From: Do You Understand What You Are Reading?
Romans 11:20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. Paul is speaking of the Jews in contrast to the Roman Christians. This is one of those important Scriptures that help us balance our view of eternal security with the need to believe. Christians are told to fear because there is potential that God will not spare us who have believed. According to v. 22 we experience God’s kindness, rather than His severity, provided that we “continue in his kindness. Otherwise [we] too will be cut off.” How are we eternally secure, then? We are eternal secure because God works in His true believers so they believe such warnings and “continue in his kindess.” Eternally secure believers are not eternally secure because they believed once; we are eternally secure because we continue to stand fast through faith by the grace of God. This is a way to believe in eternally security without watering down these warnings.
If our salvation was dependent upon us then it would be a works salvation and not by grace through faith. I believe Paul is continuing the thought of Chapter 10 when he says Romans 10:10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Paul says here that belief justifies a sinner before God. But then he says that confession saves. Saves from what? I believe if we backtrack a bit and read Romans 10:9 it becomes clearer.
ReplyDeleteThat if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
The believers in Rome were tempted to be closed mouthed about Jesus in Rome because Caesar lived there. To be a member in good standing before Caesar you had to proclaim his deity. For believers this would be a problem because they only believed in the God of the Bible. They knew Jesus was Lord, so Caesar was not. It is glorious for believers to believe the truth concerning the Lord Jesus, but on the other hand it takes a lot of spiritual guts to proclaim Jesus to be Lord in the city where you are supposed to proclaim Caesar to be Lord.
Ok, here is my understanding of what Paul is talking about. The believers in Rome would lose out on Eternal Rewards when they died if they were ashamed of Christ, and they would incur the judgment of God on the Earth by denying Him. Jesus said it Himself during His earthly ministry. Matthew 10:32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
People on the Earth who disown Christ will be judged in this life. The Lord in Heaven will do something whether it be take His protective hand off them, or bring some calamnity upon them if they shy away from proclaiming Him.
So, I guess the bottom line is I disagree with this article. If I didn't see the Scripture the way I have written here, then I would probably take the author's view. Thankfully we are both saved and headed towards Heaven. VanPastorMan
SO True, very very well explained!! we are in a continue state of salvation!!!
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