Menkato V Awomi
Dimapur
The Kingdom of God has always had one entry point and it has never changed. That door is Jesus Christ. He boldly declared in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Salvation is exclusive to Christ alone, and the only reason anyone will not enter the Kingdom is unbelief specifically, not placing faith in the person and finished work of Jesus.
However, while there is only one reason for missing the Kingdom (unbelief), there are many sources that lead to this unbelief. People are hindered from putting their trust in Jesus because of factors such as self-righteousness, false doctrine, man-made traditions, religious systems, worldly pleasures, and a very overlooked cause fear.
Most of us are familiar with self-righteousness and religious traditions. But fear? Many believers and even genuine God-seekers fail to recognize how fear especially religious fear has kept them from fully embracing Christ. And that fear, tragically, is often instilled not by the world but within churches and prayer centers themselves.
Fear: A Subtle Barrier
Fear, in its basic definition, is an unpleasant emotion triggered by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. It can also be called terror, anxiety, or dread. While some fears are natural and protective, others especially spiritual fears are destructive.
In many traditional and works-based church settings, a dangerous doctrine is preached: “If you come to God today, but then sin again tomorrow, you will face double judgment.”
Such teachings are not only unbiblical they are spiritually abusive. They instill a deep fear in seekers, making them hesitant to receive Christ. The logic becomes: “What’s the point of getting saved if I’m going to fail again? I’ll only be judged more harshly.” This fear paralyzes people and robs them of the confidence to approach the throne of grace.
But this kind of fear contradicts the Gospel. It paints God not as a Savior but as a trap-setter—someone who draws us in with mercy only to punish us more severely when we fail. That’s not the heart of the Father revealed through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Did Not Save You to Judge You Again
Scripture is clear: the judgment we deserved was placed fully on Jesus at the cross. God doesn’t play a cruel game where He saves you one day and condemns you the next. His salvation is not temporary or conditional upon your performance.
Jesus said in John 10:27-28:
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
The word “never perish” here is a strong Greek double negative it literally means never ever. Eternal life is not based on your ability to hold on to Jesus; it’s based on His promise to hold on to you.
When we are born again, it is our spirit that is made new, not our body or our habits. Just like a newborn baby is born complete but immature, so is a born-again believer. We need time to grow in maturity. Growth takes process. We may still fall, but that doesn’t mean we are abandoned.
God Knows We Need His Spirit
God doesn’t save you and then expect you to live the rest of your life in your own strength. He gives you His Spirit to help you walk, stand, and overcome. And yes, while sin still has consequences even for believers God does not revoke your salvation the moment you fall. That’s not the Gospel.
Many teachings today imply that if you sin after salvation, you are “worse off” or will be “double judged.” But nothing could be further from the truth. God knew you would fall, and that’s why He gave you the Spirit not to condemn you, but to restore you.
The Cross Was Once and For All
Over and over, Scripture confirms the finality of Jesus’ sacrifice:
Romans 6:10 “The death He died, He died to sin once for all.”
Hebrews 7:27 “He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself.”
Hebrews 9:12 “He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood.”
Hebrews 10:10 “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Once and for all. Not once for some. Not once until you mess up. But once for all time. That includes your past, present, and future sins.
What Happens When a Believer Sins?
We don’t run away from God. We run to Him. We fall in His arms, not outside of them. We are not lost again we are still inside the ark, still in Christ.
1 John 2:1 gives us this comforting assurance: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
Note that John is speaking to believers “my dear children.” He isn’t condoning sin, but he acknowledges that believers may still fall. Yet even in our failure, we are not without hope. We have Jesus Himself, our advocate, standing before the Father on our behalf. And when the Father sees you, He sees Christ. He sees righteousness.
God’s Mercy Doesn’t Excuse Sin, It Empowers You to Overcome It
God is holy, and He hates sin. But His love for you was greater than His hatred for sin. That’s why He punished every drop of sin on Jesus. He didn’t excuse your sin, He executed judgment for it on the cross.
Yes, God can always forgive. But if we persist in sin, consequences follow not as eternal punishment, but as discipline and correction from a loving Father. But never forget: you are not cast out when you fall.
As Romans 8:38-39 declares: “Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
To Those Living in Fear in Nagaland
Many in Nagaland are thirsty for truth and hungry for God. But these fear-based teachings have done great harm. They strip away confidence and keep people at a distance from the very God who longs to embrace them. Ironically, those who preach such harsh messages don’t live sinless lives either. They hide their failures but magnify the faults of others. That is the hypocrisy Jesus condemned in the Gospels.
Let us go back to the truth of the Gospel: You are not under law, but under grace. As Romans 6:14 says, “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Grace is not a license to sin. Grace is the power to live above sin. And even when we fall, grace catches us not to leave us there, but to lift us back up.
What Do You Do When You Fall?
You rise. You don’t wallow in guilt. You don’t hide in fear. You go back to your Father. As Proverbs 24:16 reminds us, “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will rise again.”
That’s how God wants us to see Him—not as a Judge waiting for our next mistake, but as a Father calling us home.
Final Word
Don’t let fear stop you from coming to God. Don’t let false teachings convince you that you’re only safe until your next sin. What God began in you, He is faithful to finish.
Philippians 1:6 assures us: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
So come boldly. Come freely. Come without fear. For perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). And that perfect love is found in Jesus.
