“Our Christian Calling, Part 2: Light & Darkness”

 by Romans

We will begin with our traditional opening Youtube video: We are

"Our Christian Calling, Part II: Let There Be Light" by Romans

Before we begin our Discussion, tonight, I feel it necessary to clarify and support a position I took last week on a controversial subject, namely, “Once-Saved-Always-Saved.” I took the position, based on the many Scriptures that I quoted to you, that the Bible does not support once-saved-always-saved, as it is taught, today. I know this doctrine is popular, and is taught and believed by many people. But popularity does not make a doctrine true: God's Word is True. Noah was not concerned that only he and his family prepared for a Flood. When the rains came, they were the only ones who survived, while the entire population of earth drowned. Their popular disbelief afforded them no protection from the Flood. In like manner, if there is a difference between what is popular, and what is Scriptural, and in this case, there IS, I am going to side with what is Scriptural 100% of the time... without hesitation or apology.

Allow me to directly quote myself from, last week: I said, “Why would Peter need to write a prescription that includes the words: “... brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” if there were such a thing as “once-saved-always-saved”? Because that is a false and indefensible doctrine.”

“Wait!” you may be saying. “This can't be right! What about what Jesus said in John 10:27: 'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Read the above, again. It says “neither shall [u]any man[/u] pluck them out of my hand.” It does NOT say that the person who began a relationship with Him cannot walk away of his own volition!

Consider, in this regard, Jesus' Parable of the Sower: Various seeds fell on various ground, with assorted results. And what did Jesus say all of that symbolized? Notice two particular “seeds” which represented the people who START with Jesus, but then fall away: Jesus says in Matthew 13:20: “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”

In both of the above “seed” examples, no [i]man[/i] plucked the plant out the ground. The plant, after it began to grow, endured for a while but then did not continue on, or bear fruit as it had no root, or is choked by thorns ("the cares of this world"). God has given us Free Will to accept His Salvation, but also, of out own choosing, walk away from it. And [b]that[/b] is why Jesus also said, confirming my claim that Salvation follows a life of continuing in His Word, and making godly choices. Notice, in Jesus' words in Mark 13:13: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

In the Notes from last's week's Discussion, which are now posted, I added the following verses. These are a far more direct, and sobering description of someone choosing to not continue as a follower of Christ. No man plucked them out of Jesus' hand. They chose to fall away. I added to last week's posted notes regarding the error of once-save-always-saved, as it is CURRENTLY taught,  “And that indisputable fact is made clear in Hebrews 6:4: 'For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.' If the “once-save-always-saved” doctrine were true, as it is taught, today, the above inspired “if they shall fall away” repudiation would make no sense, whatsoever. But it is there, and we cannot deny it or explain it away.”

I did more research on this topic, and I see now that my presentation of my position last week is in need of clarification and explanation. I still believe that I drew the correct conclusion based on the Scriptures I read, that the once-save-always-saved doctrine is not true, but I failed, last week, to add an extremely important aspect to my conclusion: the element of time. In other words, when does Salvation take place? Has Salvation taken place already? If it HAS taken place already, then why do we read in Romans 13:11: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

The Apostle Paul believed that Salvation was “nearer than when we believed” but not here, yet! To him, as I said last week, based on his words, and on Peter's words, and on Jesus' words, Salvation is an ongoing process that requires us to overcome, and continue in Jesus' Words, and in obedience to the Father. Jesus confirmed this in Mark 13:13: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same SHALL BE saved.” There is endurance unto the end that qualifies the whole subject of Salvation. Unlike forgiveness, and justification and reconciliation, which are all instantaneous when we repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, Salvation is something we live, and continue in as we choose God's Ways over the ways of sin, the pulls of our flesh, and the ways of the world 'til our dying breath. Paul understood this, also, as a lifelong process as he wrote in Romans 5:9: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

If Salvation has already taken place, and people are saved NOW, then we would never read of Salvation being nearer than when we first believed, we would read that it IS HERE, now. If Salvation has already taken place, and people are saved NOW, , then we would never read Paul saying that we “shall be saved” by the Life of Jesus, it would be a past event. But to him, it is yet future. He wrote of people who once walked with him in the ministry whom he said had “suffered shipwreck” in the Spiritual sense. And lastly, if Paul believed or taught the he was saved, now, and that he could not lose his Salvation, we would never read these words written by him, the greatest evangelist that this this world has ever seen, in 1 Corinthians 9:24: “Know ye not that they which run in a race, run all, but one  receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under  my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself  should be a castaway.” Jesus confirmed this when He was still on earth: We read His words in Luke 9:62: “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

If Jesus says that looking back, and being found unfit is possible, then then both Salvation being present tense, and the doctrine of once-save-always-saved cannot be possible, now or true. Salvation... full and final Salvation is a future event: Notice Peter's words in 1 Peter 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord  Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

This may be all new to you, and even upsetting to you, but keep this in mind: Once-save-always-saved, as it is taught today, is utterly nullified by a complete review of the Scriptures regarding Salvation. It is a doctrine of men, not only unsupported by Scripture, but opposed and refuted. It is a doctrine with catastrophic implications, causing people to be deluded into thinking that they cannot lose their Salvation, when Jesus, Paul and Peter all taught the exact opposite. They all taught daily overcoming, daily striving against the world and the flesh, continuing in Jesus' words, and enduring persecution and temptation unto the end... the end! The end is not here, yet! If Salvation were here, now, and we could not lose it, why would Peter write to believers who supposedly “could not lose their Salvation,” in 1 Peter 5:8: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” Such a toothless and impotent adversary who [i]"could not devour us"[/i], would be no threat to us whatsoever. There would be no point in even mentioning that he is there. But he [i]is[/i] there, and he is bound and determined to devour us! [b]We are at war![/b] That is why, daily, we must put on the whole Armor of God, and resist Satan, oppose him and his ways, and choose a godly life over sin.

And we have to do that until we draw our last breath!


Salvation SHALL BE revealed, and shall be an established fact at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Then, and not before then, will once-save-always-saved be true. We read in Revelation 20:6: “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

Last week, we did an introductory and general review of the Christian Calling.

Tonight, we are going to look at specific Scriptures about our being called out of the darkness of our past lives, and into the Light of God's Liberating Truth.

I want to first acknowledge the source of the basic outline of the Scriptures I will use tonight. It is from a book called the World's Bible Handbook, a incredible study tool that I cannot begin to imagine how much time and effort went into its writing, and all by a single author: Robert Boyd. I will be using the list from this publication for upcoming installments of this Series.

Let's turn to re-read a Verse that I cited last week in Part One:

1 Peter 2:9: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

After telling us that Christians are chosen, royal, holy and peculiar: He says that we are to shew forth the praises of God.

How do we shew forth the praises of God?

Last week we spoke of Jesus' reference in the Sermon on the Mount in which He identified His followers... us... as the Light of the World.

In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus also had some things to say about the contrast between Light and darkness, and what that contrast means in regard to how we live our lives as Christians:

We read in John 3:19: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

I would be remiss if I did not include at least one comment by Matthew Henry. He wrote this in his Commentary about Jesus' Words to Nicodemus regarding the contrast between Light and darkness:

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, and so saving it. It could not be saved, but through him; there is no salvation in any other. From all this is shown the happiness of true believers; he that believeth in Christ is not condemned. Though he has been a great sinner, yet he is not dealt with according to what his sins deserve. How great is the sin of unbelievers! God sent One to save us, that was dearest to himself; and shall he not be dearest to us? How great is the misery of unbelievers! they are condemned already; which speaks a certain condemnation; a present condemnation. The wrath of God now fastens upon them; and their own hearts condemn them. There is also a condemnation grounded on their former guilt; they are open to the law for all their sins; because they are not by faith interested in the gospel pardon. Unbelief is a sin against the remedy. It springs from the enmity of the heart of man to God, from love of sin in some form. Read also the doom of those that would not know Christ. Sinful works are works of darkness. The wicked world keep as far from this light as they can, lest their deeds should be reproved. Christ is hated, because sin is loved. If they had not hated saving knowledge, they would not sit down contentedly in condemning ignorance. On the other hand, renewed hearts bid this light welcome. A good man acts truly and sincerely in all he does. He desires to know what the will of God is, and to do it, though against his own worldly interest. A change in his whole character and conduct has taken place. The love of God is shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost, and is become the commanding principle of his actions.”

That was Matthew Henry. Did he not perfectly sum up and answer what I just asked regarding how do we shew forth the praises of God in his comments on this Verse? I find his insights as being among the most inspiring and edifying of any Bible Commentator I have ever read: He is thoroughly familiar with Scripture, demonstrated by his seemingly effortless cross-referencing, but, far and above familiarity, he is also genuinely in awe of the Word of God. But... as amazing as his insights are, the timelessness of what he wrote is equally amazing to me: In spite of the fact that this year his published Commentary is 300 years old, it is no less powerful and every bit as fresh and relevant to our Christian lives as this morning's news!

Just as an aside.... when these words were originally written, those who wanted to leave Europe and travel to the New World in search of religious freedom, boarded ships and sailed for three months on an open ocean so that they might be able to follow God according to the dictates of their conscience and understanding, and without fear of persecution. And it is that very same Bible that leads us today. But look at how the technology has advanced. I don't have to sail for months in order to lead a Discussion with believers in Canada or New Zealand or Afghanistan. I am here, sitting in my own house, and speaking in a conversational tone, and people in all of those places I named, can hear these very same words of Truth instantly. But let's go back farther than 300 years: Matthew Henry comments on writings that are thousands of years old. But... in spite of the technology that we take so for granted, man has not changed: his rebellious nature, his failings, his sin and his need for a Savior has not changed!

And that is why all of these writings, the words that God inspired, and the comments that are inspiring are timeless. Because our Creator has reached down into our realm of existence to call us out of the darkness that we are born into, and into His Marvelous Light.

There is spiritual application to the Genesis account of Creation when we read in Genesis 1:4: “And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” We are also to separate ourselves from the works of darkness.

We read in Colossians 1:12: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:”

It sometimes happens, however, when we turn from the past lives that we lived in darkness, that those who were in the dark with us will often react badly to our withdrawal from their circles.

We read in 1 Peter chapter 4, and beginning in Verse 1: “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:”

But evil speaking or no, withdrawal from our past lives, with a renewed mind is exactly what the Christian is supposed to do: It will not be a immediate separation, but it will be a separation if we are walking true to our calling. The new Christian and his old circle of friends will begin to appreciate each other's likes and priorities and taste in morals and entertainment and jokes less and less.

Peter refers to it in 2 Peter 2:20 as having escaped “the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” And it is an escape. Xxx We were being held prisoner. But what did say part of his Mission on earth was? It was “to preach deliverance to the captives.” Let's read the entire text of what He said He was anointed to do... In His first public sermon in the synagogue at Nazareth He announced in Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised...”

We were among those captives to whom Jesus preached deliverance. We've been delivered, and in so doing we have escaped the pollutions of the world. We have new lives in Christ to live, and as such, we cannot go on living the way we were before, walking down that wide path that leads to destruction. That is behind us now... we have been set free. We have been forgiven.

But Forgiveness is not a blank check for us to continue in sin, or as we read in Romans 6:1: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

Well, the answer is that we can't. We have to come out of, and separate ourselves from the ways and standards of the world.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:13: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

I'd like to focus in on Verse 13 of 2 Corinthians 6 in specific regard to our being a Light in the world.
Paul wrote that Christians should not be “unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” The primary thrust of that verse in regard to marriage. There are, however, times when in a marriage where the man and the woman are both unsaved, and then one of them comes to Christ.

This was the case, with Lee Strobel, who is another of my favorite authors. He and his wife were atheists, and his wife came to Christ. What happened in that marriage was exactly what the Apostle Peter said should have happened.

We read in New American Standard translation of 1 Peter 3:1: “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives.”

It was not Lee Strobel's wife's preaching or coaxing to come to Church with her that won him over. He was, as Peter put it, “won without a word” by her behavior. Lee Strobel writes about his own conversion in the introduction of his book “The Case for A Creator: “... my wife announced that she had decided to become a follower of Jesus... I simply couldn't comprehend how such a rational person could buy into an irrational concoction of wishful thinking, make-believe, mythology and legend... In the ensuing months, however, as Leslie's character began to change, as her values underwent a transformation, as she became a more loving and caring and authentic person, I began asking ... 'What's gotten in to you?' Something, or, as she would claim, 'Someone' was undeniably changing her for the better. Clearly, I needed to investigate what was going on...”

And now he, too, is a Christian, and has gone on to becoming the prolific author of a series of books defending and strengthening the faith that he once arrogantly dismissed and wrote off as so much mythology.

Leslie Strobel's Light xxx was shining for her husband and others, as our Lights should also be shining for all of those who encounter us. We are, after all, the only Bible that some people have ever come into contact with.

In the context of providing letters of approval for Paul, we read in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3: “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”

Paul said that the members of the Corinthian Church manifested themselves as the “epistle of Christ...
written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God.”

Our lives, our choices, our priorities, our willingness to serve and to forgive, our honesty, our not listening to or repeating the juicy gossip that comes our way, our turning the other cheek in the face of opposition or ridicule for the sake of Christ, do not go unnoticed by the unsaved. Do you think for a minute that the unsaved don't notice the difference between worldly behavior when they come into contact with genuine, Spirit-filled Christian behavior? Think again. It has all the obvious effect of being in a windowless, pitch black room during a power failure, and someone walks in with a flashlight or even a lit candle. It is noticed. And that is part of our calling. To be that light in the darkness.

As Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 5:14: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”

In the beginning, in preparation for the Creation of Adam, God said, Let there be light. And there was light.

In Luke 2:32, when Jesus, the Second Adam came, Simeon was in the Temple when Jesus' parents brought the Christ child there to be presented according to the custom of the Law, and he thanked God because he had seen “thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”

And just as God approved of the Light in Genesis, saying that it was good, the Father was pleased with His Son, Whom He sent to be the Light of the world. We read in Mark 1:11: “And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus was that “great light” spoken of in Matthew 4:16, where it is written: “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”

Speaking of Himself, Jesus said in John 8:12: “... I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

We can read this as a Promise to us from Jesus. Those who follow Him shall not walk in darkness.

Paul reminds us of our past life that we have been called out of darknessin Ephesians 5:8: “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”

Let me read that again because the meaning is too easy to miss.

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”

Notice how Paul phrased this: not that we formerly walked in darkness, but that we “were sometimes darkness...” We were darkness. “But,” he says, we are not now merely walking in the Light, he says “now are ye light in the Lord.”

I will close with Paul's summary words, “Walk as children of light.”

This concludes this Evening's Discussion on “Our Christian Calling, Part 2: Light & Darkness.”

This Discussion was originally aired “live” by Romans, on May 22nd, 2011