Cool-Aid is a Killer

If We Go on Sinning

Hebrews 10:26-31 ESV

 

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

 

Teaching the cheap grace gospel is a lot like Jim Jones, in 1978, giving over 900 of his followers cyanide-laced Kool-Aid to drink to their deaths. For, the cheap grace teaches that we can deliberately go on sinning and still be saved from our sins and have eternal life with God, which is a lie (Heb 10:26-31; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; Gal 5:16-21).

 

But, the Kool-Aid (cheap grace) is not what we are to drink of, for, although it is sweet to the taste, it will come back and bite you in the end. Instead, we are to drink of the cup of Christ’s sufferings, becoming like him in his death, so we can live to his righteousness and have eternal life with God.

 

Both drinking the Kool-Aid (cheap grace) and drinking the blood of Christ (Jn 6:35-66) result in death. One is being dead in sin. The other is being dead to sin. The one results in eternal damnation. The other results in eternal life with God. The one has no sacrifice for sins applied. The other does.

 

So, when wolves in sheep’s clothing are in the gatherings of the church teaching people that they can be saved from their sins and be guaranteed eternal life with God, based on a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but that they can go on sinning deliberately without punishment, they are giving them cyanide-laced Kool-Aid to drink to their deaths.

 

The Bible teaches that we should run away from such strangers as these false teachers who are thieves and robbers who come only to steal and kill and destroy. Instead, we are to listen to and to follow the true Shepherd of the sheep, Jesus Christ, for he came to give us abundant life in him. Thus, he commands we die to sin and live to righteousness (Jn 10:1-18; Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Lu 9:23-26; Tit 2:11-14).

 

For, if we receive the truth of the gospel, but we go on sinning deliberately, as a matter of life course, by habit, knowing that what we are doing is wrong, we are trampling underfoot the Son of God, and we have profaned the blood of the covenant by which we were sanctified, and we have outraged the Spirit of grace. And, we will be punished for our sin.

 

You Have Need of Endurance

Hebrews 10:32-39 ESV

 

“But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,

 

“’Yet a little while,

    and the coming one will come and will not delay;

but my righteous one shall live by faith,

    and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.’

 

“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”

 

In the Parable of the Sower, in Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus spoke of four types of soil in which the seed of the word of God was planted, which represented people’s heart responses to the gospel. The first one never received the word. He made no profession of faith in Jesus Christ at all. He was not saved.

 

The second one heard the word of God and immediately received it with joy, but the truth did not take root in his life, so when tribulation and persecution arose on account of the gospel, that person fell away. His was a very superficial faith, probably the result of an emotional decision. So, it didn’t last.

 

The next one heard the word of God, the gospel, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choked the word so that it proved unfruitful. And, Jesus said that the branch that does not bear fruit will be thrown out into the fire and will be burned (Jn 15:1-6).

 

But then there was the good soil. This one heard the word and understood it and he bore fruit (spiritual results) which yields much for the kingdom of God.

 

This one endures suffering for righteousness’ sake and partners with others of like faith who are so treated. This one has compassion on those who are falsely imprisoned for the sake of the gospel, and he accepts joyfully being persecuted by those who have the power to do so.

 

But the message is clear here. Even those of good soil, who heard the word of God and who bear good fruit in keeping with repentance can be in danger of falling away and of throwing away their confidence (their faith) in Jesus Christ in order to follow after a lie which tickles itching ears. None of us are so holy that we can’t fall, which is why we have all these warnings.

 

So, the encouragement here is to not throw away our confidence (our faith) in Jesus Christ, which has a great reward. We need to endure. We need to hang in there and remain strong in our faith despite all that is going on all around us. We must never give up or yield to something less, like the cheap grace gospel.

 

For, it is when we have done the will of God that we will receive what was promised. The Lord’s righteous ones must live by faith, which is dying daily with Christ to sin and self and living to Christ and to his righteousness in the power of God living within us (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24).

 

But if we shrink back, and we go back to living in sin after we have received the knowledge of the truth, if we do not repent, and if we do not return to our Lord, we are in danger of hell (Gal 5:16-21; Rom 2:6-8; 2 Co 5:10).

 

So, don’t listen to the lies which tell you your sins no longer matter to God once you are “saved.” For, we are not to be of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but we are to be of those who have faith, who are doing the will of God, and who, thus, preserve their souls from hell and for eternity with God (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Lu 9:23-26).

 

For Our Nation  

 

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

 

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

 

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

 

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

 

Men deceiving: we’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

 

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