Subject: Can you lose your salvation? |
Bible Note: Joe, thank you for your response. You asked, "If we "miss one," are we damned?" 1) In my daily prayer to God, I ask Him to please forgive the sins that I "know" about (commission) and the sins that I "don't know" about (omission). This will take care of "all" my sins. 2) The "works" mentioned in Eph. 2:9 refers to the old law of Moses (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 3:10-12) which no man could "keep" perfectly. 3) There are man's "works" of merit which will not save him (2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:5). 4) There are, however, "works" that God has authorized (prepared or ordained) us to "do" in order to be "obedient" to Him (Eph. 2:10) and His Will (Matt. 7:21). Notice in this passage (reading from the ASV). "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which GOD (emphasis mine) afore prepared that we should WALK IN THEM" (emphasis mine). These are works of "obedience" to God - NOT works of merit which man has devised. One such "work" of obedience that God authorizes is Matt. 28:18-20 concerning the great commission. If's it's not a "work" to "teach all nations", then what is it? To illustrate, the following passages authorizes us as children of God to execute or perform the "works" that God has authorized us to do: 1 Cor. 9:1 - the inspired Apostle Paul here states, "are not ye my work in the Lord?" (notice "in the Lord" - the Lord has authorized the work - not Paul). 1 Cor. 16:10; 2 Cor. 9:8; Eph. 4:12; Phil. 1:6; 2:30; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 1:3; 5:13; 2 Thess. 1:11; 2:17; 1 Tim. 2:10; 3:1; 5:10; 5:25; 6:18; 2 Tim. 2:21; 3:17; 4:5; Titus 1:16; 2:7; 2:14; 3:1; 3:8; 3:14; Heb. 6:10; 10:24; James 1:25; 2:14; 2:17-18; 2:20-26; 3:13; 1 Pet. 2:12; Rev. 2:26. May the Lord continue to bless you in the study of His Word. Mike |