Six Things A Christian Can Lose

SIX THINGS A CHRISTIAN CAN LOSE

2 JOHN 8

In this passage, he is talking to Christians admonishing them to be careful about their labors that they lose not there rewards. But in the end have a full reward.

Your works are important, not in salvation, but in your reward. You are not saved by works. You are saved by grace through faith in Jesus plus nothing. You are not kept by works but you work because you are saved.

If you have genuine salvation in the Lord, you are safe, you are headed to Heaven. Now there might be some rough roads along the way along with some smooth roads, but you will have a safe landing in Heaven with Jesus.

Several years ago, I preached a revival in Wyoming. I had to fly to Salt Lake , Utah, then travel by car to get to there. When I checked my baggage in Birmingham, Alabama, it was stamped Salt Lake, Utah. When I went to the baggage check out in Salt Lake, I found my baggage. It had received some rough treatment, it took some bumps but it had arrived to where it had been stamped. (It is the same with Christians)

I read in the past a story about Jack Hyles making a film about soul-winning. He got Christians actors out of his Church. In one part of the film, a soul-winner go to a lost man’s door and asks him if he is saved. He was suppose to say no, but he said yes. They cut the scene and asked him why did he say yes when he was supposed to say no. He replied. I not about to get unsaved for nobody or anything. (He was saying he was secure)

While a Christian is safe in Salvation, there are some things they can lose.

I-A CHRISTIAN CAN LOSE THEIR ASSURANCE OF SALVATION: I JOHN 5:13

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Notice I said assurance of salvation, not salvation.

One well know preacher says that probably 50% of the Christians when asked if they were saved would answer “I Hope So”.

Let me ask you a question, are you married, you wouldn’t say I hope so ( by the way, some might say I hope not.) But you would say, yes, I am married. How do you know? Because I confessed my love to her at the altar in marriage, I got a marriage license to prove it.

It is the same reason I know I am saved. I confessed Jesus as my Saviour and I have the license to prove it. John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Why is it that some Christians doubt? Because you can’t fool around with sin, the flesh and the world. You can’t leave your Bible on the self and let sin creep into your life.

When you allow unconfused sin to stay in your life, it will break your fellowship with God and in some cases cause you to doubt your salvation.

When you stand on the rim of the Grand Canyon you can hardly believe the view in front of you: a vast chasm one mile down, from four to eighteen miles across, and more than 200 miles long! People at the bottom look like ants. Sin produces a chasm between God and man that is deeper and winder than the Grand

The secret to assurance of your salvation is to stay close to Jesus and trust His Word.

S. D. Gordon tells of a spring storm that broke a large limb on his cherry tree. Although it hung by a very slender strand, to his surprise the blossoms came anyway. Later some fruit began to grow as it did on the other branches. He noticed, however, that only those in full contact with the tree bore "much fruit," while the partially severed branch produced only a scanty supply. As believers, we must be careful about our spiritual connections, making sure we are fully abiding in Christ. The fruit we bear, whether much or little, tells the story.

II-A CHRISTIAN CAN LOSE THEIR TESTIMONY OF INFLUENCE: HEBREWS 11:5B

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Enoch had a a powerful testimony about his walk with the Lord. A Godly testimony will influence others around about you.