The majority of Christian preachers and teachers use the Scripture verses below to indicate we can never lose our salvation.
Rom 8:38-39 - For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, 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.
They are saying we will never lose our salvation because God will never stop loving us after we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. In essence they are saying God doesn’t love us until we are already saved. If this was the case, then God would have never sent His son to die on the cross for the sinners.
Rom 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God doesn’t just love the saints; He loves the sinner just as much. Does John 3:16 say Jesus came just out of the love for the saints and to save the saints?
John 3:16-17 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Doesn’t God show His love on both the saints and the sinners? Even though we sometimes think it isn’t fair, God blesses the saint and the sinner.
Matt 5:43-48 - You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
As we read in the above verses. God is calling us to be like Him. God is not like a tax collector or a pagan– only loving the ones that love Him. He loves His enemies, which are the sinners, and also the ones in His kingdom (the saints). Don’t these verses above show us that he causes His love to be poured out on the evil and the good, and the righteous and the unrighteous?
The truth His Word tries to teach us is that God loves us whether we are still sinners or not. Since we are all God’s creation, then God also loves us all as His creation.
Ps 139:13 - For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
If we choose to have God’s Son as our Lord and Savior, He will love us all the way into eternal life with Him, but if we choose to keep ourselves as our own god, God will love us all the way into hell.
Ps 139:7-8 - Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
Now that we know that God does not just love the ones that are saved, we must also understand that no one is saved just because God loves us. To be saved we must return that love that Christ showed to us. To be saved we must believe in God’s Son Jesus Christ. We must show this belief in Jesus by loving Him back. If we truly love Jesus more than ourselves, then we will repent of all our evil and selfish ways and in turn do His will and commands.
John 14:15-16 - If you love me, you will obey what I command.
John 14:23-24 - Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
The bottom line truth is God loves us all and nothing can keep God from loving us, but our eternal destiny (heaven or hell) is determined by who we decide to love. If we decide to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, then God’s love will purify us and make us ready and worthy for eternal life with Him, but if we decide to keep loving ourselves over God, we will only build up more evil in our heart and this binds us to an eternity in hell.
Even though God loves the sinner because we are all a creation of His, the sinner must be purged of the sinful nature for anyone to be accepted into His eternal kingdom. This is because no sinful thing can enter the pure domain of God’s kingdom. Since sin is the direct opposite of love and God is pure love, no sin will be allowed to infect His perfect love or His perfect kingdom.
God has done all He can do by being patient and showing us mercy by loving us all first, the only choice to be made is by us. Just like the original Adam had a choice, now God has given that same choice to each one of us.
Love you all,
Michael Reid
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