Occupational Hazards of Being a Christian Today
Christians in the western world may not have much risk of death by martyrdom, but they do risk eternal death by their own ignorance.
That is, if it is a false teaching that “all future sins are forgiven” to born again believers – including murder, suicide, willful walking away, unforgiveness, and other sins – then those who believe this are at risk.
The answer to this admittedly controversial question will not be fully documented in this article – we’ll save it for its own post. This article will work under the assumption it is a real risk, while offering practical nuances relevant for the earnest seeker of the Christian life.
But since we have opened the can of worms, we’ll note numerous scriptures do suggest unconditional “eternal security” is over-billed. Do a web search and you’ll see there is now a movement countering so-called “false grace” which is another way of saying “once-saved-always-saved” is a lie. A lot of people are coming to their senses over this abuse of God’s grace. It is an inheritance of the Protestant Reformation and was never taught by the ante-Nicene Fathers of the early church.
Want just one scripture? Jesus was not kidding when He said Christians could experience “the second death” which is eternal damnation if they denied Him.
“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” (Rev. 2:10,11)
But this is not only about whether eternal security is true. It’s a general treatise on going deeper, and what true Christian cannot at least agree with that?
Hazards of Modern Christian Teaching
Ever since Martin Luther caustically, and lovelessly condemned his Christian enemies – as he perceived them – while he himself could not reconcile James 2:24 and Romans 3:28, and other scriptures, Christians have in ways been confused.
And divided. And at each other’s throats at times; splintering into what we have today: thousands of sects. Not uncommon in all of this is a spirit of contempt in the hearts of the zealous, and a sense of “I know better” by those who suppose they have the inside track on revealed truth from the Word.
It can get ugly, and in too many instances can look nothing like what Jesus said in John 13:35:
“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
God said to Israel in Hosea 4:6:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge …”
At Pentecost Peter mentioned one purpose of the Messiah coming to live, die, be resurrected and give us His Spirit:
“Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” – (Acts 3:26)
The question is: have we truly and fully turned away from our iniquities?
Divisions instead of Unity
A comprehensive summary of all points of contention that divide Christians probably is not possible here. There are many, and an occupational hazard we must be on guard against is tripping as we go. This is true even for many who seek, and are sincere, let alone the complacent, willfully ignorant, and spiritually dishonest.
What honest teachers attempt to do is approach the scriptures and let God have the final word. That much is good, but remember, God is one, and does not contradict Himself. Many however come away saying God said to them something different than He did to another.
How can this be? One major problem arises when a person who is yet a sinner in his heart approaches the words written by “Holy men of old” who spoke of deep spiritual realities on behalf of an eternal God who is perfect.
In short, people may misinterpret key scriptures, even basing whole new doctrines or theories on assumptions, misunderstandings, or other mistakes.
A safe test is fruit – is there love and evidence of the real Holy Spirit there, and not an imitation? An imitation will depart from the plain teachings of the Word – and do we not see many today saying the spirit that is in them bears witness to thus and so while others say it violates them, or their understanding of the Word?
Take care here too though, because a sense of “peace” may fill even a homosexual who comes to some revelation that God approves of his conduct (though not honestly found in the Scriptures). We are living in times of apostasy, doctrines of demons, the devil knows his time is short, and is very active.
But the devil may be more subtle than that too, if possible, even to deceive the very elect. Short of a spiritually sick person’s seared conscience smiling upon obvious sin, otherwise well-meaning practicing Christians may call “fruit” their good feelings, or a positive attitude in life, or becoming a genuinely nicer person, or being more aware of God, etc.
These evidences may be of God, but the human soul is capable of mimicking godliness very well. And if they are of God, they are often just first fruits, and God would take us deeper if we are so willing. A problem happens when seekers take the good results as proof positive God is rubber stamping more than He may actually be. In short, they can get ahead of themselves – or God, that is.
To him who has ears to hear, let him hear! The ways of God’s Spirit are a mystery, and cannot be contained by systematic theology as though to put “God in a box,” — perish the thought! And the mandate to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” remains.
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” – Romans 11:33.
Since the Pharisees who Jesus rebuked, religiously minded people have been seeking to encapsulate the knowledge of the Holy One. This too is a root of the occupational hazard this article speaks of. Do you think Christians are now immune to that trait of the flesh just because they now have the Holy Spirit? No, they are not!
The history of Christianity since the Protestant Reformation is riddled with this conflict, and hazard of seeking.
One Hot-Button Issue
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. If a man abides 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.” – Jesus speaking to Christians, John 15:4-6
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” – Jesus speaking to Christians, Revelation 3:5
A particularly lethal example of a divisive topic is whether “eternal security” or “once saved always saved” is taught by the Bible. Those who say “yes” may angrily condemn a brother who says “no.”
To you who have ears to hear, take care! This is where “wars and fights” come among the people of God – because so much is at stake.
If it so happens that “eternal security” as taught is inaccurate, those who hang their hat on it are definitely threatened. If their understanding is wrong, then that would mean a paradigm shift of a most profound and upsetting order. Their basis of receiving Jesus’ salvation was that they are 100-percent free to sin if it comes to that, though of course that is frowned upon by scriptures taken as suggestions under grace, not implicit commands, like do not “sin that grace may abound.” It also means they are no longer guaranteed to go to heaven, and that changes everything. If it’s true, they’d need to rethink everything, the fear could come that maybe they were not even saved because they believed a false premise, and so many implications are opened.
When confronted with what shook their worldview, the Bereans were commended because they “searched the scriptures diligently to see whether these things were so.”
Today, a spiritually honest person will likewise consider all relevant scriptures, not just the ones that give strongest support to an extrapolated theory or prior understanding. They will not ignore or – worse – twist challenging scriptures to fit the preferred understanding, or in other words, they resist funneling their thought through “denominational filters.”
However, those less spiritually honest, or weak in critical thinking skills, may instead get angry when so challenged. This can explain hot tempers, vigorous resistance, and attempts to discredit, malign, misrepresent, or defame people – even brothers in the faith – who say the scriptures do not teach nothing but the one “unpardonable sin” can bar the way to heaven.
But what manner of spirit is that which condemns a person who otherwise shows himself as a follower of Jesus? What did Jesus say about words spoken to a brother?
“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire,” (Mt. 5:22)
Would it be the irony of ironies that in order to zealously defend the belief that you cannot be put in hell because Jesus made you fireproof, that you berate and misrepresent and fail to love a well-meaning brother who thinks otherwise, and in the end find he is right, and you go to hell?
We’ll find out whether this is possible, won’t we? Meanwhile let us fear God, and look at the more-knowable past to detect where this spirit came from.
Our Theological Inheritance
After Luther was liberated in his mind from Catholic tyranny, his sole fide doctrine (by faith alone) was arrived at as his life became a reaction against the Catholic Church which actually had preserved the Scriptures, did retain some truth, even if it had otherwise twisted it. Luther however may have been partially guilty of throwing the “baby out with the bath water” on some teaching points, even if the Catholics had failed in important ways.
Full of zeal, Luther was known for strong and spiteful words against them and other perceived spiritual enemies – including the Anabaptists who were surely followers of Christ, and others.
This is not to say the Catholic Church was the bastion of the true Gospel; it certainly was not, and had long since introduced deadly errors all its own – like indulgences, worship of Mary, restoring a priesthood, and barring people from understanding salvation through grace.
Luther got things partially cleaned up, but he could not wrap his mind around everything even while establishing doctrine for those who would follow. Ever since then, theologians have been having a go at defining what Christianity should look like.
Today we have thousands of denominations, and if this is not a wake-up call to you dear Christian, what else could be?
Iniquities
“A scoffer seeks wisdom, and finds it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understands,” (Prov. 14:6)
Knowledge – even of the Holy One, and the Gospel and the Way of Jesus Christ – is “easy” if you understand, but either you “get it” by the Spirit’s illumination, or you do not on key topics.
POINT: Let us recognize even great thinkers as well as innumerable everyday Christians have been “missing it” since forever. Protestants have this state of affairs as a legacy at least since Luther, and the tendency to distort the spirit of the original faith predated him too.
ONE MAJOR CAUSE: In a word, the cause is ingrained sinful ways and behaviors in humans, or “iniquity.”
Even those who have the Holy Spirit and seek to emulate the Bereans are yet tainted with flesh to one degree or another. They may think they understand, and once a person is sure he is “right,” a tendency has been to back into a corner with spiritual pride, or ego, or desire to be proven right, desire to prove someone else wrong, etc.
This itself speaks of iniquity, including – as the case may be – competitiveness of spirit with desire to defeat and not love, self-satisfaction, inward secret gloating, desire to be seen, approved of, validated, and more.
Yes, flesh may taint even the pursuit of holiness to those who do not stand guard.
It is incredibly ironic that as humans seek the pure milk of God’s Word, we can be vessels yet filled and guided by iniquities of the Old Man in Adam, not the New Man in Christ, crucified, walking in true newness of life, under the Cross.
You have surely read that before you “remove a speck from your brother’s eye,” first get “the beam from your own eye?” This illustrates a point Jesus made that even if we are “saved,” we may yet have issues of heart and mind skewing our judgment. Yes, it’s true, we really were sinners in need of a Savior, and this is why God said He must turn “every one of you from his iniquities.”
God also is a “refining fire.” He is “fuller’s soap.” He wants to clean us from the inside out.
Potentially deadly theology: Have you been taught all the perfection of cleanliness was performed at the Cross and you are now all good?
It is true the Blood does wash us from every sin, and we are justified by faith; absolutely! And, we are made clean before God on the merits of Another, this is true.
But the Word also says “Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” It says “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” in Colossians 2:6, which speaks of maintaining the same faith and not resting on our unearned laurels.
FACT: Abiding in Jesus, staying in the Vine – or, as Paul said, walking in the Spirit – is what we do as we are brought to a condition of heart and mind. Do you know how many great Christians have testified that they were never taught even to do this – to enter into “victory,” also known as receiving the “baptism of the Holy Spirit,” and in a word, abide in Christ?
There came a time in the lives of many who long after they were born again finally learned to “abide.” This is based on the written testimonies of many, including Dwight L. Moody, Hudson Taylor, Oswald Chambers, Hannah Whitall Smith, E.M,. Bounds, Charles Finney, Watchman Nee, Charles H. Spurgeon, Andrew Murray, and more!
But while this is a precious reality that comes at cost of dying to one’s self, we may hear young zealous on-fire-for-God people exhort us to “abide” – as though it is commonly understood, is defined merely as being faithful in some general sense, and showing they themselves do not even have a clear understanding of what the “fullness of the Spirit” really is to be.
Treating the holy with too little reverence coupled with ignorance is just one of the occupational hazards of mixed-up Christianity today. A cavalier attitude comes from taking things for granted that God never intended to be so taken.
We can be very dull as humans in this information-saturated world, and foolishly cast about terms of the deeper (actually only normal) Christian life like so much “information.” But God is NOT information! And love of God and holiness cannot be faked, or even taught to the unregenerate mind in a carnal Christian which must be crucified and brought under the spirit’s control.
Do not assume just because you are born again and think about God a lot that this constitutes a biblical definition of “abiding.” What God would do with those who really obey Him is much more!
Often the Holy Spirit must deal with the many iniquities that we as natural people bring to the Cross – indeed everyone brings lots of baggage from their ways before being born again.
The dirtier you were – the more perversities, crooked ways, bad habits, familiarity with sins of the flesh, and so forth – the more God must get out His fuller’s sap and scrub you.
It can take time, even a few years, but it need not. The same faith that saved you is the faith one believes for the fullness. “The just shall live by his faith.”
But, as much time as it does actually take any one person, it is NOT a passive process, but a very active one, if you say you are a follower of Christ. We as little children must humble ourselves and seek with all our heart to be made like Jesus if we ever hope to be more than “positionally” like Him.
Full salvation entails walking in Christ’s own Spirit and maintaining short accounts of sin, and trusting “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2) to overcome our iniquities within, and the temptations of and trials of the world and devil without.
This is so vital! You who have been awakened to inherit eternal life, understand!
It is common to slip into error even while you are seeking to be made pure, but becoming like Jesus is God’s will for everyone of His children. He therefore will make a way as you press in.
We are to actively exercise faith and meet the conditions. There are many conditions of heart and mind, and He will guide us, and pick us up when we fall, but we must not set our sites on less than the mark God says to aim for.
Not only does your own flesh rise up from the grave and muddle things, evil spirits are tasked to stir you up too. Are you comfortable wearing your “whole armor of God?”
Playing for Keeps
There is so much to be said on these truths. Jesus said if we “hunger and thirst” after righteousness, we shall be filled.
He spoke of a life of a disciple, not just someone who got a “get-out-of-hell-free” card and remains fleshly, and soulish in their minds while only cleaning up the surface.
A “refining fire” wants to burn up EVERYTHING that is not of Jesus. Are you willing?
Are you? It is not really optional. Sadly, while we are talking of key Christian teachings that can be fatal if not adhered to, teachings that let Christians abuse God’s gift of grace may lead them to think a valid option is being less than always seeking first God’s kingdom.
If so, this undermines a sense of urgency the early Christians had – and the Bible teaches – if you read all the scriptures, not just ones cherry picked to support a doctrinal position.
May God have mercy on us. We all need Jesus! Daily! Hour by hour! Minute by minute! We all must get away alone with God and say with David: “Search me, try me, see if there be any wicked way in me.”
With a heart of faith as unto a faithful Father who loves us. His Spirit puts this in us to do, but teachings of men can squelch the still small voice of the Spirit and man’s mind can silence God even while he thinks he serves Him.
THE CALL: Repent as God leads, pray and ask Him to “grant you repentance” as needed. Speak to God, pour your heart out to Him. Do not presume once is enough. As we repent, He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse – but keep going back for more. God wants deep abiding relationship.
He will show us the truth on many things, and give us peace in our hearts that is not a substitute circumstantial peace that we mistake as God’s peace.
Let us all however fear, because we were flesh, and an honest person knows how much that flesh has held sway. God did not automatically come in and make you Christ like.
His Command remains: “Be holy, for I am holy,” and we are to thus abide in Him to “be holy.”
“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” – 1 John 1:5
“Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” – 2 John 2:4-6
God does love you. He fully and completely loves you. But He hates sin. It sent Jesus to the Cross. Sin is never OK, and we do not have to sin, nor do we have to remain in error.
Truth will produce holiness; error makes fake holiness with no power.
What do you have, and what do you want?
