Once a Child of God
Gentlemen,
Even as a youth I did not like the phrase “once saved always saved”. During the course of my study of the Gathering of the Bride by her Bridegroom Jesus, this subject (being intertwined with those teachings) continued to knit itself into my study.
Heavily Edited (there is quite a bit missing) Excerpt from chapter one of
The Partial Rapture “Theory” Explained / Escaping the Coming Storm ,,
Although I am opposed to the term “once saved always saved”, due to the suggestion one can live whatever lifestyle one wishes after salvation (there are consequences to such actions), I do believe in eternal security of the believer. When the scripture is taken as literal at every occasion applicable, there is no doubt the Bible teaches everlasting refuge for the entire family of God. Once a child of God, always a child of God.
We will reexamine many of the points made in this chapter in greater detail in the appropriate chapters to come, but in reality that is what salvation is. Becoming a child of God through the blood sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. Upon acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross we are immersed (baptized into his death) into the Spirit of God (literally the “womb” of God, the person of God that tasted death for every man). Upon the completion of the baptism of the Spirit (which is instantaneous) we emerge reborn a new creature and retain within ourselves the presence of the Holy Spirit of God. Through the rebirth experience we literally become blood kin to the creator. (That is an awesome concept).
Through the procedure described he effectively “saves” us from everlasting damnation in hell. Damnation is in reality perpetual separation from the presence of God throughout eternity “future” which, with the inclusion of hell itself, was originally prepared for the devil and his angels.
The curse of damnation will include the individual punishments each unbeliever has reserved for his or her own self through their behavior during their lifetime in the physical inside their unbelief. Their actions in this life do not necessitate their attendance, merely punishment. Attendance is dictated by unbelief alone. A person does nothing to reserve themselves a place in hell, a person accepts the free gift of salvation to escape everlasting damnation in hell.
Mark 3:29
29. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is
in danger of eternal damnation:
Blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, is the rejection of the Holy Spirit’s urging toward repentance from unbelief by any individual under the conviction of that presence. The Holy Spirit can, and regularly does, convict unbelievers of their unbelief repetitively. This call to repentance can be initiated by loved ones who intervene through prayer to the Father for the salvation of the unbeliever.
Mark 3:29 mentions the unbeliever is
in danger of eternal damnation. They are in danger continually throughout their physical life during their rejection of the call to repentance. If they never yield during their time in this life, at the point of physical death they are guilty of blaspheme against the Holy Ghost and their sin of unbelief goes un-forgiven. There will be no second chance.
The illustration and comparison of the rebirth experience can be seen in Jesus’ discussion of that process with Nicodemus. In that lesson Jesus likens the spiritual birth to the physical birth. Nicodemus was understandably confused when Jesus told him that a person must be born again.
He was, of course, speaking of a believers rebirth through the Spirit of God which was to be initiated with his physical death on the cross (in its representation of his spiritual death/separation from the Father) and subsequent resurrection from the grave. But by comparing the salvation experience to the birth process, Jesus places the condition of permanency on the final state.
Once an individual is physically conceived there is no process that can reverse or change who the biological parents of the offspring are. (And make no mistake, conception is the continuation of the pre-existence of life given by God. Any willful interruption of that process constitutes a deliberate extermination of the continuation of life).
By the same token, once a person is reborn through the Spirit of God, they become a child of God never again to be anything else. Our relationship to God is not in question, he is our heavenly Father. Our fellowship, however is quite a different matter. It is the fellowship with our Heavenly Father (or in most cases the lack of fellowship) that we will be investigating.
Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Verse four declares God’s love for his creation. That love evokes the grace of God that benefits us initially through the availability of salvation, and then through fellowship with God inside salvation. Verse five points out even when we were dead (separated from God) in sin (the disobedience of unbelief) he had “quickened” us (given us life) together through Jesus Christ. This was done through his foreknowledge at the beginning of creation. Since the physical was spoken into existence by him in a “moment” before time complete from beginning to end. Through the very nature of the process of creation itself, he knows the end from the beginning. We are preordained through our choice in him at the point of creation itself.
Since we are informed by God’s Word it is by grace (the grace of God) we are saved, we know salvation is obtained by way of grace. But what is grace. If we are saved by grace, then grace and salvation can not be the same thing, although it is obvious they are akin to one another under the New Covenant.
In reality, grace is the good favor of God. We, as the children of the living God are charged by him to stay (or continue) in his grace (or good favor).
Luke 2:40
40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
The child being spoken of in this passage is Jesus himself. He waxed (was empowered, increased with vigor, was strengthened, was made strong) in the Spirit of God. Through the Spirit he was filled with wisdom, and the grace (good favor) of God was upon him. Jesus was in good favor with the Father (was, is and ever will be, perpetually) by continually being obedient to the will of God in all things. But the grace of God being upon him had nothing whatsoever to do with salvation. Jesus being God manifested in the flesh, was in no need of salvation himself (no matter who has told you otherwise). Therefore, although grace (the good favor of God) is a necessary part of salvation, (there would be no salvation without God’s good favor) it is not salvation in and of itself.
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Romans 5:15
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.
Through disobedience Adam caused death (separation from God, or the state of being lost) to pass onto all his descendants. The reconciliation of mankind to God is salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ.
2ndCorinthians 5:18-19
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
The most definitive of Paul’s writings concerning this subject is found in a letter he wrote to his former travel companion and ministry partner, Timothy. The Church is blessed with this advantage through the possession of that information.
1stTimothy 1:1-2
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; (Jesus, as our “hope”, is a critical point inside our teachings of the Rapture).
2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through Paul’s identification of Timothy as his own son in the faith, he makes a declaration that not only is Timothy a believer, but he is a direct “descendant” of Paul’s work in evangelism. Then immediately following this declaration, Paul mentions his usual message of grace and peace with the addition of mercy separating the two in this particular record.
One can not wish and will the grace, mercy, and peace of salvation itself on one that is most definitely already in possession of salvation. Paul is doing so toward Timothy for him to have an abundance of everything that is good in and of God, within the relationship that already exists between him and the Father. This will strengthen Timothy’s fellowship (and ours) within the existing relationship, as well as help him grow and mature as a child of God, as should we all.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you all.
