Co-Host: We’ll talk with William in Richmond, Virginia. Hi William.
Caller: Hello.
Pastor Doug: Hi – can you get a little closer to your phone William? We can’t hear you too well.
Caller: Yes, my question is concerning when one is saved, is it possible to – I mean when you get out of fellowship with God – to loose your salvation, and actually loose it?
Pastor Doug: Well, yes.
Now I don’t want someone to think that once you’re saved, you’re lost and saved, lost and saved, day after day. God doesn’t work that way. But at the same time, the Bible is very clear that we are always free to choose another master if we want. God doesn’t handcuff us to Heaven once we accept Jesus. Now, it’s easy for me to say that. Let’s look at some Bible examples.
You have people in the Bible like King Saul, chosen by God, anointed, filled with the Holy Spirit, but he became proud. He began to rebel. And pretty soon he grieved away the Holy Spirit and he died a pitiful death – he killed himself – a lost man. He was saved, but he grieved away the Lord. The Bible talks about a person who, Peter says it’s like you know, the pig that was washed returns to wallow in the mire.
Judas was one of the Twelve. He had the hands of Jesus laid on his head. He was anointed. He was sent out preaching but he clung to his sin of covetousness and he grieved away the Holy Spirit and took his own life.
Co-Host: Paul’s friend Demas.
Pastor Doug: That’s right. He was walking with the Lord and then he forsook the Lord.
You know you can go on and on finding examples of this. Ezekiel chapter 18 talks about a man, “But when a righteous man…” – this is verse 24 – “But when a righteous man [this is a saved person] turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, he shall die.”
That’s as plain as it could be – like a dictionary definition – if a righteous man turns from his righteousness.
Now you know what confuses people sometimes William?
Caller: No.
Pastor Doug: Jesus said I’ll never let go of you. And anyone who comes to Me I will not cast out. We never have to worry about the Lord breaking His covenant. He will never let go of us but we still are free to let go of Him. You see what I’m saying?
Caller: Well that’s what I wondered. Seems like at times the harder I try – I know I’m not living up to God’s expectations and – it seems at times the harder I try the more, I guess, Satan comes against me.
Pastor Doug: Well now I don’t want you to hang up thinking that you cannot have a degree of assurance that God is going to save you if you continue to look at Jesus and walk after Him.
The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 12 [verses 1 and 2], “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith…[running this race with our eyes fixed on Him.]”
You might have weights that you need to lay aside, but you’re still on the road running the race if you keep your eyes on Him and if you continue to return to Him every time you fall down.
You know when Peter was walking on the water, as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus he was doing the impossible, wasn’t he?
Caller: Right.
Pastor Doug: When Peter took his eyes off Jesus and he saw how big the waves were and how small he was, he began to sink. And then he realized that he was doomed and he turned back to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, save me!’ And Jesus immediately pulled him out of the water.
He’ll do that for everybody that turns back to Him and who says, ‘Lord, I took my eyes off of you – forgive me.’ Some people do this on a daily basis.
Co-Host: Remember Satan doesn’t trouble those who are already lost. It’s those who have been saved and are struggling every day with their salvation that Satan troubles the most.
Pastor Doug: That’s right.
Caller: That’s very helpful. I was beginning to doubt my salvation.
Pastor Doug: Well let me give you one more little bit of hope here from God’s word. First John, chapter 2: “My little children…” – now this is a message to the children, the ones who are saved – “My little children, these things I write unto you that you might not sin. And if anyone sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.”
Co-Host: Amen.
Pastor Doug: In other words, you know the devil is constantly throwing banana peels on the road to Heaven and he’s working to trip us up.
Co-Host: Amen.
Pastor Doug: If you slip and you fall, just like a baby learning to walk, God does not smack you and say, ‘Well you blew it now. I’m done with you.’ If you reach up for Him, He’ll dust you off – and you start back on the road again. And we may have to often weep at the foot of the Cross and say, ‘Lord, I’m sorry. Forgive me.’
But, you know when we repent and we’re sorry, the Bible says, “…He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” – and He sets us on the road again.
So don’t be discouraged. The Christian life is like the trip through the wilderness. There are lots of lessons to learn in the process of sanctification.
Caller: Ok well thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: Ok. Hey you know we have a lesson on Salvation and it deals with these issues and it’s called “It’s Still There.” If you call our resource number, we’ll send that to you for free William. “It’s Still There” – ask for that.
Caller: Great. Thank you very much.
Pastor Doug: God bless.
Co-Host: All right – that resource number is 800-835-6747.
Amazing Facts’ Resource Number: 800-835-6747