SUBJECT:
Salvation Process
QUESTION: Could you discuss the relationship between
the element of sin and the Salvation Process?
ANSWER:
Many do not understand the relationship between the element
of sin and the Salvation Process.
What I am going to do here is the following:
1) Define the Salvation Process
2) Give you a tool to stop sin BEFORE it turns to action.
When one is called by God (John 6:44) to repentance, then to
baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit, they enter
something called the Salvation Process. Each person so
called can enter this process only one time. Once entered,
if a person falls away, leaving the process, they cannot be
in the Kingdom of God.
Luke 9:62
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
This does NOT mean that if you sin or are having a problem
overcoming a sin that you have fallen away. This is the
greatest misunderstanding. Everyone in the Salvation
Process (a lifelong process)
will sin, as ALL humans are subject to sin. The key is that
one is making progress in the Salvation process. Simply
stated, the following are the primary elements within the
Salvation process. It is a personal commitment to...
1) keeping the Law and commandments.
2) invoking the Principles of God which the Law points to
(Galatians 5:22-23).
3) overcoming sin... making progress... stopping the sin
process before it begins... controlling the mind… being
repentant.
4) becoming more like Jesus Christ.
5) going on to perfection (Hebrews 6)
6) responding to your specific Godly Calling (God
calls each member to a specific place and to specific duties
and/or offices). This includes duties pertaining
to the first commission of spreading the gospel and the
second commission of feeding the flock.
7) maintaining this process at the return of Jesus Christ.
8) having absolute trust in God and Jesus Christ
(Ephesians 1:12-14; 1 Peter 1:21; John 14:1; 1 John 2:23-24)
Now understand the difference between "backsliding" and
"falling away". While one is in the Salvation Process, they
may sin and sinning is backsliding. What God expects us to
do is repent of sin. By definition, when we repent, we turn
from backsliding. If one continues backsliding without
repentance, they are in danger of falling away. To "fall
away" is to fall from the process and if that happens, all
is lost. Note element 3 in the Salvation Process...being
repentant. David was a man after God's own heart, because
he was repentant. It was a cornerstone of his character.
In the process, one is expected to conquer sin with that
power of the Holy Spirit. Notice that everything is a
process.
Sin is a process (see James 1:14).
Backsliding is a process.
Falling away is a process.
Salvation is a process.
None of these happens with one event. One does not fall
away with one sin (except
the unpardonable sin and/or willfully sinning--turning
totally against God in great hate). A converted
Christian will constantly be working at limiting and
overcoming sin, turning from backsliding as quickly as
possible, never allowing one's self to fall away and who
will stay in the Salvation process to death or the return of
Christ.
Backsliding will take place within the Salvation Process
from time to time. What we do is repent and get back to
moving forward in the Salvation Process. |