WAYS TO LOSE YOUR SALVATION
Here's a few boggling thoughts on this matter and a few videos at the bottom.
Hebrews 6, and several other verses from the Bible, make it very difficult to reconcile with a "once saved, always saved" viewpoint:
What about if you just read Hebrews 6 it as it is and accept it as such? Yes, let's just accept all of these that I present today at face value, as the Holy Word of God, because not doing so could have dire consequences.
I would suggest to you that the Bible does not teach a blank check version of eternal salvation, although it sure would be nice if it did. The Bible warns Christians that they can "fall from grace" (Gal. 5:1-5), be "cut off" from salvation (Rom. 11:18-22), have their names removed from the Lamb's Book of Life (Rev. 22:19), by committing certain sins, not obeying certain commands, and not repenting of them as we have listed in our second set of verses below.
In a chilling reminder of the possibility of losing salvation by separating oneself from Christ, Paul says, "I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." (1 Cor. 9:27).
Here are additional passages that pretty much spell out the fact that one can lose one's salvation and we challenge you to look them up!
Then there are the verses that list those sins that will keep believers, whether baptized or not, from partaking in eternal salvation if they fall into them and don't repent, you may find that you will identify with one or more if you are brave enough to look them up:
Yes, I know I was going to focus on His blessings... but... there is so much on this topic not yet mentioned... like: Only true repentance, daily turning completely away from their sins and asking forgiveness ASAP, will save a believer from losing their eternal salvation with Christ should they die in and unrepentant state. In fact 2 Corinthians 6:15-18 says we MUST come out completely from practicing any worldly traditions, (in the congregation and in our everyday lives where paganism is present) because if we don't... He will not be our father. If He is not our father, we are not joint heirs with Christ and will not be allowed past the pearly gates into the Kingdom of God!!!! If you do not like what this says... argue with God our father... it is His 'house rule'!
Some would argue that in Romans 11:29 it seems as if Paul argues for the security of the believer in God's calling. "For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable" when in fact he is saying that God will not withdraw these from one who is remaining in and following the pattern. However... if one decides to reject the gifts and calling, now that is another matter all together! It is all up to you! Obey and be rewarded or misbehave and suffer the punishment! It is as simple as that! If you love Him you will obey His commands. Just as an earthly father has rules over his house so our heavenly father has rules over His too! You have been given freewill and may ignore the calling and leave the gifts on the table. You have the right to walk away any time you wish... but He will hold you accountable for your actions. He wishes we were all hot or cold... because all who are not 100% sold out for Christ are lukewarm Christians and that will not cut it! (Revelation 3:15-16) Stomping out or quietly sulking away to avoid doing what He demands of you while you reside on this earth will not help you avoid our heavenly fathers punishment for your misbehaving when judgement comes.
I hope that you will spend some time looking at all these verses and applying them to your life. I think that if you purchased a carpet with a lifetime warranty and it wore out in one year, you would rightly complain that the carpet company violated its word. You would say that the carpet is defective and it needs to be replaced with one that will never wear out. Our free gift of salvation has a promise of eternal life with Him. I reconcile the word eternal with the idea of God revoking eternal life with Him at some future occurrence, but only if that gift is refused, tossed back, ignored, or a believer stumbles into sin and does not repent of of it. He will wipe those names from the Book of Life. If we love Him we will keep His commandments.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post and I appreciate your private comments below.
Hebrews 6, and several other verses from the Bible, make it very difficult to reconcile with a "once saved, always saved" viewpoint:
What about if you just read Hebrews 6 it as it is and accept it as such? Yes, let's just accept all of these that I present today at face value, as the Holy Word of God, because not doing so could have dire consequences.
I would suggest to you that the Bible does not teach a blank check version of eternal salvation, although it sure would be nice if it did. The Bible warns Christians that they can "fall from grace" (Gal. 5:1-5), be "cut off" from salvation (Rom. 11:18-22), have their names removed from the Lamb's Book of Life (Rev. 22:19), by committing certain sins, not obeying certain commands, and not repenting of them as we have listed in our second set of verses below.
In a chilling reminder of the possibility of losing salvation by separating oneself from Christ, Paul says, "I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." (1 Cor. 9:27).
Here are additional passages that pretty much spell out the fact that one can lose one's salvation and we challenge you to look them up!
- Matt: 6:15
- Matt: 19:21-35
- Matt: 10:22-32
- Luke 12:41-46
- 1 Cor. 15:1-2
- Col. 1:22-23
- Rev. 2:10, 25-36, 3:1-5
- 2 Pet. 2:20-22
Then there are the verses that list those sins that will keep believers, whether baptized or not, from partaking in eternal salvation if they fall into them and don't repent, you may find that you will identify with one or more if you are brave enough to look them up:
- Rev. 22:15
- 1 Cor. 6:9-10
- Gal. 5:19-21
- Eph. 5:5
- 1 Tim. 1:9
- Heb. 12:14
- 2 Cor. 6:15-18
Yes, I know I was going to focus on His blessings... but... there is so much on this topic not yet mentioned... like: Only true repentance, daily turning completely away from their sins and asking forgiveness ASAP, will save a believer from losing their eternal salvation with Christ should they die in and unrepentant state. In fact 2 Corinthians 6:15-18 says we MUST come out completely from practicing any worldly traditions, (in the congregation and in our everyday lives where paganism is present) because if we don't... He will not be our father. If He is not our father, we are not joint heirs with Christ and will not be allowed past the pearly gates into the Kingdom of God!!!! If you do not like what this says... argue with God our father... it is His 'house rule'!
Some would argue that in Romans 11:29 it seems as if Paul argues for the security of the believer in God's calling. "For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable" when in fact he is saying that God will not withdraw these from one who is remaining in and following the pattern. However... if one decides to reject the gifts and calling, now that is another matter all together! It is all up to you! Obey and be rewarded or misbehave and suffer the punishment! It is as simple as that! If you love Him you will obey His commands. Just as an earthly father has rules over his house so our heavenly father has rules over His too! You have been given freewill and may ignore the calling and leave the gifts on the table. You have the right to walk away any time you wish... but He will hold you accountable for your actions. He wishes we were all hot or cold... because all who are not 100% sold out for Christ are lukewarm Christians and that will not cut it! (Revelation 3:15-16) Stomping out or quietly sulking away to avoid doing what He demands of you while you reside on this earth will not help you avoid our heavenly fathers punishment for your misbehaving when judgement comes.
I hope that you will spend some time looking at all these verses and applying them to your life. I think that if you purchased a carpet with a lifetime warranty and it wore out in one year, you would rightly complain that the carpet company violated its word. You would say that the carpet is defective and it needs to be replaced with one that will never wear out. Our free gift of salvation has a promise of eternal life with Him. I reconcile the word eternal with the idea of God revoking eternal life with Him at some future occurrence, but only if that gift is refused, tossed back, ignored, or a believer stumbles into sin and does not repent of of it. He will wipe those names from the Book of Life. If we love Him we will keep His commandments.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post and I appreciate your private comments below.
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