Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Friday
May 10, 2019
Concerning Salvation, believers are told to be aware of the fact that
they can lose their salvation or that they can give their salvation back
to God.
Many believers go through life wondering what kind of sin a believer
can commit that results in losing their salvation.
“No kind of sin” -- they can’t lose their salvation.
What these sad individuals have forgotten is PRO 6:16-19 reveals our Lord’s attitude toward certain categories which illustrates the sins of the mind and the sins of the tongue.
PRO 6:17 Haughty eyes [mental attitude of arrogance], a lying tongue
[SOT], And hands that shed innocent blood [murder or in 1JO 3:15
hating your fellow man].
PRO 6:18, A heart that devises wicked plans [mental attitude thinking
sins of revenge and evil], Feet that run rapidly to evil [MAS],
PRO 6:19, A false witness who utters lies [SOT], And one who spreads strife among brothers [SOT].
Humanity - our Lord could be tempted and could have sinned.
Deity - neither could He be tempted nor could He commit sin.
If you add up these characteristics, the God-Man in Hypostatic-union
was temptable but impeccable.
Through His human volition He was able to avoid sin when He was tempted as a man; in His divine essence, the integrity of God meant sin was completely out of the question.
”posse non peccare, non-posse peccare” which should be translated;
He was “able not to sin and not able to sin.”
Posse = able
Non = not
Peccare = to sin
“posse [able] non [not] peccare [to sin] = “able not to sin”
“non [not] posse [able] peccare [to sin] = “not able to sin”
Like perfect Adam, who could sin only by an act of negative volition toward God’s prohibition of the tree, our Lord Jesus could fail only in
one way, negative volition to the Father’s plan for the Incarnation.
Satan intensified his efforts to prevent the Cross by putting the free will of our Lord’s humanity repeatedly to the test; MAT 4:1-11.
In His humanity, in HEB 4:15, He was tempted far beyond anything we will ever face.
Unlike the woman in the Garden, whose ignorance of doctrine made her vulnerable to Satan’s subtleties, Christ remained on positive
signals all the way to the Cross.
Adam was created spiritually alive and through one deliberate act of negative volition became spiritually dead, Jesus was born spiritually alive and by unyielding positive volition remained impeccable.
Augustine of Hippo:
In the garden before the fall, humanity was “able not” to sin. After the fall humanity is “not able” NOT “to sin.”
In heaven humanity will “not be able to sin forever.”
Some of the apostles said the same thing about the lies and deceptions that they had to face and that believers in the Church-age will also have to face especially in the last days.
The Lord Jesus Christ - MAT 24:4, See to it that no one misleads or
deceives you.”
Apostle Paul - 1TI 4:1, But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits
and doctrines of demons,
The Apostle John warned us about false teachers who rob believers by deception; 2JO 1:7-11.
“Elect Lady” or “Chosen Lady” - had a church in her home and John warns the believers watch out that someone might come into their life and they might lose what they have accomplished spiritually.
Second - the Elect Lady refers to a certain woman who was a winner believer and I would have preferred a definite article in front of the title “Elect Lady” or “Chosen Lady” but we don’t have a definite
article.
The definite article would be a word like “the” and the apostle John would have pointed her out as “The Elect Lady” or “The Chosen
Lady.”
Greek - if you wanted to emphasize the high quality of a noun you would put a definite article in from of the noun you’re emphasizing.
2JO 1:1 “The elder to the Chosen Lady and her children” refers to the
following type of interpretation.
2JO 1:1 “The elder [Apostle John] to the Chosen Lady [Bride of Christ] and her children - members of the Bride are her children or new believers.
Our Lord warned His disciples about the false doctrine of losing your
salvation.
The Apostle Paul warned Timothy about the deceptions that come
from the doctrines of demons.
The apostle Peter got into the “warning stage” that false doctrine and false teachings demand for believers to follow.
Jude, our Lord’s half-brother, also warned the early Church about individuals who would mock the truth, promote false doctrine and distort salvation and the spiritual life.
This is actually a principle that the apostle Paul warned the believers
in Ephesus about concerning divine discipline, not losing your
salvation; EPH 4:17-19.
One (blessing) glorifies the Lord as He releases escrow blessings to the winner believer while the other (divine discipline) is a
manifestation of the “love of God as a Father.”
“being darkened in their understanding” = their soul is filled with darkness and counterfeit in the light of blackness;
“excluded from the life of God” = cut off from fellowship with members of the body of Christ.
because of the ignorance that is in them = the false doctrine that they have been receiving.
because of the hardness of their heart; = the hard-heart filled with
apostasy.
EPH 4:19 and they, having become callous [scar tissue is built upon scar tissue and around the soul].
”have given themselves over to sensuality” = they are controlled by their emotions and feelings.
for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness = resulting
in the fulfillment of lust built upon lust.
All these principles concerning the kingdoms, (Heaven – God - Darkness), our Lord provided for all of us because we are in union
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
We also have been elevated above all angels, chosen and elect, fallen and condemned.
We can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us and has
provided for us the “All Things” that we need to glorify our Lord and
to acknowledge Him.
JOH 14:27, Peace He leaves with us; A peace that He gives us; not as the world gives, does He give to us but a peace that He says “Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
JOH 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
ACT 9:31 it is a peace that believers enjoy, as they are being built up; and, going on in respecting the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it (the early Church) continued to increase.
ROM 12:18 it is a peace that If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
Ultimately, it is a peace according to the Word of God” that is “alive
and powerful” or even “alive and Cooking.”
It is also a peace that is revealed in two major chapters in the book of
Hebrews, chapters one and two; HEB 1; HEB 2.
Just reading this section of the word of God is a phenomenal manifestation of the grace of God elevating members of the human race above angelic creatures.
We do acknowledge that there are also “guardian angels” who have been assigned to believers who will inherit salvation as well as receive
divine blessings as a part of their inheritance.
Angels have been assigned to protect and provide for members of the human race as they did for our Lord Who desires to glorify our Lord; MAT 4:11.
MAT 4:11, Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
In MAT 13:39, Angels also will separate the wicked from the righteous as they get the “Millennial Reign” ready to be ruled by our Lord Jesus Christ for the next 1,000 years of “Divine Government.”
MAT 18:10 talks about the guardian angels that are assigned to children as in MAT 18:10, See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven = elect angels who have been made holy by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Angels were used as “spiritual ubers” to transport members of the
human race from a compartment in Hades all the way to mansions in
Heaven; LUK 16:19-31.
Prin: Spiritual truth is revealed by spiritual convictions.
Prin: Spiritual truth is manifested by the “Divine Inspiration” of the word of God followed by the Divine Recognition of grace and knowledge which is motivated by the love of God; 2CO 5:14.
2CO 5:14, For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
Angels also function as “Angelic Conflict Transportation” as our
Lord told us in LUK 16:22, Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom;
1CO 4:9, “For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death because we have all become a spectacle or literally we are on a stage for both angels and to men.”
We are also told that angels observe both winner believers and loser
believers concerning the rules found in the early Church; 1CO 6:3.
1CO 6:3, Do you not know that we [winner believers of the Church-age and the winner believers in this life] that we live shall judge
angels?
HEB 13:2, Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this
some have entertained angels without knowing it.
EPH 2:6; 1PE 3:22 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
The word descendant is in the singular which refers to our Lord Jesus Christ and then remember that what happened to Him will happen to us.
It is because of this doctrinal truth that we all need to be on the alert about concerning the only reason why we have been elevated is because of our union and our position in Christ; 2CO 5:17; GAL 6:15.
2CO 5:17, Therefore if any man is [notice the phrase:
“en Christou”
which means that the believer is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
The apostle Paul is using this passage to reveal the importance of the Cross and the result of what happens to believers concerning the “new
spiritual species” also known as the “new creature.
JOH 13:34, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one
another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
Our position in Christ also gives us the right to walk in the newness of resurrection life; ROM 6:4.
Our position in Christ also deals with dying with Him as He died for us; ROM 6:5.
Our position in Christ is one of the many reasons that we possess eternal life;
ROM 6:23.
In EPH 1:4, we have election and predestination because of our union
with the Lord.
EPH 2:6 is given as a blessing of our position in Christ; EPH 2:6 and
(He) raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,
They distort what JOH 15:2 says that; Every believer that does not bear fruit, He takes away and He also prunes the believer.
In JOH 15:6, they also distort the verse when it says that “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”
In JOH 15, this one passage in verse 6, has been so misunderstood by many believers who have good intentions but really cannot grasp the “Finished Work” of our Lord.
JOH 15:6, If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
You cannot lose your salvation and we will approach this subject very
carefully by using the word “Approach.”
By approach I mean as you are living the spiritual life as you proceed to advance toward the goal that is set before us you as PHI 3:14, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus.”
To do this you have to make sure that you do not fall away from the Lord but believe that you can live the spiritual life as you forget what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.
PHI 3:14, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
- The Positional Approach: ROM 8:1; EPH 1:3-6; JUDE 1.
Every believer is in union with Christ and that is why ROM 8:38-39 says
what it does.
If you are “in Christ,” then this verse says you will never be condemned or judged by God no matter what you think, say, or do.
There is conviction by God the Holy Spirit, which is legitimate, but condemnation is not.
Holy Spirit conviction verses satanic condemnation is always a crossroads as to which way we will go.
Holy Spirit conviction always gives us a way out in which the grace of God is magnified, and reconciliation is the goal of God the Holy Spirit.
Satanic accusations condemn a person and has no way out except
satanic condemnation.
It is the Spirit verses Satan.
Conviction verses condemnation.
It is life spiritually or death experientially.
We have our Lord’s word on the type of judgment we will face; JOH 7:24.
Even when our Lord had to judge us which was really His way of evaluating the lifestyle that we live; He did do with grace and honor
motivated by agape love.
We are “in Christ” that is our position and not our condition.
ROM 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Because we are “in Christ” we will never lose our salvation.
The apostle Paul stresses that we are in Christ and we can never lose what God has given by means of grace.
What we have noted so far really has to do with the fact that we share what Christ has and we share who Christ is.
What a great doctrinal principle backed up by the “Divine promises”
from God; 1JO 3:1-2.
ROM 8:29, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become
conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren;”
- Christ is absolute righteousness; 2CO 5:21.2. Christ is elected, we share His election; EPH 1:4.
- Christ has a destiny; we share His destiny; EPH 1:5.4. Christ is the Son, we are in union with Christ, we share His sonship; 2TI 2:1.
- Christ is the heir; we share His heirship; ROM 8:16-17.6. Christ is sanctified, we share His sanctification; 1CO 1:2.
- Christ is a King; we share His kingdom;
2PE 1:11.