October 14, 2005
-
Caleb Cleaver says — “doubting is a sin. that is true. but it’s not damnable. after youve been saved, nothing can take you out of Gods hands… so are you saying that the person was never saved, or that they lose their salvation. Because the latter is impossible.”
My response: Hi there Caleb.
OF COURSE believers CANNOT lose their salvation. That is my whole point. God has SWORN that 1) All unbelievers are NOT resting (believing) in the imputed righteousness of Christ and are lost, and 2) All believers are SAVED FROM THE WRATH TO COME.
Anyone who doubts they are saved is DENYING God’s promise to save ALL believers. I’d like you to read some of these passages of Scripture– and think — if someone doubts these passages, they are saying “God lied here … and here … God is a liar.” They are not saved.
Beloved, now we are the children of God … See what manner of love the Father has given us, that we may be called children of God. (1 Jn 3:2,1). God says that all believers are children of God. Did God lie here?
Pass the time of your sojourning in fear, knowing that not with corruptible things, silver or gold, were you redeemed from your worthless way of life handed down from your fathers (1 Pet 1:17-18). Here Jehovah says that believers are redeemed. Did he lie here, too?
The one believing in the Son of God has the witness in himself. (1 Jn 5:10). Can someone have the infallible witness of God in their conscience, and not know they are a temple of God. Know you not that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are disapproved? (2 Cor)
I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus (Rom 14:14). Paul knew and was persuaded of the truth. Peter says that all believers have the equally precious faith of the Apostles (1 Pet 1:1). In other words, if your assurance of salvation does NOT equal the Apostle Paul, you are not saved.
We say to God’s face (so to speak) “you’re a liar”, or we believe the testimony of the Scripture. Of course, only the Holy Spirit can convict someone of the truth of the promises. “For flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father in Heaven.” (Matt 16:17). And when God does show someone the truth, can’t He remove all doubt from the mind of the person, that it is He that speaks? “Is He a man that he should lie? Or a son of man that he should repent?” And can someone have the AUTHORITY of God in their conscience, and not know they are a child of God? Can someone believe, and not know they are a believer? ”His anointing teaches you concerning all things.” (1 Jn 2:27)
WHO IS FOR THE TRUE GOD?
Who is for Jehovah? Come to me! (Exo 32:26). Come [with] the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Eph 6:17) And pass to and fro from gate to gate in the camp, (Exo 32:27). Be sanctified in Truth. (John 17:19). Let each one has been against his son and against his brother, (Exo 32:29). YEA, EVERY MAN UPON HIMSELF, AND CUT OFF WITHOUT MERCY EVERY CAUSE OF OFFENCE IN THE MATTER OF A STRANGE GOD. LET NOT YOUR EYE SPARE, BUT REMEMBER THE WORD OF THE LORD. And if your right hand causes you to offend, cut it off and throw it from you, for it is profitable to you that one of your members should perish and all your body not be thrown into Hell. (Matt 5:30).
To the good soldiers to Jesus Christ–He is the Captain of you salvation–and His Spirit reigns with you. Why, O why, tell your God, if your hearts will allow you, why any Achan, or Agag should remain unslain in the camp? Why should any strange god possess a corner with the Lord in all your heart? Strange gods, be assured, wherever they are harbouring, will draw down vengeance and fire from the Lord out of heaven upon themselves and their harbourers. For our God is a jealous God, and a consuming fire.
Away, away therefore with strange gods! And so away with all the fear of wrath! If you have the authority and power of the Holy Spirit in our consciences, you are in danger neither of—wrath nor fear – for you have been delivered from strange gods. “I did not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because every lie is not of the truth.” (1 Jn 2:21).
Comments (4)
Wheee-ooooh wheeee-ooooohhhh wheeee-oooh………..
so it is because of one mistake, one fall that we can discredit their salvation experience alltogehter? i mean, just because one doubts at one point in his life diregaurds all the previous workings he though the Spirit was doing in him? his salvation experience is declared as invalid because he sinned afterwards?
your saying, that once saved, it is IMPOSSIBLE for man to doubt. That is, to commit a CERTAIN sin. Man always has the ability to sin. Salvation does not take that away. Salvation saves us from our sin, it doesn’t keep us from doing it.
right, sanctification is our being saved from the power of sin. its the on-going process that starts at justification/regeneration/adoption and ends at our death. its ongoing. we are not released from the presence of sin until we are taken from this earth.