Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Sunday
April 28, 2019
There are two verses that need some explaining because unless you understand the correct interpretation, you will think that these two verses teach that a believer can lose his salvation.
This passage that seems to say that a believer can lose his status with God or that a believer can say to God, “I no longer believe in you.”
(1) JOH 15:2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit.
(2) 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.
- Isagogics = the historical setting of the passage concerning our salvation has its origin in Gen 15:6, Then he (Abraham) believed in the Lord; and He (the Lord) reckoned it to him as righteousness.
- The capital “C” (categorical doctrine represents the different Categories that come from systematic theology developed from combining Scripture with Scripture.
The next point is this: How does the interpretation we have apply to the justice of God.
Always look how the interpretation lines up with the character and nature of God, especially in two distinct areas, the justice of God and the righteousness of God.
- The capital “E” which refers to exegesis of the word of God with a grammatical and syntactical analysis of the passage from the original languages.
This is the one major principle for us because the koine (common) Greek definitely teaches the principle that “Once saved, always saved.
“We respect those Greek scholars, we just disagree with things like the doctrine of Eternal Security.”
Proponents = teach that you are born physically, then you became “born again” spiritually, and then finally, if you sinned wilfully after salvation, then you could lose your salvation.
If you could lose your salvation that you went from being a believer to an unbeliever and then back to becoming an unbeliever once again.
You can never really have the confidence that you will need if you are occupied with “your salvation” and trying to keep yourself saved.
If a believer could lose his salvation, wouldn’t the Lord make sure that there are some passages or even just one passage that says, “Be careful Brethren, that you do not lose your salvation.”
Do you believe that our Lord finished the work that God the Father assigned to Him?
JOH 17:4 “I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do.
JOH 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit.
JOH 15:2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit.
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.
There is not one passage from Genesis all the way to the book of Revelation that teaches a believer can lose what God gave them = the gift of salvation.
In Act 2:38, the Apostle Peter reveals that salvation is also called a gift from the Holy Spirit.
Act 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
We are also said to be perfect in the eyes of God which is why Paul said we are justified not by trying to please God by our actions, but we are justified as a gift from God, that we can never lose.
Adam’s willful sin of disobedience was imputed to the entire human race without their consent;
The abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness that will reign, not be lost, but reigned or ruled in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
In Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice to Thee With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord.”
Notice, the five last words in Jon 2:8, which says “Salvation is from the Lord.”
2CO 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
JAM 1:17 Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.
The Physical sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ were more than just physical, it was also spiritual sufferings of which we have no idea what it must have been like when Divine Holiness contacted sin for the very first time.
As our Lord is getting ready for His cross, think of what lies before Him and then think about some of the physical sufferings our Lord had to face even before the cross.
- Betrayed; LUK 22:48;
- Taken captive: MAT 26:50;
- Deserted: MAT 26:56;
- Falsely accused; Mat 26:60;
- Spit upon and beat up: MAT 26:67;
- Sapped constantly; Mat 26:67-68;
- Beaten unfairly; MAT 27:12;
- Rejected: Mat 27:21-22;
- Scourged with a whip; Mat 27:26.
- Mocked: MAT 27:29-30;
- Ridiculed; Mat 27:39-40.
- He chose to die; Mat 27:50.
t is a subject that has destroyed a lot of believers and have caused a lot of judgmental believers to judge and put down other believers by making an issue out of sin rather them the Son.
What I am about to show you are a couple of verses that have scared thousands of believers into thinking that the Lord has rejected them and they have lost their Salvation.
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.
In Joh 15, this one passage in verse 6, has been 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.
We will approach this subject very carefully by using the word “Approach.”
- Our first approach is what we call 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.
We are “in Christ” that is our position and not our condition.
Our position in Christ guarantees Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Later on in this passage the apostle Paul stresses that we are in Christ and we can never lose what God has given by means of grace.
- Next is the Logical Approach: Rom 5:9, 8:32. God did the “most” for us when we were His enemies and will do “much more” for us as His sons. Rom 8:38-39.
- The Hand Approach: John 10:28; Psa 37:23-24. The believer is held by God’s hand, and He will never let go.
JOH 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.
- The Experiential Approach: 2Ti 2:12-13. Though a believer may say he no longer believes that God remains faithful, because He is immutable and therefore doesn’t change.
Those blessings were never given from the grace of God because grace does not demand payment.
- The fifth approach is the approach which speaks of rewards; 2TI 2:13.
2TI 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself [and He is in us].
When a believer denies Christ, he is out of fellowship and therefore not producing.
- There is also what is known as the Family Approach: GAL 3:26; John 1:12. We are born into God’s family, we cannot be unborn.
JOH 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.
GAL 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
- The Inheritance Approach: 1Pe 1:3-5, based on Omnipotence. And become Heirs of God.
- Body Approach: 1Co 12:13, 21. Christ, the head of the body can never say to any member of the body (a believer) that He does not need him.
2PE 3:9b The Lord is not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
JUD 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
- The Greek Tense Approach:
- a) Aorist tense: (once and for all) Acts 16:31.
- b) Perfect tense: (saved in the past with the result that you keep on being saved forever). Eph 2:8-9; Col 2:6; Rom 8:1.
- The Sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit Approach: Guarantee for protection and safe delivery at destination (heaven). 2Co 1:22; Eph 1:13; 2Ti 2:19.
In 2CO 1:21-22, Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.
- The Title Deed Approach: Jude 24-25; 1Pe 1:5—God will keep any promise He made.
- God’s Essence Approach: God never goes back on His character. Rom 8:35, (love); 8:38-39; 14:4.
- Marriage Approach: Rev 19:1-10 (Eternal Relationship).
- God’s Faithfulness Approach: 2Ti 2:11-13; 1Co 3:4-5; Rev 19:11.
- Jesus Christ’s Work on the Cross Approach: Heb 10:14.
Denying eternal security is to deny the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ and reduces the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to the level of offering bulls and goats rather than Christ abiding forever: John 5:24; Heb 10:14.
2CO 5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
- The Assignment Approach: Assigned eternal life, ACT 13:48 is what the original language of the Greek brings out.
ACT 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
This appointment goes right in the line of predestination.
- This is called the Described Believer Approach: Col 3:12; we are called the Elect, the Holy One; or the beloved.
- God the Father Cares Approach: John 3:16.