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HIS
SERVANTS' MINISTRY, Inc.
www.hisservants.org
Perils
of Departing
Am I In Danger Of losing My salvation If I Backslide?
Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once
enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift,
and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, [5]
And have tasted the good word of God, and the
powers of the world to come, [6] If they shall
fall away, to renew them again unto repentance;
seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God
afresh, and put him to an open shame. [KJV]
This Passage has
caused many to doubt their salvation. Some say
it is one of the most difficult Passages to interpret.
Many commentators simply avoid it. Do these verses
prove that a person can lose his/her salvation? NO! These
verses refer to so-called "professing"
Christians, NOT possessors of Christ in their heart (true believers).
There is a BIG difference in those who SAY they
are Christians, and those who really are. "Fall
away" means to stumble or fall down.
There are examples in the Bible of men who fell
away. Peter is the first to come to mind (Luke
22:32). Peter suffered loss, yes! But he was NOT
lost! He did NOT lose his salvation.
David fell away, but he certainly did
not lose his salvation (1 Sam.13:14;
Acts 13:22). David lost the "joy of his
salvation" NOT his salvation (Psalm 51:12).
Matthew
7:21-23 Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that
doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
[22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy
name have cast out devils? and in thy name done
many wonderful works? [23] And then will I profess
unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity. [KJV] MANY
people SAY "I'm a Christian", but that
does NOT make them a child of God! Only our Lord knows a
person's heart.
The verses in Hebrews
refer to those who were enlightened, they tasted,
and they were convicted by the Holy Spirit; but
they fell away because they had never been saved
in the first place. Hebrews 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things
of you, and things that accompany salvation, though
we thus speak. [KJV] The writer says he is
convinced there are "better things"
for TRUE believers, things that "accompany
salvation." To me, this proves
these people were never saved to start with. Actually
Heb.6:4-6 prove that it is impossible for a saved
person to ever be lost. The writer states: "If
they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance."
In other words, IF a person were saved, then lost,
it would be impossible for that person to ever
be saved again.
John 10:28-29 And I give unto them
eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
[29] My Father, which gave them me, is greater
than all; and no man is able to pluck them out
of my Father's hand. [KJV] IF a
person is truly saved, they are saved forever!
Some say Heb.6:4-6
points to the danger of the Hebrew Christians
returning to Judaism, thus committing apostasy.
Some say it applies to today, to superficial believers
who renounce their Christianity, or to unbelievers
who come close to salvation and then turn away.
Either way, those who reject Christ, for
any reason, will NOT be saved!
Christ died once for all. He will not be crucified
again. Without acceptance of His Work on the cross,
there is NO other possible way of salvation. The writer
is warning against hardness of heart that would
make repentance impossible for the sinner.
Maybe this Passage
is saying something else. In verse 6, it says:
"to renew them again unto repentance." Repentance,
NOT salvation! Is it possible the writer was speaking
about the fruit of salvation, not the root of salvation? Isn’t is possible the writer is
discussing things that "accompany salvation"
and not salvation itself? Maybe he is speaking
of the fruit true believers produce, and the rewards
that come to him/her as a result. There is a real
danger of our entire works being burned up so
that we lose all rewards we could have had.
1 Cor. 3:11-15 For other foundation can no man lay than that
is laid, which is Jesus Christ. [12] Now if any
man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious
stones, wood, hay, stubble; [13] Every man's work
shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare
it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and
the fire shall try every man's work of what sort
it is. [14] If any man's work abide which he hath
built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. [15]
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer
loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as
by fire. [KJV] What these verses are clearly
saying to me is: anything we do for Christ will
stand, everything else will be
burned up. ALL the works of every believer will be tested when we stand before the
Judgment Seat of Christ. Before we were "born
again" our works don’t
count. Anything we do without Christ is like "filthy rags"
(Is.64:6). God will not accept dirty laundry!
We must be cleansed by the "precious Blood
of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7).
I have given several
ways to look at these verses. I hope this will
be a help to you. Once a person truly repents
of his/her sin, God
forgives completely, even the times
you turned your back on Jesus (as Peter did). A
truly saved person CANNOT lose their salvation,
no matter what! See, for forgiveness: Psalm 3:12;
Micah 7:19; Hebrews 8:12; 1 John 1:9.
Once
you become a child of God, you are His child forever! He will NOT say "Today you are my child,
but IF you do wrong, I’ll disown you." You
receive the Holy Spirit when you become His child,
and He abides with you "forever"!
(John 14:16). God
does not give you His Spirit today, then rip Him
away from you tomorrow!
How
Did Peter Backslide?
Read Luke 22:31-62.
When we accept Christ as our Saviour and Lord,
we are given a "new nature" which
spiritually hungers after God, and a supernatural
tendency to do what is right. But, we also still
possess our "old nature" which
is sinful and inclined to do wrong. Sometimes
believers fall back spiritually or "backslide."
God speaks of this. Jeremiah 3:22 Return,
ye backsliding children, and I will heal your
backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou
art the Lord our God. [KJV] God tells us here:
"Come back to me, and I will heal your wayward
hearts."
Simon Peter, one
of Jesus’ closest disciples backslid. In Luke
22 we see his spiritual regression. WARNING! Even the most
mature believers are capable of letting their
guard down.
Not only did Peter
claim that he would "die" with Jesus,
but he also contradicted the Lord’s prediction
that he would fall (Luke 22:34). He denied his
own weakness to sin. The Bible warns us: 1
Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
[KJV]
Even after Jesus
specifically instructed Peter to pray, he fell
asleep instead. In Matthew’s account of this incident,
Jesus had even warned them: Matthew 26:41 Watch
and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. [KJV] Yet Peter felt no weakness and saw no need
to pray and watch.
A lack of closeness
and fellowship with the Lord will always be at
the foundation of all spiritual regression. Although
Peter was still following Jesus, he wasn’t following
as closely as he should have been. Some believers
want to try to live in both worlds. They want
to be believers, but they don’t want to be TOO
committed. There is great danger when you try
to live this way. Following God at a distance
can be very dangerous.
Peter hoped to go
unnoticed in the large crowd, so he joined with
the very people responsible for arresting his
Lord. The Bible tells us: Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way
of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
[KJV] We should never follow any advice of the
wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join
in with scoffers. Tragically, Peter was doing
exactly that. When that spiritual passion in our
heart subsides, that fire for Jesus Christ grows
cold, and we look elsewhere for warmth.
Peter reached his
final step of spiritual regression when he denied
knowing or ever being with Jesus. Peter seemed
as though he had lost all sense of reality and
awareness of God. Despite Peter’s fall, he was
restored. In Luke 22:61, his eyes met those of
Jesus, and Peter cried bitterly. As he grieved
over his sin, Jesus saw his heart. God can use
sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from
sin and seek salvation (2 Cor. 7:10). Jesus
wanted Peter to know that He still loved him. As Christians, we
will sin. If
we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves
and refusing to accept the truth (1 John
1:8). But the Holy Spirit will lovingly convict
us of that sin and lead us back to the cross,
where we can confess it and turn from it. When
we sin we should run TO the Lord, NOT AWAY from
Him. Don’t backslide!
RIGHTEOUSNESS
VS. WICKEDNESS
From
the Book of Proverbs
Proverbs often compares
the lifestyles of the wicked and the righteous,
showing us that we should live by God’s pattern,
and in His will. The advantages of righteous living
and the disadvantages of wicked living are pointed
out. The kind of person we decide to be will affect
every area of our lives.
Outlook
on life.
Some
are hopeful . . . Some are fearful. Proverbs
10:24 The fear of the wicked, it shall
come upon him: but the desire of the righteous
shall be granted. [KJV]
Some
are concerned about the welfare of God’s creation
. . . But some, even their kindness is cruel. Proverbs 12:10 A righteous man regardeth
the life of his beast: but the tender mercies
of the wicked are cruel. [KJV]
Understand
justice . . . Don’t understand justice. Proverbs 28:5 Evil men understand not
judgment: but they that seek the Lord understand
all things. [KJV]
Response
to life.
Covered
with blessings . . . Covered with violence. Proverbs 10:6 Blessings are upon the
head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth
of the wicked. [KJV]
Bent
on evil. Proverbs 16:30 He
shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving
his lips he bringeth evil to pass. [KJV]
Give
thought to their ways . . . Put up a bold front. Proverbs 21:29 A wicked
man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright,
he directeth his way. [KJV]
Persevere
against evil . . . Brought down by calamity. Proverbs 24:15-16 Lay not wait, O wicked
man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil
not his resting place: [16] For a just man falleth
seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked
shall fall into mischief. [KJV]
Hate
those with integrity. . . Concerned about the
lost. Proverbs 29:10 The
bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek
his soul. [KJV]
How
they are seen by others.
Are
appreciated . . . Do not endure. Proverbs 13:15 Good understanding giveth
favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.
[KJV]
Lead
others into sin. Proverbs 16:29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour,
and leadeth him into the way that is not good.
[KJV]
Conduct
is upright . . . Conduct is devious. Proverbs
21:8 The way of man is froward and strange:
but as for the pure, his work is right. [KJV]
Are
not to desire the company of godless people .
. . Plan violence. Proverbs
24:1-2 Be not thou envious against evil
men, neither desire to be with them. [2] For their
heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk
of mischief. [KJV]
Some
are glad, triumph . . . Others hide when they
rise to power. Proverbs 28:12 When righteous men do rejoice, there is
great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is
hidden. [KJV]
Care
for the poor . . . Unconcerned about the poor. Proverbs
29:7 The righteous considereth the cause
of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know
it. [KJV]
Detest
the dishonest . . . Detest the upright. Proverbs 29:27 An unjust man is an abomination
to the just: and he that is upright in the way
is abomination to the wicked. [KJV]
Quality
of life.
Stand
firm . . . Swept away. Proverbs
10:25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the
wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting
foundation. [KJV]
Delivered by righteousness
. . . Trapped by evil desires. Proverbs
11:6 The righteousness of the upright shall
deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken
in their own naughtiness.
[KJV]
No
real harm befalls them . . . Constant trouble
befalls them. Proverbs 12:21 There shall no evil happen to the just:
but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.
[KJV]
Income
results in treasure . . . Income results in trouble. Proverbs 15:6 In the house of the righteous
is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked
is trouble. [KJV]
Avoid
evil. Proverbs 16:17 The
highway of the upright is to depart from evil:
he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
[KJV]
Fall
into constant trouble. Proverbs
17:20 He that hath a froward heart findeth
no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth
into mischief. [KJV]
Are
bold as lions . . . Are always fearful. Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no
man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a
lion. [KJV]
Will
be safe . . . Will suddenly fall. Proverbs
28:18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be
saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall
fall at once. [KJV]
Short
term results.
Walk
securely . . . Will be found out. Proverbs 10:9 He that walketh uprightly
walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways
shall be known. [KJV]
Rewarded
with prosperity . . . Pursued by misfortune. Proverbs 13:21 Evil
pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall
be repaid. [KJV]
Long
term results.
God
protects them . . . God destroys them. Proverbs 10:29 The way of the Lord is
strength to the upright: but destruction shall
be to the workers of iniquity. [KJV]
Will
be punished for rebellion. Proverbs 17:11 An evil man seeketh only
rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be
sent against him. [KJV]
Eternal
expectations
Never
uprooted . . . Will not remain. Proverbs 10:30 The righteous shall never
be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the
earth. [KJV]
Earn a sure reward
. . . Earn deceptive wages. Proverbs 11:18 The wicked worketh a
deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness
shall be a sure reward. [KJV]
Attain
life . . . Go to death. Proverbs
11:19 As righteousness tendeth to life:
so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own
death. [KJV]
End
only in good . . . End only in wrath. Proverbs 11:23 The desire of the righteous
is only good: but the expectation of the wicked
is wrath. [KJV]
Will
stand firm . . . Will be overthrown. Proverbs 12:7 The wicked are overthrown,
and are not: but the house of the righteous shall
stand. [KJV]
Have
a refuge . . . Will be brought down when they
die by calamity. Proverbs 14:32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness:
but the righteous hath hope in his death.
[KJV]
God’s
opinion of them.
Delights
in the good . . . Detests the perverse. Proverbs 11:20 They that are of a froward
heart are abomination to the Lord: but such as
are upright in their way are his delight.
[KJV]
Evil
people will bow to them . . . They will bow to
the righteous. Proverbs 14:19 The evil bow before the good; and the wicked
at the gates of the righteous. [KJV]
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Abortion
Alternative
Lifestyles
Backsliding
Being
Humble
Doubt
Faith
Fear
Fear
of Falling
Forgiveness
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Perils
of Departing
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