GLOBAL  IMPACT  STUDIES

If you find the truth, will you believe it?

If any man desires to do God's will, he will have the needed illumination to recognize, and can tell for himself whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking from myself and on my own accord.  John 7:17 


ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED

“And the great dragon was cast [of heaven], that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan [aka Lucifer], which deceives the whole world:  he was cast out into the earth, and his angels with him” (Rev. 12:9, emphasis added).  He was “cast out into the earth” and not into a place called “hell,” and he is deceiving the entire world including all the Christian denominations.  There are many ways he is accomplishing this, and his agents in his work of deception are those who we would least suspect of being his 

pawns.  When someone, no matter who he is or claims to be, contradicts what the Word of Elohim, the Holy Bible, says, he is of the Devil, just as Satan did in the beginning with Eve. 

The Devil met Eve at the “tree of knowledge of good and evil.”  The best way to get people to take poison unawares is to mix it in with something good and tasty, and so it is with the methods Satan uses to get people to take in his deceptions by mixing his errors with some truth from the Word of Elohim and thus leading Elohim’s people away from Him by deceiving them.  Does someone who is being deceived know they are being deceived?  Only if that person is searching for the truth and is willing to accept the fact they have been deceived when shown them, can someone become undeceived. 

It does matter whether we believe the truth or a lie. "Elohim hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (2 Thess. 2:13, emphasis added). The devil is "deceiving the whole world" through the lies he has sown in the world (Rev. 12:9). The "truth shall make you free" from the lies Satan has sown (John 8:32).

A wise man tells us "when a man who is honestly mistaken, hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or else cease from being honest" by Richard Humpal.

Winston Churchill said, "most people, sometime in their lives, stumble across truth. Most jump up, brush themselves off, and hurry on about their business as if nothing had happened." May we take the words of these wise men to heart.

This study will show from the Word of Elohim that just because a person accepts Elohim’s salvation at some point in time does not prevent him from being lost in the end.  Yahushua (Jesus) used parables to teach us the principles of the kingdom of Elohim, and so we will look at one of those parables which illustrates that once you have claimed to be saved does not assure you that you will not be lost.

“Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king (Yahuwah), which would take account of his servants.  And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.  But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment be made.  The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.  Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him that debt.  [He had been saved or forgiven from his indebtedness.]  But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.  And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.  And he would not:  but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.  So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.  Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt [ten thousand talents], because thou desirest me:  shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.  So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses” (Matt. 18:23-35, emphasis added).

This servant, who had owed his lord ten thousand talents, is the sinner.  He represents all of us who owe our heavenly Father a debt we can never repay, and our heavenly Father forgives us because He is a compassionate Being Who delights in mercy.  “Yahuwah is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” (Ps. 103:8, emphasis added).    When He has forgiven us and we do not exercise that same compassion on others who may owe us a trivial amount in comparison to what we owe Him, our heavenly Father reverses His forgiveness, and we will pay our debt in full when we suffer in “the lake of fire” before we are turned to ashes. 

The man in the parable was once saved (he was forgiven), but he lost his salvation (forgiveness) which had been granted him!  Was the king pictured in this story being unjust?  This man who had been forgiven much caused his fellowservants to be grieved over what this man had done to another fellowservant and came to their lord to complain to him what the forgiven man had done.  Even they could see that what this man had done was unjust and needed to be dealt with by their lord. 

“He hath showed thee, O man what is good; and what doth Yahuwah require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy Elohim” (Mic. 6:8, emphasis added).  This parable Yahushua taught illustrates Micah 6:8.

In the book of Ezekiel, we have a portion of Scripture that deals with those who turn from righteousness to go back to a life of sin.  “Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus you speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?” (Eze. 33:10, emphasis added). 

Elohim does not want us to perish in our sins with the guilt that presses down on us because of them.  Sin, whether done knowingly or unknowingly, brings guilt to our being that causes us to “pine away.”  “Pine away” means “to lose vitality through hunger or unhappiness” and in this case – guilt along with depression. 

Elohim through Ezekiel goes on to say, “Say unto them, As I live, saith Yahuwah Elohim [the LORD God], I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live:  turn you, turn you from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?  Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression:  as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turns from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sins.  When I say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust in his own righteousness and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die [eternally] for it.  Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shall surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquityhe shall surely live, he shall not die.  None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him:  he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.  Yet the children of thy people say, The way of Yahuwah is not equal:  but as for them, their way is not equal.  When the righteous turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, he shall even die [eternally] thereby.  But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live [eternally] thereby.  Yet you say, The way of Yahuwah is not equal.  O you house of Israel, I will judge you everyone after his ways” (Eze. 33:11-20, emphasis added).

The wicked in the scenario above repented and turned from his wicked ways and was saved.  “If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquityhe shall surely live [eternally], he shall not dieNone of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him:  he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live [eternally]” (emphasis added).  The righteous went back into sinning and was lost even though at one time he had salvation. 

Most people have accepted a lie begun by Satan and propagated by Christian ministers that once you are saved you cannot be lost.  You cannot find any such verse to confirm that lie.  It is a teaching that is pleasing to the nature of humanity.  “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12).

The soul that sins, it shall die [eternally]” (Eze. 18:20, emphasis added).  It does not matter whether that individual had been forgiven by our heavenly Father or not.  If a man continues to sin even after he has received forgiveness, he will die eternally and suffer the second death from which there is no resurrection.

“For if you live after the flesh, you shall die [eternally]:  but if you through the Spirit [of Elohim] do mortify [subdue] the deeds of the body, you shall live” (Rom. 8:13, emphasis added).  If you are still sinning and you believe you are saved, you are being deceived.  “Thou shalt call His name YAHUSHUA [Yah saves]: for He [Yahuwah] shall save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).    “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries” (Heb. 10:26-27).

It is nothing less than presumption to believe that Yahushua will save you while you continue to sin.  “Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression” (Ps. 19:13). 

The Devil in his temptations of Messiah in the wilderness attempted to lead Yahushua into presumption when he told Yahushua to cast Himself down from the pinnacle even quoting Scripture that Elohim would save Him.  “And he brought Him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto Him, If thou be the Son of Elohim, cast Thyself down from hence:  for it is written, He shall give His angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee:  and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.  And Yahushua answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt Yahuwah thy Elohim” (Luke 4:9-12).  To believe you are saved while still sinning is nothing but presumption.

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to Elohim, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Rom. 6:22, emphasis added).  Unfortunately, most have never been made free from sin and continue to sin.  They have never been told the full Gospel, but have been sold a false Gospel.  “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Messiah:  for it is the power of Elohim unto salvation [changed from a sinner into a saint] to everyone that believes” (Rom. 1:16, emphasis added). 

How much power is there in Elohim?  By the word of His mouth, the Universe was spoken into existence.  There is enough power available to every man and woman and child “to keep you from falling [sinning], and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24).  Someday “Elohim will rejoice over you with joy; he will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing” (Zeph. 3:17, emphasis added).

Elohim is trying to bring to heaven as many of earth’s inhabitants as possible!  It is Satan who is seeking to keep as many as possible out of heaven and share his fate in the “lake of fire” when he and all the lost will be turned into ashes before the earth is made new and made the eternal home of the meek (Ps. 37:9-11).

Do not be deceived by Satan into believing any of the multitude of lies he is spreading throughout the earth.  “Study to show thyself approved unto Elohim, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).  And Elohim will guide you into all the truth and show you things to come as you study the Bible under the guidance of His Spirit that Yahushua promised to give us in John 16:13.  When you hear something that contradicts what is written in the Word of Elohim, the Bible, know that it is of the Devil.

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure:  for if you do these things, you shall never fail” (2 Pet. 1:10, emphasis added).  The last thing anyone who has begun this journey to our eternal earthly home wants to do is to be led astray and in the end, be lost with the wicked, but we have a malicious, evil, subtle enemy who is always after us trying to lead us astray by deceiving us and giving us a false hope based on his lies and not on the Word of Elohim.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8, emphasis added).  “Finally, my brethren, be strong in Yahuwah, and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of Elohim, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of Elohim, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6:10-13).  

"But he that endures to the end shall be saved" (Matt. 10:22, emphasis added).  We are not saved yet.  We shall be saved when we are standing on the sea of glass before the throne of Elohim having been changed from corruption to incorruption and have been given immortality (1 Cor. 15:51-55).  We have an enemy who is always on the prowl to catch us asleep.  Yahushua told His disciples "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41).  "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy [Elohim’s forgiveness], and find grace [Elohim’s power] to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16). 

Can you imagine that Yahuwah Elohim Almighty will let you into heaven while you are still sinning, when He threw Satan out of heaven for sinning?  The problem is that most people are drunk with “the wine of Babylon” (the customs, beliefs, teachings, and practices of ancient pagan Babylon) that prevents them from thinking straight.  “With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication” (Rev. 17:2, emphasis added).