“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).
My background is a Baptist background. My daddy was a Baptist deacon and my mother taught a Sunday school class in a Baptist church. When I got saved, I was at a Southern Baptist vacation Bible school and later got baptized at the First Baptist Church in Raytown, Missouri.
While doing special music at the Southern Baptist Convention, I went forward to accept the call as a Baptist minister. I went to a Baptist university where I was studying to be a Baptist pastor. While I was there I met a Baptist girl who was studying to be a Baptist missionary. We got married in a Baptist church and had two Baptist children.
I accepted the call (the telephone call) and became senior pastor of a Southern Baptist Church. My world was a Baptist world and I lived completely within my world. I’m not saying that I looked at things one-sided, but I felt that if you weren’t Baptist, then something was wrong with you.
On July 4, 1973, Dr. Jerry Horner, who was my Greek professor at SBU, laid hands on me and I was filled with the Holy Spirit. My entire world changed and I came to some startling revelations. One was this. Even though spirit filled Christians believed in the same God and Jesus as the Baptists, there were some great doctrinal differences.
Shortly after being “Spirit-filled,” FGBMFI (Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International) put me on their circuit. I was advertised as the Southern Baptist pastor that got spirit filled. At almost every meeting someone would ask me this question. “Do you believe that once we are saved, we are always saved?”
This question always surprised me. In some ways it reminded me of the old rock and roll song “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” The answer to that song is this. If you truly love someone, then true love never dies.
Likewise, I felt the same way towards salvation. If a spirit was truly converted and reborn and if old things had truly passed away, and if the old man was dead, then there was no turning back.
We can spend countless hours debating this issue, but we can make the question useless by doing this one thing. Accept Jesus, love God, be obedient to His Word and don’t turn back and then you win no matter who is right.
“But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless” (Titus 3:9).
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Dr. Larry Ollison is founder and Senior Pastor of Walk on the Water Faith Church and founder of Larry Ollison Ministries. With over forty years in the ministry, he is a very popular speaker nationally and internationally and ministers the Word of Faith through radio, television, Internet, and daily e-mail devotionals. As the author of twelve books (including The Power of Grace, The Practical Handbook for Christian Living, Breaking the Cycle of Offense, Life is in the Blood, and recently released The Paradise of God), he is in frequent demand for radio/TV interviews, book signings, and magazine publications.
Dr. Ollison was raised a Southern Baptist. While majoring in theology at Southwest Baptist University, he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For many years he traveled extensively speaking at Full Gospel Business Men's meetings and conventions. He later earned an M.A. in Theology and a Ph.D. and Th.D. from Life Christian University.
Currently President of International Convention of Faith Ministries (ICFM), Dr. Ollison is also Vice-President of Spirit FM Christian Radio Network, Missouri State Director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), and a Trustee on the boards of several international ministries. He is also the host of The Cutting Edge Radio Broadcast and authors The Cutting Edge Daily Devotional.
As the owner of a marine dealership, his extensive business background brings a unique flavor to his teaching. He founded and served as chairman of the Missouri State Marine Board, President of the Marine Dealers’ Association, Vice-President of a bank holding company, along with holding several directorships in various corporations.
Dr. Ollison's strongest areas of teaching are the blood of Jesus, faith, relationships, the Hebrew language, the Holy Spirit, the end times, and heaven. During ministry, he operates freely in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His use of humor and his ability to make a theological concept simple makes it enjoyable and easy for everyone to understand. Countless testimonies have been received from people who say their lives have been changed after experiencing Dr. Ollison's unique ministry.
Dr. Ollison is a pastor, pilot, teacher, and author. His number one goal is to meet the needs of the people through the teaching of faith in God's Word. He and his wife, Loretta, have two children and six grandchildren.