Posted on 05/17/2015 5:59:53 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A common question for many is, "Can I lose my salvation?" I've heard both sides of the argument, and only God truly knows a person's heart, but I can share a few thoughts. The reason there is a debate is because the Scriptures teach that salvation is a gift from God that cannot be earned, but they also offer warnings about falling away. There should be a healthy tension between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. This issue should not create a spirit of division, elitism, or theological superiority.
One school of thought suggests that salvation cannot be lost, as in losing your car keys, but that it can be left, as in walking away from it. This may be why Jesus spoke of the man who said in his heart "my master delays His coming; therefore, I will turn from living a godly life". When the master returned unexpectedly, the servant was banished because he chose to turn from what he knew to be right.
In another passage, Jesus said, "You have left your first love," when speaking to the church in Ephesus (Revelation 2:4). James 5:19-20 adds, if anyone wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, a soul is saved from death. If anything, these Scriptures, and many more, reinforce the fact that we have certain responsibilities.
We should never turn from what we know to be right. Jesus encouraged His followers to be watchful, prepared, and ready for His return. Are we watchful? Are we prepared? Are we ready? (Read Matthew 24:45-51; Luke 21:34.) The Scriptures offer a healthy tension between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility.
The other school of thought suggests that some of those passages are dealing with people who never fully surrendered to Christ. As a result, they fell away. They heard the gospel, but never fully embraced it and turned from their sins; they only had "intellectual" knowledge of salvation. According to this view, the real question isn't, "Can a person lose their salvation" but "Was the person really saved to begin with?"
Titus 1:16 and James 2:14 both conclude that many people "say" that they know God, but deny Him by their lifestyle. I John 2:19 suggests that those who acknowledge Christ initially, but deny Him later, are not saved to begin with: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us."
When it comes to salvation, we all agree that God gets all the glory and all the credit. Salvation is His work. We are never outside of His sovereignty and control: "It is God who makes us stand firm in Christ" (2 Corinthians 1:21). I am convinced, like Paul, "that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing can separate us from God, but we should never ignore the strong warnings about turning from Him.
When we believe the gospel and repent of our sin we "are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession" (Ephesians 1:13-14). These promises are not based on anything that we do; they are based on what Christ did. John 3:36 says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life." Jesus adds, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:28). Again, "It is God (not us) who makes us stand firm in Christ." For this reason, I don't believe that we can lose it.
Our salvation is guaranteed based on the assurances found in Scripture, but we also must "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling" (cf. Philippians 2:12). My goal is to be faithful to the command to preach, witness, and proclaim while understanding that God does the drawing, saving, and sealing.
Again, I believe that there should be a healthy tension between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. This issue should not create a spirit of division, elitism, or theological superiority. At the heart of the division is Calvinism vs. Arminianism. Sadly, brother is shooting brother and sister is wounding sister. Have we forgotten how to show grace to those in the Body who we disagree with? Those who believe you can lose your salvation should not chide those who believe in eternal security - "once saved always saved" is by no means a license to sin - it's a belief in God's guarantee. But on the flip side, those who embrace eternal security should not mock those who disagree.
I can hear it now, "But what about Hebrews 6:4-6." It says, "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace."
Based on my understanding of terms such as "enlightened," "tasted," and "shared," they are not necessarily words linked to salvation. Judas Iscariot was enlightened—he knew a great deal. He also tasted and shared in the ministry of Christ, but we all know his fate. When he fell away, repentance was elusive. His fate was sealed. However, this verse should force all Christians to take inventory.
We all sin and fall short, but the important question to ask is what is the condition of your heart—have you truly repented and believed in Christ as your Lord and Savior, or are you trusting in false assurance? This may be why Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourself as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?"
Our actions reveal a great deal about our relationship with Christ. A.W. Tozer said: "When people find that after being in the church for years they are not making much progress, they ought to examine themselves and wonder whether they have been truly converted."
Has your heart become so hard as to reject Jesus Christ? If so, you can change that today. I'm aware that I'm driving this point home, but I'd rather err on the side of speaking too much about a committed relationship with Jesus than too little. It's never too late to get back on track: "Return to me, and I will return to you," says the Lord (Micah 3:7). God is sovereign but man has a responsibility to repent and return.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Lancaster, California, just North of Los Angeles. He just released his 7th book, Desperate for More of God. Shane's sermons, articles, books, and radio program can all be found at www.wcfav.org.
"Confirmation" is the anglicized word for chrismation -- to receive an anointing and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It's clearly mentioned repeatedly in the New Testament. Anointing with oil was a tradition that also goes back to the Old Testament, but it wasn't completely fulfilled until the arrival of the Holy Spirit in the New.
Thank you for posting this Scriptural view. Infant baptism and any other related rituals are worthless and in my opinion do a disservice to the unsaved. They perpetuate an idea that you can perform certain rituals and be saved without a conversion of your heart. It's unfortunate but this is one of the few areas where Evangelical Christians differ with the Reformed.
**It is indeed a gift; but any gift can be rejected.**
Exactly. The five foolish virgins didn’t take additional vessels of oil to refill their lamps, like the five wise did. They had no more to add when their lamps were ‘gone out’ (Matt. 25:8).
Of the seed that the sower sowed, there was some that sprouted (except the seed die, it cannot give new life. Born again.), that didn’t have staying power (persecution and tribulation that offends. Cares of this world, deceitfulness of riches that choke the word).
That tells me that one can be born again, and lose out; not because of God, but because of the free will of man to turn his back on God, what ever the reason.
Paul said that “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world,..”. 2Tim. 4:10
I don’t believe that Demas was never born again, for Paul was so gifted that I’m sure that he would have discerned if he had been faking his rebirth.
Yes; Scripture that seems to be on BOTH sides of this 'argument' can be found.
You said it, and I beleive it...
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Thank God, he certainly has...He took on the responsibility of our actions...
I have tried explaining this to my wife's uncle several times. He's a great guy. A good family man. He's generous and compassionate. However, he goes to Mass every day and is constantly praying the rosary. He is terrified of the idea that he might do something to keep him from being saved.
I've shared The Gospel with him and explained how once your saved nothing can pull you out of Jesus's hand. It's sad that he doesn't have the eyes or ears to see or hear the truth.
Oldyeller did not lie and you are falsely accusing him of doing so.
Your post in #41 is incorrect in that you are not sealed at baptism.
You are sealed with the Holy Spirit at the moment of your faith in Christ whether you are baptized or not. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward conversion.
Baptism without faith and repentance just gets you a wet sinner.
If anyone is counting on just baptism to be saved, they are not saved.
Could you please reference the verses supporting this?
How does one unseal what God has sealed with the Holy Spirit?
Are you trying to argue that the Gentiles grafted into the good olive tree are not "saved" using your parlance, or that being "cut off" from the same tree does not remove them from a "saved" condition ?
All Catholics are sealed with the Holy Spirit at their Baptism as well as at their Confirmation.
I think there are some who’ve never had salvation but go through the motions. You can tell whether they’re saved by their fruit.
Need a verse to show this.
Ever hear of Christ’s Baptism? Holy Spirit came down upon him.
Ever hear of Pentecost? A pre-cursor of Confirmation for us all.
Sad...I had an aunt like that...Beyond my human comprehension...Seems a spiritual influence...
From what I understand, Catholics believe the Holy Spirit takes a rubber stamp and stamps the 'official' seal on your forehead...
This is not at all what the bible refers to being sealed with the Holy Spirit...
2 Timothy 2:15 is an excellent addition to this thread.
The primary evidence folks use that seems to indicate Eternal Life could be lost, which is what we are ultimately discussing, are found in the following passages - (Romans 11; Hebrews 6:4-9; 10:26-29; 2 Peter 2:20-22). These letters were written primarily to Jewish Believers while the Kingdom of Heaven was still being preached, and BEFORE Paul unveiled the Mystery of the Body of Christ. Failure to understand the differences in what was taught before Acts 28, and after Paul received his Revelation from God for the Church, has caused way too much confusion these last 2,000 years.
When you study the Prison Epistles, you see the awesome plan that was hidden in God until after the KOH was rejected by Israel, unveiled for the Church of this age. (see also metmom’s post #26 for more related verses)
Ephesians 2:4-8 (AMP)
4 But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us,
5 Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).
6 And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
7 He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;
Jesus added this powerful statement:
John 10:27-29 (AMP)
27 The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand.
29 My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all [else]; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father’s hand.
The adoption analogy is one of the best ways to understand God’s Grace - especially in the context of 1st Century Roman Law. Also, its important to understand the difference between the sin nature (spiritual death), and sins committed before or after one is made alive in Christ. You are saved in a moment of time, but sanctification is a process.
Its also important to consider that God IS LOVE. It is His desire that ALL be saved. He will defend your right to reject Him (the only sin that ultimately matters) all the way to Hell, always desiring that you choose LIFE, that you choose HIM!
1 Timothy 2:3-4 (AMP)
3 For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior,
4 Who wishes all men to be saved and [increasingly] to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the [divine] Truth.
2 Peter 3:9 (AMP)
9 The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.
I believe there will be MANY folks, like the thief on the cross, that have/will make a decision for Christ at the last moment of their life. And I suspect we will be pleasantly surprised when we get to Heaven by how many make it.
Yeah, I think I recall reading about that. However, to compare that with what the sinner experiences is not the same as evidenced by the fact believers did not receive the Holy Spirit until Christ had departed.
Ever hear of Pentecost? A pre-cursor of Confirmation for us all.
I've heard of Pentecost where there was a massive outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the believers which was followed by Peter's preaching leading to the salvation of 3000+.....but there is nothing to suggest a "confirmation" as defined by catholicism.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.