This is a question that every believer wrestles with at some point in their journey with God. I’ll give you my conclusion first then explain further.
If it’s possible to walk away from salvation it’s not based on your continued or willful sin, it would be because you stop believing in Jesus as your righteousness.
Nothing but the Blood
Righteousness is in the blood of Jesus alone, offered in the Heavenly Holy of Holies. The perfect blood of Jesus remains sprinkled on God’s spiritual and eternal altar as a testimony of your righteousness. If your eternal redemption or salvation is not earned by being sinless or law-keeping, you can’t lose it by continuing in sin or breaking laws.
What does Jesus say about our eternal security?
John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
Jesus is clear that eternal life is a gift, not earned by our works and no one can take us out of his hands. The devil or any other enemy can not snatch you away from God.
Spiritual Righteousness
For a few weeks I’ve been making the point that believers have been translated into the Kingdom of Jesus and that kingdom is spiritual. It’s not far away or some other place, it’s just of a more complex or higher dimension yet exists in us and around us. We’re new spiritual creatures raised to the same realm as Jesus. So we must now relate to God in spirit. Check out my last two blogs for more on this.
We had the example of the Old Covenant tabernacle with its sacrifices, laws, washings and ceremonies but those were just temporary physical shadows of the real thing which is in Heaven or in other words, spiritual. I’m not saying we need to leave our bodies or have a mystical encounter to interact with God in spirit, we just need to know we are accepted in that realm because we’re under a new way of relating to God.
The Main Point
Hebrews 8:1 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
The writer of Hebrews is taking the time to make sure the reader understands the main point of his letter. Go back and read it one more time to make sure you get the point. We are now under a priest that is in Heaven who has made us accepted there by his own blood.
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; 5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “SEE,” He says, “THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN.” 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. (eternal life)
The context of the priesthood we’re now under is based on what the priest has done, not our capacity to remain sinless. In the next chapter we see that even when Jesus returns he will not relate to us based on our sin.
Hebrews 9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
Then we have this warning…
Hebrews 10:26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.
What’s that about? We just read that when he comes back it’s not in reference to sin and we’re acceptable to God in Jesus’ blood so it must mean something else. He’s actually talking about the judgment seat of Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
The warning we have about willful sin after receiving the righteousness of Jesus is not in regard to eternal redemption. Clearly the believer is saved regardless of what happens at this judgment because he’s already righteous, it’s just the last stop before our eternal reward to burn away all that held us down while in the flesh. While I can’t presume to espouse a complete revelation of the judgment seat of Christ, it’s clear that it’s not the place to determine salvation / eternal redemption.
You didn’t obey your way into righteousness, you can’t sin your way out of it.
Let’s look at another seeming condition to eternal redemption.
Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
I suppose if there were a way to walk away from eternal redemption it would be through not remaining in faith and moving away from the hope of the Gospel, the Gospel simply being that there’s a righteousness available by faith apart from works, that through the sacrifice of Jesus we’re accepted in Heaven.
As you can see I’m not putting a definitive point on whether or not you can “lose your salvation,” I just wanted to help you shake the fear of sinning your way out of salvation.
You can never do enough bad works to make God stop loving you or cast you away from him. So because of this, my friend, remain in faith toward God.
Life as a believer is one of peace with God knowing that we’re secure in Jesus. His love is always toward us in everything we do. His wrath was satisfied at the cross so we can now live boldly and confidently as we continue this journey of transformation. No person on their right mind wants to abuse this freedom, it’s takes religion to confuse that point. A true believer understands his freedom and will be diligent to remain in faith toward God. Rest easy and know that even if you mess up you will not be cast away.
By the way, let me give you one last encouragement about the judgment seat of Christ.
1 John 4:16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
The NLT says that if we’re afraid of God it’s we’re not fully convinced that he loves us. We have no reason to ever be afraid of God, even in the day we stand before our maker and here those words, “enter into your eternal reward.” What a glorious moment that will be. Yes we can experience abundant life here, yes we have access to all of God’s promises but I, for one, am looking forward to that day when I see my savior face to face.
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