XXI: SALVATIONCan Christians Lose Their Salvation?

You might turn in your Bible to Matthew 13 and re-read

The Parable of the Sower.

I make reference to this parable without reproducing the text.

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Presentation Array’s Table of Contents

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BASELINE: MATTHEW 13 PARABLE OF THE SOWER

Roadside seed devoured immediately

Rocky ground seed sprung up and then died.

Thorny ground seed grew up but got choked out.

Good soil seed thrived and produced much fruit.

Much seed LOOKS like its growing until trouble starts–then some seed’s

HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT reveals itself and ends the process of growth.

BASELINE: EPHESIANS 1:3+4CHOSEN BY GOD FOR SALVATION

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us . . . . just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ . . .

BASELINE: EPHESIANS 1:3+4CHOSEN BY GOD FOR SALVATION

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us . . . . just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ . . .

Suggestion for consideration:God predestined–elected/chose– those whose

salvation He subsequently secures for all eternity. The fourth class of seeds in Matthew 13 cannot fail

because it was destined for “good” soil: people chosen ‘in Him before the foundation of the world . . .’

SUPPORT FOR SOME MEASURE OF PREDESTINATION:

MARK 13:22–THE MEANING OF “IF”

. . . for false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show signs and wonders, in order, IF POSSIBLE, to lead the elect astray.

The implication and force of the phrase

“IF POSSIBLE” leads us to understand

that the God’s elect, while hard-pressed,

cannot stray!!

MORE SUPPORT: PHILIPPIANS 1:6GOD DOES NOT FAIL!!!

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

FOR THE ELECT, with holy seed growing in

their good soil, God FINISHES WHAT HE STARTS!!!

Those seeming ‘believers’ whose stoney, carnal spirits give the gospel no root soon lose interest in what semblance of salvation they’ve embraced.

Those seeming ‘believers‘ who nurture weeds of strong worldly attachment: they see those weeds choke out what semblance of salvation they’ve experienced.

Those believers predestined for salvation, the elect, cannot lose their salvation for it thrives in ‘soil’ made good by God and kept pure by the believer.

SUGGESTIONS FOR CLASS’S DISCUSSION:

THE REAL QUESTION ABOUT ONE’S SALVATION MIGHT RUN

ALONG THESE LINES:

AM I GOOD SOILFOR A SECURE SALVATION?

And how can I know?

BEWARE OF TWO EXTREMES:

Two Easy Answers To Avoid At All Costs

And how do I know

if I’m ‘good soil’?

AN EXAMPLE OF EXTREME 1: THE “SILVER BULLET” CURE

FOR UNCERTAINTY

Speak in tongues

Worship on Saturday

Keep ALL the ten commandments

Use the King James Bible exclusively

Get baptized by the right way and

Memorize scripture

You’re only saved if

1) you listen to the leader

AND 2) if you. . .

AN EXAMPLE OF EXTREME 1: THE “SILVER BULLET” CURE

FOR UNCERTAINTY

Speak in tongues

Worship on Saturday

Keep ALL the ten commandments

Use the King James Bible exclusively

Get baptized by immersion

Memorize scripture

You’re only saved if

1) you listen to the leader

AND 2) if you. . .

. . . or meet some other set

of behavioral indicators

that satisfy some self-anointed spiritual leader’s

chosen metrics for sizing

you up, spinning you

around and keeping you

under control.

AN EXAMPLE OF EXTREME 2: THE “WHAT-ME-WORRY” CURE

FOR UNCERTAINTY

Jesus loves you-just the way you are!Jesus forgives! Just ask!Obey what command-ments? All we need to do is love one another! You’re no worse than Smith, over there, and he’s an elder!You come to church regularly, don’t you?

C’mon, worry

is a sin! Listen:

AN EXAMPLE OF EXTREME 2: THE “WHAT-ME-WORRY” CURE

FOR UNCERTAINTY

Jesus loves you-just the way you are!Jesus forgives! Just ask!Obey what command-ments? All we need to do is love one another! You’re no worse than Smith, over there, and he’s an elder!You come to church regularly, don’t you?

C’mon, worry

is a sin! Listen:

Folks who talk like this

make you feel comfortable

in church and, unfortunately, all too often

leave you comfortable in

your sin-ridden old nature.

Nobody grows here,

everybody plays church.

So, it’s beginning to look like I’m

leaving you with uncertainties

about your spiritual ‘soil’s’ predestined quality.

Your uncertainty => stress=>

doubt=> weak testimony => guilt

and, well, I hope I get to do more

than THAT! .

A FEW OBSERVATIONS Dealing With Doubt

Doubt creeps in during

the dry times, when you’re

most vulnerable!

“Maybe life feels this way ‘cause I’m not really saved!”

Suggestion: If you’re worried about losing your salvation, you may assume that a) you must have it

to lose it and b) that you value your salvation deeply.

“Maybe it’s time to take a fresh look at my salvation!”

Unsaved people rarely care

enough to question the strength of

what they don’t have!

First off: Armor-up

“Therefore, take up the full armor of

God, that you may be able to resist in the

evil day, and having done everything,

stand firm . . . having girded your loins

in the truth and having put on the breast

plate of righteousness and having shod

your feet with the preparation of the

gospel of peace, in addition to all, taking

up the shield of faith with which you

may be able to extinguish ALL the

flaming missiles of the evil one!”

Ephesians 5:13-16

“And take the helmet of salvation and the

sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of

God, with all prayer and petition, pray at

all times in the Spirit . . .”

Ephesians 5:17-18

A few words from Charles Spurgeon . . .

“It’s the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus. Satan’s work is just the opposite of this. He is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ . . . Remember, therefore, it is not your hold on Christ that saves you–it is Christ’s hold on you . . .”Morning by Morning June 28 devotional

So, go ahead and do check yourself for

unconfessed sin, deal with any you find and then, believer, look to Jesus.

(Heb 12:2)

And remember, “For God

has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and

love and discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Persistent, disabling and crippling

fear is not of the godly variety; you

may refuse such fear with God’s

encouragement and ask for the

power, the love and the self-

discipline with which God replaces

Satan’s blinding fear.

I John provides the shaken believer with guidance, assurance and

comfort in this very area .

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,

in order that you may know you have eternal

life. 5:13God WANTS you to know you have

eternal life!

I John provides the shaken believer with guidance, assurance and

comfort in this very area .

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know you have eternal

life. 5:13God WANTS you to know you have

eternal life!

Study the many verses in

I John that start with this phrase . . .

“By this” OR “By this we know . . .”

Oh, yeah, one more thing: discuss all these things with other

Christians!

God calls us to fellowship with one another and in that

bond is safety!

NEXT:

XXII INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION:

In which I explain the purpose of ‘backward engineering’

the Book of Revelation