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Bible Question: About the question: "once saved, can we be lost?" I have the following
observation. You have written quite a detailed sermon about having
fruit. However, how do we judge what is good fruit? You and I
might be very happy with our deeds and wisdom, but the fruit is
in the heart, isn't it? The thief (murderer or criminal) on the
cross, received the promise from Jesus after his confession and
after his free will was expressed in reaching out for help from
the Lord. His fruit was his heart, which Jesus accepted. "Choose
you this day whom you will serve", was the question to Israel.
Free will to choose. God's mercy goes beyond what we see or have
heard. People have come to the Lord on their death bed. The Father
will always be ready when we come to Him with a repentant heart.
I used to be a Calvinist - only election and God's sovereignty.
We have to come to what Job said: I have heard of You but now
my (spiritual) eye sees You." Only God will judge perfectly. We
cannot look in the heart.
Bible Answer: Only God knows who are really His children (i.e. Christians).
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But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, even to those who believe in His name . . . (NASB)
John 1:12 |
God is the final fruit inspector (Matt. 13:24-43) but, that does
not mean God has not left us with some guidelines by which we
can evaluate ourselves.
In the answer to the question about "Once saved, always saved," we saw that Jesus used several
illustrations. The first one was about "good soil" versus "hard,
rocky or thorny soil." His other major illustration was about
trees that either produced good or bad fruit. Why did Jesus use
these terms? The answer to that question will answer your two
questions, "How do we judge what is good fruit? You and I might
be very happy with our deeds and wisdom, but the fruit is in the
heart, isn't it?"
Fruit in the heart. Jesus is counter-culture. He shocked the Jews with His Sermon
on the Mount. Some Christians do not know what Jesus really taught.
Listen to this passage,
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So then, you will know them by their fruits. (NASB) Matthew 7:20 |
What do these words mean?
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Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you;
and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
(NASB) Hebrews 13:7 |
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