NEW LIFE LESSONS: A New Life For New Disciples

THE CROSS-WALK (2)

Once Saved, Still Saved
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT SIN AND ETERNAL SECURITY?
You, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, have been saved by grace through faith. As we learned earlier, you have eternal life right now!!! But we often have questions about our relationship with God. You might even ask the question: Will God forgive me when I sin against Him as a Christian? or Can true Christians really fall from the grace of God? or Can Christians lose their salvation?

REMEMBER THESE TWO REALITIES OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE: UNDERSTANDING THE PRINCIPLES OF POSITION AND CONDITION
You know that your sins are removed by Jesus death on the cross! (The Bible calls this grace.) Since this is true, why do you and I still struggle with sin? The answer sounds contradictory but it is really just a paradox (two things that seem contradictory but are both true at the same time).

These two principles are both true ..

POSITION CONDITION

We have a position in Christ - ALREADY We have a condition in Christ NOT YET

While both are true, one is eternal (unchanging forever as long as we stay in covenant relationship with Christ) and one is temporal (subject to change in time and space). One is permanent while the other is temporary.

KEEP THIS IN MIND: HOW GOD HAS ALWAYS SUSTAINED BELIEVERS The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him. (Lamentations 3:22-24 NRSV) DO TRUE CHRISTIANS SIN? YES.
I John 1:7 If Christians never sinned then we would not need the blood of Christ to keep on cleansing us from it. (I Jn. 2:1; 5:17-18; Acts 8:21-22; Gal. 2:11) Thats what the Greek word for cleanses means here. Faith walking Christians are continuous, on-going cleansing that God is doing. It is possible for Christians to commit sin that is mortal (deadly)? No sin is mortal that we repent of, turn from and confess to God. (2 Cor. 7:8-10) But, if we refuse to repent, refuse to forgive and harbor sin in our hearts it will eventually prove fatal to our relationship with God and to our spiritual life in Him. (I Jn.1:6, 10; 2:4, 9; 3:8) Christians need to repent and confess their sins to God. (2 Cor. 7:810) We can also find help in overcoming sin by seeking the help of a spiritually minded brother or sister. (James 5:16) Older brothers and sisters need to be looking out for the younger ones, those struggling with sin and those who wander away. (Gal. 6:1-2; James 5:19-20) Continual forgiveness depends on our continual trust and walk of faith with Christ. (Jn. 8:51; 10:27)

I John 5:16-17

I John 1:8-9

I John 2:17

Prepared By: David A. Stathopulo

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NEW LIFE LESSONS: A New Life For New Disciples

ONCE SAVED AND STILL SAVED

I John 1:7 LIGHT HELL HEAVEN

FAITH -WALK/CROSS - WALK

DARKNESS LOST SINNERS = U N H O L T Y COMPANION DIRECTION PROGRESSION SEPARATION DESTINATION SAVED SINNERS = S A I N S

CAN TRUE CHRISTIANS REALLY FALL FROM THE GRACE OF GOD? CAN CHRISTIANS LOSE THEIR SALVATION?
John 10:27-29 No Christian who is living a life of fruitfulness and faithfulness can fall from grace. (Jude 21-22) Faithfulness cannot be defined as perfectionism because we then wouldnt need the cleansing of Jesus sacrifice nor His grace to make us perfect. We could do it ourselves. There is no external power that is strong enough to separate us from the love of Christ or destroy our relationship with Him. (Jn. 10:25-30) The Holy Spirit, who indwells and empowers the dependent believer, is more powerful then the Enemy, the spirit in the world. (I Jn. 5:19the god of this world.) Only our own lack of obedient faith, our lack of love for others or our rejection of the elementary teachings of Christ can destroy, eventually separate us from fellowship with Him and prove to make us fall from His preserving grace. (Gal. 4:10-11; Heb. 3:12; 6:4-8; 10:26-31; I Jn. 1:6,7,10; I Cor. 13:1-3; Col. 2:18-19; 2 Tim. 4:10-Demas; Matt. 7:21-23) Jesus teaches that believers can fall and do fall away for a variety of reasons. You can fall away, it can choke out or you can throw it away. Paul tells us that he himself could be disqualified to receive the victors crown. But he wasnt disqualified and neither should we. Christians can fall from the protection of Gods grace by being continually faithless in devotion, attitude or action. (Gal. 4:21-5:4, 1617; Heb. 4:11) It is hard to fall from grace. But if we persist and keep on denying Him by our life He will eventually have to deny you are His because you dont look anything like His child any longer. Disciples enter heaven by a life of conquering faith. (Rev.3:5; Jude 21)

Romans 8:35-39 I John 4:4 Galatians 5:3-4, 6

Matthew 13:20-22 I Corinthians 9:27 Revelation 21:7-8

Revelation 2:7, 10-11

[Two Illustrations, one untrue the other true: Like two glasses of water the 1st half-full = people say half is what I do and half is Gods grace that makes up the rest this is legalism; rather, the 2nd glass is completely full our salvation is all of Gods grace because of our faith, none of our actions add anything to His grace to gain salvation.]

IS LIFE UNDER GRACE AN EXCUSE TO GO ON PRACTICING SIN? NO.

Romans 6:1-2 I Peter 2:16 No! We have determined to put sin to death in our life. (Rom. 6:11-13) Free, yes for sure, but not freedom as a pretext for evil or for behavior thats unChristlike. (Dont confuse freedom and rebellion. Gal. 5:13)

Prepared By: David A. Stathopulo

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NEW LIFE LESSONS: A New Life For New Disciples

Romans 6:13, 15-16 I Corinthians 6:9-11 Romans 6:12-13, 22 Hebrews 10:6-31, 38.39

Unrepentant Christians who live a life-style of sin lose their Christ given freedom and fall again under the slavery of law and sin. (Gal.5:1) Disciples are set free from sin not set free to sin. (Eph. 5:3-6) Sin must not rule over us. Rather, God is to be our Lord. He is to rule in our hearts and lives. Continued grace is conditional on a continued faithfulness on our part. Sinlessness is not the demand but all relationships can be hurt and even destroyed by on-going unfaithfulness. (2 Pet. 2:1-3, 17-22)

HUMAN NATURE, THE ENEMY & SPIRITUAL WARFARE FALLEN NATURE

Although I am spiritually regenerated, saved and redeemed there is not an automatic change in my human nature, although we have a Power greater than ourselves alone to be victorious, the Holy Spirit. There are three truths about our struggle: One, we live in a fallen world. Our struggle with sin is partially due to the fact that we exist in a fallen body and live in a fallen world. Romans 8:18-23 This fallen creation is like a person who waits with eager expectation for a future when it will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty that is coming.

Two, we have an enemy who will use our weaknesses against us, the Devil.
Matthew 4:1-11 James 4:7 Ephesians 6:11-12 power. Jesus was confronted by Satan, the Devil, who is the enemy of God and of us His children. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Dont give in to his temptations. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood... Our battle is a spiritual one that requires preparation and Gods

Three, we relate to this fallen world through our fallen nature. We are not automatically
removed from this world but will continue in it until either Jesus returns during our life or we return with Jesus after this life has ended. I Cor.15:48-57 The physical will give way to the spiritual. Ephesians 6:10-13 Our fight is winnable in Gods power. As long as you and I are in this body we are engaged in a spiritual warfare. We will be tempted, at times giving in to temptation, but also grow more sensitive to what sin is, how it works as we live lives that draw us nearer to God. We will continue to repent, and to seek forgiveness, never giving up, never making excuses, never surrendering, but ever desiring to be further transformed into Christs image, by one degree to the next degree, by the power of Gods Holy Spirit. (Rom. 15:16; I Cor. 6:11; Eph. 4:30; I Thess. 4:7-8; 2 Thess. 2:13; I Peter 1:2)

CAN CHRISTIANS WHO SIN BE FORGIVEN OR WHO FALL AWAY BE RESTORED? YES.
Acts 8:18-22 2 Corinthians 12:21 James 5:19-20 John 3:36 Romans 11:23 Praise God! Yes! By godly repentance [a change of heart.] (Rev. 2:5) Yes, by then changing the way we live. (2 Cor. 7:9-10) Yes, Christians who wander or fall away can be restored. (Gal. 6:1-2) No, if they persist in unbelief or rebellion. Any believer can return, if they do not persist in their unbelief.

Christian baptism is the initiation activity that God commands for all those who are coming to be born-again, made a new creation and placed in the family of God. For those in a love relationship with God, true repentance is the means of restoring our proper relationship with the Lord.
Prepared By: David A. Stathopulo

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NEW LIFE LESSONS: A New Life For New Disciples

CONCLUSION: God has saved us through His powerful love: Jesus self-sacrifice and our committed faith. Because we have made Jesus Lord of our life He is preeminent and takes priority over all other things, choices or people. He sustains us by His love, mercy and grace. We sustain that relationship with Him by our faith, love as seen in our imperfect obedience and service to Him. Living under Grace is an awesome spiritual adventure with God. It is an ALREADY and a NOT YET experience. We are already saved and our position with God is firmly established. Also, we are in a becoming experience, as we are being transformed in our human condition to become more and more like Jesus through trust/faith in Him. He keeps us safe in His grace because we dont just receive just a little grace at a time to live the Christian life but rather we receive more than we need at all times. We are in His hands, living by faith and the grace of Christ, overwhelmingly sustained each and every day.

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 NIV)

Prepared By: David A. Stathopulo

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