Man this was good teaching. I remember the first time the holy spirit rocked my understanding with that "name it and claim it in Jesus name" mess,and when it didn't work out I was thoroughly confused and upset. From that day forward I question everything I was ever taught. If it doesn't live up with the context of God's word then I refute it automatically. I'm thankful my heart was pliable for the lord to mold and shape me into what he wants not what I think he wants. Some stuff was hard to swallow and I had to get to the point like you said, where God's word is the final authority not what some preacher said. No matter how much I may have loved that preacher. Wrong is still wrong period
Amen Brother!! True believers in Jesus will at some point be convicted by the Holy Spirit that something is real wrong!! How blessed are we to have the Word and the ministry of the Spirit of Truth!! God bless you!!
Been going through the same thing since August. I question and test everything I hear against the scripture now. I now actually feel so much more mature in the faith. Just like you said, no matter how much I love the person who was teaching in error, I won't sacrifice adherence to the Word of God for a relationship with man (I still love them though).
Brother Richardson, I am in the U.K and I have been listening to your teaching that the holy spirit has guided you to expound. You remind me of a modern day Walter Martin. God bless you and keep you
I agree with you Sir. This was an awesome teaching. Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62
Very good word and teaching on the concept of backsliding, also the scriptures were so helpful. I am still learning and growing. God bless you and thank you much.
I've attempted several times to explain there being no mention of backsliding in the NT, to which they respond with the usual "you're a woman so what could you possibly know"👀
misinterpretation of scripture. I genuinely accepted Christ. and fell away from the faith and practiced a lifestyle of sin. Due to improper discipleship, I was apart of a very unhealthy church and lost my respect for the church and I was deceived by the enemy to pursue a lifestyle of sin. God. sent believer's too me during my episode of waywardness and but because of my former church past I dismissed them until the Holy Spirit deeply convicted me and removed my peace then I repeated and returned to the faith and the church. My choice to return to sin was not a sign that I never knew Christ. My choice to return was a decision made out of selfishness and deception of the enemy. God doesn't remove our will just because our saved . Pastors have adulterous affairs and continue in sin secretly which is a sign of backsliding or living in a lifestyle of sin.
warrior1975ify I cannot help but wonder why Christ told us the parable about the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 if we were not going to stray. The Old Testament and New Testament is progressive and all Scripture is inspired by God- Therefore, we like sheep have all gone astray. . . Thank you for sharing your story.
Big bro again you've given me something to ponder. I agree now whole heartedly. I say "now" because I was always under the impression that a truly saved saint could "fall away" temporarily while never actually losing faith or denying the Lord and then being brought back to a clean conscience towards God. So I ask out of ignorance is our "falling away temporarily" for "whatever" reason in and of itself denying the Lord? If a professing believing parent loses a child and falls into grievous sins for like a decade and then comes back to Christ what would you call that? I'm reformed and unapologetically Calvinistic and I always read concerning the perseverance of the saints in the canons of dort and the London Baptist confession under the impression of one being able to fall away temporarily but God ultimately restoring the true convert. Forgive me for such a long missive but again my question how would you label a "believer" who strays temporarily but eventually comes back? God bless big bro. Hope to hear from you on this.
Great question James, I've been out of the country for over a week and am just getting a chance to respond. Such believers that stray even momentarily are believers, which is why they repent. This however is not backsliding, believers can even be temporarily deceived but not ultimately deceived.
UrbanLogia Ministries I think this response deserves some biblical support. I believe these are a few passage that support some bumps in the road that believers may experience in the midst of sanctification “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. (Matt 24:24 NAS95) My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20 NAS95) John Piper has an excellent lesson on the latter passage on desiringgod.org
I think you do an awesome job my brother. However, I wanted to bring to your attention the account in 1 John especially verses 5-9 in particular. I think we Erroneously apply this passage to believers. This passage was written to Gnostics they were unbelievers. They didn’t have a concept of sin, or the Repercussions of such practice. So the writer was telling them to confess their sins. This passage was not intended for those who are believers. Check the passage out in it’s entirety. Again, enjoy your videos.
I've heard you say you don't debate with black Hebrew Israelites well likewise I feel the same way about Calvinists. Most of your exegesis is spot on brother but if you subscribe to the satanic TULIP which twists nearly every aspect of Christ I have some issues. The perseverance of the saints only produces a works based, performance gospel where it is back loaded with human effort. Most Calvinists say you are saved by grace but then have to perform to keep yourself saved. And there is no distinction between 1 sin and a lifestyle of sin because what are the terms?🤔 What exactly constitutes a lifestyle because God's terms are always clearly defined and justly structured. Remember salvation is essentially a deal between God and Himself according to 2 Cor 5:19, a transaction if you will. And like a real estate purchase He did more than a down payment but rather the Holy Spirit himself is His earnest payment according to 2 Cor 1:22. That transaction cannot be tampered with in any way until the second coming/day of redemption etc... "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory" Eph 1:14. To say your backsliding or sin whether it be 1 time or habitual, can somehow interrupt God's transaction or steal it out of His hands would be to go in direct contradiction with John 10:28 "And I give unto them ETERNAL life; and they shall NEVER perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." Once God pays for something NOBODY including yourself can cause His credit card to have insufficient funds. You really think God trusts us to stay saved??😂 And the cherry on top question I'll ask you and anyone is ok if you believe you have to perservere to the end (out of context use of Matthew 24:13 btw 😒) then why haven't YOU fallen away yet? If your answer contains any use of the pronoun "I" than you are trusting in your own works of righteousness and obedience. 🤷♂️
You dont understand the dual nature of the believer. There is the flesh birth and then there is a new spiritual birth that occurs when one places their faith in Christ. That 'new creation' cannot sin. It wars with our flesh. It cannot be undone. We can walk in it when we obey and read and pray but we falter.
Mr. Richardson, I do listen too and agree sometimes with what you teach, however you need a little more! I would urge you! I beseech thee to please listen to at least one video by bro. e.c. moore berean bible study! I suggest lost believers and tell me what do you think. Thanks.
cheryl hendricks I watched Part 1 of the E.C. Moore. The preacher started by using 1 Corinthians 15:2 as a proof text for “lost believers” when really there are two groups in view: (1) the saved who hold fast to the word and (2) the unsaved who “believed in vain” (unbelievers). The unbelievers might acknowledge some facts about the resurrection however their belief is inept, swallow, weak; they do not submit and place their trust in the finished work of cross and Christ’s lordship. “Eike” is the Greek word for vain, which means “without reason or effect”. These are clearly individuals without saving faith. This is akin to the ineffectual and unjustified beliefs even the demons have in James 2:18-23. Therefore we can clearly see that this text is not making the case for “lost believers”. Bible students it is a prudent for us to qualify what is meant by “believed” so that we do not make erroneous conclusions.
Did you follow using the scriptures because the Word says what it says and means nothing more or less? The one thing I appreciate about Damon's teachings is that he doesn't just tell us: "This is what the Bible says"...He takes us directly to where whatever is stated like when he quoted Matthew 7: 22-23 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." 🙏🏾
I made a profession when I was 15 by a prayer, a couple of weeks later I felt moved and got interested in the Bible and Jesus, started teaching people and wanted to convert people into Christianity...and then 2 years later I fell into depression and "drifted" into sin until about 2 months ago (now 13 years later) I felt something move inside me and I broke down and cried out to God....So if I fell into sin and disobedience for many years from my late high school years and have recently a desire to repent after coming to the knowledge of this truth does it mean it's too late ? I am very confused between different doctrines and what is going on... I am troubled and worried and uncertain.
Hi Martin Vee. I truly understand your view point, because, my situation is very similar to yours. You posted this a month ago, reaching out for help. I do not understand why no one has addressed your comment. But, please do not allow your confusion to cause you to give up. I have been researching this for a long time, and, still I am confused. Since God is not the author of confusion then it may be the enemy who is causing us to be confused. Jesus said, "seek and ye shall find". It is the Holy Spirit that will lead us into all truth, and will bring into remembrance of His Word. Yes, there are so many different doctrines on this subject, which can certainly cause confusion. I fell into sin like you, after having had a tragic thing happen in my life. Prior to that, I had loved God's Word, studied it for years. But, then I fell away for quite some time. So, I can't seem to understand how I was not saved since having loved going to church, praising God, deeply in love with God's word, studied the Word of God many years, etc. Since the time I wandered away, I have truly and deeply repented, and have had great sorrow that I could have disappointed God in such a way. Every time a memory of a sin I have commited comes to mind, my heart aches and I am troubled deeply. I immediately pray and repent. I still have an addiction to cigarettes that I have been trying to overcome. I have not had the will power to completely let them go. It is a work in progress. So, like you, I am torn and confused. And, that is a troubling place to be. I pray that the eye's of our understanding on this subject will be opened. Blessings to you.
Martin Vee The fact of the matter is that even though you fell back for all those years, if you have sincerely repented and desire to be back in fellowship with Christ and desire to do His will, it just might be that you're one of God's elect and if you are God's elect, you will be saved ultimately in the end. If the Holy Spirit is in you, you will truly fight and guard against sin and long for the Lord.
Karen Hale Hi Karen. I just responded to the person you responded to in this thread. I wanted to briefly point out that I think both of you may have ultimately missed the point he is making concerning those who fall away from the faith. The speaker here isn't saying that those who fall away but eventually come back we're never saved. What he is saying is that those who profess or just give lip service of being saved and fall away or apostasize were never truly born again. The fact that sin grieves you is a good sign. He's not describing you as one who never believed. But what's key is we must not be decieved, if God truly saved your soul at one point in your life you are going to long to be back in fellowship but not only long for it you are going to actually take the necessary steps to get get back within His grace.
Jamesapt66, thank you for responding. I intend to listen to his video once more, and pay closer attention, for I do enjoy his teachings. Many thanks, and may Christ Jesus (Yeshua) our Lord and Savior smile upon you.
