A lot of people are being taught they could lose their salvation. Some are feverishly trying in their own effort to keep from sinning. When we are born again we do not have to work really hard to do what is right, it is in our new nature to want to do right. When and if we fall we hate it because we hate sin as God hates it and we love righteousness as God loves it, we have been given His mind.
If you are walking around every day worried you could lose your salvation then perhaps you do not have it and never did.
Matthew 7:21-23
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
There are those who assert that because the angels were thrown out of heaven for their sin against God this means God will throw us out of salvation if we sin. This is completely erroneous.
The angels were never sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise. The angels didn't have what humans have. God extends grace to humans because we must live by faith, the angels were with God and knew without having to exercise faith. God dealt differently with them than He does with us.
If we could lose our "new creation that God made us" then God would never have said this: It would also mean that God was powerless to keep us saved after He changed us. The power would be in our hands and not His, this would be blasphemy. Sadly believing that "we must do our part to earn salvation gives all the power of saving grace to the human being.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?"
He also would not have said this:
1 Corinthians 3:14-16 "…14 If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames. 16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?…"
When we become born again we have a new nature, it's not according to what we do but what Christ has done. He works in us to continually sanctify us, it's an ongoing thing until we are freed from this sinful body.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
We are blameless not because of what we do but because Christ is blameless and He accounts His condition to us.
Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
There is no such thing as sinless perfection for the born again believer.
God also says this: Galatians 6:1
"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."
God never told us which sins would lose us our salvation, how big it had to be or how many because we do not live a "lifestyle" of sin and when we fall we are miserable because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit in us. This is why we don't see born again believers in continual sin.
Romans 6:1 "What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?…"
God told the church to confess their sin to be cleansed, not that we confess to keep from losing it.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The confusion comes because there are many pretenders, people who were never born again defending their sin claiming to be Christians. There are tares in the church, mostly tares these days of the end of the church age. Tares are people who look just like wheat but were never born again. These people bring division to the church by their disobedience to God.
Ephesians 1:13-14
"13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
We do not save ourselves or keep ourselves, it's all a work of Christ in us.
Ephesians 2:8-10 "…8 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."
We can no more keep our own salvation that we can to earn it in the first place. IF we cannot earn it, then why would we think we can keep it?
We are sealed on the day we become born again. The Holy Spirit is our Seal, He will never leave us.
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also [c]believed, you were sealed in [d]Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
At the end of the day it comes down to this; God gets all the glory, judgment day for the born again believer is according to our rewards for obedience to Him, not whether or not we will be saved.
So then brothers and sisters be at peace that God loves His children and will discipline them if they are disobedient but He will never throw them away ever!
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