THE TRUE TEST OF SALVATION

When I first began attending Charlestown Independent Church, Sonny, the Pastor at that time, asked me to speak at a Sunday evening service. He politely reminded me that the congregation was comprised of people from many different churches, and that I should avoid speaking about the eternal security of the believer. He knew that I had graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and that I had formerly been the Pastor of a Southern Baptist Church, so he assumed that I was a Baptist. I am not. But just like my political views line up most closely with the Republican platform, my doctrinal understanding closely lines up with the Baptist doctrine. He was concerned that I might offend some of the members. Before you think poorly of him, you need to know that the man he recommended as his replacement believes in the doctrine of eternal security.

It is quite easy to understand how churches like the Church of God, Roman Catholic Church, most Pentecostal Churches, etc, have a problem with the concept of "once saved, always saved." Most object because they say a person who believes that, will not live for Christ because he thinks he is free to sin. If true, that person fails to understand that the children of God are going to answer to their Father when they sin (Heb. 12:3-11). God is quite willing and capable of keeping His children in line.

Then, there are those "problematic passages" in the Word which seem to indicate one can lose their salvation. Before I address two of them, let the record show that the Word of God is perfect, true, and cannot contradict itself. If there is an apparent contradiction, then someone is misinterpreting one or both of the passages.

Hebrews has at least five passages which have been historically misinterpreted: 2:1-4; 3:7-4:13; 5:12-6:20; 10:26-39; and 12:12-29. The first of these is fairly easy to explain. If one neglects to accept God's offer of salvation, having heard the testimony of those who witnessed His signs and wonders, and allows the conviction of the Holy Spirit to "slip away," he is without hope. That person was never saved in the first place. Again, in 3:7-4:13, the writer is addressing those who have been convicted by the Spirit and instead of yielding, harden their hearts (v. 8). Then, in verse fourteen, it says that big word, "IF." We are "partakers of Christ "IF" we hold on. That is true. If we want to know if we are saved, we need to ask ourselves, "Am I still trusting in Christ?"

The Apostle John explained those who "leave the fold" in this way: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest (to the Church and to themselves) that they were not all of us" (1 Jn. 2:19). There are millions of professing Christians who believe they are saved, but have never been born again. If they had been legitimately saved, they would have remained faithful to Christ until the very end. Because the work of keeping us saved is that of the Holy Spirit who seals us, we are eternally secure (Eph. 1:13; 4:30). Born again believers stay that way!