Easily-Lost Salvation

 

 

 

A salvation that’s easily lost

Is no salvation at all,

Such a salvation is fickle even

And surely must be appalled.

 

A salvation that is earned

Can never be a gift,

Such would be recipient dependent

If you catch my drift.

 

A salvation that cost nothing

While available to all

Would be meaningless to most

And few would heed its call.

 

A salvation that cost a fortune

Straight-up, I’d be out

And only a meagre few would attain it

And this is without a doubt.

 

A salvation that is free

But that cost the giver his life

Cannot be an easily lost salvation

But one that conquers strife.

 

 

Yes, a so great salvation

As is mentioned in Hebrews 2

Comes with the wherewithal

To secure both me and you.

 

Yes, a so great salvation

Cannot be easily lost

For it was deliver to us by Christ

At an infinite cost.

 

It cost his precious blood

Spilled on a rugged cross,

Such a salvation cost too much

To be so easily lost.

 

Hence, why God’s offer

Is a total package,

And far beyond what any human

Is capable to manage.

 

 

Thanks to the Holy Spirit

Who comes with this salvation

And indwells every Spirit filled believer

Compliments: God’s redemption.

 

It is maintenance free

And inspires the believer to live,

Such is the so great salvation

That God our Father gives.

 

It’s no easily lost salvation,

In fact, it can’t be lost at all

For it bears an irrevocable seal:

The seal of the Triune God.

 

Thus, not one born again soul

Can pry open Jesus’ hand

For having said yes to the Saviour,

We are under his command.

 

Some have a tendency to argue

The saved can be lost again

But this is a contradiction in itself

And must be considered lame.

 

 

If the saved is easily lost

How many chances do we get

Before we run out of opportunities

And face eternal regret?

 

Born again how many times?

Two or three or even four?

Why, a person can only be born once

Need I say any more?

 

Do you know you are saved?

How many chances have you had?

If yours is a lotto salvation,

My friend, that is too bad.

 

Mine is not, I assure you,

It cannot be easily lost,

However, I glory not in an idle boast

But in the Christ of Calvary’s cross.

 

And so, I end as I began,

With the very first verse,

For if your salvation is easily lost

You’re still under the curse.

 

A salvation that’s easily lost

Is no salvation at all,

Such a salvation is meaningless

And surely must be appalled.

 

Stewart Russell © May 25, 2024

 

Taking Offence

Please do not take offence

I do not mean any,

I just want to share with you

What I heard recently.

 

It seems people offend me

Only when I take offence

And I show I am taking offence

When I go on the defense.

 

Sounds highly spiritual

But this is difficult to swallow

And I will go even further to say

It is somewhat shallow.

 

Don’t use this I beg you

To excuse your bad behavior

Because to me it is false pretense

Under which you labour.

 

 

Few walk around, I'd argue,

Just looking to take offence,

Not if it does not concern them,

No, it doesn’t make sense.

 

I would agree, however,

That some are rather thin-skinned

And therefore, the slightest thing

Is treated as very grim.

A bounce could be major

And a harsh word, more severe,

Never mind serious infractions

That would be harder to bear.

 

Yes, I take offence,

When wrong is done to me

Even though I soon put it aside

Without an apology.

 

Apologies are meaningless

If not from the heart,

And demanding one of someone

Is playing a fool’s part.

 

It is only an offence

When one puts a meaning to it,

Yes, with certain things I do agree

But with others, not a bit.

 

 

It also gives you leverage

To treat me however you like

Since I should never take offence

However severe or slight.

 

I am all for conciliation

And a willingness to forgive

But to pretend not to take offence

Is likely to be short lived.

 

If you pass and do not speak,

That’s not a major worry

But please help me to understand

You are not just unmannerly.

 

If you are unmannerly

This is the behaviour I’d expect

But if something was on your mind

Unmannerly I’d reject.

 

 

Communication is important

And thus, having taken offence,

I would get the proverbial ball rolling

In this particular instance.

 

Hence, allow me to take offence

At least as a means of resolution

Rather than sending a false signal

That just creates confusion.

 

So, no offence meant

And I trust that none was taken

But if there were in any way,

I ask to be forgiven.

 

Stewart Russell © September 9, 2023

 

Stop Immediately!

 

 

If I heard a command

To stop immediately

I would expect the speaker to be

Someone of authority?

 

For example: a policeman

Or military personnel,

A school principal or teacher

Or some warning bell.

 

It’s an urgent command

Implying serious fallout

And this, if the recipient persists,

Would be without doubt.

 

Who would dare disobey

Someone with a gun

Unless he was fast enough

A bullet to outrun?

 

So, stop immediately

Speaks to authority

And that authoritative command

Implies great urgency.

 

I saw a popular evangelist

Blow COVID-19 away

Yet this pandemic is still with us

Up to this very day.

 

His was a stop immediately

That did not materialize

Since COVID is still with us

And not even in disguise.

 

Even with children

“Stop” is losing its weight,

Far less the "immediately",

They’d rather suffer fate.

 

 

One PM to another PM

Regarding a war declaration,

“Stop immediately!” that PM said,

But without recognition.

It was like Jezebel’s prophets

When they prayed to Baal

But Baal did not hear them

So, it was to no avail.

 

The “stop immediately”

Must from a greater power come

Or else it will be meaningless

And nothing will be done.

 

Immediacy and authority

Tend to go hand in hand,

Greatest power is proportionate to

Quickest heed to command.

 

One very popular pastor

And also, another well-known one,

Combined their double anointing

To quell the LGBTQ storm.

 

Another “stop immediately”

That did not make a difference,

The LGBTQ’s effort has not lessened

And definitely not their intent.

 

 

So, a “stop immediately”,

Must be from high up on the list

Of power brokers in the world

To pull off a “cease and desist”.

 

Do note my cherished reader

I have not mentioned any names

So, read this poem as it was written

And none of us will be blamed.

 

Stewart Russell © July 31, 2023