The False Doctrine Of Unconditional Eternal Security
Notes
Transcript
THE FALSE
DOCTRINE
OF
UNCONDITIONAL
ETERNAL
SECURITY
Copyright 1985,1993,2001,2007
Crossroads Full Gospel
International Ministries
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by The International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
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Bracketed comments following some scriptures assist the reader in understanding the intended
meaning of these verses
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CONTENTS
THE FALSE DOCTRINE OF UNCONDITIONAL ETERNAL
SECURITY................................................................................1
FAITH AND UNBELIEF....................................................12
IS ALL SIN THE SAME ?..................................................15
THE BOOK OF LIFE.........................................................19
FREEDOM AND SIN.........................................................20
CAN A MAN BE SAVED AGAIN (AND AGAIN) ?........22
WHAT ABOUT CHRISTIANS WHO STRUGGLE WITH
SIN?.....................................................................................23
WHAT SINS WILL POLLUTE OUR SPIRIT AGAIN ?...28
OUR ETERNAL SECURITY.............................................30
ASSURANCE OF SALVATION (OFFICIAL AG POSITION
PAPER) USA ASSURANCE OF SALVATION.....................35
SALVATION MAY BE FORFEITED OR ABANDONED
BY REJECTING CHRIST..................................................36
THE FALSE DOCTRINE OF
UNCONDITIONAL ETERNAL
SECURITY
Background Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
The subject of “The False Doctrine of Unconditional Eternal
Security” is clouded by misinformation, controversy and scriptural
ignorance, and needs the light of God’s Word to be shed upon it so
that truth can be revealed in relation to the issues it raises. This we
endeavour to do through this teaching book.
At all times we have aimed to present basic Biblical truths
concerning this area, truths which will serve to enlighten Christians
so they may walk in freedom and victory rather than bondage and
confusion. And truth is needed in this area to teach Christians how
they may serve God better, how they may gain liberty and freedom in
Christ, and how they may be released from bondages arising from
past problems and mistakes.
It is for freedom Christ has set us free, and we present these
teachings for this very purpose (John 8:31-32).
“. . .The subject of “The False Doctrine
of Unconditional Eternal Security” is
clouded by misinformation, controversy
and scriptural ignorance, and needs the
light of God’s Word to be shed upon
it. . .”
All around the world, even in Pentecostal churches, there are
two main schools of thought concerning the issue of security for the
Believer. One school of thought is based on the theology called
Calvinism, and the other on the theology termed Arminianism.
1
Calvinism or Reformed Theology is based on the teachings of
John Calvin (1509 - 1564), a Protestant theologian of the
Reformation. Calvinism emphasizes the sovereignty of God in
electing, according to predestination, only some to salvation, based
solely on God’s free and unmerited grace, sovereignly bestowed.
Calvinist teaching is often summarized by the acronym TULIP which
stands for:
Total depravity of man - every aspect of man is sinful and he
is unable, of himself, to even seek for God.
Unconditional election - God chooses who will be saved man has no part in this process of selection. This is called
predestination.
Limited atonement - Christ therefore died only for those
designated to become Believers.
Irresistible grace - man cannot resist the grace of God when
He chooses to draw individuals to Himself.
Perseverance of the Saints - the saved can never become
unsaved.
Arminianism is based on the teachings of Arminius Jacobus
(1560 - 1609), a Dutch Reformed theologian. This theology
emphasizes the role of man’s free will in salvation, and also teaches
that genuinely saved people can forfeit their salvation. Arminianism
is usually contrasted with Calvinism.
“. . .Calvinism emphasizes the
sovereignty of God in electing, according
to predestination, only some to salvation
– Arminianism emphasizes the role of
man’s free will in salvation. . .”
At a basic level, Calvinist doctrine upholds at all costs the
sovereignty of God, so that He and He alone is given credit for
human salvation. This view is called “monergism,” whereby God is
the sole party operating to effect human salvation. Arminius’ view is
called “synergism,” which indicates that God’s grace initiates the
action whereby one becomes saved, but to become effective, grace
cooperates with the human response to this grace. In other words,
2
God calls and man responds. For Arminius this meant that the grace
sufficient for salvation is conferred on the elect and the non-elect;
that is, if they will, they may believe or not believe, may be saved or
not be saved. (Reid, D.G., Dictionary of Christianity in America).
Calvin taught, on the other hand, that man is unconditionally elected
to be either saved or unsaved, and that man’s free will plays no part
in his eternal outcome. Man cannot become saved unless God
specifically draws him. And on the other side of the coin, man
cannot resist the grace of God when He chooses to draw individuals
to Himself. In other words, God alone decides who will be saved and
who won’t - which is predestination. And those God predetermines
to be saved are unable to resist His grace which is bestowed for this
purpose.
Predestination is a primary doctrine taught by Calvinism - that
God elects or predetermines who will go to heaven or hell. This
represents a complete misinterpretation of scripture, for God’s Word
states “Who (God) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto
the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). As stated, other
doctrines associated with Calvinism which likewise deny and
disclaim the free moral agency of man (the innate ability of man to
make choices based on his own free will) are those of “irresistible
grace” (when God calls a man or woman into His Kingdom, that
person will not be able to reject the call) and “the perseverance of the
Saints” (Christians cannot fall from grace). Calvinism thus teaches
that once a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Saviour, that person is
saved forever, no matter what he or she does. In other words, those
receiving Christ have unconditional eternal security. Another
erroneous doctrine springing from the same source is that of “limited
atonement.” In other words, Christ did not die for mankind as a
whole, only for those who have been arbitrarily and irreversibly
predetermined by God to be saved. Such doctrines make a mockery
of scripture, for God desires “that all should come to repentance” (2
Peter 3:9), Jesus having died for the sins of the whole world (John
3:16).
As we have learned, Arminian doctrine teaches that man is
responsible for his ultimate condition, for he is very much a freewilled agent, without a predetermined eternal existence in either
heaven or hell. This view maintains that although God is in total
3
control of His creation and overall Plan, in the scheme of things,
each person chooses, as he yields to God or not, his or her ultimate
spiritual condition and hence destination. If a man or woman
chooses to cooperate with God, by His grace (which is made
available to that person through the Holy Spirit), he or she can
respond to the Spirit’s influence and become saved. God actively
seeks the lost. Each person is responsible themselves for seeking the
Creator, as revealed through Jesus, and is given a lifetime in which to
repent and receive Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Nothing is
predetermined, except the Plan of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Note: Concerning predestination, those who embrace this
doctrine will have a different approach to evangelism than those who
understand the validity and importance of man’s free will in the
process of salvation. Those with a passion for the lost will go to
great lengths to present the Gospel to the lost and the dying in order
to give them opportunity to accept Christ before they leave this
earthly life. Those who believe God has already predetermined the
eternal fate of such individuals will be less inclined to go the extra
mile, believing that God, in His sovereignty, will deal with the
individual, no matter what is done or not done on their behalf. Under
the false light of predestination, the responsibility of the Christian to
respond on a personal level to the Great Commission is severely
minimized. After all, if God will do what He will do no matter what,
the necessity for bringing the message of salvation to those around us
is greatly diminished.
“. . .man is responsible for his ultimate
condition, for he is very much a freewilled agent, without a predetermined
eternal existence in either
heaven or hell. . .”
Before the creation of man, God knew that man would sin and
fall. God prepared for this and so designed a Plan of Redemption
that would satisfy His great and perfect justice (Ephesians 1:4; 1
Peter 1:18-10). According to His foreknowledge, God knew, before
the beginning of time, who would respond to His grace and mercy.
Through His Plan of Redemption, and His provision of mercy to
4
man, even before man came into existence, God predestinated, or a
better word would be “foreordained,” that man would be saved in
Christ.
This point must be understood when we examine such scriptures
as Ephesians 1:5 which speaks of predestination as follows:
EPHESIANS 1:5 Having predestinated (foreordained)
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will
According to God’s Plan, it was “foreordained,” because of the
Fall, for all men to be saved before the beginning of time. For this to
happen, God has done His part, but on man’s part, each must repent
of sin and accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who died on behalf of
all. Predestination in these scriptures is not pointing to people but
rather to the “Plan of Salvation. One writer comments on the issue of
predestination and the Plan of God in this way:
“. . .Predestination in these scriptures is
not pointing to people but rather to the
“Plan of Salvation”. . .”
“WHAT THE WORD ELECTION MEANS
In Scripture, there is not the slightest hint to an election of God
whereby one person is chosen to be saved and another is not. There
is no teaching that a man is saved because of God’s choice alone;
there must also be the choice of the individual to meet God’s terms of
Salvation.
It is the “Plan of God” that is elected, chosen, foreknown, and
predestined - not the individual or natural choice of man to conform
to that Plan. The Plan is the same for all alike and everyone is
invited, chosen, elected, foreknown, and predestined to Salvation,
without exception on the sole basis of the individual’s choice and
total conformity to the Gospel, simply because Jesus died for all.
Otherwise, one will be lost, and there is no exception, nor can there
be an exception to this, the Divine Plan.
God’s part in Salvation for all men has been completed, and
whoever meets His terms will be saved. The whole program of
5
Salvation is simply that of being Born-Again - becoming a New
Creature in Christ (Matthew 18:3; John 3:1-8; 14:17; II Corinthians
5:17-18). And the door is open to all (Revelation 22:17).
The “International Standard Bible Encyclopedia” is widely
referred to as “the best Bible Encyclopedia.” It says:
“Election never appears as a violation of human will. For never
in the Bible is man treated as irresponsible. In the Bible, the relation
of the human and Divine wills is inscrutable; the reality of both is
assured. Never is the Doctrine presented apart from a moral
context”
THE MEANING OF PREDESTINATION
The words “foreordain” and “predestinate” come from the same
Greek word, “prooridzo,” and means “to determine beforehand.”
The meaning of the word “Predestination” means that God’s
Law is the thing that is predestinated, and not the individual
conformity to that Law. All Scripture is clear that men are absolutely
free to choose for themselves whether they conform to the
predestined plan or not (John 3:16-20; Revelation 22:17, etc.).
Those that do conform will enjoy forever the predestined blessings
and those who do not will suffer eternally the predestined
judgements of the Plan.
This, and this alone, is all that the Bible teaches concerning
Predestination in connection with free moral agents, even as we have
seen regarding “Election.”
In the Plan of God, it was predestinated that Christ would die
for the world (Acts 4:28); that some (it is not stated who or which
ones) would be saved by believing on Jesus as their Saviour
(Romans 8:29-30); that those who would freely choose to be saved
were predestinated to be holy and to be Children of God through
Christ (Ephesians 1:5); that these Children of God have a
predestinated inheritance according to the Eternal Purpose
(Ephesians 1:11); that they were predestinated to be enlightened
with wisdom kept secret from of old (I Corinthians 2:7); but no
statement is made that God’s predestined Plan and Purpose includes
the free acts of free moral agents nor does it name those who will
conform to the Plan.
6
THE MEANING OF THE WORD FOREKNOWLEDGE
The word “foreknowledge” simply means the Omniscience of
God, which means that God has the ability to know any and all
things, past, present, and future. He has a Plan, and He knows His
Plan from the beginning to the end.
However, having the ability to know what will happen in the
future, even as God does, in no way means that the free wills of men
are necessarily violated. In fact, according to Scripture, they are not
violated at all.” 1
“. . .Election never appears as a violation
of human will. . . men are absolutely free
to choose for themselves whether they
conform to the predestined plan or
not. . .”
We know that God, in His foreknowledge, is clearly aware of
who will receive salvation and who won’t. Yet His foreknowledge is
in no way causative in regard to people’s spiritual condition and
eternal abode. Only the Lord’s grace made available to man and
man’s response to this grace produces change. Thus when the Bible
uses the terms “elect,” “election,” “predestined,” etc., in relation to
Christians (e.g. 2 Peter 1:10, Ephesians 1:5, Romans 8:33), it is
referring to selection according to God’s foreknowledge. This is
totally different to the concept of pre-selection by God. Therefore we
see in 1 Peter 1:2 the address to the “Elect according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father. . . .” God knows who will respond
to Jesus and become saved. This group then becomes the “elect,” not
by the force of God’s sovereign will, but according to His
foreknowledge. This view, rather than that of salvation which is
predetermined, integrates harmoniously with the total body of
scripture. God never contradicts Himself, and words such as
“election” must be interpreted within the context of the general
framework of scripture. One writer comments accordingly:
7
FOREORDINATION (PREDESTINATION) IS ACCORDING
TO FOREKNOWLEDGE
“. . . God’s foreknowledge is not casual - in other words, a
casual selection of some to be saved and some to be lost.
Foreordination is according to foreknowledge, which means that
God knew beforehand what would be done and as well, done by the
free will of the individual, and not because God forced the issue.
“Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed
not . . .” (John 6:64).
God knew all things from the beginning and designed His
eternal Plans according to what He knew about men from the
beginning. The words “predestination” and “election” in no way
alter the fact that God formed His eternal Plans for men according
to what He foreknew they would do with their free power of
decision.”
“ “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them
which fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His
goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off.
“And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted
in: for God is able to graft them in again” (Romans 11:22-23).
Paul, greatest of Theologians, stressed this “if-condition” in
dealing with questions about God’s purposes of Salvation for Jews
and Gentiles.
Paul taught that the Jewish branches were broken off their
Covenant tree “because of unbelief.” This cause was Jewish
unbelief - not a mysterious sovereign predestination. The Gentiles
were grafted into the Jewish Covenant tree because of their “Faith.”
It was all a matter of faith and unbelief, and not that God purposely
caused the Jews to be damned and the Gentiles to be saved. Paul
answered that by saying “God forbid” (Romans 11:1).
The specified “if condition” lies deep in Paul’s Doctrine.”
“. . .God formed His eternal Plans for
men according to what He foreknew they
would do with their free power of
decision. . .”
8
“Here in Romans Chapter 11, Paul gave the “if-condition” its
full force. As he made
Salvation conditional in Chapter 11, it follows that he did not teach
it was unconditional in Chapter 9. There is Salvation in God’s
Covenant tree for those who “abide” in it. Paul had no doctrine
such as “once in the Tree, always in the Tree.”
“The interpretation of unconditional Salvation from Romans
Chapter 9 tramples over established interpretive Laws. Our
interpretation of conditional Salvation from this Chapter satisfies
these Laws. It would be a sad day for Christianity if other Bible
doctrines had to be defended with the same method of interpretation
that is used by some to defend Calvinistic Predestination.
That which we have given you does not pick and choose from a
few Texts in Romans Chapter 9 or elsewhere, but reasons from Paul’s
complete Unit of Thought in the three Chapters of 9, 10, and 11. The
“if-evidence” we saw in this unit overturns our opponent’s
conclusion drawn from a few selected Verses in Chapter 9. In fact,
we could have presented further evidence from Romans. Example:
“For if you live after the flesh, you shall die (be lost): but if you
through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live (be
saved).
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons
of God.” (Romans 8:13-14).
The “ifs” presented here in these two Verses are obvious for all
to see, and clear and plain respecting their meaning.
The “if-evidence” in Romans is convincing for conditional
Salvation. A proved fact is a proved fact, and no amount of
misinterpretation can make it anything else. Let the Reader examine
the evidence. There is always hope when people look fairly at all
sides.
(Almost all the material on Unconditional Eternal Security, i.e.
“Election, Predestination, Foreknowledge,” was provided by Guy
Duty, “If Ye Continue - a Study of the Conditional Aspects of
Salvation.”)” 2
(underlines added)
Arminian doctrine likewise teaches that once a person receives
salvation, this spiritual condition is not guaranteed on an
9
unconditional basis. In order to stay saved, one needs God’s grace
plus an ongoing commitment to follow Jesus Christ. To state this is
not to proclaim or embrace a “Jesus plus” Gospel. Rather it is to
recognize, truthfully, the drawing power of the world, the flesh and
the devil. Furthermore, people can become saved and then lapse into
an unsaved state again, and this can happen numerous times.
Calvinism on the other hand basically states that once you are
saved you will always be saved, no matter what you do or do not do.
In other words, it is impossible for Saints to fall from grace.
According to this doctrine, those who have received Jesus as
Saviour, and then fall back into a lifestyle of sin, are in some vague
way “backslidden” but not unsaved. When it becomes obvious that a
person who once professed Christ has turned his back on the Lord
and is steeped in sin, the conclusion reached is that the person
concerned was not saved in the first place. For instance, some
Christians know of others who were once on fire for God - winning
the lost, praying for the sick and being totally dedicated to Jesus.
They have then, at some stage, seen these people fall into
unrepentant sin – for example, fornication, drunkenness or even
homosexuality. However, because of their bias towards the false
doctrine of unconditional eternal security (derived from Calvinism),
they must then reason and conclude that such people could not have
been saved in the first place. This makes no logical or spiritual sense.
“. . .This is not to proclaim or embrace a
“Jesus plus” Gospel. Rather it is to
recognize, truthfully, the drawing power
of the world, the flesh
and the devil. . .”
In the Bible we see people who were obviously “saved” and
then fell away, e.g. Adam, Eve and Saul. And the principle of falling
from grace, falling away, or losing the words of life, is clearly
presented in the scriptures. If a person teaches from scripture the
doctrine of “once saved, always saved,” then that person has read
into and extracted from scripture something that was never there in
the first place. In other words, they have manipulated scripture to say
10
something it does not, instead of allowing scripture itself to teach! As
we search, nowhere do we find that eternal life is an unconditional
gift. For example, in Matthew 5:13 we find the words of Jesus:
MATTHEW 5:13 You are the salt (preservative) of the
earth: but if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall
it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be
cast (thrown) out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
It is obviously possible to slip from being “the salt of the earth”
to being useless and without value, worthy only of destruction.
“. . .If a person teaches from scripture
the doctrine of “once saved, always
saved,” then that person has
read into and extracted from scripture
something that was never there in the
first place. . .”
The Word of God gives us further clear direction concerning the
potential of the saved, those possessing the light of the glorious
Gospel of Christ, to become unsaved. For example:
2 PETER 2:20 For if after they have escaped the
pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again
entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse
with them than the beginning.
2 PETER 2:22 But it is happened unto them according
to the true proverb (Proverbs 26:11), “The dog is turned
to his own vomit again”; and “the sow that was washed
to her wallowing in the mire.”
And we read in Galatians:
11
GALATIANS 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto
you (you are severed from Him), whosoever of you are
justified (seek to be justified) by the Law; you are (have)
fallen from grace.
This is quite specific. One cannot “fall from grace” unless one is
under grace to begin with. Furthermore:
1 TIMOTHY 4:1 Now the Spirit speaks expressly
(pointedly says), that in the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing (religious)
spirits, and doctrines of devils (inspired by such, with
man’s cooperation);
LUKE 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when
they hear, receive the word with joy; and (but) these
have no root, who for a while believe, and in time of
temptation fall away.
1 CORINTHIANS 8:11 And through your knowledge
shall the weak brother (therefore a Christian) perish
(speaks of the loss of salvation), for whom Christ died?
None of these scriptures tell us that once we have received
Jesus into our lives, there is no possibility of us becoming unsaved.
In fact even a cursory reading of the above scriptures would tell us
that the opposite is in fact the case, for we can become “alienated
from Christ,” we can “abandon the faith” and we can “fall away.”
FAITH AND UNBELIEF
Martin Luther, the great reformer, who was pivotal to the Great
Reformation which took place in the 16th Century, found, or should
we say had revealed to him, a pearl of great price, worth more than
all the treasures of this world. The pearl which was revealed to his
heart was that a man is saved not by works but by GRACE through
FAITH (Ephesians 2:8). Then came the Great Reformation and the
rise of the Protestant Church, and many were won into the Kingdom
through the preaching and teaching of the truth concerning salvation.
12
If we agree with the thinking, or should we say revelation, that
by faith we are saved through God’s grace, then it should not be too
difficult to accept that by unbelief we can also lose God’s gift
(Hebrews 3:12; Revelation 21:7-8). Therefore we find people who
were once saved but have since fallen into unbelief in regard to the
fundamental teachings of Christianity. How can those who then deny
the virgin birth and thus the Divinity of Christ, the Resurrection of
Christ or the power of Christ’s shed Blood and substitutionary death
to reconcile us to God, enter heaven on physical death? To say “once
saved, always saved” is therefore, in this case, to claim that people
who have come to deny the basic tenets of the Christian faith are
somehow still saved. This cuts across the most essential and
elementary teachings of scripture.
“. . .If we agree with the thinking
(revelation), that by faith we are saved
through God’s grace, then it should not
be too difficult to accept that by unbelief
we can also lose God’s gift. . .”
As an example we find Paul addressing the Galatian churches in
his epistle. These Believers, having been brought to light and life
through the Gospel, were in danger of retreating into legalism
because of false teachers advocating the necessity of circumcision
for salvation. Paul wrote to them in no uncertain terms:
GALATIANS 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage (to works,
legalism, anything apart from the Cross brings one into
bondage to the sin nature i.e. salvation by works not
faith).
GALATIANS 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if
you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing (be
of no value to you).
13
GALATIANS 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto
you (you are severed from Him), whosoever of you are
justified (seek to be justified) by the Law; you are (have)
fallen from grace.
If they had declared ceremonial works and thus the Mosaic Law
as being a prerequisite for salvation, they would have lost Luther’s
precious pearl - and thus the blessing of their inheritance as children
of God. They would have, indeed, as Paul states, “fallen from
grace.” In so doing they would not have ‘backslidden’ in some
vague sense but would have become unsaved. The doorway to
heaven goes through Calvary. There is no other way, no work of the
flesh, no other system of belief - only God’s way through His Son “not of works lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9).
God will not add to or mix His message of the Cross with
another doctrine (Revelation 22:19). Under the New Testament, only
through repentance can God in His mercy and grace apply the Blood
of Christ to our sins so as we may be forgiven and cleansed. To add
to this, as the Galatians were attempting to do, would cause this
message of the Cross to be polluted and so nullified. They, in fact,
would then not believe in the Atonement.
“. . .If they had declared ceremonial
works and thus the Mosaic Law as being
a prerequisite for salvation, they would
have lost Luther’s precious pearl. . .”
If such unbelief is allowed to run its course, ultimately one’s
salvation will be at risk as it was with the Galatians. Paul addressed
the fact that they were reverting back to law and so moving away
from the grace of the Cross. Left unchecked, the Galatians who were
doing so would have turned their back on the Cross, substituting the
Law as a means to God. Therefore if unbelief is left to run its race
through the Christian not having the proper object of their faith, i.e.
the Cross - the Atonement, then ultimately they will forfeit their
salvation. This is because man is saved by faith in Christ and His
finished work. Only by this means can man be joined to Christ and
so be saved.
14
IS ALL SIN THE SAME ?
We have spoken of being brought to salvation by grace
through faith, and the destructive potential of unbelief in people’s
lives. This is definitely a sin which can cause Christians to forfeit
their salvation through becoming blinded to the very truth which set
them free in the first place. However, what can we say about other
sin?
The most basic definition of sin is that it is anything that does
not conform to the character and nature of God. Therefore sin is
much more than just doing wrong in thought, word and deed. Sin is
also not doing that which is right, morally and spiritually. Without
the energies and graces of the Divine Nature empowering us in our
lives, we will sin. Indeed this principle is outlined by Paul:
ROMANS 14:23 . . . whatever does not originate and
proceed from faith is sin - that is, whatever is done
without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful.
(Amp.)
Some believe that all sin is the same, and therefore that stealing
a loaf of bread is the same as murder. This makes no logical or
spiritual sense, for God is not only holy but just. No, all sin is not
the same. We see, in scripture, the principle that there are different
degrees of sin. It is found, for example, in Luke 12:47-48, where
Jesus speaks of servants who received greater and lesser degrees of
punishment for their wrongdoing. Let us now see what the Word of
God says in regard to serious sin:
REVELATION 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit
all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My
son.
REVELATION 21:8 But the fearful (cowardly), and
unbelieving, and the abominable (vile), and murderers,
and whoremongers (sexually immoral), and sorcerers
(those who practise magic arts), and idolaters, and all
liars (all this equates with “the works of the flesh” :
Galatians 5:19-21), shall have their part in the lake
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which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the
second death.
1 CORINTHIANS 6:9
Know you not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be
not deceived: neither fornicators (sexually immoral), nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (male
prostitutes), nor abusers of themselves with mankind
(practising homosexuals),
1 CORINTHIANS 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous
(greedy), nor drunkards, nor revilers (slanderers), nor
extortioners (swindlers), shall inherit the Kingdom of
God.
The “fearful and unbelieving” have been placed along with all
the other horrific and serious sinners. The unbelieving are the ones
who have not accepted Jesus as their personal Saviour and Lord.
However even a Believer can turn their back on Jesus’ Lordship, thus
forfeiting their salvation. But Scripture tells us, “ He who overcomes
shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My
son.” (Revelation 21:7). A person in Christ, a Believer, a Christian, is
an overcomer. We are not saved by what we do, by our works, but by
the blood of the Lamb and by our testimony in accepting Jesus as our
personal Saviour and Lord. Because of Christ’s righteousness, we are
guaranteed the position of an “overcomer” (Revelation 12:11).
Sin causes the lowering of our inhibitions so that the flesh can
flow without restraint within that prevailing darkness. Sin always
pulls us away from God's influence and grace. Repentance and the
Blood of Jesus applied to that sin will cause us to come back under
the influence of His grace. Some types of sin have a greater gravity
to influence us, to pull us into a dark place, which constitutes man
thinking and living without God’s influence and grace. Sin will take
us on a journey away from God's influence. The degree of that
influence will depend on the type of sin involved and the person
themselves. One person may be affected to a small degree while
another person may be seriously affected.
Sin in certain areas will cause a “searing of the conscience”, a
hardening of the heart. Certain more serious sin will cause one’s
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thinking to be drawn away from God’s holy standards and His
perspective on things that matter. Therefore sins of greater gravity
(as in Revelation 21:8 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10) can help fast-track
us into darkness by promoting this change from relational truth in
Christ to historical truth outside of Christ. In other words, serious sin
can change heart-faith to mere mental assent, which is really unbelief
(Hebrews 3:12-14).
In other words, the relational truth of Jesus would eventually
change to historical truth about Him. We would then cease to know
Him, we would only know about Him. We must meet the conditions
to be “in Christ” if we are to abide in Him. Sin is sin, and we are
saved from it, not saved so we can return to it with impunity.
Repentance for salvation purposes is an attitude and
commitment of the heart to go God’s way and not any other way,
including the way of the flesh. Revelation 21:8 and 1 Corinthians
6:9-10, along with many other scriptures provide Christians with a
warning that to practise the types of sins described will fast-track
them into unbelief, thereby causing them to deny Christ and His
Lordship. This will of course result in such former Christians
stepping out of Christ and therefore forfeiting their salvation.
“. . .Repentance for salvation purposes is
an attitude and commitment of the heart
to go God’s way and not any other way,
including the way of the flesh. . .”
The sins listed in these verses can be termed, for the Christian,
“sins unto death”- meaning separation from God. This is because of
their potency and strong gravitational pull to not only help keep
people out of the Kingdom, but to also help transport those who are
in the Kingdom of Light back into the Kingdom of Darkness.
Murder, drunkenness, and sexual sins such as adultery and
homosexuality, are prime examples. If former Christians practice
these types of sins and in so doing, lose their faith in Jesus’ Lordship,
God calls them to repent. They can then be restored to salvation, for
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God calls all sinners of all kinds to repent so that they may be
cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb (1 John 1:9).
Those who lie and even steal to a “small” degree will not be
deprived of a place in heaven provided their sin does not become
more and more habitual, and lead to greater and greater wrongdoing.
The problem is that any sin which is practised and not repented of,
can become a stronghold for the enemy, and lead to further sin in
other areas. Remember that it is sin which gives Satan legal ground
to afflict people’s lives, and he will take every advantage given to
him “to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10) in every way
possible. The word “liars” can also be equated with the command
found in James 3:14 not to “lie against the truth.” This means, in
this context, to deny the way of salvation - that being repentance
from our sin, and the Lordship of Christ. Many do this simply by
being in a state of unbelief. If we lie against the truth of our
sinfulness, this will deny us God’s grace which comes to us only
through the Cross. Furthermore, we were not saved so that we could
practise sin, but so that we could serve Christ, one of the conditions
of salvation being that of following the teachings of Jesus and
obeying Him. We see this in Hebrews 5:9:
HEBREWS 5:9 And being made perfect, He (Jesus)
became the author of eternal salvation unto all them
who obey Him
Those who receive Christ as a ticket to heaven but make no
attempt to follow His teachings, usually find that the reality of their
salvation diminishes until they become entangled again in the world,
thus losing everything they had once gained of eternal value (Mark
4:16-19).
“. . .The problem is that any sin which is
practised and not repented of, can
become a stronghold for the enemy, and
lead to further sin in other areas. . .”
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THE BOOK OF LIFE
In the Book of Revelation, we find various references to “the
Book of Life” (Revelation 3:5), otherwise known as “the Lamb’s
Book of Life” (Revelation 21:27). This is the heavenly book in which
are recorded the names of those who have received salvation through
Jesus, the Lamb of God. The condition for entering heaven is
therefore that one’s name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
REVELATION 20:15 And whosoever was not found
written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of
Fire.
REVELATION 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter
into it any thing that defiles, neither whatsoever works
(commits) abomination, or makes a lie (practises
falsehood): but (only) they who (whose names) are
written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
LUKE 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that
the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice,
because your names are written in heaven.
PHILIPPIANS 4:3 And I intreat you also, true
yokefellow, help those women who laboured with me in
the Gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow
labourers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
However we are also warned in scripture that one’s name can
be blotted out of the Book of Life.
EXODUS 32:32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin - ;
and if not, blot me, I pray, out of Your book which You
have written.
EXODUS 32:33 And the Lord said unto Moses,
“Whosoever has sinned against Me (one who has turned
their back on God and refuses to repent), him will I blot
out of My book.”
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PSALM 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of
the living, and not be written with the righteous.
REVELATION 3:5 He who overcomes, the same shall
be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his
name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his
name before My Father, and before His angels.
This means once again that we can be saved, and then, through
sin’s influence, be brought to a place whereby we deny Jesus as Lord
and so forfeit our salvation. Hence our names would be blotted out of
the Book of Life.
“. . .The condition for entering heaven is
therefore that one’s name is written in
the Lamb’s Book of Life. . .”
FREEDOM AND SIN
We find in the Book of Romans that Paul discusses the issue of
the freedom of the Christian who is now under grace, and not the
stringent code of the Mosaic Law. Nevertheless, as Christians we are
not free to live as we please, but we have been freed so that we can
yield to righteousness, living day by day in obedience to God. We are
responsible under grace for making the choice, day by day, to submit
ourselves to Christ’s Lordship, not to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Accordingly, Paul directs us:
ROMANS 6:13
Neither yield your members as
instruments of unrighteousness unto sin (the sin nature)
but yield yourselves unto God, as those who are alive
from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God.
ROMANS 6:14 For sin (the sin nature) shall not have
dominion over you: for you are not under the Law, but
under grace.
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ROMANS 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we
are not under the Law, but under grace? God forbid.
It is by the grace that has been made available to us through the
Cross (the Atonement) that we are now able to live righteously. In
other words, to live in God’s will we must do so by His strength
which comes to us through His Divine Nature energizing our human
nature. By this means we can believe and trust our Heavenly Father
in all things. By His empowerment, we can both desire to do right
and then act on that desire. We can then live our life by grace - in
fact we must do so if we are to please the Father and avoid sin.
Alternatively, to live our life under law is to try to please the Father
by works done through willpower alone. This is nothing but
religion, man’s way of pleasing God, which negates the power of the
Cross in our lives. Christianity is not really about do’s and don’ts,
regulations, rules and the keeping of them to gain God’s acceptance
and approval. Christianity is about relationship - Divine connection
and empowerment. It is about love and obedience through His
power working within us, His children, so that we may will and do of
His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
ROMANS 6:16 Know you not, that to whom you yield
yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to
whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness?
The free will of man is a sacred scriptural principle, each man
and woman having been given the free will to determine their own
destiny. And once having found Christ, the Christian is free to yield
to righteousness or sin on a daily basis. If we choose to yield to sin in
an habitual way, we will again become servants of that sin, as
Romans 6:16 describes. It is really impossible to read this verse
(which is speaking to the saved) and continue to believe that
Christians cannot backslide through unbelief and because of sin
to eventually even forfeit their salvation, having transferred their
allegiance once again to the ruler of the Kingdom of Darkness.
So once again we can perceive, through scripture, that our salvation
is not unconditional, and that grace, for Christians, cannot be taken
for granted on an unconditional basis. We are responsible always for
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staying in Christ and serving Him as Lord. As we yield to Him, we
receive the grace and power to do so.
“. . .The free will of man is a sacred
scriptural principle and the Christian is
free to yield to righteousness or sin on a
daily basis. . .”
CAN A MAN BE SAVED AGAIN (AND AGAIN) ?
YES - true Biblical repentance will bring the saving presence
of God back into the life of a person who has forfeited their salvation
and fallen back into darkness. People find it hard to reconcile this
idea with the widespread teaching, derived from teachers such as
E.W.Kenyon, that when we receive Christ, our spirit is re-created.
Quite often, in fact, the doctrine of unconditional eternal security is
based on this teaching of the re-created spirit, re-created in the image
of God. If this is the case, how then could this perfect re-created
spirit become polluted or be “un-created”?
The truth of the matter is that our spirit, at salvation, is not recreated but regenerated. Each person has been created in the image
of God, but the pollution of death has invaded and encompasses the
spirit of man. In order to be reunited with God, we must be
regenerated. This means that our spirit must be washed, in a legal
sense, by the Blood of Jesus and therefore cleansed of all spiritual
pollution by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is called “the
washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus
3:5). Therefore our spirit is not re-created but washed and
surrounded by God’s saving presence. In this way we are born again
and thus restored to God. Our spirit is bathed in the Light of God
and is protected by His enveloping presence.
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“. . .YES - true Biblical repentance will
bring the saving presence of God back
into the life of a person who has forfeited
their salvation and fallen back into
darkness. . . .”
When Christians turn their back on Jesus’ Lordship, they
step out of Christ and their spirit returns to a state of spiritual death
(separation from God). If people repent and receive Christ back into
their lives, this pollution is again removed, as God’s presence comes
to surround their spirit again. In this way they are restored once again
in Christ to a position of righteousness. This can happen more than
once during a person’s lifetime, but what counts as far as their eternal
destiny is concerned is their spiritual condition at the point of
physical death. Indeed whether we go to live in heaven or hell for
eternity is determined by our relationship with the Saviour at the
point of physical death (Ezekiel 18:21-24, 26-28). This is quite
clearly seen in the scriptures.
WHAT ABOUT CHRISTIANS WHO STRUGGLE
WITH SIN?
EPHESIANS 2:8 For by grace are you saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
EPHESIANS 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should
boast.
There is no such thing as a Believer who continues to trust
Christ and His atoning work at the Cross “falling” from grace.
However when we deny or forsake Christ’s Lordship, therefore
denying His sacrifice for our sin, at that point we will forfeit our
salvation. In other words, this takes place when one no longer trusts
Christ and what He did at the Cross on one’s behalf - for this is the
basis and foundation of the Believer’s salvation.
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How does this pertain to a Christian who is in bondage to sin
because they do not know much about the New Covenant and the
Blood which delivers and cleanses?
As long as they are trusting Christ for their salvation through
repentance and His Blood, regardless of their problems, and great
they may be, they are saved. This is even so if this person is in
bondage to very serious sin - yet is attempting to gain victory.
An example is as follows:
An alcoholic or drunkard, having accepted Christ as their
Saviour, still battles with the demon drink to the point of failing in
their efforts, even dying in a drunken stupor - but remaining saved.
How could this be so? It is so because the alcoholic trusted Christ
for the salvation of their soul. Yes his body was destroyed because
of the bondage of alcoholism, but he died trusting Christ, attempting
to gain the victory.
“. . .There is no such thing as a Believer
who continues to trust Christ and His
atoning work at the Cross “falling” from
grace. . .”
Does this mean that all alcoholics who accept Christ should not
worry about their drinking? God forbid, as scripture tells us (Romans
6:15). However, Paul also said, where sin abounds grace does much
more abound (Romans 5:20). This means in this New Testament
Age that God by His grace can set the captive free of all bondages sin and its effects. The alcoholic, after salvation (and this applies to
all Saints with any bondage, whether of the body or mind), must seek
God’s grace to overcome all manner and forms of sin. Then as long
as the Saint maintains their trust in Christ and His finished work at
the Cross on their behalf, and continues to repent of their sin, they
will stay saved.
Of course if a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Saviour, in a few
weeks time to then return willingly and carelessly or wantonly to
their former sin-filled, heathen lifestyle, through their action and lack
of action, they will have turned their back on Christ and what He
achieved for them at Calvary.
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It is the intent of the heart that is measured by God. Even if
people fail to overcome bondages, if the intent of their heart is to go
God’s way, this keeps their salvation intact, even in the face of
failure.
Christians have an opportunity each day to accept God’s way or
not accept God’s way. However it is not so much about choosing to
sin or not to sin. Rather, for the Christian it is all about choosing
God and His prescribed way, the way of the Cross. This is because
the Cross has afforded to every Saint the power by which they can
live for God. Sometimes we need to be delivered from bondage for
this to happen, but it is also through the Cross that our deliverance
has already been won. Therefore once again the answer is found at
the Cross - where Jesus paid the price for the healing of our spirit,
mind and body - and the intent of our heart is the key.
“. . .Even if people fail to overcome
bondages, if the intent of their heart is to
go God’s way, this keeps their salvation
intact, even in the face of failure. . .”
Satan, physical addiction or a mind that is in torment may
keep a person in a bondage that willpower cannot overcome. Many
Christians know this only too well because they repeatedly try to
overcome sin in their lives in their own strength - and fail, time and
time again. More is needed than willpower and self-effort. We must
seek, find and embrace God’s grace in order to overcome. The Cross
has afforded this grace so that every Saint can be an overcomer
through Him Who loves us and saves us from all sin. Indeed this is
the promise:
1 JOHN 5:4 For whatsoever (whosoever) is born of
God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that
overcomes the world, even our faith (which is Godgiven).
1 JOHN 5:5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but
he who believes (and trusts) that Jesus is the Son of
God?
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Nevertheless, many Christians all around the world are hating
what they are doing, the sin they are committing, while lacking the
power in themselves to stop. In his early Christian experience even
Paul had problems in living the Christian life (Romans 7:15), until he
found the grace of God to do so (Romans Ch.6). Once again, as we
yield to the Holy Spirit, determining to go God’s way and not ours (1
Corinthians 10:13), the energies and graces of His Divine Nature will
empower us to overcome sin in His strength, not ours.
Let us be clear in regard to the sin that a Christian commits.
Whether in ignorance or not, sin is sin and with it comes a cost. The
Christian is always responsible for what he does or does not do.
With all sin there is a curse of some description and only the Blood
of the Lamb can remove that curse as the Christian repents (1 John
1:9). All sin will to some extent frustrate God’s grace by which we
are to live our life. In other words, while we hold onto our darkness
behind a closed door through an unrepentant heart, the Light we need
cannot reach us.
“. . .Let us be clear in regard to the sin
that a Christian commits. Whether in
ignorance or not, sin is sin and with it
comes a cost. . .”
Be assured that sin is a spiritual problem, and if a man puts his
trust wholly in a doctor to treat the physical or mental problem that
has resulted from sin, the real problem is not dealt with. As the Word
tells us:
JAMES 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for
the elders of the church; and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil (as a point of contact to release
our faith) in the name of the Lord:
JAMES 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick,
and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
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JAMES 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and
pray one for another, that you may be healed. The
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Sin has to be dealt with, not just the physical or mental problem
it has caused. When the Saint looks wholly and solely either to
himself, humanistic psychology, or any other human effort to be
delivered from his problems (and his sin), then clearly this man or
woman walks away from the power of the Cross.
If this be the case, then the problem is really one of unbelief in
God’s Word and God’s answer to sin. We can see that many
Christians do not understand and so do not have a proper focus
concerning the atoning sacrifice and the precious Blood of Calvary
that would set them completely free. This is because many don’t
bother to study God’s Word and this prevents the Holy Spirit
revealing to them God’s wonderful delivering graces which have
been afforded to them through the Atonement. Man needs, with
God’s empowerment, to believe that which the Creator has said and
done. Unbelief blinds and ultimately blinds completely. To stop this
downward spiritual spiral, the Saint must make Christ the centre of
their life, with His will being the preeminent desire and goal. It must
be all about what Jesus would do and say at every turn. The Word of
God must be at the centre of every decision and so the holy filter of
our every thought (Hebrews 4:12).
To have a lukewarm Christian existence, straddling the world
and Christianity, will usually result in a gradual deadening to the
things of God as unbelief grows and flourishes. This along with
false or ineffectual, watered-down, compromised teaching usually
produces people who, after a period of time, become easily blinded
and deceived. They may continue to profess to be Christians but
sadly they reach the point where they no longer know Jesus, having
become deadened spiritually and cold to the things of God. Unless
their trust shifts back to the Cross for their salvation, they will, after
this life, be turned away from heaven to enter into a place of
everlasting torment (Matthew 7:21-23; 25:11-12). As we have said,
unbelief is a spiritual force which blinds, and ultimately blinds
completely (2 Corinthians 4:4).
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“. . .To have a lukewarm Christian
existence, straddling the world and
Christianity, will usually result in a
gradual deadening to the things of God
as unbelief grows and flourishes. . . “
So we must be careful to cling to the Cross of Christ as the focus
and foundation of our salvation, and by the Lord’s graces to seek to
please Him day by day and walk in His will. In all things the Cross
(the Atonement) must be the object of our faith, and we must guard
our heart by heeding the direction given in His holy Word:
2 CORINTHIANS 6:14 Be not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion has light with darkness?
2 CORINTHIANS 6:17 “Wherefore come out from
among them, and be ye separate,” says the Lord, “and
touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2 CORINTHIANS 6:18 And will be a Father unto you,
and you shall be My sons and daughters,” says the Lord
Almighty (Jehovah Shaddai, the all-sufficient One).
2 CORINTHIANS 7:1
Having therefore these
promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from
all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness
in the fear of God.
WHAT SINS WILL POLLUTE OUR SPIRIT AGAIN ?
We have discussed the principle of not all sin being the same.
All sin is rebellion against God’s laws (1 John 3:4). However while
all sin will interfere with our fellowship with God, some sin will
actually break our relationship with God and cause us to become
unsaved. Such sins as murder, adultery, fornication, drunkenness,
homosexuality and idolatry are “sins unto death.” These sins will, as
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we have said, when committed deliberately, cause the unrepentant
Christian’s spirit to again become polluted and the presence of the
Holy Spirit to depart from them. This allows spiritual death to claim
that person once again as they re-enter the Kingdom of Darkness.
REVELATION 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all
things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
REVELATION 21:8 But the fearful (cowardly), and
unbelieving, and the abominable (vile), and murderers,
and whoremongers (sexually immoral), and sorcerers
(those who practise magic arts), and idolaters, and all
liars (all this equates with “the works of the flesh”
[Galatians 5:19-21]), shall have their part in the lake
which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the
second death.
1 CORINTHIANS 6:9 Know you not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be
not deceived: neither fornicators (sexually immoral), nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (male
prostitutes), nor abusers of themselves with mankind
(practising homosexuals),
1 CORINTHIANS 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous
(greedy), nor drunkards, nor revilers (slanderers), nor
extortioners (swindlers), shall inherit the Kingdom of
God.
1 CORINTHIANS 3:16 Know you not that you are the
temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1 CORINTHIANS 3:17 If any man defile the temple of
God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is
holy, which temple you are.
Sincere repentance which allows God to apply the Blood of
Calvary to our sin, and recommitment to the Lord will reverse
the situation. However it makes no sense to believe that a former
Christian, when entangled by and wllingly committing such serious
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sin, is still saved and bound for glory - unless they repent and let the
Blood of the Lamb wash them clean.
“. . .While all sin will interfere with our
fellowship with God, some sin will
actually break our relationship with God
and cause us to become unsaved. . .”
OUR ETERNAL SECURITY
Our eternal security is based on the foundation of the sinless
life of our Saviour, His sacrificial death and His glorious
Resurrection. We enter into eternal life by grace through faith, and
we continue in spiritual life, as opposed to spiritual death, as we
continue in Christ and He remains in us. Scripture gives us the
following assurance:
JOHN 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know
them, and they follow Me:
J0HN 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of My hand.
JOHN 10:29 My Father, Who gave them to Me, is
greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out
of My Father’s hand.
We have a wonderful inheritance, and no one is able to snatch
us from our Father’s hand. This is marvellous news, our glorious
assurance of salvation. Nevertheless we must stay in the fold with
Jesus as our Shepherd.
Scripture tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us
(Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5). However we also learn from
scripture that a Christian can forfeit their salvation and return to their
former ways, their pre-conversion lifestyle (2 Corinthians 6:14-18, 1
John 1:5-6). So we need to recognize that while the Lord will never
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abandon us, our salvation can be forfeited by our own actions and
our departure from Christ’s Lordship. If we abandon our faith, losing
the saving knowledge of Christ at an experiential level and ceasing to
believe in His work of redemption, we will disqualify our right to
eternal life with Him. We must continue to abide in Christ continuing to have faith in Him, His Blood sacrifice, His virgin birth
and His Resurrection. To let go of this is to let go of God, by
rejecting His Son and His free gift of salvation (Hebrews 3:12-14).
“. . .If we abandon our faith, losing the
saving knowledge of Christ at an
experiential level and ceasing to believe
in His work of redemption, we will
disqualify our right to eternal life
with Him. . . “
Some former Christians have, through unbelief, turned
relational truth into historical truth in regard to the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. They then foolishly think they are still saved, even though
their faith has changed to mere mental assent. They have not
recognised that the Holy Spirit no longer dwells within, and their
spirit is again polluted and in darkness. This particular sad state is
addressed in scripture:
MATTHEW 7:21 Not every one who says unto Me,
“Lord, Lord,” shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven;
but he who does the will of My Father Who is in
heaven.
MATTHEW 7:22 Many will say to Me in that day,
“Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and
in Your name have cast out devils? and in Your name
done many wonderful works?”
MATTHEW 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, “I
never knew you: depart from Me, you who work
iniquity.”
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The word “never” on the surface of things would seemingly
indicate that these people professing to belong to Jesus had never
ever done so. However the sense of the verse may also indicate that
these people had at one time received salvation but had not gone on
to really know the Lord through fellowship and relationship. From
this half-hearted approach to their faith and commitment to Christ,
they had then forfeited the salvation they so readily claimed as being
evidenced by former works. Unbelief, deception and darkness had
enveloped them until, in ignorance of their plight, they had became
unsaved. The Word gives us the boundaries of salvation and the
safeguard required:
2 TIMOTHY 2:19 . . . the foundation of God stands
sure, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are
His.” And, “Let every one who names the name of
Christ depart from iniquity.”
Thus we can say that there is a doctrine of ETERNAL
SECURITY contained within the Word of God. However nowhere,
using proper hermeneutical principles of Biblical interpretation, can
the so-called doctrine of UNCONDITIONAL ETERNAL
SECURITY be found. It simply is not there. Paul even warned the
Corinthians and this applies just as much to us today that salvation
depends on the message of the Cross being stored in our heart
through faith and kept in focus. Otherwise people can believe in
vain, forfeiting their salvation because they fall away from the great
foundational truths of the Gospel:
1 CORINTHIANS 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which
also you have received, and wherein you stand;
1 CORINTHIANS 15:2 By which also you are saved, if
you keep in memory (continue to believe) what I
preached unto you, unless (otherwise) you have believed
in vain (this speaks of believing then drawing back from
these beliefs, causing the loss of one’s salvation).
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1 CORINTHIANS 15:3 For I delivered unto you first
of all that which I also received, how that Christ died
for our sins according to the scriptures;
1 CORINTHIANS 15:4 And that He was buried, and
that He rose again the third day according to the
scriptures.
Again in Hebrews we find a clear warning to Believers against
losing their salvation:
HEBREWS 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in
any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from
the living God.
HEBREWS 3:13
But exhort one another daily
(share/preach the Cross), while it is called Today; lest
any of you be hardened (drawn away from God) through
the deceitfulness of sin.
HEBREWS 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ,
if (and only if) we hold the beginning of our confidence
steadfast unto the end (if our confidence remains
steadfast in Christ).
One writer comments in regard to this issue of so-called
unconditional eternal security: “Christians can have Eternal
Security if they claim it on God’s terms, not on the terms of man.
Any hope of Salvation, while living in rebellion against God’s
Laws, is futile. Any teaching that holds out a promise of Salvation
and Eternal Security, while living in sin against God - is false and
Satanic. . . . . .
“. . .Christians can have Eternal Security
if they claim it on God’s terms, not on the
terms of man. . .”
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I have witnessed too many funerals where Preachers preached
someone into Heaven, who in fact was not living for God when they
died, and had not been living for Him for many years, and making
no pretense at doing so. In fact, they did not know the Lord, which
was obvious to all. And yet, they were preached into Heaven,
because at some point in the past it was claimed that they had
accepted the Lord, etc. Whether they had or had not, is anyone’s
guess. However, to say a person is right with God, who for years
has lived a life apart from God, making absolutely no pretense, is
fallacious indeed! In other words, it is Satanic!
Scores of people sitting and listening to such sermons, which
incidentally are preached everyday somewhere, are made to think
that whatever they are doing now and hereafter does not matter, if
they had made some type of decision for Christ some time in the
past.
The Doctrine of Unconditional Eternal Security, is a damnable
Doctrine! It has caused more people to be eternally lost, than
possibly any other lie propagated by Satan, at least within the
Church.
This Doctrine in no way nurtures Godly living or closeness to
Christ. In no way does it create a desire for a person to walk closer
to God. However, it definitely does give individuals a licence to sin,
with them erroneously thinking that if they have once been saved,
then it really does not matter, at least as far as their soul’s Salvation
is concerned, what they do thereafter.
This Doctrine is unscriptural, and as such, it has drawn no
person closer to God, but rather the opposite.
Multiple millions at this very moment, who make no pretense of
living for God, and are openly living a life of sin, erroneously believe
their soul is saved, because some Preacher told them so, irrespective
of their lifestyle. Their hope is based on a fool’s hope, and as such,
at least if they die in this condition, they will be eternally lost.” 3
(underlines added)
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“. . .The Doctrine of Unconditional
Eternal Security, is a damnable
Doctrine! It has caused more people
to be eternally lost, than possibly any
other lie propagated by Satan, at least
within the Church. . .”
As we have said, no man can pluck a Christian from the Father’s
hand. But if he or she so desires, by their own volition, they can take
themselves out of the Father’s hand.
Let us therefore not fall into the trap of judging those who
have fallen away as never having been saved in the first place. This
is a gross error normally perpetuated to back up the erroneous
doctrines of predestination and unconditional eternal security.
On this basis, Christians, the Lord would encourage us to be like
the father of the prodigal son. We should welcome back those who
were once in the Kingdom but have slipped away to drink from the
darkened waters of sin, even to the corruption of their spirit. We
should welcome them back, recognizing the power of the Blood of
Jesus to cleanse them and restore them to salvation (1 John 1:9). As
Jesus said, “And he that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out”
(John 6:37). We should do likewise.
ASSURANCE OF SALVATION (OFFICIAL AG POSITION
PAPER) USA ASSURANCE of SALVATION
(ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL PRESBYTERY IN SESSION
AUGUST 5 & 7, 2017)
In view of the biblical teaching that the security of the believer
depends on a living relationship with Christ (John 15:6); in view of
the Bible’s call to a life of holiness (Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:16);
in view of the clear teaching that a man may have his part taken out
of the Book of Life (Revelation 22:19); and in view of the fact that
one who believes for a while can fall away (Luke 8:13); The General
Council of the Assemblies of God disapproves of the unconditional
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security position which holds that it is impossible for a person once
saved to be lost. (Bylaws, Article IX.B.1)
The Assemblies of God affirms the biblical teaching that people
enter into a personal saving relationship with Christ through the
regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, who draws them to
repentance and faith in Christ. Jesus described this initial salvation
experience as “new birth” (John 3:3–6),1 as did the apostle Peter (1
Peter 1:3). Likewise, Paul wrote, “He saved us through the washing
of rebirth [palingenesias, “rebirth” or “regeneration”] and renewal
by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5), also using “new creation” for this
transformative saving event (2 Corinthians 5:17).
At the time of the believer’s new birth, theologically designated
“regeneration,” the Holy Spirit comes into them, bringing assurance
of forgiveness of sins, spiritual renewal, and a personal relationship
with God. “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are
God's children” (Romans 8:16). This dynamic relationship with God
by His Spirit, initiated and sustained through faith, undergirds the
security of the believer.
SALVATION MAY BE FORFEITED OR ABANDONED BY
REJECTING CHRIST
God, as a loving Heavenly Father, does not desire that any person
fall away from the salvation He has graciously provided in Christ.
“Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but
everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
But, the Bible also teaches that believers who have accepted Christ
as Savior can be lost if they repeatedly disregard the teachings of
Scripture, continue to resist the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and
finally reach the point where they have turned away from their
Savior. Jesus makes that point in the Parable of the Sower where,
speaking of some who have become believers, He said, “They
believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away” (Luke
8:13). The writer of Hebrews wrote soberly of believers “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 and who have fallen
away” (Hebrews 6:4–6).
The apostle Peter warned, “If they [new believers] have escaped the
corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus
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Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are
worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have
been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness,
than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred
command that was passed on to them” (2 Peter 2:20–21).
The Bible surely warns against the possibility of forfeiting, or
abandoning, salvation, but it never ceases to offer hope for anyone
who will respond to the appeal of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ invitation is
without qualification. “Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The apostle
Paul, with great assurance, declared, “Everyone who calls on the
name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). So Christians
should never prematurely conclude that a struggling brother or
sister is irredeemable. If the father did not give up on the lost son
(Luke 15:11–31), neither should the Church of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
The Christian faith is one of joyous, victorious life in Christ, in
which spiritually transformed believers are informed by God’s Word
and energized by His Spirit. Christian faith does entail obedience to
the commands of Christ and responsible participation in the life of
His church and the broader community. It does sometimes lead
through sufferings of various kinds. But perseverance in faith is
certain as believers remain in relationship with their Lord. With
great assurance, Paul’s words remind us of our Lord’s unflagging
commitment that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on
to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). 4
Let us therefore remember, as we consider the issues of life
and death, heaven and hell, eternal security and eternal damnation,
that we too were once sinners, bound for hell and everlasting
torment. Let us therefore pray for the backslidden, for circumstances
to restore them to spiritual life, recognizing that “There but for the
grace of God go I.” To Him be the glory, forever and ever, Amen.
May you have the victory in Christ. Amen!
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For further information or teaching material to help you grow in
the Christian faith, please visit:
CROSSROADS INTERNATIONAL
FULL GOSPEL MINISTRIES
crossroadsministries.org.au
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S.B.C., II Corinthians, Vol. 14, pages 232-233.
S.B.C., II Corinthians, Vol.14, taken from pgs 240-241.
S.B.C., John, pgs.279-280.
4 A.O.G. USA Position Paper 2017.
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