The Insecurity of Our Salvation

The Insecurity of Our Salvation Man s Part in the Plan of Salvation Insecurity of Our Salvation Many preachers and denominations would not agree with the idea that our salvation is insecure. A very popular teaching today is once we are saved we are always saved Our salvation is permanent We can do nothing to lose it Listen to what the Baptist Faith and Message has to say. 1

Insecurity of Our Salvation All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Insecurity of Our Salvation They even quote some verses that seem to support this doctrine Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 2

Insecurity of Our Salvation Or verses like these Ro 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Insecurity of Our Salvation 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 3

Insecurity of Our Salvation 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. A casual reading of these verses may have us believing once we become a Christian our eternal salvation is secure. If this is what we believe then we misunderstand the differences in God s part in our Salvation and mans part. God s Part in Our Salvation If we notice the verses are talking about any outside influence forcing God to relinquish the hold he has on those that are His. Joh 10:28 neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 4

God s Part in Our Salvation Rom 8:38 neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God God s Part in Our Salvation God s part in our salvation is absolute and sure. There is nothing that is or has ever been in existence that is strong enough to tear us away from God!!! God will do exactly what he has promised and nothing can or will stop Him! When it comes to our salvation we can depend on God! 5

Insecurity of Our Salvation The insecurity in our salvation has nothing to do with God but with Man Our salvation is not secure because men are not willing to finish what they have started. Being a Christian is a life long endeavor. Although nothing is strong enough to take us away from God, He will not prevent us from walking away from Him if we so desire. Insecurity of Our Salvation An example of man s salvation not being secure just because he was a Christian is in Acts chapter 8 Ac 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. 6

6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city. 9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, 7

10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the great power of God." 11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. 8

Luke tells us that Simon both Believed and was Baptized. He would fit almost any ones criteria of someone who was saved Look at what he does after being saved and see the results of his actions 14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 9

16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 10

20 But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 21 "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 "For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." 11

24 Then Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me. Here we have a man who became a Christian, was saved but shortly after this he is once again bound by sin and needed to repent. He had lost his salvation Simon had once again become entangled in or bound by the sins or iniquities of this world. 2Pe 2:20 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 in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 12

21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." We Must Continue to Obey God Just like Simon, If we disobey God after we become a Christian we can once again become bound by sin. Thankfully Simon was of the type character that when he was confronted with his sins, he repented 13

We Must Continue to Obey God We also have in this story the solution to what one who has become a Christian and then has gotten involved in sin again must do to get right with God. Peter told Simon to repent and pray to God for forgiveness We Must Continue to Obey God The New Testament is filled with warnings against the Christian becoming involved in sin and the consequences if we do. In Romans 6 Paul warns Christians of the outcome of living a life of sin 14

We Must Continue to Obey God Ro 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? Paul says Christians can again become slaves of sin and suffer spiritual death because of it. We Must Continue to Obey God Paul again warns the Ephesian Christians to avoid becoming involved in Sin Eph 5:3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 15

We Must Continue to Obey God 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. We Must Continue to Obey God He also warns the Galatian Christians about the possibility of losing their souls. Ga 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 16

We Must Continue to Obey God 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. We Must Continue to Obey God Obviously our actions after becoming a Christian play a part in our salvation. Our salvation becomes insecure not because of God but because we many times do things we simply should not do Not only must we do (actions) what God wants, we must also believe what God wants us to believe. The Truth! 17

We Must Believe the Truth! Once we have become a Christian we simply cannot believe any thing that we want and expect God to save us. The Galatian Christians are also a very good example of this We Must Believe the Truth! Ga 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. Some were teaching and others believing that you had to keep the Law of Moses as well as the Law of Christ in order to be saved. Because of it they had fallen from Grace. 18

We Must Believe the Truth Hymenaeus and Philetus as well as their followers are also a good example of this. 2Ti 2:17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. We Must Believe the Truth There faith was destroyed by believing this false doctrine and without faith it is impossible to please God. Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 19

We Must Believe the Truth James wrote to Christians who believed they could be saved by their faith alone apart from any works. Because of this belief, their faith was dead. Jas 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, We Must Believe the Truth Jas 2:16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 20

Conclusion God s part of our Salvation is absolute and sure It is man s weakness and desire to do evil that makes our salvation insecure We must continue to believe and do those things that are pleasing to God for the rest of our lives in order to obtain that salvation Conclusion Re 2:10 "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 21

Conclusion There is a principle taught in Ezekiel Eze 18:21 "But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 "None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. Conclusion 23 "Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord GOD, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live? 22

Conclusion 24 "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die. 23