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How The Democratic Party Violates the First Commandment

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As mentioned in “Political Correctness:  The Religious Doctrine of the Left,” Liberalism-Socialism-Communism is attempting to replace our historical foundation of morality with their own version that directly opposes the Ten Commandments.  To see how those very same Ten Commandments are the basis of law in America, one need look no further than the Supreme Court of the United States.

The Supreme Court building has at the center of the sculpture over the east portico an image of Moses holding the two tablets of the Ten Commandments; these are also engraved over the chair of the Chief Justice and on the bronze doors of the Supreme Court. 1

The left has been trying, through our courts, to have the Ten Commandments removed from public buildings saying that it violates separation of church and state.  Which incidentally, the left has created as the basis of their assault on Christianity by inferring it violates the Constitution, when separation of church and state isn’t even in the Constitution!

Let’s look at why the Democratic Party, who hosts liberals, socialist and communists, opposes the Ten Commandments one commandment at a time, beginning with the first commandment.

The first commandment says, I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before me.

The left rejects God and in his place has established government as the highest authority over mankind.

What about liberal Christians who regularly attend church?  God addresses this in II Timothy 3:5 when he says, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:  from such turn away.”  A person becomes a Christian when they ask for God’s forgiveness and accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior, that is how the Bible says a person must be saved, and therefore become a Christian (Romans 10:9).

Liberal “Christians” often either deny the deity of Jesus Christ, or deny the power of God.  Either way, they are either not Christians or they have been led astray as it says in verse 6 of II Timothy chapter 3.

The second part of the First Commandment says, “thou shalt have no other gods before me.”  The left; however, has established the government as its god.  Why?  Because when a person denies God, then the highest authority becomes man.  Meaning the institution that governs man becomes in essence, god.

The first two tenets of humanism as defined in the first humanist manifesto says, “Religious humanists regard the universe as self-existing and not created.  Humanism believes that man is a part of nature and that he has emerged as the result of a continuous process.” 2

Since humanism is not based on truth as defined by God, then truth can be ever-changing to a leftist.  To account for this, humanist recognizing that fact update their beliefs as they change.  Still, in the third humanist manifesto published in 2000, they continue to hold to an unguided process

of change and denying the existence of God. 3  One thing that hasn’t changed, and seems to be a core belief of the left, is that there is no God, or at the least, they deny God’s power in the governance of mankind.

You may know those first two tenets as evolution, which is the basic foundation of the left since it denies God and therefore, establishes evolution to explain our origin.

Which political party in America supports evolution and fights to keep creation from being taught in our government schools?  Yes, it’s the Democratic Party.

Therefore, if you are a Christian that supports the Democratic Party, then you are in direct violation of the First Commandment.

Where do you stand on the second commandment?

 

 

 

 

A Rainy Day at The College of New Jersey

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By Bill Hawkins

Following Washington’s crossing of the Delaware and the Battle of Trenton, Washington marched the Continental Army into New Jersey as they followed the British Army looking for an opportunity to help the American cause.  That opportunity presented itself by accident at Princeton, and so off to Princeton I went.

AaronBurrYoungMy first stop was to see Nassau Hall on the campus of Princeton University.  I wanted to see the building where Aaron Burr attended college to get a first hand view.  Here are some things I learned, or had forgotten I had learned about Nassau Hall.

During the revolution the University was called The College of New Jersey, and not Princeton College.

The building was the largest in the entire 13 colonies.  Of course, I visited when it was surrounded with scaffolding as they did restoration work.  Therefore, I couldn’t find where the cannonball had hit the building as the American tried to drive the British from the building.

The stone steps in the building have worn down after two and half centuries of foot traffic pounding up and down the half spiral staircases on each end of the three story building.  I thought the wear was significant as I climbed up the stairs and could feel the uneven surface beneath the soles of my feet.

NassauHall

Here are a few things I didn’t learn.  I was curious to know what the building originally looked like before restorations and additions from over a hundred years ago.  I couldn’t find out, because to my surprise, there wasn’t a pamphlet available with that kind of information.

In what room was the portrait of King George hanging when a cannonball took off his head after the American’s fired upon the building to drive out the British?

What did the surroundings of the college look like before and during the revolution?  Were there other building around Nassau Hall that made up part of the college?  Where did the students lodge?  Were they all housed in Nassau Hall?

NassauHallEarly

These are some of the questions I hoped to find when I visited the building, but there was no guide, or even printed guide.  I’m sure the information must be available somewhere, so if you’re visiting the place, you may want to find your answers before you go.

After my self-guided tour of Nassau Hall at the College of New Jersey, I ventured a few miles to the site of the Battle of Princeton. Look for my next post as I describe that little adventure.

Crossing the Delaware

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Looking into New Jersey from the Pennsylvania shore where the American Army crossed the Delaware on Christmas night in 1776.

What goes through an author’s mind when he visits a site that could be a possible setting in a future novel?  I can’t attest to what goes through other novelist’s minds, but I can tell you what went through mine.  I attempted, through my imagination, to envision being there when the event took place.

I had such an opportunity on August 26th, 2018, when I visited the spot where Washington crossed the Delaware River with his troops on Christmas night.  As I drove through New Jersey’s rolling hills toward the Delaware, I was using my trusty Google Maps to deliver me to the right place.  Therefore, after backtracking from the first false entrance it sent me to, I finally arrived at the state park that has been preserved to honor the occasion.

Looking back toward the Pennsylvania shore from Jersey

After paying my out-of-state entrance fee of $7, I drove to the visitor center and enjoyed a short film of the event for an additional dollar.  I never know where I’m going to learn a little detail I wasn’t familiar with, so I try not to assume I already know everything about something.  From the movie I learned that Washington had a young Lieutenant by the name of James Monroe stand by the road after leaving New York to count the troops.  Washington’s army had gone from over 30,000 troops in New York to only around 3,000 that marched across New Jersey in flight from the pursuing British.

The Ferry House view the soldiers would have had walking up the road after landing in New Jersey. The road went just to the right of the house.

After touring the little museum, I exited the building with a park map, oriented myself, and found the trail that led to the river.  To my great pleasure the trail was the very same road the Continental Army used to march up from the river on their way toward Trenton.  Which brings me to one of my main fascinations from history, and that’s walking in the footsteps of those that made history.

I wanted it to see what it was like to march into New Jersey from the perspective of the soldiers, so I walked directly down to the river and chronicled my jaunt on the way back with photos and by taking voice notes on my phone.  I noted that I had expected the Delaware to be broader and I wasn’t expecting an island just above the crossing point.

The fireplace in the Ferry House that Washington would have stood in front of to get warm.

While looking across the river I tried to imagine the weather much different than the balmy August day I was experiencing,  Bitter cold winds with ice and snow pelting faces with stinging jabs.  The numbness of standing without the ability to feel your feet, which seem frozen like blocks of ice that have been tied to the end of your legs to weigh you down.  The misery of standing and waiting without the benefit of a fire to keep you from literally freezing, which did happen to two of the soldiers.  Meaning it was a real danger they faced.

I tried to drown out the sounds of people hiking and biking, and of cars from the highway I had crossed using a foot bridge built for pedestrians over that highway.

View of the original road the American soldier’s marched over on their way to victory at Trenton.

I walked up the hill and took these photos as I walked in the footsteps of the Continental Army.  By reading signs I discovered more I did not know.  For example, the island that I hadn’t known about was key to the crossing, because it was behind that island that Washington hid all the boats that had been collected from up and down the river so the British couldn’t follow.

The river wasn’t quite as broad as I had assumed it would be.  However, throw in cakes of ice and sixty foot boats going opposing directions, the struggle would have been magnified making the effort truly heroic.

The ferry house is still standing and open to tours.  It was thrilling to think I was standing in the same room as Washington and his staff as they most likely made the decision to attack Trenton despite the delays which would have them arriving in Trenton after dawn.

The ferry house was cool inside.  So much so that I assumed it was being air conditioned.  I learned that the “air conditioning” came from the fireplace.  It seems the fireplace stones were deep enough in the earth that it drew coolness upward which cooled the house.  I found that idea fascinating.  I suppose other people already knew that, and I should have known, but it was news to me.

As I continued walking up the road the soldiers had traversed, I imagined I was walking with them as a fellow soldier.  These men were the remaining 3,000 from the over 30,000 that had been in Washington’s army in New York.  These were the men who believed in the cause of liberty and persevered beyond the sunshine patriot and summer soldier.  These were the true heroes of the revolution.  The men who stayed and fought when the cause seemed lost and because they did the cause was given hope and ended in the victory which became the United States of America!

The thought gave me goosebumps.

A plaque honoring one of Washington’s spies.

 

The Religious Doctrine of Socialism

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At what age does a person know the difference between right and wrong?  In religious circles, this is known as the age of accountability.  Legally, there is no standard definition, but one of the questions asked as to when people can be declared insane, is do they know the difference between right and wrong.

However, what is more important than knowing the difference between right and wrong is knowing who defines right and wrong.

Lawmakers would be the first people who would come to mind when answering that question, but how do lawmakers choose what is right and wrong?  Is it a mere matter of a majority vote?  If the majority votes to legalize murder, does that mean murder is no longer morally wrong?

Which brings us to the even more important question – who defines our morality?  Why is murder wrong?  Why is stealing wrong?  Is it a simple matter of anything that harms another is wrong?  If so, then why is it wrong to cheat on a test?

Traditionally in western cultures right and wrong is based on the Judeo-Christian ethic.  In other words, the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.

However, what happens when someone chooses not to believe the Bible?  More importantly, what happens when millions of people choose not to believe the Bible?  Are they then held to the standards of a book they don’t believe has any authority?

As long as lawmakers make laws based on the moral authority of the Bible, then they have to, or else they would be committing a crime.  So then, how would these millions get themselves out from under a morality they don’t believe in because they choose not to accept the authority of the book that morality is based upon?

The obvious answer is – they create their own standards of right and wrong based on what a majority of those millions say it is.  They do this by electing lawmakers that share their belief that morality is situational and to be determined by the group, and not God or the individual.

Which brings us to another question – how do they determine what the group believes morally when it’s not based on the historical tradition of the Judeo-Christian ethic?

In religion, the standards of belief is known as doctrine.  Merriam-Webster defines doctrine as a principle, or position, or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or system of belief.  Conservatives hold to the historical tradition of the Judeo-Christian ethic. Liberals are attempting to destroy that historical tradition through their own doctrines known as political correctness.

What then does the liberal, or socialist, hold to as doctrine?  Some would say the Communist Manifesto since it is a form of socialism; however, it is an extreme form that many socialist would say went too far.  Is there a book the liberal and socialist can turn to?

The answer is yes, it’s called the Humanist Manifesto.

That does not mean the Humanist Manifesto is a book of doctrine, anymore than the Bible is a book of doctrine.  The doctrine of churches, or belief system is based on teachings within the Bible.  The doctrine of liberalism, or socialism, is based on the principle of the Humanist Manifesto.

You may better understand the doctrine of the left as political correctness.  Merriam-Webster defines political correctness as conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities should be eliminated.  Whose political sensibilities are being offended?  The sensibilities of the left, or socialist, is the answer to that question.  They are offended by the Judeo-Christian ethic.

Political correctness is couched in the emotional issues of fairness and helping those who cannot help themselves because they are dominated by the majority.  Of course, that’s what the left uses to shame anyone who opposes their doctrine by calling them hate mongers and insensitive to the rights of others.  However, is that what political correctness is all about?  Making right past wrongs?

No, because to support political correctness is to be insensitive to the rights of those who hold to the Judeo-Christian ethic.  It can even be said that the politically correct crowd hates the Judeo-Christian ethic because before it can be replaced, it must be destroyed and replaced with their own doctrine.  The doctrine of political correctness.

Therefore, the question of who defines our morality becomes even more important because there is a concerted effort to destroy our historical tradition based on the Bible.  What does history tell us about attempts to destroy the Judeo-Christian ethic?

They tried it in France in 1789 and it became known in history as The Reign of Terror when 50,000 people were executed for opposing those who abolished Christianity and tried to destroy all aspects of it from public life.

They tried it in Russia in 1917 and imprisoned people deemed enemies of the state.  It is estimated that 100 million people died in the attempt to destroy the Judeo-Christian ethic.

They tried it in Nazi Germany where six million people were executed in an attempt to advance the socialist state of the German Workers Socialist Party, or Nazi’s.

They tried it in China, and are still trying it, to the tune of an estimated 40 million killed.

Not all socialist countries kill their enemies, but they do deny their rights, marginalize them, or imprison them and attempt to reeducate them.

In my upcoming writings I will compare the Ten Commandments of the Judeo-Christian ethic with the doctrine of political correctness so we can see just how much the left is opposed to traditional morality and why.

Get Your Own Copy of Prickett’s Fort

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My novel, Prickett’s Fort, is now available for sale through this website.  The books are in brand new condition.

The cost of the book through this website is only $15.95, and that includes free shipping.  Click on the shopping cart below and buy the book directly through PayPal.  Prickett’s Fort is currently selling on Amazon for $42.  If you have a Kindle you can download the book for only $5.

The Implementation of Socialism In America Since 1900 – Part Two

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In part one we went through the first six goals of socialism for this country as espoused by Eugene V. Debs, considered by many to be the father of socialism in this country.  We saw that approximately 75% of those goals have already been achieved in America, so now let’s move on to the remaining six goals and see how socialism has progressed.

7.)  Useful inventions to be free, the inventor to be remunerated by the public.

This is the one goal of socialism that has not yet been implemented.  As a person who has applied for a patent, I for one, am glad.  This would surely curb creativity and entrepreneurship by disincentivizing our citizens.

8.)  Labor legislation to be national instead of local, and international when possible.

With the Department of Labor being a cabinet level department since 1913, it is safe to say this goal has been achieved in America at a 100% level.

9.)  National insurance of working people against accidents, lack of employment and want in old age.

Worker’s compensation, unemployment and social security encompasses these three specific goals within goal nine.  It is safe to say goal nine had been achieved at a 100% level.

10.)  Equal civil and political rights for men and women, and the abolition of all laws discriminating against women.

This has gone so far that we now have many people saying there is reverse discrimination in this country.  Not only did we outlaw discrimination based on gender, but the left has gone so far as to force sexual orientation rights on this nation.  They have done so by using their usual tactics of intimidation to force equal rights in a way not even Eugene V. Debs foresaw.  If there was a way to award more than 100%, this goal would surely qualify.

11.)  The adoption of the initiative and referendum, proportional representation, and the right of recall of representatives by the voters.

Local representatives on the state level can be subject to recall; however, that is still not the case with representatives on the national level.  Proportional representation, what you may know as parties gaining seats based on percentages, is still not the system used in the United States.  The purpose of this goal was to give the socialist party a chance to force its way into the two-party system.  However, this goal is no longer necessary since the socialist have nearly taken complete control of the Democrat Party, as evidenced by Bernie Sanders and the state of the party as of July 25th, 2018.  Sanders garnered 43.1% of the vote while running unabashedly as a socialist in the Democratic primary for President.  Therefore, since this goal has been replaced by the socialist inroads into the Democratic Party, we will award 43% for the success of said goal.

12.  Abolition of war and the introduction of international arbitration.

This goal was first realized in the world with the League of Nations after World War One; however, the United States failed to go along and so the league died.  However, after the Second World War, another attempt at international arbitration came through the United Nations, which the United States now supports.  War, of course, has not been abolished because in order to do so would mean having to use force, which of course, requires war.  Therefore, let’s award 50% of this goal because international arbitration exists in theory, if not always in practice.

Just as we determined the percentage of socialism which had been achieved in the first six goals of socialism, which we determined to be about 75%, now let’s look at these final six goals to determine how successful socialism has been in America.  Goal seven =  Failed.  Goal eight = 100%.  Goal nine = 100%.  Goal ten = 100%.  Goal eleven = 43%  Goal twelve = 50%.

Approximately speaking, that means 65.5% of socialism’s goals have been achieved in the United States in these remaining six goals.  When combined with the previous six goals, that means 70.25% of the goals of Eugene V. Debs has been achieved in this country! When one of the goals not mentioned here, national health insurance, is taken into consideration, I think you can see that over the last hundred years socialism has reached far beyond mere economics to begin enslaving the American people into a system contrary to the founding of our country.

Prickett’s Fort Available on Kindle

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Having recently decided to return to writing, I decided to mosey over to the bookshelf and dusted off my novel to see what I could do to reach more people.  Since publishing the first time, eBooks have taken on a life of their own.  Finally, here in 2018, my book is available for the first time on Kindle as of 5:30 am of July 25th.

If you’ve not read the book yet, or simply want to refresh your memory of it, follow this link which takes you directly to the Amazon page from where you may purchase the Kindle version for a mere $4.99 (US).  Yes, you heard right, folks!  Only $4.99!

Then again, who knows, by the time you read this I may be running a promotion and it may be even less, if not free!

So click on the link (or photo of the cover ’cause I’m clever like that) and run on over there and buy my book to help finance the sequel!  We’ll both be glad you did.

Sequel to “Prickett’s Fort” Coming Soon!

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When I wrote Prickett’s Fort, I combined two true stories that occurred on the frontier a year apart.  One took place at Bedford, Pennsylvania where the family fought their way to the fort and includes the harrowing story of the wife being forced to repair the sled as her husband and young son keep the Indians from rushing the rest of the family.

The second true story took place at Prickett’s Fort near Fairmont, WV.  I combined the stories and set them at Prickett’s Fort at about the same time.  I took the liberty to change one bit of fact because I wanted to explore the topic to help me understand why families raised their children amid the danger of the frontier.

Thankfully, the book received good reviews, one of which I’ll excerpt here:

“Hawkins has done his historical homework with this title, and the result is historically sound and exciting. Prickett’s Fort is an excellent novel and in many ways reminds me of some of Zane Grey’s own pioneer tales. Hawkins’ characters come across like real people, not cardboard cut-outs or shallow creations without substance, and he has obviously placed a lot of emphasis on research to show what life was like in the late 18th century when this area was a wild frontier and mountain men fought native Americans in savage conflict.”

– Blair Bones

After the book was published I arranged some book signings and was fascinated by the feedback given to me by readers.  It seemed both men and women were emotionally caught up in the book.  What surprised me was I thought the emotion provoked would have been reversed, with the men more concerned with what the women were concerned about, and vice-versa.

Since the book was first published, the internet has drastically changed how writers are published.  I decided to make Prickett’s Fort available as an eBook.  The price is right and you can instantly read the book.  Order you own e-book and let me know what you think.  (Coming Soon)

One of the questions I got from nearly everyone who read Prickett’s Fort was, “Are you going to write a sequel?”  Well, I have good news; after more than a decade I’ve decided to do just that.  As a matter of a fact, as of this writing, I have four chapters completed!

Take a look at what Blair Bones had to say about a sequel with his initial review.

“Prickett’s Fort is a great read and an instant classic in the genre of frontier fiction. Hawkins’ has wisely left room for a sequel, and readers may find themselves clamoring to know if Ethan really does make it to Kentucky after all. Amazingly, the book is Hawkins’ first novel, yet he writes with a seasoned maturity that is astounding.”

My plan is to post, in rough draft form, parts of chapters of the sequel and to engage readers who are also interested in frontier history.  If you would like to be updated with the progress of the sequel and have a chance to be part of the writing process, please subscribe to this page.

I’m looking forward to interacting with fans of the frontier.

The Implementation of Socialism In America Since 1900 – Part One

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Why is the word “socialism” so hard to define?  Truth is, it’s not the word that is hard to define, it’s the meaning that some people don’t want to accept that makes it difficult to define.  Not that a definition can’t be found, because it’s really very simple.  The problem comes when those who support socialism don’t accept it’s definition because the word still carries a negative connotation in America.

The left, who is so fond of labeling others, don’t like to be labeled themselves.  However, instead of trying to come up with a politically correct definition that pleases everyone, let’s just seek the truth and call it as it is.  To put it simply, socialism is the government control of society.  Wait, you say, I thought it had to do with government control of production and distribution?  That is economic socialism.  However, socialism is more than an economic system, it’s a system that seeks to control all aspects of society.

Before the cold war ended shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the number one enemy of the United States was communism.  Communism is an extreme form of socialism.  The only difference between the two is that communism uses force and violence to achieve a socialist state, whereas liberalism uses peaceful means to achieve a socialist state.

Years ago in an antique store in Florida I bought a magazine called “The Independent” dated August 23, 1900.  One of the articles was by Eugene V. Debs entitled, “The Social Democratic Party.” Eugene V. Debs is often called the founder of socialism in the United States.

Eugene V. Debs

Eugene V. Debs

Let’s dissect this article and see what has come to pass in America since this article was written over a hundred years ago.  Mr. Debs had 12 goals he thought must be achieved in order for socialism to be implemented in the United States.  We will take a look at each of the twelve goals to determine just how much of the dreams of the founder of American socialism has come to pass.  Incidentally, just because some of these were stated by Mr. Debs, it doesn’t mean that it’s automatically a bad idea.  For example, goal one was supported by many, not just the socialist.

Socialist Party1.) Revision of our Federal Constitution in order to remove the obstacles to complete control of government by the people irrespective of sex.

In 1920 the 19th Amendment to the Constitution accomplished this through granting the right to vote to women.

2.) The public ownership of all industries controlled by monopolies, trusts and combines.

The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 effectively prohibited monopolies and trusts in America.  To grant public ownership of all industries would in fact create a monopoly controlled by the government.

3.) The public ownership of all railroads, telegraphs and telephones:  all means of transportation and communication:  all waterworks, gas and electric plants, and other public utilities.

The government has moved into what used to belong only to private industry, such as manufacturing power (The Tennessee Valley Authority) and transportation (Amtrak).  Economically, the United States is still a capitalist country, therefore, government reaches into the private business world through regulations, which grants government a high degree of control over the production and distribution of products.

4.) The public ownership of all gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, coal, and other mines, and all oil and gas wells.

As stated in number 3 above, our government, through regulation, affects these industries in ways that seeks to control production and distribution.  An example, in the coal industry the Environmental Protection Agency issues permits, and revokes permits, based not so much on the environment, but more out of government desire to control the industry.  As President Obama stated in January 2008, “So, if somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can — it’s just that it will bankrupt them, because they are going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.”  Here the government is affecting an entire industry and consumer prices for their political agenda, with alleged global warming being the excuse that justifies this attack on our capitalistic system.Socialism versus Capitalism

5. The reduction of the hours of labor in proportion to the increasing facilities of production.

In 1900, when Mr. Debs wrote the article, the average number of hours worked in manufacturing in this country was 59.1 hours a week, according to a 2006 report by Michael Huberman and Chris Minns.  We now have labor laws that sets the work week at 40 hours, with numerous other regulations concerning wage and hour issues.

6.  The inauguration of a system of public works and improvements for the employment of the unemployed, the public credit to be utilized for that purpose.

Have you ever heard of the New Deal?  In our present times, President Obama called it a stimulus.  The point being, this is another goal of socialism which has been achieved.

Let’s take a look at these first six goals of socialism (I will cover the remaining six goals in Part Two) to see how much has been implemented in this country since the article was written in 1900. Number one = 100%.  Number two = 50%.  The government does not own all industries, but it does own some and through regulation manages the rest.  Perhaps 50% is not a high enough percentage, but the number isn’t meant to be totally accurate, just representative of the general.  Number three = 50%, for the same reasons as above in number two.  Number four = 50%, for the same reasons as in number two and three.  Number five = 100%.  Number six = 100%.

So we see that three of the first six goals have been fully met, and the remaining three have been partially met.  Meaning it’s safe to say that approximately 75% of the first six of twelve goals of socialism has been met in this country since 1900.

If you would like to be notified when Part Two of this article is published, please subscribe to this page.

Eternal Secruity

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When I was a boy of about nine years old, I was preaching to my dog, a white German Shepherd named “Lady.”  I was using a little Bible distributed in school by the Gideon’s.  Is that even allowed anymore?  Anyway, as I was preaching to my dog, who sat attentive because we were on our back steps and the sun was shining bright, and being a dog, she had nothing better to do.  I chose as my text for that day (bear with me, I was trying to sound like a preacher) John 3:16.  Not that I had immersed myself in study because God had laid that verse on my heart.  I chose the verse because it was the only verse in the Bible I knew.

So I started my sermon – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son…”

I raised a hand and asked Lady, who just sat watching me, “And why did God send his son?”  Lady didn’t answer, so I answered for her.  “Because he loved the world!”

I then went on and read the next line, “That he gave his only begotten son.”

Again I asked Lady, “Who did he give?”  Once again Lady just sat looking at me and wagging her tail.  “His only begotten son.”  Of course, I didn’t know what “begotten” meant, but don’t worry, I’ll write a future article on that very interesting word.

“That whosoever believeth in him…”

“Who?” I asked Lady again.  Once again Lady just sat there wagging her tail, but like any good dog, I knew she was listening.  “Whosoever,” I answeredLostsaved for her, “And by whosoever that means who ever believes in Jesus Christ.”

“Should have everlasting life.”

“And how long is everlasting?”  I asked Lady.  “Everlasting is forever,” I answered.  “And how long is forever?”  I asked as I continued building up to the climax.

But then it hit me.  Forever is forever.  I dropped my arm to my side where I had been holding the little Bible up.  I was scared.  Being raised in the Methodist Church I had been taught that once we’re saved we have to be good or we could lose our salvation.  However, if that was the case then everlasting didn’t mean forever, which meant that John 3:16 was wrong.  You see, up to that time I had never heard of eternal security, but I knew something wasn’t right about what I was being taught in that little country church.

A few years later we moved to Florida and we started attending a Baptist Church.  They believed in eternal security, but my parents warned me not to fall for that lie, so I was careful not to believe what only a few years before had seemed so obvious.  I had been taught some of the following and I still had to see the truth of salvation before I could accept it.

  • Believing you can never lose you salvation means you think you can do whatever you want and get away with it.  However, I asked myself, why would I want to do whatever I wanted just because I put all my trust in Jesus Christ to get me to heaven?  I was thankful for his sacrifice on my behalf, so why would I throw it back in his face by being unappreciative?  Besides, God chastised those whom he loved.  Meaning, like my Dad, if I stepped out of line he would correct me.  Since I knew God loved me, I also knew he would only do it the right way.workforsalvation
  • How could God pay for sins you haven’t even committed yet?  I remember asking Chuck Arney, my youth pastor at that church that question and his reply made so much sense I felt dumb for not thinking of the answer myself.  He said, “All your sins were future to Christ when he died on the cross and rose again.”  That was right!  All my sins, and that meant all, were future at the time Christ died and rose again.
  • In the “Book of James” it says, “Faith without works is dead.”  I thought I had Chuck on that one, but then he asked me, “Who was the “Book of James” written to?  I looked since I wasn’t sure, and said, “Christians?”  Chuck affirmed that answer, and then he pointed out the truth of what James was talking about.  God can see faith, but people can’t see it unless they can also see your works.  Works is not for God’s benefit, it’s for the benefit of people who can only see your faith through your works.

Still, I had to do some more thinking on the subject.  After all, my parents had warned me not to fall for the lie.  On Easter Sunday the church had a sunrise service, and Chuck asked me to bring the short message which was a teen custom in the church.  So I studied the crucifixion of Christ and saw it in a way I had never seen it before.  It went from being just a story, to be a real painful experience that the Son of God went through for me.eternalsecurity

That night in my bed, I prayed and asked God to save me because for the first time in my life I was putting my complete faith and trust in Jesus Christ to forgive my sins and take me to heaven.  I was no longer going to trust in my ability to be good.  It was that night I was saved and it was also that night that God gave me life and a life more abundant.

I had discovered that the lie was not that Christ paid for ALL my sins, but the lie was that he HAD NOT.  Later my parents saw the truth of Christ’s once and for all payment for our sins and they too put their complete faith in Christ.  After all, that is what salvation is all about – faith.

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