The following passages are so clear about what happens if
we deliberately keep on sinning, that I will present them here without any
commentary of my own. (Otherwise,
someone will accuse me of misinterpreting them.) These scriptures speak for themselves, and
need no interpretation.
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have
received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a
fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the
enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses
died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more
severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of
God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant
that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him
who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge
his people.’ It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” —Hebrews 10:26-30 NIV
“Brothers, if someone is caught in a
sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or
you also may be tempted. . . . Do not be
deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to
please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who
sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” —Galatians 6:1-8 NIV
“‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man
remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a
branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown
into the fire and burned.’” —John
15:5-6 NIV
“You will say then, ‘Branches were
broken off so that I could be grafted in.’ Granted.
But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be
arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will
not spare you either. Consider therefore
the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to
you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be
cut off.” —Romans 11:19-22 NIV
“It is impossible for those who have
once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in
the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers
of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because
to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting
him to public disgrace. . . . Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we
are confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation.” —Hebrews 6:4-9 NIV
“For, uttering great
swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by
licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error;
promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption;
for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him. For if, after they have escaped the
defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become
worse for them than the first. For it
would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than,
after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them
according to the true proverb, ‘The dog turns to his own vomit again,’ and ‘the
sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire.’” —2 Peter 2:18-22
Do the above passages teach something
contrary to the message of today’s popular preachers? If so, then the reader will have to decide
whom to believe—today’s popular preachers, or the inspired Word of God.