Hi there

Would like to post something here that is on my mind a lot and also something the Lord has shown me that just makes so much sense and at the same time causes me to be far more sober minded.

Paul, in 2 Corinthians said, "For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

Paul, in effect, is saying, "I see your willingness to forgive those who offend you, and I too, am willing. In fact, just as you are willing to forgive a man any offence, so am I, that you may have me as an example, as I may have you."

I got the chance to witness to a Muslim guy at work just recently and after sharing the gospel with me he then asked me a rather interesting question. He said, "What would you say is the secret to peace in Israel?" Wow, on the spot I was!! I spoke to him about the fact that the only way to change a people is to change a person's heart. There was a difference between Julius Ceaser and Jesus Christ. They had the same initials but they were fundamentally different. Julius Ceaser tried to change people by changing laws and institutions. Jesus Christ changed laws and institutions by changing people. No new law, or more guards, or anything else will bring peace to Israel, or anywhere else for that matter. But forgiveness will. Forgiveness is the greatest force in the universe. Well, love is, but forgiveness is birthed in love. The greatest demonstration of God's love for us is forgiveness. We deserve hell, but, He forgives us. Anyways, I reached over to him and looked him in the eye and said, "My friend, peace in Israel will come when brother forgives brother. Forgiveness is the greatest force in the universe, because it is only in God that we can truly forgive." He was speechless after that.

Paul goes on to say, "…lest satan should get an advantage of us." Why did he say that??? Because when we do not forgive we quench the love of God in us. When we do not forgive we open the door to bitterness. I have been through something recently that I would not wish for any other person to have to go through. I have been hurt so deeply and I could so easily be bitter about it. But should I take a leaf out of satan’s book and become an accuser!!! Certainly not!! If I do not forgive then he certainly will get an advantage of me. He will be able to accuse me. There is still enough flesh in all of us for us to walk in unforgiveness. When we do we no longer walk in love, and satan, the god of all dissension WILL get a foothold in our lives.

I write all this as a prologue leading in to what I wish to say. Paul goes on to say, “For we are not ignorant of his devices.” How many times have we as church been duped by ‘ol horn head??!!!! How many times!!!!! He is cunning, I’ll give him that, but he is twisted and evil and he will do whatever he can.

He has prejudiced the church to using the law, so that we lead sinners into a false sense of security. We know all this. But what else do we know? You see, satan hasn’t just deceived the church and led it astray from using true biblical evangelism. He has even changed and twisted God’s Word so that we end up believing so strongly what is so clearly wrong. How so??? We read it the Bible. Check this link out…

http://av1611.com/kjbp/charts/themagicmarker.html

What has satan done? He began by stealing the key (the law). Then, so that the church would not find it again without much effort, he decided to alter the Bible as well. (The order to this by the way could be the other way round). You ask, in what way? Well, first, let me show you something…

There are those who erroneously call those who fall away from the faith (the second person in the parable of the sower) as “backsliders.” But it is common knowledge that they never slid forward in the first place. Why are these people being called backsliders? Why is that even happening? The church forsook the law and substituted it with life enhancement. So, consequently, they produced false converts. The church would see people saved one minute but back in the world the next. They could not explain this, so they came up with the foolish notion, “Ahh, see, it is possible to lose your salvation.” How else could they explain it? Saved one minute, heathen the next??!!!!! When you move away from God’s Word error will come. The problem here is that they could not explain the errors they were making. And without them knowing it, satan had made subtle changes to the Word, so that their erroneous belief could be substantiated. With what am I referring to? Take a look 1 Corinthians 1:18

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. - KJV

In this verse, every translation apart from the KJV (even the NKJV), says “but to us who are BEING saved…..”

This is theologically incorrect. The translators of the KJV got it right. We are not BEING saved, we ARE saved. Now, we are being sanctified. That is correct. We are growing in holiness and we are passing from glory to glory. But to say that we are being saved implies that our salvation is in a constant state of flux. Someone who is soundly saved for just one week will still go to heaven if they die, in the same way that someone who is soundly saved for 10 years will go to heaven if they die. Am I saved, or am I being saved?? Well, if I am being saved then it means that my salvation is not yet complete. We must remember that salvation does come in two parts. Hebrews 10:14…

“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

We are perfected forever, but we are still being perfected. When we go to heaven we receive our glorified bodies. But whilst here on earth, we pass from glory to glory. But to say that we are being saved, well, this causes me to question my salvation. And for those who believe that it is possible to lose one’s salvation, they have a Bible verse to back up the very heresy they believe. But it is subtle, oh how subtle it is.

I would like to suggest that we are in a very blessed position, but also we are at a time when deception could come to even us. We must fix our eyes on Jesus, we must walk in love, and we must, we MUST, always forgive one another.

If we do not forgive and love one another (which is what Jesus said is necessary for the world to believe that He was sent here by God) then we walk contrary to the Spirit. We walk in the flesh. And it is at this moment that we are the most vulnerable!!!! This is when horn head will attack!!! This is when he will deceive and twist and distort and lead us astray. Our guard will be down. CHURCH!!!! Let us wake up. Are we ignorant of his devices? What new deception is he trying to conjure up? Do we even know? Have we spotted it?? Paul said, “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall.” We are the elect, we who love God and love the lost. But we can still be deceived. God’s Spirit seals us and we can never fall away, but if we go through a season of deception, what damage can the deceiver do???!!!!!! Untold damage. We are privileged in that many of us have been “saved” out of the charismatic, modern, twisted, warped, contemporary church, but let us not become proud. Let us not take our eyes of Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and let us NOT be deceived.