Question 1: CAN YOU LOSE YOUR SALVATION? HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND ETERNAL SECURITY?
Everyone that the Father has given me will come to me, and I won’t turn any of them away. The Father wants me to do His will.
He sent me, and he wants to make certain that none of the ones he has given me will be lost . . . My sheep respond to my voice, and I know who they are.
They follow me, and I give them eternal life. They will never be lost, and no one will tear them away from me. (John 6:37-40 – Contemporary English Version, John 10:27-28 – God’s Word Translation)
THEOLOGICAL TRUTH: Salvation is a new birth
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God.
(1 John 5:1 – Contemporary English Bible)
I tell you the truth: only someone who experiences birth for a second time can hope to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus: I am a grown man.
How can someone be born again when he is old like me? Am I to crawl back into my mother’s womb for a second birth? That’s impossible!
Jesus: I tell you the truth, if someone does not experience water and Spirit birth, there’s no chance he will make it into God’s kingdom. Like from like.
Whatever is born from flesh is flesh; whatever is born from Spirit is spirit. Don’t be shocked by My words, but I tell you the truth.
Even you, an educated and respected man among your people, must be reborn by the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:3-7 – The Voice)
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
(1 Peter 1:23 – New Living Translation)
THEOLOGICAL TRUTH: Salvation is a permanent relationship
But for all who did receive and trust in Him, He gave them the right to be reborn as children of God. (John 1:121 – The Voice)
You are now children of God because you have put your trust in Christ Jesus . . . God does not see you as a Jew or as a Greek.
He does not see you as a servant or as a person free to work. He does not see you as a man or as a woman.
You are all one in Christ. If you belong to Christ, then you have become true children . . . What God has promised is now yours. (Galatians 3:26-29 – New Life Version)
The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family. That’s why we call out to Him, “Abba! Father!” as we would address a loving daddy.
God’s Spirit confirms in our spirits that we are His children. If we are God’s children,
that means we are His heirs along with Christ, set to inherit everything that is His. (Romans 8:16-17 – The Voice)
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
(1 Peter 1:23 – New Living Translation)
ME
ME
ME
ME
THEOLOGICAL TRUTH: Salvation is totally dependent on God’s grace not our efforts
. . . being saved as a result of God’s kindness in choosing us. And if it is by God’s kindness, then it is not by our being good enough.
For in that case the free gift would no longer be free—it isn’t free when it is earned. (Romans 11:5-6 – Living Bible)
For it’s by God’s grace that you have been saved. You receive it through faith. It was not our plan or our effort. It is God’s gift, pure and simple.
You didn’t earn it, not one of us did, so don’t go around bragging that you must have done something amazing. (Ephesians 2:8-9 – The Voice)
THEOLOGICAL TRUTH: Salvation is guaranteed by God giving us the Holy Spirit
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.
(And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
(Romans 8:9 – New Living Translation)
And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people.
(Ephesians 1:13-14 – New Living Translation)
Question 2:
HOW DO I LIVE WITHOUT FEAR EVEN AFTER I TRY SO HARD TO OVERCOME IT? DO I NOT HAVE ENOUGH FAITH?
For God did not give us a spirit of fear. He gave us a spirit of power and of love and of a good mind.
(2 Timothy 1:7 – New Life Version)
When struck by fear, I let go, depending securely upon You alone. (Psalm 56:3 – The Voice)
FALSE
EVIDENCE
APPEARING
REAL
We don’t have to fear anything, because God always loves us!
Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love takes away fear . . . So his love is not made perfect in the one who has fear. (1 John 4:18 – Easy To Read Version)
There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—
fear of death, fear of judgment — is one not yet fully formed in love. (1 John 4:18 – The Message)
We don’t have to fear anything, because God is always for us!
So what should we say about all of this? If God is on our side, then tell me: whom should we fear?
If He did not spare His own Son, but handed Him over on our account then don’t you think that He will graciously give us all things with Him?
. . . So who can separate us? What can come between us and the love of God? Can troubles, hardships, persecution, hunger, poverty, danger, or even death?
The answer is, absolutely nothing . . . But no matter what comes, we will always taste victory through Him who loved us. For I have every confidence that nothing—
not death, life, heavenly messengers, dark spirits, the present, the future, spiritual powers, height, depth, nor any created thing—
can come between us and the love of God revealed in Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-32, 35, 37-39 – The Voice).
We don’t have to fear anything, because God is always with us!
Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will give you strength, and for sure I will help you.
Yes, I will hold you up with My right hand that is right and good.
(Isaiah 41:10 – New Life Version)
Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory.
(1 John 5:4 – Contemporary English Version)
FREEDOM
ALWAYS
IS
TRUSTING
HIM
I’m leaving you with a gift, peace of mind and heart. And the peace that I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives.
So don’t be troubled, don’t be afraid. (John 14:27 – Living Bible)
When we replace our fears with faith, we will experience God’s peace
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.
If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.
His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:6-7 – Living Bible)
Question 3:
HOW COME I READ THE BIBLE BUT NEVER GET ANYTHING OUT OF IT?
The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives;
it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point,
fully equipped to do good to everyone.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17– Living Bible)
Instruction
Conviction
Correction
Transformation
Before you read – PRAY – Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you
But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place.
The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you.
(John 14:26 – Contemporary English Version)
Before you read – OBEY – Determine to obey whatever the Scripture says to do
I cling to your commands and follow them as closely as I can. Lord, don’t let me make a mess of things. (Psalm 119:31- Living Bible)
Sin to confess
Promise to keep
Attitude to change
Command to keep
Example to follow
Prayer to pray
Error to avoid
Truth to believe
Something to thank God for
After you read Reflect
After you read Respond
After you read Record
Your words are a flashlight to light the path ahead of me and keep me from stumbling. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again and again:
I will obey these wonderful laws of yours.
(Psalm 119:105 - 106 - Living Bible)
Let’s Pray
Bonus Question 1:
ARE THERE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF HEAVEN?
I know a follower of Christ who was snatched away to the third heaven fourteen years ago. (2 Corinthians 12:2 – The Message)
In many ancient cultures people used the term “heaven” to describe three different “realms” -
The sky, outer space and then a spiritual heaven. Paul was saying that God took him to the “spiritual” heaven – the realm beyond the physical universe – where God dwells.
I know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in ecstasy to the heights of heaven. (2 Corinthians 12:2 – The Message)