THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES and CHURCHES OF CHRIST
Christian Military Fellowship
Fred's Facts 6 |
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THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES and CHURCHES OF CHRISTChristian Military Fellowship
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Fred's Facts includes Bible studies, Christian history studies, and hopefully provocative discussion of Bible-based subjects of interest to servicemen and women. This page also includes offers of free Bible study materials and will include many other features, as we develop them in the months ahead. Feedback on these studies from our readers is encouraged! Also, suggestions from readers on subjects to be included in these studies and discusssions are welcome. Messages should be sent to Fred at cmf@cncnet.com! Following is our sixth study: |
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In Fred's Facts #5, I discussed God's Plan of Salvation, looking at the Scripture passages that explain what we must do to become saved. My conclusion was that we are NOT saved by Faith ALONE, or by Repentance ALONE, or by Confession ALONE, or by Baptism ALONE. We are, in fact, saved by ALL OF THEM TOGETHER! They are clearly ALL part of an INSEPARABLE package, which we can call God's Plan of Salvation. Though it can be said that we are saved ENTIRELY by God's GRACE, it is a CONDITIONAL offer of Grace---and the condition is that we (1) have Faith in Jesus, (2) Repent of our sins, (3) Confess our Faith, and (4) are Baptized into Jesus! I deliberately limited the discussion in Fred's Facts #5 to what we must do to become saved, in order to keep that study short. I am convinced that long Bible studies on web sites and in E-mail messages are usually not read. Thus, it is necessary to limit the scope of such studies. But God has a plan for each of our lives that DOESN'T end at the baptistry. He expects MORE of us than Faith, Repentance, Confession and Baptism. So we are going to take a look at some of the Scriptures that tell us what God expects us to do after Baptism---things we need to do to ENSURE that we don't lose our salvation. |
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Despite its popularity, the doctrine of "once saved, always saved" is NOT taught in the Bible. Also known as "perseverance of the saints" and "eternal security," this doctrine is the result of the fourth century writings of Augustine and the sixteenth century interpretations of those writings by John Calvin and others. According to Calvinistic doctrine, Adam's sin caused man to be so totally depraved that he is incapable, on his own, of responding to Christ's offer of salvation. Then, the Calvinists say, the Holy Spirit reaches out to those whom God has predestined for salvation and grants them the ability to have faith in Jesus. Furthermore, they say, God's offer of grace to them is irresistible and they are incapable of rejecting it. If this is true, it logically follows that saved people are incapable of rejecting God's grace later and losing their salvation. Thus, "once saved, always saved!" Calvinists point to Scriptures such as Romans 8:38-39 to support their views: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." But there is NOTHING in that passage that says a Christian can't reject God on his own and walk away from his salvation. This passage merely says that NO EXTERNAL FORCE can "separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"---that is, our Salvation. We still have the freedom to choose to follow Jesus or to not follow Him. |
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We need only open our New Testaments to verify that Salvation CAN be lost. Paul wrote to Timothy that Hymenaeus and Alexander had "shipwrecked their faith" (1 Tim. 1:18-19): "Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme." These two men had apparently rejected their faith in Jesus and had, thus, LOST their Salvation. Jesus said that believers CAN "fall away" (Luke 8:11-13): "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they cannnot believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away." You can't fall from something unless you have first climbed up there. Jesus says Christians CAN fall away! Paul wrote to Jewish Christians in Rome that they had "fallen away" (Rom. 5:4): "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." These were Jewish Christians who refused to give up their death grip on the Law of Moses, and were counting on it to justify them before God. But Paul said that action had "alienated them from Christ" and that they had "fallen away from grace." You can't fall away from grace, unless you had previously possessed it. Paul couldn't have made this any clearer. You CAN fall away from God's grace---LOSE your Salvation! The Hebrew writer (probably Paul) also confirms that Christians can "fall away" (Heb. 6:4-6): "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance . . ." Can there be any doubt that those "who have tasted the heavenly gift" and "shared in the Holy Spirit" are Christians? And the Hebrew writer says they CAN fall away---LOSE their Salvation! |
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In fact, even a powerful man of God like Paul can LOSE his Salvation! Paul wrote (1 Cor. 9:25-27): "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." There are very few Christians who don't look with awe at the Apostle Paul. More than anyone else in the New Testament---including Peter and John---he stands out as Jesus' most able servant. He was the first of the apostles to carry the gospel beyond the Palestine-Syria area and he succeeded in establishing churches throughout the eastern Mediterranean. Fourteen of the New Testament's 27 books were written by him and the majority of the Book of Acts is an account of his ministry. And yet, Paul tells us he had to discipline himself to be sure that he "will not be disqualified for the prize!" Paul says a strong Christian CAN LOSE his salvation! |
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If Salvation can be lost, then Christians need to seriously guard against that happening. But what can we do to ensure our Salvation? Paul gave us part of the answer in the 1 Corinthians passage just quoted. He said (1 Cor. 9:27): "I beat my body and make it my slave. . ." This was Paul's way of saying he DISCIPLINES himself through rigorous training. An athlete rigorously trains his body so that he can run faster, jump higher, or hit a ball farther. But Paul is talking about disciplining his mind, so that he serves God consistently and effectively! Paul personally understood how difficult it is to discipline one's mind so as to achieve absolute obedience to God. He wrote (Rom. 7:14-19): "But I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do---this I keep on doing." Paul also taught that it was necessary to channel our minds into positive paths, in order to guard against sin. He wrote (Phil. 4:8): "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me---put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Paul knew that, where our minds are concerned, it's "garbage in, garbage out." That is, if we allow our minds to be filled with sinful thoughts, we will inevitably do sinful things! Conversely, if we fill our minds with godly thoughts, godly behavior will result! |
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The New Testament clearly teaches that BECOMING a Christian isn't God's final goal for us. In fact, it is only the BEGINNING of what God expects of us. Paul writes (Eph. 2:8-10): "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God---not by works so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." This passage makes it abundantly clear that---although works can't save us---once saved, God expects us to produce "good works." And more than that, God has prepared good works "in advance for us to do." If we are willing and are looking for God's will for our lives, He will show us what that work is. We have only to be looking for His leading, so that we will recognize the tasks he has "prepared in advance for us to do!" Another passage which tells us that God expects more than Faith, Repentance, Confession and Baptism, is Phil. 1:12: "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed---not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence---continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." If BECOMING a Christian was all that God required for Salvation, there would be no need for "fear and trembling." God expects us to be doing His will---carrying out "his good purpose!" "Producing fruit" is another concept used in the New Testament to describe what God expects of us. Jesus said (Matt. 7:19-21): "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus by their fruit will you recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven." Sitting in a pew every week for 70 years just doesn't cut it! God intends for each of us to do His will, laboring in his kingdom! And all Christians share in the responsibility to carry out Jesus' Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20): "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." The apostles have all been dead for more than 1900 years. The job now belongs to all Christians living today. We can't all be overseas missionaries or preachers. But we can all take the message of Jesus Christ to our friends and neighbors! |
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The Scriptures we have studied make one thing absolutely clear. Obtaining our Salvation is NOT an end in itself, but merely a means to the end that God has planned for us. God expects us to produce fruit. James wrote (James 1:18-20 & 26): "But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that---and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? . . . As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." Man invented the concepts of clergy and laity, which has resulted in our thinking that the clergy must do the Lord's work while the laity (the rest of us) sit in the pew and listen. We need to get rid of that ungodly thinking. As James said (James 2:14-17): "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." |
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| Fred invites you to send him some feedback about this Bible Study. Did you agree with the conclusion? Is another conclusion more appropriate, in your opinion? Did you find this Bible study useful? Did it provide you information you didn't already possess? What additional information would you have liked to have seen included? Will you continue to read future studies? Comments and questions may be sent to Fred at PO Box 2408, Oroville, CA 95965, or E-mailed to cmf@cncnet.com. |