Bay Roberts Seventh-day Adventist Church

[Pages:14]Bay Roberts Seventh-day Adventist Church

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Once Saved, Always Saved?

A battle has raged in theological circles in the last few decades about the eternal security of the believer, som etim es called "once saved, always saved." Let's examine this issue, as usual, only on the basis of what Scripture says and nothing else. To find and know the truth, we m ust cast aside whatever preconceptions we have, whatever teachings we have heard from m en, and be prepared to accept God's word for what it says.

W hy should we bother to consider this subject? Isn't it sufficient to sim ply have a close relationship with Christ, as a servant of the Lord Jesus, and seek to obey him in all things? For those who have that, of course that is sufficient. But there are teachings, such as the "once saved, always saved" doctrine that cause people to claim to be Christians, pointing with conviction to the day on which they confessed their faith, but thereafter living as the world, indistinguishable from the world. In m any com m unities there is a high level of hypocrisy with "Christians" attending church but throughout the week living lives which rival in wickedness the worst of unbelievers.

Two teachings com e im m ediately to m ind which stress the spiritual danger of such beliefs and actions. Jesus lim ited entrance into the kingdom when he said, "Not everyone who says to m e, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of m y Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Paul narrowed the passage into the kingdom even further when he said, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he m ight be the firstborn am ong m any brothers" (Rom ans 8:29). This is not a scripture which states that certain people are predestined to be saved. It is a scripture which states that God predestined the qualification for those who will be saved. There is no salvation for those who do not do the will of God they will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Salvation is lim ited to those who are conform ed to the likeness of Jesus Christ, God's Son. The likeness to which all believers can be conform ed is the com mitm ent to do the will of God.

It does not m atter if som eone m ade a sincere confession of faith at som e earlier tim e if he later does not do the will of God and is not conformed to the likeness of his Son. God predestined this qualification for all who would be saved. Only those who satisfy this qualification will be the brothers (and sisters) of the Lord Jesus. Jesus said, "W ho is m y m other, and who are m y brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are m y m other and m y brothers. For whoever does the will of m y Father in heaven is m y brother and sister and m other" (Matthew 12:48 50).

THE BELIEVER IS SECURE IN CHRIST

Can anyone or any dem onic force drag us against our will from the safety and shelter of our Lord? If we are determined in the strength of Christ to believe and be faithful, is there any force on earth that can snatch us from our position in Christ and cause us to be lost? Praise God, the answer is NO! Paul answered that conclusively for us:

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom ans 8:38 39). The Holy Spirit would not have allowed Paul to write that if it were not true.

Likewise, the Lord Jesus said the same: "My sheep listen to m y voice; I know them , and they follow m e. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of m y hand. My Father, who has given them to m e, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of m y Father's hand" (John 10:27 29).

End of subject. W e are secure. Together, Paul and Jesus have enumerated every external thing or person or power that we can im agine could com e against us. There is no power any where that can separate us from the love of God in the Lord Jesus Christ or that can snatch us out of the hand of our Father or the Lord Jesus! W e know that with certainty because Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to m e" (Matthew 28:18).

Though there has been little physical, religious persecution in America, in much of the world Christians are subject to great persecution and even slaughter. That would seem to put in question the prior statem ents about our security in Christ. But no, just the opposite. Paul taught us: "No tem ptation has seized you except what is com m on to m an. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tem pted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tem pted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

W e may wonder how that can be when we read of the thousands upon thousands of com m itted believers who were slaughtered during the Dark Ages. Many were slowly burned to death at the stake. Yet, they kept the faith and would not deny their Lord and His word. Often the victim would be offered, even pleaded with, to renounce his views and save his life. But these early martyrs knew that Jesus said, "W hoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." Yes, they traded their earthly life for eternal life. Paul, not knowing whether he would live or die while im prisoned in Rom e said, "For to m e, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).

The great tem ptation at the end of the age will be to deny Christ and accept the m ark of the beast. Jesus said m any will recant the faith (Matthew 24:10) but that will be their choice. God will not perm it a tem ptation even one to deny the faith to com e against us that we are not able to bear. If (or when) we face torture or execution for our faith, we can rem em ber with assurance, "Our Lord Jesus knows we can face this and not succumb to the tem ptation to deny him."

WHAT EXPLANATION IS THERE FOR THOSE WHO LEAVE?

There seems little disagreem ent that people who have been part of a C hristian fellowship do not always continue as believers. Likely m ost long tim e Christians know exam ples of people who have left the faith.

Those who believe true believers can never lose their salvation once truly converted (saved) say that those who do leave the faith were never really saved. That argument is presum ptuous. It requires making a judgm ent about another's spiritual condition without knowing the facts. Innum erable people were once considered faithful but, for various reasons, fell away, som etim es denied the faith and other tim es becam e horribly wicked. Usually those who make this argument say that even though they were once considered faithful, they really were not saved. Others say that they rem ain saved, irrespective of their subsequent actions, infidelity, or denial of the faith.

A GROUP LEFT JOHN'S FELLOWSHIP

They often make this argument from Scripture found at 1 John 2:19: "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have rem ained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us." That statem ent by the Apostle John is quoted as support for the argument that those who leave the faith were never really part of it.

W as John giving us a spiritual principle? I don't think so. He was sim ply reciting a fact about som ething that had actually happened in his church. Through spiritual discernm ent he was able to say "they did not really belong to us." As additional evidence for that he states that they would have rem ained had they belonged.

W ho these people were we can only speculate. It m ay have been a group that cam e into John's fellowship together. They m ay have already had som e exposure to the Christian faith or they m ay have been inquirers. It seem s likely they stuck together and fashioned doctrines opposed to true faith in Christ. They m ay have been trying to spread these false doctrines within John's church.

The issue that caused these people to leave m ust have been very fundamental to the faith as John called

them antichrists (1 John 2:18) a very harsh characterization. If these had been people who had fallen away from the faith, he surely wouldn't have used such language.

John stated that if they had been part of the fellowship "they would have rem ained with us." Doesn't this support the once saved, always saved doctrine? At first blush it seem s to, if John is saying that everyone will remain who is truly saved. But is that what John was saying? People who tend to fall away from the faith tend to do so individually, not in groups. It is usually the introduction of a different doctrine or heresy that will cause a group to leave. This was a group of people that left John's church.

John was speaking about som ething that m ust have been widely known because he didn't bother to clarify it further or further identify the group which left. He m ay have spoken of it because of the rumor of a church split, so he may have m ade this statem ent to clarify or quash the rumor. His language m ade clear that this wasn't a m ere difference of opinion about doctrine; these people were found to be antichrists and that's why they left.

THE SCRIPTURAL CALL TO PERSEVERANCE

Throughout the New Testament there is a constant call for perseverance in the faith. That call can only m ake sense if it is possible not to persevere. Otherwise it becom es an oxym oron.

I. Let's look at scriptures that em phasize the need to persevere to be saved and that tell what happens if one doesn't persevere: "Now, brothers, I want to rem ind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firm ly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:1 2). This passage should be clear to all without am biguity. Paul is writing to believers who accepted Paul's gospel. Hopefully we agree that Paul had the gospel right. He did not preach error.

In this passage, Paul is writing to believers he calls them brothers. These people had received Paul's gospel; they had taken their stand on that gospel. Paul assures the believers that they are saved if they hold firm ly to that gospel. But then he states clearly, "Otherwise, you have believed in vain." He did not say that if they didn't persevere they had never believed. No, he said if they didn't persevere they had believed in vain.

II. A similar teaching by Paul is found at Colossians 1:21 23:

"Once you were alienated from God and were enem ies in your m inds because of your evil behavior. But now he [God] has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blem ish and free from accusation if you continue in your faith, established and firm , not m oved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaim ed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have becom e a servant."

This m arvelous passage is a statem ent of the gospel. Again Paul writes to believers: "He has reconciled you . . . to present you holy in his sight . . ." But then, again, the qualification: "if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not m oved from the hope held out in the gospel." Paul goes on to say this is the gospel he taught them his gospel. His gospel included the qualification that the believer m ust persevere to be saved. John's teaching was sim ilar: "See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will rem ain in the Son and in the Father" (1 John 2:24).

III. The writer to the Hebrews wrote in m any passages the essential requirem ent of persevering in the faith. In the first one, he describes a believer who experienced everything God offers to the believer:

"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the com ing age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace" (Hebrews 6:4 6).

The writer described an enlightened believer who tasted the heavenly gift, received the Holy Spirit, and knew the goodness of the word of God. Nevertheless, the writer recognized that som etimes even such a person falls away. His warning is severe. He states that if such a person falls away he can never com e back a fearful thought! The author is not saying such a person cannot fall away; he im plies they can. In one of the severest warnings in Scripture, he warns that such cannot com e back to the faith.

IV. The author warns again at Hebrews 10:26 27:

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgm ent and of raging fire that will consume the enem ies of God.

At Hebrews 6:4 6 the author speaks of others. In this passage he includes him self. He says, "If we . . ." There can be no doubt that he is speaking to believers as we can safely assum e he is one. He speaks of a person who has received the knowledge of the truth, not just heard it or not just exposed to it. No, someone who actually received it a believer. Here the author is reinforcing the need for a changed life for those who are believers, that they m ust give up a life of sin, that they m ust be holy. If they deliberately refuse and continue in sin, they face only judgm ent and raging fire.

The author m akes it clear this is not the discipline for "sons" he later describes in Hebrews 12. No, this is punishm ent judgm ent and raging fire that will consum e the enem ies of God. No believer is subject to that. The author continues to reinforce that teaching at the end of the chapter as he speaks of the righteous:

"'But m y righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him .' But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved" (Hebrews 10:38 39).

He states the principle we know to be true. The righteous will live by faith. But what if the righteous no longer live by faith? The writer continues with God's response: "If he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him ." The author then contrasts those who shrink back with those who believe. Those who shrink back are destroyed; those who believe are saved. The one who shrank back and was destroyed had been a believer, one God described as his "righteous one."

V. Peter spoke to the same subject. He was speaking against false teachers who m outh em pty, boastful words and appeal to the lustful desires of sinful hum an nature, and who entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error, prom ising them freedom , while they themselves are slaves of depravity for a m an is a slave to whatever has m astered him (2 Peter 2:18 29). Then Peter describes the fate of people who are seduced by false teachers:

"If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: 'A dog returns to its vom it,' and, 'A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the m ud'" (2 Peter 2:21 23).

He begins by describing a true believer one who has escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Continuing, Peter recognizes that som e again becom e entangled in the world, and overcom e. Their final condition, he says, is worse than if they had never known about Christ.

This explanation prohibits the interpretation that this person is just a believer who is being disciplined by God, but who is really saved. How could any believer be worse off than if he had never known of Christ? The end of those without Christ is hell. It appears the punishm ent in hell is greater for those who have not persevered, who have proved unfaithful after once having known and been in the faith. Peter concludes his letter with the further warning: "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you m ay not be carried away by the error of lawless m en and fall from your secure position" (2 Peter 3:17).

Peter recognizes that our position in Christ is secure, just as we saw as we began this study. But he says we can fall from our secure position which agrees with the previous scriptures. He warns us to be on guard. He

knows that we can be carried away by the error of lawless m en.

VI. Notice how sim ilar is the teaching of Jesus. He contrasts two servants, one who is faithful and perseveres, another who tires and falls away:

"W ho then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the m aster has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose m aster finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. "But suppose that servant is wicked and says to him self, 'My m aster is staying away a long tim e,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24:45 51).

Note first that both are servants. Both began in the faith serving the Lord. Both are servants with responsible positions in charge of others. Jesus com m ends the first and assures he will be rewarded for his faithfulness. Not so with the second servant. It didn't m atter that he had once been so faithful that he was promoted to a position of responsibility. It only m attered that when the m aster cam e back the servant was not fulfilling the duties assigned to him . Instead he was abusing those in his charge and engaging in a licentious life style.

Note the severity of the punishm ent. It is more severe than in any other parable told by Jesus. Is it because he was an overseer of others? (See James 3:1). He was "cut to pieces" and consigned to hell with the hypocrites.

VII. Jesus taught that there are people (branches) who will be in him (the vine), but who will produce no fruit. He said God will cut off such branches (John 15:2) (people) and throw them into the fire! He said it this way:

"If anyone does not rem ain in m e, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned" (John 15:6).

This passage is interpreted very differently by those who claim the doctrine of once saved, always saved. But for those who do not start with that predisposition, the passage is plain. The difference in this passage from prior passages is that the believer m ust produce fruit. If he does not, he will be cut off. In prior passages we've seen that same result for those who deliberately continue to sin or who are once again entangled in the world.

Jesus taught a parallel teaching in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14 30). You rem em ber that each servant was given a different num ber of talents to invest before the master left on a journey. Most did well, doubling the am ounts entrusted to them . One servant did not. He was given a talent but buried his talent in the ground, offering it back to his m aster when he returned. In the parable of the vine and the branches, the branch (the believer) was given the life giving sap from the vine but did not use it to produce fruit. In both parables, the servant accom plished nothing with what was given him .

The end is the sam e for each. Jesus said of the servant who wasted his talent: "Throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:30).

These two parables show punishm ent and damnation for not producing fruit, not using that given to us by God to produce gain for the Kingdom . Is this what Paul referred to when he said, "W e are God's workm anship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do?" (Ephesians 2:10). If so, it would be a case of disobedience, refusing (or failing) to do that which we were comm anded to do, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

A further corroboration is found in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3 8, Mark 4:3 8, and Luke 8:5 8). The seed was sown on four kinds of soil. Only one of the soils produced a crop. Of that soil, Jesus explained, "The one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the m an who hears the word and understands it. He

produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty tim es what was sown" (Matthew 13:23). The true believer perseveres and produces fruit, a crop, according to what God has given him to do.

W hat about the other three soils? Two of those are m aterial to this study. The first is not. Of the first Jesus said that the seed sown on the path is like a person who hears the m essage but does not understand it; the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart (Matthew 13:19). The second, seed sown on rocky soil, represents a person who hears the word and receives it with joy. He becomes a new believer. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. W hen trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away (Matthew 13:20 21). He didn't persevere. The third is one where the seed was sown am ong thorns. He also hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, m aking it unfruitful (Matthew 13:22).

Of the four soils which received the seed, only one persevered and produced fruit. The second and third, though receiving the seed hearing the word failed to persevere. Those who produce no fruit may be disobeying the will of God by failing to do those good works which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).

From the foregoing scriptures we see that bearing fruit for the kingdom is im portant. Could we actually lose our salvation because we failed or refused to do those good works which God prepared in advance for us to do? Perhaps that is a form of rebellion against God.

CAN SOM EONE WHO LEFT THE FAITH COME BACK?

W e've seen one exam ple Hebrews 6:4 6 where the writer said, "No! He cannot." That seem s to be where a believer experienced all that God had for him and still turned away.

One of the arguments of those who claim once saved, always saved, is that people cannot be born again and then unborn, and then born again, etc. But theirs is an argument of m an. God said, "For m y thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways m y ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are m y ways higher than your ways, and m y thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8 9). W hat does God say in his Scripture?

Paul assured the Rom ans that it is possible to repent and com e back to the faith. This discussion is found in Rom ans 11. He spoke of believers as branches of an olive tree where Jesus is the root and trunk. He first told of the Jews (branches) who were broken off and the Gentiles (wild olive shoots) grafted in. He said those branches (the Jews) were broken off because of unbelief, and you (the Gentile believers) stand by faith. Then Paul's warning: "Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either" (Rom ans 11:20 21).

Is that clear? Paul is telling Gentile believers who stand by faith to be afraid, that if they fall into unbelief they will be broken off just as the Jews had. Then Paul's call to perseverance and further warning: "Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off" (Rom ans 11:22). But then Paul gives the good news, that those who did fall away because of unbelief could regain their faith and their place in the k ingdom :

"And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again" (Rom ans 11:23).

Is that a lone exception in Scripture, that a person who left the faith can come back? Not at all. The entire book of Galatians concerns a church that has strayed into false teaching by the Judaizers. Paul urges them to reject that false teaching and com e back to the faith. He tells them , "I fear for you, that som ehow I have wasted m y efforts on you" (Gal. 4:11).

Can they com e back? Paul says, "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is form ed in you . . ." (Galatians 4:19). Paul wants them to be born again, again! W ere they ever true

believers? Indeed they were. Paul describes their early state: They received the Spirit, began with the Spirit, God gave his Spirit and worked miracles am ong them (Galatians 3:2 5).

Doesn't this conflict with Hebrews 6:4 6 which states that once a believer who has experienced all God offers and falls away cannot com e back? It first appears to. The passages can be distinguished, however, by why the former believer falls away. If the person falls away through unbelief, or because he falls prey to false doctrine, he can com e back to the faith upon realizing his error and repenting. The Hebrews 6:4 6, 10:26 27, and 2 Peter 2:18 29 must refer to those who deliberately choose to continue in sin or who love the world and choose to go back into it.

IS SALVATION CONDITIONAL?

Of course it is! Everyone should know that unless a person has a saving faith they will not be saved. That is a condition: A saving faith. Consider other conditional statem ents: If you obey m y comm ands, you will rem ain in m y love, just as I have obeyed m y Father's com m ands and rem ain in his love (John 15:10); You are m y friends if you do what I comm and (John 15:14); W e have come to share in Christ if we hold firm ly till the end the confidence we had at first (Hebrews 3:14).

In passages reviewed earlier, Paul also conditioned salvation upon perseverance: "By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:1 2). And, " if you continue in your faith, established and firm , not m oved from the hope held out in the gospel" (Colossians 1:22).

Peter agreed. In 2 Peter he began with an exhortation to the believers to m ake every effort to add to their faith goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love (2 Peter 1:5 7). He continued,

"For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them , he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, m y brothers, be all the m ore eager to m ake your calling and election sure. For if you do these things you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcom e into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:8 11).

Likewise with obedience: Jesus said, "If you love m e, you will obey what I com mand; And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever" (John 14:15 16). Im agine that statement! If we love Jesus, we will obey him . If we love and obey him , he will ask the Father to give us the Holy Spirit. Is he saying that only those who com m it to obey him receive the Holy Spirit? Consider the corroboration given by Peter: "W e are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him " (Acts 5:32). Is even salvation linked to obedience? Consider Hebrews 5:9: "He [Christ] became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."

WHAT ABOUT THE END TIMES?

Many people, including this writer, believe we are likely in the end tim es of the world as we know it. Jesus specifically discussed this period in Matthew 24. Consider what he said:

"At that time m any will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and m any false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:10 11).

Jesus is describing the great falling away that is to take place in the end tim es. W e already can see it as we look around in Christendom. Many people are falling away. Yet God is doing a new work in others, bringing many to salvation.

IS THE 20TH CENTURY DIFFERENT?

In the Apostolic Age the gospel was fresh and new, told by those who had been taught by Jesus. If it were possible for people to fall away from the faith then, though they had been believers, how is it that m any in 20th century Christendom claim that once a person has m ade a sincere confession of faith he cannot be lost?

Are we so m uch different or better? Has God changed? Scripture says, Jesus Christ is the sam e yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

FROM THE AUTHOR OF HEBREWS

The author of Hebrews was concerned about the perseverance of the new Christians. Chapters 2 and 3 have m any warnings about falling away. I feel a sense of urgency as he warns:

"W e m ust pay m ore careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishm ent, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:1 3).

The writer is writing to Christians people in the faith. But he acknowledges that they can drift away. Lest som eone m isunderstand, he m akes sure the reader understands that he is talking about salvation, not simply rewards or punishm ent. He implies that the punishm ent for drifting away will be the punishm ent due those without salvation.

Next he establishes that our salvation is conditional: "But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast" (Hebrews 3:6). Note again the em phasis on perseverance. He's speaking to Christians but states that Christians who hold on to their courage and hope are part of God's house. Those who do not hold on are not!

Finally, the writer establishes that a Christian can develop a sinful, unbelieving heart that can be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. He wrote:

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you m ay be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. W e have come to share in Christ if we hold firm ly till the end the confidence we had at first" (Hebrews 3:12 14).

Again the condition. W e Christians share in Christ if we hold firm ly till the end the confidence we had at first. Note the parallel with Jesus' letter to the Church at Ephesus where he adm onishes that they have forsaken their first love. "You have forsaken your first love. Rem em ber the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and rem ove your lam pstand from its place" (Revelation 2:4 5).

The writer makes clear that Christians can become hardened by sin and turn away from God. If that were to happen, such a person would no longer share in Christ; such a person has no salvation.

ISRAEL FINALLY LOST THOUGH EARLIER REDEEM ED

One of the great stories of the Old Testam ent is of the Israelites being rescued from Egypt by God under the leadership of Moses. God's m ighty power was manifest as he smote Egypt with plague after plague, culminating with the plague of the death of the firstborn of every house that did not have the blood of a lamb put on the top and both sides of the doorframe.

W e now know that the salvation of Israel from Egypt was a type of the salvation which Christ would bring. Just

as the firstborn were spared by the blood of a lam b without blem ish when its blood was put on the doorfram e,

so we are spared if we are cleansed with the blood of the perfect lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was

sacrificed for our sins on the cross. Israel was redeem ed from slavery in Egypt just as Christ redeem s us from

slavery

to

sin.

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