We have been talking about our salvation–trying to better understand the process that transforms our lives. The Bible uses such vivid images: we’ve moved from death to life, darkness to light, being lost to be found, born again. We’ve focused on the fact that God is the author and perfecter of our faith. We looked at the order of salvation last week, the way that God calls us, breathes new life into us to take us to the point of conversion (of repenting and embracing him by faith), then how God justifies us (looks us in the soul and declares us “INNOCENT”), and then how we are being sanctified until the day we are changed and glorified. Let’s start today where we left off last week, with this profound question: after considering the immense gift of our salvation . . .
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 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.”
Introduction: Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing. That is the most complete list of “anything that could” that exists. We are going to focus on that today because it is a fundamental truth of our salvation that should revolutionize our faith life if we understand it properly.
Imagine I really want to go hang gliding. It’s one of the things I want to do before I die. I heard once that the best place to hang glide in the world is a ridge in the country of Turkey. So I go to this great place in Turkey and I ask to ride with some hang glider that offers rides to tourists. I imagine people who hang glide are very thin. Bird-like. And I imagine they wear real slick clothes so that they have minimal wind resistance.
So this twig of a man says, “Sure I take you for a ride, climb on.” I climb on, he runs and we plummet off a cliff while he yells, “Hold on.” And I am clinging for dear life to this thin man with slick clothes. If I let go I die. This will be the last thing I do before I die.
What’s worse is that he underestimated my weight–and he is now plummeting down far too fast. He has to decide if he is going to crash with me on his back, or just give me a little shoulder roll and let me go. This is not a good scenario.
Here’s reality–if you go to this place in Turkey they harness you in.
They embrace you with safety straps, a helmet, and an instructor that is large enough to handle your tremendous girth. So you have a sense of security, and you can enjoy the ride! I don’t want to say that you are totally secure, but you aren’t just holding on for dear life. They aren’t going to drop you.
When talking about our salvation, too many Christians have the first scenario view of God saving us. God offers us the ride of salvation–it’s a free ride. Jesus paid the price. All you have to do is hold on, and it ain’t easy. You can lose your grip on Jesus and plummet into eternal death at any time during the ride. So hold on tight–your life depends on your ability to keep the faith and hold on.
The problem is that just isn’t biblical. What is biblical is that we are . . .
I. Eternally Embraced By God
A. Salvation is based entirely on grace. It is all God. God is the primary actor, the one who holds our salvation.
1. Philippians 1:4-6 “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
2. God started the process of our salvation by calling us. It is he who justifies us. And he will be the one who glorifies us.
3. We talked last week about the “moment of salvation” when we are converted (changed) and then justified (saved–declared innocent by the Judge). That is a ONE WAY MOVE!
4. Our salvation depends on God from beginning to end (I know we don’t like this because it isn’t so much about ME), but HE who began the good work, HE will carry it on to completion.
B. He will never let us down. You see how never is a time word. Never means at no time whatsoever: past, present, or future. The Bible is full of references to this notion–it is a foundational view in the Bible. Ephesians 1 and 2 talk so vividly about our salvation, emphasizing God’s role in our salvation.
1. Ephesians 1:11-14 “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will . . . 13 Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance [a guarantee is only as good as the person making it–depends on their word, their ability to hold up their end of the bargain. This is God’s guarantee, his promise of our salvation.] until the redemption of those who are God's possession — to the praise of his glory.”
2. 1 Peter 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you.” That’s a promise!
3. 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”
C. Our salvation depends on his faithfulness, not ours.
1. 2 Timothy 2:11-13 “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”
2. Our salvation depends, from beginning to end, on God’s faithfulness, on his grace. You and I WILL fail. We will fall. But our salvation is secure because it is held up by the unfailing arms of Jesus.
3. We are saved by grace; we live by grace. Sometimes we think that we are saved by grace, but then for the rest of our lives, once we become Christians, we live by the law. We have to earn our salvation from here on out; we have to prove that we are worthy of Christ.
a. We aren’t. Never were, never will be.
b. And we can’t live up to the calling we have received. We can strive, we can grow, but every day is a day when we fall into the grace of God. That is spiritual growth for a Christian–to live in the mercy of God’s love every day.
I think that this teaching is very clear in the Bible. It isn’t just one verse taken out of context–this is all over the scriptures. This is the clear teaching of the Bible, especially the New Testament. So . . .
II. Why do we question this? There are Three big problems that cause us to wonder if this is true.
A. We all know backsliders. A backslider is someone who takes one step forward and two or three backwards. These are people who were raised in the church, raised in good Christian families, and now have nothing to do with anything remotely related to Jesus. These are people who accepted Jesus as adults, and were so on-fire for Jesus. And now, just a few years later, they are outside the church, they have renounced the faith they once professed. These are pastors who used to lead churches and teach the Bible with passion and are now atheists. So, how do we reconcile these sad realities to the clear teaching of the Bible?
a. I don’t think there are easy answers, but one thing I am not willing to do is discard the teaching in the Bible as flawed.
b. Because when you do that, what is your authority as a Christian. Either my understanding of the Bible is flawed, or I don’t know the whole story or see the entire picture about these “backsliders.”
c. There are two explanations of backsliding that seem to help make sense:
2. Maybe they are backsliding. They are not living the life they should live. Sin has gotten the upper hand in their lives, doubt has crowded out faith. But they are not lost. I did a funeral for a person who died a young, tragic death. It may have been a suicide. This was a person who had faith, who was very active in a church, but who also struggled with addiction to alcohol, drugs, and had a really bad self-image. This was a person who just struggled in life–nothing came easy.
a. If he made a real, genuine commitment to Jesus (if he was called, and regenerated, and converted, then he was justified by God.)
b. He clearly made a terrible mess of the sanctification, growing in Christ. But according to the Bible, if we are faithless, God is faithful, and since our salvation depends on him and not us, then that man is finally enjoying the glorification that was secured for him by Jesus, that the Holy Spirit was a deposit guaranteeing.
c. The other possibility is what 2 Timothy 2 says, “If we disown him, he will also disown us;”
3. Maybe they never were really saved. Jesus said there will be wolves in sheep’s clothing. There will be people who pretend, who have all the outer signs of a believer, but who aren’t. Eventually our true colors come out.
a. Jesus say you will know a tree by its fruit. Out the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
b. There are plenty of people who fake it. That doesn’t mean that God won’t do some great work in their lives in the future and produce real faith, but for now it’s just empty “religion” not a saving faith.
Maybe that leads you to wondering about the next question . . .
4. How do you know if you are saved? There is this great verse in Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.” I think there is something in us that just knows. Romans says that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Have you sincerely called on the name of the Lord? If so, you may not always “feel” saved or “feel” holy, but you are.
5. One of the other reasons that we question this doctrine is that
B. Life brings trouble. When we get slapped by life we question our faith. Where is God when the earth quakes in Haiti? Where is God when cancer takes a loved one? Where is God when we can’t make a living and we are forced into poverty?
1. Then I think about this horrible list of tragedies in Romans 8.
2. “Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . 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.” Romans 8:35-39
3. The truth is–there will be trouble. The Christians in Rome in the first century would be horribly persecuted and they needed to know that all of this would not make them fall from the grace of God in Christ Jesus.
There is another trouble altogether,
4. We bring trouble on ourselves. We sin and mess up everything. When we shipwreck our lives we are tempted to question if God’s love still applies to us. “Nothing else in all creation!!!” Does that not include us? Our own stupidity? Our own sin? Neither the present nor the future. Nothing. That doesn’t take away the consequences of our sin or the pain of our mistakes, but it does reassure us of God’s love . . . for better or for worse.
The third problem with this idea of “once saved, always saved” is that . . .
C. We fear spiritual laziness. Apathy. We have nothing to lose.
1. It is almost like saying: no matter what you do in your finances, I will always give you everything you need to live, and I will pay all your debts, past, present and future.
2. You can imagine that most people given an unlimited flow of funds will not value money, will be terribly irresponsible.
3. It’s nice to have a big spiritual club and tell people that if you are sinning when Jesus returns you will lose your faith and go to hell. It’s a nice way to control people. But Jesus came to set people free, not manipulate them with fear and guilt.
4. Here’s the reality. When you understand the love and grace of God (which is part of what we are trying to do in this series) you will want to serve him more, out of thanks and love and gratitude, not fear and guilt and duty.
5. If you think that God’s unconditional love is a good reason to sin it up real good, then you haven’t read Romans 6.
a. Romans 6:1-4 “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
b. We died to sin. We are alive to live for God, to live the abundant life. As Galatians says, “It was for freedom that you were set free, don’t become a slave to sin again.”
I know this might be a hard doctrine to accept. But I would challenge you to . . .
III. Embrace the Embrace of God.
Getting this idea, this concept, right will change your life as a Christian. First . . .
A. You will live in peace and joy. Getting this gives unending genuine comfort, peace, and joy.
1. I think about how many times I have flown on airplanes. Eight times just in the last month I have taken off and landed in airplanes. A couple were 747's. My safety depends entirely on someone else. I would be dead otherwise. If I had to fly the plane I wouldn’t be here.
2. I am comfortable, at peace, when I fly. Sometime I fall asleep. When I left Delhi last month our flight was delayed due to fog. We didn’t take off until 4 am. I was so tired I just fell asleep. I awoke and I wasn’t sure if we were still taxiing or up in the air. I was just so comfortable. (Not really because Pastor Dan’s shoulder isn’t as soft as Sue’s).
3. If we think our salvation is in our hands, we are in real trouble. Life is too unpredictable and so are we.
4. You could almost say it this way: “My only comfort is that I belong, body and soul, in life and in death, to my faithful savior, Jesus Christ.” Heidelberg Catechism, Q & A 1.
5. Understanding this gives me real comfort in my own life. I don’t have to worry or live with anxiety. I can have daily peace because I belong to God and nothing can change that.
6. Many Christians do NOT experience the peace and joy that Jesus offers them because they are afraid that they can lose their salvation if they fail to hold on tight. They believe that their salvation depends on their faith, their effort of faith, instead of the unfailing grip of God’s grace.
B. It helps us see God the plan of God working in the lives of other people. After Jesus says he is the good shepherd . . .
1. John 6:37-40 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
2. Isn’t it comforting to know that God is at work in the lives of others. And even though it may seem like they are wandering, Jesus will not lose them.
3. I find great comfort for the eternity of others. I had a roommate and friend who lost his life to alcohol. He literally drank himself to death over the course of about twenty years. He was a Christian. It looks like the stain of sin in this world got the best of him – but not really, cause Jesus had a hold of him and kept the best part of him for himself.
The third reason to cling to this embrace of God is that . . .
C. We realize that God’s grace is active, it is working in our life, in our world, in the lives of others. Specifically, God is working to leave no one behind.
1. Trouble will come. Things will threaten our peace and joy. We will face sin and temptation. But God is faithful.
2. Jesus will not lose one of those entrusted to him. He will leave the 99 to hunt down the one that belongs to him.
3. God isn’t finished with us yet. In fact, he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion at the day of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Challenge: Not all Christians believe in this doctrine. Many struggle with it, not because of what they read in the Bible, but because of what they experience in life. Here is the deep question that will flavor your Christian life: do you believe in the grace of God. Do you really? Or do you believe that you do some and God’s grace chips in and covers the rest???
Next week we are going to wrap up this discussion about salvation and focus completely on the grace of God, consider the alternatives to grace, and hopefully be amazed again at God’s unconditional grace.
