Saved and safe

Some Christians believe that their salvation depends on their continued faithfulness. That is, if they rebel against God, they are goners. I say they ought to read Nehemiah 9 very carefully.

But they and our fathers acted proudly, hardened their necks, and did not heed Your commandments. They refused to obey, and they were not mindful of Your wonders that You did among them. But they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion they appointed a leader to return to their bondage. But You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them. Even when they made a molded calf for themselves, and said, ‘This is your god that brought you up out of Egypt,’ and worked great provocations, yet in Your manifold mercies You did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day, to lead them on the road; nor the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way they should go. You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst. Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. (16-21)

The New Testament clearly says that salvation is by grace through faith, not works or anything that we do. We cannot earn our salvation nor can we keep or maintain it by our own efforts. If we could, we would not need a Savior.

This passage in Nehemiah is about saving grace. What did these people do to deserve such kindness and mercy? Nothing! God determined to save them and even when they resisted Him and acted foolishly, He persisted. Their salvation depended totally on Him.

What about those today who profess faith in Christ and then fall from “Christian” activities and begin living like pagans? Are they lost? Is there no hope? 1 John 5:11-12 says, “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Eternal life and our salvation are all about a Person, not about what we do. If the Person walks off and leaves me, then I am a goner. Without Jesus, there is no life, no forgiveness, no salvation. Everything is tied to Him. If someone has Jesus in their life, they have His life, and His life is the eternal kind. My salvation is as secure as He is.

Can I lose it? In Hebrews 13:5, He says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” He sticks with His people, no matter what, and Nehemiah 9:16-21 is a good example of how He keeps this promise.

Does that mean I can do anything I want? Pretty much, but with that kind of mercy and faithfulness on God’s part, any rebelliousness in me doesn’t last very long. My stubborn heart is no match for His continued presence and determination to stick with me!