How My Misunderstanding of “Non-stick” Pan Almost Cost Me My Salvation.

I still find this memory quite intriguing! I paid a visit to my sister and while at her house, I was very hungry but had no appetite for the food she already had at home. I decided to prepare noodles. Yes, I was craving noodles.

When i stepped into her kitchen, I noticed that she had new cooking utensils. I was especially interested in the pots and pan. “Oh these are non-stick cooking pots, you can never find a burnt item in them. Easy to wash and with these, I don’t have the issue of struggling to wash out burnt food particles” I was so excited! It was my first time of seeing such. I decided to use the pan in preparing my noodle.

I settled in to see a really interesting movie. Half-way into it, I recalled that I had food cooking in the kitchen which I was yet to check. But I didn’t feel any need to go check it out. I said to myself “I’m using a non-stick pan, nothing will happen to the food”. I saw my movie to the end then I headed to the kitchen. Can you believe it???! 😅😅.

Right from the door, I could perceive the dry metallic burnt smell of noodles. The roasting process was half-way done when I quickly switched off the gas. I was confused, and I’m not joiking. When my sister walked into the kitchen, she made a statement that reminded me of my reality in Christ. The moment she said it, the Holy Spirit used it to explain how perfectly my action mirrored the life in Christ we’ve been given.

She first of all asked me “Why are you looking so shocked? You didn’t check on the food, you let it burn. What did you expect?”.

“But you told me that it’s a non-stick pan!!!” I replied with an accusing tone. Now that I recall it, I’m amused at my ignorance. I mean, what did I actually expect would happen? That the pan would only allow heat through it until the food was ready and suddenly stop? Or that it was switch the gas off? Then she made this profound statement that reflects the truth about the Spirit, Soul and body of a believer in Christ.

“I told you it’s non-stick pan. I didn’t say that it’s non-burn pan!”. Right there, it hit me! The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see the analogy.

1 John 3:9 makes a remarkable statement. It states that “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” If you read the chapter before this, it seems contradictory where its stated that if we sin, we have an advocate.

So it sounds like he’s saying two opposing things.”You can sin”, then he says “You can’t sin”. But with an understanding of Spirit, Soul and Body, you can see that in one verse our souls are referred to and in the second one, it’s about our spirit.

Paul said that we’ve been sealed by the Holyghost. It’s our spirits that are sealed. Ephesians 1:13. (It’s like when you read “You’re a new creature” you body and soul are still the same! It’s your spirit that is being referred to).

Now here is the analogy:

Our Spirit is a Non-stick pan. Our soul and body is the food. Nothing that happens in our body and soul can affect our spirit. It’s sealed forever ( Ephesians 1:13) and it cannot sin (1 John 3:9).

We have the same spirit now that we will have in eternity. Our spirit is eternally saved. However, our soul is experiencing salvation as we renew our minds with God’s word. Our bodies will be saved when Christ returns.

Although the pan doesn’t stick, i.e the sin in our bodies and soul doesn’t affect our spirit and right standing with God, it doesn’t mean sin won’t burn your soul and body.

Just because God loves you permanently, irrespective of what you do does not mean you should go ahead and sin all you can. Like I let the fire burn so long, thinking my food won’t burn. It was foolish!

Sin will rub you of your salvation benefits, make your experience on earth miserable and destroy your relationship with fellow humans living on this earth. Don’t give yourself to it. Don’t grow nonchalant about living in the word and prayer. Don’t make excuses for sin. Hate it, refuse it’s rulership over you and overcome it by staying on the word.

Shalom.

💕

Yet to read my book LETTERS TO ABBA? Get your free copy here.