Losing Salvation?

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on July 15, 2013 at 8:28pm

This is an important topic and I am glad you have asked about it. We have had several forums on this that may be of help to you which I have listed below. The last one is one I was involved in with another person as we civilly discussed this over numerous postings back and forth. Feel free to read through these to see if they help (I know it is a lot, but it covers a lot). Also feel free to ask specific questions here in the one you have started either from things that arise from reading the ones I have posted or new questions that come to mind.

 

The short answer to your question is no we cannot lose that which we could not earn. At the same time, though we cannot lose it we are called to live for His glory and to seek to live holy lives. Thus, when people accuse us who believe in eternal security of teaching one can be saved and live any way he wants, that is a lie. We have the Holy Spirit in us who will make the child of God's life miserable if one chooses to live in sin after being saved (regenerated). The Holy Spirit lives in us to convict us of sin and of righteousness. He is there to strengthen us in our daily lives as we seek to live for Jesus.

http://www.allaboutgod.net/forum/topics/assurance-of-salvation

http://www.allaboutgod.net/forum/topics/once-saved-always-saved

http://www.allaboutgod.net/forum/topics/if-you-believe-you-can-lose

http://www.allaboutgod.net/forum/topics/losing-salvation

http://www.allaboutgod.net/forum/topics/losing-salvation

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Permalink Reply by Kayla on July 15, 2013 at 9:03pm

"Your relationship with God, as well as your eternal salvation are based upon faith. Faith that Jesus Christ is who, and what He says he is. And thus if you are committing those sins mentioned in the above paragraph, then you simply don't believe who Jesus is. A person practicing the above sinful actions, certainly indicates that the person no longer has any faith or belief in Jesus Christ."

1. It's impossible to not sin

2. There are just some sins that we struggle with. Each person has their own unique weakness. Something I struggle with, you may not. I could be saved and mean everything with the uttermost sincerity, but then slip every now and then with a certain sin. I can feel guilty and repent, but I may still slip occasionally. Now what? Am I not a child of God then? Will I not inherit the kingdom of God?

I am an analyzer. I'm sorry.

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Permalink Reply by Seek on July 16, 2013 at 6:56am

Kayla, people can't NOT sin.  We're born into sin.  But do we PRACTICE sin?  Do you seek to please God and not do a thing but sometimes get caught up in life and do it?  Or do you not care if you do a thing that is sinful and do it repeatedly with an attitude that there is nothing wrong with it?

I used to do things that were blatantly sinful and they didn't bother me.  I had no conviction about them.  Now, I don't do those things.  Yet I've slipped up in things at times and done them and felt horribly about it.

IE:  Getting angry and lashing out at someone is sinning (we can get angry and not lash out...in your anger do not sin in other words).  Yet we can tend to get angry over something and lash out before we realize it, then we feel bad and repent and apologize to the person.  Before, we would hold it in, hang onto that anger, feel justified with being anger, let it grow into a deep bitterness, and continue practicing that sin.

I've always liked John Gills commentary on 1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God

doth not commit sin;
does not make it his trade and business; it is not the constant course of his life; he does not live and walk in sin, or give up himself to it; he is not without the being of it in him, or free from acts of sin in his life and conversation, but he does not so commit it as to be the servant of it, a slave unto it, or to continue in it;

for his seed remaineth in him;

and he cannot sin;
not that it is impossible for such a man to do acts of sin, or that it is possible for him to live without sin; for the words are not to be understood in the sense of those who plead for perfection in this life; for though the saints have perfection in Christ, yet not in themselves; they are not impeccable, they are not free from sin, neither from the being nor actings of it; sin is in them, lives in them, dwells in them, hinders all the good, and does all the mischief it can: or in such sense, as if the sins of believers were not sins; for though they are pardoned and expiated, and they are justified from them, yet they do not cease to be sins; they are equally contrary to the nature, will, and law of God, as well as the sins of others; and are oftentimes attended with more aggravated circumstances, and which God in a fatherly way takes notice of, and chastises for, and on the account of which he hides his face from them: nor does the phrase intend any particular single sin, which cannot be committed; though there are such, as sinning wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, or denying Christ to be the Saviour of sinners, and a sacrifice for sin, and hatred of a Christian brother as such, and sinning the sin unto death, or the unpardonable sin; neither of which can be committed by a regenerate man: nor is the meaning only, though it is a sense that will very well bear, and agrees with the context, that such persons cannot sin as unregenerate men do; that is, live in a continued course of sinning, and with pleasure, and without reluctance, and so as to lie in it, as the whole world does

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on July 16, 2013 at 7:15am

Faith also includes trusting in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ recognizing that the work of salvation is accomplished by God on our behalf. Jesus went to the cross and died because sin had to be punished and paid for. His blood is that payment, but we must receive Him and salvation as a gift. Imagine for a moment that I offered you a brand new car and told you it was yours to own, but you never accepted the keys or transfer the title ... is it really yours. I set it aside for you and extended the offer and it has been fully paid for, but unless you receive it into possession it never becomes yours. The same is true of Christ (though the example is weak). The blood has been shed and the offer stands. How a person responds to the offer once they come to realize the truth of the offer and its validity makes the difference. Some see the offer and chose darkness over light (John 3).

 

We also recognize that repentance is a change of mind that leads to turning from sin and turning to God, but the change of mind that enables the directional shift has to occur first. One cannot come to realize that Jesus is truly Lord and Savior (because that is a work of God) and then simply stop believing that. People argue this all the time, but if a person stops believing that Jesus is Lord and Savior that reveals that they never really believed it to begin with. They had some form of mental ascent, but not true faith. Again, there are some who see this truth and reject Him and choose darkness. Satan is the greatest example of this (though not human) he saw God and served in and chose to rebel against God.

 

There is a little saying I like to use. Many teach that we are saved by grace and yet then teach that our salvation is maintained by works (they use different language, but in the end this is what they mean). That is inconceivable. What hope would we have to maintain our salvation through works when there is no way we could be saved in the first place by works. That is an ugly trap that allows man to control men and is often called a form of legalism. We are saved by grace and our salvation is maintained by grace. This is God's work from beginning to end. Now this does not excuse our actions. There is a right way to live and a right reason to live that way ... not out of fear, but because we love Him and desire to please Him. There are consequences for sin in this life, but loss of salvation is not one of them (Read Hebrews 12 regarding divine discipline).

 

Lord Bless,

LT

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