A Problem That Happened - Is Salvation Something To Be Lost Because Of Sin? (Part 2 Of 3) Series

A PROBLEM THAT HAPPENED - IS SALVATION SOMETHING TO BE LOST BECAUSE OF SIN? (PART 2 of 3)

The troublesome aspect of losing one’s salvation reared its head in a meeting and unsettled people when one was promoting this idea of “wilful sin” leading to being cut off and losing salvation. It is based on the fifth tenet of Arminianism, falling from grace, limited security, and perseverance of the saints.

We continue this study and delve into sin and the Christian in sin.

[B]. THE SIN UNTO DEATH

This expression is based on this verse - {{1 John 5:16 “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. THERE IS A SIN LEADING TO DEATH. I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.”}}

It is a very problematic verse and full of opinion and supposition. As it is a tangent to what I want to do, I am not going to open this complex problem up very much. However I will add a quotation from GotQuestions.com-

[[ First John 5:16 is one of the most difficult verses in the New Testament to interpret. Of all the interpretations out there, none seems to answer all the questions concerning this verse.

The best interpretation may be found by comparing this verse to what happened to Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1–10 (see also 1 Corinthians 11:30). The “sin unto death” is wilful, continuous, unrepentant sin. God has called His children to holiness (1 Peter 1:16), and God corrects them when they sin. We are not “punished” for our sin in the sense of losing salvation or being eternally separated from God, yet we are disciplined. “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son” (Hebrews 12:6).

First John 5:16 says there comes a point when God can no longer allow a believer to continue in unrepentant sin. When that point is reached, God may decide to take the life of the stubbornly sinful believer. The “death” is physical death. God at times purifies His church by removing those who deliberately disobey Him. The apostle John makes a distinction between the “sin that leads to death” and the “sin that does not lead to death.” Not all sin in the church is dealt with the same way because not all sin rises to the level of the “sin that leads to death.”

In Acts 5:1–10 and 1 Corinthians 11:28–32, God dealt with intentional, calculated sin in the church by taking the physical life of the sinner. This is perhaps also what Paul meant by “the destruction of the flesh” in 1 Corinthians 5:5.

John says that we should pray for Christians who are sinning, and that God will hear our prayers. However, there may come a time when God decides to cut short a believer’s life due to unrepentant sin. Prayers for such an unheeding person will not be effective.”]]

I am not saying the above quote answers the question, but it is the one I think comes closer to the answer. Here is a sentence from Crossway - “While we maintain the heinousness of sin, we must also maintain the greatness of God’s grace and his willingness to forgive.”

An incident was shared with me genuinely about a problem a church had where a person “borrowed/took” from the offering a certain amount of money. I believe the aim was to repay at a later date. I can only give the incident second hand, but it was told to me that the church issued a decree to all the people associated with that church to have nothing to do with that person. They were to be banished to never never land.

I have a problem with that (and I know a scripture some might use) but just in recent times having preached in Galatians, I can’t help thinking that action is not harmonising with this verse - {{Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, YOU WHO ARE SPIRITUAL, RESTORE SUCH A ONE IN A SPIRIT OF GENTLENESS, each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted.”}}

[6]. SIN – CONVICTION - REPENTANCE - AND BEYOND THAT

We are human beings with many faults and nowhere is this trouble manifest in a church than when DEALING with sin. I have just used one example of that problem. A person who is out of step with the Lord is capable of gross sin. I have tried to point out that gross sin and minor sin are a matter of degree, but sin is sin. We tend to focus on deeper sins but fly past minor sins.