Valentine's Day Killer

 

It is the day after Valentine's Day and I am sitting in a cell. I know I am in a crappy situation, but all I can think about is what I did yesterday. Do I feel sorry? Of course not! Some people might think I should feel sorry, but those people deserved what I did to them. After all the torment they put me through every single godforsaken day, it was only a matter of time before I would be able to enact my revenge. I knew that one day the universe would look down upon me and allow me to pay these people back. What exactly did I do? Oh, you wouldn't believe it if I told you. You would probably think to yourself, "How could such an innocent young teen do such a horrendous thing?" But, trust me, I am FAR from innocent. Sure, at one time in my life, I was innocent, but after so many years of dealing with these people, my innocence has eroded. I know you would like to know what exactly I did. After all, as this jail's therapist, you are being paid to listen to young people like me share their stories right? Well, I will tell you, but first I need to give some back story because, as you will see, what I did yesterday was a culmination of all the wickedness that was dealt to me for many years. If you have the time, I would like to tell you my story now. I know you are going to want to "diagnose" me afterward, but I do not care because I am not crazy. You will see that everything that I did was not the work of a crazy person, instead, it was done by someone who has been tormented and scorned. 

My Back Story 

My story goes back to my freshman year at Wasson High School, the home of the Thunderbirds. I always hated that school with a passion. You see, I was supposed to go to Harrison High School, where all of my friends were, but I was placed in a foster home. Can you believe that? Me, in a stupid foster home? It was all because my mother wanted to see both her and I be killed by the police. What kind of mother would do that? You would think that I would hate my mother because of this, right? Well, I do not. I actually pity her. She has lived a tough life, probably tougher than I could ever experience. Anyway, so ever since I started at this new school, the kids there have always treated me like I was some sort of outcast. They did not realize it, but I have always noticed their stares as I walked through the halls. I even would hear their whispers about me too. I just would choose not to react. Isn't that what I was supposed to do? I know Jesus talked about turning the other cheek and all that. This would go on for the entire year. I think they all must have thought I was some sort of freak since I was a ward of the state. Needless to say, I literally had no friends that year. I had no one to turn to when the voices began talking to me. The voices would tell me how I was better than everyone and how none of those wannabes deserved to be in my presence. To be honest, I actually found solace in these voices because I felt like they truly understood me. I even attached names to the voices: Alex and Jessica. Alex sounded like a gruff lumberjack and Jessica sounded like a sweet angel from God. True, they were polar opposites, but I grew to love them both equally. In retrospect, I think this led the other kids to think I was even more strange, and they decided to shun me even more. I did not really care whatsoever because I had Alex and Jessica as friends. They were all I needed in this godforsaken life. 

Then Sophomore year came around and that is when this girl in my history class began paying attention to me. Her name was Toni Harrison. I was pretty surprised that she would even look my way because she was one of the popular girls. It all started when I was about to walk into class one day and she approached me out of nowhere. 

"Are you Mark?" She quietly, but innocently asked me. At first, I did not know how to respond. So, I stood there in silence and just gawked at her long legs. She asked me the same question again. 

"Uh, yeah, why?" I managed to get out and she looked down to the floor, and then back up to me. I felt sorta sheepish at this moment, but I was enraptured by her beauty. 

"Don't trust her, kid" Alex ordered me, but I just ignored him. Sometimes Alex can be so ignorant. I love him like a brother, but I do not need him to tell me who to trust. I am a pretty good judge of character. Besides, a pretty girl like her seems harmless. 

"Well, I am friends with your foster brother, Mike" She calmly says and I immediately feel angry because me and Mike do not even get along. He is always starting fights with me back home. All of a sudden, I do not like where this is going. So, I begin to turn around to start heading into the classroom. She grabbed my arm and I froze in my tracks. What does she want from me, I wondered. 

"Look," She says, "I know you and Mike aren't the best of friends..." Her voice trails off. Of course, we are not the best of friends. We are not friends at all! Why would I even consider being friends with someone who is always talking trash about my mother? 

"Mike just told me a lot about you and I thought you seemed interesting" She finally told me. Interesting? What exactly did Mike tell her about me? I shudder to think about it. She then proceeds to ask me if I'd like to go on a date with her to the movies this weekend. I am stunned by this request. Up until now, no one even wanted to be my friend, and now the most popular girl in school is asking me out for a date! Something is not adding up here. 

"I am telling you, kid," Alex says, "She ain't right in the head. Get away from her now!" I chose to ignore him because I wanted to believe that she was being genuine with me. For once, I believed that fate was smiling upon me. Needless to say, I agreed to go to the movies with her this weekend. She tells me that is great and that we can meet up at Rudd Park on Friday afternoon and walk to the theater together. I am elated by this for the rest of the day. It felt like I was on cloud 9. 

Then, Friday comes and I am getting dressed up in my best outfit that I have. I decided to take two showers that day and I even wore some Old Spice cologne too. Mike sees me and tells me congratulations on the date. I was surprised by his reaction because I thought he hated me. I reluctantly tell him thanks. As I am heading upstairs, my foster dad, Randy, sees me. 

"Where are you going all dressed up like that,  son?" He says with a big smile on his face. I tell him that I have a date and he seems genuinely happy to hear that. I know he and Carolyn have been trying to get me to come out of my shell for quite some time now. They must be pleased. As I walked down the street to Rudd Park, I thought of the song Walking on Sunshine. That is how I felt at the moment. Nothing could ruin this mood I was in... Or so, I thought, anyway. As I approached the park, I saw Toni sitting at the park picnic table. She looked absolutely radiant. However, as I approached her, with flowers in my hand, three huge guys came out of nowhere. They dumped a bucket full of vomit all over me and then picked me up and stuffed me in the garbage can! I have never been so humiliated in my entire life. All of them began laughing, including Toni! As I managed to climb out of the garbage can, I angrily stared at the three huge guys, but then my stare focused on her. I could not believe she would do such a thing like this. She seemed like an angel. More like a fallen angel from the depths of hell. 

"I told you not to trust her," Alex breaks into my thoughts, but I am too livid to respond to him. I actually begin to tear up because I am so angry. 

"Aw, don't worry, Mark," Jessica speaks up now, "They will get theirs one day". That does not help much either. Toni noticed that I was tearing up and she dared to mock me! Who the hell does this girl think she is? At that moment, I decided I needed to get away from them before I did something I'd later regret. So, I ran back to my foster home. I just wanted to take a shower and then hide in my room and never come back out. As a result of this, I had to deal with the entire school mocking me for the rest of the year. I began to seriously loathe the students at that school, but I never once told anyone except for Alex and Jessica. Only they truly understood me. As a result, I began to talk to them much more in public and in private. I did not care how I looked at others. They can think I am a nutcase for all I care. I want nothing to do with these freaks anyway. This brings me to the present. 

Junior Year, Valentine's Day 

By this time, I had already fully accepted that my only true friends were Alex and Jessica. I would tell myself that I was fine with that, but I really wasn't. Truth be told, I wish I did have actual friends, other than my voices in my head. However, that is not what the Universe had planned for me. Since Valentine's Day was fast approaching, I had to unfortunately witness other people asking others to the Valentine's Day dance. No one bothered to ask me. No surprise there. I would like to say that it did not matter to me, but that would be a lie. Honestly, I was really envious of all the guys getting hooked up with all the beautiful girls. Even the nerds had dates! This made me seethe with anger. 

"The anger you feel, kid," Alex told me, "It is perfectly natural. You deserve better and you need to do something about it. Take back your dignity!" When I heard that, I immediately knew what I needed to do. I was going to go to the Valentine's Day dance by myself. But, I would do something that everyone would remember for the rest of their lives. Randy has an AR-15 that he keeps hidden in the garage. At least, he thinks it is hidden, but I know exactly where it is because one night when he was drunk, I watched where he placed it. 

The night of the dance, I donned my best suit and tie and went into the garage, and grabbed Randy's gun. Then, I snuck out of the home and began walking to the school. Alex and Jessica are busy arguing inside my head and it is driving me insane. Jessica was begging me to not proceed with my plan and Alex is encouraging me to follow through with it. I decided to ignore Jessica and listen to Alex. She eventually goes silent when she realizes she is not getting through to me. As soon as I walked into the gym, I aimed the gun and began shooting everyone in sight. I must admit, as I watched people dropping to the ground, and others running from me, I felt a sense of power that I never felt before. Alex keeps egging me on and I keep shooting at people. I want to see all of these wretched people die by my hands. I must have gotten too caught up in what I was doing because I did not even notice the SWAT team guy tackle me from behind. Then, he slapped handcuffs on me. At that moment, I realized the fun was over. But, I did accomplish my goal. This year's Valentine's Day will always be remembered. 

Present Day

"So, do you feel any kind of remorse for what you did, Mark?" The therapist asks me with a very stern look. I wonder what he is really thinking after hearing all of that. I looked down at his feet and noticed that one of his shoes did not match.  Then, I looked back up at him with a solemn look on my face. 

"Yeah, I guess I do a little" I reply, "I mean just because they were horrible toward me does not give me the right to play God over their lives right?" The therapist concurs with my question and I immediately feel the weight of my guilt. Why didn't I listen to Jessica? I should have because she has been right all along. 

"What is wrong with me, doctor?" I seriously ask him. He proceeds to tell me that I suffer from Schizophrenia and briefly explains to me what that means. I am surprised to hear that other people hear voices in their heads too. Maybe I am not so weird, after all. I feel a major sense of relief over that fact. The therapist tells me that he is going to refer me to the jail's psychiatrist so that I can get on some medication immediately. He says that it won't make the voices go completely away, but it will make them and my moods a lot more manageable. I agree to take the medication. I am willing to do anything to feel normal. Right before he ends the session, he puts away his notepad and asks if he can ask me a question. I tell him that he can. 

"Do you know Jesus Christ?" He asks me and I find this question a bit odd. I mean, my mother used to talk about Jesus a lot when I lived with her, but I didn't really understand what she was talking about. I tell him no. He straightens in his chair and smiles. 

"Listen very carefully to me, Mark," He proceeds to say, "2,000 years ago, God came to earth as a man to die for the sins of you and me. See, we deserved God's just wrath for our sins, but He loved us so much that He took our punishment upon Himself. Then, He literally rose from the dead. Now, God commands everyone everywhere to repent and ask Him for forgiveness" I found all of this very fascinating. He hands me a Bible and tells me to read the Gospel of John. I tell him that I will as soon as I get back to my cell. I have nothing better to do anyway. 

I am sitting on my bed now and open up this Bible to the Gospel of John. It starts off with a peculiar phrase, 

"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God" 

This sounds very strange. I guess the Word is Jesus, right? I must admit that this Gospel is very intriguing. I love reading the stories. But, are they true, though? I get to the part of the Gospel where the people turn on Him and is sent to be crucified. Why would they do this to an innocent man? Immediately, it hit me. Jesus did this for me because I deserved to be killed. However, He loved me enough to take my punishment! Who would do such a thing? Next, I read about His resurrection. This is an amazing story. I decided right then and there that I wanted to know this Jesus. I close the Bible and I do something that I have never done before. I begin to pray to God. I begin weeping before Him. I tell Him I am sorry for what I did and I beg Him for forgiveness. Once my tears stop flowing, I lay back down on my bed. That night, I had the most peaceful sleep that I have ever had in my entire life. 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

When You Lose Hope-- A Biblical Response

 

Hope is something that many people lack in these modern times. We hear all the horror stories from the news about school shootings, terrorist attacks, and the like. For this reason, it is no surprise that so many people are beginning to lack hope. However, for those of us who profess the name of Christ, we have every reason to have hope in this life. What do I mean by this? Well, in this blog, I shall discuss what the Bible says about our hope. Hope is a powerful thing to wield because it helps us get through all the trials and tribulations we face. When we do not have any hope, we succumb to the devil's schemes. This blog shall be split up into three different categories: God's Sovereignty, All Things Working For Good, and The Future. After you finish reading this blog, I hope you will walk away with a newfound reason to rest in the hope of the Lord, even as this world goes from bad to worse. I will say that these are not the only reasons the Christian has hope. For the sake of this blog, these are the main points I choose to focus on. If you can think of more reasons, please feel free to let me know. 

God's Sovereignty 
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When we turn to Matthew 6:26-29, we read the following words from Jesus Himself, 

"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

The context of this beautiful passage of Scripture is about Jesus telling us not to worry about our lives. The reason that He tells us this is because of God's sovereignty over creation. The birds of the air and the lilies of the field never work and yet the Lord takes care of them. Jesus' question about us being worth more than a bird is a rhetorical device because the answer is obviously a profound yes. God cares more for His people than He cares for the birds and lilies. Since the Lord cares so much for us and since He is sovereign over creation, it is only logical to conclude that He will take care of all our needs. For this reason, Jesus can tell us not to worry about tomorrow. God knows what we need and He has the power to give us what we need when we need it. I personally find this truth amazing because I am a natural worrier. My wife can testify to the fact that I am always worried about something. As a result, I am always bringing my concerns to the Lord and He always comes through for me. I know He will do the same for you too. 

All Things Working For Good 
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The next Scripture verse I'd like to draw your attention to comes from Romans 8:28. When we turn to there, we read the following words from the Apostle Paul, 

"...and we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" 

I find this verse to be a beautiful testimony of two profound truths: God's sovereignty and God's goodness. God is in control of literally everything that happens in this creation. As one theologian once said, "There is not one molecule in all creation that is outside of God's control". Also, not only is God sovereign, but He is also very good. The fact that He is good is evidence that everything He does is also good. This is why He can work everything out for our good. Notice how Paul does not say that everything is good, but that everything works for our good? This is a crucial distinction that must be made. Paul is acknowledging that not everything that happens to us is good. Of course, not everything is good. A woman being raped is not a good thing. A man being jumped by gang members is not a good thing. However, for those of us who love and trust the Lord, everything (including the rape of a woman or the man being jumped) will ultimately work out for our good. We may not fully understand how this will happen in our lives, but we still need to trust the Lord because He cannot lie. I'll admit that there are times in my life when this truth is very challenging for me to trust. However, whenever I am struggling to understand how some tragic circumstance will work out for my good, I immediately think of Deuteronomy 29:29, which says, 

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of the law" 

We may not understand how exactly God will work out everything for our good, and that is not for us to know, but we do know His promise to do so, and for that reason, we hold onto hope. 

The Future
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It is not only in this life that we have hope, but we have hope for the next life as well. When we turn to Revelation 21:1-4 we read the following words from the Apostle John, 

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'" 

This is the blessed hope of every believer in Christ. We will one day reign on the new heaven and new earth with the eternal God. During that time there will no longer be any sickness, pain, or sorrow because there will be no more sin. God will finally do away with all sin and death and we will live for eternity. However, this is not the only thing that will happen during that time. When we turn to 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, we read the following from the Apostle Paul, 

"So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; It is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, then there is a spiritual body" 

On the great and glorious day of our Lord's return, all believers will be transformed into our new and glorified bodies. Paul calls these new bodies "imperishable". The dictionary definition of this word means 

"Enduring forever" 

For our bodies to endure forever, they would have to no longer be subject to decay. This means our bodies will no longer ache or deteriorate because of age. If we have new and glorified bodies, then it logically follows that we will have new minds that will not be subject to decay too. This means that there will be no more mental illnesses. Our mental illnesses will be completely cured on that day and forever! This truth should give us all the more reason to rejoice as we wait for His return. 

I hope that this blog helps you to better understand what it means for a Christian to have hope in this life. We have more reason to hope than even unbelievers because we have a glorious God who is sovereign, is working out all things for our good, and has a glorious future prepared for us. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

How Does Belonging To A Community Benefit One's Mental Health?

 

In today's modern era, many people honestly believe they are better off being alone. These same people consider themselves "loners" who are happy just living with their preferred animals. While there are some benefits to spending time alone sometimes, is this really what is God's best for us? Did the Lord intend for us to just "sit on a mountaintop" completely isolated from all forms of community? I do not believe that this is the case. I believe that the Lord created us for community and in this blog, I shall explain how I have arrived at this conclusion. I will carefully draw my conclusions directly from the Scriptures to make my point. Afterwards, I will discuss some of the mental health benefits of being a part of a community too. The purpose of this blog is to encourage people to be a part of some community, preferably a local body of believers, but any community would suffice. God did not intend for any of us to be "lone rangers" in this world. This is clear from the first couple of chapters in Genesis. Genesis 1 opens up with God creating the heavens and earth in six days and on the sixth day, The Lord created man. In Genesis 2, we read that God put the man in the Garden of Eden to work it and tend it. He also commissioned the man to name all of the animals in the Garden. After the man finished naming all of the animals, God said something remarkable. In verse 18, we read, 

"Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him'." 

This verse is indeed about God creating a wife for Adam. However, I believe that this verse speaks to the reality of the fact that human beings were created for one another. As people who are created in the Imago Dei, we image the Triune God. This means that just like the Triune God is a community in Himself, as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so are we made to be in community with other human beings. We do not glorify God when we separate ourselves from other people. As a matter of fact, I would argue that we actually glorify the Lord even more when we are in the midst of a community. This does not in any way mean we should never take time away to be alone with God. We see Jesus Himself doing this a lot in the four Synoptic Gospels. However, our alone time should never replace our communal time. The next verse that I'd like to draw your attention to is Hebrews 10:24-25, which says, 

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together. as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" 

As you can see from this text, the writer of the Hebrews is telling us that we should not forsake the gathering. In the proper context, he is talking about the gathering of believers in the church. The reason he is saying this is because we need one another so that we can encourage each other unto "love and good works". The writer to the Hebrews perfectly understood that as Christians we need one another. When we act as if we can handle the Christian life alone, we are more susceptible to the devil's attacks because we are more vulnerable. I watch a lot of atheists on YouTube and one thing I found in common with a lot of their deconversion testimonies is that at one time they stopped going to church. This should show you the importance of being a part of the Christian community. Finally, the last passage I'd like to draw your attention to is 1 Corinthians 12:17-19, which says, 

"If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But, as it is, God arranged the members of the body, each one of them as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body" 

From this text, we can clearly see that God has chosen us to be part of His body. As different parts of His body, we each have a unique function, and no part is more important than another. As a matter of fact, just like our human bodies cannot function properly without one of its parts, so the body of Christ cannot function properly without one of our unique parts. Every person who makes up Christ's body is needed for it to properly function in this world. It is for this reason that we should never look down on one another because we understand that each member of the Body of Christ is needed no matter how insignificant they may seem. As a matter of fact, Paul tells us that it is the insignificant parts that should be esteemed with even more honor (verse 23). 

So, what does all this have to do with mental health? The more that I think about this, I have found three ways that being a part of the community benefits our mental health. These three things are not the only benefits, but for the sake of this blog, they are the three things I am choosing to focus on for now. If you can think of any more, please feel free to share your ideas in the comments below. 

Community Satisfies Our Sense of Belonging 

Every single one of us has an innate sense of belonging. If you take a moment to reflect on this, you will see I am speaking the truth. Why do you think gangs are so popular? It is because in a gang people feel like they are accepted by a group of people. Back in the times when people were hunter-gatherers, the men hunted for their tribe, and the women cooked for their tribe. Everything they did was for their tribe. One could say that communal living is engraved into our DNA from the dawn of time. This is why studies have shown that people are much more content when they belong to a church, sports team, choir, or some other group function. We were made to belong with other people. 

Community Develops Transparent Relationships

When you belong to a community, it is a lot easier to develop relationships with others. As we have seen in Genesis 2, man was not created to be alone. While I understand that being transparent with others is scary (who desires to be vulnerable in front of others?), it is very beneficial. Many people have told me over the years that they have found that when they open themselves up to others, they are surprised to see how many people can honestly relate to them. There is hardly any greater feeling in the world than finding out that other people can relate to you. This is why support groups, such as AA, NA, or Schizophrenic Anonymous, are so successful. These groups provide the comfort of relatability for people who are struggling. 

Community Provides Never-Ending Support In Difficult Times 

A couple of years back, I was in the hospital for three months due to a perforated colon that almost killed me. During this time, I almost lost my faith in God. However, it was during this time that the Lord used people from my church, and my sisters, to step up to the plate and show me the undying love and support of Jesus Christ. They literally were the arms and legs of Christ during one of the worst times of my life. It was because of their love and support that carried me through that difficult time. In the same way, when you belong to a community, the community will support you through your various trials and tribulations. As Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us, 

"And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him--a threefold cord is not quickly broken" 

When we belong to a community, it is much easier to face life's many obstacles. When we are alone, it is much easier for us to be broken and defeated. I believe this is why God wants us in community with one another. 

I hope that this blog helps you to understand why we need to be in community. As I have already said, we were not created to be the "Lone Ranger", nor is that even a possibility for a Christian. We definitely do need one another. Besides, we will be spending an eternity with our Christian brothers and sisters, so we may as well get used to them in this life. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and please share this with someone you think may need to read this. Thank you very much for reading and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

What Happens To One's Mental Health When They Deny Eternal Security?

 

The doctrine of eternal security, also known as "Once Saved, Always Saved" or "Perseverance of Saints", is a hotly debated topic in many Christian circles. Some Christians think it means that you can live any way you want to and still be saved, while other Christians believe this doctrine is one of the most beautiful Gospel truths in the Bible. This topic has been debated throughout every century since the inception of the Christian church. What exactly is the doctrine of Eternal Security? According to Wikipedia, Eternal Security is

"the belief that from the moment anyone becomes a Christian, they will be saved from hell and will not lose their salvation" 

That is a very simplistic definition of this doctrine, but what does the Bible say concerning this issue? In this blog, I shall be discussing what the Bible says and then I will discuss what happens to one's mental health when they deny this doctrine. I believe that the Eternal Security doctrine is an amazing truth that every Christian must embrace. It means that no matter how you live, your salvation is secure in Christ. Does this mean that you can go on sinning? Well, no, but when you do sin, you are covered by the grace of Christ's atoning work on the cross. God has given you a new heart with new desires so that you can live in a way that glorifies God. I understand that you want me to give the Bible scriptures that support this position right now. The first scripture I'd like to draw your attention to actually comes from the mouth of Jesus Himself. John 10:28 tells us, 

"I give them eternal life and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" 

As you can see here, Jesus is clearly telling us that anyone who belongs to Him will never perish because no one can snatch us from His hand. Some Christians say that we can choose to leave Christ on our own, but that would imply that we can "snatch" ourselves out of His grasp, but Jesus says that NO MAN can do that. This would include ourselves. When we come to Jesus Christ for salvation, we will never perish because we cannot be snatched from His grasp. We can fall into a season of sin, but the Lord still has us in His grip. Another verse I'd like to draw your attention to comes from 1 Peter 1:3-5. which says, 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" 

At the moment of our salvation, we are literally born again in Christ. In the same way that we had no control over our natural birth, we had no control over our new spiritual birth in Christ. It was not up to us, but it was entirely God's decision to make us born again. As a result of us being born again, we now have an inheritance that is undefiled, imperishable, and unfading. This clearly means that we cannot lose our salvation or give it back. If we could lose our salvation or give it back, then that would mean that our salvation was perishable, defiled, and fading, which is contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture. Once we are truly born again in Jesus Christ, we are forever saved and absolutely nothing we do will ever cause us to lose our inheritance. Another verse I'd like to draw your attention to comes from Ephesians 1:3-4. which says. 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him" 

God chose each of us individually before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him. This means that before God created anything whatsoever, He had each of us in mind. He decided that we individually would be seen as blameless before Him, even though each of us sins every single day. He decided that because of what Christ has done on our behalf He would never hold our sin against us. This is an amazing truth that every Christian needs to grasp. Many Christians still hold onto some legalism and it is destroying their hope in this life because the legalism kills. Does this mean that we can go around living like a devil? Of course not! Paul tells us in Galatians 2:20, 

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" 

Our identity is found in Jesus Christ and that means we have been crucified with Him. This means that we are literally dead to sin. How can we ever go on living in sin when we are dead to it? No, if we are truly born again, then we will live a new life that is pleasing and glorifying to God because it is no longer us living, but instead, it is Christ living in us. So, what about people who profess faith in Christ who end up walking away from the faith? 1 John 2:19 tells us, 

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; if they had been of us, they would have continued with us" 

When someone who professes to be a Christian walks away from the faith, that is evidence that they were never truly saved to begin with. All that they had was a false profession of faith. I know this is a difficult concept to grasp because we all know someone who seemed to be in the faith for thirty years and then walked away. However, the Scriptures are clear about them walking away as evidence that they were never saved to begin with. All they had was a very deceitful work of the flesh that convinced them they were when in fact they never truly were saved. 

So, what does all this mean for mental health? I have realized one distinctive way that our mental health is affected once we deny the doctrine of Eternal Security. I will get into this in a moment, but before I do, I'd like to say that this is not the only effect. This is just the only one I would like to focus on for the sake of this blog, but if you can think of more, please let me know in the comments below. Now, it is time for me to explain the three things that happen to your mental health when you deny this doctrine. 

Mental Unrest 

When you deny this doctrine, you fall into mental unrest. What I mean by this is that you can never find any peace of mind because you are constantly worried about losing your salvation. When you deny this doctrine, you end up constantly worrying about whether or not a certain sin will cause you to fall out of favor with God and damn you to hell. As someone who used to believe this way, I can personally testify to how bad this way of thinking is on one's mental health. When I was younger in the faith, I was fully aware that I would sin every single day and every moment of the day. My conscious was very weak and as a result of this, I would always think that any time I would sin my salvation was lost. It is for this reason that I can identify with Martin Luther so well. Before he converted to the true Gospel, he was constantly plagued with guilt to the point of constantly confessing every little sin to the priest. As a result, his priest will tell him to not come back until he commits some "real sins". When you do not have a proper understanding of God's grace in Christ, you will always be plagued with guilt and be in a state of mental unrest and anxiety. 

I hope that this blog helps you to better understand the doctrine of Eternal Security and what it means for your mental health when you deny this doctrine. Grace is amazing when you truly understand once you are born again, you will never lose your salvation no matter what you do in this life because your salvation is dependent on God and not on yourself. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this blog and please share this with someone you think needs to read this. May the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website