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The terrible deception most Christians (all up to a point), fall for, believing they stand on truth:
1.
To stand on truth in a fixed manner = Legalism =SIn = Unfaithfulness to the spirit of Truth.
If this mind set continue unrepented too long, it could end up in blasphemy of the holy spirit, the unforgivable sin.
This mind set is typical for the immature Christian and the Laodicean state. Nobody can be saved under the old, immature law, covenant and order, the law of the letter. This is the mind prison, the legalist mind set. They think they stand on truth, the law, while they are in fact hardening their hearts to the conviction of the spirit, and actually transgress the higher law. If it go unrepented they will end up as fallen.
VERSUS
2.
To stand on truth, while walking in its advancing light. Ready to move and sacrifice tradition, when increased light or correction come and errors being exposed.
This mind set will become increasingly typical for the born again, mature Christian, who are under the new,mature law, covenant and order of Jesus Christ. The law where we walk by faith, by the spirit of the law, not by the letter of the law. They are increasingly set free from the mind prison and legalist mind set.
NOTICE All start their journey as immature Christians. You can not get to the spirit of the law without first having been through the letter of the law. BUT, when correction come, when there is increased light available within your reach, it usually means God believe you are ready to receive the correction and repent and discard your immature understanding, and move on. Receiving the mature truth.
Many also make the mistake here of just staying stuck because others around you hold you back. Or they are too weak to be able to stand alone in God for a period.
So this is how we often are individually tested, to see if we stand with traditions and man (our group), or if we want to move closer to Christ and His kingdom.
EGW:
"Does the truth require you to stand alone in your position to serve God, because others around you are not willing to yield to the claims that Christ has upon them? Does it require a separation in feeling from them? Yes; and this is the cross which you must bear, which leads many to say, I cannot yield to the claims of the truth."
- The Review and Herald , April 19, 1870
So Christ may have been very pleased with you in an age past for adhering to and proclaiming the same teachings, which He NOW, meaning present hour, is increasingly displeased with you for continuing to adhere to and preach. Because more light was made available to you, yet you guarded your heart to the conviction of the holy spirit. As you proceeded to harden your heart, the voice of God, becomes weaker and dimmer. Your heart is colder and you do not feel as bad anymore for continuing ignoring His corrections and warnings.
What would have been an easier step to make in the right direction, will now require a lot more affliction to be able to shake you out from your current slumber and unfaithfulness. So one can become like a hardened criminal to God, simply by getting stuck in a fixed, immature truth. And if it continue to go unrepented, one can end up among the fallen. Thinking you still serve Christ, yet serving the fallen, false Christ (Satan) in stead. An immature Christian who refuse to receive present day light, will soon become like Pharaoh. Believing he has received all necessary light, hence having a skewed concept of the greatness of God. Thereby as a consequence end up worshiping the smaller god, the god of the old, immature, now fallen law and order. So when you stand still and do not move toward increased, available light of today, for a period of time, you go from being controlled by the spirit of God, to being controlled by the spirit of the world: Satan. You are now under his spell, under his witchcraft, drunk with the wine of Babylon. The work you produce now are not works of righteousness, but works of unrighteousness. By standing unmoved, you automatically move step by step toward perdition. That is total blasphemy of the holy spirit of truth. In order for God to reach you, He allow greater and greater plagues in order to try to wake you up. At least if you still pray and plead for salvation. The further you are removed from the heart and mind of Christ, the greater the power of the lightening bolts He has to allow for to strike you, in a desperate effort to wake you out from your spiritually darkened state.
It is either that, or a sure downfall in terms of your salvation. Most people and Christians just run from it, and think if it hurts and harm them, it must surely be from Satan. But Christ will allow evil to befall you in order to save you. So it is often out of love that he allow this. But if you run from every thing that afflict you, it can also be your free will choice of choosing the broad, easy way. Your heart choose the way you want to proceed on while your mouth still call out for Christ. Christ represent the narrow way, the way of the cross. To those who are possessed by the spirit of the world, who walk by appearances, how things seem like viewed from the perspective of this world = a frog's perspective = the perspective of a lower order (the old, immature, fallen order). So to them the way of the cross, is nothing, or just a plague, a burden. So many who shout for the return of Christ, would actually run from His presence if He arrived today. Because that is what they already are doing, by trying to escape from His light today. They try to escape and seek comfort among like minded, those who shout peace and safety in terms of where they are presently standing. Rather than encourage you to move forward.
Advancing toward the light is not just pleasant, it often require you to sacrifice more of this world. More of what seems comfortable and pleasant. Like staying stuck in a church, in a tradition, in a fixed, limited truth, Not risking the loss of your group, family, job or hobby, is of course the more pleasant journey. It is often not until you have risked something and proceeded through another narrow gate on your ladder toward the kingdom of God, that you are able to come up higher and view the landscape from a higher perspective. That is why advancing on this path require you to take some chances and require you to sometimes have to stand alone in Christ against every crowd out there, at least for a period of time.
That is why progress on this path requires that you take some chances and that you sometimes have to stand alone in Christ, against all the crowds out there, at least for a period of time. By conviction, without complete certainty. There is no one hundred percent safety net in this life, no matter what education and path you take. It always involves a risk. But one thing is for sure, and that is that you will never win if you stop and do not advance further, forward, upward, inward...
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"For we -- wilfully sinning after the receiving the full knowledge of the truth -- no more for sins doth there remain a sacrifice,"
Hebr 10:26
This means that if we do not receive the fuller version of a truth, when light has been sufficiently revealed and available to the individual, or turn back to the limited version of a truth, and it goes unrepented, it is in the category of living actively in sin. You will then remain in a fallen, unsaved condition. Meaning you will be lost if you do not repent.
Then we have something even worse. To those who have been truly born again from immaturity to maturity, from the old to the new order, and they then fall back to the old ways, then I assume it would be close to impossible for them to be born again another time. Take the example of Saul to Paul. He was a believer in God, but he was not truly born again, by the spirit, until He met Christ. I believe it refer to such a strong born again state to a fuller maturity.
But I would be very cautious to say one has commited the unpardonable sin as it is very difficult to commit. As long as there is a will there is a way. But if the light goes out completely, you will not have a will or taste to receive more light from God. If you do, and you come back (take the story of the prodigal) and you draw nigh to Christ, He will draw nigh to you.
"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you" James 4:8
It might require enormous effort, but if you keep going toward the light and you refuse to give up, you will eventually come back and you will know it without a doubt.
The reason why we are warned is because we should not take God's grace for granted. While it is difficult to commit the unpardonable sin, it is still possible to end up in a state where you have no desire to come back, or to advance toward increased light from God. But if you make it, you make it. God will never refuse a heart that is willing. But it require time and effort, and there will come a time when the doors of mercy closes, when it will be too late. We have been warned about this too.
Entire series "Apostacies and Deceptions"
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