Based on Hebrews 10:26-11:2 (New King James Version)
“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on [c]me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.”
There are many ideas of what God supposedly wants us to do in our Christian society today. There are innumerable beliefs and practices that have been created over time and they are taught as things that God commands when in fact they are not part of God’s will. There are things that have been created with good intentions and others not with good intentions. In the end, and as said before, people that do not know God’s truth and that are legitimately looking to find the Almighty have an incredible task, per se, because of: where do they start and what in reality is the truth? Can there be many truths or forms of the truth? And the issue is that it is impossible for there to be many truths or forms of the truth. If it were so, then we would need to say certain things about God, that He is not perfect, or that He suffers from having multiple personalities, or at the very least, that He is fickle. Blessed be the Almighty that He is none of those things, and not even close to any of that. God is one, and He is perfect, and He does not vary in His thoughts. God is God, and as such, there is only one way to Him. There are not multiple versions of the Truth, or different forms of the Truth, but rather, only one Truth exists, and only one Way, and that is it, because God is one and He does not vary, as it is written: “The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” Deuteronomy 6:4b.
To be able to understand this issue that there are so many variations with the Christian faith, then the concept of sin must be explained. By definition the word “sin” is an artillery term that means, “missing the mark”. Another definition would be: not being perfect or exact. There is only one Truth, only one way, a very straight, fine, and exact line that takes us to God. And when a person sins, or errs, then the deviation from the truth comes about. So then, what provokes so much deviation within a faith that is supposed to be so exact? God is perfect, but the devil is contrary to that, and his job, per se, is extremely simple. God designed and presented what is straight, right, and exact, and the devil tries to provoke deviating from that. To follow the definition of sin along the lines of artillery, if a person were trying to shoot an arrow to a target, the devil would either try to tap the bow, or produce a visual disturbance, or even whisper in the ear so that concentration can be lost, in summary, do everything possible to provoke a deviation. Hitting the target is extremely difficult, but missing the target is the easiest thing in the world.
Now then, the devil can only influence or interfere, but he cannot force or control. Mankind always has free will. So, why so much deviation? The issue is that evil is within us thanks to the inheritance that Adam and Eve gave to us. Sin comes within our being. It’s an integral part of what we are, for it is written: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Romans 5:12. And the Word also says: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5. So, the devils work is even simpler. All he has to do is appeal to something that is already in our being. This is what the Word also teaches: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:13-15. That is why there are so many deviations even within faith, because even though a person may have come to surrender their life to Christ, there is still an internal struggle within them, and of course, there is an enemy that only wants their perdition because he is all evil. There is nothing redeemable or good within Satan, and as such, his product is all evil.
So then, what can we do so that we not only overcome what is in us, but also, come to that perfection that we need to if we legitimately want to be with God? How can we see through everything that is out there to be able to come to the truth? The first thing is that a person should prepare themselves to have an encounter with God. They should not look for God just to resolve issues, or to fulfill selfish desires, or try to manipulate God in some manner. This is one of those sins that is very present in God’s so-called people. The great majority of people have ulterior motives instead of looking for God legitimately. This is one of the main reasons for why there are so many deviations. That is why there is so much sin within God’s people. The Lord said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6b. Therefore, a person should not follow their own plans or ideas or views. Christ needs to be the target, and as such, He needs to become the Lord of our life. He must be the literal and true Lord of our being. Otherwise, deviation is promoted even more. The start of willful sin which is what we saw at the beginning is keeping other things or even ourselves as the lord of our lives instead of Jesus. If a person has received the knowledge of the Truth, of what Christ needs to be in their life, and they choose to do something else, then there is no forgiveness. And of course, if they follow that trajectory without changing course, they will not see life, but rather, they will suffer God’s eternal wrath. Why? Because they knew the Truth and despised it. So, faith is what makes this determination possible within us is. Everything depends on where you put your faith. If you put your faith on yourself, or on something or someone else, no matter how much you say you believe in God, you will not see life. But, if you legitimately put your faith on the Lord Jesus and you treat Him as such, you will find God’s grace. So then, is your faith on the Lord or on your sin that still dwells within you? Lord bless! John