Eternal security

 Doctrine of eternal security

Once saved always saved



Once your a Christian you can do anything you want no matter how evil you will get into heaven without repenting and asking for forgiveness!


Salvation is conditional in Gods eyes, not unconditional!



Question’s;

Who is happy when you believe “once saved always saved”? Satan.

Who is unhappy? 

God.

Who is happy when you backslide or fall into apostasy?

Satan

Who is unhappy?

God.

Who is happy when you don’t believe in eternal salvation?

God.

Who is unhappy?

Satan.


Satan fell away, the doctrine of eternal security means he will end up in heaven!


Satan is the prime example of Apostasy 


Matthew 24:9-13

9 “Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people.12 And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.



Jeremiah 2:19

Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.


Hebrews 2:1 

Warning Against Drifting Away

1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.



Romans 11:22

Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.


Verses that appear to say that a believer can lose their salvation;



Hebrews 6:4-6

“For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”



Matthew 6:15

“But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”



2 Peter 2:20-22

“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and, ‘A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.’”


Hebrews 12:14

Do Not Reject God’s Warning

14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord.


Tim Skon, Chaplain, Prayer Minister, Deacon

dedicated to serving others in Jesus name

4/5/16

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This form of Christianity also champions the doctrine of eternal security, the idea that, once one accepts Jesus, he can never lose his salvation, no matter what sins he commits ("once saved, always saved"). This doctrine knocks out law and judgment for sin in one blow.


The punishment of the backslider is that he or she will become the sad recipients of their own lifestyle. The wisest man in the known world at the time of this writing said, “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself” (Proverbs 14:14)


We reject the teaching that believers can never fall from faith ('once saved, always saved') because the Bible says it is possible for believers to fall from faith !


1 Corinthians 10:12

12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.


What is the difference between backsliding and falling away?



Backsliding is a sliding back. Though backsliding is not sudden in onset, it may escalate rapidly. Backsliding is different from falling away or apostasy, which is the extreme end of backsliding. Apostasy or falling away is the act or state of rejecting the Christian Faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.


Satan is the ultimate example of apostasy, he fell away and he can’t get back!

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Pastor JD Greer

Beware the Complacency of “Once Saved, Always Saved”

JANUARY 29, 2020BY

Many cultural Christians think church is a good thing, but they are not committed.

They are not involved in any ministry.

They don’t sacrificially give.

They couldn’t tell you the last time they told someone about Jesus.

They come to church about once every couple months, because they are “just so busy.”

(Plus, their extended family has a beach house and so they try and get down to it for the weekend whenever the weather is nice.)

For these people, church is a good thing, but they’re just not interested in making it a priority.

Ask any of these people if they are saved, and they will say “yes.” They will tell you about a time when they prayed a prayer and got baptized. But they don’t live their lives as if Jesus is Lord.

Aren’t these like the branches that God removed from Israel?

“Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, do not boast that you are better than those branches … they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but beware, because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.”

– Romans 11:17–21 CSB

If we see that God was willing to cut off branches from his own original tree because of their unbelief, why would we (who have been grafted somewhat unnaturally into this Jewish tree) ever think we can get away with the very things that got them removed?

The same transgressions that got Israel removed from the tree—compromise, taking their salvation for granted, giving lip-service to God, and going through religious motions without their hearts really belonging to him—are rampant within the church today.

I am especially concerned for children who grow up in church, are raised in Christian families, and live up to expectations by, at some point, “getting saved.” They avoid most major sins—at least, the ones they think are major. But in their heart of hearts, they know Jesus is not Lord.

If this is you, Paul says, “Wake up! If this is what God did to the sons and daughters of Abraham, it’s what he will do to you, too!”

Sometimes Christians will use a perverted version of the doctrine of eternal security to assure themselves they belong to God. This doctrine says, “once saved, always saved.” That is, once you are truly saved, you can never lose it.

Eternal security is a glorious and comforting truth. But notice what Paul says in Romans 11:20: You will be kept if you avoid the unbelief that overcame Israel and “stand by faith.”

If.

We have two seemingly contradictory truths: On the one hand, the Bible says that once God saves you, you’ll always be saved (e.g., John 10; Romans 8); on the other, it says that only if you endure to the end will you be saved (cf. Hebrews 3:12–14).

You have to put the two together. One of the essential marks of truly saving faith is that it endures to the end. The real doctrine of eternal security reads like this: Not only “once saved, always saved” but also “once saved, forever following.”

Having a faith that endures to the end is evidence that you possess the salvation you could never lose. Not enduring to the end is evidence you never had it to begin with.

Saving faith is staying faith.

You see, the evidence of saving faith is not the intensity of emotion at the beginning but its endurance over time. Think of it like a marriage: You don’t judge the sincerity of a marriage vow by the lavishness of the wedding ceremony but by the faithful commitment that follows it.

When it comes to God, a lot of Christians are all ceremony, no marriage.


So, we must be cautious. Beware tolerating compromise in your life. Beware being casual and complacent in spiritual growth. Beware, lest sins you let go unchecked grow up and choke out your faith.

My fear for many in the church today is what Paul’s was—that they take forgiveness for granted, assume it is their birthright, and do the very things that got Israel removed.

Maybe they prayed their prayer, and they’re satisfied to sit complacent with their “get out of hell free” card. Or maybe they follow “Prozac Jesus,” who comforts them and is their BFF in a jam. But nothing about their life says that Jesus is in charge.

If we put you on trial for being a Christian, and the only admissible testimony was that of your friends at school, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

If the only evidence we considered could come from what your spouse observes of you at home, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

If your best friends at school or those in your family don’t know that you are a Christian, you probably aren’t. Who you are in the unseen, unrehearsed moments is who you are. Period.

Friend, if God removed those branches from Israel who didn’t really walk with God and submit to his lordship, won’t he also remove you?

The only Jesus is Lord Jesus—Lord of all or not Lord at all. His lordship is demonstrated not by the confession of your lips but the obedience of your life.



For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. (Hebrews 6:4-6)


If salt looses its taste can salt be renewed?

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6 Passages That Prove “Once Saved, Always Saved” Is A False Doctrine

 


 

1 Peter 3:15 reveals to Christians, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” It is our duty as Christians to know the word of God and to always be in the position to give an answer for what we believe and to provide the reasoning behind why we believe what we believe! In this article, I am going to share with you six passages along with some thoughts that you can use in defending the truth that the denominational doctrine, “Once Saved, Always Saved” is false, unbiblical and destructive!



According to this false doctrine, once a person becomes a Christian, there is nothing that they can do to fall from God’s grace, which would result in them being lost eternally. Simply put, once someone gets saved, they are incapable of losing their salvation… that is what this false doctrine teaches! Sadly, so many people have been deceived by this false doctrine! This false doctrine needs to be exposed! We as Christians need to help others see with certainty that the Bible teaches a child of God who is saved can so sin as to fall from the grace of God and lose their soul for eternity in Hell!

When it comes down to it, I believe many people do not fully believe this doctrine to be true. For instance, if this doctrine were true, and if Adolf Hitler had happened to be a true Christian, then his soul would not have been in any danger even though he led millions of Jews to extermination! I believe many people who say they believe the “Once Saved, Always Saved” doctrine would have a difficult time believing that a man who led millions of people to horrific extermination would be saved if such a person did not repent of those sinful actions! But… Sadly, some people have believed in this doctrine fully! I want you to read a quote from a man named Bill Foster, who was a denominational preacher back in the 1950s. In March of 1952, in the Weekly Informer, he stated, “If I killed my wife and mother and debauched a thousand women, I couldn’t go to Hell.” He even said, “I couldn’t go to Hell if I wanted to.” Tragically, this is the logical conclusion of “Once Saved, Always Saved.” No doubt, this man was consistent in this set of beliefs that he held to, but they were and are a false and ungodly set of beliefs!

Before I get into the six passages I have chosen for this article, I believe that there is a principle that needs to be discussed. The principle is this… God only has to say something one time for it to be the case, or in other words, for it to be authoritative! God only has to reveal that something is a sin one time for it to be a sin, although He often re-emphasizes things that are sinful in the scriptures more than once! God only has to reveal something such as the truth that baptism for the remission of sins is essential for salvation once, although He has revealed this over and over again in His word! He does not have to say anything multiple times for it to be the case, and yet, so many people violate this principle, often rejecting the truth in doing so! For example, some individuals in the religious world who deny the necessity of baptism for salvation may say to us Christians, “All you members of the church of Christ have is a few verses that you use to support your position that baptism is essential for salvation! Is that it?”

First… as members of the Lord’s church, we know, or we should know that on the topic of baptism, there are not just a few verses that teach that it is essential to salvation; rather, there are many! But… here is the point… even if there were only a few verses, or even only one verse in the word of God that was written to those living in the Christian dispensation that taught that baptism is essential to salvation… if such were the case, would this make what is taught in that one verse any less authoritative? No! God only has to say something one time for it to be so! Tying this principle into the topic of “Once Saved, Always Saved,” what if I were to present you with only one verse within its proper context that teaches that a saved individual can fall from the grace of God and be lost eternally? Would just that one verse from the word of God be enough for us to conclude that a saved person has the ability to fall from God’s grace? Yes, you better believe it! It certainly would be enough, and if someone were to suggest or teach otherwise, that individual would be admitting that they believe God has to say things more than once for a teaching of His to be authoritative, or for us to know that He truly means what He has said!

Let us now move into examining these six passages I have chosen to include in this article, which can help anyone clearly see that the doctrine of “Once Saved, Always Saved” is false and must be rejected!
Passage #1 is Galatians 5:4. This verse says, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Galatians 1:1, 2 reveals to us that Paul had written this letter to saved Christians. In essence, he said if a person attempts to be justified by law, that such an individual has (presently) become estranged from Christ and that they have (presently) fallen from grace! What does the word “estranged” mean? This word means “separated” and “alienated.” This verse teaches that the one who attempts to justify themselves by the law of Moses has become both separated from Christ and has lost the benefits of Christ’s grace, which includes salvation!

Passage #2 is James 5:19, 20. In these verses, James wrote, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” James wrote, “Brethren,” …  So, we can know that this was written to saved Christians. James then wrote, “ifanyone among you,” signifying that this statement is regarding other Christians. He stated that a Christian can wander from the truth! He also said that if a faithful Christian were to turn an unfaithful Christian back to God, that they would be turning back a Christian who, at that point, would now be defined as a lost sinner… and what does the text say that this faithful Christian would do? This faithful Christian would SAVE A SOUL FROM DEATH! James was not referring to physical death here; rather, he was referring to spiritual death! Here is a good question for those who subscribe to “Once Saved, Always Saved” … How can one save another Christian’s soul from death, if once a person is saved, they are always saved? One could not do that! If a soul is always in a saved state after one becomes a Christian, then it would be impossible for someone to fall from God’s grace… But… here in James 5:19, 20, we see that a Christian can fall and get themselves into such a state where the “error of his way,” as the text says, is leading them to spiritual death, which will result in them going to Hell!

Passage #3 is 2 Peter 2:20-22. It says, “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’” Notice the two-letter word “if” at the beginning of verse 20. I now want you to read these next few statements that a brother in Christ named Stephen Rogers said regarding this passage that breaks these verses down well. Brother Rogers said, “Christians have escaped the pollution of the world — sin. They escaped sin through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Tragically, Christians can become entangled in sin again and be overcome. It would have been better if such unfaithful brethren had never heard the Gospel than after hearing it to turn from it and return back into sin.” Here is another good question for those who subscribe to “Once Saved, Always Saved” … How can the latter end ever be worse for a Christian if they can never fall from grace? It can be worse because the Bible plainly teaches that a Christian can fall from grace!

Passage #4 is 1 Corinthians 10:12. In this verse, Paul warned, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Paul wrote to Christians here, and earlier in the chapter, in verse 6, he said, “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” In verse 8, he said, “Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.” In verse 12, do you think Paul was saying to these Christians, “Take heed, take caution brethren… so that you do not fall and scrape your knee?” No! He was saying to be careful because they could fall spiritually and lose their souls! He was warning them not to allow themselves to get puffed up and then fall from grace!

Passage #5 is 1 John 1:7. This verse says, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John was written to Christians. This verse contains the word “if,” thus making it a conditional statement! If we as Christians walk in the light… in other words… if we are faithfully serving God, then Jesus’ blood continually cleanses us from all sin. Well… what if a Christian does not choose to walk in the light and instead, chooses to walk in darkness? Then that Christian no longer gets cleansed from their sins by the blood of Jesus, and if an individual does not have Christ’s blood applied to their sins, then they will not go to Heaven!

I do want to make this point clear, and please do not misunderstand what I am saying… True Christians do believe in a Biblical view of “Once Saved, Always Saved” … We believe in a conditional “Once Saved, Always Saved.” You see, 1 John 1:7 teaches that once a sinner is saved, if that Christian keeps on walking in the light, they will always remain saved… But… this continual state of being saved depends upon our continual faithfulness to God and in no way does this verse, nor the entire Bible teach that we are incapable of falling from God’s grace!

Passage #6 is Hebrews 3:12. This verse says, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” In this verse, the Hebrew writer wrote, “Beware, Brethren.” He was saying, “Beware Christians!” He also said that a Christian can depart from the living God! If a husband develops an evil heart and decides to abandon and depart from his wife, is that husband considered faithful? In this hypothetical situation, I am not talking about putting away a spouse for fornication, as Jesus declared was the only God-approved reason for getting a divorce in Matthew 19:9. In this hypothetical situation, the answer is: No! Such a husband would be considered unfaithful to his wife! Spiritually speaking, what if we decide to depart from God? Would we be considered faithful? No! If we are not found to be faithful to God when we stand before Jesus Christ on the judgment day, then we cannot go to Heaven!

These six passages only scratch the surface of all of the various passages that reveal that a saved Christian can so sin as to lose their own soul! May we keep this sobering truth in our minds each and every day as we seek to put God first in our lives! (Matthew 6:33)

 


 

By: 

Jake A Burris

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18. What About "Once Saved, Always Saved"?

Brent Phillips
10/01/17 - Advanced Bible Studies

What About "Once Saved, Always Saved"?

There is a very simple problem with the dogma of “once saved, always saved.” That problem is that it is just not biblical! The truth is, the dogma of “once saved, always saved” is part of the doctrines and commandments of men. Consider Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23 → Galatians 1:6-20and II John 1:7-11!

The following passages clearly and simply refute the dogma of “once saved, always saved”:

John 15:1-6 – Notice that Jesus makes it very clear: IF you abide in him you are saved. IF you do not abide (i.e., continue to remain) in him you are lost. The most important thing to note is that our salvation is conditional not unconditional. (Consider just some of the conditional statements of Scripture from the Gospel and Epistles of John and the Book of Revelation: John 6:51; 7:17,38; 8:31,36,39,42,51,52; 


10:9; 11:40; 12:26,47; 13:17,35; 14:15,23; 15:6,7,10,14 … I John 1:6-10; 2:1,3,15,19,24,29; Revelation 2:5,10,16; 3:3,5,20; 22:18,19; etc.)

Romans 8:12-13; 11:19-22 – Again notice that Paul says that IF we (believers) live according to the flesh we will die but IF we (believers) live according to the Spirit we will live. We believers thus have a choice to make – even we who are already saved! Our salvation is thus conditionally based by and on God’s terms. And so it is possible that a Christian can be “cut off” and thus lost. (Notice the conditional statements in Romans 8:9,10,11,13,17; 11:17,18,21,22,23,24; etc.)

II Peter 1:2-11 – And notice that Peter clearly tells us that our salvation is conditional and that “IF we do these things we will never stumble, and a glorious entrance will be given to us into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” What if we don’t do the things Peter mentions? Then we are eternally lost! It is that simple. We should realize by now that Scripture everywhere is filled with the very conditions of salvation and damnation often denoted by that little word, “IF”! Everyone seems to ignore this little word.

Galatians 5:1-6 – The Apostle Paul clearly states that Christ has set us free. He has saved us! And yet he goes on to say to believers that if they follow another gospel (Galatians 1:6-10cf. II John 1:7-11) they are “cut off from Christ” and “they have fallen from grace.” See Galatians 5:4. You cannot fall from somewhere you have never been! In other words the argument that “Anyone who is lost was never saved in the first place” or “Anyone who is lost was never really a believer” is nonsense. While that may be true of some it is not true of all. Christians can fall from grace! Paul said so. A saved believer can fall from grace. And it is a lying heresy to say that they can’t.

II Peter 2:18-22 – The Apostle Peter clearly tells us that the believer can fall from grace and be lost! Peter is talking about those who “escaped the world through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ” who then become “entangled” and “overcome” by sin and the flesh. And then he specifically says of them, “their latter end is worse than the beginning and it would have been better if they had never known the way of righteousness than to have turned from the way of truth.” See II Peter 2:20-22. There is no way to explain any of this away by saying, “Well, they were never really Christians to begin with.” Peter says they were believers and now they are worse off than if they had never believed. It would have been better if they had never become Christians!

Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:26-39 – The inspired writer of Hebrews also gives us clear and simple statements of the possibility of apostasy and of losing our very salvation. If one loses one’s salvation it is not God’s fault it is their own fault and they have no one to blame but themselves for their sin. The writer talks about those who were once “enlightened” who have “tasted of heaven” and who have “become partakers of the Holy Spirit” and who have “tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come” – if these aren’t true believing Christians who is? – and IF they “fall away” they are only good for being “cursed” and “burned” in hell. Later the writer of Hebrews goes even further when he says that we can “sin willfully” (the background for “willful sin” is found in Numbers 15:30-31,32-36) and if we do we will never be saved, only the wrath of God and hell awaits us. Notice all the ways that the writer says we can and will be lost if we turn against the Lord. That is why the writer of Hebrews says this: “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:1-2)

The following passages are frequently used to prove the dogma of “once saved, always saved” but upon a more careful study they actually are found to refute the heretical idea of “once saved, always saved”:

John 10:26-29 – This is one of the favorite passages for those who would attempt to prove the false doctrine of “once saved, always saved.” Tragically many neither see nor understand what the passage actually says. Our Lord says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.” Now here is what most fail to notice: The very promise of eternal security is not unconditional but conditional! Those who are given the promise of eternal life are those who “hear and follow” Jesus. Both of these terms are in the present tense and indicate continuing action! This passage does not say that all you have to do is to have “heard and followed” Jesus once when you “got saved” and then God will forever save you. What is more, the term for “hear” means, “to listen, to hearken … to obey”! This is what discipleship is all about – “the obedience of faith.” In order to be given the promise of eternal assurance we must continue on in the hearing and obedience of faith. There is no “once saved, always saved” in this Word of the Lord. Such a dogma as “once saved, always saved” is not taught in Scripture and it is especially not taught in this passage. If you quit “listening to” God; if you quit “obeying” the Lord; if you quit faithfully “following the Lord” … then you will not, you cannot be saved.

Jude 1:24-25 – This is another favorite passage for those who want to believe the dogma of “once saved, always saved.” Here is the problem with all heresy: Any Scripture can be taken out of context and made to teach anything. The Devil does this! Just consider what he did in the beginning in Genesis 3:1-5 and in the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:6; Luke 4:9-10.) First let it be clearly stated that God is “able to save us completely” and he is “able to save us forever”! Consider Hebrews 7:25. The fact is He has given us the blessed assurance of salvation. See I John 5:11-13 – “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” The Apostle John tells us very clearly that the way we have eternal life is to “walk in the light” in the obedience of faith. See I John 1:5-2:6! Now go back to the context of Jude 1:24-25 and realize that Jude is telling us the very same thing. Jude tells us that we must be, “building ourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep(ing) ourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” See Jude 1:20-21! Here is the bottom line in all of this. God will save us only IF we continue on in faithfulness. But if we ever stop believing and quit being faithful we will be lost. Scripture is just too clear on this simple fact, no matter what the doctrines and dogmas of men may teach.

Perhaps one of the most powerful proofs that a child of God can be eternally lost is seen over and over again across the pages of the Old Testament. All we have to do is consider what the New Testament writers said about the problem of Israel’s continuous apostasy. See I Corinthians 10:13and Hebrews 3:7-4:7. In fact, the Apostle Paul (and the writer of Hebrews) says that as Israel fell so can we: “Take heed if you think you stand lest you fall!” (I Corinthians 10:12) If the people of God can’t fall from grace and salvation, then all of these warnings mean absolutely nothing. One more thing. Paul realized that if he did not “run the race” in the way that God wants he could be “disqualified” – in other words, he would “lose it”! See I Corinthians 9:24-27.

Addendum to “Once Saved, Always Saved”:

When it comes to God’s purpose and plan in predestination, the greatest statement of its wondrous mystery is found in Ephesians 1:3-14. Perhaps we just need to accept all this with the faith of Job (Job 42:1-6) and David (Psalm 139:1-24) and Paul (Romans 11:33-36). When men try to fully explain the sovereignty of God’s purpose and plan they usually end up looking like fools. What we need to do is simply bow before the Lord God and believe! But what we also need to do is realize that Scripture just as clearly shows us that in the midst of God’s sovereign will and purpose the Lord has given us the freedom to will and to choose!From John 3:15,16,18,21,36 to Revelation 22:17 the principle of “whosoever will may come” is one of the greatest invitations of promise in all the Word of God. And to realize the incredible loving will of God found in II Peter 3:9 should tell us that our God is anything but a monster who predestines some to heaven and some to hell apart from their will and any choice they could make.

When it comes to the sovereign call of the God who loves us, the Scripture is very clear that we can say “No!” to the lovingkindness of God. There are three simple passages in the New Testament that especially show us the horrible state of those – even those who were once believers! – who choose to live against the will of God.

If we were to “bottom line” all of this we would say that God loves us more than we can ever know and he wills to save us, but if we don’t want to be saved and loved by God he will allow us to be lost to our own foolish choices and suffer the eternal consequences of our sin. Perhaps we need to rethink the possibility of apostasy and realize that we can lose our very salvation because we can refuse to accept and believe in the Lord; we can turn against Him and rebel against His will and purpose; we can fall from grace and be forever lost because of our own free and foolish choices. If that happens, it is not God’s fault, it is ours.


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Tim Skon 

Chaplain, Prayer Minister, Deacon

dedicated to serving others in Jesus name

5/6/16

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