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Just as false teaching of man have distorted or omitted
the Bible conditions to receive salvation, likewise false
teachings are afloat in an attempt to hinder one from
keeping his experience of salvation.
One of those false teachings is
that one cannot lose his salvation. Granted there are
few scriptures that appear to teach that. For example in
John 10:28-29, Jesus tells of our eternal life and that
we shall never perish nor be plucked out of his hand.
These wonderful promises, are based on the condition of
obedience. As Paul states in Heb 3:14--For we are
partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our
confidence steadfast unto the end.
SOME DID
BACKSLIDE
The Bible constantly warns us
of the possibility of backsliding and tells us of those
who did backslide. We learn in 1 Tim 1:19-20 that
Hymenaus and Alexander backslid. Matt 26:69-75 tells us
Peter denied Christ, cursed and lied-things Christian
cannot do. Luke 22:32--teaches that Peter had a second
conversion following his defection. Acts 1:25 says that
Judas by transgression fell, nor was Judas a devil from
the beginning. In Jn 6:70, Judas is called a devil,
meaning opposer. Then the Bible teaches in 2 Pet 2:20
that the backsliders.....latter and is worse with them
than the beginning. Verse 21 says--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.
BACKSLIDING
FORFEITS SALVATI0N
Some teach that backsliding
does not forfeit one's salvation, but again we stress
that sin separates us from God. Ezek 33:18 is prophecy
of the gospel dispensation and says--When the righteous
turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity,
he shall even die thereby. In the New Testament, James
5:19-20--Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth,
and one convert him; let him know, that he which
converteth the sinner from the error of his day shall
save a soul from death
CHRISTIAN
LIVE HOLY LIVES
To retain everlasting life
requires living free from sin or holiness of life. If we
sin the penalty is death, meaning spiritual death or
separation from God. Just as Adam and Eve who were holy,
died spiritually the day they sinned. Again we emphasize
that when we get saved we are saved from our sins. The
Holy Bible just does not support the theory of sinning
Christians. To get saved we forsook sin and to stay
saved we do not commit sin; for sin separates us from
God. The very mission of Christ was to save us from our
sins (see Matt 1:21) and to make us free from sin, yes
free indeed (Jn 8:36)
RIGHTEOUSNESS
NOT IMPUTED
Right here we would like to
point out that Christians cannot continue to sin and
remain righteous simply because they recognize Christ as
the world's savior, thinking His obedience and
righteousness is imputed to them. The righteousness of
God, which Paul says is imputed to us, covers only the
ground of our "sins that are past", those
committed before we found Christ. From the moment of our
justification we must ourselves live: In holiness and
righteousness before Him, all the days of our life (Luke
1:75)(Rom 3:25)
PAUL AND
JOHN TEACH SINLESS LIVING
Paul says in Rom 6:1-2...Shall
we continue in sin that grace may abound? God
forbid...How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any
longer therein? John teaches sinless living for the
children of God and says in 1 Jn 2:1--My little
children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin
not....
JESUS
COMMANDS TO SIN NO MORE
Jesus himself in John 5:14
commanded the impotent man at the pool in Bethesda,
after He healed him to....sin no more lest a worse thing
come unto thee. He commanded in John 8:11 to...go and
sin no more.
CHRISTIANS
DO NOT SIN
Yes, he who is truly....born of
God sinneth not; but ....Keepeth himself and that wicked
one toucheth him not.(1 Jn 5:18) Then in 1 Jn 3:9
says--Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin
because he is born of God. Verse 8 says He that
committeth sin is of the devil and Rom 6:11 teaches that
Christians are dead indeed unto sin. You cannot be a
Christian and a sinner at the same time. Its either one
or the other but you can't be both.
PREDESTINATION
NOT A BIBLE DOCTRINE
Some are hindered at the start
because of the false teaching that you have no choice;
as your destiny has been predestined by God. Now,
through the foreknowledge of God, He has predestined
certain acts to be done, but these acts did not infringe
on the personal freedom or will of the individual. He
also selected certain ones for specific task, but again
never infringed on their freedom of will. Even Paul
realized he could become a castaway. (see 1 Cor 9:27)
EPh 1:3-4 shows us that the type of life saints should
live has been predestined; but those who would accept or
continue this way of life; surely is not predestined.
That Christians are predestined to conform to the image
of Christ or to be Christ-like is admitted, but again we
will have our freedom of choice as to whether or not to
sin. The false teaching of predestination destroys the
missionary spirit that is Biblically commanded, it
causes some not to seek for salvation in the first
place, and leads to carelessness in holy living to those
who are saved. If one is taught that once saved they are
eternally secure, it tends to destroy the incentive to
resist temptation. Granted, some are looking for an
excuse to sin and of course the predestination teaching
or eternal security teaching takes away their
responsibilities and puts it on God. So those ones, of
course, want to believe those false teachings. We are
exposing the falseness of predestination and eternal
security for those who have been deceived into thinking
they cannot be lost by committing sin thinking they are
eternally secure or have been elected or predestined by
God to eternal life. The term "elect" refers
to saved people, but God does not predestined individual
to get saved or to stay saved. In 2 Pet 1:10 Peter
admonishes the brethren, give diligence to make your
calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye
shall never fall.
more
of eternal security here!!
BIBLE
COMMANDS HOLINESS AND DISOBEDIENT
If we had no choice, there
would be no need for instruction on how we should live
or no need of warning for disobedience. But of course,
the Bible abounds with both instructions on holy living
and warnings for disobedience. Another example of
instruction is found in Tit 2:12--Teaching us that,
denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.
Then Rom 6:23 is another example of warning, for Paul
warns us: The wages of sin is death.. In the two verses
above this one, he tells us the fruit of sin is death,
but being made free from sin the fruit of holiness is
everlasting life.
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