ONCE ENLIGHTENED

    

  Some people have been raised in church and followed the religion of Christianity and did many good things in the name of Christ without knowing the one the whole thing is about. Their stories all have one thing in common; they never knew the Lord Jesus Christ.


     A classic example of a person who did many good works in the name of Jesus Christ is George Perdikis, one of the co-founders of the Christian Rock Band the Newsboys. He admits in an article in a popular atheist website that he never had a relationship with Jesus because he never accepted him. He was simply trapped in a religious cycle that he desperately wanted out of. He did the very thing that many Christians are accused of, he judged the ones called Christians by THEIR works and condemned them as hypocrites and accepted the words of men like Richard Dawkins as true instead.

     While Christians cannot be perfect atheists should check out the true definition of hypocrite. George Perdkis was a true example of one when he was doing Christian works without Christ in his heart all the while taking on the identification of a Christian. This is the kind of people I believe the author of Hebrews was speaking of in chapter 6.

Hebrews 6:1 
Therefore, leaving the elementary principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 This we will do if God permits.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to be renewed once more to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and subject Him to public shame. 7 For land that drinks in the rain that often falls upon it and bears a crop useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. 8 But land that bears thorns and thistles is rejected and near to being cursed. Its destiny is to be burned.
9 But though we speak in this manner, we are persuaded of better things for you, things that accompany salvation, 10 for God is not unjust so as to forget your work and labor of love that you have shown for His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and continue ministering. 11 We desire that every one of you show the same diligence for the full assurance of hope to the end, 12 so that you may not be lazy, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (MEV)

     Notice that the people spoken of here by the author were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come but it never said they had a relationship with Jesus. It never says they were saved. It never says they were born again. It does speak of renewing them to repentance again so that tells us that they had repented. Hebrews says once they fall away it is impossible to renew them again since they crucify Christ anew and put Him to an open shame. They simply have taken part with those that were born again and experienced the miracles and power of the Holy Spirit. They repented from dead works openly giving authenticity to Christ in their life.  This still happens today. Many people have been raised in church from a young child. They know all of the language, the commandments, and have even experienced many movements of the Holy Spirit. They have seen others get truly born again and may have even experienced divine healings and other miracles but they never did meet the Lord Himself.  If these people fall away from the faith and openly denounce the Lord Jesus Christ, they crucify Him again publicly and put Him to an open shame. The writer of Hebrews says that these people are lost forever and cannot be brought back to the faith. Their conscience has been seared as with a hot iron.

1 Timothy 4:1
1 Now the Spirit clearly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith and pay attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their consciences seared with a hot iron...(MEV)


     Some people have gotten so close but even after experiencing the things of God have decided they did not want to know Him and walked away from the faith. These are those, according to Hebrews, that will never return because they have already crucified Christ in their own heart and can never be brought back to repentance. They have made their choice.
     What a shame that so many can warm the pews of a church and never know the founder. 

Lord Jesus, I pray that you will give me the boldness to proclaim your wonderful grace and forgiveness to this wicked world in the hope that some will be saved and escape the flames of hell and know you, the only true God.  Amen. 

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    1. wow this blog is amazing. i live in india and this blog really enlightened me. pls do continue to propagate JESUS CHRIST the one and only God.
      thank you.

      ps
      why dont you add the option of getting updates of the blog by email??????????

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    2. Thank you so much. I have finally figured out how to post the rss for these blogs on my website at www.wonheartsongs.com. I encourage you to visit our site and sign up for the email list.

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