I would like to know if once you are saved, are you always saved?  Can you never lose your salvation no matter what you do?  This is what I was told about this basic teaching in Jhn 10:27-29.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
For Keeps

Dear For Keeps,

The idea that you can’t ever lose your salvation is a warping of Christ’s message in Jhn 10:27-29.  “Once saved, always saved” is a basic doctrine of Calvinism (read “Calvin And Sobs” for more details on the errors of Calvinism).  The Bible clearly says that you can lose your salvation.  Heb 3:12 says that we must be wary and protect our hearts because an evil, unbelieving heart can fall away.  2 Pet 3:17 says that we can lose our salvation if we get caught up in false teaching (1 Tim 4:1 also states this).  If we return to a life of ungodliness, then we crucify Christ again (Heb 6:4-6).

5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year

There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.

Happy Studying!

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup." -- Psalm 16:5

Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE

What does this mean: "Whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on Earth will be loosed in heaven”?

Sincerely,
Loosely Lost

Dear Loosely Lost,

The phrase that you are referring to is found in Matt 16:19 and Matt 18:18.  In both cases, Jesus is speaking to His disciples.  This is one of the few times where the original Greek adds a lot of insight and clarity.  The words ‘will be bound’ and ‘will be loosed’ are both written in a Greek tense called ‘perfect’.  The perfect tense isn’t like any tense that we have in English.  The perfect tense means that something has already happened, but the effects of that action are still in existence.  The literal translation of Matt. 18:18 is: “Whatever you bind on earth will already have been bound in heaven, and the effects are still seen, and whatever you loose on earth will already have been loosed in heaven, and the effects are still seen.”  In short, Jesus was telling His disciples that the things they would teach in the New Testament were already ordained by God and had been waiting to be taught by Jesus and His apostles.

5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year

There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.

Happy Studying!

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup." -- Psalm 16:5

Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE

Recently, given all the major events that have been happening here in the U.S., I have gotten a sense that hate and intolerance are swirling up around all of us and that a lot of us who are christians are not seeing it.  I know what the Bible says about some of these issues, but the way that some of these issues are handled just makes me very sad, and I wonder if God would agree with how they are handled.  I hope I'm making sense; I'm just very, very conflicted and frankly becoming very disillusioned with the speed in which this hate is building.  I feel that just because a person is of a different orientation, a foreigner, or has different religious views, it doesn't give us the right to treat them like they are not humans.  Like I said, I know what the Bible says about these matters, but I guess my question is: does it make me a bad person to be a christian and feel opposed to wanting to condemn these people?

Sincerely,
Peace Pusher

Dear Peace Pusher,

The idea of religious tolerance is a new age concept, not a biblical one.  Jesus had zero tolerance for false religion (Matt 23:15).  Jesus taught that there is only one way to heaven – Him (Jhn 14:6).  Those who don’t serve God already stand condemned by the Scriptures (Jhn 3:18).

Christians should always be careful with the language and attitude they take towards others (1 Pet 2:12).  Christians should never be mean or evil with their speech.  Our words should always be seasoned with grace (Col 4:6).  However, being kind doesn’t mean tolerating false religion, homosexuality, abortion, etc.  It is possible to avoid hate and also draw a line in the sand… Jesus did.