OUR SALVATION IS A DONE DEAL!

Salvation is a done deal, but some people fear they might lose it. What makes them think it is possible? Is it because they fear their sinful nature could win out? Right from the cross, didn’t Jesus say, “It is finished” (John 19:30 NIV)? He did, which means He had accomplished the purpose for which He came. And what was that purpose? “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10 NIV). Ours is complete salvation because it is a done deal! 

We know from the Scriptures that when Jesus died, we died with Him, and when He rose from the dead, we rose with Him as well, and now guess where we are? “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6 NIV).  How can we who are already seated with Christ in the heavenly realms lose our salvation? If you have been saved by placing your faith in Jesus, your salvation, my friend, is a done deal!

If someone who claims to be a Christian never makes it to heaven, the reason will not be that they lost their salvation, but because they never were a Christian in the first place and so never had the Spirit of God to direct them. The Holy Spirit lives in us, the children of God, and helps us not live in sin. For this reason, the Scripture tells us that anyone who continually lives in sin was never really born again (see 1 John 3:6). Being in Christ means our old way of life is behind us; we have become a new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Some people have been deceived by the enemy to think they can have it both ways—1) live any way they want in this world, and 2) at the same time, be a Christian who would be accepted into heaven. I’m sorry; it does not work like that. The Scripture says: “The Lord knows those who are his, and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn from wickedness”’ (2 Timothy 2:19 NLT). One cannot say, “Jesus is Lord,” and then live under the leadership of the devil. Saying “Jesus is Lord” also means accepting the lordship of Jesus and therefore obeying Him: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2 NIV).    

We must understand that we still have a sinful nature that desires what is contrary to godly behavior: "Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:16-18). The solution to this dilemma is to live by the Spirit, following the dictates of the Spirit. But how do we do that? We need to be strong in the Lord by putting on the complete armor of God 24/7 because we are in an ongoing battle with the devil and spiritual forces (see Ephesians 6: 11-18).

The Scriptures list the acts of the sinful nature as: “sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” It goes on to say, “Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Do you wear the label Christian but have a lifestyle that says otherwise? If so, it is an indication that you are not living according to the Spirit. You will not get into heaven because nothing impure will ever enter it (see Revelation 21:27). If you are reading this, you still have time to get it right. Repent and ask God for forgiveness. Even if you’ve thought you were already a child of God, it won’t hurt to start all over. The Holy Spirit will come and dwell in your heart and make you a brand new person, giving you the desire to live a life that pleases God.

Living day by day according to His Word, and not according to the dictates of the devil, will be proof that you are a child of God: “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:18, 20). The fruit of the Spirit that Christians need to exhibit is listed in Galatians 5:22-23. I encourage you to read and meditate on it, study it and pray that God will enable you to bear that kind of fruit for His glory. Remember, salvation is a done deal! 

 

All references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise stated.