Understanding The Word

I have always known that not everyone believes in Jesus Christ, but it has really surprised me over the years that there are people who claim to believe in Jesus, and that He died for us, but there are conditions in order to be saved or to keep their salvation.

What I am talking about is a difference between Once Saved Always Saved and Salvation by works.

So let’s go into detail…..what is the definition of Salvation?

“preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, loss; deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ.”

In the Old Testament salvation meant believing that God would send a redeemer in the future to deliver them from their sins, as there was no Christ sacrifice yet.  They had Faith in the Grace of God, and that is how they were saved.    In the New Testament, salvation became the redemption of humans by the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In essence, salvation has never changed.

You see God knows us, He knew we could not and would not stop our sinful nature.  So God, in His infinite mercy and wisdom sent a part of Himself, His Word, to become flesh as His son on earth.  This is Jesus Christ.

  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

It is God’s Mercy, (for His human creation), that with one great blood sacrifice that was a part of Him would wipe all sin from us, as long as we believe in that sacrifice. 

It is God’s Grace that if we believe on the blood of Jesus, we are saved.  This is why the verse saved by grace is so important found in Ephesians 2:8 …..

                “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God:”

We/You do nothing but believe.  You can’t do anything to wipe your own sins away.  It is arrogance to think you can work off your sins.  It is an affront to God, for you are ignoring His mercy and grace, and it’s also an offense to Jesus, for you are telling Him, that what He did on the cross meant nothing. 

He was scourged, stripped and had a thorn of crowns placed on his head. He was nailed to a cross so that all His bones fell out of place.  He bled for you, not for himself. (For He is sinless and perfect)  He did that for us, and yet there are those who claim they believe in Him buuutttt…. No, you do not believe in His sacrifice or you would not offend Him so. 

                “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

                “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.  My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.  For dogs have compass me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.” Psalm 22:14-18

Not only do people who believe in the works doctrine not believe in the blood sacrifice, they believe they are better than others for doing certain things for God.  I’ve always wondered…..there are many works that people can do for good in the name of God/Jesus, but unbelievers can do the same thing.  There are many people who do not believe in God that do many good things.  What makes them different?

What makes a person good?  Who judges that?  We as humans judge by outward actions, but we cannot see the heart.  However, we are granted discernment so that we can sometimes see past the actions to the intent, as some people can see manipulation, while others can’t see it at all.  This still does not allow us to see the person’s heart.  Only God can see and know a person’s heart. 

So if we go by the actions to see if people are good and saved, we commit a fallacy, for there are bad people that show actions as a good person. Also, what does a good person look like?  Are you then claiming every person that does good works is saved?  There are people that go to church; do you take that action as ‘oh that person is saved’?  You shouldn’t, because going to church has no basis to salvation.  There are plenty of people who never set foot in church, but they are still saved, if I am honest, some of them are more Christian than those who go to church every Sunday.

You see when you believe in the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ, you are different in the respect that you have humbled yourself to know that you are a sinner in need of saving because you cannot save yourself.  Those of us, who believe in once saved always saved, know we are not perfect, we still sin and make mistakes, but we are aware that this is why Jesus came and died for us;  To wipe our sins from us.

Another thing I’ve always thought was quite ironic is when people who claim the works doctrine say that those of us who believe in once saved always saved give license to sin…..well, that doesn’t make a lot of sense, for do you really think that by praying and good deeds, you don’t sin the rest of the day?  Let me go on….if you get saved but believe in works, how did you get saved to begin with, because Jesus died for past, present, and future sins.  If you have to work in order to keep your salvation, what about your past sins?  If you say Jesus took care of that you are in confusion,  for if Jesus died for your past sins and going forward you have to keep working to keep that salvation, what sense does that make when you weren’t born during Jesus’s time, in other words, your past, present, and future sins are 2000 years after Jesus died. 

While Jesus died for every single human’s sin on earth, we must accept the gift of His blood sacrifice in order to be saved.  He cannot only save you from your past sins, as your past sins, coincide with your present and future sins….according to Jesus because you are the future sins.  Hence how He died for all sinners sins PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.  If you have to work to keep your salvation, you will not only, never be saved, but you are bringing your sins upon yourself to answer for; because you can do nothing regarding your sins.  The only way to be saved is to be washed clean in the blood of Jesus.

If you do not believe in once saved always saved, you are claiming 4 things….

• You are stating you are perfect in your works and thoughts every minute of everyday

(Or else you are asking God to save you continually thru- out the day.  As believers we can ask for forgiveness off and on, but this is different from asking for salvation.)

• You are stating you are better than other people who may not do as much as you
• You are stating that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ Blood is not good enough to wash away  your sins
• You are stating that you are righteous through your works. (this is self-righteousness/unrighteousness)

“As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one” Romans 3:10

In essence you are stating that you live perfectly and righteously every day and that you never sin. Also, how many works are enough, how do you know you’ve done the right amount to please God?  Only through the blood of Jesus can we stand before God in righteousness, for we take on Jesus’ righteousness.

“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, truth is not in us” 1 John 1:10

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:10

We believers still sin, (we try not to but we are corrupted humans), in thought, or deed,  the difference is that when we as saved Christians sin, the Holy Spirit overwhelms us and convicts us that we sinned and are in the wrong and need to focus back on Christ.  We are still saved, for Jesus took all our sins upon Himself.  So there is a difference is sinning and being a sinner.  A sinner is someone who has not been saved by Grace: the Blood of Jesus. (A sinner is an unbeliever).  Sinning is when Christians get caught up in the world and give over to fleshly things, but they are still saved by the grace of Jesus Christ’s Blood.  They will still go to heaven for they believe in Jesus; but there are many who claim they are saved but don’t believe in the blood and they will go to hell.  Being saved, we can still sin but are we are no longer a sinner in God’s eye because the Blood of Jesus washed us clean.

                “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” Romans 7:18-20

People confuse (for some reason) work’s and rewards.  We get rewards when we get to heaven for the works we do on earth for the Lord.  So that we have crowns to lay at the feet of Jesus.  There will be some Christians who will be saved as by fire and have no crown (rewards from works) to lay at Jesus’ feet, by they are still in heaven.

“If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:15

                “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckeoned by grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:4-5

This is why the Gospel is so important, yet so many, so very many….make it so much harder than God intended it to be.  If He made it so a child could understand, why would adults have a harder time to understand it.  For children tend to understand things simply.  Adults have to put conditions on it.

The Gospel equals THE GOOD NEWS…..why would Paul call it the good news if we have all these conditions that go with it? 

Once saved always saved is the Faith, in the belief that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood for all sins, died, and rose again on the third day.  It is the faith that because of Him we are washed clean and are sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption.  It’s faith that His blood is enough to present us to God.  If you do not have faith in the savior, what is your faith in?   Your works?  Your prayers? Yourself? 

We are of the belief that we receive the Holy Spirit the minute we believe in the blood of Jesus, and that we are sealed forever.

           “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

What does sealed mean?  Take an envelope and seal it.  Now, the only way to open it is to tear it open.  You cannot seal it back. Even if you steam open it, the stickiness is no longer as good and you have to tape it back together.  So why would anyone believe the Holy Spirit once sealed inside you, can be torn from you or pulled from you at will.

                “And I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”  John 10:28

So many people think that have to be perfect or sinless before asking Jesus to be a savior, if that was the case, we would have no need for a savior.  You come as you are, no matter where you are, who you are, and what you are doing.  If you cry out for the Lord to save you, He will. That is how great He is.  How great His love is.  This is the GRACE of God, you have nothing to give him, for He has it all, you just believe and you will be granted a life eternal with God Forever in Heaven.  It is the greatest gift.  Why would you not take it?  Why would you not believe?            

                “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

       Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” 1 John 4:10

We are made righteous for we take on Christ’s righteousness; we are made sinless because we are covered in sinless blood. We can stand before our Father because we believed in the grace of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

                “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true: but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of other; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 9:24-26

Will you accept what Jesus did on the cross?