sincerity out of our repentence?
Are we to use that "FREE GIFT", that "GRACE", to live any way we want and therefore grieve our God's Holy Spirit?
So again, I ask you:
What if, by maintaining your self-centered life, by living selfishly in sin, you are surprised with death and you do not have enough time to repent. Are you still saved?
You see, according to some scholars; "Counting on God to forgive deliberate sin offends God's grace and insults the price our Lord Jesus Christ paid on the cross for our sins."
So the fact here is not just accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, but we must as well live His commands.
We must be less self-centered and embrace self-denial. We must understand that not everything that we like is good for us. Otherwise John 15:4 and Romans 8:8 would make no sense.
In John 15:4, the Lord tells us to “remain in Him and He will remain in us.
Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can we bear fruit unless we remain in Him.”
In the book of Romans 8: 8-9 (NASB) scripture says,
“8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”
In conclusion, we must be prepared at all times, because "no one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.." Matthew 24:36
Prayer:
Father God in heaven, in Proverbs 3:5-6 and Psalm 32:8; You said:
[5] Trust in Me with all your heart, and depend not on your own understanding.
[6] Seek My Will in everything you do, and I will show you which path to take.
[8] I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
O Lord - Father of Love and Mercy, with humble heart I thank You for guiding me as I trust in You with all my heart. I also thank You for being with me in all that I do. And according to your promise, keep me from evil, in Jesus Name. Amen.
