by jimwalton » Tue Nov 05, 2013 6:46 pm
I love the way you think. Thanks for asking.
The person who truly commits their life-long life to Christ is saved from the moment he or she says, "Jesus, save me." Romans 10.9-10: When you believe and confess, you are saved. And nothing can ever separate you from the love of God (Rom. 8.39-39), and nothing can ever tear you out of God's hand (Jn. 10.29). Welcome to the kingdom, you are in. It's a simple as that.
But it's NOT as simple as that. In the parable of the soils (aka the parable of the Sower, Mt. 13 and other places), we find enemies to faith: the evil one, more than glad to steal away the seed without letting it plant and grow. Then there's trouble and persecution that show the person's commitment to have been false. There had been no repentance and no new creation, no cleansing of the conscience, and so it had been a false faith from the get-go. For the next guy, he HEARD the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth make it unfruitful. Again, a false faith.
I happen to believe very strongly that the Bible insists that those who are truly saved cannot lose their salvation. If they can, then we are saved by works and not by grace. But there are many false roads and shallow roads, and people deceive themselves and are deceived by others. I believe that the person who truly knows the love of God and has experienced it will never turn away from it, and God will never turn away from them.
I'll take your individual questions.
I vehemently disagree with those who say you aren't truly safe until you die. If that's the case, there is no such thing as peace with God (Rom. 5.1). Romans 5.1, by the way, is filled with certainties: since we have been justified, we have peace. Without that, I live in fear my whole life, and even in death. That's most certainly NOT the teaching of the Bible.
Let's talk about the "unforgivable sin" (Mt. 12.31; Lk. 12.10). Every sin and blasphemy is forgivable, but not blasphemy against the Spirit. In this case, blasphemy meant attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to the power of Satan. Blasphemy was a serious charge, and punishable by death (Lev. 24.15-16). But Jesus here doesn't say, "We'll kill 'em all!" Instead he says anything is possible with God, who will forgive all sins and blasphemies, except the continuing, habitual, defiant hostility toward God. The person who never gives this up cannot be forgiven, but anyone who will turn away from it, no matter what they have done, can be. The person who deliberately rejects, slanders, maligns, and blasphemes God in defiance of the truth cannot be forgiven, however. You can't call light dark and dark light and still be welcome in the kingdom.
That doesn't mean that once you reject Jesus you can never be forgiven. If that were the case, almost all of would be unforgivable. Tons of people reject Jesus, and when he turns to them, they are forgiven. That's the Parable of the Prodigal Son. But the person who never turns back can never be forgiven.
What about re-dedications? They are great. Anytime anyone turns to God, and anytime someone expresses a desire to make a deeper commitment, or to turn their life around and make it more God-ward, there is a party in heaven. That's the point. Some people use every morning before they get out of bed to make a recommitment.
Ask more questions if you have more questions.
I love the way you think. Thanks for asking.
The person who truly commits their life-long life to Christ is saved from the moment he or she says, "Jesus, save me." Romans 10.9-10: When you believe and confess, you are saved. And nothing can ever separate you from the love of God (Rom. 8.39-39), and nothing can ever tear you out of God's hand (Jn. 10.29). Welcome to the kingdom, you are in. It's a simple as that.
But it's NOT as simple as that. In the parable of the soils (aka the parable of the Sower, Mt. 13 and other places), we find enemies to faith: the evil one, more than glad to steal away the seed without letting it plant and grow. Then there's trouble and persecution that show the person's commitment to have been false. There had been no repentance and no new creation, no cleansing of the conscience, and so it had been a false faith from the get-go. For the next guy, he HEARD the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth make it unfruitful. Again, a false faith.
I happen to believe very strongly that the Bible insists that those who are truly saved cannot lose their salvation. If they can, then we are saved by works and not by grace. But there are many false roads and shallow roads, and people deceive themselves and are deceived by others. I believe that the person who truly knows the love of God and has experienced it will never turn away from it, and God will never turn away from them.
I'll take your individual questions.
I vehemently disagree with those who say you aren't truly safe until you die. If that's the case, there is no such thing as peace with God (Rom. 5.1). Romans 5.1, by the way, is filled with certainties: since we have been justified, we have peace. Without that, I live in fear my whole life, and even in death. That's most certainly NOT the teaching of the Bible.
Let's talk about the "unforgivable sin" (Mt. 12.31; Lk. 12.10). Every sin and blasphemy is forgivable, but not blasphemy against the Spirit. In this case, blasphemy meant attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to the power of Satan. Blasphemy was a serious charge, and punishable by death (Lev. 24.15-16). But Jesus here doesn't say, "We'll kill 'em all!" Instead he says anything is possible with God, who will forgive all sins and blasphemies, except the continuing, habitual, defiant hostility toward God. The person who never gives this up cannot be forgiven, but anyone who will turn away from it, no matter what they have done, can be. The person who deliberately rejects, slanders, maligns, and blasphemes God in defiance of the truth cannot be forgiven, however. You can't call light dark and dark light and still be welcome in the kingdom.
That doesn't mean that once you reject Jesus you can never be forgiven. If that were the case, almost all of would be unforgivable. Tons of people reject Jesus, and when he turns to them, they are forgiven. That's the Parable of the Prodigal Son. But the person who never turns back can never be forgiven.
What about re-dedications? They are great. Anytime anyone turns to God, and anytime someone expresses a desire to make a deeper commitment, or to turn their life around and make it more God-ward, there is a party in heaven. That's the point. Some people use every morning before they get out of bed to make a recommitment.
Ask more questions if you have more questions.