Jesus as the prototype of our journey was the first man to be resurrected from the grave. He overcame what every other man has been subject to since the first man Adam fell from the glory of God and was marred with sin which is the sting of death. As the first man that rose from the dead Jesus Christ broke the power of death by resurrection. He also sealed the promise of a coming resurrection of all humanity when he ascended to the right hand of the Father sending His Spirit as a down payment.
Jesus is what the scriptures call the first fruits of those who will be raised from the dead.
The Holy Spirit working through our lives gives us power to perform works of service and wisdom to implement the will of God. It’s the grace of God connecting us to the throne of the lamb in holistic worship dedicating our whole lives to Christ living through us. It’s the joining together of God’s space and man’s space - the intersection of the heavenly realm and the earthly realm. It’s the only way we can fulfill the original mandate given to man and fulfill our individual calling. It’s about being a part of the representative priesthood of Christ upon this earth. As a part of the priesthood of Christ we are earthen vessels made of the dust of the ground, but through Christ resurrection and our identification with Him through the cross we have been given His power. The life-giving power of the Spirit lives within us.
The cruciform life is to be no longer us living, but us living our lives by faith working through love.
In this school of discipleship, we have been covering in the last few lessons the foundational doctrines of our faith as laid out in Hebrews 6:1-2 and the cruciform life of following Christ by identifying with his death, burial and resurrection. We have covered repentance from dead works, faith towards God, the doctrine of baptisms and laying on of hands, resurrection from the dead and now we are looking at eternal judgment. These last two foundational teachings are inextricably tied together and overlap in laying out the doctrine of last things. In this last lesson of this section, we are covering practically living out the resurrected life with a focus on the coming judgment at Christ return.
Have you ever watched the ending of a marathon? If you have, then you watched those who desire to win, expend all their energy, yet they’re still reaching towards the goal. This is the picture Paul used to describe the life of faith with a view to the resurrection and coming judgement at Christ second coming. When the Grecian games were celebrated, running was one of the main events. At a race, a wreath of pine or ivy was hung at the goal and awarded to the victor.
Starting the race is important, yet only those who finish, accomplish their goals, receive the prize.
The aged Paul at the end of his life had his final goal set upon one thing and he called it the ‘prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus’ that’s in Philippians 3:14. Paul viewed his heavenly reward directly tied to his obedience to what he had been called to accomplish. This seems to be in alignment with what Paul had formerly said to King Agrippa by telling him, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” For Paul the ‘upward call’ was leading a life of obedience to complete the purpose for which he had been called by Christ. We each have a task to accomplish and as disciples we need to see that our reward is directly tied to our obedience in carrying out our God given vision. This should give us the motivation to live as Paul lived and that is a life pressing on towards the goal.
To reach his goal and complete his heavenly vision was such an important task for Paul that he said, “I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. This was not just a nonchalant task for Paul, but the very reason he lived. Paul was consumed with completing the will of God for his life. The Greek word used for goal in Philippians 3:14 is skopos and it is where we derive the English word scope. It means a mark on which to fix the eye and is used metaphorically for an aim. When a marksman uses a scope, it is so he can be the most accurate in hitting the desired target.
The runners in the Olympics fix their eyes upon the white finish line or mark. Paul had this same type of mindset. He focused all of his energy towards the prize for completing his God given task. He was determined, not to let anything stand in his way, which would keep him from reaching forward.
Eschatology is a theological word we use to describe the doctrine of last things. The last days, end of the age and return of Christ are hot topics in the Christian community and even in the world. There is a good reason for this, because the word of God gives attention to this subject. Peter in speaking to the first century church said that Christ appeared at the end of times or last days I Peter 1:20. The early church was actually living in what we would call the last days which started with the first coming, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. It found its apex at the destruction of the city of Jerusalem in 70 AD when the Jewish Temple was destroyed with the ceasing of the sacrifices that has never returned. However, Christ in Matthew 24 did give us specific signs that would precede the completion of the last days or end of the age.
History is coming to a climax, and we are told to be aware of the conditions in the world, while at the same time expectant concerning the return of Christ. Peter said, ‘know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation II Peter 3:3-4. The world mocks the possibility of Christ’s return, and many even in the church don’t give it much thought. I am not recommending fanaticism, but wisdom is a key for the church at the end of this age.
Wisdom puts things in their proper perspective. Peter recommended three things in reference to the unveiling, revelation or return of Christ, which are hope, sober mindedness and action I Peter 1:13.
Looking back at Philippians chapter 3 in verse 11 Paul says, ‘that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead’. In the rest of chapter 3 Paul is writing from a perspective of resurrection from the dead and the coming judgment at the return of Christ. Paul was always running his race with the end in view. He says in verse 12 of Philippians chapter 3 that I have not already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on. The ‘it’ Paul is referring to here is resurrection from the dead. In this same text Paul used the word perfect and said that he was pressing on towards perfection. Let us take a look at this word perfect because it is a key to understanding what we are pressing on towards.
When I mention the word perfect many pictures might come to your mind. I think for most of us the word perfect would be defined as something without fault. The concept of biblical perfection doesn’t really have anything to do with this type of thinking. There are many words in the Greek language, which were used to describe perfection, and the majority signifies something reaching its maturity.
The Greek word teleios, which is translated as perfect, signifies having reached its end, finished, complete, fully grown, fullness and full age. Paul used this word many times. For instance in Romans 12:2 Paul says, ‘do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and PERFECT". There are not three separate wills, but the one will of God, which grows into maturity much in the same way corn grows from a blade to an ear, to full corn. This word is also used in 1 Corinthians 13:10: "when the PERFECT comes, the partial will be done away". When Christ returns there is going to be a complete revelation of Him. We won't need the partial spiritual gifts of revelation to give us insight because the complete and perfect revelation will be with us, in Person. "We shall know Him fully".
Paul also used this word in Philippians 3:12 and when he did, he was speaking of our final state at the return of Christ. In Philippians 3:20-21 he says: "Our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ vs. 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory..." Paul had great expectation and insight concerning the return of Christ. He always viewed his present circumstances in light of the final consummation of Christ's return.
Paul knew the next great event on the calendar of God was Christ's physical return to this earth. He viewed this as a time when there was going to be a completion to the end of this present age. A time when the followers of Christ would be brought into the fullness of their salvation, which is the receiving of a resurrection body just like His.
Salvation is a continuing process, and that process reaches its final goal, when we are totally restored to our original condition of being created in God's image spirit, soul and body. Our spirits have already been made in the image and likeness of God. Our souls are continually being transformed to display God's likeness in our personalities and when Christ appears, our bodies will be changed to be just like His resurrection body that’s in I John 3:2 and I Corinthians 15:53. It is at Christ's return that we will be brought into the fullness of our salvation. Hebrews 9:28 tells us that: "He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him." It is in Romans 8, that we get a glimpse into the display of power, which will be manifested in all the earth at Christ's return.
In Romans 8:18-23 Paul the apostle says: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory' of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now and not only this, but also, we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body”.
It is here in this scripture that we get to see, that when Christ returns, His power is going to change our bodies to be like His. At this time, it will also be clearly manifested that we are His children. This is not all that is going to happen! God's glory' is not only' going to change us, but it is going to cover the earth and His transforming power is going to deliver creation from the curse of sin. Although we have the Holy Spirit, we are still longing to be clothed with the fullness of the glory of God in an even greater dimension than Adam and his wife in the Garden of Eden possessed.
The crowning climax of our restoration will be the gift of a brand-new body, uncontaminated by our sinful past, unlimited in its expression of the spirit within, unaffected by disease, decay or death.
The Bible says that this will all happen in a flash, just as the lightning comes from the east, and flashed even to the west, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trump blows, Christ will return, and we shall be changed (I Corinthians 15:52). The change Christ will bring at His return is the very hope of the Christian's faith. The very hope of our salvation is based upon the fact that Christ will return to deliver us from this present evil age.
Yes, the body of Christ is to impact this earth with the power of the gospel, but we are still just pilgrims and aliens in this present age (I Peter 2:11). The Bible does declare that the righteous will inherit the earth, but that is only when Christ brings us into the fullness of His victory at His return.
Paul says that at Christ's return He will: "give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day." I Thessalonians 1:7-10. The hope of our salvation is not only based upon the fact of the redeeming work of Christ through His First Coming, but also His deliverance, judgment and glory to be revealed at His return.
It is important that we have our hope put in the right places. Hope is the anchor of our salvation, which keeps us steady through troubled waters. Paul had to explain this hope to the disciples in Corinth. While explaining resurrection from the dead, he tells them "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied" I Corinthians 15:19. The New Living Translation says it like this. "If we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world."
What happens to us if the stock market collapses, our spouse or child dies, we lose our job, we are put in jail or even killed for preaching the gospel? Think about it. If your hope is placed merely on temporal things, it is on shaky ground.
Are you running with the end in view, or do you live as if your present circumstances are the ultimate reality? Why live for God, if all we have to look forward to is this life? We are wasting our time and should do what the world does. The world's mentality is, "Let us feast and get drunk, for tomorrow we die" I Corinthians 15:32. Party up and get all you can get of this life, because when you go in the ground it is all over. If you look at the book of Ecclesiastes, you will see this mentality portrayed as the wisest man that ever lived wrote as one who lived under the sun'. As the preacher of vanity, Solomon wrote as a man who was not serving God, but his own self-interest. He looked at life from the viewpoint of an unbeliever and declared all is vanity therefore, get all you can get out of this life because once you're in the ground it is all over. We are not to live our lives 'under the natural sun', but 'in the Son of God’. It is only because of Him, that we have a hope, which goes beyond this present evil age and even beyond the grave.
Why live a dedicated life as a disciple of Christ if it doesn't matter? Why suffer in the flesh if I could party up and it wouldn't make a difference in eternity? I have personally had to ask myself these questions.
Why should I deny myself a self-indulgent lifestyle? The reason, because life does go beyond the grave and how we live in this life, will be reflected in the life to come! When I discovered this reality, it became a motivation for me to turn away from the temporary pleasures of sin and identify with the Savior. Each day is a day closer to the return of Christ, when we reach our final goal. Paul said in Romans 13:11-14 that our salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand...Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regards to its lust.
We are going to experience sufferings in this life, but they are not even worthy to be compared to the glory which will be revealed to us. It is of utmost importance that we view the race we are in now, in the light of the glory, which will be revealed to us. We need to constantly remind ourselves of this hope since Paul said this hope is to be like a helmet affecting our thinking. (I Thess. 5:8)
Our hope must extend beyond this present age or world system. Hope is a firm confident expectation that our future is going to turn out, as God has planned, as we commit ourselves completely to Him.
Out of all the people in the world, Christians should have the most positive outlook on life. Not because we are the richest, best looking or most popular, but because no matter what happens in this life, we know that everything is going to be okay.
Romans 8:28 has comforted me with eternal hope many times when I felt like giving up. Paul says, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. When we have our affection on Him who has been raised from the dead, we can be confident that He is at work on our behalf. We can confidently say that He is our present help in any time of need.
In Pauls second letter to the Corinthian’s, we get to see a Paul who opened up and bore his heart. In this epistle he shared his difficulties and heartaches. In this life we are all going to face difficulties and heartaches. However, it is how we view them, which will determine our direction. In II Corinthians 4 Paul's main theme is about how it is God's power that makes the difference in our lives when we face trials.
Paul ends this chapter showing us the view by which he saw life and the strength, which helped him to run: In vs. 16 he says, We are not discouraged, but even though our outer nature suffers decay, our inner self is renewed day after day. vs. 17 says For this slight momentary trouble is producing for us an everlasting weight of glory that exceeds all measures, vs. 18 because we do not fasten our eyes on the visible, but on the unseen for the visible things are transitory, but the unseen things are everlasting.
Paul views his present circumstances as simply temporary, or you might say subject to change. There is an old saying that says, this too shall pass. Momentary trouble passes sooner or later.
Faith and hope see beyond our present circumstances. When trouble comes our way, it can feel like the end of the world, however I have good news, it is transitory. Your problems are subject to change. In the opening of the next chapter of II Corinthians, Paul enters right into a discussion about our resurrection bodies. I like the way the Message Bible says it: Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfinished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies. The Spirit of God wets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less that’s in II Corinthians 5:4-5.
In light of all that we have discussed, let us look back at Philippians 3:14-15 when Paul says I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many are mature, have this attitude. A disciple is one who has learned to run with the end in view, no matter what the cost. It is only those who possess a mature mindset, who will be fit for running when things are not going the way they think they should. Spiritual maturity has nothing to do with physical age, but has everything to do with commitment to the things of God.
Maturity is synonymous with being responsible, committed and faithful. You can be 50 years old and still be an immature Christian. However, you can be 15 years old and possess a mature Christian mindset.
Discouragement and unbelief can try to captivate our hearts when our vision doesn't seem to be coming to pass. When purpose is thwarted through adverse circumstances, we don't need to stop, but stretch our faith. The act of 'running' is moving forward, a following on to know the Lord in good times and bad times. To go forward, we will have to follow Paul's advice, which he told us to ‘forget the things that are behind’. Don't let failure or success keep you from pressing forward. You haven't accomplished everything you are supposed to accomplish, until you leave this earth or Jesus returns. We need to be continually pressing forward toward the mark for the prize. We cannot stop at the good or acceptable will of God, but must press on to the full maturity of our calling.
Maturing is a process! Is a tree full grown the first day you put it into the ground? Does it bear fruit immediately? No, it takes time, and it grows in stages. Each stage is beautiful, and we will all go through stages in our lives.
Our final step of maturity will be when Christ returns, however we are to be pressing forward and maturing every day. Something that is not growing, changing and maturing is dead! There are seasons to each of our lives.
In certain seasons of my life, I have not always done what I knew was my ultimate calling. Paul seems to have experienced this same reality. He was called as an apostle. Yet, from the time of his calling to his release in ministry, was a season of time. It doesn't tell us in the Bible what Paul did during this period of time, but I am sure God was using His circumstances to prepare and work within him. While God is preparing us, He is working in us, the character traits we will need to fulfill His calling for our lives. I worked as a janitor for many years. It was a season of God's will for my life. I grew through this experience. God worked within me the attitude of a servant and He also freed me from not needing man's approval.
Enduring through what seems to be menial activity develops true maturing character within us. Everyone must go through the wilderness to get to his or her Promised Land. I wish I could tell you there was another way, but there is not. It is as the cowboys in the Wild West used to say, 'bite the bullet. That means endure and do whatever it takes to reach the goal God has placed before you. Stay under God's promises until you see them finally mature in your life. During periods when you don't think God is working and you are not doing what you desire, whether long or short, never forget that it is only by living within the 'hope of your calling', that you are able to endure with a positive attitude. Keep your vision alive! The only person who can make you quit is yourself. God isn't giving up on you, but calling you to run with the end in view. Finishing is where we receive rewards.
Jesus often spoke of the rewards He will give to His saints. He uses this as a motivating force and encouragement to all believers who run in the race of faith, and who work faithfully, fulfilling His purposes.
II Corinthians 5:10 specifically mentions the ‘judgment seat of Christ’. Paul likened the coming ‘judgment seat of Christ’ to the ancient seat in Greece where the Judge awarded the winner of the games. This was the beginning of our present-day World Olympic competitions. Just as these athletes were and still are rewarded for their performance, so Christ as the Judge will award His own for their faithful service in His kingdom, when He returns at His Second Coming.
Paul and the author of Hebrews uses the Greek games as an example of the present-day judgment of the believer. In the book of Hebrews chapter 11 the author describes to us the race of faith. Then he begins chapter 12 with the exhortation to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress.”
We are then given the picture of God as being our Father and Coach who gives us godly discipline and instruction so that we can finish the race set before us.
Hebrews 12:5-6 exhorts us to not “ignore it when the Lord disciplines...and don’t be discouraged when He corrects...For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes those He accepts as His children” (N.L.T.). Since we know that it is God’s desire for us to finish the race set before us, then we can be totally confident and secure that God’s instruction is for our benefit (Hebrews 12:1).
God’s discipline is to cut us off from the things that are keeping us from running a straight course.
The Message Bible says that through discipline ‘God is educating us that’s why we shouldn’t quit. It’s like training from a coach which has the purpose of strengthening us to finish the race’ (Hebrews 12:7-8). What are the avenues by which God brings His present-day judgment or discipline into our lives?
The first avenue is the word of God. Hebrews 4:12 says the word of God is like a sharp two-edged sword. If we will give ourselves to the instruction of the word of God, allowing the word of God to judge our hearts, it will cut away the sin which keeps us from running a straight course.
The second avenue by which God brings His present-day judgment is through our circumstances in life. We can see God’s discipline in difficult circumstances and when we experience difficulties it is a time to take inventory of our lives. We must adjust our course at this time from any bad decisions we have made. This is a time of growing stronger in our character and John 15:2 calls it ‘God’s pruning’.
The third avenue by which God brings His present-day judgment is through persecution. When the believer experiences rejection and persecution from the world, Peter calls it judgment (I Peter 4:17). Believers are to be prepared to follow Christ's example of suffering. This should cause us to be focused on living totally for the will of God.
The Bible also declares that there will be a future judgment of the believer.
II Corinthians 5:10 tells us that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be rewarded for his deeds in the body.” The ‘judgment seat of Christ’ will be like the judges’ stand at a Fair, or Racetrack, where rewards are distributed to the successful contestants. It will not be a judgment in the sense of a ‘trial’ to see whether the judged are innocent or guilty, but it is the place of reward. “After the Grecian games were all over the runners, wrestlers, and successful contestants assembled before the ‘Bema,’ or Judges’ stand, which was an elevated seat on which the umpire sat, and the winners received a crown of laurel leaves.”
At the Second Coming of Christ every believer will appear before the ‘judgment seat of Christ’ to be rewarded for how they did in the race of faith. Believers will be rewarded for the quality of their work and their faithfulness (Matthew 25:19). In regard to quality, we will be judged according to how well we used the talents that we have been entrusted with. It is on the basis of quality that the believer will be rewarded or lose his reward for his good works. In regard to faithfulness, the Lord will reward those who faithfully finish the race set before them. It’s not how fast we go and how much we do, but how faithful we are to the Lord’s will for our lives.
The ‘judgment seat of Christ’ will be a time for the believer to receive his reward. The New Testament mentions ‘Five Crowns’ which the believer can win. These ‘Fives Crowns’ could be literal or merely symbolic of the believer’s future rewards. However, the ultimate result of this judgment is ‘reward’ or ‘loss’. All our ‘bad’ and ‘dead works’, represented by the wood, hay and stubble, will be consumed, and only our ‘good works’ shall remain (I Cor. 3:11-15) to be rewarded. Saved as through the fire! To review the teaching of dead works I would encourage you to go back and listen to Lesson 7: The Cycle of Dead Works.
I Corinthians 3:15 says that if a person’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss, but will be SAVED THROUGH THE FIRE. This kind of a believer will not be judged for his sin, but he will be judged for allowing sin to keep him from the will of God for his life. This is not a judgment unto damnation. These Christians may receive no reward, but they also will not be cast out. They suffer the loss of their works, but they are still saved and receive eternal life.
We must run the race of faith to win and not stop short of the prize. We must keep working toward that day when we will stand before Christ. Paul the apostle said, “I am focusing all of my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.”
Each Christian has been called to walk with God by faith and fulfill His will. Just as an athlete focuses all of his energy on the race set before him, so the Christian is encouraged to do the same. Paul says, “in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize.” In the race of faith, we are not in competition with others, but there is a prize for each Christian. Paul said that “all athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize” (I Corinthians 9:24-26 N.L.T.). Since this is so, may we run the race with purpose in every step, and not stop short of the prize set before us.
I want to finish this lesson talking about the two main theological streams of thought behind the term ‘Once Saved Always Saved’. Now the term ‘once saved always saved’ is a confusing topic and important to address as we are ending this lesson on eternal judgement. Now the FIRST STREAM of thought behind the term once saved always saved believes that once the believer has believed in their hearts and confessed with their mouths Jesus Christ as Lord has been saved and his salvation can never be lost no matter what moral state the person continues to live in.
The main pitfall to this view is that it can produce a false security making people think they are not accountable for acts of sin and can live any way that they want to live.
The SECOND STREAM of thought behind the term once saved always saved is a view that says that a person can lose his or her salvation through any act of disobedience and come back under the judgment of eternal damnation and the wrath of God.
The main pitfall to this view is that it will produce helplessness in the believer’s relationship towards God causing them to give up on God all together, since they believe God has given up on them because of their sinful lifestyles.
It is important that we reconcile these two streams of thought because there is a portion of truth in both views, but if we take either view to an extreme, we wind up in error and destructive lifestyles.
Above all else in our walk of faith, we must have a foundation on which to live our faith and that foundation is Christ. We can be totally assured and confident that if we put faith in Him then we have been forgiven and judged for sin and have received eternal life. Christ Himself said, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36). The key aspect is our ‘continued walk of faith’ (Colossians 1:23). Believing with our hearts and confessing with our mouths Jesus Christ as our Lord, is not a one-time act, but a continued trusting and abiding relationship. It’s living the cruciform life of Christ learning to allow Christ to live in us. It is practicing our faith on a daily basis as a priest before God.
Now the question we have to look at is the question of the possibility of the believer to lose that faith and therefore lose his salvation? There are some scriptures, which seem to indicate the possibility. One such scripture is Hebrews 3:12 which tells us to “take care...lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God.” It goes on to tell us that the root cause of this hardened heart is a result of continued acts of sin. A classic Biblical example would be the immorality going on in the Corinthian church, which Paul addressed in Chapter 5 of I Corinthians.
Paul addressed two subjects here in this chapter. The first thing he addressed was concern for the sinning individual’s salvation and the second thing he addressed was concern for the safety and holiness of the community of the faithful. As I said Paul was first of all concerned for this believer’s salvation.
Now Paul as a mature leader had followed the biblical mandate laid out by Jesus Christ in Matthew 18:15-18 to confront this believer who had strayed into the ditch of sin. Paul in Galatians 6:1 instructed us how to do it saying, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. So, gentleness and humility are required to help someone.
Obviously, this man had refused to repent and get reconciled with God therefore, Paul instructed the leaders of the church in Corinth, to “deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved” (I Corinthians 5:5). Paul’s ultimate goal was not the destruction of this person, but the restoration of this person’s faith. We see in II Corinthians that in this case Paul’s goal was accomplished.
Now Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:5 that “know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5). Paul was speaking of more than just dealing with a habit of sin with which we all struggle. Paul is speaking of living in a continued practice of sin with no conviction of the Holy Spirit.
The apostle John addressed this same subject in his first epistle the third chapter v. 6 says “No one who abides in Him sins.” Then in v.9 he declares, “No one who is born of God practices sin, because he is born of God.” An exact rendering of v. 9 in the Greek says, "He cannot continue in sin.” If we have the Holy Spirit within us, which all believers do, then when we sin the Spirit will convict, pursue us and support us to turn our hearts back to God in surrender. It’s the only way to live the Christian life and that is to allow the Spirit of Christ to work within us as a priest before God.
Now this is where the rubber meets the road. If we do not respond to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, then our hearts grow hard, and our faith is weakened. The result is that our fellowship with God is weakened, and it also affects our relationship with His body the church. However, here is where the ambiguity resides.
I don’t see any evidence in scripture where ‘we can know for certainty’ if an individual can lose his or her salvation. As I’ve said in previous lessons, I’m okay with not knowing everything and when it comes to certain subjects, we just don’t know everything, but God does.
As being a part of the priesthood of the believer our responsibility is to walk in love, mercy and compassion. We are to always walk in humility and treat others with gentleness not legalism. Paul told Timothy “The firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are His’...” Let me repeat that. The Lord knows those who are His. We may not be 100% sure of a person’s eternal destiny, but God knows. I believe Paul is silent on the area of speaking concerning a person’s eternal salvation because it is an area, which only God knows. Paul instructed the Corinthians to treat this man whom they eventually excluded from the fellowship as an unbeliever. Did Paul ever say he lost his eternal salvation? No he never explicitly said that.
Now people will bring up the episode in Acts 5:1-9 concerning the husband and wife, Ananias and Sapphira. Yes scripture clearly says they died after lying to the by the Spirit, however we are given no hint as to their eternal state. The Bible does speak of Judas the apostle’s damnation by calling him the ‘son of perdition’ and we have the story of the rich man and Lazarus, however other than these we have no other text where the eternal state of an individual is made known. We have every right to judge those within the church. I am not talking about in a critical way, but we must hold one another accountable to the standard of faith laid out in God’s word with mercy and a spirit of gentleness recognizing our own weakness.
Scripture calls for the safety and holiness of the church, which the elders are commanded to oversee and protect (I Peter 5:2). According to Matthew 18 church leaders have been given the authority to allow people in and out of the community of the faithful, but to allow people in heaven is God’s right alone.
The key to eternal security is faith. All of the scriptures, which speak of our eternal security, also speak of the condition of abiding faith in Christ as being a part of our salvation. In Hebrews 10:26-39 it speaks of a believer living in a lifestyle of sin. In this scripture it is obvious that the believer can come back under the judgment of God, however it is not clear if this is a judgment to eternal damnation.
This judgment would first of all be the present-day judgment of the believer to bring them back to the solid foundation of faith in Christ. If this person refuses to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit before his physical death and return to faith in Christ, we would have to question if this person ever had a genuine conversion to Christ in the first place.
The Bible speaks of only one unforgivable sin and that is the sin of unbelief. It is the sin of blaspheming or refusing the Holy Spirit who brings the conviction of faith in Christ to our hearts (Matt. 12:31-32). It is rejecting the testimony of the Holy Spirit concerning the Son of God. The Spirit and the Word of God testify that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. If we reject that testimony, then our eternal damnation is assured.
One thing is clear in scripture, and it is that faith in Christ is the only pathway to eternal salvation. It’s the cruciform life of faith completely identifying with His life, death, resurrection, ascension and hope of his return.
In Jesus’ parable about the workers in the vineyard, he shows us that it is not when we come into the kingdom, which determines our reward. Those who have a genuine deathbed conversion, have just as much of a place in the kingdom, as those who have walked their whole lives by faith (Matthew 20:1-16). The Father is first of all and primarily merciful, kind and long suffering. He loves us, encourages us and is always wanting what is best for us. In the parable about the prodigal son, we see that though the son lost all because of his sinful lifestyle, when he humbled himself in repentance he was restored to fellowship with the Father. This has a lot of resemblance to I Corinthians 3:15 where Paul said that certain believer’s works would be burned, yet they would be saved.
The fire of God’s present-day judgment upon the believer is designed to turn their hearts back in faith to the one true way of salvation in Jesus Christ and stay in fellowship with the Father. Now this wraps up section one of this foundational course and in the next lesson we are going to start looking at the book of Hebrews and learn how to practically live out this life of faith as a part of the New Testament priesthood of the believer.
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Next Lesson: Introduction to Section II - Created Unto Good Works
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