SALVATION LOST? YES! BY STEVE FINNELL
Can a Christian ever lose their salvation? The position of those who believe in the doctrine of Eternal Security; is that the conduct of a Christian cannot cause them to be lost. They believe the mere fact they were once saved guarantees them eternity in heaven.
THE CONDUCT OF CHRISTIANS CAN CAUSE THEM TO BE LOST.
Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS."
The first line of defense for the Calvinist is to say they were not saved to begin with; because Jesus said "I never knew you." The problem with that position is they were casting out demons. Jesus made it quite clear that Satan does not cast out demons (Mark 3:22-27....23?...."How can Satan cast out Satan?.......). If they were not casting out demons through the power of the Holy Spirit, then how were they casting them out. They were in fact Christians and they were lost.
Jesus was not saying they were never saved to begin with. These Christians had a personal conduct problem. They were practicing lawlessness. Their lifestyle was sinful. Conduct does matter.
1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
CONDUCT DOES MATTER!
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, out bursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.(Also see: Ephesians 5:3-5 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
The apostle Paul was warning Christians that if their lifestyle was a practice of lawlessness [sin] they would not inherit the kingdom of God. In Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:3-5, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Paul was talking to Christians.
CONDUCT OF CHRISTIANS DOES MATTER!
John 15:6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
Was Jesus giving an example of eternal security? No. CONDUCT DOES MATTER.
Galatians 5:4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Paul was taking to Jewish Christians. He makes it clear that if they were seeking justification through law keeping that they had fallen from grace. You cannot fall from grace if you were never under grace. They were not once saved always saved.
CONDUCT DOES MATTER.
SALVATION CAN BE LOST!
Dear Steve,
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't mind me posting this comment on to your messaging board, but may I offer an alternative interpretation to your quote of Matthew 7:21-23, no doubt, a cause of debate over many decades?
Those standing outside defended themselves by using three issues to justify themselves. They are:
1. They prophesied in Jesus name.
2. They cast out demons in Jesus name.
3. In his name done many wonderful works.
Our issue lies with #2. Jesus says to them that he NEVER knew them. This makes a big difference on their judgement. Either you know someone, or you once knew someone, or he is a complete stranger, never having known him. If you fall out with someone you knew for a while (eg a work colleague or fellow church member) then to tell him you never knew him would amount to a lie, because you did know him, and you still do.
Those standing there were shocked to the core over their refusal of entry. Any psychologist would tell you that one instant reaction to panic is to exaggerate, and it's most likely that is what they were doing, and Jesus knew this. This goes to show how realistic and down-to-earth the Bible really is in its application to day-to-day living.
Then there is evidence elsewhere in Scripture that demons do "play ball" with the unbeliever to heighten his deception. The case of the seven sons of Sceva, for example, were successful in driving out demons (Acts 19:13-16) until a particular strong one refused to go along with the flow, thus exposing their phoniness. Indeed, Satan may not drive out Satan to his own detriment, but he and his cohorts will go for anything to promote deception to build on his kingdom and to protect it. The sons of Sceva were proof that none of them had the Holy Spirit within, or else that strong one wouldn't have gone for them in the way he did.
The final matter is to do with the whole story. Why were they refused admission in the first place? Their own pleading to justify themselves is the reason why. They had trusted in themselves like those seven sons did, and held on to the false hope that they can justify themselves and work their own way into Heaven. It is the road to destruction already walked upon by a great many.
The truth is, God will give eternal life to everyone who trusts Jesus to save them, without any works or merit. If fact, it is totally impossible to merit anything from God, for the simple reason that we are tainted with sin both before and after receiving salvation.
In Jesus' Name, yours,
Frank E. Blasi