"Remain Faithful"

Every device we can imagine has been engineered and put into effect by The Architect of Evil and Deception to prevent human hearts and minds from hearing and obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ. Having avoided the basic snares and pitfalls that hinder many from completing the primary steps of obedience which brings forgiveness of sins, the assault by Satan only intensifies on that individual becoming a New Testament Christian. Not only does the devil lay in ambush with every weapon of temptation in his arsenal, but he also engages in psychological warfare by the relentless streaming of religious propaganda that says the war is over, and the Christian, having been saved from sin through initial obedience, has gained a salvation which can never be lost. This unfortunate doctrine is widespread across the sectarian bodies of modern Christendom. Its roots, however, have come from the teachings of John Calvin (1509-1564), not Jesus Christ. Many sincere people (and maybe you as you read this article are one) have entrusted their souls under the banner of this hope; but “once saved always saved” is not supported by or grounded on ANY scriptural truth. It is merely the repackaging of Satan's oldest plot to deceive. Far too many have accepted his teaching as gospel truth. After all, they FEEL GOOD as a result! It was first vocalized in the Garden of Eden when that old serpent lied to Eve, telling her that a little disobedience to God would certainly not result in death (Genesis 3:4; John 8:44). The tragic consequences of believing that lie has filled the pages of human history. Eternal destinies hang in the balance today as the lie of Satan continues to permeate the thinking of very sincere, yet very misguided individuals. While some may not believe this devilish doctrine casts its shadow within the Church that belongs to Christ, the actions of many of her members beg to differ. The constant “noise” of this doctrine as it circulates our world is obviously impacting the thinking of Christian men and women who, through study, certainly ought to know better. Giving up on God's Truth changes nothing in His Eyes. The attitude of those who never attend Bible study with the church displays a confidence that never characterized the church of the New Testament (I Timothy 2:15; 4:6). Farther down that road to apostasy are those who only intend to meet with the church for the Lord’s Day worship, often arriving late and/or departing early, and far too often are absent completely from this precious assembly. The sad truth is, Satan has secured a beachhead into the church, and the fact that the weakest Christians are often the ones who exhibit the greatest confidence in their own salvation is the evidence of this gained ground. Faithfully attending all the services of the church in order to edify the body, and being involved in the activities designed to strengthen devotion and encourage godly living, are flippantly cast aside in order to pursue the mundane affairs of earthly life and pleasures. The false idea that salvation is permanently ours at the time of initial obedience to the gospel is also made known by those who, on their being baptized into Christ, are never seen in the assembly of the church again. The church must recognize and teach the ever present danger of apostasy, and become alert to the symptoms of approaching apostasy. This is only achieved by getting into The Word and staying there as a regular diet. The decision to become a Christian is not simply accepting salvation; rather, it is a commitment of your life into "the work of serving God." Christ plainly taught, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it” (Luke 9:23). That the decision to follow Christ does not guarantee salvation as a permanent fixture is seen in the words of Christ recorded at the close of that same chapter: “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (9:62). In order for a person to remain a faithful servant in the Lord’s kingdom, a Christian must never allow other matters to distract his attention and focus from serving the Lord (cf. Matthew 14:22-30). May God bless...