Since this is an absolute salvation issue, we need to hit the snake head on. OSAS “once saved always saved” is a hot topic within the body of Christ right now, and we need to be 100% sure WHO is really in control. So let’s talk about it, and see what the Bible actually says. I’m not talking about what your anxiety tells you or lies from the enemy, and from people who do not read and actually study the Bible. Going to church every Sunday and never reading or studying for yourself may put you in the “depart from me” group. We need not to overly fear those words, if we are TRULY saved.
I’ll have an in depth study on my blog on being saved; there needs to be no division in the body of Christ. And we can and are to stand firm and confident in our salvation.
We have a more sure word of prophecy-
First, we are saved by and through the gospel 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
“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.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV
Okay, now what?
John 15:6
“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”
Biggest questions:
So what next...? Can you lose salvation?
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
Ephesians 4:30 KJV
“who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”
2 Corinthians 1:22 KJV
Let's break this down, your life depends on it :).
Strong's G4972 - sphragizō
σφραγίζω
to set a seal upon, mark with a seal, to seal
for security: from Satan
since things sealed up are concealed (as the contents of a letter), to hide, keep in silence, keep secret
in order to mark a person or a thing
to set a mark upon by the impress of a seal or a stamp
angels are said to be sealed by God
in order to prove, confirm, or attest a thing
to confirm authenticate, place beyond doubt
of a written document
to prove one's testimony to a person that he is what he professes to be
“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.”
Romans 10:9 KJV
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Romans 10:10 KJV
believeth-πιστεύω
Vine's Expository Dictionary: View Entry
TDNT Reference: 6:174,849
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”
Ephesians 2:8 KJV
A lot of people do not understand literally “not working” for your salvation- let’s be clear. We don’t clean up our lives ourselves before we come to Christ- we are utterly broken into a million pieces !
We hear, we believe; and because of our belief in the truth we are given the bride price “mohar” aka the Holy Spirit. We are now covered by the blood of Jesus and His blood cleanses is from all sin. The Holy Spirit produces fruit within us that we need to counteract the “negative” or “old nature”.
It is a gift- Jesus is Who keeps us until that great day.
People then counter argue and want to say that this gives people “license to sin” which is another lie from hell- anyone who TRULY has the Holy Spirit and lives by the Bible is not going to sin because we abide in the doctrine of Christ.
“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
Romans 5:9 KJV
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
Ephesians 1:13 KJV
“for the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.”
2 John 1:2 KJV
“and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
John 10:28 KJV
“and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
John 11:26 KJV
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
Galatians 3:13 KJV
“not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
Titus 3:5 KJV
“but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
1 Peter 1:19, 23 KJV
“Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”
1 Thessalonians 5:24 KJV
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV
“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Acts 2:21 KJV
“who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;”
2 Corinthians 1:10 KJV
“but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
1 John 1:7 KJV
Rightly Dividing the Word, by Clarence Larkin, 1920
Chapter 20: Standing and State
There are "Three Classes" of Professing Christians.
1. Those who are saved and KNOW IT.
2. Those who are saved and are NOT SURE OF IT.
3. Those who are not saved but THINK THEY ARE.
When asked if they are saved, some Christians say, "I hope so," others say, "I trust so," while many think it presumptuous to be positive and say we cannot know until we die. The reason why so many Christians are not sure that they are saved is because they do not distinguish between their "STANDING," their "STATE," and their "EXPERIENCE."
I. THE CHRISTIAN'S STANDING
The only place we can find out as to this is in the Word of God. What does the Bible say about it? It says that the Christian's "Standing" is that of a SON. "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the SONS OF GOD." Joh 1:12-13. We become a "Son of God" by receiving Christ as our personal Saviour. And we are a "Son" NOW. "Beloved NOW are we the Sons of God." 1Jo 3:2. And this "Sonship" makes us HEIRS. "And if `Children,' then HEIRS; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." Ro 8:17. And this "HEIRSHIP" guarantees our PRESERVATION, for we are kept by the "POWER OF GOD," unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, "RESERVED IN HEAVEN" for us. 1Pe 1:4-5. And no man shall be able to pluck us out of our FATHER'S HAND (Joh 10:27-29), for we are "SEALED" unto the Day of Redemption (Eph 4:30), and our "life" (Spiritual Life) is HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD. Col 3:3. If my "life" is "hid in Christ" by God for safe keeping I have it not and therefore cannot lose it. But I think I hear some one say, "How about the words `fall way'" (Heb 6:4-6), and if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth? Heb 10:26. Are you a JEW? Then those words are intended for you, but if a Gentile, then not. Those words were spoken to apostate Jewish professors of Christianity and are not intended for Gentile believers. The moment the Children of Israel put the blood of the Passover Lamb on the doorposts of their dwellings the inmates were safe, and the promise of God that "when HE (not them) saw the BLOOD," He would "pass over them," (Ex 12:13), made them sure. So the "Blood of Christ" makes us SAFE, and the "WORD OF GOD" makes us SURE. See the Chart Standing and State.
II. THE CHRISTIAN'S STATE
While the Christian's "Standing" is SETTLED and SURE his "State" is VARIABLE. This is owing to the fact that after our "New Birth" we have "TWO NATURES" where before we had but one. We do not lose the "Old Adam" or "FLESH Nature" when we receive the "New Adam" or "SPIRITUAL Nature," for that which was born of the "Flesh" is still FLESH, and only that which is born of the "HOLY SPIRIT" is SPIRIT. Joh 3:6. This explains the "SPIRITUAL WARFARE" so vividly portrayed by the Apostle Paul in Ro 7:14-25. This was the Apostle's own experience after his conversion and reveals the fact that the Believer has a DUAL NATURE, and he is sinless or sinful according to which nature is uppermost, for that which is "born of God" in him, his "Spiritual Nature," CANNOT SIN. 1Jo 3:9. But as long as we permit our "FLESH Nature" to control us, we cannot say "we have no sin," if we do we "deceive ourselves," and the "truth is not in us." 1Jo 1:8-10. Here we must distinguish between "SIN" and "SINS." "SIN" is that disposition to do wrong that we inherit from Adam called "Original Sin" or "Natural Depravity." "SINS" are the specific acts of sin that we commit due to the disposition to sin in us. Jesus died on the Cross to remove the disposition to sin from us, and by accepting Him as our personal Saviour we get a NEW NATURE in which there is no disposition to sin. It is that Nature therefore that cannot sin. See the Chapter on "The Two Natures."
But you say does not the Apostle Paul say that we are "dead to sin," and ought not to live any longer therein? Ro 6:1-2. Yes. But what he means is that we are JUDICIALLY DEAD. That is, we are in our "New Nature" dead to the "LAW OF SIN," that "Law" has no further power over us, therefore, the Apostle adds, we should "RECKON OURSELVES DEAD" (Ro 6:11), that is, we should consider ourselves dead to sin and live and act like a man who had died to his old manner of life. How is it to be done? "Walk in the SPIRIT, and ye SHALL NOT FULFIL THE LUST OF THE FLESH." Ga 5:16. We are told not to let sin "REIGN" in our mortal body, and the promise is-- "sin shall not have DOMINION over you." Ro 6:12-14.
We see from all this that while a "Believer's Standing" is "Settled" and "Sure," his "State" is VARIABLE and will be sinful or sinless according to whether the "Old" or "New Nature" is in control.
III. THE CHRISTIAN'S EXPERIENCE
As to "Experience" the Believer may be in any one of three places. (1) He may be in EGYPT, the "Type of the WORLD." (2) He may be in the WILDERNESS, the "Type of the FLESH." Or (3) he may be fighting for the possession of CANAAN, the "Type of the DEVIL."
The "Children of Israel" were safe in Egypt the moment they sprinkled the "Blood" of the "Passover Lamb" on the doorposts of their dwellings. So the Believer is Saved the moment he applies the "BLOOD OF CHRIST" by faith to his soul though he may in experience be still living in the world of which Egypt is a type, though he should not be content to dwell there. Some Believers have left Egypt behind, but as to experience they are still wandering in the Wilderness, sometimes on the Egyptian side of the Wilderness longing for the leeks, onions, and garlic of their old Egyptian life, at other times on the Canaan side longing for the new corn and wine and figs and pomegranates of the Promised Land, but mostly wandering in the centre of the Wilderness, in a state of murmuring, restlessness and unfruitfulness.
Some have visited Kadesh Barnea and taken a journey over into Canaan and tasted of the "Grapes of Eshcol" but have been frightened by the "Giants" and "Walled Cities" and refusing to go in and "possess the land" they have been compelled to wander for many years in the Wilderness to the great loss of themselves and their loved ones, due to their lack of faith. Nu 13.
Other Believers have left the Wilderness and entered Canaan and are now under the leadership of their Joshua (Christ), endeavoring to drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites of their soul that they may get posession of the land, for they have the promise that they shall get "possession" by "dispossession," and control every portion of territory over which their feet shall tread. Jos 1:1-3. While Canaan is a type, not of Heaven, for there is no conflict in Heaven, but of the "Rest of Faith" or the "Victorious Life," it is also a "Type of the Devil," for the Devil is satisfied to have the Believer remain in Egypt (the World), or in the Wilderness overcome by the "Flesh," but when the Believer gets over into Canaan the Devil is going to contest every foot of the way, and prevent if possible a "Life of Victory."
From what has been said we see that our "Fellowship" with God can be broken, but our RELATIONSHIP never. The Prodigal Son severed his "Fellowship" with his father by going off into a "far country," but he did not lose his "SONSHIP" for as a SON he was welcomed back. Lu 15:24. "Who then shall SEPARATE us from the `Love of Christ'." Ro 8:35-39.
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