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Tract Number 329
Audio download at bottom of page
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Once Saved Always Saved???
By Cathy Whitehead
Recently I read this expression: "Many of us wonder how could we possibly make it to Heaven when we keep falling so short from the people we need to be." (referring to their Christian experience) The question was then asked, "why does the devil bother those that are saved? If he knows we will get to Heaven, of what interest are we to him?" These are interesting thoughts that came from the heart of perhaps honest souls.
In many of our churches today people live with unrest in their souls. There is no real assurance of where they stand with God. They listen to the preacher’s explanation of these questions as he soothes their conscience. They believe him even though condemnation lies upon their heart and lives.
Multitudes are being swept away with false doctrines that are preached from the pulpits of our land. People with condemnation in their heart for sinful things they have done are assured that once a belief in salvation has been made they are eternally secure in God. No matter what things the devil may cause them to do they are still God’s child. Once saved, always saved is their doctrine. False pastors tell souls in their congregations, "You will be tempted today, you can not resist all temptations so you are destined to fail somewhere along your Christian walk."
How disappointing life would be if we in our jobs, schools, raising our children, being good mothers, fathers, bosses or just a worker on the job, always expected to fail. It would cause us to feel no need to strive for excellence or doing our very best. How sad to think there will never be a place we can be pleased to know we have done well, our very best. If there were never any success stories in our life we would become discouraged and bitter with life.
The devil wants all of us to be failures in our spiritual life. He does not want us to read God’s word. He goes to great lengths to cause unbelief in our hearts concerning God. His goal is to destroy any belief that through receiving Christ in Salvation and obedience to his word, we can resist, overcome him, and every temptation he puts in our Christian walk with God.
We do not have to be among those who say "I was tempted today, I could not resist and I failed God but I am still his child." The Bible gives us a much better way, a hope and assurance that is true, because God does not lie.
The bible tells us in 1st Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
With temptations, which are common to man, God makes a way to escape that we may be able to bear them and not give in to the devil.
God does not tempt us, our own lusts and the enticements of the devil draw us to sin. At those times we need to look quickly for a way to escape. It may be that we must stay away from certain places, people or things that entice our soul, mind and spirit to do wrong. Our escape may be in praying more, thanking God for his goodness, or other forms that we could use to resist the devil and what he is trying to get us to do.
James 4:7 says "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Give the devil a battle when he tries to get you to do wrong. Put God’s word on him. Don’t listen to him. Remember he has been a liar from the beginning. His main goal is to kill, steal and destroy your soul.
In the beginning of time the devil came to Eve in the garden of Eden. (Genesis 3) She was his first prey. God had said, "Do not eat of the tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil or you shall surely die." The devil cunningly lied to her. He said "Thou shalt not surely die, but shall be wise as God." He made the fruit appealing to her flesh and desires. She choose what she wanted over what God had commanded. Then she offered it unto her husband Adam and he disobeyed God also.
What happened? Was God pleased, did he just let them get by because he felt they were so weak? No. God was grieved that they did not want to obey but he could no longer have fellowship with their souls that were now sinful. They were driven from the garden and the presence of God. Angels with flaming swords were placed at the east of the garden to prevent them from entering back into the garden and the presence of God.
God loved them, he loved us in our sins and weakened conditions before salvation. The Bible tells us while we were yet sinners Christ loved us and died that we might be saved.
Other scriptures tell us, Jesus was merciful and kind even unto the sinner. But after Salvation, repentance and forgiveness of sin from God, it is not his will that we fail him.
Precious soul do you want to stand in your walk with God. There is a pattern God himself has ordained. If new born Christians will heed God’s word and obey all they understand they do not have to fail God or themselves.
Jesus said "Walk in the light while you have the light lest darkness come upon you." What is walking in the light? Simply obeying God’s word. Those teaching false doctrines are in darkness, but God wants to shine his light upon every honest soul who will diligently seek for the true way.
We can fall, the Bible tells of Judas, who by transgression fell (Acts 1:25). It tells us of Demas who forsook Paul having loved the world more than God. (2nd Timothy 4:10). They had been saved but chose their own way.
In the Old Testament the children of Israel sinned against God with their idols. Moses pleaded with God in their behalf. He told God, "Take my name out of your book for these people’s sin." But God would not let Moses answer for their sins. "Those that sin against me, their names will I blot out of the book of life." Our name can be blotted out, taken away from the record of those saved, if we disobey and transgress God’s law. It was true in the Old Testament and is still true today.
"But I don’t want to fall," you say. "What can I do? Is there any assurance that I can overcome and be successful in my Christian walk with God?" Many have ask themselves and others this question also. We find in God’s word a specific plan, a sure guard against the devil stealing our soul from God.
Grace and peace come to us through the knowledge of God and his son, Jesus Christ. Precious promises are given to us in God’s word that we might be partakers of the divine nature of God. God’s divine nature in us is a way of escape from all corruption, all temptations that man must face in this world through his own lust.
God desires that we build our faith by reading, studying, and listening to a true man of God. We must pray with diligence that to our faith these things can be added in our walk with God. Virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and greatest of all charity. 2nd Peter 1:8 tells us: "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Verse 10 tells us if we do these things we shall never fall. It says never fall. That is God’s perfect plan for us. But if we fail to heed God’s word and walk in his light, if we let others convince us temptations are greater than God’s power, we are sure to fall from God’s grace and we are no longer his child.
Remember the scripture James 1:12, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, (and does not give in) he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Heaven is prepared for those that love God. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man those things that God hath prepared for those that love him. Let us not miss God’s blessing. Search the scriptures, find the true way and walk in it. There is a true way. We can say I have been once saved, and I will always be saved by his grace and power that helps me to obey his word each day.
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