Is it a Gift or not?

I was just accused of heresy for stating that one could give up their salvation.

Where in scriptures does it say that believing the notion that you cannot give up your salvation is a mandatory part of being saved?

God’s Word states that we must repent.

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13:3 (and 5)

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Acts 3:19

The heavenly vision:

…repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. Acts 26:19 and 20

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Acts 17:30

God’s Word says we must confess, believe and call upon the name of the Lord:

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

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:9-13

God’s Word states that we must obey Him:

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Hebrews 5:9

God’s Word tells us that salvation is eternal for those who endures to the end.

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matthew 24:13

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Mark 13:13

God’s Word tells us that salvation is not eternal for those who do not endure:

Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: …And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away... And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. Mark 4:3, 5-6 and 16-17

God’s Word tells us that the actual work of Salvation itself was done by the only One who could ever do it. We are not saved by anything that we can do.

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

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

So it comes down to this. Salvation through the forgiveness of past sins is made possible only through the death and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Romans 3:23-25

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Hebrews 9:22

What many miss is that salvation is truly a gift and a gift is not something forced on someone to keep but instead the receiver can either refuse it or accept it and then refuse it later. That is how gifts work. A gift is free to receive and free to reject, at any time. Scriptures support this when it tells us we ought to endure to the end.

Another thing missed by many is in regards to free will and the process of salvation. They will claim we have the free will to accept this gift but somehow the free will is no longer present after the gift is received. This is logically fallacious and God is not an illogical God to say the least. We always have free will and it is within that that we depend upon God to give us the faith and the strength to endure to the end.

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38

To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Acts 10:43

When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul. Ezekiel 3: 18-21

Salvation truly is a precious gift, don’t ever let go of it but instead endure to the end in the willful obedience to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Oh, and to answer the question on whether one has to believe that salvation cannot be given up once a person is saved in order to be saved...Well, no, that is not biblical nor is it true.

#salvation #Gift #saved #heresy #osas