Losing Salvation?

I don't believe that we can lose our salvation, however, some are most likely were NOT saved in the first place. We take credit for almost everything we achieve, even our salvation. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote, “Your salvation is nothing you have achieved by your good works. It is a gift of God. You receive it by faith. That way no one can boast of his own accomplishments.” Ephesians 2:8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." When a Christian who is saved by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, this Christian is living in a new Creature with holy conscience rather than sinful conscience. As a Christian, I still can have sinful desires, foolish desires, proud desires and at the same time, have godly desires. If we didn't feel the conviction and didn't have the motivation to change from "within", then we should be concerned whether we are truly saved or not. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." The condition of the heart determines how receptive a person is to the gospel.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 "because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake."

The Holy Spirit seals our salvation. 2 Corinthians 3:6 "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

Corinthians 1:22 "Set His seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

Ephesians 1:13 "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit."

Ephesians 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

2 Timothy 2:19 "Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his, " and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

Reading Ephesians, we can ‘grieve' the Spirit by living like the pagans (4:17-19), by yielding to our sin nature (2:22-24), by lying (4:25), by anger (4:26-27), by stealing (4:28), by cursing (4:29), by bitterness (4:31), by being unforgiving (4:32), by sexual immorality (5:3-5). To "grieve" the Spirit is to act out in a sinful manner, whether it is in thought and deed, or in thought.

The new Covenant is sealed in the blood of Jesus, Who is our Savior and Mediator, brought us together with His Grace and Mercy that we have great spiritual and eternal freedom. The Old Testament priests, sacrifices, and sanctuary are superseded by the mediation of Jesus, the crucified, risen, and reigning God-man (Heb. 1-10), in whom believers now find their identity as the seed of Abraham and the people of God (Gal. 3:29; 1 Pet. 2:4-10). Hebrews 9:15 "For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant."

Christ through His death and resurrection, every legal hindrance has been met and satisfied. There is nothing that can keep me from the promise. Its not about thinking our way into salvation or to reason our way into salvation. The only way to get in is to believe Him with my heart which is sealed by the Holy Spirit through the gift of Faith, through Jesus Christ, His grace and the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Back in the days when I was a prodical Christian, there was a possibility that I was not saved. As I see Christians around me and they reminded me of "me" when I was away from God. Just like King David. David messed up big time but God told us through the Bible that David was truly after God's heart. Jesus Christ’s redemptive work on the cross have provided the solution for my salvation and the foundation for me to pursue a life that reflects Christ. I believe that the truth of God’s Word have already set me FREE from the bondage of sin. (John 8:32) I believe that Jesus and the Word of God are SUFFICIENT for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3-9) and the Holy Spirit provided me the principles and guidelines to live a life of godliness. It is the Holy Spirit's conviction that God’s design for me is to be radically TRANSFORMED by the renewing of my mind. (Romans 12:2) My hope for this radical transformation is by the POWER of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13).

I understand the concept of Paul's ex-communicate however, the situation is between Church leaders and church members. However, this does not apply to spiritual salvation. As Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:19 "Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his, " and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

Even a priest nor any other pastor would know if a person's salvation is true. Just as the Roman Catholic treated Martin Luther with ex-communicate. We must openly discuss with all who will listen, treating all Christians as fellow Christians, but we must call apostasy, apostasy. Apostasy always begins with the heart where a person is turning back which is deliberate and decisive. Faith is a gift, whether a person actually "recieved" faith as a gift is the question. Jesus is the Lord who says, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny Himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). To obey Him is to enjoy the fellowship of God and true believers, a fellowship of light (1 John 1:5-7). A person's heart is always found running in the direction of his/her desires. The heart that desires often leads a person towards the wrong direction. Those who believed that God will not allow Christians to suffer are in big trouble and probably won't last.

I like this quote:
"Don't stay away from church because there are so many hypocrites. There's always room for one more." Arthur R. Adams

Jesus is my Shepherd, just as Peter explains in 1 Peter 2:25 "For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

When I read the following verses,
2 Corinthians 1:22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

2 Corinthians 5:5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

How can God "unseal" my salvation? I don't find any scripture verses that explains this. Remember, Jesus as the Shepheard? John 10:28 "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand." How can one who saved get snatched out of His hand?

I looked at LCMS's website and see this quote

As Jesus says in John 15:16: "You did not choose me; but I chose you...." Conversion is solely the work of the Holy Spirit: "No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3). What may appear to be a "decision" from a human perspective is actually the result of the work of the Holy Spirit through the power of the Gospel. (http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=4410)

The Holy Spirit is the key. Faith comes as a result of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit-He quickens our hearts to believe. Apart from the new birth, there can be no true faith. Without the Holy Spirit, our faith and our works are NOTHING. Through the Holy Spirit, God's grace gave us the strength.

About not being saved in the first place, that could happen and that can happen. People can "play" Christians while their hearts deceives them. In a person's heart, if he or she truly did not accept Christ as their savior means they have rejected. Blasphemes against the Holy Spirit Luke 12:10 “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven."

Becoming a disciple, following Jesus Christ requires personal cost, giving up your selfish "me" and become like Christ. What does it mean to become like Jesus Christ? That is the REAL question. There are so many who will proclaim to be a Christian but only few are really Christians. There are millions of professing Christians who "think" they have been justified, who think their sins are forgiven and that they are on their way to heaven, who show no evidence of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy.