All Who Persist in Wilful Unrepentant Sin Will Not Inherit The Kingdom of Heaven
Please bear with me as I bring you an exhortation on behalf of our great Lord. I feel the Spirit of God as I write this and pray He uses this to challenge, encourage or even rebuke you depending on where you are at. I fear that if the apostles preached in most modern churches today they would be cast out, men preferring their comfortable theological traditions to the word of righteousness and grace. The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in mercy, but he will not acquit the guilty who remain unrepentant, despite their profession of faith. I must stress, it's God's will that none perish but that all repent and come to faith in Jesus and live blameless lives by His empowering Holy Spirit. Heed this warning. Let me draw the sword and cut down the arguments that are made against this truth.
Heb 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
And
2 Cor 10
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
This needs to be said clearly and plainly in this corrupt day and age: Those who persist in willful unrepentant sin will not inherit the kingdom of heaven regardless of their profession of faith in Jesus. Without a righteous obedient life your faith is shown forth as dead and you will perish with the hypocrites.
Matt 24
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
There is mercy and grace if you stumble, but the God who searches the hearts of men searches yours too. Don't deceive yourself, you can't fool God. He knows if you reserve intention to sin in the future in your heart, or justify something you know to be sinful. God is not mocked, what a man sows that he will reap. If you sow to your flesh you will reap death (not eternal life - Galatians 6). He will not overlook willful unrepentant sin so be zealous and repent!
1 Tim 5
20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.
Do not be deceived by the wolves who bring forth bad fruit crying “peace peace” when there is no peace and devour the sheep who seek to actually love and obey our lord. These people don't want forgiveness from their sins, they want justification in their sins. They want God to overlook sin, rather than God's power to overcome sin. They want endorsement not mercy.
2 Peter 3
18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.
These wolves do not fear sin, they expect it and teach others to expect it also. They say Gods grace exists because we can't help but sin in thought, word and deed everyday. Yet the apostles preach the opposite:
1 Peter 4
1Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
Paul makes the exact same argument as Peter:
Romans 6
10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
They do not believe it possible to please God in this body because they are devoid of the Spirit of God and know nothing of His power. The apostles warned in the last days these types of people would be multiplied:
2 Tim 3
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
These wolves love to hear talk of grace, freedom and mercy but will snap at any mention of demands made by Christ casting out those who do as “legalists, Pharisees or works salvation proponents”. These would stone the prophets and excommunicate the apostles if they ever stood foot in their churches. They preach slavery to sin and call it salvation. They do not bring forth the doctrine that “accords with godliness” Paul talks of below:
1 Tim 6
2Teach and urge these things. 3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
They think the Lord does not see their sin because of their intellectual belief in Him. That their hearts are hidden from Him but forsaking sin is essential if we are to receive mercy from God.
Proverbs 28
13Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
When temptations come they wilfully yield and delight in their sin. They take no efforts to change and encourage others in these sins or argue that it is impossible to overcome wilful sin.
Paul says the opposite though:
1 Cor 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.
James agrees saying:
James 1
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
David warns of these people:
Psalm 50
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
and you keep company with adulterers.
19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.
22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God,
lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!”
For the true profession of faith is made with actions and deeds not empty rhetoric, verbal utterings or church membership as James famously preaches. john agrees below:
1 John 3
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
While it is true we are justified (counted righteous in Gods sight) by faith in Jesus and His work apart from doing anything, this justification comes only upon the repentant (those who turn from themselves to Jesus). God puts His Spirit into them and they actually start obeying Him as per the promise of the new covenant:
Ezk 36
26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. …31 Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations.
We don't obey to be justified or forgiven, we obey because we are justified and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit who sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts. This actually changes our desires so we want to obey God, and we must choose to die tot his world and its desires to live to Christ with Him as our great portion and delight.
Romans 5
1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
When I say obey I mean actually doing the teachings of Jesus not merely hearing them or chalking it up to Christs imputed righteousness to our account. I mean actually obeying Him. Now there is a difference between wilful sin and accidental or unknown sin (yet these are still sin before God). The law of Moses made such distinction so it is clear God does.
This said, scripture does not advocate sinless perfection in this world, for men will sin in ignorance at times (as our knowledge is not perfected) and accident at other times (though as we mature even this can be mitigated by the Spirit). Stumbling is different to willful sin, though God even forgives willful sin if people turn from it. If in your heart you plan to continue in it, eg harbouring unforgiveness, continuing to live unmarried with your partner and sleeping with them, Continuing to advocate for and practice homosexuality, continuing to parade yourself on social media for prides sake, coveting money or nice things, pornography or wild partying, adulterous remarriages after divorce….don't kid yourself, these behaviours will keep you from the kingdom of Heaven. God doesn't justify unrepentant sinners. He justifies those contrite in heart who tremble at His word…so fear Him and turn!
Psalm 18 NLT
12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.
Having a pure heart before God is nothing more than having a clear conscience and good intentions before him, with no knowledge of any known willful sin in your life. To be able to pray "search me oh lord and know my ways, you see me naked before you and nothing is hid from your eye" This was the whole aim of Paul's preaching:
1 Tim 1
5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
For the path of faith working through love (ie godliness and practical obedience) is the narrow path to life made clear by Christ our saviour in His perfect teaching. Those who keep His words walking in love by the power of His Spirit will not taste death, trusting in Him for the forgiveness of their sin and depending on His Spirit to transform them into His likeness in this present life. These are the friends of God. These are the children of God - and these alone. There are babes in Christ who may stumble alot, but even these have repentant hearts sensitive to their frequent sin but with the Spirit and solid teaching they will grow into manhood, into the full stature of Christ lacking nothing.
1 John 5
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
Those who are Christs do His will:
Luke 6:46
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Matt 12
49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Now, let me show you our God as He has revealed Himself through His interaction with Israel.
Exodus 34
5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty,
We see that God is extremely gracious and merciful. He forgives sin and rebellion but will by no means clear the guilty. How can we reconcile this? Clearly He is saying He will forgive the humble and contrite, those who fear His word and are repentant. Those who hate their deeds and turn to him He will abundantly pardon. But for those who persist willfully and defiantly in their rebellion He will destroy. Judgement will be full of mercy to those who show mercy and the Lord taught us to forgive 70 times 7 times that is to say, an unlimited amount.
Ezekiel 18
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26 When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. 27 Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?
30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
This is the heart of our great God and how he deals with men in judgement, searching their hearts and looking for those whose heart is perfect before Him. Who with sincerity of faith and clear consciences call on His name. For in our flesh dwells no good thing, it is the Spirit of God that brings forth life and fruit in our life. It is by the Spirit alone we slay the flesh, counting ourselves dead to this world/flesh (Romans 6) and the old testament law (Romans 7) walking always by the Spirit doing Christ's teachings (Romans 8; 2 John).
The Lord will not justify a person who professes His name but continue to commit willful sins unrepentantly. The below passage is not saying that if you sin willfully once you are damned forever, no. Read ezekiel 18 above again and you will understand the message. God will not save those who persist in willful unrepentant sin even if they confess Christ. These are not His people. They have not been born of the Spirit and only those born of God will enter Heaven (John 3).
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, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgement, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Some argue the below is not talking to Christians because we are under grace. These people are ignorant and do not have the knowledge of God. Do not listen to these wolves, their doctrine brings forth bad fruit that will end in destruction for all those that follow their teaching. For the true grace of God produces obedient lives:
Titus 2
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
and
Isaiah 66
1Thus says the Lord:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
and what is the place of my rest?
2 All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.
3 “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man;
he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck;
he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig's blood;
he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol.
These have chosen their own ways,
and their soul delights in their abominations;
4 I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and bring their fears upon them,
because when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, they did not listen;
but they did what was evil in my eyes
and chose that in which I did not delight.”
5 Hear the word of the Lord,
you who tremble at his word:
“Your brothers who hate you
and cast you out for my name's sake
have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified,
that we may see your joy’;
but it is they who shall be put to shame.
6 “The sound of an uproar from the city!
A sound from the temple!
The sound of the Lord,
rendering recompense to his enemies!
Many people fatally misunderstands Pauls doctrine, that any desire of righteous living is "merit" and "merit" isn't grace and those who want to obey God are trying to earn their way into heaven and will paradoxically be kept out of it. This is NOT what paul taught. Pauls doctrine accords with practical godliness and if your understanding of Paul does not result in actually obeying Christs instructions you do not yet understand Paul. People overapply imputation and justification by faith and interpret every single verse that mentions doing anything as if Christ did it and they need to do nothing. This is NOT how the aposlte preached. We do not sin that grace may abound, nor are we salves of sin and shackled to sin every day of our lives in "though word and deed". Our righteousness is not "filthy rags" for the works genuine Christians do is done in and through the Holy Spirits power and is pleasing to the father (john 15). For it is God who works in us to will and to do His pleasure. This people misunderstand Paul and malign the path of righteousness, the blind leading the blind unto destruction.
2 Peter 3
14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2 Peter 2
2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.
Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.
17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 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.
Heed these words my brothers and sisters, may they be life to you. For our Lord will return and will judge by our works and give to everyone according to their deeds. Let your deeds show forth your faith. Do not think you will escape the judgement of God if you are wilfully practising the very thing others will be damned for, rather profess your faith by your blameless, obedient life:
Romans 2
2 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.
Heed my words my brothers. For the Lord will return and when He does may your lamps be burning, not found asleep or in dissipation. The Lord alone is judge, be ready! Yes our God is the God who justifies the ungodly by their faith:
Romans 3
26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 4
5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
But do not take this for granted! Rather under the shield of this great gospel return to obedience to Him with love and zeal for His grace! While there are certainly passages talking of the precious imputed righteousness of Jesus to our account, most passages are talking about practical obedience to His teachings. Because when one is born of God they have BOTH genuine faith unto justification and genuine repentance turning from sin and this world to Jesus. They are filled with the Spirit who empowers them to obey. If you stumble there is mercy if you confess and forsake the sin (1 John 2) but sin will not have dominion over you as you are under grace not law (Romans 6). The Lord warned many at the final judgment will say to Him Lord Lord but he will respond to them depart from me you who practised lawlessness. 1 John 3 teaches us sin is lawlessness! Jesus said unless your righteousness exceeded that of the Pharisees (who had an external form of religion but impure sinful hearts) you will by no means enter heaven.
Rev 3
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Heb 3
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
These sacred texts are the words of the Lord spoken by prophets and apostles. Heed them. I fear many Christians will be turned away by the Lord because He never knew them. For they were lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of Christianity but denying its power (ie that of the Spirit to make one loving and obedient) as 1 Tim warns of. Turn and live, with trust in Christ for the forgiveness of your Sin, and trust in His Spirit to empower you to live a loving and obedient life, dying to the desires of this world, and the letter of the law, walking daily in His presence for His will. abide in Him daily and you will bear much fruit.
1 Cor 6
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practise homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Philippians 3:17
Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who walk according to the pattern we set for you. 18 For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly (κοιλίᾳ ), and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
Romans 16:17
Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites (κοιλίᾳ ). By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.
κοιλίᾳ - Strongs 2836 literally: belly; also translated appetites (the above passages use the same word)
I have barely scratched the surface but this is long enough, the word of God is full of light and truth if you would shut your ears to traditions of men. There are many more passages. Believe and obey our Lord by His spirit. Narrow is the way to eternal life and few there be that find it. Many Godly blameless men have gone before us, preaching Gods glorious grace with blameless lives of love and integrity. This alone is the path. The early church fathers preached this way…those that learned directly from the apostles. I write this all with a heavy heart. I pray this helps even just one person.
Paul summed up Christianity like this - faith working through love (not faith alone). Love is not an optional component.
Be blessed. If you want more encouragement I have a youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@christaboveallyt
I am also in the process of writing “How to walk in the Spirit and Crucify the Flesh” The first half can be read here.
Soli Deo Gloria
Jude 1:24-25 KJV
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.