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Question:
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Mark, I know that you are a very busy man, but I would like for you to shed some wisdom and voice your opinion on a very sensitive, controversial, and crucial matter. What is your interpretation of the doctrine of salvation? Do you believe that once you are saved you are always saved or that salvation can be lost? Once again I reiterate that your music and example have been a tremendous encouragement to my life and the life of my friends.
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Answer:
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This is a bombshell of a question. It is also regrettably one of the sharpest dividing lines in the Christian church today. In short, "no," I do not believe that one who has truly been saved can lose their salvation. I believe in eternal security and the perseverance of the saints. If there is nothing that you can do to earn your salvation, then there is nothing that you can do to lose it. If a believer has to do something in order to keep their salvation, then this salvation is based on their own works and not Christ's sufficient sacrifice on the cross.
I believe that it is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone that we are saved. For grace plus nothing equals salvation. We do not deserve this gift and our good works are simply a response to what has been given, not the foundation of our salvation.
But what about those who have left the faith? For them it is written, "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us" (1John 2:19 ). They may have been enlightened and even tasted, but they never truly ingested the Holy Spirit. Though they professed to be Christians, their apostasy proved that their faith was not genuine and that they had never been truly regenerated in Christ.
For when the Holy Spirit comes inside a seal is made in one's heart that cannot be broken by man (1 Cor 1:22 & Eph 1:13), and Romans 11:29 states that "God's gifts and His call are irrevocable." Believers are held firmly in the grasp of His hands and can never be snatched away (John 10:28). Furthermore, in Philippians 1:6 Paul stated with great confidence that, "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." God also said that He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5 & Deut. 31:6). Though he may wander in occasional rebellion, someone that is truly saved will be miserable and chastised by the discipline of the Lord during this time and the end result will always be the return of this prodigal son/daughter.
It is my view that there are two key aspects in a true believers walk with God; Relationship and Harmony. While a believer will always have a relationship with God, (i.e. He will always be your Father), the harmony in this relationship is something that we need to work on everyday. Take this analogy using my earthly father for example; I could move to China, change my last name, dye my skin and hair a different color, get a blood transfusion, and have plastic surgery, but all of this will not change that fact that he is still my father and I am still his son. However, my rebellious actions will greatly affect the harmony of our relationship.
So how do you know if someone is truly saved? Even though we are challenged to "judge not," we can be fruit inspectors of other's lives. Here are some things that should be displayed in the lives of all true believers in Christ:
*They will become a new creation (2 Cor 5:17, John 1:12-13)
*They will demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and an increased love for others.
*They will have at least one spiritual gift
*As any beloved son or daughter, they will be disciplined by God when they stray (Hebrews 12:5-11).
While some choose to live out their lives in a fear wondering if they have lost their salvation, I choose to live my days in gratitude and servitude because I have been saved by grace (God's unmerited favor). With this in mind, I will spend the rest of my live in obedience with a grateful heart for the gift that my works (which are mere filthy rags) could never have earned.
So I continue to be a grateful sheep in the grasp of my shepherd's hand (John 10:28)....
Swimming in His Grace,
Mark Mohr
Christafari/Lion of Zion
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"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, [Or nor heavenly rulers] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38-39
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