[Luke]

Most of that makes sense, except

"perhaps they know what the Gospel means but were unwilling to repent of their sins"

I don't understand how one can repent of their sins if they aren't saved. One can be sorry, they could turn over a new leaf, but without being born again, one cannot actually repent and forsake sins.

I think a better way of wording that would be "They know what the Gospel means but want to continue living in sin, and not be changed by it's power".

Otherwise, I suppose that every Christian should be merely a professor, as not a single Christian on earth has repented of all their sins and stopped committing them.

Originally Posted by jerry

There are a lot of people who call themselves Christians (ie. profess to believe), but have never truly trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation - perhaps they never understood the Gospel, perhaps they know what the Gospel means but were unwilling to repent of their sins, perhaps all they did was say a prayer without knowing the truth of who Jesus truly is or what He did to save us, perhaps they are still trying to work their way to Heaven. All these profess salvation, profess to be saved - but are truly not saved. Ie. they are professors, not possessers - they are not born again, do not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them; therefore it is no surprise that when they get disillusioned about the "Christian life" - which they are perhaps trying to live without having the Holy Spirit inside enabling them to live it - they "reject Christ", and apostasize from the faith - which they never truly possessed to begin with. That is what this passage and Hebrews 6 refers to:

1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

Those that left "the faith" - ie. apostasized from the true believers - were never truly of them (ie. true believers). It is not a loss of salvation, but a rejection of their previous profession.

I wouldn't know of a clearer explanation of a professing Christian and a possessing Christian. Or a false convert to Christianity vs. a Christian.

I guess we'll have to wait and see if it is clear to all.

Originally Posted by Luke

Most of that makes sense, except

"perhaps they know what the Gospel means but were unwilling to repent of their sins"

I don't understand how one can repent of their sins if they aren't saved. One can be sorry, they could turn over a new leaf, but without being born again, one cannot actually repent and forsake sins.

That is not what the Bible says.

Otherwise, I suppose that every Christian should be merely a professor, as not a single Christian on earth has repented of all their sins and stopped committing them.

Who said anything of repenting of ALL their sins? If you present the ten commandments to someone you are witnessing to - then you should expect them to either repent of those ones they have broken, or to hold on to their sins and reject the Gospel. There is no such thing as deliberately holding on to sin and receiving the Saviour at the same time. If someone is presented with the commandments they have broken and still holds on to those sins while at the same time "turning to the Lord", they are deceiving themself. What are they turning to the Lord for? I turned to the Lord to save me from my sins and to forgive me for them - that meant a turning away from those sins in my heart and a turning toward the Saviour - which is exactly what the Bible teaches.

Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

I stopped running my way in life, and started going God's way.

[Luke]

Sorry to change the topic from Revelation...

How would a person know if they are a false convert?

I believe Jesus Christ died for sinners. I admit I am a sinner. I believe Jesus Christ died for me. I have called upon Him to save me from Hell, from myself, from my sin.

Following my conversion, roughly seven years ago, I have sinned, sinned and sinned some more, and felt guilty about it all the time, until I came to a point where I almost lost the feeling of guilt, and could almost sin without feeling guilty. This was a real wake up call for me, and I fervently prayed that God would increase my faith and help me to trust in Him more to overcome temptation, and since that time, I have had the most severe testing of my faith ever. I am not even in any gross sin anymore (I am not without sin, everything done without faith is sin), but I constantly doubt my salvation. And yet, what more can I do to be saved?

I hate sin, specifically, I hate my own sin. I despise it. I despise my past. I believe Jesus Christ died for me. I believe Jesus Christ is the Saviour of all those who call upon His name believing the Gospel, and yet I have no assurance, because of a lack of trust. I cry out "Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief", and no respite comes.

No doubt there are some who would look at my life in the last six years and proclaim that I am not saved because of gross misadventure. And yet, if they would merely venture into the prayer closet with me and hear the cries from my heart, I wonder if they would dare do the same?

Originally Posted by Luke

Sorry to change the topic from Revelation...

How would a person know if they are a false convert?

I believe Jesus Christ died for sinners. I admit I am a sinner. I believe Jesus Christ died for me. I have called upon Him to save me from Hell, from myself, from my sin.

Following my conversion, roughly seven years ago, I have sinned, sinned and sinned some more, and felt guilty about it all the time, until I came to a point where I almost lost the feeling of guilt, and could almost sin without feeling guilty. This was a real wake up call for me, and I fervently prayed that God would increase my faith and help me to trust in Him more to overcome temptation, and since that time, I have had the most severe testing of my faith ever. I am not even in any gross sin anymore (I am not without sin, everything done without faith is sin), but I constantly doubt my salvation. And yet, what more can I do to be saved?

I hate sin, specifically, I hate my own sin. I despise it. I despise my past. I believe Jesus Christ died for me. I believe Jesus Christ is the Saviour of all those who call upon His name believing the Gospel, and yet I have no assurance, because of a lack of trust. I cry out "Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief", and no respite comes.

No doubt there are some who would look at my life in the last six years and proclaim that I am not saved because of gross misadventure. And yet, if they would merely venture into the prayer closet with me and hear the cries from my heart, I wonder if they would dare do the same?

I'm hoping that Jerry will be able to address your questions as I can see you may be hurting. The only thing that came to mind is this passage:

Psalms 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Personally I can tell you that I know God has a hold of me and won't ever let me go.

I continue to sin and now have much grief over my sin. Before I was saved I was apathetic re: my sin. I will say that the grief is so overwhelming that it causes me to stop the sin. and then a new sin will later be revealed to me and the process starts again. This is sanctification. The Lord has sanctified me through fire. The harder the trial, the more I have learned.

A Christian will grow in the fruits of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-25 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Luke, I would encourage you to look up verses dealing with assurance (and persuaded) - including the phrase, "full assurance." 1 John is an excellent book dealing with how we know we are Christians - through our obedience, love for the truth, love for the brethren, etc. If you came to the Lord the way He commands us to in His Word, then you should have that assurance.

First of all, it is the Holy Spirit that bears witness with our spirit:

Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

We also get assurance through our obedience and closely walking with the Lord:

1 John 3:19-22 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

If there is sin you are deliberately holding onto - or even an area of your life, where you know God's will but refuse to do it - then you will not have that assurance God wants to give you.

Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

Full assurance - entire confidence, completely assured. To be full of something Biblically means to be influenced or controlled by it. Full assurance is where your daily conduct is influenced by your assurance of your right standing with the Lord, your inheritance in Him, etc.

Full assurance of understanding - knowing the riches you have in the Lord Jesus Christ:

Colossians 2:2-3 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Ephesians 1:17-19 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Full assurance of hope - filled with the confident expectation that the Lord will reward your service to Him, and will keep all His promises to you - in light of that you persevere when the going gets tougher:

Hebrews 6:9-12 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Full assurance of faith - this is the assurance that comes through prayer, coming before the throne of grace - through the blood of Jesus, not your own good deeds or righteousness.

Hebrews 10:19-25 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Ephesians 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

This is one of the verses that came up in my Bible program while I was searching for related passages:

2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

This verse is part of a passage on the Christian continuing to grow in seven areas. Please consider this study, as it might be of some help to you: Precious And Growing Faith