Why I hate the

Doctrine of
Eternal Salvation.

Compilation of a
narrative encounter…
…. Volume one…...
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THE UNTOLD CONFESSIONS

I wish I could have the freedom to engage in having multiple sexy and
beautiful girlfriends and have all the fun in the world drinking and
enjoying the pleasure of the world but I was told that when I do that and
die, I will go to hell. I was told when I do that, I will open up myself to
demonic attack and bring more problems to myself as a Christian and can
even die young.

I wish I could have all the time and freedom to myself without being
compelled to go to church every Sunday and some of the evenings when
it’s time for my favourite TV programs or soccer matches. I was told
when I don’t go to church regularly, I can miss heaven when Christ comes
and the worse of all I will not be honoured as a serious Christian by my
pastor and other members of the church.

I wish I will not be under any compulsion to fast, pray and read the bible
every day. I am inwardly compelled to do them because I was told if I
don’t fast and pray Satan will attack me with problems and I am
compelled to religiously read my bible every day to satisfy my conscience
even if I don’t understand what I read. I sometimes keep a few verses in
my head just to prove that I have read my bible when asked by my pastor.
Sometimes I read the bible and other books to impress people how much
I know that they don’t know.

I wish I could have all my salary to myself without being compelled to

give a portion to the church. I was told if I don’t pay my tithe, firstfruit
and sow miracle seed, life will be tight for me. I am compelled to give
much so that I can get blessed by God.

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I see being a Christian and trying to make heaven, avoiding hell and
getting fortified against the attacks of Satan so burdensome. I am
compelled by fear to live up to expectation. I am compelled to meet
church expectation to get the honour or acceptance of men or other
Christians. I am compelled to live within certain boundaries of church
rules to be seen as a good Christian. To me, this is the only way one can
maintain his salvation to make heaven. Making heaven I was told is very
difficult. Getting fortified against the attacks of the devil or demons is
not a small work. You have to fast and pray a lot. Sometimes waking up
in the midnight when the sleep is sweet just to pray against my family
witches retarding my progress.

However, I see other people they call themselves Christians. They seem
not to have the kind of a compulsion I have. They seem not to deny
themselves of the things I wish do but because heaven, I don’t do them.
They are free enjoying the pleasures of life. They are not regular at
church. They have some of the beautiful and sexy girls as girlfriends. They
seem to be making progress in life than me, though they don’t pay tithe,
firstfruit or miracle seed. They are very fashionable and look happier
than me. Sincerely I wish to be like them but because I want to make
heaven, I am compelled to live this self-denying life. Some of the ladies I
know in church wish they could apply cosmetics and dress fashionable to
get the attention of the nice rich young men in porch cars but because
of making heaven, they are compelled to look old fashioned and
unattractive.

Now, this eternal salvation or once saved forever saved preachers are
telling me that those people, they call themselves Christians will make
heaven because they once believed the gospel. This is very unfair. How
can these people enjoy all the fun and freedom in life, had all these nice
sexy girls, dress to attract all the nice rich men make heaven with me?
They deserve to be paid in hell with everlasting fire. I feel the only way I
can make them know I don’t envy them or make them feel defeated is
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by using hell to threaten them. The major problem I have with this
doctrine of once saved, forever saved is that it does not bring fairness in
the area of salvation. It doesn’t seem to make my efforts significant or
rewarding. While I am trying hard to qualify for heaven, others are
comfortable living their normal life and you are telling me that we all
stand the same chance of going to heaven just because they believed in
Christ. it is just unfair and injustice.

It is cheating on behalf of God to make these people be comfortable and

enjoy on this earth and still go to heaven with me who is struggling to
make heaven. They must also struggle like how I am struggling. They
must also suffer the pain of self-denial like me. There must be equality.
If they are enjoying here on earth, they must suffer in hell. I am therefore
opposed to the teaching of the eternal security of salvation because of
these reasons.

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SALVATION AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH

He said many things in his efforts to defend his stand against the doctrine
of eternal salvation. In part one of these series, we brought out his untold
confessions and his idea of unfairness in the doctrine of eternal salvation.
This part two is about his doctrinal confusion which was obvious in all
that he said.

I admired his sincerity and his desire to uphold good moral behaviour as
a believer. I also noticed his sense of fear that if believers are told that
their sins or bad conduct will not take them to hell, it will encourage
them to keep on committing sins or they will not find the need to live
self-denying lives. Sure, no sincere believer will ever support anything
likely to give believers license to sin without the threat of punishment.

Unfortunately, his sincerity, fear and perception were borne out of

confused doctrinal persuasions. When a bible subject is not well taught,
the result is confused people who will complete the missing links with
their own perceptions. I noticed that the root cause of his doctrinal
confused state was his inability to differentiate between salvation and
spiritual growth. When salvation is not separated from spiritual growth,
people will use the fruit of spiritual growth as the means of maintaining
one’s salvation.

Salvation is once and instantaneous and forever, spiritual growth is

progressive. Salvation is received once by faith in the gospel of Christ but
spiritual growth is renewed through the knowledge of God’s word. In
salvation, works, good conduct or Christian consecration is not required
but in spiritual growth, works, good conduct and Christian consecration
are required. I realized all the issues he raised about the conduct of some
believers that should be considered having lost their salvation are issues
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of spiritual growth, not salvation. He, therefore, lacks the understanding

of the doctrine of salvation. What happens to a saved man is not changed
of behaviour but the change of spirit. What a saved man receives is
eternal life, not moral perfection.

A person can be in church for 20years but might not have experienced
any significant spiritual growth. It is unfair and doctrinally wrong to use
losing one’s salvation as a means to discourage the sinful lifestyle of
believers while actually you can teach spiritual growth and achieve a
better result. In all the teachings of good conduct and works in the
epistles, it was taught as the fruit of spiritual growth but not as a means
of losing or maintaining one’s salvation.

The fear he expressed that the knowledge of eternal forgiveness of sin

or salvation will encourage sinful lifestyle has no scriptural or scientific
justification. It just mere anticipation of fear without confidence in the
word of faith that saved the believer. There is no evidence that the
increase in crime and immorality from the creation of the world up to
now is as a result of people knowing the unconditional forgiveness or
love of God. Rather we have enough evidence that people who engage
in drug addiction, crime and suicide mostly do so out of the sense of
condemnation, hopelessness and loneliness. Believers who get their
mind renewed with the knowledge of who they are in Christ produce
good fruit or good conduct.

Let’s consider 1Corinthians 3: 1- 3,

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto
carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not
with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are
ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying,
and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”

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It is evidence that babies in Christ are those who live as though they were
mere men or not born again. Paul never taught that they have lost their
salvation. Anytime you see a believer living anyhow, know that believer
is yet to grow and get his mind renewed to his true identity in Christ.
What we do to such believers is to teach them who they are in Christ but
not to tell them they have lost their salvation. The state of a saved man
is irreversible. He is born once and forever remain a child of God by
spiritual DNA not by conduct or behaviour.

Babies in Christ who refuse to grow in Christ have something to lose but
not salvation. Therefore, our efforts to grow is not in vain. Our growth in
Christ will cause us to be responsible for serving the Lord and our service
or work in Christ shall be rewarded at the judgement seat of Christ.
Therefore, believers shall be judged for reward but not to determine
whether to be sent to heaven or hell. Irresponsible believers will suffer
the loss of reward but not salvation.

1Corinthians 3: 11- 15 (KJV).

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious
stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest:
for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the
fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide
which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's
work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved;
yet so as by fire.”

No one losses salvation for not growing spiritually or rightly serving the
Lord but it’s possible to lose the reward of service or ministry in Christ.
Salvation is therefore different from spiritual growth.

There were several other doctrinal confusions he had which concerns

inaccurate bible interpretation of some bible verses which he thinks
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support the loss of salvation by sinful believers. In the third part of these
series, we shall deal with the various scriptures he raised such as
confession of sins, willful sinning and working out your own salvation and
many others.

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FAITH WITHOUT WORKS

In part one of these series, we brought out his untold confessions where
he indicated his idea of unfairness in salvation concerning eternal
salvation. In part two we also brought out his doctrinal confusion of the
difference between salvation and spiritual growth. In this part three, we
shall look at some of his doctrinal confusion which involves some
scriptures he believes supports the belief that a saved man can lose his
salvation.

It is emphatically stated in Ephesians 2: 8- 9 that,

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (KJV).

This means that getting saved and remaining saved is by grace through
faith in Christ. it does not depend on your morality or good deeds or
works. It is only by faith.

It is also stated in the book of Jude 24 that,

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,”

This means that the person responsible for keeping us saved is not the
saved but the saviour who is Christ Jesus. But he quickly referred me to
James 2: 24 and verse 26. Which says that,

“Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith
only…For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works
is dead also.”

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To him, what this scripture is saying is that if you are saved by faith and
you don’t show it by your good works, your faith is dead and for that
matter, your salvation will die, or you will lose your salvation. By this
interpretation, he believes that a person can lose his salvation.

First of all, we must understand that there is no contradiction in the

bible. The bible cannot say at one place (Ephesians) that Salvation is by
faith without works and at another place (James) contradict itself by
saying, Salvation is by faith with works. This contradiction can only
happen when we wrongly interpret the scriptures to suit our own
prejudices.

One major rule in bible hermeneutics or interpretation is interpreting

scriptures in context. It is a great error to pick text out of context to make
it agree with what you already have in mind or make the scripture say
what it never said. The context of Ephesians 2:8-9 is far different from
the context of James 2:24.

Let us consider Ephesians 2 from verses 4 to 10,

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with
Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and
made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages
to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any
man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in them. (KJV).

Let us also consider James 2 from verses 14 to 25,

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What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and
have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and
destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace,
be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things
which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it
hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast
faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will
shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God;
thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou
know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham
our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon
the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works
was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith,
Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness:
and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a
man is justified, and not by faith only.

From the above contexts, the difference is clear. In Ephesians, it was

discussing salvation in relation to the love of God expressed through the
death and resurrection of Christ for our salvation. Paul was saying that
this was the work of Christ and it is received by faith.

However, in James 2, he was discussing love among brethren and

meeting the needs of brethren. The faith in the context of James is not
salvation but the faith of wishing brethren well. The works in that context
are our activities of love towards the brethren. James was saying that if
a brother is in need and you just wish him well and you do nothing about
his needs, your good wish is nothing. He is telling us to prove our love or
good wish by doing something to help the brethren in need (works).

It is, therefore, an error to use the context of faith and works in the book
of James to explain salvation. There are no contradictions in the
scriptures.
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We shall consider another doctrinal confusion he expressed in our next

series.

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WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION

This series is the report of issues raised by a gentleman who vehemently
expressed his hatred for the doctrine of eternal salvation or the teaching
that, when God saves a person he is saved forever. In the previous series,
I wrote about his untold confession, about his perception of unfairness
in the doctrine of eternal salvation, about his inability to differentiate
between salvation and spiritual growth. In part 3, we explained what
"faith without works is dead" meant. Today we shall take another
doctrinal confusion he expressed, "working out your own salvation with
fear and trembling."

In the book of Philippians 2: 12- 13, it is stated that:

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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. For it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

His understanding of the above scripture is that after we are saved, we

are expected to work or do what is right to maintain our salvation and
that if you don’t live right and commit sins, you shall lose your salvation
and miss heaven. So, to him, Jesus has offered us salvation and our role
is to maintain it with right living.

There is nothing wrong with living right, it is an act we strongly encourage

all believers to manifest. However, what we have to know is that the
salvation offered to us by Christ is a perfect gift, a gift that does not need
any maintenance on our part.

The word of God in 1Peter 1:23 says,

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Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the

word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.(KJV).

Now that is an evidence of how imperishable our salvation is. Born of an

imperishable seed. It is evident that even before our good deeds come
in, we already have a salvation that is imperishable, salvation that
nothing can corrupt. That is the nature of our salvation. We do not need
good deeds to maintain it, it is already embedded with all it takes for it
to remain pure and undefiled, and that is why it is described as
imperishable or incorruptible in other versions. And that is not to say
because our salvation does not need maintenance with good deeds, it is
therefore not necessary to do good deeds. No. We are to manifest good
deeds but we must do good deeds simply because it is the right thing to
do and also because it shows our maturity in Christ.

If Christ offered man a gift of salvation that needed maintenance via our
conduct, I assure you, none of us will be able to maintain his salvation,
because no man is perfect in his conduct. That will imply that the
moment you mess up, you lose your salvation since we link the
maintenance of our salvation with conduct. Admittedly, if that is how it
is, it will be impossible to maintain it.

Now let's consider our reference bible text.

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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. For it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

His obvious error in his explanation was saying what the bible never said
and ignoring the context of the passage. The bible text never said WORK
FOR your salvation, it said WORK OUT your salvation. They are not the
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same. To work for something is different from to work out something.

To work for something connotes the idea that you do not have the thing
in the first place and so you work till you get that thing. No man can work
for his salvation. Salvation is the work of Christ. We only received what
he worked for us by faith in the gospel of Christ.

We were dead in sin and out of God’s love, Jesus took our sin, died on
the cross all by himself and rose again for our salvation. Man had no
contribution to the salvation work that was done. Our only part is to
accept the salvation made available to us all.

Romans5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. (KJV)

Let us now look at the context in Philippians 2 from verse 12 to 15:

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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. For it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without
murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless,
the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse
nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;”

From this brief text, the meaning of working out your own salvation is
clear. It is talking about obedience, it's about not murmuring and
disputing, it is about shining as light in this world in the midst of crooked
and perverse nation. It went on to say that it is God who works in you to
will and to do of his good pleasure. Therefore, the issue of working out
your salvation in this context is not about doing something to obtain
eternal life or going to heaven. No. It is about bringing out or showing

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forth good virtues as a believer, being a light in a dark world where evil
abounds, it is acting right in the midst of challenges or persecution.

This verse is similar to what Jesus said in Matthew 5: 16;

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

The word salvation does not always mean eternal life or going to heaven.
The context it is used defines the word. Apostle Paul used the word
salvation in different contexts.

Philippians1:19
For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and
the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, (KJV).

Here salvation was used to mean deliverance from trouble and not
eternal life or going to heaven.

Working out your salvation is making your light shine before men. This
light in you is the work of God, that is why it went on to say that, it is God
who works in you to will and do of his pleasure.

“Fear and trembling” here does not mean an attitude of insecurity or fear
of something negative. It is talking about reverence. Let’s see where such
figure of speech was used by the apostle Paul.

2Corinthians2:15
And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he
remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye
received him.

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Ephesians 6:5
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the
flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto
Christ;

Fear and trembling as a figure of speech often used by Paul always mean
reverence. Working out your salvation with fear and trembling will,
therefore, mean showing forth the fruit of your salvation or bringing out
good virtues as a believer, making your light shine, out of much
reverence for God, knowing that it is God who gives you the strength to
will and do according to his pleasure.

Nowhere in the new covenant was the believer asked to work to

complete or complement the work of salvation or eternal life Jesus
offered. Salvation or eternal life is fully the work of the saviour, not the
saved.

We shall address another doctrinal error he expressed in part 5 of this

series.

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IF WE SIN WILLFULLY
This series is the narrative of an encounter with a believer who expressed
a high level of hatred for the doctrine of eternal salvation. He believes
that the doctrine of eternal salvation is a scheme of the devil to deceive
believers who have lost their salvation through sinful lifestyle to make
them believe they are still saved. However, the bible does not teach the
loss of salvation by any act of sin. Salvation is not by our works or moral
perfection but by grace through faith in Christ. Though living sinful
lifestyle has consequences on the believer, the consequences is not the
loss of salvation. We addressed this in part two of this series. In part four
of this series, we addressed the right interpretation of working out your
own salvation with fear and trembling in Philippians 2: 12- 12, a scripture
many people have ignorantly used to teach that the believer can lose
salvation if he does not work out his salvation.

Today we shall look at another scripture he raised, which is Hebrews 10:

26- 27.

According to Hebrews 10: 26- 27:

“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the
truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful
looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the
adversaries.” (KJV).

According to him when a person becomes a believer, he receives

forgiveness for every sin he committed before coming to Christ but if
after salvation you get to know that something is sinful and you willfully
or consciously go-ahead to commit that sin, you will have no forgiveness
for that sin, resulting in you losing your salvation. This interpretation
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connotes that any act of sin which involves the will or consciousness of
the believer can make one lose his salvation.

The logical implication of his interpretation is that every believer has lost
their salvation because no believer can confidently say that he has never
committed any act of sin since he became a believer. This is because
almost every sin involves the will and consciousness of man. Apart from
being raped, every act of sexual sin involves the will and consciousness
of a person. Stealing, lying, envy, cheating in exams, insulting, being lazy
and other acts of sins, all involve the will and consciousness of man.
Therefore, his interpretation is logically inaccurate.

Regarding the right interpretation of Hebrews 10: 26- 27, we shall look
at the context of the passage. What is the knowledge of the truth the
author was talking about?

The book of Hebrew has one major truth or message for the Jews. These
Jews had a covenant with God. They believed and practised the Old
Testament. The message of the author of the book of Hebrews was to
persuade the Jews about the superiority of Christ offering and the
eternal nature of his sacrifice in the New Testament. The truth being
communicated to them was that Christ was offered once for all. Christ is
the one and only perfect sacrifice for sin forever. The author was telling
these Jews who were yet to be persuaded that Christ has been offered
once for all and for this reason, there remaineth no sacrifice for sin. No
more annual animal sacrifice. Christ sacrifice is the end of all sacrifice.
There is no more other sacrifice for sin.

Let us read from chapter 9, verses 11 to14:

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a

greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to
say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but
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by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having
obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of
goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to
the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge
your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (KJV).

The single message of the one-time sacrifice of Christ for sin is being
communicated here.

Let’s also take from chapter 10 verses 9 t0 14:

“Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first,
that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the
same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he
had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand
of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified.” (KJV).

The author made a very emphatic statement in verses 17 and 18:

“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where
remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.” (KJV).

There is no more offering for sin when Christ sacrifice has offered us the
remission of sin in the New Testament.

The same message of Christ being the only sacrifice for sin is being
communicated. The author went on to appeal to these Jews by using the

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phrases “Let us” to call them to accept or believe in Christ as the only
sacrifice for sin.

The willful sinning in the context of the passage is not acts of sins such as
fornication, stealing, cheating, lust and the like. The willful sinning here
is about departing from the truth being communicated or refusing to
believe in Christ as the only sacrifice for sin forever. The “we” used was
not talking about believers or Christians but he was addressing his fellow
Jews therefore he identified himself with them.

He was telling them that if after being told or made aware or come to
the knowledge of the truth that Jesus is the only sacrifice for sin, they
refuse to believe on Christ but reject this only sacrifice, there is no other
sacrifice for sin. Those who refuse to believe in Christ will face the
judgment of God. The adversaries of God are those who refuse to believe
in Christ.

Therefore, Hebrews 10: 26- 27 is about those who reject the gospel of
Christ after hearing the message or made aware of the truth. It is not
about believers or Christians who commit acts of sin.

We shall address another doctrinal confusion he raised in part 6 of this

series.

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CONFESSION OF SINS
These series have been the narration of an encounter with a believer
who sees the doctrine of eternal salvation as false. In the previous
session, we explained Hebrews 10: 26. We explained that willful sinning
in that context is not about conscious sinful acts of believers but the
willful rejection of the gospel of Christ or the rejection of the truth that
Jesus is the only sacrifice for sin and apart from him, there is no other
sacrifice for sin.

The explanation of this verse was clear to him and he had no cause to
oppose it. However, in the course of the discussion, he raised the issue
of forgiveness of sin. To him, a believer can only be forgiven when he
recognizes the sins he has committed, feel sorry for that sin, pray to God
for forgiveness (Confession) and repent from that sin. He referred to
1John 1: 9. According to him, anything short of the conditions above
cannot earn the believer forgiveness. He then added that if that believer
refuses to change his ways or repent and dies in his sin, God will punish
him and he will end up in hell.

In this part 6, we shall find out if the confession of sins is a condition for
the forgiveness of sins of the believer. Do we need to confess our sins to
God before we are forgiven?

1John 1: 9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (KJV)

A good bible student will not just pick out the verse 9 and run with it. It
is therefore good for us to read in context. We shall consider the whole
of chapter one of 1John.
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”That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands
have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we
have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life,
which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which
we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have
fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with
his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy
may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and
declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If
we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie,
and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar,
and his word is not in us.”

The book of 1John was written to believers to address some of the

prevailing false teachings at that time. In it was a message to warn the
believers about these false teachers and their teachings. Let us see some
of the things John wrote regarding these false doctrines and their
teachers who were unbelievers.

John called them antichrists.

1John 2: 8
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist
shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know
that it is the last time.

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1John 2: 22
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist,
that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the
same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath
the Father also.

1John 2: 26
These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

1John 3: 7
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is
righteous, even as he is righteous.

1John 4: 1- 3
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of
God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby
know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of
antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now
already is it in the world.

In chapter one, one of these false teachings was addressed. It was the
teaching that man was born with no sin in him and that man does not
need salvation from any sin. This teaching was a deception that was
gaining grounds and John had to write a letter to the church to counter
this wrong teaching, a false doctrine that is being taught by some even
in our generation.

1John 1: 8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not
in us. (KJV)

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1John 1: 10
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is
not in us. (KJV)

Two things here, John is saying that If we say there is no sin in us as

humans, we are only deceiving ourselves. Then he says in verse 10 if we
say we never commit any sin, or as some say, sin is dead and so whatever
wrong we do as humans are never sin, we make God a liar.

John then in verse 9 told them how a man gets saved. A man gets saved
by acknowledging his sinful state and sinful acts and after that making
the choice to rely on the faithfulness of Christ Jesus to cleanse him from
all sin.

1John 1: 9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (KJV)

In verse 3, John indicated how these false teachers can become saved
and share in the same fellowship they have.

1John 1: 3
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also
may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father,
and with his Son Jesus Christ. (KJV)

Clearly, in verse 3, he was addressing people who were yet to be in

fellowship with them and Christ. That is a description of people who
were unsaved. From verses 8 to 10, we can see that the message was
about the unsaved or the false teachers.

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1John 1: 8- 10
If we say that we have no sin (hamartia: Greek), we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins (hamartia: Greek), he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar,
and his word is not in us. (KJV).

Therefore 1John 1: 9 is not about believers and hence it is NOT telling

believers to confess their sinful acts before they can be forgiven. It is also
vital to know that the Greek word for sin used in 1John 1: 9 is “hamartia”
which is a noun. The noun form of sin is mostly used to describe a sinful
state or condition. The verb of sin in Greek is “hamartano” which is a
doing word often used for an act of committal.

1John 1: 9 is only telling the unsaved or the false teachers to

acknowledge the sinful state of man (hamartia: Greek). The Greek word
for saying or confessing your sins out with the intention to be forgiven is
“exomologeo”. However, homologeo was used in 1John 1: 9. They are
not the same. Exomologeo was used in James 5: 16 and Mark 1: 5.

James 5: 6
Confess (exomologeo: Greek) your faults one to another, and pray one
for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much. (KJV)

Mark 1: 5
And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of
Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan,
confessing (exomologeo: Greek) their sins. (KJV).

There is nowhere in the New Testament homologeo was used for sinful
acts. It is mostly used by John in relation to Jesus and his work. (Check all
the references John used the word confess).
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1John 1: 9 is a salvation scripture for the sinner to get saved by

acknowledging the faithfulness of Jesus to forgive sin and to cleanse him
from all unrighteousness.

So, if 1John 1:9 is not addressed to believers, how then do believers

obtain forgiveness of sin when they commit sin? In the Epistle of First
John, the author makes a clear distinction between the saved and the
unsaved. The saved he called "my children". Let's see what he tells his
children regarding sin.

1John 2: 1
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if
any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous: (KJV).

Here, John addresses them as my little children, that means we have no

doubt he is talking to the saved. He went further to tell them not to
commit sin (hamartano: Greek)) but if they sin, this is what they should
do: They should confess and ask God for forgiveness. Is that what he
said? No. That is not what he said. He said when they sin, they should
remember they already have an advocate with the Father. Who is this
advocate? Jesus. And how did he become our advocate? When he took
our place on the cross and paid the full price of every sin we will ever
commit in our lives with his perfect blood.

John says whenever you sin remember this perfect sacrifice of your
advocate, be conscious of it, that your forgiveness has been purchased
by him, lest the enemy can outwit you and make you feel God has not
forgiven you and that can affect your fellowship with the Father.

In verse 12 he still addressed the believers as little children and assured

them that their sins are already forgiven. No condition spelt out for the
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believer to fulfil before he can be forgiven. You only have to know you
have forgiveness of sin by being in Christ.

1John 2: 12
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for
his name's sake. (KJV)

In conclusion, the man born again does not need to tell his sinful acts to
God before he can be forgiven. Forgiveness of all his sins has already
been given to him by being in Christ.

When you notice you are doing something wrong or you notice you did
something wrong, this is what God expects of you: He expects you to
repent or change your mind. To stop the wrong and do what is right or
what is consistent with who you are in Christ. Regarding forgiveness, God
has chosen to forgive us unconditionally in Christ, he does not forgive us
because we confessed our sins to him. No. The shed blood of Christ
already purchased our forgiveness. Therefore, when it comes to
forgiveness, we do not have any unsettled issue with God. All he desires
is that, stop the wrong and do the right.

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DOG TURNED TO HIS OWN VOMIT

For some weeks now, we have been given a narrative report of the
defence of the doctrine of eternal salvation. These reports are as a result
of an encounter of a man who expressed so much hatred for the doctrine
of eternal salvation. In our previous report, we explained 1John 1: 9 as a
salvation scripture for the unsaved. If the unsaved acknowledges his
sinful state and expresses trust or faith in the faithfulness of Jesus to
forgive and cleanse him from all sins, he shall be saved from sin and all
unrighteousness.

In this part 7, we shall address another scripture raised during our

discussion. In 2Peter 2: 20- 22,

2Peter 2: 20- 22
For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the
knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again
entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them
than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known
the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from
the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto
them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit
again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. (KJV)

To him, the above scripture is obvious evidence that a person once saved
can get entangled and overcome by sin and lose his salvation and enter
into a worse state than he was before he became saved.

One major error many people make in bible interpretation is picking out
a portion of scripture out of context to make it say what it does not mean
without considering the whole chapter or book. To understand any
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content of scripture in context, the pretext and the post text must be
understood. We shall, therefore, look at the whole content in chapter
two.

Chapter 2 verses 1- 3
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there
shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable
heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon
themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious
ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And
through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise
of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their
damnation slumbereth not. (KJV)

Here Peter was reminding them that there were false prophets among
the Old Testament prophets and there are still false prophets or teachers
among them, these false prophets even deny the Lord. This shows that
these false teachers were not believers. Let us look at verses 4 upwards.

Verse 4, Peter mentioned angels that sinned.

Verse 5, Peter gave them the example of ungodly and unrighteous in the
time of Noah.
Verses 6- 7, Peter mentioned the example of the ungodly or unrighteous
in the time of Lot.
Verse 14, Peter called these people cursed children.
Verse 15- 16, Peter used the example of Baalam son of Bosor.

All the examples given above are the unbelieving who heard the gospel
and turned away from it.

It is now evident that the people referred to in verse 20 “they” are these
false prophets or teachers who were not believers. Peter was talking to
the believers about these unbelieving prophets. Another proof that
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Peter was referring to unbelievers can be found in verse 22, calling them
dogs and in verse 12 calling them brute beast and also in verse 14 Peter
calling them cursed children. None of these descriptions ever referred to
believers in scriptures or by Peter.

Now let’s look at the verses 20- 23 again;

“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the
knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again
entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them
than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known
the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from
the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto
them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit
again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”.

What is the knowledge of the truth here? This is not referring to

salvation. It refers to the knowledge of the truth of Christ these false
teachers have come to know but refuse to believe or teach. These
teachers are called false because though they have been informed and
made to know the truth, they deliberately reject it and choose to teach
what is falsehood. Probably teaching what will profit them carnally.

Peter said it would have been better for them not to have known the way
of righteousness and turned away from it. This is not about “backsliding”
believers but it is about the false teachers who have known the way of
righteousness and deliberately turn away from it. They have not believed
the truth they know.

The book of Hebrews gives the record of how the Jews though knew the
truth but rejected it through unbelief and for that matter could not enter
God’s rest.

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Hebrews 3: 12- 19
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief,
in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it
is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness
of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of
our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, Today if ye will
hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some,
when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of
Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not
with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And
to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them
that believed not? So, we see that they could not enter in because of
unbelief. (KJV)

Hebrews 4: 6
Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they
to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: (KJV).

It is, therefore, possible for somebody to have knowledge of the way of

righteousness, know the truth about salvation and still not be saved.
Salvation is by faith in the gospel. Comparatively, Peter said such a
person is in a worse state. Deliberately rejecting the truth being told you
and going about teaching falsehood is worse.

2Peter 2: 20- 22, therefore is not about the loss of salvation by believers.
The people Peter was referring to were unbelievers who have come to
know the truth but deliberately refused to believe and rather go about
teaching falsehood.

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