The Underground -- Question of the week: Losing my salvation? |
- Question of the week: Losing my salvation?
- Christians, Muslims unite against UK housing ban on religious artifacts
- Two new books talk about experiences of Muslims who convert to Christianity
- Rights groups appeal for freedom, medical treatment for ailing blind activist in China
| Question of the week: Losing my salvation? Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:53 PM PDT
Question: “Can a Christian lose salvation?”
So, with this definition in mind, can a Christian lose salvation? Perhaps the best way to answer this crucially important question is to examine what the Bible says occurs at salvation, and to study what losing salvation would therefore entail. Here are a few examples: A Christian is a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This verse speaks of a person becoming an entirely new creature as a result of being “in Christ.” For a Christian to lose salvation, the new creation would have to be canceled and reversed. A Christian is redeemed. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19). The word “redeemed” refers to a purchase being made, a price being paid. For a Christian to lose salvation, God Himself would have to revoke His purchase that He paid for with the precious blood of Christ. A Christian is justified. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). To “justify” means to “declare righteous.” All those who receive Jesus as Savior are “declared righteous” by God. For a Christian to lose salvation, God would have to go back on His Word and “un-declare” what He had previously declared. A Christian is promised eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Eternal life is a promise of eternity (forever) in heaven with God. God promises, “Believe and you will have eternal life.” For a Christian to lose salvation, eternal life would have to be taken away. If a Christian is promised to live forever, how then can God break this promise by taking away eternal life? A Christian is guaranteed glorification. “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:30). As we learned in Romans 5:1, justification is declared at the moment of faith. According to Romans 8:30, glorification is guaranteed for all those whom God justifies. Glorification refers to a Christian receiving a perfect resurrection body in heaven. If a Christian can lose salvation, then Romans 8:30 is in error, because God could not guarantee glorification for all those whom He predestines, calls, and justifies. Many more illustrations of what occurs at salvation could be shared. Even these few make it abundantly clear that a Christian cannot lose salvation. Most, if not all, of what the Bible says happens to us when we receive Jesus Christ as Savior would be invalidated if salvation could be lost. Salvation cannot be reversed. A Christian cannot be un-newly created. Redemption cannot be undone. Eternal life cannot be lost and still be considered eternal. If a Christian can lose salvation, God would have to go back on His Word and change His mind—two things that Scripture tells us God never does. The most frequent objections to the belief that a Christian cannot lose salvation are 1) What about those who are Christians and continually live an immoral lifestyle? 2) What about those who are Christians but later reject the faith and deny Christ? The problem with these two objections is the phrase “who are Christians.” The Bible declares that a true Christian will not live a continually immoral lifestyle (1 John 3:6). The Bible declares that anyone who departs the faith is demonstrating that he never truly was a Christian (1 John 2:19). Therefore, neither objection is valid. Christians do not continually live immoral lifestyles, nor do they reject the faith and deny Christ. Such actions are proof that they were never redeemed. No, a Christian cannot lose salvation. Nothing can separate a Christian from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing can remove a Christian from God’s hand (John 10:28-29). God is both willing and able to guarantee and maintain the salvation He has given us. Jude 24-25, “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” Recommended Resource: Eternal Security by Charles Stanley. |
| Christians, Muslims unite against UK housing ban on religious artifacts Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:49 PM PDT
Both Muslim and Christian elderly residents in a housing complex in the UK are upset at a ban that was issued recently against religious artifacts from being displayed on the premises. The ban was announced in a letter that was sent to residents of all 40 flats in St. Paul’s Court in Preston, Lancashire, which also requested that they take down any religious icons and signs that may disturb the community.  Not allowed Both Christians and Muslims criticized the ban that was imposed on St. Paul’s Court, which is run by Places for People. One resident told The Mirror, “Some people are very old and their faith is important to them. What harm can there be in having a small statue of Jesus or Our Lady on view?” The resident also told The Mirror, “Last Christmas we were told to not display a crib, and decorations were discouraged.” The letter announcing the ruling said, “The reason being that St. Paul’s Court is a sheltered housing scheme which promotes diversity amongst its residents and visitors.” As a result, it encouraged the elderly residents to take it upon themselves to become champions of “equality and diversity,” according to The Daily Mail. The staff members of Places for People are taxpayer funded, and their salaries are taken from housing benefits that are given to residents. A spokesman for the group could not specify to The Daily Mail what exactly was meant by “offending” items. Residents were however asked to remove a number of religious signs and statues, even though the home is named after St. Paul, the apostle who has authored almost half of the books of the New Testament. Dignity, respect “I would describe this as removing people’s dignity and respect in their own age. I would ask them to put themselves in the position of their own residents,” Father Andrew Teather, minister of Preston Minster told The Daily Mail. Teather told The Daily Mail, “I have never found any religious tension between people of different faiths, although one often finds antagonism from people who are not themselves religious towards people who are. “Rather than having to appoint equality and diversity officers, why don’t they encourage people to speak to their next door neighbors?” Teather’s sentiments were echoed by a Muslim leader, Salim Desai, who is a local councilor of Preston City. Desai told The Daily Mail, “Yes, I think they should look at it again. I don’t know why they came to this decision, or what the underlying complaints are. I think they should think again.” “We get a lot of our morals from religion and I would prefer people to follow religion, Christian or Muslim, and have morals, rather than no morals at all,” Desai told The Daily Mail, adding, “They are causing more problems than they are solving.” Father Timothy Lipscomb told Mirror that the ruling is “ridiculous,” noting, “Political correctness is getting silly.” |
| Two new books talk about experiences of Muslims who convert to Christianity Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:45 PM PDT
Two books are now available in the market that talk about the conversion of former Muslims to Christianity. The first book, “Out of Darkness Into Light,” talks about the personal accounts of 13 men and women who were formerly Muslims, but who converted after experiencing Christ in supernatural ways through dreams, visions and miracles. The website of the book says that Out of Darkness is not so much about changing one’s religion, as it is about the experience of becoming one of God’s children and entering the family of God through Jesus. The book is described as “easy to read and inspiring,” and it offers the reader a glimpse into a culture that people who grow up in the Islamic faith experience. It is advised as a good read for those who would like to share the gospel with Muslims, and may also be useful for those who feel that they don’t reflect God’s love for Muslims in their own hearts. The author of the book uses the pseudonym, Ali Abdel-Masih, which means “believer in the Messiah.” The author describes himself in the book as a strong Muslim who initially worked to convert Christians to the Islamic faith. Masih describes his conversion as the experience of a presence when he was alone in his house. “The Holy Spirit fell on me. I knew Jesus was standing in the room with me and that He was the Son of God.” Masih said in the book that he was such a strong Muslim that only an experience like this could help him to know Jesus in a personal way and to be changed by him. As a result, Masih ministered to other Christians in the Middle East, and was surprised to hear many stories similar to his own, of people who experienced God through visions and dreams. Masih’s book contains nuances and questions that Muslim readers may relate to. He contends that many Muslims most likely had experienced visions but may not yet fully understand its meaning. At the same time, Christians stand to benefit from this book by becoming acquainted with the heart that God has for Muslims and learning of the openness that Muslims can have to the gospel when they have a touch from the Lord. From Terror to Freedom A second book on the market is entitled “From Terror to Freedom,” authored by Mano Bakh (a pseudonym), who formerly worked with the Imperial Navy of Iran. The book tells of how Bakh escaped from the Navy when Islamic radicals took over the country in 1979. Included is a graphic description of the slaughter of some of the brightest citizens in the country, and of his personal experience as a hunted man. Bakh also describes his life before 1979, including friendships that he made as a serviceman for 26 years, and how these same bonds were critical in his darkest hours in aiding and abetting his escape from the country. Bakh cites in his book the need to separate Sharia law from Islamic spirituality, and calls on moderate Muslims to take their religion back from extremism. |
| Rights groups appeal for freedom, medical treatment for ailing blind activist in China Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:41 PM PDT
Chen Guangcheng, a blind lawyer who was imprisoned on trumped up charges after exposing China’s inhumane forced abortions as a result of its one-child policy, is badly in need of medical treatment. China Aid and Women’s Rights Without Frontiers have joined forces to call for the immediate release of Chen and his family so that he can get badly needed medical treatment immediately. Chen and his wife have been harshly beaten relentlessly, and Chen’s elderly mother and five-year-old daughter have been treated cruelly (see http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2011/06/letter-from-wife-of-chinese-blind-activist-reveals-graphic-details-of-torture-16345/).  Chen Guangcheng and his wife A petition by Women’s Rights Without Frontiers was sent to China’s president Hu Jintao and its prime minister Wen Jiaobao requesting Chen’s release from house arrest and asking that he receives appropriate medical care as a free man. The letter says, “On February 9, 2011 Chen released a video describing the deplorable conditions of his house arrest. The next morning, Chen and his wife, Yuan Weijing, were “beaten senseless.” “We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned for the suffering and brutal treatment of Chen and his family. We call upon the Chinese government to free Chen from house arrest immediately and to get him the medical care he so urgently needs,” the letter said on its website. “Chen’s wife sounded the alarm in a letter recently smuggled out of China. She said that Chen’s health is very fragile and worsening every day because of beatings, malnutrition and an intestinal illness,” Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, stated. “She is worried about his survival. Chen sacrificed everything to tell the world the brutal truth about forced abortion in China. He is a warrior for women’s rights. Now it’s our turn to sacrifice on behalf of Chen by fighting for his freedom.” China Aid also slammed China’s treatment of Chen. Bob Fu, president, said, “The abuse of Chen Guangcheng is unconscionable and contrary to the rule of law. His mistreatment under house arrest is deplorable, including beatings, constant surveillance, as well as confiscation of his computer, cell phone, books, his blind cane and the toys of his young daughter.” Both China Aid and Women’s Rights Without Frontiers are lobbying for help from the international diplomatic community to intervene with the Chinese government on behalf of Chen. They are also calling on concerned citizens to write to the embassies and consulates in their countries anywhere in the world on behalf of Chen. Chen was cited by Time Magazine in 2006 as among the Top 100 People Who Shape Our World. The following year, he was awarded the 2007 Magsaysay award, which is considered to be the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize, for exposing the ills that are offshoots of China’s one-child policy. Chen revealed that 130,000 abortions and sterilizations were enforced in Linyi County alone in 2005, against the wishes of the mothers. He was then imprisoned for four years and three months. Although he was released in September 2010, the act seemed to be mere window dressing as house arrest has been no better than jail, and a video released by Women’s Rights equated the entire village, this time, as his prison. Under house arrest Chen and his wife have been “beaten senseless,” are kept away from all contact with the outside world, are not permitted to have enough food, are constantly under watch even in their own home, and all their possessions have been taken away, including personal photographs and the toys of their children. Those who wish to sign the petition may go to http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/index.php?nav=chen-guangcheng#petition. |
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