A Very Fine Line

There is such a very fine line to walk when talking about one’s ability to lose his salvation. In the fear of God, we must never take away from the completeness of what Jesus did by looking wrongly unto our works. Nonetheless, according to Scripture, our works will prove the reality of the thing that is in our hearts (James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:6-7).

The Lord has given us a walk to walk out in His power. If we trust in Him—if we have truly given our lives over to Him—we will aim to do the things He tells us to do. Our heart’s intent will be to do His will, being displayed by our willful choices. Indeed, even most who would call themselves “Calvinists” agree that the truly saved follower of Jesus Christ will aim to walk out a life unto Jesus Christ; only, they have disagreed that one who has truly known the Lord’s salvation—having been cleansed “from his past sins” (2 Peter 1:9-11 NIV1984)—is one still able to lose his eternal security. Then, others believe such consideration is simply irrelevant and unnecessary. Yet, because the Bible does note, with distinctiveness, such a remaining possibility, might it not be just the life-giving word that can cause some to repent?

IN CONCLUSION

Above all, we must remember God’s mercy. His tender mercies—they “fail not”—they are “new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV). The Lord is near. Today can be a new day. “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18 NASB). He is always near “in the day that [one] turns” (Ezekiel 33:12 NKJV).

In all, we must fear God—doing nothing that takes away from the greatness of what was done for us by Jesus (Philippians 2:9-12). Notwithstanding, are we really looking to Jesus? Is He really our hope? Our confidence will show forth one way or another by our works. The work of legalism demonstrates a failure to look only to the righteousness that is “by faith” in Jesus. Hence, such a walk becomes a “[falling] from grace” (Galatians 5:4). Likewise, the one who sins willfully, after “a knowledge of the truth” (Hebrews 10:26), demonstrates a failure to really repent. We should examine ourselves to see if we truly are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).

The balance . . . The one who continues to look to Jesus—who will not, in an adulterous way, give himself over to a love of the world (James 4:4-5; 1 John 2:15)—the Lord will present blameless (1 Corinthians 1:8). He who began a good work will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6).

To be certain, we must keep our eyes on the Lord, with a faith in His ability to keep those whose hearts are His (the ones who have wholly surrendered their lives unto Him). All the way, it must be a walk of faith in Him and not in our own works or in our own abilities to perfectly do. He must remain our confidence for that which He will do. It is in Him and through Him all the way.

Truly, He will keep. “The LORD will perfect that which concerns [us]” (Psalm 138:8 NKJV); nonetheless, He will not keep those who will not to continue in Him. It is our responsibility to remain in Him—with eyes that are totally His (Matthew 6:21-24; Hebrews 12:2). Even though Satan would try to discourage and to steal away what we have in Christ, we must not grow weary. We must fight the fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12), receiving the promise by enduring until the end.

Satan knows the equal significance of both foundations—the foundations of His keeping power and of our responsibility to remain aligned with Him. It is not surprising, therefore, that he would build distortions to undermine and to confuse these foundations.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24-25 NKJV, emphasis mine)

The above excerpt concludes the chapter entitled “Continuing in the Faith,” found within the book God’s Sovereignty and Our Responsibility: His Heart for All Men. Copyright © 2016 by Pamela K. Gourley. PlainFocus Books. Fredericksburg, VA. All rights reserved.

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