Question: Dear
Greg,
I understand that salvation is a totally free gift, and cannot be earned
through good works, etc. Fine, I
also understand that we do good works BECAUSE of our appreciation of Christ
having saved us and NOT in order to be saved.
Fine.
However, tell me what about a Christian who accepts Jesus as Savior and
is saved/born again etc., but then for whatever reason (neglect, carelessness,
etc.) is persistently unfaithful in breaking Christ’s moral code (fornication,
lying, stealing, etc.), even while professing Christ as Savior.
Can such a person forfeit salvation?
David
Answer: Dear
David,
Two conclusions first, then some explanation.
1.
There is no relationship between commandment keeping and salvation.
None
2.
Can a person who accepts Jesus as Savior become “persistently
unfaithful”? Some
would say no, such a person was never saved to begin with, for God will not let
anyone he saves perish (see for example, John 10:28-29).
You note that you understand that salvation is free, cannot be earned,
and that Christians do good works out of appreciation that Christ saved us, not
in order to be saved.
While that statement is true, as Christians we must be careful that it
does not sound, seem, or even become patronizing (not that you meant it that
way). The works we do are in fact
the works that God is doing in us, through us—and not at all because of us.
No part of our salvation depends on us, all of is depends on God.
Our salvation is not a cooperative effort between us and God—it is not
a case of Jesus plus what we do, it is not a case of grace plus the
commandments. To God goes the
glory. We are saved by grace, by
faith, by Christ—ALONE—not by works, lest any human might boast.
Some who are trapped by legalistic thinking point to James, and note that
James says that faith without works is dead.
But the force of these comments, taken in the context in which God
inspires the, is that the works, merits, and actions that James refers to are
produced by God in us, through us. James
simply says that if someone is saved, then there are signs of the new life in
Christ that God has granted, by grace, and that these signs will be works that
God alone produces.
For example—the fruit of the Spirit, in Galatians 5:22-23.
These are produced because God the Holy Spirit lives within us, and
produces these attributes or fruits. Paul
tells us, in Romans 7:7-25, about the war in his life between the Spirit and the
law of his flesh. What our flesh
produces is not good enough to be brought to God and given to him as an offering
of righteousness. That’s why the
Bible tells us that we are given his righteousness so that we might be saved.
The discussion about a Christian “losing” their salvation is
debated—but those who believe that it is possible do not generally point to
commandment keeping as the way that Christians maintain their salvation. See for example Galatians 3:1-5. Especially verse 3, “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain
your goal through human effort?”
God loves us as much now as he ever did or ever will. What we do (apart from accepting Christ as Savior) does not
affect our eternal relationship with God—what Christ did does that.
Accepting Christ as Savior, trusting in him, believing on him means that we trust that what he did is sufficient and enough, that nothing we do is of any
consequence to our salvation. He is
Savior, and does not need our help. That’s
one reason so many do not accept him as Savior, because it is difficult to not
try to do something on our own behalf. It’s
humbling to realize that nothing we do is good enough to be considered as
salvific—we would rather think that we have some power to influence our
eternity.
In Christ,
Greg Albrecht