Month: March 2013

Once saved, always saved, or not?

/ Elizabeth, daughter of the King / Leave a comment

I had a great conversation this week with a friend and this question came up. Let me preface this post with saying that I seriously do not know what the right answer is or if there is a right or wrong answer. I’m writing out my thought process here and letting you in on it.

As I started out last week, I’m spending some time in Psalms 139 this month. Reading, meditating, and letting God open up my eyes to new things or encourage me with things I’ve already known. Last week I got stuck in the first 2 verses of this scripture and this week I found myself fast forwarding to verse 7 in the New Living Translation.

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
 I can never get away from your presence!

This brings me back to my conversation with a friend this week where we discussed if someone accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior and later rebels against the Lord are they still saved? The Bible is filled with stories of prodigals…where someone is part of Christ’s body and then walks away and is welcomed back with open arms, but what about those who walk away and do not turn back? Are they still saved? Can we escape salvation once we already have it? Let me reiterate that I do not know what the right answer is. This week God has opened up scripture in front of me that leads me to believe that I can’t escape. As I read on…

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
 if I go down to the grave,[a] you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
 if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
 and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
 and the light around me to become night—

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
 To you the night shines as bright as day.
    Darkness and light are the same to you.

I’ve found comfort in God’s Word that no matter how much I want to run and hide from everything I cannot find a place where HE is not present.

1 Kings 8:57 (NLT)

57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us.

And yet sin causes us to live separated from God and speaking for myself I sin daily, which means I live separated, but this verse tells me He will never leave me.

So, just when I think I’ve come to the conclusion that we can’t lose our salvation I’m reminded how Satan and the demons are fallen angels or how the pharaohs heart was hardened and I find myself ending here in the same place that I started…not really knowing once saved, always saved, or not?

God Understands His People

/ Elizabeth, daughter of the King / 2 Comments

I’m gonna spend some time this month in Psalm 139 and see what God does with that. I’m inviting you along for the ride.

(New Life Version) 139 O Lord, You have looked through me and have known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I get up. You understand my thoughts from far away.

I started the week with the intention of reading through the whole Psalm and I had to stop after the first two verses. They really messed me up…in a good way. My heart was moved in such a deep way I had to put it down, but I’ve meditated on just these two verses throughout this week.

To think that God knows me strikes some fear initially, kind of like a guilty child, but quickly turns to a deep amazement that He cares about lil’ o me. He sees everything in me and knows me and understands me. How many of us spend so much time trying to be understood? GOD UNDERSTANDS!

I love looking at scripture in different translations or paraphrases for the purpose of something new coming to light for me.

(The Message)

139 1-6 God, investigate my life;
get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.

In reading this I felt even more guilty. I mean don’t you get investigated for doing something wrong? But I found hope that He’d get all of the facts firsthand. He’s not gathering SOME facts, but ALL of them. I know that with all of the facts I’m still guilty. I’m sinful. But all of the facts include how Christ died on the cross for my sin which leaves me forgiven. Praise the Lord!

My last thought is on “open book”. How many of us live our lives as an “open book”? Does the society we live in require us to live behind masks? What are we hiding behind pristine houses and well manicured yards? When is it time for us to start sharing what we are thinking or maybe even going through. God already knows it. His Word tells us in Genesis 50:20 “20 You planned to do a bad thing to me. But God planned it for good, to make it happen that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” God uses our tough stuff to save others when we can get out of our own way and allow Him to shine through our brokenness.

Can I pray for you?

O Lord, You have looked through us and have known us. You know when we sit down and when we get up. You understand our thoughts from far away. Forgive us for getting stuck in fear of what others will think. Forgive us for pride and not serving You with humility. Give us Your strength to share Your story through our broken and imperfect places that others would find you amidst the chaos of this world. Thank you for loving us so much that you gave up Your son to die that we might live. We praise Your Holy Name! Amen.