Hello,
I don't feel very motivated in life because I just don't know what could happen in the future. Right now, I do believe and love God, but because of my great sin, I feel that in the future I might fall away from God. I'd just like to know what any of you people have to say about the questions below. If any of you could answer these for me, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you!
1. God says in Ephesians 2:8-9:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. God is saying that it is not our doing that earns us salvation, but only Jesus' doing. But God says several times in the Bible that I must believe in the Lord, Jesus to be saved. Isn't believing in Jesus
my doing? And I'm a sinner, so I don't trust my own doing. What if, because I'm a sinner, I don't believe in Jesus in the future?
2. Based on question 1 above, is there anything in the Bible that could give me confidence that I won't lose salvation in the future?
3. What do you all think about "once saved, always saved"? If I am saved now, will I always be saved? Can my salvation be taken away from me? Below are two links regarding this topic, one from
gotquestions.org and
wels.net .
gotquestions.org (a very popular online Christian FAQ) says that once you are saved, you are always saved. The link provides a lot of Bible references too. But
wels.net , also providing a lot of Bible references, says that a Christian can fall from the faith. The links are right below:
https://www.gotquestions.org/once-saved-always-saved.html
https://wels.net/faq/position-on-once-saved-always-saved/
Could you give a biblical answer on which of the links, if any of them, is correct?
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To be honest, I'm kind of in panic mode. I don't want to do good works my entire life just to be confident that God would be pleased with me. I know God loves me. But with the unanswered questions above, I don't know if I will love God in the future. I ask that you take the time to answer these questions when you get the chance. Thank you again!
This is a loaded question Luke because it’s hotly debated even among matured Christians. I also have struggled with this issue myself, bouncing around from one idea to the next, though I have come to a conclusion of understanding finally. Here’s my answer to you.
I’ll start off by tipping my hand and telling you “once saved always saved” is a lie; only because of how most Christians define it.
The Bible uses three tenses for salvation.
Past, Present and Future - saved, are being saved, will be saved
The KJV uses ‘saves’ and ‘are saved’ which are ambiguous but all three tenses are there.
Consider: (KJV) 1Co 15:2 By which also
ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
See what I mean?
We all start out in unbelief but at some point God moves upon us. Christ is the author and finisher of our faith meaning we only have faith because of God, it’s not even on our own works that we get faith to believe.
God is the one who brings us to fruition because with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
When we believe we are justified in Christ by absolutely no works of our own it’s only by the grace of God we are saved.
At the moment we are justified, Holy Spirit indwells us and gives us a new heart, making us a new creation.
This then gives us the ability to walk by the spirit and worship in the spiritis which is the good works unto Christ.
This is where we are being sanctified, we grow in Christ in understanding, knowledge, wisdom, making our bodies holy and acceptable unto God and helping others all through love of God.
Then in the end, either in death or in life, we will be resurrected at His coming. This is the resurrection glory where we will be saved.
Now some will say that once you’ve been saved by believing, you cannot loose your salvation no matter what you do. And some will say the exact opposite which is based on works. Neither of these is true, they are complete dichotomies.
The truth is that once you’ve been saved you are now a temple unto good works in Christ. You are saved through your continued belief in Christ and it’s through your good works that you are sanctified (being saved). If you sin, you have Christ as your advocate but if you turn back to unbelief you obviously do not, this is a heart issue beacause it’s with the heart one believes unto righteousness. So yes, you can loose your salvation but not by simply sinning, we all have sinned and I would say everyone sins even after being justified; it is by deliberate willful sin which is unbelief that you fall away. You can reject Christ and fall away but if the seed is in good soil there are no worries.
If you sin, are you repentant? Repentance shows you believe God and if you believe you are saved. Whether or not you keep stumbling(sinning), if it’s truly something you are repentant about, not wanting to do it anymore and attempting to change, but you have a problem with then Christ is your advocate and forgiveness is given when confessed. This is the growing in Christ that almost all Christians go through. We walk by the spirit which is life and not by the flesh.
If you truly believe in Christ and are worried about loosing your salvation then this is the liar and deciever, satan, talking in your ear. He’s trying to bring condemnation on you, don’t believe the devil, believe God. For all who are in Christ have life and there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
If you are in Christ you ARE seated with Christ in heavenly places, now. God sees you omnipresent meaning once you believe it’s as if for us we are with God already but from God’s point of view we really are with Him now. This is why I say ‘once saved always saved’ is a lie by most Christians definition but it could be looked at as true also.
This post is too long already for scripture though I’ve got scripture paraphrased in my comment. If you want book, chapter and verse I’ll put it together in another comment.
The salvation process is shadowed in the Exodus story if that interests you. It’s a good study.