How A Christian Can Lose Salvation
Is it possible to lose your salvation?
That was the question a guy from a choir I once was a part closed his facebook post with. He had just told the story of a professional pastor, who after 40 years of been a Christian, denounced Christianity.
Not one for online diatribes, I put up a scripture text that I thought answered the question.
That was so naive of me. It brought out the man-of-action in another lady. She went to great lengths to tell me that it was impossible for anyone who had become a Christian to lose his or her salvation.
And that by continuing along that line, I was putting fear into the hearts of God’s people. Nothing I said connected with her. She wanted me to admit I was wrong.
Her reasoning and points made me wonder.
Do Christians ever lose their salvation?
When I Reviewed My 2018
Doing a full year review used to be difficult for me in the past.
I have
I focus the questions on 11 core areas of my life. These areas fall under three important categories.
Read MoreWhy A Need Is Not Your Calling
The Bible study meeting was going rather well until this “calling” question.
After the discussing the outline, the leader had asked if anyone had any other questions. And this was a question that had bothered this guy a lot.
He started with “I’ve been working for about 5 years. I like what I do but last Sunday during the sermon I started wondering if I am meeting God’s calling for my life. I’m afraid that I’ll get to heaven and God is going to tell me that I did not fulfill His call for me.”He continued “my calling may be to work with at-risk kids and I’m afraid I’m not living out my calling.”“Why do you think so?”, asked the leader.
“Well, I am an investment analyst. All I do at my job is making money and I am not meeting the real needs of the world. My calling should meet real needs and change lives.”
It was clear from the responses that a couple of people in the group also had questions about their calling
So, how do we sort out this calling matter?
How To Win Your 3 Internal Battles
One the movies from the 2000s with deep battles that I enjoyed watching was Gladiator. In case you missed the Oscar-winning movie run, here goes.
The non-spoiler story is this, a general becomes a slave and the slave becomes a gladiator. The gladiator becomes the hero who kicks the usurping emperor of Rome in the teeth.
One of the biggest transformation for Maximus (the protagonist) happens in Act 2 of the movie.He discovers his family murdered. He gets captured by slave traders and sold off as a gladiator – talk about bad stuff coming fast and furious.
At first, he is content with looking for a quicker way to die and join his family in the next life. So, he is more than willing to drop his sword and take a beating. He remembers who he is, leverages all his experience as a soldier and a general commanding men. He fights so well that the crowd starts rooting for him. And that begins his journey back to Rome.
You have had this story played out so many times. It’s become the kind of inspirational stories that we all like to hear.
But we waste stories like this if we reduce them to “feel-good” emotional highs from victories.
Maximus faced his biggest tests outside the theater of the arena.
His greatest battles were in the quiet scenes with the old Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He wanted him to choose a life in Rome ahead of returning home to his wife and son.
But I don’t want to spoil the movie for those who haven’t watched it. I’ll do a segue into another story that also brings out the same battles
The battles found in the temptations of Jesus
When Jesus did Bible study with the devil
When God Speaks In Riddles
Are you one of those who thinks that God speaks more in riddles?
Actually, “speaking in riddles” is a nice way of saying “it seems God is not getting it”. Well, the disciples must have thought the same thing at this moment.
A messenger had made the long journey to find Jesus and give him a very urgent message. Mary and her sister Martha, great buddies with Jesus, told Him that his good friend Lazarus was very sick.
Jesus doesn’t go with the messenger. But he assures that the sickness will not lead to death. He decides to spend a few more extra days. I bet the disciples would have thought – no problem, he’s already said Lazarus was not dying from the sickness.
Later on, Jesus tells them – our pal Lazarus has fallen asleep. I bet they were still thinking – he is not dying. I guess that’s why they responded, “if he sleeps, he will get better”.
To this response, Jesus counters, Lazarus is dead and I’m glad for your sake that I wasn’t there. You are about to have new reasons to believe. Now let’s go to him. John 11:1-15
But it all still sounded like riddles. Even Thomas had to say, let’s go so we may die with him
God And Riddles
Sometimes you are not sure whether it is God that is not getting it or you are the one not getting it