Posted by
CDCamp on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 11:04:54 PM
“Salvation…once
achieved, can it be lost?” Our Pastor1
queried, the opening thought for a recent bible study discussion.
I was
the first to opine, and naively stated, “Perhaps.”
“After
all,” I explained, “many are those who claim to be saved and subsequently fall
from grace, for example, pedafile priests.”
How profound, how insightful, how, well, I would soon learn, just plain
wrong. (Oh me of little faith-grounding.)
My
status as a biblical novice2 stuck out like a sore thumb as a
well-versed (pun intended) member of the group jumped on the faulty
reasoning. In stocato fashion, he spewed
out chapter and verse, poking large biblical holes in my argument. I swung back weakly, “What about those who
are mentally infirm, or even bent on demeaning faith, and nonetheless swear to
be one with God?” But alas, I was on the
losing end of this fish-slapping contest.3
The
Pastor then deftly yet patiently pieced the puzzle together. “Let us read from John.”
John 10:28
And I give
unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man]
pluck them out of my hand.
“Salvation is eternal, and once
the Lord has bestowed the gift of salvation upon a true believer, no one, not
even the devil himself can undo that bequest.”
Undaunted, I continued down the wrong path. “But what about those who honestly believe
they are saved but are not? Only God
himself knows what is truly in one’s heart.”
The
Pastor was prepared for my continuing missteps.
“Ahhh, let us consult Matthew.”
Matthew 7:21-23
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out
devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them,
I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
“A true Christian knows when he
or she has received salvation, and good works and good intentions are not the
key. The key is receiving Jesus Christ as his
Savior, and that alone.”
Realizing that I had been
pulled back to the entrance to the right path, I relented, and asked for some
time to absorb what we had discussed.
Following the session, I did some more thinking and research. I came upon a piece by Dave Hunt4
that answered my remaining questions and enabled me to conclude with
confidence, “I agree dear Pastor, Salvation…once
achieved, can never be lost.”
1 The
Growth Group Pastor of a bible-believing, bible-teaching Christian church.
2 I’m
picking up the pace now after a year of half-hearted part-time study, following
half-century of exclusively secular and shallow pursuits.
3 In a
popular Monty Python episode, Michael Palin and Graham Chapman, clad in British
Army uniforms, walk onto a pier, brandish fish, and proceed to parry back and
forth slapping each other across the face, one then the other, until Chapman
whips out a large flounder, strikes Palin alongside the head, knocking him off
the pier and into the ocean. (In this
case, unfortunately, I played Palin’s part).
4 http://cnview.com/on_line_resources/once_saved.htm