The Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

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What does John 3:16 mean?


Question: "What does John 3:16 mean?"

Answer: We often see signs and banners at sporting events that say "John 3:16." Wrongly so, John 3:16 is often written as graffiti on highway overpasses. Some "entertainers" have thrown in a twist and replaced "John" with "something else 3:16." So, what is the big deal with John 3:16? Why is this one verse so important?

No other verse in the Bible so succinctly summarizes God's relationship with humanity and the way of salvation. Some consider John 3:16 as the "theme verse" for the entire Bible. John 3:16 tells us of the love God has for us and the extent of that loveâ€â€so great that He sacrificed His only Son on our behalf. John 3:16 teaches us that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ, God's Son, will be saved. John 3:16 gives us the glorious hope of eternal life in heaven through the love of God and death of Jesus Christ.

There is no more powerful way to deliver this message than to let John 3:16 speak for itself. Here is John 3:16 in 22 different English Bible translations. The words may be slightly different, but the glorious message is the same.

• New International Version
  John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
  
  King James Version
  John 3:16, "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."
  
  New King James Version
  John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
  
  New American Standard Bible
  John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
  
  The Living Bible
  John 3:16, "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
  
  New Living Translation
  John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
  
  Holman Christian Standard Bible
  John 3:16, "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."
  
  English Standard Version
  John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
  
  Revised Standard Version
  John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
  
  New Revised Standard Version
  John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life."
  
  New International Readers Version
  John 3:16, "God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son. Anyone who believes in Him will not die but have eternal life."
  
  The Message
  John 3:16, "This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life."
  
  New Century Version a.k.a. International Children’s Bible
  John 3:16, "God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but have eternal life."
  
  God’s Word Translation
  John 3:16, "God loved the world this way: He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will not die but will have eternal life."
  
  Contemporary English Version
  John 3:16, "God loved the people of this world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who has faith in Him will have eternal life and never really die."
  
  New English Bible and Revised English Bible
  John 3:16, "God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, that everyone who has faith in Him may not die but have eternal life."
  
  Good News Bible a.k.a. Today’s English Version
  John 3:16, "For God loved the world so much, that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him, may not die but have eternal life."
  
  New Jerusalem Bible
  John 3:16, "Yes, God loved the world so much, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him, may not die but have eternal life."
  
  Amplified Bible
  John 3:16, "For God so greatly loved (dearly prized) the world that He (even) gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life."
  
  New American Bible
  John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life."
  
  New English Translation
  John 3:16, "For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
  
  Literal Translation of the Bible
  John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing into Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

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What is justification?


Question: "What is justification?"

Answer: Simply put, to justify is to declare righteous; to make one right with God. Justification is God declaring those who receive Christ to be righteous, based on Christ’s righteousness being imputed to the accounts of those who receive Christ. Though justification as a principle is found throughout Scripture, the main passage describing justification in relation to believers is Romans 3:21-26:

"But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight - not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus."

We are justified, declared righteous, at the moment of our salvation. Justification does not make us righteous, but rather pronounces our righteousness. Our righteousness comes from placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice covers our sin, allowing God to see us as perfect and unblemished. Because as believers we are in Christ, God sees Christ's own righteousness when He looks at us. This meets God's demands for perfection; thus, He declares us righteous--He justifies us.

Romans 5:18-19 sums it up well: "Yes, Adam's one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness makes all people right in God's sight and gives them life. Because one person disobeyed God, many people became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many people will be made right in God's sight." Why is this pronouncement of righteousness so important? "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us" (Romans 5:1). It is because of justification that the peace of God can rule in our lives. It is because of the FACT of justification that believers can have assurance of salvation. It is the FACT of justification that enables God to begin the process of sanctification – the process of God making us in reality, what we already are positionally.

Retrieved from http://www.gotquestions.org/justification.html

 

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Is eternal security Biblical?


Question: "Is eternal security Biblical?"

Answer: When people come to know Christ as their Savior, they are brought into a relationship with God that guarantees their eternal security. Jude 24 declares, "To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy." God's power is able to keep the believer from falling. It is up to Him, not us, to present us before His glorious presence. Our eternal security is a result of God keeping us, not us maintaining our own salvation.

The Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:28-29b). Both Jesus and the Father have us firmly grasped in their hand. Who could possibly separate us from the grip of both the Father and the Son?

Ephesians 4:30 tells us that believers are "sealed for the day of redemption." If believers did not have eternal security, the sealing could not truly be unto the day of redemption, but only to the day of sinning, apostasy, or disbelief. John 3:15-16 tells us that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will "have eternal life." If a person were to be promised eternal life, but then have it taken away, it was never "eternal" to begin with. If eternal security is not true, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error.

The most powerful argument for eternal security is Romans 8:38-39, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Our eternal security is based on God's love for those whom He has redeemed. Our eternal security is purchased by Christ, promised by the Father, and sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Retrieved from http://www.gotquestions.org/eternal-security.html

 

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Is eternal security a "license" to sin?


Question: "Is eternal security a "license" to sin?"

Answer: The most frequent objection to the doctrine of eternal security is that it supposedly promotes the idea that Christians can live any way that they want to and still be saved. While this is "technically" true, that is not the essence of eternal security. A person who has truly accepted Jesus Christ as his or her Savior can live a life characterized by continuous, willful sin, but he or she will not do so. We must draw a distinction between how a Christian should live and what a person must do in order to receive salvation.

The Bible is clear that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6). A person is saved by faith and faith alone. The moment a person truly believes in Jesus Christ, they are saved and secure in that salvation. Salvation is not gained by faith, but then maintained by works. The Apostle Paul addresses this issue in Galatians 3:3 when he asks "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" If we are saved by faith, our salvation is also maintained and secured by faith. We cannot earn our own salvation. Therefore, we cannot earn the maintenance of our salvation either. It is God who maintains our salvation (Jude verse 24). It is God's hand that holds us firmly in His grasp (John 10:28-29). It is God's love that nothing can separate us from (Romans 8:38-39).

Any denial of eternal security is, in its essence, a belief that we must maintain our own salvation by our own good works and efforts. This is completely antithetical to salvation by grace. We are saved because of Christ's merits, not our own (Romans 4:3-8). To claim that we must obey God's Word or live a godly life to maintain our salvation is saying that Jesus' death was not sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus' death was absolutely sufficient to pay for all of our sinsâ€â€past, present, and future, pre-salvation and post-salvation (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Does this mean that a Christian can live any way they want to and still be saved? This is essentially a hypothetical question, because the Bible makes it clear that a true Christian will not live "any way they want to." Christians are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christians demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). First John 3:6-9 clearly states that a true Christian will not live in continual sin. In response to the accusation that grace promotes sin, the Apostle Paul declared, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1-2).

Eternal security is not a license to sin. Rather, it is the security of knowing that God's love is guaranteed for those who trust in Christ. Knowing and understanding God's tremendous gift of salvation accomplishes the opposite of giving a license to sin. How could anyone, knowing the price Jesus Christ paid for us, go on to live a life of sin (Romans 6:15-23)? How could anyone who understands God's unconditional and guaranteed love for those who believe, take that love and throw it back in God's face? Such a person is demonstrating not that eternal security has given them a license to sin, but rather that he or she has not truly experienced salvation through Jesus Christ. "No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him" (1 John 3:6).

Retrieved from http://www.gotquestions.org/license-sin.html

 

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Perseverance of the Saints - is it Biblical?


Question: "Perseverance of the Saints - is it Biblical?"

Answer: Perseverance of the Saints is the name that is used to summarize what the Bible teaches about the eternal security of the believer. It answers the question: Once a person is saved, can they lose their salvation? Perseverance of the saints is the P in the acronym TULIP, which is commonly used to enumerate what are known as the five points of Calvinism. Because the name perseverance of the saints can cause people to have the wrong idea about what is meant, some people prefer to use terms like: “Preservation of the Saints,†“Eternal Security,†or “Held by God.†Each of these terms reveals some aspect of what the Bible teaches about the security of the believer. However like any biblical doctrine what is important is not the name assigned to the doctrine but how accurately it summarizes what the Bible teaches about that subject. No matter which name you use to refer to this important doctrine a thorough study of the Bible will reveal that when it is properly understood it is an accurate description of what the Bible teaches.

The simplest explanation of this doctrine is the saying: “Once saved, always saved.†The Bible teaches that those who are born-again will continue trusting in Christ forever. God, by His own power through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, keeps or preserves the believer forever. This wonderful truth is seen in Ephesians 1:13-14 where we see that believers are “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchase possession, to the praise of His glory.†When we are born again, we receive the promised indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that is God’s guarantee that He who began a good work in us will complete it (Philippians 1:6). In order for us to lose our salvation after receiving the promised Holy Spirit, God would have to break His promise or renege on His “guarantee,†which He cannot do. Therefore the believer is eternally secure because God is eternally faithful.

The understanding of this doctrine really comes from understanding the unique and special love that God has for His children. Romans 8:28-39 tells us that 1) no one can bring a charge against God’s elect; 2) nothing can separate the elect from the love of Christ; 3) God makes everything work together for the good of the elect; and 4) all whom God saves will be glorified. God loves His children (the elect) so much that nothing can separate them from Him. Of course this same truth is seen in many other passages of Scripture as well. In John 10:27-30 Jesus says: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." Again in John 6:37-47 we see Jesus stating that everyone that the Father gives to the Son will come to Him and He will raise all of them up at the last day.

Another evidence from Scripture of eternal security of a believer is found in verses like John 5:24 where Jesus says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.†Notice that eternal life is not something we get in the future but is something that we have once we believe. By its very nature eternal life must last forever or it could not be eternal. This passage says that if we believe the Gospel we have eternal life and will not come into judgment, therefore it can be said we are eternally secure.

There is really very little scriptural basis that can be used to argue against the eternal security of the believer. While there are a few verses that, if not considered in their context, might give the impression that one could “fall from grace†or lose their salvation, when these verses are carefully considered in context it is clear that is not the case. Many people know someone who at one time expressed faith in Christ and who might have appeared to be a genuine Christian who later departed from the faith and now wants to have nothing to do with Christ or His church. These people might even deny the very existence of God. For those that do not want to accept what the Bible says about the security of the believer these types of people are proof that the doctrine of eternal security cannot be right. However, the Bible indicates otherwise and it teaches that people such as those who profess Christ as Savior at one time only to later walk away and deny Christ, were never truly saved in the first place. For example 1 John 2:19 says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out from us, in order that it might be made manifest that they all are not truly of us." The Bible is also clear that not everyone who professes to be a Christian truly is. Jesus Himself says that not everyone who says “Lord, Lord†will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21-22). Rather than proving we can lose our salvation, those people who profess Christ and fall away simply reinforces the importance of testing our salvation to make sure we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5) and making our calling and election sure by continually examining our lives to make sure we are growing in godliness (2 Peter 1:10).

One of the misconceptions about the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is that it will lead to “carnal Christians†who believe that since they are eternally secure they can live whatever licentious lifestyle they wish and still be saved. But that is a misunderstanding of the doctrine and what the Bible teaches. A person who believes they can live any way they want because they have professed Christ is not demonstrating true saving faith (1 John 2:3-4). Our eternal security rests on the biblical teaching that those whom God justifies, He will also glorify (Romans 8:29-30). Those who are saved will indeed be conformed to the image of Christ through the process of sanctification (1 Corinthians 6:11). When a person is saved, the Holy Spirit breaks the bondage of sin and gives the believer a new heart and a desire to seek holiness. Therefore a true Christian will desire to be obedient to God and will be convicted by the Holy Spirit when they sin. They will never “live any way they want†because such behavior is impossible for someone who has been given a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Clearly the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints does accurately represent what the Bible teaches on this important subject. If someone is truly saved, they have been made alive by the Holy Spirit and have a new heart with new desires. There is no way that one that has been “born again†can later be unborn. Because of His unique love for His children, God will keep all of His children safe from harm and Jesus has promised that He would lose none of His sheep. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints recognizes that true Christians will always persevere and are eternally secure because God keeps them that way. It is based on the fact that Jesus, the “author and perfecter of faith†(Hebrews 12:2), is able to completely save those that the Father has given Him (Hebrews 7:25) and to keep them saved through all eternity.

Retrieved from http://www.gotquestions.org/perseverance-saints.html

 

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If our salvation is eternally secure, why does the Bible warn so strongly against apostasy?


Question: "If our salvation is eternally secure, why does the Bible warn so strongly against apostasy?"

Answer: The reason the Bible warns us so strongly against apostasy is that true conversion is measured by visible fruit. When John the Baptist was baptizing people in the Jordan River, he warned those who thought they were righteous to “bear fruits in keeping with repentance†(Matthew 3:7). Jesus warned those who were listening to Him while He was giving the Sermon on the Mount that every tree can be known by its fruit (Matthew 7:16) and that every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 7:19).

The purpose behind these warnings is to counter what some people would call “easy-believism.†In other words, following Jesus is more than saying you are a Christian. Anyone can claim Christ as Savior, but those who are truly saved will bear visible fruit. Now, one may ask the question, “What is meant by fruit?†The clearest example of Christian fruit can be found in Galatians 5:22-23 where Paul describes the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There are other types of Christian fruit (such as praise, winning souls for Christ), but this list provides us with a good summary of Christian attitudes. True believers will manifest these attitudes in their lives to an increasing degree as they progress in their Christian walk (2 Peter 1:5-8).

It is these true, fruit-bearing disciples who have the guarantee of eternal security, and they will persevere to the end. There are many Scriptures that bear this out. Romans 8:29-30 outlines the “Golden Chain†of salvation by pointing out that those who were foreknown by God were predestined, called, justified, and glorifiedâ€â€there is no loss along the way. Philippians 1:6 tells us that the work God began in us, He will also finish. Ephesians 1:13-14 teaches that God has sealed us with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance until we possess it. John 10:29 affirms that no one is able to take God’s sheep out of His hand. There are many other Scriptures that say the same thingâ€â€true believers are eternally secure in their salvation.

The passages warning against apostasy serve two primary purposes. First, they exhort true believers to make sure of their “calling and election.†Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith. If true believers are fruit-bearing followers of Jesus Christ, then we should be able to see the evidence of salvation. Christians bear fruit in varying degrees based on their level of obedience and their spiritual gifts, but all Christians bear fruit; and we should see the evidence of that upon self-examination.

Now there will be periods in a Christian’s life where there is no visible fruit. These would be times of sin and disobedience. What happens during these times of prolonged disobedience is that God removes from us the assurance of our salvation. Note He doesn’t remove our salvation, but the assurance of it. That is why David prayed in Psalm 51 to restore to him the “joy of salvation†(Psalm 51:12). We lose the joy of our salvation when we live in sin. That is why we must examine ourselves. When a true Christian examines himself and sees no recent fruitfulness, it should lead to serious repentance and a returning to God.

The second primary reason for the passages on apostasy is to point out apostates. An apostate is someone who abandons his religious faith. It is clear from the Bible that apostates are people who made professions of faith in Jesus Christ, but never genuinely received Him as Savior. Matthew 13:1-9 (the Parable of the Sower) illustrates this point perfectly. In that parable, a sower sows seed onto four types of soil: hard soil, rocky soil, weed-choked soil, and freshly tilled soil. These soils represent four types of responses to the gospel. The first one is pure rejection, whereas the other three represent various levels of acceptance. The rocky soil and the weed-choked soil represent people who initially respond favorably to the gospel, but when persecution comes (rocky soil) or the cares of the world bear down (weed-choked soil), that person turns away. Jesus makes it clear with these two types of responses that though they initially accepted they never bore any fruit. Again, Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, “Not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom†(Matthew 7:21).

It may seem unusual for the Bible to warn against apostasy, and at the same time to say that a true believer will never apostatize. However, this is what Scripture says. 1 John 2:19 specifically states that those who apostatize are demonstrating that they were not true believers. The Biblical warnings against apostasy, therefore, must be a warning to those who are “in the faith†without ever truly having received it. Scriptures such as Hebrews 6:4-6 and Hebrews 10:26-29 are warnings to “pretend†believers, that they need to examine themselves and realize that if they are considering apostatizing, they are not truly saved. Matthew 7:22-23 indicates that those “pretend believers†whom God rejects are rejected not because of having lost faith, but because of the fact that God never knew them.

There are many people who are willing to identify with Jesus. Who doesn’t want eternal life and blessing? However, Jesus warns us to count the cost of discipleship (Luke 9:23-26, 14:25-33). True believers have counted those costs, whereas apostates have not. Apostates are people who, when they leave the faith, give evidence they were never saved in the first place (1 John 2:19). Apostasy is not a loss of salvation, but rather a demonstration that salvation was never truly possessed.

Retrieved from http://www.gotquestions.org/apostasy-salvation.html

 

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Can a Christian lose salvation?


Question: "Can a Christian lose salvation?"

Answer: Before this question is answered, the term “Christian†must be defined. A “Christian†is not a person who has said a prayer, or walked down an aisle, or been raised in a Christian family. While each of these things can be a part of the Christian experience, they are not what “makes†a Christian. A Christian is a person who has, by faith, received and fully trusted in Jesus Christ as the only Savior (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9).

So, with this definition in mind, can a Christian lose salvation? Perhaps the best way to answer this crucially important question is to examine what the Bible says occurs at salvation, and to study what losing salvation would therefore entail. Here are a few examples:

A Christian is a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!†(2 Corinthians 5:17). This verse speaks of a person becoming an entirely new creature as a result of being “in Christ.†For a Christian to lose salvation, the new creation would have to be canceled and reversed.

A Christian is redeemed. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect†(1 Peter 1:18-19). The word “redeemed†refers to a purchase being made, a price being paid. For a Christian to lose salvation, God Himself would have to revoke His purchase that He paid for with the precious blood of Christ.

A Christian is justified. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ†(Romans 5:1). To “justify†means to “declare righteous.†All those who receive Jesus as Savior are “declared righteous†by God. For a Christian to lose salvation, God would have to go back on His Word and undeclare what He had previously declared.

A Christian is promised eternal life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life†(John 3:16). Eternal life is a promise of eternity (forever) in Heaven with God. God promises, “believe and you will have eternal life.†For a Christian to lose salvation, eternal life would have to be taken away. If a Christian is promised to live forever, how then can God break this promise by taking away eternal life?

A Christian is guaranteed glorification. “And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified†(Romans 8:30). As we learned in Romans 5:1, justification is declared at the moment of faith. According to Romans 8:30, glorification is guaranteed for all those whom God justifies. Glorification refers to a Christian receiving a perfect resurrection body in Heaven. If a Christian can lose salvation, Romans 8:30 is in error, because God could not guarantee glorification for all those whom He predestines, calls, and justifies.

Many more illustrations of what occurs at salvation could be shared. Even these few, though, make it abundantly clear that a Christian cannot lose salvation. Most, if not all, of what the Bible says occurs to a person when he/she receives Jesus Christ as Savior would be invalidated if salvation could be lost. Salvation cannot be reversed. A Christian cannot be un-newly created. Redemption cannot be undone. Eternal life cannot be lost and still be considered eternal. If a Christian can lose salvation, God would have to go back on His Word and change His mind - two things that Scripture tells us God never does.

The most frequent objections to the belief that a Christian cannot lose salvation are: (1) what about those who are Christians and continually live an immoral lifestyle? – and – (2) what about those who are Christians but later reject the faith and deny Christ? The problem with these two objections is the assumption “are Christians.†(1) The Bible declares that a true Christian will not live a continually immoral lifestyle (1 John 3:6). (2) The Bible declares that anyone who departs the faith is demonstrating that he/she never truly was a Christian (1 John 2:19).

No, a Christian cannot lose salvation. Nothing can separate a Christian from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing can remove a Christian from God’s hand (John 10:28-29). God is both willing and able to guarantee and maintain the salvation He has given us. Jude 24-25, “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authoriy, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.â€Â

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Once saved always saved?


Question: "Once saved always saved?"

Answer: Once a person is saved are they always saved? When people come to know Christ as their Savior, they are brought into a relationship with God that guarantees their salvation as eternally secure. Numerous passages of Scripture declare this fact. (a) Romans 8:30 declares, "And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified." This verse tells us that from the moment God chooses us, it is as if we are glorified in His presence in heaven. There is nothing that can prevent a believer from one day being glorified because God has already purposed it in heaven. Once a person is justified, his salvation is guaranteed - he is as secure as if he is already glorified in heaven.

(b) Paul asks two crucial questions in Romans 8:33-34 "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Who will bring a charge against God's elect? No one will, because Christ is our advocate. Who will condemn us? No one will, because Christ, the One who died for us, is the one who condemns. We have both the advocate and judge as our Savior.

(c) Believers are born again (regenerated) when they believe (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). For a Christian to lose his salvation, he would have to be un-regenerated. The Bible gives no evidence that the new birth can be taken away. (d) The Holy Spirit indwells all believers (John 14:17; Romans 8:9) and baptizes all believers into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). For a believer to become unsaved, he would have to be "un-indwelt" and detached from the Body of Christ.

(e) John 3:15 states that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will "have eternal life." If you believe in Christ today and have eternal life, but lose it tomorrow, then it was never "eternal" at all. Hence if you lose your salvation, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error. (f) For the most conclusive argument, I think Scripture says it best itself, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). Remember the same God who saved you is the same God who will keep you. Once we are saved we are always saved. Our salvation is most definitely eternally secure!

Retrieved from http://www.gotquestions.org/once-saved- ... saved.html

 

[Solo]

How can I have assurance of my salvation?


Question: "How can I have assurance of my salvation?"

Answer: How can you know for sure if you are saved? Consider 1 John 5:11-13 (NLT): "And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. So whoever has God's Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life. I write this to you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life." Who is it that has the Son? Those who have believed in Him and accepted Him (John 1:12). If you have Jesus, you have life. Not temporary life, but eternal.

God wants us to have assurance of our salvation. We cannot live our Christian lives wondering and worrying each day whether we are truly saved or not. That is why the Bible makes the plan of salvation so clear. Believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved (John 3:16; Acts 16:31). Do you believe that Jesus is the Savior, that He died to pay the penalty for your sins (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21)? Are you trusting Him alone for salvation? If your answer is yes, you are saved! Assurance means to "put beyond all doubt." By taking God's Word to heart, you can "put beyond all doubt" the fact and reality of your eternal salvation.

Jesus Himself affirms this regarding those who have believed in Him: "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from me" (John 10:28-29 NLT). Eternal life is just thatâ€â€eternal. There is nobody, not even yourself, who can take Christ's God-given gift of salvation away from you.

Memorize these passages. We hide God's Word in our hearts so that we do not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11), and this includes doubt. Take joy in what God's Word is saying to you, that instead of doubt we can live with confidence! We can have the assurance from Christ's own Word that the state of our salvation will never be in question. Our assurance is based on God's love for us through Jesus Christ. Jude 24-25, "To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joyâ€â€to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."


Retrieved from http://www.gotquestions.org/assurance-salvation.html

 

[Drew]

What is justification?


Question: "What is justification?"

Answer: Simply put, to justify is to declare righteous; to make one right with God. Justification is God declaring those who receive Christ to be righteous, based on Christ’s righteousness being imputed to the accounts of those who receive Christ. Though justification as a principle is found throughout Scripture, the main passage describing justification in relation to believers is Romans 3:21-26:

"But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight - not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus."

On the topic of imputed righteousness:

I see no evidence at all in the Scriptures that the righteousness of Jesus is imputed or ascribed to the believer. We are imputed "righteousness", but it is not Jesus' righteousness. It is instead the righteousness of the defendent who has been acquitted in the lawcourt.

Please provide your case for the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer. I will now give an argument for my position on this:

I believe that there is truth to the assertion that we are “imputed†righteousness. However, righteousness that we "get" is the righteousness of the acquitted defendent in the lawcourt, not the righteousness of God (specifically Jesus). Remembering that Jesus is the judge in the lawcourt scenario (see Romans 2 and elsewhere), we are not being ascribed His righteousness, which, as per Biblical precedent consists in:

1. Doing what's right, in accordance with the Law
2. Being impartial
3. Protecting weak and the disenfranchised
4. Punishing evil

Remember - Jesus is the judge. Since Christ is indeed the judge, to "impute" or "ascribe" such righteousness to us is to say that we have done the things in this list. And, of course, we have not. Instead the righteous status we get is simply the declaration that we are "in the right".

So I am making the case that we no more get Christ's righteousness imputed to us than an acquitted defended gets the righteousness of the judge imputed to him.

 

[Paidion]

The apostle John appears to have believed in actual righteousness not "imputed righteousness". He also seems to have believed that those who practise sin are of the devil, and not that they are "sinners saved by grace". He seemed to think our practice of righteousness counted, and did not dismiss it as mere "works righteousness". He believed that Jesus "takes away sin", rather than thinking that He merely "covers it" so that God "doesn't see our sin, but Christ's righteousness".

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. I John 3:4-16 ESV
(underlining mine)

As for crying out against "works righteousness", please consider the following words of Paul from Romans 2, and tell me whether or not Paul taught our working of righteousness results in eternal life and the working of unrighteousness results in wrath and fury, affliction and anguish from God:

For he will render to everyone according to his works: to those who by perseverance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and are not persuaded by the truth, but are persuaded by wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.

Affliction and anguish for every person who does evil ... but glory and honour and well-being for every one who does good ... For God shows no partiality. (Romans 2:6-11)

 

[Drew]

As for crying out against "works righteousness", please consider the following words of Paul from Romans 2, and tell me whether or not Paul taught our working of righteousness results in eternal life and the working of unrighteousness results in wrath and fury, affliction and anguish from God:

For he will render to everyone according to his works: to those who by perseverance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and are not persuaded by the truth, but are persuaded by wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.

Affliction and anguish for every person who does evil ... but glory and honour and well-being for every one who does good ... For God shows no partiality. (Romans 2:6-11)

As you may suspect if you have read my posts, I agree with your position here.

Watch what people do with Romans 2. To reconcile these statements of Paul with the view that "what we do does not matter unto salvation", all sorts of unworkable theories will emerge:

1. The notion that Paul is talking about a hypothetical path to justification that no one actually takes;

2. The related notion that believers are not even at the Romans 2 judgement;

3. The idea that Paul is talking about rewards for the saved, not salvation itself;

4. The related idea that the works are "the evidence" and that salvation is really based on something else.

All these arguments are unworkable. I think an important exegetical principle should be stated: When you find people bending Paul's words ever so gently to fit a position, the alarm bells should sound.

Thus, for example, notice how supporters of point (4) really have to morph "according to" into a slightly different concept. That is a sign that the subtlety of Paul's argument is being missed. Paul is a careful writer - we should really take every word "seriously".

No doubt, some will accuse me of doing the very thing I criticise.....

 

[lovely]

I thought righteousness came through Christ as opposed to through the Law. Jesus was made unto us (those in Christ) righteousness so that through our faith in Him we could be justified.

30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Drew are you saying that we are justified by our own righteousness, according to our works, because our sins are no longer evidence against us? Doesn't 'in Christ' mean through His righteousness, or do you believe we have a righteousness apart from Him that we can stand upon once our sins are taken away?

Jesus is more than Judge. I guess I am thinking that He is also our Federal Head as Adam was in the matter of sin. Our faith is unto righteousness, which would not be possible apart from the righteousness that Jesus Christ authored. In Adam we were imputed Sin (death as the result), and we were sinners who sinned. In Christ we are imputed Righteousness (life is the result), and we are righteous doing righteousness works.

Romans 5
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

I would also like to add that we were created for good works in Christ, and that I do not dispute James 2, but we are not justified apart from faith by works alone. Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life...so, we must have faith and be 'in Christ' in order to do good works in Christ. As a sinner serves Sin, so those of faith serve God with good works.

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 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?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 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.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 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.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

The Lord bless you.

 

[Good News Brown]

The apostle John appears to have believed in actual righteousness not "imputed righteousness". He also seems to have believed that those who practise sin are of the devil, and not that they are "sinners saved by grace". He seemed to think our practice of righteousness counted, and did not dismiss it as mere "works righteousness". He believed that Jesus "takes away sin", rather than thinking that He merely "covers it" so that God "doesn't see our sin, but Christ's righteousness".

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. I John 3:4-16 ESV
(underlining mine)

As for crying out against "works righteousness", please consider the following words of Paul from Romans 2, and tell me whether or not Paul taught our working of righteousness results in eternal life and the working of unrighteousness results in wrath and fury, affliction and anguish from God:

For he will render to everyone according to his works: to those who by perseverance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and are not persuaded by the truth, but are persuaded by wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.

Affliction and anguish for every person who does evil ... but glory and honour and well-being for every one who does good ... For God shows no partiality. (Romans 2:6-11)

Again, I think one needs to distinguish between the redeemed, and the un-redeemed.

Psalm 37:23-24 - The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.

Although fall in this context has a broad interpretation, we can pretty much conclude that this would certainly include sin. Cast in this context can also refer to cast out. The self-seeking who are not persuaded by the truth, but persuaded by wickedness are not those who are redeemed. They are not being upheld by the hand of God. The sin that the good man may fall into at times is something that he/she will battle due to the war between the weak flesh, and the willing spirit. The evil individual you are referring to is not facing this inner-battle with their flesh and their spirit, otherwise they wouldn't be persuaded by wickedness.

The usage of the word persuaded (obey) could not be one who is redeemed because the word persuaded (and are not persuaded by the truth) means to disbelieve willfully and perversely.

 

[Drew]

I thought righteousness came through Christ as opposed to through the Law. Jesus was made unto us (those in Christ) righteousness so that through our faith in Him we could be justified.

I do not think this is the Biblical picture. We are indeed imputed righteousness, just not Christ's righteousness. And in case there is any confusion, one can be imputed righteousness without that righteousness being someone else's righteousness.

When a person is acquitted of a crime, they are imputed or ascribed a status of "legal righteousness". Do they get some other person's righteousness? Of course not. But they are still imputed a status of righteousness.

30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

If you claim that this verse is another evidence of the fact that Christ's own righteousness is imputed to us, then you must also assert that his wisdim is imputed to us, since righteousness and wisdom are treated the same way in the verse. And we all know that we are not all walking around with the wisdom of Christ.

Drew are you saying that we are justified by our own righteousness, according to our works, because our sins are no longer evidence against us? Doesn't 'in Christ' mean through His righteousness, or do you believe we have a righteousness apart from Him that we can stand upon once our sins are taken away?

I follow Paul's reasoning in Romans 2 about us being justified by what we do - that is what Paul says:

6God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

However, I also think that these "good works" that we do are really the work of the Holy Spirit that is given to us on the basis of faith alone.

So we are justified by "what we do" but we cannot, in any reasonable, sense take any credit for that - it is the work of Christ and the Spirit.

 

[LostSoul]

John 3:16.... I can understand why some, even a large number might believe this scriptural passage to be taken out of its original context. For yes, though we know Jesus did come to this earth to die for All our sins....it is really not a verse that should be used to condone sinful actions. Nor should it necessarily be a means of escape hatch for believers and non-believers alike to use.

None of us are perfect, true. But I can understand why a good number out there have issues with some of the interpretation of this verse. I cannot begin to share how many experiences I have come across with people saying "It is okay if I do this, because Jesus loves me and forgives me." Although that statement may prove very much true, it does seem to be used as a form of projection or smoke screen in order to cloud the real issue which is usually sin itself.

I apologize if I have offended anyone...that is not my intent here. I am young...so I know little.

May God Bless You

Danielle

 

[lovely]

When a person is acquitted of a crime, they are imputed or ascribed a status of "legal righteousness". Do they get some other person's righteousness? Of course not. But they are still imputed a status of righteousness.

Let me think on this longer.

If you claim that this verse is another evidence of the fact that Christ's own righteousness is imputed to us, then you must also assert that his wisdim is imputed to us, since righteousness and wisdom are treated the same way in the verse. And we all know that we are not all walking around with the wisdom of Christ.

How do you view the verse I gave? As far as the wisdom of Christ, we could give 1 Corinthians 2 as a passage that shows through the Holy Spirit we have the wisdom too. To some degree, believers are all walking around with the wisdom of Christ. Maybe it's according to the measure of the Holy Spirit in us?

I follow Paul's reasoning in Romans 2 about us being justified by what we do - that is what Paul says:

6God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

However, I also think that these "good works" that we do are really the work of the Holy Spirit that is given to us on the basis of faith alone.

So we are justified by "what we do" but we cannot, in any reasonable, sense take any credit for that - it is the work of Christ and the Spirit.

We agree about this.

The Lord bless you.

 

[Good News Brown]

When a person is acquitted of a crime, they are imputed or ascribed a status of "legal righteousness". Do they get some other person's righteousness? Of course not. But they are still imputed a status of righteousness.

Let me think on this longer.

Well I would say one, perhaps even major flaw here, is that we are not referring to a man-constructed court of law.

 

[lovely]

GNB,

I am really trying to understand Drew's point more than anything. Drew says we are imputed righteousness, but in the sense that it is an ascribed status of 'legal righteousness' rather than an imputation of Christ's. I wanted to read more verses about this, and also try to see where both lead.

The Lord bless you.

 

[XTruth]

GNB,

I am really trying to understand Drew's point more than anything. Drew says we are imputed righteousness, but in the sense that it is an ascribed status of 'legal righteousness' rather than an imputation of Christ's. I wanted to read more verses about this, and also try to see where both lead.

The Lord bless you.

I hope this will help you....

Tit.2:12
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (Tit.2:11-13 for context)

1 Jn.3:7
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. (Read vs.5-10 closely for context)

1 Jn.4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (What a rebuke to those who hold that men cannot live victorious over the world, the flesh, and the devil. Those who believe we come to Christ as sinners and it's acceptable to still be a sinner are deceived).