Is there such a thing as a stagnant Christian?

understanding salvation

IS there such a thing as a stagnant christian?

Is it possible to be a stagnant Christian? Can a Christian who professes Christ not grow spiritually?

As Christians, there are times when we don’t experience any spiritual growth or movement.

This may be a time of testing, trial and trouble.

If we are honest with ourselves, as believers, there are times when we hit a low point. This is where the flesh gets the best of us. Maybe we have been exposed to relationships that have broken us down where we expected them to build us up. Perhaps circumstances or people have disappointed us. It may be that we have been battling a particular kind of sin and temptation, which has taken away our joy and made us depressed.

There is no doubt that we can have spiritual experiences where we experience highs and lows. There are times when we feel triumphant in Christ, and then there are times when we feel like failures, who have disappointed the Lord.

This is why we live most of our lives constantly bouncing back and forth between praise and confession.

However, it’s not unusual for this to happen to us as Christians. That’s why Jesus taught to pray with these words: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” and “Forgive us our trespasses.”

We see here that Jesus shows us two facets of our Christian walk as we alternate between praise and penance.

We shouldn’t be surprised when problems come along, and neither should we remain stagnant in those situations. We are to rise, repent and praise God for His mercy and redemption.

“Can a Christian profess Christ but show no spiritual growth?”

The answer is no. If there is no spiritual growth in a professing believer, there is no spiritual life. This is because if there is life, there must be growth.

If we were to plot a Christian life on a graph, the trajectory of Christian growth should always be upwards towards Christlikeness. The growth might flatten out at times and then grow a little and flatten out again, but overall there is always growth.

The same way as human life or a tree grows naturally,  professing Christians who shows no growth or movement demonstrates that their hearts have not been changed. It does not mean a Christian will rocket straight up to Christlikeness; his or her growth is staggered but it happens nonetheless.

As a Christian, our spiritual growth is by grace, and how fast we grow is determined by how well we draw upon the means of grace available to us through daily prayer, meditation, and fellowship with others.

If I keep sinning, how could I possibly be saved?

understanding salvation

If I keep sinning, how could i possibily be saved?

Because of the constant battle with sin in our lives, people often doubt their salvation. It is even possible for sincere believers to wonder if they will ever be able to overcome sin.

If you or someone you know is struggling with the same question? There is some good and bad news. 

The good news is that as you mature and grow in your sanctification through the power of the Holy Spirit, there will be a decreasing frequency of sin in your life. We must rejoice in that progression.

The bad news is that as you grow in your sanctification, there will be an increasing hatred of sin in your life. This means you will feel worse about it. 

The simple truth is that we need Christ till the day we die. We need to rely on Him for our salvation before we get saved, and we certainly depend on Him for our assurance & sanctification after we are saved. 

Luke 15:17-21 tells the story of the prodigal son, who is found miserable in a pigpen, but soon decides to get up and run home to his father, who was eagerly waiting for him. 

In this short story, Jesus teaches us a valuable lesson that Christians can get into sin, but they can never stay in sin.

There are two main reasons for this: 

(1) because our heavenly Father is always watching and is sovereignly in control.  

(2) because true children of God are ‘sons’ and not ‘pigs’; therefore, they belong in the Father’s house and not in pigpens. They cannot remain in the pigpens because they are not pigs but sons. As a result, they would only be content in the Father’s house. 

The pig, on the other hand, loves the dirt and has no desire to go to the Father’s house. 

This is how it is in the world today. There is always an ongoing battle between true believers and sin.

However, we must take heart and trust in the one who has everything in control and can preserve you.

What happens to a Christian who ceases to believe or keeps sinning?

This is a pertinent question concerning genuine believers, who are saved but still continue in their sin or who may have experienced varying degrees of unbelief in their life.

Firstly any true believer is going to have some basic problems with sin or unbelief. They would be aware of it and to some extent even tormented by it.

I mean certainly there are times when believers struggle with doubt and even make agreements and promises with God to change. But in most circumstances people often break their end of the agreement.

So what happens to a true believer who may have given up and falls back into sin. Here are 7 things.

(1) You may lose Your joy.

Now, this isn’t a small thing by any means. Scripture teaches us that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). The joy of the Lord is what sweetens our trials, lightens our burdens, and turns our service into delight. However, when a believer falls into sin, they may lose out on this joy if they walk in the dark and refuse to hold on to God.

Consider David’s experience in Psalm 51:12, where after his sin with Bathsheba, he cries out to God, saying, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” David’s joy was lost because of his sin, and he felt the weight of separation from God’s presence. But even in this, his prayer demonstrates that joy can be restored through repentance and returning to God’s grace.

(2) You may lose your “assurance” of salvation.

Simply put, you cannot live an assured life if you have attached yourself to unholiness. In sin, we lose the joy of our salvation and the sweet assurance that we as believers have concerning our eternal security.

(3) You will lose your fruitfulness.

It is impossible to bear good fruit without God’s abundant grace in our hearts and if we live carelessly or fall into an unbelieving state of mind where we lose communion with the everlasting God. Then our fruits will be non-existent.

To remain fruitful, we must remain connected to the vine (Jesus Christ).

John 15:5 (NKJV)

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

(4) You will lose your Purity.

Having an unbelieving heart will result in the loss of purity. When we are in Christ and growing in our sanctification by His tender care, sin is something that comes in and tarnishes our heart which often leads to us compromising with sin.

When we lose the tenderness of our conscience and quench the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit, it is damaging to our spiritual growth in holiness.

(5) You will lose your Peace.

If a child of God wanders away from the Lord’s presence, they lose their peace along with other spiritual blessings. God’s peace, which surpasses all understanding, guards the heart and mind of believers when they are walking in fellowship with Him (Philippians 4:7). However, when a believer turns away from God, that peace becomes disrupted.

Psalm 32:3-4 is a good example of what happens when a believer is out of fellowship with God: “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.”

David’s experience here shows how sin and estrangement from God led to deep inner turmoil. Similarly, any believer who continues in sin will experience the absence of peace that only comes through walking in harmony with God.

(6) You will lose your Influence.

There is also an obvious loss of influence with the the people of God and unbelievers in the world.

If we injured our reputation, it is not something that is soon repaired. There is of course restoration process in the church (Mathew 18:15-20), where a fallen brother is weeped over and loved but it is often very difficult to trust him like they  once used to do.

(7) You will lose Power in Prayer.

The scriptures record that the “effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16) Even our Lord Jesus told His disciples, “if you abide in me, and my words in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7-9)

But disobedience children will find that their Father will turn a deaf ear to their supplication (prayers).

Falling From Grace – Galatians 5:4

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Fallen From Grace – Galatians 5:4

Galatians 5:4 (NKJV)

You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

This verse is often misinterpreted to teach that there is a possibility that believer’s could loose their salvation based on Paul’s statement concerning some Galatian believers who had had “fallen from grace.”

Explanation

To understand the broader context of this scripture, let’s first read the verses 1-5.

Galatians 5:1-5 (NKJV)

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.

3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 

5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

This letter was written by Paul to believers who professed Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord (otherwise they wouldn’t have been members of the Galatian church) who had now lost their sense of spiritual blessing. As far as their salvation is concerned, they never rejected Christ as a means of their salvation but rejected Him as a means of sanctification (ongoing spiritual growth).

The context suggests that many came from a Jewish background that stressed a legalistic self-effort to attain and maintain salvation.

Despite their positive response to the gospel message about justification before God through faith in Christ alone, they were unable to set aside their background/tradition.

It became apparent that some Judaizers were creating problems within the churches, claiming that faith in Jesus Christ was insufficient to attain complete salvation. Hence, they were looking to add law (specifically circumcision) to grace, believing that they could achieve righteousness through the law. They argued that while faith may begin the process of salvation, believers must also adhere to the Mosaic Law to be fully justified and perfected (Gal 3:1-3).

This is what it means when it says we have fallen from grace. It means we are seeking to justify ourselves through the law rather than through grace.

If a believer starts living under the law to merit salvation, he or she is actually rejecting the grace given to him or her for salvation. Legalism does not please God but offends Him. In fact, it distances a person from God instead of bringing them closer to Him.

By trying to be justified by the law, the Galatian christians alienated themselves from Christ and deemed His work on the cross & that of the Holy Spirit as useless.

Also note what Paul does NOT say.

He does not say “You have fallen from salvation.” He says “fallen from grace”, and there is a difference. The apostle Paul does not suggest that genuine believers can lose their salvation.

Paul argues that believers can lose access to the transforming power of grace in their lives. Which is the concept of having fallen out of the sphere of God’s grace by virtue of mixing grace and law.

It is not surprising that legalistic believers often live miserable lives, rarely defeating sin, living in constant shame, etc. Their temporary separation from Christ deprived them of the freedom that comes with being a child of God.

Salvation is a complete package, God is the one who saves us and He is the one who preserves us. It is grace that saves us and that keeps us saved.

It’s important to understand that a believer only “falls from grace” when they revert to living under the law in an attempt to earn salvation. However, if a believer sins, they do not fall from grace in the same way.

Instead, they fall into grace. When a believer stumbles, they fall into the hands of a gracious and loving God, who disciplines and restores them as His children. God’s grace is not just for salvation but is also the sustaining power that restores and preserves believers in their daily walk with Him.

Rather than being estranged from grace due to failure, sin drives believers deeper into the grace that continually renews them and keeps them close to God.

Other related articles:

Other Arguments against once saved always saved?

Once Saved always saved? Is it Biblical?

Key Scriptures on the Assurance of Salvation

Who can rob us of our salvation?

Can anyone know for sure that they are saved?

Name blotted from the book of life – Revelation 3:5

understanding salvation

Arguements Against once saved always saved

Arguement (12)

Name blotted from the book of life – Revelation 3:5

Revelation 3:5 (NKJV)

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

This verse has been used by many in the evangelical church today to teach that believers can lose their salvation.

Furthermore, they emphasize the word “overcome” written in the present tense, interpreting it to mean Christians must work hard for their salvation, and if they fail to do so, God will erase their names from the book of life.

They also use Moses’ statement in Exodus 32:32 to support their understanding where he says, “Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”

Explanation

Context of the verse

This verse from Revelation 3:5 addresses a church called Sardis, and it’s actually a promise rather than a warning that God will never blot out the names in the book of life. Our salvation is permanent and not determined by our worthiness, but by the fact that Christ is worthy and that we are in Him. 

This understanding also fits with other verses about the Book of Life. Jesus told the disciples in Luke 10:20, “Do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” In Hebrews 12:23, we read of “the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.” 

Overcomer

It is important to understand what the author of revelation (Apostle John) meant by the word overcomer. As we look at 1 John 5, the word overcomer is simply defined as Christians. These are believers who will persevere in their Christian walk because they have true saving faith. 

The letter was written to the Sardian church, which (like other ancient cities) had a basic principle regarding  their citizenship records. When people came into the city, their names were written on the city’s rolls, and they were identified as members.

However, if they committed a criminal act discrediting themselves or disgraceful to the city, a certain reproach would be attached to them, and they would be eliminated from that city’s records.

In a similar analogy, God says He would never do that. 

By placing our faith in Jesus Christ, we are, by virtue, over-comers and are clothed in white garments of the highest honour and dignity.

In contrast to the worldly systems, God places no “conditions” on His salvific purpose and promises to never blot us out. 

Exodus 32:32

Regarding Moses’ statement in Exodus, it simply conveys his concern for the salvation of Israel to the point where he was willing to become damned to save them. Moses’ words here are just an outcry from a passionate heart, and the scriptures record his emotion. 

In conclusion, Revelation 3:5 offers believers a profound assurance of their eternal security in Christ. The promise that their names will not be blotted from the Book of Life is a guarantee of God’s commitment to His people. While some may misinterpret this passage as suggesting that salvation can be lost, the context and the consistent message of Scripture affirm that true believers are overcomers by virtue of their faith, and their place in God’s eternal kingdom is secure.

This is further emphasized by the promise that salvation is not dependent on our works or merit but on Christ’s finished work on the cross. Just as the citizens of Sardis feared losing their status due to wrongdoing, God reassures His people that their citizenship in His kingdom is based on grace, not performance. Therefore, this verse serves as a reminder to rest in Christ’s victory and trust in the permanence of the salvation He offers to all who believe.

Other related articles:

Other Arguments against once saved always saved?

Once Saved always saved? Is it Biblical?

Key Scriptures on the Assurance of Salvation

Who can rob us of our salvation?

Can anyone know for sure that they are saved?

No longer remains a sacrifice for sins – Hebrews 10:26

understanding salvation

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No longer remains a sacrifice for sins – Hebrews 10:26

Hebrews 10:26 (NKJV)

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

There are some who believe that this verse implies you can lose your salvation if you willfully sin after knowing everything about Christ.

Explanation

The context of this verse refers to those (non-believers) who left the church after hearing the gospel, seeing Christ’s claims in person, and being associated with His church to some extent.

These were people whose hearts had been warmed toward the gospel of Christ, who had made a superficial commitment of faith in Him, and who had identified themselves visibly with the true church.

Even so, their enthusiasm for Christianity faded, and the costs of being a Christian outweighed the benefits. As a result, they were ‘getting over’ the gospel, and were on the verge of becoming apostates.The context is not a believer who one day ceases to be a believer (or loses their salvation). That is a false teaching that contradicts hundreds of Bible passages that teach eternal security (see Jesus’ promise in Jn 10:27-29). Yet God’s infinite mercy does not turn a blind eye to deliberate sin, so we must never treat His grace and mercy as a license to live licentiously. 

Even though we are no longer under law, but under grace (Rom 6:14), grace is not a license to sin. Our lives will be filled with failures and falls, but they should never be the norm. Before we were saved we chased after sin, but now that we are saved, sin chases after us!

If an individual sinning willfully is a lifestyle, then that person must be very honest with himself or herself and ask, “Is my Christian profession a possession of Christ?” (2 Cor 13:5). This means that a person must examine whether their outward profession of faith is accompanied by a genuine, inward transformation. A mere acknowledgment of Christ without true conversion will result in a lifestyle that remains enslaved to sin, rather than reflecting the new creation that comes with true faith (2 Cor 5:17)

Incomprehensible truths such as Christ’s presence in us (Col 1:27) and His Spirit within us (1 Cor 6:19) enables us to resist committing willful sins (cf. 2 Cor 5:17) and enables us to combat temptations that assault our minds and entice us to commit that willful sin. 

Judas was the perfect prototype of an apostate. No other rejector of Christ was ever exposed to God’s truth, love, and grace as Judas. He was intimately familiar with the Lord. He was one of Jesus’ twelve inner circles of disciples. He would have become an apostle if he had believed, but he rejected the truth and became an apostate.

The story of Judas also contradicts the common excuse, “I would believe in Christ if I just had a little more evidence, a little more light.” Judas had the perfect proof, the perfect light, the perfect example. Although he lived with Truth incarnate and Life incarnate for some three years, he turned his back on the One who is truth and life. 

As we can see, this verse does not refer to a believer. Rather, it is speaking to a non-Christian, who knows about the gospel and is even intellectually convinced of its truth, but still lives  unrepentant and in willful sin. 

If a person rejects Christ despite knowing the truth of the gospel, there is certainly no hope for him. 

Other related articles:

Other Arguments against once saved always saved?

Once Saved always saved? Is it Biblical?

Key Scriptures on the Assurance of Salvation

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Do not defile the temple of God – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

understanding salvation

Arguements Against once saved always saved

Arguement (10)

Do not defile the temple of God – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NKJV)

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Some people have isolated the phrase “God will destroy him” out of its context to mean that true believers after being in-dwelt with the Holy Spirit of God can loose their salvation.

Explanation

According to the previous section in the same chapter, the temple being referred to here is the collective body of believers – the local church (1 Cor. 3:10-14), not our individual bodies. 

Moreover, the Greek word translated “you” refers to believers collectively, not individually. 

In no way is this verse about the loss of salvation or a person’s soul. This is even confirmed by the previous verse (1 Corin 3:15) that assures us that each worker will be saved even if they lose their reward. 

1 Corinthians 3:15 (NKJV)

If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

This does not mean, however, that believers can follow their hearts and not worry about God punishing/correcting them if they continue to defile the temple. 

As the previous verses (1 Corn 3:1-22) demonstrate, this passage is part of an extensive teaching on maintaining unity as well as a warning not to let loyalty to human leadership keep us from making rational decisions. In addition, it also serves as a reminder for church leaders that God’s house must be preserved with extreme care.  

The context of Paul’s words is concerning internal strife and division within the church.

During the early Christian era, certain false ministers attempted to destroy God’s temple—the church—by promoting dangerous teachings. Some of these individuals sought to incorporate Greek philosophy into Christian doctrine, diluting the gospel message. Additionally, the Judaizers in the church sought to undermine the gospel by teaching salvation through works, insisting that adherence to the law was necessary for salvation.

Paul strongly refuted this, affirming that salvation comes solely through faith in Jesus Christ. Any addition to this truth was considered a false gospel.

The doctrine of “salvation by works” is like building with worthless, corruptible materials on the solid foundation of Christ, which leads to spiritual ruin.

A modern day counterpart to these false builders would be liberal ministers who deny Christ’s deity, reject the inspired Bible, see Jesus’ death as a martyr or just as an example of love, reject a literal hell, and dozens of other heretical beliefs. In addition, some evangelicals have watered down the gospel as a means to to gain numbers, power, success, and money by making the message acceptable to people.

Here are some practical things that may defile God’s temple:

  • Dividing the church by creating groups and factions within the body (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).
  • Abandoning the simplicity of the gospel by seeking wisdom or teachings outside of its core message (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).
  • Sexual immorality, as addressed in 1 Corinthians 5.
  • Taking a brother to court, creating conflict among believers (1 Corinthians 6:1-8).
  • Divorce, disrupting the unity of the family and church (1 Corinthians 7).
  • Misusing Christian liberty by using one’s rights in a way that causes a weaker brother to stumble (1 Corinthians 8-10).
  • Misconduct at the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:17-34).
  • False teaching, corrupting the truth of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15).

We must keep in mind that this passage is part of Paul’s discussion of the issue of division in the church at Corinth. His Epistle begins with four chapters dedicated to this subject. In other words, what he means is that those who divide the church destroy it. The church of Jesus Christ is a living organism not a mere organization. If you cut a cake into six pieces, you are not destroying it; you are just preparing it for serving.

This is because a cake is an organization. In contrast, if you divide a dog into two, you have destroyed him because he is an organism. As the Corinthian church became divided into four cliques or parties (1 Cor 1:12), so did its members (1 Cor 1:2). As a result, it was in danger of being destroyed.

Other related articles:

Other Arguments against once saved always saved?

Once Saved always saved? Is it Biblical?

Key Scriptures on the Assurance of Salvation

Who can rob us of our salvation?

Can anyone know for sure that they are saved?

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