"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all
things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be
to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In
whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye
believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption
of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
(Ephesians 1:11 - 14)
One of the purposes of the message of God's word is to give
assurance of salvation to those who are truly saved by the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The message will not
benefit those who trust in works, water,
or wealth for
their salvation. People who rely upon human
accomplishments cannot claim the blessed assurance provided
by the Holy Spirit. Only those who are saved by God's
amazing grace can rest in the precious promises of His
infallible word.
The verses that we have read from the book of Ephesians
teach that sinners who have heard the word of truth and
trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ have been sealed with the
Holy Spirit. This seal is referred to as the "earnest
of our inheritance." Every born again believer
is sealed "until the redemption of the
purchased possession." The Lord Jesus Christ will
one day deliver His redeemed people from this present evil
world. Until then, the souls of God's children are sealed
and kept by the power of God's Holy Spirit! (I Peter 1:5)
Now, the question is, is it possible for a believer to
unseal their soul and remove themselves from the body of
Christ? Since man had nothing to do with receiving
this seal, it is not possible for man to destroy it. A.W.
Pink once said, "When
the believer sins he does not forfeit eternal life, and why?
Because it is a gift - a free gift from God. He could do
nothing to merit this gift (if he could, it would cease to
be a gift: in such a case it would be a reward),
consequently, he can do nothing to demerit it." The
Spirit of God never performs a temporary work on man's
soul. Therefore, the believer is sealed until the day of
redemption. It is absolutely impossible for any child of
God to lose the gift of eternal salvation. In order for one
of God's people to lose the salvation of Christ, he or she
would have to reverse all the Sovereign acts of God that
brought our redemption. In an attempt to demonstrate the
heresy of falling from grace, let us consider what would be
necessary for a child of God to actually lose the wonderful
gift of salvation.
*5 Simple Steps to Lose your Salvation:
I. Abort yourself
from the New Birth!
(John 3:1 - 7)
A. The New Birth is Essential.
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be
born again."
(John 3:7)
B. The New Birth is Eternal!
*It is impossible for a child to be un-born. The new birth
cannot be reversed. It is also a blessing to know that the
Lord does not believe in abortion. He will never abort any
child that is born into His family!
*The Birth can
never be Dissolved!
II. Annul yourself
from the Bride!
(The
Bride of Jesus Christ)
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his
name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
(John 1:12 - 13)
"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth
his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them
that were under the law, that
we might receive the adoption of sons."
(Galatians 4:4 - 5)
-A child may get out of the Father's fellowship,
but he cannot get out of the Father's family!
-A child may get out of the Father's light,
but he cannot get out of the Father's love!
-A child may get out of the Father's house,
but he cannot get out of the Father's heart!
*The Bride can
never be Divorced!
III. Amputate yourself
from the Body!
(The
Body of Jesus Christ)
"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the
members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also
is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized
into one body, whether
we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have
been all made to drink into one Spirit."
(I Corinthians 12:12 - 13)
"For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his
bones."
(Ephesians 5:30)
*Every born again child of God is "in Christ," and Christ is
living in them,
through the Person of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures teach
that the believer is part of the body of the Lord Jesus
Christ. The body is made secure because of the stability of
the Head, Jesus Christ! The body of Christ cannot be
deformed, mutilated, or incomplete. How utterly foolish it
is for one to think that he or she can somehow be removed
from the body of the Lord Jesus Christ! The Great Physician
has never amputated
a single member of His sacred body!
*The Body can
never Decompose!
IV. Attach your
Soul back to
your Body!
"In whom also ye are circumcised with the
circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of
the sins of the flesh by
the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism,
wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the
operation of God,who hath raised him from the
dead."
(Colossians 2:11 - 12)
*The doctrine of spiritual circumcision is often neglected
and rejected by many who try to teach the word of God. This
is a sad tragedy, considering the fact that it can provide
much assurance for God's children. The Lord Jesus Christ
has performed a spiritual, successful operation upon His
redeemed people. The soul has been cut loose from the body,
so that the Holy Spirit can indwell the believer. Before
conversion, our sins were attached to our flesh and our
soul. After the sinner is born again, the soul is cut
loose, so that our sins can no longer have an effect on our
soul. The sins that we commit after we are born again only
affect our flesh. Our soul cannot be made sinful again
because it has been eternally cleansed by the blood of Jesus
Christ!
V. Abolish the Blood of
Jesus Christ!
"In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."
(Ephesians 1:7)
"In whom we have redemption through
his blood, even
the forgiveness of sins."
(Colossians 1:14)
*What a glorious truth that Jesus Christ bore our sins in
His body upon the cross of Calvary! Christ did not merely
bear a portion of our sins upon the tree, He paid for all of
them! In order for one of His redeemed people to lose the
gift of His salvation, he or she would have to travel back
in time and retrieve their sins off the body of Jesus
Christ. This idea is ridiculous and impossible. Our
redemption is complete and we will stand before our God one
day clothed in the righteousness of Christ. His precious
and powerful blood has cleansed us from all of our sins.
They will never be remembered against us again!
"And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."
(Hebrews 10:17)
*The sins of God's redeemed people are forgiven, forgotten,
and forever gone!
Amen!
*His Blood can
never be Depleted!
*May the sweet Holy
Spirit of
God remind every true child of God that
there is no
possible way to
lose the wonderful gift of salvation that we have received
from the Lord
Jesus Christ!
Evangelist Jeremiah Dixon
