Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
Misunderstandings about Salvation
We are saved by grace, through faith! We are not once saved always saved. No, sin does not send us to hell. And with those few words I just made 90% of the Christians today disagree with me.
For some reason, Christians today love to jump from one extreme to another but so few seem willing to find the real truth of what God’s Word says. Many believe that we are saved by works because some interpret James to mean that when he never actually says it. The other side says we are saved by grace and believes it is impossible to lose your salvation even though God’s Word never actually says that. They only interpret a verse to mean more than it says. Me and some others, on the other hand, we believe in what Gods Word actually says and not in how man interprets it.
Now I have had someone accuse me of just interpreting Gods Word myself, but strangely I have never had anyone give me a different interpretation of the scriptures I use, that actually makes sense.
Saved by Grace, through Faith!
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
God’s Word cannot really make it any more clear than this. When you break it down, it is only arguable if you throw all logic out the window.
For by grace you have been saved
The definition of the word “grace” is the same as “kindness” or “goodwill”. This is not how we are saved but it is why we are saved. God was kind enough to send the Word to become the only begotten Son of God and die for us.
through faith;
This is the “how” we are saved; through faith. There are 19 primary scriptures that say we are saved by believing in Jesus. Since there is no absolute proof that He is the Son of God, we are forced to believe without proof. That is called faith.
and this is not of yourselves,
Salvation is nothing to do with anything we do. It is only Jesus that saves us.
it is the gift of God;
For something to be a gift, it must be free. If you have to pay for it, it is a purchase. If you have to do anything at all to earn it, it is a reward. A gift is completely free.
not a result of works, so that no one may boast
And the big smack to the forehead for those who believe in a work based salvation. It is put very plainly here. Salvation is NOT a result of works, so that no one may boast. What would we possibly boast about? That we saved ourselves!
To believe in a work based salvation, you have to do so in direct contradiction to this scripture! But if that is not enough, let’s look at another primary scripture.
John 3:18 (KJV)
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Jesus does not list any conditions or clauses. He states it very simply for everyone to understand. If you believe in Him, you will not be condemned. If you don’t, you are already condemned. Not because you sinned or didn’t do good works, but simply because you did not believe in the only begotten Son of God. You can argue that Jesus says anyone who loves me will obey me, but I can argue that to obey Jesus means to believe in Him because that is the only thing He ever says saves us. You can give me any number of interpreted verses and I will give you alternate interpretations. What you cannot do is give me one primary scripture that plainly states we are saved by works. On the other hand I have given you two very plainly stated scriptures saying we are saved by believing only. And there are 19 primary scriptures stating the same thing altogether. Primary Salvation Scriptures
Will you believe mans interpretation or what Gods Word says clearly?
Can We Lose Our Salvation?
Many Christians take a couple scriptures where the Lord says that nobody can snatch our salvation from His hand and assume that means we cannot lose our salvation. But it never actually says that. They only interpret that is what it means. Those verses are only saying that anything anyone else can do, can never take your salvation away. It never says you cannot give the gift of salvation back or throw it away yourself. There is not a single verse in the Bible that says you cannot turn away from your salvation.
It says God sends the Holy Spirit to seal us…. Yes it does; to seal us with a promise of salvation. 1) The intended recipient is always the one who has the right to break a seal. 2) It does not say to seal us with salvation but only with a promise. However over and over through the Bible it says we will be saved if we believe. That is the promise. As long as we believe, we will be saved. But if we ever choose to stop believing and become an atheist, it is us who is breaking that promise. Not God.
You can find plenty of scriptures that can be interpreted to mean we cannot lose our salvation, but there is not one that plainly states it. Only man’s interpretation says it. However, I can give you pretty clear evidence that one can lose his salvation..
Revelation 3:5 (NASB)
5 The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
One thing any Christian should be able to agree on is that the only names in the Book of Life are those who are truly saved. But this scripture is not saying God will add their name to the Book of Life, but that He will not erase it! You cannot possibly erase something that is not already there. For God to be able to erase a name that is already in the Book of Life, this is clear scriptural evidence that someone can indeed have their name in the Book of Life and be truly saved, and have it erased and lose their salvation.
The Sins We Commit Do Not Send Us to Hell.
Believe it or not, there is not a single verse that says the sins we commit will send us to hell. And before you throw 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 at me, please read this short article on the correct understanding of that scripture. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
And to save some trouble, Revelation 21:8 is only referring to the same thing as 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Neither is saying that someone who commits those sins will not go to heaven. They are saying the sinners (those who reject Jesus as the Son of God) will not go to heaven.
If you go back in this article a little ways you will find the link to the 19 Primary Salvation Scriptures. Not one of those scriptures mentions anything about sin. Strange that if our salvation was dependent upon us refraining from sin, that Jesus and the writers of the Bible would neglect to mention it all 19 times they blatantly tell us “how” we are saved.
There are two consequences of the sins we commit and though neither of them is condemning us to hell, they are still quite serious.
1)Sin separates us from God in our personal relationship with Him. What you need to understand is that in order for us to choose God, He had to first change us and give to us a new spirit. A spirit that desires God. Once that happens, no Christian can be happy living in sin. The more we sin, the further we fall from God and the further from God we become, the more miserable we become.
2)Sin eats away our rewards in the afterlife. On the New Earth, there will be kings and servants and entertainers and laborers and every position in between those. The Bible says we will all live in happiness and joy, but being happy is not the same as enjoyment. Those who reap rewards will have greater positions of authority and will be served. They will have more opportunity to enjoy the New Earth to its fullest. Those who lose their rewards and are laborers and servants will still be happy, but they will not get to enjoy the New Earth to the same degree. Keep in mind, the position you receive is not temporary. It is forever! If you live in sin, you will end up a servant and that will be forever.
The sins we commit will not send us to hell so long as we truly believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. But believe me; even though it is possible to live in sin and still go to heaven, it is the worst of both worlds. Not the best of both worlds!
Can We Choose to Live in Sin?
There are some scriptures that talking about someone continuing to sin willingly. This is not some Christian who accidentally commits a sin on the spur of the moment. This is not even a Christian who has a porn addiction or is stuck in another sin he can’t seem to break free from. This is about someone literally intentionally choosing to toss God aside and live in sin and it doesn’t even bother them. This person was never truly saved to begin with.
A true believer has a spirit that desires to be close to God. It is possible for a true Believer to fall away from God and really get entrenched in a life of sin, but it is impossible for them to be happy like that. It will make them miserable. If they are content with a life of sin and not even bothered by it, they are not truly saved to begin with.
So can we choose to live in sin? No. We would never choose that way and be happy in it. We can indeed get stuck in sin. We can fall into a life of sin. But we can never choose it over God and be good with it. Sin will always make us miserable and not happy.
You may also be interested in learning more about what Forgiveness of Sin has to do with Salvation
For some reason, Christians today love to jump from one extreme to another but so few seem willing to find the real truth of what God’s Word says. Many believe that we are saved by works because some interpret James to mean that when he never actually says it. The other side says we are saved by grace and believes it is impossible to lose your salvation even though God’s Word never actually says that. They only interpret a verse to mean more than it says. Me and some others, on the other hand, we believe in what Gods Word actually says and not in how man interprets it.
Now I have had someone accuse me of just interpreting Gods Word myself, but strangely I have never had anyone give me a different interpretation of the scriptures I use, that actually makes sense.
Saved by Grace, through Faith!
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
God’s Word cannot really make it any more clear than this. When you break it down, it is only arguable if you throw all logic out the window.
For by grace you have been saved
The definition of the word “grace” is the same as “kindness” or “goodwill”. This is not how we are saved but it is why we are saved. God was kind enough to send the Word to become the only begotten Son of God and die for us.
through faith;
This is the “how” we are saved; through faith. There are 19 primary scriptures that say we are saved by believing in Jesus. Since there is no absolute proof that He is the Son of God, we are forced to believe without proof. That is called faith.
and this is not of yourselves,
Salvation is nothing to do with anything we do. It is only Jesus that saves us.
it is the gift of God;
For something to be a gift, it must be free. If you have to pay for it, it is a purchase. If you have to do anything at all to earn it, it is a reward. A gift is completely free.
not a result of works, so that no one may boast
And the big smack to the forehead for those who believe in a work based salvation. It is put very plainly here. Salvation is NOT a result of works, so that no one may boast. What would we possibly boast about? That we saved ourselves!
To believe in a work based salvation, you have to do so in direct contradiction to this scripture! But if that is not enough, let’s look at another primary scripture.
John 3:18 (KJV)
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Jesus does not list any conditions or clauses. He states it very simply for everyone to understand. If you believe in Him, you will not be condemned. If you don’t, you are already condemned. Not because you sinned or didn’t do good works, but simply because you did not believe in the only begotten Son of God. You can argue that Jesus says anyone who loves me will obey me, but I can argue that to obey Jesus means to believe in Him because that is the only thing He ever says saves us. You can give me any number of interpreted verses and I will give you alternate interpretations. What you cannot do is give me one primary scripture that plainly states we are saved by works. On the other hand I have given you two very plainly stated scriptures saying we are saved by believing only. And there are 19 primary scriptures stating the same thing altogether. Primary Salvation Scriptures
Will you believe mans interpretation or what Gods Word says clearly?
Can We Lose Our Salvation?
Many Christians take a couple scriptures where the Lord says that nobody can snatch our salvation from His hand and assume that means we cannot lose our salvation. But it never actually says that. They only interpret that is what it means. Those verses are only saying that anything anyone else can do, can never take your salvation away. It never says you cannot give the gift of salvation back or throw it away yourself. There is not a single verse in the Bible that says you cannot turn away from your salvation.
It says God sends the Holy Spirit to seal us…. Yes it does; to seal us with a promise of salvation. 1) The intended recipient is always the one who has the right to break a seal. 2) It does not say to seal us with salvation but only with a promise. However over and over through the Bible it says we will be saved if we believe. That is the promise. As long as we believe, we will be saved. But if we ever choose to stop believing and become an atheist, it is us who is breaking that promise. Not God.
You can find plenty of scriptures that can be interpreted to mean we cannot lose our salvation, but there is not one that plainly states it. Only man’s interpretation says it. However, I can give you pretty clear evidence that one can lose his salvation..
Revelation 3:5 (NASB)
5 The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
One thing any Christian should be able to agree on is that the only names in the Book of Life are those who are truly saved. But this scripture is not saying God will add their name to the Book of Life, but that He will not erase it! You cannot possibly erase something that is not already there. For God to be able to erase a name that is already in the Book of Life, this is clear scriptural evidence that someone can indeed have their name in the Book of Life and be truly saved, and have it erased and lose their salvation.
The Sins We Commit Do Not Send Us to Hell.
Believe it or not, there is not a single verse that says the sins we commit will send us to hell. And before you throw 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 at me, please read this short article on the correct understanding of that scripture. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
And to save some trouble, Revelation 21:8 is only referring to the same thing as 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Neither is saying that someone who commits those sins will not go to heaven. They are saying the sinners (those who reject Jesus as the Son of God) will not go to heaven.
If you go back in this article a little ways you will find the link to the 19 Primary Salvation Scriptures. Not one of those scriptures mentions anything about sin. Strange that if our salvation was dependent upon us refraining from sin, that Jesus and the writers of the Bible would neglect to mention it all 19 times they blatantly tell us “how” we are saved.
There are two consequences of the sins we commit and though neither of them is condemning us to hell, they are still quite serious.
1)Sin separates us from God in our personal relationship with Him. What you need to understand is that in order for us to choose God, He had to first change us and give to us a new spirit. A spirit that desires God. Once that happens, no Christian can be happy living in sin. The more we sin, the further we fall from God and the further from God we become, the more miserable we become.
2)Sin eats away our rewards in the afterlife. On the New Earth, there will be kings and servants and entertainers and laborers and every position in between those. The Bible says we will all live in happiness and joy, but being happy is not the same as enjoyment. Those who reap rewards will have greater positions of authority and will be served. They will have more opportunity to enjoy the New Earth to its fullest. Those who lose their rewards and are laborers and servants will still be happy, but they will not get to enjoy the New Earth to the same degree. Keep in mind, the position you receive is not temporary. It is forever! If you live in sin, you will end up a servant and that will be forever.
The sins we commit will not send us to hell so long as we truly believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. But believe me; even though it is possible to live in sin and still go to heaven, it is the worst of both worlds. Not the best of both worlds!
Can We Choose to Live in Sin?
There are some scriptures that talking about someone continuing to sin willingly. This is not some Christian who accidentally commits a sin on the spur of the moment. This is not even a Christian who has a porn addiction or is stuck in another sin he can’t seem to break free from. This is about someone literally intentionally choosing to toss God aside and live in sin and it doesn’t even bother them. This person was never truly saved to begin with.
A true believer has a spirit that desires to be close to God. It is possible for a true Believer to fall away from God and really get entrenched in a life of sin, but it is impossible for them to be happy like that. It will make them miserable. If they are content with a life of sin and not even bothered by it, they are not truly saved to begin with.
So can we choose to live in sin? No. We would never choose that way and be happy in it. We can indeed get stuck in sin. We can fall into a life of sin. But we can never choose it over God and be good with it. Sin will always make us miserable and not happy.
You may also be interested in learning more about what Forgiveness of Sin has to do with Salvation
