March 2001

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Christian Chronicles, March 2001 - Volume 4, Issue 64

The Editor's Pen

The question frequently arises as to whether or not a Christian can, through some act of commission or omission, lose that eternal life which was granted to him through faith in the redeeming work of Christ at Calvary. Far too many Protestant denominations fail to emphasize the eternal security of the believer. Even among the more conservative groups, little is taught about this comforting doctrine, while the emphasis is usually placed on the elimination of sin from the Christians’ lives.

The problem that faces professing Christendom today is that preachers and teachers spend far too much time focusing on the reformation of the flesh and too little time on the blessings of being saved.

This issue deals with the issue of the eternal security of the believer. A literal rendering of the Scriptures leads inexorably to a doctrine of “Once saved, always saved.”

Mid-East Update

The headlines in the Jerusalem Post on the day following Ariel Sharon’s ascension to the post of Prime Minister are clouded and grave. It appears that sabers are rattling throughout the Middle East. Some prognosticators are predicting more widespread violence. A few are even saying that a full-scale Mideast war looms large on the horizon.

It is wise not to get terribly upset over the day-to-day ups and downs of life in the Middle East. That is, the entire region is volatile, and has been for centuries. As conservatives, we believe that a false peace accord will eventually be signed which will guarantee Israeli security for a period of seven years, and that the ratification of that treaty will follow the rapture of the Church, and will be the beginning of the time of Jacob’s trouble, the time of tribulation that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24 and 25. We should not let our hopes hinge on the daily vicissitudes of Mideast relations, knowing that the prophesied treaty will not be a negotiated treaty, but will be Satan’s masterpiece, implanted in the mind of Antichrist.

At Christian Chronicles, our position has not changed at all. We believe that the greater the fear of warfare and death, the more urgent becomes the heartfelt need for peace, setting the stage for acceptance of the aforementioned treaty. Whether all sides are moving rapidly in their negotiations for peace, or are beating their plowshares into swords, we remain steadfast in our belief that we are rapidly approaching the day of our departure. Look up!

Fruit of the Vine

Outside the doctrine of salvation itself, there are few doctrines more pertinent to fruit-bearing than the doctrine of eternal security. It is surprising, and a bit alarming, to realize that so many Christians believe that they can lose their salvation because of sins they commit after they are saved. Once you have presented the gospel, it is very important to let the person to whom you are witnessing know that he is secure in God’s love for all eternity, that his continuing salvation does not depend upon any faithfulness on his part, but solely upon the promises of God to save and seal forever all who believe the record He has given of His Son.

Let us never forget that the Bible is only good news for the believer, and the very worst of news for only the unbeliever. Even the weakest saint is secure eternally, and we ought not forget to add this comforting news to the word of their salvation. Our God is faithful.

Perspectives

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 Pet 1:3-5)

If a sinner were required to save himself through some action or deed that in any way involved the reformation of the flesh, we would all be hopelessly lost. The old sin nature cannot be reformed. Conceived in sin (Ps 51:5), it remains sinful until death or the rapture intervenes. This is why Paul said to the Philippian saints that he would be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, but the righteousness that comes only from Christ, the righteousness of God which is by faith (Phil 3:9). It is why he called himself a wretched sinner long years after he was saved (Rom 7:24).

Let us repeat, if a sinner were required to save himself through reformation of the flesh, he would never be saved. Salvation is by grace, through faith, without any form of works necessary or even possible.

In that same vein, if a born again believer were required to meet some level of reformed behavior in order to remain saved, none of us would remain saved. That is, if one could lose his salvation, he most certainly would lose it. If it were possible to lose your salvation, nobody would make it to heaven.

However, our opening verse shows that we are not kept by our own power, but by the power of God Himself. The Apostle Paul also bears frequent witness to the fact that we are not kept by our own power or goodness, but by God Himself. He says, “...for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (Phil 1:12).

He goes on to say, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2:13).

To the church at Rome, he wrote, “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” (Rom 8:37-39).

We did not save ourselves, and we cannot in any way keep ourselves saved. We are saved by the power of God (Rom 1:16), and we are kept by the power of God (1 Pet 1:5). We are engraved on the palm of God’s hand (Isa 49:16), and no one is able to snatch us out of His hand (Jn 10:29).

It is easy enough for the Christian to understand that there is no way in either logic or theology for a Christian to lose his salvation, since he is both saved and kept by God Himself. In order for a Christian to lose his salvation, someone would have to pry open the hand of God, in which we are tightly held, and on which we are engraved, and he would have to rip the skin off God’s hand. To do this, he would have to kill God, and, since no one can do that, God would have to commit suicide for one to lose his salvation. Last we heard, God was not even depressed.

What About Persistent Sin?

It is a question that arises often in Christian counsel. “Why can I not stop doing this or that? Why does this particular sin consistently plague my life and keep me from being as spiritual as I want to be?” Typically, when a person is saved, his life does change, but not every sin is removed from him. There are sins that are common to all people, and each person also has certain sins that are peculiar to him, and which he cannot seem to shake.

For many Christians, the issue of eternal security arises from their continuation in whatever particular sin it is that persists in their lives. It is important to understand that there is no sin that is just Ok. It is never all right to sin. Before we were saved, we sinned habitually. We usually did not even so much as think of our actions as sins. Our own shortcomings were “just the way we were.” We could not be good because the Law was weak through the flesh. The Law could not save us because sin dwells in us, and we could not refrain from sin. While it is popular to say that God gives us the strength of faith to resist temptation, the simple fact remains that we do not always avail ourselves of that strength. We still sin. In reality, what we find is that it is no more possible to reform the flesh after we were saved than it was before we were saved. The fact is, the Holy Spirit does remove some sorts of sins from our lives, but we are indeed who we are, and we remain sinful creatures even after the new birth. Though the old man is dead, he still wields terrible control over us more often than we like to admit. The flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh so that we do not do the things we wish.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are no eternal security issues involved in sin in the Christian life. It is impossible for a person, once saved, to be lost again. God has already forgiven the sins we have not yet committed. The truth of the matter is that Christians do not want to sin, but they find themselves sinning anyway. If your sin bothers you, you really do not have anything to worry about except returning to a spiritual state as soon as possible.

The Question of Eternal Security

How Secure is the Christian?

Can One Who is Saved Be Lost Again?

A Study in Eternal Security

Every Christian has both the privilege and the responsibility of knowing not only what he believes, but, more importantly, why he believes thus. It is, of course, important to know what the orthodox doctrines are, but if one is to be an able minister of the Word of God, he must be able to soundly explain the reasonings in the Scriptures that support the doctrine. The better prepared he is, the deeper he will be able to reach into the Bible to support his position. This is increasingly important when faced with the higher level of opposition we face in this latter-day world. In addition to making oneself a better and more fruitful minister, the Christian’s personal faith is also greatly enriched and strengthened by understanding why we believe as we do.

The greater reason than any is that, as ministers of God, there has been committed to our trust a body of doctrine that must be preserved on the earth if men are to be saved. Sound doctrine is in great jeopardy on the earth in these last days of the Church Age. The great apostasy that was to come upon the Church has come already. It is thoroughly ingrained in every fiber of the professing church’s values and priorities. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we are ambassadors in the world. One main task that we are given is to safeguard the integrity of sound doctrine. Paul said to Timothy, “Study, to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15). And again, “ O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust . . .” (1 Tim 6:20).

When sounds from two or more sources are joined together into one, the result is harmony. The same principle applies to doctrine. Though every doctrine must be able to stand alone under its own Scriptural authority, it must also harmonize perfectly with every other doctrine. There must be a unified body of doctrine in harmony with itself. There is no doctrine of Scripture which in any way diminishes the faith of a Christian. There is no doctrine which in any way diminishes the hope of the believer, or which in any way separates the believer from the love, the mercy and the grace of God. Any attempt to place the believer under the condemnation of the Mosaic Law, or to threaten the believer with the loss of his salvation is not of God, but is of the devil, as the following references will conclusively prove.

John 3:14-21 -- Here, Jesus Himself speaks to a ruler of the Jews, explaining that the episode experienced by the Jews in the Wilderness was a foreshadowing of something which would later form the substance of the gospel. As the Jewish believers in the Wilderness were fully saved from the serpents, never again to be tested in such a manner, so also will the believer be saved by the “lifting up” of the Messiah. Eternal life is the theme of the entire passage, with the only condition being the personal faith of the one who is saved.

John 4:13-14 -- Water is used repeatedly in the Scriptures as a symbol, or type, of the Holy Spirit (cf Jn 7:37-39, where it is clearly stated to be so). Here we see that the well of water which Jesus gives to the believer becomes a well of life, springing up in him into everlasting life.

John 4:36 -- The fruit that the Christian bears is “for eternal life,” indicating that we cannot bear any fruit that is not already destined for eternal life. That which is eternal cannot be lost.

John 5:19-24 -- This passage proves that the life which Jesus has given us is eternal, and that it is not a future hope, but a present possession.

John 5:39-47 -- Jesus informs the Jews that Moses and his writings, as well as the rest of the Scriptures, all testify of Him as the sole means of salvation, whereas the Law only condemns.

John 6:26-58 -- This is the great sign of the Bread from Heaven, and one of the wonderful “I AM” declarations of Christ. Herein, the Jews ask Jesus, What shall we do that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answers, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom he has sent.” See esp. vv 35-40, 50-51, 58.

John 10:7-10 -- Another of the great “I AM” declarations; here Jesus is the door of the sheep.

John 10:25-30 -- God would have to be killed before a Christian could be lost.

John 11:25-26 -- Faith is the only requirement for eternal life.

John 13: 34-35 -- Christ’s New Commandment (See 2 Jn 5). It is the goodness of God that leads man to repentance.

John 15:15-17 -- A reiteration of the fact that fruitfulness is our purpose, and that love is the method of fruitfulness.

John 16:27 -- The Father loves us because we have believed.

Rom 5:1-2 -- Justified by faith, we have peace with God.

Rom 5:8-10 -- We shall be saved from wrath.

Rom 7:4-6 -- We have been delivered from the law.

Rom 7:15 - 8:9 -- There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.

Rom 8:28-39 -- Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Rom 9:30-33 -- Gentiles achieved righteousness, while the Jews, under law, could not.

Rom 10:1-4 -- The Jews sought to establish their own righteousness; we seek the righteousness of God. Christ is the end of the Law.

Rom 11:6 -- If by grace, it is no longer by works; if by works, no longer by grace.

1 Cor 1:9-10 -- We have been delivered from death, and will still be delivered by Him.

2 Cor 5:18-21 -- To us has been committed the word of reconciliation.

Gal 1:6-9 -- The test of the Gospel is grace; see note also (Scofield Bibles).

Gal 2:21 -- If righteousness comes by the law, then Christ died in vain.

Gal 5:16-18 -- If you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law.

Gal 6:12-14 -- They boast in your flesh who try to reform the flesh; we boast in the cross of Christ.

Eph 1:3-14 -- In this sublime passage, Paul declares that he who believes in the sufficiency of Christ’s Blood, shed on the Cross, has already been blessed, chosen, predestined, adopted, accepted, redeemed, enlightened, written into the will of God, and sealed by the Holy Spirit, so that our salvation does not depend on us, but upon God Himself.

Eph 2:8-10 -- Inescapable evidence that works are no longer the issue.

Phil 1:3-7 -- It is God Himself who will complete in us that work which He began, and He will do it until the Day of rapture of the Church.

Phil 2:13 -- It is God who works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Phil 3:3 -- We have no confidence in the flesh.

Phil 3:7-9 -- We seek to be found in Him, not having our righteousness, but His.

Col 1:13-14 -- We have been delivered from darkness and conveyed into His Kingdom.

Col 2:8 -- Beware the principles of the world!!

Col 2:20-23 -- Outward religion has no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Col 2:11-17 -- He has wiped out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, nailing it to His cross.

1 Th 5:9-11 -- We are not appointed to wrath.

1 Th 5:23-24 -- We are sanctified and preserved blameless.

2 Th 2:13-17 -- We have been chosen for sanctification and belief, and called by God

2 Th 3:3 -- It is God’s faithfulness that saves.

1 Tim 1:15 -- I am chief of sinners.

2 Tim 1:7 -- We have been given a spirit of love and of a sound mind, not a spirit of fear.

2 Tim 1:12 -- He is able to keep what I have committed to Him against that Day.

2 Tim 4:18 -- The Lord will deliver me and preserve me.

Tit 1:1-2 -- God, who promised eternal life, cannot lie.

Tit 3:4-9 -- Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by His grace He has saved us.

Heb 10:14-18 -- Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

Heb 10:22 -- Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith.

1 Pet 1:3-5 -- We are kept saved by the power of God, through faith, not of ourselves.

1 John 3:9 -- We are born of the seed of God.

1 John 5:13 -- I have written that you may know that you have eternal life.

Jude 24-25 -- A doxology

On Salvation & Security

Many Christians and non-Christians have the notion that they understand that Jesus Christ provided salvation to man by his death on the cross, but after a person is saved they believe that they must do a list of things, and not do another list of things in order to keep, or maintain their salvation. Throw in the good works one must do on a regular basis and you have the average Christian.

When Jesus Christ walked this earth the religious rulers of his day questioned why He did things like healing the sick, comforting the lost and other acts of kindness on the holy day, the Sabbath. They felt that He was breaking the religious laws. Jesus asked them if man was made for the Sabbath, or the Sabbath, the Law, was made for man. That was a powerful question because it showed what Jesus thought was the proper order of things. He, in essence, was saying that man is the important thing here, the Sabbath and the Law was given to benefit man, not to burden him. This also shows us the heart of Father God.

Many Christians and non-Christians also have a problem with the idea of God the Father Himself. They believe that He is ready to send anyone to hell who doesn’t measure up to His expectations. That is a fearful prospect to even consider. They do not believe that God the Father could be an actual loving God, a God who loves His creation. Look closely at John 3:17, “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” Can you see the real motive of God the Father in this verse? Here’s another verse in understanding that God loves us, “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The verse says that He first loved us from the very beginning, before we had any desire or love for Him.

Now here’s a verse that that must be taken just as it is to grasp its real meaning:

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8). How many of us knew that God loved us when we had no desire for God whatsoever? But He did love us, even when we might have wanted no part of Him.

Could God the Father actually love us and be harboring no ill will towards us? “And it came to pass, when the time was come that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for Him. And they did not receive Him, because His face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But He turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” (Luke 9:51-56). These verses show the heart of God. Can we believe and rest in them?

Now we come to the part about salvation. It is very important that we understand true salvation. If we don’t we will be blown away with every argument that even well intentioned Christians give us. We will lose any peace of mind and be uncertain if we are really saved or not. Jesus said that the truth will make us free and we need to know the truth about salvation.

The terms saved and salvation imply that someone or something saves us. It implies that this other entity is the one that saves, apart from us. In other words, we are helpless to save ourselves. If we are saved by an outside force, apart from ourselves, then we must look to that source that saved us. If God saves us through Jesus Christ, then for us to try to keep or maintain this salvation ourselves (through good works or any number of righteous acts) is missing the boat totally. Who gave us this salvation? Who ‘keeps’ this salvation? The only possible answer is God, through Jesus Christ.

Look at Ephesians 2: 8,9 very closely. “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.” Does our faith save us? No, that is merely an instrument through which we are saved. Does our believing save us? No, because our deeds are not what save us. It is receiving what Christ has done for us that saves us. Who saves us? God does through His Grace and not because of our good works. This is all a gift from God through Jesus Christ. How do we keep, or maintain our Salvation? Again we go back to square one, God saved us, and we didn’t have anything to do with it other than to receive and accept it. So there is no way we can keep or maintain our Salvation, God does it all. And that’s what’s so wonderful about it. If it were based on my perfect performance in life I would be without hope. But since the Salvation is based on what Jesus Christ did for me, I then have hope and a real foundation for my faith. We are not saved by what we do, but by what God has done for us.

Now, many Christians are uncomfortable with this idea and they say such an idea is a license for sin. But if you or I received such a salvation when we knew there was nothing within us to deserve it and God reached down and said that it was ours if we would just accept it, how would that make you feel? I don’t know about you, but I would be pretty grateful, in fact it should make us desire to please Him. Before Christ walked this earth the Law made people do things, it was justice or punishment. With Christ, it is acceptance and liberty. Now, it is true that the Father will deal with us if we willfully start living a life that we know is not pleasing to Him. But He will deal with us as a Father and correct us. There is never any danger of being cast aside and rejected or being disowned as children. We might lose the joy of our salvation, we might lose the closeness we had with the Father, we might lose our sense of God’s direction for our lives, or any number of things, but we cannot lose our Father’s love and salvation. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” (John 10: 28-30.

Did you notice in the above verse that Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish…” Eternal life is just what Jesus says it is. He gives us eternal life. He doesn’t give it and then take it back and give it again when we have cleaned up our lives. If He gives eternal life it is eternal and will never be revoked. We can know that we are accepted and saved by God. This is how we develop faith, knowing that God the Father will never reject us and always loves us through Jesus Christ and His all-sufficient work on the cross. Jesus Christ’s sacrifice paid for all our mistakes, all our sins (past, present, future). This is reason to rejoice, to know that we are forever secure in Him! It is almost too good to be true, but it is because you can depend on His Word. Nothing can compare to this knowledge! This is the most wonderful discovery anyone can make!

If you have not received God’s free gift of acceptance and salvation just ask Him for it and humbly receive it. If you want the assurance that you are saved forever just ask Him for that as well and humbly receive it. There is nothing greater than to know that we are saved, accepted and loved by Jesus Christ and God the Father! Be blessed and then go out and bless others in His name.

— Edward Wincentsen

edw@innova.net

What Does it Mean to be Sealed?

Of course, it can mean several things. But the language of the Bible has in mind the old custom of placing a wax seal on a scroll or document in order to prevent its being opened by any other than its intended recipient. While wax seals have gone out of fashion in the general population of the world, heads of state and other “important” sorts still use them routinely. There is, however, no one more important than our heavenly Father, who has placed His seal upon us, preserving us forever in the very instant of our salvation. The seal that He uses is not made of wax, but is His very own Spirit, ensuring that what He has sealed is secure forever.

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