Those Who Deny Sin in a Believer

[PeterJens]

Israel had to continually perform sacrifices because people were growing in
righteousness and faith, and for every stumble or issue, a sacrifice was needed.

God did not say, know me and you are perfect, no issues, he said, learn of me,
learn to walk, and whenever you are in trouble and get it wrong I am there to
forgive, correct and put you back on track. A baby cannot run, or talk or write
so why should we be able when we first come to Christ. We need to grow up
in the Lord.

 

[Rockrz]

Israel had to continually perform sacrifices because people were growing in
righteousness and faith, and for every stumble or issue, a sacrifice was needed.

God did not say, know me and you are perfect, no issues, he said, learn of me,
learn to walk, and whenever you are in trouble and get it wrong I am there to
forgive, correct and put you back on track. A baby cannot run, or talk or write
so why should we be able when we first come to Christ. We need to grow up
in the Lord.

Good common sense posts such as this might be some freakin some people out...

 

[PeterJens]

the gospel message of Christ's finished work on the cross.

True biblical belief is of the heart - not in the head or mind. God looks on the heart - man look on the outward appearance.

Amen. God wants our hearts 100% in victory walking in the Spirit because here there
is no condemnation now.

And our hearts are our lusts, desires, emotions, drives, thoughts, ambitions, history,
reflexes, everything that we are and have been.

And last anyone looked this was not like Jesus.
So it takes time, effort, dedication, love, the cross to change, through a slow
dedicated walk with Christ following His word in fellowship with His people.

And one day at the right time, Jesus will say "Well done good and faithful servant
enter my Kingdom" Amen

 

[Grace777x70]

Jesus did a one time sacrifice for sin for all time. We live in the New Covenant. Works-based salvationists always get the Old Covenant mixed up with the New Covenant and ruin the purpose of them both.

Hebrews 7:27 (NASB)
[SUP]27 [/SUP] who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Hebrews 9:28 (NASB)
[SUP]28 [/SUP] so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

 

[mailmandan]

Faith without works is dead... see what the Lord said thru His half brutha, James.

We must accept the entire Word of God and not be cherry pickers.... lest we end up like those cherry pickin TV preachers

In James 2:14 we read of one who "says-claims" he has faith but he has no works. This is not genuine faith but a bare profession of faith. So when James asks, "can THAT faith save him?" He is saying nothing against genuine faith but only an empty profession of faith/dead faith.

 

[Roughsoul1991]

The bible also says in Exodus 32;33 this:

Exodus 32:33 (NASB)
[SUP]33 [/SUP] The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.

It looks like we are all blotted out of God's book because we have all sinned.

All scripture needs to be filtered through what Christ has done at the cross and resurrection or we end up creating a works-based religion that uses the name of God, Jesus, Word..etc - but in effect we are denying the very work of Christ on our behalf.

Paul talks about our works being burned by fire and yet we are saved.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 (NASB)
[SUP]12 [/SUP] Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
[SUP]13 [/SUP] each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.


[SUP]14 [/SUP] If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.

[SUP]15 [/SUP] If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

I am hoping that you get a revelation of the great work that Christ has done and start actually preaching Christ to people so that they can grow in grace and be strong in Him.

Yes, there are warnings for living after the flesh. Take up shooting heroin in your arms and the reality of that destruction will come quickly. But we are safe in Christ. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will be in and with us forever John 14:16 - is Jesus now lying to us? What else has He lied to us about?

Start preaching the gospel man so that believers reading can have the nutrients to walk in His grace and love for them.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15

Is not speaking on eternal judgment it definitely speaks on rewards in heaven.

And your right sin does seperate us but a acknowledgment of our sins and repentance puts us under Jesus's promise. Its that easy because we know he forgives a true heart. If we dont acknowledge our wrong doing then we may have seared our conscience and on the road to a reprobate mind and apostasy.

 

[Grace777x70]

In James 2:14 we read of one who "says-claims" he has faith but he has no works. This is not genuine faith but a bare profession of faith. So when James asks, "can THAT faith save him?" He is saying nothing against genuine faith but only an empty profession of faith/dead faith.

Amen brother and here is how this faith with works looks in receiving Christ and the Holy Spirit sealing us and being with us forever - just like Jesus said in John 14:16

It is very interesting that in James's examples of faith "being made alive" by a work or a corresponding action. Both Rahab and Abraham each did a one time corresponding action to demonstrate their faith.

Abraham believed God and offered up Isaac on the alter. Rahab received the spies. Both one time events in their life - God calls this faith in action.


James 2:20-25 (NASB)
[SUP]20 [/SUP] But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

[SUP]21 [/SUP] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

[SUP]22[/SUP]You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;

[SUP]23 [/SUP] and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.

[SUP]24 [/SUP] You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

[SUP]25 [/SUP] In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

Paul and James completely go together and do not cancel each other out.

We do the very same thing when we hear the message of Christ and we believe and then God seals us with the Holy Spirit. This is our faith with a corresponding action or a "work". Ephesians 1:13 (NASB)
[SUP]13 [/SUP] In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Jesus said to do the work of God was to believe in the Son.

Romans 10:8-10 (NASB)
[SUP]8 [/SUP] But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

[SUP]9 [/SUP] that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

[SUP]10[/SUP]for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

This is faith with corresponding action - or a work. This is how we are saved by grace through faith just like Paul said.

 

[Roughsoul1991]

Here are some actual named Christians who Paul called shipwrecked their faith.

1 Timothy 1:19-20Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

19*having faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and have suffered the shipwreck of their faith. 20*Hymenaeus and Alexander are among them, and I have delivered them to Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.

 

[PeterJens]

No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
1 Tim 5:9-10

The above verse is saying one thing. Good deeds are testimony to a good heart.

What worries me is when people say works are evil self righteousness, done by
people trying to prove to God they deserve salvation.

It is this lie that poisons the well to link good works with evil.

Jesus links always sinful behaviour with evil.

Only the enemy links good things with evil because his intent is to
destroy the work of God and stop and discourage people from loving
others.

And the real testimony against such spreaders of evil yeast, is they declare
this evil is the worst evil in the churches history.

How on earth can good works be linked to evil, or people desiring to do good
things unless the heart of the person saying it has evil intent, to slander and create
hatred towards these people. The very accusation they fling at others who show
no evil intent other than blessing and support, they are guilty of themselves.

 

[Rockrz]

Proverbs 28:13
He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

John 5:39-40
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Very odd that some teach Christians are not to go to the Lord and confess / forsake their sin when they sin after getting born again (where all old sin is washed away).

Apparently satan has gotten in to the affairs of christendom and is teaching things that do not agree with God's Word.

Maybe Christians should pick and choose which scriptures they want to believe and believe just the ones they like.. at least that would be convenient and make people happy.

 

[Roughsoul1991]

James 5:19-20Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

19*My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20*let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins.

 

[PeterJens]

What is the ministry above all else we are called to do?
Good works

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Eph 2:10

If our calling and ministry is a calling to do evil, when this calling is actually
the power of the cross and salvation at work in love to the world, then
those labelling and calling such are wolves in sheeps clothing, desiring to
destroy the very testimony of Gods people on earth driven by deep hurt
and resentment from their past experiences in churches through their lives.

And this hatred is very deep, and projects the worst ideas and evil onto
innocents, claiming their work for the Lord is works of evil, driven only
by selfish desires and self interest.

So persuasive is the slander, all members of the church are tarred as
evil pharisees determined to doom people to hell with works salvation
preaching, when those accused are just ordinary bible believing followers
of Jesus.

 

[Grace777x70]

1 Corinthians 3:12-15

Is not speaking on eternal judgment it definitely speaks on rewards in heaven.

And your right sin does seperate us but a acknowledgment of our sins and repentance puts us under Jesus's promise. Its that easy because we know he forgives a true heart. If we dont acknowledge our wrong doing then we may have seared our conscience and on the road to a reprobate mind and apostasy.

It is believing the true gospel message of Christ's finished work on the cross and resurrection that brings salvation.

Read Acts 10 and Acts 13 and you will see word for word accounts of the true gospel being preached by Peter and Paul.

It'll open our eyes and we will see that the modern evangelical watered down version is nothing like the real gospel. It's the preaching of the real gospel that sets people free in Christ and stops a works-based religion from forming in our lives.

Here is Peter preaching to the Gentiles. This is the operative verse. Believing = receiving the forgiveness of sins because of the blood of Jesus.

Acts 10:43 (NASB)
[SUP]43 [/SUP] "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."

Here is Paul doing the same thing to the Jews. With the Jews - Paul threw in the fact that no deeds that they were trying to do to become righteous would work. ( this is the same basis for all works-based salvationists belief systems)

Acts 13:38-39 (NASB)
[SUP]38 [/SUP] "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

[SUP]39 [/SUP] and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

Notice Paul said "The forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you!"

I really encourage you my brother to seek out the real gospel of the grace of God in Christ's finished work on the cross and start preaching and teaching that.

After that - then we can warn others about walking by the flesh so that they are not destroyed in this life. But first - let's feed them the proper nutrients to grow in Christ.

 

[Roughsoul1991]

Matthew 24:9-11King James Version (KJV)

9*Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

10*And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11*And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

In the church times we are told many will fall away due to persecutions, trials, false teachings, and loss of faith.

 

[Rockrz]

James 5:19,20
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

We know he's talking to Christians cause he said "Brethren"... I guess somebody will come along and say those that have not been saved are our "Brethren" too, so this was not talking to Christians

 

[Roughsoul1991]

It is believing the true gospel message of Christ's finished work on the cross and resurrection that brings salvation.

Read Acts 10 and Acts 13 and you will see word for word accounts of the true gospel being preached by Peter and Paul.

It'll open our eyes and we will see that the modern evangelical watered down version is nothing like the real gospel. It's the preaching of the real gospel that sets people free in Christ and stops a works-based religion from forming in our lives.

Here is Peter preaching to the Gentiles. This is the operative verse. Believing = receiving the forgiveness of sins because of the blood of Jesus.

Acts 10:43 (NASB)
[SUP]43 [/SUP] "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."

Here is Paul doing the same thing to the Jews. With the Jews - Paul threw in the fact that no deeds that they were trying to do to become righteous would work. ( this is the same basis for all works-based salvationists belief systems)

Acts 13:38-39 (NASB)
[SUP]38 [/SUP] "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

[SUP]39 [/SUP] and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

Notice Paul said "The forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you!"

I really encourage you my brother to seek out the real gospel of the grace of God in Christ's finished work on the cross and start preaching and teaching that.

After that - then we can warn others about walking by the flesh so that they are not destroyed in this life. But first - let's feed them the proper nutrients to grow in Christ.

Yes i agree and faith in this is key. If God knew of ones heart to fall from faith completely which only God can know.

We just have signs of a backsliding faith. How can Jesus continue to give his grace if the faith in that grace no longer there.

 

[Grace777x70]

Here are some actual named Christians who Paul called shipwrecked their faith.

1 Timothy 1:19-20Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

19*having faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and have suffered the shipwreck of their faith. 20*Hymenaeus and Alexander are among them, and I have delivered them to Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.

Yes....having a ship-wrecked faith is not believing in Christ's finished work on the cross and resurrection.

Here is a great article that talks about ship-wrecked faith in the light of what Christ has done on the cross. There are questions people have asked at the bottom of the article which I find helpful as we usually have the same questions.

Shipwrecked Faith

“Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.” (1 Tim 1:18-20)

What does it mean to shipwreck your faith? Paul said this had happened to at least two people so I guess it can happen to you. But how does it happen and what are the consequences?

Most people have no idea but fear the worst: “Shipwrecked faith means you’ve lost your salvation. It means you’re going to hell.”

As we will see in this note, it means no such thing.

What causes faith to become shipwrecked?

Look again at the passage above and note how Paul defines fighting the good fight as “holding on to faith and a good conscience.” These two things are connected. If you reject or cast away a good conscience your faith will be shipwrecked:

Holding fast to faith (that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence) and having a good (clear) conscience. By rejecting and thrusting from them [their conscience], some individuals have made shipwreck of their faith. (1 Tim 1:19, AMP)

This is not about ignoring your conscience; it’s about the dangers of thrusting away your good and clear conscience. In other words, if your conscience condemns you, you will have trouble believing what God says is true about you.

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask… (1 John 3:21-22)

Condemnation is a faith-killer. Condemnation will cause you to be timid before God making it hard for you to receive from the abundance of his grace. If your conscience is constantly telling you that you’re unworthy, you’re a hopeless Christian, and you don’t deserve to be in the kingdom, you will be in danger of shipwrecking your faith.

What is shipwrecked faith?

Paul spent a fair bit of time at sea and he liked nautical metaphors. He described spiritual infants as those “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching” (Eph 4:14). If you are not secure in your Father’s love – which you won’t be if your conscience condemns you – you’ll make a wreck of your faith. Like a ship that fails to reach its destination, you’ll fall short of all that God has in store for you.

And no, that doesn’t mean you’ll lose your salvation and go to hell. It means you won’t mature in the faith (Lk 8:14). It means you’ll lose the freedom that is yours in Christ (Gal 5:1), you’ll become unstable (2 Pet 3:17), and you’ll fear punishment that isn’t coming (1 John 4:18). The New Testament writers list many bad things that can happen when we fail to trust God in our daily lives, but the thing many Christians fear most – Christ writing them off – is the one thing that absolutely cannot happen.

If you are one with the Lord be at peace, for the one who took hold of you will never let you go. If the Holy Spirit dwells in you rest assured he will never leave (John 14:16).

What does it mean to shipwreck your faith? It means moving from the secure foundation of Jesus Christ. It means diluting your faith in God with faith in self, faith in effort, faith in your ability to perform. It’s trying instead of trusting. It’s striving instead of resting.

What Paul never said

“If you shipwreck your faith, you’ll lose your salvation.” Preachers of insecurity love to quote this verse as support for their evil idea that we can undo what we never wrought – as though we could unfuse the Holy Spirit from our spirits and tear ourselves from God’s mighty grip. Don’t you think if that could actually happen, Paul would’ve mentioned it? Yet he says nothing of the kind.

What Paul does say is that a group of “certain men” had shipwrecked their faith and of that group two men had been handed over to Satan so that they might be taught not to blaspheme. I don’t exactly know what Paul had in mind with this handing over business but note that (a) he did it, not Jesus, (b) he did it with the intention of teaching them, not condemning them.

I know it is common to hear the New Testament preached in such a way to instill fear and insecurity among the children of God. To settle this issue in my own heart, I spent the summer examining nearly 200 scriptures that are used by some for this nefarious purpose. And do you know how many scriptures I found that said those who are saved might yet become unsaved? None. Not one.

In the coming weeks I plan to look at some of the scriptures that have been misused to preach insecurity to the secure, but for now I hope you will agree that there is nothing in 1 Timothy 1 that hints at eternal condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Agreed? Got your boat back in the water? Good. Let’s press on.

Hymenaeus and Alexander

Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. (1 Tim 1:20)

What do we know about these two guys Paul handed over to Satan? We know they were part of a group of false teachers (i) who were promoting controversies rather than God’s work – which is by faith (v.4) and (ii) they saw themselves as teachers of the law (v.7).

Ask the right questions and you will begin to understand what happened.

– How do we preach law? By telling people they need to work for salvation/sanctification, etc.
– What is the purpose of the law? Its purpose is to condemn us.
– What had happened to these law-teachers? Their consciences became condemned.
– What was the result of their ministry? God’s finished work was not being preached and faith was being shipwrecked.

Here’s the story as I see it. After Paul, the apostle of grace, left Ephesus, false teachers arose from among their own number and began preaching law. They might have been Judaizers with circumcision knives or they might’ve preached the Ten Commandments or they might even have preached the commands of Jesus.

The point is not what sort of law they were preaching, but their improper application of it. Paul said “the law is good if one uses it properly (but) they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm” (vv.7-8).

In any case, the outcome was they were distracting themselves and their hearers from “God’s work – which is by faith” (v.4).

Paul said Hymenaeus and Alexander were blasphemers. To blaspheme is to slander or speak falsely of someone. It’s saying, “The blood of Jesus doesn’t avail for me.” (It does!) It’s saying, “Jesus needs my help.” (He doesn’t!) “The Holy Spirit is convicting me of sin.” (He isn’t!) “God will not finish what he begun.” (He will!) “I can sin my way out of his grace.” (You can’t.) This sort of teaching promotes controversy and distracts people from trusting in God’s finished work.

Fight the good fight

I hope you understand that when it comes to saving you and making you acceptable to God, Jesus did it all and his perfect work cannot be improved upon. This is the gospel truth and it is worth fighting for! I am not talking about fighting people but demolishing arguments and taking captive every thought that is opposed to Christ. Usually this is a battle waged inside our own minds.

Here, then, is how you fight the good fight.

If your conscience condemns you as a sinner (Christ died for sinners!) or unworthy of grace (grace is for the unworthy!), the remedy is not to try and clean yourself and make yourself acceptable. That way lies disaster and shipwreck. The only cure for a guilty conscience is the cleansing blood of Jesus (Heb 10:22). So look to Jesus, see the cross and the empty tomb, and believe the good news. Jesus has done it all!

If someone uses the mirror of the law to point out your imperfections, don’t cast off your good conscience but fix your eyes on Jesus and his glorious perfections. You are one with the Lord and as he is so are you in this world (1 Jn 4:17)!
And the next time someone says, “You’re not good enough for God and you need to work to improve yourself,” tell them, “I am one with Christ and he is good enough for God, his work is finished, and in him I have found my eternal rest!”

Here is the link for anyone interested.

https://escapetoreality.org/2013/01/30/shipwrecked-faith/

 

[Rockrz]

How can Jesus continue to give his grace if the faith in that grace no longer there.

Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

In these modern, so called "enlightened" times, some Christians be mocking God, claiming what we sow is not what we reap and if we walk after the flesh... it's all good.

Galatians 5:18
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

To escape the law of sin and death... one must walk after the Spirit.

 

[Roughsoul1991]

Yes....having a ship-wrecked faith is not believing in Christ's finished work on the cross and resurrection.

Here is a great article that talks about ship-wrecked faith in the light of what Christ has done on the cross. There are questions people have asked at the bottom of the article which I find helpful as we usually have the same questions.

Shipwrecked Faith

“Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.” (1 Tim 1:18-20)

What does it mean to shipwreck your faith? Paul said this had happened to at least two people so I guess it can happen to you. But how does it happen and what are the consequences?

Most people have no idea but fear the worst: “Shipwrecked faith means you’ve lost your salvation. It means you’re going to hell.”

As we will see in this note, it means no such thing.

What causes faith to become shipwrecked?

Look again at the passage above and note how Paul defines fighting the good fight as “holding on to faith and a good conscience.” These two things are connected. If you reject or cast away a good conscience your faith will be shipwrecked:

Holding fast to faith (that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence) and having a good (clear) conscience. By rejecting and thrusting from them [their conscience], some individuals have made shipwreck of their faith. (1 Tim 1:19, AMP)

This is not about ignoring your conscience; it’s about the dangers of thrusting away your good and clear conscience. In other words, if your conscience condemns you, you will have trouble believing what God says is true about you.

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask… (1 John 3:21-22)

Condemnation is a faith-killer. Condemnation will cause you to be timid before God making it hard for you to receive from the abundance of his grace. If your conscience is constantly telling you that you’re unworthy, you’re a hopeless Christian, and you don’t deserve to be in the kingdom, you will be in danger of shipwrecking your faith.

What is shipwrecked faith?

Paul spent a fair bit of time at sea and he liked nautical metaphors. He described spiritual infants as those “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching” (Eph 4:14). If you are not secure in your Father’s love – which you won’t be if your conscience condemns you – you’ll make a wreck of your faith. Like a ship that fails to reach its destination, you’ll fall short of all that God has in store for you.

And no, that doesn’t mean you’ll lose your salvation and go to hell. It means you won’t mature in the faith (Lk 8:14). It means you’ll lose the freedom that is yours in Christ (Gal 5:1), you’ll become unstable (2 Pet 3:17), and you’ll fear punishment that isn’t coming (1 John 4:18). The New Testament writers list many bad things that can happen when we fail to trust God in our daily lives, but the thing many Christians fear most – Christ writing them off – is the one thing that absolutely cannot happen.

If you are one with the Lord be at peace, for the one who took hold of you will never let you go. If the Holy Spirit dwells in you rest assured he will never leave (John 14:16).

What does it mean to shipwreck your faith? It means moving from the secure foundation of Jesus Christ. It means diluting your faith in God with faith in self, faith in effort, faith in your ability to perform. It’s trying instead of trusting. It’s striving instead of resting.

What Paul never said

“If you shipwreck your faith, you’ll lose your salvation.” Preachers of insecurity love to quote this verse as support for their evil idea that we can undo what we never wrought – as though we could unfuse the Holy Spirit from our spirits and tear ourselves from God’s mighty grip. Don’t you think if that could actually happen, Paul would’ve mentioned it? Yet he says nothing of the kind.

What Paul does say is that a group of “certain men” had shipwrecked their faith and of that group two men had been handed over to Satan so that they might be taught not to blaspheme. I don’t exactly know what Paul had in mind with this handing over business but note that (a) he did it, not Jesus, (b) he did it with the intention of teaching them, not condemning them.

I know it is common to hear the New Testament preached in such a way to instill fear and insecurity among the children of God. To settle this issue in my own heart, I spent the summer examining nearly 200 scriptures that are used by some for this nefarious purpose. And do you know how many scriptures I found that said those who are saved might yet become unsaved? None. Not one.

In the coming weeks I plan to look at some of the scriptures that have been misused to preach insecurity to the secure, but for now I hope you will agree that there is nothing in 1 Timothy 1 that hints at eternal condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Agreed? Got your boat back in the water? Good. Let’s press on.

Hymenaeus and Alexander

Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. (1 Tim 1:20)

What do we know about these two guys Paul handed over to Satan? We know they were part of a group of false teachers (i) who were promoting controversies rather than God’s work – which is by faith (v.4) and (ii) they saw themselves as teachers of the law (v.7).

Ask the right questions and you will begin to understand what happened.

– How do we preach law? By telling people they need to work for salvation/sanctification, etc.
– What is the purpose of the law? Its purpose is to condemn us.
– What had happened to these law-teachers? Their consciences became condemned.
– What was the result of their ministry? God’s finished work was not being preached and faith was being shipwrecked.

Here’s the story as I see it. After Paul, the apostle of grace, left Ephesus, false teachers arose from among their own number and began preaching law. They might have been Judaizers with circumcision knives or they might’ve preached the Ten Commandments or they might even have preached the commands of Jesus.

The point is not what sort of law they were preaching, but their improper application of it. Paul said “the law is good if one uses it properly (but) they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm” (vv.7-8).

In any case, the outcome was they were distracting themselves and their hearers from “God’s work – which is by faith” (v.4).

Paul said Hymenaeus and Alexander were blasphemers. To blaspheme is to slander or speak falsely of someone. It’s saying, “The blood of Jesus doesn’t avail for me.” (It does!) It’s saying, “Jesus needs my help.” (He doesn’t!) “The Holy Spirit is convicting me of sin.” (He isn’t!) “God will not finish what he begun.” (He will!) “I can sin my way out of his grace.” (You can’t.) This sort of teaching promotes controversy and distracts people from trusting in God’s finished work.

Fight the good fight

I hope you understand that when it comes to saving you and making you acceptable to God, Jesus did it all and his perfect work cannot be improved upon. This is the gospel truth and it is worth fighting for! I am not talking about fighting people but demolishing arguments and taking captive every thought that is opposed to Christ. Usually this is a battle waged inside our own minds.

Here, then, is how you fight the good fight.

If your conscience condemns you as a sinner (Christ died for sinners!) or unworthy of grace (grace is for the unworthy!), the remedy is not to try and clean yourself and make yourself acceptable. That way lies disaster and shipwreck. The only cure for a guilty conscience is the cleansing blood of Jesus (Heb 10:22). So look to Jesus, see the cross and the empty tomb, and believe the good news. Jesus has done it all!

If someone uses the mirror of the law to point out your imperfections, don’t cast off your good conscience but fix your eyes on Jesus and his glorious perfections. You are one with the Lord and as he is so are you in this world (1 Jn 4:17)!
And the next time someone says, “You’re not good enough for God and you need to work to improve yourself,” tell them, “I am one with Christ and he is good enough for God, his work is finished, and in him I have found my eternal rest!”

Here is the link for anyone interested.

https://escapetoreality.org/2013/01/30/shipwrecked-faith/

And we know what happens to these Christians wo began to believe false teachers and blasphemy. We know the consequences to that

 

[Grace777x70]

James 5:19,20
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

We know he's talking to Christians cause he said "Brethren"... I guess somebody will come along and say those that have not been saved are our "Brethren" too, so this was not talking to Christians

That's not really true. There are multiple places where James, Paul and Peter called their own country men "brethren or brothers". It is a term for a fellow Jew.

Here is an example of Peter calling the Jews "brethren"

Acts 1:16 (KJV)
[SUP]16 [/SUP] Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.

Here is an example of Paul talking to his Jewish "brethren"

Acts 13:38 (NASB)
[SUP]38 [/SUP] "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

There are many instances of this happening in scripture.