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.