Discussing Eternal Security Part B

Remnant Bible Fellowship Podcast

This is the second half of a home Bible study where Brother Jonathan talked with someone about salvation and the teaching of eternal security.

Discussing Eternal Security

S2EP3

Remnant Bible Fellowship

1. Intro
   1. The only legitimate authority of Christian doctrine and practice is the Word of God itself.
   2. All teaching therefore should be able to be found clearly, and directly, stated in simplicity in scripture.
   3. Anything that does not meet these standards is, by definition, unbiblical.
2. Are there divisions in the New Testament?
   1. Some teach that there are certain passages in the New Testament that are not for Christians today. This belief is called “dispensationalism”.
   2. This is easily refuted by considering Christ’s own words to the Apostles before His ascension:
      1. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
   3. Here, Christ is instructing His disciples to teach those that should be converted after His ascension the very same things that He taught them in His earthly ministry. These are recorded for us in the books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
   4. We see the Apostles doing this in the book of Acts:
      1. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:41-42)
   5. What is commonly said is that the Gospels (Matthew through John) are under the Law of Moses. Those that say such teach that Christ’s words are not for believers today; but Christ Himself contradicted this idea Himself:
      1. “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” (Luke 16:16)
   6. Christ says that the Law was not taught in His earthly ministry, but the “gospel of the kingdom” was preached. He identifies the end of the Law of Moses as the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry. John’s ministry is what opens all four gospels (Matthew 3:1-3; Mark 1:1-3; Luke 3:1-4; John 1:19-23). It is for this very reason that there is a separation in all Bibles between the books of Malachi (the last book of the Old Testament) and Matthew (the first book of the New Testament).
   7. For these reasons, ALL of the text in the gospels are doctrinally and practically applicable to Christians until the return of Christ.

• The Nature of Truth
  1. The issue in the discussion of OSAS is the issue of “truth”. What is true? It is not about how we feel, our friends, our family, what a preacher told us once, what we did at an altar, or what we think about it. The question is what is true?
  2. Since the Bible is the only authority for Christian doctrine and teaching, whatever it says is true. Christ said as much:
     1. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)
     2. “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48)

• “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

1. The word “truth” means “that which corresponds to reality; that which is.” The Bible is the Word of God, and is infallible. Whatsoever the Bible says is true. Therefore, every statement in it is true to each of us individually. All are accountable to the same standard.
2. Regarding doctrine, if it is not plainly stated in the Bible it is by definition unbiblical; and also, if something is said plainly in the Bible then it must be true.

1. “What Color?” Analogy
   1. If I was to tell you that I had a ball, and I asked you what color it was: white, or black, what would you say?
      1. Did you presume that I gave you the only possible options? What if it was red?
   2. Most people approach their beliefs this way. They base their choice on themselves, or what is presented to them.
   3. Most people learn doctrine before they have ever even read the Bible once for themselves. They are told a few basic ideas, shown a few “proof texts”—maybe—and then they choose to believe the person who told them those things before examining the Bible for themselves. This is foolish when you consider that your eternal soul hangs in the balance.
   4. How is it that you can make an assumption about what is Biblical before you have any knowledge of the Bible yourself?
   5. This is easily illustrated in relation to our topic with the following question:
      1. “Do you believe in eternal security or do you believe in saving yourself?”
   6. This is a very common question that people give me: but it commits multiple fallacies (an error in reasoning):
      1. It assumes that there are only two, mutually exclusive, possibilities (much like our “what color is the ball” analogy): that eternal security is true, or someone believes that they save themselves apart from Jesus Christ. This is the fallacy of Bifurcation. It sets up a false decision by giving you only two options that are falsely presented as the only two possible ones.
      2. It also commits an error called a “strawman fallacy”. This fallacy redefines an opposing viewpoint and then attacks that false definition of it. The fact of the matter is that just because someone does not hold to eternal security it doesn’t mean that they save themselves.

• To frame the issue this ways shows that the person who makes it has never themselves even studied opposing viewpoints at all. They are merely repeating what someone else (who didn’t study either) told them.

1. The Plain Truth
   1. The plain truth of the matter is this: Do you want the truth, what God says in His Word—whatever that is—or do you want what is going to make you comfortable? Or, what takes away your guilty conscience? Or, what allows you to live the rest of your life in peace and tranquility? Or, what allows you to be accepted by all the “church” people?
   2. Do you want the truth? If you say yes, then everything is on the table to be examined..everything. There is no corner of your belief or life that is not open to examination and scrutiny from the Word of God. Why?
      1. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21)
   3. There are those who want the truth, and they look for it in order to conform themselves to it; and then there are those who want something else. Comfort, acceptance, the ability to “do their own thing” and “live their own life” without anyone telling that what to do. A Christian, one who does the truth, continually examines everything by the light of God’s Word SO THAT they may conform themselves to it.
2. What does this say?
   1. Here’s an exercise: What does this verse say?
      1. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2:8)
   2. If you answered anything other than, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” then you are incorrect. You are confusing meaning with what it says.
   3. We are told so many things about what a verse means that it is hard to keep it straight some times. Remember though, meaning is never contrary to what a verse plainly says. If it is, then you are not teaching from the Bible, you are teaching from your own beliefs. You are preaching your interpretation. There is only one correct interpretation of scripture: the one the Author intended.
   4. If you were to read a letter written from one person to another it would generally not be confusing as to what was communicated. When the Bible says “don’t do this” “don’t do that” “If you do this then I will do that” it is not a deep allegory. It means exactly what it says. Don’t ask yourself necessarily, “What does this verse mean?” Ask yourself, “What does this verse say?”

• What is the Gospel?
  1. Paul put it very succinctly:
     1. “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.” (1Corinthians 15:1-6)
  2. This very simply is the Gospel. Notice that Paul mentions, in the middle of the Gospel, the need for continued belief.
  3. Some say that there are different gospels for different times (dispensationalism). Christ’s own words again contradict this belief.
     1. “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3)
     2. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:13-14)
  4. Christ very clearly, when asked about His return and the end of the world, gives certain signs to look for in the earth (Matthew 25:4-12) and then tells that “the gospel of the kingdom” (the same that was proclaimed in His earthly ministry) was to be preached “in all the world for a witness unto all nations” and then the end of the world, and His return, would occur. Since Christ has not returned, and the world is still here, it is the same Gospel as is presented in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that is to be presented today. There are not different gospels.
  5. Notice again that in the middle of this statement Christ emphasizes the need for endurance unto the end of life in order to be saved. Some say that this is meaning “bodily” salvation (escaping death during the Tribulation). But not only does this not fit the context of the passage, it also did not exist as an interpretation of that verse for the over 1,000 years after the ascension of Christ. Every single time this verse was quoted by early Christians it was referencing the need for continual belief unto one’s death in order to be saved from being lost.
• What is the command of the Gospel?
  1. When I say, “the command of the Gospel,” I mean, how were people to respond to it? How was the Gospel presented unto people, and how were they to take hold of it’s promises for themselves? Let’s look at some scriptures:
     1. “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 3:1-2)
     2. “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17)

• “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:37-38)

1. “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)
2. “And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” (Acts 26:15-20)
   1. So, we see here that repentance means a change in how you live. Our “works”, or what we “do”, HAS to change. This is repentance. We turn from wickedness and sin TO God and righteousness.
3. This is reinforced by what John the Baptist tells people when instructing them about repentance:
   1. “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Matt. 3:8-10)
4. John likened men unto trees that bring forth fruit. A bad man brings forth bad fruit and a good man brings forth good fruit. The “fruit” is seen in the context as our “works”. This is also taught by Christ Himself:
   1. “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 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. 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? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:15-23)
5. Christ plainly says that only those that DO the will of the Father will enter into the kingdom of heaven. He goes on to say that MANY are deceived about whether or not they truly know Him.
6. How is it that our “works” can be so emphasized by Christ and His disciples as a condition of entering Heaven when we are saved by grace through faith? It’s actually very simple:
   1. “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:” (Romans 16:25-26)
7. It is here said that there is the OBEDIENCE of faith. Faith is enables a person to truly obey God. When a person is presented with the Gospel correctly they are told to repent and put away sin in their lives. It is by their faith in Christ that they are able to change their works. This is repentance. They turn TO God FROM sin.

1. Faith
   11. Turn to Hebrews 11.
   12. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1)
   13. We see throughout the chapter that it is by or through faith that all these men DID things.
   14. “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” (Heb. 11:33-38)
   15. “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” (Heb. 11:39-40)
   16. It is through faith that men obey God, because faith is submission to God’s authority, according to His standards, in His way, in His time, for His purpose. Faith is yielding to God. It is choosing to believe God’s word over all other things and putting all your eggs in one basket. A Christian does not hedge their bets. They don’t ride the fence between the world and Christ. They follow Him and their lives testify to that fact.
   17. We are shown that we are kept by the power of God THROUGH faith:
       1. “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1Peter 1:5)
   18. Believers are kept by God’s power, but believers obey God. Faith itself is said to be “seen” by others in what you do. Consider the story of the paralytic man brought to Christ:
       1. “And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Mark 2:2-5)
   19. The men who brought the paralytic man to Christ acted upon their belief that He was able to heal him. This SHOWED their faith outwardly. The result upon seeing their works was that Christ forgave the man’s sins—He also healed him. Our works show outwardly that we do have faith in Christ.
   20. This is what the Apostle James taught:
       1. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:14-26)
   21. Some try to say that James is only saying that our works outwardly show our faith unto men, and that’s true. But James emphasizes that faith if it does not have works is not saving faith at all: it is dead.
   22. This is the connection between repentance and faith. They are two sides of the same coin. If a man truly repents, then he is turning from sin unto God. If he has truly turned to follow Christ as his salvation then he obeys God’s commandments. If the man does not obey Christ’s commandments, then he doesn’t have faith in God.
   23. We’ll see that this is exactly what the Apostle John plainly said.
2. How do we know that we are saved?
   1. The first book of John was written for a very specific reason John says:
      1. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1John 5:13)
   2. With people teaching all sorts of things, what are the standards to KNOW that we have eternal life? John specifically tells us how to know. But first, what exactly IS “eternal life”? Some people talk about it as though it is a physical things that can be handed from one person to another. This is not what the Bible says:
      1. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” (John 11:25)
      2. “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)

• “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

1. “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.” (John 14:19)
2. “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1John 5:12)
3. “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (1John 5:20)

1. So eternal life is Jesus Christ Himself. We must “know” him, and be “in Him”, and believe in Him. Remember, it is the “obedience of faith”. (Romans 16:26) It is by our faith in Him, our following Him, that we are united to Him and are partakers of His life.
2. Let’s now look at John’s statements that let us know if we have eternal life:
   1. “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1John 1:5-7)
      1. Here we see very clearly that if someone says that they are in fellowship with God (are saved) and do not obey Him (walk in darkness) that God says that man is a liar. He is not saved. Conversely, we see that if we walk in the light and are obeying God’s commands then we have fellowship with Him. The result is that we are cleansed from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ.
   2. “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1John 2:3-6)
      1. We can know that we are “in him” and “know Him” (eternal life, remember?) IF we keep His commandments.

• “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.” (1John 2:9)
  1. If someone hates someone then they are not “in the light”. We see this clarified in another verse:

1. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1John 5:2-3)
   1. John tells us that we know that we love people when we are obeying God’s commandments. He goes on to say that to love God IS to keep his commandments. This is what Christ Himself said to His disciples in the gospels:
2. “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (John 14:21)
3. “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” (John 14:23)
   1. In both of these verses Christ makes His coming to live in the believer conditioned upon their obedience to His words.

• “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.” (John 15:8-10)
  1. Here Christ connects the idea of “bearing fruit” (works meet for repentance, remember?) with obeying his commandments.
• “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1John 2:15)
  1. We’re told that if a person loves the world system, or embraces it and is in agreement with its ways, that person does not have the love of God in them. They are outside of Christ. This is confirmed elsewhere by James:

1. “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4)
2. “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” (1John 2:24-25)
   1. If you continue to live by faith in the gospel of Christ then you will continue to be “in Christ”. The promise being that you will have eternal life. While we are partakers of that life now by our union with Christ, through the obedience of faith while we live, eternal life is not truly sealed in us until we “endure to the end” as we read in Matthew 24:13. Here is a verse to state that more plainly:
3. “And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30)
   1. We see that eternal life is truly received by us in “the world to come”. This is also shown by another passage:

• “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 6:7-8)
  1. If we live after the flesh (our carnal and worldly desires) then we will reap corruption (death). But if we sow unto the Spirit (obey God), then we will reap life everlasting. None of this contradicts saved by grace through faith when we remember that we can only obey God by trusting in Christ and following Him. It is through faith in Christ that we are enabled to obey God.
• “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” (1John 3:7-10)
  1. Again, notice that deception is warned about here. Who is it that tries to tell you that God sees even sinners as righteous? The Bible says here that that person is deceiving people. It says that “the children of God are manifest”, they are plainly able to be seen by all: because they do righteousness. Whosoever does not obey God does not belong to Him.
• “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1John 5:4-5)
  1. Those that live by faith in Christ overcome the world. They are not bound by its ways: they obey God. They do not walk after the flesh and its carnal desires: they overcome them. It is all done by BELIEVING on Christ.

1. Righteousness
   1. Let’s now briefly emphasize the issue of righteousness very simply along these lines. Here is a very common passage that most people know:
      1. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)
         1. So, with the heart man believes unto righteousness. What is it that we just read from John?
      2. “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.” (1John 3:7)

• “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” (1John 3:10)

1. When we put it together, if you believe the Gospel from your heart then you are obeying God; and your life is one of righteousness. If you do not live a righteous life, then you do not belong to God. You don’t truly believe in your heart on Christ.

• What if someone stops believing on Christ, or stops obeying Him?
  1. Let’s just look at some scriptures and see how many times forgiveness and salvation are said to be conditional:
     1. “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
     2. “And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” (Matthew 18:34-35)

• “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” (Matthew 5:13)

1. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:1-6)
2. “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:14)
3. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” (Romans 8:13)

• “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.” (Rom. 11:21-23)
• “By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” (1Cor. 15:2)

1. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.” (Gal. 5:1-2)
2. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Gal. 6:7-8)
3. “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” (Php. 3:11)

• “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” (Colossians 1:21-23)
• “For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.” (1Thessalonians 3:8)
• “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (1Timothy 5:8) *infidel means “unbeliever”.

1. “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;” (Heb. 2:1-3)

• “But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (Heb. 3:6)
• “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;” (Heb. 3:14)
• “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, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 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.” (Heb. 6:4-6)
• “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,” (Heb. 10:26)

1. “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” (Heb. 10:38)

• “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:” (Heb. 12:25)
• “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.” (James 1:26)
• “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20)
• “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.” (2Peter 2:20)
• “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” (2Tim. 2:12)