CHRISTIAN 3
CHRISTIAN 3
Before moving on here, we need to look in depth at a condition of salvation Jesus cited in Mk 11 and made the subject of a parable in Mt 18 called the parable of the Unmerciful Servant (CP Mt 18:23-35; Mk 11:25-26). We learn from this that the forgiveness of God, though freely given to repentant sinners nevertheless remains conditional upon their willingness to forgive others. The judgement the king pronounced on the unmerciful servant in the parable is the equivalent of unforgiving Christians failing God's grace and forfeiting their salvation, because just as the servant could never repay his debt to the king, Christians can never repay their debt to God. Christians have had all their sins forgiven by God, so they must forgive others in return (CP Psa 103:10-12; Mt 6:14-15).
There is no place in God's eternal purpose for those who fail His grace (CP Mt 22:2-14). This is called the parable of the marriage feast. It illustrates two truths - one is that as the king called all men to the marriage feast of his son, so God calls all mankind to partake of the Kingdom benefits of His son, Jesus (CP Mt 11:28-30; Jn 3:16; 7:37). No one is excluded from responding to God's universal call to salvation, but sadly, and this is the second truth the parable illustrates: not all who respond to God's call are totally consecrated to the service of God and completely yielded to the authority of His word. They want to be saved, but on their terms not Christ's. They do not comply with the conditions of salvation He has laid down and thus fail His grace and forfeit their salvation. It needs to be re-stated, once-saved does not mean always-saved (CP 1Cor 10:1-12).
This is plain teaching for New Testament Christians: as despite all their blessings a whole generation of Old Testament Israelites were denied entry into the Promised Land and died in the wilderness because they failed God's grace, so too New Testament Christians can fail God's grace and forfeit their salvation. V 6 and 11 clearly teach that what befell the Israelites is an Old Testament type of what can happen to New Testament Christians (CP V 6, 11 and 12). V 12 says it all - it is folly for Christians who are not complying with the conditions of salvation laid down by Jesus to think they are saved (CP He 3:7 - 4:11; 12:14-16; 2Pe 20-22). Rest in He 3 and 4 for the ancient Israelites refers to the Promised Land; for New Testament Christians it refers to the Spiritual rest now and throughout eternity for all who put their trust in Christ and conform to His word (CP Mt 11:28-30; He 12:22-25).
Christians need to be reminded here also that they cannot love the world and the things of the world and be saved. As friends of the world they are enemies of God - failing His grace and forfeiting their salvation (CP Ro 12:1-2 and 1Jn 2:15-17 with Jas 4:1-4; 2Pe 2:20). In Ro 12:1-2 Paul exhorts Christians to set themselves apart wholly unto God and be totally consecrated to His service (CP Mt 6:19-21, 24). In 1Jn 2:15-17 John admonishes Christians not to allow themselves to become ensnared by the world. While the Christians James addresses have committed spiritual adultery with the world, they are not yet totally ensnared. But those Peter refers to are, and he spells out what their end will be. A good scriptural example of a Christian being ensnared by the world system is Demas, one of Paul's most dependable and trusted co-workers in the gospel (CP Col 4:14; Phm 1:20 with 2Ti 4:10). There is no record in scripture of him having done so, but unless Demas returned to doing the work of God's word, he failed God's grace and has forfeited His salvation.
None of this is teaching that Christians have to completely disassociate themselves from the world - that would defeat God's purpose for them to be his witness in the earth. They must be in the world to be its light (CP Mt 5:14-16 with Jn 17:15-20; Ac 1:8; 1Cor 5:9-13). It should be noted here that it is Christians Paul is referring to as the fornicators, covetous, idolaters, foul tongued abusers, drunkards and extortioners in 1Cor 5:11, the same as in Ga 5:19-21 (CP Ga 5:19-21). There are some in the church who teach that Paul is not referring to Christians here as the ones involved in those sins, but non-christians. Again that is not correct. Inheriting the Kingdom of God is only an option for Christians, not non-christians. Non-christians will not fail God's grace and forfeit salvation because they commit those sins, but because they have rejected Jesus (CP Jn 3:3, 5, 18, 36; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 20:31; Ro 1:16-17). Furthermore, non-Christians cannot distinguish between walking in the Spirit or obeying the lusts of the flesh - only Christians can do that, which Paul had just called upon them to do (CP Ga 5:16-18 with Ro 8:1). Paul's warning against the sins of Ga 5:19-21 is directed to the Galatian Christians and by extension to every Christian throughout the church age, who do such things (CP 1Cor 5:1-12; 6:18-20; Eph 5:1-8; Col 3:1-10; 1Th 4:1-7; 5:22; He 12:14-16; 1Pe 2:11).
Let us look now at the so-called "Great Commission" for which Christ holds Christians responsible (CP Mt 28:19-20 also Mk 16:15-16). Jesus commands Christians in these scriptures to preach the gospel. Peter and Paul both acknowledge it as a command (CP Ac 10:42-43; Ro 1:14; 1Cor 9:16-17). For Christians to call this the "Great Commission" is not only a misnomer, it contradicts scripture. It is a command, not a commission. A commission can be rejected - and there are many Christians in the contemporary church who do not see winning souls to Christ as incumbent upon them personally - but a command has to be obeyed and Christians can only prove their love for Christ and ensure their salvation by obeying His commands (CP 119:9, 16, 24, 47, 77, 174; Mt 19:17; Jn 14:15, 21, 23-24; 15:10; 1Cor 7:19; 1Jn 2:3-5; 3:22-24; 5:2-3; 2Jn 6; Rev 22:14).