ROBOTS AND THEIR ETERNAL SECURITY Part 2

ROBOTS AND THEIR ETERNAL SECURITY

Part 2

Note: This is the second part of this blog series. It is helpful to you if you'll  read first Robots and Their Eternal Security Part 1 if you haven't read it yet. 

So where were we? Well, we already know in what manner we approach the Word of God- that is with a humble and expectant heart. The Word of God already disprove what their pastor said. We should not be selective with the Word. 


Now, let's tackle about Backsliding. According to the pastor I talked with and I quote, "There is no such thing as backsliding. Anyone who could not stand firm to the very end has, in the first place, never truly accepted Christ in his/her life."


So, what does the Word says? Is there really no such thing called backsliding? What does it mean to backslide? 

BACKSLIDING

-What is backsliding

Encarta Dictionary defines the word "backslide" as a 'relapse into bad habit; to fall back into wrongdoing or a bad habit after an attempt to act in a better way. Its synonyms are 'relapse, go back to your old ways, lapse, revert, regress, slip back.'

-What God's Word say about it:

Jeremiah 2:19
"Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty."

Jeremiah 3:22
“Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.” “Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.

Jeremiah 5:6

Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many.

Jeremiah 5:19
And when the people ask, ‘Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.’

Jeremiah 9:13
The LORD said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law.

Jeremiah 15:6
You have rejected me,” declares the LORD. “You keep on backsliding. So I will reach out and destroy you; I am tired of holding back.

Jeremiah 22:9
And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and have worshiped and served other gods.

Joshua 24:20

If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”


Judges 10:13

But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you.


1 Samuel 12:10

They cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’


2 Chronicles 24:20

Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the LORD’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.’”


Jeremiah 17:13

LORD, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water.


Isaiah 17:10

You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.

According to the Word of God, to backslide is:

• To forsake the LORD or to turn away from God.
• To rebel against God.
• Rejecting God.
• Forsaking God's law in disobedience.
• Serving other gods or idols.
• Forsaking God's covenant or promises.
• Forgetting or not remembering GOD.
• 
  

Point: A person can never backslide if he is not Christian or a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. You cannot forsake, reject, leave or abandon the LORD if in the first place you have never believe in the LORD. Just like you can never left America if in the first place you've never been in America. You can never rebel against a God whom you did not serve. You cannot forget someone you did not know. 

Is it really possible for someone who accepted Christ as his/her Lord and Savior to forsake Him who saves him/her?


Well, yes! Because we still have our free will. (Let's talk about this later in Part 3)


If you read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, there are so many instances that the people of God, the people He so dearly loved, the people He saved, still turned away and forsake Him. This is frustrating, right? 


People in the Bible who turned away from God:

• Israel, God's chosen people. They kept on turning away from God whenever they don't have a king or leader who is strong in the faith. After God so miraculously saved them and delivered them from the slavery of Egypt, and after how God so miraculously provided them with food(manna), they easily forgot God.

• King Saul

“I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all that night.

1 Samuel 15:11

• King Joash

"He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years of Jehoiada the priest. He restored the temple of the Lord. 

After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem. Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen."

2 Chronicles 24:2,4, 17-19

• Some Christians in Galatia. 

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—" Galatians 1:6

"But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you."

Galatians 4:9-11

• Some widows Paul talk about in 1 Timothy 5:11-15 who turned away to follow Satan.

"As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry.  Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan."

• Those who shipwrecked their faith because they did not hold on to their faith and a good conscience.

".. holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith."

1 Timothy 1:19

There are still so many examples in the Bible of people who forsake the Lord. Read the book of Jeremiah and Hosea. Both speak about the unfaithfulness of God's people. 

What makes a Christian or a born again turn away or forsake God:

• Different Gospel

Many believers will be deceived by a different gospel or false doctrine. God warns us about this. 

"As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father." 

1 John 2:24

I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.  As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

1 John 2:26-27

There are those who are trying to lead you astray! Remain in the straight path!

"Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet and STAY ON THE SAFE PATH."

 Proverbs 4:25-26

• Love of this world and love of money.

We must always check our hearts everyday. Our hearts can be easily deceived. Whatever or whoever owns your hearts is your god. "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first." Revelation 2:4 Therefore, return to your first love -God!

• Compromising and then being entangled back by sin.

"As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance."1 Peter 1:14

• Ignorance of the scripture.

If you do not read the Word of God, you will be easily deceived. Reading the Bible will make you strong in your faith in God, it will teach you, rebuke you and give you wisdom so you won't be deceived by false teaching or doctrines that contradicts what God says. 

How to keep your self from backsliding:

• Read the Bible
• Pray without ceasing
• Have a Christian friend
• Fellowship with the church
• 
  

If you have forsaken the Lord, always remember that as long as you are still alive, God is giving you a chance to repent and return to Him. But don't wait for tomorrow because tomorrow might not come. The Lord is calling you now...

“Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.” 

Respond to God's call for repentance. Do not hardened your heart. 

Say, “Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.

ROBOTS AND THEIR ETERNAL SECURITY Part 1

ROBOTS AND THEIR ETERNAL SECURITY
Part 1

The words I heard from him was deeply disturbing. At 3 A.M., I still could not sleep no matter how hard I tried. I can feel that the spirit within me is groaning and crying. I prayed and cried to God.

What was that all about? Certainly, what he told me is false and contrary to what the Bible says. My God, the God I am serving, the Savior who saves me is not like that. Are we really serving the same God? Or is he a slave of a cold-hearted tyrant who imposes or forces his will on him?

It was the 7^th day of April and was my co-worker’s birthday. At 6:45 PM, I went to her house to join the celebration. It was fun being with them at first. We sang songs about the faithfulness of God and they even let me speak and give a birthday wish for my officemate and friend.

After dinner, about 8:30 P.M., I am already thinking of going home because there no longer any tricycle in the terminal by 9 P.M. That is when their pastor sat beside me. (My officemate/friend and I do not go to the same church and we do not have the same doctrine.) We chatted a little. He asked me why I did not bring our common friend who is a pastor in my church that night. Then he asked me about the church I fellowship with and its history. Is it evangelical or Pentecostal? He also asked me about how I became a Christian. That is how it all started. However, I never really expected what happened next. Well, I do have a hunch but not exactly, what I expected.

I told him I accepted Jesus Christ when I was in my first year of College but during those periods, I did not serve God yet. I was not yet spiritually mature. So during my journey, there were times, I went back to the old self, I started not going to church and separated myself from my Christian friends. I added that it was only during my last year in college when I finally recommit myself to the Lord after 2 years or so of backsliding…

These are the things he told me after that:

• There is no such thing as backsliding. Anyone who could not stand firm to the very end has, in the first place, never truly accepted Christ in his/her life.

• It’s just apostacy or being partakers but never really a part of the Vine. Those who will be cut off are simply like Judas who never truly understands and accepted Jesus in his life. They are those who will be cut off from the Vine and will be thrown out into the fire.

• After receiving Christ, you are already born again and no one who is born of God will continue sinning (1 Joh 3:9). You could no longer continue to sin because GOD CONTROLS YOU. Just like how a demon possessed a person, the Holy Spirit is now in control of you.

• Your free will is only DURING ACCEPTING CHRIST, that is if you will accept the gift or reject it. When you accept Christ in your life, IT IS NO LONGER YOUR FREE WILL BUT GOD’S WILL. Your free will stops/ends after you become born again.

• Read the Bible in a positive approach. (He cited some verses and said, “Read it in a positive approach.”)

During that time, I only gave him back questions. I asked him about the Vine, the Ingrafted Branches, the Prodigal Son and the Ten Virgins. Well, he never really talked about the Ten Virgins but focused more on the  Prodigal Son , the Vine (John 15) and the Parable of the Sower.

I don’t really have chance to speak because most of the time, he did all the talking. So, I decided to listen because I also want to hear and know their side and what they believe. I don’t want to argue because the Bible said,

“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to knowledge of the Truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 

2 Timothy 2:23

I felt very uncomfortable. I wanted to go home so badly. I started sending text messages to my church-mates asking them to bring me home. It was already 9:45 P.M. The other people which are also member of their church already gathered around us. The wife of the pastor also confirms whatever her husband tell me. I felt I was trapped! I wasn’t use to that kind of way of teaching people. Our Pastor in our church never does that.  I used to o with our Pastor whenever he conducts a Bible Study with Roman Catholics and other (non)pre-believers and most of the time, he gave those people the time to talk. He(our pastor) told us that “the people you ministered to needs time, needs people to listen. You will never  win them to God if you does all the talking and try to impose on them God’s truth.”

I already know about their faith of Once Save Always Save doctrine.  I respect that though I don’t agree with them. My officemate already tried to argue it with me before but we came up with the agreement to just respect each other, besides we both desire to please and glorify God with our lives.  But now? What’s happening? I really wanted to cry but I tried to control my emotions.

Thank God, I was finally able to go home by 10 P.M. My heart was very heavy so I directly went to my room and prayed. I was gravely alarmed by what I heard. Born Again Christians no longer have  free will? What? So am I a robot?

I told my friend/pastor about what happened. He replied, “Palaaway (what he calls me) please???... 1 John 2:26-27… Be firm in your faith.. God is with you. It is better that you will try to avoid them so that you will not stumble and be deceived. Be on guard. Let’s continue to pray for them and show them God’s love.”

I also told another youth pastor in our church and he told me, “You  know your doctrine. Receive what is according to GOD’s Word. Reject what is not.” I also asked him, “When reading the Word, we should not read it in a positive approach, right? There are God’s warning in the Bible, we should not set aside those warnings and read or focus only on those positive or nice verses, right? Because if we read and approach God’s Word that way, it’s like we are ONLY READING WHAT WE WANT TO READ OR HEAR, right? The Word of God said in Jeremiah to just speak or proclaim His word. We should not add flavor or spices so that those who hears will be please.” And he replied and affirmed, “Yes, you should not. WE SHOULD NOT BE SELECTIVE WITH THE WORD.”  The Word of God will speak to you if you humble your self before God. Read the Word with a humble and expectant heart.  It could be a painful rebuke or comforting and encouraging words, but do not try to CUSTOMIZE IT TO SUIT YOU. 

The Bible speaks of people like that in 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

"For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

So, I am writing this blog in response to what their pastor told me since I was not given a chance to speak. I don't know if they will come across this blog but in God's time, God will lead them to this blog. 

I will not speak for God. God does not need an Attorney. Instead, in these series of blog post, I WILL LET GOD SPEAK FOR HIMSELF. God challenges you this,

"...know WHOSE WORD WILL STAND ---MINE OR THEIRS." (Jeremiah 44:28)