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Can a Christian Lose their Salvation by Sinning? NO
by Michael Edwards
3/03/2018 / Bible Studies
The author is against sin. An abundance of grace and a mind established in his gift of righteousness is what stops sin Rom 5:17.
Below is a clear argument that you cannot lose your salvation by sinning, other than possibly the one unforgivable sin of unbelief.
Some want to say you can lose your salvation by sinning. My initial question would be, how many sins do we need to commit to lose our inheritance? Those who insist you can lose your salvation by sinning seem to adopt a more legalistic view of the law. Knowing God’s law cannot be kept fully in thought, word and deed as the Pharisee’s did; they lower the standard for themselves and heighten the standard for others. The parables Jesus told of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14 and the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11 come to mind.
However, according to the Bible in James, if you break one of God’s laws you have broken them all. If those who claim a Christian can lose their salvation by sinning, it must include sins like worry, fear, gossip, lies, anything not of faith is sin Rom 14:23, going back to the law is not of faith and thus sin Gal 3: 12. So if you can believe you can lose your salvation by sinning, you had better not worry, be fearful or do anything not of faith.
1) To start, I want to lay a backdrop for this discussion. I would think that all would agree the worst sin we could commit in mankind’s view, in general, is murder. It takes God’s rightful position as the only one who can rightfully take life as it steals the life of another human. We all agree God is against sin, but in the following, I think we clearly see God making a statement no matter how heinous a sin is it is not beyond his grace. This is great news if you have actually committed murder or like most reading this sins of far less gravity. Are your sins worse than people mentioned next?
a) While he was under grace (Rom 5:13) God protected Cain, the first murderer. b) God used Paul who was murdering Christians to write much of the New Testament. c) God used David and called him a man after Gods' heart. He committed murder and much more. d) God used Moses, a murderer, to write much of the Old Testament. e) While on the cross Jesus said: Father forgive them they know not what they do.
2) To be accurate, the question is not “can a Christian lose their salvation?” The question is “can a Christian lose their inheritance from Jesus?”
We inherited our fallen sin nature and a fallen world from Adam. We had no choice in the matter and since it was about the bloodline we were under, we could not lose our inheritance no matter how many good deeds we completed. When you are born again, you inherit Jesus righteous nature and much more, coming under his bloodline. If we claim we can lose our inheritance by sinning, we are saying that what Adam did was much more powerful than what Jesus did. Do you believe that?
For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience, the many will be made righteous. Rom 5:19
So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Gal 4:7
Inheritance is all about the bloodline you are born under not about how you live your life. But some still think God will take away your inheritance for not acting properly.
3) MOST IMPORTANT POINT: We need to remember that the Bible states there is only one unforgivable sin.
It is obvious that this sin is unbelief: I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." Luke 13:5 - “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15 (Repent Greek defined = change mind)
Yet we see scripture mentioning blaspheme of the Holy Spirit as the only unforgivable sin. Does scripture reveal that blaspheme of the Holy Spirit is unbelief?
“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” Mark 3:28-30
The question is, what is blaspheme against the Holy Spirit? Strongs Definition of the Greek word translated blaspheme is “ I speak evil against, blaspheme, use abusive or scurrilous language about (God or men).”
“And He (Holy Spirit), when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; (a) concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and (b) concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me, and (c) concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. John 16:8-11
In the above verses, Jesus is speaking to the disciples. (a) He points out that the Holy Spirit will convict unbelievers of the sin of unbelief. (b) He will convict believers of their righteousness, right standing with the Father. (c) He will convict satan of judgment.
We know for a fact that unbelief is a sin. I submit to you that it is the only unforgivable sin. As the Holy Spirit convicts the unbeliever of their sin of unbelief, they reject his voice and by default claim, his message is not true, is not from God. If they claim it is not from God, they are by default calling the Holy Spirit an unclean spirit and thus committing blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.
So if you can lose your salvation by sinning, by default it could only be the sin of unbelief.
But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. Matt 10:33 (Definitely applies to unbelievers. Could it apply to believers, is the question?) …But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Matt 10:22 (Possibly, but again it could only be the sin of unbelief.)
While this appears to defeat the argument that our inheritance can be lost by sinning, it does seem to leave the door open for the possibility that it can be lost by returning to the one unforgivable sin of unbelief.
Being firmly established in the truth that the only way anyone was ever righteous before God was by faith and that the only unforgivable sin is unbelief, will deliver us from guilt and fear.
4) It is also crucial to understand that when a person places their faith in Jesus and is born again, they are no longer under the law where sin has dominion over them. They are under grace, and where there is no law, sin is not counted against them.
We also know that the law is made not for the righteous…1 Tim 1:9 (Righteous always and exclusively means a believer, not once in entire Bible is righteousness by anything other than faith. If your faith is in Jesus, you are made righteous in Christ (Rom 5:19). Unrighteous by default means non-believer. Unbelief has symptoms and belief has fruits.
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Rom 6:14 - for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Rom 5:13 - …And where there is no law there is no transgression. Rom 4:15 - “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Heb 10:17 - For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Heb 8:12
5) Whether or not a truly born again person would actually lose their inheritance by turning to unbelief, or if a person who does so was never really born again, does not really matter. Neither of them would expect to be saved, just like you would not expect to be saved if you turned to unbelief. It appears possible from scripture.
The following verse seems to be talking about a person who was saved and fell away from grace, It is crucial to note that Galatians 5:4 clearly tells us that falling away from grace is not falling deep into carnal sins. It is leaving grace and going back to the law.
You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. Gal 5:4
The law is not of faith and going back to it indicates unbelief in the gift of righteousness in Christ.
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance… Heb 6:4-6a
Could it be that Satan wants us to think we can lose our inheritance by committing any sins (as opposed to full out rejection and unbelief ) so we will give up as a Christian and then possibly turn to unbelief? I think so. One thing is sure, if we let satan put us in this position of doubt about our inheritance, we will be ineffective for God.
6) To fulfill the God’s law we must be able to love others as Christ loves us. To love others in this way we must believe we are fully forgiven.
The Bible is clear that only love fulfills all of Gods laws Rom 13:8-10. Luke 7:47 say’s those who think they are forgiven little will love little, which means those who understand they are forgiven much will love much.
Additionally, 2 Peter 1:9 tells us that those who do not really believe they are forgiven will lack faith, goodness, knowledge, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love.
So could satan want you to doubt your complete forgiveness so you will not walk in love? I think so.
7) There are many verses that tell us those who believe are eternally safe in Gods possession.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16, - "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand." John 10: 7-28, - "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us." 1 John 2:19, (Unbelievers)
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8:38-39
Do you believe Jesus when he states the following? …“I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” Heb 13:5
8) So what is the worst thing we can do when we see ourselves or another believer in sin? Encourage doubt about our own or their salvation. Well-meaning believers, often point people back to the law which is the wrong thing to do according to scripture. The law is not for the believer (1 Tim 1:9) and under the law sin has dominion over the believer (Rom 6:14).
Love fulfills the law (Rom 13:8-10) and only those who believe they have been fully forgiven of everything will be able to love much (Luke 7:47). This is the one thing they need to be able to fulfill God’s law in their daily walk. If they believe they are fully forgiven, they will produce the fruits of faith, goodness, knowledge, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love. (2 Peter 1:5-9)
What’s the best thing we can do? Just believe Jesus, believe the numerous and very clear scriptures that say if you believe you will have eternal life. Do not let unclear scriptures lead you into doubt about your salvation. We were born with a fallen nature into a fallen world with no choice in the matter. We are not God’s enemy. Jesus came to save us because God loves us. Thus, God made salvation very easy, but make no mistake it was not cheap. God gave everything to redeem us.
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, … John 3:18
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life… John 3:36a
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; John 11:25
Many more New Covenant Bible Studies HERE. Jesus poured out His blood for the New Covenant of grace and truth, replacing the Old Covenant law of Moses. Believers are exclusively under the New Covenant, the last will and testament of Jesus that began after the cross.
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. Luke 22:20
New Covenant Bible Studies
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