Many Teach a Message of "Once Saved", "Always Saved"

But Is This Really What The Bible Teaches?

Can You Lose The Promise Of Salvation?


The Bible teaches that SALVATION is a GIFT from God. It is a GIFT because a person cannot earn it. Since the original sin in the Garden of Eden, all men have been under the penalty of death. This "death sentence" is what God is offering SALVATION from.

SIN is the TRANSGRESSION of God's LAW

Sin is the transgression of God's Law, and is punishable by death of the transgressor. Notice 1 John 3:4 -"Everyone who practices SIN also practices LAWLESSNESS; and SIN IS LAWLESSNESS." Anyone who breaks the Law of God has sinned. The Apostle Paul says that ALL HAVE SINNED and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) In Romans 6:23 we find what we have earned by allowing sin in our life. Notice Romans 6:23 -"For the WAGES of SIN is DEATH, but the FREE GIFT of God is Eternal Life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

This Scripture makes the consequences of SIN plain and simple, doesn't it?

The wages you are going to be paid for having sinned is DEATH!

Why is it that so many religious teachers preach the opposite of that? Why do they teach the "wages of sin is eternal LIFE in a burning hell?" Aren't they teaching that you ALREADY have ETERNAL LIFE, and will spend it either with God or the Devil? Why would God offer a Gift of eternal life, if you already possessed it?

This passage clearly tells us that sin brings DEATH to the sinner, but God brings LIFE from DEATH by a free gift through Jesus Christ. Other Scriptures show us that REPENTANCE from breaking God's Law is necessary to receive this gift of salvation.

Only the REPENTANT can be reconciled to God.

 

JESUS' BEGINNING STATEMENT

Perhaps you are unaware, but the very first statement of Jesus' ministry was, "REPENT, for the Kingdom of God is at Hand."(Matthew 4:17) And even after He would tell a person their sins were forgiven, he would follow it with, -"Go and SIN no more." He did not accept them the way they were, His followers were expected to come out of the world, and their former sinful ways.

When Jesus pronounced a person's sins as being forgiven, they entered into a state of GRACE through God's infinite mercy.

An appropriate English term for this "GRACE" would be "FAVOR".

Through the sacrifice of Christ, all that will repent from practicing SIN has found "FAVOR" with their Creator, and has been RECONCILED back to Him.

But the main question is, can a person FALL from GRACE?

If he can, what would cause him to lose "FAVOR" in the eyes of God?

This is an important question to know the answer to, and our answer must come from the pages of the Bible. There are so many preaching that there is absolutely nothing you can do to earn this grace, and this IS supported by the Bible.

But when one is awarded a gift, he must reach out and accept it. He must step forward and receive the gift to himself. This does in no way suggest that he had earned it, though. Likewise, one that is offered the gift of Salvation, must step forward and take it from God. He does this by repenting from living a life of sin.

He will still fail on occasion, but God will continually forgive him, as he is in this state of grace. But can he fall from this FAVOR with God?

Remember, man came under the curse of sin, which is death, by being disobedient to his Creator. God had instructed Adam and Eve to not eat of the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden. He plainly told them, that in the day they disobeyed and ate of this tree, they would fall under the curse of sin, and eventually die. They were "IN FAVOR" with God until they disobeyed Him in this matter. All mankind has been under this death penalty since the day Eve took the forbidden fruit.

Notice 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 -"For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as IN ADAM ALL DIE, so also IN CHRIST ALL SHALL BE MADE ALIVE."

It is clear that man was destined to stay dead, and in the grave. But Jesus came with the "keys to the gates of hell (Hades)".

This English word "hell" is translated from the Greek "Hades", which means "the grave". So Jesus possesses the ability and the authority to make all that are dead in their graves, alive by the power of the resurrection.

He has opened the door to restore that broken relationship between man and his Creator, that occurred so long ago in Eden. To put man BACK INTO His grace. Through accepting the blood of Jesus, man again finds FAVOR with his Creator. Notice John 3:16 -"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." Without the sacrifice of the Son of God, all men would perish. No one would be brought back from death and the grave.

CHRIST Plus OBEDIENCE is Necessary

If one seeks to justify himself through keeping the Law without Christ, he is dead in his sins.

But the Bible clearly teaches that a Christian must have good works.

These works do not give him salvation, but he cannot stay in the grace of God without them.

Notice the Apostle James teaching in James 2. In Verse 14 he says, -"What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has NO WORKS? Can that faith SAVE him?" Now Notice Verses 20-22 -"But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his WORKS, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected (made complete)."

After Abraham showed God that he was willing to sacrifice his only son, in order to obey His command, God then said, -"NOW I KNOW YOU, that you will follow Me, since you have not with-held even your only son from Me." It was after this that God pronounced His blessings on Abraham.

Abraham is known as the father of the faithful, but his faith was made complete through his willingness to perform the "work" of offering his only son.

Abraham could just as easily be known as the father of the obedient, because it took obedience along with his faith to find FAVOR with God. Now Notice Verses 24-26 -"You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also FAITHWITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD." Faith alone is not enough, God requires action.

Now, is James saying a Christian can work his way to salvation without Christ? No, of course not. He is saying, however, that having faith in the sacrifice of Christ alone is not enough, the Christian's life must be filled with well-doing, or his faith is dead, which means, they are out of grace and dead in sin.

 

TAKE HEED, lest you FALL AWAY

This is why there are so many scriptures warning the brethren to not FALL AWAY from the original teachings of the apostles. Many false apostles were infiltrating the church teaching heretical doctrines. Notice 2 Peter 1:10 -"Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for AS LONG AS YOU PRACTICE THESE THINGS, you will never STUMBLE; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you." Peter is saying Christianity is something that must be PRACTICED in order to qualify for our eternal inheritance.

Notice also 2 Peter 2:20-22 -"For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known the way of righteousness, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "A dog returns to its own vomit," and "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire."

John says that he that endures until the end will be saved.

The Devil tries to wear down the patience of the saints of God.

He continually keeps the pressure on to cause them to give up.

God allows this to happen, He is in the trials of the Christian.

Like with Abraham, He wants to see our actions WORK with our FAITH. Jesus said that he that overcomes will inherit the kingdom. The Christian will either OVERCOME or BE OVERCOME by the world, and its god, the Devil. Satan is the god of this dark world, and he has blinded the minds of the unbelieving.(2 Corinthians 4:4)

It was no accident that God in His infinite wisdom, put man on this planet with the Devil and his demons.

He could have put man on any planet in the vast universe, but He put us here in order to be TESTED and TEMPTED, so that all that would overcome would qualify for glory, dominion, and eternal life.

 

Don't FAIL the TEST!

But what happens to those who fail the test and do not perfect their faith with works? Notice Hebrews 6:4-6 -"For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the holy spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have FALLEN AWAY, it is IMPOSSIBLE to RENEW THEM AGAIN to REPENTANCE, since they again CRUCIFY to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame."

This passage tells us that once we come into contact with God and His truth, receive the indwelling of the holy spirit, and then turn away, then tragically, we have lost our salvation. This does not mean MAKING MISTAKES, but FOLLOWING YOUR OWN WILL, YOUR DESIRES rather than SUBMITING TO GOD'S WILL IN YOUR LIFE. We have fallen from grace. We are no longer in God's favor.

And since we have already claimed the sacrifice of Jesus, there no longer remains a sacrifice for our continued sins. Verses 7-8 tell us, that the person who does this is like a plant producing "thorns and thistles" instead of good fruit, and is worthy only of being cast into the fire to be burned up. What a terrifying future they that turn away from obedience to God after receiving His free gift, have.

Notice Hebrews 10:26-27 -"For if we go on SINNING WILLFULLY after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries." God will not be mocked! Jesus said, -"MANY are CALLED, but FEW are CHOSEN."

One can only understand the Word of God because God has opened his mind to understand.

At that point God has opened the door for SALVATION.

For you to pass from certain DEATH to eternal LIFE.

And although the GIFT is FREE, you can lose it if you do not abide in the teachings of Jesus and the Father.

 

True Christians Have a CROWN Laid up for Them

There are several scriptures that say that the Christian has a CROWN of eternal life and glory laid up for him, but he must endure in the true faith until the end to receive it. Jesus told the saints in the church at Philadelphia, to"hold fast,...that no one TAKE YOUR CROWN." Revelation 3:11)

This is the crown of salvation, and clearly one can lose it.

 

God Did Not Spare the Ancient World

In the books of Jude and 2 Peter we are warned that if God did not spare the angels that fell from His grace, or the ancient world, as in the time of Noah, then we should take heed to understand that Christians will not be spared judgment. If, after being called out of this world and cleansed by the blood of the Son of God, they return to their former sinful ways; refusing to change, then they have brought judgment back upon themselves, and have no sacrifice left to atone for their sins.

In closing let's read Hebrews 2:1-3 -"For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we DRIFT AWAY from it, for if the WORD spoken through angels proved UNALTERABLE, and EVERY TRANSGRESSION and DISOBEDIENCE received a just recompense, HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT A SALVATION?"

We are not saved because of our good works, but we are saved to do the good works of Him who called us.

My Friends, we can NEGLECT our salvation.