Many people, especially Americans, claim to be Christians, and believe that they are going to heaven. But they hold many diverse beliefs on how to get to heaven, and on who will go there. They also hold different beliefs about how a person should live after they are saved. Some believe that they can continue sinning after they are saved as long as they go to “confessional;” others believe that they have to completely leave the world to refrain from sin. Some believe that they must avoid sinning at all costs because it displeases God. A few refuse to partake in worldly things because they directly contradict the Bible. Some believe that all they have to do to be saved is to say a “sinner’s prayer,” without changing their life one bit.
The Bible, God’s inspired Word, warns that not everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved, Matthew 7 verses 21 to 23 says Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (All Scriptural quotations are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible) The Bible warns that not everyone who considers himself or herself to be Christian is heaven-bound.
If this seems impossible, read that passage again. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matt 7:21) Not every one that calls upon the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13) will enter heaven. Those that do the will of God will enter heaven. What is the will of God? God’s will is that believers should abstain from sin, but if they do sin, He will forgive them. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1). When Christians sin, God will forgive them if they confess and repent of their sins to Him. After Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda, he found him afterwards and warned him to “sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (John 5:14). To keep sinning obviously is not the will of God. Many Christians believe that they can continue sinning after they were saved. Jesus may be their Saviour, but Satan is still their lord, but they won’t admit this. They don’t believe the Bible, and they still live the worldly lives they lived before they were saved.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matt. 7:22,23). This verse testifies to the fact that many people believe that they are saved, when they really are not. It’s not just a few people that have a false hope of heaven; it’s many. There will be some who even cast out demons and perform miracles, even though they themselves aren’t saved. I’ve even been to a church like this. The pastor taught the congregation to abstain from “spiritual brokenness” instead of sin. When he leads people to Christ, he tells them to repent of their “spiritual brokenness” but never mentions sin. I wonder why.
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. (Revelation 3:1,2). Here is an example of a whole church that has gone astray. They have a name in this world, but are dead spiritually. This church is wealthy and prosperous, but it is dead in God’s eyes. Most of the attenders of this church are backslidden in the faith. Jesus commands this church to remember what they have been taught, and repent. (Revelation 3:3) Of all the people in this church, only a few are actually saved. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (Revelation 3:4).
Many of the so-called preachers who teach that people can keep on willfully sinning and still be saved have been taught this by some heretic. They are an example of one of the many false teachers that the Bible warns about. The Bible warns that of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. (Acts 20:30). The Bible also warns that there will be an apostasy, a departure from the true faith, before Jesus returns. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the end times] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Also, many so-called evangelists also preach this “easy believism”; it gets them converts quickly, but they are false teachers, and they are leading their converts astray. They believe that since they are under grace, they don’t have to obey God’s laws. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Romans 6:1,2. Salvation is in fact by God’s grace, but these people use the grace of God as a reason to approve of lascivious behavior. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the GRACE of our God INTO LASCIVIOUSNESS, and DENYING the only “Lord” God, and our “Lord” Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4) These people do not know the grace of God. For the grace of God THAT BRINGETH SALVATION hath appeared to all men, TEACHING US that, DENYING ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. (Titus 2:11,12)
Many people claim to be born again believers, but it is obvious that not all of them are really saved. The Bible warns that not everyone that calls themselves a Christian will enter heaven. For Christians who are in this very risky and dangerous situation, I would strongly advise the they would pray to God, and repent for willingly sinning. They should abstain from sinning at all costs and choose to live for Christ daily.
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