ryanfavors's Blog

I have struggled with the doctrine of, what people call, "Once Saved, Always Saved." I have heard the claims that several people have. I had heard most all claims. The thing that I discovered is most people that believed in it, or didn't believe in it would not listen to the other side's claim. I prayed about it and wrestled with it for a long time.



Then one day, I was just going through my day, and (like God tends to do) reveals to me the answer to my question when I wasn't even expecting it, "Who is right?" But there was more to it than that. The answer was short and easy to understand....let's face it, it's God!!! But He also revealed something else to me, and so I am writing this to share the revelation that God has given me. He revealed to me that this issue in essence DOES NOT REALLY MATTER!!!!!



I tend to use analogies to tell people what God has revealed to me. I hope that this makes sense.



Imagine that you are in a courtroom, and you have stolen a car. You have been found guilty...there is no question about it. The judge is about to pass sentence. He tells you, "You have a $50,000 fine. Can you pay it?" You say, "No, I cannot pay my fine." The judge says, "Then you will be put in prison."



Just before he passes sentence, a guy whom you have never seen comes running in, out of breath, and runs up to the judge and says, "Please, do not punish my friend. I have sold my car, my house, all my possesion, I have emptied my bank account...this is all I have. Here is the $50,000 fine. Take it and do not punish my friend because I love him and care about him and I don't want him to be punished."



If you were that guy, wouldn't you be very happy? I know I would. By the way, this is referring to salvation....just in case you were at a loss.



Now listen to this scenario closely, because I will ask something at the end.



I will be the guy that has just been set free. I say, "Wow!!! I am so happy that this guy paid my fine. I am so happy. This guy loves me so much that he will never let me go to prision. I am going to to steal another car because I know that guy is going to bail me out." Or maybe I would say, "Since this guy loves me so much, I will start working on my theft problem, but I am not going to work myself to death or worry about it too much because this guy will bail me out." Is there something wrong with this picture?



I hope you caught it. If I did that, then what I am doing is taking advantage of this guy's blessing. I think most people would agree that this guy is....how shall I say this....a real piece of work.



Now let me say what, I think, should be the proper response. "Wow!!! I am so happy that this guy paid my fine. This guy loves me so much that he gave everything that he had to pay my penalty, which I deserved, for I broke the law. I love this guy so much that I will take his love and do all I can so that his sacrifice will not be in vain." Or maybe I would say, "Since this guy loves me so much and has given everything of his to pay for my penalty, which I deserve, I will wrestle with this like it is my worst enemy, for I hate the things that I have done, and it costed someone everything they had. This is serious. I will wrestle with this with all my heart."



Now pay attention because I am about to share the revelation. I have a question. If you just give everything you had to pay someone their fine and the came up and asked you, "Hey man, if I ever mess up again, will you bail me out again?" how would you feel? I tell you, I would be offended. That is the point. You would never ask him that. It is irrelevant whether this is the only time that he could do it, or if he could do it many many times. Isn't it? I would say that it is irrelevant.



Now, this guy just gave up all his possesions, yet he did not give his life so that we would not be punished. Christ gave His life for us. To me, this is no different than the analogy. Whether "Once Saved, Always Saved" is true or not MAKES NO DIFFERENCE!!!!! Whether He does or doesn't should not affect the relationship that we have. (Back to the analogy) Whether that guy would pay my fine again is not something that should cross your mind because IT IS A RELATIONSHIP!!!!!!!



And I will even go so far as to ask this. If you said that you would be offended if that person that you just bailed out asked you, "Hey man, if I ever mess up again, will you bail me out again?" then why would you ask the Lord that question either? I know that the Lord loves me, and I love Him, and so I am not going to let sin just run wild in my life. I will fight sin with the strength of the Lord, not because of fear of loss of salvation (which I do not have that fear (1 John 1:9)), but because I cannot imagine taking advantage of such a sacrifice as Jesus Christ did for me.



I will add one more thing. I know that there are people that have fallen into some sin, and it may be a big one too. I heard a friend of mine say that, "Well, people need to know that once they are saved they are always saved. Otherwise, they would feel that this sin that they have done has cut them off from Christ." So if you are someone that has done something that you feel that is terrible, and you think that I am telling you that you are no longer saved, that is most definitly NOT what I am saying. I know that you cannot sin your salvation away. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 NASB But since it is a RELATIONSHIP and a WALK, confess your sin so that there will be nothing in between you and God. If you are someone who is like that, my heart feels compassion for you and I pray that you take it before the Lord, because He loves you. God loves you and me and everyone. Let's be sure and examine our hearts often and make sure that we NEVER EVER EVER take the sacrifice that the Lord Jesus Christ for granted.



OUR WALK WITH GOD IS NOT ABOUT DOCTRINE!!!!!!!!!! IT IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!!!!!!

I see it almost every day. It hardly ever fails. I see people who call themselves Christians, but yet they live just like the world. I am not here to say who is and who is not. Only God knows the heart of hearts of a person. I know that there are even times that I compromise. It is all part of the war with the flesh that every Christian is in (Romans 7:14-25) and will be in till the day that he sheds this body. There will be times that we stumble. What I am addressing is the things that we know is wrong and not biblical, yet some continue to do because, ââ¦that is todayâs culture.â Listen that is no excuse, in fact, the bible tells us specifically not to do that. âAnd do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.â (Romans 12:1) Do you think that people are confused by the Gospel? I will venture to say no, I say they are confused by us. The church gets into disagreements about things like what color the carpet should be in the sanctuary, or something in that nature. Why? Does the shade of carpet affect how much God works in a church? No, I tell you, but division in a church caused by such a disagreement like that can and will affect the usefulness of that church. Avoid foolish controversies for those are unprofitable and worthless (Titus 3:9). Donât you see? Do you not realize that we are arguing over simple issues that mean nothing? We are spending so much time arguing amongst ourselves, and yet, hardly anytime going out to the lost. Woe to us! These things are even confusing the young believers. Listen, you who are mature in the faith, we are being watched by young believers and unbelievers. If we cause them to stumble, that is a serious offense (Matthew 18:6). The thing that I have to ask is why would we want to make others stumble? That makes no sense. We should do all we can to live as trophies of the Lord. One huge stumbling block I deal with is how girls dress. Girls, I plead with you, please dress in a way that is God glorifying. Donât you realize that you who dress provocatively make the walk of even the godliest of men difficult? If you have to dress like that to attract a certain man, you donât want him. A godly man desires a God-filled heart. Guys, I have something to say about us. The ones of us who wears our shorts or pants where our boxers are showing think about what you are doing. That does not glorify God and the godly women are going to be angered by that. Do you want others to cause you to stumble? Then donât be an opportunity for others to stumble. Now for those of you who want to know what is permitted to wear, I will give you something that I think will be a good measurement. Ask yourself, âIf Christ was to appear in front of me, would I be ashamed for what I am wearing?â

The culture will tell you that the way that you lift yourself up is by tearing down others. Do not listen to him (Satan). âBut encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called âToday,â so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.â (Hebrews 3:13) There are also times that a person that we know is struggling to make ends meet, or starving, or cold, yet some of us tell them, âGo in peace, be warmed and be filled,â and yet you do not give that person what he needs, what good is that? Listen faith without works of love and compassion for others is dead faith (James 2:15-17). Now, the world will tell you, âWell, I had nothing to do with the bad thing that happened to that person. I knew that it was wrong, so I didnât endorse it, so I have clean hands.â The bible says, âThe one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.â (James 4:17) If we know that something is wrong or evil, then donât sit on your hands. Get up and do something about it! Pray that the LORD go before you on your mission to do the right thing.

Now that brings me to my last point. For a while now, we have been paying millions of dollars to acquire things and places and organizations to âwinâ people to Christ. We think that the ways of the old do not work in modern day Americaâ¦WE cannot WIN people.â Listen, nowhere in the bible does it say that we are to WIN people to Christ. We are called to share our faith. This is not some game to see how many converts we get in a year. It is not some competition. Culture will tell us, âPeople donât like to have their conscience pierced. Donât show a person their sin. Change the message so that people get what they wantâ¦prosperity, health, wealth, ease, etc.â And that is what has happened. The Prosperity Gospel is now being preached by several evangelist, preachers, and laymen all over America. Nowhere in scripture does it say that, âIf you become a Christian, then everything will be peachy cream.â If the Prosperity Gospel is the true Gospel, then answer me this; why was all but one apostle (John) persecuted and killed because of their faith? Why do our brothers and sisters suffer in other countries like they do because of their faith in Christ? We have got to stop compromising with the world. My question to several people is a similar question to the one that Elijah asked the people in 1 Kings 18:21. âHow long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him, but if culture, follow him.â Listen, âNo one can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.â (Matthew 6:24). Do you wish to despise the LORD? If not, then despise this culture and stand for the LORD. Do not give in to the ways of the world, and live the way that says, âO Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God of all and that I am your servant and I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people will know that You, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back again.â (Taken from 1 Kings 18:36-37).

I see it almost every day. It hardly ever fails. I see people who call themselves Christians, but yet they live just like the world. I am not here to say who is and who is not. Only God knows the heart of hearts of a person. I know that there are even times that I compromise. It is all part of the war with the flesh that every Christian is in (Romans 7:14-25) and will be in till the day that he sheds this body. There will be times that we stumble. What I am addressing is the things that we know is wrong and not biblical, yet some continue to do because, ââ¦that is todayâs culture.â Listen that is no excuse, in fact, the bible tells us specifically not to do that. âAnd do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.â (Romans 12:1) Do you think that people are confused by the Gospel? I will venture to say no, I say they are confused by us. The church gets into disagreements about things like what color the carpet should be in the sanctuary, or something in that nature. Why? Does the shade of carpet affect how much God works in a church? No, I tell you, but division in a church caused by such a disagreement like that can and will affect the usefulness of that church. Avoid foolish controversies for those are unprofitable and worthless (Titus 3:9). Donât you see? Do you not realize that we are arguing over simple issues that mean nothing? We are spending so much time arguing amongst ourselves, and yet, hardly anytime going out to the lost. Woe to us! These things are even confusing the young believers. Listen, you who are mature in the faith, we are being watched by young believers and unbelievers. If we cause them to stumble, that is a serious offense (Matthew 18:6). The thing that I have to ask is why would we want to make others stumble? That makes no sense. We should do all we can to live as trophies of the Lord. One huge stumbling block I deal with is how girls dress. Girls, I plead with you, please dress in a way that is God glorifying. Donât you realize that you who dress provocatively make the walk of even the godliest of men difficult? If you have to dress like that to attract a certain man, you donât want him. A godly man desires a God-filled heart. Guys, I have something to say about us. The ones of us who wears our shorts or pants where our boxers are showing think about what you are doing. That does not glorify God and the godly women are going to be angered by that. Do you want others to cause you to stumble? Then donât be an opportunity for others to stumble. Now for those of you who want to know what is permitted to wear, I will give you something that I think will be a good measurement. Ask yourself, âIf Christ was to appear in front of me, would I be ashamed for what I am wearing?â

The culture will tell you that the way that you lift yourself up is by tearing down others. Do not listen to him (Satan). âBut encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called âToday,â so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.â (Hebrews 3:13) There are also times that a person that we know is struggling to make ends meet, or starving, or cold, yet some of us tell them, âGo in peace, be warmed and be filled,â and yet you do not give that person what he needs, what good is that? Listen faith without works of love and compassion for others is dead faith (James 2:15-17). Now, the world will tell you, âWell, I had nothing to do with the bad thing that happened to that person. I knew that it was wrong, so I didnât endorse it, so I have clean hands.â The bible says, âThe one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.â (James 4:17) If we know that something is wrong or evil, then donât sit on your hands. Get up and do something about it! Pray that the LORD go before you on your mission to do the right thing.

Now that brings me to my last point. For a while now, we have been paying millions of dollars to acquire things and places and organizations to âwinâ people to Christ. We think that the ways of the old do not work in modern day Americaâ¦WE cannot WIN people.â Listen, nowhere in the bible does it say that we are to WIN people to Christ. We are called to share our faith. This is not some game to see how many converts we get in a year. It is not some competition. Culture will tell us, âPeople donât like to have their conscience pierced. Donât show a person their sin. Change the message so that people get what they wantâ¦prosperity, health, wealth, ease, etc.â And that is what has happened. The Prosperity Gospel is now being preached by several evangelist, preachers, and laymen all over America. Nowhere in scripture does it say that, âIf you become a Christian, then everything will be peachy cream.â If the Prosperity Gospel is the true Gospel, then answer me this; why was all but one apostle (John) persecuted and killed because of their faith? Why do our brothers and sisters suffer in other countries like they do because of their faith in Christ? We have got to stop compromising with the world. My question to several people is a similar question to the one that Elijah asked the people in 1 Kings 18:21. âHow long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him, but if culture, follow him.â Listen, âNo one can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.â (Matthew 6:24). Do you wish to despise the LORD? If not, then despise this culture and stand for the LORD. Do not give in to the ways of the world, and live the way that says, âO Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God of all and that I am your servant and I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people will know that You, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back again.â (Taken from 1 Kings 18:36-37).

It seems that we, as Christians, believe (sometime or all of the time) that being a Christians means that everything will be peachy-cream. We think that God will bless us with gifts and the absence of pain. That is why that several people turn away from âreligion,â because they believe that now God does not exist or maybe He just does not care because something bad happened to them or to their loved ones. The reason for this is something called the Prosperity Gospel. I heard a pastor named John Piper explained it like this; âBelieve this message, and your pigs wonât die, and your wife wonât have miscarriages, and youâll have rings on your fingers and coats on your backâ¦â If this is true, show me where it says that in the bible? I will tell you that what I know in the bible tells me that being a Christian means the exact opposite. Matt 10:34-36 says that do not think that Jesus came to bring peace to the earth, for He did not. He brought a sword. He said He came to set us against our family members, for the enemies of a man will be the members of his household. Verses 37-39 also tell us that he who loves anyone more than Jesus is not worthy of Him. If he does not take up his cross and follow Jesus, he is not worthy of Him. If you try to hold on to your life, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for Christâs sake and the sake of the gospel, you will find it. The reason that He came to turn us against our family members is found in Matt 10:21-22. It says that brother will betray brother and children will rise against parents, and you will be hated by all nations because of His name. But the one who endures will be saved. Does that mean that our salvation is at risk of being lost? No. I will say that I believe that to endure to the end means that you are truly saved. Paul said in Philippians 3:7-11 that the loss of all things is counted as rubbish for the sake of knowing Jesus Christ. If we turn our backs on God because of the loss of one of our family members, then that means that we love them more than we love God. That reverts to the verse earlier in Matthew 10:37-39 that says if we love anyone more that Jesus, then we are not worthy of Him. If you remember, I said people will turn away from âreligion.âThere is a difference between being religious and being a Christian. A religious person believes that if they are a âgood personâ and if they follow the Law, then they will get into heaven. Religious people try to get people to believe their theology. We are supposed to spread the Gospel, but these people do not love the lost people. Some people use religion as leverage. Religion has been used as the leverage for slavery, murder, and several other actions that are not the truth. This is because that people take verses out of context, and do not read the rest of the Word. They only teach what they want to and only what might not offend people. How sad. Religious people only âbelieveâ when it is convenient. When we may look foolish if God does not hear our prayer, we just donât pray. I guess the greatest difference between a true Christian and a religious person is religious people pray and do not hear God. They do not have an intimate relationship with Him. Christians hear God and obey Him. When it comes time, the Christian can call God to act. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing. This means that our prayer should have no beginning, no end, nonstop. It should never end. We should always be talking with God, not to Him. If we start and then stop, then there may come a time that God needs to tell us something, but we tell Him, âIt is not prayer time yetâ¦catch me later God, Iâm busy.â Do you think that we will be very effective in Godâs work? The thing that we need to realize is being a Christian does not only mean that you look like one on the outside. Some people tell themselves things like, âI can look at that girl the wrong way. I am not harming her, or anyone, so it cannot be sin.â We may also say, âWow! Her boyfriend is hot. I wish he was mine.â We also might think things like, âI tell you, I could just kill him for what he done to me. I will get him back.â All of these things are not the Christian way. We cannot lust after anyone, for you have already committed adultery in your heart, according to Matthew 5:28. I think the reason for this is because if you cannot resist the temptation of the flesh in your mind, then you will stumble when you are tempted by the flesh in real life. We are not to covet anything that belongs to our neighbor (Exodus 20:17). The definition of covet is to desire eagerly. We are not to desire the things that everyone else has. We should be thankful for what God has blessed us with. I believe that the reason for this is because unlawful desire leads to unlawful ways to acquire these things. To hate someone is also not the way that Christ instructed us. Matthew 5:21-22 tells us that if we are angry with our brother, then we are guilty of murder in the eyes of the court. I believe this is because hate is the seed of murder. The idea is if we allow sin to dwell in our minds and hearts, then that is the spark that will ignite sin outside of our minds. The thing that should be one of our goals is that our flesh is not opaque to hide the evil heart from others, but that our flesh is transparent, so our loving heart, filled with Christ, shines through, because that is where Christ dwells (Galatians 2:20). Love cannot be acted. I donât care that we have seen plays like Romeo and Juliet. It may seem real to us, but no one can fake anything to God. If you do not love, God knows it. 1 John 4:8 tells us that the one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. This is the key to being a Christianâ¦we must know God and have an intimate relationship with Him. We sometimes think that the key to knowing God is to pray, pray, pray. Prayer is important, but we must also listen. If we will listen to Godâs voice, according to Psalms 95:7-8, we are not to harden our hearts. If we ignore His voice, then our heart becomes hardened, and not tender. If we ignore Him enough, we will become deaf to Him. What kind of relationship is there with no communication? It would not be very intimate. Donât get me wrong, religious people have a hard time as well. They are like the Pharisees. Bless their hearts; they worked so hard to follow the Law. However, no flesh can be justify by the Law, but only through faith through Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:16). Does that mean that we can just sit back and do no good deeds? God forbid! James 3:18-26 tells us that if someone shows you their faith without works, you can show them your faith through your works. For faith without works is dead. 2 Peter 1:1-11 tells us that after we have acquired our salvation, we should add (what some people call) the âseven pillarsâ to our faith so that we can be partakers of the divine nature. It is talking about the work for Godâs kingdom. These pillars are moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. The Word tells us that if we follow these qualities, and apply all diligence to apply these to our faith, then we will never stumble. With these qualities, entrance into the kingdom of heaven will be abundantly supplied to us. I suppose by now, you are thinking that this is hard to do. This is the truth, it is hard. It is also NOT the Prosperity Gospel. I see no where in the bible where it says that everything will be peachy-cream. We should not be afraid of the people who persecute us, for all they can do is destroy the body. Who we should fear is the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell (Matthew 10:28). This life is like a blink of an eye, and is nothing compared to eternity. No one can truly get the concept of eternity. My dad told me about the way he was told to describe eternity. Imagine a string that starts at the earth and goes all the way to the moon and there is one ant that will carry the earth to the moon one grain at the time. In the time it takes the ant to carry the entire earth to the moon that will be just the beginning of eternity. Some people will say, âWell if I go to Hell, all my friends will be there.â That disturbs me. Hell is not some party. If you are in pain, you are not thinking about where the next party is. All you can think about is what position I can get in to ease the pain. The thing is, there is no comfortable position and you are tormented for all eternity. The question that we have to ask ourselves is where is our faith? Is out faith in the gifts that we receive and when the going gets tough, the tough get going? Or is our faith in a powerful God, who knows and sees all, who is good, who loves His children, who reward us not in tangible things, but rewards in heaven, and who never leaves us, who never abandons us, and always allows us to repent for our sins? I follow the God that sent His son Jesus Christ to die for our sin (John 3:16). I will suffer for Christ, because he suffered a lot more for me. I will never be able to repay Him for His love, and He does not expect us to. He does expect us to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34). The one thing that we are to do is to make Christ look great and very valuable. It is not about the stuff that we acquire throughout our lives. If it was, then why has no sane person ever comforted themselves, on their deathbed, with the stuff they have acquired, that there life was well spent? I will also say this, why was Paul so eager to die to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, for he was sane, was he not? John Piper put it this way: âGod is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him in the midst of loss, not prosperity.â

Well guys, this is the end. Some of us will return in the summer, some next fall, and some never. We will all be doing something during the summer. Some of us will go back to school, some to work, and some to missions. I am not certain what will happen this summer. I plan to go back to school. I know several of my friends are going back home and doing several different things. As usual, it took me til the very end to feel the sadness of being seperated from the people that I care about a great deal. I came back from hanging out with my friends and I went to my dorm to get ready for the end of the semester. I am so blessed to have such great friends. I don't know how much they like me, but I can say that I have never become so close to a group of people as I have this year. We are the creation of the Father. We do not deserve anything. What is given to us is solely by the grace of the Lord. I pray that we never become "spoiled" byt the gifts of God.
I have been thinking about something. Christ dwells within me (Galatians 2:20), so it got me to thinking about people that do not know Christ. I did not create my friends, God did. There is no greater love than the Love that God has for us because He is love (1 John 4:8). If I am feeling sad about leaving my friends, how much greater is the saddness of God to see His creation perish in the fire because they would not love Him and accept His free gift of salvation? The closest analogy that I can think of to explain, what I think, the severity of this is think of the one person that you love the absolute most. Now imagine if this person had some superficial object on them, a sticker for example. This sticker is killing them and they will die a long and miserable death. You know that all you have to do is remove the sticker and that person will be fine. It is simple, but the person will not allow you to do so. You watch them day after day, watching them get more sick and more sick, but they refuse to take the offer to remove the sticker. I don't know about you, but it would break my heart to watch someone I love die just because they would not let me help, especially considering the operation is so simple. I am made of flesh, and I cannot even start to compare my love with one person, with the love that God has for all. I will admit, I never thought of it this way, and I am not sure what the scriptures have to say, but I will say that so long as our hearts beat, it is never too late to accept the free gift. I am so glad to know my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I will still miss my friends. Until we meet again, I pray, for the Christians, that you go out into the world and not be static Christians, but listen to the voice of the Lord. I don't care what Christians theologians say about the idea that we cannot hear the voice of the Living God, the creator of the universe. I heard Jesus before I heard them and Jesus said that we, as sheep, know the Shepard's voice (John chapter 10). For the ones that are not Chrstians, I will still love you guys....we will still love you. I do not condemn people because my Lord has ample reason to condemn me, but He does not, He forgives me. He can forgive all, no matter your past, He just wants all to come home.