Children or Not!

Sometimes we need to be reminded of our sin; not to dwell on it, never to dwell on it, but to rather be thankful from where we have been saved. Decoy after decoy is thrown at us through life entangling us into a vortex of sin. It is one thing to be blind as we ignorantly case sin hoping to quench our lustful desires, but when we have eyes to see and we still ignore the Word of God we enter into very dangerous ground. It is like entering a mine field, you do not know their exactly location, but you know they are there. This morning I choose to remind myself of some of my foolish pronouncements. The reason I do this is so that I may remember the consequences that followed.                

I do not wish to debate son ship and where and when we will or will not be saved. The Armenian tells us we can lose our salvation, the Calvinist tells us we can’t and the hyper Calvinist says it doesn’t matter what we do because God is sovereign and He will work out His plans according to His good pleasure.

I am persuaded that if you are a son of God, if you have been born again, if the Father has drawn you to Himself and if God the Holy Ghost lives within you I believe the Word is very clear you will never be lost. I will say that again, you cannot and will not be lost. Why do I make such a brash statement? I must now explain myself, so much for not debating son ship! God will never relinquish His glory to another; never, if He did it would make Him an idolater, which He could never be, as there is no other true God beside Him. Let us reason together and I will use our common sense that God has given us for calculation. And then I will point us to scripture which I believe proves this point. If God ever lost one of His true children, not the wannabes, not the unrepentant religious pretenders or those who make merchandise out of the gospel, but His elect then Satan would have the upper hand and could claim victory over God’s children, but He cannot and will never gloat in God’s presence.

To all you parents I will pose a question. Have any of your kids ever not been one of your children? They may have often disappointed and upset you, but have they ever not been your descendants? The answer is obviously NO! How then do we think for one minute that we are more caring and compassionate than God himself, how ridiculous! The Bible teaches us that as parents we are evil and yet we know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our Heavenly Father who is good not know how to give His children good gifts. That is my first point as a principle.

The Lord Jesus has received the commission of saving and keeping God’s entire elect saved until they are glorified. Let me now back that up with scripture; “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:9) So God the Father elects people to be saved and then they respond to His call sometime within the duration of their lifetime by repenting and believing the finished work of Calvary and they are then handed over to the Lord Jesus who has the responsibility of shepherding them. Paul the apostle who was originally Saul was a murderer of God children; he persecuted Christians and had them killed. But we are told that he was called in his mother’s womb. That means God chose Him even knowing that he would kill Christians and he wasn’t called after he killed them but before, nevertheless he may have only responded after those treacherous acts of murder, but he was emphatically called before he was born.  “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by His grace.” (Galatians 1:15) 

He (the Lord Jesus) is the good shepherd and not a hireling, so when danger confronts one of His sheep even if it is their fault and they wonder from the flock he destroys the lion and the bear. He always looks out for them. I am told that the customs of the good shepherds in the times of old went something like this; if a lamb continued to stroll from the flock he would break its leg and then put the lamb on his shoulders and would carry him until it had mended. The lesson would be not to wander!

In about 1991 I cannot be sure of the exact year I had been saved for about 4 years and had unfortunately began to drift from a zealous Christian to a hypocritical one, I was walking in disobedience. The change was not immediate but subtle at first and then before long I was with my old mates drinking and carousing like a hooligan. You see it started with the thought of sitting next to a stranger in a bar drinking a soda and proclaiming the gospel to all who would listen. Before long it was a beer in my hand and then I looked and behaved like one of the crowd. What a tragedy! One night with the usual crowd together and in the mist of the party atmosphere the comment came, “you see Tyrone a leopard cannot change its spots.” I must tell you although alcohol had flowed freely, it cut deep. On my way home that night I don’t remember much except that I recall a rescue worker (a fireman) with red hair trying to free me from 16v golf with the Jaws of Life. I remember saying, “hurry up can’t you see I am stuck” and his retort was “can’t you see I am trying,” and then I woke up in the Johannesburg General hospital with a steel pin though my shin bone and weights hanging off my leg. I had shattered my right femur form the impact of a head-on collision. My leg had been broken.

Let me be very clear I am not for a minute suggesting that we should flippantly ignore the call of obedience to our lives as believers. If you don’t and you are a child of God He (our Great Heavenly Father) will discipline you and the cost will have consequences and it may even cost you your life.

“And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ”My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” (Hebrews 12:5-8) 

You see God will and does look out over His children, if your life is lacking discipline and there is no correction by God to it then fall on your knees repent and ask the Lord to save your soul. If there is constant discipline talking place in your life and you are somewhat like me and bear the scars in your body then learn from them and find the grace to begin to walk in obedience.

To all of those who have no idea what I am talking about may the God of truth shine into your lives exposing your sin and open your eyes so that you may truly repent and find life.

Signing off

Tyrone