“… For it
is impossible to bring back to repentance
those who
were once enlightened—those
who have
experienced the good things of heaven and shared
in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the
power of the age to come— and who
then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people
back to repentance;
by rejecting the
Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross
once again and holding him up to public shame. …”
(Hebrews 6:4-8 NLT).
*
BELIEVERS are “NOT” sinners SAVED by
GRACE. They WERE sinners saved by GRACE. My bible SAYS WE ARE “FREE” from SIN! “…I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t….I don’t want to do what is wrong,
but I do it anyway. …” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT). “…Who will free me from this life that is dominated by SIN? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus
Christ our Lord (the WORD OF GOD)…” (Romans
7:14-25 NLT). “…if the
Son (Jesus Christ, the indwelling Holy Spirit)…shall make you FREE, ye shall be FREE
indeed.” (John 8:36 KJV).
“…Apart from Me (Jesus, the WORD OF GOD), you
can do nothing (you CANNOT be freed from sin)…” (John 15:5 NIV). “…by
the GRACE of God I am what I am…” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV). I AM “FREE” from SIN!
I AM (you ARE), right NOW, FREE from Sin. “ ... Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex
with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers
will inherit the kingdom of God. And that
is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you
were justified in the name of the LORD Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our
God...” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NIV).
The SIN, I am speaking
about, is not your mistakes, shortcomings, imperfections, weaknesses, or
failures, which is common to those who are TRAINING for HOLINESS (training to
walk or live FREE from sin). “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in
persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong”
(2 Corinthians 12:10 KJV). “…I will
supply all your NEED…” (John 12:32 KJV). “… [God’s people]… OUT OF WEAKNESS WERE MADE STRONG….” (Hebrews
11:33-34 KJV). “…My
grace is sufficient for you, for MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS…” (2 Corinthians 12:9
NIV). “…NOT that we are sufficient OF OURSELVES to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is
of God…” (2 Corinthians 3:5 KJV).
YOU
ARE no longer dominated by the LIMITATIONS of the sin nature.
“…Who will free me from this life that is
dominated by SIN? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord (the
WORD OF GOD)…” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT). “…if the Son (Jesus Christ, the Word of God)…shall
make you FREE, ye
shall be FREE indeed.” (John 8:36 KJV).
This particular SIN (an evil heart of
unbelief) refers to those who have willfully and voluntarily CHOSEN to fall
away or LEAVE the intimate, covenant relationship with God, the Holy Spirit. “... [to] ... those
who were once enlightened ... who have ... experienced the good
things of heaven and shared in the Holy
Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the
power of the age to come— and who
Then... [choose to]...turn
away from God...”
(Hebrews 6:4-8 NLT). “…You have fallen
away from God’s GRACE…”
(Galatians 5:4 NLT).
One
of the reasons one may CHOOSE to FALL AWAY from God’s GRACE is the rejection of
HIS WORD, which would result in a HARDENED HEART. “... who
then turn away from God ... by rejecting the Son of God (or
rejecting the Word of God)…”
(Hebrews 6:4-8 NLT).
“... IN LATTER TIMES “SOME” SHALL DEPART FROM the FAITH!!!!...” (1
Timothy 4:1-3 KJV). “...Take heed, BRETHREN,
lest there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief (rejection
of truth), in departing from the living God...” (Hebrews 3:12 KJV). “... For it had been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy
commandment delivered unto them...” (2 Peter 5:4 KJV).
“... Their
minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him...” (Ephesians 4:8 NLT).
“…my
people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they
wanted, following the stubborn desires
of their evil hearts. They went backward
instead of forward”
(Jeremiah 7:24 NLT). “…You have fallen
away from God’s GRACE…”
(Galatians 5:4 NLT).
“But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We
will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly
following our own evil desires”
(JEREMIAH 18:12 NLT),
God LOVINGLY PLEADS: “...
don’t harden
your hearts as Israel
did when they [choose to willfully rebel] (choose to do what they wanted to do)...” (Hebrews 3:8 NLT).
You can’t
KEEP all the other HOLY commandments and think you are ONLY breaking one, so I am
OKAY because I DO a lot of other religious DEEDS. “... For the person who keeps all of
the [Holy] ... laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s [Holy] ...laws. For the same
God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.”
So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still
broken the law. So whatever you say or
whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. There will
be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been
merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but
don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save
anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no
food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a
good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food
or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some
people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith (show your dependence
upon God’s WORD) if you don’t have good deeds (that PROVES you are depending
upon God’s WORD)? I will show you my faith
by my good deeds.” You say you have
faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this (demons believe the POWER of God’s
Word), and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Don’t you
remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his
actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith (dependence
upon God’s Word) and his actions (sacrificing
ISSAC, the son, whom God promised, his descendants, would come through) worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And
so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, (depended upon God’s Word) and God counted him as righteous because of his faith (dependence on HIM).” He was even called the friend of God. So
you see, we are shown to be
right with God by what we do, not by faith alone...” (James 2:10-24 NLT).
DEPENDING
upon God’s WORD ALWAYS corresponds with ACTIONS that PROVES that dependence. “…Ye shall know them by their fruit…” (Matthew
7:16 KJV). “…The fruit
of the [invisible indwelling Holy]… Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance…” (Galatians 5:22-23
KJV). “ ...The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit
in our lives…” (Galatians 5 NLT). "…My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much
fruit, and so PROVE to be My disciples” (John 15:8 NIV). SO,
“... don’t harden your hearts ...” (Hebrews 3:8 NLT).
The HEART
is WHERE the COMMAND center is and houses your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.
“... for with THE HEART man (woman) BELIEVETH....” (Romans 10:10
KJV). “... whosoever ...SHALL NOT doubt in his(her)
HEART, but SHALL BELIEVE...” (Mark 11:23
KJV).
The command
center or the HEART affects and influences EVERYTHING you say or do. It is“… from within, out of
the heart (command center of the SOUL)
of man, proceed evil thoughts…these … come from within, and defile a person.”
(Mark 7:21-23 KJV). The heart (command center of
the SOUL) “…is
deceitful above all things and desperately wicked…who can know it…”
(Jeremiah 17:9 KJV). "… out of the abundance of the heart (command center of the SOUL) the
mouth speaks. The good man, out of his good treasure, brings forth
good things, and the evil man, out
of his evil treasure, brings forth evil things."
(Matthew 12:34-35).
“…God is Spirit …” (John 4:24 KJV). “…God … sent forth the Spirit of His Son (the WORD of God) “INTO” [Y]OUR HEARTS…”
(Galatians 4:6 NASB). “…GOD IS SPIRIT…”
(John 4:24 KJV). “…[the WORD] is that Spirit
[too]…” (2 Corinthians 3:17 KJV). The “WORD” is spirit and God is spirit;
they are one and the same. “…the Word was God...” (John 1:1-4 NASB). Therefore,
“…Jesus Christ (the Word of God) is in you…” (2
Corinthians 13:5 KJV). “…The
[Holy] Spirit of God dwell[s] in
you…” (Romans 8:9 KJV).
Thus,
“…Christ
[THE WORD dwells] in your
hearts by faith
…” (Ephesians 3:17 KJV “ …[you]…have this treasure in [your]…earthen vessel (body)...” (2
Corinthians 4:6-7 KJV).
“…So I say, let the Holy Spirit (IF you have
the indwelling Holy Spirit) guide your lives ...the [
indwelling Holy] Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the
sinful nature (body) desires. These
TWO FORCES are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry
out your good intentions. … …” (Galatians 5 NLT). “…[you]…have this treasure in [your]…earthen vessel (body)...” (2
Corinthians 4:6-7 KJV).
The HEART can be HARDENED by unbelief.
After God had FED the five and four thousand, where his OWN disciples had
witnessed the POWER of his WORD and tasted “the
POWERS of heaven” they became concerned again about how they would feed the
crowd again. “...At this they began to argue with each other because they
hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he
said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t
you know or understand even yet (the POWER of God’s WORD)? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have
eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything
at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread,
how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?” “Twelve,” they said. “And when I fed the
4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up? “Seven,” they said. “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them...” (Mark 8:16-21 NLT).
In
other words, don’t you UNDERSTAND (become aware of) yet about the POWER of God’s WORD. For instance, the POWER of HIS WORD
to PROVIDE! “…God is the one
who provides …” (2
Corinthians 9:10-13 KJV). “… God will supply all [your need]…” (Philippians
4:19 NASB).
It was THEIR “UNBELIEF” that made Jesus,
the WORD OF GOD, question the HARDNESS of their heart. “... Why are you
arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet (the POWER
of God’s WORD)? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘...” (Mark 8:16-21 NLT).
The HARDENED HEART cannot SEE (be
enlightened by the Word), cannot HEAR (the WORD), cannot UNDERSTAND (become
aware of the POWER of God’s WORD), and can’t seem to REMEMBER (what HIS WORD
has done before their very OWN EYES). “...You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed
the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick
up afterward?” “Twelve,” they said. “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets
of leftovers did you pick up? “Seven,” they said. “Don’t you understand
yet?” he asked them...” (Mark 8:16-21 NLT).
God had FED thousands, TWICE, and
both times the disciples SAW and HEARD what he DID and could DO by the POWER of
HIS WORD.
Yet, when they came to the SAME problem again, they rejected what the WORD
could do or had done and and resorted to panic, fear, and concern. “...They began
to discuss with one another the fact
that they had no bread. And Jesus,
aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact
that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or
understand? Do you have a hardened heart??...” (Mark
8:16-17 NASB).
God PROMISES to take CARE of HIS
PEOPLE, but MANY have very LITTLE faith or dependence upon the POWER of HIS
WORD to PROVIDE for ALL their needs. “…God is the one
who provides …” (2
Corinthians 9:10-13 KJV). “… God will supply all [your need]…” (Philippians
4:19 NASB). “…God will generously PROVIDE all you need…” (2
Corinthians 9:8 NLT). JEHOVAH –JIREH
means: "The Lord
Will Provide." ). “…by the GRACE of God [ALL MY
NEEDS ARE SUPPLIED]…” (1
Corinthians 15:10 NIV).
“…Trust in (depend
upon) [the WORD of GOD] ... with
all thine heart…” (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV). “…[God, the Holy Spirit], “WILL” accomplish (take care of)…that which
concerns [you]…” (John 14:31 NASB). “...Casting all your care upon
him (God, the Holy Spirit); for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 KJV). “…All he
does (God, the Holy Spirit) is just and good, and all his [WORDS] are TRUSTWORTHY….”
(PSALMS 111:7 NLT).
God KNOWS your HEART. “…God is Spirit …” (John
4:24 KJV). “...God sees not as man
sees, for man looks at the outward
appearance, …” (1
Samuel 16:7 NASB).
It is IMPORTANT to REMEMBER each and every
time, you SAW, with your OWN eyes that God PROVIDED. He PROMISES to ALWAYS
PROVIDE your NEEDS. “… God will supply all [your need]…” (Philippians
4:19 NASB).“…God will generously PROVIDE all you need…” (2
Corinthians 9:8 NLT).
Therefore,
“…BE
CONTENT....God has said “Never will
I leave you; never will I
forsake you…” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV). “... BE STRONG and of good courage,
FEAR NOT, “NOR” BE
AFRAID of them (problems,
issues, concerns, etc.): for the Lord thy God, he it is that DOETH GO with thee; he SHALL NOT FAIL
thee; “NOR” FORSAKE thee...” (Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV).
UNBELIEF is sin and sin
causes the HEART to HARDENED. God LOVINGLY PLEADS: “... don’t harden your hearts as
Israel did when they [choose to willfully rebel] (or chose to do what they wanted to
do)...” (Hebrews 3:8 NLT). “... who
then turn away from God ... by rejecting the Son of God (or
rejecting the Word of God)…”
(Hebrews 6:4-8 NLT).“...Take
heed, BRETHREN, lest there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief (rejection
of god’s truth), in departing from the living God...” (Hebrews 3:12 KJV). “... For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have
known it, to turn
from the holy
commandment delivered unto them...” (2 Peter 5:4 KJV). “... Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him...” (Ephesians 4:8 NLT).
“... who
then turn away from God ... by rejecting the Son of God (or
rejecting the Word of God)…”
(Hebrews 6:4-8 NLT). “...The Word is
sown, but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh AWAY the
Word that was sown IN THEIR HEARTS.... these are sown on STONE ground (hard hearts); who, when they have heard the Word
immediately receive it with gladness, but
FOR A TIME...” (Mark 4:14-16
KJV).“... don’t harden your hearts...”
(Hebrews 3:8 NLT).
God MAY LOVINGLY PLEAD with HIS PEOPLE to
REPENT, but it is THEIR CHOICE. God’s OWN people are FREE to
ABIDE with HIM or they are FREE to fall away or DEPART FROM HIM. God has said: “…my people would not listen to me.
They kept doing whatever they wanted, following
the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead (backslide) of
forward...”
(Jeremiah 7:24 NLT). “But the
people replied,
“Don’t waste your breath. We will
continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires”
(JEREMIAH 18:12 NLT). WHY?“…MEN LOVED DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT, because THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved…”
(John 3:18-20 KJV).
“… strait is the
GATE, and NARROW is the way, which
leadeth unto [eternal] ... life, and few there be that find
it…” (Matthew 7:14 KJV). “…Jesus
saith unto him, I am
the way,
the truth, and the life …”
(John 14 6 KJV).
Those who enter into the NARROW WAY are “IN” Christ. “IN” Christ
MEANS you are CONNECTED with God, again, through the indwelling Holy Spirit. “…He [or she]… that is joined unto
the Lord is ONE SPIRIT….”
(1 Corinthians 6:17). “… abide in me, and I in you…” (John 15:4 KJV). “…I
am the vine, you are the branches…” (John
15:1-11 NASB).
Jesus “IS” the WAY to obtain ETERNAL LIFE.
“…The GIFT of God is eternal
life
through Jesus
Christ ….” (Romans 6:23 KJV). Jesus “IS” the WORD of GOD. Jesus had another name.
“… His name is called The Word of God…” (Revelation 19:12-13 NASB).
IF Jesus “IS” the WORD of
God; then the WORD of God is the WAY to eternal life. “…Jesus (the Word of God) saith
unto him, I am
the way,
the truth, and the life …”
(John 14 6 KJV).
IF Jesus, the Word of God,
is the WAY; then to FOLLOW “another” WAY is to REJECT the WAY God has
established through the Son (the WORD). “... who
then turn away from God ... by rejecting the Son of God (or
rejecting the Word of God)…”
(Hebrews 6:4-8 NLT).
If
the WAY you are TAKING is NOT the NARROW WAY it is NOT God’s WAY. Even if YOUR
WAYS seem right it leads to death and destruction. “…There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but
the end thereof are the ways of DEATH...” (Proverbs
14:20 KJV). “…the way is broad that leads to destruction, …”
(Matthew 7:13-14 NASB).“… the way of the ungodly shall perish…” (Psalms 1:6 KJV). “… Good
men and women travel right into life;
sin’s detours
take you straight to hell…”
(Proverbs 12:28 MSG). “… Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and
he that hateth reproof shall die…”
(Proverbs 15:10 KJV). There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but
the end thereof are the ways of DEATH...” (Proverbs
14:20 KJV).
BETWEEN ACCEPTING
CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE; THERE
IS A “WAY” YOU MUST TRAVEL. Jesus saith…I am the way…”
(John 14:6 KJV). “…"This is the
way; walk in it…"
Isaiah 30:21 NIV). “…THE WAY is
narrow that LEADS TO LIFE, and there are few who find it…”
(Matthew 7:13-14 NASB). Jesus
saith…I am THE
WAY …” (John 14:6 KJV).
YOU CAN NOT ALTER THE WAY, IGNORE THE WAY,
REJECT THE WAY, CHANGE THE WAY TO FIT YOUR LIFESTYLE, MODIFY THE WAY, CREATE
YOUR “OWN” WAY, RE-LABEL THE WAY, AND
YOU CAN’T MAKE A NEW WAY. JESUS IS THE
“ONLY” WAY. Jesus saith…I am THE WAY
…” (John 14:6 KJV).
ACCEPTING CHRIST AS SAVIOR “OPENS” THE DOOR,
WHICH IS THE “NARROW” GATE THAT LEADS TO THE WAY OR THE PATH YOU MUST CHOOSE TO
TAKE! “…Enter
through the narrow gate
...THE WAY is narrow that LEADS TO LIFE…”
(Matthew 7:13-14 NASB).
THE “DOOR” INTO THE NARROW GATE IS NOT THE
DESTINATION IT IS THE ENTRANCE TO THE PATH TO THE DESTINATION: ETERNAL LIFE. “…THE
WAY is narrow that LEADS TO LIFE (ETERNAL LIFE)…”
(Matthew 7:13-14 NASB).
YOU MUST CHOOSE TO TRAVEL THAT PATH IN
ORDER TO GET TO THE DESTINATION (ETERNAL LIFE. “…THE
WAY is narrow that LEADS TO LIFE…”
(Matthew 7:13-14 NASB).“ ... Jesus
(THE WORD OF GOD) saith…I am THE WAY …” (John 14:6 KJV). “….Apart from Me
(Jesus, the WORD), you can do nothing (YOU CANNOT GO THE
NARROW WAY)…” (John 15:5 NIV). “…This makes it clear that our great power (TO ENDURE TO THE END) is from God, not
from ourselves…” (2 Corinthians 4:5-7
NLT). “…the Father that dwelleth in me, he
doeth the works…” (John 14:10 KJV).
JESUS IS THE WAY AND ETERNAL LIFE IS THE
DESTINATION! “…The GIFT of God
is eternal life through Jesus
Christ (THE WAY; THE PATH)….”
(Romans 6:23 KJV).
Therefore, "… Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is
wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who
enter through it. For the
gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.…” (Matthew 7:14 KJV).
THE BROAD WAY STARTS OUT WIDE, BUT ENDS
NARROW: DEATH.
THE NARROW WAY STARTS ONE WAY, BUT ENDS BROAD: ETERNAL LIFE.
One of the SINFUL
practices of THOSE who have willfully and voluntarily
CHOSEN to fall away or LEAVE, God, the
Holy Sprit, is UNBELIEF. UNBELIEF can LEAD to a hardened HEART. “... [to] ... those
who were once enlightened ... who have ... experienced the good
things of heaven and shared in the Holy
Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the
power of the age to come— and who
then turn away from God. … [AGAIN]... who [chooses to]...turn
away from God... It is impossible to
bring such people
back to repentance;
by rejecting the Son of
God...”
(Hebrews 6:4-8 NLT).
“...Take heed, BRETHREN, lest there be in
any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God...” (Hebrews 3:12 KJV).
“... encourage
one another day after day, as long as it is still
called “Today,” so that none of you will
be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin...” (Hebrews 3:13 NASB).
Even through, “... In Him,.., you WERE SEALED IN HIM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF
PROMISE.…” (Ephesians 1 NLT).
YET. “... the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing
even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,....” (Hebrews 4:12 NASB).
You
ARE sealed, but the WORD can CUT asunder the SEAL between the SOUL AND SPIRIT
when it TELLS you “SIN” will put a separation between YOU and God. Sin will CUT
you OFF from God, the Holy Spirit and cut
asunder the SEAL. “…Your
INIQUITIES (falling away, departing, etc) … separated … you and your God…”
(Isaiah 59:2 KJV). “…you have been cut off
(SEVERED) from Christ! You have fallen
away from God’s GRACE…”
(Galatians 5:4 NLT). “...hardened
by the deceitfulness of sin...” (Hebrews 3:13 NASB).
You
are FREE from sin, but you can STILL freely choose to continue to PRACTICE a
lifestyle of SIN! If you continue to PRACTICE a lifestyle of SIN,
you do it because you WANT to; not because you have too. WHY is this true?
Because you are FREE from sin, the Son SET
you FREE!! “…Who will free me from this life that is dominated by SIN? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord (the
WORD OF GOD)…” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT).“If the Son therefore shall make you free, you SHALL be free indeed…” (John 8:36 KJV). “…Choose you
this day whom
ye will serve….”
(Joshua 24:15 KJV).
IT IS UP TO YOU TO “CHOOSE” TO BE FREE!!
THEREFORE, “… repent and
DO the first works [of ABIDING with the WORD of GOD,
the Holy Spirit]…” (Revelation 2:5 KJV).
“…EXCEPT YE REPENT, ye shall all likewise PERISH…”
(Luke 13:3 KJV).
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