Our last weeks lesson about the rapture has prompted this weeks follow up lesson. I actually had another lesson in mind to follow the rapture lesson with but the Spirit of God has moved me in this direction. Strap in because the waters may get a little rough!

We learned last week that “The Rapture”, is a future event predicted by The Apostle Paul and by Jesus Christ himself. We learned that “The Rapture”, is a separate event from the “Second Coming of Jesus Christ”, and it will happen prior to his second coming. We learned that “The Rapture” is an event where the dead and living who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ will instantaneously be taken from this earth to meet our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ in the air and that we will be with him in Heaven from that moment onward. We also learned of a few of the reasons for “The Rapture Of Believers”. One reason is to receive our new Heavenly bodies so we can enter Heaven and the other reason is so we can escape what the Bible calls “The Wrath To Come”, which is the seven year tribulation. The tribulation is a seven year future period after the rapture of the church, where God will unleash his righteous judgments on an unrepentant world that has rejected him and his plan of salvation. So after learning all of this, that only “True Believers In Jesus Christ” will be raptured and spared the wrath that is coming, I must ask this one simple question…Are You Truly Saved? And, “Do You Know, That You Know, That You Know, that you really are?

Before I go on, let me first pre qualify my next statement by saying I do not believe in denominations per se and I do not believe that God ever intended us (Christians) to be divided by our petty differences and denominational tags. There are tens of thousand's of Christian denominations in the world today (See Link Below), all thinking they have the answer and everyone else is wrong. I am going to pick on a particular denomination (without naming names), but only to point out a part of their doctrine that I believe to be very dangerous. If you belong to this denomination, please do not get upset, I only ask that you hear me out and let the word of God speak for itself. With that being said, I will move on to my statement.

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There is a prominent denomination that believes that once you have been saved, you are always saved. I will let you read it in their own words and then give you the scripture that they hang their hat on concerning this belief.

Doctrine…All truly born-again believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ and sanctified by His Spirit will never fall away from the state of grace nor can they lose God's gift of eternal life. They shall persevere to the end.

Doctrine Scripture…John 10:28 & 29...I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.

Even though throughout my life, I have attended Churches of this denomination, I have always wrestled with this doctrinal belief. I have always put the following example out to those who have wanted to debate this doctrine with me, so I will now try it out on you…here we go…

Example…
Let’s say that I am an unsaved sixteen year old boy and I go to Church one day and hear the Preacher preach a message and at the alter call, I go down with my friends, kneel down and say the sinners prayer. A few months later after the excitement wears off I plunge myself into a world of partying and living a life of endless sin for the rest of my days. At the age of forty I decide to join a Satanic group where I practice Satanic rituals until the day I die at the age of seventy and I never repent of my ways and turn back to God. Do you really believe that because I knelt down one day when I was sixteen and repented that I am going to Heaven? I mean, is it that simple, all we have to do is act like we wanted to live for Jesus Christ one day in our past and it doesn’t matter what happens the rest of the time. Is just pretending to be a Christian enough to get our foot in the door?

Later on I found some common ground when those of this denomination started putting in their defense the words “Truly Born Again”, so at least they were acknowledging that not everyone who kneels and prays is “Truly Born Again”. You see, I believe that you truly can be saved and still fall out of the Grace of God and lose your salvation. After you get through cursing me under your breath, please let me explain and show you in God’s word why I believe this to be true. First of all I believe we all can agree that once you are saved, the Bible tells us that our names are then written in a book called “The Book Of Life”, or “The Lambs Book Of Life”, Right? Right! If that is the case then please explain this next verse to me…

Revelation 22: 18 & 19...For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 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.

God clearly states here that he can take away your part out of the Book of Life. To be able to take it out, it first had to be placed there when you accepted his Son Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior. You cannot remove something if it never was there. Still not convinced…Let’s read…

Exodus 32: 32 & 33...And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

Not only did Moses believe God could blot out a name written in the book, but God confirms this with his statement confirming that he would.

Psalm 69: 22- 28...Vs 27 & 28...Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.

King David believed God not only could, but should blot out names from the Book Of Life…

The Apostle John, when he was given what to write to the seven Churches in Asia, He quotes from Jesus himself to the Church of Sardis…

Revelation 3: 5 & 6...He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus is trying to encourage this Church telling them if they overcome they will be dressed in white and in the next sentence lets them know that he has the power to blot their names out of the book of life. I didn’t say it, Jesus did.

You see the Bible tells us that at the day of Judgment, many people will think they should have made it. Many people will cry out Lord Lord and make excuses and they will be told this…

Matthew 7: 20 - 23...Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

It sounds like to me that a lot of people have been led to believe they have their ticket punched for Heaven, only to have Jesus tell them “I never knew you”. You see, it’s not enough to just say you know him. Do you really know him? The verse above tells us the ones who will make it are “he who does the will of my Father”. Are you doing the will of the Father? Do you even know what the will of the Father is? If it was so simple for us to get into Heaven, why does Jesus say these words just prior to Matthew 7: 20 - 23...?

Matthew 7: 13 & 14..."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.

Narrow is the gate & road that leads to life, and only a few find it. This verse tells me that the narrow road that leads to life not only requires confession of our sins and accepting Jesus as Lord, but it also requires a life of dedication to his words and his commandments. Many think they are on this narrow road when in reality they are on the wide road that Jesus says leads to destruction. Here is what the writer of Hebrews (believed to be Paul), told believers as he was trying to encourage them to hold fast in the faith…

Hebrews 10: 19 - 26...Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,

He says, “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left”. The term “knowledge of the truth” simply means “tasting the good word of God”. In the Old Testament, the sacrifices made to cover your sins was the killing of an animal and its blood. When Jesus came and made the ultimate sacrifice for sins, the animal blood was no longer needed. Jesus was that Ultimate sacrifice for our sins, his blood. So, verse 26 tells us that after we have accepted that sacrifice (Jesus Christ), and then deliberately turn away from him and sin, there is no more sacrifice.. because we have walked away from the only sacrifice that remains for our sins.

John tells us in Revelation chapter 20 what will happen to those whose names are not written in the book of life…This is called “The Great White Throne Judgment” where unrepentant sinners will be judged…

Revelation 20: 11 - 15...Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20 just reiterates that to avoid the lake of fire, your name must first be written in the book of life. How do we get our name in the book of life? With a true heart of repentance accepting Jesus Christ to be our Lord & Savior.

Now back to the “Book Of Life”. How do we know that when we are saved that it is this book that our names are registered in? Paul tells us in the book of Philippians…

Philippians 4: 3...Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

So we know that when we are saved and give our lives to Christ, that our names are written in the “Book of Life”. We also found out today that if God chooses, he can and will blot names from this “Book of Life” for sins that people commit after “salvation“. I didn’t do this study to stand in judgment and question your salvation. I only hope to show you that we all need to examine our lives and find that true relationship with God that puts us on that narrow path. Only you and God know the answer to the question, “Are you truly saved”? If there is the slightest question in your mind now about your salvation, then there is no time like the present to get it right. In fact, there is not much time left at all to get it right. If the rapture were to happen right now, would you be taken on to be with the Lord, or would you be left behind to endure the judgments of God in the tribulation. I am praying that we all examine our lives today as God asks this question, “Do You Know, That You Know, That You Know”?

How do we truly know if we are saved? I think it boils down to a few things the first being a verse I used several times in the two faith studies. I will just highlight the verse that speaks my meaning..

James 2: 26...As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Our faith is in Jesus Christ…So if our works in Christ are dead, so is our Faith in Christ. What works are you doing for the Kingdom of God? If the answer is none, then that is your answer. Secondly the Bible tells us of the fruits of the Spirit that should be evident in the life of all true believers…

Galatians 5: 22- 25...But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Do you possess these fruits in your life? Are they a way of life for you? If they are not then your answer lies here. Jesus tells us what happens to those who do not bear good fruits in Matthew.

Matthew 7: 17- 20...Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Do people recognize you by the good fruit that is produced in your life? If not, I would say an examination of your life with Christ is needed. I think that most of us, including me, have become so content in our own salvation that our walk with Christ has become stale and totally useless to God. I also know that this can be corrected by a bending of the knee and asking God to forgive us of our laziness and lack of true discipleship. God is always ready to forgive us if we humble ourselves before him with a true repentive heart. But it doesn’t end there. What will we do with our lives once we have been forgiven? Do we fall back into the same old routine or do we seek God’s guidance to make the necessary changes to be a productive part of his Kingdom and the body of Christ? That choice my friends is up to you. I have delivered this message as God has led me, please do not ignore this urgent warning. If you know you need to make a change and get right with God, there is no time like the present…Let’s get to it…

Father God, I come to you today in the name of your precious Son Jesus Christ. I ask you to forgive me Lord for the many years I have wasted being content in my own salvation. I learned today that my salvation is contingent on the fruits that I bear in my life. I have failed you Lord in this regard and I ask you Lord to guide my life today as I seek to change my life for you. I ask you today to reveal to me the gifts that you have placed in me and every believer so that I can use those gifts to your glory. Help me to be a better witness to those around me and be mindful of the needs of those less fortunate than I. I need your help today to teach me to walk in the Spirit so that my life is pleasing in your eyes and is an example for others to follow. Please use me today as I open my heart and life to your perfect will for me. Bless me today Lord so that I might in return bless others. Thank you for your mercy and never ending forgiveness. I pray and believe these things in the powerful and Mighty name of Jesus Christ my Lord…Amen

If you came to this study today and don’t know Jesus Christ as your savior and you want to, pray with me wherever you are. Pray with a sincere heart and God will reach down from heaven, forgive your sins and give you new life….Lets pray…

Father God, I come to you in the name of your son Jesus Christ. Thank you for sending Jesus to die in my place on the cross. I know I am not worthy, but I ask you today to forgive me of my sins and give me a new heart. I make Jesus the Lord of my life from this day and forward. Teach me the love this study is speaking of so I can love others. Thank you for forgiving me, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray…Amen

If you prayed that simple prayer with a sincere heart, your eternal destiny has been decided. God tells us that he takes that sin and casts it as far as the east is to the west. So forget the past and press on in your new walk with Christ. If you need help, or need a Bible, please contact me through the group. Here are a few Bible verses to show you the pure simplicity of God’s plan of salvation…

Romans 3: 23...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

John 3: 16 - 18...16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

Romans 10: 9 & 10...9. That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Please go to our group page and leave your comments and thoughts. Click the discussion tab, find this lesson or any topic for that matter, then post your thoughts. I’d like to encourage each of you to get more involved in the group discussions…
Thank You
Tim Barrett