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PART III

We left off discussing how one can lose his life under God's discipline, but not his salvation. The story of Ananias and Sapphira is a good case in point.

ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

This story from Acts 5: 1-11. It is one of those scriptures cited by “fear mongers” who teach you can lose your salvation if you lie to the Holy Spirit. The story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira is to be taken seriously. They did a great wrong by lying to the Holy Spirit. They allowed greed to taint their thinking during a time when self-sacrifice was required for the beginnings of the Church. Examples would be set from this time forward.

Money was being raised to support the seeds of a new church and provide
physical needs for the Apostles and any who needed assistance. Many of the more well-to-do sold property to provide for these causes. One person who did this was a man named Ananias. He wanted to contribute and told Peter he sold a piece of property and that all of its proceeds were for the Apostles to do with how they saw fit. This was a lie. They kept part of it. Which was okay, but it was not okay to say they were giving all the proceeds. They apparently wanted to known as "selling all" for the sake of Christ and needs of the saints. Their deception was their downfall.

For such a lie, they were immediately disciplined with the discipline of death. Nothing is said that he lost his salvation, but only that he died. And so did his wife, who confirmed his words. Let us take note, if we so choose to live a lie while claiming life, God will indeed take our life from the earth. Such witnesses God has no need for. There is a parable in Luke 13:6, which a vineyard owner came looking for fruit.

There was a vineyard that was not producing and the vineyard owner told the
vineyard keeper, "Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground!" But the
patient vineyard keeper said, "Let it alone sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer. and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down." Wow!

Ananias and his wife were cut down; they were wasting God's resources-not
correctly utilizing them. Fortunately, for you and I, God has been patient. We are still being "tilled" and "fertilized" so that we might produce fruit unto God's glory.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF EXAMINATION

The Apostle Paul years later spoke of the importance of self-examination and
confession of sin during communion. 1 Cor. 11

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink
of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he
does not judge the body rightly.
30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. 32 But when
we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be
condemned along with the world.

We come under discipline if we fail to properly judge ourselves. The Apostle Paul mentions two disciplinary actions God takes against His children for failure to properly judge themselves for sin:

1. weakness/sickness and
2. death

So the story of Ananias and Sapphira deals with disciplinary actions for
those whose sins are grievous to God. All sin is grievous, but this sin at this time of the church could not be tolerated-they were wasting precious resources. I fear we as a Church are headed into such a time again. Christians will start dying left and right for their failure to live holy to God.

SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY FOR ETERNAL SECURITY

Now let me give you some very clear scriptures that teach our eternal security. The Bible does not contradict itself. God's WORD is true; not partially true. If someone has interpreted a difficult or unclear scripture dealing with our eternal security as something that can be lost, it is "his" interpretation that is false.

John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one
shall snatch them out of My hand.
29 "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.
30 "I and the Father are one." [double security]

Isaiah 43:13 12 "It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And
there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses," declares the
LORD, "And I am God.
13 "Even from eternity I am He; And there is none who can deliver out of My
hand; I act and who can reverse it?"

If there is one scripture that could summarize all we have been saying, I believe the scritpure below fits the bill. It is powerful. Here we see our eternal security is based on God's integrity. Therefore the unfounded belief that a Christian can lose his salvation should never raise its ugly head again. Though man be false,
God cannot be. His word stands.

Ps. 89:30 "If his sons forsake My law, And do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they violate My statutes, And do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will visit their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity
with stripes.
33 "But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him, Nor deal falsely
in My faithfulness.
34 "My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My
lips.
35 "Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David.
36 "His descendants shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before
Me.

I hope this short word helps relieve fears some of you may have concerning the loss of salvation. I am convinced that fear would rule our lives if we did not have eternal security. If eternal salvation was based on our good works, not God’s grace, who could be saved? who could be so arrogant to think their good works would secure salvation? It is blasphemy to think such thoughts in my opinion.

Yes, God will punish us…even to death…if we refuse to heed to His warnings, His Word, and His discipline. But He does NOT threaten us with removing our eternal life. Very few of us are living a pure, clean and holy life. No one has room to brag, here. If it were not for God’s patience, we would all have be “taken out” long ago, myself included.

Let us go forward in Christ keeping our eye on the goal …the glorification of God through spiritual maturity and receiving the glory blessings!

In Christ,

Bob
Open Hand Ministries, Inc.