Remain Faithful to the End

Dear Brethren,

Is it possible to fall away from the truth of God, His good graces, and lose out on salvation?  The answer is, "Yes."  A similar way to ask the same question is this:  Is the widely accepted teaching of, "Once Saved – Always Saved," a valid doctrine?  The answer is, "No."  Our very salvation depends on understanding the Word of God on this subject.  Extremely difficult days lie just ahead of us in the Church of God.  Everything that we hold sacred will soon be overthrown – everything, that is, except our faith, which must continue until the very end.  "He [only] that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."  (Matthew 24:13)

Those who hold to the once saved – always saved doctrine believe that Jesus understands their humanity and weakness, and loves them in their sins – anyway.  They ignore Christ's clear directive that overcoming sin is required.  They do not believe the many Scriptures that warn about loss of salvation.  "You therefore, beloved brethren, seeing that you know these things before hand, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked [one], fall from your own steadfastness."  (2Peter 3:17)

I fear that we, in God’s Church, have our own version of “once saved – always saved.”  Ours is more like, “I’ve got it made because of …such-an-such” – fill in the blank.  And, we do not say it openly, but think it inwardly – and it goes something like this:

I keep the Sabbath – I’ve got it made!
My foundation is sure – I’ve got it made!
I’m in the organization that is right on track – I’ve got it made!
I know my Bible – I’ve got it made!
I follow the man who would not steer me wrong – I’ve got it made!
I’ve been in the church for ump-teen years – I’ve got it made!
I’m with a real big group – we can’t all be wrong – I’ve got it made!


Those are not where we are to place our trust.  "...we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe."  (1Timothy 4:10)  As we countdown to the return of Jesus Christ, let’s realize that a final test of our conversion will be for the purpose of seeing if we will remain faithful“…Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).   Once taken for granted, our liberty is now being eroded and our religious freedom is being encroached upon.  Paul illustrated that it is possible to lose our salvation.  "Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest [millennium and Kingdom of God], lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."  (Hebrews 4:11)

Paul fully understood that after doing so much in his ministry, it was still possible to lose his crown.   "I keep my body under self-control, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.[Rejected of God, a worthless, unapproved, reprobate away from God’s sight, and unfit for the Kingdom of God]"  (1Corinthians 9:27)

For the people of God, there remains little doubt that there will be sore trials, severe tests, and great temptations to capitulate to the enemy.  Some brethren will succumb to Satan's devices and lose thier salvation.  “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”  (1Timothy 4:1)

Over and over in the Bible the brethren are admonished to live lives of overcoming, and remain faithful to the end.  It is important that we do not underestimate the dangers that lie ahead.  We must take action to ensure that we do not depart from the faith.  Our very salvation is at stake.  "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."  (Mark 13:13)

The testing of the brethren is not a new phenomenon by any means.  It is a necessary part of our character building conversion process, and always has been.  For example, as captives in Babylon, Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, remained faithful.  God spared them because they trusted in Him and did not compromise their faith.  They chose to face impending destruction in a lion’s den or fiery furnace rather than unfaithfully bow-down to worship a false god (Daniel 3 and 6).

We are living in a fool’s paradise if we do not understand that soon, similar tests will be coming upon the Church of God.  The threat is indisputable.  The question is: who among us will remain faithful in the face of such a severe ordeal?  Many people start off strong when they first hear the message of the Kingdom of God, but are unable to remain faithful until the end. “Many are called, but few are chosen.”  (Matthew 22:14)  That clearly means that many will not hold on to their precious faith, as they should.  It can happen to us – regrettably, it has come to pass for all too many already.  "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap [salvation], if we faint not."  (Galatians 6:9)

God is faithful to impart His Holy Spirit to us – a gift more precious than our physical lives.  He makes it very clear that we cannot stand faithful for a while, and then let down.  “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”  (Hebrews 6:4-6)

The doctrine of once saved, always saved, lulls people into a false sense of complacency.  God's Word says that we will be presented holy, unblamable, and unreprovable in His sight, if we continue in the faith(Colossians 1:23)

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Sermon: "Remain Faithful to the End"

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