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Christianity EtcRe: Have I Committed The Unforgivable Sin? - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 6:24pm On Sep 22, 2017
mikejj:
amen
Christianity EtcHave I Committed The Unforgivable Sin? - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 6:07pm On Sep 22, 2017
Here is a conversation I have on a regular basis:

Reader: “Paul, I’m worried that I have committed the unforgivable sin.”

Me: “You haven’t.”

Reader: “But I had these terrible thoughts about the Lord…”

Me: “You didn’t commit an unforgivable sin.”

Reader: “I shook my fist at heaven and said these wicked things…”

Me: “Still no.”

Reader: “But I took the Lord’s name in vain.”

Me: “The good news is he forgives you. Jesus said, ‘Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven’ (Matthew 12:32).”

Reader: “But the rest of that verse says those who speak against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. I’m doomed!”

Me: “Uh-huh. So you think Jesus is gracious and forgiving but the Spirit of Christ holds a grudge? What’s wrong with that picture? Relax. The Holy Spirit keeps no record of your sin (Heb 10:17).”

Reader: “I still worry that I committed the unpardonable sin.”

Me: “Do you love Jesus?”

Reader: “Of course.”

Me: “What does Jesus mean to you?”

Reader: “He’s my Lord.”

Me: “You could not know that except the Holy Spirit showed you. The only thing that cannot be forgiven is rejecting what the Spirit says about Jesus. Therefore you have not committed the unforgivable sin.”

Reader: “I’m pretty sure I did.”

Me: “I’m pretty sure you didn’t. You have more chance of lighting a fire with a bucket of water, than committing the unforgivable sin.”

Reader: “But Jesus said…”

Me: “Jesus said, ‘Whoever comes to me I will never drive away’ (John 6:37).”

Reader: “Yes, but…”

Me: “Jesus also said, ‘I give eternal life to them, and no one will snatch them out of my hand’ (John 10:28).”

Reader: “Yes, but…”

Me: “There is no but. Jesus has the last word. You may have said some dumb things, but Jesus speaks a better word. You believe Jesus don’t you?”

Reader: “Yes.”

Me: “Then settle it in your heart that he who began a good work in you will carry it on until the day of completion.”

Reader: “It can’t be that simple. I’m losing sleep over this. It’s like there’s this tape playing in my head that reminds me of what I did.”

Me: “Only those who cannot commit the unforgivable sin worry they have committed the unforgivable sin.”

Reader: “Huh?”

Me: “If you were an unbeliever, would not be worried about whether your sins are forgiven?”

Reader: “I don’t understand.”

Me: “Let me put it this way. Do you want to please Jesus?”

Reader: “Of course.”

Me: “Don’t you see? That’s a sign. When you came to Christ he gave you a new heart with new wants and desires. Once upon a time you cared nothing for the Lord. Now you want to please him. Once upon a time you gave no thought to sin. Now you don’t want to do it.”

Reader: “So my anxiety over this sin is a good thing?”

Me: “No, God wants you to be free from fear. But you wouldn’t be tempted to worry if you weren’t trying to please the Lord.”

Reader: “So what must I do? How can I stop worrying?”

Me: “Stop focusing on yourself, and fix your eyes on Jesus. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Reader: “I wish it were that simple.”

Me: “Granted, it’s a battle. But it’s a battle you can win.”

Reader: “How?”

Me: “Fortify your mind with the promises of God’s Word. Stop listening to lies and feed on the truth. He will never let you go. When that old tape starts playing in your head, declare his promises over your life. Write them down if it helps.”

Reader: “I dunno. It sounds too simple. You still don’t know what I did.”

Me: “No, you don’t know what Jesus did. His grace is greater than your sin. His best is better than your worst.”

Reader: “I feel so helpless.”

Me: “Stop living from your feelings and walk by faith. Yes, we are helpless on our own, but you are not alone. God himself is your Helper. Trust him!”

Reader: “Okay. Can you pray with me?”

Me: “Sure. Why not repeat these words: Heavenly Father, thank you for your love that is greater than my sin. Thank you for your Son who died that I might live. Thank you for your Spirit who pours your love into my heart. Thank you that nothing I say or do can separate me from the love that is in Christ Jesus. Thank you, Father, for promising to never leave or forsake me.”

Reader: “Amen.”

https://escapetoreality.org/2017/06/22/have_i_committed_unforgivable_sin/

Christianity EtcRe: The Commands Of John - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 6:06pm On Sep 22, 2017
Hoo
Christianity EtcRe: Does 2 Peter 2 Say You Can Lose Your Salvation? - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 6:06pm On Sep 22, 2017
Yeah
CelebritiesRe: Jidenna Shares Childhood Throwback Photo by jiggaz(m): 4:46pm On Sep 22, 2017

Christianity EtcRe: World Likely To End On September 23, As Experts Match Great Pyramid, Bible Dates by jiggaz(m): 4:43pm On Sep 22, 2017
The world is ending tomorrow oo.
Christianity EtcRe: Why Do The Atheists Bother If They Don't Believe? Here Is Why. by jiggaz(m): 8:02pm On Sep 21, 2017
Martinez19:
hahaha. grin
cheesy Martin plz accept Christ, am serious oo.
Christianity EtcRe: Strangest Occurrence While You Were Religious. For Atheists by jiggaz(m): 8:00pm On Sep 21, 2017
Martinez19:
I remember when I prayed as christian, while I was getting up from sleep the next day, I had a voice saying that it will grant me the answer to my prayers. shocked I thought it was the holy spirit. But later, I discovered that people do hear voices when falling asleep or waking up. How did the voice know I prayed for something? Later on after many many months, I became an atheist thanks to hopefulLandlord, HardMirror and hahn. kiss
...

Christianity EtcRe: The Commands Of John - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 7:58pm On Sep 21, 2017
Okay
Christianity EtcRe: Does 2 Peter 2 Say You Can Lose Your Salvation? - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 7:58pm On Sep 21, 2017
Uyou
Christianity EtcRe: Consider The Severity Of God ( Romans 11:22 ) - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 7:58pm On Sep 21, 2017
Hey
Christianity EtcRe: Why Do The Atheists Bother If They Don't Believe? Here Is Why. by jiggaz(m): 7:51pm On Sep 21, 2017
Martinez19:
Over and over again, christians keep saying that if atheists don't believe in God, why do they keep bashing God? If atheists don't believe the claims and teachings in christianity, why do we bother? This I shall address.

Atheists do not believe in God and are not angry at him. Why is that? It's because he doesn't exist. There are no atheists that are angry at God. Even if we were angry at God, it wouldn't be more or less than a batman fan being angry at joker. What we are angry at is the concept of God and the teachings and precepts of religion and how it influences and impact our beloved world.

Given we are not angry at God and we don't believe in christianity, why do we bother? If someone was spreading hiv to people's children and you knew, wouldn't you try to stop? What would you think of someone who could but didn't? christianity just like other world religions are being used to enslave the minds of people. It is being used to control, manipulate and exploit the masses. It costs people their lives. That's why until the last stone of the last church falls on the last preacher(conman), we will not rest.

Think of all the money people would have used for themselves, help the poor or fund scientific researches if they were not manipulated into giving by their christian god or pastors. Thunder fire you if you say they were not forced, how would someone who believes in God wholeheartedly not pay tithe when the money is available? undecided think of those who tried to use faith and prayer to deal with their cancer, hiv, multiple sclerosis and other illnesses medicine could have manage. Call them fools if you like, but know that not everyone is as hypocritical dishonest as you in your beliefs. What they did was okay by strict biblical standards except you want to kid yourself.

Their death is not worth it. It is one of the things we atheists want to avoid. Christians like them can be easily freed given that they are honest unlike hypocrites. If you knew a scam artist and you could stop him, wouldn't you try to stop him? If you knew something was holding your own specie from progress, wouldn't you try to stop it? These and many more and reasons why we can't let it be. Our conscience can't rest. Think about the crusades, 9/11, suicide bombings, the deceiving or manipulation of people that drugs aren't needed when sick since faith is sufficient, the sharia and tithes and offering etc. all are unnecessary and grave losses.

What if still religious folks don't want? Then speak for yourself. There are people that are grateful to nairaland atheist for freeing them from the shackles of religion and all the fears they had. Many ex-religious folks are happy that they are atheists and they know what it is like to be free. Think about the lives that would have been better if not for religious beliefs. It pains me when folks are crying, hopeless and suffering and they confide in their pastors who careless about them. So christians and other religious folks, we bother and won't let it be.

HopefulLandlord, hahn, HardMirror, 1Sharon, Johnydon22, 0temAtum, catfishbilly, butterflylion, felixomor, deicide, Oliverpope, jiggaz, lightblazingnow, KingEbukasBlog, lepasharon etc. Your contributions will be appreciated.
My face the whole time while reading this post...

HealthRe: 3 Easy Tips To Lower Blood Sugar Fast by jiggaz(op): 6:05am On Sep 21, 2017
Coool
Christianity EtcRe: The Commands Of John - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 6:04am On Sep 21, 2017
Really
Christianity EtcRe: Does 2 Peter 2 Say You Can Lose Your Salvation? - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 6:04am On Sep 21, 2017
Hi
Christianity EtcRe: Consider The Severity Of God ( Romans 11:22 ) - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 6:04am On Sep 21, 2017
Hello
Christianity EtcThe Commands Of John - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 7:23pm On Sep 20, 2017
A year ago I made a bunch of people mad by saying John never mentions the word “repent” in his gospel. To this day I still get messages from angry folks who say things like, “Well even if John didn’t preach it, you should! We need more preaching on repentance.”

Actually I think we need more preaching on Jesus, but hey, that’s just me.

The reason I mention John is because those of us who preach grace often get accused of not emphasizing repentance. My response: neither did John. Anyway, I’m not about to poke that hornet’s nest again. Perhaps it’s time to throw the angry folks a bone and swing the pendulum way back towards dead works. This ought to make them happy:

Jesus: If you love me, you will obey what I command. (Joh 14:15)
John: We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. (1 John 2:3)

“Aha!” says the angry man. “See? What did I tell you? You can’t wriggle your way out of this one. Stop preaching grace and start preaching obedience. John is clearly saying that you have to obey God’s commands if you want to be known by him.”

Actually, he says no such thing but I can see how one might jump to that awful and insecure conclusion: I had better obey God’s commands if I want to know him.

If this is how you read it, let me respond four ways:

(1) Your salvation is not based on what you do or don’t do for God. It’s based on whether he knows you. Jesus prophesied that in the end many will claim to have done good deeds in his name but he won’t know them (Mat 7:22-23). God wants you not your works.

(2) You cannot reduce the relationship that God desires to a set of rules to be kept. As we saw in Part 1 of this series, disobedience is a fruit of distrust and distrust has two faces. One way to walk in unbelief is to say, as the Israelites did, “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.” Many are looking for rules to keep and principles to follow and the result is faithless, lifeless churchianity.

(3) Genuine obedience follows trust, which is always based on love. (See Part 2.) If you are trying to obey God’s commands out of fear and insecurity – “I have to do this or else” – then you’ve missed grace and you’re wasting your time.

(4) If you trust Jesus but are still worried about this whole obedience thing, especially 1 John 2:3 above, then read the preceding verses where John lays a sure and secure foundation of God’s love for you. Understand that there’s a world of difference between saints who sin and sinners who sin. Since they are walking by sight and not faith, sinners sin naturally. They can’t help but sin (Rom 14:23). As a child of God you are able to resist sin. Yet even if you stumble, God won’t kick you out of his family. Instead, Jesus will speak to your defense because you are his.

All clear? Is your foundation firm? Good. Now let’s unpackage these words of John.

Jesus never threatens his bride

John, like Jesus before him, is not making threats but promises. The key difference between the two scriptures at the top of this post is their context:

Jesus: speaking to his beloved disciples
John: writing to the wider church

John is basically saying, “One way to tell if someone really knows Jesus is that they obey him.” John continues,

The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:4)

The insecure believer reads this as a threat. I had better do what Jesus commands or else I’m not really a Christian. No, no, no! Christianity is not about impersonating Jesus. Christianity is Christ in us. It’s him living his supernatural life through us effortlessly (Gal 2:20). If you don’t have Christ you can’t reveal Christ – that’s what John is saying. In a world of phonies, a surefire way to recognize a genuine believer is that Christ lives through them. Without conscious effort, they do what he commands.

The axis of love

And what does Jesus command? Love, above all (John 13:35). Now I understand that some Christians get distracted to such a degree that they forget to receive and give love for a time, but that’s not what John is talking about here. He is referring to those who don’t have the love of God in them, period:

He who hates his brother is in darkness… (1 John 2:11, NKJV).

John is describing those who are following the way of Cain. As Brian Zahnd might say, John is talking about ungodly people who have not yet come into orbit around the axis of love:

But whoever keeps his word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in him. He who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk just as he walked. (1 John 2:5-6, NKJV)

Again, the insecure believer reads this as a conditional statement. I had better obey to earn my way into the kingdom. I have to walk as Jesus walked. But that’s not what John is saying. Read the passage again. John is saying that obedience is a fruit not a root. It’s a natural by-product of being connected to Jesus-the-Vine and allowing him to live his life through you.

Look closely at verse 5 and you will see two verbs or variables:

1. our word-keeping (or obedience)
2. God’s love perfecting

Which comes first? Answer: The love of God. John is saying, “This is how we know God’s love has done its perfect work in us – we keep his word.” Do you see it? God’s love always comes first. John hammers this nail again and again: “We love, and walk, and keep his commands, and do everything, because he first loved us” (see 1 John 4:19).

Receiving and abiding in God’s love is the foundation for everything in our walk. Who walks as Jesus walks? It is not the stressed out and fearful pretender. Jesus wasn’t stressed and fearful. Nor is it the one who is angry at those of us preaching grace and under-selling repentance. The one called Grace was never angry at grace!

So who walks as Jesus walks? It is the one who resting secure in his Father’s love.

The disciple Jesus loves

The apostle John had a revelation of God’s love that perhaps went further than the other disciples. He was, after all, the one who went around calling himself the disciple Jesus loved (see John 20:2, 21:7). I am sure that Jesus loved all his disciples, but John was transformed by that love. He loves me! I’m special. I’m the disciple Jesus loves!

You need to see yourself the same way. You need to see yourself as “the disciple Jesus loves” or “my Father’s beloved son.” This is not arrogance. This is Jesus getting what he came for – your heart!

https://escapetoreality.org/2013/04/04/the-commands-of-john/
Christianity EtcRe: Does 2 Peter 2 Say You Can Lose Your Salvation? - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 7:20pm On Sep 20, 2017
Yeah
Christianity EtcRe: Consider The Severity Of God ( Romans 11:22 ) - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 7:20pm On Sep 20, 2017
Ok
Christianity EtcDoes 2 Peter 2 Say You Can Lose Your Salvation? - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 6:00pm On Sep 19, 2017
In this world of anxiety and fear, it is a radical thing to proclaim the eternal security of the believer: One with the Lord, your future is the same as his. No one can snatch you from his hand; nothing can separate you from his love.

Yet every time I say things like this, someone will point to 2 Peter 2 as though this one chapter could undo the many promises of God and make Christ’s saving work of no effect.

“Peter describes Christians who forsook the Lord and were condemned,” they say. “So much for once saved, always saved.”

Hardly a month goes by when I don’t have occasion to talk about 2 Peter 2. In this chapter, Peter warns about false teachers who deny the Lord and teach heresy. Let there be no doubt he is not referring to Christians. These people are slaves of depravity (v.19) who never stop sinning (v.14). They are not saints but brute beasts who are condemned to perish (v.12).

But were these sinners once saints? Were they Christians who lost the way, and fell beyond the reach of grace?

This is an important question, because if they were once saved, then you can lose your salvation. Just as these false teachers were doomed to reap “swift destruction,” you too could be headed for hell – if you don’t take care.

Is Peter talking about backslidden Christians?

According to nearly every commentary I have read, the answer is yes. “These were genuine Christians who turned their back on God and will now get a worse punishment than the one who never met Jesus.”

Oh happy day.

Even certain grace teachers are convinced that Peter is describing former Christians who are now damned. But were these people ever saved? At first glance, the evidence seems clear enough, for Peter says these false teachers:

– have left the right way and gone astray (v.15)
– have escaped the defilements of the world only to become entangled again (v.20)
– once knew the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (v.20) and the way of righteousness (v.21)
– have returned to the muck like a pig (v.22)

So there you have it. Close your Bibles and get busy working out your salvation because if you don’t stay on the right way you’re doomed, like these guys. “Blackest darkness is reserved for them” (v.17). And for you too, if you’re not careful.

And yet, don’t you find it interesting that Peter never says, “Be warned, dear friends, what happened to them could happen to you”? He never says it because it can’t happen. The very idea that our sins could outlast God’s grace is absurd.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: You may shipwreck your faith, and go astray, but your heavenly Father will never abandon or forsake you. What the Lord begins he finishes.

So how do we read 2 Peter 2?

The key to unlocking this passage is Balaam:

They (the false teachers) have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. (2 Peter 2:15)

Balaam the prophet was recruited by the king of Moab to curse the children of Israel (Numbers 22-24). But after encountering the Lord three times – one encounter famously involved a talking donkey and an angel – Balaam blessed the children of Israel.

Unfortunately for Balaam, that wasn’t the end of the story.

The Moabite king was furious that Balaam had not done what he asked. So Balaam, perhaps realizing he was about to be sent home empty-handed, taught the king how to defeat Israel (Rev 2:14). Long story short, the men of Israel were seduced by Moabite women and turned away from the Lord (Num 25:1-3). They were on the doorstep of the Promised Land yet they almost never entered, all because of greedy Balaam.

In the end, the Israelites repented and pressed on to Canaan. And on the way they killed the false prophet Balaam who had done them so much harm (Num 31:cool.

When Peter says, “These false teachers are just like Balaam,” he’s saying they are on the wrong side of God. “By perverting the gospel, they are trying to curse what God has blessed. And like Balaam, they will come to a bad end.”

With this key in hand, we can now unlock the difficult verses of 2 Peter 2.

Who are the followers of Balaam?

Verse 15: They have forsaken the right way, and gone astray, following the way of Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousness…

Peter is not describing Christians but people who have known the right way – as Balaam did – and rejected it. Balaam had a personal encounter with the Lord. He heard God speak and he knew his heart. But when the money was put on the table, Balaam made the wrong choice. He opposed what God was doing, just as false teachers do whenever they pervert the gospel.

Verse 20: For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

Balaam initially stood up to the king of Moab, yet he never aligned himself with the Lord. His behavior was strange: If the Israelites were as blessed as he said, why not join them? Why stay with the cursed king of Moab?

The prophet was like those Hebrews who escaped the defilements of Egypt but did not enter the Promised Land. They came out but never went in. They died in the wilderness on account of unbelief.

Verse 21: For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.

The one who rejects the way of righteousness (the gospel) is worse off than the one who has not heard it because he has hardened his heart to that which could save him. He has refused the Lord’s holy command to “repent and believe the good news” (see 1 John 3:23).

I hope you can see that a follower of Balaam is not a follower of Jesus. It is someone who has heard and rejected the gospel. They’ve had an encounter with the Lord but turned their back. They’ve tasted the bread of life and spat it out. They have not responded with faith to the grace of God.

Verse 22: It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

A Christian is not a dog or a pig! A. A washed sow remains a sow, but a Christian is a brand new creation.

If you don’t know about your union with Christ, you may fall for the lie that says you can lose your salvation. You may even think that Peter is describing condemned Christians.

Fear not; there’s no such thing.


https://escapetoreality.org/2017/05/11/2-peter-2/

Christianity EtcRe: Consider The Severity Of God ( Romans 11:22 ) - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 5:24pm On Sep 19, 2017
Whaaa?? .....
Christianity EtcRe: Consider The Severity Of God ( Romans 11:22 ) - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 5:24pm On Sep 19, 2017
Whaaa??
Christianity EtcRe: Consider The Severity Of God ( Romans 11:22 ) - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 8:53pm On Sep 18, 2017
Hai
Christianity EtcConsider The Severity Of God ( Romans 11:22 ) - Paul Ellis by jiggaz(op): 6:17pm On Sep 18, 2017
Whenever I tell people about God’s goodness, I can just about guarantee that someone will call for balance and say I should also preach on God’s severity. Then they will quote this verse:

Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. (Rom 11:22, NKJV)

“You see, God is kind, but he’s also severe, so watch yourself! God has given you a chance to repent, but now you have to prove you were worth it by getting your act together, otherwise it’s the chop for you!”

And we wonder why unbelievers don’t get excited about this so-called gospel!

In my ongoing series on eternal security, I have maintained that we are saved by grace and kept by grace. Your eternal security rests on God’s promises, not your behavior. But, the insecure don’t believe it. They read the above passage and worry that they will be cut off if they fail to continue in the Lord’s kindness.

How do you continue? The insecure are uncertain, but it probably has something to do with working hard, being good, and hoping for the best. But look at what Paul says:

You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. (Rom 11:19)

This is about belief not behavior, faith not works. “They were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith.” Continuing in God’s goodness is less about working and more about trusting. But I am getting ahead of myself. Before we go further we need to ask an an important question:

Who is Paul talking about?

Who are the “they” that were broken off and who are the “you” that were grafted it? Paul is not speaking about individuals and he is not speaking about the church. He is talking about Jews and Gentiles:

Concerning Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” … I am talking to you Gentiles. (Rom 10:21, 11:13)

The nation of Israel, as a group, was broken off and the Gentiles, as a group, were grafted in. The Jews had been shown favor from the Lord but they did not receive it (although certain individual Jews had, such as Paul himself). God reached out to the Jews in love but they gave him the cold shoulder. Now God’s favor is also extended to the Gentiles.

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him. (Rom 10:12)

God’s desire is to bless everyone, but not everyone receives his blessing. As a group the Jews tried to earn his favor and were cut off. That sounds like divine judgment as though God were rejecting them. But look at what Paul says:

Did God reject his people? By no means! … God did not reject his people… they stumbled … they were broken off because of unbelief. (Rom 11:1,2,11,20)

The condemnation of unbelief is self-inflicted. Refuse his blessings and you won’t be blessed. You’ll be cursed. This is why Paul warns the Gentiles to “continue in God’s kindness.”

What is God’s kindness?

God’s kindness refers to his unmerited favor or grace which comes to us through Jesus:

In order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:7)

To continue in kindness is to continue in grace which is to continue in Christ.

As a nation, the Jews stumbled in unbelief. But the grace of God is for the whole world. Hence Paul says, “Don’t boast over the Jews – you Gentiles have a window of opportunity, like they did, and it won’t last forever. Receive God’s goodness! Receive Jesus! Confess him as Lord (Rom 10:9). Clothe yourself with Christ (Rom 13:14).”

What about God’s severity?

Here is the wrong way to interpret the severity passage: “I need to work hard for God and keep 100% of his commands to avoid getting cut off.” That’s what the Jews thought and it led to their downfall. By betting on their performance they rejected God’s grace.

And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. (Rom 11:6)

At the start of his letter to the Romans, Paul says everyone receives one of two gifts from the Lord. We either receive the free gift of his righteousness that comes by faith (Rom 1:17), or we receive, through hard-nosed and stubborn unbelief, the unwanted gift of his wrath (Rom 1:18). The Jews, as a group, had chosen the bad gift (Rom 10:21). We do well to choose the good one.

Who is in danger of being cut off?

Not those who are joined to the Lord.

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:28)

The insecure thinks, “If I can graft myself in through belief, then I can cut myself off through unbelief.” To this I respond, “You are saved by Jesus and kept by Jesus. You are one with the Lord and what God has joined together, no man can tear apart.”

“But what if I stop continuing in his kindness.” Paul answers that question when he talks about the importance of continuing in the faith. Although there are consequences to not continuing, Paul never says the Christian will be cut off. You are the body of Christ and Jesus doesn’t self-amputate.

Continue in his kindness, otherwise, you also will be cut off. (Rom 11:22)

Remember, Paul is addressing groups – Jews and Gentiles – not individuals. He clarifies this in the next two verses: “And if the Jews… You Gentiles…” (Rom 11:23-24, GNB). The Jews, as a group, were written off even as individual Jews, such as he and all the apostles, were grafted in through faith. Similarly, the Gentiles as a group have benefited from the kindness of God, but individual Gentiles may yet miss out through unbelief.

None of this talk about being cut off from Christ applies to Christians. But don’t take my word for it. Here is the Believer’s Bible Commentary:

It must be constantly borne in mind that Paul is not speaking of the church or of individual believers. He is speaking about the Gentiles as such. Nothing can ever separate the Body of Christ from the Head, and nothing can separate a believer from the love of God…

Romans 11 is a warning to those who, like the Jews, stubbornly refuse the grace and goodness of God. Reject his blessings and you’ll curse yourself. This should not frighten the believer. Although the Gentiles as a group may receive or miss out on God’s grace, the body of Christ will never, ever experience the sternness or severity of God. It’s one or the other, not both. Don’t let anyone curse what God has blessed.

Romans is good news for the believer!

Romans 11 has been used to sow fear and terror into the children of God. It has been twisted into a works-based message of conditional salvation that is a million miles from Paul’s heart. We would not fall for this nonsense if we had an assurance of our Father’s love and grace. If only Paul had given us such an assurance. He does!

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. (Rom 8:15-16)

The Holy Spirit says you belong to your heavenly Father and you are his dearly beloved child. If a sermon on Romans 11 fills you with fear, you can be sure that the spirit behind it is not the Holy Spirit. If Romans 11 scares you, read Romans 8.


https://escapetoreality.org/2015/03/11/the-severity-of-god-romans-11v22/
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