Can I Lose My Salvation?
Notes
Transcript
This morning we are continuing our series “Burning Questions”
Today’s burning question is “Can I lose my salvation?”
Baptist doctrine “Once saveed always saved!”
Free Will Baptist Doctrine (Arminism) You absolutely can lose your salvation. You can freely choose to walk away from the faith.
Calvanism (TULIP) Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irrestistable Grace, Preserverance of the Saints.
Reasons why we cannot
Reasons why we cannot
We are Called with a Permanent Calling
for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
Are Calling and Gifts are confirmed (Proven)
even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,
so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are Rewarded for our Faith
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
We are being Preserved
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are being perfected
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
We are being protected
But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
We will not perish
and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
That is a pretty clear argument for eternal security.
But there is a slight problem.
Problem Passages - Apostasy
Problem Passages - Apostasy
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,
Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.
And then there is Hebrews 6. A very big problem passage.
1. Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2. of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
3. And this we will do, if God permits.
4. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
5. and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6. and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
7. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;
8. but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
This morning I want to focus on verses 4-6...but we do not need to neglect v1-3. So lets wuickly look at these 3 verses.
Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
We are called to press onto towards Maturity. We are not to stay as Spiritual infants forever. That is one readon we are doing this series...these are hard questions. We need to tackle the hard stuff. Life is hard...and if you are going to navigate a hard life you better know some hard truths.
A foundation of Repentance is essential for a new believer. Repentence is an essential doctrine of our faith.
“I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Dead works - trying to earn your salvation.
of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
Ceremonial Washing of hands was just that ceremonial.
Remember when you were a kid and your mom told you to wash your hands. And then she made you show her. THE BACKS OF YOUR HANDS.
Did you wash your hands?
Did you use soap?
Did you wash the back of your hands? In betweenm your fingers and fingernails.
Healthcare workers are instructed to wash their hands for a full 20 seconds.
(Siri...set a timer for 20 seconds)
Surgeons on the other hand, start their day with a 10 min hand wash. The second case 5 mins, then 3-5 mins thereafter.
Resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. These are fundamental teachings of our faith. Elementary teachings of our faith.
The author fo Hebrews is instructing believers to move beyond these elementary teachings (Sanctification)
Grow in Your Faith.
And then he shifts gears and begins talking about apostates.
Who is an apostate?
For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
3 ways to interpret this verse:
These people are legitimate followers of Christ.
Difficult interpretation because of the previous verses we read.
Hypothetical warning
He is not speaking in those terms. It is a real warning.
This is a real warning.
True and False converts. A true convert is someone who fully believes in Christ as Lord.
Who are True Converts? Ray Comfort (TRUE FALSE CONVERSION)
Fruit of Repentance (Zaccheus)
Fruit of Good Works (Col)
Fruit of Thanksgiving (Heb)
Fruit of the Spirit (Gal)
Fruit of Righteousness (Phil)
A False Convert:
Immediate Results. Spring up like a plant
No moisture (No thirst for God)
No roots (No depth)
Receive the word with gladness (No repentance or remorse over sin. No mourning over sin)
Back to Hebrews...he says those who have been:
#1 Been enlightened
Some have seen the light but have not been truly saved.
#2 Have tasted of the Heavenly gift
Some of these people may have been showing signs of receiving gifts.
#3 Been made partakers of the Holy Spirit
They may look saved
#4 Have tasted the good word of God
Sipped...but not internalized.
Scriptural Evidence of Apostates
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.
“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
What Are We To Do?
Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
Final Thoughts
D. L. Moody said, “The law can only chase a man to Calvary, no further.”
“So skilled is error at imitating truth, that the two are constantly being mistaken for each another. It takes a sharp eye these days to know which brother is Cain and which is Abel.” AW Tozar.
“It is my opinion that tens of thousands, if not millions, have been brought into some kind of religious experience by accepting Christ and they have not been saved.” AW Tozar
Folks, If you walked an aisle and parroted a prayer and nothing else in your life ever changed...I fear for your eternity.
