If We Are Saved By Christ Why Read the Bible And Go To Church

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:21-22 NLT)

If we can be saved by believing that Christ had died for our sin and without keeping the requirements of the law, why do we need to read the Bible and go to church?

Let say a man believed in Christ at the age of 16 and then for 80 years he did not read the Bible and go to church. At his death bed at 96, what will happen?

He may remember that he is a Christian but and he does not know what to do. All his friends and relatives are non-Christians, and none can advise. Some of his friends and relatives may think that Christianity is like all other religions. So they called a Roman Catholic priest to perform last rites for him. But he said, "I am not a Catholic. I remember that it is not like that. Does anyone have a Bible for me to check?" Then when offered a Bible, he will flip the pages and hope to find the answer, but will he find it? Then they may get a pastor, but will he end up with a pastor who know the gospel or just some liberal pastor who is equally clueless about salvation? Of course, by the skin of his teeth, he may remember that eternal life is to trust in Jesus and once again cried out to the Lord for mercy before he passes on.

When we do our daily work, whether we are bosses who run big companies or clerks who do daily operation, don't we plan our work to ensure success? If we put so much effort into work and do not count for eternity, why are we neglecting the work that is needed to assure our eternal life?

While we do not need to read the Bible and go to church to be saved, we need to build our faith and assurance. If we have no knowledge of our Saviour, how can we have the faith that He will save us on that day? We will not even know that salvation is as easy as believing in Christ. Let say we have a friend whom we did not meet for 80 years. Will we be able to recognise each other when we meet? If we did not read the Bible and go to church for a long time, will we believe that Jesus is still willing to save us? And we will not know that it is written in the Bible that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life (John 3:15).

And what about the family and children? We spent money on the children's education to ensure that they will slog hard in the world in work that do not last for eternity. But what about their eternal salvation? Without us leading the way to go to church and read the Bible, the children will not know Jesus. They will be on their way to eternal damnation while having a good education and slogging hard in the world to make money that they cannot bring with them.

Christians who do not go to church and read the Bible are reducing the probability of their own salvation and cutting off the knowledge of eternal life from their loved ones around them. 

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God's love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. (Jude 20-23 NLT)

What is Faith?

What is faith? The Bible in Hebrews 11:1 gave us the definition of faith.

And faith (πίστις) is of things hoped for (ἐλπιζομένων) a confidence (ὑπόστασις), of matters (πραγμάτων) not seen (οὐ βλεπομένων) a conviction (ἔλεγχος), (Hebrews 11:1 YLT)

Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don't see. (Hebrews 11:1 CEB)

Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1 CEV)

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1 NET)

Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality - faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. (Hebrews 11:1 Amplified Bible)

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1 NLT)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 ESV)

Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1 BSB)

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 CSB)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 KJV, MEV)

ὑπόστασις
(a) confidence, assurance, (b) a giving substance (or reality) to, or a guaranteeing, (c) substance, reality.

ἔλεγχος
a proof, possibly: a persuasion; reproof.

All the Bible versions basically translate faith as confidence and conviction of things hoped for but not seen. The is Amplified Bible's explanation - faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses.

Why We Need to Read the Bible and Go to Church

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31 KJV)

If we are saved by believing that Christ had died for our sin, why do we need to read the Bible and go to church? This is really due to our sinful nature and our deceitful heart. We can believe in something and then change your mind later. We can deceive ourselves. We need to strengthen our faith by knowing who we believe, why we believe and experience His grace. While we are saved by faith, we are assured of our salvation by our personal knowledge of God and our experience of His grace.

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9 BSB, NIV)

And finally, there is another reason why we need read the Bible and go to church. We are exhorted by the word of God to do so.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11 NIV)

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25 NLT)

Knowing God will lead us to know ourselves. Knowing ourselves will lead us to depend on God's grace to grow in faith and assurance of our salvation.

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8 CSB)

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. (Ephesians 4:14 NLT)

A Faith That Grows

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

We are saved by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We are saved through faith in the finished works of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, at the cross (John 3:36, John 19:30).

Because we are saved by His works, not ours, our salvation is assured (1 Thessalonians 5:24, 2 Timothy 2:13).

But the faith that saves does take time to grow. To have a faith that grows, you need to know God. To know God, you need to know His Word the Bible.

How Does God Predestinates?

God predestinates through

1. Personal intervention;
2. Prophets;
3. Spiritual beings such as angels and demons;
4. Nature (everything that can be scientifically explained);
5. Human free will;
6. Chance and luck.

To those who believe, all things work for their good. Our salvation is predestinated and assured. For the unbelievers, God is fate.

There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 8:14 NIV)

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 KJV)

Salvation's Baseline

God's salvation is very simple. Believe and you will be saved. The baseline of salvation is "Believe in the Lord Jesus."
And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." (Acts 16:31 ESV)

If it is so simple, what then is the problem?
The problem is when someone says, "I believe", what does he or she means? Is it an emotional response of the moment? Even if it is an emotional response, will this eventually grow to become a core conviction over time? So the problem is conviction, the problem of the heart. (Rev Gerard once preached on three types of conviction, public, private and core.)

If we believe with our heart and confess our conviction, then we are saved.
If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NIV)

What if our own heart deceive us?
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV)

Then how can we be assured that our belief and conviction is true?
Two things - faith and works.

1. Our confession of faith:
We are saved by what the work of Jesus, by what He had done on the cross and nothing else.
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV)

2. Our profession by works:
We are assured of our salvation by obeying and doing the will of God found in the Bible.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13 ESV)

Our salvation is by faith. Our assurance is by works.
Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds." (James 2:18 NLT)
Suppose someone disagrees and says, "It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds." I would answer, "Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them." (James 2:18 CEV)

The Righteous Lack Nothing

The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. (Proverbs 10:3 ESV)

The righteous are those whom God justifies. They are always satisfied.
The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10 ESV)
I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. (Psalm 37:25 ESV)
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33 ESV)
To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. (1 Corinthians 4:11 NIV)
I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. (2 Corinthians 11:27 NIV)

Confidence - 2 Reasons Most People Don't Have It

A friend shared this article "Confidence: 2 Reasons Most People Don't Have It – Thrive Global – Medium" in Facebook. It is suppose to be a 11 minutes read. Near the end of the article, the two reasons given why people don't have confidence are:

1. Congruence - the need to know that your priority is right;
2. Completion - the need to know you can finish the job.

This is what the word of God tell us about priority:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33 KJV)

And our confidence is not in our ability to complete the job, but that He is able.
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6 NASB)

Once Saved Always Saved - What About Judas Iscariot?

Once saved, always saved. A great promise by our Lord.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (John 10:28-29 ESV)

However, from the perspective of the world, there are Christians who sinned and fall away, or change religion. Thus they conclude that Christians can lose their salvation.

This is a false conclusion. The apostle John told us that those who had fallen were not of us, else they would have continued with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. (1 John 2:19 ESV)

Judas Iscariot was a perfect example. He was chosen and also not chosen.
Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil." (John 6:70 ESV)

But from the beginning, long even before the birth of Jesus, it has been prophesied in the Psalms that one who ate bread together with Jesus would betray Him.
Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. (Psalm 41:9 ESV)

But Jesus knew whom He had chosen and Judas Iscariot was not among them.
I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, 'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' (John 13:18 ESV)

From the perspective of the world, Judas Iscariot had lost his salvation. But for us, he was never saved in the first place.

Once saved, always saved is not a false doctrine. It is a blessed assurance given by our great God.

Be of Good Cheer - We know Where We are Going

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.' (Isaiah 46:10 NIV)

The world faces uncertainty. As 2018 comes to a close, there are so much uncertainty - politics, economics, climate, religious tensions. The world do not know what is ahead in 2019.

But it should not be so with the Christians. Our God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). And He had told us what is going to happen (Amos 3:7).

At the macro level, we know how the end is going to be. From the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel and also the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John, we know that Israel will be restored (done), there will be seven years of tribulation (coming) and followed by the millennium rule by Jesus the Anointed One (coming).

At our personal level, we know we have eternal life if we die (1 John 5:12). If we do not die, we will be raptured before the seven years of tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33 KJV)

Why Christians Lack Assurance

The quote below is taken from "Why Christians Lack Assurance" by John MacArthur.

QUOTE
So some lack assurance due to strong preaching, strong conviction. Some lack assurance because of an inability to accept forgiveness. Some lack assurance because they fail to understand the rich truth of the gospel, the work of Christ. Some lack assurance because of an inability to remember the time of salvation. Some lack assurance because of the remaining power of their unredeemed flesh. Number six, some lack assurance because they don't see the hand of God in their trials.
UNQUOTE

You Can Be Sure

How can you be sure that you are saved? According to Apostle John, you just have to believe.
For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 CSB)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36 ESV)
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (John 5:24 ESV)
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. (John 6:47 ESV)

So do you believe? Can you take God's word at face value? If you can, you are saved.
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26 ESV)
All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don't believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don't believe what God has testified about his Son. And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God's Son does not have life. (1 John 5:10-12 NLT)

But will I lose my salvation? No. No one can lose their salvation.
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. (John 6:39 ESV)
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:28-30 ESV)

But there are Christians who became non-Christians.
No. They were not Christians from the beginning.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. (1 John 2:19 ESV)

Assurance of Salvation According To Adrian Rogers

Adrian Rogers, in an article from the Christianity.com website "How do I know I'm saved?", gave us three tests from 1 John.

QUOTE
The Lordship Test. Is Jesus Christ the Lord of your life? Jesus said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46). Here's a riddle I want to solve for you. On the one hand the Bible says that we know that we're saved because we keep His commandments (See 1 John 2:3). On the other hand, the Bible teaches us that it is possible to sin (See 1 John 1:8-9). The key word is "keep". It is the same word used years ago by sailors who navigated by the stars at night. A sailor’s goal was to keep the stars. As a child of God, His commandments are the stars by which you navigate your life. Is keeping His commandments the burning desire of your heart? It is if you've met the Christ of Calvary.

The Fellowship Test. Do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ? The Bible challenges us on several occasions that this is the way we will know we are in Christ (1 John 3:14, 4:20, 5:1). When you get saved, you receive the divine nature of God and the nature of God is love (1 John 4:7). You're not saved because you love the brethren, you love the brethren because you're saved. Love is the nature of the Christian because love is the nature of God. If we love the Lord Jesus, it follows as night follows day that we are going to love what Jesus loves.

The Relationship Test. The question is not, "Did you believe in Jesus Christ?" The question is, rather, "Are you believing Jesus right now?" If you can't remember when you were saved, that's okay. 1 John 5:11-12 says, "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." Can you say that at this very moment, that you have a personal relationship with Jesus right now?
UNQUOTE

Assurance of Salvation According To Billy Graham

This is taken from the website "How do I know I’m saved? A message from Billy Graham".

QUOTE
Some people doubt that they are actually Christians. They want to be, but feel like they are missing the joy of the Christian faith.

The dreadful uncertainty that haunts many people grows out of misunderstanding what the Christian experience is. Some people don't seem to know the nature of Christian conversion, while others have been misinformed concerning conversion and seek an experience that is not biblical. Many confuse faith with feeling.

Faith always implies an object - that is, when we believe, we must believe something. That something I call the "fact." Now let me give you three words that will help you understand the Christian life: fact, faith and feeling. They come in this order, and the order is essential. In this order, you will have the joy and confidence of one who can say, "I know whom I have believed" (2 Timothy 1:12).

First, you are saved through a personal faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as defined in the Scriptures. The Gospel refers to the news of Christ's death and resurrection in order to pay the penalty for our sins and provide a way to eternal life.

Though it might at first seem dogmatic and narrow-minded to you, the fact remains that there is no other way to be saved from your sins than by God's grace through your faith in Christ. The work of Christ is a fact, His cross is a fact, His tomb is a fact and His resurrection is a fact.

It is impossible to believe anything into existence. The Gospel did not come into being because men and women believed it, and Christ's tomb wasn't empty three days after His death because His followers believed it. The fact preceded the faith. We are psychologically incapable of believing without an object of our faith. Christians do not call upon people to believe something that is not credible, but to believe in the fact of history. Trusting in Christ for your eternal salvation is trusting in a fact - not in a figment of someone's imagination.

Faith is the second of these three words. Faith is rationally impossible where there is nothing to believe. Faith must have an object. The object of Christian faith is Christ. Faith means more than agreeing with the claims of Christ; faith involves the will - a decision to believe in Christ. If you say with your mind and your heart, "Yes, I believe in Christ and receive what He has done for me" - that He died for my sins - then you have eternal life. Faith, then, means surrender and commitment to the claims of Christ. It means acknowledging sin and turning to Christ. We do not know Christ through the five physical senses, but we know Him through the "sixth sense" that God has given every man and woman - the ability to believe.

Feeling is the last of the three words, and it must remain last in your thinking. I believe that earnest and honest seekers for the salvation of God have unrest and uncertainty when they think they must have some kind of emotion to make conversion a true experience. If you are seeking salvation as it is presented through the Scriptures, you will want to know what kind of experience the Bible says you should have.
...
Believing is an experience as real as any experience, yet multitudes are looking for something more - some electric sensation that will bring a thrill to their physical bodies, or some other spectacular event. Many have been told to look for such spiritual thrills, but the Bible says that a man is "justified by faith" (Romans 3:28), and not by feeling. A person is saved by trusting in the finished work of Christ on the cross and not by bodily sensations and religious ecstasy.
...
Finally, someone might say, "I believe the historic facts of the Gospel, but nothing has changed for me. I don't think I'm saved." Perhaps you are not, for the faith that saves has one distinguishing quality: Saving faith is a faith that produces obedience. It is a faith that brings about a way of life. Some have successfully imitated this way of life for a time, but for those who trust Christ for salvation, that faith brings about a desire to live out that inward experience of faith. It is a power that results in godly living.
UNQUOTE

Assurance's 3F

We had talked about Christianity's 3G. Now we will talk about assurance's 3F. Our assurance of salvation can be summed in 3F.

Fact. Faith. Fruit.

Acknowledgement:
The 3F were inspired by "fact, faith and feeling" from "How do I know I'm saved? - A message from Billy Graham".

Fact - Christ atonement on the cross for our sins is a fact, proven by the empty tomb.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (Luke 24:1-3 ESV)

Faith - We believe that our salvation is based on the fact of Christ's atonement on the cross for our sins.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NLT)

Fruit - We have the testimony of our faith.
Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds." (James 2:18 NLT)

How do I know I'm saved?

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV)

To know if you are saved, this is the fundamental question to ask:
Do you believe that our salvation is not based on what we have done, but based on what Jesus has done on the cross?

If your answer to this question is "Yes", then you are saved.

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2 ESV)

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV)

Assurance of Salvation According To R C Sproul

How can you be sure that you are saved? According to R C Sproul, you need to answer 3 questions:

1. Do you love Jesus perfectly?
2. Do you love Him as much as you ought to?
3. Well, do you love Jesus at all?

For all the questions (especially the third one), it is referring to the Biblical Jesus, and not some other Jesus imagined by men, for example, a good teacher.

Usually, the answer to the first two questions will be "No".

QUOTE
First I ask, "Do you love Jesus perfectly?" Every person to whom I have asked that question has responded candidly, "No, I don't." That’s why they are not sure of the state of their souls; they know there are deficiencies in their affection for Christ, because they know that if they loved Christ perfectly, they would obey Him perfectly. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). So as soon as we disobey one of His commandments, that’s a signal to us that we do not love Him perfectly.
Second, when a person acknowledges that he doesn’t love Jesus perfectly, I ask, "Do you love Him as much as you ought to?" The person usually gives me a strange look and says, "Well, no, of course, I don't." That’s right; if the answer to the first question is no, the answer to the second question has to be no, because we’re supposed to love Him perfectly, but we don't. Therein lies the tension that we experience about our salvation.
UNQUOTE

For the third question, if the answer is "Yes", then R C Sproul wrote the following:
QUOTE
So if a person can answer "Yes" when I ask whether he has an affection for Christ, even though he may not love Jesus as much as he ought to (i.e., perfectly), that assures me the Spirit has done this transforming work in his soul. This is so because we do not have the power in our flesh to conjure up any true affection for Jesus Christ.
UNQUOTE

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:16 ESV)

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3 ESV)

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV)

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV)

Salvation And Assurance

Our salvation is guaranteed. But many Christians are not sure if they are saved. They have no assurance of salvation. When a Christian has no assurance of salvation, it does not mean he or she is not saved, but he or she leads a worried Christian life.

On the other hand, there are people who are not saved but falsely believe that they are saved.

Once Saved Always Saved - 1

Once saved always saved is a very complex doctrine and tied up with other aspects of Christianity:

1. Grace vs Works.
2. Predestination vs Free Will

I shall go through it slowly and see if I can make myself clear. I shall start with two parables in the Gospel of Matthew.

The Parable of the Sower
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matthew 13:1-8 ESV)

The Parable of the Sower Explained
"Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." (Matthew 13:18-23 ESV)

The Parable of the Weeds
He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn."'" (Matthew 13:24-30 ESV)

The Parable of the Weeds Explained
Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:36-43 ESV)

In the parable of the sower, the seeds fell on four types of ground: the road, rocky ground, thorny ground and good soil. Except for those seeds which fell on the road, the seeds that fell on the other three types of soil initially produced something. Only in the good soil that they persist till the end.

In the parable of the weeds, both wheat and weeds looked the same in the field. It is only at harvest time that the wheat can be distinguished from the weeds.

What has this got to do with "Once saved always saved"?

From the perspective of the world (and some Christians), true and false Christians look alike. Nobody can see their hearts and tell the difference. They grow and produce some fruits. But ultimately, only those who persist till the end are revealed to be true. For those who do not persist, they seem to be Christians who have "fallen away".

The clearest example is Judas Iscariot. Is he not among the twelve? Did he not perform all the miracles that the other apostles did? When Jesus told the twelve that one of them would betray Him, none of them suspected Judas Iscariot.

When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?" (Matthew 26:20-22 ESV)

But the Bible tells us very clearly that Jesus had kept all that was given to Him by the Father.

While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:12 ESV)

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (John 10:28-29 ESV)

There are many Christians who thought that they are Christians, but are never truly saved. Like Judas Iscariot, they have joined Jesus with other motives. When they fall away, the world thought that salvation can be lost. But the Bible tells us that they are not of us from the beginning.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. (1 John 2:19 ESV)

Again, Judas Iscariot was the best example. Long even before the birth of Jesus, it has been prophesied in the Psalms that one who ate bread together with Jesus would betray Him.

Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. (Psalm 41:9 ESV)

But no one would have known until it happened. So did Judas Iscariot "fall away" or he was never among the chosen? But Jesus chose the twelve apostles, right?

Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil." (John 6:70 ESV)

But Jesus knew whom He had chosen and Judas Iscariot was not among them.

I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, 'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' (John 13:18 ESV)

Once you can understand how Judas Iscariot was chosen and also not chosen, you will know how to interpret the Bible correctly and you will understand why a true Christian is "once saved always saved".

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

Assurance

Our assurance - God is faithful

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV)

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV)

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24 KJV)

Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Romans 8:30 KJV)

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6 KJV)