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I was 13 years old when I was saved and let’s just say that was a long time ago. I say that I was saved at least. For many years I wasn’t sure. I talked to other Christians and pastors who all told me basically the same thing ‘if you believe in Jesus and asked Him in to your heart, then you are saved’. That would appease me for a while but the same nagging question would always return. Why did it keep returning? Because I didn’t feel any different. Surely after such a momentous occasion as receiving eternal salvation, I would somehow feel or actually be different, right? I would read the book of James or the book of Hebrews and squirm in my seat because they made me feel like I was missing something. I managed to always find a way to side step the question by telling myself that the church doesn’t teach these books…they only teach grace, love and salvation. These books probably don’t matter. I rationalized with similar thinking that other books in the New Testament and most of the Old Testament don’t matter as well. Only grace, love and salvation matters. We only need faith in order to receive grace, love and salvation…easy, right?
What does the Bible actually say on receiving salvation?
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1 (NKJV)
knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. Galatians 2:16 (NKJVS)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJVS)
Ok. I guess that is clear enough. Faith alone in Jesus is what brings salvation. Decades ago I read these verses and still felt something was missing. I believed in Jesus and who He was and what He did and I asked Him in to my heart but nagging question about my own salvation kept recurring. What’s the problem?
It turns out that the last verse I reference above, Ephesians 2:8-9, has an important sentence right after it that I found many years later to be very important. Look at verse 10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (NKJVS).
Ok…now I’m really confused because verse 9 tells me that works can’t get me salvation. Verse 10 tells me that I’m created for good works prepared for me in advance. Which is it…faith or works? The book of James, one of the least taught books in the Bible, answers this question. Pay close attention because James is usually unclear and can be very hard to understand.
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “ Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:14-17 (NKJVS)
You can see I was kidding about the clarity of James. Faith without works is dead. The saving faith in Jesus I thought I had was dead without works that testify to that faith! It doesn’t get any clearer than this. Faith and works go hand in hand. Jesus has something to say on this as well in His letter to the church of Sardis.
1 “ And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, “ These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars:‘I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Revelation 3:1-2 (NKJVS)
Jesus continues on with the church in Sardis.
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. Revelation 3:5 (NKJVS)
Ive studied Jesus letters to the 7 churches where He commends and rebukes each church for various things. The first thing Jesus commends, in every instance where applicable, is the churches works. If not applicable, the very first thing He rebukes is the churches lack of works. in the case of Sardis, Jesus warns that those who don’t overcome may have their name blotted out of the Book of Life. Did I read that right? Is this saying that a person can lose salvation? I will save this discussion for another time.
Believe it or not, I always found ways to interpret my way around verses like these. I just could not accept that I might not be saved. Looking back, I think I was not saved for most of my ‘saved’ life!
Praise be to God Almighty though who relentlessly chased me down like the hound of heaven. I couldn’t shake Him and one day He caught me about five years ago and shook me out of my slumber and brought me to Him. I look at the above verses in a different light now. They tell me that the saving faith in Jesus does not exist unless works testify to this faith. I look at all the verses in the Bible that make squirm mightily. These are the verses in need that help me grow. So what do these works look like? Does Jesus have anything to say on this?
Jesus answered and said to him, “ If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. John 14:23-24 (NKJVS)
Earlier in the chapter Jesus tells us that those who love Him keep His commandments. So part of the good works God has for us is to obey His commandments. By the way, His commandments are in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament as Jesus tells us not one jot or tittle of the Law and Prophets will pass until heaven and earth have passed. Study your Old Testament. I don’t care if your church says to ignore it. This is really the starting point. We become a son of God by obeying our Father. This is the first of our good works and we can’t do it on our own power and will stumble many times. This is not earning our way in to God’s favor but is allowing the indwelling Holy Spirit to work transformation in us by surrendering to Him and allowing Him to lead us through His good works which He has already prepared for us. These specific works will look different for each one of us but there will be a common thread…they will allow us to exhibit the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self- control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJVS)
My friends, the works illustrated above can only be done if we have saving faith in Jesus. They manifest when He lives in us and we surrender to Him to allow Him to transform us. What happens if we don’t exhibit good works? James makes it pretty clear that faith without works is dead. If we don’t see works that testify to faith and a transformed life then we should be seriously seeking God’s face in humility on bent knees everyday until He answers. It is possible that your saving faith in Jesus is dead.
Blessings
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We are saved by Grace alone, by Faith alone, in Christ alone. This fact will change your life and it may not be noticeable at first to those around, but as we are growing in Sanctification we will have a change and God will not let us stagnate. I am a firm believer that once someone is saved that Grace is sufficient to keep us in Christ. In other words, Eternal security.
Praying a prayer once will not save you, it is saving faith in Christ that will and the subsequent change that comes to one that is truly born again.
While it is certainly true that we are saved by grace alone, our faith is not so certain as over the course of time faith can waiver and we can even fall away. There are several passages in Scripture that warn against falling away. Logic dictates that one cannot fall away unless a person had true faith to begin with as one cannot fall away from something that he/she was never a part of to begin with. Moreover Paul clearly warns the believers in Rome: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if you by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” Rom 8:13. Paul refers to spiritual death here, not physical death because we know that everyone dies physically irrespective of how we lives our lives. Therefore eternal security is conditional – not unconditional.
Question: “If our salvation is eternally secure, why does the Bible warn so strongly against apostasy?”
Answer:The Bible teaches that everyone who is born again by the power of the Holy Spirit is saved forever. We receive the gift of eternal life (John 10:28), not temporary life. Someone who is born again (John 3:3) cannot be “unborn.” After being adopted into God’s family (Romans 8:15), we will not be kicked out. When God starts a work, He finishes it (Philippians 1:6). So, the child of God—the believer in Jesus Christ—is eternally secure in his salvation.
However, the Bible also contains some strong warnings against apostasy. These warnings have led some to doubt the doctrine of eternal security. After all, if we cannot lose our salvation, why are we warned against falling away from the Lord? This is a good question. First, we must understand what is meant by “apostasy.”
An apostate is someone who abandons his religious faith. It is clear from the Bible that apostates are people who madeprofessionsof faith in Jesus Christ but never genuinely received Him as Savior. They were pretend believers. Those who turn away from Christ never really trusted Him to begin with, as1 John 2:19says, “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” Those who apostatize are simply demonstrating that they are not true believers, and they never were.
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:24–30) provides a simple illustration of apostasy. In the same field were growing wheat and “false wheat” (tares or weeds). At first, the difference between the two types of plants was undetectable, but as time went on, the weeds were seen for what they were. In the same way, in any given church today, there may be true, born-again believers side by side with pretenders—those who enjoy the messages, the music, and the fellowship but have never repented of their sins and accepted Christ by faith. To any human observer, the true believer and the pretender look identical. Only God can see the heart.Matthew 13:1–9(the Parable of the Sower) is another illustration of apostasy in action.
The Bible’s warnings against apostasy exist because there are two types of religious people: believers and unbelievers. In any church there are those who truly know Christ and those who are going through the motions. Wearing the label “Christian” does not guarantee a change of heart. It is possible to hear the Word, and even agree with its truth, without taking it to heart. It is possible to attend church, serve in a ministry, and call yourself a Christian—and still be unsaved (Matthew 7:21–23). As the prophet said, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13; cf.Mark 7:6).
God warns the pretender who sits in the pew and hears the gospel Sunday after Sunday that he is playing with fire. Eventually, a pretender will apostatize—he will “fall away” from the faith he once professed—if he does not repent. Like the tares among the wheat, his true nature will be manifest.
The passages warning against apostasy serve two primary purposes. First, they exhort everyone to besureof their salvation. One’s eternal destiny is not a trifling matter. Paul tells us in2 Corinthians 13:5to examine ourselves to see whether we are “in the faith.”
One test of true faith is love for others (1 John 4:7–8). Another is good works. Anyone can claim to be a Christian, but those who are truly saved will bear “fruit.” A true Christian will show, through words, actions, and doctrine, that he follows the Lord. Christians bear fruit in varying degrees based on their level of obedience and their spiritual gifts, but all Christians bear fruit as the Spirit produces it in them (Galatians 5:22–23). Just as true followers of Jesus Christ will be able to see evidence of their salvation (see1 John 4:13), apostates will eventually be made known by their fruit (Matthew 7:16–20) or lack thereof (John 15:2).
The second purpose for the Bible’s warnings against apostasy is to equip the church to identify apostates. They can be known by their rejection of Christ, acceptance of heresy, and carnal nature (2 Peter 2:1–3).
The biblical warnings against apostasy, therefore, are warnings to those who are under the umbrella of “faith” without ever having truly exercised faith. Scriptures such asHebrews 6:4–6andHebrews 10:26–29are warnings to “pretend” believers that they need to examine themselves before it’s too late. If they are considering apostatizing, they are not truly saved.Matthew 7:22–23indicates that “pretend believers” whom the Lord rejects on Judgment Day are rejected not because they “lost faith” but because the Lord never knew them. They never had a relationship with Him.
There are many people who love religion for religion’s sake and are willing to identify themselves with Jesus and the church. Who wouldn’t want eternal life and blessing? However, Jesus warns us to “count the cost” of discipleship (Luke 9:23–26;14:25–33). True believers have counted the cost and made the commitment; apostates fail to do so. Apostates had aprofessionof faith at one time but not thepossessionof faith. Their mouths spoke something other than what their hearts believed. Apostasy is not loss of salvation but evidence of past pretension.
Recommended Resources:Eternal Security by Charles StanleyandLogos Bible Software.
Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/apostasy-salvation.html#ixzz31Rti60uM
I believe Charles Stanley teaches falsely concerning the doctrine of eternal security. With all due respect you begin with a false premise (believers are eternally secure) which leads you to form a false conclusion – that apostates are “pretend believers.” It is impossible for “pretend believers” to apostasize as they never really believed in the first place. One must ask how can someone no longer believe when they never believed to begin with? Since an apostate relative to Christianity is a departure from the faith, one cannot apostasize from the faith unless someone was genuinely saved to begin with. Thus only believers have the possibility of becoming apostate. That is why numerous warnings are given in the NT directed at believers to guard themselves against falling away. It is logically impossible for these warnings to be directed at unbelievers.
That is why as an example, I cited Rom 8:12-13: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an
obligation-but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For IF you live according to the flesh, YOU WILL DIE; but IF by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, YOU WILL LIVE.” These verses describes the potential death of born-again believers, referred to as the brethren in v. 12. If this death were not a real possibility, the warning would be nonsensical. We also know that this warning pertains to spiritual death – not physical death – because everyone dies physically irrespective of how we live our lives. Moreover, one must have spiritual life in order to be in danger of spiritual death. You cannot threaten a spiritually dead person with spiritual death. Such a person is already dead. Therefore, it must be concluded that these are regenerate brethren who are being warned of dying. Also note that these verse are conditional – not unconditional – as indicated by the word “if.” Those believers who walk according to the flesh will die. Those believers who walk according to the Spirit will live. You would somehow have to explain away this verse in order to hold on to your view.
One of the scriptures you offered for support of eternal security is Rom 8:15. Since it is in the context of the verses I cited above, lets examine this verse since we know that the scriptures can’t contradict each other. Verse 15 states that we are adopted (true); verse 16 states we are children (true); verse 17 states we are fellow heirs (true); BUT the last clause in vs 17 also states “PROVIDED WE SUFFER with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Therefore these verses describe our salvation or glorification as being conditional – not unconditional. Salvation is received by us provided that we suffer for Christ, provided that we suffer obedience when tempted, provided that we suffer perseverance when persecuted, etc. If we fail to meet this condition then we have no assurance of salvation.
Lastly if you still believe that a believer is always secure in their salvation and cannot fall away or never again come under God’s judgment, then consider the plain meaning of 1 Tim 3:6 – “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.” It is obvious that this verse refers to a true believer because of the word “convert.” We know that Satan fell away (apostatized) from God because of his pride and became separated from God; remaining under His wrath. In the same way this verse warns Timothy to not select a new believer to become an overseer of the church, lest the new believer become prideful and thus receive the same judgment as the devil.
Agreed…”And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,” Heb 5:9. No assurance is given to those who do not obey.
If I could save myself by my works then Christ died needlessly. I believe saving faith produces works. God perhaps does not allow us to see the results of our works or make us aware that he utilizing us as an instrument of his will less we might boast in our works