A PROBLEM THAT HAPPENED - IS SALVATION SOMETHING TO BE LOST BECAUSE OF SIN? (PART 1 of 3)
[1]. A PROBLEM THAT EMERGED IN A MEETING
Recently I was involved with an issue that is hundreds of years old. In a meeting I was at, someone was speaking and he stated that a Christian who sinned lost his salvation. He went on to say that a Christian who sinned wilfully loses salvation and is cut off.
It was also stated that the Judgment Seat of Christ is not for rewards but for judgment and some people then would be cut off. – no salvation.
Of course I can not accept any of that but I had to deal with it. These matters are not pleasant ones. For me it was even more repugnant when two passages of scripture were used to confirm all that was in the person’s mind, and those two passages I have written on in detail in the past. One was from Matthew 24 and the other was from Hebrews 6.
This is the Matthew verse – {{Matthew 24:13 “but the one WHO ENDURES TO THE END, he shall be saved.”}}. Context in scripture is paramount and in this case it is abundantly clear that the context is set in the Tribulation with the Jews in mind. I will not regurgitate all that, but in speaking of those days verse 13 will apply. The Christian is not in view in Matthew 24, which answers the disciples’ questions about the end of the age and the coming again of the Messiah. It has very much the Jewish setting leading to the Second Coming.
In regards to the Hebrews passage it is this one - {{Hebrews 6:4-6 “In the case of those who have ONCE BEEN ENLIGHTENED and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have TASTED the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is IMPOSSIBLE to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame.”}}. Again I have written at length on these verses.
Paul is dealing with the gospel’s acceptance with vacillating Jews (written to the Hebrews) who had a foot in each camp – wanting to decide for Christ but holding back, not having faith to claim the promise. Jews knew exactly what Paul was referring to. This background goes back to the spies in the promised land where all partook of the blessings of that land; where all tasted of the good things the Holy Spirit was showing them, but only two had the faith to appropriate it and entered in.
That passage in Hebrews 6 does not refer to Christians who are born again. You remember I said that the person promoting this said that a person who sinned wilfully, lost salvation. It is not overstating the mark to say that all sin is wilful. We are not programmed robots who act according to mindless inputs. All sin is a deliberate choice. There are not some sins that are just sins that fly around like a disease you catch, and others that are wilful. All sinning is wilful.
[2]. THE OLD 500 YEAR BATTLE
I know where this person was coming from. He was holding to the fifth point of Aminianism very strongly, and quite a number of people who identify with being Arminian in belief, do not hold to this fifth point that says you lose salvation. Falling from Grace.
Arminianism sets out the fifth point this way (taken from the Internet)
[[[ Perseverance of the Saints
The fifth point of Arminianism addresses the concept of perseverance in faith. Unlike Calvinism, which asserts that the elect will persevere in faith until the end, Arminianism presents a different view:
• Conditional Security: Arminians believe that true believers can fall from grace. This means that while salvation is available to all, individuals have the free will to reject their faith and turn away from God.
• Need for Continued Faith: Arminians emphasize that maintaining faith and obedience is essential for salvation. If a believer fails to uphold their faith, they risk losing their salvation.]]]
The last thing I will ever want to do is get involved in theological argument in the raging storm of CALVINISM AND ARMINIANISM. I see that as a waste of time, and is negative, and all it does is puff up the flesh and cause division among people and churches. I will keep to what scripture says.
I think it is lamentable that Calvin reduced these great biblical truths to 5 points (Calvinism) and Arminius also produced his 5 points. We can not do that with great doctrines of scripture and expect people to sit on one side or the other. It causes intolerance and confines great concepts to a sentence or a catchphrase such as TULIP. Anyway, enough of that.
The particular doctrine that man was pushing, is not dissimilar to what one might find in some Pentecostal churches and old form Methodists. That is the reason why so many keep coming forward at some Pentecostal churches all the time. They think because of sin they have lost their salvation and need to replicate the whole process again.
[3]. THE PRODIGAL SON
The son was a member of the family. He was not a servant or a foreigner. He was a son, bound in the family, but one that went off the rails. He was always a son, but in the far country, he was disobedient and had fallen into sin.
He did not return to say, “Make me a member of this family again,” but he said this, {{Luke 15:21 and the son said to him, “Father, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN AND IN YOUR SIGHT. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”}} He was a son already, just an unworthy one. He had lost his worthiness. He let the Lord down; he let himself down. He DID NOT lose his sonship.
Conviction of sin will always make the failing Christian feel unworthy of the name of Christ because he had let the flag slip as did Peter on the betrayal night, and Mark in the ministry with Paul.
What is really beautiful about this story/parable is that the Father had never cut the son off because he had sinned and let the family name down. He was always in the family. The gracious restoration of the father is a loving attitude God has for us when we sin and return. We are not cut off for going astray. The Lord wants us to return in repentance just like this prodigal son did. We DO NOT LIVE with conditional security.
[4]. THE LICENCE FOR SIN AS AN EXCUSE IN 1 JOHN
The person I was citing earlier also had a criticism for people who hold to {{1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”}}. I have heard this argument before from some but it mystifies me greatly.
These people say that believing in that verse is a licence to sin. That is outrageous. They see it as a ticket to keep sinning because the means is there to be forgiven so you can sin again and again because that verse is the excuse for sin.
That is a horrible attitude for anyone to have, and it is akin to the Roman Catholic who sins, goes to confession before a priest, gets absolution, and then is free to go out and sin again. God’s word does not entertain that view one bit.
The fact is that we are sinners – {{1 John 1:10 “If we say that we have not sinned we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”}} However the difference between a sinner unsaved and a sinner saved, is that the saved person should have no desire to sin because the Holy Spirit indwells the individual and we have the mind of Christ. Sin is a conviction of shame.
Does that mean we reach a state of sinless perfection? Well we do, but not on earth. If it was possible to be without sin, God would not have written through John - {{1 John 1:8 “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”}}
Because we are sinners, then sin can catch us up, trap us in its snare, overtake us, and lead us into defeat. Sadly that happens just like it did to the prodigal son, but God will not leave us in the pig pen eating the scraps the pigs eat. The Holy Spirit convicts us so that we return to the Father and say, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired men,” (Luke 15:18-19). That is true repentance. It causes a grief in the soul, and brings humility.
I am so thrilled that the beautiful verse of confession and forgiveness is in 1 John. If it was not there I believe we would be stranded in uncertainty and indecision. I will not have anyone misusing that lovely passage in 1 John 1.
[5]. WHAT CONSTITUTES A GRIEVOUS SIN AND WHAT IS THE SIN UNTO DEATH?
[A]. A GRIEVOUS SIN
This is very confused because people have ideas they hold on this matter and there is no consistency. So what is a grievous sin? If you canvassed Christians you would most probably get as answers – murder, sexual sins, denying your faith. These claim high places in the listing of sin, but is that in people’s minds or the way God sees it? You sometimes hear Christians speak of “sinning grievously” but when you ask them to explain that, they struggle with explanation.
There are several places in the New Testament where sins are listed. These include Romans 1:28-31; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.
I wish to quote the last passage – {{1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”}}
In that listing of sins, which is the worst? And for that matter, is one really worse than another? It was the sin of disobedience that caused the human race to become inherent sinners and so many of us are disobedient often. Disobedience was the worst sin. Paul does not mention Adam’s disobedience in that list but he does elsewhere - {{Romans 5:19 “for as through the ONE MAN’S DISOBEDIENCE the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”}}
It is a real fallacy to think serious sins are really bad but lesser sins are not thought of badly. The slightest sin will keep you from heaven. Pride and disobedience were possibly the first of all sins – pride for Lucifer and disobedience for Adam.
Some will severely judge an adulterer but a theft is not thought of as badly. Is there a difference in the long run, for both sins condemn? Lying is another sin that seems to be excused with lighter penalty.
The absolutely important fact is that you may commit any of the above sins through personal failure in the sin nature, or being taken in a trap by sin, BUT IF YOU KEEP REPEATING those sins, then that becomes wilful sinning and it is grievous. If you ignore the call of the Holy Spirit to confess your sin and be restored to the Lord, well, I think you are in serious trouble.
A Christian is God’s child, and an earthly father disciplines his child. So too, our heavenly Father may discipline us when we go astray, but He will NOT cut us off as the false teaching says happens. This next passage develops that for us.
{{Hebrews 12:5-8 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him, for THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, and He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure. GOD DEALS WITH YOU AS WITH SONS, for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.”}}
Those who say a Christian who sins grievously is cut off from God are treating born again xns as illegitimate children and not sons. To me it hints at rigidly forcing your life to obey a set way of life for fear of being cut off. That becomes almost a gospel of works. You become a slave to this one teaching.
The next item we wish to explore is “the sin unto death” but the break here would be too great, so I will keep it until the next message – Part 2.
