Hebrews : 46 And Losing Ones Salvation
Hebrews 6:4-6 is a passage which has puzzled many people. On the surface, itappears to contradict other teachings in the Bible such as grace andforgiveness. Since the Bible plainly teaches that forgiveness is available toeveryone who asks , we know that there must besomething more to this text. Furthermore, this passage raises questions aboutwhether it is possible to lose ones salvation.
What Is True Salvation
No matter where youre from or what you believe, everyone understands the concept that birth ushers in new life. Thats why Jesus used the metaphor of birth, in John 3, to describe true salvation. We can learn a lot about what true salvation isand what its notby examining Jesuss short encounter with Nicodemus in this chapter.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee, which meant he knew God, professed love for God, and strived to live a devout life . Like the other Pharisees, he obeyed Gods laws to the letterand to a fault . Being a respected leader of his time, Nicodemus was heavily involved in religious teaching and activity . He also made a simple profession of faith in Jesus by announcing, Rabbi, we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you .
But seeing his heart, Jesus couldnt allow Nicodemus to continue to believe the lie that his piety, obedience, religious workor even Nicodemuss off-handed profession of faith could ever merit true salvation. Jesus replied, Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again .
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God .
Specific Sins That Could Keep You Out Of Heaven
If some of the above verses are possibly implying that you can lose your salvation then what are some of the specific sins that could cause you to lose your salvation? These next two verses will give you some of those specific sins.
Are these next two verses talking about Christians or nonbelievers? If you match these two verses up with the ones listed above, then I believe that some of these sins, if being committed by Christians on a regular and frequent basis, could get them into major trouble with the Lord and possibly be endangering their salvation with Him. Here they are:
- Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
- Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Notice the sin of adultery is specifically mentioned in both verses. Does this mean any Christian who regularly cheats on their spouse may be in danger of losing their salvation?
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What Is The One Sin That Will Keep You Out Of Heaven
Galatians 5:21 says, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. This final grouping are those sins that have a direct and negative impact on those around us.
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The Holy Bible, New International Version
Article by Jack Wellman
Jack Wellman is a father and grandfather and a Christian author and pastor of Heritage Evangelical Free Church in Udall, KS & also a Prison Minister. He did his graduate work at Moody Theological Seminary. His books are include: Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children, Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?, “The Great Omission Reaching the Lost for Christ,” and Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible.”
Jack has written 1168 articles on What Christians Want To Know! Read them in the archive below.
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- Jack WellmanMay 18, 2013 at 9:59 pm
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I see what you mean by following the Holy Spirit. That makes good sense. And yes, if you had conviction, that is a sure sign of the Holy Spirit working in you but truly, I dont think these doubts are a problem because they hit all of us from time to time.
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Third Gods Eternal Will That Initiated Our Salvation Will Never Change
According to His will, God initiated our salvation in eternity past. Ephesians 1:4-5 tells us that before we were born or had a chance to do anything good or bad, God already chose us and predestinated us,
Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love, predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
God chose us in eternity past and our believing in Christ was based on His irrevocable calling. God has called us that we might be saved and He will not take His calling back. Romans 11:29 says, For the gracious gifts and the are irrevocable.
At times, we may backslide in unfaithfulness, offend God by our sins, and temporarily lose our fellowship with Him. However, Gods plan for us will never change. Since it was His eternal will to choose us, predestinate us and call us, our salvation is secured.
G Does A Person Have To Speak In Tongues To Be Saved
The apostle Paul classified speaking in tongues as just one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit ” rel=”nofollow”> 1 Corinthians 12:6-11, ). Paul was thankful for his own gift of speaking in tongues ” rel=”nofollow”> 1 Corinthians 14:18-19). But Paul told his churches that it was better practiced in private than in church, unless someone could interpret the ecstatic speech ” rel=”nofollow”> 1 Corinthians 14:23, ). The gift of speaking in tongues was less important than the gifts of prophecy ” rel=”nofollow”> 1 Corinthians 14:2-5) and love ” rel=”nofollow”> 1 Corinthians 13:1). Nothing in the Bible says speaking in tongues is necessary for salvation.
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The Bible Is A Sacred Book
The doctrine of once saved, always saved teaches that it is not possible for a child of God to sin in such a way that he will be lost. Concerning the Christians in Asia Minor, Peter wrote Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time .
Contents
Final Note Regarding The Comments
This post has generated some theological controversy. While comments arewelcome, please remember that if you make a theological argument withoutsupporting it from the Bible, you really havent made much of an argument youve only stated an unsubstantiated opinion. Please support each majortheological point you make with scripture. If you dont, I reserve the right toedit or delete your post.
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F What About Apostasy Can Back Sliders And People Who Have Fallen Away From Faith Ever Be Saved
In their original context, these were warnings, in the strongest possible terms, to the first century Christians not to abandon their new faith because of persecution or false teachings. Thus, the authors may have used some hyperbole to emphasize the point.
If these verses really mean that a person who has fallen away has no chance to repent, that would seem to contradict many other New Testament teachings about God’s mercy and constant willingness to forgive. These verses are probably notdirected at people who have doubts or who lose their faith and come back later. It is the person who deliberately, permanently and hard-heartedly rejects faith who will never repent, and thus can never be forgiven.
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The Truth Of The Matter
All of the scriptures listed above reinforces the fact that you can lose your salvation. We must leave our sinful lifestyle in the past and continue in the ways of the Lord until the end. Otherwise, we cannot expect to be saved. While it may not be pleasing to the ears this is simply the truth as laid out in the Bible.
Please see that this article is not meant to condemn anyone for their beliefs. We simply feel as though it is necessary to share the truth of the Gospel with everyone. To hold back the truth in order to protect someones feelings only causes more harm than good. Softening the truth leads the lost to believe they will receive salvation when in reality they are still headed toward the same destruction.
We hope this article has helped to shed some light on this very important issue. If you have any questions about anything you have read please feel free to email us at . Help us out by sharing this article with others so they too can see the truth of the Gospel. Thanks and God Bless!
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Becoming Entangled Again In The Pollutions Of The World
Here is another verse that matches up with the verse mentioned above. It talks about, after having already received the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the dangers of returning back again to the pollutions of the world from which we have just come out of. Here it is:
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse than the beginning.
For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to his own vomit, and, a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.
Again, I believe this verse is specifically talking about Christians when it talks about escaping the pollutions of this world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
You cannot have true knowledge about Jesus unless you have become saved and born again by accepting Him as your personal Lord and Savior.
Notice this verse specifically states that it would be much worse for you to have become saved and then turn back to your old sinful ways into the pollutions of this world than to never have become saved in the first place.
The key phrase in this verse is the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
Having Your Name Blotted Out From The Book Of Life
I will leave with you with one very scary intense verse from the Bible. This verse is coming direct from Jesus Himself from the Book of Revelation.
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not BLOT OUT his name from the Book of Life but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
The Book of Life is a Book that has every single saved and born-again believer recorded in it. Once you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, your name is then written and recorded in this Book.
But notice what Jesus says in reference to this specific Book. He specifically says that he who overcomes will not have his name blotted out from this Book.
The word blot means to rub or wipe out, to erase or get rid of.
The fact that Jesus is telling us that our names can literally be blotted out from this Book is just more proof that we can possibly lose our salvation with Him. If your name could not be blotted out from this Book, then Jesus would have never made this specific statement in the first place.
But since He did, I believe this is another powerful Scripture verse that is showing us that we can lose our salvation in Him.
Also notice the specific word that Jesus is using to tie in this possibility the word overcomes.
What is it that Jesus wants us to overcome?
There is no other indication in this verse, or any other verses in the Bible, that this blotting out of your name can be reversed or rescinded.
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So What Was Paul Teaching In 1 Corinthians : 27
First Corinthians 9:27 is sometimes quoted to show that not even Paul was certain that he would go to heaven when he died. Paul writes that he keeps close watch over his body so that he does not end up disqualified .
I remember listening to a sermon not long ago in which the pastor said that if even the Apostle Paul could not know for sure that he had eternal life, it was the height of arrogance to believe that we had it. All we can do, this pastor taught, was try our hardest and hope that when we stood before God, we discovered that we had done enough.
Thankfully, that hopeless message is not what Paul is teaching at all.
In context, Paul compares his ministry to that of a runner who seeks to obtain a prize. The prize that people compete for in a game is a perishable crown, but we seek an imperishable crown. Toward this end, Paul runs with certainty, not with uncertainty .
In the following context, Paul gives the example of people who were disqualified. He writes about some of the Israelites who had all the same blessings and benefits as everyone else, but who died in the wilderness .
The point in the entire context is not about receiving eternal life or going to heaven when Paul dies, but is instead about being faithful and useful to God in what God wants to accomplish in Pauls life. The prize is not eternal life, for eternal life is a free gift of God.
So Paul is not concerned with losing his eternal life, but is very much concerned with being disqualified for ministry.
What Does The Bible Say About Losing Salvation
Dear YouTube person,
I appreciate how you boldly share the Good News of salvation through the finished work of Jesus Christ. We are saved by grace through faith, the gift of God, not of our own works, but for His good works. Keep up the good work!
However, I believe the Bible clearly teaches that salvation can be lost. Please keep reading to the end of the post. The Scriptures I cite are representative, not comprehensive.
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God Is The Judge Of The Soul And He Already Gave You His Verdict
Romans 8:3133 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that justifieth.
The Positive Effect Of Knowing We Cant Lose Our Salvation
God forgave us and washed us from our sins when we first believed in Jesus Christ and accepted Him as our Savior. At that time, we were also born again in our spirit with the divine life, and Christ came to live in us.
Now that Christ lives in us, He wants us to go on from being saved to knowing Him personally and experiencing Him subjectively. He wants us to enjoy Him and grow in Him. He wants to be our life so we can express Him in our living.
If we know were saved eternally, we can go on with an unburdened heart to build on this solid foundation, unhindered by the erroneous and damaging thought that we could lose our salvation. If we didnt know this important truth, we could miss out on all thats before us in the Christian life.
Of course, the Lord doesnt want us to sin, and we grieve Him when we do. Even we ourselves dont want to sin, and we feel guilty when we do. But when our conscience makes us aware weve offended the Lord, were not left hopeless and helpless. We can and should simply confess our sin to the Lord so He can forgive us and cleanse us from that sin.
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