Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Well, over the past two weeks, we’ve had Halloween’s spookiness, the idiocy of falling back to end daylight savings time and local elections.
While, as I write this, the outcome of the election is unknown, our state and national elections are becoming scarier all the time and our country seems to be falling apart at the seams.
Halloween isn’t so bad, and our local elections give us the opportunity to personally represent ourselves regarding taxation for local improvements.
Falling back to standard time, on the other hand, mainly just throws our diurnal clock out of whack temporarily. I’d prefer to stay on standard time once we’ve changed back.
The Bible warns about falling away, although some deny the possibility. Peter warns that Christians are in a secure position from which they can fall, and the Hebrews writer said that if one turns their back on their salvation (falls away), they cannot be brought back to repentance, which is a state of salvation (2 Peter 3:17; 2:20-22; Hebrews 6:4-6).
But what about the concept of once one is saved, that one is always saved? While we’re in God’s hand where no one can snatch us out, we can leave God’s hand (John 10:27-29; 2 Timothy 4:10; I John 2:15-17). It’s up to us to remain in God’s protective love by continuing to listen to and obeying everything he commands (John 15:5-14; Matthew 28:18-20; James 2:8-11; Ephesians 5:8-17). Our hope of salvation itself is secure because salvation is stored in heaven where it cannot be corrupted, but we’re only shielded from losing it as long as we sustain our Christian faith (1 Peter 1:3-5; Jude 1:24; Revelation 2:10; Psalm 37:24; 55:22).
While falling away from salvation is scary, we still cannot be perfectly sinless, which is a common problem for all people, but we are to try to live faithfully and seek forgiveness when we do sin (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:5-9). Even the Apostle Paul recognized his sinful nature still reared its ugly head despite his desire to not sin (Romans 7:14-25).
Falling away from salvation is a complete turning of one’s back on God whether due to simple negligence or the desire to sin, both of which are due to a sinful nature that cannot please God (Hebrews 2:1-4; Romans 8:5-8).
That’s why those who’ve fallen away cannot be brought back to repentance; they don’t want to come back. But that doesn’t mean they cannot come back on their own if they come to their senses, like the Prodigal Son, which God really wants (Luke 15:11-24; 2 Peter 3:9; Jeremiah 3:6-13).
Everything falls into place when Christians follow God’s plan with sustained faith and an obedient example (James 2:24; Acts 2:38-39; 5:32; Ephesians 4:30; 1 Peter 2:11-12; 3:15-16). If we have those, we’ll remain in God’s love and need not fear the future (1 John 4:11-18). Our neighbors also may come to respect Christianity again in such a way that at least our country can come back into place.
Leonard Lauriault is a member of the Church of Christ in Logan who writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected].