Last Comment and Appendix in Answer to Once Saved Always Saved

 Before I begin: I ran four blogs in late September that disputed the doctrinal assumption of "once saved always saved." I mentioned that  I would give a list of Bibe verses that suggest that a loving relationship with God, a sanctification, which shows that you are really saved, was necessary also to show that we are saved. A desire to fight any connection with "the world" of sin has to be active and striving. James talks much about this in James 2, that "faith" without the works to prove it, is not really faith. The list finally given below is NOT saying you can’t go to heaven unless you concentrate on works. No, I'm saying that such works become first nature for those whose love of what God in the form of Jesus has done for us. We do these things because we develop love of our brothers, and love for the lost unsaved. Continuing in sin after you think you were saved suggests a "mental assent" only has happened; you are unsaved. True salvation runs deep into a heart of love. Salvation has an initial date, and a maintenance period for the rest of your life, as you must grow in the Lord.  As I expressed in another blog, INITIAL salvation can be accomplished by (1) BELIEF in what Christ did:  He is God, He died to pay the price to redeem me; He was resurrected—that means I could be resurrected, taking away the power of death.  (2) I have a desire to REPENT, turn away from my sins and the world which I can’t reconcile to God, no matter what I do for works; and (3) Receive an adult BAPTISM to testify to the world that I am on Christ’s side.  I differ from many denominations in the final aspect:  to MAINTAIN my salvation, I must show a relationship with Christ, so my love and obedience with Him grows.  I progress into sanctification, gradually becoming more like Him in bearing fruit.  (More on fruit of Spirit in Galatians 5).  If I am initially saved, and then I go wandering off into the world, and don’t develop fruits or relationship (or abiding in Him), then I lose salvation at some point, as Scriptures below will show.  After that, getting “back on track” takes honest confession of weakness and, realizing His holiness, and hatred of the practice of sin, begin once again the path to sanctification.  God has patience, to a degree.  Some sins are worse than others, and we must discipline ourselves to avoid those altogether.  We must examine ourselves often, confess our sin often, and ask for the Spirit’s help in the power of feeding Christ, and not the world, to make my decisions—and we should read God’s Word often to learn what His commandments are.  We MUST endure to the end to reach Heaven.

SO HERE IS THE APPENDIX:  NEW TESTAMENT VERSES THAT EITHER (1) DON’T GUARANTEE “ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED,” OR (2) INDICATE THAT THERE ARE CONDITIONS IN CONTINUING THE PROCESS OF SALVATION: IT IS NECESSARY TO ENDURE TO THE END, SHOWING GODLY FRUIT AND WORKS:

:

• Matthew 3:10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
• Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses
• Matthew 7:14  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
• Matthew 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
• Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven
• Matthew 10:22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
• Matthew 10:33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven
• Matthew 12:32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come
• Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
• Matthew 18:27, 34-35 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt…. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat….And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.³⁵ “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
• Matthew 24:47-51 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant….Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. ⁴⁸ But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, ⁵¹ and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
• Matthew 25: 31-45: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom…. Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me….’Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink….inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
• Mark 3:35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”
• Mark 4:16-17,20 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; ¹⁷ and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble….  ²⁰ But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
• Mark 8:38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
• Mark 9:43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—
• Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
• Luke 8:13-15 ¹⁴ Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience
• Luke 9:23-24 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
• Luke 12:5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!
• Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
• Luke 12:47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes
• Luke 13:6-9 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. ⁷ Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ ⁸ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”
• Luke 14:27-28 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it
• Luke 15:11,12,24 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12“The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them….So he got up and came to his father….for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’
• Luke 16:19-23, 29-31 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20“And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores….the rich man also died and was buried. 23“In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24“And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me….29“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30“But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31“But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
• Luke 19:27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ 
• Luke 21:36 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day (of the Lord, which includes final judgment) come on you unexpectedly. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
• John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God
• John 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin (as a practice) is a slave of sin.
• John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me
• John 12:25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
• John 14:15,21 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and Myself to him.”
• Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” ³⁸ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
• Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
• Acts 7:39-43b But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt….and I (God) will carry you away beyond Babylon.
• Acts 10:35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
• Acts 22:16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
• Acts 26:20 First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance
• Romans 2:5-8,10 But in accordance with your hardness and your  impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶ who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: ⁷ eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; ⁸ but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath….but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek
• Romans 2:13 for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers o
  f the law will be justified
• Romans 6:16 Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
• Romans 6:21 What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death
• Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit
• Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace
• Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live
• Romans 14:10 Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
• I Corinthians 6:9-10 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
• I Corinthians 9:27But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified (Greek, castaway)
• I Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall
• I Corinthians 15:2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain
• II Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
• II Corinthians 6:17-18 “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” ¹⁸ “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.
• II Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death
• II Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified (reprobates, failed the test)
• Galatians 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
• Galatians 6:7-9 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart
• Philippians 2:12,16 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….¹⁶ holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
• Philippians 3:11-13 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ 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,
• Colossians 1:21-23 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled ²² in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— ²³ if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope….
• I Thessalonians 3:7-8 ^…therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress--we were comforted concerning you by your faith. ⁸ For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.
• I Thessalonians 4:7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness
• II Thessalonians 1:3-5 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other…which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer 
• II Thessalonians 1:8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• II Thessalonians 1:11 To this end, we always pray for you, that our God will count you worthy of His calling, and that He will powerfully fulfill your every good desire and work of faith
• II Thessalonians 2:3 No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first
• II Thessalonians 2:12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness
• I Timothy 1:19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith
• I Timothy 3:9 They must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience
• I Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
• I Timothy 4:8 godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
• I Timothy 5:3,8 Honor widows who are really widows… But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever
• I Timothy 5:11-12 But refuse the younger widows….having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith
• I Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses.
• I Timothy 6:18-19 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, ¹⁹ storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.< /li>
• I Timothy 6:20-21 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the.…contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— ²¹ by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith
• II Timothy 2:12-13 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. ¹³ If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself (“faithful” means God is true to His pronouncements, for good or bad: He will, in that case, deny us)
• II Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
• Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work
• Titus 2:11,14 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men…. who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
• Hebrews 3:12, 14 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
• Hebrews 4:11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
• Hebrews 8:9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded (NIV, “turned away from”)them, says the Lord
• Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
• Hebrews 10:36 You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised
• Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back,
  My soul has no pleasure in him.
• Hebrews 11:6b He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him
• Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
• Hebrews 12:28b-29 …let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. ²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire.
• James 1:22 But be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves
• James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
• James 2:17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
• James 2:24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only
• James 4:4 Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God
• James 5:19-20 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, ²⁰ let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save ^[a]a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins
• I Peter 1:13-14a Wherefore girding up the loins of your mind, be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; ¹⁴ as children of obedience
• I Peter 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear</strong>;
• I Peter 1:22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love (brotherly affection) of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
•  I Peter 2:24 Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having   died to sins, might live for righteousness
• I Peter 4:2 Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God
• II Peter 3:17 Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing
• I Peter 3:21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
• I Peter 4:19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good,
• II Peter 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble</strong>;
• II Peter 2:20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
• I John 1:9 If we (continuously) confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• I John 2:17 The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever
• I John 2:28-29 And now, little children, abide in Him, that ^[a]when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming….everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him
• I John 3:7 He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
• I John 3:10 Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not (unselfishly) love his (believing) brother.
• I John 3:17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
• I John 3:24 Now he who keeps His commandments a
  bides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
• III John 11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does (practices) evil has not seen God
• Jude 5 the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe
• Jude 21 (you must) keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life
• Revelation 3:15-16 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot…because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

How to Avoid Getting Caught in Adultery

 In "honor" of Christmas and New Year's Eve parties, we publish this blog:

 

Like a premature unveiling of the picture of Dorian Gray, the hypocrisy that lay discreetly stashed in the attic of AshleyMadison(dot)com’s online vault was unceremoniously exposed 10 years ago. 

This outing of 28 million male and 5 million female adulterers has made a lot of people rethinking their marraiges. Furtive liaisons that “weren’t hurting anybody” have now left a swath of casualties in their wake. And now that their trust in the sanctity of Internet privacy has been shattered, these poor philanderers and home wreckers have to grow used to the scarlet letter on their reputation, now that everybody knows who they really are. What could they have done differently to avoid getting caught?

There is only one way to not get caught in adultery: don’t commit adultery.

Hebrews 4:13  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

God’s observation of our lives has no blind spot.

But the Bible gives us practical wisdom on how to avoid committing adultery. Here are six suggestions from God’s word:

1.       Meditate on the immediate consequences of being caught

There is no cold shower as effective as the picture of an infuriated husband, with a gun, banging on your door.

Prov 6:34-35  For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

Besides the peril of homicidal cuckolded husbands there are many equally sobering consequences to dread. The pain of loss your dalliances will bring are incalculable. Imagine losing your spouse to divorce, your children’s respect, your ministry, your friends’ support, and your reputation. Let these thoughts linger alongside the fantasies lurking in your mind. They might just be the wax you need to mute the sirens’ song of temptation.

2.      Meditate on the eternal consequences of being caught

If you die before anyone hacks into your online world, you have not escaped the real consequence of your sin. As a believer our sins are all forgiven, but an unrepentant adulterer who never turns from his/her sin has no assurance that they are a child of God.

1 Cor 6:9  Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, … will inherit the kingdom of God.

A good dose of fire and brimstone imagery may do wonders for an untamed libido. When one confronts the desire for sin and faithlessness in one’s soul, that brings a decision point: repent of the sin or stop claiming to be a Christian.

3.      Believe that you will get caught

No one with an account at AshelyMadison thought they would be exposed. No one ever does. Of the millions of people who have been caught in adultery over the centuries, how many do you think believed they would be found out? And yet they all were. Even King David wasn’t immune to the illusion of a consequence-free affair. He was convinced he had covered-up his sin. Enter Nathan. The rest is history.

One way to avoid the temptation of adultery is to believe the inevitability of your sin leading to shame and heartache.

Prov 6:27-28  Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.

The only insurance against living with a guillotine blade of guilt hanging over your head is to have genuine integrity. There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience.

Sir Conan Doyle had a penchant for practical jokes. He once purportedly sent letters to some friends with these alarming words: “All is discovered. Fly at once!” Almost all of them fled their hometowns in terror of being caught for the secret they assumed had now been revealed.

 

4.      Pursue your relationship with God

The reason Christians don’t sin is because they love Jesus and he hates sin. You have to realize that God sees everything you do online, everything you fantasize about, and every image your eyes dart toward when no one else is looking. And then you have to make a choice to please God.

Prov 5:20-21  Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.

Job 31:1-2  I have made a covenant with my ey
es; how then could I gaze at a virgin? What would be my portion from God above and my heritage from the Almighty on high?

 

5.       Pursue your relationship with your spouse

Adultery, by definition, means at least one person involved is neglecting this wisdom.

Prov 5:18-19  Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.

1 Cor 7:5  Do not deprive one another [sexually], except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Enough said, right? 

6.      Avoid places/sites that tempt you

The frontline defense against adultery is fighting off temptation’s assault on the heart and mind way before it reaches the body. When a man falls into adultery, he never falls far. By the time you qualify as an adulterer under the dictionary’s definition, there have been unfaithful thoughts that germinated into u
nholy desires, that produced rotten fruit of adulterous non-verbal cues, followed by words, escalating into actions.

James 1:14-15  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Prov 5:8  Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house.

Prov 6:25  Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes.

 

Thankfully, the most damning verse for adulterers is followed by the most hopeful verse for all sinners;

1 Cor 6:9-11  … Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers…will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

 

Whether or not your name was one of those unveiled by the internet hack, we all know that there is much we have done we could never excuse on judgment day. No one here is casting stones. Neither does Jesus. Repentance always begets forgiveness. Praise be to our Savior Jesus Christ that his blood was enough to wash us clean, and that the names of those who trust in him are written with indelible ink in the Lamb’s Book of Life, to be revealed to all on the last day.

Written by Clint Archer, pastor, Hillcrest Baptist Church

Why Did Jesus Have to be Born of a Virgin?

Let’s talk about the virgin birth of Jesus. Specifically, two things: Scriptural verses predicting and saying that it happened; and secondly, the meaning of it—why a virgin birth was necessary. We’ll begin with Luke 1:26ff, as the New King James Version (NKJV) presents it. Partial verses in some, to reduce the length:

²⁶ Now in the sixth month (ed., of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, as will be explained later), the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

²⁹ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. ³⁰ Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. ³² He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³ And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

³⁴ Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” ³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷ For with God nothing will be impossible.”

This New King James quote is in updated English from the venerable King James edition of 1611. The King James was the result of an English translation from Greek partial texts, that Erasmus (16^th century Dutch theologian) put together, 27 books, that were earlier acceptable as Holy Spirit-inspired. Since there were insignificant differences among those 5000 partials texts, they were trustworthy. Erasmus’ Greek Bible was called the “Textus Receptus” (Received Text). The reason I mention all this is that here were false prints of “Bibles” going around too, though. Those false “Bibles” often spread the doctrine that Mary was not a virgin when she conceived Jesus. But word spread about which ones were false; so if a large portion of a Bible was found hundreds of years later just lying around, in good shape, it was pretty certain to be a false print, since not too many would read it, being false. The true Bibles and partial texts were passed around everywhere and grew tattered, in contrast. Erasmus, codifying Scripture over a millennium later, was a master theologian, and did a great job of deciding which texts that crossed his path were real or false.  I will dig into the subject of modern false versions further, and how it affects the virgin Mary, but I must finish telling the necessity of why Mary had to be a virgin when she carried Jesus in her womb.

People have had a sinful nature ever since Adam and Eve; we have a natural tendency to ignore, or even do the reverse of God’s commands. His Word tells us not to lie; but we lie frequently when it serves our purpose. I could name many such examples of different sin such as this, but you get the point. We lean toward sinning. Wanting to be holy, and loving God, should be our first priorities, but we fail on both counts. As Romans 3:23 puts it, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. This means we are not reconciled to God, and cannot have access to heaven no matter what we do on our own. We need forgiveness, and for our sins to be expunged. A just God cannot just avert His eyes from our rebellion against Him. But God wanted to make a way for us to escape hell. He provided a way, but only for those who follow Scripture, which tells Jesus’ exact role in that. Jesus did not come from heaven to earth (yes, He had eternal existence) to be a moral leader, nor to heal people, nor to be a martyr. He came to save sinners. Consider I Timothy 1:15 and Luke 19:9-10, on why He came:

…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners... 

⁹ And Jesus said to him… the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Many “theologians” assert that there was nothing supernatural about Jesus or His conception. But how could Jesus save us from hell, if he was just another guy like us? Even a philosopher, or a super-religionist, when he died, would just be another human death, since all humans sin and cannot enter heaven, for themselves or for others.

The answer is that Jesus was God, also called the Son of God, which is the same thing—either one says He was God. Part of the Trinity. And He was sinless. Scripture confirms His deity, in a slew of places. Here’s a good one: Hebrews 1:1-3, 8:

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; ³ who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…8 But to the Son He (God the Father) says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

Note the many phrases asserting Jesus’ deity:

1)    God spoke to believers through His Son (Jesus)

2)    God appoints Jesus to be heir of all things

3)    Jesus was involved in original creation

4)    Jesus was the “express image” of His (the Father’s) person. The term “express image” means “the exact representation of God’s being;” and “the visible form of the invisible God.” He was called “Immanuel” three times in Scripture. One is in Matthew 1:23:

²³ “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Do not think lightly about “God with us.” While Jesus was on earth, God was truly right there with them. It’s called the Incarnation.

5)    Jesus upholds all things (even the universe) by the word of His power. Did you ever wonder, what holds all of this, flying around in space, together? It’s Jesus.

6)   God (the Father) calls His Son, Jesus, “God.”

7)    Finally, the phrases “sat...at the right hand,” and “A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” are important in ancient literature. They are symbolic references to honor and power. To have these bestowed by God, can mean only one thing. Jesus is God.

Why do we have to see Jesus as God, though? Isn’t it enough that He was the greatest moralist, the greatest teacher, of all time? Well, there was one phrase I omitted from Hebrews 1 explanations: He had by Himself purged our sins (see v.3 above). To explain: Because we have all sinned, the only way to reconciliation to God, the only way to achieve heaven, was through Jesus, who was sinless, who wanted to pay the price demanded for our sin. His suffering and death were deliberate, done as an acceptable sacrifice to the perfect God the Father. He shed His blood not for His sins…but for our sins. He was a substitute who paid the penalty we deserve, like a lamb in the Old Testament.  John 1:29 confirms that: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" I Peter 1:18-19 says:

…you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 

This blows apart any claim that Jesus is the same as Buddha, or Confucius, or Muhammad, or Ghandi. Jesus alone was sinless, and alone had the “superpower” of substitution—and the power of resurrection, to prove that he alone among men was God.

So the only way to be acceptable to God, as Scripture says, was to believe that we couldn’t do it, being sinful, but Jesus was God-in-the-flesh and did it for us.

To explain it deeper for this paper, look at Hebrews 7:26-27, where Jesus is called a High Priest. In the Old Testament, the high priest offered the blood of a spotless lamb as a substitute sacrifice for the people’s sins:

For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners…²⁷ who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

There is a theologically correct phrase coined by St. Augustine about the New and Old Testaments: “The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed.”  So in the Old Testament, a foretaste of the New Testament, the Jewish priest would, as God commanded, offer up the blood of a healthy innocent lamb, as substitute for the sins of the people (and himself). He had to do this yearly, since obviously the people sinned often. (Each offer of a lamb only covered sins to that point). Jesus, being a greater High Priest, offered up Himself—as a lamb, an innocent substitute, for our sins, not His—and He only had to offer it once, covering all the sins of people. But we cannot obtain heaven unless we obtain two Scriptural requirements. First, we must believe (have long-lasting faith in) that Jesus was God and was thus able to offer Himself up as a perfect, acceptable sacrifice for our sins—for which we acknowledge that we deserve hell. We must also believe that Jesus beat death and was resurrected, as we will be resurrected. None of our efforts will save us. God then adopts us as children of God. BUT…secondly, as an outgrowth of real faith, that we are His children, also necessary, we must develop a love for Him and His Son, out of thankfulness for His sacrifice, and willing to obey His commands and to strive to be holy, as He is holy. James 2 goes into some detail on that. How faith must be matched by works. Not developing holiness means we have ignored His Word, and our “faith” in Him was useless. For instance, His Word is against most divorces, against premarital sex, considers children as innocents and a blessing, not killing them as inconvenient, just to cite a few things done by fake “Christians.” Maybe you are in that group. As the Larnelle Harris song said, “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Consider Revelation 21:7-8, speaking to us:

⁷ He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. ⁸ But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

“He who overcomes” speaks of us not abandoning faith in Christ, but continually following His commands, even under persecution. The “bad” list are all those who have not “become a new creation” and have not abandoned the sins of the world. Many people have this fake identity: they call themselves “carnal Christians.” Too bad that doesn’t fly with God.

Consider that all sins, including those named above in Revelation, can be forgiven under the blood of Christ. But you must grab ahold of it, and then live differently. Our required sanctification means stepping aside from the sins of the world. Our sins must be confessed to God and abandoned.

Hell is your alternative, so be sober about it; God is not as merciful as you may think. As it says in Proverbs 9:10: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

I still haven’t explained how Mary had to be a virgin. Let’s start with this: Note the word “undefiled” in Hebrews 7:26 above, as I underlined. Jesus’ DNA was undefiled, as opposed to us, which has the sin-nature.  The curse of the sin nature began with Adam and is passed through the male. This male-designate is hinted at in Genesis 3:17.

 

 While the curse for Eve didn’t mention disobedience, Adam was accused of disobedience to God’s command:  

 ¹⁷ Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’

Scripturally, the male is the head of the wife, and takes the accountability for her actions. Anyone in the hierarchy of the military knows what I am talking about here. So the church fathers agreed that the male carried whatever was in the body that passed on the sinful gene. So that means Joseph COULD NOT have been Jesus’ biological father, because Jesus would then have obtained that dreaded sin nature from Joseph, and could not have stayed God because He would have sinned. As Luke 1:31 says above, Mary would conceive Jesus, and there would be no involvement by Joseph. Elsewhere in Scripture, it is obvious that Joseph knew he did nothing to her at that time to be a father. The Holy Spirit, part of the Trinity of God, who obviously did not have a sinful gene, was the father. As Luke 1:35 says (see above), by the Holy Spirit doing that, what she bore could be the Son of God.  

There are many Scriptural verses suggesting Jesus would have a virgin mother. Such as Genesis 3:15, which is spoken by God to satan:

I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.

Satan, of course, was the serpent in the temptation of Adam and Eve. God’s prophecy here predicted a battle between satan and his children on one side (“your” seed), demonic or human.  And he is at war with Jesus (her Seed). Note that Seed is capitalized (suggesting the child would be God), and note that it is singular (just one Seed, Christ, so we are not gods). Satan would “bruise” Jesus’ “heel” with a temporary hurt--(His crucifixion, but He rose from the dead), but Jesus would crush satan’s “head”—a mortal wound administered to satan—which will happen in the last days.

The thing that zeroes in on how Joseph is not Jesus’ father, is how it mentions “her seed.” In almost all of Scripture, children are called “his seed,” giving credit to the father, who rules the home.  See Genesis 9:9, 12:7, 15:13, 19:32, etc, etc.

I like the way GotQuestions.org puts it: “The virgin birth is important in that it preserves the truth that Jesus is fully God and fully man at the same time. His physical body He received from Mary as her biological child. But His eternal, holy nature was bestowed by the Holy Spirit. He was all-God and all-man. Thus, He was tempted in every way that we are, yet without sin. Therefore, He is our perfect sacrifice and also able to empathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). Our God graciously revealed His love for us.

Hopefully that explains how Mary had to be a virgin; so Jesus could, without a sin nature from Joseph, be an acceptable substitute, since He was sinless, paying the price for our sin, enabling us to follow Christ and avoid hell and obtain heaven. So Mary’s virginity was part of a pathway for God to enable a way for us to heaven. So if you’ve ever been ignorant on the subject of the necessary virginity, now is the time to pray and ask God to help you see this crucial piece to the puzzle. I have never heard a sermon on this, which is a sorely needed subject.

While you’re doing that, I have to cover an important subject I alluded to earlier: many theologians are still messing with versions of the Bible. They are even beginning to water down Mary’s virginity. Obviously, if they hint that she was not a virgin, then they’re saying that Jesus wasn’t sinless, and therefore not God. Then His could not be an innocent, perfect substitution for us in His death; it would be null and void. And we would not have a path to heaven. So, it’s important to see which are the bad Bible versions, and it would be good advice to throw out the bad Bibles. Most modern-day versions are built, not on the Textus Receptus of Erasmus and the King James version, but on a version invented in the 1800s, which included Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus—together known as the Alexandrian Text. I have written blogs on these, and how there is excellent proof that they are false versions. As Google AI puts it, “the two manuscripts (Sinaiticus and Vaticanus) disagree with each other on over 3,000 occasions in the gospels.” That huge number is in only four books—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Well, goodness, then, what are the disagreement numbers on the other 23 New Testament books? Textus Receptus doesn’t have significant disagreements like that.

So here we go. Let’s start with Isaiah 7:14, a famous verse predicting that the Messiah (the Jewish Savior) would be born of a virgin—or does it, according to modern “theologians”?

a.    King James Version (KJV) says: …Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel

b.    The New International Version (NIV)  (which has sold over 500 million copies worldwide) says: The virgin^[d] will conceive and give birth to a son…(then there is a handy footnote (d) which calls her a “young woman”). This may seem OK to you, since the false claim is “only” in a footnote, but they are not expounding clear Truth. The Hebrew word means “virgin.” Isaiah, the writer of his book, says “Behold!” (Which means, “here comes a shocker fact.”) So he definitely means a virgin conceiving. (The NIV conveniently left off the Behold!) No pregnant young woman would deserve a “Behold! A young woman is pregnant—what a shocker.” The NIV writers are copping out, wanting you to make the choice. A “this is my truth” scenario. If you make the wrong choice, and decide that Mary fornicated with someone, and Jesus was just another baby, that’s your choice, not theirs, they say. Joseph thought that, too, until the angel set him straight. (Of course, begging the question: if she’s just a young woman who got pregnant, why all the angelic fanfare for a fornicated birth?)

 

a.     In the KJV, Luke 1:34 says, in Mary’s quizzical question of the angel about being pregnant: How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

This archaic phrase, “know not,” which means, “haven’t had sexual intercourse with,” was prudent, considering how children could read it.

b.    But consider the Revised Standard Version: "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" Well, obviously, women can become pregnant without a husband, so this verse tells us nothing about the uniqueness of Mary.

c.     Or consider the “Basic English” Bible: How may this be, because I have had no knowledge of a man? I would say, “Well, read a book.” Knowledge is terribly abused here.

 

a.     Let’s look at Luke 3:23: KJV gives a crowd’s thoughts, without giving Joseph any credit for the birth: And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli. Very crafty interpretation.

b.    But the New Living Translation (more than 50 million copies sold), says: Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry. Jesus was known as the son of Joseph. It’s too much of a stretch to interpret “was known as” as being a mistake of the crowd. It just comes out that Jesus was the son of Joseph. This is tragic theology.

 

a.    Look at Matthew 1:25. KJV: And (Joseph) knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. Once again, we have the discreet “knew her not.” Joseph first had sex with her after she had Jesus, making her not a virgin any longer.

b.   Once again, the Basic English Bible founders on modern English: And he had no connection with her till she had given birth to a son; and he gave him the name Jesus. Since when did “connection” necessarily mean sex? The word “connection” falls under the “Hey, whazzup” interpretation of the Bible. I must remember, never to tell my children after our conversation, “we have connected.”

 

a.    In Matthew 1:16, KJV reads: And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. There is one purpose making this verse so wordy; namely, to disconnect Joseph from the birth of Jesus. Normal births’ genealogies go like this: Jacob begat Joseph, and 20 years later, Joseph begat Jesus. You see why we can’t do that, right? Joseph did not provide the seed; he did not beget Jesus.

b.    The Message Bible has a strange, uncertain wording: Jacob had Joseph, Mary's husband, the Mary who gave birth to Jesus, the Jesus who was called Christ.

c.     The New American Standard Bible has a wording that tries, but can’t get there: Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. Does the “by whom” trace back to Mary, or to Joseph, or both? Not clear.

d.    The New International Reader’s Version (I guess that means you don’t have to read the NIV) says: Jacob was the father of Joseph. Joseph was the husband of Mary. And Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called Christ. The problem here is, “Joseph was the husband of Mary.” Then she gave birth. The writers put their names together, then she has birth. No separation of Joseph is going on, which is what the ancient writers intended.

 

a.  In Luke 1:26-27, the KV reads: And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

b. But the bad Good News Translation has Luke 1:27 thus:

He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. This is not even limited to a footnote. The ultimate bad-news for honest theology.

c.    Hardly better, considering the confusion of “maiden,” the Weymouth New Testament has Luke 1:27 as follows: to a maiden betrothed to a man of the name of Joseph, a descendant of David. The maiden's name was Mary.

You can see how different “theologians” like to play with “virgin;” they can’t stand the word.

So that is the end of my paper. There’s a lot of other things you get, if you read carefully and think about it. Was Mary sinless? Was she always a virgin? Scripture makes the clear answer, “No.” Another thing to think about: If Jesus was God, shouldn’t the Gospels be the first place to go for Truth about how to be saved? Get the word on salvation from God Himself, since Jesus will someday judge us for heaven or hell. And Jesus was the only Person who said much on hell; so if you need to know more about heaven vs hell, Jesus in the Gospels is the place to go first. And every word is serious; He won’t change the rules and give a break because somebody did something nice some of the time. And don’t even think that His rules are too difficult, so I can ignore Him.  And don’t let any “theologian” tell you that Jesus’ words in some particular verses were for Jews only, or for Gentiles exclusively. Or, telling you that He is speaking about behavior “not for now, but for a specific future time period.” Scripture says nothing about such discriminations. Pray every time you read Scripture, which should be frequently. It is God’s Words for you, for all of us. Be like the Bereans, who checked out what was preached. Your pastor or denomination are not gods. The Holy Spirit can help you to obtain wisdom and judge what you hear. And get a Bible that is untainted with those modern versions where the theme is “avoid supernaturalistic stuff. Like virginity, or angels.” May God bless you.