Adam Update 3-8-26
They discharged Adam from the hospital to skilled nursing. He seems to be doing fairly well for now.
Pray for good staff to care for him and that he continues to be strengthened.
Pray that he will be at peace, and that we will be too.
Pray for God’s blessing on Amber for her faithfulness as a friend.
Mostly, pray that others will come to believe upon Him while they still can.
Thank you all for walking with us during this difficult time. Man said Adam was not going to make it. God chose to revive him yet again.
For those of you who may not be certain where they would go when they die, please consider reading this. Even if you think you know, it won’t hurt to refresh yourself.
how_to_be_sure_you_are_going_to_heaven_with_cover1.pdf
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Hello, Holly. I hope Adam is doing well.
I was wondering what you new about Paul Dohse. I’ve been reading some of his writing lately, and they’ve confused me. At first he seemed to be Free Grace, and he opposes Calvinism and Lordship Salvation, but then other times he seems to fit right in with Lordship. He implies that when we’re first saved, we know what we’re getting into (a changed life), and so anyone who believes but doesn’t desire to part with sin is deceived. He says that frequent sin in our lives reveals us as unsaved. I know that sounds like standard Lordship, but it is different. Perhaps if I sent you a link to the article in question, it would make more sense.
LINK EDITED BY ADMIN TO KEEP OTHERS FROM BEING MISLED.
I’m really struggling with this. I know you have a lot going on, and you are a busy person, but it would mean a lot to me, so much in fact, if you could give me your response to his article. In a way, it kinda reminds me of George Zeller and Middletown Bible Church. They claim to be against LS, and yet they insist that we have to desire to be free from sin in order to be saved. I think you’re familiar with them, right? In other words, you can’t just believe, you have to desire to change, and if you don’t desire to change, you’re deceiving yourself. He bases his view on Romans 6.
I know it’s a big ask, but I’m getting literally sick over it 😔
Steven
All I can say is stop reading him now.
I did not know Paul, but he came to this website and started calling Pastor Tom Cucuzza and I heretics, because we believe we still have two natures (the new and the old man). I edited out his website so people wouldn’t be led there. He should look at his own behavior, for instead of laying things out without striving (2 Tim 2:14,23-26) he did nothing but strive, call names, and when I wouldn’t publish his comments any longer, came back as other people (I know this because of the locations of the IP address and the tenor of he comments). He made some pretty outrageous accusations too.
Anyways, I can look at the post, but you are getting sick for a reason. My advice? Stay as close to His Word as you can. Pray as you read, ask the Lord to show you. The more you read, the more discernment you’ll get (Heb 5:12-14).
And yes on the backdoor with George Zeller too.
Scripture is pretty clear. There were believers who sinned, who desired to sin, who didn’t even so much as mourn when they sinned, who could be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin and so forth. Remember how often Do not fear, or Be not afraid is in the Word. These teach a spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7) and it doesn’t come from Him or His Word. Remember Luke 10:38-42. As long as we aren’t in the Word we don’t have our sword sharpened, so we can’t deal with the enemy as well.
P.S., I’m going to edit out his website.
Steven again.
I just wanted to add that all of this makes me question my own salvation. I really struggle at times with desiring to obey God. Sometimes I plain don’t want to. I have thoughts like, “Why can’t God just leave me alone and let me do what I want?” And then I wonder how I could possibly be saved with that attitude! If I were genuinely saved, wouldn’t those thoughts and desires go away? Wouldn’t I delight in obedience? Please note, I’m not trying to be defiant, I’m just trying to be honest about my desires and thoughts, because what good is there in lying about it? I’m so ashamed.
Steven, all over His Word we are shown believers struggling. The way you question salvation is simple. Did I believe in who He is and what He did for me? If you did, take HIM at His Word. Behavior is never a way that people were determined to be saved. I mean maybe I wouldn’t do this or that (whatever type of sin), but maybe I would do something else more easily. Sin is sin, and I think those types of people like Paul are not honest with themselves. They don’t maybe recognize they are quick to anger. That they are not good listeners and they speak too quickly (James 1:19-20). Maybe they don’t know they’re being resisted by God in their pride (James 4:5; 1 Pet 5:5).
Paul said he struggled with this and would till he died and was rescued/delivered from his flesh/body.
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:24-25
We have the flesh. So we do better when we’re in the Word, and trying to yield to His Spirit and walk in His Spirit so we won’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh. When we don’t, we’re doing our own thing, some of us for years on end. But when we decide we want to try (prodigal son), He’s right there for us. It’s just a miserable existence in some ways living in this stupid body. But we have all sorts of exhortations in Scripture to help us along the way. That’s why I always share Luke 10:38-42, choosing the good thing that will never be taken from us.
Thank you so much, Holly. You’re a life saver. This all boils down to his take one Romans 6. It’s weird that he is opposed to LS, and yet seems to talk just like them at other times. I look forward to your take on his article, and yes, I understand why you took it down. That thought crossed my mind, too, when I posted it, but I didn’t know any other way to contact you. If it’s easier, you can just e-mail me.
Please pray for me, and for the salvation of my friend, Vladimir.
Steven, we’d be in agreement with him on the obvious things. Should we sin that grace would abound? Of course not. Do we sin? We see Paul explaining in the next chapter, he finds himself doing the very thing he does not want to do. We should walk in newness of life. That is the way we should walk. We should put away the old man. It is not a one time thing and something we wrestle with always.
Remember, it is through the obedience of One (Christ) that we are made righteous (positionally) Rom 5:19
But by obeying (believing Isaiah’s report of Christ) we are given His righteousness (Rom 10:14-17). Strengthn your faith by the hearing of His Word. Just get up again each day, and get into His Word, and ask Him to give you wisdom. Praying for you both.
Thank you, Holly. Yeah, I found myself agreeing with him on the basics, too, and that’s what made me wonder about the other things. However I don’t agree with the idea that we have to be willing to turn from sin and adopt a new life in order to be saved (his definition of repentance), and I don’t believe that we show ourselves saved or unsaved by whether we keep the law. He expands the gospel to including a deep understanding of the new birth and the changes that will “inevitably” flow from it, and being willing to embrace that change before one can receive Christ. In other words, we need to know that we are giving up our life for a higher, holier one, and if we’re not willing to do that, we can’t receive Christ. He seems to suggest that there’s no difference between discipleship and being justified. Again, we ought to walk in newness of life, yes, absolutely. We ought to avoid sin and not use grace as an excuse to sin. No argument there. But these other things he says are more subtle, sneakier… And they sound oddly familiar to Zeller’s views.
I didn’t read far Steven. I always hope and pray that the Word these types use is what people will read, or that the Spirit will give them some checks. I didn’t see the parts you mentioned, that we know we are saved or unsaved by whether we keep the law?
Firstly, We didn’t begin in the flesh by the law, nor can we finish in the flesh by the law (Gal 3:1-5). I will try to go back to read more, it was a super eventful day yesterday.
We are changed, to the degree we are given a new creation. We did not have that before. The incorruptible part of us, (1 Peter 1:23), does not sin (1 John 3:9), that is the new man, the part born of the Spirit. But the corruptible part, our flesh & blood, that is the part that will not inherit the Kingdom. Yankee Arnold did a video (or two) on inheriting the Kingdom. It helps explain what all the ‘big sin’ passages mean, and how some can be far more harmful to us of course, even as all are the same as in causing us death.
It sounds like this man is saying if you don’t keep the 10 commandments you’re not saved? Was the incestuous adulterer, who wasn’t even sorry over his sin, keeping the commandments? No, he would be severely punished, but still saved (1 Cor 5). Sexual immorality is mentioned separately from other sins as being against the Temple, (our body)-1 Cor 6:16-20. Disrespecting His blood (like seen in 1 Cor 11 as one example. There were those who came to the Lord’s supper for the purpose of getting drunk, didn’t say they accidentally did, or just deal with drunkness in general, which grieves His Spirit, but of a certain type of disregard for His sacrifice in the memorial of the Lord’s suppers. Also similar to the Hebrews who were considering going back under the Temple sacrifice, acting as if His blood were not Holy, and trampling Him under their feet, and insulting the Spirit of grace.
So we do see some things can cause severe consequences in a believer’s life. It can also potentially harm interest in hearing abou eternal life from those watching us live in egregious sin (or even self righteousness). They’ve got to be thinking, ‘Oh yeah, I really want to get adavice from you.’ I’ve seen believers with no remorse (the Bible regards it too – 1 Cor 5:1-2), and who have grown hardened by the ‘deceitfulness of sin’ (Heb 3:13), or are walking in false doctrine and they cause so much harm.Those Scriptures are there for our example. Never once did the writers say these people weren’t possessors of eternal life. So we pray for them, we encourage them to spend time in His Word which will help them so much. But never beat the sheep, feed them and tend them (John 21:15-17) if we love Him. So many out there tripping up believers, and keeping the lost lost.
I thought I had said something before, but didn’t see, I really suggest (if you have not) that you listen to Pastor Cucuzza’s series on Understanding the two natures, it will be super helpful.
Part 1 -https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/72141043258
Part 2 – https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/75141155464
Having a ‘deep understanding of the new birth….’?
How does a sinner who is without strength, not good, not godly, not righteous have a ‘deep understanding’? How does one not even on the milk of His Word as a baby understand these things? If you are quoting him rightly, “if we’re not willing to give up our life for a higher, holier one….” he is putting words into God’s mouth.
We know absolutely that there is a difference between discipleship (which means pupil/student) and is a process, and justification. These people are subtle, and may not realize what they may be causing. All of us believe people should do certain things, and we want them to. And the remedy for the ones that are not is not to accuse them or undermine their assurance, but to encourage them to spend time in His Word and avoid those who currupt the simplicity that is in Christ, and not bear with them (2 Cor 11:3-4).
P.S. – He strikes me as the type who would argue that Felix was not saved because he wasn’t willing to let go of his sinful lifestyle. There are a lot who hold that view, that that’s the only reason Felix remained lost, and so any person who is not willing to part with sin cannot be saved, according to their logic.
Steven, did you mean Felix, or did you possibly meean Simon from Acts 8? I don’t really remember Felix believing, I’ll have to go look again. Sin is in our flesh. How can someone who is only in the flesh have the right kind, the right amount of willingness to do this? And what amount is acceptable? They’re willing to give up 50%? 75% or all? And for how long? And how sincere?
This is why our dear Lord was so merciful in telling us to believe upon HIM, not ourselves.
Hi Holly!
Could you clarify what you meant when you said, “It can also harm the potential eternal life of those watching us.”
Yes, I did in fact mean Felix, but I did not mean that he believed. He did not. What I meant was that LS people usually say that the reason Felix didn’t or couldn’t believe/be saved was because he was unwilling to forsake his life of sin. In other words, he wasn’t willing to forsake his taking bribes, his adulterous marriage to Drusilla, etc, and so he was beyond being saved. It’s that whole, “You cannot be saved if you’re not willing to give up your sin” approach. Felix just didn’t believe the truth, and we don’t necessarily know why. I’m sure he didn’t particularly want to give up his sins, but that wasn’t a requirement anyway. He just didn’t believe, for whatever reason. Maybe he thought it was all nonsense. Maybe, though he shuddered at the thought of judgment, he didn’t really believe it would happen. Maybe he didn’t really believe his sinfulness separated him from God, and figured he was fine and good to go. We don’t know. But LS people will say that a person might even want to believe, or they may even believe “in their head,” but because they won’t turn from their sin, they cannot be saved. Example, a man living in adultery hears the truth, is convicted, believes (though they would say he doesn’t genuinely believe), but is hesitant or refuses to end his affair (at least in that moment). They would rule that man unsaved, and incapable of being saved until he is willing to leave the relationship. Even if he heard the truth and believed it. I hope that clarifies what I was saying.
Hi Steven, thanks for asking for clarification, I could have worded that better. Let me give you a ‘for example’.
A non-believer, watches believers committing egregious sins, worse than the non-believers (1 Cor 5:1). With no remorse for who they hurt (1 Cor 5:2). Why would a non believer want to hear the gospel from them? Therefore hurting them potentially believing by their poor behavior. Same with the self-righteous who are believers. I think they can be a real turn-off to these.
Does that make more sense?
I see what you mean about Felix. I was wondering. We don’t have a Biblical record of Druscilla being an adulteress, only historical poentially. I think people go beyond what is written (1 Cor 4:6) and that’s where we can get into trouble. If we just look at what it actually says, all we can know is it shook him up (frightened him). And we cannot know if he came to believe, or did not. It doesn’t say. But what I don’t think it says is what they are saying. If talk of the judgment and righteousness made him afraid, it could have been a seed planted. We know he wanted money and that he also wanted to do the Jews a favor, so political expediency was in view. But again, people go too far.
This head vs. heart knowledge is nonsense, head, heart, inner man are often used interchangeably in Scripture. They need to stop going beyond what His Word says, and use God’s Word vs. corrupting the simplicity in Christ.
Edited the comment for more clarity, thank you Steven.