Steven Colborne's Blog, page 90

Can I lose my Salvation?

Over on the Growing Christians Facebook group we’ve been having a discussion about whether or not it is possible for a Christian to lose their salvation. This question has been hotly debated by theologians. The idea that we cannot lose our salvation is sometimes referred to as ‘the doctrine of eternal security’ or ‘the perseverance of the saints’.

In this post I will present some of the key scriptures on both sides of the argument, with a little commentary, and then I will state my conclusions at the end. The discussion will not be exhaustive, but I will recommend a couple of books for further reading on this subject as I conclude.

Scriptures that Support Eternal Security

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29b)

The promise of eternal life for believers is spoken about often in the New Testament (e.g. John 3:16, 1 John 5:13, Romans 6:23, etc). Those who support the doctrine of eternal security argue that if we can lose our salvation, then the life that we receive in Christ is not eternal, which would render all of these scriptures redundant. If no one can snatch believers out of Jesus’ hand, that would seem to imply that the gift of eternal life is permanent.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,

And to present you faultless

Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy

(Jude 24)

The phrase ‘to keep you from stumbling’ is rendered as ‘to keep you from falling away’ in the NLT version. This scripture seems to suggest that once we are saved, we are in God’s hands, and if God has the power to save us He also has the power to keep us.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is often talked about as a seal that means we have entered into right relationship with God (e.g. Ephesians 1:13). If receiving the Holy Spirit in this way is a seal, then it wouldn’t necessarily make sense that the seal can be broken. For if we can lose our salvation, doesn’t this render the seal somewhat meaningless?

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

This might seem like a knock-down argument in favour of the case of eternal security. If nothing can separate us from God’s love, doesn’t this mean it is impossible for us to fall away once we have been saved?

Scriptures that Question Eternal Security

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

This scripture presents a stark warning that if we practice sin we may compromise our entry into the kingdom of God. ‘Inheritence’ is a word that in this context may refer to salvation or attaining a place in heaven.

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2:20-22)

This passage appears to suggest that if after coming to Christ we return to a life of sin we are committing a terrible evil. This passage strikes fear into the heart of the Christian as so many of us have had engaged in sinful activities after we have come to know Christ. Is this scripture suggesting that a return to such sin forfeits our salvation?

“…if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matthew 19:17

These words of Jesus to the rich young ruler could be taken to suggest that we cannot enter the kingdom of God if we break the commandments.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

Paul’s use of the phrase ‘work out your salvation’ is our central concern here. If salvation is a process, as this verse suggests, to many this implies that we must act in the right way in order to be saved, so continually living in sin could perhaps compromise our right standing with God.

Conclusion

In my studies on this matter I have carefully considered all of the key scriptures that relate the subject of eternal security, and I have presented many of those scriptures in this article. I feel the weight of evidence points to the idea that once we are truly saved, we cannot lose our salvation. There are many passages in Scripture that warn Christians against sinning, because sinning displeases God. God doesn’t want us to sin, but I believe once we are saved we are given a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26), so if we are truly saved, God will give us the strength to persevere and keep His commandments. If we do slip up and need to repent, we have the hope that God will forgive us, for Jesus’ sake.

I believe the core question at the heart of this debate is ‘Who saves, God, or man?’. If man is responsible for his salvation then it would make sense that we can fall away because we are free to choose evil actions at any point. But if Almighty God is in control of our lives, as I believe He is, then He is perfectly capable of saving us with certainty and finality.

I don’t believe God has any obligation to keep us eternally secure; but rather it is a gift that He has promised in Scripture for those who believe. God is always true to His Word. Jesus Himself said the Scriptures cannot be broken (John 10:35). So this should give us confidence that if we believe in Jesus, and have repented and been baptised in His name, we will be saved.

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out… No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. (John 6:37,44)

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (John 10:29)

Further Reading

‘Drawn by the Father’ by James White (published by Great Christian Books, 2013)

‘Life in the Son’ by Robert Shank (Baker Publishing Group, 1989)

 

Updated ‘Essays’ page

I just wanted to draw your attention to a couple of additions to the Essays page on Perfect Chaos.

First, you can download a truly wonderful essay by my friend Alan Millis on the subject of forgiveness. This is a really powerful paper that I believe will be life-changing for many readers. It demonstrates how the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35) contains the key to helping us forgive those who have hurt us.

The other addition to the page is a paper called ‘Dialogue on Key Philosophical Matters’ which contains a revised transcript of an email exchange I had with a friend back in 2012. I was rereading this exchange recently and felt compelled to offer it as a download as I believe it will be stimulating and helpful for many truth seekers.

Visit the Essays page on Perfect Chaos

Please let me know what you think of these additions to the blog. God bless!

Two Day Adventure With God

This weekend my friend Donko and I drove to Yeovil, which is a town in Somerset in the south west of England. We were attending a kickstart seminar, which is a Christian discipleship and evangelism event. I had seen many videos from events like this online through my interest in the Last Reformation movement, but this would be the first time I had attended one of these events.

The first couple of hours of the event, on Saturday morning, were a bit nervy for me as I was meeting so many people for the first time and was in unfamiliar circumstances. I was, however, trusting that God wanted me to be there, and would bless the occasion. I have heard people referring to the Last Reformation movement as a cult, and I have had unpleasant experiences with cults in the past, so mixed in with my faith in God was a little trepidation.

About 30 people were attending the event, and it was obvious from the outset that despite our diverse personalities and backgrounds we shared a love of God and a passion for the gospel and for following Jesus in an authentic, biblical way. The morning sessions consisted of teaching about stepping out in faith, the gospel, and how to pray for people who needed healing. We had some lunch and then split up into ‘teams’ to go out on the streets of Yeovil and pray for people who were willing to let us do so.

Within a few minutes of approaching people on the street, my teammate Michael and I witnessed a powerful miracle. There was a gentleman with two crutches who said he had pain throughout his body. We laid hands on him and Michael commanded the pain to go in the name of Jesus, and after only two prayers the man was astonished that all his pain left completely. This was the first time I had witnessed such a powerful healing, and we praised God for His goodness. The man said he would consider coming to the kickstart event the following day (he didn’t come as far as I’m aware but he still had a life-changing God encounter and saw Jesus in action).

A few minutes later we approached a couple of guys on a bench, one with a hat and a bright t-shirt whose name was Sunny D. He said he had pain in his lower back and that we could pray for him. I said one or two short prayers and he was amazed that the pain completely left. Seeing these healings was amazing for me too, as when I have prayed for people in the past I haven’t always been confident that they were healed completely, only partially. Either that or they didn’t want to admit they were healed due to being atheists or peer pressure or some other reason.

A little later we approached a group of young people who seemed to be quite into alternative culture, with their tattoos and piercings and dark clothing. Some were a little hesitant to talk to us but we found a man who was in serious pain and was due to go into hospital for a back operation soon following a car accident. We prayed for this guy many times and he said there was an improvement, but some of the others with him were resisting what we were doing through fear or scepticism or whatever and eventually a girl in the group led the others to move on.

Over the next few hours we spoke to dozens of people, sometimes praying, sometimes sharing the gospel, and many people were very open. We did have some rejections, but that is to be expected when you step out and approach people in this way. I could tell many testimonies about the people we met and the conversations we had, but let me just say that it was a wonderful few hours and I believe God used us to change many people’s lives.

Back at base in the afternoon we shared testimonies, and it was great to hear the stories of other people from the kickstart. Some people who our teams had met on the street had given their lives to Christ and been healed and encouraged. I truly believe that by God’s grace we had a significant impact on the town of Yeovil and it’s amazing what can be accomplished in a few hours of dedicated evangelism.

After the testimonies we sang some worship songs, and it was so joyful. Just to be able to thank and praise God for what he has done for us in Jesus, and for what he was doing in Yeovil. I felt real freedom to sing out to God from my heart and the worship was so powerful that it brought my friend to tears. We are not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe! (Romans 1:16)

Sunday was also a wonderful day, but in a different way. There was more teaching and some people headed out on the streets again but I spent much of the day immersed in conversation with my Christian brothers and sisters in the hall where we were gathered. I was really touched by the dedication of these people to their faith, and I had many great chats and forged some exciting new connections. Some people were baptised (praise the Lord!) which I was hoping to be a part of but there was so much going on in the various different rooms that I missed the baptisms.

It’s important to point out that as Christians we are always growing and seeking to love one other in deeper and more Christlike ways. Because we are imperfect, we sometimes struggle. Some of the conversations I had were really difficult. People were going through tough times, and I have my own insecurities and frailties which always surface more when I’m in a group of people. I have a spiritual sensitivity which means I can get overwhelmed easily, and this can be a real challenge.

I feel as though I am mature in some aspects of my spiritual walk, but in other aspects I am still broken and need healing. I try to remember that life is a journey, and as believers with the Holy Spirit living in us we have a joy and a victory, but we are also still broken and struggling due to our human nature. There were people in the group who didn’t get healed, who were very upset, and struggling in many ways. This is also part of being a human being and being a Christian as we are not perfect like Jesus.

God blessed our drive back home to London on Sunday evening and I’m so happy to write this blog post to reflect on what was an awesome weekend, and an amazing two day adventure with God.

‘From Queer to Christ’ by George Carneal (book review)

[image error]George and I struck up conversation on Twitter and I immediately felt he was a kindred spirit. We got talking and shared a little about our respective spiritual journies, and it soon became obvious that God wanted our paths to cross because we have a great deal in common.

For instance, we both came to Christ after exploring Eastern and new age philosophy. Also, we’ve had similar family struggles. We’ve both experimented with drugs, before being born again. We’ve both been sexually promiscuous (George with guys and me with girls). We’ve both worked in the music industry. And the list goes on!

We decided to exchange books, so I gave George a copy of my The Philosophy of a Mad Man, and he gave me a copy of his From Queer to Christ: My Journey Into the Light.

George’s book is a fascinating read. If you want to understand some of the struggles that people in the LGBT community face, and how childhood experiences can really shape our feelings around gender and sexuality, this book has some powerful insights. The author has suffered a great deal of bullying, and he grew up around some very conservative Christians who did little to make him feel loved and accepted.

Through all his struggles, which have included abuse, suicide attempts, and depression, George was seeking God. Sometimes he got really angry with God, but he could never shake the feeling that he needed the kind of love that only God can offer. His story is one of coming home to Jesus, and experiencing God’s healing and freedom, after a life of emotional pain.

One passage from the book that really spoke to me is in Chapter 15, which is entitled ‘Woe Unto You Hypocrites’. I recently made a vlog about how freedom of speech is under threat in the UK, and George describes the same thing happening in the US. This is what he writes:

The issue of Christian businesses being targeted with lawsuits by some LGBT individuals, because the Christian owner refused to offer a service simply because he or she didn’t want to go against his or her religious beliefs, is on the rise. And this was before the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage in June 2015.

One example involved the owners of an Oregon bakery who refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. They were fined a massive sum for violating the couple’s civil rights.

The real hypocrisy was exposed when a Christian contacted thirteen pro-gay bakeries asking each one to include “Gay Marriage is Wrong” on a cake. Not one bakery complied with his request. He was met with insults and obscenities. After his experiment, he was bombarded with hate messages about how “hateful” he was for simply giving them a taste of their own medicine.

The gentleman said, “Here is our point. A Christian making a homosexual cake with ‘Support Gay Marriage’ goes against his faith, and a homosexual putting ‘Gay Marriage is Wrong’ goes against his faith as well. Now, of course we honor their right to say no; this is not the issue, but what about honouring the Christian’s right to also say no?”

Yes, we need to find a common sense solution that protects the LGBT community from discrimination, but also protects religious freedom.

George has exemplified the problem very well, and I totally concur. Many in the LGBT community have become so aggressive and totalitarian in their attitude towards gender and sexuality that they are trampling all over the rights of Christians. And those with political power, in the US and in the UK, seem to be allowing this to happen. If you’d like to see evidence of this in the UK, simply follow Christian Concern on social media.

In the final chapter of the book George offers advice to people experiencing same-sex attraction, and describes what the Bible says about salvation, and how we are all sinners who need to repent in order to be right with God. There is no discrimination here, God wants everyone, regardless of their background or sexual preferences, to turn to Him.

If you’re struggling with same-sex attraction or gender issues then I would recommend this book, which is available from Amazon. George is also on Twitter, and he’s a very friendly (also very busy!) guy, so if you feel like dropping him a message I’m sure he’ll respond.

New Christian Facebook Group

I’ve just set up a new Facebook group which I would love you to consider joining. The group is called Growing Christians and will be a forum for discussing discipleship, faith, and theology.

Whereas this blog is wide in scope, covering philosophy, religion, spirituality, and mental health, the Facebook group will be solely for Christians seeking encouragement and somewhere to share ideas and grow their faith.

Click the link below to check out the group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/growingchristiansgroup/

Only One Life: A Poem by Charles Studd

I love discovering beautiful poetry, and when I stumbled upon the ‘refrain’ of this poem – the two lines repeated at the end of each stanza – they spoke to my heart with their divine simplicity. The poem was written by Charles Studd who was a British missionary (born 1860, died 1931). I hope his poem blesses you.

Two little lines I heard one day,

Traveling along life’s busy way;

Bringing conviction to my heart,

And from my mind would not depart;

Only one life, twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,

Soon will its fleeting hours be done;

Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,

And stand before His Judgement seat;

Only one life,’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,

Gently pleads for a better choice

Bidding me selfish aims to leave,

And to God’s holy will to cleave;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years,

Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;

Each with its clays I must fulfill,

living for self or in His will;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore,

When Satan would a victory score;

When self would seek to have its way,

Then help me Lord with joy to say;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep,

In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;

Faithful and true what e’er the strife,

Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn,

And from the world now let me turn;

Living for Thee, and Thee alone,

Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;

Only one life, “twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,

Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;

And when at last I’ll hear the call,

I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;

Only one life,’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Time is Short

I’m grateful to God for all He has done to unfold my life with such care, attention, discipline, adventure, and love. I turned 35 this week and I’m aware that I’ve now spent more time on Earth than Jesus did during His incarnation. That’s quite a thought, that all the richness of my Saviour’s life and ministry was completed in so short a span of time.

As Solomon says in the book of Ecclesiastes:

Life is fleeting, like a passing mist.

It is like trying to catch hold of a breath;

All vanishes like a vapor; everything is great vanity.

Our stay on Earth is brief. Do we really have time to delay focusing on our spiritual situation? If we are aware that there is an afterlife, shouldn’t we be compelled to seek after truth wherever it may be found, even if it means making a concerted effort to prioritise matters of faith in the midst of our busy schedules?

Jesus is calling to us from the pages of Scripture, giving us tender promises, telling us that He will carry our burdens. And if we believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that Jesus is Lord, we can receive the most precious gifts this mortal life has to offer; the forgiveness of our sins and the hope of eternal life.

Friends, I don’t know how long the Lord will extend my days, but that is not something I worry about. Whether I live a long time or just a little more is a matter of little consequence, so long as I am accepted by God and in right relationship with Him. Having repented and received the precious Christian gifts of baptism in water and the Holy Spirit, I feel (in my more confident moments) that I am forgiven and accepted by God.

Admittedly, I do fear God and the day of judgment, for God is awesome in power and I am still sometimes haunted by my past sin. But I hold fast to the promise of Romans 8, “There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Spurred on by such a hope, I can thank God in faith for the salvation He has promised, and sing with delight the words of the classic gospel song, ‘Angel Band’:

My latest sun is sinking fast, 

My race is nearly run

My strongest trials now are past, 

My triumph has begun

Oh, come angel band 

Come and around me stand

Oh, bear me away on your snow white wings 

To my immortal home

Oh, bear my longing heart to him 

Who bled and died for me

Whose blood now cleanses from all sin 

And gives me victory

Jesus is simply too important not to be taken seriously, so wherever you are at in your spiritual journey, get to know the Son of God while you still have time.

[VLOG] 5 Great Christian Books

I’m celebrating my 35th birthday today and what better way to party than to film, edit, and upload a YouTube video! You think I’m joking, but in all honesty this is a real joy to do (I also went out for a celebratory lunch with a friend and that was a joy too).

I hope you’ll enjoy the book recommendations in this video. Let me know if you’ve read any of them and if there are any great Christian books you would recommend

New Vlog: Freedom of Speech in the UK

Some of you will be aware that I’ve been voicing concern recently about the way in which orthodox Christianity has been sidelined in our society. Yesterday I took a trip to Speakers’ Corner in central London and took the opportunity to talk some more about what I perceive to be the key issues, and what’s at stake.

If you’ve ever been to Speakers’ Corner, I’d love to hear your stories, and please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel for more vlogs about my walk as a Christian.

Without further ado, here’s the video:

 

The BBC Embraces Gender Confusion

The BBC is a cherished institution here in the UK. In recent years as so many in our society have embraced LGBTQ+ culture, the media has been under increasing pressure to be politically correct, even while matters of gender and sexuality identification have become increasingly absurd.

There has been a marked increase in programming on the BBC that supports the LGBTQ+ agenda. For example, the Queer Britain series, Britain’s Gay Footballers, It’s Not Unusual: A Lesbian and Gay History, I’m Coming Out, and much more.

I’m concerned that our sexually corrupt culture has infiltrated the BBC to the extent that the organisation has decided to redefine what gender is. As a Christian who believes the Bible is God’s Word, I look to Scripture for my moral guidance. We read in the book of Genesis:

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

But when I set up an account with the BBC recently I was asked to choose my gender from the following options:

[image error]

The BBC is playing God! There’s no other way to put it. There is no gender other than male or female, so this drop down menu is a farce.

Without moral guidance from God, we live in a society where ‘anything goes’. There’s nothing to say we shouldn’t be having sex with family members, or with animals, or with dead people. Do you see the problem?

Things have gotten completely out of control. It’s clear to me that God is exercising judgment upon those nations that embrace moral chaos, as we see with the declining position of the UK in terms of political standing and power. A society that abandons God will be judged harshly, as anyone who has read the Bible from cover to cover will understand.

I pray that God will raise up godly leaders in the UK to reclaim the moral ground that has been lost in the name of pride and the worship of promiscuity. Lord, forgive us, help us, and please do not forsake our nation.