I think I am going to pause before proceeding to Revelation 21:8 and deal with the great deception.

You want to know how come? What happened is this: this morning I received a response from our web site. The writer explained to me that no matter how we sinned, God's grace was powerful enough to outweigh it and save us. Even if we sinned willfully.

He went on to say that the only way we could lose out was to cease believing we were being saved by grace.

This, of course, is a form of Gnosticism.

I really must be maturing because a few years ago I would have risen up in galactic fury at such an outrage. Now I'm too tired for such a response.

No doubt the writer is a kindly man who merely is expressing his viewpoint, so murderous rage is not indicated at this point.

After reading his well-intentioned message I sauntered down to the mailbox, praying about some stuff.

It seemed to me the Lord interrupted my thoughts.

Now when I say, the Lord told me this or that you must realize that such authority is not to be questioned. (I'm only kidding. All right? Sheesh!)

The following is what seemed to come through.

"Let's talk about this grace business. There are three things wrong with it."

Well, I didn't have three things in my mind so I said, "What?"

"When the writer speaks of faith he is referring to a belief system welded from a few verses of Paul. This is not faith but belief, or mental assent.

"When the writer speaks of being saved, although he does not define what it means to be saved, he is assuming that salvation refers to residence in Heaven. He is not assuming the Bible goals of salvation such as conformation to the moral image of Christ, untroubled rest in the Father through Christ—in general, the fruit the Farmer is looking for.

"The writer does not include the most desirable aspect of salvation, that of having a personal relationship with the living Lord Jesus. His concept of salvation is all mental."

When God spoke to me this morning He did not use these exact words but the burden of thought was clear and precisely as I have presented it.

I was walking back up the hill with the paper by this time. The moment I got in the door I rushed to the computer, saying to my wife, "I'll see you in a minute. I have to write down what the Lord told be before I forget it."

Is this what Christians believe—that salvation is our consistent affirmation that we are being saved by grace (forgiveness)? No wonder the morals of the churches are in such a state. Whatever happened to the new creation? Whatever happened to the fruit of abiding in Christ? Whatever happened to the work of the new covenant, the writing of the eternal moral law of God in our heart and mind?

To be continued.