A reader has requested we open up for discussion the matter of Hebrews 6:4-6. A much discussed contraversy over whether one can lose eternal life. The debated term, "once saved-always saved."
I tend to believe that it can be wrapped up and/or confused by different definitions and circumstances. It's difficult to make a blanket statement as such when the Creator is our judge. We, as His children, do NOT judge one's destiny. However, we're warned of quenching the Spirit.
The fact that we may at one time, feel remorse, repent and commit to a life seeking righteousness, does not negate the fact that we're still mortal human beings with human nature, will still stumble and can fall back into any ditch. In fact, I believe that it could be us continuing to fall in the ditch is what keeps us coming back and calling on our Father.
What better way to be filled with humility than when we see ourselves as useless without Him.
Can we truly and fully overcome before the Savior returns? I ask...
Sunday, August 22, 2010
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ReplyDeleteif someone steps on your foot and you tell them that you do not like that, and they say they are sorry, but keep on stepping on your foot, after so many times you realize they are not sincere or they would stop that behavour. After awhile you will remove yourself from them.God feels the same way. God is extremely patient, but if you ask for forgiveness, the asking must be from a place of true sincerety. if you truely are working on what you are asking forgiveness on GOD will be there, but you must show by your fruits/actions that you want to change. So the answer to the question is that if you continue to repeat the same sin over and over again eventually GOD will grow deaf to your request for forgiveness and remove himself from your life.
ReplyDeleteI believe a case can be made that when one is "born from above" and given a new divine nature by the indwelling Ruach HaKodesh, that this real event of being conceived as a spiritual creature is akin to being conceived in the flesh. Once a child is conceived, there are only two possiblities: either the child "endures to the end" and is born, or the child is aborted, whereupon that child can never [repent and] return into the mothers womb again.
ReplyDeleteMost people who "backslide" or even "forsake their faith" are often simply deceived by the evil one into believing that they are evil because of their failure and condemned by YHVH. However, for these "there is therefore now no condemnation in Yeshua HaMashiach." Once these people are taught the scriptures more accurately, they return again to the faith, recognizing that it was exactly for their demoralizing sin that Messiah died in order to save them from such condemnation.
However, I believe that once we are "born from above," not only can we be so deceived by our sin and by deceiving spirits, but we still are given free will so that we are able to turn away in our soul against YHVH even to the point of rejecting Him in our hearts. I believe there is a place in the heart that if we reject the faith and deny the Ruach's place in our lives, we can and will be spiritually "aborted." Recognize that in such a condition, turning from YHVH would be our choice. We would not want to turn back and we would not want to be accepted by Him. (Versus those who backslide who "say" they have turned away, but are afraid in their hearts that they have been rejected from above.) Those who so turn away are not afraid of being rejected by YHVH because it is what they want. I believe that Heb. 6 is speaking to this condition of a spiritually aborted soul. Such a soul, like HaSatan, cannot return again to the divine state they once held.
If I may I would like to post a section from my studies on Bible Typology with regard to eternal security. 5. Noah’s Ark: Genesis 6:8-22. I believe that the Ark demonstrates two Typologies; Salvation and security of the believer. Salvation in that eight souls were saved from the judgment of God’s Wrath. They were taken in and saved from the punishment as dealt out by God, and were delivered from the Ark to begin a new life in a new world. (A picture of a new Heaven)
ReplyDeleteTHE SECURITY OF OUR SALVATION IS PROTECTED BY CHRIST
Security in that it was God that shut them in not man. (Genesis 7:16) The Bible teaches that we are held (Shut in) in the hands of the Lord and that no one is able to pluck us from his hand. (John 10: 27-30) The security of our salvation is protected and guarded by Christ himself. No one not even ourselves are able to be pulled from the Masters hand. Christ has a claim to us that He will never let go of and we are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. Even the natural order of things demonstrate this security; our children belong to us no matter what and one things stands as a witness that they belong to us and no action on their part or ours can ever change this, and that is our blood. The blood will always stand as a witness that we belong to each other.
RELATIONSHIP VERSUS FELLOWSHIP
In the same way the blood of Christ always stands as a witness that we are His and He is ours. To often people get confused over this matter of eternal security with our state of fellowship that we share with one another. The fellowship (joy and open communication) between children and parents change from time to time. And when fellowship is broken all that needs to be done to restore it is to admit the wrong and ask for forgiveness. The fellowship may get broken but the relationship always remains constant. Our fellowship and relationship with Christ works in the same way. If our relationship to Christ could be destroyed then how could it be restored again? It would take more than admitting the wrong and asking forgiveness. Someone would need to pay the penalty of death for those sins all over again in order for us to get saved a second time. Christ went to the cross once, so if we lost our salvation then we could never get it back because Christ would not go to the cross a second time.
SALVATION IS NOT A LICENSE TO SIN
I’ve heard people say that getting saved once means that we would have a license to sin. Try telling my parents that; that since I was their child that I had the right to do whatever I wanted in any way that I wanted. The bible teaches that God chastens and scourges every son. If God only keeps us as His child as long as we are good, then why would He chasten and scourge us? He would simply let go of us and we would no longer belong to Him. Hebrews 12:5-11 tells us that God will chasten and scourge us because He deals with us as children in the same way that our parents dealt with us when we disobeyed them. (Deuteronomy 8:5 & 6) And if God is not chastening us then are we bastards (Hebrews 12:8) (illegitimate) and not sons. No we never get a license to sin. It didn’t work like that with our parents and it doesn’t work like that with God. In 1st Corinthians 5:1-5 we find a man in the Corinthian church that committed an immoral act and Paul delivered him over to Satan for the body to be destroyed not the soul.
ANOTHER THOUGHT BEHIND THE ARK
As Christians we will go through many trials in our faith; some even life threatening. If we keep our eyes looking upward to heaven through the window of faith from our Ark of salvation to God, (Genesis 8:6) He will surely send a message of peace and hope (Dove) to give us the assurance that the trials (waters) are receding and we will soon come to rest (Genesis 8:6 forty days) in the promises (olive leaf) that He will protect us and take care of us and bring us to our final resting place.