Connor Galyen Theology Questions

I've struggled with this question in my personal life for some time before the Lord really spoke to me about it a couple years ago. Growing up with a Catholic background, my faith was rooted in my good works and how "good" of a person I was. When I came to call Jesus Lord of my life, this still troubled me. When I would sin, I would still fall back on a works-based theology. Does God still love me? Does God still call me son? God spoke into my heart about this topic and it affected how I approach this question.

First, Scripture. In the end of John 10, Jesus is answering Jewish accusers who are coming against his claim to be the Messiah. He replies that He has told them, but they simply haven't listened to Him. Then He states that "My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28). There are two points in this statement that I think directly applies to this question. 1. Jesus refers to His followers as "sheep", what does this imply? 2. That no one can snatch the sheep from Jesus' hand. To answer the first question I believe is the trickier question. Who is a sheep to Jesus? Is it someone that simply says "Jesus is Lord" and claims Him into their heart as it states in Romans 10:10? No, I believe that even that Scripture establishes a deeper commitment to Jesus then simply a declared statement, it establishes a heart commitment. This heart commitment can be seen throughout Scripture as Christian lives are transformed by the Holy Spirit to be more like God. One Scripture that goes into this is Matthew 24:13 that states, "But the one who endures to the end will be saved". This verse is referring to a time period in which the world will have false prophets and teachers trying to lead Christians away from God. But Jesus proclaims that those who are faithful to God, will be saved. This implies a faithful commitment to Christ. This I believe answers the next part of John 10: "No one will snatch them out of my hand".

This is the thing that God spoke into my heart was about the assurance of salvation. I believe that God's heart for His people is that they would stand confident and assured of their salvation in Him. Ephesians 1:13-14 gets into this as it says "In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory". God wants us to feel secure in our inheritance and look to the Holy Spirit as our guarantee. Which leads to my next point, I believe that Scripture may point to the thing that causes the losing of our salvation, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. In the end of Matthew 12, Jesus states that the only unforgivable sin is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. I believe this is to claim that the works of the Holy Spirit are not of God but of the Enemy. This is to fall so far away from Christ as if to claim Christ is demonic. I think this is the only way to lose salvation. Which causes me to believe maybe it is impossible to lose salvation. Because I cannot fathom a faithful believer who has committed their life to Jesus to say such an unspeakable, grotesque thing. I don't think a sheep would say this thing. And I would say unto the sheep, that it is God's heart that we rest in Christ's goodness. That it is not by our works that we are saved, but by Christ's saving power alone. God calls us into assurance and rest in His saving work and to look to the Holy Spirit as our seal of salvation and inheritance in Heaven. I believe this results in peace, love, and walking in authority as Christians, not in fear and trembling that our sin will cause God to reject us. So to answer the question I would say I don't know. And maybe the better question is what is a sheep?

2. Question 2 "If someone asks you, 'What must I do to be saved?' how would you respond?" I think the best response to this question is the Biblical response. In Acts 16:30, the jailer of the jail in Macedonia asks Paul and Silas this direct question, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?". Paul responds to him by saying, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31). Additionally, Jesus answered a similar question from his disciples in the 19th chapter of Matthew. "When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, 'Who then can be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" (Matthew 19:25-26). The similar thing between these two passages is the saving power of Jesus Christ. I would say as an answer to this question to commit your life to Jesus and ask Him for salvation through the repentance of your sins and declaration that Jesus is Lord. Then in John 3, Jesus says that no one can come to the Father unless he is "born again". I would tell them that to be saved isn't just a word of mouth declaration of "Jesus is Lord", but it is a heart commitment to the One True God. That Jesus is Lord of your life! That to be saved is to look to and faithfully follow Jesus. This isn't to be perfect, or sinless, or do everything right. It is to lay down your sin and ask God for forgiveness of your sins and that you ask Him to be Lord over your life. Jesus is worthy! He is a saving life-giving God. You cannot save yourself by word or action, but committing to Jesus who is salvation! I would say to commit your life to Him and learn how to follow Him. I believe it is something deeper, a heart transformation and a commitment to Jesus through word, action, and personal devotion.[/b][/b]

cjgalyen wrote:I've struggled with this question in my personal life for some time before the Lord really spoke to me about it a couple years ago. Growing up with a Catholic background, my faith was rooted in my good works and how "good" of a person I was. When I came to call Jesus Lord of my life, this still troubled me. When I would sin, I would still fall back on a works-based theology. Does God still love me? Does God still call me son? God spoke into my heart about this topic and it affected how I approach this question.

First, Scripture. In the end of John 10, Jesus is answering Jewish accusers who are coming against his claim to be the Messiah. He replies that He has told them, but they simply haven't listened to Him. Then He states that "My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28). There are two points in this statement that I think directly applies to this question. 1. Jesus refers to His followers as "sheep", what does this imply? 2. That no one can snatch the sheep from Jesus' hand. To answer the first question I believe is the trickier question. Who is a sheep to Jesus? Is it someone that simply says "Jesus is Lord" and claims Him into their heart as it states in Romans 10:10? No, I believe that even that Scripture establishes a deeper commitment to Jesus then simply a declared statement, it establishes a heart commitment. This heart commitment can be seen throughout Scripture as Christian lives are transformed by the Holy Spirit to be more like God. One Scripture that goes into this is Matthew 24:13 that states, "But the one who endures to the end will be saved". This verse is referring to a time period in which the world will have false prophets and teachers trying to lead Christians away from God. But Jesus proclaims that those who are faithful to God, will be saved. This implies a faithful commitment to Christ. This I believe answers the next part of John 10: "No one will snatch them out of my hand".

This is the thing that God spoke into my heart was about the assurance of salvation. I believe that God's heart for His people is that they would stand confident and assured of their salvation in Him. Ephesians 1:13-14 gets into this as it says "In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory". God wants us to feel secure in our inheritance and look to the Holy Spirit as our guarantee. Which leads to my next point, I believe that Scripture may point to the thing that causes the losing of our salvation, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. In the end of Matthew 12, Jesus states that the only unforgivable sin is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. I believe this is to claim that the works of the Holy Spirit are not of God but of the Enemy. This is to fall so far away from Christ as if to claim Christ is demonic. I think this is the only way to lose salvation. Which causes me to believe maybe it is impossible to lose salvation. Because I cannot fathom a faithful believer who has committed their life to Jesus to say such an unspeakable, grotesque thing. I don't think a sheep would say this thing. And I would say unto the sheep, that it is God's heart that we rest in Christ's goodness. That it is not by our works that we are saved, but by Christ's saving power alone. God calls us into assurance and rest in His saving work and to look to the Holy Spirit as our seal of salvation and inheritance in Heaven. I believe this results in peace, love, and walking in authority as Christians, not in fear and trembling that our sin will cause God to reject us. So to answer the question I would say I don't know. And maybe the better question is what is a sheep?

2. Question 2 "If someone asks you, 'What must I do to be saved?' how would you respond?" I think the best response to this question is the Biblical response. In Acts 16:30, the jailer of the jail in Macedonia asks Paul and Silas this direct question, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?". Paul responds to him by saying, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31). Additionally, Jesus answered a similar question from his disciples in the 19th chapter of Matthew. "When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, 'Who then can be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" (Matthew 19:25-26). The similar thing between these two passages is the saving power of Jesus Christ. I would say as an answer to this question to commit your life to Jesus and ask Him for salvation through the repentance of your sins and declaration that Jesus is Lord. Then in John 3, Jesus says that no one can come to the Father unless he is "born again". I would tell them that to be saved isn't just a word of mouth declaration of "Jesus is Lord", but it is a heart commitment to the One True God. That Jesus is Lord of your life! That to be saved is to look to and faithfully follow Jesus. This isn't to be perfect, or sinless, or do everything right. It is to lay down your sin and ask God for forgiveness of your sins and that you ask Him to be Lord over your life. Jesus is worthy! He is a saving life-giving God. You cannot save yourself by word or action, but committing to Jesus who is salvation! I would say to commit your life to Him and learn how to follow Him. I believe it is something deeper, a heart transformation and a commitment to Jesus through word, action, and personal devotion.[/b][/b]

I love the scripture you chose Connor, to address your answer, which is still open-ended. I agree on a lot of what was said about not being able to lose your salvation. I don't have a sure answer to this question either, but I do tend to believe that when those who seem to be in the faith fall away, it's because they never really let what Jesus did for them sink deep into their heart. They didn't let Jesus into the hard parts of their heart to transform and make them new. Otherwise, we would live in fear that if we don't "do" enough then our salvation could be taken away, but, God doesn't tease us like that. Our salvation is based on faith alone and yes, sometimes our faith falters, but like the man in Mark 9 who wanted to believe, but said "I believe, help my unbelief," Jesus gives when we aren't all the way there in our faith.