SALVATION: FORFEITABLE OR NOT?
INTRODUCTION: Salvation is a gift. Salvation cannot be earned. As a gift of God’s grace; not of man’s works (Ephesians 2:9), can salvation be forfeited? The answer to this question is complicated; if it weren’t, there would not be such division over the doctrine within the body of Christ. Sincere believers on both sides of the issue are resolute in their positions. The Bible instructs every believer to be “fully persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). If we are going to take a certain position; especially one so prominent, we should know how to explain our beliefs, don’t you think? Perhaps the first thing that should be addressed is the subject of grace. What, exactly, is grace? Strong’s Greek Dictionary of the New Testament defines grace as, “the divine influence upon the heart, and it’s reflection in the life”. We often hear grace defined simply as “God’s unmerited favor”. Either way, it obviously originates with God. Bearing that in mind, God’s Word shall be our rule for determining the extent to which God’s grace is applied to our lives. The following study shall examine salvation as an act of confession, as a matter for contention, and as a goal for completion.
1. SALVATION: AN ACT OF CONFESSION. The first thing for us to understand is that salvation comes by way of a heart felt confession. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17). The psalmist earlier declared that God “saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Ps 34:18). God does not honor lip service. Merely speaking a religious string of regrets and apologies does not access the realm of grace from where the gift of salvation proceeds. Paul advises us in Romans 10:9, “That, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” John recorded these words of Jesus, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). It is the things of the heart that God considers. So, can a man, out of the sincerity of his heart, make confession unto salvation (Rom 10:10) and at some future time in his life decide to turn back? And if he can turn back: (Hebrews 10:38 “...if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.”), has he forfeited his salvation? Was his confession all inclusive; covering every sin of the past and of the future? Romans 3:23 - 25 clarifies our standing with the Lord concerning our sinful pasts “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 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...”, but there is no mention of future transgressions. John addresses these for the Christian in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That this verse is written for the Christian who sins; as we so commonly continue to do, is apparent by his statement in chapter 2, verse one - “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” He obviously is not addressing sinners because it is expected that sinners will sin. But, if a Christian sins, we have an advocate. If we discontinue in fellowship with Christ and cease confessing our sins can we fall from grace?
2. SALVATION: A MATTER FOR CONTENTION. Paul told the Galatians that they were in danger of falling from grace by their dependence on the law: “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4.) By grace we are saved, yet the very nature of our calling demands obedience to God. We have a commandment to “go, and sin no more” and “...as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15, 16). If the Galatians stood in danger of falling from grace by their attempts to be justified by the law; which, after all, is merely their misguided efforts at being “good enough” to satisfy God’s demands for righteousness, how much more is the backslider who has returned to the former lusts fallen from grace? James certainly makes it clear to his readers that “faith without works is dead”. We have a plain teaching by the apostle Paul that we are not saved by our works (Ephesians 2:8-9, “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.”), yet at the same time there are certain works that disqualify a person for entrance into the kingdom of God (Gal 5:19 - 21, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”). It is true that we do not have to get saved repeatedly because we may sin. However, it seems apparent that a believer can turn from his commitment, and find himself in worse condition than one who had never been saved: 2 Pt 2:20-21, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 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.”. The writer of Hebrews confirms that it is a serious offense for a believer to fall away: “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), and “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” (He. 10:26, 27). The writer of Hebrews also taught that believers, in order to enjoy the promises, must hold on unto the end: “...whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (He. 3:6), and “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.” (He. 4:14). To the Colossians Paul wrote, “...to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard...” (Colossians 1:22, 23). Paul testifies of his own personal fight of faith saying, “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:11 - 14). It was Paul who commanded us in Philippians 2:12 to “...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Of himself he said, “But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Co. 9:27). He reminded the Corinthians “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand: By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” (1 Co. 15:1, 2). Finally, in his letter to the Roman church, Paul speaking of Israel’s fall and the Gentiles acceptance said, “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” (Romans 11:22). From the aforementioned scriptures we see that salvation is more a process that a concrete position. As we “work out our salvation” and “keep under our bodies”, we “reach forth to that which is before”, and “run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We have this assurance, “He is able to keep that which we have committed to Him against that day.” I am eternally secure because as long as I choose to remain in Him “who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors...” (Romans 8:35, 37).
3. SALVATION: A GOAL FOR COMPLETION. At the close of his life the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:6 - 8, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.” He speaks of salvation in future terms in Romans 8:24-25, “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then we do with patience wait for it.” I was saved in December of 1973, and have been working out my salvation ever since. Romans 13:11 encourages us to know that the day of our salvation is near, but not yet achieved - “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Hebrews 4:1 warns us to make it all the way and not come short - “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” Is the believer doomed to a life of uncertainty about his salvation? Not at all. In Luke 10:20 Jesus told His disciples to “rejoice that your names are written in heaven”. That would be impossible to do if they did not know they were saved. Yet, at the same time, like the ten virgins in Mt. 25 we must not be careless about our salvation. When Jesus comes it will be the wise who have stayed filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18) that will enter into the Marriage Supper. The foolish whose lamps have gone out will not be invited in, but will hear these fateful words, “I know you not” (Mt. 25:12).
SUMMARY: Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That’s what the gospel is all about: to know that you know that you’re saved. But, the gospel message is that we are freed from sin, not free to sin. Work out your salvation. Look forward with confidence to laying hold of “the prize” someday. But, do understand that it matters how we live. Can we lose our salvation? It may be more accurate to say that we can turn from the way of salvation. It is actually a decision of our wills. God asks, “Why will ye die” Ezk 33:11? Ezekiel also wrote concerning the righteous man who turns from his righteousness: “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” (Ezk. 18:24). Don’t forfeit your salvation!
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