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Can I Lose My Salvation?
by Annagail Lynes Is there a way to lose our salvation? No. However I don't believe it is enough to give an answer without showing Biblically why I believe this. How did we become Born-again? We believed with our hearts and confessed with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and that He was raised from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). It was as simple as that! Now what happened after we became Born-again Believers? Maybe nothing physically changed for us. In our spirits, though, we became new creatures. Old things passed away and all things became new (II Corinthians 5:17). This means when we accepted Christ, we died spiritually with Him and rose again with Him (Galatians 2:20). When we did, we became new creations. In the spirit realm, our past no longer existed. Hallelujah! Once we are Born-again, the blood that Jesus shed on the Cross puts us in right-standing with Almighty God. We are His children, and the Bible says that we are sealed until the day of redemption by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). The Bible says that when one of the Good Shepherd's sheep is lost, He goes after it (Matthew 18:12-14). In order to be one of Jesus' sheep, we must be Born-again. This story isn't talking about God chasing the unsaved sheep but rather those of us Believers that have lost our way. God pursue after those of us who have made a commitment to God and accepted Jesus but have turned our backs on Him. In another parable, Jesus tells the story of a father who had two sons, and one son asked for his inheritance, which he blew on women and wild living. Then the son finally came home, after coming to his senses, and his father welcomed him with open arms (Luke 15:11-32). This is a picture of our Father God. Even when we have turned our back on Him, He will welcome us back. He has been waiting for us to return. But let's talk about the details of being saved. Why must we be saved? Simple. Sin entered this world, by the disobedience of Adam and Eve. They ate of the tree God told them not to (Genesis 3:6). God's price for sin was death (Romans 6:23). At first, He accepted the deaths of animals as a substitute for the cleansing of our sins, but animal sacrifices had to be repeated periodically. Then God sent His Son--His blameless, sinless Son--to be the sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16). When Jesus died, He took all our sins--past, present and future--on Himself. He took the price for sin once and for all. He paid our debt completely and totally. He paid more than enough to cover our sins. With the excess, He paid for our sicknesses, our diseases, our poverty and all the curses that came upon us because of our sin (Galatians 3:13). What do we have to do to receive the salvation that Jesus paid for us to have? All we have to do is believe it and confess it with our mouths. That's it! What do we receive for doing this? Upon accepting Jesus and what He did for us, we are put in right-standing with God. We will go to Heaven when we die, but more than that, we are children of the Most High God. As His children, we are entitled to certain rights. We have the right to go boldly before God's throne and ask Him for whatever we need or even just to talk (Hebrews 4:16). We have the right to be healed, to be forgiven, to be delivered. We have the right to live the abundant life Jesus died and rose again to give us. We have the right to fulfill our destinies and accept God's mercy, goodness, grace and favor. We have these rights because Jesus' shed blood puts us in right standing with God (II Corinthians 5:21). We didn't say or do the right thing to put us there. Only through Jesus and His shed blood are we righteous. When God sees us, He doesn't see all the sins we've committed or the things we've done wrong, the times we've blown up at our neighbor, spouse or children. No, He sees Jesus' shed blood that paid the price for our sins. The blood Jesus shed in our stead. What do we do if we sin after becoming a Christian? The Bible tells us to confess it to God (I John 1:9). He has already forgiven us. His blood is continually cleansing us (I John 1:9).. All we have to do is receive it. God doesn't treat us according to our sins, our behavior, or according to what we deserve (Psalm 103:10). No, He pours out His grace and mercy on us. He knows that we are just flesh and blood in mortal bodies, but thanks to Him, we are covered by His Son's blood. It saves us, redeems us, forgives us and protects us. Do I believe that if one becomes Born-again and he commits the most horrendous crimes that he is still going to Heaven? Yes, because He has accepted Jesus Christ (John 14:6) For example: if Anna Nicole, who did a lot of strange and unusual things, called upon the Name of the Lord (Romans 10:13) before her death, then she is in Heaven. Others whom we assume are going to Heaven because they lived exemplary lives won't because they never accepted Jesus. It is our job, as Believers, to spread the Good News of God to every one we meet through our words, our actions and our example. If we have accepted Jesus and what He did for us on the Cross, then we are going to Heaven when we die. Our salvation doesn't depend upon our good works (Galatians 2:21). It has everything to do with Jesus. Now if our salvation didn't come through our good works, it cannot be lost through our bad ones. Annagail Lynes is a pharmacy technician, certified life coach and ordained minister. She is helping people move forward after trauma by helping them discover their purpose. Follow her blog at 316counseling.com Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |