“THERE IS GREAT CONTROVERSY WITHIN THE FAITH OF CHRISTIANITY, AND IT ALL CENTERS AROUND THE QUESTION, CAN A BELIEVER EVER BE LOST?”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about this issue of being saved from our sins, that seriously troubles many in what might be called the “Last Days.” …

… As Christians, unfortunately, there are a number of things among those who profess to know and love God, we do not agree upon when it comes to Christian theology. Perhaps the most controversial of all, is in what John Calvin the Christian theologian of past ages called – “THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS.” This is an expression given to teach what Calvin saw as the promise of God to keep and maintain the faith and blessings for everyone who truly was born again. This meant as our Baptist friends, like to call it – “ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED!” It is a promise from the Word of God that all who become believers in Jesus Christ, they are guaranteed to never lose the gifts of God in salvation such as: the gift of eternal life, forgiveness of all sins, and the blessings of intimate fellowship with our Creator God Himself, now and for eternity. That of course sounds good and desirable, and I whole-heartedly agree with such teaching.

However, there are many Christians today who follow what is often called the Arminian theology of the Church, which denies the promise and blessing of the perseverance of the saints, meaning a believer can be lost after he or she is once saved. Now who is right, and what does the Bible says about it? Well in a moment after a second musical pause we are going to see that the Bible does teach from the lips of God the Son, Jesus Christ Himself, that of all those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, and even serve Him, well… there are many who in the end are lost to Heaven and eternal life. So stay tuned and you’ll see and hear why, and learn what all can do to assure it does not happen to you…

…One of the most exciting signs of our times, is the increased interest in the study of God’s Word and the biblical theology it teaches concerning the salvation experience. Yet strange as it may seem, there are many today insisting that they believe in Jesus Christ; but in time, they fall away. Still others, remain steadfast yet, the Bible says God will reject them from the faith of Christianity in the end. How can that be? Can a believer who professes Jesus Christ as God and Savior ever be lost? Well I’ve got news for you, if you feel that professing faith alone forever seals you in the grace and blessing of God, you may be outside the teaching of Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us on the day of final judgment; there will be many professing believers who will be forever lost, by being banished to Hell for all eternity. Now I don’t say this, the bible does and especially the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ Himself. Let me give you some Scriptures about this, and then explain how some believers were lost. In a series of teachings set forth by Jesus Christ, He gives His audience some lessons taught by illustrating great differences of what many think is the same thing. Jesus illustrates this in the Book of Matthew chapter 7:13–27.

He shows us there are…

I. There are Two Roads in Life Leading to Eternity (Matthew 7:13 –14)

A) The broad road that veers off to Hell (Matt. 7:13 ), where the entrance gate is wide, and many choose to follow this way to heaven, yet it only leads to destruction.

B) The narrow road that leads directly to Heaven (Matt. 7:14 ), where the entrance gate is narrow, and only a minority of professing believers ever embark on it.

Then Jesus tells by way of another illustration, that of two animals, representing those who will go to Heaven and those who will go to Hell, even though both profess to be believers in Jesus Christ.

II. The Two Kinds of Believers traveling on these roads (Matthew 7:21 –23)

A) First there are True Believers or disciples (Matt.7:21a), where on judgment day, these true believers will be separated from the false professing believers.

B) Second, there are False Believers or disciples (Matt. 7:21b–23), who on judgment day, will be exposed and condemned along with the non-believers of life.

What will characterize these believers that will be the determining factor that grants them eternal life in heaven, or an eternity in Hell? The answer is their judgment will be based not on their profession of faith, but their faithful obedience or disobedience to the truth concerning Jesus Christ. We see this illustrated by,

1.  The wondrous deeds false believers did (Matt. 7:22 ). They will say to the Lord Jesus, that they prophesied and preached in His Name, they even cast out demons, and performed many miracles in His Name, thinking that was sufficient for them to earn eternal life. But Jesus Christ will tell them that their supposed “good deeds,” were in His eyes, wicked and unacceptable deeds. Thus, we see…

2.  The worthless and wicked deeds Christ will claim they are (Matt. 7:21b, 23). Jesus says these professing believers did these things in rank disobedience to the Father. God the Son will say He never knew them as His followers and children. Finally, Jesus ends His teaching of contrasts concerning professing believers by illustrating there are two trees that represent the difference between true believers and the false professing ones...

III. Two Trees Grow that Represent both lives (Matthew 7:16 –20)

First, Jesus tells about what He calls the “good tree,” which represents the true professing believer in Jesus Christ, that will definitely make it to Heaven and enjoy the blessings of Jesus Christ. He says,

1. A Good Tree Always Produces Good and Delicious Fruit Acceptable to God who Grows it (Matt. 7:16 , 18).

Then Jesus illustrates by comparison, the “Bad Tree,” meaning professing believers whose lives show forth nothing acceptable to God as evidence of their sonship in Jesus Christ. Thus we see,

2. A Bad Tree Cannot Produce Good Fruit, Acceptable to God, Who Examines it (Matt. 7:17 , 19–20).

These parables all illustrate there are two roads, two trees, and two ways of building life acceptable to God for Heaven to come. Jesus’ final illustration uses the building of a house to show forth the difference between a true believer and a false believer. We see in,

IV . The Illustration of Two Builders, and by What and Where they Built their Lives (Matt. 7:24 –27).

Jesus tells about the first structure and says,

1. One Man Built His House on a Solid Foundation of Earth known as Rock (Matt.7:24).

2. The Other Man Built His House on a poor foundation of earth known as Shifting Sand (Matt. 7:26 ).

Then came the storms of life (Matt. 7:25 , 27) where the house on the rock stood firm (Matt. 7:25 ). But the house on the sand fell flat and was destroyed (Matt.7:27) .

Now all these illustrations were given by Jesus to warn people that just making a profession of faith in Jesus Christ in some form or another, is not what it takes to be “Born Again.” Today through evangelistic services and altar calls people are pressured to come forward, walk the “sawdust trail,” to confess Jesus Christ as their Savior. Most often upon some verbal agreement or head nod, the Christian counselor congratulates the one who confesses Jesus Christ as Savior and welcomes them into God’s forever family.

Yet how sad that we see from the multitudes of confessions of faith, the vast majority in time fall away, and one day find out that they are rejected by Jesus Christ, as NEVER having been saved at all! Listen to His words,

Mat 7:21-23 ( NIV )  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Oh what ominous words ever spoken! Jesus one day is going to say to the vast majority, the MAJORITY mind you, of those who confessed and professed Jesus Christ as their Savior – “I NEVER KNEW YOU!” How can this be? Most believers think that once we pray a prayer of salvation, or publicly confess Christ as Savior, all is well. Yet the Bible shatters this illusion in the hopes of warning us all what it means to be a true believer. It goes far beyond just professing faith. Why the Bible warns us even Satan and His hoard of fallen demons believe in God but that does not save any of them from the fires of Hell to come!

James 2:19 ( NIV )  You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.

Moreover, one day Jesus met a group of people who professed to believe in Him. He flatly denied them!

John 2:23-24 ( NIV )  Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.

Here, the “Discerner of Hearts,” Jesus Christ rejected their confession of faith because it was false and unacceptable to Him. Now what does all this mean? How can we know that if we confess Jesus Christ, that we can have the assurance we belong to Him and will not be condemned on the Day of Judgment? My friend, the answer is quite simple and here it is in outline form to consider.

1. ALL TRUE BELIEVERS MUST FIRST COME TO GOD, CONFESSING THEIR SINFULNESS AND THEIR SINS.

You see, God has given us His Law encapsulated in what is called the Ten Commandments. If any of us really faces them squarely, we will see that we have failed to keep them, and worse, callously and regularly break them. The Bible warns mankind that to be qualified to enter Heaven and live with God for eternity, we must be sinless! This is something none of ever has accomplished, nor can we do this by ourselves. Even worse, we have broken God’s Law and the Bible says Hell and its separation from God, is the punishment for angels and men. Those who are true believers all come to realize their absolute “lostness,” and disobedience to God in a deep and emotional way, and in their hearts, cry out to God for His forgiveness! This act of contrition is called – REPENTANCE!

We confess we are sinners in thought, word and deed, and unworthy to be in God’s presence. We agree with God that His punishment of sin and sinner is just, but we beg God for His forgiveness He offers to extend to us through Jesus Christ. Thus, the second mark of a true believe is,

2. ALL TRUE BELIEVERS WILL SEE GOD’S OFFER OF SALVATION IN THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS CHRIST ALONE.

Once we recognize our sinfulness, the one who will become a true believer will realize that the only way of reconciliation to God is that someone else who is perfect and sinless must take their place in receiving their punishment earned. This is the “Good News” of the Bible. God Himself came to earth in the Person of Jesus Christ. He lived a sinless perfect life, which qualified Him for heaven and eternal life as a human being. Scripture tells us He went to the Cross to die, where He offered His sinless perfect life as a substitute payment for the sins of all the world of humanity. God forged a way for sinners to be saved.

Rom 5:12 ( NIV )  Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--

Rom 5:19 ( NIV )  For just as through the disobedience of the one man [Adam] the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man [Jesus Christ] the many will be made righteous.

Eph 2:8-9 (Paraphrase) “ God saved us by his special grace  when you believe. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Now think about this -- there is no true professing believer who thinks in his or her heart that their eternal salvation is theirs by their own good deeds and works following their confession of faith. There is nothing any of us can do to earn eternal life or even do to keep it, because God gives us forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift, period! The moment we try to add to it, anything at all, we forfeit the gift. This is why Jesus used the illustration of the two roads, the two house builders, and the two trees – all contrast the TRUE believer and the FALSE believer. Now lets put all these illustrations together.

Although there are many professing Christians these days, the vast majority according to Jesus and His Word are false. Why? Because they are based on what they can “do” to earn or keep their saving status with God. All who work to earn eternal life do not have it at all, for Jesus says He will never accept anyone who confesses Him apart from the humility of a worthless beggar, unfit and unable by yourself to be worthy of Heaven and eternal life. Yet, those who come to Christ confessing Him not only as Savior, but LORD, which simply means they have surrendered all their life to Christ, give Him the right to use it as He wishes. These alone are the true believers whom God accepts.

But the proof of it is not even in the confession of faith. No, the proof is in what comes forth from the supposed NEW LIFE in Christ. All who are truly born again are like a GOOD FRUIT TREE. You will produce much fruit that is pleasing to God. The fruit will be an abundant life of following God and His Word, and sharing it with others. So then, “the two builders” represent two professing believers in this life. They both use the same material and the same plans, and the world cannot tell the difference in their two houses. But when the storms come — the time of testing — the house not founded on the rock crumbles and falls. The true Christian is founded on the Rock, Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 3:11 ). Righteousness is not based on a church, a creed, or a “good life” but on Jesus Christ who died for the believer. A child of God is proven by lasting through the storms (trials, temptations and losses) that test him or her. A true Christian is proven by obeying Christ. One is not merely a hearer of the Word, but is also a doer (James 1:22 –25).^[1]

Yes, God judges our works not to earn or keep our salvation, but to display all the glory that can come from it to honor Jesus Christ. Indeed, Jesus exposed the people who sounded religious and performed religious deeds, but had no personal relationship with him. Instead, they were masquerading as disciples. These people were blinded in their hearts that they were false believers. Such people will even be able to prophesy (perform bible teaching), and drive out demons, and perform many miracles. Imagine that, false believers enabled by Satan to perform miracles. Jesus warned that these “false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible” (Mark 13:22 ). Paul warned against counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 . Claims to great power, invoking the name of Christ (Mark 9:38 ; Acts 19:13 –20), and powerful deeds are no guarantee for Heaven. Jesus will send away those who do not know him personally. They may have done impressive deeds, but they are evildoers in His sight. For Jesus will say, I never knew you. Away from me. In other words, “I never had a personal relationship with you, and I never went with you to do these deeds you claim. You can have no part in my kingdom.”[2]

These explanations attested to by good biblical scholarship, help us to be warned that we had better examine our Christian confession of faith to see if righteous fruit is born in our lives which testify to the reality of true Christianity within us. If we cannot see that, or we’ve been led to work for our faith and life eternal, turn away from such a false profession and confess Christ as your Savior and Lord. While we have life and breath, the Bible promises He will receive you.

Mat 11:28 -30 ( NIV )  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

John 6:37 ( NIV )  All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

May God open your eyes to see Jesus clearly, and to know what it really means to be a believer. So in closing, let’s answer the opening question – Can believers be lost? The answer is yes they can,  “if” they are false believers, for God will expose them and cast them into Hell for all eternity. However, the righteous, the true confessing and professing believer will go assuredly into life eternal and persevere throughout life till they reach glory.

^[1] Wiersbe, W. W. 1997, c1992. Wiersbe's expository outlines on the New Testament. Victor Books: Wheaton , Ill.

[2] Barton, B. B. 1996. Matthew. Life Application Bible Commentary . Tyndale House Publishers: Wheaton , Ill.
 

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·         Radio talk #1306

·         Broadcast date: March  26, 2006

·         Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator

·         Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast

·         Address: P.O. Box 60033 Grand Junction, CO 81506

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The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 25 years, and serves as General Director.

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