Never Means "NEVER."

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him SHALL NOT PERISH, but have everlasting life."

This has got to be the most well-known and beloved verse in the entire Bible.  Even little kids in Sunday school memorize it!  It is a very clear, precise and definitive statement.  No grey areas.

It plainly says that "WHOSOEVER"....no qualification..."believes in Jesus, SHALL NOT PERISH" (in other words, suffer eternal punishment in hell) "but have EVERLASTING LIFE":  A life in heaven with Jesus that NEVER ends.  Can't get any clearer than that!  

So why is it, given such a clear, precise and unqualified statement...spoken by Jesus Himself, mind you...do you hear sermons that cause you to doubt your ETERNAL salvation?   

My question is, "If you preach on this VERY CLEAR, PRECISE statement and then have the audacity to inform your people that they can lose their salvation by committing some great sin, why do you preach about ETERNAL life? YOU OBVIOUSLY DON'T BELIEVE IN IT!  If you think there's something a believer can do to lose it in any way, shape or form, IT ISN'T ETERNAL."

As if the statement in English isn't clear enough, the Greek is even more definitive.  The phrase, "shall not" comes from two Greek words:  "ou mé."  This is a double negative which, in Greek, serves to strengthens the denial.  You "shall not, never, by no means" perish.  Couple this verse with John 10:27-30 and you have an iron-clad guarantee from BOTH FATHER AND SON that you are eternally secure. 

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE, and they shall NEVER PERISH; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and NO ONE IS ABLE TO SNATCH THEM OUT OF MY FATHER'S HAND. I and My Father are One."

Church, it doesn't matter who you are, where you've been or what you've done, if you are truly born again, NO ONE...including you...can snatch you out of either Jesus' or the Father's hands.  You can't even jump out!

(Formore on this topic, follow this link:  

Room at the cross......

Unfortunately, many preachers will use obscure passages, like Hebrews 6 and 10, and cast doubt in your mind, confusing what should be a very uncomplicated issue.  That's because they don't know, #1, how to rightly divide the word of God and, #2, they are taking them out of context, doing something VERY DANGEROUS:  Putting believers inadvertently under condemnation and guilt.  This is hazardous to their physical health.  

(For an in depth study on how to rightly divide, please follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/11/part-1-of-16-introduction-to-rightly.html)

My next question is, "So, what sin do you think could someone possibly commit that would cause them to lose their salvation?"  I guarantee you that whatever sin or sins they come up with, betrays a basic misunderstanding forgiveness.  What sin or sins could possibly NOT BE CLEANSED by the perfect, precious blood of the perfect, precious, SINLESS Lamb of God?  

Church, IT DOESN'T EXIST! 

Look:  If there is no good deed or righteous act you can do that will un-do what the first Adam did but, supposedly, one terrible sin can un-do what Jesus, the last Adam, the PERFECT, PRECIOUS, SINLESS LAMB OF GOD ALMIGHTY did, something is wrong with this picture!  That makes the precious, sinless blood of Jesus OF LESSER VALUE that the blood of bulls and goats and "TRAMPLING THE BLOOD OF JESUS UNDERFOOT," folks.  

YIKES!!!

Then they bring up something called, "The Unpardonable Sin," citing the passage I Matthew 12 spoken by Jesus Himself.  Yes, Jesus actually said those things and, yes, it does exist.  But, again, they are not rightly dividing God’s word and are taking this passage out of context, too. 

NEWS FLASH:  Believers CANNOT be guilty of the so-called "unpardonable sin."

For more on this topic, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-un-pardonable-sin.html.

Are you sensing a pattern here?  There seems to have been a whole lot of this "taking-out-of-context" thing down through Church history.  The devil is behind it, of course, doing his best to steal, kill and destroy.  DON'T LISTEN TO HIM. 

The next time you hear a message or read in a book that even hints you can lose your salvation, FLUSH IT.  IT'S A LIE FROM THE PIT OF HELL, even if it's coming from the pulpit. 

You need to understand "what's in your "water;" the preaching you are hearing.  If it's not imparting life, change that bitter "water" of into the "wine" of the living word, meaning "speak to yourself the truth of Gods word and don't receive that false "teaching."  Know the truth.  It will set you free!

(For more,on that topic, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/10/what-in-your-water-part-1-of-9.html)

You see, just because someone is standing up there preaching, even if he or she is a PhD, it may not be the word of God, particularly if it calls your salvation into question.  Pray for that pastor that he...or she...may come to understand true forgiveness.  That person preaching may have his or her own doubts.  Jesus doesn't want them to have doubts.  He wants them to be at peace.  

Jesus finished work CLEANSED YOUR ENTIRE LIFE; yes, even your future.  Understanding that is what I like to call "Perfect tense understanding of forgiveness."  Simon, the Pharisee, who invited Jesus to his house just to scrutinize Him, had this imperfect understanding, too.  For more on that topic from Jesus Himself, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/06/no-one-is-forgiven-little.html

Church...God SO LOVED the world...loved YOU...that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him SHALL NOT PERISH, but have everlasting life!  

AMEN, AMEN!