Bulletin
Truth Speaks
Truth Speaks
“They didn’t really believe in the first place”, is often the reply. But this is not true, according to the way Jesus thinks. When someone believes in Jesus and is baptized (Acts 2:38), but then they stop coming to church, stop partaking the Lord’s supper, stop reading the Bible, stop listening to Jesus. They quit. Many will want to judge the person and say, “they didn’t really believe in the first place”. Now I admit, that this might sound reasonable at first, but it’s not the way Jesus sees it. The reason I can be confident is because he says it so plainly in the key parable of the sower. “Yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.” (Matt. 13:21).
“HE FALLS AWAY’
Many who claim to be followers of Christ will never admit what Jesus admitted, that “he falls away”. This is how Jesus thinks, and speaks. Falling away is a real danger in the mind of Jesus. Why would you say he “cannot fall away”, if Jesus says they do. Too many teach the false doctrine of once saved always saved. If you thought the way Jesus thought, you would repeat his words faithfully. “he falls away.
Secondly, these same people who claim to follow Christ will say, that this person never really believed in Jesus in the first place. For, they reason, if he “really believed, he never would have fallen away”. Again this might sound plausible, if you assume “once you believe, you always believe”. But did Jesus think like this? No. Again Jesus tells us how he views the person.
“ BELIEVE FOR A WHILE”
Jesus telling the parable of the sower from Lukes account says this, “Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.” (Luke 8:13). Jesus simply thinks they “believe for awhile”. Will you repeat, teach, quote Jesus?
TWO TAKE AWAYS
Once you believe, doesn’t mean you always believe. Let us not let false teachers deceive us into thinking otherwise.
If I can “fall away” and “believe for a while”, this should be a real danger to me. How can I have “firm root” in myself? The Bible says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17). If faith begins by hearing, faith is also strengthened by hearing. I need to keep myself in a position that I keep hearing and obeying Jesus. I must focus on bearing fruit in my life. Do I have that deep joy that comes from bearing fruit for Jesus? “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11). Dan Peters
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