(Comment) ...again you are right! Ted Haggard is living in sin and as such is not right with God and is one of the unforgiven unless he truly repents from his homosexual acts and genuinely lives right with God. There will not be any unrepentant homosexuals in God's Eternal Kingdom and this certainly includes Ted Haggard. It is also true that all the “counseling” and “psychotherapy” will not relieve him of his guilt for being disobedient to God. He can blame whatever he wants on his choices but he was not born as a homosexual for God does not create homosexuals – Satan gets the credit for homosexuals and if one is obedient to Satan then that person will be with Satan when he dies unless he denounces Satan and turns – repents – from his acts of homosexuality to God in total separation from Satan unto submission to God in obedience without any excuses.
By the way – I am a counselor – a psychotherapist in private practice. Thank you for standing up for God's Truth and being willing to sacrifice all for God's Way and to be separate from Satan's world as God is separate from Satan's world. ...Forgiven because I have repented and turned to God and hope to endure to the end that I might receive salvation.
(Bible Answer) Greetings in Jesus' name. Thank you for your comments. It is such a wonderful blessing and breathe of fresh air, as they say, to read the thoughts of a person in your area of expertise. ALL people addicted to sin need to know just one simple thing. They need salvation. Ted Haggard is no exception even though he was once a popular religious leader. Unless a person contacts the blood of Jesus, he/she will never get forgiven and liberated from his slavery to sin (Rev. 1:5). Also, after salvation he can get entangled again and get back on the road to hell (2 Pet. 2:20-22). Since Haggard has a severely flawed view of salvation (being an eternal security advocate) he doesn't know these things. (He was president of the National Association of Evangelicals, an eternal security embracing group.)
One must die to self to get saved initially. Afterwards, to follow Jesus (to remain saved) could mean persecution unto physical death. To “believe” on Jesus means to obey Jesus and it is impossible for any homosexual to do that. God's truth is plainly stated:
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:9-11, NASB)
To battle for truth and righteous, as we do, is worth the problems that come as a result. SOULS need truth before salvation will come. Thanks again. Keep pressing on. God bless you.
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(Bible Question) Hi, I was reading on your website and had a question based on some topics discussed on the site. I need help and I am concerned for my salvation. Just to give you a quick description of where I am at now in my walk with the Lord. I professed Christianity at age 17. I didn't really give myself completely to the Lord. I became involved in the worldly Christian church and quickly became overcome by worldliness/the flesh. It wasn't until around 14 years later that I spiritually “woke up” and saw where the world was headed. I still had issues in me that needed to come out. For a couple of years, I really got into the word, and sought after the Lord but a couple of strongholds in my life really became issues. I kept falling to particular sins (sexual lust, materialism) and couldn't get out. It seemed like it was willful sin because I knew it was wrong but felt no power to turn away. These were not “minor” sins (if any can be considered minor). I confessed these sins and sought the Lord for deliverance. Again, I feel that I am changing but at times I can see remnants of these sins and that concerns me. At times, I wondered if I was reprobate since I committed these sins knowingly as a believer and not in ignorance. I don't feel that closeness to the Lord like I know I should have. I don't know why I can get on the internet or see a woman in public and even when I know its wrong I still find myself looking at women. I have been doing it less and less but I still have had moments of sin. I guess I am sharing all of this so you can understand where my concern for what you said in the word the Lord gave you is coming from. It almost feels like the Lord has left me but sometimes I'll see things that makes me think he is still there. I have confessed all sin, repented, and seek the Lord's help each day to be closer to him and to abide in him which I know is important (especially for the days ahead). I have also had some physical symptoms of medical conditions that although I have been praying for them to be taken and agree with the word for my healing I have not seen them go. I would appreciate any comments you may have, prayers or anything that comes to you. This is a serious issue to me and I desire that closeness to the Lord as well as holiness, love. Thanks for your time, Lord bless you!
(Bible Answer) Greetings in Jesus' name. It is great that you want change for the good. Victory is awaiting you and will be your, if you do the following. There are 2 parts of walking as an overcomer. After repenting (which seems to be what you have done) you need to build your up spiritually (get spiritual nourishment) and guard yourself, as much as possible, from wickedness. It is like a physical problem in the natural. The sick or injured person needs built up and must guard against the same happening again. To get built up spiritually you need to get VERY SERIOUS about learning the Bible, especially the New Testament. To guard against the MULTITUDE of false doctrines (especially Calvinism in almost all commentaries and audio/TV teachings), go directly to the Bible for yourself and read it directly WITHOUT any so called “helps” or “aids.” Memorize, ponder and meditate on Scripture. Such will wash the filth from your mind and fill you with HOLY thoughts and ambitions, which will benefit you and others! Keep yourself pure.
Guard your heart by avoiding certain people places and things. Shut off TV. It is, for various reasons, of the devil! Stop listening to all secular music! Focus your physical gaze and thoughts away from anything the devil can use to destroy your soul. He will give you imaginations and suggestions too! Be alert! See 1 Peter 5:8. [Those are just some of the spiritual safeguards to act on.] No person or sin is worth going to hell over.
You are battling for eternity. Your soul is your most precious possession, so GUARD IT AS SUCH. You MUST get very serious in this intense spiritual battle or you will go to hell. Many lose their salvation after getting born again. You decide if that will happen to you or not. This life is short and worth any amount of personal sacrifice, loneliness, etc. to get into God's paradise kingdom and escape hell's torment. Lean on the Lord. Ask him for help, but you must do your part.
Our teaching on hindrances to answered prayer should hold your interest.
Have you signed up for our internet church? Memorize Heb. 3:14 and Luke 13:23,24. God bless you.
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(Question) ...I am a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, and I believe that when I was presented with the truth of God's gospel and his love for me, I chose to surrender myself to him, believing in his atoning work on the cross and His resurrection to validate his authority, and was saved.
As you can infer, I have serious issues with some of the points of Calvinism. My question, however, is this: I am having difficulty finding evidence in scripture supporting the idea of free will. Nowhere do I see that we are explicitly given any right to free will. I think there are examples that could easily display free will being exercised, but these could be refuted due to "interpretation." The most vivid example I can find is Jesus himself praying in the garden - he, as a man, is clearly conflicted, praying for God's will to have dominion over his own. As I see it, this is Jesus exampling to us that we should choose to surrender our will to the Father's. Do you have other scripture which can point to this idea of free will?
(Bible Answer) Don't allow another to say, “That's your interpretation” or something similar. Obviously, it is always interpretation, even from others who reject your interpretation. Their rejection is their own interpretation. Go by the Biblical evidence (facts).
The Bible teaches free will all through it. If God didn't allow for free will and give man a right to choose right from wrong, then Judgment day would be a joke and we are nothing but robots made to respond only in one way. That would also say, for all those who go to hell, that they had no opportunity ever to escape hell as others have no opportunity to go to hell, which flies in the face of MANY verses. Free will doesn't take away from God's sovereignty, as the Calvinists say. Their whole theology needs to be trashed by you, and the sooner the better. Various examples are clear:
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Mat 7:13,14)
Jesus commands all in Mt. 7:13 to enter through the narrow gate, yet man has free will to override God's sovereign will for all to be saved and go to hell. Jesus extends an open invitation to all people to “come to me” for salvation. Hence, it is his will for them to come, but man's free will and choice for personal salvation can negate his will. See Mt. 11:28; John 5:39,40; etc. When Peter preached saving grace, he declared the following to the unsaved:
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” (Acts 2:40)
NOTE: Do not get sidetracked on such minor issues as freewill! The big issue is LIVING HOLY and winning SOULS. Don't let the devil snare you that way! It's your choice to resist him and OBEY.
All 5 points of Calvinism are demonic. All five points of Calvinism stand or fall together. Since you reject at least one point, you should reject all 5 points. The most poisonous and dangerous point is the damnable heresy of once saved always saved. If you believe that point, we especially have much material, including two books, booklets and various teachings which can help you. Remember Rev. 3:11. (You can yet go to hell! Be on guard! Don't allow any Calvinist to deceive you.) God bless you.
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(Bible Question) I had someone who says he's a Christian tell me that a person can get 'kicked' out of heaven. In other words, once someone makes it to heaven there runs a possibility that they can be thrown out just like Lucifer and his angels. This person bases that on the fact that if it happened to Lucifer and his angels it can certainly happen to any of the saints.
Is this true? I can't find any Scriptual evidence. Not even in Revelation. I countered with the verse that says the Lord will wipe away every tear and there will be no more sorrow. Or is this something 'up in the air' which no one can't really answer because we don't know? Thank you in advance for your response.
(Bible Answer) You asked a very good question, which many Christians have probably asked themselves. We have thought about that too. There is no crystal clear Scripture addressing that directly, especially in light of Lucifer already being in heaven and losing his salvation afterwards. However, the one passage which may come the closest to an answer is the following one:
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. (1 Th 4:17,18)
The context is getting caught up in the rapture and afterwards being with Jesus forever. May God help us to remain faithful. God bless you.
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(Bible Question) Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17 that his Father not take them out of the world, but that the Father keep them from the evil. In other words, Judas was out betraying Jesus and the 11 Jesus prayed that they be kept from the evil. Now this came to pass. The argument is that the prayer of Jesus would not fail for the 11 or for any who would believe.
Eternal Security as you call is not the promise to them here because there is no statement that they are relieved of the responsibility to endure until the end. There is no proof that the prayers of Jesus are of eternal effect to secure salvation for those who stop believing. Jesus prayed for those who would believe in him, that is continuously. So I'm not an eternal security advocate.
However I believe we need clarification about when exactly is Salvation lost? Do we propose that the Lord writes and erases and writes names in and out of the book of life over and over again? ... But to say that spirutual death happens instantly with a person floating in and out the book of life for these sins and a person's name being blotted out and re-written over and over again seems to not have biblical foundation.
Jesus said that he would vomit the lukewarm out of his mouth. Clearly eternal security is in error for these people were part of the body of Christ and in danger of being expelled. But at the same time these people were not expelled the second they became lukewarm. They were given a chance to repent and buy of Christ Gold. Certainly it took time for the message of their grevious sin to travel from John to the Laodecian assemby. So it would be helpful to present an argument as to when can a person know they are unsaved.
... Now of course the Galatians were back on the road to hell for believing a heretical gospel and Paul prayed that Christ be formed in them again (restoration). Saint Paul said, "you did run well." Certainly they were saved at first. He would not say, "ye did run well" to those who were never saved!
Now the shocker is this: Eternal security is really universalism. It proposes that "all will be saved." How do I know this? Well Jesus said except you become as a little child you shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven. ALL little children are saved. Hitler, when 1 years old, was saved. So was Stalin, Bin Laden, and mass killers, Judas, and those who NEVER accepted Christ in the first place. If they died at age one, they are saved by the doctrine of Christ: Little children are saved. (Suffer the little children to come to me for of such are the Kingdom of heaven, and their angels are always before my father ....) So if once saved always saved is true, the entire gospel effort is not needed for anyone for all were saved at age one! To say that one year olds GO TO HELL, well you have the original Calvinism again which contradicts the original doctrine of Christ.
(Bible Answer) Greetings in Jesus' name. The John 17 argument for eternal security is semi-common, but flawed like all of their arguments. In the same prayer from the Lord, he also prayed for unity among the believers (17:23), which clearly was not answered as evident by the divisions at Corinth. Hence, for one to think the Lord's prayer is a guarantee of entering God's kingdom if ever saved is doctrinally wrong.
It is not always perfectly clear when one loses his salvation, but in some cases it can happen with one sin as with Adam/Eve or if a Christian takes the mark of the beast. If one disowns Jesus, he will disown him and that can happen very fast too. However, with fruitlessness and being lukewarm it appears to be more gradual. The Bible speaks of drifting away in Heb. 2:1. Sin can cause our names to be blotted from the book of life (Ex. 32:32,33); apparently names can be placed back in since one can get saved again (Luke 15:24,32; James 5:19,20; Rom. 11:19-23). Perhaps God didn't want us to have all the details. We have what we need and better put into practice his word for our own good and those we will influence.
Regarding eternal security proponents actually believing in “universalism,” have you seen our article on Universalism? No doubt the Galatians who fell from grace were no longer saved. GOD BLESS YOU.
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(Bible Question) I am very interested in receiving more information from you. Me and my girlfriend seem to disagree on this subject. She believes once saved always saved and I don't. I have a friend who came to church was saved but now is back in drugs and claiming wiccan to be his religion. She says he will still go to heaven. Can you help me I have shown her scripture but maybe there's something I'm missing.
(Bible Answer) Greetings in Jesus' name. If your friend was once saved, he surely is not now. It is impossible to be a Christian witch or Christian sorcerer. It is very basic, but nonetheless little known that the righteous can die spiritually. Enduring to the end is just as important as getting born again in the first place because without enduring to the end one will still go to hell. Ponder Mt. 10:22; Heb. 3:14 and Rev. 2:10,11. Here is an article on spiritism. GOD BLESS YOU.
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(Comment) Just like you to know that I as a Seventh Day Adventist enjoy your literature and ministry. . . .
(Bible Answer) Greetings in Jesus' name. It is very rare that someone from the SDA church would compliment our ministry, especially when they then falsely accuse us of spreading lies about EG White. Did you know, Ellen G. White actually taught satan was the sin bearer, instead of the Lord Jesus. She also taught that the mark of the beast was Sunday worship! Neither of these can be backed with Scripture, but both are refuted with God's word. Did you ever notice you are NOT keeping the Saturday Sabbath command as given to Israel? GOD BLESS YOU.
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(Bible Question) I was involved in the despicable sin of adultery for many years. I have since stopped that sin, and have asked God to forgive me and to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. At the time I thought i was saved (OSAS), looking back, i have seen the error of my ways. I no longer want to willfully sin, and have asked God to help walk this walk to; for help and deliverance from the evil one. I want God through Jesus Christ to save me, and give me the strength and endurance to perserve until the end. I have read that unless i confess this sin to my wife i cannot be forgiven is this true? I would confess this sin to my wife if she asked. ...Is this what I am doing by not confessing my sin to my wife? Or is confession to the Lord enough. Please, please help me.
(Bible Answer) Greetings in Jesus' name. You stated you read:
"I have read that unless i confess this sin to my wife i cannot be forgiven."
Wherever you read that, the author is wrong. If that was true then how could the repentant thief get forgiven? How could the prodigal get forgiven? King David got forgiven of adultery but couldn't confess to Uriah!
Prov. 28:13 refers to confession to God in sorrow. You will endure to the end, IF you follow JESUS carefully. If you have our 801 page book “The Believer's Conditional Security” please read the chapter on SAFEGUARDS. Hopefully, this information will help you. GOD BLESS YOU. Remember 1 Cor. 2:9.
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