#ChristianLitmusTest

[writesaboutdragons]

Salvation, Pain, and Eternal Security is on my mind, thanks for asking.

It's tied around this guy, this show, and John MacArthur's message this morning on my way in to work. The question MacArthur raised was whether we could lose our salvation, and if so, how?

His message was around Romans 8, and if you've never read it, it's a great passage to read. It ends with this crescendo:

[Rom 8:38-39 NKJV] For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So the question was raised, well, what about US? Can we fall away? Can WE cause the loss of salvation? After all, the news is full of stories of people who were IN the faith, from what we could see, spiritual leaders, artists and authors, who walked away from the faith. Doesn't that negate their salvation? Can I sin enough, or reject God enough, to be OUT of the faith again?

And what does this have to do with the guy in the picture?

Well, the image is from The Chosen, which my wife and I have been watching. it centers around the experiences and perspectives of the apostles and disciples following Jesus around, and it's very good. For those who care, yes, it IS a work of fiction based on truth, so although the main points and plots are scriptural and I have not seen anything that contradicts the scriptural account yet, there's added stuff to flesh this out, some borrowed from tradition and the stories from early extrabiblical accounts, and some made up.

I have enjoyed it very much and expect you would too. Many episodes have had my wife and I crying. It's moving.

(spoiler alert) An episode of the Chosen recently (3rd season) centers around Peter (in the picture) and a crisis of faith. I will not say what, but he's angry at Jesus. Not because he doubts who He is, but because he KNOWS who He is. Why didn't an omnipotent God in Flesh protect him from harm? (end spoiler alert)

MacArthur pointed out this as well. We all have moments where we have a crisis of faith - where we don't necessarily doubt God's GODNESS, but His GOODNESS.

Can we fall away by sinning, or rejecting God? Well, our sin was paid for at the cross. past, present, future. For Jesus, ALL your sin was in the future. But that doesn't give us license to just go out and sin more. Read Romans 6 if you need help with that...

Those who walk away, who reject Christ? I know this is painful for anyone who has done that, so my apologies in advance, but John makes it clear:

[1Jo 2:19 NKJV] 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but [they went out] that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

So, what is the litmus test for whether I (or Peter, or you) are in the faith?

Well, examine yourself, to see if you are in the faith. Do you love God? Does the reading of His Word make you want to hear MORE, or make you want to shut it off? Do you want to gather with other believers and share this faith, what God has done in your life, or do you hate going to church, and want to avoid it at all costs? Does trial and temptation drive you to pray, or drive you to sin?

It's pretty straightforward. We DO sin, we are TEMPTED to sin, and we CAN feed the flesh. We CAN desire to hide from God, or run from church, or stop our ears to the Word, or avoid prayer, because if you ARE a Christian, ALL of those things would convict you of the sin you are chasing. And that, too, can be a proof.

But, like Peter, I can't ultimately deny who He is, and when times are tough and trials come, I will remember the goodness of God and the marvelous loving things he has done in MY life, to carry me through the hard times that come.