Automatic Transcript Generated:
Speaker 1
So S is asking, is it possible a person cannot be saved? So, S, this is a very profound question for sure, one that I know a lot of people grapple with and there’s a lot of misunderstandings about it. But let’s start first at the top, which I think this verse really cast things in the right way to look at it, which is Titus two, verse eleven. Let’s look at the NIV. I like the NIV’s wording of this one better. And it says, for the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people, so offers salvation to all people. And this is how God works. God’s giving everybody the chance to be saved. God isn’t necessarily saying, oh, I’ll save this person, but not that person. God wants to see everybody, everyone saved and says, I’m giving you a chance to be saved. But the thing is, we have to make the choice. Deuteronomy 30, verse 19 sort of is a good way to summarize it where it says I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life that both of you and your descendants may live. This kind of summarizes what some people refer to as the everlasting covenant since the beginning of time.
Speaker 1
The rule always is obey God, serve God, follow his law of love and you will live. You will live forever. You’ll be in his presence, you’ll draw with Him, have a life giving connection with Him. And this was the same choice that was given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. And God said the one choice really to decide their fate was whether or not they’d eat from the fruit of the forbidden tree. And what did God say would happen if they ate it? They would die. And unfortunately they did eat it and introduced sin and death into reality for us human beings. Now, but God gave them the choice. He didn’t want them to make that choice and they chose it. So let’s now look at Matthew seven, starting at verse 13 and it reads and just talk about now how many people have been saved and how is it easy? Is it to be saved or not? I think this one is important to know. Matthew seven, verse 13. It says, Enter by the narrow gate. Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction.
Speaker 1
And there are many who go in by it because narrow is the gate and is difficult is the way that leads to life and there are few who find it. And if we jump to verse 21, it says not everyone who says to me, lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of God. So even people who acknowledge God think they serve God says not even they shall enter the kingdom of heaven, some of them. But he who does the will of my Father in heaven, that’s who enters in, many will say to me in that day, lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in your name and done many wonders in your name? And then I will declare to them, jesus says, I never knew you depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. And so we see here important is doing God’s will. As I mentioned, that goes back to the everlasting covenant and that’s not necessarily you do that to be saved, you do that just to live. God saves us, God rescues us, gets us back to the point where God will say, I forgive your sins and it’ll be like you never had sinned.
Speaker 1
That’s called justification. And then we got to then continue to walk in that path by God’s grace. His Holy Spirit helps us do that. And God is very forgiving, but we have to be on that trajectory, on that course, cooperate with Him. But again, the most important part is being known by Christ, having that relationship with Him. And to be known by Christ to have the relationship with Christ again means we made a decision. He’s always willing to make the commitment with us, but we have to commit our lives to Him, make that choice. And then it comes back to this very important verse, I think in John 15 signing, verse one, jesus uses the analogy of the vine. He says, I am the true vine and my Father is a vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. You are ready, clean. Because the word which I’ve spoken to you abide in me and I in you abide. You got to maintain that connection as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
Speaker 1
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in Him bears much fruit. For without Me you can do nothing. Renard said we got to keep his laws. If we’re not abiding in Christ, there’s no way we could do it, no way we can serve Him. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch of withered and they gather them and throw them into the fire and they are burned. So we got to have that connection with Christ. This is the key. And anybody can choose, everybody is called to have that connection, to have that to abide in Christ. So anybody can be saved. But likewise anybody can choose to reject that, can choose not to have a relationship with Christ, can choose to go do their own things, can choose to continue in sin and go down the path of destruction by their choice. When we turn our backs so far that we never ever want to return to God, that really is the grieving the Holy Spirit and the unpardonable sin. That’s the sin when we completely say never ever, God will ever return to you.
Speaker 1
Don’t ever try to come for me. That’s when we can’t be saved. But it was by choice, and God respects our choice. So I hope this is helpful to you. You don’t have to be in fear as long as you are actively seeking. God wanted to know him. He is there for you, calling you to Him. He wants that. And he’ll just be thrilled to have as many people choose life and choose Him. Anything you like, dad?
Speaker 2
No, I think that’s really beautiful. And I think it just goes back again to the comment that Rachel says God is love, he loves you. He definitely does not want you lost. It’s not his will. He says, I’m not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. It’s possible for people to be lost, but it’s not God’s will. That’s never what he wants, ever. He says, Why will you die? He says, choose life, which is choosing God, because God life. Yeah, absolutely.
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In His Service
BibleAsk Team