Saturday 7 April 2012

Saved!?

I was standing at our stall at Agquip while Mum went to get something. Thousands of people streamed through, some of which stopped to talk. One such lady noticed the free Christian literature on the table.
"Ah, so you're a Christian?" she asked.
I smiled, "I sure am!"
"You know," she told me, "I used to be a drug addict. But then I got saved. It is so wonderful being saved."
I agreed. It really is wonderful to have that constant connection with God.
"But, I tell you," she continued, "I've done all sorts of things. If it weren't that I got saved back then, I would be lost now. I'm so thankful for eternal security with my salvation."
A look of shock crossed my face. "Eternal security? What ever do you mean by that?"
She seemed surprised by my ignorance. I really had never heard of it.
"Oh, well, we are covered with Christ's blood, and don't need to worry about how we live. I'm so glad I don't have to worry about that," she exclaimed.
"But, we have to surrender to God every day, not just once!" I countered, still surprised.
She shook her head. "No, I have eternal security."
"But what about a daily walk with God?" I asked confused.
She repeated it all. Mum came back to the stall.
"Oh, we were just discussing homeschooling," the lady told Mum.
Another surprise! When was that?
"I homeschool my two boys," she added.
The two started a warm discussion on the topic.
I was left to think. Think, I did. What ever did she mean by all that? Can one really do whatever they wish, and still be saved? Is it not possible to turn away and lose salvation?
At the end of the long day, Mum and I looked at it in the Bible together. My questions were answered. I forgot about it.
~~~

That was four years ago. Not long ago, as I was reading through my Bible I came across an explanation. It stared me in the face -- cleared all doubts.
Ezekial 18:24 "But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die."

That verse was the answer. Yes, God has given us freewill. What does it say in the NT, I wondered? I found more.

"They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." Luke 8:13

"Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray..." 2 Peter 2:15

I'm convinced. My salvation is still under threat. I do need God's constant power to overcome and abide in Him. I can lose that. But how?

What can seperate us from God's love?
“35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, orfamine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, norany other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39
What do all these elements have in common?
They are all external forces.

So then, what is the one thing that can separate us from God?
“1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:1, 2

I see it more clearly now. If we take the beginning and throw out the end of our faith, we are not going to get there. It is not enough to just become a Christian, we must stay a Christian.

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, wherunto thou art also called, and has professed a good profession before many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12.

"...he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Mark 13:13



If we resist the sanctification process by turning in the opposite direction, or letting Satan subtly turn our eyes off Jesus until we give away our faith, then we give away our right to Heaven.
Revelation 3:11 "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."

(Credits: Christella)

2 comments:

Your comments make me happy!