Question:
Dear Greg,
Can
I comment on some things I found on your web site in the Questions and Answers?
I like that type of format. It
usually covers a lot of topics that people are interested in.
Vick
wrote asking “your thoughts on eternal salvation” and, “Can a person lose
their salvation?” In the past few
months I have been studying just that topic and found more than 20 scripture
references that support the fact that—yes, a true believer (saved, born again
Christian) can lose their salvation. You
state in your answer that nothing we do can earn salvation, with which I agree,
and you state there are no “IFS,” and “neither can they do anything to
make sure that is maintained.” I
disagree there.
True,
no one can “snatch them out of God’s hand” as given in John 10:28-29, but
consider a few verses here. Colossians 1:22,23 “…IF you continue in your faith…”
Matthew 24:10, “many will turn away from the faith…But he who stands firm to
the end will be saved.” 1 Corinthians 15:2 “Now brothers, by this gospel you
are saved, IF YOU HOLD FIRMLY to the word I preached…
Thus the life of God that we receive at our new birth can be extinguished
in the soul of a believer who refuses to put to death by the Spirit the misdeeds
of the body. In order for one to be
finally saved, true faith must continue after the initial act of accepting
Christ (Matthew 10:22). It states
in one place that we are to “work out our salvation…”
Thank
you,
Bev
Answer: Dear Bev,
Thanks
for your comments, and, although I do not agree with you, I am delighted that
you have the right to disagree—not simply within a civil government, but
within the kingdom of God. These issues are not part of the central core teaching of
Christianity, and never have been.
There
is little here that I can add to the many questions and answers that we have
posted, some of which you have obviously read.
But several quick thoughts may be of help.
Regarding the topic of whether Christians can lose their salvation, you
quoted many passages that speak of “standing firm, continuing in the faith,
hold firmly, etc.”
The
Bible makes clear, usually in the context of all the passages you quoted, as
well as other passages, that the ability and wherewithal to hold firm, to
continue in the faith, etc. is not humanly derived.
We are empowered by Christ who lives in us to do these things.
Once again, the source is not ourselves.
Some
believe, primarily those who have connections to the holiness movement, in the
perseverance of the saints—even in perfectionism, the idea that it is possible
to attain to a state, while in the flesh, in which the believer no longer sins.
That is not the position we take at PTM.
We
believe that Christians can and do sin (1 John 1:8)—and that there is war
between our new man in Christ, and the old man of sin (see Romans 7)—so that
while in the flesh we will always sin. Therefore,
it is impossible for us to maintain our salvation, given our imperfection. So, if the salvation given to us by grace depended upon us,
we would all lose our salvation. Further,
since we are given eternal life when we are saved, that salvation must not only
be given and imputed by God, but it must be maintained by him.
Yes,
it states in one place that we must “work out your salvation with fear and
trembling,” (see Philippians 2:12)—BUT—you will notice that verse 12 does
not end with a period, but with a comma. It
would be incorrect to stop reading there, for we would not understand what God
was inspiring Paul to tell us. Verse
13 continues, after a comma, “for it is God who works in you to will and to
act according to his good purpose.”
To
God goes the glory—none of it belongs to us.
See Ephesians 2:9 (itself a longer passage, and within a sentence, but I
will not belabor that point here, you may read the preceding verses) “…not
by works, so that no one can boast.”
May
God bless you, in Christ,
Greg
Albrecht