9495 Crockett Rd, Brentwood, TN 37027

+1 318-542-3474

Sunday Service: 10:30 am CT

P O Box 3526 Brentwood TN 37024

Bethlehem Missionary Church

Welcome To Our Q&A Page

This is where we post questions arising from sermons by Rev Moses

If God's Justice system is so heavy on the offenders and if Jesus Christ our advocate, our righteous intercessor, gave His blood of sacrifice as an act of divine mercy, where then is the place of His kindness and love?

God’s justice is the most distorted and neglected truths in Scripture. Today, God’s love is emphasized almost to the exclusion of His justice. But Psalm 89:14 tells us: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.” This gives us a picture of the makeup of the integrity of God. If you take away righteousness or holiness, you have no God; take away justice you have no God. They keep each other in check. Whatever the righteousness of God demands, His justice accomplishes without compromising. For example, His righteousness demanded punishment for our sins. His justice executed that by judging Christ without compromising righteousness. The justice of God does not crush us every time we sin because of lovingkindness, but the truth remains: whenever we cross God’s holiness, we can be sure that His justice will satisfy the demand of holiness. Two examples in the Old Testament, Moses and Uzzah, both crossed His holiness and met God’s justice squarely. In the New Testament, we have two examples, Ananias and his wife Sapphria, they paid with their lives. There comes a time when a believer crosses God’s holiness and meets His justice head on. The Bible tells us in 1 John 5:16 that there is a sin leading to death. We don’t know at what point or what sin that might be. Indeed, God still shows us mercy and grace because Christ intercedes for us, but it doesn’t diminish God’s justice in anyway. Thank God, He doesn’t give us what we deserve Psalm 103:10. Nonetheless, His warnings stand: 2 Cor. 6:2; Heb. 4:1; 12:15; 10:31; 12:29. Mercies and graces spring from love, not justice. Thank God for our Great High Priest’s intercessory ministry on our behalf!!!

Can you please help me with the issue of once saved, always saved. I am still struggling with that, though I have read a few books on the subject. Somebody gave me your booklet, “Eternal Security of the Believer”, which I am still going through.

You are not alone. Many believers are struggling with the same issue. Here is the truth: false doctrine always leads to false belief and false application. If we accept the falsehood that salvation is based on works of righteousness (which it is not, Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:8-9), then we will go a step further to believe that one must maintain his or her salvation by the same work of righteousness. I have presented the biblical truth of “once saved always saved” in many ways to many believers with resounding acceptance. A good number of believers have come to embrace this truth. Before we move on, let us first answer this question. What did you do to be saved? Don’t rush to answer the question, as many often do. Think Scripture. If you can filter your thoughts through Scripture, it’s apparent that you did nothing to be saved. “By His doing you are in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:30). “For by grace are you saved through faith…” (Eph. 2:8-9). Salvation is the work of God from start to finish. He who saved you by faith alone in Christ alone, will “present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach” (Col. 1:22). Now let’s have a dialogue; this has helped many to grasp the truth of “once saved, always saved.” Question no. 1: How many times can an individual be saved? Answer: If you answered, “once,” you are correct. Scripture confirms it: “whosoever drinks of the water [of salvation] which I shall give him shall never thirst for ever, but the water which I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into eternal life.” (John 4:14 Darby). We drink the water of salvation once and for all. We are saved once. Question no. 2: Can a born again believer backslide into his or her old world of sinful life? Answer: If you say “yes”, you are right again. Scripture confirms it, “My brethren, if any [believer] among you strays [backslides]…” (James 5:19). Question no. 3: Is a backslidden believer, who has gone back to the world, still saved? 1 Answer: If you answer “yes,” why is that? Think your way through Scripture before you answer. Question no. 4: Can a backslidden believer be restored back to fellowship? Answer: If you answered “yes,” you are right. Scripture states, “whoever turns a [backslidden] sinner from the error of their way will save them from [the sin unto] death” (James 5:20 NIV). Question no. 5: According to question no. 4, can a backslidden believer who returns back to God be saved again? Answer: What do you think? Stop and reflect on your answer. Bravo! He cannot be saved a second time according to your answer in question no. 1: We are saved once. That means he was still saved while in the dungeon of sin. Now, you can go back and answer question no. 3: Is a backslidden believer, who has gone back to the world still saved? Yes. You see, the believer is still saved, even while in the quagmire of sin. The only difference is that he or she will experience severe discipline and may die the sin unto death (1 John 5:16). “He himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:15). He will enter heaven empty handed with no rewards. With this insight read afresh the words of our Lord and the apostle Paul: “And I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish” (John 10:28). Stronger in Greek language (Ou me apolontai ton aiona: “they will indeed not ever perish.”) “I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (6:40). “For I am convinced that neither death [including sin unto death], nor life, nor angels [including Satan], nor principalities, nor things present [including living in a dungeon], nor things to come, nor powers [including God’s power], or height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Once a believer in thrown into the love of God, He’s swept off and swallowed in the depth of His everlasting love. Incredible! Amazing love from an Amazing God!