The Question of Salvation
What makes someone saved? Once saved, can he or she lose that salvation?
These are just a couple of probably a lot more questions concerning salvation in a Christian perspective. I know I talked about this with you guys once on a Sunday before, but it doesn’t hurt to hear it again right? (Plus not all of you were there, cough cough, Long..) Anyway, I also thought it would be nice to just type out everything in an entry so I can use it for future reference.
As you guys probably already know, salvation is a gift from God. It is unearned and undeserving, but by his grace and love, we are free from the bondages of sin. All we have to do on our part is accept this gift by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We believe he lived a perfect life, died as a sacrifice for our sins (past, present, and future), and rose again. It isn’t by works or any humanly accomplishments that we are saved, but by faith alone. And once you have this salvation, you are guaranteed to never lose it.
Can it be that simple? So all we have to do is believe he died for us and we’re set? So maybe I should just go on doing my thing in this life and when I die, it’ll be all good. God will let me in.. I believed! I’m guaranteed aren’t I? (I’m being sarcastic in case you can’t tell).
Well I guess I have some good news and some bad news for you. The good news is: yes, salvation is guaranteed. The bad news is that it’s not as simple as you think. Faith and submission is required. Keep in mind that faith without action is dead (James 2:17, 26). Without further a due, let’s see what the Word has to say about this. First, I want to show you guys how clear the Bible is when it talks about the guarantee of your salvation. Here are just two passages I chose out of many others.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Ephesians 1:13-14
13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.
When we are saved, God guarantees a spot for us in Heaven. So in the meantime, while we’re on Earth, he sets a seal of ownership on us by filling our hearts with the Holy Spirit. The Ephesians passage says that once we have the Holy Spirit within us, we are God’s possession. The way I see it, God cannot lose what he possesses. At least it would have to be by His will, not ours. And this is where the big question of salvation comes in. Can we lose it? Is there anywhere in the Bible where God clearly loses something He once possessed? These next few passages might lead you to that conclusion.
Hebrews 6:4-6
4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Hebrews 10:26-27
26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Now you’re probably wondering how I could say salvation is a guarantee after reading these verses. C’mon, Dave, the Word can’t be any more clear! Yes, I agree, the Word is in fact clear and I still hold my position of salvation being a guarantee. Let’s take a closer look at exactly what these verses say and who it’s addressing. Let’s start with the Hebrews 6 passage.
Notice the language used by the author of Hebrews. The words and phrases he uses imply something superficial and shallow about the person’s response to God’s power. He describes these people as people who have “tasted the heavenly gift…shared in the Holy Spirit,,… tasted the goodness of the word of God…” The Greek word that is translated into “shared in” is metochos. According to Greek scholars, this word denotes something less than possession of, or by, the Holy Spirit.
Okay, what about the Hebrews 10 passage? From simply reading it, it seems like we’re all going to suffer the judgment and raging fire. That doesn’t sound fair because as Christians, we still struggle with sin. How could there be no sacrifice left? Didn’t Jesus die once and for all? Yes he did. Again, always… always… always read the context and find out who is being addressed. The crowd being addressed here is clearly stated at the end of verse 27. The judgment and raging fire will consume “the enemies of God.” Certainly we are no longer enemies of God when we enter his family through Christ Jesus. Check out one more passage. This one hurts:
2 Peter 2:20-22
20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”
This passage is talking about a person who had once turned away from the sins of this world, heard of Jesus Christ, knew of the salvation offered, but was just too vulnerable to the worries and deceitfulness of this world. As a result, this person never allowed the seed of the Holy Spirit to grow in his/her heart. I know some of my Christian brothers and sisters are now asking, “How do I know this passage isn’t talking about me? I seem to get entangled in sin all the time.” If you’re wondering about that, let me assure you that Peter is not talking about you. Take a look at verse 22. The proverbs talk about a dog and a sow (a pig). These terms are derogatory enough for us today, but in the Jewish society back then, it was a lot worse to compare a child of God to a dog or a pig. Those kinds of words were only used to refer to God-rejecting unbelievers. See how context helps our understanding of the passage?
Okay. Whew. That was a lot of stuff to digest. I hope I didn’t lose you. Do you guys see where I’m going with this? The Bible is not contradicting itself. It’s not saying you can lose your salvation. The Hebrews and 2 Peter passages were not referring to saved Christians. Rather, they were addressing those who are not already saved (particularly those who came close, but not quite cross the salvation threshold). Once you cross that threshold, you are marked with a seal and guaranteed never to cross back.
But how do you know if you’ve crossed that salvation threshold? It’s actually not so easy to pinpoint. It requires the heart of someone who is willing to completely submit to God’s will. It requires you to check your heart every day. It requires you to carry your cross every day. The day you accepted Christ in your life, did you really turn your life over to Him? Are you really declaring his Lordship and authority over your life? It’s okay if we stumble, sin, and fall away. No one said carrying the cross is easy (Jesus even fell a few times when he carried that heavy cross). What matters is this: when you fall, you pick yourself up and continue to carry that cross. The 2 Corinthians passage talks about the Holy Spirit God places in your heart. That’s what’s ultimately driving you. It’s God's power and authority in your heart. Do you have a heart of submission? Does the Holy Spirit have complete possession over you? Or have you simply “tasted the goodness” of God and choose to “share in” his Holy Spirit?
Let’s not get too comfortable with the idea that we’re saved simply because we prayed that sinner’s prayer that one time. That prayer doesn’t mark the end, it’s the beginning! It’s a prayer that should be prayed every single day in our hearts as a reminder that our lives belong to Him.
I’m challenging you guys to reevaluate your lives. Believe me when I say typing all this up is challenging me probably just as much as it’s challenging you guys right now, if not more. I want you guys to struggle with me. It's a battle between our willing spirit and our weak flesh that we have to fight every day. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. But win or lose, we gotta have the heart to fight again the next day for the sake of Christ.
Let’s not be a generation that crucifies the Son of God all over again. Let’s not mock his grace. Instead, let us open our hearts to daily receive it, because we want it and we know we need it. If your heart is willing to this, you can rest assured that God’s seal of ownership is marked in your heart. Praise be to God, for He is faithful in His promises. Amen.
These are just a couple of probably a lot more questions concerning salvation in a Christian perspective. I know I talked about this with you guys once on a Sunday before, but it doesn’t hurt to hear it again right? (Plus not all of you were there, cough cough, Long..) Anyway, I also thought it would be nice to just type out everything in an entry so I can use it for future reference.
As you guys probably already know, salvation is a gift from God. It is unearned and undeserving, but by his grace and love, we are free from the bondages of sin. All we have to do on our part is accept this gift by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We believe he lived a perfect life, died as a sacrifice for our sins (past, present, and future), and rose again. It isn’t by works or any humanly accomplishments that we are saved, but by faith alone. And once you have this salvation, you are guaranteed to never lose it.
Can it be that simple? So all we have to do is believe he died for us and we’re set? So maybe I should just go on doing my thing in this life and when I die, it’ll be all good. God will let me in.. I believed! I’m guaranteed aren’t I? (I’m being sarcastic in case you can’t tell).
Well I guess I have some good news and some bad news for you. The good news is: yes, salvation is guaranteed. The bad news is that it’s not as simple as you think. Faith and submission is required. Keep in mind that faith without action is dead (James 2:17, 26). Without further a due, let’s see what the Word has to say about this. First, I want to show you guys how clear the Bible is when it talks about the guarantee of your salvation. Here are just two passages I chose out of many others.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Ephesians 1:13-14
13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.
When we are saved, God guarantees a spot for us in Heaven. So in the meantime, while we’re on Earth, he sets a seal of ownership on us by filling our hearts with the Holy Spirit. The Ephesians passage says that once we have the Holy Spirit within us, we are God’s possession. The way I see it, God cannot lose what he possesses. At least it would have to be by His will, not ours. And this is where the big question of salvation comes in. Can we lose it? Is there anywhere in the Bible where God clearly loses something He once possessed? These next few passages might lead you to that conclusion.
Hebrews 6:4-6
4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Hebrews 10:26-27
26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Now you’re probably wondering how I could say salvation is a guarantee after reading these verses. C’mon, Dave, the Word can’t be any more clear! Yes, I agree, the Word is in fact clear and I still hold my position of salvation being a guarantee. Let’s take a closer look at exactly what these verses say and who it’s addressing. Let’s start with the Hebrews 6 passage.
Notice the language used by the author of Hebrews. The words and phrases he uses imply something superficial and shallow about the person’s response to God’s power. He describes these people as people who have “tasted the heavenly gift…shared in the Holy Spirit,,… tasted the goodness of the word of God…” The Greek word that is translated into “shared in” is metochos. According to Greek scholars, this word denotes something less than possession of, or by, the Holy Spirit.
Okay, what about the Hebrews 10 passage? From simply reading it, it seems like we’re all going to suffer the judgment and raging fire. That doesn’t sound fair because as Christians, we still struggle with sin. How could there be no sacrifice left? Didn’t Jesus die once and for all? Yes he did. Again, always… always… always read the context and find out who is being addressed. The crowd being addressed here is clearly stated at the end of verse 27. The judgment and raging fire will consume “the enemies of God.” Certainly we are no longer enemies of God when we enter his family through Christ Jesus. Check out one more passage. This one hurts:
2 Peter 2:20-22
20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”
This passage is talking about a person who had once turned away from the sins of this world, heard of Jesus Christ, knew of the salvation offered, but was just too vulnerable to the worries and deceitfulness of this world. As a result, this person never allowed the seed of the Holy Spirit to grow in his/her heart. I know some of my Christian brothers and sisters are now asking, “How do I know this passage isn’t talking about me? I seem to get entangled in sin all the time.” If you’re wondering about that, let me assure you that Peter is not talking about you. Take a look at verse 22. The proverbs talk about a dog and a sow (a pig). These terms are derogatory enough for us today, but in the Jewish society back then, it was a lot worse to compare a child of God to a dog or a pig. Those kinds of words were only used to refer to God-rejecting unbelievers. See how context helps our understanding of the passage?
Okay. Whew. That was a lot of stuff to digest. I hope I didn’t lose you. Do you guys see where I’m going with this? The Bible is not contradicting itself. It’s not saying you can lose your salvation. The Hebrews and 2 Peter passages were not referring to saved Christians. Rather, they were addressing those who are not already saved (particularly those who came close, but not quite cross the salvation threshold). Once you cross that threshold, you are marked with a seal and guaranteed never to cross back.
But how do you know if you’ve crossed that salvation threshold? It’s actually not so easy to pinpoint. It requires the heart of someone who is willing to completely submit to God’s will. It requires you to check your heart every day. It requires you to carry your cross every day. The day you accepted Christ in your life, did you really turn your life over to Him? Are you really declaring his Lordship and authority over your life? It’s okay if we stumble, sin, and fall away. No one said carrying the cross is easy (Jesus even fell a few times when he carried that heavy cross). What matters is this: when you fall, you pick yourself up and continue to carry that cross. The 2 Corinthians passage talks about the Holy Spirit God places in your heart. That’s what’s ultimately driving you. It’s God's power and authority in your heart. Do you have a heart of submission? Does the Holy Spirit have complete possession over you? Or have you simply “tasted the goodness” of God and choose to “share in” his Holy Spirit?
Let’s not get too comfortable with the idea that we’re saved simply because we prayed that sinner’s prayer that one time. That prayer doesn’t mark the end, it’s the beginning! It’s a prayer that should be prayed every single day in our hearts as a reminder that our lives belong to Him.
I’m challenging you guys to reevaluate your lives. Believe me when I say typing all this up is challenging me probably just as much as it’s challenging you guys right now, if not more. I want you guys to struggle with me. It's a battle between our willing spirit and our weak flesh that we have to fight every day. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. But win or lose, we gotta have the heart to fight again the next day for the sake of Christ.
Let’s not be a generation that crucifies the Son of God all over again. Let’s not mock his grace. Instead, let us open our hearts to daily receive it, because we want it and we know we need it. If your heart is willing to this, you can rest assured that God’s seal of ownership is marked in your heart. Praise be to God, for He is faithful in His promises. Amen.