We Christians have all heard about fellow Christians that started well and dropped off the race close to the end, whose lives can be aptly summarized in the phrase, "Once Saved, Now Lost". No real christian wants to fall into this category. Some christian sects believe in the 'once saved, always saved' doctrine - that one can never lose their salvation, no matter what they do or what happens, citing Romans 8:38. However, in doing this they fail to consider the warnings of Jesus who made several mentions of the fact that narrow is the way and few would find it (Matthew 7:14); that many would say to him 'Lord Lord' and he'll tell them he didn't know them (Matthew 7:22); that many would want to enter the kingdom of heaven but would end up not making it (Matthew 11:12); that many would start and only few would finish. We all know that there are categories of people in this world that are not even interested in the way of our Lord Jesus Christ, talk less of making heaven, so as Christians we must understand that these warnings are more for us than for the world. "Many are called, few are chosen" (Matthew 20:16). Simply put, The implication of this statement of our Lord is that many would start and few would finish. So, how do we ensure that we are counted as those that would finish?

2 Thessalonians 2:3 - "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition"

The bible references a time that Christians would fall away from the faith. In fact its one of the classic signs of the end times. This phenomenon is known in contemporary christian lingo as 'backsliding', In the bible the Greek word apostasia, which is the root word of apostasy, is used to describe it. In the account in Matthew 19:8 where Jesus was explaining the concept of divorce to the Pharisees who asked, the word used for divorce is apostasion. By understanding the root definition of this word, we can deduce that the falling away or backsliding phenomenon can be likened to a divorce situation. Now, the question that we should ask ourselves is: what would cause a divorce between me and God? Before we go on let us understand that divorce can be initiated by any or both of the partners involved in the relationship, but God will NEVER initiate the divorce proceedings - He says that over and over and over again in his word:

Hebrews 13:5b - "...for he hath said, I will NEVER leave thee, nor forsake thee."

John 6:37 - "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will IN NO WISE cast out. "

2 Timothy 2:13 - "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he CANNOT deny himself".

Romans 8:38-39 - "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. "

You might be wondering, why am I quoting the very verse the 'once saved, always saved' adherents build their case on? I'm quoting it because I want to point out a crucial point in that verse that these OSAS people conveniently ignore, which makes them take this verse out of context. 'Nothing will separate us from the love of God' is VERY different from 'Nothing will separate us from God'. We ourselves know from experience in human relationships that it is possible for a man to be separated from the woman he loves when if she, for example, goes off to marry someone else, and still keep on loving her. So it is very possible to be separated from someone and the Person is still in love with you.

So it has been established, God will NEVER divorce us. That means if there is going to be a divorce it is going to be initiated by the other party - man. How then does this happen? Some people will turn from Jesus because His words offend them (John 6:66); some will turn because they loved the approval of men more than that of God (John 12:43), but most disturbing of all, people will divorce God because they were not careful of the deception of the enemy and they SLOWLY turned towards ANOTHER Jesus.

2 Corinthians 11:3 - "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. "

A very important fact that most Christians are not aware of is that the devil is a DECEIVER. Many of us think he would put on a red suit and horns when he wants to come and trick us, and that's because we are extremely ignorant of his devices. A lot of recent occurrences in the world and in the body of Christ are making it plain that the devil has taken his deception game to the place where it would least be detected by Christians - right in the church. We have to be very watchful. A lot of strange doctrines have crept in, and because we neglected the warnings of the Bible to try EVERY spirit (1 John 4:1 - "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world".) and to prove ALL things (1 Thessalonians 5:21 - "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good".), we have allowed ourselves to be deceived by the devil.

The second part of this note will talk about the various forms of demonic doctrines that have crept into the church and are slowly causing people to fall away from Christ...

Fantastic. God bless you. This has encouraged me greatly, and has empowered me too.

Signing the divorce papers - are you splitting up with God? (Part 2)

2 Timothy 4:3-4 - For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.


The following are a few of the deceptive doctrines and trends that have crept into Christendom and are threatening to pull a lot of believers away from Christ:

1. Hatred of reproof (the "don't judge me" line):

Observations have shown that in today's world very few Christians take kindly to their wrongs being pointed out for correction. The majority of others are quick to recoil, and snap back with words along the lines of "Judge not lest ye be judged" or "Only God can judge me", and so on.

First things first - we need to establish that it makes for a more balanced and healthier Christian walk if we are "judged", regularly, by our fellow Christians. Let's always keep it at the back of our minds that the point of our Christian walk on earth is to "be transformed by the RENEWING of our minds" (Romans 12:2).

We don't start out on the Christian walk knowing ALL we need to know to walk rightly with God, so it is important that we keep ourselves in a place where we can be corrected to grow in Christ. This place of renewal is achieved in study and meditation of God's word to understand what He requires of us; in communicating with God and listening out for Him to change our way of thinking; and yes, in having fellow Christians point out the truth to us, EVEN when it sounds raw and hurtful, for us to make amends in our walk. This is accountability, which is another concept that is highly endorsed by the bible but yet has been tossed over to the corner by modern-day Christians.

The Bible exhorts us to not despise chastening from God; for He loves those he disciplines (Hebrews 12:5-7). Also in the Bible we have so many scriptures commending people that decide to take correction:

Proverbs 9:8 - Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

Proverbs 12:1 - Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

Proverbs 13:18 - Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.

Proverbs 15:10 - Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.

Ecclesiastes 7:5 - It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

Ephesians 5:11 - Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather EXPOSE them.

2 Timothy 3:16 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for REPROOF, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Revelations - 3:19 - As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.


and so on.

The Apostle Paul even refers to a time when he rebuked the Apostle Peter for a certain wrongdoing (Galatians 2:11). If the great apostles were not afraid of conducting this exercise on each other, then why have we now become so 'sensitive', so 'emotional', that reproof to turn us back on the right path is now so 'hurtful' and 'judgmental'? Of course there is no denying that some Christians come across as spiteful and condemnatory when correcting others, but hey, if what they are saying is biblically sound and is relevant to you, take out the good and leave out the spite. Let the chastening that comes from God be our priority and not the insult from men. The process that God wants us to go through to be people of His purpose should be our primary focus, and I'm sure you'd agree that it would be much better for us to face humiliation here on earth and be approved of Christ at the end of ages than to never face reproof on earth and end up being rejected by God.

2. The religion of emotions/feelings:

This is the move to convert the spiritual into the sensual. "If it FEELS good, then it must be of God". It's a movement in which experiencing God has been limited to the warm, fuzzy feelings we feel during worship sessions or the inspired, geared-up high we get after listening to a powerful sermon.

How you can tell that all of this is soulish and not spiritual is when people go through all of this and no permanent deposit is made in their spirit man. In other words, they don't have a stronger assurance of God or a greater desire to be transformed to be more like Him.

When all our learning and experience of God is wrapped up in the emotional, it then becomes difficult to discern His actual will - because He is spirit - and not sensual. We need to be able to differentiate the voice of our flesh (our sensual desires) from the voice of our spirit. Our flesh FEELS; our spirit KNOWS (strongly believes).

If there is confusion in making a distinction between the two as a Christian you just need to study the Bible and find out what it says about the situation/decision you are facing. No matter how good an idea, a movement, a doctrine FEELS, we have to hold it up to the truth of scripture before we conclude it was inspired of God.

We can't afford to go by what we just FEEL is right because that is a realm that can be easily manipulated by satan. If you do your research you'll find out many false (antichrist) religions started on that premise: by just going by what felt spiritual and good rather than going by what the word of God says.

3. Word of faith doctrine:

The simple summary of this doctrine is the idea that you can somewhat twist God's arm to get what you want as long as you possess an active force known as FAITH. First of all, let's get things straight. Faith is simply what Hebrews 11:6 says it is: believing God exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. This was all Abraham had that qualified him before God as a person of faith - that was ALL he needed to be justified by God (Romans 4). It is not some mind-over-matter concept that you build up like a muscle, to use to enforce your desires over the spiritual elements (God, devil, angels, etc) or get the material blessings you want.

The word of faith doctrine also pushes the theory that we are gods - with a small 'g', quoting Psalm 82:6, and using that to insist we have a right to make demands as gods do. Well, if we want to be truthful to ourselves, that just sounds like a follow-up of the serpentine lie spoken to Eve at the Garden of Eden. God made man MAN, with his own level of dominion and his own boundaries, so man trying to usurp the place of God (or a god) is just a repeat version of Lucifer's attempt to exalt his throne and be like God (Isaiah 14:13-14). Even at the end of ages, when God's people are reunited with Him in Heaven as described in Revelations, there is no hint of mention that they would be treated as gods or elevated to the status of gods. The whole attempt to magnify man - no matter how Christian he is or how much he knows of God - is so antichrist in origin and principle (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) that it makes this doctrine a very dangerous one.

Concerning the oft-quoted Psalm 82:6, I'd like us to take another look at the whole verse:

Psalms 82:6-7 - I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But YE SHALL DIE LIKE MEN, AND FALL LIKE ONE OF THE PRINCES.


That clearly describes a FALL from glory; meanwhile our inheritance in Christ assures us that our death will be a CALL to glory. I don't know about you, but I prefer the latter. Clearly what is being described in this verse is not intended by God to be the lot of His children, so why do we ascribe it to ourselves?

There are so many facets to this Word of Faith doctrine - and tragically enough it is promoted by a lot of prominent ministers in Nigeria (which is why we have to pray seriously against the entry of leaven in our church assemblies). The word of faith on the surface looks like a harmless doctrine, but in it is that tiny but highly heretical bit of leaven that makes us believe we can enforce our will over God's through a force called 'faith' - which is impossible. He is God, we are not - and that's that. Can we just be satisfied in praying and seeking for His own will, as Christ taught us to pray, and not get caught up in trying to command God to fulfill and satisfy any and every single earthly desire we have?

4. "Seeker-sensitive" Christianity:

Galatians 1:8-9 - But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.


There has been a drive in recent times to make the gospel more appealing and 'seeker-friendly'. Some believe our approach to evangelism in old times has been too hell-fire-and-judgement oriented, and so there is a movement to make the message of Jesus Christ attractive and comfortable to everyone. This movement has required a great deal of watering-down of the gospel to minimize the mention of judgement and other seemingly unpleasant aspects. The proponents of this movement are convinced that this would draw more people to God, fill up the churches, increase the number of Christians, and generally result in a great deal of good to the Kingdom. Well the first problem is that, with the modifications they have made to the gospel, they have ended up creating a whole new form of gospel - which is very different from the original. The people drawn by this movement have a concept of Jesus Christ that is so different from the actual Person, and hence worship a God of their imaginations, thus falling foul of the 1st commandment before they even get started off in Christianity. They believe the end would justify the means, but the means of the salvation process is as important to God as the end result. We cannot remove or downplay the reality of sin, judgement and eternal torment, because without them the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is made meaningless. Jesus died to save us from judgement and consequent eternity in Hell fire, and not just to give us a better life on earth. We cannot afford to twist the gospel to make it more appealing to others - a wrong means cannot result in a right end. People drawn by a twisted gospel cannot experience the actual Christ - except God mercifully intervenes.

"Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase". (1 Corinthians 3:5-6).


It is God's responsibility to increase His church. Let us not take up that extra burden - which would create pressure to do untoward things - but instead focus on what God has given us ability and responsibility to do - plant the Word and continually refresh with the Word. I can't speak on the seeker-sensitive movement in its entirety, which has metamorphosed to other forms such as Emergent christianity, but this is the faulty foundation that it is based on which must be pointed out so that it can be avoided.

5. Mixing of the sacred and profane:

2 Corinthians 6:15-16 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.


In several times in the bible God categorically stated that He is holy and would not share His glory with anyone. "..walk before me and be perfect", etc. In spite of what we have heard or how much we feel God is so loving He would overlook anything, holiness and righteousness are important issues to God.

There are movements to increasingly blur the line between what was inspired of God and what was inspired by the world (which is in enmity with God). The inflow of carnally-inspired music, dances, clichés and lingos, is simply a reflection of Christians that are ignoring this note of great importance. And the trends in the world these days make it clear that we are no more making a decision between secular and sacred: it’s now between satanic and sacred. Many popular celebrities and powerful personalities have stopped hiding their spiritual alliances. So why are we still trying to co-opt what is clearly anti-Christ and make it Christian? Jesus Christ said we can't patch an old garment with a new one, and that is what the effort to put a Christian tag on what obviously belongs to the world is. The world is in enmity with the One in you - so how do you try to make a merger? Like many of the above-mentioned issues, this trend is one with many branches and facets that cannot all be outlined here, but the call for us Christians is to really sit up and put reverence and the fear of God back in our ways. Let's stop sacrificing getting God's approval of our lifestyle and worship choices on the altar of being "hip and trendy".

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 - Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

6. Bibliophobia (fear of studying the Bible)

The genesis of the infiltration of all types of false doctrines and trends stems from an apathy or fear of studying and meditating on the word of God. God's word is SO clear and straightforward concerning the temptations and deception that we are being faced with - He not only warns us about them, but even instructs us on how to stay free from them. But most Christians have managed to wrap God up in an aura of mystery and paint Him as an unpredictable, unknowable God who cannot be understood except by a 'chosen' few. Many don't know anything about God beyond what they were taught from the pulpit - and they have NEVER bothered to check up whether what was taught was biblical so they either clam up and keep shut when challenged about their faith or resort to weakly-framed arguments prefixed with the popular, "My pastor said ..." But this is so far from what the Bible tells us to do: we are told to have our 'feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace' (Ephesians 6:14) and to 'be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us with meekness and fear' (1 Peter 3:15b). We have to cross over from the point where we are third parties to the conversations God is having with other men and start conversing with God ourselves - and this can only start when we determine to know who He is by study of His Word. This is not to undermine the importance of pastors and elders, but to remind us that the actual point of the new Covenant he established, through the blood of Jesus Christ, is for us to know Him personally. The pastors, teachers, etc are simply supposed to lead us into this knowledge, and not spoon-feed us perpetually.

Hebrews 8:11 - And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (you could read from verse 7 to understand the full context of this verse)

God does not want to be mysterious and 'unknowable' to His own children - which are the Christians. The Bible is full of evidences pointing out this fact:

Mark 4:11- And he (Jesus) said unto them (the disciples), unto you it is given to KNOW the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without (I think we can agree this refers to unbelievers), all these things are done in parables:

1 Corinthians 2:11-12 - For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might KNOW the things that are freely given to us of God.

John 17:3 - And this is life eternal, that they might KNOW thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 - Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and KNOWETH me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 24:7 - And I will give them an heart to KNOW me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.



When we remain in ignorance of the TRUE word of God, we become vulnerable to all the falsehood being peddled around and are at risk of turning away unto another Jesus, and another gospel, as was warned in Galatians 1:9. The Bereans were a group of people that checked up what the Apostle Paul taught them, and they were commended for this. Let’s endeavour to copy this example so that we would be able to discern God’s truth from the lies flying around.

Now, you might have read some of the above and are still not convinced that they are dangerous enough to derail one from the faith, but I want us to remember that 'little leaven leaveneth the lump'.

Someone mentioned that rat poison is estimated to be 97% corn and grits and 3% poison. The poison content, as little as it is, is enough to kill the rat, and this is a principle we have to be aware of because it especially pertains to the spiritual things.

When we begin to ascribe to God and to our Lord Jesus what is not of them, we start to create a God of our own imaginations and begin to drift away from them.

It is so popular these days to see Christians saying 'My God won't do this, The God I serve will ....' and the attributes and definitions they give to THEIR God is NOTHING near the God of the Bible. There is nothing as tragic as a person who professes Christianity but has no idea who the true God is.

We must realize that God ...is God, and he changeth not. The reverence, and fear, and respect, and honour we must always show towards Him cannot be overstated. Let us not get caught up trying to redefine Him, twisting His words to suit the current trends or our lifestyle, or handling Him with levity. God help us. Amen.