1. Common Church Deception = Assurance of Salvation while Sinning
Can you have assurance of salvation while continuing in sin? Most Christians can think of an experience when they thought they were saved. Maybe believing Jesus died on the cross for their sins and accepting Him as Savior at an altar call or asking Him into their heart with the sinner’s prayer. But after this typical sort of church salvation experience, what if your life is not different from before and you continue in sin? Is your pastor or church deceiving you when they lead you to believe and profess that you know for sure you are saved while sinning? Are you truly saved or are you deceived when you claim assurance of salvation while continuing in sin? Let’s turn to the Bible to understand what salvation is to see if assurance of salvation while sinning is truly saved or deceived.
2. Salvation = Saved from your SIN
Salvation is to be rescued from something destructive—so what is that something that God wants you to be saved from? Matthew 1:21 says, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." Jesus is the Savior, and his very name means He will save his people from their sins. So, the destructive thing that God wants you to be rescued from is your sins. Please notice this verse does not say that Jesus will save his people from Hell, it says He will save his people from their sins. Sin is disobeying God, and the consequence of your sin is eternal death of your soul. James 1:15 says, "..when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:16 says, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" The consequence of sin is spiritual death, and spiritual death of the soul results in eternal damnation in Hell. Jesus does not rescue your soul from the consequence of sin while you continue in sin. Jesus rescues your soul from the consequence of sin by saving you from sin itself.
3. Sin causes spiritual death; Spiritually dead souls go to Hell
We can see and touch our physical body, so it is real to us. Our soul and spiritual life we cannot see, and we cannot touch, so it may not seem as real. To grasp the danger of sin, think of sin as a cancer. Harmful cancers destroy the life of the body’s vital organs, and the end consequence is death of the body. So also, sin destroys the spirit, and the end consequence is death of the soul. Doctors do not rescue their patient’s life by leaving the cancer in their body. Doctors rescue the patient’s life by saving them from the cancer, that is, removing and destroying the cancer from their body. So also, Jesus does not rescue the souls of his people by leaving sin in them. Jesus rescues his people from spiritual death by saving them from their sins, that is, removing and destroying sin from their hearts, minds, and life. Sin causes spiritual death, and spiritually dead souls will be cast in Hell to suffer everlasting torment. The Bible defines salvation as being saved from your sin. If you are saved from sin, then you will also escape the eternal consequences of sin.
4. Jesus only saves HIS people; HIS people separate from sin and deception
The next question to understand salvation is who will be saved? Let’s return to Matthew 1:21, it says "..thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." This verse states that Jesus will only save His people. All people are God’s creation, but God does not consider all people to be His people. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, but Jesus will not save all people. So, who are His people? 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 says, "… what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? … for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate..." These verses make three key points about God and His people. First, God’s people detach from unrighteousness, darkness, and Belial the wicked Devil. If we want to be His people, then we must separate ourselves from all sources of sin and deception. Second, God’s people do not keep unity and fellowship with people who continue in sin and deception. If we want to be His people, then we must not have agreement and friendship with deceivers and disobedient. Third, God is holy and righteous; His presence lives with those who also are holy and righteous, and they are His people. If we want God’s presence to abide with us, we must seek to become holy and righteous as God is holy and righteous.
5. Jesus’s people Repent, Obey, and Follow Him
Jesus himself defined His people as those who obey Him and follow Him. In John 10:27-28 Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish." Jesus gives eternal life to His sheep. His sheep are His people who obey Him to do what He tells them to do and follow Him to do what He did. Jesus’s first teaching to get eternal life in heaven is repent, so the first step to become His people is to turn away from sin and turn toward obeying His commandments. There are different levels to how close and intimate we may become with God as His people, and it depends on how intensely we choose to obey and follow Jesus. Those who obey the commandments of Jesus at the most basic level to be righteous are children of God. Those who desire to do more, receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and do ministry work are servants of God. Those who grow spiritually to obey His Word in perfect righteousness and holiness may become sons of God. Those who grow to obey and follow Him at the highest intensity may receive a high calling such that they will sacrifice all for God, and they may become the bride of Christ. His people who obey and follow Him at the highest level of intensity will be rewarded with the greatest levels of joy, glory, and presence of God for eternity.
Although among God’s people there are different levels of growth and sacrifice, all His people separate from sin, darkness, and deception. God has set conditions of what He requires us to do to become His people. Jesus only saves His people. Jesus only gives eternal life to His people. He requires us to do our part before He does His part. James 4:8 says, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." Drawing near to God to become His people is cleansing your hands, your heart, your mind; it is cleansing your life of the filth of sin. You cannot save yourself by your own intelligence, strength, or willpower. But, if you draw near to God, He will draw near to you and give you the grace, power, and spirit you need to grow in righteousness and holiness. His people are righteous from the heart and obey His commandments. 1 Peter 4:18 says, "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" This verse tells us that becoming righteous is the bare minimum requirement to be saved. If you truly want Jesus to save you from your sins, repent of your sins and obey His commandments to become His people.
6. Salvation is saved FROM sin, Not saved while continuing IN sin
The final question to understand salvation is how are we saved? Let’s circle back to Matthew 1:21, it says "…he shall save his people from their sins." This verse tells us that Jesus saves us from our sins; He does not save us while we continue in our sins. Romans 6:17-18, 22 says, "…ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness...But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." These verses tell us we all start as slaves to sin, but if we obey the doctrine or teachings of Jesus, we can be set free from sin. The proof of being saved is being dead to our old sinful life and obeying Lord Jesus with a new righteous and holy life. Salvation is not thinking and claiming that you will go to heaven while attending church services and continuing in sin. Salvation is being made free from sin and this is evident with righteous and holy deeds, fruits and works in your present life.
Jesus is now omnipotent God as the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, and if you seek Him, He will appear in your life to free you from your sins. Acts 3:26 says, "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." The most valuable blessing you can receive from Lord Jesus Christ is for Him to turn you away from your sinning nature, to free you from your sinful intentions and desires. If Jesus frees you from sin, you are no longer enslaved to continue committing sin. You are converted to love and do that which is good and righteous, and hate and stop doing that which is evil and unrighteous. 1 John 3:7-8, 10 says, "…let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil… In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God." These verses tell us that sin is the work of the devil, and Jesus’s very purpose is to destroy the work of the devil. Jesus’s purpose is to save His people from their sin, and that is freeing His people from doing sin.
7. True Salvation = Jesus saves his people from their sins
Most pastors and churches are deceiving servants of the Devil that lead churchgoers to profess assurance of salvation while continuing in daily sin, daily confession, and daily asking of forgiveness. But your sin is the very reason your soul is in danger of eternal damnation. God is real, God is righteous, and God is a consuming fire. Claiming to know for sure you are saved while continuing in sin is deception. Do not have itching ears to feel satisfied with the lies of deceivers. The blind follow the blind and both fall in the ditch of hellfire. Believing and professing in assurance of salvation while continuing in sin is not salvation, it is deception. If you believe in this false salvation, your soul is in danger of eternal damnation and torment in Hellfire. Love the truth and obey the truth to become Jesus’s people so that He may bless you in saving you from your sins.
SUMMARY PointsChurch Deception = Assurance of Salvation while Sinning
True Salvation = Jesus saves his people from their sinsJesus’s name means He will save HIS people FROM their SINS
Sin → Death of Soul → Eternal Damnation in Hell
Bible Salvation = Saved from your SINIF saved from SIN, THEN saved from eternal CONSEQUENCES of SIN
Jesus does NOT save you from Hell while you continue IN Sin
Jesus saves you from Hell by saving you FROM Sin.Jesus only saves HIS people:
1 - HIS people SEPARATE from SIN and DECEPTION
2 - HIS people do NOT unite with DECEIVERS and DISOBEDIENT
3 - HIS people become HOLY and RIGHTEOUSJesus’s people Repent, Obey, & Follow Him
God’s people SEPARATE from Sin, Darkness, Deception.
Draw NEAR to God = CLEANSE life of SinIF you draw near to God, THEN God will draw near to you
You CANNOT save yourself by your OWN intelligence, strength, or willpower
GOD gives the Grace, Power & Spirit to grow in Righteousness & HolinessRewards in Heaven according to how intensely you obey and follow Jesus
All God’s people Repent and Obey Him
RIGHTEOUSNESS = MINIMUM standard required to be savedSalvation = saved FROM sin, NOT saved IN sin
All start as SLAVES to SIN
OBEY Jesus to be set FREE from SIN
Salvation’s EVIDENCE = Righteous & Holy Deeds, Fruits, WorksResurrected Lord Jesus Christ is GOD
Lord Jesus Christ BLESSES His people by turning them AWAY from iniquity
If you SEEK Lord Jesus Christ, He will appear in your life to FREE you from your SINS.SIN = Work of DEVIL
JESUS’s purpose = Destroy Work of Devil = Destroy SINDECEPTION = Assurance of Salvation WHILE Sinning
TRUTH = Jesus SAVES his people from their SINS