Category: Eternal Security

It is Impossible

On By TimIn Eternal Security, Hebrews 06, Holy Spirit, SalvationLeave a comment

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to be renewed once more to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and subject Him to public shame.

Hebrews 6:4–6 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Do not be deceived, there are those who will tell you that this verse says that a Christian can lose his salvation. It doesn’t say that.

In fact, it says the opposite. A person that once believed cannot fall away. Look at the construction of the sentence.

“those who were once enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come”

There is a list of qualifications given; once enlightened, tastes the heavenly gift, shared the Holy Spirit. That last bit is most important. Those who’ve been given the Holy Spirit clearly understand. He doesn’t just go away. Nor does He leave us. Therefore we cannot leave Him.

If one were to fall away, it is impossible to restore them to fellowship. One cannot again crucify Jesus to themselves, that was done once for all. It cannot be done again.

By trying to do something again, one cannot be restored to fellowship. This is speaking specifically to those who were returning to the working of the law, and sacrifices for sin. The writer is saying there is no other sacrifice available for sin. His is in the greater context leading to this statement.

We are being encouraged of a greater Way, One we can wholly rely upon to maintain fellowship.

That is why the Bible calls the Holy Spirit the seal of guarantee of one’s salvation (Ephesians 1:13.) None of us can order Jesus to do something, nor can we order God to do something, therefore we cannot order the Holy Spirit to leave. We cannot break His power that keeps us. Fellowship can’t be restored to a believer, because it really cannot be lost.

What of those who do leave the faith, calling themselves ex-Christians?

That has also been anticipated by God. He even gave us a way to measure the passing of time by them. Those who claim to have been a part of us, having left… Demonstrate they never were really a part of us.

Little children, it is the last hour. As you have heard that the antichrist will come, even now there are many antichrists. By this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us. But they went out, revealing that none of them were of us.

1 John 2:18–19 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

He even calls those who leave… antichrists.

Whoa!

You Cannot Lose Your Salvation

On By TimIn Daily Walk, Eternal Security, Revelation 03, SalvationLeave a comment

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Revelation 3:5 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This is Jesus making a promise to you as an individual. Amidst epistles He gave to seven separate local churches as a whole, His appeal is to the church as a whole and extends to the individuals in those churches.

The weird thing is no matter how bad these churches’ ‘report cards’ were those attending were not encouraged to leave. That speaks volumes, especially in today’s age. (That is another post.) It is when we encounter odd things we can be sure to find something useful. Those attending the churches were instead instructed to strengthen what remains, to repent, remember and be zealous to do right.

To each individual “who has an ear…” Hear!

Hear the promise He gives to you if you are a believer. It is a His Word that you cannot lose your salvation, that you can trust Him. Remember what God thinks of His Word?

He places it above His name (Psalms 138:2.) Believe Him.

Conversely, this is sometimes taught that that same promise is a warning to you. Your salvation is tenuous and precarious. That if you are not careful, you can lose it. That Jesus will blot out your name from the Book of Life. Is that what is really being said?

No.

When we attempt to rightly divide what is being said in the Bible, it is important to use the whole counsel of Scripture. Pointing to standalone verses, context is often non-existent. These verses are made to support or conform to external ideas. With that in mind, let’s see what can be gleaned here.

We read clearly that Jesus says “he that overcomes.” He is assessing the overcomer. What does He mean?

Let’s look at how John (the human writer of Revelation) explains these remarks. Revelation is the last book of the New Testament, though scholars believe it was written before John’s three epistles. Therefore, his epistles could offer some enlightenment.

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the one born of the Father. By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is born of God overcomes the world, and the victory that overcomes the world is our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:1-5 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

He who overcomes is he who believes… If you believe, that is you. Whoever is born of God overcomes the world. Look at how the sentence is constructed. The one born of God, or better born again, overcomes… It is a continuing process that doesn’t stop. The born of God part has already happened. Overcomes is in the simple present tense. The simple present tense in English is used to convey unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements. Being born again results in unchanging and fixed salvation.

The promise given to you is another iteration of that in 1 John. To you, as the overcomer—Jesus will not blot your name out of the Book of Life and will also confess your name before the Father.

It’s the provision of the Holy Spirit to anticipate the need to provide necessary commentary in a later-penned epistle. This is to ensure that you, as a believer, move beyond the elementary things of the faith.

If you struggle about losing your salvation, don’t. You cannot.