Sunset Avenue church of Christ “Uncommon Things We Believe” Series A Christian Can Fall From Grace 2 Peter 2:18-22

Contents Where Did It All Come From? We do not mean that a Christian has no security. Faithful Christians do have security. “Uncommon Things We Believe” Series

(1 John 5:13) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (John 10:27-28) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. {28} I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

(1 Corinthians 10:13) No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 John 1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

The Bible teaches that a faithful Christian can become habitually (it becomes the pattern of their life) unfaithful: (Hebrews 10:26-31) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, {27} but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. {28} Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

{29} How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? {30} For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." {31} It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Neither do we mean that the works of a Christian are the basis of his/her salvation. Works cannot save in the primary sense, only in the secondary sense. In the primary sense, the sense that accounts for salvation and pays the price for it, we cannot be saved by works (Rom. 4:1-8). Only through Christ can we who are sinners be saved (Rom. 3:21-27).

Works relate to our salvation in the secondary sense, the accessing of the gift of salvation. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). In the sense of merit, our works have nothing to do with our initial or continued salvation. In the sense of faith in God, our works are a necessary expression of true faith. We do what we do as Christians out of appreciation and due to maturity…not in order to earn salvation.

In a common sense answer: why were the epistles written except to teach, encourage and warn first century Christians in regard to their life in the world? If it doesn’t matter what one does after becoming a Christian, why so much emphasis on that most important aspect of our life?

(2 Timothy 3:16-17) All Scripture is God- breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, {17} so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Bible Clearly Teaches That A Child Of God Can Fall From Grace. Those who trust in law keeping can fall from grace. (Galatians 5:4) You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

(Hebrews 6:4-6) For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, {5} and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, {6} if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

Those who escape the defilement’s of the (2 Peter 2:18-22) For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. {19} They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity- -for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him

{20} If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. {21} It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. {22} Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."

What About Ephesians 2:8-9? (Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, {9} not of works, lest anyone should boast. We are saved through faith, but not a dead, inactive faith. We are not saved by works that attempt to earn our salvation. Thus, salvation is of grace, even though we must respond to grace.

Conditional Grace. The Bible teaches that grace is unearned, yet conditioned on responsive faith. Acts 2:36-38 shows there are conditions to be met before salvation can be received. Colossians 1:22-23 demonstrates that there are conditions to be met to remain in salvation. If there were no conditions to grace, everyone would be saved, yet conditions are not necessarily associated with earning salvation.

Our response? Realize the worst situation a person can place their soul’s condition in—is to be an unfaithful Christian. There is no hope at all because they have rejected the one hope that is offered to the sinner! (Galatians 6:1-2) Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. {2} Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

The Greek word is “kartartizo” and is the same word used in: (Matthew 4:21) Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, (Hebrews 11:3) By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.