Healthy Fear
“For if we willingly persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no
longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment…” (Heb 10:26,27).
We can talk about God’s gift of grace, and so we should, regularly,
For it’s grace that saves us, courtesy of Jesus’ death on Calvary.
However, I don’t believe that any Christian should just leave things there,
For what we also need, undoubtedly, is a little healthy fear.
Now, wouldn’t it be wonderful, if out of genuine gratitude
Obedience followed willingly, and a receptive attitude.
But alas, such is seldom the case, hence so much sinning that takes place
Simply because so many Christians have wrong ideas about grace.
By that I’m meaning, the erroneous, “Once saved, always saved” theory,
Or the variations on that theme, just as unsound doctrinally.
For grace covers sinners, not sin, hence God’s standard of conduct, His Law,
Via which we’re judged, rightly so, for taking licence with grace, God foresaw.
Oh yes, grace saves, but such we can void, and that’s a fact, biblically,
For God can’t overlook willful sin, nor Christians acting recklessly.
Hence why we need to remember that there’s a judgment, and rightly so,
For why shouldn’t willful sinners (Christian hypocrites), reap what they sow?
And hence why a little healthy fear isn’t such a bad thing, you see,
For after all, we’re very human, prone to acting rebelliously.
If we could carry on sinning, and still be saved, then most of us would,
That is, willfully sin — yes, try to get away with it if we could.
God hasn’t left a loop-hole for Christians to crawl through, and nor should He,
For why should we be saved if we continue to act rebelliously?
No, Heaven’s for the repentant, who’ve turned from their old ways, willingly,
And who now have God’s Law written on their hearts, by which they live, daily.
Yes, even children must learn there’s a penalty for rebelliousness,
Otherwise, they’ll please themselves, and where they’ll end up, is anyone’s guess.
Thus a little healthy fear isn’t such a bad thing, even needed,
For most Christians still willfully sin, it seems, and God’s will haven’t heeded.
Yes, a little healthy fear — in other words, an appreciation.
By Lance Landall
“For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense
for what has been done in the body [in this life], whether good or evil” (2 Cor 5:10).
“So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty
[the Ten Commandments]” (James 2:12).
Faithful, Obedient And True
Many a child who has grown up in a very loving home has gone astray,
And so it has been, and is, with many a Christian, at the end of the day.
Yes, that knowledge of God’s love and those blessings that He has showered not enough,
Nor that loving home or church; it all exchanged for all that trashy worldly stuff.
The truth is (given our fallen nature), that we need a dose of healthy fear,
A balanced understanding, for we have been told that God’s judgment hour is here.
Yes, for just as God disciplines, warns of consequences, so must we also,
For where such is missing or downplayed, off to ill and destruction many go.
Oh, how most of us would still be rampant sinners were rebellion covered by grace,
But it isn’t, and our current lukewarm condition bad enough, a disgrace.
And hence that healthy fear (respect), that appreciation of reality,
And that being, that rebelliousness can lead to one’s sad loss of eternity.
Yes, Christ’s love and goodness, His death and suffering hasn’t seen us put sin behind,
And why of the consequences of such rebelliousness He needs to remind.
And remind He does, copiously, aware of our state or mistaken view,
For the only folk saved will be those who are faithful, obedient and true.
Yes, so many claim to love God but their disobedience says otherwise,
And God knowing this, for where truly genuine, one's words and acts harmonise.
And thus God no fool but noting everything, sounding a word of caution too,
For love and obedience should be seen together, our way of life thus new.
By Lance Landall
Fool's Gold
“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” (2 Peter 2:20-22, KJV).
I’ve accepted Jesus, and now I’m saved, and will remain so, I’m told,
I won’t be lost, miss out on Heaven, for now I’m safely in His fold.
All I had to do, they said, was believe, and accept Christ as my Lord,
And even if I kept on sinning willfully, I’d still get my reward.
Seems I can have my cake and eat it too, dabble in sin, yet receive
Eternity with Jesus — and all I have to do, is still believe.
Now, that’s very hard to resist, what with me being human and all that,
For this world has quite a pull on me, I’ve moulded to my habitat.
It seems too good to be true, but I have to admit such attracts me,
And they’re adamant that such is true, all courtesy of Calvary.
God won’t reject anyone, they say, who simply keeps on believing,
And despite rebelliousness — yes, they say that they’re not deceiving.
Well, who am I to argue, for these folk seem to know what they’re saying,
Plus, I’m not into study, find such tough, even have trouble praying.
Besides, it seems that many believe it’s true, so why should I argue,
For surely all these people would hardly have this doctrine askew.
Some of these Christians even think that some are predestined to be saved,
Which no doubt begs the question: What if they preferred to remain unsaved?
One assumes that they could even wander away from the path of light
And yet, still be covered by grace, which, presumably, would be to their delight.
Apparently God’s Law was abolished, we’re now in the age of grace,
Thus, where there’s no law, there’s obviously no sin, no judgment to face.
Therefore, one can pretty much do as they wish, so long as they believe,
Accept, and a place in Heaven with all the faithful saints still receive.
Say, I wonder why Christ died if His Law can be done away with, and,
Why is it that one day soon, all, before Christ’s judgment seat will stand?
And given Satan believes too, acknowledges Christ, why won’t he be saved,
And why is it that the apostle Paul talks about sinners being enslaved?
What’s that? What about sanctification? By their fruits ye shall know them?
Christians are ambassadors for Christ? Do not be a stumbling block? Mmmm….
By Lance Landall
“How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son
of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged
the Spirit of grace [these folk referred to had at one time professed to accept salvation
through the atoning grace of Christ]?” (Heb 10:29).
“For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, and have
tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of
God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, since on their own they are
crucifying again the Son of God and are holding Him up to contempt” (Heb 6:4-6).
“To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this
reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—
indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom 8:6-8).