Someone has commented one of our posts, ‘Whom The Lord Loves, He Chastens’, saying: “A save person will be scourged/chasten by God, like loses his job, jailed and even physically killed if he deviates, and loses rewards in Heaven, but will not lose his salvation.”
It’s true that God chastens
anyone who gets strayed from his will and circle of protection, and He will do
whatever it is necessary so that he/she goes back to the right path, out of compassionate
love. However He cannot not decide or interfere more than an earthly father
would do, after trying his best to discipline and help his wayward son to
follow and obey Him, so that he may enter in his eternal kingdom and reward in
the judgement day.
“Once saved, always saved, even if you live in sin", is
a current prevalent “God's extreme grace” doctrine, which is not supported by the
Scriptures. On the other hand, we can perfectly remain under God’s amazing grace after
we are born again, if we follow certain conditions expressed in the Scriptures.
Let’s have a review on that
now…
Jesus came to set us free from
the curse of sin offering himself to sacrifice and die for us; and now by grace
we are saved through faith in his bloodshed and atonement for us (Ephesians
2:8-9). The blood of Christ has the power to redeem us from our past sins
(Romans 3:24-25), the minute we repent towards God, we believe that Jesus is
the Son of God who was raised from the dead, we confess Him publicly as our
Master and Lord, and we get baptised in water of his cleansing blood (Romans
10:9-10; Acts 2:38).
Once we are baptised, we will
then receive Jesus' Holy Spirit in our heart (Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians
1:13-14), so that we may have personal communion with Jesus and his Father (1John 1:3), to
bear fruit of righteousness and holiness and of service to God until the end of
our life. God's purpose for creating us first and for redeeming us later is so
that we may live for Him by loving and serving Him faithfully (John 14:20-26;
Romans 6).
God’s grace is not a licence
for us who once got born again by repenting towards God and baptising in Christ
Jesus, to do whatever we desire or please. We still must fulfil the Law of the ten commandments of
God in union with Jesus, in order to live a righteous and holy life, separated from the
world, and obeying his main two commandments that hung all the law and the
prophets—to love God with all our strength and our neighbour as ourselves
(James 1:17-27; Matthew 22:36-40).
Of course, God in his wisdom
and mercy has provided a comforter and helper, his own Holy Spirit (Jesus in us), to guide us
and help us to focus and align our mind with his Word, so that we may know his
perfect will for us individuals, to be able to live and walk and accomplish the
mission of a real son/daughter of God on the Earth (Isaiah 11:2; Romans chapter
8, 12:1-2; 1Corinthians 2).
In Ephesians 2:8-10 and Romans 3:21-26 the apostle Paul says that we are saved by God’s amazing grace through faith in Jesus’ atonement and bloodshed. But we will
be judged by our works of love or lack of love one day, since God has created
us in Christ Jesus his Son so that we do good works, which He has before
ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 1:3-14, 2:1-10; Colossians
2:6-7; 1John 1:1-11; Tito 3:3-7; Matthew 5:13-16, 25:31-46).
In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus says
to his followers that they were the salt of the Earth full of flavour of
God’s Spirit. And also that they should let the light of Jesus' Holy Spirit in
them shine before all men, that they may see their good works and thus glorify
God the Father in Heaven. This call was not optional, but mandatory, in order
to fulfil the mission of every son/daughter of God of being the Light and witness of Jesus to this world.
In Matthew 5:21-26 Jesus says
that anyone who is angry with his brother without a cause, and also says to
him, “You fool”, will be in danger of judgement and hell fire.
In Mark 8:34-38 Jesus says to
his followers that anyone who would like to follow Him will have to deny his
own will, suffer shame for his name and the Gospel’s sake, and obey his Words
without reservation. He continues saying that whoever will not be willing to
suffer for Him and will preserve his life, he will lose his eternal life. But
whoever will be willing to suffer for Him and will lose his life, he will
inherit his eternal life. And at the end He says that if we are ashamed to live
and confess Him publicly, He will also be ashamed of us at his return when He
will judge everyone. (See also Matthew 10:32-33; Luke 12:8-9; 2Timothy 4:1-8.)
In Matthew 10:32-33 Jesus says
to his followers that if they confess Him before all men, He will confess them
before his Father which is in Heaven. And if they deny Him before all men, He
will also deny them before his Father which is in Heaven. In other words, when
we don’t confess Christ publicly and continually, then we are denying Him, and
we are in danger of not making it on the Judgement day (Romans 2:5-16).
In Romans 10:6-13 the apostle
Paul says that if we believe that God resurrected Jesus His Son from the dead, and
we confess Him publicly as our Lord and Master, then we will be saved. And this
is true, we are saved the moment we believe and confess Him; and we will be
saved for the rest of our days, if we continue believing and confessing Him
before all men. This is what it really means, because if we don’t have fruits
of repentance and of works of love, we are then deceived and dry and dead (John
15:1-17; James 1:17-27, 2:14-26).
In John 10:27-29 Jesus says
that He gives full eternal life to those who have personal communion with Him
by hearing his voice, and who continually follow Him. (See also John 17:3;
1John 1:3.)
In 1 John 3:10-18 the apostle
John says that anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and no murderer has
eternal life abiding in him.
In James 2:14-26 the apostle
James clearly says that if you don’t show works of love toward others, your faith is
completely dead. This means that you are not fully saved if you still live in
sin.
In 1 Peter 1:13-25 and 1 John 1:5-10 the apostles write that God is Holy and Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all. And because of that, we are supposed to
live a holy life, as otherwise without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews
12:14-17). That’s why a real son of God must constantly abide in God’s Words,
which are full of Spirit and Life. He must walk in the light if he wants to remain a real follower of Jesus,
who will know the Truth to keep him righteous and saved from all sin. Otherwise
if he still walks in darkness and lives in sin is not saved at all, because he is still a sinner, a
slave of sin (John 6:47-63; 15:1-17; 8:31-36; 1John 2:1-6).
In Romans 2:5-16 the apostle
Paul says only those who are persevering in well doing will obtain immortality and
eternal life. And those who do not obey the Truth of God’s Word, but obey
unrighteousness, will not be justified and saved, and will consequently be in
anguish and in darkness, out of God’s presence in Heaven. Very sobering!
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 the
apostle says that we should bring our body into subjection and be a
wholehearted disciple if we want to obtain one day the prize of an
incorruptible crown (glorified, immortal body).
In 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 and
Hebrews 3:12-19 the apostle says that we are continually saved if we keep
firmly the Word and doctrine of our faith until the end (See also Matthew
24:13; Mark 13:13; Romans 8:16-18; Colossians 1:21-13.)
In 2 Corinthians 13:5-10 the
apostle says to the brethren that they should examine themselves to verify if
they are in the faith of Christ, except they have become reprobates, or in
other words rejected by God, because of their continual lack of surrender
towards Him.
In Philippians 3:7-21 the
apostle Paul says that he was wholeheartedly consecrated to the faith of Christ, and
consequently was willing to suffer anything for the Gospel’s sake in order to
win Christ, if by any means he might attain unto the resurrection of the dead,
as he was not completely sure about it at that moment. But he was always
determined to fully forget his past and press toward the mark, and face any new
afflictions or persecutions, to obtain the reward of the high calling of God in Jesus, which of
course is the resurrection of his body into a glorified one—the crown of
righteousness or the crown of life (1Corinthians 15:51-57; 2Corinthians 5:1-10;
2Timothy 4:8; Revelation 2:10).
In 2 Timothy 2:1-13 the
apostle says that we should endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ,
the same way he does to help the brethren to obtain the full salvation with
eternal glory at the end of their lives. Later on he says that IF we are dead
(buried and resurrected) with Jesus, we will also live (serve) with Him; IF we
suffer (persecution), we will also reign with Him; IF we deny (don’t confess)
Him, He will also deny (not confess) us before the Father (Luke 12:8-9). Jesus
expects us to endure hardness and follow Him with all our hearts and capacity
and at any cost, if we want to obtain the full prize of eternal life at the end
of our days.
In Hebrews 10:26-31 the
apostle says that if a brother sins wilfully after receiving the knowledge of
the Truth (Jesus), and tramples the Son of God underfoot, and counts the blood of the Covennat by which he was sanctified a common thing, and
despises God's Holy Spirit, he will be judged and punished with fire, the same way He judged and destroyed many rebellious and disobedient
children of Israel in the past. At the end of this chapter, the apostle says
that we are not like those who draw back from the faith unto perdition, but like those who
believe to the saving of the soul.
In Hebrews 12:14-17 the
apostle says that every brother should be in peace with all men and live in
holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. Also he exhorts that no one
departs from the grace of God by letting out a root of bitterness in his life
and thus contaminating others around.
In James 5:19-20 the apostle
says that if anyone errs from the Truth (Jesus), and someone else converts him,
this one will save this soul from death (condemnation).
In 2 Peter 2:20-22 the apostle
says that anyone who after escaping the pollutions of a worldly life through
the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, entangles again in them and is overcome, the latter
end is worse for him than the beginning when he was not saved yet.
In 1 John 5:16-17 the apostle
says that if anyone sees his brother sin a sin which is not unto death
(condemnation), he will ask to God for him, and He will forgive him and give
him life again. But he also adds that there is a sin unto death or
condemnation, which cannot be prayed for it.
In 2 John 1:7-11 the apostle
says that we must be careful to not lose those things we have wrought in order
to obtain the full reward of eternal salvation, because many deceivers have
entered into the church of believers.
There are several verses in
the Scriptures that in order to obtain the Crown of Life, which is the full
salvation of our whole being (spirit, mind and body), we must be instruments of
righteousness unto holiness (Romans 6:12-23), through the sanctification of the
Spirit and faith in the truth of God's Word (2Thessalonians 2:13-17; Jude
1:20-21).
In other words, salvation is
not a state of mind or a matter of one day repentance and confession, but a continual life of
service to God and confessing Christ everywhere around. Otherwise we would be in
danger to lose the gift of righteousness and eternal life (Romans 6; Mark
8:34-38). The purpose of Jesus’ atonement is so that God’s Spirit may live in
us, to make it easier for us to be obedient and faithful until the end. Without
the factor of surrender and obedience to God’s will and Spirit, our eternal
salvation is not guaranteed.
In the book of Revelation,
Jesus makes it very clear to the seven churches that only those who overcome
(are faithful and endure until the end), their names will not be ERASED from
the Book of (eternal) Life (3:5)… will not suffer the second death
(condemnation in hell) (2:11)… and will receive the Crown of (eternal) Life
(2:10; 3:10-11).
Adam was the first man and son
of God on the Earth, and thus he was born of God in purity, without any sinful
nature in him (Luke 3:39). But God gave him free will to obey Him or not, and
as long he would obey Him, he would never die, he would live forever. But he
ended up disobeying and lost his divine and immortal identity. As long as Adam
was in harmony with God, he had all the blessings of the Kingdom in him, as he
was part divine. But he lost the privilege of being a son of God because of his lack of fear of Him and his
consequent disobedience (Psalm 111:10; Romans 5:12-14).
The same with the angels,
which are also sons of God, born of God (Psalm 82), many of them rebelled and
disobeyed and fell short of the glory of God, and they immediately died
spiritually and lost their angelical, pure divine nature, and their place in
the Kingdom (Revelation 12:7-10).
And what about JESUS himself,
the only begotten Son of God the Father, full of wisdom and power, full of
God's Word and Spirit (John 1:18, 3:34-35; 1Corinthians 1:24). He also was
tempted in all things as a human being, although He never yielded to sin
(Hebrews 2:14-18). 1 Corinthians 15:45 says that Jesus was the Last Adam, with the
same characteristics of a man and son of God like Adam. But Jesus made it until
the end instead, constantly subordinating to his Father, time and time again. At
the Calvary, He asked his Father if He could be spared from such a cruel
torture and death ahead, when He was transpiring blood. But after praying three
times, He surrendered and obeyed his Father to go through all the painful
sacrifice (Luke 22:39-46).
Jesus opted to fulfil his
mission on Earth of a real Man and Son of God, just out of faith and obedience,
and also out of love for his Father and for us all. Hebrews 5:5-9 says that He
was bitterly praying and crying to his Father to spare Him from suffering and
death, but He learned obedience through the things He suffered, even during
such horrific and crucial moments; and He finally overcame and fulfilled his
great redeeming mission on Earth (Romans 5:6-11; Philippians 2:3-16).
If Jesus had to learn
obedience to fulfil the will of his Father, how much more we must learn
obedience to fulfil our mission on Earth as sons of God. Romans 8:29 says that
God predestined us to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be
the firstborn among many brethren. And 1 John 1:1-6 says that if we say we
abide in Jesus, we must also walk as He walked, in complete submission and
surrender to God’s will and commandments registered in the Scriptures.
And because Jesus obeyed his
Father until the end, He was rewarded with the resurrection of his dead body
into a super-powerful, glorified body. Plus his Father exalted his name above
any power and authority in Heaven and on Earth, and sat Him on the right hand
of his throne, and made Him Lord and God in office and King to reign over the
Earth, along with his Father. Hallelujah! (See Philippians 2:1-18)
CONCLUSION
Faithfulness and obedience to
God’s Word are the vital factors to obtain at the end of our life, the
complete salvation that we once got by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:1-7), which is the reward of a Crown of
Life, the new glorified and immortal body described in the Scriptures (2Timothy
4:5-8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:1-4; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2Timothy 2:1-13;
Romans 8:16-18; 1Timothy 6:11-16; Jude 20-25).
When we are saved through
faith in Jesus’ sacrifice, then we are right away FREE from walking in darkness and living in sin. But the Word says
that if we WILFULLY decide to live in sin again, then we are again slaves of
sin, which means that we are not really saved. In other words we are not saved
from the slavery of sin and spiritual death (John 8:31-36).
God is Holy and the same
expects for us to be holy (1Peter 1:14-16). If we are living a life of
righteousness and holiness, of communing with God by absorbing his Word and
praying in his Holy Spirit, and being separated from the world and its sinful ways, and being
faithful to confess Christ to others, then there is nothing to fear if we lose
our salvation or not. Because we
remain faithful and obedient to God's will, separated from sin and the
consequence of sin which is spiritual death in hell, and consequently showing
fruits of repentance and of many souls won for Him (Acts 26:15-20).
The fear of God is to hate
evil (Proverbs 8:13), and if we really love God, we will hate evil and reject every sinful way, mindset and spirit with all
our strength (Matthew 22:36-40). The life of a real son of God and disciple of
Jesus is manifested and confirmed by his holy lifestyle—an active life of real commitment and consecration to please and fulfill God's will until the end of days.
Jesus says that He will vomit
the lukewarm out of his mouth, unless they repent on time (Revelation 3:14-22). If we are not lukewarm, but real fighters of the Cross, and
continue being so, then we will NEVER lose salvation. But if we wilfully DRAW
BACK from the will of God, then we will be in danger of judgement and
condemnation without a doubt (2Peter 2:20-22).
The Lord gave us free will,
and because of that, WE ARE THE ONES WHO DECIDE IF WE WANT TO BE SAVED FROM SIN
AND CONDEMNATION, OR NOT. It's nothing about obtaining perfection or even about
God's personal perception, but about being faithful and obedient to love God and others around.
So yes, "ONCE SAVED, WE ARE
SAVED FOREVER," IF WE LIVE IN HOLINESS until the end—by continually getting filled of God's nature and presence and power, through praying and obeying his Holy Spirit, and meditating and obeying
his Holy Word! (See also Matthew 25; Luke
19:11-27; 2Thessalonians 2:13-17; Hebrews 5:8-9, 6:4-12; 1Peter 1:14-21, 4:17-19, 2Peter 3:3-7; Jude 1:1-4,20-25.) ◘
