A topic that pains my heart. Where does God say that someone becomes unsaved? Or that he will leave them? Can I be un-born having been reborn? Can the Christian go to the lake of fire?
For the first three years of my journey with Christ I believed that nothing could possibly happen that would cause me to loose my salvation. No one could convince me otherwise. I was on the other side of this very discussion. I gave all of the points to consider that have been given me and backed up my claim with the same scripture and logic that is being shown to me to say that I am wrong in my understanding. As I stood on the mountain tops screaming OSAS is doctrinal, I never thought in a million years I could be wrong. After all I had studied the bible for years.
One day I came upon a scripture that said, be ye not deceived. My heart about stopped. I could be deceived I thought? You mean everything that I think could be wrong? A picture of the Pharisees may as well went through my mind wondering how they could have the OT and be deceived of its true meaning. What should I do? I went to prayer absolutely begging God not to let me be deceived. Asking him to show me his ways. Telling him I understood if he would say no because I am not worthy of saving. I remembered how Jesus sent up prayer and supplication with strong crying and tears to the one who was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared. My bible reading changed. Things weren't adding up right. The doctrines I had formerly held became in question. I went through a period of confusion as I had new things I was understanding from scripture while the old were still engrained in me. Over time the truth gave way to that which is false and for the first time in my Christian life I didn't have to add to the scriptures for them to all make sense together. I didn't have to 'understand' the seeming contradictions anymore. There were none.
Today when I look at scripture I see what my eyes have been opened to see. It is simple and straight forward. My heart goes out to those who cannot see what I do and I always try to make clear that I understand that I could be the one who is blind (how would I know) but with the way the scriptures read clearly to me today it seems like an impossibility that Satan is leading me astray. I offer the following for meditation. I know that there are crafted answers to refute the claims of reading the scripture straight forward but I will try none the less.
Can a Christian die the 2nd death?
8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
In a letter unto Smyrna, a church of born again Christian believers it is told to them that in order not to be hurt of the second death they must overcome. So in essence those who do not overcome will be hurt by the second death. Born twice, die twice.
1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
In a letter to the church at Sardis it is written that there are a few who had not defiled their garments and these are called worthy because they did not do the works that would defile them. Only those who overcome do not have their name blotted out of the book of life.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Here we have a direct statement about a Christian who has the indwelling Holy Spirit. God will destroy him if he defiles the temple of his body.
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
In order to have your name taken out of the book of life it must be in there first. To have a part in the Holy City one must be headed for the Kingdom of heaven. If a bible believing Christian takes away from the book of this prophecy he will be taken out.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
In the context of false teachers we find the statement about believers who knew the way of righteousness but turned after the false teachers instead. This would make them heretics and heretics will not inherit the Kingdom of heaven (Gal 5).
But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mk 11:26
This cannot be refuted without adding to the scripture a personal explanation of how this doesn't apply to eternal life. Adding to scripture never gives truth.
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;(Heb 3)
A clear warning to born again Christians that it could happen to you. There is the big "IF" in there about being made partakers. Where there is an if there is a condition that is possible not to meet. Meditate on this truth.
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit. 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak
Following the warning in Chapter 3 we find this in Chapter 6. Notice the author begins by summarizing the principle doctrines of Christianity and then says we will move on from these if God permit. Very important to understand that if your going to understand why he would then warn them of apostasy. The idea is getting the foundation secure and moving on to grow. Remember that he just called his audience 'dull of hearing' in Chapter 5. He is being plain and open with them but states they still might not get what he is saying because they are slow to hear. The connecting term 'For' used in verse 4 connects the two thoughts. The thought of the impossible return to repentance is connected to the thought of finishing the foundation of belief. It simply says look here is what we covered you better hear 'quickly' because there are no second chances if you leave. In verse 7 we have the connecting term again 'For' to connect the illustration to the previous thought. The unfruitful field that gets burned. Followed in verse 9 to pull it all together to a climax 'But' a contradictory contraction to connect this thought to the previous. But we believe you will be saved. The whole thought can be summed up as, here is the foundation laid secure if you fall away you will be damned but we don't believe you will.
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Continuing in the same book with the same thought process the author has used from the beginning. Once again he warns against willful disobedience. This book is written to Jewish believers who are holy brethren and partakers of the heavenly calling (Heb 3:1). The call back to chapter 6 is clearly seen here when the author speaks of no more sacrifice for sin. You cannot crucify Jesus a second time to yourself.
Time would fail me to tell of the man who if he eats against conscience would be damned, or the young widow who remarries being damned having cast of her first faith, or the man who is worse than an infidel that has denied the faith by not caring for those of his own household, or Judas who by transgression fell (Acts 1:25) in order to fall you must first be standing.
I think one of the hardest principles to teach Christians is what is unbelief. Only unbelief can keep you out of heaven. Only faith can get you in. If one honestly reads all of these accounts with the idea that 'faith' must be 'justified' by works and the 'faith' that saves is Abrahams (Rom 4:11-12), then the truth can be easily understood.
To anyone who would reply to this post I have 2 questions.
- Do you love me?
- What does that look like?
In the love of Christ
Gary
