5>300,000,000

The U.S Supreme Court made a monumental ruling on Friday June 26^th, 2015. In a 5-4 decision between the Supreme Court Justices, legislation was passed legalizing same sex marriages nationwide. Translating my title of the article from numeric to alpha it equals five is greater than three hundred million. Simply meaning that five judges made a decision that affects over three hundred million Americans.    In the eyes of many Americans especially homosexuals, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders, this infamous decision was most liberating. They have declared not legalizing same sex marriage as unfair and bigoted. Anyone who disagrees with their lifestyle is regarded as intolerant and homophobic. They have every right to hate our lifestyle (true believers) without us retaliating, but when we disagree with theirs we are homophobic? That’s a double standard.  

The state of California on November 4^th, 2008[1]  voted for acknowledging marriage as only between a man and a woman which is what God instituted in the beginning. Obviously this was met with intense opposition as being unconstitutional.[2] Does a local or federal government or the President have the right to change what God instituted? How do we who honor God and His word supposed to feel about this? Should we be outraged or not be surprised by the decision and simply flow with it? After all, what business is it of ours if two consenting adults of the same sex want to be together right? Don’t they have the right to love each other without being judged by some insensitive religious nut who has no compassion and simply want to tell them that God will send them straight to hell for their immorality? What gives anyone the right to cast stones at homosexuals and lesbians when none of us is perfect and commit sins ourselves? Should we just acquiesce and let God be their judge for only God can judge us right? Is that what the Word of God teaches?                                    

I could go on and on with an infinite amount of questions regarding this matter but I will not. There are some questions that need to be answered though right now. Since the Supreme Court has loudly spoken, I with many other believers will be compelled to speak and we must for the sake of truth, and for the sake of Almighty God honor Him with a Biblical worldview response to this decision.                                                 

Let me start off by saying that we as believers are at war! Yes we are beloved, we are at war. I am not being dramatic or extreme. You may ask, “What kind of war are we in”? This is a war for truth, for moral reform, and for the minds and hearts and souls of our children. In Psalm 9:17 it says, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God”. The U.S. is a nation that has abandoned God a long time ago. Yes, we are one of those hell bound nations unless we repent and fast! I realize this type of message is not what the masses want to hear, but it is one we all need to hear and take heed to.                       

This is what we as Christians should do in regards to the same sex marriage agenda or any sinful behavior:

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.  But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.  For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them;  for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light  (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.  Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them (italics added); for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret (Eph 5:1-11).                                         
 These verses are very clear. The believer is always to be loving in our conduct. But that does not mean we love at the expense of exposing sin and telling the truth. The world sees pointing out their sin as unloving and being judgmental and hypocritical with no love for them. It is all in our approach to those in sin. If we are arrogant and condescending to them as if we are better than they are, do not expect them to receive what you are saying.  You will just provoke them to be even more defiant toward you and the Word of God you desire to preach to them. We have to walk in love with a genuine concern for their soul. I believe God releases His power to convict the sinner so that he or she will repent and be converted to Christ. The child of God should see exposing sin as revelatory to the one trapped in it. Why do I say that? One cannot know they are bound unless their wickedness is juxtaposed against biblical truth. We are only free when we know the truth (John 8:32). For those who are living a homosexual lifestyle are in darkness along with those who advocate their lifestyle.

Why is everyone picking on same sex marriage? What about incest, fornicators, adulterers, thieves, pedophiles, liars, murders and drunks, drug dealers and users?

The reason I’m focusing on the sin of same sex marriage because that is the matter that is on the table right now. Those other sins are very destructive and deadly also, but they were not sanctioned as constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. They also do not have “pride-parades” either like the gay community does. One of the main problems I have with gays is that unlike the true child of God who loathes their sin and confesses it humbly before God so that they can remain in fellowship with Him (I John 1:9), the homosexual, lesbian, transgender community loves their sin (John 3:19). They sin as a way of life. They practice sin. When one practices anything, they become good, even experts at it because they do whatever it is they love all the time. When one practices sinful behavior, they become an expert at evil. That is the problem with those who practice any kind of deviant behavior. So, what should be the Christian’s response to all of this? We are to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15).                                                       

We are not to become violent and go out gay-bashing men and women in the homosexual community like some of them do. We ought to love them, and point them to the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ for they are lost in the darkness that they love (John 3:19). Sit down with them and find out what made them decide to choose that lifestyle. Be honest with them, and lovingly tell them why they are wrong.  There are many men and women in this lifestyle that know it’s wrong and desire to leave, but do not know how.

 My heart goes out to them. Be compassionate and respectful for they are made in the image of God Almighty (James 3:9). We have to confidently hold our ground and be willing to be cursed out, ridiculed, ignored, and persecuted. Challenge them in their worldview. Many in the gay community claim they are Christians and love God. If anyone claims they love God, then they must love the word of God for God has placed His word above his own name (Psalm 138:2).                                                                                                                  

Jesus said to disciples, “If you love me keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Also in Leviticus 18:22 it says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination”. This clearly speaks of homosexuality. I Corinthians 6:9 also says that a homosexual will not inherit the kingdom of God. Put it another way, practicing homosexuals will not go to heaven! This goes for any unrepentant sinner. So for anyone who claims to love God and practices sin is a liar. Yes Christians commit sin frequently, but sin cannot be the hallmark of our lives; righteousness, and holiness have to be our companions now.                            

Another challenge to those in the gay community, they say God is love and that He definitely is. Would you say God is love if He exonerated the man that sexually assaults, rapes and murders innocent children? What if they were your children? How would you feel about God then? Wouldn’t you want justice for your slain children whom you loved? Yes you would. My point is you wouldn’t want a God of love then, you would want a God of anger and justice so that He would punish the evil man that killed your children. Stop abusing the love of God to justify and shroud your sin. God judges sin because He is holy and just and desires we repent. We are all like that evil man that committed those murders. We are criminals in the eyes of God until we repent of our sins. The homosexual like all are guilty of sin, and unless we repent, we will perish (Luke 13:2-5).        

Same sex advocates’ “God of Love”[3] is not the God of the Bible because they are using the love of God as an escape hatch to justify their wickedness. Their fake “god of love” they proclaim is actually the real God of wrath that will judge them less they repent.                             

The homosexual and lesbian Community (or HLC for short) does not even know what the love of God really is. Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at evil, but rejoices with truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends or fails (I Cor 13:4-8a).          

Just because the Supreme Court claimed same sex marriage is constitutional and many feel liberated, the opposite has occurred. Those that advocate same sex marriage will now use this most horrible decision to fall deeper into sin. The decision didn’t free those who love its pronouncement, it put them further in bondage to it. They are just too blind to see it. They say #Lovewon!? No, lust won…for now.                                                                                                                                                                          

I reject the decision and hate it. Why? It is an assault on the holy institution of marriage which God created for the mutual pleasure of a husband and wife to enjoy together and bear children.                                      
This can never occur if women are with women and men with men. The human race would go out of existence. Homosexual unions are not just sinful, they are unnatural and illogical.                                           
Even animals instinctively recognize and mate with the opposite sex. See how far mankind has degenerated? Millions cannot even identify their own gender so they are going after strange flesh and artificially changing their gender with replacement surgery and hormone treatments.                                                                

Shame on the judges that rendered this ungodly decision. What nerve of them to attempt to re-define marriage. Are five Justices more sovereign and powerful than God? Understand that same sex couples are not being treated less than – as if they do not have equal rights. This is all a smoke screen. Same sex couples have all the rights of any U.S. citizen. Freedom of religion. Right to free speech. Right to vote, to run for public office, to work, receive healthcare, etc.                                                                                                

They are just interested in the government sanctioning their union as legally binding as a heterosexual union. It is not about allowance of the lifestyle, it is about in their mind equality, acceptance and the constitutionality of it. The Supreme Court gave them the legal force they needed to spread their propaganda not to just present the same sex agenda as an alternative lifestyle side by side with traditional marriage, but I believe the destruction of traditional marriage and family is their goal.[4] Liberality in love means free sexual expression no matter the gender of the counterpart. Traditional marriage prohibits free sex activists believe. God ordained marriage is narrow and neutralizes the sexual revolution they feel they have a right to.  But, same sex marriage does not fill a void in our community unlike the signing of the Civil Rights bill did in 1964 which ended segregation in public places and employment discrimination. Or the ratifying of the 19^th amendment to the Constitution in 1920 giving women the right to vote. These were necessary causes that needed the attention of government because they were equality issues. Same sex marriage is not a civil, equality or human rights issue. It is a nefarious plot that activists have packaged cleverly and has received the signet ring of the U.S. government.    

Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it is morally right. Abortion in this country is legal, but it is also murder. Same sex marriage is morally reprehensible and should be abhorred by anyone who calls themselves a Christian. As I stated earlier, it is a slap in God’s face. It corrupts His original design, and order for the family. Same sex marriage is the epitome of the dysfunctional family and not the Modern family. Another matter worth pointing out is the homosexual community will argue their lifestyle is not harmful to anyone. Really? I disagree. What about our children? By public displays of affection by gays, it plants perverse images in our children’s minds. Many children will believe it is okay for men to be with men and women to be with women carnally                                                                                                                                                                                      

because adults told them so.   They are teaching these ideas to our children in schools. Another reason why their lifestyle is harmful is by having intercourse with someone of the same sex. This will definitely bring about an increase in sexually transmitted diseases.[5]  They have signed their own death certificate and those they are sexually involved with.                                                                                                                      
Also they are teaching a double standard.  Their lifestyle affects us negatively just like they say our lives affect them negatively. For if our lives did not affect them, they why did the gay activists push so hard to have same sex marriage a constitutional right? Now that they have won this first phase it is on to the nonprofit organizations – mainly churches. Religious institutions file under a 501(c)(3) tax exempt status with the IRS. This exempts them from paying federal income taxes and allows donors tax deductible contributions to the church and nonprofit businesses.  Gay activists want to have this status revoked and are working on it right now!  Gay activists want churches to pay their fair share of federal taxes. What will be the result of this? It will financially cripple many churches causing them to shut down because they will not be able to afford the federal income tax. It gets worse. Same sex couples will demand that clergymen marry them. Those that refuse will be in violation of the constitution, arrested and thrown in prison. So, do you still believe the homosexual lifestyle does not affect anyone? It will affect millions of us who worship God in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). It will affect the poor and homeless who depend on local churches for food and counseling. It will affect those who are recovering addicts that are part of a habit free program that not only receive encouragement and support, but the word of God. The churches of God are safe havens for many, and that staple is being threatened more than ever before.  The homosexual community is a wrecking ball, destroying everything in its path. There is something that no one can destroy though – the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died and shed His blood for it (Eph 5:25-27). He has made us clean. We are a living spiritual organism (i.e. the Church). Taking building where the Church is housed does not destroy God’s Church. We may in the not too distant future be dispossessed of buildings to congregate as the Body of Christ because of the wickedness of gay liberal activists, but no one can prevail against the Church (Matt 16:18). We can and will worship God anywhere. God’s people will lose some battles, but we won’t lose the war against evil! God is on our side (Romans 8:31-39).                              

Finally, for those of you who read this article and are offended by my admittedly strong words that was not my intent. I know many of you may have family and friends trapped in this lifestyle and you love and are praying for them. There are others of you that have sadly accepted perhaps your family member or friend was born gay, and this is natural for them to be attracted and involved with the same sex. That view is most unfortunate. I have a strong zeal for the sanctity of marriage and more importantly passion for God and His holy word. There are many in the evangelical community that would say, “This ruling didn’t catch God by surprise so neither should we surprised! It’s no big deal! God is in control.” AMEN?! Praise God! No big deal? I believe that is the apathetic approach that Satan wants us to have – just-let-go-and-let-God.  It lulls the unsuspecting person to sleep on this matter.                                                                      

Romans 13:11-14 says, “Besides this you know the time,  that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep (Church, child of God). For our salvation is nearer to us now than we first believed. The night is far gone[6]; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify it desires”.

If my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land (II Chronicles 7:14).

                                                                                                               

These views are solely those of the author. The author does not expect anyone to agree or endorse any of this article. Any similar verbiage with another article is strictly coincidental. This was written to flesh out feelings on the Supreme Court ruling on same sex marriage. It was also written as a warning and hopefully a wakeup call to those of us in the church who may be sleep at the wheel.  If anyone can benefit from this brief manuscript then feel free to share it with others. May God breathe upon and bless it if it has any virtue.

               

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

           

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[1] Ballot Initiative known as Proposition 8

[2] Please view this link: http://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_8,_the_%22Eliminates_Right_of_Same-Sex_Couples_to_Marry%22_Initiative_(2008)

[3] Many divorce God from His other attributes. He is not just a God of love,

He is also a God of wrath and justice. As well as a God of mercy and grace

[4] http://www.tfpstudentaction.org/politically-incorrect/homosexuality/marriage-equality-spells-death-of-marriage.html

[5] http://www.cdc.gov/msmhealth/STD.htm

http://std.about.com/od/stdsspecificcommunities/a/lesbiansafesex.htm

[6] The night is in reference to this present evil age

Reasons Why We Suffer

All of us often wonder why we go through hard times don’t we? Yes we do. Some of it is our own doing, bad choices we make. Some of it is sovereignly brought about by God Almighty to test, try and prove us in a particular area of our lives – that our faith in Him might increase (Gen 22; James 1:2-4,12). And sadly, there are times that people do harmful things to us, and our love ones that bring suffering in our lives. 

The word suffer has various meanings in the Bible. One meaning is to permit. Another meaning is to be ill-treated, to suffer injustice, to bear up under, to endure hardship, etc.

Well, let’s look at some examples in God’s word of those that suffered.

Job’s Suffering

In the book of Job, God allowed Satan to afflict Job (Job 1 & 2). This suffering was divinely ordained. Oddly though, Job never knew why he suffered so much although his so-called friends claimed they had the answers to why he did.  Neither Job nor his companions knew God and Satan had a dispute about him. But we as readers of the account get the inside track. So, what was the lesson of Job’s suffering? To completely trust in the sovereign hands of God even when we do not know why all the evil happened. Also very important, to repent of sin like Job did after God came to him and rebuked Job for his presumptuous speech (Job 38-42).

Jesus Suffering

Jesus suffering was pre-ordained. Jesus suffering was caused by none other than God Almighty. Let’s review some passages to prove this point.

Isaiah 53:3-12 – He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison, and from judgement, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of his people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked, but with the rich at his death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet, it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.[1] When you make his soul and offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great. And He shall divide the spoil with the strong. Because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and he bore the sin of many, and He made intercession for the transgressors.

The prophet Isaiah gives a vivid portrayal of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ about 700 years before His actual birth. Jesus’ suffering was for the express purpose of dying for the sins of His people (Matt 1:21). Although Jesus suffered and was murdered by the hands of sinful men, it was providentially orchestrated by God that He would die.

In Act 2:22-24 we read, “Men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know – Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death.

Here the Apostle Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost, the birth of the Church that Jesus death was planned ahead of time. How else could Jesus predict his death before it actually happened?

Matthew 16:21 – From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

Once again, Jesus suffering was not for nothing. It was fore-ordained by God – for the express reason to die as a sin offering for the world, to appease God’s wrath and just anger against sin, and to save all those who would believe.

Paul’s suffering – Although I am focusing on the Apostle Paul, all believers fall into this category. When Jesus speaks to Ananias in Acts 9:15-16 He tells Ananias that Paul is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name among the Gentiles (nations), kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show Him (Paul) how many things he must suffer, for My name’s sake.

Paul in 2 Timothy 2:8-10 says this, “Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel for which I suffer trouble as an evil doer, even to the point of chains, but the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory”.

Paul speaking to the Philippians says this, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Phil 1:29).

We see that not only is the ability to believe a gift of God’s grace, so is suffering on Christ’s behalf a gift of God’s grace also. Many would not look at suffering a grace gift, but it is. Paul knew this well for he said, “I suffer the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ” (Phil 3:8).

Paul talking to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:8-12 says, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day.”

Paul in recounting his sufferings for Christ had this to say to those who were challenging his apostleship:

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? – I speak as a fool – I am more. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils of the wilderness and toil in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst. In fastings often, in cold and nakedness – besides the other things, what comes upon me daily, my deep concern for all the churches (2 Cor 11:22-29).

Paul was an adventurer and warrior for Christ. If anyone could identify with Christ in His sufferings it was the Apostle Paul (Phil 3:10).

In Acts 5:40-41 the Apostles had been beaten for preaching in the name of Jesus. After they left the council they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus name.

Jesus in the beatitudes said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:10-12).

In summation, Paul’s was chosen by God to suffer shame, humiliation, persecution, and ultimately death for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ and the gospel which he faithfully did. With all Paul went through, it was worth it for his main goal was to save as many with the gospel as he could (I Cor 9:22). Paul was responsible for writing almost half of the NT books – 13 of them[2]. Far more than any other writer in the entire Bible. Paul was used mightily by God and fulfilled his mission (2 Timothy 4:7).

Concluding

Suffering in this life of sin is an inevitability. The question we all must ask ourselves is how will we suffer? Will we suffer for being evil, and die as a result of our foolishness, or suffer like Jesus, the apostles, and holy men and women of God through the centuries suffered; with honor and dignity glorifying God as beacons of light and truth in a dark world? How do you want to live of your life? 

What legacy would you like to leave behind?

The Apostle Peter says, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, and evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter” (I Peter 4:16).

It is essential that we must suffer now for the glory of God; for what we go through now is but a light affliction compared unto an eternal weight of glory we will inherit (Romans 8:18). Remember, we have to change our mindset; suffering for righteousness sake is not only a sacred gift, it is a divine privilege. Anyone who is not willing to suffer for Jesus is not worthy to reign with Him in glory. Is not our Lord worth that much?

All those who desire live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:12).

The horrible alternative is to suffer as a non-believing sinner in the eternal lake of fire (Rev 14:11; 20:15).

So, we must be willing to suffer for our Lord. If we focus on the promise of our eternal inheritance in Christ Jesus, then we can be willing to endure all things and run this race with joy on this earth because of the eternal weight of glory reserved in heaven for us (I Peter 1:4).

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[1] I believe this is why Jesus cried out, “My God my God why have you forsaken me” (Psalm 22:1; Matt 27:46)? Jesus was being treated as sin although He personally knew any sin. Remember Jesus death was a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. Our sins were imputed or transferred to Him by God the Father (2 Corinth 5:21).

[2] Paul’s books are: Romans, Galatians, I & 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon.

The road to Heaven

Let me ask the reader a question. Is it easy or hard to get into heaven? 

A lot of preachers tell parishioners to walk down the aisle of the church if they want to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Someone in a prayer/counseling room will pray for them using what Is called a “Sinners Prayer”. Is this Biblical? Others just tell someone simply to “believe in Jesus”, and they are saved. Is it that simple? Just believe in Jesus?

There is essentially nothing wrong with any of these methods as long as all the blanks are filled in. That is what I will attempt to do in this article.

The best sermon ever preached on how one enters heaven was by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. To find out what he preached, we need to go what is called the Sermon on the Mount.

In Matthew 5:3-11 Jesus teaches on what are called the Beatitudes. In verse 3 Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. What does this mean? It means someone who knows they are spiritually bankrupt – totally deficient to come to God through their own resources. It is someone who comes to God humbly, with contrition, begging for mercy. Remember the parable of the Pharisee and tax Collector? The tax collector would not even lift up his head to heaven for he was ashamed of his life and said, “God be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13)! That is a description of someone who is poor in spirit and whom the kingdom of heaven belongs to.

By contrast, the Pharisee in the parable is the type of person who will never inherit the kingdom. These are his words, “God I thank You that I am not like other men - extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess” (Luke 18:12). 

We see the men are polar opposites. The Pharisee who was a religious leader and upper echelon of society figured his own “good” works merited him the kingdom. Jesus said no. Jesus said the tax collector went home justified (declared righteous by God) rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 18:14).

John the Baptist rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees when they came to be baptized by him. He called them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matt 3:7-8). John was letting them know that their pedigree was not good enough for them to be accepted by God. They had to recognize that they were unfit for the kingdom of God lest they repent of their sins, and prepare themselves for the coming of the Messiah. The religious leaders were everything but humble.

                                                      

                                       What Jesus had to say about entering Heaven

Matthew 7:13-14 – “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Although everyone has a choice to make regarding which way they desire to go, Jesus commands all to enter through the narrow gate which He said is the way to life and peace. The broad road does not.

In Luke 13:22-28 we read, and he went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many I say to you will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door and you begin to knock at the door saying, Lord, Lord open for us, and He answer and say to you, I do not know you where you are from.” Then you will begin to say, “We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.” But He will say, “I tell you I do not know you where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity”. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.

The key word in the verses is strive which in the Greek is the word Agōnizomai. From it we get the English word agonize. The implication Jesus is making is that all that enter through the narrow must agonize to get in. The way is constricted. What do I mean? We must go in totally stripped of ourselves. We must enter in counting the cost of what it is to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We must enter in naked and alone.

Jesus declared that anyone that desired to follow Him also must be willing to forsake all or they cannot be His disciple. Listen to these words: Now great multitudes went with Him, and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own life also cannot be my disciple.[1] And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it – lest after he laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, “This man began to build and was not able to finish. Or what king going to make war against another king whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:25-33).

The aforementioned provides the qualifications for following Jesus. It’s all or nothing at all! These stringent requirements will eliminate most professing Christians, and many of those who are considering the Christian faith.

By doing this, Jesus is getting rid of those who are pretenders, masquerading as if they are disciples, but are not. There is no point in anyone confessing Jesus as Savior if He is not going to be your Lord. That is exactly what Jesus demands. A disciple is a follower, a learner. The disciples called Jesus Rabbi which means Teacher and Master. They knew He was God in the flesh and that He was greater than them. Most people have no problem having Jesus as the Savior of their sins, but they do not want Him as the Lord which requires a crucified life; A life of self-denial, persecution and humiliation. It’s at this point where most end their pseudo-christianity, and depart from the faith proving they were never saved (I John 2:19). Most people love their own lives too much, and committing to someone like that is not worth it. For them the cost to follow Jesus is too high. Not realizing the cost not to follow Him is eternally worse. Some will be wise enough to take careful examination of their lives to see if they are really in the faith (II Cor 13:5), while others will turn their backs on God never to return (John 6:66).

Think about it, since Jesus died for all who would believe, doesn’t it make sense we should be willing to die for Him if need be? That is what we are called to do – be witnesses unto Him! And in case you didn’t know the word witness is actually the word martur where we get the English word Martyr; one who bears witness by his death.  Now, I ask you is this the Christianity you are hearing taught by Pastors and Teachers you are listening to? Probably not, but it’s the word of God.

Lest I be misunderstood, the whole of our Christian lives does not always encompass the negative elements I just described above. It is indeed a joy to be saved; to know that we have inherited eternal life, and will one day dwell in the house of the Lord forever as David said in Psalm 23:6. But, Jesus never painted a pretty picture for those who desired to follow Him. For instance, Jesus promised that in this world we shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world He said (John 16:33b).

Jesus also said that no one putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).

I heard someone recently say, “We cannot just add Jesus to our list of activities”. I whole heartedly agree. That is what a lot of us do. We wedge Jesus in the maze, and crazy jigsaw puzzle of our lives. Not realizing we need to remove some or perhaps all of things we do in our lives that have no eternal value.

                             

                                                    

                                                       What does the broad gate look like?

The broad gate is the way that most of the world is entering. Why? Because it is easy to go through. You can bring all your baggage (i.e. sins), and it is the popular way to go. This is the fun, non-committal entrance. For most it is all good because like the narrow gate it is also marked heaven. This broad road accepts any and all false religions: Mormonism, Jehovah Witnesses, Scientology, Universalism, Prosperity Gospel, Islam, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, The Emergent Church, The New Age Movement, etc.

To most, all these religions lead to God or a high power of consciousness. It doesn’t matter which one you choose, as long as you are sincere in the worldview you are committed to and you are happy and it makes you feel good and comfortable. This is the road Jesus commanded all not to enter because it leads to destruction. A loving and sober warning by our Lord. Most of these religions are aberrant, and do not resemble the truth at all, but the most dangerous and subtle of all falsehood is the false Christian prophet and teacher.

What makes him so dangerous?

Because he preaches in the pulpit week after week, month after month, year after year, decade upon decade. He is sometimes well trained in Biblical theology and perhaps has a degree from a prestigious Bible College. His messages are dynamic, uplifting, positive, and charged with hope.  He is charismatic, charming, a singer with a wonderful voice. A worship leader. Giving, visits the sick, and imprisoned, clothes the naked, feeds the hungry. A faith healer, one who claims to heal the sick and cast out demons. A modern day apostle. After that impressive resume’ someone would ask, “So what is his problem? Certainly he is a man of God with all those credentials?”

All of his deeds does come from an unconverted heart. He is a modern day Pharisee who only desires the praise of men. Instead of being a humble servant of the Lord, he is a servant of himself. His works are a monument and shrine to feed his massive ego. He is on the destructive broad road and is duped, and tragically, those that listen, and follow his falsehood are duped with him. He appears to be a minister of righteousness when he a child of the devil (II Cor 11:15). He is self-righteous, and does not desire the righteousness that comes from God. He can do it own his on. When he faces the Lord in judgment, He will tell him, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you that practice lawlessness or iniquity” (Matt 7:23).

Here is the sad part, some of these false teachers are sincere yet self-deceived. Others are just wolves in Shepherd’s clothing not sparing the flock (Acts 20:29). They are deceivers on purpose ripping the body of Christ apart through false teaching.

Why is someone who appears to be righteous on his or her way to hell? Because they did not do the will of the Father (Matt 7:21). It is not those who say and agree to God’s word that are heaven bound, it is only those that do the will of God. As James says, “Only the doer is blessed” (James 1:25). Going through a bunch of religious activities does not mean a person is saved and on his way to heaven.  A person that once again is broken in spirit, aware of their wretchedness, and hates their sin is the one who will receive mercy from God. Now of course this transformation can only occur if someone is teaching the true word of God. False teachers will never do that. They teach for selfish gain, not for God’s glory.

The road to heaven is not easy because it is a narrow path, hemmed in on both sides. Yes salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, something we can never earn. But, that does not mean that our walk with God will not cost us anything in this life. We should be prepared and expect difficulty in this temporary life of sin. Why? We have enemies in this life: the devil, this world’s system, and our own unredeemed mortal flesh fighting against us.  When we said yes to Jesus, we declared war on hell! We cannot just glibly say, “I believe in Jesus”, sit on our hands, and say we are saved. That is cheap grace and easy-believism. True Christians are fervent, and active in their service to God bearing fruit with joy (John 15:16; Gal 5:22-23).

The Christian life is not for cowards. It is a life of faith and obedience to God and his commands. Like the apostles we should be joyful when we suffer shame for the sake of Jesus Christ (Acts 5:41). Are you willing to do this? If not, then you are on the broad road that leads to destruction. Repent now and go through the narrow gate that leads to life and peace for that is true salvation.

                                                                     

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[1] Jesus was not advocating actually hating one’s family. He was using exaggerated language to drive home His point. We should be so totally devoted to the cause of Christ that all other relationships in one’s life must be secondary, and in a sense hated by comparison to that of our Lord. Jesus HAS to be first in our lives or we cannot follow Him at all.

Is hell a real place?

Many believe hell is not a real place. Some say heaven and hell are right here on earth. Others say hell is a state of mind; while others are appalled at the idea that God would send anyone there because God is a God of love, and man is basically good. And then there are some that actually say they want to go to hell because all their friends will be there and they can party forever. Really? As always our guide for all truth is the Bible. The Bible declares hell to be an actual place. The Hebrew word of hell is the word sheol. It means the abode of the dead. It also means the grave and also for those who are being forever tormented for their sins. The main NT Greek word for hell is Gehenna.  Hell is eternal separation from God whereas heaven is eternal life with the Father God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit all the redeemed, and the holy angels.

                                                                 Did Jesus teach on hell?

In a word yes. This may shock most people, but Jesus taught more on the reality of hell than heaven. Let me prove it. Jesus either mentions eternal damnation by saying the word hell itself, or everlasting fire, or the outer darkness.  Oddly, some believe that when Jesus mentions outer darkness, and weeping and gnashing of teeth, that He is not making reference to eternal judgement but some temporary judgement for disobedience. I believe those that hold that view are wrong. The following verses I will site I believe clearly proves my point.

Matthew 25:46 - And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Matthew 10:28 - And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Revelation 20:15 - And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Mark 9:43-48 - And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched…

Revelation 20:14 - And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Matthew 13:50 - And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

2 Thessalonians 1:9 - Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; making reference to those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 14:11 - And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.

Matthew 5:22 - But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Matthew 23:33 – You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?

                                                                       More on Gehenna

The word Gehenna is the Greek form of the Hebrew gē-hinnom which means “valley of Hinnom”. This place is where idolatrous worship occurred among the Israelites to the Ammonite god Molech the “fire god” This gross worship involved child sacrifice in the fire. King Josiah in 2 Kings 23:10 destroyed this evil worship practice, and made the area a perpetual garbage dump where trash burned twenty four hours a day.  So we see how the valley of Hinnom mirrors metaphorically the eternal torment in the Lake of fire for those who die in their sins (Rev 20:15); the wicked will forever burn like the thrash in the valley of Hinnom right outside Jerusalem.

An actual account of someone in hell is in Luke 16:19-31. Jesus is speaking here.               

There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hell, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers,  that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’  Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’  But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

               

This is a most vivid description of hell declared by the Lord Jesus Himself. Now, does this sound like any place on earth as some claim hell is; here on earth? Obviously not! Hell is in the bowels of the earth. It’s the underworld. The abode of the dead. In the OT hell or sheol in Hebrew simply meant the grave. All people that die go there. In the NT, hell is describing the wicked dead – those who die in their sins and are forever tormented (John 8:24).

                                                                   Hell is eternal

Just like heaven is eternal, so is hell. Why did Jesus and the apostles talk about it so much? So we could avoid that dreadful place. By sincerely trusting in Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, one can enjoy the glories of eternal life with God. By rejecting the sacrifice, one must endure the eternal tortures of the Lake of fire without God. All people for all time will be resurrected; some for the resurrection of life, and others for damnation (Dan 12:2; Matt 25:46; John 5:29). Some have argued, “why should someone suffer eternally for a temporary life of sins?” Answer? Our lives either good or bad have eternal consequences. People who die do not go to Purgatory, nor are they annihilated like the Catholics and Jehovah Witnesses believe respectively. Both teachings are foreign to scripture.

Those that are hell bound will be resurrected with a body fit for hell. Those that go there will forever burn, but will never be consumed. One must endure the darkness, the torture, and the maggots perpetually, forever, and forever. Those that are heaven bound also will receive a glorified body fashioned for heaven where they will live in unimaginable bliss with the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (I Cor 15:51-58; I Thess 4;13-18; Phil 3:21).

We must as teachers never fail to deliver the whole counsel of God. Even the portions of the Bible that make us uncomfortable. I have read of several people who claim to be Christians refuse to acknowledge that hell is a real place because it’s unimaginable to them that God would send anyone there. It seems way to harsh and unloving.  While it is true God is love and gracious. He is also a God of justice and wrath on the ungodly. No one ever receives injustice from God.  With God it is either justice (getting what we deserve), or non-justice (not getting what we do deserve or mercy). What our problem is that we think way to casual regarding our sin because we are looking at it through our own eyes so it’s not as bad. We measure our sin horizontally – amongst one another and deduce we are not that bad; at least not as bad as him or her over there.  We must look at our sin vertically. In other words how does God view my sins? Then we will begin to see it for the heinous disease it is, and why He must punish it forever.

Finally, hell is real. Praise God there is a way to avoid it. You must sincerely repent of your sins today, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for your soul salvation, and the forgiveness of your sins. Jesus paid the penalty for all sins on the cross with His blood.

I AM the True Vine and you are the Branches

                                               

Jesus is using agricultural imagery in John 15. The phrase “I AM” makes reference to Jesus’ deity – His pre-existent nature. In layman’s terms He is God. Jesus regarding Himself as the True Vine was the last of His 7 “I AM statements in John’s gospel[1]. This phrase was first used way back in Exodus 3:14 when God spoke with Moses through the burning bush and revealed Himself as the Great I AM! The one to deliver Israel out of Egyptian slavery.

Jesus speaking to the disciples directly (minus Judas Iscariot for he at this point had betrayed the Lord), and by extension every believer born into the family of God thereafter explained to them the relationship between the Father, Himself, believers, and non-believers. Jesus begins by declaring, “I am the true vine”. True obviously meaning genuine and authentic. He also says, “My Father is the husbandman, or vinedresser or gardener, and we are the branches. He continues in verse 2, “Every branch in Me (italics added for emphasis) that does not bear fruit He (The Father) takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes that it may bear more fruit.”

Now verse 2 is most controversial. Why? Because Jesus says every branch in Me that does not bear fruit; which would seem to indicate these fruitless branches are non-producing genuine Christians.[2]  Also when we go down to verse 6 Jesus declares, “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered, and they gather them and throw them into the fire and they are burned.”

When we relate verses 2 and 6, many conclude that there are Christians that are fruitless branches, because they do not abide or remain in Christ, and as a result the Father disconnects them from the vine, the life source which is Christ, and throws them away into the fires of eternal judgment – hell.

Is this what this passage is actually saying; that those whom Christ died for will actually be eternally condemned due to their unwillingness to abide in Christ and bear fruit? Or is the passage actually talking about superficial believers that have attached themselves to the vine (Christ) for a while, and became apostate showing they were never really true at all like Judas Iscariot (1 John 2:19)?

Which view is correct? What is Jesus teaching His disciples? This is what we need to discover. Can we know for sure? I believe we can.

I want to throw some scenarios out to the reader for your consideration.

1)      Jesus is talking about those who at one point were truly saved, but due to habitual sin never truly abode in Christ – that is attached themselves to the vine and bore fruit. As a result the Father who is the gardener and caretaker of the vine and branches removed the dead ones, gathered them up and burned them in hell at the end of the age. This is what some people believe and teach.

2)      Jesus is teaching that those that never bore fruit are non-believers, but they have attached themselves to the visible church because they believe going to church and being engaged in church activities will save them. In their own eyes they are “good people”.

3)      Jesus is teaching those in verse 2 and 6 are genuine believers, but because they are “fruitless Christians”, The Father removes them so they do not infect the fruitful branches. These fruitless branches (i.e. unproductive Christians) are the ones that are described in I Corinthians 3:13 (facing the Bema Seat) where their works are tried by fire.

Now, which view is most likely correct?

To believe the first scenario is to make God double minded. What do I mean? If verses 2 and 6 teach that genuine believers will apostatize and degenerate to the point that God will revoke his promise to save them is tragic and horrifying. If true believers can be damned because they bore no fruit, be broken off as a useless branch and burn in the fires of hell, then there is no such thing as eternal life. In this scenario God ultimate excepting of us is based on what we do – justification by works. It is conditional salvation.  It is not based on what Jesus has done for us – died in our place on the cross for our sins.  We are never assured of salvation from the moment we repent of sin, and confess Jesus as Lord. Rather, we have to perform meritorious works in order to gain access to heaven. Our salvation is not guaranteed from the beginning of our life in Christ, but rather we have to hope we earned our salvation at the end when we stand before him in judgment. This is not what the Bible teaches.

The third scenario is a very unlikely interpretation of what Jesus is describing as far as judgment. The third scenario is not describing unbelievers, but real Christians. We too face a judgment of the works we have done. This is strictly in regards to our service as Christians in God’s kingdom. The judgment of Christians will not be for if we gained salvation, but rather for the works (or fruit) we bore in this life, and to determine what rewards we will receive based on our faithfulness, or lack thereof (I Cor 3:13-14).

That only leaves the second scenario. I believe verses 2 and 6 in John 15 must be referring to false believers who pretend they are real Christians, but are not. They are described in detail by Jesus in Matthew 13 as tares.

Jesus describes tares like this, another parable he put forth to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, Sir did not you sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares? He said to them, an enemy has done this. The servants said to him do you want us to gather them up? But he said no, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, first gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matt 13:24-30).

Jesus gives the meaning of this parable in verses 36-42 in Matthew 13.  He declares the sower as Himself, the Son of Man (vs. 37b). The field is the world (vs. 38). The good seed are the sons of kingdom (vs. 38). The tares are the sons of the wicked one (vs. 38b). The enemy who the sowed the bad seed is the devil (vs. 39). The harvest is the end of the age (vs. 39b). The reapers are the angels (vs. 39c).

In verses 40-42 we read, “Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom (italics and bold print added for emphasis) all things that offend (i.e. worthless branches), those that practice lawlessness and will be cast into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth”.

I am convinced the dead branches in John 15 vs 2 and 6, and the tares are the same – false believers that have attached themselves to Christ via the visible church. They are described differently because they are two different parables.  The attachment will not last for God knows who are His, and who do not belong to Him. At the proper time, the harvest of God will separate the dead branches from the vine as he will separate the wheat and tare. Here are some other comparisons between true and false believers.

“Again the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind which when it was full, they drew to shore. And they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 13:47-50).

When Jesus encounters the Roman Centurion in Matthew 8, He marvels at the man’s faith regarding the healing of his servant. Jesus says, “Assuredly I say to you many will come from the east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom (Ethnic Hebrews) will be cast out into outer darkness (a reference of hell). There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 8:10b-12).

An amazing statement! Jesus is declaring that only those that believe in the Son of God will gain entrance into heaven. Not even the Hebrews who were physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will enter in. Pedigree does not matter. Whether you are a Jew or Gentile if you believe in Jesus, you are saved. The Hebrews are sons of the kingdom by nature, but many of them were not believing sons of the kingdom. There is a stark difference. These are branches that the Father removes from the vine – the unbelievers.

Another reference to worthless branches that are attached to The Vine (i.e. Christ superficially) is in Matthew 13:20-22. Regarding the seed sown in the field Jesus says, “But he who received the seed on stony places (i.e. the condition of his heart), this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures for only a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.”

We see here there are many that hear the word for many years in some instances. They enjoy the word of God. They raise their hands, shout and say AMEN at the preaching of it. They intellectually assent to it, and applaud its precepts. They feel great and have a sense of belonging to it. And why not? The word of God is the greatest news of all time!  They are convinced in their minds and hearts, they are part of God’s kingdom of saints although they have never repented, and genuinely confess Jesus as Lord. They are comfortable and smug in their “churchianity”. But, one day they hear someone attack the word of God, malign God and Jesus, and perhaps someone else says, “You’re a Christian aren’t you? You go to church don’t you? I saw your “honk if you love Jesus” bumper sticker on your car.”  “Can you disprove from your Bible what they just said?” You cannot. You’re humiliated and embarrassed because you are not rooted and grounded in God’s word.  You have been attending the same church for years. Going to church is just a religious activity to you. It makes you feel better about yourself because you’re hearing watered down messages week after week, month after month from an inept “teacher/pastor” of God’s word. This person in the pulpit is a motivational speaker rather than a skilled expositor of the scriptures who teaches the whole counsel of God.  The church you attend is part of the name-it-and-claim-it bunch! You were never challenged in the things of God. Your ears have been tickled all these years. It was the popular “reality-star-preacher’s” Mega-Church you attended. This is where sound doctrine goes to die.  You were never encouraged to confess your sins daily, and live holy. You do not have a heart for prayer, worship, fellowship, evangelism, or studying God’s word. You come late and leave service early every week. You realize as long as you are not challenged for your “faith”, you are willing to hang around. But now since it has been revealed you are a fraud, the shame is too much to bear. You abandon the faith you once superficially held onto for so many years and leave the church altogether. You are nowhere to be found.  You are offended on account of the word like Jesus said (Matt 13:22).

That type of person is a fruitless branch, a tare among the wheat. They are ripe to be burned. They were never saved.

In John 6:64-70 we read, “But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him by my Father.” From that time many of his disciples went back and walked with Him no more (I John 2:19). Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the 

Son of the Living God.”

So we see in these last two paragraphs once again the true and false. God’s angels will separate the wicked and true. Those who turned their backs on Jesus were not true followers of Christ. For if they were, they would have remained as the true disciples did. They were the branches that remained and were pruned so that they could produce more, bigger and better fruit (John 15: 2, 4).  The dead branches are the ones that were allowed by God to think they were a part of the kingdom, but were not. They were not drawn by the Father to the Son (John 6:65). We cannot come to God on our own terms. We have to be divinely summoned (John 6:37, 44). Those are the true branches that will abide in the vine (Christ) and bear fruit because they dwell in the life force, and must produce fruit for that is why they (we) were born.

Ephesians 2:10 says, for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand (italics added) that we should walk in them (i.e. good works).

Those whom God chose before the foundation of the world for salvation were pre-ordained unto good works.               

The fruit of the Spirit is, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22-23).

Translation: There is no such thing as a fruitless Christian. If you are not bearing fruit, then you need to check your salvation to see if it is the real thing (II Cor 13:5).  You may be a tare and not even know it!

                                                                In light of explicit passages

John 15 verse 2 cannot mean that Christians can lose salvation. For if it did, God would be a liar which is impossible. Let’s review some salvation passages that clearly tell us that whom God chose has eternal life now.

John 1:12-13 – But as many have received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God,

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:36 – He that has the Son has life, He that does not have the Son does not have life but the wrath of God abides on him.

John 10:27-29 – My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

Philippian 1:6 – Being confident of this very thing, that He who has began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:12b-13 – Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

I Peter 1:3-5 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us (past tense) again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

These blessed passages and so many more clearly tell us salvation is eternal because God in eternity past designed it that way. I have listed 3 witnesses, John, Paul and Peter. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they are declaring the same blessed assurance of salvation to all those who believe in Jesus.

I totally disagree with anyone that teach the branches in John 15 vs 2 and 6 are true believers that became apostate and go to hell. Since God is the one saves man, is it too difficult for Him to keep us saved? And trust me, any believer that truly loves Jesus will sin, but not to the point will they will not become Holy Spirit convicted of sin, become contrite, and implore God’s forgiveness (often with tears) so they can be restored back to a right relationship with God (I John 1:9). The Christian’s relationship is unconditional. What we have seen and learned through the parables in Matthew 13 is that the kingdom of God is an amalgamation of true and false believers. Those who continually abide in Christ, the True Vine will be fruitful throughout their lives because they are connected to the source of life that nourishes and enables them to produce good works.

Those who are not fruitful will be exposed for the frauds they are; a tare and not wheat. They are dead branches which are taking energy from the vibrant ones so they must be broken off since they are sons of Belial; worthless garbage of wood that is no good and is thrown in the incinerator to burn. They are also darnel weeds (tares)[3] that will be gathered up and separated from the wheat (the sons of the kingdom), and placed into the fires of hell to suffer the punishment they are due at the end of age. In the meantime they have been permitted by God to dwell with the Saints in the church as they were planted there by their father Satan (Matt 13:39).

These people have a dead faith that James describes in his epistle (James 2:26).

Think about it! If the writers of scripture believed in the eternality of salvation, we must also. How dare we go against what the prophets and apostles have spoken! Their words are the very words of God uttered out of His mouth to them by direct revelation. Since God has declared by Himself we are forever saved, that is good enough for me, and it HAS to be for every Christian.

God calls the Christian, saves them, causes them to abide in Him and love Him so that He can cause them to bear good fruit for the glory of God. This proves we are the Lord’s disciples for we joyfully perform His will. In this relationship God uses the sharp pruning knife of His word to cut off the wickedness and sin in our lives so that we can operate in the vine (Christ), to produce bigger and better fruit and glorify the Lord (John 15:8-11; Heb 4:12; 12:5-11).

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[1] All seven I AM statements are: 1) I AM the Bread of Life (John 6:35). 2) I AM the Light of

The world (John 8:12). 3) I AM the Door (John 10:8-9). 4) I AM the Good Shepherd (John 10:11).

5) I AM the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25). 6) I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).

7) I AM the True Vine (John 15:1).

[2] Non-producing genuine Christians is an oxy-moron.

[3] The deception of the tare is that it is identical looking to the wheat until they are fully grown

That is why in the parable of Matt 13 the owner of the field commands his servants to leave

the tares until the harvest; when both the wheat and tare are fully grown. Only then the distinction

can be seen between the two. Likewise in the church true and false believers look the same on the

outside and we cannot tell with the naked eye, but God knows who are His. At the end of the age, the two

will be separated as sheep are separated from goats (Matt 25).