WHEN IN DOUBT... DOUBTING BECAUSE OF BACKSLIDING?

DOUBTING SALVATION BECAUSE OF BACKSLIDING

THIS SCENARIO IS SOMEWHAT COMMONPLACE, A GREAT TRICK OF THE ENEMY.

HE SLIPS YOU AWAY FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, INCH BY INCH. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP DUE TO SOME AWARENESS THAT YOU NEED GOD, BUT ARE KEENLY AWARE NOW THAT YOU HAVE NOT BEEN WALKING WITH HIM AS YOU ONCE WERE; SO MUCH SO THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TURNED COMPLETELY AWAY, DUE TO HARD CONDITIONS, BAD DECISIONS, AND UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES. NONE THE LESS, THE DESPAIR OF BEING AND FEELING SEPARATED IS COMPOUNDED BY THE ENEMY.

THE VOICES OF “HE WON’T RESCUE YOU NOW” OR YOU HAVE NO WAY TO SHOW GOD ANYTHING FOR HIM TO ACCEPT YOU NOW AFTER TURNING YOUR BACK” SO YOU TRAVELED MANY MILES AWAY FROM JESUS, BUT WAIT, THERE IN ONLY ONE STEP TO TRAVEL BACK TO HIS ARMS.

A. THE SAME SCRIPTURE, OUTLINED ABOVE, I JOHN 1:9 WORKS QUITE WELL RIGHT HERE.

B. PROVERBS 28: 13 “HE WHO COVERS HIS SINS WILL NOT PROSPER, BUT WHOEVER CONFESSES AND FORSAKES THEM WILL HAVE MERCY”. ISN’T THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE ABSOLUTELY CRYSTAL CLEAR? BRING THE SIN OUT OF THE DARKNESS INTO THE LIGHT AND YOU ARE HEALED. WHO WILL TRY TO KEEP IT HIDDEN? NONE OTHER THAN THE FORCES OF DARKNESS TRYING TO CONDEMN YOU 24/7 TO GIVE UP.

C. PRAYER IS YOUR HIGHWAY OF COMMUNICATION WITH GOD; HE PUT THESE SCRIPTURES OUT THERE FOR US TO FEED ON. WHY? BECAUSE HE KNOWS THE LIES OF THE ENEMY, HE KNOWS THE WEAKNESS OF THE FLESH. KEEP IT SIMPLE, YOU SIN, YOU REPENT, LIKE RIGHT AWAY. GOD HAS HIS ARMS OPEN WIDE FOR YOU ALL THE TIME, GOOD OR BAD.

NEXT: DOUBTING GOD'S PLAN BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS

PASTOR JOHN

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WHEN IN DOUBT... DOUBTING SALVATION?

DOUBTING SALVATION BECAUSE OF SIN

SIN IN OUR LIFE CAN CAUSE US TO DOUBT OUR SALVATION. WE THINK THAT WE HAVE MESSED UP OR BLOWN UP SO BAD THAT GOD COULDN’T POSSIBLY CONTINUE TO FORGIVE US. BUT GOD KNOWS WE SIN AND HAS PROVIDED A WAY TO DEAL WITH IT. HERE ARE FEW THINGS THAT CAN THAT HELP.

A. I 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” THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE IS FOR NON BELIEVERS, BUT MOSTLY FOR BELIEVERS. IT HAS BEEN A LIFESAVER FOR ME; GOD HAS DRAWN ME TO THIS VERSE COUNTLESS TIMES. FACT IS, WHAT IS THE MARK OF A MATURE CHRISTIAN?

HOW FAST CAN YOU REPENT, IS THE ANSWER. THEREFORE, COME HOME TO THIS SCRIPTURE AND CONFESS, TURN AROUND BELIEVE YOU ARE FORGIVEN AND CARRY ON JUST AS IF YOU NEVER STEPPED OUT OF LINE. THE ENEMY WOULD LIKE TO KEEP YOU FROM DOING THIS AND THEN IF YOU DID, HE WANTS YOU TO THINK YOU WEREN’T FORGIVEN AND STILL DRAG IT OUT. NO! FOREVER NO! YOU REPENT! YOU ARE CLEANSED! YOU GO FORWARD, BELIEVE IT.

B. II CHRONICLES 7: 14 “IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE, AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN AND HEAL THEIR LAND.”

C. BUT WHAT IF I DO THE SAME THING AGAIN AND AGAIN? GOOD QUESTION, LET’S GO TO JESUS ANSWER. WHEN HE WAS APPROACHED IN MATTHEW 18:22 WHEN PETER ASKED HOW MANY TIMES SHOULD I FORGIVE SOMEONE WHO COMES AGAINST ME, 7 TIMES? SO THE LORD SAYS NOT JUST 7 BUT 70 TIMES 7. THINKING THIS THROUGH, THAT IS 490 TIMES.

SO THE ANSWER IS YOU CAN COME FOR FORGIVENESS AS MANY TIMES AS IT TAKES FOR YOU TO BELIEVE AND THEN NOT SIN. HOWEVER, GOD IS NOT TO BE MOCKED YOU CAN’T SIN ALL YOU WANT BECAUSE YOU CAN GET FORGIVEN, AND IF YOU DO, THEN YOU HAVE TEMPTED THE LORD.

NEXT: DOUBTING SALVATION BECAUSE OF BACKSLIDING.

PASTOR JOHN

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RESOLVING THE ISSUES ABOUT DOUBT AND UNBELIEF

IN THIS STUDY THERE ARE MANY ASPECTS TO DEFINING AND EXPLORING DOUBT AND UNBELIEF. I WANT TO FIRST ADDRESS ANY DOUBTS ABOUT SALVATION AND SOME OF THE REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT DOUBT THAT YOU ARE SAVED.

ARE YOU DOUBTING SALVATION BECAUSE YOU LACK THE TRUTH?

MANY PEOPLE DOUBT THAT GOD HAS FORGIVEN THEM OF THEIR SINS BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY DON’T KNOW THE TRUTH. HERE IS THE TRUTH AS GOD SEES IT. READ HOW APOSTLE PAUL AND JOHN DESCRIBE THE PLAN OF SALVATION.

A. ROMANS 3:23 “ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD”.

B. ROMANS 6:23 "AND THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH”.

C. JOHN 3:16 "BUT, GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON, JESUS CHRIST, WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE LIFE”.

D. IF YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ARE A SINNER, BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD AND DIED ON THE CROSS FOR YOUR SINS, AND ACCEPT HIM AS YOUR SAVIOR, THEN YOU ARE FORGIVEN OF YOUR SINS. YOU CAN KNOW THAT, “GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS OWN LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US. MUCH MORE THEN, HAVING NOW BEEN JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD (NOT YOURS) WE SHALL BE SAVED FROM WRATH THROUGH HIM”.

E. THE APOSTLE PAUL PUTS IT ANOTHER WAY, SO WE CAN FURTHER SEE GOD’S PLAN. ROMANS 5: 8 – 11, “FOR IF WHEN WE WERE ENEMIES WE WERE RECONCILED TO GOD THROUGH THE DEATH OF HIS SON, MUCH MORE HAVING BEEN RECONCILED, WE SHALL BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE. AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE ALSO REJOICE IN GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THROUGH WHOM WE HAVE NOW RECONCILIATION”.

F. SAINT JOHN SAYS IN THIS PASSAGE; JOHN 8:32, “KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE”.

NEXT: DOUBTING SALVATION BECAUSE OF SIN

PASTOR JOHN

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