Jesus Saves HIS People (Pt 5)

> [!title|noicon] **Jesus Saves HIS People (Pt 5)** ^top   [< Part  1](Jesus%20Saves%20HIS%20People%20(Pt%201).md)   [2](Jesus%20Saves%20HIS%20People%20(Pt%202).md)   [3](Jesus%20Saves%20HIS%20People%20(Pt%203).md)   [4](Jesus%20Saves%20HIS%20People%20(Pt%204).md)   5   [6 >](Jesus%20Saves%20HIS%20People%20(Pt%206).md) **Doesn't Hebrews 6 Teach Salvation Can Be Lost?** [Hebrews 6:4](Hebrews%206.md#^4), [5](Hebrews%206.md#^5), [6](Hebrews%206.md#^6) is quoted by some attempting to prove that salvation is ultimately up to us to obtain and maintain, denying that God grants eternal life to an elect people according to His sovereign Will. It states: >*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 world 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.* Certainly this passage speaks of being made a partaker of the Holy Spirit and yet falling away. However, if we continue a little further in Hebrews 6, we see that this is not actually the case. Verse 9 says, >*But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation...* You see, as verse 9 indicates, an individual who has *truly* become saved cannot permanently fall away like those spoken of in verses 4-6. The things that accompany salvation are eternal life and the everlasting inheritance that Christ has secured by paying for the sins of His people. So they *cannot* finally fall away as those spoken of in verses 4-6. True, believers may fall into grievous sin for a time. But one who is born of God cannot remain in that state in an ongoing fashion so that their salvation is lost. They have eternal life in Christ, they have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within them by God's action, they have become born again from above. Moreover, we understand from everything else in the Bible that an individual who merely *appears* to have been saved can indeed fall away and yet still become saved by God later, because the act of falling away indicates he or she had never truly become saved to begin with. You cannot lose *eternal* life, Christ has covered every single sin of His people from before the foundation of the world ([Mt 25:34](Matthew%2025.md#^34); [Eph 1:4](Ephesians%201.md#^4); [1 Pe 1:20](1%20Peter%201.md#^20); [Rev 13:8b](Revelation%2013.md#^8)). Keep in mind that falling away is a total repudiation of God, it is not simply a matter of falling into grievous sin, which a saved person can do (think of David with Bathsheba). So in Hebrews 6:4-6, it is not as though someone had been given a new heart and the Spirit of God, given eternal life, just to have all of that taken away because they just fell into sin too grievously. God will never leave nor forsake His true people in that manner ([Heb 13:5](Hebrews%2013.md#^5)). So how do we reconcile this? Well, Hebrews 6 is not actually speaking of individuals who fall away. Those who have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit but fall away can only be speaking of an organization such as a church or congregation, where believers were once found but at some point that church has become corrupt over time. Once they fall away and God has removed their candlestick, they can never be recovered again ([Rev 2:5](Revelation%202.md#^5)). In fact, the Bible declares this will occur on a major scale as we approach the return of Christ. In 2 Thessalonians 2, God specifically tells us there will be a "falling away" in this very manner before Christ returns: >*Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him, That you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?* Here we see a falling away before Christ's return and the rapture (our gathering together unto Him), where the man of sin (ultimately Satan) is seated or ruling in the temple of God (the visible congregations), deceptively showing himself to be God, all the while he opposes God. He is the essence and spirit of antichrist and comes as an angel of light through false ministers of righteousness to deceive the congregations: >*For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.* ([2 Cor 11:13](2%20Corinthians%2011.md#^13), [14](2%20Corinthians%2011.md#^14), [15](2%20Corinthians%2011.md#^15)) But when it comes to the true believers, the elect of God who are saved by His good pleasure and Will, if we are truly born again of God we can *never* fall away to complete reprobation and lose our salvation. God has given us eternal life through His Spirit and it is not dependent upon our own will or our own feeble strength to keep ourselves in His kingdom: >*And I [Jesus] give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.* ([Jn 10:28](John%2010.md#^28)) > >*And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.* ([1 Jn 5:11](1%20John%205.md#^11)) Who is it that has given the believers eternal life in the verses above, so that they shall *never* perish? It is Jesus Christ, Who is God. But there are ample warnings (such as in Revelation 2 and 3 and Galatians 1) where God addresses the churches that are falling or fallen from Truth. Sadly, we see this prevalence today as many act primarily as social outlets, declare free-will or good-works salvation, focus on health and prosperity, seek charismatic signs and wonders, utilize their own academic methods to interpret the Bible and so on. **Isn't Jesus The Savior Of The Whole World?** Several verses are cited to argue that Christ died for everyone in the whole world and now it is up to us to accept Him as our Lord and Savior, attempting to disprove that Christ directly saves His people through His elective program: >*And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.* ([1 Jn 2:2](1%20John%202.md#^2)) > >*And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.* ([1 Jn 4:14](1%20John%204.md#^14)) These verses, contrary to popular belief, do not teach that Christ died for *every individual* in the world. Rather, they are teaching that the Father sent the Son to be THE Savior of the world. That is, He is the ONLY Savior of the world and there is none other. He died not only for our sins, but for the sins of the elect throughout time and in all the earth. He died not just for the elect Jews, but also for the elect Gentiles throughout the world. In this there is perfect harmony with what the rest of the Bible teaches concerning Christ and salvation. So, salvation is found in *Him alone*, He is *The* only Savior of the whole world. Notice how completely this agrees with these verses: >*Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.* ([Jn 14:6](John%2014.md#^6)) > >*Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.* ([Acts 4:12](Acts%204.md#^12)) > >*For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus* ([1 Tim 2:5](1%20Timothy%202.md#^5)) > >*He that has the Son has life; and he that does not have the Son of God does not have life.* ([1 Jn 5:12](1%20John%205.md#^12)) So Christ did not simply make salvation available for everyone in the world so that it's now up to us to make a decision. Rather, He very specifically saves *His people*, having paid for all *their* sins before the foundation of the world, and He is the only doorway to eternal life: > *Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.* ([Ps 85:2](Psalm%2085.md#^2)) > >*...And thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.* ([Mt 1:21](Matthew%201.md#^21)) > >*...I lay down my life for the sheep.* ([Jn 10:15](John%2010.md#^15)) > >*For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.* ([Lk 19:10](Luke%2019.md#^10)) > > *According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:* ([Eph 1:4](Ephesians%201.md#^4)) Christ paid for their sins that they might be free from eternal death. The Law of God has no more claim upon them because the death sentence for their sin has been satisfied by His atonement. Everyone else is left under the Law, without payment for sin, and will thus have to pay for their own sins and be eternally destroyed. The wages of sin is death, so the unsaved are those for whom Christ did not die so that their sins have *not* been covered: > *...for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:* ([Mt 7:13](Matthew%207.md#^13)) > >*And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the beast, Satan], whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.* ([Rev 13:8](Revelation%2013.md#^8)) > >*...If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night...* ([Rev 14:9](Revelation%2014.md#^9), [10](Revelation%2014.md#^10), [11](Revelation%2014.md#^11)) > >*And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.* ([Rev 20:15](Revelation%2020.md#^15)) Sadly, these people will be totally destroyed because their sins have not been covered, they’ve not been paid for. This is why God, through David, writes: >*Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputes not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.* ([Ps 32:1](Psalm%2032.md#^1), [2](Psalm%2032.md#^2)) God is the Source of all that is right and good. He is Life, while the hearts of all people are desperately sick so that we are dead in our sins and trespasses. As God says, there is none good in him- or herself apart from God who can or will ever choose to follow Christ properly *until He inclines our heart and heals our sin-sick soul*. God must give us the goodness and the will before we will be inclined to turn to Him: >*The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick: who can know it?* ([Jer 17:9](Jeremiah%2017.md#^9)) > >*Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.* ([Jer 13:23](Jeremiah%2013.md#^23)) > >*For it is God which works in you both to will and do to of his good pleasure.* ([Php 2:13](Philippians%202.md#^13)) According to God, we are all inexorably on our way to destruction, in rebellion against Him, until He gives us new life and makes us born again from above. To say that the heart is desperately sick means that we cannot do anything about it. The situation is desperate. It is beyond human repair. We stagger in darkness and spiritual death and are in need of full rescue as we sink in sin. So, no one can boast of being a little better than someone else because they chose to follow Christ when someone else did not. All we can say is, “I am as sinful and desperate as the next person and it is only by the marvelous grace of God that I am saved. He receives all the glory for delivering me from the pit of destruction unto eternal life, as a brand plucked out of the fire.” **Wouldn't God Have All To Be Saved?** [1 Timothy 2:3](1%20Timothy%202.md#^3), [4](1%20Timothy%202.md#^4) is often cited to argue that God would have every single person to become saved if only they would choose for Christ: >*For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.* The phrase, “Who will have all men to be saved,” is typically emphasized to show that God desires for everybody to become saved. Similarly, [2 Pe 3:9](2%20Peter%203.md#^9) says: >*The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.* Again, the words "any" and "all" here are emphasized to argue how God desires for every person to be saved. Can this be possible in light of all we've read so far? As with everything in the Bible, we must carefully allow the Bible to define who "all" and "any" refer to in these verses so that they properly harmonize with the rest of the Bible, by comparing Scripture with Scripture. Do the words "all men" or "any" mean every single individual, or do they mean *all/any of those whom God has planned to save*? For example, in [1 Corinthians 15:22](1%20Corinthians%2015.md#^22) we read: >*For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.* The first "all" in this verse clearly refers to every single human being. Because of Adam’s sin, everyone who has come from Adam has died. And that includes every single human being. We are all spiritually dead before salvation and heading for eternal death. But the second "all" can only refer to the believers, to those who are in Christ. As we've seen, we are made alive when we are born again and God has given us a resurrected soul. And since the Bible teaches that many will indeed be destroyed ([Rev 14:10](Revelation%2014.md#^10), [11](Revelation%2014.md#^11)), when the Bible says, "even so in Christ shall all be made alive," and the Lord is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance," it is referring to all those whom God has planned to save, not to every single human being. That is, God has a plan to save His people and He will accomplish that plan without losing any of them. Looking again at [1 Timothy 2:3](1%20Timothy%202.md#^3), [4](1%20Timothy%202.md#^4), which declares that God would have “all...to come unto the knowledge of the truth”, we find that only those whom God *personally teaches* will ever come to the knowledge of the Truth in Christ: >*It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that has heard, and has learned of the Father, comes unto me.* ([Jn 6:45](John%206.md#^45)) And we know for certain that not everyone comes to a knowledge of the Truth, but that God actually hides the Gospel from those He does not plan to save, preventing them from seeing and hearing spiritually. Therefore, the meaning of I Timothy 2:3-4 is that God will have "all" who are first taught of Him to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth. Looking again at [2 Peter 3:9](2%20Peter%203.md#^9), which says that the Lord is "long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance...", note carefully the word *us-ward*. This means that God is long-suffering toward *us who are the elect*. He is not willing that any of *us* should perish, but that all *of us* should come to repentance. God is long-suffering with this present evil world of sin while He patiently saves His elect people. That God is focused on the elect here when he speaks of being long-suffering to us-ward is seen in the opening verse of 2 Peter, which is addressed to the believers: >*Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ* God through Peter specifically identifies the believers as the audience of this letter, not every individual in the world. So it is toward us (the believers, the audience) that He is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. This is further borne out by the fact that God indeed desires for "us" to come to repentance, for no one can truly repent toward God unless God grants it: >*In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth* ([2 Tim 2:25](2%20Timothy%202.md#^25)) So again, as we saw earlier, when Jesus says: > *Come unto me, all [ye] that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.* ([Mt 11:28](Matthew%2011.md#^28)) We will only come to Christ if God first draws us to Himself: > *No man can come to me except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.* ([Jn 6:44](John%206.md#^44)) And we must apply the same principle when we read [1 Timothy 2:3](1%20Timothy%202.md#^3), [4](1%20Timothy%202.md#^4) about coming unto the knowledge of the truth: >*For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.* God is long suffering to us-ward, He will have all men (of the elect) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth as He draws them. And thus is the prayer of Christ: >*I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.* ([Jn 17:9](John%2017.md#^9)) **[< Part  1](Jesus%20Saves%20HIS%20People%20(Pt%201).md)   [2](Jesus%20Saves%20HIS%20People%20(Pt%202).md)   [3](Jesus%20Saves%20HIS%20People%20(Pt%203).md)   [4](Jesus%20Saves%20HIS%20People%20(Pt%204).md)   5   [6 >](Jesus%20Saves%20HIS%20People%20(Pt%206).md)** Tags: #library #grace