Re: Saved?

As I said to Tricia, part of the problem most of us have with the idea that we cannot lose our salvation is that we figure we're the ones in control of things. We can even say, "well, God does give us the freedom of choice, freedom of will" and that's quite true--to a point. What we really need to realize is that in this as well as in everything else, God is the one that's in control.

We do have free will to choose if we are going to accept the gift of salvation or not, but once we have made that choice, the free will part goes out the window. Why? Because once we've made that choice, (I'm not talking about babies and children who's parents make that choice for them and baptize them or something--I'm talking about when we make that choice intelligently, knowing what we're choosing and why) we are no longer are own. Once saved, we belong to Christ: body, mind, heart soul and spirit.

If we say that we have the freedom to choose to turn away from God completely and lose our salvation then we're calling God a liar, and that's not a very smart thing to do. Let me share just a few of the scriptures that show there is nothing we can do to lose our salvation, not even deciding to turn away ourselves:

Jude 24–25, To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Now we know what kind of "person" God is. We know His attributes: he's loving, kind, merciful, just, holy, etc. Right? Well then if God is all those things, and He is able to prevent us from falling away from Him and losing our salvation, what kind of person would He be if He did allow some to do so???? He would be denying His very makeup!

John 10:27–29, My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

That's pretty definite right there. No one can take our salvation from us period!

John 6:37–40, All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Again, very straight forward, no mixed messages in this at all. This takes care of the idea that we can willfully turn away ourselves too, because once we are saved no one, not even ourselves can take it away. If we say that someone can willfully turn away from God after being saved then we are questioning God's integrity, ability and power and adding works to our salvation. In addition we're saying that we have to trust ourselves, not God in order to be saved! I think when we see it spelled out like that, it becomes even more obvious that there is simply no way we can lose our salvation.

There are many more passages like those we could look at, but instead I want to look at some that aren't usually thought of for this subject.

Romans 8:30, And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

This verse shows us what God's Will is for those of us He saves. He has literally chosen us before He ever even made this earth! We are predestined. Once born those who are predestined are called by Him to be saved. When we answer that call, He justifies us, which means He declares us righteous through the Blood of Christ. We then continue to live here on earth constantly being changed into the likeness of His Son until the day we either die or are raptured. That day of the rapture is the day of the completion of our salvation, the day He will glorify us in our new bodies! (to learn more about the sequence of our salvation go to this study: Our Blessed Hope )

Now, did any of you notice something about that verse? The Lord didn't throw in any conditions about any of those things did He? He didn't say, "I'll call them and some will answer and be saved". He didn't say that He would save us "but some will turn away before they die so they won't make it till the end". Nor did He say He would glorify "those that were left". No, What He said is that everyone who is really saved, will stay saved and be glorified on that awesome day!

Psalm 37:28, For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

Now, who are the "just"? People that try hard to live right? No, it's those of us who are saved! We are justified through Christ, not through our own efforts! What does it say about us? That we will be protected forever, not "until they fall away" or "until they change their mind".

Philippians 1:6, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Here's another favorite of mine because Paul says that no matter what it looks like on the outside to us, He is confident that God is doing exactly what He said He would do which is that He will conform us to the image of His Son! Once again God puts no conditions on this. We aren't saved by grace and then kept by human effort. We are saved by Grace and kept through the power of almighty God!

Paul declares that very thing again right here:

2 Timothy 1:12, That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

What has Paul "entrusted to Him"? He has entrusted his very soul to God just as each of us do at salvation. In Rom 8:31-34 Paul basically say that if God is sovereignty declares each of us who are saved to be forever just, then who in the world could possibly over turn God's verdict??? Do you honestly think that we are powerful enough in ourselves to tell God He's wrong? Well some of us I'm sure have been silly enough to try and tell God He's wrong, or try and tell Him that they "want out of the deal" or that they don't believe Him anymore etc. Fortunately for us, it doesn't matter what we think or feel about His decision. Once we're saved, since every single aspect of our salvation is solely the work of God, it's a done deal and cannot be "undone".

That my friends is why it's called "The Good News!" It honestly isn't "Well there's good news and bad news", it's all good! I have more I want to write about this but don't want my post to get so long it's hard for you to read, so I'll start a new post for my next part.