After last week’s service I mentioned the fact that on occasion I deliberately say something in my sermon that seems contrary to spiritual truths I have taught in the past. I explained that I do this in hopes someone will pick up on it and generate discussion which is what happened with a couple of women last week. Expressing their confusion, the following was posted in my guest book.

“I enjoyed this morning’s sermon, but I did not understanding something. If a Christian sincerely would like to forgive someone but just can’t seem to (even though he wants to and prays for the ability to forgive), – he is lost and has to spend eternity in hell? Maybe that’s not quite what you said? I had thought that once you are saved you cannot be “unsaved” ever again. Please explain. Thank you! Agnes.”

I could just as easily have identified the following verses that I used in that sermon as being Romans 8:28-29. I didn’t have to spell them out as I often do. For example, using only the teachings of Jesus would have been sufficient to make the case that unless you and me forgive all those who have wronged us neither will God forgive us. Here are the verses I didn’t have to use. I’m quoting from two different translations to really bring out their meaning.

²⁸ We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28-29 (AMP)

²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:28-29 (ESV)

I deliberately put those verses into my sermon to give you folks some extra food for thought, and sure enough Agnes and Beeb picked up on it. Now let’s take a look at the teaching of Jesus.

²⁵ And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. Mark 11:25 (NIV)

³⁷ “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; Luke 6:37 (ESV)

¹⁴ For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15 (AMP)

Here’s that question from Agnes again. If a Christian sincerely would like to forgive someone but just can’t seem to (even though he wants to and prays for the ability to forgive), – he is lost and has to spend eternity in hell?

Although there are many other verses which show that, back in eternity past, Gods adopted children were ordained and predestined by Him to receive the gift of eternal life at a specific moment in human history, the following ought to be sufficient for now.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, Ephesians 1:3-5 (ESV)

¹¹ In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, Ephesians 1:11 (ESV)

If a Christian truly believes the fact that the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God Almighty; how can he or she think that it is possible for anyone or anything to thwart Him from achieving everything He planned, ordained and by speaking the world into existence, predestined to occur in the course of human history? For example, consider verses such as the following.

³ Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Psalm 115:3 (ESV)

³⁵ all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” Daniel 4:35 (ESV)

Now let’s think about these verses.

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (ESV)

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life… John 3:36 (ESV)

⁵ Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. ³⁶ But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. ³⁷ All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:35-40 (ESV)

⁴⁷ Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. John 6:47 (ESV)

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30 (ESV)

¹¹ And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. ¹² While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. John 17:11-12 (ESV)

¹⁵ I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. John 17:15 (ESV)

Every person who was chosen by God back in eternity past will be given faith by the Holy Spirit and in the course of time, WILL accept God’s love and forgiveness which is available only through Christ Jesus, His Son. These folks WILL be eternally saved through the power of Almighty God. According to the scriptures, every one of them without exception WILL persevere to the end of their life on this earth, and never lose his or her salvation. It’s impossible!

¹ And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:1-10 (ESV)

The following was posted this past week in my guest book by our friend Terry concerning last week’s sermon in which I quoted him. Terry wrote: “Mike, Every time I read my story, I still cannot believe it happened to me. I don’t have all that “stuff” in me. But God, in His great love for me, chose to help me accomplish His purpose in my life and in Mary’s life. For that, I will always be grateful.”

“Remembering that we are forgiven and therefore MUST forgive others is important. Especially for those who have been Christians for a while. I think that the longer a person is a Christian, the easier it is to forget what we have been forgiven from. As we make the journey toward holiness, we begin to rid ourselves of some of the outward manifestations of sin. We begin to look better to ourselves and to the people around us. Because we tend to look better in our own eyes, it is easy to forget that we are still deeply stained by sin on the inside. When we forget that, we tend to exhibit a holier than thou attitude toward others who we do not think have progressed as far as we have in our spiritual journey. But when we remember how much we have been forgiven, then we have no choice but to forgive others. The emails in your sermon demonstrate that, as does the experience of many in your congregation. Terry.”

The woman I spoke about in last week’s sermon also was able to finally forgive her ex-husband. Here’s the rest of what she wrote in her email. “He made a mistake, Mike. He made a very big mistake, but people make mistakes. He’s just human.” And then I thought to myself, “Someday you’re going to make a big mistake and you’re going to want people to forgive you too, so remember, he’s just a human being, trying to make it through life on his own. He’s not saved. He is just a flawed human being, just like you are. And he blew it, but you cannot hold it against him the rest of your life. You need to forgive him and let it go and start praying for him.”

“I also thought to myself; “Does Christ matter?” “Does He make a difference in your life?” “If you’re a Christian, then you’re a follower of Christ and you follow His teachings. That means all of them and not just some. You can’t call yourself a Christian and choose not to forgive someone because God says, “Forgive or I will not forgive you”. Are you really a follower of Christ? Then get with God’s program, girl. Quit acting like the unsaved people in the world.” “You’re supposed to be different.” Oh, I used to talk to myself all the time. I fought with myself. Who did I think I was in fighting with God? What a merciful God He is. He understood and He let me yak away and work my way through it. And God was always there for me with His outstretched arms for me to fall into.”

In humble reliance of the strength of Christ within them, these Christians finally forgave the person who had hurt them deeply, and they set themselves free from allowing themselves to be held hostage by Satan. Here’s how the woman expressed her experience.

“There was something else and I know I read this in a book. I remember having taped on my kitchen cabinet and looking at it for years, and it was a good reminder to me. Maybe you can share this with someone, someday too, Mike.

“Forgiveness is setting the prisoner FREE and then discovering the prisoner is you.”

That quote hit me like a ton of bricks, Mike.” Along those lines, well know author, Max Lucado writes:

FORGIVING OTHERS

“Bitterness is its own prison.

The sides are slippery with resentment. A floor of muddy anger stills the feet. The stench of betrayal fills the air and stings the eyes. A cloud of self-pity blocks the view of the tiny exit above.

Step in and look at the prisoners. Victims are chained to the walls. Victims of betrayal. Victims of abuse.

The dungeon, deep and dark, is beckoning you to enter….You can, you know. You’ve experienced enough hurt ….

You can choose, like many to chain yourself to your hurt….. Or you can choose, like some, to put away your hurts before they become hates…..

How does God deal with your bitter heart?

He reminds you that what you have is more important than what you don’t have. You still have your relationship with God. No one can take that.” (A)

Lucado jogged my memory and I remembered the experience of another person I quoted last week and also a moment ago. That’s the person who sent the first email to me and wrote:

“I really liked your whole sermon but the part that really spoke to me was where you said that, ‘Followers of Christ don’t struggle to become holy because they know it’s impossible to enter into God’s heaven unless they are holy. Nor do they forgive in order to earn God’s forgiveness. On the contrary, followers of Christ will want to become increasingly holy and to forgive because they have been forgiven in Him.” Until I read those words and what Jesus taught about forgiveness I had been angry with someone for a lot of years. So I asked God to give me the strength to get rid of my anger and forgive the person. Now I’m happy because He did. I know what I did pleased Him. Thank you for your sermon!”

But how about a Christian such as the one Agnes mentioned earlier? That’s the person who sincerely would like to forgive someone but just can’t seem to even though he wants to and prays for the ability to forgive. Is he lost and will he have to spend eternity in hell? I hope I have answered the question to everyone’s satisfaction that he will never lose his salvation and become eternally lost. Here’s a terrific suggestion I can offer such a person. The woman I quoted last week and a moment ago took the advice. Here’s what she wrote about her struggle to forgive her ex-husband.

“So as painful as it was, the Lord held me together and kept me going and growing even though there were times when I could hardly get out of bed or could barely walk. Looking back I know I was depressed. But He brought me through it and He grew me stronger and wiser and closer to Him because of all the tough things I went through. He made me willing…to be willing to forgive.” Concerning His commands, Jesus summed it all up quite plainly when He said:

²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, AND THEY FOLLOW ME. John 10:27 (ESV)

If you know a Christian who has strayed from following Jesus and is allowing him or herself to be held as a hostage by Satan  because they will not get rid of their anger and forgive someone; the best advice you can offer that wayward Christian is for he or she to say this prayer constantly. LORD, MAKE ME WILLING TO BE WILLING. And tell them not to stop until he or she does forgive!

But suppose some Christian’s don’t take that advice all too seriously. Then what? On the authority of God’s inerrant Word, you can be certain that in one way or another, Almighty God will see to it that every one of them WILL become Willing to be Willing, even if he or she doesn’t ask Him to help them to. But that’s another sermon.

Lord willing,….

(A) God’s Promises For You, © 2005 by Max Lucado, p. 95. Published exclusively for Hallmark Cards, Inc. J. Countryman, is a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.