Can Christians Walk Away From Their Salvation?
Part 4
Scripture: John 15:5-7; Hebrews 3:7-19; 6:4-6; 10:26-29; 35-39
This is part four of my series, “Can Christians Walk Away From Their Salvation?” Last week we examined several Old Testament scriptures pertaining to apostasy and this morning our focus will be on the New Testament scriptures. Let’s review once again the definition of apostasy. Apostasy is defined as “the renunciation of a religious or political belief or allegiance.” As you recall from last week, the word “renunciation” means “a denial or rejection of something or somebody, usually for moral or religious reasons.” Apostasy in Christianity is the rejection of Christian doctrine by someone who formerly was a Christian. The term apostasy comes from the Greek word apostasia meaning “defection, departure, revolt or rebellion.” It has been described as “a willful falling away from, or rebellion against, Christianity.” I told you last week that what a person believes about apostasy will determine what they believe about the doctrine of once saved always saved. You see, if apostasy is not possible then once saved always saved must therefore be true, which means a person can never choose to walk away from their salvation. However, if apostasy is possible, then once saved always saved cannot be true because a person can choose to walk away. This morning we will start with what Jesus said about abiding in Him.
John 15:5-7: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing. If a man abides not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.” The word “abides” means to endure or withstand something. The Greek word translated as abide is “meno” and it means “to stay in a given place; state or relation (as in relationship); to continue, tarry, endure.” Jesus said that He was the true vine and the He said; “If a man abides not in Me….” What Jesus taught here is that a person must abide or stay in Him in order to be saved. The fact that He started the statement with “if” means that it is possible that some will choose not to stay in Him. I think it’s significant that the word “in” is used with the word “abide” because it’s a primary preposition that identifies “a fixed position in place, time or state.” Jesus is really making a point here about our state as sons and daughters of God. The abiding we are to do has to be in Jesus or in the things that Jesus taught in the four gospels. They are the “fixed positions” of doctrine that we cannot stray away from if we are going to abide in Him. To drive this point home, Jesus used the example of a tree that brings forth fruit. If you have ever seen someone prune a tree by cutting off the dead branches, then you know what He was referring to. What are the dead branches? If we are the living branches because we are abiding by teachings and beliefs according to His word, then the dead branches are obviously those that no longer abide by them and have died spiritually leading to eternal death. Remember, the branch cannot exist outside of the Vine from which it is attached. As we remain attached to the Vine, Jesus says our lives will bear fruit – the fruit that He desires.
As I thought about this passage, I was reminded of what David wrote in the very first Psalm. He said “Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:1-3) New Light, this is an encouragement to all us to abide in Jesus. Christians must remain with Jesus in order to bring forth fruit. However, if they do not remain in Jesus, they will be cast forth as a branch that is withered, dead and without life. And what does He say will happen to such branches? They will be burned. Jesus is painting a picture of someone not abiding in Him and will spend an eternity in the lake of fire. Turn with me to the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 3:7-8; 12-15; 18-19: “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness…..’ Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. While it is said, ‘Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the rebellion…..’ And to whom swore He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” I want you to hear how the Amplified Bible translates verse 19. “So we see that they were not able to enter (into His rest), because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust in and rely on God (unbelief had shut them out.)” The third chapter of Hebrews deals with the subject matter of apostasy. We only read a few verses of the chapter but I want to provide a quick summary of what we read. The Holy Spirit is warning Christians, not sinners, to take heed that they do not fail God as many of the Israelites did. These words were originally a warning to Israel not to provoke God because if they did, they would exclude themselves from the inheritance that God had promised to them if they abided in Him. The writer of Hebrews quoted these words as a warning to Christians who could, through temptation and sin, fail to receive the eternal rest promised to them. From this chapter we see what has been described as seven stages of apostasy:
• Refusal to hear (V.7) Remember last week I talked about the watchman sounding the trumpet but those who refused to hear it perished?
• Hardness of heart through refusal to hear and obey God (Vss. 8, 13)
• Unbelief, a consequence of hardening the heart against God. (V. 12) New Light, unbelief is something that develops over time. In other words, those who were now “unbelievers” had at one time been “believers.”
• Departure from the living God (V. 12)
• Open rebellion against God to provoke and tempt Him (Vss. 8-9; 16)
• Habitual sinning and blatant violations of God’s laws (Vss. 10, 17)
• Apostasy – all faith in God and His redemptive work thrown overboard – beyond all hope of repentance because of no more faith (Vss. 11, 18-19)
New Light, what we just read started when the people “refused to hear” – when they stopped listening to God and decided that what God had said were only suggestions, not commandments. And why did they stop listening? They disagreed with Him. What is clear from Hebrews chapter three is that Christians today can respond to God in the same manner as the Israelites did after He brought them out of the land of Egypt. Turn over to the 10th chapter of Hebrews.
Hebrews 10:26-29; 35-39: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, (Notice that the person is sinning willfully. He’s doing it on purpose. And the way this is written, it means his life is one of continuous sin. This is important to keep in mind because of what follows.) there remains no more sacrifice for sins; (Why is there no more sacrifice for sin? Jesus died once, for all sin. But the person who continues to sin, by his or her behavior, has rejected Jesus’ sacrifice.) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. (The writer is talking about the lake of fire. And then he gives us an Old Testament reference to help the reader understand the warning he’s giving.) He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much worse punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden underfoot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, with which he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done insult unto the Spirit of grace?....... (When a person willfully sins, the Bible says they are stomping their feet on Jesus and treating the blood He shed for them with little regards.) Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, (from living by faith) my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; (damnation or eternal destruction) but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Verse twenty-six speaks of those who continue to “willfully” sin. How can this statement be in the Bible if we are still “sinners saved by grace?” I was absolutely a sinner who was saved by grace. Past tense - WAS!!! However, after I was saved by grace sin should no longer define my life or my relationship with Christ! Why, because of the power of Christ dwells within me. How can we willfully continue in sin after we have received the knowledge of the truth? The writer talked about those who despised Moses’ law died without mercy as a comparator to what will happen to those who turn their backs on God. In verses thirty-five through thirty-nine it talks about casting away our confidence and drawing back into sin. Both of these terms define the person who has changed their minds and turns back from following Christ. Now turn with me to the book of First Peter. Peter makes a statement in the second chapter that paints a very vivid picture of someone turning their backs on Christ.
2 Peter 2:1-4; 20-22: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who shall secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (How are they denying the Lord? Most read this and think they are denying Jesus and who He is. But, if we keep this in the context, what they were doing is not being faithful to the teachings of Jesus. They were teaching wrong doctrine.) And many shall follow their shameful ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with false words exploit you: whose judgment of old now lingers not, and their destruction slumbers not. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment……(Keeping this in context, we now know the sin the angels committed. They believed a lie about God and His “doctrine.”) For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, (Not only were they born again, but they had known what Jesus taught and, at one time, believed it.) they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, ‘The dog has turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”’ In verse four Peter says “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell….” Peter was letting it be known that if God was willing to cast His very angels who rebelled against Him into hell to await the final judgement, how much more He would do the same to His Children who turned their backs on Him. He also lists others who perished because of their sinful nature. But its verses twenty through twenty-two that I want you to focus on.
Verse twenty and twenty-one says, “For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” These verses spell out clearly that the person who had been delivered from the defilement of the world through a knowledge of Jesus and then returned to the world, their end would be worse than if they had never accepted Christ to begin with. It is worse for someone to willingly choose to walk away from Christ after experiencing salvation than those who had never accepted Him. Now pay close attention to verse twenty-two. “But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, ‘The dog has turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”’ Peter quoted part of Proverbs 26:11 which says “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.” This sums up the person who turns their backs on their salvation – like a dog that returns to its own vomit, that person returns to a life of sin.
We’re going to close with Hebrews chapter six. But before we do, there is one more passage we need to see and it is found in the book of Jude. The book of Jude is a warning to the Church about false teachers and that we need to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.” (Verse 3) After describing the character of these false teachers, he writes something that is very important in verse 12. “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: (Now the next part of the verse is what is important as it relates to this message.) clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, (Now here it is New Light) twice dead, plucked up by the roots.” Twice dead!!! The person was dead with a sin nature then made alive with God’s nature then they reject what God has given to them and is now dead again. Twice dead. Once saved always saved does not agree with what we just read does it?
Hebrews 6:4-6: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come; if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” We are going to spend a few minutes breaking these verses down. These are the verses that I spoke to my Sunday School class back in 1985 which caused an uproar. If you just read these verses alone an argument could be made that they are not talking about someone walking away. But again, only if a person just read these verses. That’s why I gave you the other references before I brought these verses forward. In these verses the writer makes it clear that he was talking about a Christian who walks away from Jesus. Let’s start with verse four.
“For it is impossible…” He starts with this statement “For it is impossible…” You know the definition of impossible right? It means that it cannot happen – it cannot exist – it cannot be done. The writer tells us that something cannot be done, but before he does, he tells us why. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come….” Is it even remotely possible for someone who has never been saved and have never been in a relationship with God to have been enlightened; tasted the heavenly gift; made partakers of the Holy Spirit; and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come? The answer is “No.” These verses are describing a Christian who has been in a relationship with God. And I dare say that it is not talking about a baby Christian, but one who has experienced some things and understand the relationship they are in. After defining the relationship that the person had with God, the writer says it would be impossible “if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” The word “if” is not in the Greek. So the phrase actually reads “having fallen away.” What this tells us New Light, is that falling away, apostasy, is a process that happens over a period of time. It is impossible to bring this person back to a state of repentance because they walked away with knowledge. They knew what they were doing. It wasn’t a mistake. It did not happen by chance. It happened because they willed it to be. And just like the children of Israel, they have hardened their hearts and refused to repent. When someone walks away it is like they cast their faith overboard – they now reject and deny everything they have known and experienced through the Gospel. For this person it is impossible to renew them to faith because they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to open shame.
Now I want you to see the picture that “they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame.” What the writer is saying is, because of their conduct, now listen to me New Light, because of their conduct it would be “as if” they had crucified Jesus themselves! Hebrews says that true Christians who turn their backs on Jesus and reject Him, are no different than those who physically crucified Him. Christians who reject and deny Jesus are the ones who beat Him relentlessly until His blood flowed freely from the wounds. Christians who reject and deny Jesus are the ones who pushed the crown of thorns into His head until the blood flowed freely down His face. Christians who reject and deny Jesus are the ones who drove the nails through His hands and ankles. Christians who reject and deny Jesus are the ones who pierced His side. Are you beginning to see why once saved always saved cannot be true? What a graphic portrayal of the Christian who has rejected Jesus.
This is a final act of apostasy. Imagine the damage someone could do who was “big in the faith” and had a lot of followers and then turn around and denounce their faith. They would destroy a lot of lives. That is the danger of our following anyone without searching the scriptures ourselves to see if they are truly teaching sound doctrine. Because it takes faith to accept Christ in the first place, it becomes impossible for the one who walks away to decide again to put their faith back in Christ. Before I leave these verses I want to ask you a question. How is it possible “to renew them again unto repentance” if they had never repented in the first place? Again, the wording along lets us know that he is talking about a person who had been a Christian but turned his back on God.
We have read a lot of scripture over the past four weeks. We have seen that the teaching once saved always saved does not agree with the passages we read previously or what we read this morning in John, Hebrews, First Peter and Jude. New Light, when you read the Bible knowing that your salvation is not a guarantee because of your ability to reject it, other passages will open up to you. What I want to leave you with is this: After you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, as long as you want to stay saved, you will be saved. If you ever come to the point of no longer desiring to be saved, you can make that choice. Once saved always saved says you don’t have a choice. The Bible disagrees says you do.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
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