We Can't Lose Our Salvation

 March 20, 2024

Wednesday

Why is it seem that some people who at one time praised the Lord are now saying that that faith in Jesus is all a sham? The answer is really simple. Praising the Lord is not the criteria for being a Christian. Repentance, confession and commitment is.

I would never say that anyone can earn their salvation. That minimizes what Jesus did on the cross. It can't be works and Jesus' sacrifice for salvation. It is Jesus' sacrifice that paid the full price. But no response by us leads to universalism. This is the belief that everyone will some day go to heaven with or without Jesus. Universalists are saying that Jesus' sacrifice with or without the response of anyone at anytime makes no difference in eternal destination. That is certainly not what Jesus said.

Many times I read the so-called faith of celebrities. Some of them get it. Some of them don't. They say they believe in Jesus but do not reflect a faith in Jesus in the way they live. What is faith if it doesn't change the way you live?

On the other hand, there must be people who try to live the Christian life and do a pretty good job of it but do not have true faith. Just think of it. Your job or your marriage or your reputation is at stake. If you are a pastor or Christian musician or simply married to someone who would think much less of you, you just might do your best to appear Christian without truly believing. These people are committed but not to the Lord. When they got to the point where they no longer needed the income or their marriage fell apart anyway, they just couldn't pretend anymore. They got tired of trying to convince themselves of something they had never believed.

These people must be in the worst place imaginable. They have lived on the inside with true believers who didn't live as Christ-like as they have. They knew that they didn't believe and may believe that others are just pretending like they are. They have out preached, out sung and out written all those around them. They have created a huge following with some being just like them. How can they truly believe in Christ now? They have been inoculated against the gospel.

But just like the rich with whom it is as hard for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, God can do what seems impossible. So, I pray that God will do what only He can do in bringing them to Himself. It will not be what they had before. It will be glorious.

Should we listen to the sermons or read their books or enjoy the songs they have sung? These things are no less beautiful than they were before. We read and listen with discernment. If God can speak through a donkey, He can speak through those who don't truly know Him. When there are errors we need to recognize them. We may even need to point them out. When there are falsehoods we need to see them for what they are. They are the manipulations of people who may have been trying to convince themselves.

We cannot lose our salvation. We cannot evict the Holy Spirit (as if we are strong enough to do so). We do need to make sure that we have committed our lives to Christ. We do need to make sure the Holy Spirit lives in us. Our salvation doesn't depend on us holding on for God holds onto us and no one can make Him let go.

John 10:27–30 (NASB 2020) ²⁷ My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”