Facts About a Believer's Security
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Introduction

This is Page 3 of a 3-page study dealing with the question: "Can a Christian lose his or her salvation?"

If you somehow arrived here without reading PAGE 1...
You really should begin THERE.

This study covers three hypothetical cases...

Case "A" -- Terry quits church
Case "B" - Lila the adulteress
Case "C" - Marty the stiff-necked

Case "C" is discussed below.

Case Study "C" -- Marty the stiff-necked sinner

Five years after Marty received Jesus as his Savior, he lost his job.

Unable to find work, Marty became desperate for money and turned to dealing drugs.
Marty's wife, also a Christian, begged Marty to repent of his sins and give himself up to the police.
Marty refused -- and continues to refuse -- and now blames God for his problems.
Marty says he neither wants nor needs God's forgiveness.

Although Marty doesn't know it, he is in OPEN WARFARE against God's promise that He will keep Marty saved.

SO...

Who will win this battle? Marty or God?

The BIG "IF"
1 John 1.9 promises forgiveness to a Christian who sins, but only IF that Christian confesses those sins to God...

"Confessing" means to agree with God that sin is sin -- to judge ourselves for our sins
If a Christian confesses a sin but does not intend to cease doing it, the confession is a farce.
God cannot and will not accept a confession which is a farce.
If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1.9

What is "confession"?
To confess sin is to "judge ourselves."

If we DO judge ourselves, we will not be judged by God. (This is, in effect, a restatement of 1 John 1.9 above)
But Marty refuses to judge himself. He intends to persist in his sin. What now?

Read on...
For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged (by God). 1 Cor 11.31

IF Marty judges himself, then he will not be judged by God.
Otherwise, if Marty REFUSES to judge himself, the outcome is simple -- God will do it for him.
God will judge Marty!
For IF we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged (by God).

But when (otherwise) we are judged (by God), we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 1 Cor 11.32

WHY does God judge Marty?

God judges Marty so that he will NOT be condemned with the world.
But when we are judged (by God), we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 1 Cor 11.31-32

In what WAY does God judge Marty?

God's judgment of Marty will take the form of chastening.
In other words, God will subject Marty to spiritual &/or physical &/or emotional PAIN.
But when we are judged (by God), we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 1 Cor 11.32

So you should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you. Deu 8.5

The BIG Ouch
Marty may keep on sinning but he will have no joy in doing it.

Oh, sin might feel good for the moment, but Marty will have no lasting joy in his life. NONE!
Old Testament history records that King David slept with Bathsheba, a married woman. Worse yet, David had her husband slain so David's guilt wouldn't be disclosed.
But God knew what David did. And God chastened David.
Psalm 38 (alongside) is David's description of his chastening by God. Read it and tremble!!!
Before it was over, David was deathly ill, feeble, morbidly depressed, totally deserted by his friends and family, and constantly fleeing for his life.
God spanks hard!

O lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!

For Your arrows pierce me deeply, and Your hand presses me down.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor is there any health in my bones Because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness.
I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
For my loins are full of inflammation, and there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.

Ps 38.1-8

What if? (Ad absurdum, ad nauseum)
However, what if Marty continues to defy God, even throughout the pain of God's loving chastisement? Now what?

Well, there is a person who punishes even more severely than God. His title is Satan. Unlike God, Satan doesn't love Marty in the least.
Per the verse alongside, there CAN indeed come a time when a persistently sinning Christian will be given over by God to Satan's direct attacks.
deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 1 Cor 5.5

But -- even then -- God's goal is not to give Marty pain for pain's sake, but to SAVE Marty's spirit.
deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 1 Cor 5.5

If Marty persists in his sins, despite Satan's destruction of his flesh, Marty might eventually think, "Better I should die."
Uh-oh... that, too, can be arranged!
For if you live according to the flesh you will die ... Rom 8.13a

The ultimate chastisement for persistent sinning can be premature bodily death. Count on it!
For this reason (sin) many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep (are dead). 1 Cor 11.30

Everybody dies, right?
Let's assume that Marty keeps sinning, to the point that he eventually does suffer the penalty of physical death.

So what? Everybody dies, whether Christian or not, right?
*BIG Question* - How is Marty's death different from the death of any other Christian?
As Marty might say, "Dead is dead!"
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment Heb 9.27

To answer the *BIG Question*, let's compare the Christian named Marty with a Christian we'll call Julia...

Julia walked closely with God. Marty did not.
Julia died at her appointed time. Marty died prematurely in his unconfessed sins.
For Julia, death is joyous promotion. For Marty, death is a shameful RECALL.
Both Julia and Marty will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
For Julia's works (gold silver, precious stones), she will receive a reward.
On the other hand, Marty's works (wood, hay, straw) will be burned by the fire of Christ's righteous judgment.

For we (Christians) must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Cor 5.10

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become manifest
for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire
and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Cor 3.11-16

ONLY a Christian can even begin to comprehend the shame and loss Marty will feel when he looks into the holy face of Lord Jesus, who died for him.

The Bible merely says that Marty "will suffer loss."
In my opinion, that suffering -- that LOSS -- will be dreadful beyond human comprehension!
On that day, Marty will finally come to the agonizing realization of what he has done, and what he has lost.
If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Cor 3.15

The Bible says that Marty himself will be saved, but at what a cost! If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Cor 3.14

Security can be a Big Pain!!!

Once saved always saved?

Yes, but ONLY because you are kept saved by God's power, and not by your own.
Does this fact give a "free ride" to a persistently sinning Christian?
Oh my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, NO!

God's chastisement is NOT a *free ride*...

Mental, physical, and emotional illnesses are no free ride.
Satan's vicious attacks are no free ride.
Enslavement to drugs or alcohol is no free ride.
Awakening face down in a pool of your own blood, pus, puke, and excrement is NO free ride.
To be shunned and despised by all whom you love is no free ride.
Realizing that you have utterly ruined the lives -- killed ALL joy -- of those who counted on you is no free ride.
Morbid depression! Isolation! Overriding fear! Constant anxiety! Are these a "Free Ride"? I think not!
A premature and agonizing death is no free ride.
Facing a Holy Savior, as the flames of judgment destroy the CESSPOOL that was your lifestyle, is no free ride! It is indeed the worst consequence that any born again Christian can possibly imagine!

If you are a Christian -- TRULY born again -- can you persist in sin and stay saved?
YES, God will see to it.
But you do NOT want to go through what God eventually must and WILL do to keep you saved.
Trust me on this. I've been there.

The End (Pau Hana)

This page completes the study of the believer's security in Christ Jesus.
If you consider yourself to be a Berean-type Christian [Acts 17.11] then you MUST READ Appendices A & B -- a collection of additional Bible verses on this topic. To do so...
CLICK HERE!

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Bible Bell

Introduction
This is Page 3 of a 3-page study dealing with the question: "Can a Christian lose his or her salvation?" If you somehow arrived here without reading PAGE 1... You really should begin THERE.		This study covers three hypothetical cases... Case "A" -- Terry quits church Case "B" - Lila the adulteress Case "C" - Marty the stiff-necked Case "C" is discussed below.
Case Study "C" -- Marty the stiff-necked sinner Five years after Marty received Jesus as his Savior, he lost his job. Unable to find work, Marty became desperate for money and turned to dealing drugs. Marty's wife, also a Christian, begged Marty to repent of his sins and give himself up to the police. Marty refused -- and continues to refuse -- and now blames God for his problems. Marty says he neither wants nor needs God's forgiveness. Although Marty doesn't know it, he is in OPEN WARFARE against God's promise that He will keep Marty saved. SO... Who will win this battle? Marty or God?
The BIG "IF" 1 John 1.9 promises forgiveness to a Christian who sins, but only IF that Christian confesses those sins to God... "Confessing" means to agree with God that sin is sin -- to judge ourselves for our sins If a Christian confesses a sin but does not intend to cease doing it, the confession is a farce. God cannot and will not accept a confession which is a farce.		If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1.9
What is "confession"? To confess sin is to "judge ourselves." If we DO judge ourselves, we will not be judged by God. (This is, in effect, a restatement of 1 John 1.9 above) But Marty refuses to judge himself. He intends to persist in his sin. What now? Read on...		*For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged (by God). 1 Cor 11.31*
IF Marty judges himself, then he will not be judged by God. Otherwise, if Marty REFUSES to judge himself, the outcome is simple -- God will do it for him. God will judge Marty!		For IF we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged (by God). But when (otherwise) we are judged (by God), we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 1 Cor 11.32
WHY does God judge Marty? God judges Marty so that he will NOT be condemned with the world.		*But when we are judged (by God), we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 1 Cor 11.31-32*
In what WAY does God judge Marty? God's judgment of Marty will take the form of chastening. In other words, God will subject Marty to spiritual &/or physical &/or emotional PAIN.		But when we are judged (by God), we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 1 Cor 11.32 So you should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you. Deu 8.5
The BIG Ouch Marty may keep on sinning but he will have no joy in doing it. Oh, sin might feel good for the moment, but Marty will have no lasting joy in his life. NONE! Old Testament history records that King David slept with Bathsheba, a married woman. Worse yet, David had her husband slain so David's guilt wouldn't be disclosed. But God knew what David did. And God chastened David. Psalm 38 (alongside) is David's description of his chastening by God. Read it and tremble!!! Before it was over, David was deathly ill, feeble, morbidly depressed, totally deserted by his friends and family, and constantly fleeing for his life. God spanks hard!		O lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure! For Your arrows pierce me deeply, and Your hand presses me down. There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor is there any health in my bones Because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are full of inflammation, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart. Ps 38.1-8
What if? (Ad absurdum, ad nauseum) However, what if Marty continues to defy God, even throughout the pain of God's loving chastisement? Now what? Well, there is a person who punishes even more severely than God. His title is Satan. Unlike God, Satan doesn't love Marty in the least. Per the verse alongside, there CAN indeed come a time when a persistently sinning Christian will be given over by God to Satan's direct attacks.		deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 1 Cor 5.5
But -- even then -- God's goal is not to give Marty pain for pain's sake, but to SAVE Marty's spirit.		deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 1 Cor 5.5
If Marty persists in his sins, despite Satan's destruction of his flesh, Marty might eventually think, "Better I should die." Uh-oh... that, too, can be arranged!		For if you live according to the flesh you will die ... Rom 8.13a
The ultimate chastisement for persistent sinning can be premature bodily death. Count on it!		For this reason (sin) many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep (are dead). 1 Cor 11.30
Everybody dies, right? Let's assume that Marty keeps sinning, to the point that he eventually does suffer the penalty of physical death. So what? Everybody dies, whether Christian or not, right? BIG Question - How is Marty's death different from the death of any other Christian? As Marty might say, "Dead is dead!"		And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment Heb 9.27
*To answer the BIG Question, let's compare the Christian named Marty with a Christian we'll call Julia... Julia walked closely with God. Marty did not.* Julia died at her appointed time. Marty died prematurely in his unconfessed sins. For Julia, death is joyous promotion. For Marty, death is a shameful RECALL. Both Julia and Marty will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. For Julia's works (gold silver, precious stones), she will receive a reward. On the other hand, Marty's works (wood, hay, straw) will be burned by the fire of Christ's righteous judgment.		*For we (Christians) must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Cor 5.10* For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become manifest for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Cor 3.11-16
ONLY a Christian can even begin to comprehend the shame and loss Marty will feel when he looks into the holy face of Lord Jesus, who died for him. The Bible merely says that Marty "will suffer loss." In my opinion, that suffering -- that LOSS -- will be dreadful beyond human comprehension! On that day, Marty will finally come to the agonizing realization of what he has done, and what he has lost.		If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Cor 3.15
The Bible says that Marty himself will be saved, but at what a cost!		If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Cor 3.14
Security can be a Big Pain!!! Once saved always saved? Yes, but ONLY because you are kept saved by God's power, and not by your own. Does this fact give a "free ride" to a persistently sinning Christian? Oh my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, NO! *God's chastisement is NOT a free ride...* Mental, physical, and emotional illnesses are no free ride. Satan's vicious attacks are no free ride. Enslavement to drugs or alcohol is no free ride. Awakening face down in a pool of your own blood, pus, puke, and excrement is NO free ride. To be shunned and despised by all whom you love is no free ride. Realizing that you have utterly ruined the lives -- killed ALL joy -- of those who counted on you is no free ride. Morbid depression! Isolation! Overriding fear! Constant anxiety! Are these a "Free Ride"? I think not! A premature and agonizing death is no free ride. Facing a Holy Savior, as the flames of judgment destroy the CESSPOOL that was your lifestyle, is no free ride! It is indeed the worst consequence that any born again Christian can possibly imagine! If you are a Christian -- TRULY born again -- can you persist in sin and stay saved? YES, God will see to it. But you do NOT want to go through what God eventually must and WILL do to keep you saved. Trust me on this. I've been there.

The End (Pau Hana) This page completes the study of the believer's security in Christ Jesus. If you consider yourself to be a Berean-type Christian [Acts 17.11] then you MUST READ Appendices A & B -- a collection of additional Bible verses on this topic. To do so... CLICK HERE!

Facts About a Believer's Security Page 3 of 3 pages

Navigate

This is Page 3 of a 3-page study dealing with the question: "Can a Christian lose his or her salvation?"

Facts About a Believer's Security
Page 3 of 3 pages