The Essentials
Jesus can save us from our sin; He will not save us in our sin.
We are all sinners in need of God’s mercy. We’ll enter His promised mercy if we’ll obey God by coming to Him in repentance:
Then we’ll have our past sins “blotted out.” We’ll have redemption — through Jesus’ death and blood — from the death penalty we had earned (Romans 6:23). Jesus died to make His death and blood available to cover our sins —if we’ll come to Him in repentance:
And we’ll also receive the gift of the holy spirit:
Through the holy spirit, we enter “the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). Jesus will help us overcome slavery to sin, and will lead us into His righteousness . . . IF we’ll abide in Him in repentance:
A relationship with Him
He is the potter; we are the clay. He cannot work with us if we are not in repentance. Through Him we can overcome slavery to sin, and grow in love for God and neighbor. He will prepare us for the gift of eternal life as the Father's sons and daughters.
While we abide in Jesus in repentance, following the holy spirit, we remain in justification —not under condemnation:
Justification and salvation are different things, at different times:
“Through Him”: while we abide in Jesus in repentance, following the holy spirit — we remain “in His goodness” or grace (Romans 11:22). And we have “the hope of salvation” —the promised gift of eternal life, to be received at Jesus’ “revelation,” His return:
While we abide in Jesus in repentance, following the holy spirit, Jesus intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25). He continues to cover new sins with His blood, which He made available on the cross:
What happens if we choose to return to a life of unrepentant, willful sin —no longer abiding in Jesus and no longer following the holy spirit?
Judgment is on “the house of God” right now (1 Peter 4:17).
“Once saved, always saved”? Of course not; here’s why:
1.) We’re not saved yet: Jesus said we must “endure to the end” before we’re saved (Matthew 10:22). During this mortal life we have “the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8,9). We won’t be saved until we receive eternal life at His return. Then we’ll have eternal security. Short of actually receiving eternal life, we will surely perish —very much unsaved.
2.) In this mortal life we may enter justification — and have “the hope of salvation” — but we can fall away from justification and be “cut off.” No longer “in His goodness” or grace, we’ll forfeit that “hope of salvation.” We have many warnings not to fall away, and to “give diligence to make your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10,11) . . . for good reason!
The apostle Paul had the holy spirit, and understood that even after preaching to others he could possibly return to a life of sin and therefore be rejected, a “castaway”:
“Saved by faith alone”? By just trusting? Certainly not. Here’s why:
1.) Salvation is by grace. Grace is received “through faith” (Ephesians 2:8) . . . not just because we have faith.
What do I mean by “through” faith? Through faith we understand that God exists and rewards . . . and that there is a choice — and a need — to “come to God” (Hebrews 11:6) in repentance, confessing and forsaking sin. If we’ll obey and do that (rather than continue along in our old life apart from God) we’ll enter his promised mercy and grace (Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 55:7) . . . and our past sins will be “blotted out” (Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:9; Romans 3:25; 2 Peter 1:9) . . . and we’ll receive the gift of the holy spirit (Acts 2:38; Acts 5:32) . . . by which we’ll be in “the presence of the Lord” and can begin a new life —“times of refreshing” (Acts 3:19).
“Faith alone” is not enough: we must “come to God” on His terms to please Him (Hebrews 11:6) and enter His promised mercy and grace. Otherwise our faith is dead.
2.) Jesus is “. . . the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:9). “Faith alone” is not enough: we must obey. Outside of repentance — confessing and forsaking sin — we receive no mercy and will perish, just as Jesus, Peter and Paul warned (Luke 13:5; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Corinthians 9:27).
3.) True believers are those who — like Abraham — act on their faith and obey God (James 2:20-24; 1 Peter 2:7). Otherwise, they are not believers: their faith is dead. Abraham’s “works” was his obedience (nothing to do with works of the law, nothing to do with good works done for others). His obedience (leaving for the promised land, Heb 11:8, and later offering Isaac) made his faith alive and complete; for his obedience he was justified and deemed to be a believer —“and not by faith only” (James 2:24).
So we see that believing goes beyond “faith only.”
Jesus warned “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). So we have confirmation that “believeth” (re John 3:16, e.g.) must go beyond “faith alone”:
4.) Jesus did not tell His disciples to preach “faith alone.” He told them to preach “repentance and remission of sins”:
—George Burdick, April 16, 2021