The disobedient believer. A life saved by Christ but in constant rebellion to His rule over that very life. One that is guaranteed a home in Heaven through Jesus, but doomed to live in a sin-filled hell here on this Earth. A person that claimed the promises of God, then proceeds to reject them daily. You may read these words and either deny this is possible, or you may immediately question who would live this way. But friends, the world is full of people living this way. The world is full of those that are “saved but lost.”
God gave me this term in one of the past 5MC posts and it has resonated greatly with me. Since then I have observed numerous lives that follow this pattern. They have what appears to be a genuine salvation experience through Jesus Christ, yet they are living a life saturated in sin, powerless to experience the freedom Christ came to grant us. That is the freedom found in following Him, His way, using His rules, all the while denying oursleves and our sinful fleshly desires.
Most unbelievers see Christianity as an oddity in the religious world. A living God that promises free eternal salvation requiring nothing in return is something to be merely taken advantage of. Ask Jesus to save you, check the box and you’re done. Bam, I’ve got a home in Heaven, know I can live any way I want. Yes, it’s true that God Word promises us that our salvation can never be lost, for God is truth and what He promises in that perfect truth cannot ever be revoked. Yet, in a major caveat, as you ask Jesus to save you from your sin, He promises to not only do so for your eternity but for your present as well.
You see, God is like a master baker. He knows how to make the perfect cake. He has made billions of these cakes and He has the perfect recipe. Just the right amount of grace, mercy, forgiveness and love added in from Him. And just the proper amounts of humility, repentance, obedience, belief, and love from us. (You know what? Better double that humility needed from us!) And when God’s recipe is used you will see not a life that is saved but lost, pursuing it’s own way, but a life that is full, rich in peace, and abounding in the joy of Jesus. The only kicker here is that you’ve got to let God be the baker. Get out of the kitchen and let Him make the cake. You see, when it comes to being saved but lost, the individual is always challenging God for control of the kitchen.
Samson’s life follows this tragic pattern of saved but lost. A man consecrated, dedicated, and sanctified by God. God blessed Samson with his Spirit, granting him the superhuman strength to do the work of God. But he squandered it as he mixed in ingredients that God didn’t want. Samson mixed in adultery, lust, rebellion, disobedience, and revenge into a cake that was far from glorifying God.
Today in Judges chapter 16 we see the eventual demise of Samson. It came at the hands of yet another gentile woman, yet another ingredient that Samson added into his cake. At heart Samson was a playboy. We see that He pursued three different women in scripture, all gentiles, two out of wedlock, all in great sin before the Lord. Samson was like so many today, they want the satisfaction of sex without the confines and commitment of God’s marriage. But folks, it's glaring, God will not bless sex out of wedlock. This rang so true in the life of Samson.
In a verse that sums up the life of Samson we’re told in Judges 16:4, “he loved a woman.” Regardless of their quality, character, honesty or love of God, Samson loved them. And he had the ability to pick some real winners. His first wife nagged him and cried for seven straight days until he divulged the riddle answer she desired. Talk about horrible manipulation. I think any guy would give up the goods after 7 days of crocodile tears, whimpering and whining. Then comes Delilah. And folks, she makes His first wife look near perfect. Delilah is the master manipulator. She is the ultimate puppet master. She uses Samson. And Samson blindly loved her. And his sin cost him greatly.
Samson loved Delilah but Delilah loved money. The five Philistine elders (Judges 3:3) each promise Delilah 1,100 shekels of silver if she can find out what the source of Samson’s strength is. One shekel is about half an ounce and considering she would receive 5,500 shekels, that would have been about 140 pounds of pure silver. This was a huge sum of money and would have instantly made Delilah very wealthy. We’re told in scripture that the love of money is the root of all evil, and Delilah’s love of money causes her to sell out God’s man. And she is more than equipped for the job.
Once again, Samson sits at the feet of a master manipulator. Seeking selfish pleasure instead of heeding God’s laws. This allowed Delilah, through false love, sex, and emotional gimmicks, to get the truth out of Samson on the fourth try. His hair is cut, and as a result, we see the real reason that Samson lost his strength.
“And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.” Judges 16:20
Samson had been living saved but lost so long, the Lord left Him. You see, There is a point where we can grieve the Holy Spirit that lives within all believers. (Eph 4:30) When we sin against God it hurts Him greatly. And to take it a step further, if we recklessly and defiantly live in and embrace our sin, we can in our constant disobedience, completely extinguish the Holy Spirit. (1 Thess 5:19) (Note: this is not losing your salvation but grieving God to the point that he removes His Spiritual influence in your life) This is where Samson finds himself. Living a life, saved but lost. Living a life that has so hurt God, that God removed His Spirit from Samson. He removed Samson’s superhuman strength. Without God, Samson was as weak as a mouse.
So, what does a life look like that is saved but lost? Bondage. Samson finds himself a prisoner, both eyes gouged out, bronze shackles around his ankles, grinding wheat for the enemy, being mocked in his weakness. Even his God is being mocked as weak. God had equipped Samson to live a life of freedom, triumph, and victory but his sinful, selfish decisions brought him to a place that God never intended for him. Living in bondage, slavery and torment from the sin in his life.
Today, are living the life of Samson? Are you living a life that is saved but lost? Are you experiencing triumph through your obedience to Jesus or are you experiencing the prison cell of sin? If you are living in bondage to sin, today, it can stop today. Admit your sin to Christ and repent and turn away from that sin. Leave it. Get on your knees and pray to God that he empower you to vanquish the sin that so tempts you. He is faithful to hear and deliver you. You can live the full and abundant life that Christ has for you today, but that decision lies within you. You must believe, you must deny yourself and you must let Jesus rule your life.
You and God can’t both make the cake. Let God be the baker, let His recipe rule your life and as a result, life will be as sweet as a double chocolate three layer cake with pudding in the middle.
Bless another today before you seek to be blessed.
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