Excerpt from the book I Die Daily
The Cross and the Wolf
“There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shown difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.” Ezekiel 22:25-27
Make no mistake: there is a literal “conspiracy” of the false prophets against the God they claim to be serving. In their rebellion “they have devoured souls.” They have removed the “treasure and precious things” of God’s Word by replacing His precious precepts with the use of fad books, human philosophy, psychologies, and traditions. In doing so they have spoiled many souls, a fate of which Paul warned us to “Beware” (Col. 2:8). This they do to “get dishonest gain”—to gain their own fame, man’s approval, and earthly riches.
At the center of the “precious things” stolen by today’s wolves is the biblical message of the cross of Christ—that Christ laid down His life on the altar of the cross for our redemption, and then commands those who will be His to lay down their own lives to follow Him (Matt. 16:24-25; Luke 9:23-24).
The false teacher conveys to people what they want to hear in order to become popular. He meticulously picks and chooses the Scriptures he uses in order to entice and allure his audience to be endeared to him—in order “to get dishonest gain” (Ezek. 22:27). He refuses to teach the things that would jeopardize his standing with people. He fears men and not God (Gal. 1:10). This method of only teaching soft and dainty things works due to the obvious fact that there are so many who want to be told that going to Heaven and Christianity are easy. But that is simply a misrepresentation. That’s not what Jesus and His apostles taught.
“Strive (agonize) to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Luke 13:24
Does that sound easy?
“Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12
How many times are you hearing these divinely inspired words communicated by your leader(s)?
What about the following words of Christ? Have you heard this preached lately?
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7:13-15
Notice in the above passage what Jesus is telling us. There is a narrow way that leads to Heaven and a wide road that leads to hell. Many are going down that wide road that leads to damnation and only a few are going down the narrow road that leads to eternal life. “False prophets” who are disguised in “sheep’s clothing” are, by their refusal to teach what Jesus taught, making the road to Heaven appear wider than He said it is.
The wolf leader is a hireling who is using his position in the ministry as a business to promote himself, so he does not want God’s Word getting in the way of such “success.” He certainly does not want God’s pure and circumcising Word of the cross doing its convicting work, because that won’t garner to him masses of people to fulfill his personal, self-serving dream.
The counterfeit leader would rather be relevant, relative, and seeker sensitive in order to reach a much larger segment of society. He markets his cross-less wares to the vast majority of people who are self-seeking instead of Savior seeking (Matt. 7:13-14; 2 Tim. 3:1-7). The beguiling author or leader targets this rebellious audience because they are much more plentiful and don’t read and heed the Bible, and therefore are easy to deceive and employ for the accomplishment of his goal.
Those who serve the lusts of the flesh instead of Christ, desire to be told that they are doing well in their current spiritual state, as they indulge in the lusts of the sinful nature, all the while believing they are saved and going to Heaven. But the Bible tells us that all those who love this world and the things in it are not of the Father (1 John 2:15-17). They shun the light of truth coming from the true God-fearing remnant of God’s people. They come to the defense of their false leaders when watchmen seek to uncover their evil teachings that are contrary to the clear message of God’s Word.
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and 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. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” John 3:19-21
Of the “evil workers” who “mind earthly things,” the Holy Spirit warns:
“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” Philippians 3:18-19
The wolf entices people to act on their sinful lusts—covetousness, greed, spiritual adultery, and idolatry. Instead of preaching the cross—that we must die that He might live, they “mind earthly things.” They tend to teach and talk about the things of this world. The false prophet completely ignores such an essential truth—he is an enemy “of the cross of Christ” (Php. 3:18). He himself does not bear the cross so he naturally doesn’t teach others to deny the self-life, take up the cross, and follow Jesus.
In neglecting to teach the cross, he teaches “another gospel” which is “any other gospel” that is not the original Gospel given to us by Christ and His holy apostles (2 Cor. 11:2-4; Gal. 1:6-9; Jude 3-4). The false gospel message of the wolf leader is void of the cross, and any cross-less gospel is a counterfeit gospel. The cross-less leader actually cheats his audience out of hearing the vital message of death-to-self; if they could but learn to die to self for the Savior, it would facilitate for them rich spiritual fellowship with Him (Php. 3:10).
Getting saved is the entrance point into God’s kingdom and not the ending point. That one which will be an overcomer and “endure to the end” must obey Jesus in abstaining from serving himself so that he can please the LORD (Matt. 10:22; Luke 9:23-24; Rev. 2-3). This is what it means to deny ourselves and take up our crosses to follow Him. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24).
The wolf leader is identified by the personal carnality he walks in (Jude 3-19). He is self-indulgent (Isa. 56:10-12; Php. 3:18-19; 2 Pet. 2:19). He spends more time on self-interests and minding earthly things than he does giving himself “continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). He is not prepared to be empowered and led by the Holy Spirit in order to preach God’s Word to feed His sheep. Being entangled in the things of this world has precluded him from having time to watch over the souls of the sheep of Christ’s pasture (Prov. 27:23; Jer. 23:1-2; 1 Pet. 5:1-6). By definition, this kind of leader is a hireling and not a true shepherd. Therefore, Jesus’ followers today should not submit to him according to Hebrews 13:7, 17.
Paul, a known true servant, and apostle of Christ, said:
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Philippians 3:20-21
God is going to do His will in the life of the one who seeks Him with a whole heart daily (Jer. 29:13). The true disciple cleanses his heart daily, putting aside his own will so that the LORD’s perfect will can prevail (Jer. 4:14; Matt. 5:8; 2 Cor. 7:1; 2 Tim. 2:21). Cry out to Him now in utter desperation, announcing to Him what He has told us—that you have no hope without Him and can do nothing of eternal value without Him (John 15:5). We have nothing, can do nothing, and are nothing without Jesus Christ— “For of him (Christ), and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36).
The beloved late A. W. Tozer stated: “There must be a work of God in destruction before we are free. We must invite the cross to do its deadly work within us. We must bring our self-sins to the cross of judgment.”
The Word of God instructs us to “examine” and “judge” ourselves so that we will be in check with God, and not ultimately found guilty of serving self and not the Savior (1 Cor. 11:31-32; 2 Cor. 13:5). “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:31-32).
There will be many surprised on Judgment Day (Matt. 7:22-23). They will be those who refused to build their lives on the Word—hearing and obeying it (Matt. 7:21-29; James 1:22).
Those who don’t want to die to the self-life have made many wolves very popular. This demonstrates several things, including the sad truth that most people aren’t willing to put themselves aside that Jesus might reign (2 Cor. 4:10-12). These are those whom He told us have a mere “form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” To the remnant He says, “from such turn away” (2 Tim. 3:5).
Paul instructed his understudy, Timothy, to “Preach the word.” He then said that “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:2-4).
To “endure sound doctrine” is to take God at His Word and never dodge biblical truth that is not flattering to the flesh and requires death to self. Those who “will not endure sound doctrine” in this fleeting life will forever regret their short-lived self-indulgence. Remember Esau, who traded his eternal birthright for a quick fix bowl of soup?
“And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” Hebrews 12:13-17
The cross and the wolf are mutually exclusive. Though good at feigning adherence to the Gospel the wolf does not honor Christ’s death and the “blood of his cross,” nor does he take up the cross daily, denying his own self-serving and sinful nature (Col. 1:20). Due to his own personal disobedience, he naturally can’t lead others down the narrow road that leads to life.
The wicked one and his accomplices have targeted the very people of God. They have stricken at the heart of the Gospel—the cross.
“The enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs…They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwellingplace of thy name to the ground.” Psalms 74:3-4, 7
The enemy has attacked the very “sanctuary” of the LORD by setting up his own ensigns or name in place of Christ and has cast into our midst the strange fire doctrines of a cross-less gospel which is no gospel at all.
On the merit of “the blood of his cross” the believer is “complete in him” (Col. 1:20; 2:9). The wolf is the child of the enemy, who has come to steal, kill, and destroy (Jn. 10:10). In the midst of the sanctuary, the wolf has stolen the place and position due only to Christ, who alone is worthy to reign as LORD over His people, which He purchased “by himself” with His very own blood (Heb. 1:3). In doing so, he has cut off the flow of nourishment from Christ—the “Head” of the Church— to His body (Col. 2:18-19). This is what being spoiled is—when the very “reward” Christ died to purchase for us is stolen by those who would “beguile you with enticing words” (Col. 2:3, 18). We are only complete in Christ and partake of the treasures of His wisdom as we worship Him in Spirit and in truth, upholding Him alone as our object of worship (Jn. 4:23-24; Col. 2:3-19).
Wolf leaders do not like the cross, which dictates that they must truly repent and die to all self-ambition and allow Christ alone to be glorified in their own lives and in the midst of His people. They desire to use people to make themselves look good to others, so they compel their prey to do things outwardly to accomplish this. They do this to escape “persecution for the cross of Christ.” “As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain (compel) you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ” (Gal. 6:12).
At all cost the counterfeit will seek to evade and avoid the suffering associated with “persecution for the cross of Christ.” He therefore creates a church environment where he makes people feel good about themselves, but he refuses to live and preach the cross to prepare them to meet Christ as His bride (Matt. 25:1-13; Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 19:7).
Of these leaders, Paul writes in the very next verse:
“For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:13-14
There are many modern-day forms of circumcision (outward religion that is void of repentance, regeneration, vital relationship, and a life that glorifies God in the spirit first). The wolf leaders who glory in self and in religion, are glad to have people patronizing their church businesses and making them feel good about themselves as they look out from their ivory pulpits and see people approving them by their presence and/or participation. But they don’t care for their soul— “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:37). What will the devoured souls say in eternity? What will be the cry of those who were destroyed by the wolves? Will they say like Psalms 142:4, “No man cared for my soul”? It will be too late then. The root reason they followed mere men and were ensnared by wolves and damned irrevocably, was that they refused to truly repent and follow Jesus alone.
That’s what a wolf is—someone who is in ministry in order to get personal gain and not to love Christ and diligently watch for the souls of His precious flock. Therefore, he builds his own ministry instead of being used by the LORD to build His Church (Matt. 16:18; 2 Cor. 4:10-12).
Of many who hold positions of spiritual leadership, Jesus says: “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43).
The religion taught by these beguilers is not genuine Christianity. Jesus promised persecution to those who would follow Him (Matt. 5:10-12). Exchanging identity with Christ Himself, and Him alone, for some other religious affinity insulates people from persecution. In turn, being kept from persecution insulates people from crucially identifying with the Person, Jesus Christ. People are taught to glory in the fleshly things like “I’m Baptist,” “I’m Charismatic,” or “I’m Methodist.” This idolatrous identification intercepts the affections of their hearts from Christ, the One they should be looking to and upon whom they should be setting their heart affections (Col. 3:1-4).
“Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? … 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:12-13, 18
Even those in the church world who have leadership positions are seen here to be perishing. They count “the preaching of the cross” as “foolishness.” If they didn’t, they would preach the cross of which Paul said, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14).
Paul understood that there could be no raising up until there was first a laying down of the life in death and burial (Jn. 12:24; 1 Cor. 15:36).
The Pharisees lived in the flesh. They sought the praises of men and not God (Matt. 23; Jn. 12:43). The fleshly nature loves this type of identification—the praises of mere men—because being a Methodist or Baptist doesn’t offend people and keeps life smooth. However, being a follower of Jesus Christ does convict others and brings persecution upon the true disciple (2 Tim. 3:12). The name of Jesus Christ is powerful, and those who love Him confess Him and receive persecution as He promised (Matt. 10:22; Lk. 12:8-9; 2 Tim. 3:12).
The false gospel that is preached by so many today is obviously counterfeit to those who read their Bibles daily. This fairytale gospel of today tells us that God wants us to prosper in all ways while escaping all trials, tribulation, hardships, and suffering of any kind. Instead of God’s Word being their theology, they say in their mythology that the LORD is only on His holy throne to help us get a good parking spot and make us happy so we can have our best life now.
The Bible truth is that God is interested in our best life then and not now, and this comes from laying down our lives—decreasing daily—that Jesus might increase (John 3:30). Eternal blessings are just that—forever, and knowing Christ guarantees them. Not knowing Him guarantees eternal conscious suffering. Those who genuinely know the LORD are busy laying down their lives, learning to love Him more, and being a blessing to others.
Along the path in this life, we too will be blessed, but not to the fulfillment of our depraved self-serving flesh that is here today and gone tomorrow (James 4:14). The Bible tells us to lay up our treasure in Heaven not on earthly things. We need to get that in our spirits and understand the amazing plan that God has for our eternal future, while not being seduced by leaders to “mind earthly things” (Php. 3:19).
Religion and those wolves who perpetrate it upon people, provides a comfortable place for the deceitful heart, never calling it to repent and bring forth “fruits meet for (consistent with) repentance” (Matt. 3:2, 7-8, 10). Doing good works and following an outward form of godliness cloaks the sinful heart, because it does not demand full repentance like the original Gospel does (Mk. 6:12; Luke 13:3, 5; 24:47; Acts 3:19).
These things are not being pointed out to merely identify the many wolves operating in our midst, but more importantly to warn the individual reader who would desire to follow Christ. Many warnings are found in Scripture concerning being aware of and escaping the lure of the evil one, who uses men to lead astray “many.”
PRAYER: Father, please grant me eye salve to see Your holy truth and the many wolves that now are disguised in sheep’s clothing and leading many to hell. Help me, Jesus! I this moment turn afresh to You fully, asking You to have mercy on me and wash away all my sins. Grant the eyes of my heart discernment as only You can, as I walk closely with You. I choose this day to deny my own self-will and desires and ask You to consume me with Your wisdom, power, and grace. LORD Jesus, please bless me to know You intimately. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Apostasy
Favorite Eternal Security “Proof” Text? [podcast]
Excerpt from the book Lie of the Ages
Does John 10:27-29 Prove “Eternal Security”?
WHO are Jesus’ Sheep? Defined by, in God’s Word.
John 10:27-29
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” ~ John 10:27-29
Verse 27 is the condition necessary to appropriate the promises of verses 28-29.
Those who believe that a man can never lose his salvation, use this John 10:28-29 text but ignore the prerequisite, the divinely given condition – v27. Watch this:
Firstly, in this passage Jesus identifies those sheep whom He makes the security promise to. He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” In this we see one part divine and two parts the responsibility of the individual:
- “I know them”—the divine part toward those who are truly in Christ, presently abiding (v. 27)
- Those who are His sheep “hear” His “voice” and “follow” Him—the individual’s responsibility (v. 27)
The promise to be kept is a conditional promise which requires that we choose to continue to hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27-29). Many today wrongly detach our LORD’s words in verse 27 from verses 28-29. In doing so, they perpetrate their “eternal security” mythology.
The problem for the eternal securists is that v27 has been intentionally been ignored…. It’s the actual condition Jesus gives for receiving the assurance promises He then gives in v28-29.
Those who seek to spread the “once saved always saved” heresy use John 10:28-29 to their advantage and conveniently ignore the preceding words of Christ in verse 27. Verses 28-29 are promises of security to those who have been genuinely born again and are currently abiding in Christ – hearing His voice and following Him (John 15:1-6). Many ignore the previous qualifying words (v. 27) of Jesus where Christ tells us that only those who are hearing His voice and following Him are promised that they are secure and will never perish. There is a condition to being secure in Christ—knowing Him—which requires continuing to abide in Him, hear His voice and follow Him (see also John 15).
“Jesus will neither leave us nor forsake us, but we can leave and forsake Him by choosing our sins OVER His love, grace and mercy!” Dino Filardo
Eternal securists have been taught to selectively interpret Scripture while ignoring mountains of Bible truth, in order to come to a predetermined conclusion.
Many a false teacher has built his own ministry empire dishonestly peddling this passage. Take a closer look. Anchor the promise to be kept in verses 28-29 on verse 27 where Jesus identifies who His sheep are – those who hear and continue to hear His voice and continue to follow Him (present tense). The promise to be kept is a glorious and yet conditional promise which requires that the individual recipient of the salvation gift of God chooses to continue to hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27-29). Many today wrongly detach our LORD’s words in verse 27 from verses 28-29 of John 10. In doing so, they perpetrate their “eternal security” or otherwise called “once saved always saved” mythology. Beware as this was the first lie Satan told mankind, which led to the fall (Genesis 2:17; 3:4).
Instead of synthesizing the whole of Scripture, false teachers isolate certain verses for their own self-serving agenda and purpose (2 Corinthians 2:17, etc.).
The sheep Jesus’ promises are going to be kept are those who endure to the end, abide (remain) with Him (John 15:1-6). The Great Shepherd defines His sheep as those who are presently hearing His voice and following Him (present tense). John 10:27-29
It’s not difficult to mislead people in the direction of the sinful nature of their hearts – because then they can evade truly repenting which is a major life change and necessity for salvation. This is why Paul foretold of this hour and how men would “heap to themselves (false) teachers having itching ears.” (2 Timothy 4:3) “Itching ears” here represents unrepentant hearts.
OSAS people make a vain attempt at redefining the words of Scripture to fit their own self-serving agenda of lukewarmness, cross-less rebellion. For example they hyper-focus on “eternal” in the term “eternal life” while intentionally refusing to synthesize the whole of what Scripture states. They hyper-focus on the word “gift” and teach that a gift could never be lost which the rest of Scripture does not agree with. They then take the word “sealed” and make it to be permanent which it cannot possibly be because the same Greek word for “sealed” is used of Jesus’ tomb which we all know was NOT permanently sealed (Matthew 27:66). In this they bear false witness against the LORD and act like some Scriptures are more divinely inspired than others. This practice reveals the evil and deceit of their own hearts. Not just some Scripture in the Bible but rather “ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) It must all be synthesized, put together, compared (1 Corinthians 2:13). Error will result in the hearts and lives of those who do not search, study, and revere “ALL scripture” in God’s Word.
Eternal security deceivers don’t want to talk about Bible verses that contradict and expose their proof texts. You see, they don’t want to get awaken by the truth to the scam they’ve bought into. The wolves who they gullibly believe instead of God’s Word, taught them to cry “context, context” all while THEY are the beguilers who are taking Scripture out of context. Just like the demonic democrats in America, they accuse their adversaries of the exact thing THEY themselves are guilty of (Romans 2:1-3).
YOU are defending OSAS and yet you gave no Bible verses? Self-deception. If “once saved always saved” were true, WHY O WHY didn’t God tell us? Such a term, phrase, or concept appear no where in Scripture and the verses you use to “prove” it are taken out of their context. OSAS is undeniably the very first lie Satan ever told and it led to the fall of mankind from a HOLY God (Genesis 2:17; 3:4). If OSAS isn’t a doctrine of devils, nothing is! (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
Is the unchanging, Almighty God no longer “Holy, holy, holy” now that He sent His only begotten Son? (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8) If He’s still holy, no unrepentant person with sin will enter His holy Heaven (Revelation 21:8, 27, etc.).
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Hebrews 12:14
HOW is it that so many treat the words of JESUS recorded in John 10 more divinely authoritative than the words of JESUS recorded in John 15? False teachers.
Most of the dupes who cite John 10:28-29 to “prove” they can never lose their salvation, 1. Don’t even know what the preceding verse says (v27), and 2. Have no clue what JESUS says in John 15:6.
“If a man abide (remain) not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” John 15:6
In this John 10 passage used by the unconditional eternal security crew to peddle their wares, some neglect to look closely at verse 27 to see who Jesus was specifically speaking to when He promised “they shall never perish.” “They” refers to those who “hear my voice” and “follow me.” According to verse 27 the promise of eternal security is conditional. Assurance of salvation is only to those who are presently following Christ. In verse 27 we learn that protection from judgment to come is only to those who are currently 1) hearing His voice, 2) known by Him, and 3) following Him. This is consistent with the message seen in the whole of Holy Writ.
“For if AFTER they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are AGAIN entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 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. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit AGAIN; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” 2 Peter 2:20-22
WHO did Jesus say His true sheep are?
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jn. 10:27). According to these words of Christ, those who “know” Jesus and “follow” Him are given the promise that they will “never perish.” As long as the follower hears His voice and follows Him, they are assured “eternal life.” This is exactly what the Son of God taught just a few chapters later in John 15 where He says that if a branch that is in Him does not remain or abide in Him, that person will be cut off and cast into the fire (hell).
Those who abide or remain under the shadow of His holy and protective wing shall remain secure in Him (Ps. 91:1). The Good Shepherd here said: “Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” No man can pluck us out of His protection except ourselves by our own decisions. We who are abiding are protected from the snare of other men drawing us away as we remain walking with the Son of God. If you’re tucked, you won’t get plucked. If you’re not tucked under the wing of intimacy with Jesus, you will, can, and are likely to be plucked out of His holy hand by your own sinful unbelief. The LORD told us “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Rev. 3:11).
It’s also notable that those who emphasize John 10 to convince themselves and others that they are “eternally secure”, don’t even know much less acknowledge the words of the Savior in John 15:1-6.
Telling.
“If a man abide (remain) not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” John 15:6
Jesus taught repeatedly that some would not continue to follow Him (“abide”) and hear His voice and would consequently “fall away.” There is record of some who once believed and then stopped believing (Lk. 8:13; 13:23-30; Jn. 6:66; Acts 8:14-23).
WHY do eternal securists get all upset when their fairy tale is exposed? Well, they are hiding behind the thin veneer of this heresy, feeling all secure, emboldened to live as they please, feeling assured in their lukewarmness and sin … denying Jesus instead of self, refusing to take up the cross that Jesus commanded all who would follow Him truly (Luke 9:23-24). Christ’s apostle Paul speaks of self-serving “enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Philippians 3:18-19) What’s behind this myth? The Psychology of Eternal Security [book]
Another Example of the Twisting of Scripture
The eternal securists seek to justify their OSAS heresy by misusing the following passage…. but in this Paul is speaking of those who go to Heaven, the judgment of saints, and not those who fell away and won’t be there because they will be in hell. They will not be present when this happens….
“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. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 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 3:13-15
One More….
Common Objection to Conditional Eternal Security….
“What about Romans 8:38-39 where it says nothing can separate us from the love of God?”
REPLY:
Simple: Notice the word LOVE not life. God will love us all the way into hell if we choose not to repent. His soul will even “weep in secret places for your pride” which comes before destruction (Jeremiah 13:17). The LORD is “Holy, holy, holy,” He’s just, and He will not ever coexist with sin. See the fall of lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:13-19; Luke 10:18). The wages of sin is still death and the LORD will damn every soul that dies in sin, with no exception (Psalms 5:4; Habakkuk 1:13; Isaiah 6:3; Romans 6:23; Revelation 4:8; 21:8; 22:11, etc.). Read Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son Lk 15. Did the father love and miss his son? Yes. Did the father (represents God) go chase him down? No. The son who departed had to choose to return. Much truth there. Speaking of Romans, read 11:20-22. Now read 2 Peter 2:20-22 and the book of Hebrews.
1 John 2:19 is often also utilized to “prove” eternal security. Not.
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1 John 2:19
Interestingly, the word “never” does not appear in this verse above which is so often used to “prove” OSAS. Let’s read it again with an objective mind. And, also remember what Jesus says about the primary importance of His teaching of the seed and the soil, the sower and the Word:
“And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?” Mark 4:13
The honest student of the whole Counsel of God’s Word knows that numerous clear Bible truths reveal that a saved person can turn away from the LORD, so we know that the apostle John could not possibly be saying that a saved person could never depart from the LORD. In my opinion, this verse is the best argument the eternal security proponent has, yet it’s not enough. There must be two or three witnesses and not just one (2 Cor. 13:1). After a closer examination of this text, one will find that verse 19 does not teach or justify “once saved always saved.” When any one verse is taken to the exclusion of the whole Word of God, one will certainly misunderstand the doctrine of the LORD which can only be apprehended by “study.” (2 Tim. 2:15) This verse is like any other verse of Scripture – it must be taken in light of the entire Counsel of God. The context to be considered is 1 John 2:18-29).
In examining the context in which 1 John 2:19 is set, we see that false teachers whom John calls “many antichrists,” had come and were telling these believers that Jesus was not the Christ (v22).
Let’s look at verses 18 and 19 together:
“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1 John 2:18-19
Note here that it is specifically of these “antichrists” that John speaks and says that “if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”
John was speaking of those who were once saved but then departed from the faith (1 Tim 4:1), they believed and then fell away (Luke 8:12-13) …. then departed from the believers in that fellowship.
Teddy Caldwell writes:
“OSAS insists that those are professing believers, but 1 John 2:18 says such people are antichrists. 1 John 2:22 says an antichrist is one who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Anyone who does that isn’t a believer and isn’t even trying to look like one.”
Concerning 1 John 2:19, Donald Stamps, in the Life in the Spirit Study Bible, writes:
“‘THEY WENT OUT FROM US.’ When the antichrists departed from their fellowship with true believers, they were not in a saving relationship with Christ. This allows for two possibilities: (1) They were never true believers to begin with, or (2) they had once been in a saving relationship with Christ but afterward abandoned their faith in Christ.”
Right here in verse 24 of this passage we see the doctrine of personal responsibility to “remain” in faithful obedience to the LORD or lose one’s place with God (1 Cor. 15:2; Gal. 6:9; Col. 1:23). This is a teaching found throughout Holy Writ – the divine requirement to stay saved or lose all in eternity, “suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 7)
“Let that therefore abide (remain) in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. IF (denotes condition) that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” 1 John 2:24-25
Verse 24 alone tells us that we cannot think that verse 19 means that someone who is at some point in right standing with God can never depart from Him and lose out. Also, verse 25 tells us that “eternal life” (not just rewards) is at stake and the promise contingent upon the believer abiding or remaining in that “which ye have heard from the beginning” which is the Gospel. “Eternal life” is assured as long as one is remaining rooted in Jesus Christ. This is the overwhelmingly consistent message of God’s Word.
In verse 26 John says “These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.” Verse 19 is written about the deceivers who sought to “seduce” these disciples John was addressing and not of true believers.
With all of Scripture in consideration, we can conclude that 1 John 2:19 is a specific example and not a rule of doctrine.
If you truly wish to search out this matter, let me encourage you to closely examine, break down and study this entire text (1 Jn. 2:18-29). In order to ascertain truth, one must compare the verse in question with all other related Scriptures, beginning with the context in which the verse is set (Isa. 28:9-10; 1 Cor. 2:13).
Go here for more on the misuse of 1 John 2:19.
Eternal Security / OSAS Exploded
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IF THE WORD isn’t flowing into you daily, you are falling away. Flood and fuel your heart and mind and body with the pure, the holy light of God’s Word daily and you will never famish! All darkness will be vanquished (Psalms 119:130). All who have been saved and yet aren’t in God’s Word and prayer daily – have rejected Christ, with no exception. Re-turn to the LORD prodigal. There’s no good outside of Christ the KING.
“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” Psalms 119:130
ALL who are not in God’s written Word daily are not hearing from God, do not have God’s wisdom and direction, and are walking in darkness – 100%.
The feeding of Christ’s flock would integrally involve exhorting them to diligently study and walk in God’s Word themselves, daily (John 21:15-17). Isn’t this exactly what the apostle Paul told Timothy to do? Yes. He told his understudy to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
One of the ways we know who the false ministers are, is that they want people dependent on THEM, not God. So, they don’t constantly exhort the people to get into God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures, for themselves. Run.
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8
“He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. … My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:4, 20-23
“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16
“Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” Job 23:12
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16
“Over the last 5-10 years I can see where He has done this for me already, but the problem is …. it’s not enough! I want even more! One hour of study and prayer in the morning is not enough!” Christine
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“Reformed Theology“, is just a fancy way of saying ‘We know better than Paul, the old testament prophets, even David! And the very apostles who walked with Jesus must be unlearned men or liars.’ Nay, I will not say such a thing of my LORD and Saviour, Christ Jesus. Let God be true, and >every< man a liar.” Jonathan Crane
It’s “ungodly men” who mislead the gullible with the eternal security heresy, and the heretical doctrines and system of calvinism. Jude warned us of just that, as did the prophets (Jude 3-4; Jeremiah 23:17, etc.). Then Jude reminds us of God’s judgment upon His own covenant people who were saved out of Egypt (the world) and then “afterward destroyed.” Then Jude reminds us that God judged the angels, a third of them, who rebelled against Him and were terminated from His domain, Heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15; Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:7-12, etc.).
“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. 5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” Jude 4-6
The Book of Jude
Greeting
1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
Judgment on False Teachers
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4 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.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.
A Call to Persevere
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Doxology
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.