CAN A CHILD OF GOD FALL FROM GOD'S GRACE? (Part 2) Good morning and welcome to the Berean Break on this Lord's Day morning. My name is George A. Sinkie and I am so glad that you have joined us this morning. I encourage you to get out your Bible and to open it up and follow along with us this morning. This is a serious study of the word of God and you need to check it out so you know that it is the will of God that is being taught. Before we begin let's go to God in prayer. Great God in heaven. We thank You for this day in our lives. We want to thank You for the offer of freedom that You give. Help us to know and obey the truth so that we can have that freedom. Dear God we thank You for Jesus through Whom that freedom and salvation come. And it is by His authority we come to You now, AMEN!! Last week we began to look at the subject, "Can a child of God sin to the extent, that they will be lost in eternity?" I quoted from two Baptist preachers who stated that the way a Christian lives has nothing to do with the eternal destiny of our soul. They both taught that a child of God can commit all types of sins, from murder to fornication and that doesn't effect whether they are saved in eternity. Now do not misunderstand, I know that if sins are repented of, they will be forgiven by the Father. So, we are not talking about sins that have been repented of. And that was not what Sam Morris, one of those Baptist preachers, was discussing. He said very clearly, "The way a Christian lives has nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul." Do you believe that? If so, please continue with me in this study and see what God thinks about it. We will be using the same format this morning that was
used in our last study, we will be looking up and reading a variety of Scriptures to see what God's will is for our lives. Open up your Bible and read along, I will be reading from the NASB. The first verse that we want to look at this morning is 2 Peter 2:20, 21, follow closely to what Peter says, 2 Peter 2:20-21 (NASB), For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them. That was pretty clear for the sincere student of God's word. He said that they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Sounds like they're free from sin. They would be right with the Lord. But notice. To those who have escaped the defilements of the world, he warns of the possibility of again becoming entangled and overcome. In other words, they go back into the old sinful ways. Did you notice the word "AGAIN"? What does the word "again" mean? In the Greek, it means "anew, a renewal or repetition of action," which is pretty much what we think of in the English as well. Here is one who has left sin, they obeyed Christ, they are a Christian, and then, they walk back in their old sinful ways AGAIN, a second time. What is their condition? The writer says their last state was worse than their first. Then he stresses it would be far better for them to have never known the way of righteousness. Can one turn back from the holy commandments? Yes they can. If they do, what is their
condition? They are in a worse spiritual condition than before they obeyed the gospel. Peter then uses two very vivid illustrations of the dog returning to its own vomit, and the sow, returning to her old filth ways after having been washed. How could language be more plain? Remember there are many religions that teach that once you are saved you are always saved. Perhaps you have been taught that doctrine yourself. But now you are seeing from the word of God that the doctrine of "once saved, always saved" is a false doctrine. But we are not done looking at verses from the word of God that refute this doctrine. Let's turn over to the book of Hebrews and chapter 10, Hebrews 10:32-39 (NASB) But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly, by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners, and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.
Did you notice carefully that reading? The writer says that there were those who were enlightened, those who endured; yet they shrink back to destruction. Can a child of God shrink back to destruction? If not, why these warnings from the inspired writer? But God's word goes on, let's read now from Jude, verses 5 and 6, Jude 5; 6 (NASB) Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. Were the Israelites God's children? Yes they were under the Mosaic Law. Jehovah saved them from the land of Egypt, brought them out and headed them toward Canaan. Yet, many of them failed to make the promised land, which is a type of Heaven. Why? Because they sinned. Who would say they were not God's children when He brought them out of bondage? And yet they did not reach the promised land. And then there are the angels. While we may not be told everything about the angels, we can understand that they are spiritual beings, existing in the spiritual realm with God. And while they do God's will for them, they are in their proper abode. But if they abandon that proper abode, we might say if they sin, and then they are put into bondage. Now I ask you, Why would the writer use these examples, of the Israelites and the angels, unless it was to warn God's children to be faithful and obedient unto their Lord? And like Israel and the angels if the child of God is not faithful to God's will then they will lose
the promised land or their dwelling place in heaven. Let's check in with Peter again, this time in 2 Peter 2:15 (NASB) forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, This whole chapter gives a multitude of examples of those who went wrong. He says they were forsaking the right way, they went astray. Question. How can one forsake the right way if that one was never in the right way? I could not forsake my wife if I never had a wife. One can not go astray unless one was first in the right way. One who never enters the way can not forsake it. Webster defines "forsake" as, "to renounce something once cherished without intent to resume; to quit or leave entirely; to withdraw from." The inspired writer says some had "forsaken" the right way. They renounced that which they once cherished, they quit. This whole chapter of second Peter is a warning against apostasy, a warning against Christians going back into the ways of the world. And again, why would they be warned for this danger if it were not possible for them (and for Christians today) to go back into sin and be lost? Let's consider again some of the teaching that the Lord Jesus made while He was here on this earth. Let's turn over to Luke 15. Beginning in Luke 15, verse 11 we have the story of the Prodigal Son, as it is usually called. I want you to read this whole story following today's program. For now, we are just going to point out some main points. Here Jesus teaches about a Father and his two sons. The younger brother asked for his inheritance, and receiving it, went into a far country and wasted it (that is, he was prodigal), ending up in pig pen. Here the son was in the pig pen, far away from the love and care of his
father. Some would say, "Once a son, always a son." And in one sense that is true. They say he was not really lost. But listen to the father, here in the parable. The father said, in Luke 15:24 (NASB) for this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' And they began to be merry. Was he dead? Not physically. But he was dead to the love and relationship of his father. Was he lost? Not physically, because he knew the way back home. But he was lost to the fellowship of his father. Yes, once a child of God always a child of God. But, one can become an apostate child of God, a lost child of God. One who chooses to go back into the paths of sin. This parable was told for a reason, and we see that reason back in Luke 15:1-2 (NASB) Now all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." God is showing that there are those of His children who have gone off into sin, but if they will repent and return to Him, He will receive them back again. If they don't repent, then they are LOST. This Berean Break is brought to you, in love, by the pre-denominational and non-denominational church of Christ that meets at 1600 East First Ave. in Mitchell SD. You are welcome to meet with us at 10:00 Sunday Mornings for our assembly followed by a time of Bible Study, also on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 for an additional time to study God's Word. If you have a comment or a sincere Bible question, please phone
us at 605-770-5555. We want to remind you of the non-denominational TV program, "KNOW YOUR BIBLE" on KDLT-TV at 9:00 on Sunday mornings. This is George A. Sinkie for the Lord's church, here in Mitchell, good-bye for now, Remember that we care about you and may God bless you as you do His will. All quotes, unless otherwise noted, are from the: New American Standard Bible. 1986 (electronic edition.) La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.