Take away notes from David Pawson’s sermon above on, ‘once saved always saved?

The Bible warns that some will depart from the faith in the last days, you can’t depart or fall away from the faith unless you were a part of it to begin with: Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. ~ 1 Timothy 4:1

For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.” ~ 2 Peter 2:20-22

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. ~2 Timothy 3:1-5

The Bible warns about backsliding, you can’t back slide if you didn’t slide forward to begin with: Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” ~ Luke 9:62

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. ~ James 5:19-20

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. ~ Hebrews 6:4-6

Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return. ~ Jeremiah 8:5

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ~ 1 John 1:9

There’s also reference in the Bible of people’s names being blotted out of the book of life, your name can’t be blotted out unless it was written there in the first place:

Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ~ Revelation 3:3-6

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. ~ Revelation 22:19

There are numerous verses that certain people will not inherit the Kingdom of God, whether they call themselves a ‘Christian’ or not:

Or 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 6:9-10

If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.  ~ Matthew 18:8-9

God is holy so you must be holy (1 Peter 1:16), you need to enter into the narrow gate (Luke 13:24) and aim to be perfect as the Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48); you will be sanctified and changed overtime and conformed to the image of Jesus (Romans 12:2; 8:22). If you’re born again you can still fall away. Jude refers to it as being twice dead (Jude 1:12). Remember in revelation it states the devil makes war with those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ and keep the commandments of God (Revelation 3:17). Now most people do one without the other, for instance, lukewarm Christians (revelation 3:16) have the testimony of Jesus but are living in intentional sin. The Jews keep the commandments of God, but do not have the testimony of Jesus. To say that you have eternal security but continue to live in intentional sin and don’t repent i.e., of pornography, lying, stealing, fornication etc… (2 Corinthians 5:17) is delusional. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.

 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” ~ Revelation 21:6-8

At the end of the day whether you agree or disagree, it’s better to live a life as if being saved and err on the side of caution than to get it completely wrong and think that you could live as you like and still go to heaven… those who love God seek to do His will and obey His Word. Let God be true and every man an liar (Romans 3:4). Please read God’s Word, the Bible, for yourself and remember to “put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” The enemy of the saints, the devil, was a liar and deceiver from the beginning… remember Eve in the garden.

~ there is none good, but God

————

**How to have a relationship with God and be saved: The Path To Salvation, please click: HERE

**Picture by John McGlone