This question of the assurance of salvation has come up again in my "circle".
The Bible teaches that once we’re saved we’re saved forever.
I can see where not knowing that comes from.
I really can.
It comes from just refusing to believe that man has absolutely no provocation in the process of his salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
It comes from the firm heretical conviction that I have played a small part in getting myself saved.
“After all. I had the common sense to come up for the alter call didn’t I?”
“If there was something that I did to get myself saved then it’s something that I do that keeps me saved.”
Never mind that we’re told by the Word Of God that it is the Spirit which seals us.
2 Corinthians 1: 21-22
21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,
22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.
Never mind that it is God that has a plan for ours lives.
Romans 8:29
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Now we’re expected to believe that God didn’t consider that we might want to leave. You call that omnipotence?
We’re told our names were written in the Lambs Book Of Life before the foundation of the world.
Revelation 13:8
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
But we’re to understand that it’s written in pencil with a fat eraser on the other end. Oh I know the next quote.
Revelation 3:5
"He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."
“See here? Insinuates that our names CAN be erased!”
Well, it says outright that He will not do it!
”To the one that ‘overcomes’ He won’t. THERE! Gotcha!”
Not at all. Who’re the ones that “overcome”?
1 John 5:4
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith
And then sooner or later somebody will say, “I know somebody that said they were saved. They had a Marlboro dangling from their lips and a beer in their hand and every other word they said was a profanity and they were adamant that they were a Christian. Born again and had the assurance of salvation and said that Pastor Joe Bob said that no matter what they did they’d never lose their salvation cause they stepped up at that alter call and signed that dedication card and by golly they’re a child of God.”
Let me tell you something...
1 John 1:4-10
4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
If anybody is out there living in hedonist sin and says he’s a Christian and a child of God, He’s a liar!
Period, dot.
And how can anybody say, “But...but. He said he accepted Christ at that revival.”
Big fat deal! I can say “I’m a toaster.” But am I making toast?
I don’t subscribe to this idea that just because somebody steps up to the alter just because 50 other people are headed up there, says a bunch of words that nobody explained to him what they meant, and gets sent off to a side room where “our trained councilors are ready to give you a paperback New Testament and a Jack Chick tract,” is necessarily saved. Unless they came to believe it makes no difference what words they said. Especially when there is no evidence that such a transformation took place.
"What? You mean I can just go out and live any way I want?"
Well, if you are saved and have the Holy Spirit in you, (Rom 8:9), how do you want to live?
Conditional salvation people will quote all the verses where the believer must abide, must walk in the light, “faith without works is dead.”
You’re darn right we’re to abide! And run the race with endurance. But this is not to “earn” or “keep” our salvation.
Abiding is PROOF of our salvation. You want to find the Christian in the crowd? Look for the one that’s abiding.
This is John’s whole point in writing 1st John.
1 John 5:13
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
The entire epistle is devoted to combating the heresy that how you live your life doesn’t matter.
That false teachers (Gnostics) were coming in and saying they were “spiritual” and what was done in the body had nothing to do with whether they have salvation. John says that they are liars!
1 John 2:4-5
4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:
Now, just as then, there were those that thought hedonism and salvation were compatible.
That's not true by a long shot and no (credible) teacher of the assurance of salvation has ever said anything of the sort.
If anybody's out there reading this thinking I'm saying we have license to sin, think again.
1 John 2:18-19
18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.
19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
Hebrews 6:9
But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, (i.e. enduring in the faith) though we are speaking in this way.
I'm quite sure there's plenty of people that have been baptised, memberized, sittin' in the pews every Sunday... Going straight to hell!
"Churchianity" is a disgusting thing.
Peter (1 Pet 1:4-5) describes our inheritance as "incorruptible, and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation"
He is able to keep us from falling.
Are we to believe we’re more powerful than He is?
The true believer will live in the guidance of the Holy Spirit every day. And the believer will have “war waging” within. It is a horrible thing when the Christian back slides. (I know). The war within can make a Christian literally fall face down on the ground. Doubled over in pain. (I know).
It is full of conviction and weeping and is not something the Christian can ignore and act flippantly about.
But I admit there are times when the backsliding has been going on for a while.
Ephesians 4:30
And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
And the voice of the Holy Spirit grows dim. But the Prodigal Son, (the true child of God), in his filth and pig food will say, “I will arise and go to my father...” (Luke 15:18).
We are His sheep.
His property. Bought with a high price. Should we wander the Lord will come get His property. (Matthew 18:12-14)
He came and picked us out of the gutter when we were yet sinners. How much more will He come looking for us if we’re His child gone astray.
He’ll come for us.
And sometimes.....that’s not a pleasant experience.
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