Who Will Fall Away?

Charles Spurgeon said, "Temporary faith is no faith at all." Jesus spoke of "those who believe for awhile, and in time of testing fall away" (Luke 8:13). However, saving faith can stand the test, because it is an abiding gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13). Saving faith remains, abides, continues through all manner of testing. 

Jesus taught that those who fall away only believe for awhile. This is recorded in the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:11-15). The problem in this case is recognized in the person's heart. Those who fall away have a heart that has not been changed by the grace of God. It leads to apostasy, or falling away (1 John 2:19).

Those who are born again do not fall away, because God takes away the heart of stone and gives a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). The new heart is like rich soil for the seed of the Gospel of Christ to bring forth fruit unto salvation. Those who are born again have a heart changed to become a new creation in Christ (Romans 2:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:17). 

When we are born again, our hearts are changed with new desires. The heart is the mind, will, and emotions, as the term is most often used in the Bible. God works in us "both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). A new heart includes a will changed by God's grace. God began the work of salvation in us and continues unto completion (Philippians 1:6). Therefore, we do not fall away.

How Is Faith Given?

Jesus paid every believer's sin debt in full (1 John 1:7). The risen Christ saves us and all who believe on Him (Acts 16:30-31). The Spirit of God gives faith in Christ for salvation.

The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29).  Grace comes before our response to the gospel. The Spirit of grace initiates our conversion. The Spirit of grace brings salvation to all who believe the gospel of Christ. 

The Holy Spirit convicts us of the sin of unbelief. The Holy Spirit convicts us, pricks our hearts, and awakens us to the need for the Savior (John 16:7-11). The Spirit of grace prepares us to be saved through faith in Christ. 

God's grace gives faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-10). The gospel of grace is Christ crucified for our sins and risen from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The Holy Spirit brings the gift of faith in Christ (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith is received through the word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:16).

God our Father draws us to Christ, through the Spirit of grace (John 6:44). The Holy Spirit enables our response to the gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:3). To be saved by grace alone means the Spirit of grace gives us faith. We respond to the gospel through the Spirit of grace, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Will God Change Us?

God changes us through the Gospel of Christ. What happens when God changes our heart? The heart is an expression of our inner person. That's our mind, will, and emotions. The Spirit of God changes our hearts, confessing  Jesus is Lord (Ro. 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3). God's Spirit enables us to know Christ in a very personal way.

God changes our mind. God renews our mind to understand spiritual things that are taught in the Bible, "by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Ro. 12:2). The Holy Spirit is our teacher, giving us more and more understanding through the Bible.

God changes our will. God "works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). We are then willing to do God's will, with a desire to serve Him and minister to others for His glory. We become doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22). 

God changes our emotions. We then have a godly sorrow for your sins. We are moved with compassion to help others. Perhaps we may feel a burden to pray for someone. Remember that God does the work in our heart, and that includes our emotions.

What's God's Guarantee?

"Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant" (Hebrews 7:22). A surety is a guarantee. In Bible days, the word surety was used to describe someone who guaranteed another person's debt would be paid. All of us have a sin debt to God. The good news is Jesus paid it all. Jesus is every believer's guarantee.

There is no way that we can repay our sin debt against God. We have broken God's law. Our conscience testifies as much. The good news is that Jesus paid it all. Believers look to the cross of Jesus, where He died in our place. Our sin debt to God's justice was paid, not in part but the whole. Believers are free from a debt that we could never repay. Jesus is our guarantee at the cross.

Jesus is your guarantee to God's promises. In the new covenant, God makes four promises to every believer, guaranteed through Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:7-13). These promises are: (1) God will put His laws in your mind; (2) God will be your God and we are His people; (3) We will all know the LORD; (4) God will forgive your sins and remember them no more.

Jesus is every believer's guarantee, dying for your sins and risen from the dead for your justification. You can only be a child of God by faith in the Lord Jesus (Galatians 3:26). Jesus intercedes for believers, that the Father will "keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15). This is the present day ministry of Jesus, as every believer's High Priest (Hebrews 7:20-25). Jesus shall return to glorify all who believe in Him (1 John 3:2). God's covenant promises for you are guaranteed in our Lord Jesus Christ.

What Is Righteousness?

Righteousness is a gift received by faith in Christ. The Christian life can never be based upon our self-righteousness, which is as filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). To the contrary, we give up our self-righteousness, and become righteous before God in Christ alone. Only Jesus Christ can give us perfect righteousness before God. Simply stated, believers are righteous in Christ alone.

Every true believer in Christ is accounted righteous before God. Our sins were imputed or accounted to Christ as our sacrifice for sin at the cross. We receive his righteousness by faith alone. There is only one way we can be righteous. It's by faith in Christ alone.

Righteousness is accounted to every believer. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Martin Luther called it the great exchange. Christ takes away every believer's sins and gives us his righteousness.

Righteousness is God's gift to believers. Upon trusting in Christ, every believer receives righteousness given to us by our Savior and Lord. It is known as imputed righteousness. Through faith in Christ, believers are accounted righteous before God. It is never our self-righteousness, but the righteousness of God in Christ.

How Are You Saved?

You are saved by faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8-10). God's grace is freely given to you through faith in Christ. You become an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:16-18). Upon believing in Jesus Christ our Lord, you are saved (Acts 16:31).

You are saved by grace alone. Salvation can never be bought, earned, nor achieved through personal effort. Grace is received freely as the gift of God. Saving grace in Christ is received with new life, abundant life, and life eternal (Romans 6:23). So, you can testify, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10).

You are saved through the Holy Spirit (John 3:6-7). Nothing else in all the world can change you but the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit operates directly on your heart, to change you from the inside out. The Holy Spirit changes your mind to understand the things of God (Romans 12:2). The Holy Spirit changes your will to repent (Philippians 2:13). The Holy Spirit changes your emotions to have a tender heart toward God (Ephesians 4:32).

You are saved unto a future to be glorified into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-30). Your eternal future is sure in Christ. The God of all grace changes you from glory into glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. You shall receive a glorified body like that of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 3:2).

Is Salvation God's Work?

We are God's workmanship, by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10). Our salvation is the eternal purpose and work of God the Father. Our salvation was purchased through the Son of God at the cross. Christ effectively works in us by the Holy Spirit.

God chose to save believers in Christ before the world began (Ephesians 1:4-6). God's eternal purpose in Christ was foreordained. God called us through the gospel to be justified by faith in Christ. That is God's work in us through Christ.

God the Father works through Christ to save us. Jesus accomplished the Father's will through His sacrificial death and resurrection. That is the gospel of our salvation in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). God the Father works through the Son to save all who believe.

The Holy Spirit works in us through Christ (Romans 8:9). "He who has begun a good work in you will complete unto the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). The Holy Spirit changes our lives through faith in Christ. We are transformed by the Holy Spirit to walk in newness of life, through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:4, 12:2; 1 Corinthians 12:3). Salvation is God's work in us.