Why a believer in Christ cannot lose his salvation (Pretty long)

Believers, there is a teaching that is prevalent in many places of worship today that says that a believer in Christ can perish in hell or lose his salvation if he does not do certain things by human effort. Paul says in Philippians 3, "...beware of dogs..." that teach this horrid mixture of law and grace. Christ says in John 3:16-17:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

Even with the absolute permanence of the words of Christ above, many people think: "Saved just by believing Jesus and not doing God's will and His works? That is too cheap a gospel. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." But what is God's will?

So let's treat two things here:

1. What it means to believe in Jesus

2. What is God's will and what are His works that we must do.

Now let's see what it means to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. See our Saviour's words regarding believing: John 10:25-26 "Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. 26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep."

Today, many believers who call our Saviour "Lord, Lord" read and hear of His finished work at the cross but do not believe that in His suffering, death and resurrection for our sake, He accomplished all that He accomplished for us; much like how a kind benefactor pays off a loan that a person is powerless to repay but that person still continues to try to pay the bank, even after seeing the evidence of his benefactor's payment. To such, Christ is neither Lord nor Saviour, even though they profess Him. They do not believe that He has saved them but they call Him Lord. They are not His sheep. They do not believe Him.

For example, Romans 5:19 tells us "By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous." But many in the church still believe that their right-standing with God is determined by how well they are keeping the Ten Commandments/their good works and not accomplished by Christ's obedience, very contrary to Romans 3:20 which says no one can be made righteous in God's sight by doing what the law commands. These ones have been cut off from Christ according to Galatians 5:4 - "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace." To such, Christ is not Saviour. They do not believe Him.

Galatians 3:13 tells us that "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law..." but many believe that they still have to redeem themselves from generational and other curses by carnal (human effort) means like bringing their childhood pictures to church for deliverance and fasting to break padlocks of bondage. To such, Christ is not Saviour. They do not believe Him when He says He has redeemed them from the curse.

Romans 8:32 tells us "He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" But many believe that they must do certain things like obey the law, fast or sow seed first before God can heal or provide for them. Here, receiving from God depends on one's ability to obey and not on Christ's finished work. To such, Christ is not Saviour. They do not believe Him. Zacchaeus the tax collector, the woman with the issue of blood, the centurion with the sick servant, the Canaanite woman with the demon-possessed child and all who were healed and saved by our Lord Jesus Christ wouldn't have stood a chance if there were terms and conditions for receiving! These people were sinners and even considered to be unclean. Only believe.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says "But we with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." But many try to transform themselves to be godly (be like God, just like Eve) by keeping the law which gives the knowledge of good and evil, just like the tree of the same name. But according to Romans 3:20 "For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are." Just as eating from the tree made Adam and Eve see their nakedness, the law exposes our faults and unrighteousness when we try to live by it. Christ is not Saviour here. They do not believe Him.

So much more. Many people call Jesus 'Lord, Lord' but do not believe that He is Saviour. These ones are not saved by Jesus. They look to the flesh (human effort) for salvation and so can lose their salvation...if they ever had it. Matthew 1:21 says: "And she will have a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” But such are still trying to save themselves from their sins and from God's righteous judgment. They do not believe that old things have passed away in their lives so they're still dealing with old things like curses and sin (which Christ has delivered us from) all by themselves. Christ only features in the "in Jesus' name" at the end of each prayer point! Like sheep going about with their own torches to see! Believers, let's not be found here. See our Saviour's words in John 10:25-28:

"Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. 26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,"

Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ - that He has accomplished everything that is required for your salvation and all you need to do is rest in Him like a real life sheep does with its shepherd? Then you will never perish. You hear His voice. He knows you. You follow Him. You have eternal life. You will never perish and no one can snatch you away from Him. His sheep are all who believe His finished work of saving us; who call Him by His name "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Jeremiah 23:6. In Him, our salvation is ETERNAL.

Now, let's see what God's will is. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." Without doing God's will, no one shall enter the kingdom of heaven. But many people use this to terrorize Christ's sheep into condemnation. Such people will never tell you what exactly the will of God is or what the works are that He wants us to do. At best, they say it is "doing good" and keeping the law; but "the law is not of faith" and "without faith it is impossible to please God." According to Galatians 5:4:-

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace."

Do we really for one moment think that our heavenly Father would make His will that is so crucial to our salvation vague in any way? Certainly not! So what is God's will? What are the works that God wants us to do? Some people asked our Saviour Jesus this question in John 6. No better answer or explanation of God's will and His works that we must do than that which comes from our Saviour Jesus Himself!

28 "Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 "Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

Again, in the same John 6, Christ tells us plainly what God's will is: 39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Believers, according to our Lord Jesus Christ, this is the work of God that we must do: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is God's will according to our Lord Jesus Christ: "that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

For the New Covenant believer, believing in our Saviour Jesus is obedience. When the believing is right, right living will follow. Under the New covenant, there is only the obedience of faith, not the law. The law is not of faith and without faith, it is impossible to please God. According to Romans 3:26-28-

"and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."

Believers, when the believing is right, right living will follow. This is the logic of heaven. With Christ as our righteousness, we don't HAVE TO live right; we GET TO live right. According to Romans 7:4, we get to produce "a harvest of good deeds for God."

Romans 7:5 tells us that those who still have the old nature, keeping the law to get right with God (under Law and not under grace) get to produce "a harvest of sinful deeds that lead to death." The letter kills but the Spirit gives life.

This is the logic of heaven. See 1 Corinthians 1:18- "For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God."

Remember Philippians 2:13 "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." He works His will in us, makes us desire to do it; gives us the ability to do it; does it through us and for us so we please Him and then He rewards us for doing it. Yet not us doing His will but Christ in us. This is the "No longer I that live but Christ that lives in me." Nothing to do with us. All to do with our Saviour Jesus. Even our being called to believe to enjoy His grace.

That's why in heaven, we will sing "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain" and not "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain....and me, I also played my part!"

How we please Him is in His hands. It's unforced. It's grace! It's Christ in us. It's natural because when we rest in Christ's finished work (which He gives us grace to do,) we become like Him. Let's look to the Giver and the gifts, including right living, will follow. All these things shall be added unto you, including the grace to live right.

Doing the work of God is believing in His Son, our Saviour Jesus. The will of God is that Christ should lose none of us and that we have everlasting life. Believing in Jesus is to believe ALL that He accomplished for us in His suffering, death and resurrection. He called us to believe and does everything else too. This is His Grace - undeserved, unmerited favour! Trust in Him, "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" Philippians 1:6.

If we are the ones completing the good work, we are sure to fail. He never fails. He saves from sin. This is the Good News.

Believe Right and you will Live Right.