Cedric Fisher: "earnestly contending for the faith."

That Temporal Tooth—a reflection on Eternity 

I bit on something hard in a sandwich Thursday. There was a loud “crack” like my tooth had broken. Went to the dentist yesterday morning, thankful that they could see me so soon.

It was definitely cracked—completely split in two. It was a difficult extraction that did not end quickly. The dentist couldn’t pull it out no matter how much he jerked and twisted. I prayed fervently as he fought with that tooth.

Finally, he resorted to using an impact tool, then a drill or high-speed cutter, and then a surgical knife. It is now sewn with dissolvable stitches. I was shaking when he was finished.

I thought—I willingly laid on a stretch-chair, let some man I barely know stick needles in my gum, then wrestle, pull, jerk, and cut one of my teeth out, and paid $$$ for the experience. It was all because I knew from a past incident that a cracked tooth can become septic and the pain is way off the scale. All that to say that I recognized a lesson in that experience.

First, we are clearly warned that if we do not trust God to fix our condition now and maintain His “fix,” we will regret it when sin takes us down the crowded road to eternal destitution and devastation.

Second, my dentist, a professing Christian, said that premolars are ill-designed and prone to failure. I think that commentary fits the entire sorry race of humanity. Our humanity is temporal. Our teeth and everything else will die—only our soul was designed to last eternally. We essentially and truly need God—not as a good idea or casual acquaintance, but we need an intimate relationship with Him.

Accepting that truth deeply should awaken us to what we should be focused on. God will take the sin out of our old person, wash us free from our filth, and make us new, but it is up to us to maintain and mature our spiritual status. People who put that responsibility on God are like those who eat candy and never brush or floss.

Spiritually careless professing Christians should not be surprised when they reach eternity and realize they need a spiritual makeover. But that’s not going to happen. The time to be changed is now. The time to work on our spiritual condition is now. Lip service does not equate to heart commitment. Please heed this truth if you believe that you have unconditional eternal security.

“But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.” — Matthew 21:28-31

He declared that their lip-service faith in God was denied by their works. “Sinner’s Prayer” lip-service is no better than joining a casual fraternity of people who dabble in religious philosophy. God’s word says, “…and shalt believe in thine heart” (Romans 10:9).

“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” — Titus 1:16

No one can become reprobate or apostate that was not at some point a Christian. You cannot depart from where you have never been (1 Timothy 4:1). Nor can one become something opposite (reprobate, castaway) without once having been something else (godly, just, upright). (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Truly, it is foolish to live contrary to God’s truth and believe there are no consequences. One of the most poignant statements by Christ was when He quoted Isaiah.

“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” — Matthew 15:8-9

This one fact is beyond any doubt—individuals who do not live upright will NOT be gathered to Christ at the Parousia. The true church, which is the bride of Christ, members in particular, will make themselves ready. She will be a “glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

Heaven will be populated with the spirits of just individuals made perfect. (Hebrews 12:22-23) They were “just” on earth, (Greek-dikaios, which means: “upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God”) but they were made perfect in heaven. Godliness is our response to God’s call to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). Godliness without substance is empty believism—lip service without heart commitment (2 Timothy 3:5).

“But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” — 1 Corinthians 13:10

If you believe that God has given you unconditional eternal security, then you must have pledged to be unconditionally eternally committed to Him. That is what believing in one’s heart means. If that is what you committed to, I stand with you. You will live as uprightly as possible and grow in uprightness until God makes you perfect in eternity. If you profess to be a redeemed child of God, and yet confess that Satan compels you to uncontrollably sin daily, you are a fraud (1 John 2:4).

The same author of Romans 10:9-10 wrote Romans chapters 6-8 (Ignore the chapter markers when you read it.). Sinning so that grace can abound is antithetical to grace. It is trampling on the body of Christ, despising the Holy Spirit, and considering the Blood of the Covenant unholy (Hebrews 10:29). What truly redeemed lover of God does that? What type of individual that does those things and confidently believes that he or she will hear God say at the Judgment, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The answer is a deceived individual. What have they done? They minimized works of righteousness but exalted the works of darkness.

It is a doctrine of demons that consigns you to commit wicked works daily and eschew good works that identify redemption. God’s word declares otherwise.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” — John 15:10

Your works do not redeem you—your works are evidence that you are redeemed or damned. There is no biblical basis for declaring that a redeemed person must be a slave to sin to be truly redeemed. In my opinion, Charles Stanley’s book, “Eternal Security” is a handbook for apostasy. Run—run, beloved, from such wickedness!

Make no mistake about it—the apostasy is real and filling up with careless professing Christians that have departed from the faith. The seeker of God is a lover of righteousness. No one whose heart is committed to God wallows in the world’s pigsty. Imagine an individual committed to cleanliness. He or she may become dirty but will be discontented until he or she can be clean. Under no circumstances would such one dwell in constant filth.

Some people will angrily reject this call to full surrender and choose to remain secure in the doctrines of men. Truth does not force itself on anyone. Satan has emissaries that appear as ministers of righteousness, and that spout the doctrines of death. Their end will be according to their deadly work. One has to choose between God’s truth and what men claim is His truth.

At this very moment, God is calling those who claim to be His people to depart from iniquity and dwell daily in His presence. Furthermore, God is calling all sinners to repent. When will it be the final call?

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” — Revelation 22:17

1 Comment

  1. Cheryl

    Oh this is so good! Spot on Biblical Truth whether people want to believe and accept it or not! I

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