December 16, 2024 • 44 mins
Can one truly lose the salvation they once embraced? Join us as we grapple with this profound theological question in a spirited discussion that may challenge your understanding of faith. We tackle the contentious belief of "once saved, always saved," scrutinizing the intricate balance between divine assurance and personal choice. With thought-provoking references to biblical figures like Adam, Eve, and Lucifer, we explore how free will plays a critical role in our spiritual journey. By examining key scriptures, we underscore the necessity of perseverance and the real potential to stray from the path of salvation.
Our exploration extends into the realm of free will within our relationship with God, drawing intriguing parallels to personal agreements like marriage. We delve into the flexibility and consequences of altering spiritual commitments, illustrating how one’s commitment to faith can be both a profound gift and a personal choice. Through scriptural analysis from Matthew and Colossians, we confront the notion of guaranteed salvation, emphasizing the importance of a transformative life grounded in faith. This episode challenges the listener to consider how steadfastness in belief can shape their eternal destiny.
We also consider the peril of falling from grace and the dangers of adherence to religious laws without spiritual connection. By sharing personal stories and examining passages from Galatians and Hebrews, we reveal how even a life steeped in religious tradition can miss true salvation without a genuine relationship with God. The conversation further explores the power of forgiveness and the significance of living by God's will as the ultimate path to fulfillment. Through this episode, we invite you to reflect deeply on your spiritual journey, balancing the assurance of salvation with the responsibility of faithfulness.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
What is up everybody?
Welcome to another podcastepisode.
We're going to dive intosomething today that I've been
getting a lot of questions about, and this is, I believe, a very
necessary theologicaldiscussion.
Some of you may be super,extremely smart and you have all
(00:21):
the right answers, which.
Thank you so much for thosecomments.
They are always a blessing, andthat is sarcasm, because you
just like to tell everybody howmuch you know instead of helping
brothers and sisters out.
But whatever, that is theinternet today, but some of you
are maybe new to Christ.
Some of you may be moreseasoned Christians, but you
(00:43):
don't have exactly the knowledgethat maybe someone who's been
studying the Word of God for 20years, or maybe you've known
Christ for 20 years and you'venever really studied the Bible.
So today we're going to talkabout something that's more of a
theological stance.
My denomination is what iscalled Church of God, and our
mothership, as I call it, is inCleveland, tennessee.
(01:05):
That being said, I want to talkto you a little bit about
something that is a prominentstance for the modern church,
and we're going to phrase it uplike this okay, can you lose
your salvation?
Can you lose, um, your?
(01:29):
Can it be taken from you.
Can it be, uh, stolen?
We're going to dive into someof those questions.
We're also going to, instead ofdoing a argument and me giving
you my opinion, we're going togo to scripture, and I think
that needs to be key above all.
(01:50):
So stick with me.
Before we get into today's video, I just wanted to say thank you
to all of the new subscribers.
If you haven't yet considersubscribing, hit that bell
notification so that you can seeevery time I put out a new
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A major portion of you thatwatch my videos haven't
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It's free.
You can also find a PayPal linkbelow if you want to give a one
(02:13):
time or give a monthly tosupport the channel.
Anything, great or small, isappreciated.
Now let's get into the video.
So what does it mean if someoneuses the phrase once saved,
always saved?
What does it mean when someonesays that?
(02:35):
What does it mean when someonesays you can't lose, or you can
lose your salvation, now, theseare kind of loaded questions.
Salvation, now, these are kindof loaded questions, and people
use twisted up scripture tosupport, like a lot of people do
(02:57):
, especially with minimalunderstanding or not wanting to
have more of an understanding,but will only see or have
scripture that fits theirnarrative.
So we're going to walk throughsome things Jesus said, we're
going to walk through somethings that Paul said and we're
going to.
I'm going to leave it open toyou to make your own assumption,
but coming from how I believe,I believe that there is no room
for error in this, that no onecan steal your salvation.
(03:22):
So the devil, the devil himself,okay, one of the the the
highest ranking, importantangels, which is, I believe, a
part of the ego of why he felland became prideful and all that
stuff is because he, he was sobeautiful, he was so important,
and I think he plays a lot ofthat into today's culture and if
(03:44):
you see it growing and growingand growing and growing, it's
because that is the normal ofthe devil and so he's trying to
pass on, make us be like him anddesign us in his likeness,
because we're created in God'simage.
So, if he can twist up God'screation, like he did with
(04:05):
himself and like a third of theangels that fell with him, yes,
they are angels we call themdemons down here, but they are
fallen angels.
So, that being said, can thedevil himself come and steal
your salvation?
No, he cannot.
Can your mother, father,neighbor, brother, sister, wife,
husband?
Can they come in and steal yoursalvation?
Absolutely, mother, father,neighbor, brother, sister, wife,
(04:25):
husband, can they come in andsteal your salvation?
Absolutely not.
They cannot steal yoursalvation.
But because we have free will,we can walk away from God.
We can walk away after knowinghim, just as Lucifer did.
(04:48):
Lucifer was in the presence ofGod.
Some people try to use it aslike well, if they turn away
from God, they were never saved.
Bible okay, strictly Bible youtalk about the beginning.
You have Adam and Eve in theBible that knew God.
They literally walked with God.
God walked with them in thecool of the day, and yet they
(05:11):
had the free will to turn theirback on God.
But there was a consequence tothat.
There became a separation thatwas not there before.
The same thing with Lucifer hehad the presence of God around
him at all.
But then he began to seek afterand desire the same thing he
presented Adam and Eve with hehimself had already partaken of.
(05:34):
He was trying to get abeautiful creation you and I,
adam and Eve that God createdand designed, and he saw that
they had no worries.
They had no issues.
Just, I believe, from hisperspective, as once he did, and
then he ruined it.
So if he's already destroyed,he's already been defeated.
He knows his end is coming.
(05:55):
It was just a matter of time.
Then why not take somethingelse?
He had already taken a third ofthe angels.
Why not take something elsethat God had created, that God
had designed, and try to make itfor himself?
This is the error ofself-righteousness.
This is the error of our hubris, where we think that we are
(06:18):
better or more than what God hasactually designed us for, and
we have been made and designedin his image to worship him.
But he gives us that free willto do so.
So let's dive into somescripture.
So I'm going to show you myscreen and make sure I got the
right one teed up here.
So this is coming from Matthew24, 13.
(06:42):
I always use New LivingTranslation is a very easy,
easier understandable instead ofKing James.
I even have a new King Jamesstudy Bible, but when I'm
teaching scripture in my church,I'm a pastor of a church, lead
pastor of a church.
I want to tee up things as easyas possible so that anybody who
(07:02):
hears can understand, and Ithink that's the point.
Jesus had a very awesome way ofdoing that, and that's actually
one of my prayers and harshdesires is that he gives me that
ability.
So, matthew 24, 13,.
As you see on the screen righthere, salvation is not a
one-time event, but a continualprocess of faith and
(07:26):
perseverance.
Faith by faith, through grace,we are saved, so that no man can
boast and perseverance.
Now, perseverance means thatthere is a lasting element,
there is a remaining element tothis context, but the one who
(07:51):
endures to the end will be saved.
Salvation is not a one-timeevent, but a continuous process
of faith and perseverance.
I wanted to tell you thatbefore I read the Scripture, I
wanted you to understand.
Perseverance is an endurance tothe end, an endurance to the
scripture I wanted you tounderstand.
Perseverance is an endurance tothe end, and endurance to the
end in scripture we may get toit.
I don't remember if it's in mynotes or not, but in the uh, I
(08:12):
think it's in revelation ittalks about there's a great
falling away.
Okay, there cannot be a greatfalling away unless there is a
great following.
You understand what I'm saying.
It cannot be one way here andthen it's the opposite over here
.
That doesn't even logicallymake sense.
That means that once you willfollow him, the next you will
(08:39):
fall away, and not just asLucifer did when he fell from
heaven.
So salvation is not a one-timeevent.
There is an initial agreement.
For instance let me use thisI've been married before.
(09:01):
I've been divorced.
I'm divorced right now.
I'm divorced right now.
Let me back up I was divorced,I was married before.
I'm married again now to mywife, put on paper before a
(09:23):
judge, with a lawyer, withrepresentation, and that
agreement established the restof our child's life that we had
together.
It gave custodial parenting toone person where I was at that
(09:44):
time, it was her and then weflipped it later.
Now he's been with me for sixyears now and the written
agreement by my choice can bestepped out by her choice.
There's child support, there'sinsurance, there's there's all
kinds of things in the agreement.
There's visitations, you know.
(10:04):
There's child support, there'sinsurance, there's all kinds of
things in the agreement.
There's visitations, you know.
There's a set time where shehas them.
There's a set time where I havethem.
Set time for tax returns, settime for holidays, which we're
in the middle of right now.
There are agreements that areon paper, odd and evens and all
(10:25):
the stuff that the judge workedout for the benefit of the child
and the parents have agreedupon.
That being said, both of us themother and father can step
outside of the agreement anytimewe want, but there are
consequences to stepping outsideof that agreement.
Okay so, and also another,let's go a step even further
(10:50):
that would be.
I think a good point is that atany point the other parent can
sign an agreement to stepoutside of that and no longer be
involved in that child's life.
So on paper that now you cansay nope, I refuse to be in
relationship with that child.
Now, obviously he's a goodparent.
(11:11):
I would never want that, hismother would never want that.
But as an option, we have theoption, the free will, to change
up the contract to where I nolonger have rights.
And the same thing with yourChristian walk.
You can, you are not forced tohave a relationship with God.
You have the ability to stepinto agreement or to step out of
(11:36):
the agreement, and there'srepercussions for each one.
So Jesus emphasizes here inMatthew 24, but the one who
endures put it on screen onemore time the one who endures to
the end will be saved.
There is an endurance quality.
There is a perseverancenecessity.
Jesus emphasizes the need toremain steadfast, implying the
(12:00):
possibility of falling away ifendurance is lacking.
Let's go to the secondscripture, colossians 3, verses
7-8, and it says this you usedto walk in these ways in the
(12:24):
life you once lived, but now youmust rid yourself of all such
things as these anger, rage,malice, slander and filthy
language from your lips.
Okay, paul is encouragingbelievers to continue to live in
a transformative life.
To live in a transformativelife.
(12:45):
He is telling them that failureto do so will implicate you in
falling away or excludingyourself from relationship with
God Excluding yourself,relationship with God.
Now let's go to number two.
(13:05):
I said we're just shootingthrough this.
This is scripture.
This is not my opinion.
This is scripture.
Okay, just setting this upbecause it's pretty hard stuff.
Okay, for it is impossible tobring back to repentance those
who were once enlightened.
It's talking about those whoonce knew the truth, those who
(13:28):
have experienced the good thingsof heaven and shared in the
Holy Spirit.
Now, this is after the book ofActs, where the Holy Spirit came
down and people were able toimpartake on each other pray and
the Spirit would fill them overand over again.
It was a description of layinghands on and an impartation
(13:53):
would happen and they would besaved.
They would come to Christ, theywould give their lives over to
Christ and they would be filledwith the Holy Spirit, as in Acts
2 demonstrates.
Filled with the Holy Spirit, asin Acts 2 demonstrates.
Those who have experienced thegood things of heaven and shared
in the Holy Spirit, who havetasted the goodness of the word
(14:14):
of God and the power of the ageto come, and who then turn away
from God, away from God byrejecting the Son of God, they
themselves nailing Him to thecross once again and holding Him
(14:35):
up in public shame.
It is so evident in just thisscripture alone, in just this
scripture alone.
When you phrase it up, see,it's a presupposition.
You pre-presume, you presume,you assume.
When someone says once saved,always saved, or someone can't
(14:56):
steal your salvation, this is anaccurate statement, but you can
give it away.
Salvation is even called a giftfrom God.
I believe God has given us inthe physical world every single
thing we need to understandspiritual principles in the
Bible.
I don't believe he has left usout there, not understanding.
Now there's some things wewon't know to the other side of
heaven, that is, heavenly thingsthat we, just our minds, can't
(15:19):
comprehend.
For instance, my mind cannotcomprehend the angels that
surround his throne, with thewings and the eyes, and all my
mind cannot comprehend that.
One day I will see it and Ihope I won't be scared while I'm
in heaven.
But you know, it is what it isNow.
That being said this, right herethere is no room for
(15:43):
misinterpretation.
It says let's put it on yourscreen one more time and I'm
doing this so that you will know, and maybe you have somebody
who thinks that they can just dowhatever they want, they can
live however they want, they canstep outside of God's will and
they're still good because theyread the Bible or they pray a
lot.
Praying and reading the Bibledoes not save you.
It doesn't.
(16:04):
The Pharisees in the Bible knewthe scripture.
The devil, he knows thescripture.
It does not mean you're goingto heaven.
Okay, it is a product havingthat hunger and thirst for his
righteousness and his word andgetting to know him more.
It is a product of salvation,but it is not what produces
salvation, for it is impossibleto bring back to repentance
(16:24):
those who were once enlightened,those who have experienced the
good things of heaven and sharedin the Holy Spirit, who have
tasted the goodness of the wordof God, they've known scripture,
they've known what is right,they have known what is wrong
but they have fallen away andthey've shared in the Holy
Spirit but yet now they rejectit, who have tasted the goodness
(16:45):
of the word of God and thepower of the age to come, and
who then turn away.
So there is a turning to Godand then there is a turning away
.
So this passage suggests thatthe individuals who were once
saved have the free will to turnaway, losing their standing and
(17:13):
being blameless and righteousbefore a holy God.
I think this is a little bit.
A part of how we get soconfused on all this
conversation is that we're notreally understanding that it
takes a holy life before a holyGod, through Christ Jesus and
the power of the Holy Spirit, tolive in such a way.
So let's go to another scriptureTold you, we're going to hammer
(17:35):
this home.
Get it up here, teed up for youon the For if you wait a minute
, is that the right one?
Galatians 5.4.
Yep, I got two computers goingand it's messing with my brain.
So that is not the right versethat I have.
(18:02):
That's okay.
Galatians 5.4,.
Why is it not right?
I don't know.
I'm going to read you, for ifyou're trying to make yourselves
right with God by keeping thelaw, you have been cut off from
Christ.
You have fallen away from God'sgrace.
Okay, well, the one I have onmy, my screen.
(18:22):
I'm not sure why it's different.
You have been severed fromchrist.
You who are trying to bejustified by the law I think
it's a different translation iswhat it is.
You have fallen away from grace.
So, yes, it's the same one,just a different translation.
But both of them say new,living translation anyways.
So we'll read what you see onthe screen.
If you're trying to makeyourselves right with God by
(18:43):
keeping the law, okay, what islaw in the Old Testament and New
Testament?
The law given by Moses, by Godto Moses, for God's people, the
Ten Commandments.
And then you have, if you readin the Old Testament, like it
gets very detailed on what isright and what is wrong and what
to wear, what not to wear.
This is a today likeCatholicism or legalism in the
(19:10):
Protestant church or in theevangelical space.
It is a way of doing things,keeping the law, like you're
doing it right, you're doingexactly what you're supposed to
do, and these are all greatthings.
Even Jesus looked to thePharisees and he was like listen
, they are perfect at keepingthe law, do what they do, but
don't act how they act, likethey're so stuck on themselves
(19:33):
and self-righteous and all thesethings.
So Paul is explicitly statingthat believers can fall from
grace.
It says right at the end youhave fallen away from God's
grace.
The only way to literally fallaway from something is to be
close to it.
You cannot fall away unless youare drawn near.
(19:56):
You cannot fall away unless youwere up on it.
It does not make any logicalsense.
So for people to say and usethe statement like any logical
sense.
So for people to say and usethe statement like well then,
they never knew God.
This, all the scriptures wehave read the one, two, three,
four scriptures we've read sofar says the exact opposite that
these people have known God andyet they have fallen away
(20:16):
because God gives us free will.
It doesn't mean if you don'tunderstand this or it doesn't,
it's not clicking in your head.
It doesn't mean you're ignorant.
It doesn't mean if you don'tunderstand this or it's not
clicking in your head.
It doesn't mean you're ignorant.
It doesn't mean you're stupid.
It just means you don't have anunderstanding of what it
actually means to be close toGod and then fall away.
And I promise you there'speople out there that can speak
to this.
I was one of them.
I was raised in church myentire life.
I felt the presence of Godmultiple times in my life.
(20:38):
I followed God as good as ayoung teenager could, and then a
young man.
But then when I got out on myown, I realized that my
salvation was tied to theprotection of my family's house.
It doesn't mean I didn't knowGod, but I didn't have that
personal relationship with God.
(21:00):
And so I got that personalrelationship with God.
I followed after him.
I prayed, I read, I read, Ifasted, but I let.
In my early adulthood I finallygot it Like I gave my heart to
Christ.
When I was young I knew that'swhat I was supposed to, but it
took a level of of kind ofdevelopment and maturity for me
to really understand what itmeant to give my heart to Christ
(21:22):
, to give my life to God.
And so when I did, I went and Istarted going to a Bible
college as a good, you knowBible, uh, as a good young, uh
pastor's kid does, I guess.
Um, and there was nothing in mylife that was not pleasing to
(21:43):
God.
I even saw at the universitythe Bible college, bible school.
There was beer in the dorms andstuff like that.
And I'm like what is going on?
Like they were hiding it, andI'm like this is so.
I didn't drink, I didn't smoke,I didn't do anything Like my
life was God's, like I reallywanted to do.
(22:03):
I really wanted to live my lifefor God.
But I let my selfish ambitionand there's churches around here
that do the same thing, pastorsthat do the same thing their
selfish ambition of what they.
They want to be a celebritypastor, they want to be famous,
they want to be known instead ofbeing known by God, which is
the most important, and therebegins to be a separation.
(22:30):
Most of the pastors, or most ofpeople that love the Lord, they
don't set out to live a lifeseparate from God, but it ends
up being that way because theyfall away.
It's sometimes the way lifeends up happening.
It's terrible, it's not funwhen you have to learn the
lessons the hard way, but that's.
I knew God, I knew him, I wantedto live my life for him.
(22:51):
I was going to college to be ayouth pastor for ministry.
I wanted to give everything Ihad over to God, but I let my
flesh destroy the path God hadfor me.
And so I'm not saying I'm notsaying people fall away just
pulling it out of my.
(23:11):
I'm saying it because I did itLike this was a path that I went
down and it destroyed everygood thing in my life.
So for me to stand here and tryto try to argue that it's not
possible.
I've seen it firsthand.
And the wake of bodies thatleaves is detrimental.
(23:34):
Every relationship wasdestroyed, every witness of who
I was or who I wanted to be, whoI aspired to be for the Lord,
was destroyed.
And God has had to rebuild itfrom ground zero Because I let
it just completely be demolished.
So, anyways, so Galatians 5.4,.
Paul is writing and sayingexplicitly that believers can
(23:57):
fall from grace, from grace,indicating that salvation is not
a constant, always, no matterwhat, that it can be walked away
from.
So let's look at this otherscripture.
(24:18):
Alright, we only got six moreto go.
So let's look at thisrews 10,26.
Dear friends, if wedeliberately continue sinning
after we have received knowledgeof the truth.
So what is salvation?
Salvation is?
It is a revelation, receiving a, a divine knowledge that you
(24:41):
are not enough, that you are notrighteous, that you cannot do
it on your own, that you need asavior.
And you have received knowledgeof the truth, which that is the
truth.
There is no longer anysacrifice that will cover these
sins.
Okay, that's great right.
Deliberate sin after coming tothe truth nullifies the efficacy
(25:08):
of Christ's sacrifice in anindividual's life, highlighting
the importance of ongoingobedience.
So look at this scripture, dearfriends.
You always followed myinstructions when I was with you
and now that I'm away, it iseven more important Work hard to
(25:30):
show the results of yoursalvation, obeying God with deep
reverence and fear.
I'm actually at the end of theyear, we're wrapping it up, but
there's a I'm doing a JohnBrevere's book.
Where did I put it?
Hold on.
So this book right here.
(25:55):
John bevere uh, let's see, wecan see the all of god.
John bevere uh, he also haspodcasts on YouTube and anywhere
you listen to podcasts.
Very good book.
It's talking about living in thefear of God and I think this
type of right here.
This is something that has beenlost on church people.
When I talk about sinners,we're talking about church
(26:16):
people.
This whole podcast episode isabout church people, people in
the church doing church butforgetting to be the church.
There's a big difference.
Your brothers and sisters workhard to show the results of your
salvation, so salvation doesnot produce I mean, works does
not produce salvation, okay, butsalvation does produce works
(26:39):
and we have to work hard tocontinue to keep that witness
alive.
So that means there is efforton our part.
It's not just a one and done.
There is a initial yes, initialagreement, but it takes an
ongoing process to keep thisalive in your heart and your
mind and the reputation of theLord and yourself.
(27:04):
Let's go on to the next one.
I got too many screens going.
All right, let's look at thisone when people escape from the
wickedness of the world byknowing our Lord and Savior,
jesus Christ, and then sothere's a before, and then
(27:27):
there's an after, okay, and thenokay, and then, tangled up and
enslaved by sin again, they'reworse off than before.
This is literally describingsomeone who has known Christ,
(27:47):
who has given their life toJesus, and they are then getting
tangled up back into the sinthat they once gave up a
lifestyle they once ran from.
I have these people in my mindright now.
They started coming to church,they gave their life to God.
(28:08):
They were, they were just.
You know, from the exterior youwould think they were
completely sold out.
And then something happened andall of a sudden they started
drinking again, they startedpartying again and it was like
they were.
They were, they were right onthe edge of like really
surrendering, coming to thealtar every, every time and
(28:30):
praying, and it was like man,they're doing it, you know, and
as a pastor, that's that issomething to celebrate.
That's something that, like itgave me life, and you know what
I mean Like breath in my lungsto see somebody who was once,
who I was once, like that that,you know, played a little bit of
the game, but finally it's likethey got some traction.
They were getting it.
(28:50):
They were, they were reallywanting to serve the Lord.
They were wanting to sharetheir testimony.
They, they had overcome so manythings in their life and then it
was just like they steppedoutside just a tad of the will
of God and when they did, it waslike the house of cards began
to crumble, like everything thatthey were saying out of their
mouth.
They wanted to do.
Saying out of their mouth, theywanted to change.
(29:10):
Saying out of their mouth, theywanted to to let God take and
let God do what only God can doand let the Holy spirit
transform, renew and justelevate them in a way that only
the Holy Spirit can do.
And the power, and you know thespeaking in tongues, and it's
like man.
They're about to get it, man,their life's about to break
through.
And then it was as if somethingpivoted in their life and I
(29:34):
don't know what it is Like.
I'm not the pastor anymore, Idon't know, but they stopped
showing up to church, theystopped listening to the Lord,
they stopped listening tocorrection.
They stopped, and it was likeman, it they were so close and I
don't, I, I do not believe thatthey are too far gone.
I mean I, I've never believedthat about anybody.
(29:55):
People ask me it's kind offunny because, honestly, it's
the law.
So I mean the law can do whatthe law says.
It was in the Bible as well.
But like, not corporatepunishment, isn't that spanking?
Where they kill them, when it'slike you messed up so bad,
we're killing you, the deathpenalty.
I just can't get behind that.
(30:16):
And I'm not saying people don'tdeserve it, but I just, in my
heart, I'm like man.
I just I just want them to havea chance to turn back to God.
And I feel the same way aboutthis couple.
I'm like man.
Just they were so close andlisten.
I don't know why I'm getting offon this, but if that's you and
you, you have been like on thefence of a breakthrough or on
(30:36):
the fence of, like, givingeverything to God.
Stop playing games before it'stoo late and don't turn away
from the Lord but run to him.
Like, give up that sinfulnature, the alcohol, the
pornography, the sleeping around, the adultery, all the things
that you think you need tosatisfy that hunger that's
inside of you.
Stop it, because it will notsustain you.
(30:59):
It's as if you were eating.
It's like I call people coolwhip Christians, cool whip.
You know the big old tub ofstuff.
It looks like there's a lot ofsubstance but there's no weight.
You know what I mean.
It looks like there's a lot butthere's not a lot going on.
Don't be that.
Be a person of substance.
Be a person of character.
Be a person that you know whoyou are, not by the world's
(31:22):
definition or the culture'sdefinition, or them telling you
what you need to be successfulor telling you what you need to
look like you're succeeding inlife.
God needs to be that definitionfor you and you need to let him
be that Lord of your life, andnot the material things, not
your spouse, not your parents,not your kids.
Let the Lord be the Lord ofyour life.
That is the only way you'regoing to find satisfaction of
(31:42):
your life.
That is the only way you'regoing to find satisfaction in
this world.
That is the only way you'regoing to find purpose in this
world.
And don't be tricked by thinkingbecause you had a moment with
God and it was real and it wasgood and in the moment you were
satisfied.
And now you're just walkingaround, not caring about his
will, walking, stepping out ofsight of his will.
You are not.
If you are walking outside ofGod's will and you're not
(32:05):
listening to him, you are nothis child.
That's just the facts.
Like you, have fallen away andhave been tricked into living in
a comfortable prison cell.
That is just satisfying enoughto keep you where you're not
really living in your purpose.
Satisfying enough to keep youwhere you're not really living
(32:27):
in your purpose.
God desires for us to be andhave more than that.
So that was for free.
So I don't know why I got offon that, but here we are.
All right, salvation must beworked out with fear and
trembling, signifying that itrequires continuous effort and
dedication.
All right, so this is my fourthpoint, warning against apostasy
(32:51):
.
So let's look at this.
I actually had wait a minute.
Did I skip ahead already?
Oh, I did, sorry.
We've already read thatscripture.
Yeah, 2 Peter 2.20.
I'll read it one more time.
Why not?
Let me put it back on thescreen.
(33:12):
Put it back on the screen foryou.
And when people escape from thewickedness of the world by
knowing our Lord and Savior,jesus Christ, and then get
tangled up and enslaved, whichis what sin does, it will keep
you bound by sin again.
They are worse off than before,and that couple I was talking
about, like it, does it reallylooks like they are worse off
(33:35):
than they were before.
So let's look at this.
So I highlighted this righthere.
I had it in my notes that I wasgoing to do just 319, hebrews
319, which is where we are, butI started reading and I just
want to read from 16 to 19.
If that's all right with y'all,get this man.
You know how much I hate.
You.
Can't stand ads and junk, allright?
(33:58):
No, you can't even see it onyour screen.
Well, that's good's good.
So let's start at 16.
And who was it who rebelledagainst God, even though they
heard his voice?
Wasn't it the people Moses ledout of Egypt and who made God
angry for 40 years?
They had a good streak right.
At least they were consistent.
(34:21):
Wasn't it the people who sinned, whose corpses in the
wilderness?
God buffed that out.
And to whom was god speakingwhen he took an oath that they
would never enter his rest?
Wasn't it the people whodisobeyed him?
So we see that because of theirunbelief they were not able to
(34:45):
enter his rest.
So, oops, sorry, wrong computer.
Even after being delivered fromEgypt, many Israelites failed to
enter the promised land due tounbelief.
Christians can fail to entereternal rest if they fall into
(35:11):
unbelief.
This goes back to free will.
All of us have the free will ofbelieving or not believing.
God is not going to force youinto heaven, and probably the
truth be told you.
Probably some of you wouldn'tlike it.
There there's going to be allkinds of people of different
races and colors and beliefs andwhen I say beliefs I'm talking
(35:35):
about they believe in the onetrue God and Jesus Christ, but
different denominations.
There ain't going to bedenominations in heaven.
It's going to be every personwho has called upon the name of
the Lord, doesn't matter aboutBible study, doesn't matter
about seminary, doesn't matterabout baptism, doesn't matter
about speaking in tongues.
Guy on the cross next to Jesuswent into paradise with Jesus
that day.
He had no seminary, he had nobaptism, he had no speaking in
(35:58):
tongues, he did not produce anyfruit of the Spirit.
He did not even produce anygifts of the Spirit.
But he said yes to Jesus andthat's the point.
The rest of it comes after.
But the point is to say yes toJesus and consistently say yes
to Jesus.
I had somebody ask me the otherday about forgiveness.
Forgiveness is one of thehardest things to do as a
(36:24):
Christian, as a believer,because most of the stuff that
we feel is accurate, it'sjustified, but God doesn't call
us to act immaturely when it'sjustified.
We're supposed to bespiritually mature people that,
in spite of how we're treated orhow we are done, just as Jesus
did.
We still forgive and we lovethem.
Well, how do we do that?
(36:44):
Sometimes you have to forgivethem multiple times every day.
When it comes to your mind, youhave to say you know what.
And here's the thing that for meit works, because I've been
done like anybody else.
I've been done a lot of wrong,deep hurts, deep cuts.
Thank God, now they're justscars and no longer cuts.
(37:06):
Scars remind you of the pain,but they are not any longer
painful, and that's the point.
Any longer painful.
And that's the point is that Irealized that the person that
hurt me the most and cut me thedeepest, that they were just as
selfish as I once was, that theyjust were a sinner like I once
(37:27):
was.
Like.
They are in need of a savior,just like I need a savior, just
like I need a savior.
That is just the raw,unfiltered truth is that they
are sinful.
They are flesh.
We are evil and we need Christto change that evil from bad to
(37:48):
good, from selfish to righteous,from dirty to clean.
Without the element of JesusChrist and his blood to wash us
and make us white as snow, thereis no hope.
But we as Christians should beable to answer for that hope,
and sometimes how we answer forthat hope that is within us is
by forgiveness, that we knowthat we, our sins, put Jesus on
(38:13):
the cross, just as their sinsput Jesus on the cross.
So look with me in John, chapter15.
John, chapter 15.
Yes, this is Jesus talking.
Yes, I am the vine, you are thebranches.
Those who remain in me and I inthem will produce much fruit,
for apart from me you can donothing.
(38:36):
Anyone who does not remain it'sa key word who does not remain
in me.
So the word remain is veryspecific, because to remain
means you were outside, Then youcame inside, and to remain, you
have to stay on the inside andnot fall to the outside.
Okay, that's just logic.
Follow the logic.
The Bible is very logical.
We try to church it up and makeit all where we have to know the
(38:58):
foreign, you know the originallanguage and American Greek and
all that stuff.
But I mean it's pretty simple.
Sometimes we justovercomplicate things and get in
stupid church arguments whenthere's not even a need.
So who does not remain in me isthrown away like a useless
branch and withers.
That's tough.
Jesus didn't pull punches.
He loved the sinners.
(39:20):
But I mean, if you think aboutwho he's talking to right now,
he's not talking to sinners,he's talking to church people.
He's talking to religiouspeople.
He's saying listen, if you're apart of me and you're a part of
God, you're a part of mebecause I'm in him and he's in
me you better remain or you willbe cast aside.
The only way you can cut abranch listen, the only way a
(39:48):
branch has life is to be tappedinto the true vine, right, so it
has to at one time been in thetrue vine and cut off.
And that is when it becomesuseless and it withers.
Such branches are gathered intoa pile and burned.
That may be foreshadowing ofhell, I don't know.
Think about it, it's not thathard.
Jesus teaches that branchesbelievers must remain in him to
avoid being cast away and burned.
(40:11):
And you probably guessed it.
We're going to end on Revelation.
Okay, so I'm going to wrap thisup.
Revelation the book of life canbe blotted out.
Look at revelation, chapter 3,verse 5.
All who are victorious will beclothed in white.
I will never erase their namesfrom the book of life, but I
(40:32):
will announce before my fatherand his angels that they are
mine.
Now think about this.
Think logically for a second.
Read the text.
The promise not to erasesuggests very bluntly that they
(40:53):
can be erased.
Why would you promise not to beerased if it's a known that it
can't be erased?
Do you see what I'm saying?
Like it's kind of a logicallike oh well, that makes sense.
Why would I promise to not dosomething if there was a
(41:13):
possibility to do something?
Like if my son does somethingstupid and we're out in the
public area, say, we're at amall and we're shopping and he's
acting like a special and he'sbeing disrespectful, well, now
I'm going to promise him aspanking, because there was,
(41:34):
until he acted up, a promise ofno spanking.
And now there is going to beone, I promise.
So he is literally giving a twoside of the coin right here by
saying this way and that way,all who are victorious will be
clothed in white.
I will never erase their namesvictorious.
Now what happens?
(41:56):
How do you get victory?
You last until the end and youwin.
Think about it.
You cannot be victorious.
Okay, I'm just going to let.
I think you got it.
I'm not going to keep going,but I will announce, before my
father and his angels that theyare mine.
(42:17):
So he is promising not to erasewould suggest that there is a
possibility for it to be erasedby our free will.
Okay, so here's the closingthoughts.
All right, so stick with mejust for a second.
Salvation is a gift by grace,through faith, but Scripture
(42:40):
consistently highlights theimportance of ongoing belief,
repentance and obedience.
You cannot say you love Christand not obey Him.
You cannot say you are maderighteous before God if there is
no repentance, and you cannotendure until the end if your
(43:03):
faith is not ongoing.
The warnings and exhortationsin the New Testament indicate
that salvation can be forfeitedif one turns away from God and
fails to persevere.
So that is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9, 10 passages that we went
(43:29):
over in this 45, almost 45minute podcast episode, and
there are more, but there's noway I'm going to do a five hour
podcast episode.
I'm not my Mike Winger.
That being said, nobody cantake or steal your salvation.
(43:50):
So if you're newer to Christ orwhatever the case may be,
understand that somebody can'tcome up to you and just like
snatch it out of your hand.
Okay, but you have the freewill to make decisions, to stay
under the covering of Christ orto step outside of the covering
(44:12):
of Christ.
The choice is yours.
Whether you know God or whetheryou don't, all of us are one
day going to stand before thejudge, before the Heavenly
Father, and we are either maderighteous or we will be damned
for eternity.
That choice is completely up toyou.
What is up everybody?
Welcome to another podcastepisode.
We're going to dive intosomething today that I've been
getting a lot of questions about, and this is, I believe, a very
necessary theologicaldiscussion.
Some of you may be super,extremely smart and you have all
(00:21):
the right answers, which.
Thank you so much for thosecomments.
They are always a blessing, andthat is sarcasm, because you
just like to tell everybody howmuch you know instead of helping
brothers and sisters out.
But whatever, that is theinternet today, but some of you
are maybe new to Christ.
Some of you may be moreseasoned Christians, but you
(00:43):
don't have exactly the knowledgethat maybe someone who's been
studying the Word of God for 20years, or maybe you've known
Christ for 20 years and you'venever really studied the Bible.
So today we're going to talkabout something that's more of a
theological stance.
My denomination is what iscalled Church of God, and our
mothership, as I call it, is inCleveland, tennessee.
(01:05):
That being said, I want to talkto you a little bit about
something that is a prominentstance for the modern church,
and we're going to phrase it uplike this okay, can you lose
your salvation?
Can you lose, um, your?
(01:29):
Can it be taken from you.
Can it be, uh, stolen?
We're going to dive into someof those questions.
We're also going to, instead ofdoing a argument and me giving
you my opinion, we're going togo to scripture, and I think
that needs to be key above all.
(01:50):
So stick with me.
Before we get into today's video, I just wanted to say thank you
to all of the new subscribers.
If you haven't yet considersubscribing, hit that bell
notification so that you can seeevery time I put out a new
video.
A major portion of you thatwatch my videos haven't
subscribed yet, so why not?
It's free.
You can also find a PayPal linkbelow if you want to give a one
(02:13):
time or give a monthly tosupport the channel.
Anything, great or small, isappreciated.
Now let's get into the video.
So what does it mean if someoneuses the phrase once saved,
always saved?
What does it mean when someonesays that?
(02:35):
What does it mean when someonesays you can't lose, or you can
lose your salvation, now, theseare kind of loaded questions.
Salvation, now, these are kindof loaded questions, and people
use twisted up scripture tosupport, like a lot of people do
(02:57):
, especially with minimalunderstanding or not wanting to
have more of an understanding,but will only see or have
scripture that fits theirnarrative.
So we're going to walk throughsome things Jesus said, we're
going to walk through somethings that Paul said and we're
going to.
I'm going to leave it open toyou to make your own assumption,
but coming from how I believe,I believe that there is no room
for error in this, that no onecan steal your salvation.
(03:22):
So the devil, the devil himself,okay, one of the the the
highest ranking, importantangels, which is, I believe, a
part of the ego of why he felland became prideful and all that
stuff is because he, he was sobeautiful, he was so important,
and I think he plays a lot ofthat into today's culture and if
(03:44):
you see it growing and growingand growing and growing, it's
because that is the normal ofthe devil and so he's trying to
pass on, make us be like him anddesign us in his likeness,
because we're created in God'simage.
So, if he can twist up God'screation, like he did with
(04:05):
himself and like a third of theangels that fell with him, yes,
they are angels we call themdemons down here, but they are
fallen angels.
So, that being said, can thedevil himself come and steal
your salvation?
No, he cannot.
Can your mother, father,neighbor, brother, sister, wife,
husband?
Can they come in and steal yoursalvation?
Absolutely, mother, father,neighbor, brother, sister, wife,
(04:25):
husband, can they come in andsteal your salvation?
Absolutely not.
They cannot steal yoursalvation.
But because we have free will,we can walk away from God.
We can walk away after knowinghim, just as Lucifer did.
(04:48):
Lucifer was in the presence ofGod.
Some people try to use it aslike well, if they turn away
from God, they were never saved.
Bible okay, strictly Bible youtalk about the beginning.
You have Adam and Eve in theBible that knew God.
They literally walked with God.
God walked with them in thecool of the day, and yet they
(05:11):
had the free will to turn theirback on God.
But there was a consequence tothat.
There became a separation thatwas not there before.
The same thing with Lucifer hehad the presence of God around
him at all.
But then he began to seek afterand desire the same thing he
presented Adam and Eve with hehimself had already partaken of.
(05:34):
He was trying to get abeautiful creation you and I,
adam and Eve that God createdand designed, and he saw that
they had no worries.
They had no issues.
Just, I believe, from hisperspective, as once he did, and
then he ruined it.
So if he's already destroyed,he's already been defeated.
He knows his end is coming.
(05:55):
It was just a matter of time.
Then why not take somethingelse?
He had already taken a third ofthe angels.
Why not take something elsethat God had created, that God
had designed, and try to make itfor himself?
This is the error ofself-righteousness.
This is the error of our hubris, where we think that we are
(06:18):
better or more than what God hasactually designed us for, and
we have been made and designedin his image to worship him.
But he gives us that free willto do so.
So let's dive into somescripture.
So I'm going to show you myscreen and make sure I got the
right one teed up here.
So this is coming from Matthew24, 13.
(06:42):
I always use New LivingTranslation is a very easy,
easier understandable instead ofKing James.
I even have a new King Jamesstudy Bible, but when I'm
teaching scripture in my church,I'm a pastor of a church, lead
pastor of a church.
I want to tee up things as easyas possible so that anybody who
(07:02):
hears can understand, and Ithink that's the point.
Jesus had a very awesome way ofdoing that, and that's actually
one of my prayers and harshdesires is that he gives me that
ability.
So, matthew 24, 13,.
As you see on the screen righthere, salvation is not a
one-time event, but a continualprocess of faith and
(07:26):
perseverance.
Faith by faith, through grace,we are saved, so that no man can
boast and perseverance.
Now, perseverance means thatthere is a lasting element,
there is a remaining element tothis context, but the one who
(07:51):
endures to the end will be saved.
Salvation is not a one-timeevent, but a continuous process
of faith and perseverance.
I wanted to tell you thatbefore I read the Scripture, I
wanted you to understand.
Perseverance is an endurance tothe end, an endurance to the
scripture I wanted you tounderstand.
Perseverance is an endurance tothe end, and endurance to the
end in scripture we may get toit.
I don't remember if it's in mynotes or not, but in the uh, I
(08:12):
think it's in revelation ittalks about there's a great
falling away.
Okay, there cannot be a greatfalling away unless there is a
great following.
You understand what I'm saying.
It cannot be one way here andthen it's the opposite over here
.
That doesn't even logicallymake sense.
That means that once you willfollow him, the next you will
(08:39):
fall away, and not just asLucifer did when he fell from
heaven.
So salvation is not a one-timeevent.
There is an initial agreement.
For instance let me use thisI've been married before.
(09:01):
I've been divorced.
I'm divorced right now.
I'm divorced right now.
Let me back up I was divorced,I was married before.
I'm married again now to mywife, put on paper before a
(09:23):
judge, with a lawyer, withrepresentation, and that
agreement established the restof our child's life that we had
together.
It gave custodial parenting toone person where I was at that
(09:44):
time, it was her and then weflipped it later.
Now he's been with me for sixyears now and the written
agreement by my choice can bestepped out by her choice.
There's child support, there'sinsurance, there's there's all
kinds of things in the agreement.
There's visitations, you know.
(10:04):
There's child support, there'sinsurance, there's all kinds of
things in the agreement.
There's visitations, you know.
There's a set time where shehas them.
There's a set time where I havethem.
Set time for tax returns, settime for holidays, which we're
in the middle of right now.
There are agreements that areon paper, odd and evens and all
(10:25):
the stuff that the judge workedout for the benefit of the child
and the parents have agreedupon.
That being said, both of us themother and father can step
outside of the agreement anytimewe want, but there are
consequences to stepping outsideof that agreement.
Okay so, and also another,let's go a step even further
(10:50):
that would be.
I think a good point is that atany point the other parent can
sign an agreement to stepoutside of that and no longer be
involved in that child's life.
So on paper that now you cansay nope, I refuse to be in
relationship with that child.
Now, obviously he's a goodparent.
(11:11):
I would never want that, hismother would never want that.
But as an option, we have theoption, the free will, to change
up the contract to where I nolonger have rights.
And the same thing with yourChristian walk.
You can, you are not forced tohave a relationship with God.
You have the ability to stepinto agreement or to step out of
(11:36):
the agreement, and there'srepercussions for each one.
So Jesus emphasizes here inMatthew 24, but the one who
endures put it on screen onemore time the one who endures to
the end will be saved.
There is an endurance quality.
There is a perseverancenecessity.
Jesus emphasizes the need toremain steadfast, implying the
(12:00):
possibility of falling away ifendurance is lacking.
Let's go to the secondscripture, colossians 3, verses
7-8, and it says this you usedto walk in these ways in the
(12:24):
life you once lived, but now youmust rid yourself of all such
things as these anger, rage,malice, slander and filthy
language from your lips.
Okay, paul is encouragingbelievers to continue to live in
a transformative life.
To live in a transformativelife.
(12:45):
He is telling them that failureto do so will implicate you in
falling away or excludingyourself from relationship with
God Excluding yourself,relationship with God.
Now let's go to number two.
(13:05):
I said we're just shootingthrough this.
This is scripture.
This is not my opinion.
This is scripture.
Okay, just setting this upbecause it's pretty hard stuff.
Okay, for it is impossible tobring back to repentance those
who were once enlightened.
It's talking about those whoonce knew the truth, those who
(13:28):
have experienced the good thingsof heaven and shared in the
Holy Spirit.
Now, this is after the book ofActs, where the Holy Spirit came
down and people were able toimpartake on each other pray and
the Spirit would fill them overand over again.
It was a description of layinghands on and an impartation
(13:53):
would happen and they would besaved.
They would come to Christ, theywould give their lives over to
Christ and they would be filledwith the Holy Spirit, as in Acts
2 demonstrates.
Filled with the Holy Spirit, asin Acts 2 demonstrates.
Those who have experienced thegood things of heaven and shared
in the Holy Spirit, who havetasted the goodness of the word
(14:14):
of God and the power of the ageto come, and who then turn away
from God, away from God byrejecting the Son of God, they
themselves nailing Him to thecross once again and holding Him
(14:35):
up in public shame.
It is so evident in just thisscripture alone, in just this
scripture alone.
When you phrase it up, see,it's a presupposition.
You pre-presume, you presume,you assume.
When someone says once saved,always saved, or someone can't
(14:56):
steal your salvation, this is anaccurate statement, but you can
give it away.
Salvation is even called a giftfrom God.
I believe God has given us inthe physical world every single
thing we need to understandspiritual principles in the
Bible.
I don't believe he has left usout there, not understanding.
Now there's some things wewon't know to the other side of
heaven, that is, heavenly thingsthat we, just our minds, can't
(15:19):
comprehend.
For instance, my mind cannotcomprehend the angels that
surround his throne, with thewings and the eyes, and all my
mind cannot comprehend that.
One day I will see it and Ihope I won't be scared while I'm
in heaven.
But you know, it is what it isNow.
That being said this, right herethere is no room for
(15:43):
misinterpretation.
It says let's put it on yourscreen one more time and I'm
doing this so that you will know, and maybe you have somebody
who thinks that they can just dowhatever they want, they can
live however they want, they canstep outside of God's will and
they're still good because theyread the Bible or they pray a
lot.
Praying and reading the Bibledoes not save you.
It doesn't.
(16:04):
The Pharisees in the Bible knewthe scripture.
The devil, he knows thescripture.
It does not mean you're goingto heaven.
Okay, it is a product havingthat hunger and thirst for his
righteousness and his word andgetting to know him more.
It is a product of salvation,but it is not what produces
salvation, for it is impossibleto bring back to repentance
(16:24):
those who were once enlightened,those who have experienced the
good things of heaven and sharedin the Holy Spirit, who have
tasted the goodness of the wordof God, they've known scripture,
they've known what is right,they have known what is wrong
but they have fallen away andthey've shared in the Holy
Spirit but yet now they rejectit, who have tasted the goodness
(16:45):
of the word of God and thepower of the age to come, and
who then turn away.
So there is a turning to Godand then there is a turning away
.
So this passage suggests thatthe individuals who were once
saved have the free will to turnaway, losing their standing and
(17:13):
being blameless and righteousbefore a holy God.
I think this is a little bit.
A part of how we get soconfused on all this
conversation is that we're notreally understanding that it
takes a holy life before a holyGod, through Christ Jesus and
the power of the Holy Spirit, tolive in such a way.
So let's go to another scriptureTold you, we're going to hammer
(17:35):
this home.
Get it up here, teed up for youon the For if you wait a minute
, is that the right one?
Galatians 5.4.
Yep, I got two computers goingand it's messing with my brain.
So that is not the right versethat I have.
(18:02):
That's okay.
Galatians 5.4,.
Why is it not right?
I don't know.
I'm going to read you, for ifyou're trying to make yourselves
right with God by keeping thelaw, you have been cut off from
Christ.
You have fallen away from God'sgrace.
Okay, well, the one I have onmy, my screen.
(18:22):
I'm not sure why it's different.
You have been severed fromchrist.
You who are trying to bejustified by the law I think
it's a different translation iswhat it is.
You have fallen away from grace.
So, yes, it's the same one,just a different translation.
But both of them say new,living translation anyways.
So we'll read what you see onthe screen.
If you're trying to makeyourselves right with God by
(18:43):
keeping the law, okay, what islaw in the Old Testament and New
Testament?
The law given by Moses, by Godto Moses, for God's people, the
Ten Commandments.
And then you have, if you readin the Old Testament, like it
gets very detailed on what isright and what is wrong and what
to wear, what not to wear.
This is a today likeCatholicism or legalism in the
(19:10):
Protestant church or in theevangelical space.
It is a way of doing things,keeping the law, like you're
doing it right, you're doingexactly what you're supposed to
do, and these are all greatthings.
Even Jesus looked to thePharisees and he was like listen
, they are perfect at keepingthe law, do what they do, but
don't act how they act, likethey're so stuck on themselves
(19:33):
and self-righteous and all thesethings.
So Paul is explicitly statingthat believers can fall from
grace.
It says right at the end youhave fallen away from God's
grace.
The only way to literally fallaway from something is to be
close to it.
You cannot fall away unless youare drawn near.
(19:56):
You cannot fall away unless youwere up on it.
It does not make any logicalsense.
So for people to say and usethe statement like any logical
sense.
So for people to say and usethe statement like well then,
they never knew God.
This, all the scriptures wehave read the one, two, three,
four scriptures we've read sofar says the exact opposite that
these people have known God andyet they have fallen away
(20:16):
because God gives us free will.
It doesn't mean if you don'tunderstand this or it doesn't,
it's not clicking in your head.
It doesn't mean you're ignorant.
It doesn't mean if you don'tunderstand this or it's not
clicking in your head.
It doesn't mean you're ignorant.
It doesn't mean you're stupid.
It just means you don't have anunderstanding of what it
actually means to be close toGod and then fall away.
And I promise you there'speople out there that can speak
to this.
I was one of them.
I was raised in church myentire life.
I felt the presence of Godmultiple times in my life.
(20:38):
I followed God as good as ayoung teenager could, and then a
young man.
But then when I got out on myown, I realized that my
salvation was tied to theprotection of my family's house.
It doesn't mean I didn't knowGod, but I didn't have that
personal relationship with God.
(21:00):
And so I got that personalrelationship with God.
I followed after him.
I prayed, I read, I read, Ifasted, but I let.
In my early adulthood I finallygot it Like I gave my heart to
Christ.
When I was young I knew that'swhat I was supposed to, but it
took a level of of kind ofdevelopment and maturity for me
to really understand what itmeant to give my heart to Christ
(21:22):
, to give my life to God.
And so when I did, I went and Istarted going to a Bible
college as a good, you knowBible, uh, as a good young, uh
pastor's kid does, I guess.
Um, and there was nothing in mylife that was not pleasing to
(21:43):
God.
I even saw at the universitythe Bible college, bible school.
There was beer in the dorms andstuff like that.
And I'm like what is going on?
Like they were hiding it, andI'm like this is so.
I didn't drink, I didn't smoke,I didn't do anything Like my
life was God's, like I reallywanted to do.
(22:03):
I really wanted to live my lifefor God.
But I let my selfish ambitionand there's churches around here
that do the same thing, pastorsthat do the same thing their
selfish ambition of what they.
They want to be a celebritypastor, they want to be famous,
they want to be known instead ofbeing known by God, which is
the most important, and therebegins to be a separation.
(22:30):
Most of the pastors, or most ofpeople that love the Lord, they
don't set out to live a lifeseparate from God, but it ends
up being that way because theyfall away.
It's sometimes the way lifeends up happening.
It's terrible, it's not funwhen you have to learn the
lessons the hard way, but that's.
I knew God, I knew him, I wantedto live my life for him.
(22:51):
I was going to college to be ayouth pastor for ministry.
I wanted to give everything Ihad over to God, but I let my
flesh destroy the path God hadfor me.
And so I'm not saying I'm notsaying people fall away just
pulling it out of my.
(23:11):
I'm saying it because I did itLike this was a path that I went
down and it destroyed everygood thing in my life.
So for me to stand here and tryto try to argue that it's not
possible.
I've seen it firsthand.
And the wake of bodies thatleaves is detrimental.
(23:34):
Every relationship wasdestroyed, every witness of who
I was or who I wanted to be, whoI aspired to be for the Lord,
was destroyed.
And God has had to rebuild itfrom ground zero Because I let
it just completely be demolished.
So, anyways, so Galatians 5.4,.
Paul is writing and sayingexplicitly that believers can
(23:57):
fall from grace, from grace,indicating that salvation is not
a constant, always, no matterwhat, that it can be walked away
from.
So let's look at this otherscripture.
(24:18):
Alright, we only got six moreto go.
So let's look at thisrews 10,26.
Dear friends, if wedeliberately continue sinning
after we have received knowledgeof the truth.
So what is salvation?
Salvation is?
It is a revelation, receiving a, a divine knowledge that you
(24:41):
are not enough, that you are notrighteous, that you cannot do
it on your own, that you need asavior.
And you have received knowledgeof the truth, which that is the
truth.
There is no longer anysacrifice that will cover these
sins.
Okay, that's great right.
Deliberate sin after coming tothe truth nullifies the efficacy
(25:08):
of Christ's sacrifice in anindividual's life, highlighting
the importance of ongoingobedience.
So look at this scripture, dearfriends.
You always followed myinstructions when I was with you
and now that I'm away, it iseven more important Work hard to
(25:30):
show the results of yoursalvation, obeying God with deep
reverence and fear.
I'm actually at the end of theyear, we're wrapping it up, but
there's a I'm doing a JohnBrevere's book.
Where did I put it?
Hold on.
So this book right here.
(25:55):
John bevere uh, let's see, wecan see the all of god.
John bevere uh, he also haspodcasts on YouTube and anywhere
you listen to podcasts.
Very good book.
It's talking about living in thefear of God and I think this
type of right here.
This is something that has beenlost on church people.
When I talk about sinners,we're talking about church
(26:16):
people.
This whole podcast episode isabout church people, people in
the church doing church butforgetting to be the church.
There's a big difference.
Your brothers and sisters workhard to show the results of your
salvation, so salvation doesnot produce I mean, works does
not produce salvation, okay, butsalvation does produce works
(26:39):
and we have to work hard tocontinue to keep that witness
alive.
So that means there is efforton our part.
It's not just a one and done.
There is a initial yes, initialagreement, but it takes an
ongoing process to keep thisalive in your heart and your
mind and the reputation of theLord and yourself.
(27:04):
Let's go on to the next one.
I got too many screens going.
All right, let's look at thisone when people escape from the
wickedness of the world byknowing our Lord and Savior,
jesus Christ, and then sothere's a before, and then
(27:27):
there's an after, okay, and thenokay, and then, tangled up and
enslaved by sin again, they'reworse off than before.
This is literally describingsomeone who has known Christ,
(27:47):
who has given their life toJesus, and they are then getting
tangled up back into the sinthat they once gave up a
lifestyle they once ran from.
I have these people in my mindright now.
They started coming to church,they gave their life to God.
(28:08):
They were, they were just.
You know, from the exterior youwould think they were
completely sold out.
And then something happened andall of a sudden they started
drinking again, they startedpartying again and it was like
they were.
They were, they were right onthe edge of like really
surrendering, coming to thealtar every, every time and
(28:30):
praying, and it was like man,they're doing it, you know, and
as a pastor, that's that issomething to celebrate.
That's something that, like itgave me life, and you know what
I mean Like breath in my lungsto see somebody who was once,
who I was once, like that that,you know, played a little bit of
the game, but finally it's likethey got some traction.
They were getting it.
(28:50):
They were, they were reallywanting to serve the Lord.
They were wanting to sharetheir testimony.
They, they had overcome so manythings in their life and then it
was just like they steppedoutside just a tad of the will
of God and when they did, it waslike the house of cards began
to crumble, like everything thatthey were saying out of their
mouth.
They wanted to do.
Saying out of their mouth, theywanted to change.
(29:10):
Saying out of their mouth, theywanted to to let God take and
let God do what only God can doand let the Holy spirit
transform, renew and justelevate them in a way that only
the Holy Spirit can do.
And the power, and you know thespeaking in tongues, and it's
like man.
They're about to get it, man,their life's about to break
through.
And then it was as if somethingpivoted in their life and I
(29:34):
don't know what it is Like.
I'm not the pastor anymore, Idon't know, but they stopped
showing up to church, theystopped listening to the Lord,
they stopped listening tocorrection.
They stopped, and it was likeman, it they were so close and I
don't, I, I do not believe thatthey are too far gone.
I mean I, I've never believedthat about anybody.
(29:55):
People ask me it's kind offunny because, honestly, it's
the law.
So I mean the law can do whatthe law says.
It was in the Bible as well.
But like, not corporatepunishment, isn't that spanking?
Where they kill them, when it'slike you messed up so bad,
we're killing you, the deathpenalty.
I just can't get behind that.
(30:16):
And I'm not saying people don'tdeserve it, but I just, in my
heart, I'm like man.
I just I just want them to havea chance to turn back to God.
And I feel the same way aboutthis couple.
I'm like man.
Just they were so close andlisten.
I don't know why I'm getting offon this, but if that's you and
you, you have been like on thefence of a breakthrough or on
(30:36):
the fence of, like, givingeverything to God.
Stop playing games before it'stoo late and don't turn away
from the Lord but run to him.
Like, give up that sinfulnature, the alcohol, the
pornography, the sleeping around, the adultery, all the things
that you think you need tosatisfy that hunger that's
inside of you.
Stop it, because it will notsustain you.
(30:59):
It's as if you were eating.
It's like I call people coolwhip Christians, cool whip.
You know the big old tub ofstuff.
It looks like there's a lot ofsubstance but there's no weight.
You know what I mean.
It looks like there's a lot butthere's not a lot going on.
Don't be that.
Be a person of substance.
Be a person of character.
Be a person that you know whoyou are, not by the world's
(31:22):
definition or the culture'sdefinition, or them telling you
what you need to be successfulor telling you what you need to
look like you're succeeding inlife.
God needs to be that definitionfor you and you need to let him
be that Lord of your life, andnot the material things, not
your spouse, not your parents,not your kids.
Let the Lord be the Lord ofyour life.
That is the only way you'regoing to find satisfaction of
(31:42):
your life.
That is the only way you'regoing to find satisfaction in
this world.
That is the only way you'regoing to find purpose in this
world.
And don't be tricked by thinkingbecause you had a moment with
God and it was real and it wasgood and in the moment you were
satisfied.
And now you're just walkingaround, not caring about his
will, walking, stepping out ofsight of his will.
You are not.
If you are walking outside ofGod's will and you're not
(32:05):
listening to him, you are nothis child.
That's just the facts.
Like you, have fallen away andhave been tricked into living in
a comfortable prison cell.
That is just satisfying enoughto keep you where you're not
really living in your purpose.
Satisfying enough to keep youwhere you're not really living
(32:27):
in your purpose.
God desires for us to be andhave more than that.
So that was for free.
So I don't know why I got offon that, but here we are.
All right, salvation must beworked out with fear and
trembling, signifying that itrequires continuous effort and
dedication.
All right, so this is my fourthpoint, warning against apostasy
(32:51):
.
So let's look at this.
I actually had wait a minute.
Did I skip ahead already?
Oh, I did, sorry.
We've already read thatscripture.
Yeah, 2 Peter 2.20.
I'll read it one more time.
Why not?
Let me put it back on thescreen.
(33:12):
Put it back on the screen foryou.
And when people escape from thewickedness of the world by
knowing our Lord and Savior,jesus Christ, and then get
tangled up and enslaved, whichis what sin does, it will keep
you bound by sin again.
They are worse off than before,and that couple I was talking
about, like it, does it reallylooks like they are worse off
(33:35):
than they were before.
So let's look at this.
So I highlighted this righthere.
I had it in my notes that I wasgoing to do just 319, hebrews
319, which is where we are, butI started reading and I just
want to read from 16 to 19.
If that's all right with y'all,get this man.
You know how much I hate.
You.
Can't stand ads and junk, allright?
(33:58):
No, you can't even see it onyour screen.
Well, that's good's good.
So let's start at 16.
And who was it who rebelledagainst God, even though they
heard his voice?
Wasn't it the people Moses ledout of Egypt and who made God
angry for 40 years?
They had a good streak right.
At least they were consistent.
(34:21):
Wasn't it the people who sinned, whose corpses in the
wilderness?
God buffed that out.
And to whom was god speakingwhen he took an oath that they
would never enter his rest?
Wasn't it the people whodisobeyed him?
So we see that because of theirunbelief they were not able to
(34:45):
enter his rest.
So, oops, sorry, wrong computer.
Even after being delivered fromEgypt, many Israelites failed to
enter the promised land due tounbelief.
Christians can fail to entereternal rest if they fall into
(35:11):
unbelief.
This goes back to free will.
All of us have the free will ofbelieving or not believing.
God is not going to force youinto heaven, and probably the
truth be told you.
Probably some of you wouldn'tlike it.
There there's going to be allkinds of people of different
races and colors and beliefs andwhen I say beliefs I'm talking
(35:35):
about they believe in the onetrue God and Jesus Christ, but
different denominations.
There ain't going to bedenominations in heaven.
It's going to be every personwho has called upon the name of
the Lord, doesn't matter aboutBible study, doesn't matter
about seminary, doesn't matterabout baptism, doesn't matter
about speaking in tongues.
Guy on the cross next to Jesuswent into paradise with Jesus
that day.
He had no seminary, he had nobaptism, he had no speaking in
(35:58):
tongues, he did not produce anyfruit of the Spirit.
He did not even produce anygifts of the Spirit.
But he said yes to Jesus andthat's the point.
The rest of it comes after.
But the point is to say yes toJesus and consistently say yes
to Jesus.
I had somebody ask me the otherday about forgiveness.
Forgiveness is one of thehardest things to do as a
(36:24):
Christian, as a believer,because most of the stuff that
we feel is accurate, it'sjustified, but God doesn't call
us to act immaturely when it'sjustified.
We're supposed to bespiritually mature people that,
in spite of how we're treated orhow we are done, just as Jesus
did.
We still forgive and we lovethem.
Well, how do we do that?
(36:44):
Sometimes you have to forgivethem multiple times every day.
When it comes to your mind, youhave to say you know what.
And here's the thing that for meit works, because I've been
done like anybody else.
I've been done a lot of wrong,deep hurts, deep cuts.
Thank God, now they're justscars and no longer cuts.
(37:06):
Scars remind you of the pain,but they are not any longer
painful, and that's the point.
Any longer painful.
And that's the point is that Irealized that the person that
hurt me the most and cut me thedeepest, that they were just as
selfish as I once was, that theyjust were a sinner like I once
(37:27):
was.
Like.
They are in need of a savior,just like I need a savior, just
like I need a savior.
That is just the raw,unfiltered truth is that they
are sinful.
They are flesh.
We are evil and we need Christto change that evil from bad to
(37:48):
good, from selfish to righteous,from dirty to clean.
Without the element of JesusChrist and his blood to wash us
and make us white as snow, thereis no hope.
But we as Christians should beable to answer for that hope,
and sometimes how we answer forthat hope that is within us is
by forgiveness, that we knowthat we, our sins, put Jesus on
(38:13):
the cross, just as their sinsput Jesus on the cross.
So look with me in John, chapter15.
John, chapter 15.
Yes, this is Jesus talking.
Yes, I am the vine, you are thebranches.
Those who remain in me and I inthem will produce much fruit,
for apart from me you can donothing.
(38:36):
Anyone who does not remain it'sa key word who does not remain
in me.
So the word remain is veryspecific, because to remain
means you were outside, Then youcame inside, and to remain, you
have to stay on the inside andnot fall to the outside.
Okay, that's just logic.
Follow the logic.
The Bible is very logical.
We try to church it up and makeit all where we have to know the
(38:58):
foreign, you know the originallanguage and American Greek and
all that stuff.
But I mean it's pretty simple.
Sometimes we justovercomplicate things and get in
stupid church arguments whenthere's not even a need.
So who does not remain in me isthrown away like a useless
branch and withers.
That's tough.
Jesus didn't pull punches.
He loved the sinners.
(39:20):
But I mean, if you think aboutwho he's talking to right now,
he's not talking to sinners,he's talking to church people.
He's talking to religiouspeople.
He's saying listen, if you're apart of me and you're a part of
God, you're a part of mebecause I'm in him and he's in
me you better remain or you willbe cast aside.
The only way you can cut abranch listen, the only way a
(39:48):
branch has life is to be tappedinto the true vine, right, so it
has to at one time been in thetrue vine and cut off.
And that is when it becomesuseless and it withers.
Such branches are gathered intoa pile and burned.
That may be foreshadowing ofhell, I don't know.
Think about it, it's not thathard.
Jesus teaches that branchesbelievers must remain in him to
avoid being cast away and burned.
(40:11):
And you probably guessed it.
We're going to end on Revelation.
Okay, so I'm going to wrap thisup.
Revelation the book of life canbe blotted out.
Look at revelation, chapter 3,verse 5.
All who are victorious will beclothed in white.
I will never erase their namesfrom the book of life, but I
(40:32):
will announce before my fatherand his angels that they are
mine.
Now think about this.
Think logically for a second.
Read the text.
The promise not to erasesuggests very bluntly that they
(40:53):
can be erased.
Why would you promise not to beerased if it's a known that it
can't be erased?
Do you see what I'm saying?
Like it's kind of a logicallike oh well, that makes sense.
Why would I promise to not dosomething if there was a
(41:13):
possibility to do something?
Like if my son does somethingstupid and we're out in the
public area, say, we're at amall and we're shopping and he's
acting like a special and he'sbeing disrespectful, well, now
I'm going to promise him aspanking, because there was,
(41:34):
until he acted up, a promise ofno spanking.
And now there is going to beone, I promise.
So he is literally giving a twoside of the coin right here by
saying this way and that way,all who are victorious will be
clothed in white.
I will never erase their namesvictorious.
Now what happens?
(41:56):
How do you get victory?
You last until the end and youwin.
Think about it.
You cannot be victorious.
Okay, I'm just going to let.
I think you got it.
I'm not going to keep going,but I will announce, before my
father and his angels that theyare mine.
(42:17):
So he is promising not to erasewould suggest that there is a
possibility for it to be erasedby our free will.
Okay, so here's the closingthoughts.
All right, so stick with mejust for a second.
Salvation is a gift by grace,through faith, but Scripture
(42:40):
consistently highlights theimportance of ongoing belief,
repentance and obedience.
You cannot say you love Christand not obey Him.
You cannot say you are maderighteous before God if there is
no repentance, and you cannotendure until the end if your
(43:03):
faith is not ongoing.
The warnings and exhortationsin the New Testament indicate
that salvation can be forfeitedif one turns away from God and
fails to persevere.
So that is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9, 10 passages that we went
(43:29):
over in this 45, almost 45minute podcast episode, and
there are more, but there's noway I'm going to do a five hour
podcast episode.
I'm not my Mike Winger.
That being said, nobody cantake or steal your salvation.
(43:50):
So if you're newer to Christ orwhatever the case may be,
understand that somebody can'tcome up to you and just like
snatch it out of your hand.
Okay, but you have the freewill to make decisions, to stay
under the covering of Christ orto step outside of the covering
(44:12):
of Christ.
The choice is yours.
Whether you know God or whetheryou don't, all of us are one
day going to stand before thejudge, before the Heavenly
Father, and we are either maderighteous or we will be damned
for eternity.
That choice is completely up toyou.
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