Featured "If You Are Doing This ONE Thing, You May Not Be Saved"

"If God has foreordained everything that comes to pass, of what avail is it for us to “exercise” ourselves “unto godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7)? If God has before ordained the good works in which we are to walk (Eph. 2:10) then why should we be “careful to maintain good works” (Titus 3:8)? This only raises once more the problem of human responsibility. Really, it should be enough for us to reply, God has bidden us do so. Nowhere does Scripture inculcate or encourage a spirit of fatalistic indifference. Contentment with our present attainments is expressly disallowed. The word to every believer is “Press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). This was the Apostle’s aim, and it should be ours. Instead of hindering the development of Christian character, a proper apprehension and appreciation of God’s Sovereignty will forward it. Just as the sinner’s despair of any help from himself is the first prerequisite of a sound conversion, so the loss of all confidence in himself is the first essential in the believer’s growth in grace; and just as the sinner despairing of help from himself will cast him into the arms of Sovereign mercy so the Christian, conscious of his own frailty, will turn unto the Lord for power. It is when we are weak we are strong (2 Cor. 12:10): that is to say, there must be consciousness of our weakness before we shall turn to the Lord for help. While the Christian allows the thought that he is sufficient in himself, while he imagines that by mere force of will he shall resist temptation, while he has any confidence in the flesh then, like Peter who boasted that though all forsook the Lord yet should not he, so we shall certainly fail and fall. Apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5). The promise of God is “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might (of their own) He increaseth strength” (Isa. 40:29).

The question now before us is of great practical importance, and we are deeply anxious to express ourselves clearly and simply. The secret of development of Christian character is the realization of our own powerlessness, acknowledged powerlessness, and the consequent turning unto the Lord for help. The plain fact is that of ourselves we cannot do this, or make ourselves do it. “In nothing be anxious”—but who can avoid and prevent anxiety when things go wrong? “Awake to righteousness and sin not”—but who can help sinning? These are merely examples selected at random from scores of others. Does then God mock us by bidding us do what He knows we are unable to do? The answer of Augustine to this question is the best we have met with—“God gives commands we cannot perform, that we may know what we ought to request from Him.” A consciousness of our powerlessness should cast us upon Him who has all power. Here then is where a vision and view of God’s Sovereignty helps, for it reveals His sufficiency and shows us our insufficiency."

- Arthur W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God

 

Mankind by nature rebels at the thought of submitting to the reign of God and some try to have a foot in the world and a foot in the church, but such are doing nothing more than continuing in their rebellion.

Luke 19:14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’

"they would neither receive his Gospel, nor submit to his ordinances; but put them away from them, and judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life: and this is the language of every graceless soul; and is to be observed in their opposition to, and neglect of the truths of Christ, and his divine institutions; which are a yoke they do not care to take upon them, though so mild and easy, and are cords which they cast away from them."

- John Gill, Exposition of the Old & New Testaments

 

I don't know the answer. One very well may not be saved. He may also be saved and backslidden. I know we like to focus on sexual sin, and we should, but do we give the same weight to telling lies, greed, etc?

 

"Sin is sovereign—until sovereign grace dethrones it!" - Charles Spurgeon

 

God delivers all of His elect from sin - obviously even the elect still have a fleshly nature while they remain on this earth - but God will not lose of His elect for they are in Christ and God cannot lose Christ.

I know personally that if not for God's grace and mercy in Christ that there is no way that I would ever be anything but a damned sinner. Perfect righteousness is the standard, not sincere obedience. Do I love God perfectly? No. Do I love my neighbor perfectly? No. Thus, I look to the Lord our Righteousness for a perfect righteousness as I am well aware that I am not capable in the least of producing a perfect righteousness.

Does it bother me to see people who call themselves "Christians" to live like the world? Yes. However, I also remember that King David, a man after God's own heart, was an adulterer and a murderer. I remember that Lot got drunk - twice! - and committed incest with his daughters - twice! I remember that Noah got drunk and lay naked. I remember that Abraham lied about Sarah - twice! - and that Isaac lied about Rebekah. I remember that Jacob deceived his own father.

I know that God will save all of His elect and will lose none of them. And, since God is absolutely sovereign...all the time, I trust Him to guide all of His elect as they make their way through this earthly life and that He will grow them up spiritually in Christ.

So, yes, we should be following Christ and as we fail - time after time after time after time... - we need to be learning not to trust in our strength but in Him who preserves us and gives us strength.

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (emphasis mine)

I know that the elect can get themselves into some awful messes(even of their own doing), but God will ultimately deliver them safely through Christ into the new heavens and earth wherein dwells righteousness.

As far as the issue within the church, we can only deal with people as our limited knowledge will allow. Ultimately, God will sovereignly take care of it all.

Jude 1:22-23 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Matthew 13:24-30 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

 

Yes. He's right, and probably being too cautious in the case of the examples given.

 

I don't think it is that simple. King David messes up the idea we can't love God and sin egregiously at the same time.

 

After Nathan confronted King David with it. It is interesting is that the matter was not even in David's thoughts while Nathan was telling him the story about the man and his lamb until Nathan finally told him, "You are the man!"

 

It is one thing to struggle with a besetting sin over an extended period, and little ground may be gained, but it is another matter entirely to take a "que sera, sera" attitude about it.

 

There was a time he lived in his sin. Quite a long time actually. He did not repent until exposed by Nathan the prophet.

 

No. The fact is "buffet" treatment is way too common. Different interpertations is how it is being done, on secondary issues.

 

Some of the sin issues can be indicaters. There would be essentials which would be being not accepted or out right being denied. [1 John 3:15]

 

Thanks for this! printed it off and plan on taping it to my bookshelf. It is easy to get caught up in one's own works to the point where we lose sight of God. We must always look to Christ, and His work, I'm learning I will never attain the level of sanctification that I want (though I continue to strive for it).

 

Thanks be to God that Christ is our sanctification.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

 

How can any discussion of salvation NOT become a thread on Calvinism?