Eternal Security - Can a True Believer Loose Salvation?

[Whrose]

  AMEN!

[Barry]

Thank you, Caretaker. You're explanations are always welcome.

Why was Paul always mindful that he ran the race well and fought the good fight. If salvation was the only issue, he could have 'coasted' home. Paul wanted to do his Lord's work and receive his reward.

[ServantStrike]

Thank you, Caretaker. You're explanations are always welcome.

Why was Paul always mindful that he ran the race well and fought the good fight. If salvation was the only issue, he could have 'coasted' home. Paul wanted to do his Lord's work and receive his reward.

+1. That explanation really helped clear it up for me.

The other thing I think is that as believers, if we let Christ work in us, we aren't going to want to coast, we are going to want to do more. There is no greater feeling than knowing one is doing The Lord's work. Neglecting duties and/or cowering in the corner doesn't feel right (and it isn't).

[Caretaker]

Thank you, Caretaker. You're explanations are always welcome.

Why was Paul always mindful that he ran the race well and fought the good fight. If salvation was the only issue, he could have 'coasted' home. Paul wanted to do his Lord's work and receive his reward.

+1. That explanation really helped clear it up for me.

The other thing I think is that as believers, if we let Christ work in us, we aren't going to want to coast, we are going to want to do more. There is no greater feeling than knowing one is doing The Lord's work. Neglecting duties and/or cowering in the corner doesn't feel right (and it isn't).

God bless you;

After we come to Christ, and He is truly in our hearts, then we will experience the sanctification process,(which is a lifelong process while we sojourn away from our true Home in Glory), and this is the fruit of the Spirit production which will become more and more evident in our life. This is as we are being more and more conformed to His image.

Won't it be sad when some who spent their whole lives in a pew, lifelong members of a local church, hear those horrendous words, "Depart from me, I never knew you"?

Matt. 7:
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

[ServantStrike]

God bless you;

After we come to Christ, and He is truly in our hearts, then we will experience the sanctification process,(which is a lifelong process while we sojourn away from our true Home in Glory), and this is the fruit of the Spirit production which will become more and more evident in our life. This is as we are being more and more conformed to His image.

Won't it be sad when some who spent their whole lives in a pew, lifelong members of a local church, hear those horrendous words, "Depart from me, I never knew you"?

Matt. 7:
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

God bless you as well. God bless all of you  .

I agree, it's pretty sad that there are so many supposed "Christians" who have gone to church every Sunday for most of their lives and yet don't know Jesus, while at the same time there are even those outside the church who really do know Him. It's maddening.

I think a lot of people feel that since they spent time in the pew that God owes them one, but that's not how it works. I don't know what one can do for those people except pray for them though.

[WaitQuickly]

Another topic that compliments this is http://www.worldofprophec...dex.php/topic,7358.0.html

[Mikey]

I will add to this post my view and share with you a devotional I did some time ago entitled “Assurance of Salvation” which is applicable to this very subject of, “Eternal Security: Can a True Believe Lose Salvation.”  The very words of Jesus in John 10:28, 29 succinctly tell us, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”
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In your Christian experience, assurance that you are saved by faith in Jesus Christ is essential to the whole program of growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Thus, assurance of one’s salvation depends upon three aspect of their experience such as (1) understanding of the completeness of the salvation provided by Jesus Christ; (2) the confirming testimony of your Christian experience; and, (3) acceptance by faith of the Biblical promises of salvation. May I add these are God’s promises and because they are the promises from God, you can cling to them with the utmost assurance that what He says will most certainly be accomplished.  He has all the power, might, and wisdom in the universe at His disposal, and He will never have to make an excuse for failing to fulfill what He has promised. Thus, as it is written in the Scriptures, He has promised each one who has truly accepted His Son, Jesus Christ as Savior, they have eternal life.  To begin I will put forward some questions that people may ask, such as:

( 1 ) Do you possess the assurance of salvation?
( 2 ) Does that assurance grow to be a firm foundation for your entire life?
( 3 ) If you don't have the assurance of personal salvation in Jesus Christ, why not?
( 4 ) Is it because, as a child of God, you are slothful?
( 5 ) Have you fallen into an inconsistent, sinful walk of life?

( 6 ) Can you testify today to your own heart's satisfaction of the safety of your soul now and forever in Jesus Christ?

( 7 ) Are you assured of pardon?
( 8 ) Are you assured that you are one of His?

Do you ask yourself these questions? Can Christians lose their salvation? Can I be sure that I’m really saved? Most Christians have had moments of doubt regarding their salvation. After all, we have all entertained thoughts and have committed acts that we knew were displeasing to God. We’ve all experienced that sense of remorse and sometimes questioned the reality of our salvation afterwards. Backsliding can no doubt cause such feelings to arise, and should hopefully move us to repentance 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.
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The basis for our assurance is believing the truth about Jesus Christ (I John 2:2, 4; 2:15; 5:1), loving the brethren (I John 3:14, 18, 19, 4:7-8), and obeying Christ's commandments (I John 2:3-5). Assurance one is saved by faith in Christ is essential to their personal walk, service, and growth in Christ. This assurance is a matter of personal experience, relates to personal confidence, and depends upon the understanding that:

(1) When it comes to the issue of eternal security, the Bible makes it absolutely clear that those who have been saved will never be lost. Jesus emphatically pointed this out in the Gospel of John when, in reference to believers Jesus said, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand” - John 10:28-29. In this passage, Christ explicitly declared that no one who has received eternal life would ever lose it. Thus, the completeness of our salvation is provided for in Jesus Christ. Furthermore, in such passages as 2 Corinthians 1:22, “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” and Ephesians 1:13, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise”. The apostle Paul indicated that the Holy Spirit acts as the very seal of God’s ownership of the believer; He serves as the guarantee of our inheritance to come – namely, eternal life *(John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I saw unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life”; 1 John 5:13). In describing our inheritance, the apostle Peter used some very powerful words – words like “imperishable,” “undefiled,” and “unfading” * 1 Peter 1:5, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time”). With these words, He underscored the everlasting assurance believers have with respect to God’s gift of salvation.
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(2) The confirming testimony of our personal experience. Our testimony of a new life in Christ is confirmed by a knowledge God is our Heavenly Father. Prayer that leads to assurance. Our ability to understand Scripture. A sense of the sinfulness of sin. A new love is realized for the unsaved. A new love is experienced for the saved. The manifestation of Christ’s “Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance”, which represents a flood tide of reality on the plane of the limitless character of God. These combined experiences of the believer’s life bring a consciousness of salvation through faith in Christ.

(3) Acceptance by faith of the Biblical promises of salvation. Confidence the Bible is true and its promises of salvation will be fulfilled is essential to assurance of salvation. 1 John 5:13 assures us that assurance is given to every believer, carnal and spiritual alike, that they may know they have eternal life. This assurance is made to rest, not on a changeable experience, but upon those things written in the unchangeable Word of God (Psalm 119:89,160, “Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever”; Matthew 5:18; 24:35, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away”; 1 Peter 1:23, 25, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you”
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We must have a clear understanding of what was accomplished by Jesus Christ in His death at Calvary. Salvation is not a work of man for God, but a work of God for man and depends completely upon divine grace without respect to any human merit. Understanding that Christ died for us and provided a totally complete salvation, which is offered to anyone who sincerely believes in Christ, can have assurance of his or her salvation. We must also understand that salvation is a gift, which cannot be earned or obtained by human effort. It cannot be deserved, and is available as a gift from God to all who believe on Jesus Christ (John 10:28), Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”). It is from Christ (John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”), and is Christ indwelling the believer in the sense that eternal life is inseparable from Him (Colossians 1:27; 1 John 5:11, 12, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life”). Therefore, it is as eternal as He is eternal. Thus, the proper basis for assurance of salvation is provided, and the question resolves itself into the issue of whether one has really trusted in Jesus Christ.
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Further thoughts:

Doubting whether one has really committed to faith in Jesus Christ and the promises of God is very destructive to the believer, and doubting the faithfulness of God is fatal to any true experience of assurance. Some lack assurance of their own salvation because they are not sure God has actually received them and saved them. Looking for a change in their feelings rather than looking to the faithfulness of Christ usually causes this state of mind. Feelings and experiences have their place; however, the final evidence of personal salvation, which is unchanged by these, is the truthfulness and promises of God. What He has said, He will do, and it’s not pious or commendable for a person to distrust their salvation after having definitely accepted Jesus Christ. Our assurance depends upon understanding the nature of God’s complete salvation for those who have, Jesus Christ as their Savior. It’s most essential that a person realize that assurance of salvation depends upon the certainty of the promises of God and the certainty that the individual has committed by faith to Jesus Christ in keeping with these promises. Thus, if you have made this commitment and trusted Christ as your Savior, you can most assuredly rely upon the faithfulness of God, who cannot lie, to keep His promises, and to save you by His divine power and grace.