Buzzardhut
March 15th, 2009, 01:41 AM
Salvation, as taught in the Bible, is a present possession, received at the time of the new birth or acceptance of Christ as one's personal Savior, and is kept secure or eternal by God's power. Consider such references as John 3:16; John 3:36; John 5:24; John 10:28; Hebrews 9:15; Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 10:14; I Peter 1:4-5.
Jesus Christ made the promise in John 6:37 that He would never cast out anyone who had trusted Him as Savior for any reason. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." He meant exactly that. There is no circumstance or instance that would cause Christ to cast a saved person aside.
Some have said to me, "Okay, Christ won't cast me out, but I can cast myself out." This is impossible. Read with me John 6:39 where Jesus said, "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that all which he hath given, I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day." Jesus promises that He will never lose anyone who has come to him for salvation and that this is the Father's will.
If any one saved person were ever lost, then Jesus Christ would be a liar because, He said in John 6:39 that He would not lose one. If just one saved person in all of history were lost, then Jesus Christ would be a liar.
Praise the Lord that Jesus Christ is a Savior who will deliver on what He has promised. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath (possesses now) eternal life (John 6:47)." Jesus Christ promises eternal life as a present possession to all those who believe (trust) in Him.
The heart of all the misunderstanding concerning this subject is the fact that human works or merit have zero to do with salvation. Many Scriptures make it so clear that we are saved by faith and not by works. For example: John 3:18; Romans 3:24-28; Romans 4;5; Ephesians 2:8-9 and so on.
In addition to this, there are many clear Scriptures which teach that anyone who is trusting in works (church membership, baptism, confirmation, living the Christian life, etc.) in addition to faith in Christ will not be saved (Romans 11:6; and Galatians 5:2-4). Thus we are to trust in Christ only to be saved.
The work of salvation was finished on the cross by Jesus Christ himself (Hebrews 1:3). If we want to be saved, then we must believe that Jesus Christ finished the work of salvation on the cross, and receive it as God's free gift (Romans 6:23).
"I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him (Ecclesiastes 3:14)." (See also Romans 8:38-39.)
After we are saved, we should live for Christ out of love and gratitude for all He has done for us. We will be rewarded for faithful service or suffer the loss of rewards for not serving the Lord, but we will be eternally saved (Corinthians 3:11-15). Also, if we live in rebellion we will still be saved, but God will chasten us in this life and might take us home to heaven prematurely. (See Hebrews 12:6-8; Corinthians 11:30-32.)
Salvation is by grace through faith. It is a free gift, and is wholly without works (Romans 3:27-28; 4:1-8; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). The divine order is first salvation, then works (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-8).
"Blessed Assurance" is a favorite hymn of many who claim to be saved. But it is only wishful thinking to those who believe they can be saved today and lost tomorrow.
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39)." A saved person can know and be absolutely assured of his or her salvation. Nothing can undo what God has finished (Ecclesiastes 3:14).
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life (I John 5:13)."
Notice Hebrews 10:10-19. Verse 10 says, "By the which will we are sanctified (made pure and holy) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Verse 12 says, "But this man (Jesus Christ), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God." Verse 14 says, "For by one offering he (Jesus Christ) hath (has) perfected forever them that are sanctified (made pure and holy)." By the way, if you were "perfected forever," could you be certain of eternal life? The answer would obviously be, "YES"! Verses 17 and 18 say, "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering (no additional offering or sacrifice) for sin." If you will connect the "no more offering" of verse 18 with the "no more sacrifice" of verse 26, you have the answer. That is, God forgives all of our sin (past, present, future) on the basis of Christ's death on the cross of Calvary. We need do nothing else to be saved.
As the hymn writer said, "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Even if we sin willfully, we are still saved. Even if we sin willfully, "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus," is the one and only answer.
If any one saved person were ever lost, then Jesus Christ would be a liar, because He said in John 6:39 that He would not lose one. If just one person in all of history were lost, then Jesus Christ would be a liar.
Praise the Lord that Jesus Christ is a Savior who will deliver on what He has promised. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath (possesses now) everlasting life (John 6:47)." Jesus Christ promises eternal life as a present possession to all those who believe (trust) in Him.
The heart of all the misunderstanding concerning this subject is the fact that human works or merit have zero to do with salvation. Many scriptures make it clear that we are saved by faith and not by works. For example: John 3:18; Romans 3:24-28; Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9 and so on.
In addition to this, there are many clear scriptures which teach that anyone who is trusting in works (church membership, baptism, confirmation, living the Christian life, etc.) in addition to faith in Christ will not be saved. (For example: Romans 11:6; Galatians 5:2-4). Thus we are to trust in Christ only to be saved.
The work of salvation was finished on the cross by Jesus Christ himself (Hebrews 1:3). If we want to be saved, then we must believe that Jesus Christ finished the work of salvation on the cross, and receive it as God's free gift (Romans 6:23).
"I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him (Ecclesiastes 3:14)."
(See also Romans 8:38-39).
This does not mean that the Christian has a license to sin. Hebrews Chapters 10, 11 and 12 describe reward and blessing to that Christian who serves the Lord, and chastisement, scourging, plus loss of reward in heaven to the disobedient Christian. To the disobedient, willfully sinning Christian, Hebrews says, " ... The Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:30-31)."
We know that Christians can backslide, but that a Christian can never backslide into hell. "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul (Hebrews 10:39)."
A person who believes that you can lose your salvation is really trusting in works for salvation and is not saved. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8, 9)." Usually the person who says that they can lose their salvation says that you must live a consistent Christian life to keep it. To backslide and die would mean that you would go to hell. To say that what you do or what you don't do in your future Christian life can effect your salvation is to depend upon conduct, behavior, or works for salvation. And we know that a person who is trusting in works for salvation is not saved.
"...But if be of works, then is it no more grace." Romans 11:6.
A person standing before God with no grace will go to hell. It is no wonder that the Apostle Peter warned against the error of the wicked (unsaved) and how they would wrestle with a difficult passage to their own destruction (II Peter 3:16, 17).
Even though there are dozens and dozens of clear verses that teach we are saved by grace through faith and eternally saved (Example: John 3:16-18), these persons will not accept plain truth but hang all their doctrine on a "passage that is hard to be understood (II Peter 3:16-17)."
"He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:18)."
If you are a believer you ought to be serving the Lord, but even if you sin willfully, you are still saved. God loves you that much. His great love and faithfulness ought to constrain us to live daily for Him (II Corinthians 5:14).
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame." Hebrews 6:4-6
Notice that the passage is talking about those who are saved. There are five things said about them that demonstrate this truth:
First, "Those who were once enlightened" refers to a saved person or one who has seen "the light" of the Lord Jesus Christ. The same word "enlightened" is translated "illuminated" in Hebrews 10:32 and speaks of a saved individual.
Second, "tasted of the heavenly gift" refers to salvation. Romans 6:23 says, "The gift of God is eternal life." Ephesians 2:8 says that salvation "is the gift of God." The word "tasted" is used in Hebrews 2:9 saying Christ "tasted death for every man." We tasted of the heavenly gift in the same way Christ tasted death--that is, fully and completely.
Third, "We're made partakers of the Holy Ghost." The Bible teaches in Romans 8:9, "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." In other words, if you don't have the Holy Spirit you are not saved. The moment a person trusts Christ as Saviour he or she partakes of the Holy Spirit. If you do not have the Holy Spirit, then you are unsaved.
Fourth, "Tasted the good Word of God." The Bible tells us in I Corinthians 2:14, "But the natural (unsaved) man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Only the saved man can taste of the Word of God.
Fifth, "The powers of the world to come." Only the born-again man has experienced the power of God. Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth." A person who is born-again has experienced the power of God.
"If they shall fall away" is not referring to salvation but it is referring to the "Christian life"! Hebrews 6:1 tells us that the writer is speaking about things that accompany salvation. Hebrews 6:1 tells us that the writer is talking about maturity in the Christian life and not about how to be saved.
Well, what is Hebrews 6:6 talking about? Verse six is simply stating to Hebrew (Jewish) believers who were used to a yearly sacrifice that it was impossible for them to be saved again because "by ONE offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified [the believers in Christ] (Hebrews 10:14)." Hebrews 6:1 tells us that we cannot "lay again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God."
If a believer falls away from serving the Lord, the procedure is not to become saved again. That is impossible. It is impossible to "renew" them again unto repentance (the change of mind necessary to accept Christ as Saviour).
Hebrews 6:6 warns that if you try to become saved again all you do is crucify Jesus Christ afresh to yourself, thereby shaming Jesus Christ.
The Bible does not teach that one must be born again and again and again, etc. You can only be born-again once, never to be cast out (John 6:37) or lost (John 6:39). Salvation is complete and final. (Read John 5:24).
The solution for a believer fallen away from service to the Lord is to start serving again. We are encouraged by the words of Hebrews 6:10, that "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love." God will reward faithful service to him. (See I Corinthians 15:58).
God wants us to grow in knowledge of Him, to serve Him and to mature.
Lack in these areas does not mean that we have lost our salvation. That is why it is impossible to get saved again (Hebrews 6:6), because it is impossible to lose salvation (Hebrews 13:5). To try to become saved again (impossible) shames Jesus Christ who has saved us forever (John 6:47; Hebrews 9:12; 10:10; 10:12-14, 17, 18). To serve Him again brings glory and honor to Him (John 12:24), and His blessing and reward is upon us (I Corinthians 15:58).
Jesus Christ made the promise in John 6:37 that He would never cast out anyone who had trusted Him as Savior for any reason. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." He meant exactly that. There is no circumstance or instance that would cause Christ to cast a saved person aside.
Some have said to me, "Okay, Christ won't cast me out, but I can cast myself out." This is impossible. Read with me John 6:39 where Jesus said, "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that all which he hath given, I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day." Jesus promises that He will never lose anyone who has come to him for salvation and that this is the Father's will.
If any one saved person were ever lost, then Jesus Christ would be a liar because, He said in John 6:39 that He would not lose one. If just one saved person in all of history were lost, then Jesus Christ would be a liar.
Praise the Lord that Jesus Christ is a Savior who will deliver on what He has promised. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath (possesses now) eternal life (John 6:47)." Jesus Christ promises eternal life as a present possession to all those who believe (trust) in Him.
The heart of all the misunderstanding concerning this subject is the fact that human works or merit have zero to do with salvation. Many Scriptures make it so clear that we are saved by faith and not by works. For example: John 3:18; Romans 3:24-28; Romans 4;5; Ephesians 2:8-9 and so on.
In addition to this, there are many clear Scriptures which teach that anyone who is trusting in works (church membership, baptism, confirmation, living the Christian life, etc.) in addition to faith in Christ will not be saved (Romans 11:6; and Galatians 5:2-4). Thus we are to trust in Christ only to be saved.
The work of salvation was finished on the cross by Jesus Christ himself (Hebrews 1:3). If we want to be saved, then we must believe that Jesus Christ finished the work of salvation on the cross, and receive it as God's free gift (Romans 6:23).
"I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him (Ecclesiastes 3:14)." (See also Romans 8:38-39.)
After we are saved, we should live for Christ out of love and gratitude for all He has done for us. We will be rewarded for faithful service or suffer the loss of rewards for not serving the Lord, but we will be eternally saved (Corinthians 3:11-15). Also, if we live in rebellion we will still be saved, but God will chasten us in this life and might take us home to heaven prematurely. (See Hebrews 12:6-8; Corinthians 11:30-32.)
Salvation is by grace through faith. It is a free gift, and is wholly without works (Romans 3:27-28; 4:1-8; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). The divine order is first salvation, then works (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-8).
"Blessed Assurance" is a favorite hymn of many who claim to be saved. But it is only wishful thinking to those who believe they can be saved today and lost tomorrow.
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39)." A saved person can know and be absolutely assured of his or her salvation. Nothing can undo what God has finished (Ecclesiastes 3:14).
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life (I John 5:13)."
Notice Hebrews 10:10-19. Verse 10 says, "By the which will we are sanctified (made pure and holy) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Verse 12 says, "But this man (Jesus Christ), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God." Verse 14 says, "For by one offering he (Jesus Christ) hath (has) perfected forever them that are sanctified (made pure and holy)." By the way, if you were "perfected forever," could you be certain of eternal life? The answer would obviously be, "YES"! Verses 17 and 18 say, "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering (no additional offering or sacrifice) for sin." If you will connect the "no more offering" of verse 18 with the "no more sacrifice" of verse 26, you have the answer. That is, God forgives all of our sin (past, present, future) on the basis of Christ's death on the cross of Calvary. We need do nothing else to be saved.
As the hymn writer said, "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Even if we sin willfully, we are still saved. Even if we sin willfully, "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus," is the one and only answer.
If any one saved person were ever lost, then Jesus Christ would be a liar, because He said in John 6:39 that He would not lose one. If just one person in all of history were lost, then Jesus Christ would be a liar.
Praise the Lord that Jesus Christ is a Savior who will deliver on what He has promised. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath (possesses now) everlasting life (John 6:47)." Jesus Christ promises eternal life as a present possession to all those who believe (trust) in Him.
The heart of all the misunderstanding concerning this subject is the fact that human works or merit have zero to do with salvation. Many scriptures make it clear that we are saved by faith and not by works. For example: John 3:18; Romans 3:24-28; Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9 and so on.
In addition to this, there are many clear scriptures which teach that anyone who is trusting in works (church membership, baptism, confirmation, living the Christian life, etc.) in addition to faith in Christ will not be saved. (For example: Romans 11:6; Galatians 5:2-4). Thus we are to trust in Christ only to be saved.
The work of salvation was finished on the cross by Jesus Christ himself (Hebrews 1:3). If we want to be saved, then we must believe that Jesus Christ finished the work of salvation on the cross, and receive it as God's free gift (Romans 6:23).
"I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him (Ecclesiastes 3:14)."
(See also Romans 8:38-39).
This does not mean that the Christian has a license to sin. Hebrews Chapters 10, 11 and 12 describe reward and blessing to that Christian who serves the Lord, and chastisement, scourging, plus loss of reward in heaven to the disobedient Christian. To the disobedient, willfully sinning Christian, Hebrews says, " ... The Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:30-31)."
We know that Christians can backslide, but that a Christian can never backslide into hell. "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul (Hebrews 10:39)."
A person who believes that you can lose your salvation is really trusting in works for salvation and is not saved. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8, 9)." Usually the person who says that they can lose their salvation says that you must live a consistent Christian life to keep it. To backslide and die would mean that you would go to hell. To say that what you do or what you don't do in your future Christian life can effect your salvation is to depend upon conduct, behavior, or works for salvation. And we know that a person who is trusting in works for salvation is not saved.
"...But if be of works, then is it no more grace." Romans 11:6.
A person standing before God with no grace will go to hell. It is no wonder that the Apostle Peter warned against the error of the wicked (unsaved) and how they would wrestle with a difficult passage to their own destruction (II Peter 3:16, 17).
Even though there are dozens and dozens of clear verses that teach we are saved by grace through faith and eternally saved (Example: John 3:16-18), these persons will not accept plain truth but hang all their doctrine on a "passage that is hard to be understood (II Peter 3:16-17)."
"He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:18)."
If you are a believer you ought to be serving the Lord, but even if you sin willfully, you are still saved. God loves you that much. His great love and faithfulness ought to constrain us to live daily for Him (II Corinthians 5:14).
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame." Hebrews 6:4-6
Notice that the passage is talking about those who are saved. There are five things said about them that demonstrate this truth:
First, "Those who were once enlightened" refers to a saved person or one who has seen "the light" of the Lord Jesus Christ. The same word "enlightened" is translated "illuminated" in Hebrews 10:32 and speaks of a saved individual.
Second, "tasted of the heavenly gift" refers to salvation. Romans 6:23 says, "The gift of God is eternal life." Ephesians 2:8 says that salvation "is the gift of God." The word "tasted" is used in Hebrews 2:9 saying Christ "tasted death for every man." We tasted of the heavenly gift in the same way Christ tasted death--that is, fully and completely.
Third, "We're made partakers of the Holy Ghost." The Bible teaches in Romans 8:9, "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." In other words, if you don't have the Holy Spirit you are not saved. The moment a person trusts Christ as Saviour he or she partakes of the Holy Spirit. If you do not have the Holy Spirit, then you are unsaved.
Fourth, "Tasted the good Word of God." The Bible tells us in I Corinthians 2:14, "But the natural (unsaved) man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Only the saved man can taste of the Word of God.
Fifth, "The powers of the world to come." Only the born-again man has experienced the power of God. Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth." A person who is born-again has experienced the power of God.
"If they shall fall away" is not referring to salvation but it is referring to the "Christian life"! Hebrews 6:1 tells us that the writer is speaking about things that accompany salvation. Hebrews 6:1 tells us that the writer is talking about maturity in the Christian life and not about how to be saved.
Well, what is Hebrews 6:6 talking about? Verse six is simply stating to Hebrew (Jewish) believers who were used to a yearly sacrifice that it was impossible for them to be saved again because "by ONE offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified [the believers in Christ] (Hebrews 10:14)." Hebrews 6:1 tells us that we cannot "lay again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God."
If a believer falls away from serving the Lord, the procedure is not to become saved again. That is impossible. It is impossible to "renew" them again unto repentance (the change of mind necessary to accept Christ as Saviour).
Hebrews 6:6 warns that if you try to become saved again all you do is crucify Jesus Christ afresh to yourself, thereby shaming Jesus Christ.
The Bible does not teach that one must be born again and again and again, etc. You can only be born-again once, never to be cast out (John 6:37) or lost (John 6:39). Salvation is complete and final. (Read John 5:24).
The solution for a believer fallen away from service to the Lord is to start serving again. We are encouraged by the words of Hebrews 6:10, that "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love." God will reward faithful service to him. (See I Corinthians 15:58).
God wants us to grow in knowledge of Him, to serve Him and to mature.
Lack in these areas does not mean that we have lost our salvation. That is why it is impossible to get saved again (Hebrews 6:6), because it is impossible to lose salvation (Hebrews 13:5). To try to become saved again (impossible) shames Jesus Christ who has saved us forever (John 6:47; Hebrews 9:12; 10:10; 10:12-14, 17, 18). To serve Him again brings glory and honor to Him (John 12:24), and His blessing and reward is upon us (I Corinthians 15:58).