WE ARE NOT IN HEAVEN YET

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-13)

Devotion 21 of 37

LOSING SALVATION???

From time to time I hear from people who ask me if I believe we can "lose our salvation." This terminology is NOT taken from the Scriptures, nor is it based upon any Apostolic doctrine. It reflects an understanding of salvation that some people have. In this case, salvation is conceived to be an experience, occurring at a specific point in time, with the destiny of the individual eternally sealed at the point of new birth, or believing on the Son. In such a case, continued faith is taken for granted, as well as personal involvement in the will of God. The Scriptures, however, do not take these things for granted, but exhorts and admonishes believers concerning them.

THE HIGHER VIEW

There is a higher view of salvation that represents God's perspective of our situation. It is a very real view, and not to be denied. The Lord does know "them that are His" (2 Tim 2:19), and has determined their destiny. As it is written, "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified" (Rom 8:29-30). Speaking along the same lines, Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them [to] Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand" (John 10:28-29).

From the Divine perspective, God "hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Tim 1:9). It is absolutely true that "He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will" (Eph 1:4-5). These affirmations are beyond all controversy, and are to be believed without any reservation.

This represents the upper side of the coin of salvation. It is absolutely unwavering and without variation. No person can "lose salvation" inadvertently. God is fully able to "keep us from falling" (Jude 14), and even "make" the one whose conscience is weak "to stand" (Rom 14:4). God has placed at Intercessor at His right hand who faithfully makes intercession for us (Heb 7:25), and an Intercessor within us as well (Rom 8:26). In a very real sense, "by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (Heb 10:14).

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US

The Holy Spirit does not hesitate to tell us there are no hostile forces or human experiences that have the power to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 8:35-39).

The kingdom of darkness is powerful, but not powerful enough to drive a wedge between the saved and the Savior. The hard experiences of life can deplete the energies of our soul, and cause godly men to even "despair of life" (2 Cor 1:8). But they are powerless to negate the love God has for us in Christ Jesus. For believers, and only for them, such experiences only serve to make them more reliant upon their Lord.

SALVATION IS NOT WHAT IS LOST

When it comes to something that can be lost, it is not salvation. We must not allow men to impose this kind of terminology upon us. Jesus did speak of losing ones life or soul, and did so with great solemnity, "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" (Matt 10:39). "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it: for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt 16:25). In another place Jesus said, "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" (John 12:25).

Nothing in Christ's words suggest that men ever reach a point in this world when there is no danger of self interests dominating them. In fact, believers are told, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). He does not say the love of God was NEVER in him, but that it IS not in the person loving the world. If there was no possibility of such a thing occurring, we would not be warned against it. In such a case, there could then be no such thing as temptation, and no need to resist the devil. You may be sure, however, that Satan is impotent against all who, in faith, resist him (1 Pet 5:8-9).

THE WRONG QUESTION

"Can a person lose his salvation?" is simply a wrong question. It is driven by a preconceived notion of salvation. It takes things for granted that the Spirit does not take for granted. Your salvation is in the process of being completed, and it is not proper to philosophize about its outcome. Your work is to believe God, crucify the flesh, and resist the devil. None of your labor is in vain, and there is no power that can neutralize them or make them of none effect.

The Spirit DOES say people can "fall away" (Heb 6:6), "make shipwreck of the faith" (1 Tim 1:19), "again be entangled" (2 Pet 2:20), "depart from the faith" (1 Tim 4:1), and "err from the faith" (1 Tim 6:10). If you think you are impervious to such things, you are certainly standing on shaky ground. If you imagine God has promised He will save those in whom such things are found, you have assumed things for which you will answer.

Is it not on the part of wisdom to give to the warnings AND embrace the promises? The same God who promised also warned. Faith can accept both, without having to fit them into a finely tuned theology.

THE REAL QUESTION

To me, the real question is "Can Jesus lose any that the Father has given to Him?" Jesus Himself can answer that question for us. "Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost EXCEPT the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled" (John 17:12). Now, there is something to thing about!

PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You for safety that is in Christ Jesus. In His name I ask for grace to "abide" in Him.

-- Tomorrow: WHAT IS ETERNAL LIFE? --