Once a Sheep Always a Sheep, or Salvation Deficit Disorder?

[Nightelf]

I just realized today that I am going to go to Hell and be accursed forever because of one mistake I made and the life I lived. I think God will tell me that he never knew me when he sees me and cast me into eternal damnation. It's a sobering thought. I don't think I am even a Christian. I have said the prayer where you ask Jesus into your heart and I have tried to be a good person. I made one really bad mistake though. Is there any chance I can be saved?

Jsmythe, every time our accusor (Satan) goes before God and reminds Him what terrible children we are, God reminds Satan that Jesus' blood sacrifice was sufficient to pay for ALL our transgressions. Thank God, Jesus was able to pay for all of mine... so I am SURE there is hope for you!!! I think the devil is just trying to make you believe lies... if you accepted Jesus' gift of salvation through faith in His death on the cross and resurrection, then you ARE saved, my friend.

[hurryupJesus]

I agree! :thumb

Notice the verse immediately following the two that you quoted (1 Corinthians 6:9-10):

1 Corinthians 6:11



Notice also how the list in verses 9-10 "identifies", for instance, those who commit the sin of fornication as "fornicators" or those who commit the sin of adultery as "adulterers". That is before salvation. After salvation, one who happens to commit the same sin can no longer be "identified" as a "fornicator" or as an "adulterer", etc. Now, we "are washed", "are sanctified", "are justified" and are "identified" wholly with Christ.

For a believer (one who is "in Christ", by virtue of faith alone in Christ's finished work alone, for salvation), confessing our sins and asking forgiveness (or failing to) affects our "fellowship with Him", but never our "position in Him" nor our "identity." We can never again be called (or described as) "fornicator" or "adulterer" (though it is possible to commit the sin) as believers whose "identity" has been forever and permanently changed... "in Christ" and because of Him. :)

ETA: It's helpful (in light of this) for us to remember Galatians 5:16-18, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." The Spirit is our power Source.
Romans 6-8 is helpful, as well. There, we are to "know" something, to "reckon" upon it (as true), and then to "yield"... and our focus will be where our Lord wants it to be. :hat

So I have a question, does the HOly Spirit stay with us always? Do we have to ask for HIm to fill us fresh every day?
When Tony Campolo spoke at my old church, I left after he was there, he said one man waited for 10 hours through soaking prayer then the Spirit hit him, the fire hit him. Well I figure this just isn't right. But do you have to ask the Lord everyday to send His Holy Spirit? Is this what you mean when you say walk in the Spirit?

[Tiger Lily]

A collection of verses that might help:

On Salvation:
Rom 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Mark 3:28-29 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— ”
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Eph 2: 8-9 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.
1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

On Forgiveness:
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 Chr 21:8 Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."
Ps 51:7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Ps 103:8-12 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Is 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
Is 43:25 "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”
Is 44:22 “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you."
Mic 7:18-19 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
Matt 6:12 Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Matt 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matt 18:12-14 " . . . If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."
Matt 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” [read on 23-35 re. the wicked servant for more on forgiving others if interested]
Mark 11:25 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
Luke 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Luke 7:47 “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Rom 3:23-25 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Rom 11:11 . . . Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! . . .
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
1 Tim 2:3-4 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Col 2:13-15 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Edit: Jsmythe, I added some of the other verses mentioned on this thread, too, in case you want to print them out.

[CID03]

When we are born again, we are marked and sealed by the Holy Spirit. He will never leave us, however if we grieve him through sin it sure feels that way. Trust the scriptures and not you own understanding.

[Windsong]

So I have a question, does the HOly Spirit stay with us always? Do we have to ask for HIm to fill us fresh every day?
When Tony Campolo spoke at my old church, I left after he was there, he said one man waited for 10 hours through soaking prayer then the Spirit hit him, the fire hit him. Well I figure this just isn't right. But do you have to ask the Lord everyday to send His Holy Spirit? Is this what you mean when you say walk in the Spirit?

i too was backslidden for many years... back then i didn't know if He was still with me.. or would even listen to my prayers or not because i wasn't walking with Him. but now i know that He never left me.. He was always with me .. calling me. it was me who left Him.. it was me who wouldn't listen to Him.

when we are saved we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit... He never leaves us and it is not necessary to ask the Lord to send the Holy Spirit every day. one of the devils tools is to make you feel like you will never be good enough and he whispers in our ears making us doubt our salvation. but Jesus said on the cross... it is finished. trust that... have faith that what Jesus said is true...

[24thchance]

Let,s see,were you a murderer?Paul and Moses were,were you an adulterer? so was David.Did you dare to Question God almighty ?so did job,Ezekiel Jeremiah and a host of others.
To ask God to forgive your sin,and be heaven bound then say later God didn't mean what he said and you are lost,and on your way to hell and you lost your salvation is totally wrong.He holds your salvation,not you so if you sincerely let him in your heart once -that,s it.You cannot lose your salvation any more than you can be unborn from your mother.
This sounds like satan is at work in your soul.Read the word ,not your feelings,they will fool you more often than not.

[Thankfulone]

Hi Jsmythe,

I feel your pain and understand what you are feeling. First I want to encourage you to study Gods Word and get a true understanding of what sin is. Sin is sin. It doesn't matter if you lied or if you murdered someone. In Gods eyes they are the same because you have broken His law. The good news is that no sin or, as you put it, "mistake" that you have made is too big for God to forgive! It can be very hard to truly understand and accept this truth. I personally struggled with this truth during my journey to saving faith. I was raised being taught the truth of Christ and His gift of salvation but i never gave my life to Him as my Lord and Savior. I had hardened my heart to the truth. Instead I chose to live for myself and my worldly desires. One thing led to another and I found myself pregnant. Knowing that I was murdering my own child I chose to have an abortion. I knew it was breaking God's law and still I chose to do it. I suffered so much pain and guilt from that choice. I believed that I could never be forgiven for this sin. But as horrible as that was, God used it to draw me to Him. Slowly He opened my eyes to the Truth. The big breakthrough for me came one day as I started to read the book of Matthew. The first several verses give the lineage of Christ through His legal earthly father Joseph. There are four women named in this lineage: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. God opened my eyes to the truth that no matter what sin is in my past, it is NOT too big for Him! God used these women who had major sins in their lives to bring the Savior into the world. If He can forgive my horrible sin of abortion, He can forgive whatever sin you have committed, no matter how horrible it may be. There is nothing more freeing than living in the confidence that my sins are forgiven! I will be praying for you to come to a saving and freeing faith in Christ.

[carolina_guy]

Is your sin greater than the murder of a countless number of Christians?

What makes you think you cannot be saved and what verses do you have to support this notion? Are you clinging to the truth of God's word or your feelings?

[Glory in print]

My whole life I have always believed in eternal security, but I must admit I can easily find verses that defend both positions, now I don't know really what to believe on this issue.... Heres one of the verses that shocked me in Revelation (Rev 22:18 ¶ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book. Verse 19 says God will take away someones part out of the book of life, if they take away the words of that book, and take away his part out of the holy city, and from the things written in the book, meaning even if a believer takes away from the book of revelation, his inheritance in the holy city shall be taken away, and his name will be blotted out of the book of life, we know that in scripture that at the great white throne judgement that those who names are not found in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire.... Another verse makes me wonder is where Paul said (in the latter days many shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits), no mention of these people being false converts or unbelievers but mentions them departing from the faith - meaning departing from the Christian faith.... Are we to take these verses literally or not, I take the whole word of God literally, what do you guys think about these verses does it leave you scratching your head.... Other verses like where it says a believer is sealed with the holy spirit until the day of redemption points to eternal security, but the above verses do not, could it be they are eternally secure unless they do something so horrible as to depart from the faith, or take away from the book of revelation?.... It makes me wonder sometimes.

[cocopea9052]

:wave GloryinPrint

I have always been taught and believed in eternal security. And on the OSAS thread which is pages and pages long, seems the final conclusion is that a true Christian cannot lose their salvation, no matter what. So then you go back to the debate of if a person was really a Christian or not and end up back at square one essentially.

I do think in reference to your thread, that most of the Church has already taken away from and added to the word of God. False religions and new age, emergent, WOF...I mean the list is very long. So, what does that mean? Not real Christians? :idunno Can you depart from the faith and still be saved? :idunno. What does depart mean? See, it just produces more questions. :scratch:scratch