Subject: Renewal AGAIN to repentance? |
Bible Note: GloriaLynn, I'm going to venture several more remarks and questions on this topic, because there may be some semantic gulf that separates us. Can we agree that "being born again" is the same thing as "being saved"? Can we agree that a person can be born again only one time and hence saved only one time? Can we agree that the "falling away" of a truly regenerate believer is possible, i.e., it's possible for a Christian to sin? Can we agree that it is not only possible for a Christian to sin, but that all Christians do in fact sin? When a Christian sins, does he at that moment become unplugged from his salvation? If this is so, has his born-again status been removed? And if it has, how can it be restored without his being born again after his first born-again experience?...... Now, the unconfessed sin of a Christian can and does affect his walk with the Lord. No doubt about it. The Christian who does not confess his sin before God is not walking in fellowship with God. This does not mean that God takes back the Christian's salvation. But the Christian who sins doesn't deserve salvation, does he? Of course he doesn't. He never did. The Christian who doesn't sin doesn't deserve it either. So, there is a terribly important distinction to be made between "losing" salvation and losing fellowship with God. Salvation is a gift of God that we receive by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We did nothing to earn it, because there is nothing we can do to earn it. It was not given to us because we were sinless and its continuance is not based upon our becoming sinless. --Hank |