“But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name.” (John 20:31 NLT)
This blog was never intended to be a theological treatise, but a format through which I could share things the Lord has taught me across the years. The reality is, He’s continuing to teach me and open my heart and mind to new or different, understanding of His Word. I’m finding that things I “believed” when I first began my walk with Jesus aren’t an essential part of my theology in this season of my life.
For example, before I met any Pentecostal believers, I would have argued that speaking in tongues was simply another way of saying “speaking other known, historical languages,” as on the day of Pentecost. But 1 Corinthians 14 offers another view, as the word translated “tongues” is not the same word that’s used in other passages of the New Testament.
Similarly, the issue of “Eternal Security” has often confused me at the point of free will. We must exercise our free will in coming to Christ, but what happens to my free will once I’m in relationship with Him? In other words, I have to make the decision to come to Christ, but once I’m a believer do I no longer have free will to make the decision to walk away? Will He honor a person’s “rejection” of Him before they have a relationship with Him, but not after? When is a person truly saved, and when are they not? God alone knows with certainty.
Personally, I can’t conceive of any reason someone who genuinely knows the Lord would want to walk away. But there was obviously free will in the Garden of Eden, and when Adam and Eve exercised their will to disobey God, they were ejected from the Garden. Where does free will begin and end? What’s my point?
Eternal security, as I understand it, is a believer’s assurance that we have, and will always have, eternal life once we’ve repented of our sin and come to Christ by faith. However, the teaching of eternal security, again, as I understand it, was never intended to be, nor can it ever be, a license for an unbeliever to claim salvation in Christ yet continue to live like the devil.
1 John 2:4 says: “If someone claims, ‘I know God,’ but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.” Further, in 2:9: “If anyone claims, ‘I am living in the light,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness.” Light and darkness are opposites and often in Scripture represent those who are walking with Christ and those who are not.
My earnest plea is for anyone who claims to know the Lord Jesus, but who is continuing to walk in habitual sin, to decide whom you will serve. Jesus was clear that you can’t serve two masters. Time is short, and you don’t want to risk having the Lord say to you: “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”
Please check out this brief video by Ron Hutchcraft and yield your life and allegiance to Jesus while you still can. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god
Blessings, Ed
Walking With Jesus 