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Which Gospel Do
You Believe? |
Among people who call themselves Bible-believing, born
again Christians there are primarily two different salvation messages (gospels)
that are proclaimed. The gospel associated with eternal security would
have you believe that:
- Salvation begins in a moment’s time and is
guaranteed to continue.
- There is no salvation maintenance on man’s part.
God will keep you, hold you and has already sealed you by His Spirit
at the point of salvation assuring an entrance into the kingdom of
heaven.
- Sin can never bring a Christian to his spiritual
death, regardless what sin is committed or false doctrine is believed.
- Eternal life is a gift that can’t be lost or
returned and a present tense possession for the Christian,
guaranteeing an entrance into God’s kingdom.
- Reaching heaven for the Christian is absolutely
certain just as though he has already been in heaven for 10,000 years.
- Some Christians are adulterers, drunkards, thieves,
etc.
In contrast, the real gospel which rejects
eternal security states that:
- Salvation begins in a moment’s time and continues
on, but only as long as we follow Jesus. This implies the possibility
that something can adversely interfere with it, as has happened in the
lives of Solomon, Saul, Judas and many others.
- After getting born again (initial salvation) there is
salvation maintenance on man’s part, which is under Biblical grace.
If this is neglected, the Christian will inevitably drift away,
turn lukewarm, grow unfruitful, become unloving and unforgiving as
well as regress spiritually in other ways to the point that spiritual
life is no longer present within his spirit. Man cooperates with God
and enables Him to keep and hold us spiritually safe. Though God is
sovereign, He will never violate man’s free will, even if it is to
man’s detriment and damnation. Christians can put to death the
misdeeds of the sinful nature (flesh) by the Spirit of God—never by
their own ability or strength.
- Sin can defile, corrupt, contaminate, soil and even
bring the Christian to his spiritual death. The seal of the Holy
Spirit can be broken. Consequently, we must be on our spiritual guard
at all times, as we look to God for his strength and power. The
Christian life is a war, fight and struggle against the deceiving
forces of darkness and personal sin.
- Eternal life is much more than just a gift and a
present tense possession. It is also a hope (Titus 3:7) and promise (1
Jn. 2:24,25), yet to be reaped (Gal. 6:8,9), in the age to come (Mk.
10:30), but only for those who persist in doing good (Rom. 2:7) and
who don’t grow weary and give up sowing to please the Spirit of God
and not the sinful nature (Gal. 6:8,9).
- The only salvation assurance the Bible offers is a
present tense salvation assurance for the person who is presently
following Jesus and trusting in Him for his own personal salvation (1
Jn. 5:11-13). In other words, the faith needed to enter God’s
paradise kingdom is a trusting, submitting and enduring faith.
To enter God’s kingdom, we must endure hardships and persecutions as
we continue to live holy as Jesus’ disciples in this wicked and
adulterous generation. Sadly, continuing in the faith and holiness has
not always happened for others in times past.
- It is impossible to be a Christian at the same time
as being an adulterer, drunkard, thief, or such as is cited in 1 Cor.
6:9,10; Rev. 21:8; Eph. 5:5-7; Mk. 7:20-22. To teach that such is
possible is to twist the holy image of being a Christian (a saint)
into something which allows for wickedness. Eternal security is a
dangerous myth, which has many on the road to hell thinking they are
on the road to heaven because they once had a moment of true faith
which brought regeneration.
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Which gospel do you believe |
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