Will the Lost and Saved Stand in the Same Judgment?

Will the Lost and Saved Stand in the Same Judgment?

by Pastor Lee Roberson, D.D.

“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of CHRIST. For it is written, As I live, saith the LORD, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to GOD. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to GOD.” -ROMANS 14:10-12

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is JESUS CHRIST. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” — 1 CORINTHIANS 3:11-15

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of CHRIST; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” — II CORINTHIANS 5:10

This is the second in our series of messages on the second coming of Christ. Let us remind ourselves of the great place that this teaching has in the Word of God. In the New Testament one verse in twenty refers to His second coming. Practically every book of the sixty-six which make up our Bible has reference to the appearing of the Lord.

For those who are saved, this is not only a doctrine to study, but it is a truth to rejoice every heart. His coming is the blessed hope for God’s children “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

Someone has pointed out that all five chapters of 1st Thessalonians end with the Lord’s coming for us.

“And to wait for his SON from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” -1st Thessalonians 1:10

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.”  -1st Thessalonians 2:19, 20

“To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before GOD, even our FATHER, at the coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST with all His saints.”  -1st Thessalonians 3:13

“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the LORD in the air: and so shall we ever be with the LORD.”  -1st Thessalonians 4:17.

And in the last paragraph of chapter 5, verse 23, we read:

“And the very GOD of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray GOD your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.”

And so we are to look for the coming of Jesus. This is the blessed hope set before us.

In the message, we are discussing the matter of judgments. Much preaching has been done on the subject of “The Judgment.” Most of it has been with the idea of a general judgment, when all the saved and all the lost stand before God. There is no such judgment in the Scriptures. Instead of one judgment, there are many judgments. Allow me to point out some of them.

1. The Judgment of the believer’s sins on the cross of CHRIST. When Christ bore our sins in His own body on the cross, the result was death for Christ and justification for the believers. We are now free from condemnation and can never again be put in jeopardy. We have passed from death unto life through Christ Jesus.

2. The judgment of self. “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged” (I Corinthians 11:31). Self-judgment avoids chastisement. If we do not judge ourselves, then the result will be the chastening rod of God. Do not confuse the chastening rod with condemnation, for remember, we are free from condemnation through Christ.

3. The judgment seat of CHRIST. I have just read you three portions of Scripture regarding the judgment seat of Christ and will emphasize this judgment in a few moments.

4. The judgment of living nations. This judgment takes place at the revelation of Christ, when He shall sit upon the throne of His glory “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:32). The test in this judgment is the treatment accorded by the nations to those whom Christ here calls “my brethren.” These brethren are the Jewish remnant who will have preached the Gospel of the kingdom to all nations during the Tribulation. This is the judgment which is frequently called the “general judgment.” But if you will notice, there is no mention of a resurrection and the persons judged are the nations of the earth. Also there is nothing said of any books being opened.

5. The great white throne judgment. This is given to us in Revelation 20:11-15. The lost dead, small and great, are to be brought before God and the books will be opened, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

Now I want us to study for a moment the third judgment I mentioned, the judgment seat of Christ.

I. WHEN DOES IT TAKE PLACE?

This judgment of believers’ works will take place at the return of Christ for His saints.

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” -Revelation 22:12

“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.” -2nd Timothy 4:8.

“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of GOD.” -Ist Corinthians 4:5

From these verses we can see that this judgment will take place when Christ returns for His own.

II. WHERE DOES IT TAKE PLACE?

This judgment will take place in the air, when we are caught up to be with the Lord.

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” -1st Thessalonians 4:16, 17.

III. WHAT WILL BE THE RESULT OF THIS JUDGMENT?

When we stand before Christ at the judgment seat, we will be there in our resurrection or translated bodies. We will stand before Him as those who have been redeemed by His precious blood. We will stand there to be judged, not for our salvation, but for our works.

This judgment has only to do with Christians. There will be no unsaved people at this judgment. The saved and the lost do not stand together in the same judgment. Our salvation was settled by our acceptance of Jesus, but now we are to be judged for our works and services. Paul tells us that every one of us shall give an account of himself to God. No Christian will escape; therefore, the apostle reminds us that we are not to waste our time judging our brethren, for the time of their judgment is coming when they must stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Second, our works will be tested by fire. In 1st Corinthians 3, Paul says, “If any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.“

From these words we can notice that our works will be judged, not on the basis of quantity, but on the basis of quality. It is not a matter of how much, but of how.

God does not mean that one person should have the advantage over another. Therefore in the judgment seat we will be judged alike; because of judgment by quality the one-talent person can receive a reward equal to that of the ten-talent person.

Third, some will receive a reward. If a man’s work abide, then he is rewarded by the LORD.

Fourth, some will suffer loss. “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” You will remember that we said only saved people stand at this judgment; therefore, we cannot lose our souls, for we are standing there in resurrection and translated bodies. We will not lose Heaven at the judgment seat, but we can lose our reward.

It is for you to decide whether your works are of gold, silver, or precious stones, or wood, hay, and stubble. The testing time is coming; therefore, we need to do some checking up now.

There are four characteristics which, if found in our works, will make them to abide.

No work will abide which is not done in love. God is love. Christ so loved us that He gave Himself for us. It is foolish to expect any work to abide which is not performed in love.

A work to abide must be done unselfishly. If we work for a reward here, and receive it, then there is no reward hereafter. Hypocrites who pray and are seen of men have their reward. Those who sound a trumpet when they give their money and are seen of men have their reward. We are to labor unselfishly if our works are to abide.

We must labor willingly if our works are to abide. Paul said:

“For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.” -1 Corinthians 9:16, 17

The fourth characteristic of abiding work must certainly be faithfulness. Much is said in the Bible about being faithful. We cannot imagine our Christ overlooking faithfulness in any of His followers.

Yes, we must stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Will you be happy, proud, and rejoicing as you look into the face of the Saviour, or will you bow your head in shame?

When I stand at the judgment seat of Christ,
And He shows me His plan for me;
The plan of my life as it might have been,
Had He had His way and I see–

How I blocked Him here and I checked Him there;
And I would not yield my will –
Will there be grief in my Saviour’s eyes –
Grief, though He loves me still?

He would have me rich, and I stand there poor,
Stripped of all but His grace,
While memory runs like a hunted thing,
Down the paths I cannot retrace.

When my desolate heart will well nigh break,
With tears that I cannot shed;
I shall cover my face with my empty hands,
I shall there bow my uncrowned head.

Lord, of the years that are left to me,
I give them to Thy hand,
Take me and break me, mold me to
The pattern — Thou hast planned.

SOURCE: Chapter 2 from the excellent book, Some Golden Daybreak, by Dr. Lee Roberson, D.D. Copyright 1957.

You Mean I Can Get Saved and Live Anyway I Want?

You Mean I Can Get Saved and Live Anyway I Want?

By David J. Stewart

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.” —Romans 4:5,6

Yes, that’s biblically correct! A man recently wrote to me, expressing his frustrations over my teaching that a person can be saved without works. He sarcastically asked: “Do you mean to tell me I can get saved and live anyway I want? I can murder, steal, commit adultery?” I wrote back and told him: “Yes!” Get mad at me if you want, this is what the Bible teaches. Romans 4:6 plainly states that salvation is WITHOUT WORKS! If a person has to stop sinning to be saved, then that is self-righteousness! Romans 10:3,4 condemns a man trying to establish his own righteousness “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

Now before you get all bent-out-of-shape, let me say that God will hold every believer accountable for the good AND THE BAD done in life “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2nd Corinthians 5:10). The very fact that the Scriptures make this statement is PROOF that believers can and will do BAD things. Every single believer is going to be judged by the Lord (Romans 14:12). So, no believer has a license to sin. Jesus saved us from our sins so we wouldn’t live that way anymore. Pastor Lester Roloff said “Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not live like that anymore.” Brother Roloff didn’t mean that you have to stop committing sin to be saved; he meant that genuine repentance brings forth a changed life. Although a person is not forced to stop committing sin to be saved, God does expect each believer to obey the Bible because they are believers “Be ye holy; for I am holy“ (1st Peter 1:16).

We must never drift away from the simple Gospel truth that salvation is a free gift. Salvation is receiving; NOT giving. Our only part in salvation is to BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive our sins. Jesus came into the world to save sinners “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus came to save us from the condemnation, penalty and guilt of sin. This is why Jesus Christ came in the flesh—TO SAVE SINNERS! Luke 19:10 states “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Oh, how foolish, when false prophets require lost sinners to forsake their sins to be saved. Salvation is of God; not mankind. You mean I can get saved and still live in sin? Yes, that is 100% correct! You mean I can live just like the unsaved heathens and still go to Heaven? That is exactly right. But you say, that’s utterly ridiculous! No, that’s Bible. A gift, if it’s a genuinely free gift, only requires us to receive it. I recently saw a commercial on TV, where a bank was offering a “free gift” to anyone who opened a new account with them. The truth is that it’s a false advertising. The gift is no gift at all, because it requires you to open a new bank account to get it. A gift must be unconditionally given, with no strings attached, if it is a genuine gift. All we need to do is receive it.

Romans 8:29 tells us that God the Father has predestined each believer to be conformed to the image of his Son. God’s ultimate plan for every believer is for us to be just like Jesus. What a precious promise! Every believer should want to be like Jesus. However, most believers DON’T live like Jesus. This does not mean they are absolutely unsaved. Peter cursed the name of Jesus. Noah got drunk. Samson went with a prostitute. David commit murder and adultery. Solomon build altars for his heathen wives to worship Satan. Those were all genuinely saved believers. I am neither condoning nor encouraging sin, not at all. I am simply saying that the Word of God teaches that Jesus came to save sinners, because we could not save ourselves. Jesus paid a debt He did not owe; because we owed a debt we could not pay. The very notion that we must stop sinning to get saved is impossible, because no one can stop sinning. As long as we are in the flesh, we will sin. At best, all we can do is saturate our minds with the Bible, and pray for God to help us live right in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus doesn’t want to help us live the Christian life—He wants to live the Christian life through us.

In 1st Corinthians 5:1-5 we read about a believer who was entangled in the sin of fornication. The Apostle Paul states concerning the man “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” Although sin often destroys a believer’s health, happiness, and home—the Bible says that his spirit will be saved in the end when the Lord Jesus returns. We read in 1st Corinthians 3:15 “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” Some believers will have NO rewards in Heaven. They will have barely escaped the fires of Hell.

The Bible is filled with Christians who committed horrible sins. Anyone who tells you that you have to depart from sin to be saved is a LIAR! Is there a believer who doesn’t sin? No! 1st John 1:10 makes this clear “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” We are all dirty, rotten, hell-deserving sinners. Thankfully, Jesus came to save us sinners. When we feel like utter failures, and that everything we do is wrong, and that we are hopelessly lost in sin—it is at those times that we must be reminded that Jesus came to save such people “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick” (Matthew 9:12).

Yes my friend, you can still be saved and live in horrible sin; but you will answer to God for it, just as we all must give account to God for the good and bad done in the flesh. Salvation is based upon the precious literal blood of Jesus Christ, and not upon man’s self-righteousness. You need HIS righteousness to go to Heaven (Matthew 6:33); not your own.

Do I Have to Give Up My Sins to be Saved?

Do I Have to Give Up My Sins to be Saved?

By David J. Stewart

“And they went out, and preached that men should repent.” -Mark 6:12

The answer is No! You do NOT have to stop sinning to be saved, but you should want to if you want to be a Christian and a servant of God.  No one can completely stop sinning (Romans 3:23)!  No one can live totally above sin–no one (Isaiah 64:6).  Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners.  You do NOT have to give up anything to be saved except your UNBELIEF. However, you DO need to realize your sinful condition and “confess” (or admit) to God that you are a sinner, deserving of hell.  Before some of you roast me, please let me explain this further because I do believe in repentance (which is greatly misunderstood).  You should at least be convicted about your sins at the time you come to Christ for salvation.  A sinner must be convicted to the extent that they realize they’re going to burn in Hell if they don’t get saved.  A person who is convicted about their sin won’t have the joyous attitude that they can continue living in sin and still go to Heaven.  I would greatly doubt the salvation of anyone who rejoices that they can continue living in sin.  This is one of the favorite arguments of Lordship Salvationists.  The truth is that God holds believers much more accountable for their words and actions than He does the unsaved (1st Peter 4:17).

Repentance is a turn-around.  When you turn to Christ for forgiveness, you have just turned your back on sin.  The only thing you need to give up to be saved is your unbelief!

The big question friend is this…what exactly is “repentance?”

What is Biblical Repentance?

Repentance is a turn-around!  Whereas we were heading towards hell-fire and destruction, we realized our sinful condition and turned around to the loving Saviour Who forgave us and saved us from that awful fate.  Repentance is a change of heart and mind that eventually leads to a change of life (but it may take time, each person is different).  Before we were saved, sin was magnified in our life while Jesus was diminished.  Now that we’ve been born-again, Christ is magnified and sin is diminished.  As we grow in the Lord, this trend should continue to where Jesus becomes everything to us, and sin nothing.  Notice from the picture above that for a person to turn to Christ in heaven is to turn one’s back on sin and hell.  Does a believer have to repent to be saved?  Absolutely!  But it’s a repentance of the heart (a turn-around of our heart) concerning Jesus Christ and our sins.  Whereas before we did not believe on Christ, now we do!  Whereas before we lived in sin with no remorse, now we are convicted for our sins and know that God wants us to make some lifestyle changes.  It is uncommon that new believers simply clean up their acts right away, it takes time for the Holy Spirit to work in their heart.  It’s a lifetime learning process, a time of growing.  We grow with the milk of God’s Word (1st Peter 2:2).

We are all woeful sinners (Romans 3:10,23).  To be saved, a person MUST realize their sinful condition.  It is NOT enough simply to commit your life to God or decide to turn over a new leaf.  To be saved, you must confess to God (not to men) that you are a wicked sinner in need of forgiveness, and then ask Jesus Christ to forgive you.  God (Jesus) promises in the Bible to forgive all those who confess their sins to Him.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” -1st John 1:9

What a Wonderful Saviour!

Do you need to give up your sins to be saved?  No, but you must acknowledge them for what they are, wicked sins.  You see friend, many people do not think that their lifestyles are sinful or wicked.  I’ve heard the vilest of sinners claim that since Adam and Eve were naked in Eden that pornography must be acceptable with God.  Some people justify immoral sex on the basis that God made the body beautiful.  Others seek to justify smoking Marijuana or cigarettes on the basis that it grows from God’s earth.  This of course is absurd!  Pornography is of the devil.  Destroying the body is sinful.  Sinners generally try to rationalize and justify their sins.  However, the Bible condemns our sins and we have no excuses.  The law condemns our sins and shows us our wickedness.

“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” -Romans 3:20

Do you have to give up your sins to be saved?  No, just your unbelief.  I get upset when people teach “Lordship salvation”. What is that? Lordship salvation is the false doctrine that you must make Christ the “Lord” of your life to be saved, that you must repent and depart from sin.  This is impossible!  There is no such thing as a believer who does not commit sin.  We are all woeful sinners.  If I have to give up a certain amount of sin to be saved, then how much do I have to give up?  Just because a person accepts Jesus Christ as personal Saviour does not mean they are above sin.  As a matter of fact, getting saved is just the start of a lifelong process If you are still living upon this earth (in the flesh), you are not going to escape sin.  Try as hard as you may, you are going to walk in the flesh at times and sin.  I have often said, “Christians at best are people, and people at best are sinners.”  We can walk in the spirit at any given time, but the fact is that were not always going to do that because we are sinners.

A License to Sin?

On the other hand, just because you are a Christian does NOT give you a license to sin (Romans 6:1,2).  We should have a desire to turn from our sins AFTER we get saved.  I do NOT believe that a person can become a Christian unless there is at least some amount of “godly sorrow” because of their sins.  We should be sorry to God!

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” -2nd Corinthians 7:10

If someone has no remorse for their sins, then something is very wrong!  You can’t get saved without sincerely confessing your sins to God.  This means being honest with God.  This means being sorry.  If your not sorry, then why would you ask for forgiveness?  That would be silly.  We are sinners.  We should be sorry for our sins.  If were not, something is wrong.  A person who is sorry for their sins is NOT going to have the attitude that they can just keep living in sin. If they do live in sin, they will be convicted by the Holy Spirit, they will be miserable.  I would seriously question the salvation of anyone who lives in sin with no remorse.  There was a 25-year old woman on the news who claimed to be a Christian, then she said she works as a stripper.  I do not believe she is a Christian.  She shows no sorrow over her sins.  The Bible clearly teaches that there should be a change when a person gets saved.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” -2nd Corinthians 5:17

This does NOT mean that we will be perfect.  It simply means that there should be signs of a new heart.  When Jesus Christ comes into a person’s heart, something WILL change!  I would question the salvation of any person who has never shown any evidence of being a believer.  I knew a woman who claimed to be a Christian; however, she never spoke of the Lord, she listened to rock music, she cursed in God’s name often, she never mentioned the Bible, she never went to church, she was mean to people, she lied, she had a horrible temper, etc.  She showed no indication of being a believer.  The Bible says there should be a change.  I seriously doubt her salvation.

So you do NOT have to depart from sin to be saved (but you should sincerely want to with the Lord’s help), but you do need to change your mind about sin.  You do need to ask Jesus to forgive you.  This is what repentance is.  You have to depart from your unbelief, not your sin.  Once you trust Christ as your Saviour, Christ wants to help you clean up your life of sin (1st John 1:9).

Most unsaved people won’t come to Christ because of their love for sin.

“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” -John 3:20

The Biggest Problem in Winning Someone to the Lord

It’s only when a person truly repents in their heart and is sorry for their sins that they WILL COME to the loving Saviour for forgiveness and salvation.  I’ve often said that the hard part about getting people saved is getting them lost!  It’s not too difficult to win someone to the Lord once they’ve come to the realization that they’re on the road to hell-fire and destruction.   The problem is trying to get a sinner to realize his or her sinful condition.  John 3:20 tells us that it’s the love of sin that alienates sinners from coming to Christ for salvation.  Who can truly enjoy sin if they have God living in their heart?  No one!  They may enjoy the sin for a moment, but the heart will be miserable (Hebrews 12:6).  Christians who willfully live in sin can become monsters!

The Best of Christians are Still Sinners

A lot of Christians have a problem with the idea that a person can be a born-again believer and yet commit horrible sins.  I am not condoning sin at all, I am saying that even the best of Christians are still sinners.  It does happen!  King David was a Christian who killed a man to cover up his sin of adultery with the man’s wife.  It took one year for David to repent.  Peter was one of the Apostles, yet denied Christ, cursed and quit the ministry.  Moses killed a man.  Sometimes Christians really do horrible things because they backslide (or have never grown in the Lord).  This does not mean they’re not truly saved.  I knew of a minister with a wicked hot-temper who poured bleach over his wife’s head while she sat crippled in a wheelchair.  It’s hard to believe that a Christian could do such a thing, but it happened.  It’s wrong, I’m not condoning sin, I’m simply saying that believers are still sinners.  You need to be very careful about deciding who’s saved or not based on what you see (1st Samuel 16:7).  I’ve known decent believers from my past who later committed some really horrible sins.  Though sad and tragic, it does not mean that they’re not saved.  It does mean they got away from the Lord.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I’m not trying to go light on sin here.  We should try to live above sin.

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” -2nd Timothy 2:19

God wants His children to live right, but living right is not a prerequisite for salvation.  You do NOT have to give up anything to be saved except your unbelief!  Put your faith in the Lord friend to forgive your sins and you will be saved.  Jesus will help you to straighten out your life.  Give God your heart and he’ll comb the kinks out of your head.  Never let anyone tell you that you must depart from sin to be saved, this is heresy.  Again, “repentance” in the Bible simply means a “turn-around.”  Repentance means that we decide to trust Christ as our Saviour to forgive us of all our wicked sins.  Repentance simply means to get saved.  We get saved by confessing our sins to God and asking Him to forgive us.  To turn to Christ is to turn from sin–this is repentance!

The Lord Jesus had plenty to say about REPENTANCE–

Luke 5:32, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to REPENTANCE.”

Luke 24:47,  “Jesus said to them] that REPENTANCE and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Mark 1:15,  “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT ye, AND BELIEVE the gospel.”

I have known believers who claimed to be Christians, yet they went to nightclubs.  I’ve known people who claimed the name of Christ who were often mean and abusive to other people.  Does that mean they’re not saved?  Not necessarily.  It does mean that they’ve not been converted yet.  Conversion has NOTHING to do with being regenerated (saved).  At the time we are saved we are re-gened, or regenerated with the Holy Spirit of God.  Salvation is like being pulled from the garbage.  Just because God pulled you out of the garbage of hell doesn’t mean that you’ve been RECYCLED yet.  The recycling process is conversion.  Being saved from hell is just the very beginning of our salvation.  God has a recycling program for every believer.  Of course, we are instantly saved at the moment we trust Christ as Saviour, but the conversion process to make us what God wants us to be takes much longer.  Please don’t misunderstand, a person does NOT have to be converted to be saved, but an unconverted person will remain outside of the will of God for their life.  A person DOES have to be regenerated (born again) to be saved.

Sadly, I knew a minister who went to be honored at a Masonic lodge.  When the minister wasn’t at his church, he usually would hang out at local bars.  Does this mean he’s not a Christian?  Not necessarily.  I just believe he’s a dead-beat minister, and there’s a lot of them out there.  He has not repented of his sinful ways, just as King David didn’t repent of his sinful ways for so long.  When a believer chooses to go into sin, they must repent of their sinful ways and get right with God.  I’ve known many people to get saved, live for the Lord for a short time, and then go back into the world again.  No doubt, many of them were never saved to begin with, but some were.  We must be careful not to judge.  Some of the people whom you think are Christians may not be (like Judas, one of Christ’s Apostles).  Likewise, some heathen (like Lot in the city of Sodom) may be a just man and you not know it.

To be saved, we must repent of our sins only in the sense that we must agree with God that we are hell-deserving sinners! To be truthful, we will be repenting of sins for the rest of our life.  To clarify, we are saved ONCE and only once.  Once you accept Jesus into your heart as personal Saviour, you are a child of God forever.  You CANNOT lose your salvation!  Now once you’ve become a believer, there are going to be times in your life where God is going to have to convict you of sin which has entered your life.  You will have to confess and repent of that sin to have restored fellowship with God.  Now that has nothing to do with your salvation, you are already God’s child.  King David went for almost a year in denial after killing a man after stealing the man’s wife.  It wasn’t until Nathan the prophet came to open David’s eyes that he repented.  David was saved, but hadn’t repented until almost a year later.  This happens to every believer, we get out of line and fail to see it until someone else points it out to us.

Beware of Lordship Salvation

Too many Christian want to add holy living to salvation under the guise of repentance.  No friend, repentance is simply a turn around (the beginning point of the Christian life).  At salvation, a man’s mind has changed about sin and the Saviour, so much so that he makes a personal decision to trust Jesus Christ as his Saviour.  This is the beginning of his new life in Christ.  Yes, he should be sorry for his sins.  Yes, he should have a desire to change his sinful ways to please God.  However, this will be a lifelong process.  The test of whether or not he was really saved will be revealed, not in days or weeks, but in the years and decades to follow.  To say that a new believer should be holy and separated is like saying that a newly born baby should be able to play sports or run a marathon.  How ridiculous for anyone to place such a burden upon new believers.  God never asks us to give up anything to be saved except our unbelief.  There are two types of religions in the world: “Do”  and “DONE” (either you believe you have to do something to get to heaven, or else you believe it’s already done, paid in full by the Lord Jesus Christ).  I’m in the DONE group.  Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow!  You do NOT have to make Jesus your Lord in the sense that you’ll do anything or go anywhere for him to be saved.  The Greek word for “Lord” means “curious” (supreme in authority).  To trust Jesus as your Lord biblically means to accept Him as God, the ONLY One Who is supreme in authority.  Do you recognize Jesus as Almighty God?  Have you asked Him to forgive your sins and save you from hell?  If so, then you have trusted Christ as your Lord.

Acts 26:20 …they should repent and TURN TO GOD, AND DO WORKS MEET FOR REPENTANCE.

Acts 2:39, 3:19 REPENT YE therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…

Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to REPENT:

Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Again, repent simply means a “turn-around.”  If I’m going down the road the wrong way and then make a U-turn, I’ll have to spend some time driving back.  Likewise, when you get saved, depending how far you’ve gone down the road of sin, it’s going to take you some time with the Lord’s help to get back to the place where you went wrong.  Lordship salvation totally eliminates the growing-in-grace process.  It takes years to mature in the Lord.  All you need to do to be saved is to place a child-like faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, nothing else!

Do you have to give up your sin to be saved?  No friend, just admit that you are a sinner.  Go to the Lord Jesus and ask Him to forgive you.  What’s done is done and you can’t make up for it, that’s why Jesus came to die on the cross for you.  Simply place your 100% faith in Christ for salvation, ask Him to forgive you and to come into your heart.  Make that decision to rely upon Jesus for your salvation apart from all else.  You don’t need to be baptized to go to heaven, nor do you need the holy communion.  All you need is Jesus, just like the thief on the cross needed Jesus and called out to Christ for salvation.

Legalism

Legalism

By Pastor James R. Hines

The foulest word in the vocabulary of many religionists today is that nasty noun, “legalism.” The most scandalous doctrine afoot is “legalism.” The harshest accusation that can come from some quarters is that of being labeled a “legalist.” Humanists, liberals and neo-evangelicals gladly join forces and raise their voices in unison to chant intonations against the awful dangers and various ills of “legalism.”

“Legalism”: the very word conjures up pictures of Salem witches being burned at the stake and morbid puritans in black coats and stiff collars. It smacks of whipping posts and long sermons and rules against smiling. It is equated with Pharisaism and old fashioned notions long since gone out of style.

Now who might be accused of being a legalist in these enlightened days? Who are these people that can be so mistaken in their doctrines? Why, it is the Baptists, the fundamentalists! It is those old-fashioned, Bible thumping preachers that still talk about sin and tell people what God says they should do and shouldn’t do. It is us! We are the culprits who would rob Christians of their joy and force them to live under a yoke of bondage. We are the insidious teachers who would strip people of their freedom and place them under the restraining shackles of legalism. Outsiders visit fundamental Baptist services and hear preaching against gambling and drinking and movie-going and say, “My, such legalism.” The neo-evangelical crowd looks at our Christian schools with rules and standards demanding that students dress decently, look decent and act decently and says, “My, aren’t they legalistic.” Broad-minded Christians hear us calling sin sin and labeling false doctrine as false doctrine and conclude that such attitudes stem from our narrow-minded legalism.

Now, pray tell, what really is a legalist? There is a false definition of legalism and a Biblical definition. In the thinking of most Christians, any presentation of Christianity which maintains standards, practices separation from the world and has a code of conduct is guilty of legalism. This notion is expressed in the liberal Dictionary of Philosophy which defines legalism as “The insistence on a strict literal or overt observance of certain rules of conduct, or the belief that there are rules which must be so obeyed.” Christians who decry legalism invariably turn to the book of Galatians for a Scriptural indictment of legalism. Galatians is the book that speaks against legalism and warns believers not to let themselves be put under the law. But this “legalism” described and written against the Galatians is not the legalism spoken against today. The Biblical concept of legalism is far different.

Biblical “legalism” was the teaching advanced by some of the Jewish community which insisted that it was necessary to keep some of the law of Moses in order to gain salvation. To them salvation was gained by faith in Christ and observing the legal system of Moses. Webster properly defines legalism in this way as “the doctrine of salvation by good works.” Paul wrote the Galatian epistle to counteract such legalism and make it plain that salvation was by faith alone, without the deeds of the law. “…a man is not justified by the works of the law” (2:16); “…if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (2:21); “…that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident…” (3:11); “…if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law” (3:21); “…the law as our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (3:24). Against this backdrop of maintaining that legal observances have nothing to do with our salvation Paul exhorts, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (5:1). Let us be clear. The legalism which the apostle opposed was that thinking which made the observance of the law a condition of salvation.

Certainly no Bible believing Baptist teaches that law-keeping is part of salvation. We are saved by faith alone. The works of the law do not and cannot either help us gain salvation or help us keep salvation. Salvation is all of grace—none of works. For anyone to accuse us of being legalists then is either to deliberately distort our position on salvation or else to abandon the Biblical concept of legalism and adopt the modern notion advanced by the moderns.

In spite of these facts, why is it that folk like to label us as legalists? There are two related reasons. First, the thinking of most people has been heavily influenced by the thinking of humanism. Humanism is diametrically opposed to all rules, standards, codes of conduct and moral absolutes of any kind. It believes that everyone should be free to do as he pleases. Those who disagree are labeled “Legalists.” Secondly, most people want to use their liberty for an occasion to the flesh (5:13). They do not want anyone telling them that some of the things they enjoy may be wrong so they banish all such suggestions by labeling them “legalistic.”

The real issue is this: should we teach do’s and don’ts in Christian living? Should we preach that there are standards which ought to be maintained and deeds which should not be done? A large crowd would say “no – don’t be negative – don’t be legalistic.” But what saith the Scriptures? Every page of Scripture lists things we are not to do. The first page of the Bible tells Adam “thou shalt not” and the last page of Scripture warns not to take away or add to the words of the Book. All of Scripture has rules of what to do and what not to do. Every page is replete with “thou shalt” and “thou shalt not.” To say that rules of conduct are only found as part of the Mosaic law is certainly a misrepresentation of the truth.

The problem in Christianity today is the seeping scourge of humanism that has saturated the minds of Christians, Christian leaders, Christian authors and even preachers. Humanism maintains that the ultimate goal of man is to enjoy himself and develop his potential without the restriction of outmoded taboos and irrelevant rules. Humanism says that each one must decide for himself what is right and what is wrong—no one else should interfere. This is the thinking that causes Christians to throw off any restraints and label them as “legalism.” In so doing they open the door to the inroads of all sorts of worldliness, questionable conduct and ungodly living. Christian standards have been discarded, Christian conduct has sunk to the level of the world and all is done to the theme of freedom from the law.

Christians are free from the specific ceremonies of the laws of Moses. Certainly Christians are free from the necessity of keeping the law in order to gain salvation. But that does not make Christians free to do as they will and live as they please. God has His directives for Christian living. He tells us what to do and what not to do. There are not 10 suggestions but rather 10 commandments. The Beatitudes promise blessing to those who do and do not do certain things. Every epistle in the New Testament is replete with injunctions, commandments, prohibitions and orders. The person who seeks to obey the Scriptures is a Biblicist, not a legalist.

Are we legalists? No, we are just people who believe the Bible and are simple enough to believe that if God says, “do it,” we ought to do it, and if God says, “don’t,” we shouldn’t. The accusation of legalism is a phony accusation trumped up to excuse those who prefer to ignore the directives of God’s Word and live to satisfy themselves.

What Happens to Believers Who Hurt Others?

What Happens To Believers Who Hurt Others?

by David J. Stewart

For many years I had believed that God would NOT bring up any negative issues when we stand at the judgment seat of Christ.  I had believed that since Jesus paid for all our sins, God could not bring them up anymore.  I simply believed that God would reward us for the good and not mention anything bad.  I never really had second thoughts about this until I personally had suffered evil at the hands of other Christians.  Because of my sincere beliefs, I became bitter because I believed that the perpetrators had gotten away with it.  I felt like they would NEVER have to answer to God for anything because their sins were under the blood of Christ.  I was very discouraged because I had been deeply hurt by their words and actions–I WANTED THEM TO PAY.  In my heart I believed that they would never have to pay for anything.  I felt it was wrong for me to expect restitution since God had already forgiven their sins.  Yet, they had wronged me and I wanted justice.  As you will see, I was ignorant of the Scriptures back then and am so happy that God has opened my eyes to the truth.  The last thing God wants is for us to sulk and stew over the hurtful things other Christians have done to us.

It’s Often Harder to Forgive Fellow Christians

It has always been easier for me to forgive an unsaved person who wrongs me because I at least know that they don’t know the Lord.  I always stop and realize that hell is very likely going to be their future home.  I am not happy about that fact, but it helps me to have compassion upon them and pray for their salvation.  Christians who wrong me; on the other hand, are a different story.  They’re going to be in heaven walking streets of gold with me.  They’re going to enjoy the presence of the Lord and all the wonderful blessings of heaven, just like me.  The mere thought of seeing those people in heaven made me angry.  It just didn’t seem fair.  I knew that no one was deserving of heaven, but the fact still remained that they had wronged me!  As I mentioned, I was able to let things go for the most part if an unsaved person wronged me; however, I had a difficult time when a believer did me wrong.  So what was I to do?  I had bitterness built up against other believers who had hurt me.  I tried praying and finding Scriptures to help me but I was spinning in circles.  It seemed like I would just have to live with those thorns in the flesh.  I just couldn’t put the puzzle together.  I had a hand full of verses, but I also knew that God forgets when He forgives.  The big questions loomed in my mind, “Will mean and crooked believers get away with their wrong doing?”  “Does the fact that Jesus paid for their sins mean that they have a license to sin?”  “Will I just have to accept injustices committed against me by other believers?”  These were the questions circling in my mind.  I was asking God daily to help remove the hurt feelings and bitterness from my heart and mind.   They wouldn’t go away.  It seemed hopeless.

One man in particular (a minister) had really hurt me.  He had broken a solemn financial promise to me (which he had made to me with his hand in the air as a pledge).  I really put my trust in this man, but he soon broke his promise.  This man also disrespected me and my family in many ways.  He lied about several other matters as well.  He even stole $1,000 from me (which had been entrusted to him to deliver to me).  He slandered my name, etc.  We read in Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” It was Scriptures such as this which caused me to boil in anger.  Does this Scripture mean that the man I just mentioned won’t have to give account to God?   Does the fact that his sins are forgiven and forgotten mean that I will not be avenged?   By the way, the man I just mentioned has still not repented of his ways.  He never did pay me back or make good on his promises.  His attitude is that he lives for the present, not the past.  That’s fine if you have righted ALL your wrongs in the past.  If not, you need to back up a few steps, make restitution, and then move forward.  This man refuses to make restitution; he is blinded to his sins.   How sad!  How wicked!  I haven’t seen the man for quite a while, and I doubt if I’ll ever see him again.   The bottom line is that he wronged me.  Yet, I had never done him wrong in any way.

Now, I sincerely believe the man is a born-again believer.  He is definitely not a good Christian.   I am not allowed to hate him.  We must not hate anyone.  Though the fleshly hatred may come upon us from time to time, we must NOT make a decision to hate anyone.   We cannot control our natural feelings, but we surely can control what we decide to feel.  I have never decided to hate anyone.  We must turn to the Lord and His Word for strength when we experience painful memories and hate.   I do not hate the man who wronged me.  I must pray for him that God will soften his hard heart.  Ephesians 4:30-31 remind me that I must be “tenderhearted” and “forgiving.”  I am to forgive, just as Jesus forgave me.  However, I have a god-given RIGHT to expect justice in the matter.

Most Believers are Ignorant Concerning the Judgment Seat of Christ

I would like to share with you a few of the truths which I have learned that helped me let go of my bitterness and hatred.  I began to read several books by men of God.  I wanted to find out as much as I could about the “judgment seat of Christ” (a judgment for believers only).  I continued to search my Bible for answers.  Little by little, I began to see the big picture.  Let me stop right here and quote to you Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.“  We have a direct PROMISE from God that He WILL AVENGE US of those who have hurt and wronged us.   This means that you have a god-given RIGHT to EXPECT to be avenged of your enemies (those who have hurt you).  You have a PROMISE from God Almighty that He will PUNISH (repay) the evildoer.  Likewise, we will give account to God for the wrongs we have committed against others throughout our life.  God’s judgment will be most severe for those who have not repented of their evil ways, but have continued hurting others.

I would like to now quote to you a few statements by Dr. Lee Roberson:

“Our salvation was settled by our acceptance of Jesus, but now we are to be judged for our works and service.  Paul tells us that every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.  No Christian will escape; therefore, the apostle reminds us that we are not to waste our time judging our brethren, for the time of their judgment is coming when they must stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” -Dr. Lee Roberson, Chapter 2, Some Golden Daybreak.

Very well put.  You see friend, Just because you are a believer doesn’t relieve you of your responsibility to live right and treat people right.  Every believer who hurts other people will be punished in some way.  The Greek word for “repay” in Romans 12:19 means “to punish”.  We will be awarded compensatory and punitive damages in heaven for the evils which have befallen us at the hands of other believers.  They will lose rewards.  I believe their rewards will be given to their victims.  This is justice.

Now please don’t misunderstand, there is NO CONDEMNATION to those who are in Jesus Christ.  Every believer, no matter how sinful he or she may live upon the earth, is forever safe and secure in the arms of Jesus.  Their soul is not at stake.  Jesus died to pay for their sins (and yours).  However, their happiness in heaven is very much at stake.  Why do you think there will be tears throughout the millennium (the 1,000 year reign of Christ upon the earth).  Many believers will weep in bitter remorse and sadness over the abuses and injustices they’ve committed against others throughout their earthly life.   Romans 12:19 makes clear that God will “repay“.  Though the offender himself may be safe and secure from hell, the sins in his life will be judged and he will have to give an answer to God for the things he has done.   No Christian will escape.  God’s anger against the sin in our lives will be expressed, as well as his love for us as His child.   It will be an emotional time for all.  Listen to the powerful words of Dr. John R. Rice:

“At the judgment seat of Christ God’s anger is not expressed against any individual who has thoroughly repented of his sins, confessed them and forsaken them.  But God’s judgment on the sin itself may continue where there is no judgment against the individual as such.  It seems to me that we need to make a distinction between the proper anger and wrath of God against one who goes on unrepentant in sin, and God’s proper wise judgment against the sin itself even when the sinner has been reconciled completely and forgiven.” -Dr. John R. Rice, from the excellent book Dr. Rice, Here’s My Question.

As I’ve grown older in the Lord, I now realize that I was very wrong in my thinking when I was a young believer. I thought that God would never bring up anything bad when we get to heaven.  On the contrary, God will bring up EVERYTHING.  We must give account for every idle word spoken, every offense, every evil thought, every sin we’ve committed.  No, we don’t have to pay for them in hell; however, we must give account.  No one will be on trial (as in a criminal court) at the judgment seat of Christ.  I believe it will be much like a civil court where God will be the judge.  When you enter into civil court, you are financially at risk.  No one goes to prison or the electric chair in civil court.  Likewise, no one goes to hell at the judgment seat of Christ.  Your rewards and happiness will be at risk. When O jay Simpson was acquitted of murder in criminal court, he was soon found guilty of murder in civil court.  Though he had been found guilty in civil court, he could not go to prison because he had been acquitted.  Well, God went much further than just acquitting us, He also justified us (just-if-I’d never sinned).  But He went even further, He placed the righteousness’ of Jesus Christ upon our record.  Wow!  What a great Savior!  As far as our salvation is concerned, our sins are forgotten.  Howbeit, we will still stand in judgment in civil court at the judgment seat of Christ.  There we will stand to lose much, but not our soul. O jay Simpson lost millions for being found guilty of one crime…Is God less just?  We will stand to lose much in heaven if we hurt others during this life on earth.  No Christian will escape.

All Wrongs Must Be Righted

You see friend, All the scales of justice must be balanced.  At salvation, the scales of justice are balanced between us and God.  At the judgment seat of Christ, the scales of justice will be balanced between us and others who have hurt and wronged us.  I have learned and now realize that Christians WILL give account for their sins.  Though the individual will not be condemned, the sins in his or her life surely will be.  Tears will flow and hearts will break.  I do not need to waste my energy and time fuming over the wrongs which other people have committed towards me–God has promised to avenge me. This is exactly why I can let it go for now…because God has made me a promise to repay.  I no longer am upset when I read about God’s unlimited forgiveness.  I now realize that in spite of God’s wonderful forgiveness, those who have wronged me will still have to give account to God.  They may be forgiven with God as far as salvation is concerned, but they must still face those whom they have wronged and make restitution.  I am trusting God upon His Word.   It is a shame when a believer becomes so stubborn and cold-hearted that God will have to force them to make things right in heaven.  This is a sin.  We should be humble and quick to right our wrongs.  This is exactly what Jesus meant when He said to “turn the other cheek.”  Some body doesn’t just sue you or punch you in the mouth for no reason. When we defraud someone, we are commanded by the Lord to go out of our way to make restitution to resolve the matter.  Unfortunately, people are often stubborn and unwilling to be honest about things.  Be rest assured, no one will get away with anything!  We will all be held accountable by God for even the smallest offenses against others.

The Sinister Minister

You’d be surprised how many people would knife you in the back for simply not returning an e-mail, like a Baptist pastor in Chicago did to me.  I and my wife trusted him to watch our pets while we were relocating for several months.  He originally agreed to accept $1,200.  His exact words to us in his living room was, “You know, we were going to watch your animals for nothing anyway.”  After further thought, I and my wife decided on giving him our van that had just cost us $4,800.  I still owed all the money on my VISA credit card when I gave him the van.  It was a very nice van with no damage, tinted windows, a new stereo radio, air-conditioning, a very nice alarm system, and even a remote starter which I paid to have installed.  After we moved, I didn’t respond to his e-mail because he was a smart-Alec with his words and a bully at that.  I thought he would get the message.  My wife called his wife to give her information concerning our pets.  I didn’t want to have any dealings with the tyrant pastor for the sake of preventing an argument.  He acted like a big baby and threw a tantrum.  He then did something illegal and hurt my wife and children very horribly by going back on his word.  He gave our animals away.  My children loved those animals more than themselves. They cried for months.  He stole over $4,800 from my family and cost us another $4,000 in legal fees and efforts to recoup the animals.  I didn’t want to take him to court, but I had to hire a lawyer to try to track down our animals.  Our children loved their pets indescribably, but now they were gone forever.   He gave my wife’s dog away to a stranger on the street in his anger.  That monster pastor even gave the four cats belonging to our children away.  I can’t comprehend a professed man of God being such a heartless and evil monster, cold-hearted enough to knife a family in the back who gave him so much.  When we were members of his church, we gave cherry pie and Vanilla ice cream to the pastor’s wife.  We bought them a large Pizzeria Uno pizza from downtown and brought it to their front door.  We even gave them our own deep dish pizza pan to cook the pizza in.  We gave them several hundred dollars in tools and household items.  We gave them all of the pet’s water and food containers, with a carrier for each pet, and lots of food for the animals.  We gave that pastor and his wife the works.

We went soul winning while we attended his church.  We tithed faithfully.  We came to church regularly.  We could have gone elsewhere.  We trusted him and he betrayed our trust woefully like a common criminal.  We even had to have a police investigator to go to the church to interrogate him because he wouldn’t tell us what he did with our pets.  His exact words were, “I’m not at liberty to tell you that information.”  What a jerk!  I feel sorry for his wife.  When we were at his church, he got mad at her from the pulpit for coughing during his sermon.  She wasn’t even allowed to speak to us for more than 2 seconds.  She was his “slave”.  When he wasn’t around she would talk to us, but the minute he came she had to immediately walk away.  We never said or did anything unkind to him or anyone else in his church.

In addition, the day I handed over the title and the keys for the van, the pastor promised to destroy my license plates.  I gave him the receipts for the van, the radio, the alarm, and the new $500 water pump I just had installed a week prior.  The van was about 10 years old, but with no body damage and it ran nice.  Six months later, I received over $200 in vehicle fines because he lied to me about the plates.  One citation was for him not wearing a seat belt, another for being doubled parked, etc.  I had to pay those fines, and I did.  I said, “Lord, I know you’ll take care of all this down the road.” I don’t like to see anything bad happen to anyone, but that pastor is one tough guy punk that needs to be humbled and taught a serious lesson that only the Holy Spirit can teach him (or someone that gets mad at him and cleans his clock one day). I still remember the first day we went to his church.  He didn’t say anything to us or talk to us when we were there.  Then he found out we had put a $50 check in his offering plate.  That fat slob literally came running down the street after the service to talk with us after he found out we had given $50. No wonder America is going to hell with brutish fools like this pastoring churches!  “For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.” -Jeremiah 10:21

We fully expect God to deal with him accordingly.

We Must Live for God

I want to be happy in heaven.  I am sincerely glad that the pastor mentioned above hurt us and not us him.  I am going to be very careful not to hurt or wrong anyone in my own life.  I want to love people and treat them as Jesus would treat them if He were in my shoes.  I cannot control what other people do, but I can certainly control the things I say and do.  Surely, we cannot grasp the intricacies of God’s judgment simply because the Bible does not go into great detail.  However, we have a direct statement (a promise) in Romans 12:19 telling us that God will avenge us. “Vengeance is mine” saith the Lord.

“Why do we make so much of differences when the Lord is coming, and at His coming, every difference will be made straight and right?  As a Christian looking for the Lord Jesus, pass by the slights and insults which are given you.  Your attention is fastened on something a thousand times bigger.  Don’t try to get revenge against those who mistreat you.  Leave it all in the hands of the Lord.” -Dr. Lee Roberson, Chapter 17, Some Golden Daybreak.

In Jesus’ name,

David J. Stewart

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Defraud Not Thy Brother

Defraud Not Thy Brother

by David J. Stewart

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“That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.” -1st Thessalonians 4:6

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.“-Romans 12:19

We are warned from God’s Word about defrauding one another.  The Greek meaning of the word “defraud” in 1st Thessalonians 4:6 is “to take advantage of; to make a gain.”  We are NOT to take advantage of anyone.  A person who makes a promise and breaks it has defrauded his neighbor (every human being is our neighbor).  A man who commits adultery with a married woman has defrauded that woman’s husband (and vise-versa).  A person who lies, cheats or reneges on a business agreement has defrauded someone (s).  A man who mistreats his wife and children has defrauded them.  Notice that God warns us not to defraud anyone “IN ANY MATTER.”  This includes ALL types of wrong doing.

“That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.” -1st Thessalonians 4:6

Notice the phrase “…go beyond…”  We could read this as “That no man cross the line and defraud another person.”  There is a definite line between right and wrong folks!  They’re might be a fine line between faith and foolishness, but there is a definite line between right and wrong.  We know when we are doing wrong!  People like to pretend that they are innocent, but they know in their conniving hearts what they have done.  They can try to live in denial, but God will repay (punish) them in His own time and way.  Read the Bible verse below…

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay , saith the Lord.“

(Romans 12:19)

The word “repay” in the Greek literally means “to punish.”  God WILL punish those who have hurt, cheated, wronged and abused us in our lifetime.  God will also punish us for those we have wronged IN ANY MATTER!  No one is going to get away with anything!!!  Vengeance rightfully belongs to God alone.  And believe me, God is an expert at dealing with unrepentant people.

God will also deal with unrepentant believers.  Just because a person is saved does not clear them of responsibility for their words and actions in this life.  Yes, their sins are forgiven and forgotten as far as eternal judgment is concerned, but they still must appear before the judgment seat of Christ and give account for the good and bad things done during their life.   Look at the Bible verse below and cringe you believers who are liars, cheats, abusers, tyrants and defrauders…

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” -2nd Corinthians 5:10

You see friend, being a Christian makes you even more accountable to God.  A lost person doesn’t have the Holy Spirit living within.  A lost person has not been enlightened by the truth of Jesus Christ.  However, when we sin as believers, we do so in full knowledge of what God expects from us and in spite of the grace that He has provided for us to escape temptation.

“…for unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required…” -Luke 12:48

Every believer has been given the Holy Spirit of God to dwell within his or her mortal body!  We have NO EXCUSE when we sin–We know better!  Of course, we are only sinners saved by grace and we WILL falter and sin at times.  But this fact doesn’t give us a license to sin (as so many believers seem to think it does).  I’m tired of hearing immature believers try to justify sin by saying, “we’re only human.”  How ’bout, “We’re only sinful and rotten to the core”–this sounds more honest.  Nothing justifies sin!  Too many believers have a lax attitude towards sin…oops, I did it again…oh well…I’m only a sinner.  God HATES this flagrant attitude.  There is a deadly tendency for believers to become complacent concerning sin.  We WILL be held accountable by God for “the things done” in this life (all things, good and bad).  Let’s read the Apostle Paul’s warning once more…

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”- 2nd Corinthians 5:10

Listen to the Apostle John in Revelation…

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.“

(Revelation 14:13)

Yes friend, our works do FOLLOW us into eternity.  We we’re not saved by those works, but those works still have to be accounted for at the judgment seat of Christ.  We we’re saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross and applied to the mercy seat in heaven by Christ Himself on our behalf.  We will not have to stand trial in God’s criminal court at the great white throne of judgment (only the unsaved will be judged there); however, we will have to give account in God’s civil court at the judgment seat of Christ (for believers only).  Those believers who have been soul-winners and have lived a life pleasing to the Lord will be greatly rewarded (despite their faults and shortcomings alone the way).  But those believers who have abused their families, lived as crooks and liars, manipulated others for their own gain, attacked soul-winners, been tyrants toward others, showed little mercy, lived in continuous sin, broke promises, been selfish and self-centered…these are the hypocrites that will be severely dealt with by our God at the judgment seat of Christ (despite their good intentions, ministries and self-righteousness).  Oh what a day that will be!  How will you stand at the judgment seat of Christ?  Are you a sinister minister?  Are you a tyrant at home?  Are you an actor?  Or are you a humble sinner, trying to love thy neighbor as thyself from day to day?  Are you understanding with people, or a hot-headed monster with a big mouth?  Who are you?

“O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.” -Psalm 6:1

God DOES get angry!  I don’t want Him angry with me, do you want God angry with you?

“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.” -2nd Corinthians 5:11

Notice 2nd Corinthians 5:10 – 11 together…

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”

(2nd Corinthians 5:10-11)

Whether we like it or not, the moment we became a born-again Christian we became a witness for Christ.  Every believer is a walking book to be read by others.  The question is…do people see Jesus in us?  Do “the things done” in our body cause people to glorify God, or do they cause people to curse God in anger against us.  We are responsible for the influences which we make upon the souls of lost people around us.  Therefore, knowing the “terror of the Lord,” we persuade men.  The Apostle Paul feared God.  This particular word “terror” in Greek means “that which strikes terror, dread, fear“. Friend, I fear the day when I must stand before God.  I am not ashamed to admit that I fear God.  I want to live for Jesus now because I know that someday I will have to stand before Him in judgment.  I don’t know what the Lord will say to me, but I want to do my best to make sure that I don’t have to give account someday for defrauding anyone upon this earth.  I want to make things right now so God won’t have to force me to do so in heaven.  Many believers will be forced by God to right their wrongs in eternity.  Many people are stubborn and God will have to deal with them.   So again friend, listen to God’s Word and heed God’s warning…

“That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.” -1st Thessalonians 4:6

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Do Christians Have a License to Sin?

Do Christians Have a License to Sin?

by David J. Stewart

“Do we then make void the law through faith?  God Forbid: Yea, We Establish the Law.” -Romans 3:31

I frequently receive e-mails from people who are upset at the idea that a person can be saved simply by trusting Jesus Christ as one’s personal Saviour.  In particular, they are upset at the idea that someone can profess faith in Christ and still continue to live in sin, in effect… A LICENSE TO SIN!

One man who e-mailed me was very sarcastic and thanked me for opening his eyes.  He said that he was extremely happy now that he knew he could live in wild sin and still be saved.  He said that my teachings on salvation had given him a license to sin.

I would like to just share a few thoughts with you on this matter and clear up any misunderstandings.  I think the problem that quite a few people have is a lack of understanding about Biblical “repentance.” They confuse the “root” of the believer’s faith (Romans 4:3-5) with the “fruit” of the believer’s faith (James 2:18-21).  The word “repentance” in the Bible means “a change of mind.”  The Bible clearly teaches that repentance is necessary for salvation (Acts 2:38).  It is impossible for anyone to be saved without repentance.  But what exactly is repentance in the Bible?  Repentance is when we make a U-turn in our mind concerning Christ and our sins.

To be saved my friend, you MUST come to Christ as a SINNER (1st John 1:8-10).  If you are not a sinner, then why would you need a Savior?  It would not make any sense at all for a self-righteous person to ask Christ for forgiveness.  This is exactly why Jesus said that He did not come to save the righteous; but to call sinners to repentance.  My point is that you must turn from your “good” image of yourself and confess to God your “sinful” condition.  The unsaved and unrepentant man does not want anything to do with God or His Word (John 3:20).  When a person repents, whereas they were living in the pleasures of sin away from God, now they are in agreement with God that their sins are woefully wicked and they turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of those sins.  This is Biblical repentance.

Most people reject Jesus as their personal Savior and continue their downward spiral into hellfire and damnation.  But a FEW people, and only a few (Matthew 7:13-14), decide to come to Christ.  It is at the very moment that they decide to turn to Jesus Christ that repentance has taken place.  They “turned” towards the Savior to be forgiven of their sins.

False Believers

I was watching the news one day and heard something disturbing to me as a Christian.  A woman who makes a living as a porn model professed to be a Christian.  She said that Adam and Eve were naked in the Garden of Eden and she didn’t see anything wrong with being naked.  You see, she was seeking to justifying her evil deeds.  We’ll Adam and Eve were the only two people in the world back then also.   Do you see how mankind seeks to rationalize evil into good.  Jesus foretold of the time when the unsaved will murder Christians, thinking they are doing God a favor (John 16:2).  It is a dangerous thing to attempt to decide right from wrong apart from God’s Word.

I am convinced she is a liar, and no believer at all.  Why?  Because there is no evidence of salvation.  This is what James meant when he said in James 2:18: “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”  James was speaking about being justified in the eyes of men.  With God we are justified by faith alone; but with men we can only be justified by our works because men cannot see our heart (1st Samuel 16:7).  You see, a changed life is the FRUIT of genuine repentance; but not a part of saving faith.  I wouldn’t give you a dime for any believer’s testimony who attempts to justify abortion, homosexuality or other sins.  Does this mean they are not saved?  Only God knows for certain.  They certainly could be, as evidenced by believers in the Bible such as David, Jacob, Noah, Samson, Jonah and Solomon.  They all sinned horribly at times; yet they were saved.  The Bible instructs us as believers to judge “righteous judgment” (John 7:24).  We are to separate from carnal believers who indulge in sinful living and from those who attempt to justify sin (1st Corinthians 5:11).  Certainly, we are not wrong to doubt or question their salvation.  In 2nd Corinthians 13:5 the Apostle Paul questioned the salvation of certain of the professed believers at Corinth.

It is important to discern between the “root” of a believer’s faith; and the “fruit” of a believer’s faith.  The FRUIT should be present in the life of a genuine believer, but that believer will still falter at times (Proverb 24:16: “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief“).  There should be some type of evidence of a changed life to validate a person claim of being a true Christian.  This is NOT a part of saving faith; It is the result of genuine repentance.  In other words, a person should live right because they are a believer; not live right as a prerequisite in order to be saved.  If someone claims to be a Christian, but their life denies their words, then I certainly am going to doubt their testimony.  This is Biblical.

However, I am not going to fabricate a false doctrine, as the Lordship Salvation crowd has, to require sinners to cease from sinning in order to qualify for salvation.  Such damnable heresies corrupt the simple plan of salvation (2nd Corinthians 11:3).  Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15;6:23), paid for by Jesus’ precious redeeming blood (1st Peter 1:18,19).  We have no part in salvation except to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:31).

Do Sins Have to Be Forsaken to Be Saved?

Does an individual need to stop living in sin to be saved?  We know that a person must realize their guilt of sin (Romans 3:19), and believe on Jesus Christ to forgive those sins (Acts 16:31); but does a person actually have to forsake those sins to be saved?  No!

True Biblical repentance means turning to Jesus Christ by faith to be forgiven of one’s sins. The “turning” is not from the act of sin itself; but rather, TURNING TO THE LORD to be forgiven from the condemnation which sin has brought upon all mankind (Romans 3:19-23; 5:12). Lordship Salvationists have perverted the Gospel. They teach that repentance and faith are two separate steps to salvation, and that faith alone in Christ is insufficient to save anyone unless they’ve turned from their sinful lifestyle.  Salvation is receiving; not giving.  Salvation is turning to Jesus to be forgiven of one’s sins; NOT turning from one’s sins in order to be forgiven by Jesus.

In a sense, every believer DOES have a license to sin, i.e., one’s salvation is not conditioned upon works.  Romans 4:5 plainly states this: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”  You need HIS righteousness!!!

God Does Not Approve of A Believer Who Sins

1. Romans 3:31 states: “Do we then make void the law through faith? God Forbid: Yea, We Establish the Law.” Just because a born-again person is free from under the condemnation of the Law, it does NOT give him or her permission to sin; rather, we must establish the law and keep it.  Does a believer have a license to sin? … “Yes!”  A believer can sin without fear of going to Hell.  If this is not true, then the Bible is lying in Romans 4:5, Ephesians 2:8,9 and Titus 3:5—which plainly state that salvation is NOT by works!  Get mad at God because He said it.  However, no believer has God’s permission to sin, nor to make light of evil.  God hates sin and commands every believer to hate sin (Psalm 97:10).
   

2. The Bible clearly warns all believers in Hebrews 12:5 that God WILL chastise His own children.  Listen friend, no one is going to get away with anything.  I think oftentimes that many people get frustrated with the simple plan of salvation because they think being saved gives believers a ticket to hurt and abuse others — IT DOES NOT!  Romans 12:19 clearly teaches that God will “repay” (Greek: punish) those who defraud and hurt others.  This includes believers (2nd Corinthians 5:10).  1st Thessalonians 4:6 is a warning to all believers not to defraud each other because God will “avenge.”  Why would God have to say something like like that?  Why would God have to assure us that justice will eventually be executed?  Simply because sometimes we cannot obtain justice in this world.  God is more fair than any human judge could ever be.  We will receive justice and restitution at some point (or else the Bible is a fraud and God is not Holy).  God’s Judgment Seat and Laws supercede any of man’s courts or laws.  The Supreme Court may say that abortion is legal and acceptable, but God says it is cold-blooded murder.  If someone wrongs you, whether there is a law against it or not, God WILL avenge you if it was wrong.  A man desperately tried to stop his separated wife from aborting their child, she did it anyway with the backing force of the courts and law enforcement.  That wife will stand trial before God for murder and her husband and child will receive justice.

So don’t think that Christians have permission to sin.  On the contrary, believers will be held more accountable to God if they are deliberately sinning in the knowledge of the truth.  They have been enlightened.  They know better.

No one has God’s permission to live in sin; nevertheless, the Bible does teach that God only requires simple child-like faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved and eternally secure.  To those false prophets who would add holy living and works as requirements to receive the gift of God… you are in league with the Devil.  No person can be saved by good works, and no man can be lost by bad works.  The Bible declares that it is through a person’s FAITH by God’s GRACE that they are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Titus 3:5 proclaims, “Not by works of righteousness…”  No person is saved by works.  When the Apostle James speaks of “works,” he clearly says to show “me” your faith without your works.  You see friend, we are justified with mankind by works because he cannot see into our heart, but with God we are justified by faith Who can see into our heart.  If you add “works” to your faith in Christ, then it is no faith at all and you are still bound for Hell in your self-righteousness.

Conclusion

Please don’t allow anyone to deceive you on this matter, you do NOT have to live above sin to be saved.  Can any believer live above sin?  Of course not!  I don’t care how close you get to God, you will always sin as long as you are in the flesh.  I am not condoning sin, not one bit.  I am just saying that human beings cannot escape the “body of this death” as the Apostle Paul called it.  We are flesh, we are inherently greedy, lustful and envious.  It’s in our blood.  The ONLY escape is through the Lord Jesus Christ and only when we are walking in the Spirit of God can we live righteously.  Unfortunately, no Christian walks in the Spirit ALL the time.  We are still cursed by the flesh.  We shouldn’t sin, but as long as we are in the flesh we will sin at times.  It is a dangerous thing to teach (as the Pentecostals and Seventh-Day Adventists do) that a person needs to maintain good works to keep their salvation.  It is a lie of the Devil.  To go to Heaven, God only requires a simple child-like faith in THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Howbeit, no Christian has God’s permission to sin.  Just because we are saved and can live in sin without fear of going to Hell doesn’t give us permission to do so.  2nd Corinthians 5:10 plainly warns that every believer will stand trial at the Judgment Seat of Christ, to be judged according to his works (the good and the bad).  This will be a civil court, not a criminal court.  The condemnation of the believer’s sin is taken away by the blood of Jesus; but the consequences of the sins themselves must be given account for.  1st Corinthians 3:15 tells us that some believers will have no rewards in Heaven.  Tears will flow.  There will be sorrow and remorse for the sins and failures of this life.

Do believers have a license to sin? … “Yes,” if you are foolish enough to do so.  However, no believer has God’s permission to sin, and Hebrews 12:8 promises that God will chasten (i.e., discipline) his children who do choose to live in sin.  No genuine believer can choose to live in sin and truly be happy, because the Holy Spirit of God will convict them day and night.  Nevertheless, our salvation is not conditioned upon our works, good or bad.  Salvation is the gift of God, paid for by Jesus’ precious redeeming blood.