Then we have a different use of the word, 'believer'. To me, 'saved' means —besides released from the bondage of sin— release from the penalty of sin, i.e. the saved one WILL be in heaven, and that by the choice of God from before the foundation of the world. Granted the devil also believes and trembles, the word 'believe' can mean what you take it for. The those chosen by God cannot lose their salvation. Those who THINK themselves believers, saved, chosen by God are not necessarily so. THEY can lose what they thought they had.
I believe that a believer is saved from the penalty of
past sin only when they first come to the Lord Jesus by asking Him to forgive them of their past life of sin, and in trusting in the gospel in that He died for their sins, He was buried, and risen three days later on their behalf for their salvation, and when they invited Christ to come into their life as their Savior.
But if any new sin is accrued or takes place, then a believer must confess and forsake those new sins in order to have mercy and forgiveness over those specific new sins. Otherwise, it would be turning God’s grace into a license for immorality.
“For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” (Jude 1:4).
For example: In an LA Fitness Gym in Pennsylvania on August 4, 2009, a man named George Sodini fired 50 rounds into an aerobic class before turning the gun on himself. The shooting resulted four deaths (including Sodini himself) and nine injured. George Sodini was a member of the Tetelestai Church where he sat quietly for many years, listening to his preacher. Talking about the pastor of his Church, Sodini wrote in his blog dated Dec. 31, 2008,
“this guy” (Alan “Rick” Knapp) “teaches (and convinced me) you can commit mass murder then still go to heaven. Ask him.“
And in a post dated August 3, 2009, Sodini said;
“Maybe soon, I will see God and Jesus. At least that is what I was told. Eternal life does NOT depend on works. If it did, we will all be in hell. Christ paid for every sin, so how can I or you be judged by GOD for a sin when the penalty was already paid. People judge but that does not matter. I was reading the Bible and The Integrity of God beginning yesterday, because soon I will see them.”
This is the problem I see in thinking future sin is forgiven us or that we can commit grievous sin and still be saved on some level.
Also, check out the verses in this thread here, as well.
The Bible teaches only past sins are forgiven us (not future sins).
You said:
Ananias and Sapphira never were saved, not [true] believers, not elect.
This was the result of what happened when Ananias and Sapphira were condemned to death by God.
“And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” (Acts of the Apostles 5:11).
Okay. Think like a detective here. Investigate this scene and the motivations behind WHY they felt the way they did. Does their emotions line up with what you are saying? I don’t believe so. A great fear by the church only works if they knew a similar sin of some kind can happen to them in that it could condemn them also. That is why they were in fear. It is the only logical deduction. Why would they be in fear over fake believers? They wouldn’t. The emotion of fear does not make any sense if that is the scenario you are painting.
You said:
Or, if they were of the elect, though they were physically killed on earth, their souls were saved, "yet so as by fire." (1 Corinthians 3:15), but I doubt that was the case.
In regards to the parable of the building,
and it's materials in 1 Corinthians 3:
Well, Paul says before the parable, “you are God's building.”
So we are the materials that make up the building.
The work is not referring to just any kind of general actions of a believer like good fruit (any kind of good fruit) and evil fruit (sin). The work is referring to those believers we bring to the faith and their eternal status with God (i.e. what kind of building materials are they made up of). The Parable is talking about Paul's work (Which is the Corinthians in this instance).
I believe Paul and the other apostles are a part of the foundation with Christ being the chief cornerstone or the ultimate baseline foundation (Ephesians 2:20), and that Paul's work in the gospel are the result of the Corinthians being initially saved by the gospel. However, Paul is now concerned that his labor in the gospel (concerning them) is now in vain because the Corinthians are now working the sins of strife and envying (Note: Paul condemns the sins of strife and envying when writing to the Galatians (Galatians 5:19-21). Paul says that they which do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God). In Galatians 4:11, Paul was concerned for the Galatians in that they were going back to the Old Law so as to be justified or saved. He was concerned that his labor for the gospel was in vain for the Galatians.
So the parable speaks of how his labor for the gospel (concerning the Corinthians) was now possibly in vain for them, too.
#1. The chief cornerstone foundation = Jesus Christ.
#2. Built as a part of the foundation on top of Christ = The apostles (including Paul, etc.) (Ephesians 2:20).
#3. The actual building materials of the tower or building = God's people (In this instance it would be the Corinthians).
#4. The Corinthians would be like: Wood, hay, and stubble in this particular point in time within their life while they abided in their sins of strife, and envying (Which are sins that will cause a person to not inherit the Kingdom of God).
Wood, hay, and stubble are not materials that could survive a fire.
#5. Paul (the soul winner, and builder of the gospel and builder upon the foundation of Jesus Christ) would be saved through the fire (despite his work - i.e. the Corinthians being his work) would be burned up because of their sins. For Paul then says that if any man defiles the temple, God will destroy them (Meaning: God will destroy the Corinthians if they do not repent of their sins). We are the temple of God. Our bodies are the temples of God. If we as believers defile our temples by sin, God will destroy us (i.e. condemn us).
This is what I believe the parable is saying. The works of Paul that will be burned are the Corinthians if they do not repent of their sins of strife and envy (1 Corinthians 3:3). The Corinthians at this point in time are not saved and they will be burned up in the fire and destroyed by God if they don't seek forgiveness with the Lord and turn from their sins of strife and envy. Paul, the apostles, or the gospel preacher is the one who will be saved through fire if his work (the Corinthians) is burned up (on the account of their justifying sin). The parable is not talking about how a believer can sin and still be saved as long as they have a belief on Jesus. It's actually teaching the exact opposite of that. One cannot build sin as a work upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Jesus did not advocate sin, and neither did He teach that a person can continue to sin and still be saved.
Yes, we are initially and foundationally saved by God's grace, but believers cannot justify sin, and they have to be fruitful for their Lord and live holy as a part of the Sanctification Process.
For Hebrews 12:14-15 says,
“14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”
(Hebrews 12:14-15).
