No. 192

Tract Number 192

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"FALLEN"

By Cathy Whitehead

How many innocent people have fallen and become hardened sinners? Souls, once innocent before God, have transgressed by giving in to temptation. They have gone astray and departed from the righteous principles of God. They are fallen from God’s grace and the heart of God is grieved. Fallen women are just wasting away in the deep pit of immorality, sin and disgrace. A life-style of intemperance, self-gratification and sexual immorality has brought them into great bondage. They have formed destructive habits and addictions. They have subjected their hearts and bodies to the control of Satan. God has no place or influence in their lives.

These women were once innocent little children. Some of these broken sinners once sat in church pews and accepted Jesus Christ into their hearts. But sadly and slowly, they became negligent, neglectful and took on a careless attitude toward God and His salvation They chose to go their way and now find themselves deep in sin and despair. Many have hardened their hearts against God as they blame Him for the sorrows in their lives.

Fallen they are, some without any hope of a better life. Sin has brought them low. They can hardly remember that there is a God in Heaven who is willing and waiting to rescue them. From time to time there may be a faint echo in their souls; a memory of the sound of God’s voice. It seems so distant, lost in the innocent days of their childhood. The words of the song “Jesus Loves Me” comes faintly to their minds. But suddenly, a rush of reality comes sweeping over their minds and the possibility of being good is mocked by the presence of an over-powering wickedness. Satan screams his war cry “No one can be good.” They wilt and wither before the raging power of an evil spirit. They faint and forget the goodness of God and His power to set the captive free.

On the battlefields of this war, God sees the carcasses of many fallen soldiers. They are bleeding and wounded. As they perish, their last dying words come forth:

“Tell Mama I love her and Dad!” is the cry of a young soldier of only twenty-two.

“Tell my wife and children I wanted to be brave and fight, but I lost!” comes from the lips of a young man of thirty-three.

“Tell my buddies I gave it all I had!” and another young soldier is carried away to Satan’s prison.

They have tasted of the blood of Jesus Christ. They have crucified Him afresh. The sword of false doctrine has slain and massacred multitudes. The darts of curses and bitter words have poisoned their bodies. The anus of faith have been broken. The feet of them that preach the gospel have been cut off. Casualties of the war of good against evil lay along the battle front and fill the pages of history. These men are fallen from the battle. They no longer hold a position of victor over sin. They can not help the cause of righteousness. Some have died and passed into the pit of wickedness. Some have switched sides and joined forces with evil to fight against truth and the holy army of God.

God had brought great men low because they failed to give him glory. The king of Babylon fell because he became proud of his success. He built a great, wealthy and beautiful city; but it became the habitation of devils. His high place of authority and honor was taken from him. For seven years, he became as one of the lowly animals out in the field. He ate grass like a cow. Why was he so defeated? Because he failed to give God glory for his great success.

Men who have stood for God for years have fallen. They have allowed others to lead them into sin. When Solomon desired God and saw himself as small, trying to lead a great people. he realized his need of God and was blessed. Riches along with wisdom was given in abundance to Solomon. He ruled his kingdom and obeyed God’s commands. But in the later years of his life, Solomon became careless He allowed the worldly, heathen women, given to him for wives in his trading and exchanging of goods with other countries, to turn his heart away from God. They caused him to sin. They brought idols into his kingdom and worshipped false gods. Solomon, who was once great in Gods sight; now he is fallen.

In the Bible parable of the prodigal son, we find that this young man could not be content in his fathers house. He wanted to experience the world with its wine, women and song. Gambling and other evil vices brought pleasure to his flesh but death to his soul. There was a separation from his earthly father and God. He tasted sin and all the things that it could offer. But soon his money was all gone. He found those whom he thought were his friends had forsaken him. His sinful life brought him low. He was fallen. He sank lower and lower, until one day he found himself feeding swine in a field. He was so hungry even the husks that the swine were eating seemed good to satisfy his belly.

Then he remembered his father and all the good things in the home he once had enjoyed. He made the choice and said unto himself, “I will arise and go to my Father’s house. I will say I have sinned against heaven and before thee. I am no more worthy to be thy son, only make me a servant.” The prodigal son was full of Godly sorrow for the wrongs he had done. He realized that he had not only hurt his earthly father but he had also offended God. It mattered not that he might regain the wealth of his former position in his father’s house. His desire was only to be restored to his father. He began to hope for the broken relationship to be mended. He wanted to be close to his father again. This parable of the prodigal son is a lesson to teach us how to restore our relationship with our Heavenly Father. One should feel remorse, regret and have Godly sorrow if he knows he has sinned against God. And just as this father met his son with open arms, so will God meet one who is truly sorrow for the sins that have separated him from God.

God longs for man to love and obey him. He does not want him to fall away into sin and disobedience. He gave His son to die, a Lamb without blemish, that we might have pardon and redemption of our sins. By faith and belief in the power of that blood we become the children of God. That same blood working in our hearts and lives by His spirit, can give us power day by day to obey. By His grace we can say “No!” to every temptation to sin.

It is God’s desire that our salvation be eternal. But some men and women have relinquished and abandoned their rights as children of God by partaking of sin. Adam and Eve lost a beautiful dwelling place in the garden of Eden with God. They failed to believe and obey God’s command. They listened to Satan when he said they would not die if they disobeyed. God told Adam and Eve, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Satan lied to them and said, “Ye shall not surely die.” It was too late when they saw they were cast out and separated from God. One sin had broken a beautiful relationship.

God has said, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. He that committeth sin is of the devil.” (1st John 3:8,9) But Satan has lied again and again through his false teachers and false prophets who say, “Not everyone who commits sin is of the devil. Everybody commits sin.” Which captain are you serving by your obedience? There are only two captains in the great war, Jesus Christ and Satan. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, the King of the City of God. Satan is the prince of darkness, the ruler of this world and the city of Babylon.

Judas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, was the first to become a fallen soldier. He had known God and His Messiah. He was privileged to walk, talk and labor with Jesus in the Kingdom of God. But later in his ministry, the devil came to war against him. Satan tempted Judas with money and a hope of power. Judas gave himself over to the temptation to conspire with the Jewish leaders in exchange for thirty pieces of silver The course which Christ was choosing did not seem as likely to produce the success that Judas had in his mind. He wanted power with men more than the favor of God.

When Judas recognized that his plan had failed, he tried to repent but found no place of forgiveness with God. Many people fall into the devil's snare of believing that they can reject God’s way and then when their way fails they can repent and return to God. Judas repented within himself because he was greatly disappointed that his plan had failed. He repented to the Jewish leaders. But Judas did not repent with Godly sorrow. Because Judas forsook God, God had forsaken him; neither did God convict him nor draw Judas. In his shame, Judas cast away the silver and went out and hung himself, another fallen man. We see them today, ministers giving themselves over to money instead of God. Filthy lucre, such a fitting term, to gain money at the cost of men’s souls. These men are fallen and God has departed from their ministry.

Yes, many who were innocent have become hardened sinners. But we do not have to be that way. We can have a salvation that is eternal. Eternal means everlasting. We do not have to find ourselves in a fallen condition from God.

The key to eternal salvation is found in the Bible. Jesus Christ is the author of our salvation. He said eternal salvation was “TO ALL WHO OBEY HIM.” Are you obeying? Are you reading and praying that the Holy Spirit give you understanding? We must seek him with a whole heart to know God and understand His ways.

If you would be honest before God and your own self, would you recognize that you are fallen? Would there be doubts about your experience with God in the inner depths of your soul? Would there be a faint echo that can not be hushed by Satan’s lies?

“Where do I really stand with God? Am I saved or fallen?”

“My pastor has told me that once I have partaken of salvation I can never be lost.”

“Will I believe what God has written in His Word?”

“Will I believe a man who speaks differently from what God has said?”

Our souls are eternity bound. Our choice is so important. Jesus said to make our calling and election sure. Real salvation brings an abundance of the fruits of God’s spirit in our lives. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering. gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. The Bible tells us if we have these things and they abound we shall never fall. Our salvation will be eternal because by God's grace we do not need to ever lose it through transgression. Jesus Christ, who is in me is greater than Satan who rules over the wicked. Our Captain and our army is victorious. The gates of hell can never prevail against the Church of God. The kingdom of Jesus Christ is not fallen. The kingdom of darkness is fallen. Are you among the fallen?