Intro

This is Dreamwalker1960. As a reminder you can read the transcripts of all my podcasts at dreamwalker1960.com. You can use most podcast platforms if you wish to listen. All you need do is do a search for Dreamwalker1960.

Discussion

I have been reluctant to accept the truth of what I now know I must accept as fact. In previous podcast I have described who are the lukewarm. I have done studies on the behavior of those about you to show that we are nearing the return of our Savior Jesus Christ.

But what is this fact that I have been reluctant to accept. I will show it from the Bible.

In the letter that James wrote. His emphasis was on the behavior of and to the rich over those that truly needed to be looked after. Now I must say this once again. The letters that make up most of the New Testament is a manual on how we as Christians should seek to behave. Not only to God, but to all humanity be they a child of God or those that denied Him.

James 4:1-4 – What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

This letter is not talking to those that had not accepted Christ. It is to those that had become saved. That were filled with the Holy Spirit. Yet what is the questions that is asked in verses one and two of chapter four. They are behaving like they are of the world. Which is made clear in verse four, which we will visit again in the KJV:

James 4:4 – Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Yet they were saved. But James calls them the enemy of God. How can this be?

Because salvation can be lost as I have shown in other studies.

Someone argues: “They were never saved!”

Romans 10:9-10 – If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

That statement of protest is shown here to be a false teaching. For if someone says with all their heart and soul that they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior they are saved.

Then these people turned away from Christ. They abandoned their salvation. So those that teach once saved always saved is also teaching a false doctrine.

By teaching this falsehood they cause this to happen:

1 John 2:7-17 – Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 8 Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining. 9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness. 12 I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. 13 I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one. 14 I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one. 15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Note how John frames this section of the letter He wrote. He says he is writing to the young and old in Christ. So, these are the saved, then he goes on to say this. I will use the KJV here:

1 John 2:15-17 – Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Now remember John was a disciple of Christ. One of the Twelve. He personally knew Jesus Christ and saw Him before and after the cross. As well as saw Jesus ascend into Heaven. And he is telling those that are saved not to love the world.

But if they are saved why worry about this?

Because John was there when Christ taught John 15:1-10 and John knew that salvation can be taken away by those that return to the world. Just as Peter knew this as well:

2 Peter 2:20-22 – And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 22 They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”

Therefore, if two of the disciples verified what Jesus Christ Himself stated. Then salvation can be taken away and as Peter said it would have been better if they had never known the way of righteousness. Now understand it is not God rejecting people. God will never turn away any. God loves all of humanity. Even those that reject Him out right. It is the people loving the things of the world. Choosing the world over Christ. They themselves are ending their salvation.

This is the state of most within the Body of Christ at this time. They are the living example of the last letter of the seven churches in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 3:14-22 – “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation: 15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

“You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”

Does this not go back to 1 John?

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

Yes, it does. And as was pointed out John was writing to those that were born again. To those that called themselves Christian.

We are not to seek after the things of the world. Yet millions that say they are “Christian” do just that. They are being a living example that the Bible is true and faithful. That Jesus Christ is soon to return.

The call is being shouted out. Christ is soon to return. Those that say they are Christian must abandon the things of the world. Be it houses, clothing, tattoos. Any luxuries or conveniences or comforts. We are not to store up money but to give most of it away. (2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Matthew 6:19-34)

However most that even hear this message will scoff at this and ignore these words. Because they are right with the Lord, in their own eyes.

But I have just shown they are not. I have just shown from John, from Peter they are not.

I will end today’s lesson with the rest of what John said in 1 John after his warning to not seek after those things of the world:

1 John 2:18-29 – Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. 20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. 26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. 28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. 29 Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.

God Bless