Salvation and backsliding/falling away a discussion led by the Holy Spirit

            When one does accept the  Jesus as their savior and confesses Him as His personal Lord it is a very great understatement Satan is NOT happy. Until you had repented of your sins and accepted Christ as Lord and His sacrifice on Calvary you were Satan’s  so you must be on your guard to deal with temptations, persecutions and such that WILL INEVITABLY come from Satan, who wants you back. One of Satan’s favorite tactics is to bring up our past and to try to use that to tempt us to fall back into sin. He often will tempt us with the very things we did in the past and then repented of when we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. I am going to share various scriptures and use texts warn you against falling away, and the consequence of doing so, but also how to get back in right relationship with God in case you have fallen pray to temptation.

This first set of scriptures indicates we were saved to do God the Father’s will, indeed the Holy Spirit said that is why we were created in the first place

(Matthew 7:21)  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

(Matthew 7:22)  On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'

(Matthew 7:23)  And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

He can and will order those who practice lawlessness and evil to leave Him so beware! Be sure to stay with and follow His will.The above is the last thing you want to hear from Jesus at judgment!! This next passage indicates the consequences of following and doing His word or not

(Matthew 7:24)  "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

(Matthew 7:25)  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

(Matthew 7:26)  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

(Matthew 7:27)  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

The verses above are all the more reason to hear Him out and follow through by doing what is asked of you by Jesus

I want to give reassurance now that God will not let anyone enter into temptation they can’t handle and will give a way out:

(1 Corinthians 10:13)  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

As these next two scriptures indicate it can be a hard thing to not be tempted to fall back to old habits and such

(2 Peter 2:22)  What the true proverb says has happened to them: "The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire."

(Proverbs 26:11)  Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.

We are continually being tempted by the things which beset us in the first place and we must be vigilant in rebuking and refusing them so as  to not fall back into these old habits. We need God’s help, grace, and mercy each and everyday with this, in fact. It is only He that can break many of these things. These next verses illustrate that perfectly

(John 8:34)  Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.

(John 8:35)  The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.

(John 8:36)  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Just before those two verses Jesus shares the benefit of abiding in Jesus’ word

(John 8:31)  So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,

(John 8:32)  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

A caution as Paul warned the Romans  we are NOT to abound in sin so that grace may also abound

(Romans 6:1)  What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

(Romans 6:2)  By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Jesus, in Matthew offers this very stern warning against tempting and causing others to stumble and sin. It is such a strong word:

(Matthew 18:6)  but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

(Matthew 18:7)  "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!

Here are some verses to indicate what can happen when unclean spirits are driven out but I also believe it is a warning against falling away from the gift and grace.

(Matthew 12:43)  "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.

(Matthew 12:44)  Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.

(Matthew 12:45)  Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation."

            When someone falls away, often the last state of the person, I am led to believe can be worse than the first, they end up more into sin, addiction, are more heard hearted, and hardened against the truth.

Now here is a very stern and severe warning against falling away from grace in the book of Hebrews

(Heb 6:4)  For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,

(Heb 6:5)  and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,

(Heb 6:6)  and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

(Hebrews 6:7)  For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.

(Hebrews 6:8)  But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

(Hebrews 6:9)  Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things--things that belong to salvation.

Note the reassurance in the end. There is an even harsher warning in Hebrews 10 against deliberate and continuous sin after falling away

(Hebrews 10:26)  For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

(Hebrews 10:27)  but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

(Hebrews 10:28)  Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

(Hebrews 10:29)  How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

(Hebrews 10:30)  For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people."

(Hebrews 10:31)  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

God can and does pursue those who are fallen away, always seeking to reclaim them from Satan. He knows that it will be worse for them if the don’t ever turn back to Him and some people never do, sadly. Others do though and are restored to relationship with Him. After all God does not want the devil to pull away even one of His children, though sadly some are, some sadly never to return(these can become even harder of heart than a lot of unsaved!). Ultimately these verses in Romans 8 at the end tell the story well.

(Romans 8:31)  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

(Romans 8:32)  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

(Romans 8:33)  Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

(Romans 8:34)  Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

(Romans 8:35)  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

(Romans 8:36)  As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."

(Romans 8:37)  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

(Romans 8:38)  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

(Romans 8:39)  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here are good verses from 1 John 1 concerning sin, restoration, forgivness and fellowship with Him

(1 John 1:5)  This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

(1 John 1:6)  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

(1 John 1:7)  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

(1 John 1:8)  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

(1 John 1:9)  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(1 John 1:10)  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

 We must all beware of Satan and to trust God. Satan hates God and always seeks to undo anything and everything God has done.

(John 10:10)  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

(1 Peter 5:8)  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

To fight Satan’s tactics I cannot strongly suggest staying submitted and close to God

(James 4:7)  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

(James 4:8)  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Do not be shy to ask for help when you need to, such as for prayer:

(Jas 5:16)  Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Once restored, or even if not fallen here is a nice scriptures to encourage you

(Heb 12:28)  Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,

(Heb 12:29)  for our God is a consuming fire.

God is a consuming  fire too, so love Him and trust Him. Here are some verses to encourage, and to hopefully strengthen you to trust God and prevent any falling away:

(Rom 12:1)  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

(Rom 12:2)  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

(Heb 12:1)  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

(Heb 12:2)  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

As I write this, I strongly believe we are in the end times, the very  last days, and the rapture is coming very, very soon, so I share the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. The foolish ones are the ones who fall away and or become lukewarm and such. The wise ones do not. (Mat 25:1)  "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

(Mat 25:2)  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

(Mat 25:3)  For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,

(Mat 25:4)  but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.

(Mat 25:5)  As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.

(Mat 25:6)  But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'

(Mat 25:7)  Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.

(Mat 25:8)  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'

(Mat 25:9)  But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'

(Mat 25:10)  And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

(Mat 25:11)  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.'

(Mat 25:12)  But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

(Mat 25:13)  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Believe me you do NOT want to miss the rapture which the above parable is inferring, as well as the marriage of the lamb, so if you are backslidden, please repent and recommit so you do NOT miss the rapture. Jesus told the Ephesians who had fallen away this too in this following word in the book of Revelation:

(Revelation 2:4)  But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

(Revelation 2:5)  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

This is a very stern warning from Jesus to the Ephesian Church and it applies to us today. I urge you to repent by praying this prayer with me and then trusting the Holy Spirit to help you stop doing whatever you were doing wrong:

Lord Jesus Christ,

I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. [Take a few moments to ask His forgiveness for anything particular that is on your conscience.] Please forgive me. I now turn from everything which I know is wrong. Thank You that You died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.
Thank You that You offer me forgiveness and the gift of Your Spirit. I now receive that gift. Please come into my life by Your Holy Spirit to be with me forever.
Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 51 is an excellent prayer of repentance.

Now, having repented I suggest reading this to help ensure being that much more rapture ready, the rapture which can occur at anytime is not anything you want to miss. You want no part of the great tribulation to follow the rapture.

1. Make sure that you have received Jesus Christ into your life as your PERSONAL Lord and Saviour.

2. Examine your own heart for any signs of backsliding, worldliness, unwatchfulness, compromising, and lukewarmness.

3. REPENT (Turn COMPLETELY away from sin and turn COMPLETELY around towards Jesus).  Sin separates you from God, even as a Christian.

**4. Study end-time Biblical prophecy until you become completely convinced that His Coming is, indeed, AT THE DOOR.  This will help keep you from temptation and sin.  JESUS IS COMING VERY SOON!!! Lord help me be absolutely convinced YOU ARE at the door!!!!!

5. Do something for the Lord.  (Passing out tracts would be a good start.)

6. Examine your priorities, lest the CARES OF THIS LIFE cause YOU to MISS THE RAPTURE, as we are so adamantly WARNED about in Luke 21, and so many other Scriptures.

7. Draw closer to God by praying, reading His Word, attending a fundamental church as often as possible, and surround yourself with a Christian atmosphere (Christian friends, books, music, radio, TV, etc.)

8. PRAY DILIGENTLY.  ASK THE LORD TO REVEAL TO YOU ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE THAT EVEN MIGHT KEEP YOU FROM THE RAPTURE.  PRAY THAT THE LORD WOULD GIVE YOU A PEACE, IF YOU ARE READY, AND AN UNREST AND UNEASINESS IN YOUR HEART, IF YOU ARE NOT READY.

9. Listen for His voice and then STAY OPEN TO THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

10. Act upon that which the Lord is calling you to do. DO IT NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

If the Lord has planted the least bit of doubt or uneasiness in your heart, will you swallow your pride and pray this prayer with me:

"Dear Lord, Thank you for preparing a WAY OF ESCAPE from the horrible Tribulation to come.  It is my sincere desire to be ready for your Soon Return, so that I can participate in the Rapture.  Give me a COMPLETE PEACE IN MY HEART FROM YOU if I am, indeed, ready.

Let there be no false sense of security in my heart concerning my readiness for Your Return.  Begin to reveal to me things in my life and in my heart that might keep me from the Rapture.  Show me what I need to do to BE READY and then give me the power to act upon that which you show me to do.  Draw me away from the world and closer to you every day.  Use me in whatever way you can to help others who may not be ready for your Return.  Fill me with your peace when I am ready and fill me with YOUR POWER, for victory over sin and temptation, and for effective service for your kingdom.  In Jesus' mighty name, Amen