COVENANT MINDED MINISTRIES

The seal or mark of God's ownership in believers' lives is the Holy Spirit, whom true believers have been given to guide them into all truth, and to tell them things to come. 

The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.  You cannot be in Christ and not experience conviction of your wrongs.

The Holy Spirit is the source of all truth that's necessary to be mature saints and throughly equipped servants.  He also provides truth about the church, as well as future events.  There is nothing needing to be known that is not provided by the Holy Spirit.

Where there's relationship, there's fellowship, and vice versa (with the order reversed).  Fellowship with Christ is also relationship with Him.  Those in relationship with Him, know Him, and He knows them, because they have fellowship with one another. 

Fellowshipping with one another means enjoying the same things and being of the same mind, which eliminates false teachers and other hypocrites who do not have the Holy Spirit.

There are many people who are considered to be outstanding persons in their communities and churchs, and religiously attend church every Sunday, some academic scholars and people of great social and/or economic status, but are lost and condemned because they haven't  been born-again.  

They're just sinners under the sway of the devil, causing problems and doing the will of the devil in positions in the church, obtained solely because of who they are, by public opinion.

Some, if not most, of these people have even stood before their respective churches and recited after the minister Romans 10:8-10 and confessed salvation, but continue to live as sinners as they had prior to their recitation. 

Understandably so, because a recitation (a public expression from memory and/or expression repeated immediately after another), doesn't have to, and usually doesn't  carry a personal belief and conviction for the reciter.

These are the ones found mostly in positions at the churches seeking always to be in control in as much as posible, and causing trouble continuingly to the body of Christ.   

True confession (disclosure of one's faults or acknowledgement of one's sins) differ from a recitation (repeating what another asks one to repeat because they're asked to repeat it).  True confession is delivered from the heart, whereas, a recitation is delivered from the mind. 

In such cases, those who commit such recitations are not saved and brought into the body of Christ.   They're found throughout churches' organizational structures. 

Their voices are nothing more than sounding brasses and clanging cymbals, useless and meaningless to the kingdom of God.  These are also they spoken of in Matthew 7:21-23 that Jesus commanded to depart from Him, because He never knew them.  What a sad statement to hear.

Those who have never truly been saved don't have any salvation to lose.  However, those who have been saved, have an eternal gift if they choose to endure unto the end.  No one can take it from them, but because, they choose to come into the body of Christ of their own free will;

God will not stop them from leaving the body of Christ of their own free will.  Giving it up means rejecting Jesus for something else that the devil has offered, and accepting it.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and depise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth, money, propety, ect.). (Matthew 6:24)

"As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, So is he who gets riches, but not by right; It will leave him in the midst of his days, And at his end he will be a fool." (Jeremiah 17:11)

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? (Mark 8:36)

Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:37)

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, (Hebrews 6:4)

and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, (Hebrews 6:5)

if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. (Hebrews 6:6)

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. (2nd Timothy 6:9)

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (2nd Timothy 6:10)

But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. (2nd Timothy 6:11)

The commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is very serious in nature; so serious, that such a commitment cannot result from a mere recitation, but must come from the heart.  Denying oneself, taking up one's cross, and following Jesus is the task of commitment.

Once putting one's hand to the plow to engage in this specific task of commitment in serving in the kingdom of God, and looking back into the former things makes it difficult to plow straight furrows or to follow the straight way that leads to everlasting life.  Looking back into sin makes it difficult to move forward into righteousness.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, (Philippians 3:13)

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62)

One's salvation is not to be worked for, but rather, to be worked out; that is, the gift is to be enjoyed for all that it brings into one's life, both now and the lifeafter. 

Working out one's salvation with fear and trembling signifies the reverence we're to have towards God as we interact among one another, knowing that our works should glorify Him.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (Philippians 2:12)

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

What are the Losses that a Christian can Incur?

The Scriptures support two (2) losses that Christians can incur: (1) potentially complete loss of reward for unprofitable work done in the body of Christ, and (2) loss of their soul for departing from or abandoning the faith.

Every Christian has the potential of a full reward or a complete los of reward.  The determining factor of whether one receives a full reward or complete loss of reward is his or her faithfulness to Christ.

This reward is not the reward of eternal life received through faith in God through Jesus Christ's justification, but rather, the reward received of Jesus from our personal works judged by Him as being justified in building the kingdom of God.

Those Christians who are seduced by false teachers is one way of them potentially losing out completely on their reward, in that, their works are contaminated, polluted, and unjustified before the Lord, resulting from their minds being intoxicated with lies by those teachers who have exchanged the truth of God for the lie.  A bad tree cannot produce good fruit.

For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Chrsi as coming in the flesh.  This is a deceiver and antichrist. (2nd John 7)

Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. (2nd John 8)

If anyone's work which he has built on endures, he will receive a reward. (1st Corinthians 3:14)

If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1st Corinthians 3:15)

And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. (Revelation 22:12)

I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. (Revelation 22:13)

Materialism, as philosophy, has two major positions.  The first position states that physical matter is the only reality.  Materialism rejects any conclusion that relies on the existence of supernatural or non-physical reality.  The second major position states that everything can be explained through physical means, including such seemingly unphysical phenomena such as thought, emotions, and will, with constitutes the soul according to Christianity.

In the common vernacular, materialism refers to a concern with physical things, whether they be possessions, people, or places.

The word (materialism) has taken on a negative connotation, often being associated with greed and with elevating things to a position of greater importance than people.

Those who are deceiving people out of their monies, properties, lands, and other possessions will not call it materialism, but rather, tithes and offerings to the Lord and/or donations for the cause.  The question is, who's cause?  Obviously, their cause.

Those who play on peoples' minds through various deceptive methodologies as illusions, magic, trickeries of all sorts, in particular, but not limited to, faking of healings and of miracles, are nothing more than hypocrites manifesting themselves as mininters of righteousness, when in fact, they're Satan's ministers of unrighteousness who are accomplishing the will of their father, which is, to kill, and to steal, and to destroy. 

These false prophets/teachers utilize such ungodly things to build up their credibility so as to be able to continue promoting their selfish ambitions to accomplish their thirst of greed and of power.  These are they who have been deceived to believe the lie that they themselves are now promoting.  A bad tree cannot produce good fruit.

Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1st John 2:15)

For all that is in the world --- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life --- is not of the Father, but of the world. (1st John 2:16)

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1st John 2:17)

Satan lures believers away from loving God in the three (3) following ways:

1.  The lust of the flesh, which refers to desires for sinful sensual pleasures.

2.  The lust of the eyes, which refers to covetousness or materialism.

3.  The pride of life, which refers to being proud about one's position in the world.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (Matthew 6:19)

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where theives do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:20)

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and depise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth, money, propety, ect.). (Matthew 6:24)

Conclusion

Is departing (abandoning, defecting) from the faith, which is in Christ Jesus, a possibility according to the Scriptures?  The answer, is yes; a Christian, as a result of his or her greed can be lured away from the faith.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. (2nd Timothy 6:9)

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (2nd Timothy 6:10)

 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? (Mark 8:36)

Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:37)

If it can be concluded that: (1)  covetousness or materialism can lure belivers away from loving God, then it can also be concluded that: (2) desires for sinful sensual pleasures, in particular, but not limited to sexual immorality, and (3) pride can also lure believers away from loving God.

How then, is important the issue of loving God?  It is very important.  Is loving God the determining factor as to whether one has eternal life or not?  Yes, it is the determining factor.  The evidence that God abides in us and we in Him is our love for Him and for one another.  The very absence of the love of God abiding in a person is a true indication of the lack of relationship and fellowship with Him.

But I (Jesus) know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. (John 5:42)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (1st John 4:7)

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1st John 4:8)

If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, "how can he love God whom he has not seen? (1st John 4:20)

And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (1st John 4:21)

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.  God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1st John 4:16)

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride). And this is the victory that has overcome the world --- our faith. (1st John 5:4)

Whoever practices the lust of the flesh, or the lust of the eyes, or pride, and/or any combination of the three (3), will eventually choose not to retain God in their knowledge; wherein, replacing what love they had for God for the love of the world; in other words, exchanging the truth for the lie.  We just cannot practice doing any and everything unrighteously we desire to do, as if it doesn't have a negative impact on our relationship and fellowship with God.  There are serious and destructive consequenses in unrighteous practices.

Sin and the Temple of God 

Sin is lawlessness, that is, not the absence of the law, but active rebellion against the law.

The body is the “temple of the God,” where the “Holy Spirit” resides in the “children of God.”

We are to glorify God in our body and in our spirit, which requires us to get rid of any filthiness and uncleanness of the flesh and of the mind. 

The “temple of God ” should be kept continuously clean for God to use as He wills for His glory in being witnesses to the world of His continued presence.