"Freedom comes from knowing the truth. Bondage results from missing it."
I read those words recently from a well known Pastor. I thought, "Ain't that the truth?"
Someone here on JU asked me recently how I can "know" that I'm going to heaven since he believes we really can't know for sure. I refuted that, because I do absolutely know for sure I'm going to heaven. I have been set free from that doubt of not knowing.
There are some religious groups out there that teach you can't be sure. One teaches the best time to die is when you're walking out of a confession booth. That would be the only time you can be sure of your salvation. How sad.
I say nonsense. All a bunch of nonsense. It's a man-made teaching. They are teaching fear and guilt to keep you in line. That's all that is. Some call it brainwashing. I agree. If I must do or not do something to keep from losing my salvation, then salvation would have to be by faith and works. Keeps me coming!!
It's the works part, these religious organizations are most after. If they can convince you of this, you will continue to work and work and work for the church to ensure that your ticket to the hereafter is secure.
Nonesense. I believe this type of teaching is exactly why so many are dissatisfied with organized religion. I don't blame them one bit. Someday, the leaders in these churches will have alot to answer for. With much responsibility comes much accountability.
So what is at stake? Many things. Peace, assurance, joy, love for instance. They all are related. If you don't have assurance of God's acceptance you can't have peace and without peace you can have no joy. A person with no peace is really motivated by fear. Fear and love don't match up well.
John said this:
"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13
Think about it. If Christ came to seek and save the lost wouldn't it have been wise on God's part to snatch us to heaven right then, the moment we are saved in order to insure we make it? Otherwise God is taking a great risk forcing us to stay here and walk thru a very sinful world. Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that "bad company corrupts good character." We all know there's plenty of bad characters around us every day.
Another thing to think about. If we don't have this assurance, peace, and joy because it's replaced by fear in losing our salvation doesn't that spill over to worry? Didn't Jesus tell us worrying is a sin? Didn't Paul tell us to be anxious over nothing? How can we reconcile these things if God is holding our ticket to heaven over our heads in the hopes we are good little boys and girls. If we mess up.....oh well. Ticket rescinded.
No, the only way we can have the peace and joy and assurance is to believe Christ when he said those that come to him can have eternal life. When we come to him, he says, we can have life more abundantly. This is not the same type of life the world offers. But if we tell others that we can't be sure of our eternal security then it's no diff than what the world offers. Who wants that? The world offers, fear, worry, anxiety and hate. Who needs that?
Salvation has to be by faith alone. Once good works are introduced into the salvation process then it gets all chaotic and complicated. It is no longer by faith alone but by faith and works and to say that is to take the daily burden of our salvation upon ourselves. Then you have to ask, why did Jesus come to die? Didn't he take this burden from off our shoulders? Didn't he carry it instead? If we believe our salvation is determined by our works, it pretty much contradicts just about every doctrine in scripture spoken by Christ and written down by the Apostles.
Think about this. If our salvation is not secure how could Jesus say "they will never perish?" (John 10:28) If we receive eternal life but then forfeited it thru sin, either by not doing what we should do or doing what we shouldn't do, will we not perish? By doing so, don't we make Jesus words to be a lie, null and void? Didn't he die for our sins, past, present and future? I believe he did.
I guess it really comes down to trust and commitment. Jesus is calling us to do more than just believe in his existence. He's calling us to put our trust in him, in his words and in his death in exchange for our sins. That's it. Even a child can understand this.
"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1
"But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is recokoned as righteousness." Romans 4:5.