I recently commented on the Blog of The Merry Widow and decided that the subject is worth exploring just a tad. She was rightfully lamenting the sinful, terrible spiritual condition of our wonderful country. Here is an excerpt from her post:
Will the new hate crimes legislations ban the Bible as a book of hate?
The federal representatives of our states, here in the USA, will be deciding on legislation that, if passed, will define civil rights classifications as federally protected against “hate crimes.”
…. If this Bill passes, H.R 254, then the Bible will be fully removed from the public as a federally classified source of “hate speech” as it has been attempted to be classified already in Canada, under their “hate crimes” law Bill C-250. A Pastor already has been threatened with imprisonment in Canada by a “Human Rights Tribunal” under the same premise as our own bill. The “crime” of this Pastor, as reported on LifeSiteNews.com in September of ‘05, was that he * ”published a letter to the editor in the Red Deer Advocate, in which he denounced homosexuality as immoral and dangerous, and called into question new gay-rights curriculums permeating the province’s educational system.”” And we must also realize then, if sexual immorality becomes federally protected, thus making saying such acts are immoral a crime, no Christian will ever be able to vote again!
But something much more important needs to be addressed than merely protecting free speech or the Bible or our rights as citizens: we must address why these things are happening. Since Roe-v-Wade, over 45 MILLION children have been murdered in the USA.
Her post illustrates the depths to which our precious America has sunk — and is still sliding ever so quickly.
A solution may be for Christians to preach FOR the Solution rather than against the sin. A homosexual act is no greater or lesser sin that a lie, theft, abortion or murder in God’s eyes. Sin separates us from God — no matter how large or small.
The problem is not “sins” but “sin.”
Belief (faith) in Jesus alone is the eternal solution for ALL sin that would otherwise keep us from Heaven.. Christ’s death, burial and resurrection paid the complete sin debt..
Faith in Jesus alone gives one the assurance of Heaven… but does not assure removal from daily “sins.” Some folks are believing saved sinners and others are unsaved unbelieving sinners..
For unbelievers there is no concrete guideline for life, except feelings — “what feels right.”
However, for the one who who trusts Christ alone as Savior, God’s indwelling Holy Spirit works His power with the new nature of every believer to set his life in line with what the Lord wants. However, every believer has the will to obey or disobey God’s scriptural commands. Obey and be a happy believer — disobey and be a miserable believer.. Either way — once a believer, always a believer, thankfully, never to be lost.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the first and major step in the solution to the problem of homosexual acts, theft, murder, lying, liberals, abortion, immorality, etc.. one person at a time.
Notes From A Retired Preacher 
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Elbesino,
Thanks for stopping by – and especially thanks for that verse… I missed that one. Once again proving my imperfection. 😉
Of course the verse has no reference to loss of salvation.. but for a believer — it references out of fellowship with the Savior.
In Christ, Exp(Jack)
Proverbs 14:14: The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
Not that I agree with the way the world (“secular” religion) uses the term necessarily. But here’s the Bible definition of a backslider “filled with his own ways”.
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TotalTransformation,
Thanks for your comment…
Yes, those who indulge in homosexual activity do seem to Justify and rationalize.. because their power base is increasing at alarming rates.
But so are others — such as abortion, pornography, theft, lying, murder. All these and others are glorified and promoted by the media..
Likewise, believers need to be reminded constantly that the world is against the basic Biblical standards of true Christians. We need to stay in the Word and heed it.
ExP(Jack)
While homosexual activity is no greater or lesser a sin then adultery, theft, et al. it does seem to be one of those sins that *more so than others) seek to justify and rationalize. That makes it all the more obvious and identifiable.
Comfort one another with Psalm 2, Psalm 73, Psalm 84, and so many other passages that encourage and inform us!
HE is our Rock, our Fortress and our Strong Tower! Let us finish strong to the Glory of G*D!
tmw
Thanks Lynda,
We believers must get about our Father’s business — and share salvation in Christ.
Witnessing is easy now — but as you and others say, the time is coming when fewer and fewer will listen to the Gospel. Our country (and the world) is being conditioned to disbelieve anything having to do with Christ.
In Christ, ExP(Jack)
One other comment I would like to make about the original article… this is par for the course in these last days. The Bible, the God of the Bible, the God of the Jews and Christians, is hateful and intolerant. Jesus is fictional or simply an historical character heaped with myth. This is the paradigm for today’s world. This legislation will outlaw Biblical speech–but I can guarantee that it will not in any way hinder koranic speech, and will not stop the Islamists from further infiltrating our nation and beginning the implementation of their plans. The silent jihad is well-begun here, under the guise of freedom of religion, which has been twisted from its original meaning in our Constitution.
But don’t be deceived, dear ones. God is not mocked, and He sits in the heavens laughing at His enemies! We ache with pain and burn with fury as our beloved country goes the way of the world; yet will we rejoice, for we know that the Lord our God WILL triumph, for Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Creator and Possesor of heaven and earth!
Hallelujah! Come, Lord Jesus!
Thanks, Lynda,
Very true.. and in your discerning way as usual.
Once saved always saved is a fact of scripture and applies to any individual who, in truth, trusts Christ alone as Savior.
Whether they were honest before the Lord or not is their problem, but it is certainly my concern.
As a Pastor and a witness for my Savior, I must try the best I can, one on one, to understand whether a person is a believer in Christ. I can only accept what one tells me. While actions may be a clue, actions can be deceitful and far from definitive.
Only God and the individual know for sure.
I am responsible for me. But at the same time, I am responsible to those I meet, to whom I write and talk. It is imperative that I share Christ and let them make the eternally binding life-saving decision.
ExP(Jack)
I can’t hear the video because my speakers are broken. But knowing what she alluded to in her discussions of her childhood, she may have accepted the Lord out of her desperate need of Him… and still have been angry at Him for the things that happened to her. This is something that can easily sabotage (sp?) one’s Christian walk, especially in a life wherein there is no one to teach you or guide you into maturity. One remains a ‘baby’ Christian for a lifetime. I know folks who have been Christians for 30 years and are still babes in Christ because they take no responsibility for their decisions or actions, and no resposibility for renewing their mind with the Word. In ANS’s case, believe me, there is very little the devil enjoys more than making a Christian’s life unfruitful. He tries it with all of us to one degree or another. And if it looks like progress will be made, or things are about to turn heavenward, he has no greater delight than to kill.
He can only do in our lives what is allowed, by the Lord and by our own choices.
The other thing is, once saved always saved is only applicable individually. By that I mean, I know that I am saved. I know that I was sincere when I accepted Jesus’ sacrifice and that I knew deeply that it was for MY sin that He died. I know that when I continued in sin I was miserable, and felt awful even as I sinned, even though I had very little knowledge of God’s Word at the time. I just knew that something inside me (His precious and powerful Holy Spirit!) was eating at me because of the way I was living. So, my choice was to reconcile my life with that inner witness of good and evil. I could have chosen the other way… either way, I knew that Jesus loved me and I was His.
I do not, and cannot, know that about any other person. Whatever way they are living their life, I don’t know what is going on in their heart. There are those who by self-discipline go through all the right motions, but their hearts have denied Christ. They are doing it all from some other motivation, and are not saved. But I can’t look into their heart, any more than I can see into the heart of someone who is living in riotous sin; I have no way of knowing what God alone knows. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.
So, while once saved always saved applies to me and I know it, there is no way for me to know that about any other human being. I must leave it to the Lord and walk in love. This is where the whole ‘hate the sin, love the sinner’ thing comes into play!
Carolyn,
First, thank you very much for that video of Anna Nicole. It was very revealing and I had never seen it. Only the Lord and Anna know for sure if she meant what she said.
Second, I never said she was an unbeliever. Only she knows that, not I.
We believers can only see her actions and hear her words.
You asked, “Do you believe ONCE SAVED – ALWAYS SAVED?”
Absolutely.. Once we have trusted Christ to be our Savior, there is nothing that can sever our ETERNAL life with Christ… After all, it is ETERNAL and eternal IS ALWAYS secure.
Christ promised in John 10:28 ” And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall NEVER perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
You said, “What if a person backslides?”
There is no such word in the Bible as “backslide.” If you mean somehow for a believer to be out of fellowship with the Lord, all believers do that. In I John 1:9, “If we confess [acknowledge] our sins [to Him]…” we are restored to fellowship with Him.. but a believer is NEVER lost and then re-saved.
Restoration of fellowship comes as the result of acknowledging our sin, agreeing with God about our sin.
You said, “but, what if they don’t??”
If a disobedient believer refuses to acknowledge his wrongdoing (sin), he is then out-of-fellowship with God, a disobedient, miserable believer, but still Heaven bound. That is God’s Grace. The very meaning of Grace is “undeserved.”
I am thankful that Anna had the good sense not to abort either of her children. That part of her life is commendable and sets a good example.
Thanks again, Carolyn, for bringing Anna’s testimony to our attention..
In Christ eternally,
ExP(Jack)
Carolyn-IF her acceptance of Jesus was real, she is in Heaven, but as Hal Lindsey has said, “A heavenly hippy.” She’ll have her white robe, and NO REWARDS. What a shameful way to face her Creator and Savior!
And G*D makes no bones about the fact that that YOU MUST ACCEPT JESUS Gift of Salvation. I didn’t say it, HE did, that is the ONLY WAY to Heaven.
So, if ANS salvation was not real, she is in Hell. It’s not me saying that, it is G*D’s Word on it!
Which is why we must tell people, because there is NO plan B!
Good morning, G*D bless and Maranatha!
tmw
Why do you think Anna Nicole Smith was an unbeliever? Check this out….
Do you believe ONCE SAVED – ALWAYS SAVED?
What if a person backslides? I know all they have to do is come to Jesus and repent…but, what if they don’t??
How beautifully said, bro. Jack (& TMW!) I certainly know how wicked my old heart is (Jer.17:9). But oh how wonderful is our Savior! (1 Pe.2:24, 3:18)God Bless.
Thanks TMW,
Yes, we identify sin — but we dwell on the solution — not the sin..
Is there a person alive who knows not that they sin?? My guess is that even Anna Nicole, though blinded, knew full well that what all she was doing was wrong (sin) — as well as all the guys who slept around with her…
Romans 1:20-22
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE:”
Osama, Hitler, Pol Pot, Castro, Stalin, Saddam Hussein, the Clintons, ExPreacherMan… we are all in the same boat. We all deserve Hell,,,
There is no excuse… but there is The Solution, Jesus. We all have a choice to trust Him or not.. Not is a decision..
ExP(Jack)
Hi there, Jack, nice job. And terribly true. But we need to know that there is a problem, identify it(sin) and then the Good News really is GOOD!
tmw