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If the answer is yes, did Jesus die in vain? I mean, are we not hopeless without Christ? If salvation is by any means kept by us, then we have something to boast in. It's rather self-righteous to think salvation can be lost, is it not? It puts the emphasis on ourselves, no? No longer is Christ's death sufficient but we must do "something" to either be or stay saved.
Is it the idea of someone being like the prodigal son, but never returning? They go into sin, and indulge... it seems less an idea of being lost in its entirety and more so someone who hasn't found their identity. Is God's word true? Then such a person is dead to sin, yet not awakened to righteousness. Sad isn't it? To have the key to the chains that bind you, yet not known. How many would be quick to condemn those not enlightened to who they are instead of exhort them into who God has made them to be.
God knows the hearts of men, and He is a merciful God. Do they believe in Christ, truly? Then what more could you ask of men than to relinquish pride and submit wholly to their dependence on Jesus. Yes, people sin, but how the blood of Christ cleanses! I digress... the loss of salvation is the equivalent of saying the loss of Jesus Christ. Do you believe? Then fear should escape you. If you fear, repetitiously, that your salvation may be lost, then you have yet to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is saved by grace through faith. Look to Christ, His grace is sufficient.
Is it the idea of someone being like the prodigal son, but never returning? They go into sin, and indulge... it seems less an idea of being lost in its entirety and more so someone who hasn't found their identity. Is God's word true? Then such a person is dead to sin, yet not awakened to righteousness. Sad isn't it? To have the key to the chains that bind you, yet not known. How many would be quick to condemn those not enlightened to who they are instead of exhort them into who God has made them to be.
God knows the hearts of men, and He is a merciful God. Do they believe in Christ, truly? Then what more could you ask of men than to relinquish pride and submit wholly to their dependence on Jesus. Yes, people sin, but how the blood of Christ cleanses! I digress... the loss of salvation is the equivalent of saying the loss of Jesus Christ. Do you believe? Then fear should escape you. If you fear, repetitiously, that your salvation may be lost, then you have yet to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is saved by grace through faith. Look to Christ, His grace is sufficient.
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The question should really have been, can a Christian put themselves in danger of going to hell. That because the decision is only up to our Lord Jesus Christ and the individual.
I'll try to make this as plain as possible, and I'm taking off the kid gloves:
All those in Christ have been 'called', but not all have been 'chosen' (Matt.22:14). Many often refuse to see the difference with how The Father already owned the elect chosen and gave them to Christ, while not so with the majority of believers who are called only (see John 17).
John 17:12-21
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
KJV
The idea of being "sent" is where the word apostle is derived from the Greek. Those are chosen, not called only. Apostle Paul is one of the prime examples of that, because he was following the Pharisees in hunting down Christians to bring them back to Jerusalem in chains when our Lord Jesus struck him down on the road to Damascus, divinely intervening in Paul's life (see Acts 9). Jesus called Paul "My chosen vessel...".
Starting in Genesis, it's easy to see that with some God dwelt with directly, choosing them in His service, and often divinely intervened in their lives, guiding them and protecting them, while others He did not. And a lot of the time those he chose complained they weren't up to the tasks He gave them. Jeremiah was young, and complained that he didn't know how to speak to the people, which God told him that He knew him before he was in his mother's womb. Moses complained of the lack of speaking to the people. Jonah tried to get out of the duty God sent him to do upon Nineveh. You almost get a sense with some of these God chose as a bunch of unfit whiners. Yet all of them did the tasks God gave them to do, none of them got out of their duty, not even Jonah who jumped overboard to keep from going to Nineveh that God commanded him.
When our Lord Jesus first went up to His Apostles and told them to follow Him, they dropped what they were doing and followed, no questions. All these represent God having already owned them beforehand, which is one of things our Lord Jesus showed in the start His prayer in the John 17 chapter. Even when Jesus asked Peter who He was and said "Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God", our Lord Jesus revealed The Father is Who revealed that to Peter.
With those chosen in Christ, they are going to 'overcome' even if God has to divinely intervene in their lives(example of Jonah). But for those us who are 'called' only, He will only do that IF we stay in Him and ask Him. That means we who are called can... fall away of our own choosing depending on who we heed and listen to.
This is why Christ's Apostles, especially Paul and Peter continually admonished us who are called to stay in the Faith, and not waver, staying on watch and don't be deceived. In Acts 20:27-31 when Paul knew his time was close to his being delivered up, he remarked how he had continually warned the brethren night and day with tears. With tears, because he knew the time would come after his leaving the wolves would creep in not sparing the flock, and draw away disciples after them, being deceived.
It is not possible for one of Christ's chosen to be drawn away like that and be deceived. Like how The Father revealed to Peter that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, He also keeps His chosen elect by revealing Satan's deceptions to them. Jesus especially showed this in Matt.24:24 about the tribulation timing when that pseudo-Christ shows up working great signs and wonders at the end that would almost deceive even His chosen, IF that were possible.
So if you know you have a 'calling' in Christ, but also know you are not a chosen sent one (Apostle), then it means their warnings to us about the end and to not be deceived is ESPECIALLY an important thing for us to heed in these last days, because it means God will allow us to fall away IF we choose it. And that can happen IF we lose focus in the Faith and in His Word about the events to come upon us for the end that He gave us. We cannot allow others to do that focus for us, for that is like putting our soul into the hands of men, trusting them to save us instead.
I'll try to make this as plain as possible, and I'm taking off the kid gloves:
All those in Christ have been 'called', but not all have been 'chosen' (Matt.22:14). Many often refuse to see the difference with how The Father already owned the elect chosen and gave them to Christ, while not so with the majority of believers who are called only (see John 17).
John 17:12-21
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
KJV
The idea of being "sent" is where the word apostle is derived from the Greek. Those are chosen, not called only. Apostle Paul is one of the prime examples of that, because he was following the Pharisees in hunting down Christians to bring them back to Jerusalem in chains when our Lord Jesus struck him down on the road to Damascus, divinely intervening in Paul's life (see Acts 9). Jesus called Paul "My chosen vessel...".
Starting in Genesis, it's easy to see that with some God dwelt with directly, choosing them in His service, and often divinely intervened in their lives, guiding them and protecting them, while others He did not. And a lot of the time those he chose complained they weren't up to the tasks He gave them. Jeremiah was young, and complained that he didn't know how to speak to the people, which God told him that He knew him before he was in his mother's womb. Moses complained of the lack of speaking to the people. Jonah tried to get out of the duty God sent him to do upon Nineveh. You almost get a sense with some of these God chose as a bunch of unfit whiners. Yet all of them did the tasks God gave them to do, none of them got out of their duty, not even Jonah who jumped overboard to keep from going to Nineveh that God commanded him.
When our Lord Jesus first went up to His Apostles and told them to follow Him, they dropped what they were doing and followed, no questions. All these represent God having already owned them beforehand, which is one of things our Lord Jesus showed in the start His prayer in the John 17 chapter. Even when Jesus asked Peter who He was and said "Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God", our Lord Jesus revealed The Father is Who revealed that to Peter.
With those chosen in Christ, they are going to 'overcome' even if God has to divinely intervene in their lives(example of Jonah). But for those us who are 'called' only, He will only do that IF we stay in Him and ask Him. That means we who are called can... fall away of our own choosing depending on who we heed and listen to.
This is why Christ's Apostles, especially Paul and Peter continually admonished us who are called to stay in the Faith, and not waver, staying on watch and don't be deceived. In Acts 20:27-31 when Paul knew his time was close to his being delivered up, he remarked how he had continually warned the brethren night and day with tears. With tears, because he knew the time would come after his leaving the wolves would creep in not sparing the flock, and draw away disciples after them, being deceived.
It is not possible for one of Christ's chosen to be drawn away like that and be deceived. Like how The Father revealed to Peter that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, He also keeps His chosen elect by revealing Satan's deceptions to them. Jesus especially showed this in Matt.24:24 about the tribulation timing when that pseudo-Christ shows up working great signs and wonders at the end that would almost deceive even His chosen, IF that were possible.
So if you know you have a 'calling' in Christ, but also know you are not a chosen sent one (Apostle), then it means their warnings to us about the end and to not be deceived is ESPECIALLY an important thing for us to heed in these last days, because it means God will allow us to fall away IF we choose it. And that can happen IF we lose focus in the Faith and in His Word about the events to come upon us for the end that He gave us. We cannot allow others to do that focus for us, for that is like putting our soul into the hands of men, trusting them to save us instead.
I can't simply answer with a yes or no. I could with a "maybe" or "I don't know"...
In Romans 11, Paul warned the Gentile Christians not to be haughty, Paul tells them to consider the goodness and severity of God and to continue in God's goodness, or else they may be broken off as well. Some people will say these weren't Christians to begin with, but, in order to be broken off, they had to have been grafted in first.
That said, they are many other verses that could be said to support either answer. My conclusion is this, if you are in Christ, you are eternally secure, outside of Christ there is no guarantee.
In Romans 11, Paul warned the Gentile Christians not to be haughty, Paul tells them to consider the goodness and severity of God and to continue in God's goodness, or else they may be broken off as well. Some people will say these weren't Christians to begin with, but, in order to be broken off, they had to have been grafted in first.
That said, they are many other verses that could be said to support either answer. My conclusion is this, if you are in Christ, you are eternally secure, outside of Christ there is no guarantee.
Why? Why would anyone desire to renounce eternal life for eternal condemnation?
Butterflies cannot go back to caterpillars.
What Almighty God has done cannot be undone by man.
No man who is truly born again by the power of the Holy Spirit could ever desire to go back to serve sin.
Why do so many underestimate the magnitude of the transformation of the new birth in Christ? From dead in trespass and sin to alive unto God and righteousness. Freed from the bondage of sin to liberty and life in Christ. It goes against the very nature and character of God to propose such an ideology.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
Butterflies cannot go back to caterpillars.
What Almighty God has done cannot be undone by man.
No man who is truly born again by the power of the Holy Spirit could ever desire to go back to serve sin.
Why do so many underestimate the magnitude of the transformation of the new birth in Christ? From dead in trespass and sin to alive unto God and righteousness. Freed from the bondage of sin to liberty and life in Christ. It goes against the very nature and character of God to propose such an ideology.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
R
"Can a Christian lose their salvation?" I am assuming this question is questioning if a Christian can be saved(delivered) from the lake of fire one moment, but lost to helfire the next. My points follow based on that premise:
1)Salvation is of the Lord(Jonah 2:9)
2)Salvation means "deliverance"(ie: Psa 144:10)
3)Jesus is SALVATION incarnate- "O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble." Isa 33:2 In other words, Jesus is our deliverance!
4)salvation is eternal("eternal salvation" Heb 5:9). Obedience here in Heb refers to obeying the gospel(clearly seen in Rom 10:16)
5)salvation is only possible by the blood of Jesus(1 Pet 1:18-19, Heb 9:22). His blood is eternal!(Rev 19:13)
If salvation is eternal, if we are washed clean by His blood, if His precious blood is eternal, if Jesus, our eternal salvation in the flesh, keeps us(1 Pet 1:5), then how can a Christian be delivered one moment and be lost again the next moment? Shouldn't it have been called "conditional salvation" if one could lose salvation?
The real question should be are you SAFE in the blood of Jesus? Are you trusting in the blood? The blood is everlasting for a reason, for our Lord lives and abides forever! Our Saviour saves to the utmost! Every free grace preacher I have ever met, always taught we don't have a license to sin! So these accusations we receive incessantly, falsely accusing us that we teach a license for sinning, is really from the father of lies- Satan! To those preachers that do teach that Christians have a license for sinning, probably have never experienced the grace of God themselves!
1)Salvation is of the Lord(Jonah 2:9)
2)Salvation means "deliverance"(ie: Psa 144:10)
3)Jesus is SALVATION incarnate- "O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble." Isa 33:2 In other words, Jesus is our deliverance!
4)salvation is eternal("eternal salvation" Heb 5:9). Obedience here in Heb refers to obeying the gospel(clearly seen in Rom 10:16)
5)salvation is only possible by the blood of Jesus(1 Pet 1:18-19, Heb 9:22). His blood is eternal!(Rev 19:13)
If salvation is eternal, if we are washed clean by His blood, if His precious blood is eternal, if Jesus, our eternal salvation in the flesh, keeps us(1 Pet 1:5), then how can a Christian be delivered one moment and be lost again the next moment? Shouldn't it have been called "conditional salvation" if one could lose salvation?
The real question should be are you SAFE in the blood of Jesus? Are you trusting in the blood? The blood is everlasting for a reason, for our Lord lives and abides forever! Our Saviour saves to the utmost! Every free grace preacher I have ever met, always taught we don't have a license to sin! So these accusations we receive incessantly, falsely accusing us that we teach a license for sinning, is really from the father of lies- Satan! To those preachers that do teach that Christians have a license for sinning, probably have never experienced the grace of God themselves!
One and the same. If I give you a house and you must still pay the property taxes then it isn't free. Sure a gift, but costly if you can't afford it. In the same way how costly would it be for us to only enter into salvation and then must maintain it by our own deed. How many Christ would lose... with such a self-righteous gospel. How hopeless our endeavor to think we are capable. No, the foundation is sure and that is Jesus Christ and none other. Not myself, not you, and not any man is capable of maintaining salvation apart from Jesus (and His sacrifice).
Altogether we are hopeless without Him... yet people would have us believe Christ did one lap and passed us the baton, knowing fully well how imperfect we are. Do you think Jesus, loving you ever so much, would give you the opportunity to fall out of His hands once in? You came in and His grip is secure. Is Christ clumsy? No. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, He is our Advocate and High Priest ever interceding on our behalf. Stop striving and enter His rest, that is the simplicity of the Gospel.
Altogether we are hopeless without Him... yet people would have us believe Christ did one lap and passed us the baton, knowing fully well how imperfect we are. Do you think Jesus, loving you ever so much, would give you the opportunity to fall out of His hands once in? You came in and His grip is secure. Is Christ clumsy? No. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, He is our Advocate and High Priest ever interceding on our behalf. Stop striving and enter His rest, that is the simplicity of the Gospel.
E
No this is wrong
If you have to do something to keep it. Your earning it..
Keeping it is just a fancy way for legalists to excuse they are really trying to earn their salvation. The tactic has worked for centuries, and people sadly still buy into it.
So much so that they teach it in churches, and it seems normal..
If you have to do something to keep it. Your earning it..
Keeping it is just a fancy way for legalists to excuse they are really trying to earn their salvation. The tactic has worked for centuries, and people sadly still buy into it.
So much so that they teach it in churches, and it seems normal..