PDF Notes

Who could go wrong with promises like these?

• • • John 10:29 – My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
    • Romans 8:37 – Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
    • Jude 1:24 – Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.
    • Philippians 1:6 – Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
    • Hebrews 13:5 – For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
    • Psalm 37:23-24 – The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in His way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand.
    • Psalm 34:19 – Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
    • Micah 7:7-9 – Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until He plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteousness.
    • Ephesians 4:7 – Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
    • Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

But…

Ezekiel 3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. ¹⁹ Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. ²⁰ Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. ²¹ Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

Ezekiel 18:21-24 – But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

Ezekiel 33:18-20 – When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. I will judge you every one after his ways… The judgment is a major reason why it is impossible for once saved, always saved, to be true. We will be judged according to our works.

• • • Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. ¹⁴ For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
    • Jeremiah 25:14 For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.
    • Matthew 12:36-37 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. ³⁷ For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
    • Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
    • Romans 14:10-12 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. ¹¹ For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. ¹² So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
    • 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
    • 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
    • 2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
    • Revelation 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
    • Revelation 18:6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
    • Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
    • Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

There is no question that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by His mercy we are saved (Titus 3:5). BUT, we are not judged by grace; we are judged according to our works. Also, we are not saved by our works, but we are judged by them.

God and Christ wants every soul to be saved, they do not take pleasure in the death of the wicked (see 2 Peter 3:9 and Ezekiel 33:11). If we are lost it is because of our own choosing–our own walking away from salvation offered to all.

Matthew 12:43-45 – When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Matthew 24:13 – He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. He that does not endure won’t be saved…

1 Corinthians 10:12 – Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Philippians 3:17-19 – Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction…).

1 Timothy 1:5 – Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: from which [charity…pure heart…good conscience…faith…] some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling.

1 Timothy 1:19-20 – Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

1 Timothy 3:6-7 – Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. [What is the final condemnation of the devil? Hell (Revelation 20:10, 14-15…] Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

This is a bishop, or a church official. There is a great possibility that he may fall into the condemnation…reproach…and the snare of the devil. Will a man that has fallen thus be let into Heaven? Absolutely not, or the devil himself would have to be let back in.

1 Timothy 4:1 – Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, [outspokenly or distinctly, (Greek)] that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.

No man that departs from the faith (he must have had saving faith in order to depart from it) will be allowed into Heaven. Let us not depart from the faith but rather earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints! (Jude 1:3)

1 Timothy 5:12 – Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.

Revelation 2:4-5 states that it is possible also for us to leave our first love. To get away from the first love involves being fallen. If we do not repent, Christ will remove our candlestick out of his place. What does the candlestick have to do with? The candlestick seems to be our zeal to be Christ’s witnesses. To be true witnesses for Christ we must first eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood (John 6:53). If we do not do this we have no Life in us, and we would then be worthless as His servants.

Does the literal flesh of the Son of man give us life? If so, where do we get it? What saith the Lord? John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are Life.” We MUST spend quality time in Bible study, prayer, and witnessing, if we wish to be separate from those that cast off their first faith. May God help us all!

1 Timothy 5:15 – For some are already turned aside after Satan.

If these had turned aside after Satan then they must have been previously with Christ, as there is no in-between. (Notice Matthew 12:30, He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.).

1 Timothy 6:10 – For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, [see Deuteronomy 5:21, Exodus 20:17] they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Remember, Paul only knew of one faith (Ephesians 4:5).

1 Timothy 6:20-21 – O Timothy, keep [do not let go of] that which is committed to thy trust, [the ministry] avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

2 Timothy 2:17-18 – Their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus [possibly the same man as in 1 Timothy 1:20] and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

May it never be said of us… ONLY by the grace of our Lord will we be able to stand in the evil day.

Notice that in Philemon 1:24, Demas was a fellowlabourer.

2 Timothy 4:10 – For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.

See 1 John 2:15. The name Demas in the Greek means Popular. What a lesson for us all…

Hebrews 6:4-6 – For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.

These people must have been converted, by the language that is used to describe their condition. Some say that if you depart from the faith, it means that you were not saved to begin with… this is a fallacy. The Scriptures are plain.

2 Peter 2:20-21 – For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, [See John 17:3] they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

Jude 1:5-6 – I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

Matthew 7:21-23 – Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; [Who are they that call Christ Lord? Christians!] but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (again, John 17:3).

The only way that any of us will ever get to Heaven is if we reject our works, with our inabilities, and accept Christ’s Spirit in our hearts with His abilities. He has promised everything to us!

Hebrews 7:25 – He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him…

Would a God of love arbitrarily save us and then MAKE us go to Heaven? Even against our will?

If God accepted just anybody into Heaven then we would have to conclude that God would have to allow Satan himself back into the kingdom. True, a relationship with Christ and the Father is eternal life, but it also depends on what kind of relationship. Satan has a relationship with God – he hates Him. Satan also believes the truth that there is one God (and he believes He has a Son) and trembles, but he will never be let back into Heaven (see James 2:19).

A good friend of mine was transformed into a well-respected Christian in southern California when I too became a Christian. He was my studying partner, we prayed together, gave each other encouragements, and finally were baptized together. Sadly, he was not willing to be thoroughly converted. There were still a couple of things that he kept back for himself; today he is back in the world, having lost his first love. The good Lord would take him back at any time, but in his condition today he is not in a saving relationship with God Almighty and His Son (see Galatians 5:19-21).

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

If you were charged with being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to prove it true?

Paul, David, Moses, Peter, Aaron, Rahab, Mary Magdalene… they all fell yet came back… ❤️