And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:27,28
The Word of God is THE TRUTH. 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 10:29. Amen! Glory to God! Nobody can wrest our salvation from us! Nobody took my salvation from me: I, of a free-will, abandoned it. I turned away from God.
God was no stranger to me. People sometimes think I "found God" in my later years. I didn't "find God"--He hadn't gone missing! God allowed me to "find myself", and in order for me to return to God, I had to abandon my strongholds. I had to go in to Him, not the other way around. I had to get into His stronghold and out of mine!
In today's world we hear, "Oh, a person must have HIGH self-esteem." Go right ahead--listen to the world--just "high-esteem" yourself right into my old stronghold. It might be inbetween occupants right now.
We already know what "self" means; let's look at esteem. Mr. Webster defines esteem as "high regard" or "to rate highly". Doesn't just say "regard" or "to rate"--it specifies high, "to place a high value on". So, according to the foolishness of this world, we are to have "high self high regard" for ourselves. I didn't say it--I'm using their words!
It's just as ridiculous when you apply it to the opposite: "Oh poor Jane has such low self-esteem." She has such low self high regard for herself. If it didn't seem absurd before, it should now! But that's the world, folks. And we go along with it, parroting that idiocy!
Let's see what the Truth of the Matter is from the Word of God.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:3-8.Let's look at that bolded portion of Verse 3 in other versions of the Bible:
--New King James: ...but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
--American Standard: ...but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself.
--Living Bible: ...Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.
--New International: ...but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
--Revised Standard: ...but in humility count others better than yourselves.
--New American Standard: ...but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself.
When He cried over Jerusalem, it wasn't because He was having a pity party. He wasn't having a problem with "low self-esteem" because they were flinging His message back in His face. Oh no! He knew the truth of the matter--no man cometh unto the Father but by Jesus Christ. And anyone who doesn't accept Him, will never get to the Father. He knew what it was going to cost everyone who rejected Him, and has down through the ages, and will continue to do so: eternal separation from God. In order to get to The Father, we have to go through The Son. Yet knowing this, He still did everything that He did to glorify "Our Father which art in Heaven".
When I came back to the Lord, I asked Him to mold me and make me who HE wanted me to be, not who I thought I ought to be. I know all too well what a mess I can make of things--but when I submit my will to Him, He can have His way, and His Way is THE Way. Remember? "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life", he told Thomas in John 14:6. It still holds for us, today, in our modern world. We need to esteem Jesus Christ, not ourselves! I assure you, if you will esteem Jesus Christ in your life, you will NOT be worried about "self-esteem". And you can avoid that old ratty, sin-infested, dead-on-the-inside stronghold of mine!
For all seek their own, NOT the things which are Jesus Christ's. Philippians 2:21.
Yes, good ole' "self-esteem". SELF-pride. I "esteemed" what "I" was doing, what "I" knew, who "I" was. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. I Corinthians 10:12. I didn't esteem the Lord Jesus Christ, I "self-esteemed". Such an attitude can only lead away from God. I was proud--plain old haughty and high-minded, thank you. It was "I", "me", "my". The old "Big I and little you" syndrome!
I don't care who's doing it: it's a formula for spiritual disaster! The higher one gets within oneself, the harder will be their fall! Being all wrapped up in "self-esteem", it wasn't hard to step away from God and totally out of His will.
He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. HE MUST INCREASE, but I must decrease. John 3:29,30.
Then I built walls of, "Well, I'm not so bad. I could be doing things that are a lot worse." With an attitude like that, it didn't take long for them to get worse!! "Little" sins became "big" sins. We spend so much time justifying our sins! It is extremely important to understand one thing: Sin is sin and sin separates us from God!
Mankind measures sin in levels:
- "Is that all?"
- "Not so bad."
- "Pretty bad."
- "I can't believe they would do that !"
- "That's unforgiveable!"
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:7,8. No classes or degrees of sin there, either!
Does the word deceit, used in the above scripture, include "little white lies"? These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19. Ugh oh. You hear sounds of those old walls crumbling?
I WAS saved. I WAS baptized. I loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart. But I allowed pride to creep in, and it didn't take long for it to become WILLFUL SIN. What followed were many years of WILLFUL SIN. I knew better: that's what made it WILLFUL SIN! By no stretch of the definition could I have been called a "Christian" at that time of my life! You look up the term "backslider"--you see a picture of me.
To be saved does not mean we have been made perfect. Sorry. Still human. That's why we must have a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. And that relationship involves, prayer, praise, witnessing (that's right, confessing Him with our mouths, thank you). No sitting on the laurels here. While we cannot earn our way into Heaven, if we have been saved, our lives will bear the fruit of that which we have inside of us!
We won't partake in the evil of this world. We have been delivered of it. However, we will still make mistakes. Yet, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, who will forgive us of our sins, but it's not automatic, folks. We do have to repent of them. That's what Grace is. When I make a mistake, He will forgive me if I but ask. Grace is extended and we are not cut off from Him.
That's where I got into trouble. I got so elevated within myself, I wasn't subjecting my will to God, and I wasn't asking forgiveness of that which I did wrong--I was justifying or defending it! Trouble time!
There is no such thing as a "Christian sinner", "Christian prostitute", "Christian drug addict", "Christian adulterer", etc. When you commit to Christ, you QUIT willfully sinning. Sure, you will still make mistakes--you haven't become perfect. But commitment to Christ means abandoning the sin of this world. God LOVES mankind, but He HATES sin!
If "Once Saved Always Saved" means what a lot of people are deluded (or have convinced themselves) into thinking (and preaching!), what is the purpose of building a church? If being saved is all there is to it, why do we need to pray? No, my friends, it goes further than merely thinking "Once Saved Always Saved". When we are saved, our lives will bear the fruit of that Salvation. Here's a simple one for you: Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. James 4:17.
There is NO such thing as a "Christian" sinner. They are [supposed to be] conflicting/opposite terms. I certainly have not achieved perfection as a human being, but I don't willfully sin any more! Yes, I make mistakes and I make decisions that I have to ask forgiveness for. But I no longer willfully and knowingly commit sin.
"All The Wrong Strongholds" Copyright © 2000 by Patricia Sikes.
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