Albert DeBenedictis Retired computer programmer

If one claims to be saved but shows no sign of wanting to live as God commands, that person is not truly saved; they are still in their sins because they never truly repented of their sins.

The fact that one becomes saved and all their sins are forgiven the moment one realizes they are a sinner in the eyes of God and believe Jesus died for their sins is clearly taught in Scripture (John 3:15-18; 36; 5:24; 6:47, 1 John 5:13, etc.), as you mentioned. 

Even though those who have been saved from God’s wrath (Romans 5:9) have eternal life and have become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; also see Romans 8:1-11), all Christians still sin, as Christians still have the sin nature, that is, we are still in the flesh (Romans 7:14-25; 8:1-11; 2 Corinthians 10:1-6, etc.) The difference between a saved person and a non-saved person is that a saved person will at some point realize they have sinned and will repent and ask God to forgive him or her (1 John 1:8-10). That does not mean that after one repents that one becomes saved again. One can only be saved once. 

If one would lose their salvation every time one sins, then salvation would no longer be by God’s grace (Romans 2:8-9) but would be conditional based upon whether one has repented of every sin they ever committed before they died. Since Jesus died for every sin that has ever been committed, one is not saved because they repented of every sin they committed but because one recognizes they are not perfect and in need of a Savior (Romans 5:6-9).

There is no way that one can earn eternal life, it is purely God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Just because one is saved by God’s grace does not mean that Christians are permitted to sin (Romans 6:1-11). If one is truly a follower of Jesus, they will live according to what God has commanded, not to gain salvation and eternal life, but one will conduct their lives as to what one believes (Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 5:.1-21; Colossians 3:2-11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; James 1:22-27; 2:14-18; etc.).

If one appears at one time to have repented of their sins and accepted Jesus’ atonement for their sins and become a Christian, and then at some point in their lives they turn from the faith and no longer believe that Jesus died for their sins, most likely this person was never saved (Mark 4:1-8, 13-20; 1 John 2:18-19). That is because if one truly believed and became born again (or begotten) John 3:3-8; 1 Peter 1:3-4, etc.), they will eventually return to the faith.

October 03 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Mark Vestal Proud of nothing of myself. Freed by Christ who did it all!

You cannot lose your salvation once you are a believer in the gospel of God's grace through Jesus Christ crucified, as you have been sealed with the holy Spirit of promise until the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30, Ephesians 1:12-13)! If you could lose your salvation, how would you gain it back, when faith alone in Christ is the only means of obtaining it (Ephesians 2:8-9)?

The requirement for heaven is to have faith in Jesus Christ and the finished work that He completed on the cross on our behalf (Galatians 2:16).

1 Corinthians 15:1-4
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"

Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the forgiveness of all your sins? Do you believe that He was buried, but rose again on the 3rd day for your justification? If you truly believe this then you are a member of the church which is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), and have been made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21)!

Our sins were forgiven nearly 2,000 years ago when Jesus Christ died on the cross (Colossians 1:14). It is by God's grace through our belief in this that salvation occurs, believing THIS good news!

God was in Christ not imputing the world's trespasses (2 Corinthians 5:19), and is offering the free unmerited gift of salvation to all that will believe (Romans 1:16). It is not received by reciting a prayer, walking an aisle, being submersed in a pool of water, giving 10% of your earnings, or by asking forgiveness of any sins (ALL sin was forgiven through the blood of Christ). If you should by mistake sin again, you're still secure (Ephesians 1:12-13, Ephesians 4:30)! Placing your faith in Jesus Christ by belief in the gospel of Him crucified for you is how to accept God's free gift. You can then rest (Romans 8:21) with certainty that you have obtained ETERNAL salvation in Jesus Christ. It is of nothing we do, it is acknowledging that Christ completed it all for us. Just believe it!

Israel was to believe in who Jesus Christ was, their promised Messiah, and then by belief in His name, their promised earthly kingdom would have been delivered. John 3:16 is not where we find our good news for today as John 4:22 CLEARLY states, along with (Matthew 10:5-6, Matthew 15:24). We, outside of God’s covenants with Israel, find our gospel of God’s grace and Christ crucified in the thirteen epistles of Paul (1 Corinthians 1:23), and specifically in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 as shown above.

This “mystery” gospel of God’s current dispensation of grace (Ephesians 3:2-3) was kept hidden from all since the beginning of the world (Romans 16:25). It was only revealed to and through the apostle Paul (Romans 11:13, Colossians 1:25), until the fullness of the Gentiles (us) comes in (Romans 11:25). Had Satan known of God’s hidden secret, he would not have crucified the savior of the world Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 2:7-8).

March 29 2023 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report