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Amazing Facts

Joe Crews

01 Falling from Grace

Does 1 give up his power of choice when he becomes a Christian?

Is he forever after forced to accept the results of that 1 time choice?

I'll return in a moment with the amazing facts.

Hello, this is Joe Cruz and the Amazing Facts broadcast, facts which affect you.

Do you mean to say that God is an Indian giver?

Do you think he'd make you a present of eternal life and then take it away from you again?

These were the words of a devout Christian recently in answer to a statement that had been made in a public religious service.

The minister had appealed to his hearers to be constantly on guard lest they become careless and eventually turn their backs on Christ and be left out of the kingdom.

After the congregation had dispersed, this lady lingered to correct a false impression that she felt the minister had given.

She said, When children are born into my family, they are still my children regardless of what they might do.

I couldn't change the fact even if I wanted to.

Once they have been born, they can't become unborn again.

And so it is with those who are born into God's family.

They become God's children and there's nothing in the world they can do to change their status.

Once a person has been saved, he can't be lost.

Now actually, friends, there are many other sincere believers who share the opinion expressed by that lady.

But is this what the Holy Scriptures teach?

After all, it's not what we think that counts, but what God's Word teaches.

What did Christ have to say on this subject?

In describing conditions that would prevail before his second coming, Christ said this, and many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many, and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Matthew 24, 11-13.

Now here Christ warns that many shall be deceived by false prophets, and that many others will not be able to withstand the iniquity on every hand, and they'll grow cold.

But then He added this, "...he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Now, to endure is to keep on, to continue, to remain, to last till the very end.

Now the inference is very strong here that the converse of verse 13 is also true.

He who does not endure unto the end, the same shall be lost.

Now we need to remember that God created us as free moral agents.

He endowed us with the power to reason, to love, to hate, and to make decisions.

And this includes the ability to change one's mind also.

Is it not altogether possible that a person could decide that he doesn't wish to continue as a Christian?

Could he not choose to turn his back on Christ and collaborate with the devil?

Does God force 1 to remain a Christian against his will?

Now this is a very important question, friends.

No doubt it deserves our careful and prayerful investigation.

Lucifer at 1 time was an angel in heaven.

He was created perfect but iniquity was found in him and he rebelled against God.

All the persuasion of the good angels and God Himself could not alter him, so he was cast out of heaven and has continued to be an enemy of his Creator.

Furthermore, he is constantly endeavoring to bring about conditions that will discourage those who are members of God's family.

His whole purpose is to get as many as possible to turn from the Savior and eventually be destroyed along with him and his angels.

There's no question but that a Christian can, by God's grace, be victorious.

There's sufficient power available to keep us from falling.

But does God take over conversion and then usher us safely into His kingdom regardless of our future attitudes and conduct?

Let's delve further into this matter, friends, for it deserves our careful consideration.

The Apostle Paul said, I keep under my body, and bring it under subjection, lest that by any means, when I preach to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Now certainly Paul was a converted man, Yet this reference indicates the possibility that he could be lost.

And in the 10th chapter of Hebrews there's counsel to anybody who might be tempted to waver or draw back.

You read those verses carefully from 23 to 39.

It begins this way, Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.

And then after that, admonition is given those who might be tempted to absent themselves from the assembly of believers.

Apparently, friends, this is 1 of the first signs of slipping away or slipping backward.

The author of this epistle, and I think it was Paul, includes himself in the warning.

He says, For if we sin willfully after that we receive the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under 2 or 3 witnesses.

Of how much sore punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace.

The last few verses of the chapter warn against the casting away of confidence.

"...cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.

For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise.

Now the just shall live by faith, But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Now how could anybody state more clearly the fact that one's eternal salvation is conditional on his remaining steadfast to the very end.

Unless there was a possibility that 1 might cast away his confidence, that he might draw back under perdition, why would this man of God sound such a warning?

In Hebrews 6, 4-6, we find another striking statement.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost 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.

Oh, I think it would be very difficult to subscribe more fully that a person who has been born again and later rebelled against God and rejected Christ and spurned the Holy Spirit, that that person could ever be saved.

He has placed himself out of reach by God in his own choice and by his own actions.

Therefore there is no possibility that such a man could be saved, not while he continues that course of conduct.

Now in the 11th chapter of Romans, Paul is discussing the fact that many of the physical seed of Abraham rejected God and were cut off.

And the illustration is used there of an olive tree.

The branches were the children of Israel, and because of their unbelief they were broken off.

Then some wild olive branches were grafted in, representing the Gentile Christians.

But notice this admonition, for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God, on them which fell severity, but toward thee goodness, if thou continue in his goodness, otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." Verses 21 and 22.

Now that's what Paul had to say about it, friends.

Now let's see if Peter also agreed with those sentiments of Paul.

In his 2nd epistle, the first chapter, are listed a number of virtues that should be manifested in the life of every Christian.

And these are mentioned in verses 5-7, but notice that he's writing, "...to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God in our Savior Jesus Christ.

And then they had been given all things that pertain unto life in godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.

Now it's very apparent that Peter is addressing these remarks to those who have really been converted.

But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore, thereuther, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.

For if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.

Now all these things indicate that people can fall from grace.

They can even become apostates in the truest sense of the word.

And then in the third chapter, Peter goes on to say, Therefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless.

Seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away from the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.

Thus we see that Peter agrees with Paul that Christians need to be constantly on guard lest they be led astray, and he indicates the sad fate of those who turn back into sin after they've been converted.

Now here's 1 of the strongest texts in the Bible that proves that a person can turn away from Christ and be lost even after he's made a profession of being saved, And this is found in 2 Peter 2, 20-22.

If after they have escaped the pollutions 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.

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01 Falling from Grace

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