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.
Pride of position is one of the most insidious sins we have. A minister who is proud of his church position, even in a smaller degree is sinning. People who think they are something in a church when they are mere servants have fooled themselves and fallen into the trap of the devil. Those who think they deserve the church’s praise for what they do are bordering on self-exaltation and notoriety.
I don’t want to elaborate on any of this. When we take time to consider our failure as individuals, some of us might have cause to be convicted about it. What is conviction?
[7]. CHRISTIANS WHO SIN AND WHAT IS CONVICTION?
Conviction is a very “Christian” word but it happens also with non-Christians. I think in that case conscience comes into play. In an unsaved person, conscience is very flawed but still operates in that person’s life.
Adam and Eve did not have a conscience. It was something they gained when they sinned. {{Genesis 2:9 “and out of the ground the LORD God caused every tree to grow that is pleasing to the sight and good for food. The tree of life also was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL.”}}. Our fore parents did not know the difference between good and evil because they did not know evil. I am not even sure they knew good, for their lives were fully dependent without good and evil operating. I am not sure if you can know good without also knowing what evil is.
Their life was an idyllic one of obedience and joy in fellowship, but when they did sin, they gained a conscience that made them aware of evil but did not have the ability to avoid it. They also had the knowledge of good, but without the ability to do that good. That is the sad position of the human race where there is good and evil and not being able to choose correctly.
Conscience became very confused as it tried to sort good and evil. Without the Holy Spirit to guide through the conscience difficulties, unsaved man just follows his own base desires and sins with impunity.
A duck takes to water because it is part of the inherent makeup of a duck. A sinner takes to sinning for that is the natural thing to do. As a person gets older sin becomes so natural that sins flow from the sinful fountain and the person becomes very clever at silencing personal conscience.
We may have heard the term “seared conscience.” This is like a steak that is on the bar-b-que and gets seared. It becomes “closed up”. Here is a verse - (ESV) {{1 Timothy 4:2 “Through the insincerity of liars whose CONSCIENCES ARE SEARED”}} Paul also uses the words “evil” and “defiled” in regard to conscience.
I think this is why most people are saved early in life before the conscience spends too much time on the bar-b- que and it is then like trying to get through a steel door. {{Ecclesiastes 12:1 “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”}}
[8]. THE CHRISTIAN WHO SINS AND CONVICTION AND RESTORATION
HOWEVER, we must look at a Christian who has sinned. The Holy Spirit has many “functions” in our lives and one of these is to bring a sinning Christian to conviction. It is that prodding deep within that comes from God.
I can never forget the afternoon when I was saved. I was aged about 10 or 11 at Sunday School and the class of boys was taken by the father of our normal Sunday School teacher. As the man spoke it was like all the world was shut off to me and I knew as never before that I was lost. It was just me and my spiritual condition.
I began to walk home but returned and said to the Sunday School Superintendent, “I want to be saved.” So deep was the conviction that I was lost/unsaved. That was the Holy Spirit deeply convicting me and leading me to Christ.
When a Christian sins, something similar happens. The Holy Spirit will “torment” (understand properly) the soul of the sinning Christian to lead him/her to confession and repentance. That is a beautiful work really. The purpose of all that is RESTORATION. 1 John 1:9-10 plays a part here and we have covered that aspect already.
Repentance must be genuine and not superficial. The depth of conviction determines the depth of repentance. It matters not if that is a “major” sin in people’s understanding, or a “minor” sin. I wish people would not focus on that. Sin is sin, and sin is lawlessness.
What happens when a man or woman comes under deep conviction of sin as a Christian? It is the goad leading to confession and repentance and they are the steps in restoration of fellowship with the Lord.
How does a shepherd treat a wayward sheep, one that is rebellious and self-determined? Once in a forum a man said that in that case the shepherd might break the sheep’s leg. I do not know where that idea came from but it is not correct. The Lord will not “break our leg” when we sin.
The shepherd’s resources are the rod and staff. What was the purpose of those two items? We ought to be thankful for the staff and rod the lord carries for us, His sheep. One of the most concise explanations of the staff and rod is found on BibleHub and I will copy a section of it -
[[[ [A]. THE SHEPHERD'S STAFF
The staff, often a long stick with a curved end, was primarily used for guiding and managing sheep. It enabled the shepherd to direct the flock, gently pulling straying sheep back onto the right path. The staff's curved end could also be used to rescue sheep from difficult situations, such as pulling them from crevices or thickets.
In Psalm 23:4, the psalmist David, himself a former shepherd, writes, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me". Here, the staff symbolizes God's guidance and presence, offering comfort and reassurance to the believer.
[B]. THE SHEPHERD'S ROD
The rod, a shorter, club-like instrument, was used for protection and discipline. Shepherds employed the rod to defend the flock against predators such as wolves and lions, as well as to discipline wayward sheep. The rod was a tool of authority, symbolizing the shepherd's role as protector and leader of the flock.
In the Old Testament, the rod is often associated with authority and correction. For instance, in Proverbs 13:24, it is written, "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently". This verse underscores the rod's role in correction and guidance, reflecting the shepherd's duty to maintain order and safety within the flock. ]]]
The Lord’s staff must be used on us when we are wayward sheep, to pull us back to the path. We may even fall into crevices and the skill of the Lord rescues us from our own stupidity. He must also use His rod on us when we have become rebellious and fallen into sin. Sometimes that rod must be used quite strongly for our own good. In all of this the great Shepherd of the sheep DOES NOT CUT US OFF! We are still His sheep.
[9]. GUILT, CONTINUING GUILT, AND THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN
I want to raise a most important point here. Let’s look at a verse. {{Revelation 12:10 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for THE ACCUSER OF OUR BRETHREN has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.”}}. That verse applies to the future BUT its truth is universal. Satan and his filthy host of demons accuse Christians before God day and night.
AND THEY ACCUSE US ALSO IN OUR SOULS.
When a man sins badly and has been correctly restored, our enemies will attack the person making them doubt the fact of restoration, and will keep reminding him of his terrible sin, and even that his salvation might have been lost. This is the evil work of accusation, something the evil forces are expert at. It is unsettling, and the destroyer of joy and faith.
What should the Christian do? Satan wants him to retain the guilt of his sin so he can continue to accuse and cause the Christian to be defeated. Guilt is a very real aspect of human living. For the non-Christian it can lead to medical and psychiatric problems and mental disorders. For the Christian, it can hold back one’s testimony and joy.
Do you really believe 1 John 1:9-10? I mean REALLY BELIEVE it? {{1 John 1:9-10 “If we CONFESS our sins, HE IS FAITHFUL and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. If we say that we have not sinned we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”}}
The verse says THAT IF we confess THEN God’s part is to forgive and cleanse because God is righteous! When Satan comes along and tries to unsettle us to make us guilty for some past wicked sin that has been confessed and forgiven, then fall back on this verse (1 John 1:9-10):-
Did the Holy Spirit lead me to conviction? YES.
Did I confess my sin in true repentance? YES.
Did God truly forgive me and cleanse me according to His promise in the 1 John verse? YES.
Therefore on the authority of the word of God, the matter is settled and Satan’s barbs will have no effect. I also know that the enemy does not let matters rest and keeps stirring up the muddy sea. Church people struggle with this and will not usually share it with others fearing they will be judged as failures.
Sin is sin no matter what the degree. Did the evangelist, Mark, sin when he left Paul in the lurch that time in ministry? Yes, he did. BUT there was restoration, firstly with God and later on with Paul. Acts 12:25; Acts 15:37-39; Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11.
When we sin badly, the Lord does not throw us away. He does not cut us off from the family. We are sons and daughters in the family, and the Lord wants unbroken fellowship. When I let the Lord down, He yearns for me and wants to bring me back into the fold. He does that because I am a son of God in the family.
We will make a break there and finish with Part 3 next time.
