Salvation:
Here today gone tomorrow?
"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great
salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by
them that heard [him]." (Hebrews 2:3)
This article focuses on a topic that has much argument,
discussion, and dissension within Christian circles. Perhaps one of the major problems are
denominations how they twist the Gospel to suit them! This study is about salvation.
However, many articles and writings speak of salvation with their emphasis on "how to
become saved," and that's good we need that. But this article is presupposing the
readers are saved, and so we're going to discuss the topic can we lose our salvation,
or once saved always saved—eternal security.
Whatever the title, our main focus is this, after one has
salvation in Jesus Christ can that believer become eternally lost again? If so, what are
the causes? What is the sin or sins that would place one there? Our adversary has
attempted to divert me from this article for many years. He hated salvation from the very
beginning, and still does. Salvation is very, very, important. In fact it's why we're
Christians!
Before we begin we need to realize that God's Word the
Bible is our sole rule of faith, life, and practice. It has full authority in our lives,
and is complete in every way for our salvation. God's Word is the only source
of information for us concerning our salvation. A reminder, any other sources
quoted in this article are only backdrops/support and do not possess any authority
only the Holy Scriptures do. At the end of this article, after having reviewed all the
information, we will then be able to have a clear discernible conclusion as to this
doctrine.
First, we will look at God's Word for all of our
information. Again, let me stress this is the only source for understanding
this subject. Second, we will look at what the early Church said, the creeds, and what's
being said today. Generally, there is a wide range of interpretation of views on how one
is saved. Some are as follows: Baptism, faith, repentance, belief in Christ, good works,
ones denomination, all will be saved because no one goes to hell, one can save themselves,
etc. As stated above, we want to look at the subject of can we lose our salvation?
In the Beginning God
When we read the narrative of the beginning of God's
creation God does not introduce Himself to His creation; rather, He introduces His
creation to Himself. This is an antecedent to God's eternal existence—the fact that
God always existed is not assumed, but indicated and affirmed.
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth." (Genesis 1:1)
"And [Abraham] planted a grove in Beersheba, and
called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God." (Genesis 21:33)
Then Comes Man
God created man—living human beings—as part of
His creative order. We know we were created by God, and fashioned in His image and
likeness.
"So God created man in his [own] image, in the image
of God created he him; male and female created he them." (Genesis 1:27)
"This [is] the book of the generations of Adam. In
the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created
he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were
created." (Genesis 5:1,2)
The principle that our origin is from God is of little
doubt. Our beginnings originated from God, and as such, our first nature was pure from any
stain of evil. Man lived in harmony with God for a time sharing His holiness and purity.
However, man came to know sin and evil bringing death and destruction of the soul. God had
given them everything making only one prohibition—keep away from "the tree of
the knowledge good and evil."
"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of
every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt
surely die." (Genesis 2:16,17)
This command was soon broken.
"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of
the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye
shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat
of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the
midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it,
lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth
know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as
gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and
that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took
of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did
eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they
sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." (Genesis 3:1-7)
Sin entered in and judgment followed.
"And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in
the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence
of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and
said unto him, Where [art] thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was
afraid, because I [was] naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou
[wast] naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest
not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the
tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast
done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the LORD God said
unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou [art] cursed above all cattle, and
above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all
the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy
seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the
woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt
bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over
thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and
hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it:
cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy
life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb
of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the
ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou
return." (Genesis 3:8-19)
From this point sin entered in, and by man sin effected
all humans from Adam onward. The Bible is clear on this.
"If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and
if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and
thou shalt rule over him." (Genesis 4:7)
"And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and
Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous." (Genesis 18:20)
"And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God
is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not." (Exodus
20:20)
"And he said, If now I have found grace in thy
sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it [is] a stiffnecked people;
and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance." (Exodus
34:9)
"Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or
woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that
person be guilty." (Numbers 5:6)
"But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned
against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out." (Numbers 32:23)
"The fathers shall not be put to death for the
children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be
put to death for his own sin." (Deuteronomy 24:16)
"But he slew not their children, but [did] as [it
is] written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers
shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every
man shall die for his own sin." (2 Chronicles 25:4)
"That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and
searchest after my sin?" (Job 10:6)
"His bones are full [of the sin]of his youth, which
shall lie down with him in the dust." (Job 20:11)
"[There is] no soundness in my flesh because of
thine anger; neither [is there any] rest in my bones because of my sin." (Psalm
38:3)
"For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry
for my sin." (Psalm 38:18)
"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my
mother conceive me." (Psalm 51:5)
"Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure
from my sin?" (Proverbs 20:9)
"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and
saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John
1:29)
"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up
himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone
at her." (John 8:7)
"Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." (John 8:34)
"Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should
have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." (John 9:41)
"What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no
wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. As it
is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there
is none that seeketh after God." (Romans 3:9-11)
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God." (Romans 3:22)
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the
world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
(Romans 5:12)
"For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of
God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
"The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of
sin [is] the law." (1 Corinthians 15:56)
"But the scripture hath concluded all under sin,
that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." (Galatians
3:22)
"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth
sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:15)
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8)
"All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not
unto death." (1 John 5:17)
We have provided ample evidence, and that from God's
Word, that we're totally lost and depraved in need of salvation. The Bible is very
clear on this—our dependency on someone or something for salvation to bring us back
to that state as found with God and Adam originally.
Understand we have "inherited sin"
passed from Adam onward.
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the
world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
(Romans 5:12)
We must also understand that we have "actual
sin" that we've committed.
"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth
sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:15)
In other words, we have inherent transgression from Adam,
and actual sin manifested because of that original inherited sin. So the conclusion is,
we're lost in a condition of total depravity, filled with sin both inherent and actual,
and this sin is a total block to our communion with God.
Who can be with the Holy God in a state of sin?
God is a Holy and Righteous God, and we can never hope to
be united with Him, or have fellowship with Him in such a sinful corrupted state.
"And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as
one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of
the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from
the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken." (Genesis
3:22,23)
"Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that
day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be
devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that
day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God [is] not among us? And I will
surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that
they are turned unto other gods." (Deuteronomy 31:17,18)
"And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will
see what their end [shall be]: for they [are] a very froward generation, children in whom
[is] no faith." (Deuteronomy 32:20)
"But your iniquities have separated between you and
your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear." (Isaiah
59:2)
"Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not
hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved
themselves ill in their doings." (Micah 3:4)
"[Art] thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God,
mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O
mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. [Thou art] of purer eyes than to
behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal
treacherously, [and] holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth [the man that is] more
righteous than he?" (Habakkuk 1:12,13)
Again, the Bible is clear we cannot be with God, or
have fellowship with him because of our sin.
We need cleansing and salvation to be with God
The Bible is very clear that our sins need to be
eradicated, and a new cleansed soul needs to be imparted to us. In the Old Testament
Christ was foreshadowed in the offerings and sacrifices for sin—by the blood upon the
altar. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is that God-man savior that came to "take
away the sins of the world."
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the
LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red
like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
"For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of
Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be
your strength: and ye would not." (Isaiah 30:15)
"[But] Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an
everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end." (Isaiah
45:17)
"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the
earth: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else." (Isaiah 45:22)
"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to
God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his
life." (Romans 5:10)
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of
the Holy Ghost." (Titus 3:5)
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall
have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause [you] to dwell in the cities,
and the wastes shall be builded." (Ezekiel 36:33)
"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but
ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit
of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11)
To summarize, before we continue, the information about
salvation comes from God's Word alone! There is a holy God who created us.
We have a nature to sin—inherent and actual. This separates us from the just, holy,
and righteous God. We need cleansing and salvation for sins, by God in Christ, to be
united with Him.
It was necessary to preface this study with those
remarks. Why? Because it lays down the foundation to understanding salvation. We can now
lay aside questions about why and how we are saved, and focus on the subject at
hand—can we, once found by Christ, born anew, cleansed from sins, and being rightly
related to God, lose that salvation? It is hoped questions like the following: what sins
put us out? How many? To what degree? Can we be recovered? Will we be punished but saved?
Hope to be answered as we go through this very important study. Let me restate the
position that salvation is very, very, important for if we are unsure of this doctrine
what good is anything else?
What about salvation? Many Christians really struggle with
salvation wondering whether or not they're saved. Much of it comes from that they don't
know they're saved. Why? Because their not taught right salvation—they're taught
another Gospel. False Gospel presentation and false way of teaching people "how to be
saved." Ever heard "Now, everyone close your eyes and bow your head and repeat
after me"? A rote prayer repeating words with no heartfelt emotion with the idea
something "magical" will happen. Witchcraft! I tell you its witchcraft!
Repeating a statement with the hope of change. It takes God and
God alone to be in it to make heart lasting change. Going through the motions with no
effect because the whole matter rests with Jesus Christ. The truth of salvation is
constant never wavering. The Bible teaches you must know you're saved. What sense does it
make if you are to be saved but can never know it? Only you and the Lord know if you're
saved. Others can have an idea by fruits you produce. The good tree produces good fruit
and the bad tree produces bad fruit or none at all.
The Old Testament
It's important to define what the Old Testament words for
salvation are and how they're used. The Old Testament uses several words to convey similar
things. Most of the uses convey a type of physical deliverance from external things. The
following are words and definitions of the Hebrew Old Testament.
Save chayah—to save, alive, life,
preserve life. It's used of saving physical life alive from death (Genesis 45:7)
Save yasha—save, deliver, help, defend,
rescue, be delivered, this word is used of defending or victory in battle by another, and
again, to save the physical body (Deuteronomy 20:4). Moreover, it's used of spiritual
salvation (Job 22:29; Psalm 6:4; 55:16).
Deliverance teshuwah—salvation, help,
safety, victory, used to denote deliverance from ones enemy (Judges 15:18) and spiritual
deliverance (2 Chronicles 6:41).
Deliverance yeshuwah—help, salvation,
save, saving, used of physical (Exodus 14:13) and of spiritual (Exodus 15:2).
Deliverance pallet—escape. Used of
escaping from ones enemy (Psalm 32:7).
Salvation yeshua—safety, saving, rescue,
deliverance. Used of spiritual (2 Samuel 22:3,36; 1 Chronicles 16:23; Psalm 18:46; 27:1).
This gives us a good general understanding of what is
meant by salvation in the Old Testament. The theme in the Old Testament was "do good
and live" as compared to the New Testament's "by grace be saved and you will do
good." One thing we must keep in mind. No where in the Holy Scriptures does God
indicate His desire or will that we sin. In fact, do you think God would say in
the Scriptures a statement such as, "Ok, it's ok to sin." No way!
This next section will provide you with every Old
Testament Scripture on salvation. Not every verse will be quoted, but you will be able to
use those not quoted as further references. We will allow God's Word to tell us if in the
Old Testament one was capable of losing their salvation. Some of the quotes will have
commentary; however, I will try to keep this a little as possible. We want to let the
Scriptures be free to speak to us.
As we get into this section we will draw our conclusion
on two things. One, the shear number of passages that speaks to us. And two, the
"witness" we will receive as God shows us His teaching. A word of warning!
be prepared to be challenged, shaken, and confronted with truth contrary to what you may
have held in the past. Always remember God's Word is the final authority!
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou
shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
(Genesis 2:17)
In Genesis chapter three we're introduced to sin entering
the human race.
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one
of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the
tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: (Genesis 3:22)
In Genesis chapter four Cain and Abel represent the
non-believer/believer. Abel is accepted and Cain, a type of reprobate, is passed over.
Abraham was called by God (Genesis 12:1,2) for salvation without any preconditions. Isaac,
Jacob, and Joseph were promised the covenant of Abraham the same as he was. The Old
Testament teaches us that in salvation we should be faithful.
Faithful to God
"And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars
of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge,
my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." (Genesis 26:4,5)
"Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my
judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I [am] the LORD." (Leviticus
18:5)
"And he did [that which was] right in the sight of
the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done…And he did [that which
was] right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had
done." (2 Kings 15:3,34)
"But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful
and right, [And] hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the
idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come
near to a menstruous woman, And hath not oppressed any, [but] hath restored to the debtor
his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath
covered the naked with a garment; He [that] hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath
taken any increase, [that] hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true
judgment between man and man, Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to
deal truly; he [is] just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel
18:5-9)
See also: Genesis 5:24; 6:8,9; 7:1; 15:6; Exodus
1:17,20; 14:30,31 (God saved them although they sinned in Canaan they never went back over
the Red Sea to the other side) 19:4-6 (assumes we are to be faithful notice the
"if" clause in v.5) Chapter 20 (it is assumed that those that hear will follow
His ways) 32:26-28; 34:11a; Leviticus 18:5 (Old Testament
way of salvation, but God says He will do a new thing [1 Sam. 3:11] 19:37; 26:3-13; Numbers
14:24; 15:37-41; Deuteronomy 10:12,13,28; (blessings for
faithfulness) Joshua 22:5; 23:6-8,11; 24:16; 1 Samuel 2:26,35;
3:19,21; 7:4; 15:22; 18:14; 1 Kings 22:43; 2 Kings 18:3,5-7;
22:2; 23:25; 1 Chronicles 4:10; 2 Chronicles 14:4, 15:2a, 12,
17; 17:3,4,6, 16; 22:9; 25:2; 26:5; 27:2,6; 31:20,21; 34:2, 33; Ezra 7:10;
8:22; 9:4,8; Nehemiah 9:8; 10:29; Job 1:1; 19:25,26; 30:23; Psalm
1:1-3; 52:8,9; 119:1-4, 93, 102, 141, 153, 176; 125:1,2; 128:1; Isaiah 49:23;
56:4; Jeremiah 29:12,13; Ezekiel 18:14-18 (the contrast
between doing good and doing evil) Daniel 3:17,18,25; 6:23; Hosea 11:12;
Micah 2:7; 6:8; Malachi 4:2,3.
Wicked People are a Reality
"Now the sons of Eli [were] sons of Belial; they
knew not the LORD." (1 Samuel 2:12)
"Ahaz [was] twenty years old when he began to reign,
and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not [that which was] right in the
sight of the LORD, like David his father: For he walked in the ways of the kings of
Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of
the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the
heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also and
burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree…For
the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and
transgressed sore against the LORD…And in every several city of Judah he made high
places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his
fathers." (2 Chronicles 28:1-4,19,25)
"The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his
way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness." (Proverbs 11:5)
"[There is] no peace, saith the LORD, unto the
wicked." (Isaiah 48:22)
See also: Genesis 6:3,12,13; 13:13; 15:16;
38:7,9,10; Exodus 5:2; 7:3-5; 22:22-24; 23:7; 32:30-35; Leviticus
20:2,3; 20:15-21; 23:29,30; 24:14-16; Numbers 9:13; 11:33; 14:2,3, 22-23
(consequences for sin) 16:5, 26-30; Deuteronomy 9:12-14; 1 Samuel
2:17; 3:14; 15:23; 2 Samuel 23:6,7; 1 Kings 14:9,15,16;
16:30-33; 18:18; 21:25; 22:52,53; 2 Kings 16:2-4; 17:7-20,22,33,41;
23:32,37; 24:4; 2 Chronicles 13:8,11; 21:6; 22:3; 25:14,16,20; 29:6;
33:2,10; 33:22,23; 36:5,9,12,15,16; Nehemiah 9:16; Job 4:7,8;
Ch.20 ((the pre-assigned state of the wicked esp. v.29) 22:15-17; 26:8-10; 31:2-4; Psalm
1:4-6; 9:17; 14:1-3; 50:16-23; 94:23; Proverbs 28:13,14; Ecclesiastes
3:16,17; 3:8-11; 5:14; 22:11-14; 24:5; Isaiah 26:10,21; 30:1; 66:16;
Jeremiah 26:2,3; 51:5; Ezekiel 8:12,16; 18:10-13; 19:20; Hosea
14:9; Haggai 2:17; Malachi 4:1.
God Knows Those Who are Wicked and Condemned by Him
"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either
of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange
fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD,
and devoured them, and they died before the LORD." (Leviticus 10:1,2)
"The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go
astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." (Psalm 58:3)
"The LORD hath made all [things] for himself: yea,
even the wicked for the day of evil." (Proverbs 16:4)
"And the destruction of the transgressors and of the
sinners [shall be] together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed."
(Isaiah 1:28)
"[Art] thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God,
mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O
mighty God, thou hast established them for correction." (Habakkuk 1:12)
See also: Genesis 15:16; 17:14; ch.19 (the
overthrow) 38:7,9,10; Exodus 4:21; 5:2; 9:4-7,12,16, 30, 34, 35; 10:1,16,17
(a false repentance) 10:20,27; 12:22,23; 32:1,4,6; 34:7,9; Leviticus
17:4,9,10 17:4,9,10; 18:29,30; 20:2,3; Numbers 16:33,35; 24:20,24; Deuteronomy
4:26; 7:10; 8:19,20; 9:3; 9:12-14; 28:63; 32:43; Joshua 7:14-26; 1
Samuel 18:12; 2 Samuel 23:6,7; 1 Kings 16:30-33;
20:42; 21:25; 22:52,53; 2 Kings 21:14-16; 24:4; 1 Chronicles
2:3; 10:13,14; Job 31:2-4; Psalm 7:11,12; 9:5, 17; 14:1-3; 55:23a; 69:28; Proverbs
1:24, 28; 10:3, 25, 30; 11:6,20,21; 13:6; 14:32; 15:9,10; 28:18; Isaiah
1:20; 5:14,25; 48:22; 58:1; 66:16,24; Jeremiah 7:29-34; 10:25; 11:11;
12:16,17; 23:39,40; Lamentations 5:16, 19-22; Ezekiel 8:16;
18:4; 44:9,10; Nahum 1:2,3; Habakkuk 3:13; Zechariah 1:15.
God Passes Over Some that are Excluded for Salvation
"And in very deed for this [cause] have I raised
thee up, for to shew [in] thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all
the earth." (Exodus 9:16)
"But against any of the children of Israel shall not
a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a
difference between the Egyptians and Israel." (Exodus 11:7)
"And it was [so], that when he had turned his back
to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that
day." (1 Samuel 10:9)
"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his
countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the LORD
seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh
on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said,
Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said,
Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before
Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these." (1 Samuel
16:7-10)
"So Saul died for his transgression which he
committed against the LORD, [even] against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and
also for asking [counsel] of [one that had] a familiar spirit, to enquire [of it]; And
enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son
of Jesse." (1 Chronicles 10:13,14)
"That the wicked is reserved to the day of
destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath." (Job 21:30)
"The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go
astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." (Psalm 58:3)
"Reprobate silver shall [men] call them, because the
LORD hath rejected them." (Jeremiah 6:30)
"And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I
will bring you into the bond of the covenant: And I will purge out from among you the
rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country
where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know
that I [am] the LORD." (Ezekiel 20:37,38)
"Though they bring up their children, yet will I
bereave them, [that there shall] not [be] a man [left]: yea, woe also to them when I
depart from them!" (Hosea 9:12)
"I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say,
Wherein hast thou loved us? [Was] not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved
Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of
the wilderness." (Malachi 1:2,3)
See also: Genesis 16:12 (Ishmael not
chosen) 27:27-29 (God allowed the blessing to go to Jacob over Esau) Exodus
4:21; 8:22,23; 9:4-7 (a passing over Egypt) 9:12; Numbers 11:12; 24:20,24; Deuteronomy
1:35; 1 Samuel 18:12; 2 Samuel 6:21; 1 Kings 20:42;
2 Kings 24:4; 1 Chronicles 2:3; Job ch. 20 esp.
v. 29 (the pre-assigned state of the wicked) 36:6; Psalm 69:28; 94:23; Isaiah
22:11-14; 66:24; Jeremiah 7:15,16; 18:4-10; 9:4-6; Micah
3:4,6,7.
One Can Stay or Leave
"And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it
without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the
congregation. And it came to pass, [that] every one which sought the LORD went out unto
the tabernacle of the congregation, which [was] without the camp…And the LORD spake
unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the
camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the
tabernacle." (Exodus 33:7,11)
"Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my
judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I [am] the LORD." (Leviticus
18:5)
"Then I will set my face against that man, and
against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit
whoredom with Molech, from among their people. And the soul that turneth after such as
have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my
face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people." (Leviticus
20:5,6)
"For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not
wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments [were] before me: and [as for] his
statutes, I did not depart from them." (2 Samuel 22:22,23)
"But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell
himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred
up." (1 Kings 21:25)
"But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but
walked in the counsels [and] in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward,
and not forward…Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened
their neck: they did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words
unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they
will not answer thee. But thou shalt say unto them, This [is] a nation that obeyeth not
the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut
off from their mouth." (Jeremiah 7:24,26-28)
"Then all the men which knew that their wives had
burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even
all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, [As
for] the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken
unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to
burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we
have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in
the streets of Jerusalem: for [then] had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no
evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink
offerings unto her, we have wanted all [things], and have been consumed by the sword and
by the famine. And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink
offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings
unto her, without our men?" (Jeremiah 44:15-19)
See also: Exodus 21:1-6; Leviticus
17:14-16; 18:29,30; 26:14-33 (punishment) Numbers 25:1-4; 32:23; Deuteronomy
6:12,13; 11:16,17; 17:2-5; 28:15-68; 30:17,18; 31:16-18,20,21; 32:35-37; Joshua
5:6; 23:6-8,11; Judges 6:8-10 (God's approval) 16:20; 17:6; Ruth
1:15,16 (a type of staying or leaving in the covenant) 1 Kings 2:3,4; 9:4-9
(if than statements implies possible forsaking of the covenant) 11:4-6,10,38,39; 15:26;
16:2; 2 Kings 10:31; 17:7-20; 21:2,9; 1 Chronicles 5:25,26; 2 Chronicles
30:7,8; Psalm 9:17; 119:176; Ecclesiastes 3:1,2; Jeremiah
7:13; 11:3,4,9; Hosea 14:1.
Election, Predestination, Choosing
God uses words like "chosen, elect, my people, etc.
to describe those He chose for Himself. God's election is by His choosing. In the line of
the kings we see, for example, one son evil, and one son good, and so on. There is no set
pattern of good or evil offspring; just those that God chooses for Himself at the time He
selects.
"For I know him, that he will command his children
and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and
judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."
(Genesis 18:19)
"Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in
law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to
the mountain of God, [even] to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a
flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with
fire, and the bush [was] not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this
great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see,
God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said,
Here [am] I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for
the place whereon thou standest [is] holy ground. Moreover he said, I [am] the God of thy
father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his
face; for he was afraid to look upon God." (Exodus 3:1-6)
"Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the
greatness of thine arm they shall be [as] still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O
LORD, till the people pass over, [which] thou hast purchased." (Exodus 15:16)
"Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee
in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and
obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name
[is] in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will
be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. For mine Angel
shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the
Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them
off." (Exodus 23:20-23)
"And he said, I will make all my goodness pass
before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to
whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy." (Exodus
33:19)
"And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD [am]
holy, and have severed you from [other] people, that ye should be mine." (Leviticus
20:26)
" For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy
God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all
people that [are] upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor
choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of
all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he
had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and
redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."
(Deuteronomy 7:6-8)
"For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy
God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the
nations that [are] upon the earth." (Deuteronomy 14:2)
"But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD
hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him [to be] captain
over his people, because thou hast not kept [that] which the LORD commanded thee."
(1 Samuel 13:14)
"Howbeit the LORD God of Israel chose me before all
the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah [to be]
the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my
father he liked me to make [me] king over all Israel: And of all my sons, (for the LORD
hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the
kingdom of the LORD over Israel. And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my
house and my courts: for I have chosen him [to be] my son, and I will be his father."
(1 Chronicles 28:4-6)
"But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is
godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him." (Psalm 4:3)
"Blessed [is] the nation whose God [is] the LORD;
[and] the people [whom] he hath chosen for his own inheritance." (Psalm 33:12)
" I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have
sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne
to all generations. Selah…Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I
have laid help upon [one that is] mighty; I have exalted [one] chosen out of the
people." (Psalm 89:3,4,19)
"Blessed [is] the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD,
and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of
adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off his
people, neither will he forsake his inheritance." (Psalm 94:12-14)
"The remnant shall return, [even] the remnant of
Jacob, unto the mighty God." (Isaiah 10:21)
"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, [in
whom] my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to
the Gentiles." (Isaiah 42:1)
"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O
Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have
called [thee] by thy name; thou [art] mine… [Even] every one that is called by my
name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him…
Ye [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know
and believe me, and understand that I [am] he: before me there was no God formed, neither
shall there be after me… The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the
owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, [and] rivers in the desert, to give drink
to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my
praise." (Isaiah 43:1,7,10,20,21)
"And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out
of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants
shall dwell there." (Isaiah 65:9)
"For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, [even] I,
will both search my sheep, and seek them out." (Ezekiel 34:11)
See also: Genesis 21:1-3;
17:1-4,5-9; 27:27-29; Exodus 2:1-3 (God chose Moses) 12:1-13; 15:13.16 (God
reserves for Himself a people) 31:2,3,6; 40:15 (chosen priesthood fulfilled in Christ) Numbers
16:7; 17:5,8; Deuteronomy 4:37; 9:4-6; 10:15; 21:5; 26:18; 29:12-15; Judges
13:3,5,24,25 (chosen beforehand) 1 Samuel 2:24,25,28; 3:4,10; 2
Samuel 6:21; 7:8,10,12-16,23; 22:20; 1 Kings 8:53; 11:32; 14:8,13
(salvation before adulthood or infancy) 19:18; 1 Chronicles 11:3; 15:2;
16:13; 17:7,21,22; 29:1; 2 Chronicles 6:6; 21:7; 29:11; 32:31; Ezra
1:3; 2:1 (Divine calling) Nehemiah 9:7; Esther 2:2,2 (type
election of God) Psalms 22:9,10,30,31; 31:19,23; 33:15; 37:18,23,24; 47:4;
48:14; 65:4; 71:5,6, 74:2; 94:5,7-11; 105:6,26,42-45; 106:31; 135:4,12; 139:1-3 Proverbs
24:14,16; Ecclesiastes 2:10; 4:8; Isaiah (all of chapter 1
gives a call of God to come back) 13:3; 14:1; 26:2,3; 28:5; 41:8,9; 42:16; 44:1,2,21;
45:4; 48:10,11,12,15; 49:1,5,6,7,15,16; 51:2; 55:5; 65:22; Jeremiah 1:15;
31:1,3; Ezekiel 9:4-6; 20:5; 28:25,26; 34:15,30,31; 36:24; 37:26; Daniel
1:3,9; Amos 7:14,15; Jonah 1:1; Habakkuk 3:13; Haggai
2:23; Zechariah 1:17; 2:12; 3:2; Malachi 3:16,17,18.
What God Promises He Keeps
"And it came to pass in process of time, that the
king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they
cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their
groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And
God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto [them]." (Exodus
2:23-25)
"Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee
in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and
obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name
[is] in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will
be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. For mine Angel
shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the
Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them
off." (Exodus 23:20-23)
"Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and
also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will
remember the land. And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will
not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my
covenant with them: for I [am] the LORD their God. But I will for their sakes remember the
covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of
the heathen, that I might be their God: I [am] the LORD." (Leviticus 26:42,44,45)
"And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had
compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as
yet." (2 Kings 13:23)
"Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of
David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a
light to him and to his sons for ever." (2 Chronicles 21:7)
"And hast given them this land, which thou didst
swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;"
(Jeremiah 32:22)
See also: Exodus 6:2-8; 23:20-23 (The Holy
Spirit will do this for us) 33:1; Numbers 23:19,20; Deuteronomy
4:29-31; 7:9,11; 13:17; 29:13; 30:1-11; Joshua 5:6; 2 Samuel
23:5; 2 Chronicles 30:6; Nehemiah 1:5; 9:32; Psalms
37:23,24,25; 48:14; 77:7-9; Proverbs 1:33; Isaiah 49:15; 56:5;
Jeremiah 11:5; 12:14,15; 16:14,15; 17:16; 18:4-10; 29:10; 31:32,36,37
(Notice the "if" clause implying it wont because of the impossibility of God's
declaration of the permanent-ness of creation) 32:22; Ezekiel 16:60,62;
28:25,26; 37:26; 39:29; Haggai 2:5.
By Faith
"Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up is not
upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4)
See also: Exodus 4:30,31; 12:1-13 (to keep
the Passover and believe God would pass over them and not be destroyed) 12:27; 14:30,31;
33:7; Leviticus 18:5; Deuteronomy 6:25; 1 Samuel
7:6; 1 Kings 14:8; 22:43; 2 Kings 18:3,5-7; 23:25; 2
Chronicles 32:31; 10:39; Psalms 33:20-22; Micah 7:8,9.
God Favors His People
"And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had
compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as
yet." (2 Kings 13:23)
"And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy
wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion
appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou [art] a God ready to pardon,
gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them
not." (Nehemiah 9:17)
"I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not
seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread…For the LORD loveth judgment,
and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked
shall be cut off." (Psalm 37:25,28)
See also: Exodus 9:20,26; 10:23; 11:7;
14:30,31; 40:15; Numbers 20:12 (this is punishment not condemnation there is
a difference from condemnation as in 16:26,31,33) Deuteronomy 4:37; 9:4-6;
13:17; 26:18; 32:43; Judges 6:11,13,14; 1 Samuel 7:3; 9:16; 2
Samuel 14:14; 1 Kings 6:12,13; 8:32; 9:3; 14:8; 15:5 2 Kings
32:31; Ezra 9:9; Nehemiah 1:5; 9:19; Esther
2:17; Job 36:7,10; Psalm 33:18,19; 37:17,18; 48:14; 49:15;
84:11,12; 85:8,9; 97:10; 105:24,42-45; 135:12; Ecclesiastes 2:4; Isaiah
19:25; 54:17; 55:31; Jeremiah 31:1; Zechariah 2:8,12; 10:6.
God saves and Keeps
"And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of
it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall
he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it [is] most holy unto the
LORD…And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt
appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a
memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your
souls." (Exodus 30:10,16)
"For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood: and I
have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it [is] the
blood [that] maketh an atonement for the soul." (Leviticus 17:11)
"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto
the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a
trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty; Then they shall confess their sin
which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and
add unto it the fifth [part] thereof, and give [it] unto [him] against whom he hath
trespassed. But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the
trespass be recompensed unto the LORD, [even] to the priest; beside the ram of the
atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him." (Numbers 5:5-8)
"He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked
shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail." (1 Samuel
2:9)
"For the LORD will not forsake his people for his
great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people." (1
Samuel 12:22)
"He openeth also their ear to discipline, and
commandeth that they return from iniquity." (Job 36:10)
"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain
thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." (Psalm 55:22)
"He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that
keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor
sleep. The LORD [is] thy keeper: the LORD [is] thy shade upon thy right hand." (Psalm
121:3-5)
"As the whirlwind passeth, so [is] the wicked no
[more]: but the righteous [is] an everlasting foundation." (Proverbs 10:25)
"So [shall] the knowledge of wisdom [be] unto thy
soul: when thou hast found [it], then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall
not be cut off. Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil
not his resting place: For a just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the
wicked shall fall into mischief." (Proverbs 24:14-16)
"Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she
should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not
forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of [my] hands; thy walls [are]
continually before me." (Isaiah 49:15,16)
"Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will
not make a full end with you." (Jeremiah 5:18)
See also: Leviticus 1:4; 9:7: 18:5; 23:28; Numbers
8:11,12,19; 21:8,9; Deuteronomy 21:7-9; Judges 6:1,7
(Confession to God v.7) 6:11,13,14; 1 Samuel 2:1; 2 Samuel
22:47; 23:5; 1 Kings 15:5; 19:18; 1 Chronicles 17:21,22; 2
Chronicles 6:23; 16:9; Ezra 10:1; Job 8:20a; 13:20a;
19:25,26; 22:22-27; 33:18; 42:9; Psalm 4:3; 32:1,2; 44:26; 50:5; 53:6;
66:20; 73:24; 77:7-9; 139:10; 141:8; 145:20; 146:8,9; 132:11-8; Proverbs
1:33; 2:8,11-17; 3:25,26; 10:3,30; 11:4,6,19,20,21; 12:2; 13:2; 14:32; 18:10; Isaiah
1:9; 26:20; 28:5,13; 30:15; 32:18; 33:22; 38:16,17; 44:21; 45:22,25; 46:13; 49:6; 55:6,7;
56:5-8; 62:12; Jeremiah 3:19; 22:23; 30:11; 31:3(This phrase also appears in
the book of John) 31:11,34; Lamentations 3:25,26,31-33; Ezekiel
16:60; 36:21-29; 37:26; Hosea 12:13.
Sins can be Forgiven
"And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the
bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an
atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them." (Leviticus 4:20)
"And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the
fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest
shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and
the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be
forgiven him." (Leviticus 4:35)
"And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath
done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest:
and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and
it shall be forgiven him. And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are
forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist [it] not, yet is he
guilty, and shall bear his iniquity. And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the
flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall
make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist [it] not, and
it shall be forgiven him." (Leviticus 5:16-18)
"For on that day shall [the priest] make an
atonement for you, to cleanse you, [that] ye may be clean from all your sins before the
LORD…And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an
atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an
atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be
an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all
their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses." (Leviticus
16:30,33,34)
"And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that
[is] a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her;
she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. And he
shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation, [even] a ram for a trespass offering. And the priest shall make an atonement
for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath
done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him." (Leviticus 19:20-22)
"And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against
the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not
die." (2 Samuel 12:13)
"Blessed [is he whose] transgression [is] forgiven,
[whose] sin [is] covered. Blessed [is] the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity,
and in whose spirit [there is] no guile." (Psalm 32:1,2)
"For thou, Lord, [art] good, and ready to forgive;
and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee." (Psalm 86:5)
"If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord,
who shall stand?…Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD [there is] mercy, and
with him [is] plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his
iniquities." (Psalm 130:3,7,8)
"Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou
hast in love to my soul [delivered it] from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all
my sins behind thy back." (Isaiah 38:17)
"Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put
[him] to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his]
seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall
my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I
divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the
transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors." (Isaiah 53:10-12)
"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be
removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my
peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee." (Isaiah 54:10)
"But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that
he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he
shall surely live, he shall not die." (Ezekiel 18:21)
See also: Leviticus
4:2,3,13,14,22,23,26,27; 5:1-6,10,13,15; 6:1-7; 9:7; 16:6, 9-17,21,24; 17:11; Numbers
8:12,19; 14:18-20; 15:22-26,28; 16:47; 25:11,13 (vs.11,13 type Christ) 28:30;
29:5-11; 30:5,8,12; 31:50; Deuteronomy 4:29-21; Judges 16:28
(Samson type Christ) 1 Samuel 7:6; 2 Samuel 14:14; 1
Kings 8:33-36, 46-50; 2 Kings 21:20-22 (Note Manassah repented in 2
Chronicles 33:13) 22:19; 2 Chronicles 6;24,25; 6:36-39; 12:7; 29:24;
30:9,18-22; 33:12,13; Ezra 10:1; Nehemiah 9:3,31; Job 36:10;
42:9; Psalm 32:5,10; 49:15; 50:5,15; 53:6; 55:16; 79:8,9; 80:18,19;
85:1,2,13; 91:16; 103:8,11-13,17,18; 106:4-8,10; Proverbs 28:13,18; Isaiah
1:16,18,19; 6:7; 9:17,21; 26:20; 30:15; 31:7; 43:25,26; 44:22; 50:1,2; 42:3; 54:6,17;
56:5-8; 64:9; Jeremiah 4:1; 10:24; 12:14,15; 29:11-13; 31:33,34; 36:3;
39:18; Lamentations 3:22,25, 40-54,55-59; Ezekiel 3:18-21;
6:8-10; 11:19,20; 14:6,11; 18:22,25-32; 33:11, 12-16,19; Daniel 4:34 (God
could have left him like that) 12:10; Hosea 1:7,10; 2:23; 3:5; 6:1-3,6;
10:12; 14:2,4; Joel 2:12,13,32; Jonah 2:4,9; 3:5,8,10; Micah
7:18,19; Zechariah 10:6; Malachi 3:3.
Condition of Obedience
"And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as
David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt
observe my statutes and my judgments; Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom,
according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a
man [to be] ruler in Israel." (2 Chronicles 7:17,18)
See also: 1 Kings 11:38,39; 15:11,14; 2
Kings 23:3; 1 Chronicles 28:7,9; 2 Chronicles 14:4; Ezra
10:8,11; Psalm 25:10; 103:77,18; 145:20; Jeremiah
3:25; 7:5; 35:1-19 (example of obedience) Ezekiel 20:11.
Call to Trust
"Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish
[from] the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed [are] all they that put
their trust in him." (Psalm 2:12)
"But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall
rejoice in thy salvation." (Psalm 13:5)
"The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in
those that hope in his mercy." (Psalm 147:11)
See also: Psalms 5:11,12; 7:1; 9:10; 11:1;
16:1-3; 18:2,3,30; 20:7; 22:4,5; 25:2,10,20; 26:1;31:1,6,14,17; 32:10; 37:3,5,17,40;
40:3,4,16; 55:23b; 62:8; 73:28; 84:12; 86:2; 118:8,9; 119:1-4; 141:8; Proverbs
8:17,21,32-35; 14:26,27; 15:9; 28:5,14; 29:25; Ecclesiastes 12:13,14; Isaiah
26:4; 50:10; 57:13; Jeremiah 7:23; 17:7; 39:18; Nahum 1:7; Zechariah
1:3.
Punishment not Condemnation
"And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye
believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall
not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." (Numbers
20:12)
"And [when] king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in
the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against
Israel, and took [some] of them prisoners. And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said,
If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their
cities. And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites;
and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place
Hormah. And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land
of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the
people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt
to die in the wilderness? for [there is] no bread, neither [is there any] water; and our
soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and
they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses,
and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto
the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the
LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come
to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses
made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent
had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. And the children of
Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth. And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at
Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which [is] before Moab, toward the sunrising. From thence
they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared. From thence they removed, and pitched on
the other side of Arnon, which [is] in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the
Amorites: for Arnon [is] the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. Wherefore it
is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks
of Arnon, And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth
upon the border of Moab." (Numbers 21:1-15)
"My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD;
neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a
father the son [in whom] he delighteth." (Proverbs 3:11,12)
"Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have
sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law,
nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as
at this day." (Jeremiah 44:23)
"And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel
went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid
I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the
sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done
unto them, and hid my face from them. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring
again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be
jealous for my holy name." (Ezekiel 39:23-25)
See also: Numbers 16:26, 31-33; Leviticus
26:14-33; Judges 2:21-23 (the reason they never fully possessed the whole
land) 16:20; 2 Samuel 11:27; 12:7-11,14; 24:1-25; 2 Kings
18:11,12; 22:6; 1 Chronicles 5:25,26; 2 Chronicles 7:18,19; Ezra
9:13,14; Nehemiah 1:6-11; 9:27,31; Job 5:17; 8:20; Psalm
89:28-35; 103:11-13; 118:18; Jeremiah 12:7-10; 15:7; 16:13;
30:12-14; 31:18; 45:4,5; Lamentations 4:22; 5:19-22; Ezekiel 14:22,23;
Hosea 9:17.
Condemnation
"Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in
the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man
perished not alone in his iniquity." (Joshua 22:20)
"And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli,
that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for
ever." (1 Samuel 3:14)
"And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because
thou hast let go out of [thy] hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore
thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people." (1 Kings 20:42)
"And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of
hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD
of hosts." (Isaiah 22:14)
"But when the righteous turneth away from his
righteousness, and committeth iniquity, [and] doeth according to all the abominations that
the wicked [man] doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not
be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned,
in them shall he die." (Ezekiel 18:24)
See also: Joshua 7:14-26 x to 6:19 (a
confession had to be induced from Achen; he was not willing to confess) 24:19; 1
Samuel 12:23-25; 16:1; 2 Kings 24:4; 1 Chronicles
10:13,14; 28:9; Job 21:30; 36:6; 36:11,12; Psalm 9:17; 31:17b; 58:3; Isaiah
24:5; 26:10; Jeremiah 31:30; Ezekiel 3:18-21; 14:8; 28:13-19
(destruction of satan).
Forsaking God
"For if ye turn away from after him, he will
yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people." (Numbers
32:15)
"And the people answered and said, God forbid that
we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods…If ye forsake the LORD, and serve
strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath
done you good" (Joshua 24:16, 20)
"But hast done evil above all that were before thee:
for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger,
and hast cast me behind thy back." (1 Kings 14:9)
"But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the
LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam,
which made Israel to sin." (2 Kings 10:31)
"Because they have forsaken me, and have burned
incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their
hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be
quenched." (2 Kings 22:17)
"And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart
to seek the LORD." (2 Chronicles 12:14)
"For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have
not wickedly departed from my God." (Psalm 18:21)
"And the destruction of the transgressors and of the
sinners [shall be] together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed."
(Isaiah 1:28)
"Can a maid forget her ornaments, [or] a bride her
attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number." (Jeremiah 2:32)
"They are turned back to the iniquities of their
forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them:
the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their
fathers." (Jeremiah 11:10)
"Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man that
trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."
(Jeremiah 17:5)
"But he rebelled against him in sending his
ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper?
shall he escape that doeth such [things]? or shall he break the covenant, and be
delivered?" (Ezekiel 17:18)
"But when the righteous turneth away from his
righteousness, and committeth iniquity, [and] doeth according to all the abominations that
the wicked [man] doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not
be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned,
in them shall he die." (Ezekiel 18:24)
See also: Exodus 30:33,38; 31:14,15;
32:1,4,6,10; Leviticus 7:20,27; 19:8; 20:2,3; Numbers 14:11
(God seeks those that will trust Him) 14:44; 15:30,31; 19:20; 21:5-7; 25:1-4; 32:13,14,23;
Deuteronomy 1:32; 4:25; 6:12,13,14; 7:3,4,16; 8:19,20; 11:26-28; 12:30;
13:6-11; 17:2-5; 28:15-68; 30:17,18; 31:16,18,20,21; 32:35,37; Joshua 22:29;
Judges 2:10-13,16,17,19; 3:5-7; 8:33,34; 10:6; 10:10-16 (habitual forsaking
and confession to the point of refusal based on foreknowledge) 17:6; 1 Samuel
8:6-8; 10:19; 12:10; 13:12,13 (rebellion) 15:23,26; 2 Samuel 22:22,23; 1
Kings 8:32; 11:4-6,10,15,16; 15:3,26; 16:2,13,19,25,26,30,31-33; 18:18; 21:25;
22:52,53; 2 Kings 3:2,3; 13:2,11; 14:24; 17:7-20,33,34,41; 21:2,9; 2
Chronicles 7:19,20,22; 12:1,5; 13:10,11,18; 15:2; 16:7,12; 21:10; 24:18,19-22,24;
25:27; 26:16; 29:6; 34:25; Ezra 8:22; Nehemiah 9:26; Job
13:16; 22:15-17; 31:28; Psalm 9:17; 14:1-3; 18:22; 28:4,5; 44:17,18,20,21;
50:16-23; 78:7-11, 17-22,32-39,56-72; 79:6; 106:12-15,20-23,24, 35-44; 119:102; 125:5; Proverbs
1:25; 3:1; 8:36; 12:2; 15:10; 28:4,5; Ecclesiastes 8:3; Isaiah
1:4; 5:24; 9:13; 17:9,10; 29:13; 30:1,11-13; 31:1,2; 65:11; Jeremiah 1:16;
2:13,17,19; 3:12-14,20,21,25; 5:3,7,19; 6:19; 7:9,10,12,13,24; 8:4-10; 9:3-7; 13:10,11;
15:6,7; 16:10,11,12,13; 17:13,15; 19:4; 22:8,9; 23:13,14,27; 32:33-35; 33:14,19-21,24-26;
34:10-16; 44:15-19 (refusal hard heartedness) 23; 50:6,7; Lamentations 1:18,20;
2:1,14; Ezekiel 3:7,9; 5:6,7,11; 6:9; 11:12; 14:4,5,6; 20:8,13,16,21; 22:12
(forsaking God in sins runs through the O.T.) 33:18; 44:9,10; Daniel
9:7,9,10,11,14,15; Hosea 1:2,6; 2:13; 4:6,10,12; 5:4-6,14; 7:7,10,15,16;
8:11-14; 9:17; 10:13; 11:7; 13:6,7; 14:1; Joel 2:4,6,8-11; Zephaniah
1:6; 3:2; Zechariah 7:9-14; Malachi 2:5-12,17; 3:7.
The book of Job shows us God's mercy in bringing back His
elect from pride which can lead to sin and ultimately death. Over and over again we are
constantly told to trust in God and stay close to Him not being moved away. Proverbs
teaches us to depart from evil and hold to that which is good and right. Even if we fall
into sin, as elect children, God is willing to have us come back to Him (Isaiah 9:24;
10:4). Even though Israel went away backslidden we see God was always extending His hand
to them calling them back as He will with us. Either by silence or by prophets God was
declaring His judgment.
We find the phrase "provoke me to anger" the
reaction from God to Israel's sins fifteen times in the Old Testament. It is very
interesting to note that God says, when speaking of those He has chosen for Himself, as
"my people" in the Old Testament He uses this term over 150 times!
"Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I
have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and
live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the
righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of
the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness;
neither shall the righteous be able to live for his [righteousness] in the day that he
sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, [that] he shall surely live; if he trust to
his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be
remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. Again, when
I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which
is lawful and right; [If] the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed,
walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall
not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done
that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live." (Ezekiel 33:11-16)
The above passage teaches us the classic instruction that
God gave to His people in the Old Testament—do good and live or do evil and die.
The New Testament
In the New Testament we're introduced to the
Messiah—Jesus Christ the one that takes away our sins, and does for us in our place
what the law could never do. Again, it's important to define what the New Testament words
for salvation are and how they're used. The New Testament uses a couple words to convey
similar things. The following are words and definitions of the Greek New Testament.
Sozo – sode'-zo to save, heal, be whole,
to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, to save a suffering
one (from perishing), to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue.
Soteria - sotayree'ah salvation, deliver,
saving, that (one) be saved, deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation, deliverance
from the molestation of enemies.
Rhoumai - rhoo'omahee deliver, Deliverer, to
rescue, to deliver, the deliverer.
This next section will attempt to provide you with every
New Testament Scripture on salvation. Not every verse will be quoted, but you will be able
to use those not quoted as further references. We will allow God's Word to tell us if in
the New Testament one was capable of losing their salvation. Some of the quotes will have
commentary; however, I will try to keep this a little as possible. We want to let the
Scriptures be free to speak to us.
Wicked Men are a Reality
"And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer
darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 25:30)
See also: Matthew 3:12; 5:21,22;
13:38,41,48,49; 25:32,33,46; Mark 9:42-48; 14:21; Luke
13:25-30; 22:3 (Judas was chosen to be the betrayer—chosen to loose his life) John
1:18,36; 5:29b; 13:2; 15:2,23; 16:2,3; Romans 3:9-20; 3:23; 10:16,19,20,21; 1
Corinthians 5:1; 6:9,10; 10:20,21; 11:29; 15:50; 16:22; 2 Thessalonians
2:11,12; Revelation 13:8.
One Can Stay or Leave
"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same
shall be saved." (Matthew 24:13)
"That the righteousness of the law might be
fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are
after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the
things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded
[is] life and peace. Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh
cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his." (Romans 8:4-9)
"For if God spared not the natural branches, [take
heed] lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on
them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his] goodness:
otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief,
shall be graphed in: for God is able to grave them in again." (Romans 11:21-23)
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Bell? or what part
hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with
idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them,
and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come
out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
[thing]; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons
and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
"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)
See also: Matthew 3:10; 19:16-21,29; Mark
1:17,18; 9:42-48; 10:17-27; Luke 8:8-15; 9:23-26; 11:28; 12:8-10; 12:45-48;
15:25-32 (example of the faithful servant of Christ) 17:33; John 6:6,7,67,68;
17:12; Acts 28:24; Romans 7:13-25 (the struggle to be faithful
or commit sin) 10:3; 13:2; 1 Corinthians 6:15-18; 9:27; 10:1-10; 2
Corinthians 7:1; 13:7; Galatians 5:16-25; 1 Timothy
5:24; Hebrews 2:1-3; 3:6 (notice the "if" clause) 6:7,8,9;
James 1:14,15; 1 John 2:28; 3 John 11.
There are Those that Deceive
"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather
grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit;
but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit,
neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth
good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know
them." (Matthew 7:16-20)
"Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have
not the knowledge of God: I speak [this] to your shame." (1 Corinthians 15:34)
"They profess that they know God; but in works they
deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
(Titus 1:16)
"But there were false prophets also among the
people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in
damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of
truth shall be evil spoken of." (2 Peter 2:1,2)
See also: Matthew 24:24; John
13:2; 2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Thessalonians
2:10,11; 1 John 1:6; 2:4; 3:6,10; Jude 1:4.
Faith Belief in Christ
"And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the
palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son,
be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." (Matthew 9:2)
"And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved
thee; go in peace." (Luke 7:50)
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I
say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John
3:3)
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth
on me hath everlasting life." (John 6:47)
"Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith
without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised." (Hebrews 10:23)
"And the scripture was fulfilled which saith,
Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the
Friend of God." (James 2:23)
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (1 Peter
2:23)
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world:
and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith… And this is the
record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath
the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have
I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye
have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (1
John 5:4,11-13)
See also: Matthew 7:21-27; 23:43,48,49;
17:26; 18:3,8-14; 19:29; 20:34; Mark 1:17,18; 8:34-37; 10:14,15,17-27,46-52;
16:15,16; Luke 5:20; 14:26,27; 17:33; 19:6,8,9; 24:47; John
1:12,13,373:5,8,15-18,36; 5:24; 6:27,29,35,36,40,51,53,54,57,69; 8:30-32,37 (no faith)
42,46,50; 14:1,6; 15:3-10 (remaining in Christ) 16:27; 17:20; 20:27-29,31; Acts
2:21; 8:12,13; 10:43; 11:21; 13:39; 15:11; 16:29-34; 17:4,12; 18:8; 20:21; 26:18; Romans
1:16,17; 4:3,5 4:10-25 (esp. v.20,21) 5:1; 8:24; 10:4,9,10-13; 15:13; 1 Corinthians
1:21; 15:1,2,12-22; 2 Corinthians 1:9,10,24b; 5:6-9; 9:9; Galatians
2:16,20,21; 3:6-9,11,22,24,26; 1 Thessalonians 5:4,5; 1 Timothy
4:10; Hebrews 4:14; 10:39; Ch. 11 (this is an example to press on and not
forsake God) James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:13,18-21; 1 John
5:1; Revelation 2:10,11,25,26; 3:5; 3:21; 16:15; 20:4; 21:7; 22:14.
Jesus Forgives our Sins, gives Eternal Life, and Saves Us
"For whether is easier, to say, [Thy] sins be
forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath
power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up
thy bed, and go unto thine house." (Matthew 9:5,6)
"And if he trespass against thee seven times in a
day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive
him." (Luke 17:4)
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:28)
"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; To declare, [I say], at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in
Jesus." (Romans 3:25,26)
"To deliver such an one unto Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
(1 Corinthians 5:5)
"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but
ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit
of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11)
"Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of
the Spirit in our hearts." (2 Corinthians 1:22)
"Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2
Corinthians 5:17)
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a
tree." (Galatians 3:13)
"In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were
sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." (Ephesians
1:13,14)
"And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in
trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the
lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by
nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together
with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit
together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the
exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus…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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians
2:1-10)
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which
hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians
1:6)
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by
his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
[for us]." (Hebrews 9:12)
"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them
that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14)
"And this is the promise that he hath promised us,
[even] eternal life." (1 John 2:25)
Jesus alone has the power to forgive sins Matthew
9:5,6; 20:28; Mark 2:5-10; 4:11,12; 10:45,46-54; 16:15,16; Luke 5:20;
7:47,48; 17:4 (sins can be forgiven how much more God feels about it) 19:9; 24:47; John
1:29; 4:14,39,41,53; 5:34,40; 6:27; 8:51; 10:9,15; 14:20; 17:2,6,9,10; 20:23; Acts 3:19,20;
10:43; 11:17; 13:38; 15:9,10; 20:28,32; 22:16; 26:18; Romans 1:16,17; 2:7;
3:24,28; 4:7,8; 5:1,2, 5-21 (esp. v.19 it says many not all) 6:1,2,7,8,11,12-14,15,17-23;
8:32,35; 14:8; 1 Corinthians 6:15-20; 2 Corinthians
2:5,7-11,14-16; 3:16-18; 5:5,14,17,19,21; 13:5; Galatians 1:4; 4:3-7;
5:1,13; 6:1; Ephesians 1:7; 2:12-15; 4:32; Philippians
2:12,13; 3:20; 4:7; Colossians 1:5,14,21,22; 2:111-14; 3:13; 1 Thessalonians
1:10; 5:9,10,23; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; 4:8,10; 1 Timothy
1:1,12; 2:19-21; Titus 1:2; 3:5,6,7; Hebrews 2:17; 4:9; 5:9;
6:18; 8:7-13; 9:15,26,28; 10:10,16,17; James 1:21; 1 John
1:7,8,9; 2:12; 3:5,8,9,16-18,20; 2 John 1:2; Revelation 14:4;
19:8,9.
Foreknowledge
"And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my
cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right
hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is
prepared of my Father." (Matthew 20:23)
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right
hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world." (Matthew 25:34)
"I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen:
but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his
heel against me." (John 13:18)
"Praising God, and having favour with all the
people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts
2:47)
"But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have
reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to [the image of]
Baal." (Romans 11:4)
"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." (Ephesians
1:5)
"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship
him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world." (Revelation 13:8)
See also: Mark 14:21; Luke
12:31,32; John 1:48; 8:47; 10:27,29; 17:12,20; Acts 2:39; Romans
8:29; 11:2,5; Revelation 13:8 (not written from the foundation) 17:8.
Obedience
"Now when the congregation was broken up, many of
the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them,
persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." (Acts 13:43)
"Confirming the souls of the disciples, [and]
exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter
into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had
prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed."
(Acts 14:22,23)
"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine;
continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear
thee." (1 Timothy 4:16)
See also: Matthew 21:29; Luke
1:5,6; 11:28; 12:37-40,43; 14:26,27; John 5:29a; Acts 10:1,2;
11:23; Romans 2:10; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 10:13; Colossians
2:6,7; 1 Timothy 5:25; 6:14,19; 2 Timothy 2:4; Hebrews 5:9.
Repentance
"And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine
heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God." (Acts 8:37)
"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and
forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance?" (Romans 2:4)
See also: Matthew 9:6; Luke
5:32; 13:3,5; 15:21; Acts 2:38; 3:19,20; 8:13-24; 11:18; 20:21; 26:20; 2
Corinthians 12:21; Revelation 2:5; 3:19.
Being Patient in Waiting for God
"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of
the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath
long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient;
stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh…Take, my brethren, the
prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction,
and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience
of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender
mercy." (James 5:7,8,10,11)
Election, Calling, Choosing
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and
upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it." (Matthew 16:18)
"So the last shall be first, and the first last:
for many be called, but few chosen… And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of
my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right
hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is
prepared of my Father." (Matthew 16:18,23)
"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of
a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of
heaven to the other." (Matthew 24:31)
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right
hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world." (Matthew 25:34)
"And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto
them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am
baptized withal shall ye be baptized: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is
not mine to give; but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is prepared." (Mark
10:39,40)
"And when it was day, he called [unto him] his
disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles." (Luke 6:13)
"Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me?
Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the
fig tree, I saw thee." (John 1:48)
"John answered and said, A man can receive nothing,
except it be given him from heaven." (John 3:27)
"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out…And this is the Father's will which
hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day." (John 6:37,39)
"I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen:
but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his
heel against me." (John 13:18)
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should
remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." (John
15:16)
"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given
me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for
thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:24)
"And afterward they desired a king: and God gave
unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty
years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom
also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the [son] of Jesse, a man after mine
own heart, which shall fulfil all my will…And when the Gentiles heard this, they were
glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life
believed." (Acts 13:21,22,48)
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate
[to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many
brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them
he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." (Romans
8:29,30)
"Not as though the word of God hath taken none
effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the
seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. For this
[is] the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a
son…Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he
hardeneth." (Romans 9:6,7,9,18)
" Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye
may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God [is] faithful, by whom ye were
called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians
1:8,9)
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will." (Ephesians 1:4,5)
"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering."
(Colossians 3:12)
"Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of
God." (1 Thessalonians 1:4)
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood
of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed [be] the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again
unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who
are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time." (1 Peter 1:2-5)
"To whom coming, [as unto] a living stone,
disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, [and] precious…But ye [are] a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew
forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light." (1 Peter 2:4,9)
"The [church that is] at Babylon, elected together
with [you], saluteth you; and [so doth] Marcus my son." (1 Peter 5:13)
"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to
make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."
(2 Peter 1:10)
See also: Matthew Ch.1 (God choose
Joseph/Mary) 3:9 (position or birth really does not have anything to do with it it's by
election) 3:12; 4:18,19,20-22; 10:1,2; 11:10 (speaking of John the Baptist) 11:25-27;
12:18; 13:30; 16:17,25; 19:25,26; 20:1-7; 22:1-14; 24:22,24; 25:32,33,46; Mark 1:20;
Luke 1:5,6,13 (John elected and chosen) 17,26,27; 4:25-27; 10:1,20,22;
12:5,31,32; 13:24; 15:4,11-24 (the true child of God will come back if he sins) 16:19-31
(example of one chosen and one not) 17:27-29 (some chosen some not) 18:7; 19:3 (the
drawing of God on someone) 19:5; 20:35; 23:35,39-43 (example of one chosen one not) John
3:33; 5:21; 6:44,45,64,65,70; 7:16,17; 10:3-5,14-16; 11:43-45 (example of calling,
electing us to salvation) 51,52; 15:19; 17:10,11,12; 18:37; Acts 1:2;
2:25,39,47; 7:2,3; 9:3-6 (calling) 15,16; 10:41; 13:2,17,20; 15:14,17; 16:14; 18:10;
22:14; 26:16; 28:24; Romans 1:1,2; 8:28,33; 9:9-33; 11:5,7,28,29; 16:13; 1
Corinthians 1:2,24,26-30; 7:17; 2 Corinthians 10:18; Galatians
3:29; Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2
Thessalonians 1:11,14; 1 Timothy 5:21; 6:12; 2
Timothy 1:19; 2:10; Titus 1:1; Hebrews
2:13; 1 Peter 1:15; 4:18; 5:10; 2 Peter 1:3; 2 John 1:1,13;
Jude 1:1.
Forsaking the Faith
"Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me
before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that
denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak
a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth
against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven." (Luke 12:8-10)
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that
called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel." (Galatians 1:16)
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever
of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4)
"From which some having swerved have turned aside
unto vain jangling…Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away
concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have
delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." (1 Timothy
1:6,19,20)
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron; Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created
to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." (1
Timothy 4:1-3)
"For the love of money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves
through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:10)
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if we
deny [him], he also will deny us." (2 Timothy 2:12)
"They profess that they know God; but in works they
deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
(Titus 1:16)
"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath
great recompence of reward…Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw
back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." (Hebrews 10:35,38)
"Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and
one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his
way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." (James
5:19,20)
"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of
temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished…Which
have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the son] of
Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness." (2 Peter 2:9,15)
"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for
if they had been of us, they would [no doubt] have continued with us: but [they went out],
that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John 2:19)
See also: Mark 8:38; 14:56-72 (not unto
death because of his election); Luke 9:23-27; John 13:2,18;
15:1; 1 Corinthians 3:16,17; 16:22; Colossians 1:23 (notice
the if clause) 1 Thessalonians 3:8 (notice the if clause) 1 Timothy
5:8,15; 6:9,21; 2 Timothy 3:4; Hebrews 6:12 (not forsaking)
10:26-31; 12:15-17; 2 Peter 2:4,5,6, 20-22; 3:17; 2 John 1:9; Jude
1:5,6; Revelation 2:4,13 (not forsaking) 3:8 (not forsaking).
We have security in Christ because of, and by the work of
Christ.
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by
his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
[for us]." (Hebrews 9:12)
"By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]…For by one offering he hath
perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:10,14)
"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:
but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:17)
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for
his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1 John
3:9)
Position of security by geographic location.
"Who gave himself for our sins, that he might
deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our
Father." (Galatians 1:4)
"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,
and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son." (Colossians 1:13)
"And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work,
and will preserve [me] unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom [be] glory for ever and ever.
Amen." (2 Timothy 4:18)
See also: Ephesians 1:14; 2:19; Philippians 3:20; 3:3,4;
1 John 3:14.
In the book of Acts not once do we read of
someone leaving the faith or sinning to the point of the total loss of salvation.
It's about God's people and how they lived their Christianity. If we could, or if there is
any place in the New Testament, that shows that we could lose our salvation first
Corinthians would be the book. However, we don't see that there—only forgiveness to
the one returning to the Lord with all his heart. Again, first Corinthians would be the
book to show us that. But it's silent.
Punishment not Condemnation
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is
laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the
day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every
man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon,
he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but
he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
"To deliver such an one unto Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
(1 Corinthians 5:5)
"But when we are judged, we are chastened of the
Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." (1 Corinthians 11:32)
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he
hath done, whether [it be] good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)
"I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were
present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have
sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare." (2
Corinthians 13:2)
"Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also
may fear." (1 Timothy 5:20)
"And ye have forgotten the exhortation which
speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord,
nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as
with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without
chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore
we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall
we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily
for a few days chastened [us] after their own pleasure; but he for [our] profit, that [we]
might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be
joyous, but grievous." (Hebrews 12:5-11)
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous
therefore, and repent." (Revelation 3:19)
As we have just seen in this last part there is a
difference between punishments and damnation. The later is designed for the
unrepentant, hardhearted, reprobate, individual that neither seeks, nor desires to have
anything to do with Christ. Punishments on the other hand are designed to bring about
repentance, godly sorrow, correction, and obedience. Hebrews 12:5-11 teaches us this.
"And ye have forgotten the exhortation which
speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord,
nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as
with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without
chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore
we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall
we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they
verily for a few days chastened [us] after their own pleasure; but he for [our] profit,
that [we] might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present
seemeth to be joyous, but grievous." (Hebrews 12:5-11)
The continual glaring theme in both Old and New
Testaments is don't forsake the Lord!
We must understand God does choose individuals for
salvation by His foreknowledge and predestination.
Key Passages and their Deeper Definitions
It's important to look at the passages of Scripture
that's quoted, or deemed a "key" to our understanding of resting on one of the
two positions—to which Christians hold about the salvation issue.
Old Testament
Let's look at some examples in the Old Testament. We
understand that God's plan presented in the Old Testament was "do good and
live." That is, obey the laws of God and follow Him as the echad elohiym (one
God) living by faith.
For example Leviticus 18:5
"Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my
judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I [am] the LORD."
The word "keep" in Hebrew is in the
"perfect mood." The perfect expresses a completed action—one just completed
from the standpoint of the present. In this case, "you will keep, at the present
moment and continue to do so unbroken, my statutes and my judgments." The word
"live" has the same mood—the perfect. Again, it means at the present moment
and continuing to do so unbroken. The deeper meaning when examined in the light of this
information shows us that life for those obedient to God would continue forever.
Again, we read in Jeremiah 6:30.
"Reprobate silver shall [men] call them, because the
LORD hath rejected them."
The word "rejected" is once again in the same
mood—at the present moment and continuing to do so unbroken. In other words, "the
LORD hath rejected them" at that present moment and continuing unbroken.
Concerning salvation in the Old Testament let's look at
Leviticus 16:30,33 and 34 for example.
"For on that day shall [the priest] make an
atonement for you, to cleanse you, [that] ye may be clean from all your sins before the
LORD…And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an
atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an
atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be
an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all
their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses."
In this section of Scripture the ideas expressed based on
the language grammar-- the "stem and mood" is one of looking to Jesus Christ to
finish the work completely—making the sinner whole forever with no time limitations.
It was the duty of the priest to go in "once a year to make atonement" as we're
taught in Hebrews Jesus did this once forever!
The "piel stem" usually expresses an
"intensive" or "intentional" action and the "imperfect
mood" expresses an action, process, or condition which is incomplete. These two
constructs are used in the word "atonement" and say two things. One, the
atonement at that time was an intentional act of incompleteness designed to make them look
to the coming Messiah. Two, that when Messiah did come He would atone for those coming to
Him, not for just one year, but forever! There is much of this throughout the Old
Testament.
New Testament
"And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved
thee; go in peace." (Luke 7:50)
The word saved in this passage is obviously
rendered a past tense, but it is also in a perfect tense and the indicative mood in the
Greek. The perfect tense in Greek corresponds to the perfect tense in
English, and describes an action which is viewed as having been completed in the past,
once and for all, not needing to be repeated. The indicative mood is rendered as a
statement of fact—something held as true and trustworthy. What does this mean? Well,
simply that she believed on Jesus by the act of faith stirred in her by God; which
produced salvation as an unbroken continuance.
Again, let's look at John 10:28.
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand."
The word perish means to destroy, lose, or be
lost. It's in the "aorist tense" which means action takes place without regard
to its duration. What a beautiful thing, this states as long as Jesus gives eternal life
this action, of giving them eternal life, will never stop the action will take place
without regard to any duration.
Again, we're taught in Hebrews 10:14.
"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them
that are sanctified."
This is very clear when reading it at face value. However, when
we look into the background of the words we find a little more support. The word "offering"
in Greek is prosphora, offering up, or a sacrifice. This means not just an
offering but a sacrifice offering for sins that Jesus completed.
The word "perfected" is teleioo meaning
perfect, finish, to make perfect, or complete. This is a verb—an action or state of
being. If we parse it it's in the "perfect, active, indicative" which is simply
this it's classified as in the perfect tense--an action which is viewed as having been
completed in the past, once and for all, not needing to be repeated. The active voice
which represents the subject as the doer or performer of the action. The indicative
mood is a simple statement of fact. What this verse, and many others refers to is, that
by one single sacrifice on the cross Jesus has perfected or made us perfect.
That being an action we receive from Him which is classified as a true statement of fact
this He has done forever, and not limited to a short duration of time.
Loss or No Loss Who to Believe?
Let's talk about the Scriptures that both camps (the once
saved folks and those that say one can lose their salvation) sometimes quote frequently.
Make no mistake about it the Scriptures "seem" to be ambiguous on the topic.
Can't Lose it
"For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy
God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all
the nations that [are] upon the earth." (Deuteronomy 14:2)
"But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly
for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him." (Psalm 4:3)
"I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I
not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread…For the LORD loveth
judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of
the wicked shall be cut off." (Psalm 37:25,28)
"For the LORD will not forsake his people for his
great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people." (1
Samuel 12:22)
"As the whirlwind passeth, so [is] the wicked no
[more]: but the righteous [is] an everlasting foundation." (Proverbs
10:25)
"And he said to the woman, thy faith hath saved
thee; go in peace." (Luke 7:50)
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that
believeth on me hath everlasting life." (John 6:47)
"And if he trespass against thee seven times in a
day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive
him." (Luke 17:4)
"To deliver such an one unto Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
(1 Corinthians 5:5)
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by
his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption [for us]." (Hebrews 9:12)
"And this is the promise that he hath promised
us, [even] eternal life." (1 John 2:25)
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right
hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world." (Matthew 25:34)
"But when we are judged, we are chastened of the
Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." (1 Corinthians
11:32)
Can Lose
"So Saul died for his transgression which he
committed against the LORD, [even] against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and
also for asking [counsel] of [one that had] a familiar spirit, to enquire [of it]; And
enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son
of Jesse." (1 Chronthians 10:13,14)
"Reprobate silver shall [men] call them, because the
LORD hath rejected them." (Jeremiah 6:30)
"But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell
himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred
up." (1 Kings 21:25)
"And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli,
that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for
ever." (1 Samuel 3:14)
"Can a maid forget her ornaments, [or] a bride her
attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number." (Jeremiah 2:32)
"But he rebelled against him in sending his
ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper?
shall he escape that doeth such [things]? or shall he break the covenant, and be
delivered?" (Ezekiel 17:18)
"For if God spared not the natural branches, [take
heed] lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on
them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his] goodness:
otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief,
shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again." (Romans 11:21-23)
"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)
"Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me
before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that
denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak
a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth
against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven." (Luke 12:8-10)
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever
of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4)
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if we
deny [him], he also will deny us." (2 Timothy 2:12)
"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath
great recompence of reward…Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw
back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." (Hebrews 10:35,38)
This is the difficult part in which we, as interpreters
of God's Word, must struggle with. However, with the Holy Spirit's help we can come to the
conclusion God wants us to understand.
Examples of real People
To further explore this subject let's look at some real
life examples of individuals in the Bible that might help us determine the facts. Let's
use them as "real evidence" as if we were out to prove a case. We must only use
those individuals that at one point made it clear that they followed the Lord. We will use
their outcome of life to determine if one can lose or not lose their salvation. Some will
say we can't use the Old Testament because it was before the cross; however, that would be
like saying we can't use Abraham, David, or the others in Hebrews chapter eleven because
it was before the cross. God saves individuals regardless of what era they're in.
Abraham
God called Abraham (Genesis 12:1) and he was declared
righteous (Genesis 15:6) he was faithful to God all his life (Genesis 25:7).
Jacob
Jacob was called (Genesis 28:12-15) he purposed to follow
God (Genesis 28:20,21) he was faithful to God all his life (Hebrews.11:21).
Moses
Moses was called of God (Exodus 3: 4) he followed God and
purposed to be His forever. He was faithful to God all his life (Deuteronomy 34:10).
Samuel
Samuel was called of God (1 Samuel 3:7,19) he was
faithful to God all his days (1 Samuel 25:1)
Saul
Saul was called (1 Samuel 9:17) he makes a good start in
his pilgrimage with God, but starts to fizzle out in the end. Ultimately, it's clear that
Saul was not among those faithful to God, and though appeared to be saved losses that in
the end.
"So Saul died for his transgression which he
committed against the LORD, [even] against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and
also for asking [counsel] of [one that had] a familiar spirit, to enquire [of it]; And
enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son
of Jesse." (1 Chronicles 10:13,14)
David
David was called of God (1 Samuel 16:12,13) even though
he sinned a great many sins was not cast off as Saul (2 Samuel 12:13). David stayed
faithful all his days (1 Kings 1:48; 2:1-3).
Solomon
Solomon was called and appointed of God (2 Samuel 12:24)
he appeared to be faithful to God as David his father. He worshipped God and prayed to be
wise (1 Kings 8:14-61). However, in his later days he forsook God and did not remember the
teaching of David his father. Ultimately, his whorish wives turned him completely from
God.
"And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and
three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart." (1 Kings 11:3)
"For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, [that]
his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the
LORD his God, as [was] the heart of David his father." (1 Kings 11:4)
"For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the
Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the
sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as [did] David his father. Then did
Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is]
before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise
did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And
the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel,
which had appeared unto him twice." (1 Kings 11:5-9)
If we read the accounts of the Kings of Israel it's
evident many were wicked and forsook the Lord God.
In the New Testament
Peter
Peter was a chosen disciple (Matthew 10:2) he clearly
made a genuine confession about Christ (Matthew 16:16) and even denied our Lord Jesus
(Matt.26:69-75). However, because he was elected and chosen by God he returned to the Lord
not incurring damnation (Matthew 20:1-10).
Judas
Of Judas we know he was to betray Jesus, and we also know
he was foreordained for this purpose (Matthew 10:4; 27:3; Mark 3:19; 14:10; John 6:71). We
know Judas was chosen for this purpose (Psalm 109:8; John 17:12; Acts 1:20). He was with
the disciples and walked with Jesus for three years, and at the end satan entered him and
he perished (John 17:12; Matthew 27:5; Luke 22:3).
Ananias and Sapphira
Ananias and Sapphira were numbered in the group with the
other disciples that were being called into the kingdom, but they chose to try and cheat
God (Acts 5:2). They fell into transgression and died (Acts 5:5,10)
The Immoral Man in 1 Corinthians
This man was in every way apart of the Church at Corinth,
but very immoral sleeping with his Dad's wife! (1 Corinthians 5:1) Paul, under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit tells the Church, which did not consider it a big deal like
the Churches of today, to kick him out. Excommunicating someone was to remove an
individual from the protection of the Church—where the Spirit resides and allowing
them to do whatever they wanted, and opening themselves up to the control of the devil.
"To deliver such an one unto Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
(1 Corinthians 5:5)
Look at this, we're told that this man was to be put out
of the Church and if he dies he dies, but if that happened God in His mercy and election
has that persons soul saved! We find after being kicked out this man came back with a
repentant heart (2 Corinthians 2:7-10)
The Wicked Men in 2 Peter Chapter 2
These men clearly thought to be members of the local
Church. Peter says "…they feast with you." Also, he says they
"…have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray…." Peter feels,
guided by the Holy Spirit, that they forsook God and lost their salvation.
"For it had been better for them not to have known
the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy
commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true
proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her
wallowing in the mire." (2 Peter 2:21,22)
The Wicked Men of Jude Chapter 1
These men appeared to be in the local Church also. Jude
says "they crept in" and that they, "…are spots in your feasts of
charity when they feast with you…." He also said, "they corrupt
themselves" and "have gone in the way of Cain…and perished in the
gainsaying of Core." Jude felt that though they may have been saved they were not at
all, and even "were before of old ordained to this condemnation."
Jezebel and her cohorts
It's clear that Jezebel and her cohorts were apart of the
local Church at Thyatira. "And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira
write…notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that
woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to
commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols." (Revelation
2:18,20) God is telling them that she, as a member of that Church, must repent, "And
I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not."
(Revelation 2:21) She had no intentions of repenting, and thus God pronounces doom to her
and those that followed her.
"Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and
them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their
deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am
he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according
to your works." (Revelation 2:22,23)
These have been just a few examples there is many more;
however, I believe the point is made.
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit
As we close out our investigation of the New Testament it
would not be proper of us to over look the doctrine of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
This doctrine for years has been misinterpreted. However, we know there is only one true
meaning.
"But when the Pharisees heard [it], they said, This
[fellow] doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And
Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is
brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And
if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast [them] out? therefore
they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom
of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil
his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. He that
is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Wherefore
I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the
blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever
speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh
against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in
the [world] to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the
tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by [his] fruit. O generation of
vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good
things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say
unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in
the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt
be condemned." (Matthew 12:24-37)
"And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem
said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And
he called them [unto him], and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be
divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and
be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong man's house,
and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his
house. Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and
blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against
the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because
they said, He hath an unclean spirit." (Mark 3:22-30)
"But some of them said, He casteth out devils
through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting [him], sought of him a
sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided
against itself is brought to desolation; and a house [divided] against a house falleth. If
Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I
cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your
sons cast [them] out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God
cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed
keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon
him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth
his spoils. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me
scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places,
seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
And when he cometh, he findeth [it] swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh [to
him] seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and
the last [state] of that man is worse than the first…And whosoever shall speak a word
against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against
the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven." (Luke 11:15-26; 12:10)
The Scriptures that speak of this doctrine are presented
above. How do we understand this? What is Jesus really talking about? Can this mean one
can lose their salvation if this is committed? Many are quick to say this does not at all
mean one can lose their salvation. Others say this is saying if you reject the Holy Spirit
you will not be saved. Still others say it's speaking about Spiritual warfare. The hard
truth is it's saying that one can lose their salvation "IF" they
commit this sin.
The Pharisees and Scribes are confronting Jesus about his
ability to exorcise demons out of people. They have seen Him do this, they believe He has
a devil, and that His exorcisms have been the work of the devil and not of God. They say
the following:
"This [fellow] doth not cast out devils, but by
Beelzebub the prince of the devils."
"He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils
casteth he out devils."
"But some of them said, He casteth out devils
through Beelzebub the chief of the devils."
Jesus responds.
"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and
blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall
not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall
be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven
him, neither in this world, neither in the [world] to come."
"Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven
unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that
shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal
damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit."
"And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of
man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it
shall not be forgiven."
So what's going on here?
They said Jesus had a demon and exorcised demons by the
power of the devil.
Jesus said, ALL sin and blasphemy would be
forgiven men EXCEPT the sin against the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says, WHOSOEVER speaks against the Holy
Spirit will not have forgiveness now or in the future.
Notice, it says, because they said, He hath an
unclean spirit.
Jesus is clear that ANYONE is capable of committing this
sin. Being capable and doing it are two different things. Saying or implying that a work
that is clearly of God and the Holy Spirit is motivated or generated by satan is blasphemy
of the Holy Spirit! Be very, very careful. Having said that, it's very unlikely that a true
believer will commit this sin unto death, but it is possible and that cannot be
over looked.
What Others Say
In this section we're looking at what others say about
this doctrine—whether or not they're right. We're not saying we agree with their
interpretations. Remember that we look to the Scriptures only for truth in
all matters of doctrine.
"Therefore, I thus retort the argument, If you look
to yourself damnation is certain: but since Christ has been communicated to you with all
his benefits, so that all which is his is made yours, you become a member of him, and
hence one with him. His righteousness covers your sins--his salvation extinguishes your
condemnation; he interposes with his worthiness, and so prevents your unworthiness from
coming into the view of God. Thus it truly is. It will never do to separate Christ from
us, nor us from him; but we must, with both hands, keep firm hold of that alliance by
which he has riveted us to himself. This the Apostle teaches us: "The body is dead
because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness, (Rom. 8:10)." (John
Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, b.3, ch.2, v.24)
"Christ did not intend to save those he knew he
would not save. If he intended to save any it was those he knew he would be
saved…Christ has died for them (elect) and not for the world." (Jonathan
Edwards, Sermon on Revelation 14:3, "The nature of the redemption of God's Elect,"
November 1741)
"The Father send forth Christ into the world on this
errand to redeem such a number of the children of men and to bring them home to
God…." (Jonathan Edwards, Sermon on Romans 2:10)
"We can hope to gain heaven, but we cannot be
absolutely sure that we will gain it, no matter what…It is not enough just to be a
Christian. Even Christians can go to Hell. We must also avoid serious sins. Our ultimate
destination will be determined by our deeds." (Catholic Answers P.O. Box 17181 San
Diego, CA 92117)
"Do I believe that a Christian (a genuine believer
-- with true faith from the heart) can lose their salvation? No, the Bible seems very
clear on the idea that we are kept by God from falling. Check out the following verses.
They show that God's people are given ETERNAL life the moment they believe (if we could
lose our salvation it wouldn't be eternal)." (Dennis Rupert, pastor,
http://www.new-life.net/faq218.htm)
"Writing to "Brethren" concerning the
"gospel" the real grace teacher, Paul, states, "By which also ye are saved
IF ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, UNLESS YE HAVE BELIEVED IN VAIN." 1
Corinthians 15:1-4. This verse clearly reveals that initial saving faith becomes useless
if that person chooses to cease obeying the Lord." (Todd Tomasella, Lie of the Ages:
Can Salvation Be Forfeited?" http://wwww.mpibs.org/Lie%20of%20the%20Ages.htm)
"Can I lose my salvation? Absolutely not! Once you
have personally believed in Jesus Christ, you are eternally saved. There is no sin you can
commit, nothing you can say, nothing you can do, not even God himself can take away your
salvation!" (http://www.mindspring.com/~music4m/bible/security.html)
"Some people believe that if you sin willfully after
you're saved, you lose your salvation, this would mean that St. Paul lost his salvation
also, because he calls himself the 'Chief of Sinners.'"
(http://www.goodnewschapel.org/honest.htm)
"Who was right? Today we have men who teach that it
doesn't make any difference if we sin or not because once we are saved, we are always
saved. The only time this doctrine is taught in the Bible is when the serpent told Eve
that she would not die if she sinned. This was the first recorded lie and was spoken by
the father of lies (John 8:44)." (http://biblestudy.churches.net/base/APOSTY4.TXT)
"What the believer does NOT lose is his/her
salvation. What the believer DOES lose by habitual sin is fellowship with God, freedom
from sin, and his/her witness for Christ. On top of that, there may be other disciplinary
measures the Lord will choose to take (see above #4). Certainly no true believer would
desire to intentionally hurt the heart of the Father, and bring dishonor to His Holy name.
Yet, because of the weakness of the flesh and spiritual immaturity, at times we do. But
the true believer will not remain in that sin. "No one who is born of God will
continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he
has been born of God" (1 John 3:9). As Martin Luther is quoted as saying, "I may
not be able to stop the birds from flying above my head, but I sure can stop them from
making a nest in my hair." In other words, occasional acts of sin may occur, but they
never have to become habitual." (http://www.calvary.com/pastor/messages/15.htm)
"The problem with this theory is that it doesn't fit
the Bible very well. True, there are a few verses that seem to support it (e.g.
John 6:37-40; John 10:27-29; and Romans 8:38-39), but there are literally dozens of other
places in the Scriptures where God warns us about the very thing that Calvinists say
cannot happen. And it is those passages, or rather, the Calvinist interpretation of those
passages; that undermines the assurance they think they have. How does it do that? Well,
in order to explain these verses, Calvinists say that the verses are not referring to
"true" Christians, but to superficial believers who never really had a
"saving faith," all appearances to the contrary notwithstanding." (Gary
Hoge, http://www.angelfire.com/va/ProtestantGuide/OnceSaved1.html)
"Some Christians maintain that true believers may
fall away and be eternally lost. Scriptures do not say so." (Straight Paths" by
Alexander Marshall)
"The Scriptures declare that, in virtue of the
original purpose and continuous operation of God, all who are united to Christ by faith
will infallibly continue in a state of grace and will finally attain to everlasting
life." (Strong's Systematic Theology)
"They whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, and
effectualy called and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally or finally fall away
from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be
eternally saved." (Westminster Confession of Faith)
"When a person is born from above by the
regenerative power of the Holy Spirit he cannot be lost, because he has become partaker of
the Divine nature, and also because God is able to keep him"-From "Bible
Problems Fairly Met" (Grant Stroh)
"The eternal security of the believer is a New
Testament doctrine and cannot be applied to Old Testament believers, who were under a
covenant of works, not of grace. . . . Not so with the believer, who is saved by grace,
and his disobedience does not affect his salvation, but fellowship, peace, and
growth." (C. L Scofield in 'Question Box')
"We should not therefore be anxious as if some slip
on our part will quickly cost us our salvation. No, "If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). However, salvation may be lost. There are grave
warnings in Scripture, for example, Jesus' own words: "If anyone does not abide in
Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into
the fire, and they are burned" (John 15:6). Again, "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 judgment and the fury of a fire which will
consume…"(Hebrews 10:2)" (Dr. J Rodman Williams,
http://www.the700club.org/bibleresources/theology/williams/qa/theologyQA3d.asp)
"Why were the apostles sure that they would go to
Heaven, even though they still had time to sin (2 Timothy 4:18, 1 Peter 5:1, 2 John 2-3)?
Why did the apostles want the believers to whom they wrote to be sure of their
future in Heaven (Romans 5:9, 1 Corinthians 1:8, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Peter 1:3-5, 5:4,
1 John 5:13, 2 John 2-3)?" (http://members.aol.com/jasonte2/law.htm)
"Once saved, always saved. That is
the cry so often heard from many of the pulpits today. "I can do whatever I want, as
long as I have accepted Jesus as my personal Savior. Why I could go out and mow down a
crowd of people with a machine gun and if I were to die at that very moment, I would be
saved." Many people believe this teaching today, but is it true? Once we have
accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, can we go on living like the world in open,
rebellious sin and still be saved. Most people who believe this teaching will quote the
following Bible verse as proof: "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."
(http://www.preparingforeternity.com/oncesave.htm)
"The Barna Research Group continually
monitors religious belief and practice in the United States. As of 1996 beliefs among
American adults were: 86%: God will eventually judge everyone 57%: A person can get to
heaven by doing good works 39%: All persons who have not trusted Jesus as savior will go
to Hell" (G. Barna, "The Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators,"
Word Publishing, Dallas TX, (1996), Pages 71-76.)
The Early Church
We must not over look the early Church, and their
thoughts on this subject. Let me say from the beginning, that in no way are we saying that
the early Church was right in all it taught by no means. It was clear to the disciples
that false teachers would come and some would turn and fall away from the faith
(Matthew 10:22; 19:25; 24:13,24; Mark 10:26; Luke 13:23; 18:26; Acts 4:12; 15:1; 20:29-31;
1 Thessalonians 2:16; 1 Peter 4:18). They were told by prophecy that false teachers would
creep into the Church and corrupt some (Acts 20:29-31; 2 Peter 2:1; Jude 1:4-13).
What's to say that the early Church might have
misunderstood—possibly being the recipients of false teachers? Again, this is not to
build a case against the early Church but simply that we must rely upon the
testimony of the Scriptures alone. The early Church does not convince us of truth
the Bible does!
Anti-Nicene—from Christ to A.D.325. I quote them for
two reasons. One, those writings are closest to the time of Christ. Two, corruption set in
about 325 when the Church began to be overrun by Romanism. They would be quoted for
comparison to see whether they agree or disagree with Scripture not to
bear obedience to.
"And pray ye without ceasing in behalf of other men;
for there is hope of the repentance, that they may attain to God. For 'cannot he that
falls arise again, and he may attain to God.'" (Ignatius of Antioch,To the Ephesians,
A.D.110)
"Watch for your life's sake. Let not your lamps be
quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour in which our
Lord cometh. But often shall ye come together, seeking the things which are befitting to
your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if ye be not made
perfect in the last time." (Didache, A.D.140)
"[T]hat eternal fire has been prepared for him as he
apostatized from God of his own free-will, and likewise for all who unrepentant continue
in the apostasy, he now blasphemes, by means of such men, the Lord who brings judgment
[upon him] as being already condemned, and imputes the guilt of his apostasy to his Maker,
not to his own voluntary disposition." (Justin Martyr, fragment in Irenaeus' Against
Heresies,5:26:1, A.D.156)
"Now, in the beginning the spirit was a constant
companion of the soul, but the spirit forsook it because it was not willing to follow.
Yet, retaining as it were a spark of its power, though unable by reason of the separation
to discern the perfect, while seeking for God it fashioned to itself in its wandering many
gods, following the sophistries of the demons. But the Spirit of God is not with all, but,
taking up its abode with those who live justly, and intimately combining with the soul, by
prophecies it announced hidden things to other souls." (Tatian the Syrian,To the
Greeks,13 A.D. 175)
" Christ shall not die again in behalf of those who
now commit sin, for death shall no more have dominion over Him; but the Son shall come in
the glory of the Father, requiring from His stewards and dispensers the money which He had
entrusted to them, with usury; and from those to whom He had given most shall He demand
most. We ought not, therefore, as that presbyter remarks, to be puffed up, nor be severe
upon those of old time, but ought ourselves to fear, lest perchance, after [we have come
to] the knowledge of Christ, if we do things displeasing to God, we obtain no further
forgiveness of sins, but be shut out from His kingdom. And therefore it was that Paul
said, 'For if [God] spared not the natural branches, [take heed] lest He also spare not
thee, who, when thou wert a wild olive tree, wert grafted into the fatness of the olive
tree, and wert made a partaker of its fatness.' " (Irenaeus,Against Heresies,4:27:2
A.D. 180)
"But some think as if God were under a necessity of
bestowing even on the unworthy, what He has engaged (to give); and they turn His
liberality into slavery. But if it is of necessity that God grants us the symbol of death,
then He does so unwilling. But who permits a gift to be permanently retained which he has
granted unwillingly? For do not many afterward fall out of (grace)? is not this gift taken
away from many?" (Tertullian,On Repentance,6 A.D. 204)
"Jesus Christ 'bore our sins in His own body on the
tree'" (Polycarp, A.D.135)
"In this manner, the Lord has redeemed us through
His own blood, giving His soul for our soul, and His flesh for our flesh." (Ireneaus,
A.D.180)
"You have already been ransomed by Christ—and
that at a great price." (Tertullian, A.D. 211)
"He submitted to death, purchasing us back by His
own blood from him who got us into his power, sold under sin." (Origen, A.D. 228)
"He abides and dwells in us. And He redeemed us by
His cross and blood. (Cyprian, A.D. 250)
"In the teaching of the Church, He gave Himself up
for the remission of sins." (Alexander of Lycopolis, A.D. 300)
"We trust in the blood of salvation." (Justin
Martyr, A.D. 160)
"His Son Jesus Christ redeemed us from apostasy with
His own blood, so that we could also be a sanctified people." (Irenaeus, A.D. 180)
"Those sins that had been previously committed are
purged by the blood and sanctification of Christ." (Cyprian, A.D. 250)
"I know that if they will repent with all their
hearts, they will be enrolled in the Books of Life with the saints." (Hermas, A.D.
150)
"He foreknows that some are to be saved by
repentance, some even that are perhaps not yet born." (Justin Martyr, A.D. 160)
"God knows the number of those that will not believe
(since He foreknows all things). He has given them over to unbelief and turned away His
face from men of this mold." (Irenaeus, A.D. 180)
"Those were already ordained, whom God predestined.
For He knew before the foundation of the world that they would be righteous."
(Clement of Alexandria, A.D. 195)
"Christ is the God above all, and He has arranged to
wash away sin from human beings, regenerating the old man." (Hippolytus, A.D. 225)
"Therefore, the ones who are pardoned are those who
slip into sin unintentionally and incautiously. He who sins willfully has no pardon."
(Lactantius, A.D. 304)
"Judge with authority as does God. Yet receive the
repentant person, for God is a God of mercy." (Apostolic Constitutions, A.D. 390)
"If any bishop or presbyter does not receive a
person who returns from his sins, but rejects him, let him be deprived. For he grieves
Christ who says, 'there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents." (Apostolic
Constitutions, A.D. 390)
"By believing in Him you will live. But by
disbelieving you will be punished." (Apostolic Constitutions, A.D. 390)
"When a man is grafted in by faith and receives the
Spirit of God, he certainly does not lose the substance of flesh, but changes the quality
of the fruit of his works." (Irenaeus, A.D. 180)
"Grace with the Lord, when once learned and
undertaken by us, should never afterward be cancelled by repetition of sin."
(Tertullian, A.D. 203)
"He who keeps them will be glorified in the kingdom
of God. However, he who chooses other things will be destroyed with his works."
(Barnabas, A.D. 70)
"Only those who fear the Lord and keep His
commandments have life with God; but as for those who do not keep His commandments, there
is no life in them." (Barnabas, A.D. 70)
"We ought therefore, brethren, carefully to inquire
concerning our salvation. Otherwise, the wicked one, having made his entrance by deceit,
may hurl us forth from our life." (Barnabas, A.D. 70)
"Let us therefore repent with the whole heart, so
that none of us perish by the way." (Second Clement, A.D. 150)
"I hold further, that those of you who have
confessed and known this man to be Christ, yet who have gone back for some reason to the
legal dispensation [i.e. the Mosaic Law] and have denied that this man is Christ, and have
not repented before death—you will by no means be saved." (Justin Martyr, A.D.
160)
"Rather, we should fear ourselves, lest perchance,
after [we have come to' the knowledge of Christ, if we do those things displeasing to God,
we obtain not further forgiveness for sin, but are shut out of His kingdom."
(Irenaeus, A.D. 180)
"He who hopes for everlasting rest knows also that
the entrance to it is toilsome and narrow. So let him who has once received the gospel not
turn back." (Clement of Alexandria, A.D. 195)
"God gives forgiveness of past sins. However, as to
future sins, each one procures this for himself. He does this by repenting, by condemning
past deeds, and by begging the father to blot them out." (Clement of Alexandria, A.D.
195)
"The world returned to sin…and so it is
destined to fire. So is the man who after baptism renews his sins." (Tertullian, A.D.
198)
"Rather they must be preserved. It is not the actual
attainment, but the perfecting, that keeps a man for God." (Cyprian, A.D. 250)
"A son who deserts his father in order not to pay
him obedience is considered deserving of being disinherited and having his name removed
forever from his family." (Lactaintius, A.D. 304)
"He who sins after baptism, unless he forsakes his
sins, will be condemned to Gehenna." (Apostolic Constitutions, A.D. 390)
"No one is without stain and without sin."
(Cyprian A.D. 250)
"No one can boast of being so free from sin as to
not even have an evil thought." (Methodius, A.D. 290)
"No one can be so prudent and so cautious as not at
sometime to slip." (Lactaintius, A.D. 304)
"These things, beloved, we write unto you, not
merely to admonish you of your duty, but also to remind ourselves. For we are struggling
on the same arena, and the same conflict is assigned to both of us. Wherefore let us give
up vain and fruitless cares, and approach to the glorious and venerable rule of our holy
calling. Let us attend to what is good, pleasing, and acceptable in the sight of Him who
formed us. Let us look stedfastly to the blood of Christ, and see how precious that blood
is to God, which, having been shed for our salvation, has set the grace of repentance
before the whole world. Let us turn to every age that has passed, and learn that, from
generation to generation, the Lord has granted a place of repentance to all such as would
be converted unto Him. Noah preached repentance, and as many as listened to him were
saved. Jonah proclaimed destruction to the Ninevites but they, repenting of their sins,
propitiated God by prayer, and obtained salvation, although they were aliens [to the
covenant] of God." (Clement to the Corinthians 7:33-36)
"Day and night ye were anxious for the whole
brotherhood, that the number of God's elect might be saved with mercy and a good
conscience." (Clement to the Corinthians 2:7,8)
"On account of envy, Aaron and Miriam had to make
their abode without the camp. Envy brought down Dathan and Abiram alive to Hades"
(Clement to the Corinthians 4:20,21)
"…that the wickedness of many should be hid in
a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many
transgressors! Having therefore convinced us in the former time that our nature was unable
to attain to life, and having now revealed the Saviour who is able to save even those
things which it was [formerly] impossible to save, by both these facts He desired to lead
us to trust in His kindness, to esteem Him our Nourisher, Father, Teacher, Counselor,
Healer, our Wisdom, Light, Honor, Glory, Power, and Life, so that we should not be anxious
concerning clothing and food." (The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus 9:50-53)
"We wish you, brethren, all happiness, while you
walk according to the doctrine of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; with whom be glory to God
the Father and the Holy Spirit, for the salvation of His holy elect, after whose example
the blessed Polycarp suffered, following in whose steins may we too be found in the
kingdom of Jesus Christ!" (The Encyclical Epistle of the Church at Smyrnam 22:59,60)
"Let my spirit be counted as nothing for the sake of
the cross, which is a stumbling-block to those that do not believe, but to us salvation
and life eternal. "Where is the wise man? where the disputer? "Where is the
boasting of those who are styled prudent? For our God, Jesus Christ, was, according to the
appointment of God, conceived in the womb by Mary, of the seed of David, but by the Holy
Ghost. He was born and baptized, that by His passion He might purify the water. The cross
of Christ is indeed a stumbling-block to those that do not believe, but to the believing
it is salvation and life eternal. "Where is the wise man? where the disputer?"
(The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, 28:122-125)
"But some most worthless persons are in the habit of
carrying about the name [of Jesus Christ] in wicked guile, while yet they practice things
unworthy of God, and hold opinions contrary to the doctrine of Christ, to their own
destruction, and that of those who give credit to them, whom you must avoid as ye would
wild beasts. For "the righteous man who avoids them is saved for ever; but the
destruction of the ungodly is sudden, and a subject of rejoicing." (The Epistle of
Ignatius to the Ephesians 7:50)
"For Christianity did not embrace Judaism, but
Judaism Christianity, that so every tongue which believeth might be gathered together to
God." (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians 10:66)
"He who knows these things with a full assurance,
and believes them, is happy; even as ye are now the lovers of God and of Christ, in the
full assurance of our hope, from which may no one of us ever be turned aside!" (The
Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians 11:78)
"I therefore exhort you in the Lord to receive with
all tenderness those that repent and return to the unity of the Church, that through your
kindness and forbearance they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, and
becoming worthy of Jesus Christ, may obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of Christ.
Brethren, be not deceived. If any man follows him that separates from the truth, he shall
not inherit the kingdom of God; and if any man does not stand aloof from the preacher of
falsehood, he shall be condemned to hell. For it is obligatory neither to separate from
the godly, nor to associate with the ungodly. If any one walks according to a strange
opinion, he is not of Christ, nor a partaker of His passion; but is a fox, a destroyer of
the vineyard of Christ. Have no fellowship with such a man, lest ye perish along with him,
even should he be thy father, thy son, thy brother, or a member of thy family. For says
[the Scripture], "Thine eye shall not spare him." You ought therefore to
"hate those that hate God, and to waste away [with grief] on account of His
enemies." I do not mean that you should beat them or persecute them, as do the
Gentiles "that know not the Lord and God; " but that you should regard them as
your enemies, and separate yourselves from them, while yet you admonish them, and exhort
them to repentance, if it may be they will hear, if it may be they will submit themselves.
For our God is a lover of mankind, and "will have all men to be saved, and to come to
the knowledge of the truth." ( The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians 3:13-20)
"The Word raised up again His own temple on the
third day, when it had been destroyed by the Jews fighting against Christ. The Word, when
His flesh was lifted up, after the manner of the brazen serpent in the wilderness, drew
all men to Himself for their eternal salvation." (The Epistle of Ignatius to the
Smyrnaeans 2:16)
"Let no man deceive himself. Unless he believes that
Christ Jesus has lived in the flesh, and shall confess His cross and passion, and the
blood which He shed for the salvation of the world, he shall not obtain eternal life,
whether he be a king, or a priest, or a ruler, or a private person, a master or a servant,
a man or a woman." (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans 6:39)
"Now, He suffered all these things for our sakes,
that we might be saved." (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans 2:11)
"Having obtained good proof that thy mind is fixed
in God as upon an immovable rock, I loudly glorify [His name] that I have been thought
worthy [to behold] thy blameless face which may I ever enjoy in God! I entreat thee, by
the grace with which thou art clothed, to press forward in thy course, and to exhort all
that they may be saved. Maintain thy position with all care, both in the flesh and
spirit." (The Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp 1:1)
"Let your works be the charge assigned to you, that
ye may receive a worthy recompense." (The Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp 6:39,40)
What we gather from all these quotes is that the early
Church believed one was saved by faith in Christ and His blood, apart from works. That
we're redeemed and washed from our sins, there must be repentance, if one sinned and did
not repent they would be lost. They believed God's foreknowledge and predestination, and
they believed by blaspheming the Holy Spirit and or forsaking God that one would lose
salvation.
It seems the early Church fathers (some not all) made
sins unforgivable as to generate anxiety in the individual. Thus, creating a need for them
to find "any" way to be forgiven—by repentance, indulgence, confessional,
obedience to the pope, priests, etc.
It's interesting many of the post-Nicene fathers said
salvation is only found in the "Catholic Church" although they meant
"universal" today only the Roman Catholics make that claim who belong to the
RCC.
In The Apocrypha
"Was not Abraham found faithful in temptation, and
it was imputed unto him for righteousness? Joseph in the time of his distress kept the
commandment and was made lord of Egypt. Phinees our father in being zealous and fervent
obtained the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. Jesus for fulfilling the word was made
a judge in Israel. Caleb for bearing witness before the congregation received the heritage
of the land. David for being merciful possessed the throne of an everlasting kingdom.
Elias for being zealous and fervent for the law was taken up into heaven. Ananias,
Azarias, and Misael, by believing were saved out of the flame. Daniel for his innocency
was delivered from the mouth of lions. And thus consider ye throughout all ages, that none
that put their trust in him shall be overcome." (1 Maccabees 2:52-61)
"That so all the heathen may know that there is one
who delivereth and saveth Israel." (1 Maccabees 4:11)
"For my hope is in the Everlasting, that he will
save you; and joy is come unto me from the Holy One, because of the mercy which shall soon
come unto you from the Everlasting our Savior." (Baruch 4:22)
"And he answered me, saying, The most High hath made
this world for many, but the world to come for few. I will tell thee a similitude, Esdras;
As when thou askest the earth, it shall say unto thee, that it giveth much mould whereof
earthen vessels are made, but little dust that gold cometh of: even so is the course of
this present world. There be many created, but few shall be saved."(Ezra 8:1-3)
"For as the husbandman soweth much seed upon the
ground, and planteth many trees, and yet the thing that is sown good in his season cometh
not up, neither doth all that is planted take root: even so is it of them that are sown in
the world; they shall not all be saved." (Ezra 8:41)
"Even so the times also of the Highest have plain
beginnings in wonder and powerful works, and endings in effects and signs. And every one
that shall be saved, and shall be able to escape by his works, and by faith, whereby ye
have believed, Shall be preserved from the said perils, and shall see my salvation in my
land, and within my borders: for I have sanctified them for me from the beginning."
(Ezra 9:6-8)
"And therefore be thou not curious how the ungodly
shall be punished and when: but enquire how the righteous shall be saved, whose the world
is, and for whom the world is created. Then answered I and said, I have said before, and
now do speak, and will speak it also hereafter, that there be many more of them which
perish, than of them which shall be saved:" (Ezra 9:13-15)
"Lord, Almighty God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, and of their righteous seed; who hast made heaven and earth, with all the
ornament thereof; who hast bound the sea by the word of thy commandment; who hast shut up
the deep, and sealed it by thy terrible and glorious name; whom all men fear, and tremble
before thy power; for the majesty of thy glory cannot be borne, and thine angry
threatening toward sinners is importable: but thy merciful promise is unmeasurable and
unsearchable; for thou art the most high Lord, of great compassion, longsuffering, very
merciful, and repentest of the evils of men. Thou, O Lord, according to thy great goodness
hast promised repentance and forgiveness to them that have sinned against thee: and of
thine infinite mercies hast appointed repentance unto sinners, that they may be saved.
Thou therefore, O Lord, that art the God of the just, hast not appointed repentance to the
just, as to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, which have not sinned against thee; but thou
hast appointed repentance unto me that am a sinner: for I have sinned above the number of
the sands of the sea. My transgressions, O Lord, are multiplied: my transgressions are
multiplied, and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven for the multitude
of mine iniquities. I am bowed down with many iron bands, that I cannot life up mine head,
neither have any release: for I have provoked thy wrath, and done evil before thee: I did
not thy will, neither kept I thy commandments: I have set up abominations, and have
multiplied offences. Now therefore I bow the knee of mine heart, beseeching thee of grace.
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge mine iniquities: wherefore, I
humbly beseech thee, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me, and destroy me not with mine
iniquities. Be not angry with me for ever, by reserving evil for me; neither condemn me to
the lower parts of the earth. For thou art the God, even the God of them that repent; and
in me thou wilt shew all thy goodness: for thou wilt save me, that am unworthy, according
to thy great mercy. Therefore I will praise thee for ever all the days of my life: for all
the powers of the heavens do praise thee, and thine is the glory for ever and ever.
Amen." (Prayer of Manassheh)
"With that all the assembly cried out with a loud
voice, and praised God, who saveth them that trust in him." (Susanna 1:60)
"And thy counsel who hath known, except thou give
wisdom, and send thy Holy Spirit from above? For so the ways of them which lived on
the earth were reformed, and men were taught the things that are pleasing unto thee, and
were saved through wisdom." (Wisdom of Solomon 9:17,18)
"For when the horrible fierceness of beasts came
upon these, and they perished with the stings of crooked serpents, thy wrath endured not
for ever: But they were troubled for a small season, that they might be admonished, having
a sign of salvation, to put them in remembrance of the commandment of thy law. For he that
turned himself toward it was not saved by the thing that he saw, but by thee, that art the
Saviour of all." (Wisdom of Solomon 16:5-7)
"So of thy people was accepted both the salvation of
the righteous, and destruction of the enemies. For wherewith thou didst punish our
adversaries, by the same thou didst glorify us, whom thou hadst called." (Wisdom of
Solomon 18:7,8)
"When they see it, they shall be troubled with
terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all
that they looked for. And they repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit shall say
within themselves, This was he, whom we had sometimes in derision, and a proverb of
reproach:" (Wisdom of Solomon 5:1-3)
The Creeds
"I believe in…the forgiveness of sins."
(The Apostle's Creed)
"But it is necessary to eternal salvation that he
also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The right faith
therefore is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is
God and Man." (Athanasian Creed)
"Who for us men and for our salvation came down from
heaven and was made flesh, and became man, suffered, and rose on the third day, ascended
into the heavens, and is coming to judge living and dead." (Nicene Creed)
Having done all the research we return to our main
questions—after one has come to Jesus Christ for salvation can that believer be
eternally lost? If so, what are the causes? What is the sin or sins that would place one
there?
Answer
First, we must understand salvation is great and truly
wonderful. It's an action performed on us by Jesus Himself for Himself, and is applied to
a person's life by receiving the life of Christ in faith totally by the free gift of
grace. I'm totally convinced, by Scripture, that salvation is a free gift, by
grace, in faith to the one receiving. There is no work a person can do to earn it. I'm
also convinced, by the Scriptures, that once we receive Jesus Christ as our savior God
wants us to absolutely stay with Him—He will do all the things in His plan to keep us
from leaving Him. I like to say, once saved always saved if truly
saved.
It has been said that once we receive Jesus Christ we're
saved, and if we can lose our salvation it would be very, very hard. It's true that many
individuals "appear" to be saved, but in reality there're not. There are some
that are saved and do leave the faith never to come back. Again, as we studied this
doctrine we emphasize that God's Word is and remains the sole authority in all doctrines.
We have provided ample evidence, and that from God's Word, that we're totally lost and
depraved in need of salvation. The Bible is very clear on this—our dependency on
someone or something for salvation to bring us back to that state found with God and Adam
originally.
We understand we have inherited sin passed from Adam
onward.
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the
world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
(Romans 5:12)
We also must understand, we have "actual" sin
that we committed.
"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth
sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:15)
"[Art] thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God,
mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O
mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. [Thou art] of purer eyes than to
behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal
treacherously, [and] holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth [the man that is] more
righteous than he?" (Habrews 1:12,13)
Again, the Bible is clear we cannot be with God, or
have fellowship with him because of our sin.
Enter the cure—the Lord Jesus. He came to redeem
lost and sinful man. He cleanses all the sin of those that are brought to Him by the
Father.
"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to
God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his
life." (Romans 5:10)
"Not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing
of the Holy Ghost." (Titus 3:5)
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall
have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause [you] to dwell in the cities,
and the wastes shall be builded." (Ezekiel 36:33)
"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but
ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit
of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11)
As we discussed earlier there are those that think
they're saved or "appear" to be saved, but are not. There are those that were
saved, but leave the faith and never return. One thing we must understand that God's Word
is absolutely sure concerning election, foreknowledge, and predestination of those to be
saved and those that are not.
"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either
of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange
fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD,
and devoured them, and they died before the LORD." (Leviticus 10:1,2)
"The LORD hath made all [things] for himself: yea,
even the wicked for the day of evil." (Proverbs 16:4)
"[Art] thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God,
mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O
mighty God, thou hast established them for correction." (Habakkuk 1:12)
"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his
countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the LORD
seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh
on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said,
Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said,
Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before
Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these." (1 Samuel
16:7-10)
"That the wicked is reserved to the day of
destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath." (Job 21:30)
"Reprobate silver shall [men] call them, because the
LORD hath rejected them." (Jeremiah 6:30)
"I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say,
Wherein hast thou loved us? [Was] not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved
Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of
the wilderness." (Malachi 1:2,3)
"And he said, I will make all my goodness pass
before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to
whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy." (Exodus
33:19)
"And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD [am]
holy, and have severed you from [other] people, that ye should be mine." (Leviticus
20:26)
"For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy
God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the
nations that [are] upon the earth." (Deuteronomy 14:2)
"But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD
hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him [to be] captain
over his people, because thou hast not kept [that] which the LORD commanded thee."
(1 Samuel 13:14)
"But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is
godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him." (Psalm 4:3)
"Blessed [is] the nation whose God [is] the LORD;
[and] the people [whom] he hath chosen for his own inheritance." (Psalm 33:12)
"And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out
of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants
shall dwell there." (Isaiah 65:9)
"For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, [even] I,
will both search my sheep, and seek them out." (Ezekiel 34:11)
"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship
him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world." (Revelation 13:8)
"And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my
cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right
hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is
prepared of my Father." (Matthew 20:23)
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right
hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world." (Matthew 25:34)
"I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen:
but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his
heel against me." (John 13:18)
"Praising God, and having favour with all the
people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts
2:47)
"But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have
reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to [the image of]
Baal." (Romans 11:4)
"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." (Ephesians
1:5)
"Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me?
Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the
fig tree, I saw thee." (John 1:48)
"John answered and said, A man can receive nothing,
except it be given him from heaven." (John 3:27)
"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out…And this is the Father's will which
hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day." (John 6:37,39)
"I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen:
but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his
heel against me." (John 13:18)
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should
remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." (John
15:16)
The sin issue is a completed thing. Jesus paid it all! No
one should even dispute the fact that Jesus has completely washed away our sins.
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the
LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red
like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
"For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of
Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be
your strength: and ye would not." (Isaiah 30:15)
"[But] Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an
everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end." (Isaiah
45:17)
"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the
earth: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else." (Isaiah 45:22)
"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to
God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his
life." (Romans 5:10)
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of
the Holy Ghost." (Titus 3:5)
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall
have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause [you] to dwell in the cities,
and the wastes shall be builded." (Ezekiel 36:33)
"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but
ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit
of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11)
"And if he trespass against thee seven times in a
day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive
him." (Luke 17:4)
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:28)
"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; To declare, [I say], at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in
Jesus." (Romans 3:25,26)
"To deliver such an one unto Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
(1 Corinthians 5:5)
"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but
ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit
of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11)
"Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of
the Spirit in our hearts." (2 Corinthians 1:22)
"Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2
Corinthians 5:17)
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being
made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a
tree." (Galatians 3:13)
"In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed
with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." (Ephesians
1:13,14)
"And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses
and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according
to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the
children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love
wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with
Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit
together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the
exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus…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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians
2:1-10)
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath
begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians
1:6)
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own
blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for
us]." (Hebrews 9:12)
"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them
that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14)
"And this is the promise that he hath promised us,
[even] eternal life." (1 John 2:25)
Jesus, the apostles, the early Church, and those of us today
teach that we should repent of our sins. Yes, even daily staying in that close
relationship with Jesus. It's true and confirmed by Scripture that in Jesus we are
elected, predestined, called of God to God in Jesus by the Holy Spirit, forgiven of sins,
justified by grace through faith apart from the law which is neutered in its effect and
saving ability.
If a person is made to stand trial for crimes they committed,
and they're told that they are absolved of all charges as if that person had never
committed them at all. Then goes out and commits them again is that person still
justified? No, he is then guilty of new crimes. However, justification in Christ does not
work that way. When once we come to Christ we're washed of all sins. They're not held
against us anymore we're forgiven past, present, and future. Past, present, and future?
Are you sure? Yes.
Past - "And such were some
of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11)
Present – "If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
"And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord
shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."
(James 5:15)
Future – "And the
Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you]
as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art
converted, strengthen thy brethren." (Luke 22:31,32)
The one prohibition in the beginning of the Old Testament
was don't eat of the tree of good and evil. In the beginning books of the New Testament
it's don't blasphemy the Holy Spirit. As Christians we are exhorted to be faithful to God
in our relationship with Him.
"And he did [that which was] right in the sight
of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done…And he did [that which
was] right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had
done." (2 Kings 15:3,34)
"But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful
and right, [And] hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the
idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come
near to a menstruous woman, And hath not oppressed any, [but] hath restored to the debtor
his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath
covered the naked with a garment; He [that] hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath
taken any increase, [that] hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true
judgment between man and man, Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to
deal truly; he [is] just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel
18:5-9)
"And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars
of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge,
my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." (Genesis 26:4,5)
"Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my
judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I [am] the LORD." (Leviticus
18:5)
"Now when the congregation was broken up, many of
the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them,
persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." (Acts 13:43)
"Confirming the souls of the disciples, [and]
exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter
into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had
prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed."
(Acts 14:22,23)
"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine;
continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear
thee." (1 Timothy 4:16)
Again, it's true God does choose some and passes over others.
"The LORD hath made all [things] for himself: yea,
even the wicked for the day of evil." (Proverbs 16:4)
"And the destruction of the transgressors and of the
sinners [shall be] together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed."
(Isaiah 1:28)
"[Art] thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God,
mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O
mighty God, thou hast established them for correction." (Habakkuk 1:12)
"The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go
astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." (Psalm 58:3)
"Reprobate silver shall [men] call them, because the
LORD hath rejected them." (Jeremiah 6:30)
"And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I
will bring you into the bond of the covenant: And I will purge out from among you the
rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country
where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know
that I [am] the LORD." (Ezekiel 20:37,38)
"Though they bring up their children, yet will I
bereave them, [that there shall] not [be] a man [left]: yea, woe also to them when I
depart from them!" (Hosea 9:12)
"I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say,
Wherein hast thou loved us? [Was] not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved
Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of
the wilderness." (Malachi 1:2,3)
"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his
countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the LORD
seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh
on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said,
Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said,
Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before
Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these." (1 Samuel
16:7-10)
"So Saul died for his transgression which he
committed against the LORD, [even] against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and
also for asking [counsel] of [one that had] a familiar spirit, to enquire [of it]; And
enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son
of Jesse." (1 Chronicles 10:13,14)
"That the wicked is reserved to the day of
destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath." (Job 21:30)
"For I know him, that he will command his children
and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and
judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."
(Genesis 18:19)
"Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the
priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the
mountain of God, [even] to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame
of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire,
and the bush [was] not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great
sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God
called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here
[am] I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the
place whereon thou standest [is] holy ground. Moreover he said, I [am] the God of thy
father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his
face; for he was afraid to look upon God." (Exodus 3:1-6)
"Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the
greatness of thine arm they shall be [as] still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O
LORD, till the people pass over, [which] thou hast purchased." (Exodus 15:16)
"Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee
in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and
obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name
[is] in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will
be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. For mine Angel
shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the
Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them
off." (Exodus 23:20-23)
"And he said, I will make all my goodness pass
before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to
whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy." (Exodus
33:19)
"And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD [am]
holy, and have severed you from [other] people, that ye should be mine." (Leviticus
20:26)
"For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy
God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all
people that [are] upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor
choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of
all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he
had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and
redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."
(Deuteronomy 7:6-8)
"For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy
God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the
nations that [are] upon the earth." (Deuteronomy 14:2)
"But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD
hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him [to be] captain
over his people, because thou hast not kept [that] which the LORD commanded thee."
(1 Samuel 13:14)
"Howbeit the LORD God of Israel chose me before all
the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah [to be]
the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my
father he liked me to make [me] king over all Israel: And of all my sons, (for the LORD
hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the
kingdom of the LORD over Israel. And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my
house and my courts: for I have chosen him [to be] my son, and I will be his father."
(1 Chronicles 28:4-6)
"But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is
godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him." (Psalm 4:3)
"Blessed [is] the nation whose God [is] the LORD;
[and] the people [whom] he hath chosen for his own inheritance." (Psalm 33:12)
" I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have
sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne
to all generations. Selah…Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I
have laid help upon [one that is] mighty; I have exalted [one] chosen out of the
people." (Psalm 89:3,4,19)
"Blessed [is] the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD,
and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of
adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off his
people, neither will he forsake his inheritance." (Psalm 94:12-14)
"The remnant shall return, [even] the remnant of
Jacob, unto the mighty God." (Isaiah 10:21)
"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, [in
whom] my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to
the Gentiles." (Isaiah 42:1)
"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O
Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have
called [thee] by thy name; thou [art] mine… [Even] every one that is called by my
name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him…
Ye [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know
and believe me, and understand that I [am] he: before me there was no God formed, neither
shall there be after me… The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the
owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, [and] rivers in the desert, to give drink
to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my
praise." (Isaiah 43:1,7,10,20,21)
"And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out
of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants
shall dwell there." (Isaiah 65:9)
"For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, [even] I,
will both search my sheep, and seek them out." (Ezekiel 34:11)
"And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my
cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right
hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is
prepared of my Father." (Matthew 20:23)
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right
hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world." (Matthew 25:34)
"I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen:
but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his
heel against me." (John 13:18)
"Praising God, and having favour with all the
people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts
2:47)
"But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have
reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to [the image of]
Baal." (Romans 11:4)
"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." (Ephesians
1:5)
"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship
him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world." (Revelation 13:8)
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and
upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it." (Matthew 16:18)
"So the last shall be first, and the first last:
for many be called, but few chosen… And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of
my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right
hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is
prepared of my Father." (Matthew 16:18,23)
"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of
a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of
heaven to the other." (Matthew 24:31)
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right
hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world." (Matthew 25:34)
"And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto
them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am
baptized withal shall ye be baptized: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is
not mine to give; but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is prepared." (Mark
10:39,40)
"And when it was day, he called [unto him] his
disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles." (Luke 6:13)
"Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me?
Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the
fig tree, I saw thee." (John 1:48)
"John answered and said, A man can receive nothing,
except it be given him from heaven." (John 3:27)
"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out…And this is the Father's will which
hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day." (John 6:37,39)
"I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen:
but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his
heel against me." (John 13:18)
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should
remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." (John
15:16)
"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given
me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for
thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:24)
"And afterward they desired a king: and God gave
unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty
years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom
also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the [son] of Jesse, a man after mine
own heart, which shall fulfil all my will…And when the Gentiles heard this, they were
glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life
believed." (Acts 13:21,22,48)
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate
[to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many
brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them
he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." (Romans
8:29,30)
"Not as though the word of God hath taken none
effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the
seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. For this
[is] the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a
son…Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he
hardeneth." (Romans 9:6,7,9,18)
" Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye
may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God [is] faithful, by whom ye were
called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians
1:8,9)
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will." (Ephesians 1:4,5)
"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering."
(Colossians 3:12)
"Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of
God." (1 Thessalonians 1:4)
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood
of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed [be] the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again
unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who
are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time." (1 Peter 1:2-5)
"To whom coming, [as unto] a living stone,
disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, [and] precious…But ye [are] a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew
forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light." (1 Peter 2:4,9)
"The [church that is] at Babylon, elected together
with [you], saluteth you; and [so doth] Marcus my son." (1 Peter 5:13)
"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to
make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."
(2 Peter 1:10)
Also, it's true that one can stay in the faith or leave
the faith. I'm convinced, and that by God's Word, that a true called believer will return
if they happened to stray when called back by God Himself.
"And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it
without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the
congregation. And it came to pass, [that] every one which sought the LORD went out unto
the tabernacle of the congregation, which [was] without the camp…And the LORD spake
unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the
camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the
tabernacle." (Exodus 33:7,11)
"Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my
judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I [am] the LORD." (Leviticus
18:5)
"Then I will set my face against that man, and
against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit
whoredom with Molech, from among their people. And the soul that turneth after such as
have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my
face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people." (Leviticus
20:5,6)
"For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not
wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments [were] before me: and [as for] his
statutes, I did not depart from them." (2 Samuel 22:22,23)
"But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell
himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred
up." (1 Kings 21:25)
"But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but
walked in the counsels [and] in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward,
and not forward…Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened
their neck: they did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words
unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they
will not answer thee. But thou shalt say unto them, This [is] a nation that obeyeth not
the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut
off from their mouth." (Jeremiah 7:24,26-28)
"Then all the men which knew that their wives had
burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even
all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, [As
for] the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken
unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to
burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we
have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in
the streets of Jerusalem: for [then] had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no
evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink
offerings unto her, we have wanted all [things], and have been consumed by the sword and
by the famine. And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink
offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings
unto her, without our men?" (Jeremiah 44:15-19)
"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be
saved." (Matthew 24:13)
"That the righteousness of the law might be
fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are
after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the
things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded
[is] life and peace. Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh
cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his." (Romans 8:4-9)
"For if God spared not the natural branches, [take heed]
lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them
which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his] goodness:
otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief,
shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again." (Romans 11:21-23)
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part
hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with
idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them,
and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come
out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
[thing]; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons
and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
"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)
Again, going back to our main questions--after one has
come to Jesus Christ for salvation can that believer be eternally lost? If so, what are
the causes? What is the sin or sins that would place one there?
It's evident that the Scriptures teach us that all
sins can be forgiven. A believer confessing sins daily will be forgiven. Does this
mean we can run out and sin all we want? No. If as believers we could sin and be thrown
into hell that would be a divine paradox. Does a parent cast away a child if they make a
mistake? No. Neither will God, but there are hard consequences though for continuous
willful sinning.
Q. After one has come to Jesus Christ
for salvation can that believer be eternally lost?
A. Yes.
Q. What are the causes? What is the sin
or sins that would place one there?
A. There are two.
#1 Forsaking God, Jesus Christ,
and the faith forever.
"Then I will set my face against that man, and
against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to
commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people. And the soul that turneth after such
as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set
my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people."
(Leviticus 20:5,6)
"For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not
wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments [were] before me: and [as for]
his statutes, I did not depart from them." (2 Samuel 22:22,23)
"But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but
walked in the counsels [and] in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward,
and not forward…Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but
hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all
these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them;
but they will not answer thee. But thou shalt say unto them, This [is] a nation that
obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished,
and is cut off from their mouth." (Jeremiah 7:24,26-28)
"For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet
again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people." (Numbers
32:15)
"And the people answered and said, God forbid that we
should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods…If ye forsake the LORD, and serve
strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath
done you good" (Joshua 24:16, 20)
"But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for
thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and
hast cast me behind thy back." (1 Kings 14:9)
"But Jehu took no heed to walk in the
law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of
Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin." (2 Kings 10:31)
"Because they have forsaken me, and have burned
incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of
their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be
quenched." (2 Kings 22:17)
"And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to
seek the LORD." (2 Chronicles 12:14)
"And the destruction of the transgressors and of the
sinners [shall be] together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed."
(Isaiah 1:28)
"Can a maid forget her ornaments, [or] a bride her attire? yet
my people have forgotten me days without number." (Jeremiah 2:32)
"They are turned back to the iniquities of their
forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them:
the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made
with their fathers." (Jeremiah 11:10)
"Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man
that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the
LORD." (Jeremiah 17:5)
"But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors
into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he
escape that doeth such [things]? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?"
(Ezekiel 17:18)
"But when the righteous turneth away from his
righteousness, and committeth iniquity, [and] doeth according to all the abominations that
the wicked [man] doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not
be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned,
in them shall he die." (Ezekiel 18:24)
"For if God spared not the natural branches, [take
heed] lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God:
on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his]
goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in
unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again."
(Romans 11:21-23)
"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)
"Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me
before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that
denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall
speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that
blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven." (Luke 12:8-10)
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him
that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel." (Galatians
1:16)
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever
of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4)
"From which some having swerved have turned aside
unto vain jangling…Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away
concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have
delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." (1 Timothy
1:6,19,20)
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron; Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created
to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." (1
Timothy 4:1-3)
"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which
while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves
through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:10)
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if
we deny [him], he also will deny us." (2 Timothy 2:12)
"They profess that they know God; but in works
they deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work
reprobate." (Titus 1:16)
"Cast not away therefore your confidence,
which hath great recompence of reward…Now the just shall live by faith: but if
[any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." (Hebrews
10:35,38)
"Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth,
and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error
of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."
(James 5:19,20)
"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of
temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished…Which
have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the
son] of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness." (2 Peter 2:9,15)
"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for
if they had been of us, they would [no doubt] have continued with us: but [they went out],
that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John 2:19)
"[T]hat eternal fire has been prepared for him as he
apostatized from God of his own free-will, and likewise for all who unrepentant continue
in the apostasy, he now blasphemes, by means of such men, the Lord who brings judgment
[upon him] as being already condemned, and imputes the guilt of his apostasy to his Maker,
not to his own voluntary disposition." (Justin Martyr, fragment in Irenaeus' Against
Heresies,5:26:1, A.D. 156)
" Christ shall not die again in behalf of those who
now commit sin, for death shall no more have dominion over Him; but the Son shall come in
the glory of the Father, requiring from His stewards and dispensers the money which He had
entrusted to them, with usury; and from those to whom He had given most shall He demand
most. We ought not, therefore, as that presbyter remarks, to be puffed up, nor be severe
upon those of old time, but ought ourselves to fear, lest perchance, after [we have come
to] the knowledge of Christ, if we do things displeasing to God, we obtain no further
forgiveness of sins, but be shut out from His kingdom. And therefore it was that Paul
said, 'For if [God] spared not the natural branches, [take heed] lest He also spare not
thee, who, when thou wert a wild olive tree, wert grafted into the fatness of the olive
tree, and wert made a partaker of its fatness.' " (Irenaeus,Against Heresies,4:27:2
A.D. 180)
"By believing in Him you will live. But by
disbelieving you will be punished." (Apostolic Constitutions, A.D. 390)
"He who keeps them will be glorified in the kingdom
of God. However, he who chooses other things will be destroyed with his works."
(Barnabas, A.D. 70)
"Only those who fear the Lord and keep His
commandments have life with God; but as for those who do not keep His commandments, there
is no life in them." (Barnabas, A.D. 70)
"We ought therefore, brethren, carefully to inquire
concerning our salvation. Otherwise, the wicked one, having made his entrance by deceit,
may hurl us forth from our life." (Barnabas, A.D. 70)
"I hold further, that those of you who have
confessed and known this man to be Christ, yet who have gone back for some reason to the
legal dispensation [i.e. the Mosaic Law] and have denied that this man is Christ, and have
not repented before death—you will by no means be saved." (Justin Martyr, A.D.
160)
"He who hopes for everlasting rest knows also that
the entrance to it is toilsome and narrow. So let him who has once received the gospel not
turn back." (Clement of Alexandria, A.D. 195)
"A son who deserts his father in order not to pay
him obedience is considered deserving of being disinherited and having his name removed
forever from his family." (Lactaintius, A.D. 304)
"He who knows these things with a full assurance,
and believes them, is happy; even as ye are now the lovers of God and of Christ, in the
full assurance of our hope, from which may no one of us ever be turned aside!" (The
Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians 11:78)
The evidence is clear and true—if you forsake the salvation
provided by God; you will not enter the presence of God! Did the Scriptures frighten you?
Did they cause you to rethink your confidence that you can do anything and not lose your
salvation? They should have. If you care for God and His Word, if you take it very
seriously, if you reverence His Word greatly, it should have made you reconsider all that
you say and do.
We are not trying to destroy your faith. Rather we would
have you know the truth and stand on that then on the shaky ground of today's polluted
Bible teachers. The Scriptures declare that forsaking God after your saved can cause you
to be left out of the Kingdom. Don't let it happen to you. Having said all that, I must
also state that it's doubtful many true believers have forsaken the faith. However, as the
end draws near that will began to change.
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron; Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created
to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." (1
Timothy 4:1-3)
#2 Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
"But when the Pharisees heard [it], they said, This
[fellow] doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And
Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is
brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And
if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast [them] out? therefore
they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom
of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil
his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. He that
is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Wherefore
I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the
blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever
speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh
against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in
the [world] to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the
tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by [his] fruit. O generation of
vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good
things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say
unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in
the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt
be condemned." (Matthew 12:24-37)
"And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem
said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And
he called them [unto him], and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be
divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and
be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong man's house,
and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his
house. Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and
blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against
the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because
they said, He hath an unclean spirit." (Mark 3:22-30)
"But some of them said, He casteth out devils
through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting [him], sought of him a
sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided
against itself is brought to desolation; and a house [divided] against a house falleth. If
Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I
cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your
sons cast [them] out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God
cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed
keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon
him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth
his spoils. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me
scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places,
seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
And when he cometh, he findeth [it] swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh [to
him] seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and
the last [state] of that man is worse than the first…And whosoever shall speak a word
against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against
the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven." (Luke 11:15-26; 12:10)
The Scriptures that speak of this doctrine are presented
above. How do we understand this? What is Jesus really talking about? Can this mean one
can lose their salvation if this is committed? Many are quick to say this does not at all
mean one can lose their salvation. Others say this is saying if you reject the Holy Spirit
you will not be saved. Still other say it's speaking about Spiritual warfare. The hard
truth is, it's saying that one can lose their salvation "IF"
they commit this sin. The Pharisees and Scribes are confronting Jesus about his ability to
exorcise demons out of people. They have seen Him do this, they believe He has a devil,
and that His exorcisms have been the work of the devil and not of God. They say the
following.
"This [fellow] doth not cast out devils, but by
Beelzebub the prince of the devils."
"He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils
casteth he out devils."
"But some of them said, He casteth out devils
through Beelzebub the chief of the devils."
Jesus responds.
"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and
blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall
not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall
be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven
him, neither in this world, neither in the [world] to come."
"Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven
unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that
shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal
damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit."
"And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of
man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it
shall not be forgiven."
So what's going on here?
They said Jesus had a demon and exorcised demons by the
power of the devil.
Jesus said, ALL sin and blasphemy would be
forgiven men EXCEPT the sin against the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says, WHOSOEVER speaks against the Holy
Spirit will not have forgiveness; now or in the future.
Notice it says, because they said, He hath an
unclean spirit.
Jesus is clear that ANYONE is capable of committing this
sin. Being capable and doing it are two different things. Saying or implying that a work
that's clearly of God and the Holy Spirit is motivated or generated by satan is blasphemy
of the Holy Spirit! Be very, very careful. Having said that, It's very unlikely that a true
believer will commit this sin unto death, but it is possible and that cannot
be over looked.
We have provided more than enough evidence for anyone
with ears to hear to understand. It is very important to take heed to the Word of God, and
His teaching about the seriousness of our salvation and it's value. God is a God of mercy
and compassion He is long suffering, patient, and willing to call you back. But if one
persists in willful abandonment and blasphemy against His Spirit how can He put up with
that?
If someone forsakes Him, abandons the faith, speaks
against Christ, and worships other gods how can God allow that person in His presence? He
did not allow it in the Old Testament or in the New, and He will not allow it to happen in
our age. I pray that you read all of the Scriptures carefully and that you really took
them seriously. Look to the Holy Spirit for guidance to understand this message.
I want to leave you with two Scriptures, and I want you
to read them slowly, carefully, and prayerfully. Remember these words.
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron; Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created
to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." (1
Timothy 4:1-3)
"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and
blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall
not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall
be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven
him, neither in this world, neither in the [world] to come." (Matthew 12:31,32)
May
God's eternal Spirit guide you into all truth.
Amen?
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