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NASB | Romans 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
Subject: is there security of the believer |
Bible Note: I have pondered your question carefully before God and I believe he has an answer for you. I trust you will ponder it as well. I do believe that God reveals his truth to us. It does not come through studying, looking up word meanings, arguing, debating, etc. We are to have searched the Scriptures. With that, the Holy Spirit puts it together for us in times of need. The Lord has long ago given me the assurance that I cannot lose my salvation. If you are still open to doubts about keeping yours, I trust the Lord will give you an answer of peace. With that let me say that the Lord in John 15 is speaking not of salvation but of a position of usefulness in the kingdom of God. To be a disciple indeed is to be a follower, a learner, an imitator of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the area of service, as in other areas, he was in perfect fellowship with the Father, in all things well pleasing, and accomplishing the task assigned to him. Many a believer loses that because he is not careful to discern and to do the Father’s will. Whether it is through sin or through neglect of duty, he falls away from that position. To describe this directly one may use Scriptural terms such as testimony and candlestick and being a vessel fit for the Master’s use. That is what is lost. To use an example one might think of King Saul. One may be rejected, cast away, cut off, abandoned by God, if you will, in that God no longer chooses to use him for work in the kingdom. That is a sad situation, supposing that the person wanted to serve in the first place. God knows that some people are satisfied to be saved and do not want to do anything for him. They want to get everything and to give nothing. The Lord does not deny them salvation because of that. The Lord calls on us to give our whole lives to him, and there is much satisfaction and joy in this. We may lose all that, but our salvation is not affected. We may yet be in heaven with no crown. Our works may be all burned up, but we ourselves will be saved from the fire. I trust that you know the Scriptures and realize that all of this is taught. Please think about it and ponder the Scriptures, and may the Lord give you peace. Let us avoid sin because the Lord has put a loathing for it in our hearts. Let us follow the God-given desire to please him, to make him happy. It is he who works in us both to will and to do his good pleasure. Let us not resist him. Let us serve him, not in order to be born again or to remain so, but because we are new creatures with these desires. There is joy in pleasing God and we don’t want to lose that. Please think about what has been said here. The Lord will give you understanding in all these things. |