RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-06-26	Does ‘Willful Sinning’ Threaten My Salvation?
		This usually comes up in the context of the book of Hebrews. There it describes a kind of willing abandonment of the faith. The idea is that someone turns from what Christ has done for them and now openly rejects Him. Now, they just live their life as they want to, without any regard for Christ and the Word of God. First, if we have genuine faith in Christ, we are saved and Biblically that does not change. This is the doctrine of eternal security of the believer. If we have truly believed on Christ for salvation, then we will be His forever (Jn.6:39). Joh 6:39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. Jesus does not qualify how many will be lost. He says all who come to Him will ultimately be saved. Of course, they can only come to Christ if the Father draws them (Jn.6:37, 65). Joh 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. Joh 6:65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." Salvation from beginning to end is the work of God (Ph.1:6; 1Th.5:23-24; Ro.8:35). When we take our focus off God, we focus on ourselves and come up with these kind of questions. On the other hand the Bible teaches that we must persevere in the faith. In Revelation chapters 2-3, concerning the 7 churches in Asia Minor, each ends with, the one who endures to the end will enter the kingdom or some equivalent. So you have to persevere to the end to be saved is the implication. People take the latter idea (endure till the end) to mean we can lose our salvation, but this directly contradicts the clear teaching of eternal security. Col 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled Col 1:22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— Col 1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. Paul here seems to bring together the two ideas. That is, eternal security and perseverance. Paul is saying they were wicked and enemies of God, but now they are no longer that way. He indicates that your life changes when you come to Christ. There must be an ongoing faith (Ja.2:14-26) or works or righteousness that may be seen by others. God saved you to "present you holy" (v.22) before the Father. God will accomplish His will. Verse 23 Paul says, "If indeed you continue in the faith" So those who truly savingly trust in Christ will indeed be saved. So those who truly savingly trust in Christ will indeed continue to believe in Him. 1Jn 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. Initial saving faith is a living reality, that is more than a one-time action, and then it is over. Some may say, "I put my faith in Christ, so let’s move on so I can live any way I want." That is not saving faith. Saving faith is a living reality. What indicates it is true, is that it continues. You continue in the faith. Is there a category in the Bible for professing faith that is not genuine saving faith? The answer is "yes". Tit 1:15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. Tit 1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Paul speaks of them as unbelievers. 1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 1Co 15:2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. Notice the phrase, "if you hold fast that word". What is the mark of genuine saving faith? On-going faith. So there can be false professions of faith and false expressions of faith. So what about when we willfully sin. Do we call into question every time we sin whether we are saved or not? If your pattern of life is one of disregard for Christ, this is inconsistent with what it means to be a Christian (1Jn.1:6). There is nothing in the Bible that indicates Christians in this life become perfect and sinless (Ga.5:17; 1Jn.1:8). Christians do sin (1Jn.1:8-9). For Christians this is not sinless obedience, but it is growing obedience. There is a difference between sin in a typical Christian and an outright sinful pattern of life. Willful sinning is a warning. This MAY indicate that we were never saved. Or it MAY indicate we need to repent and get back into fellowship with the Lord. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

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