Continuing in Christ

Continuing in Christ

For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end (Hebrews 3:14)

In our last lesson on Salvation and Eternal Life, we saw how one “begins” in Christ. In order for one to have true assurance that they will be in Heaven one day, they must have a beginning in Christ. They must go through a “born again” experience, a new birth, a quickening in their soul and spirit.

When one begins in Christ, wonderful changes begin to take place in the believer’s life. Old, bad sinful habits begin to go away and are replaced with new and holy and good desires.

• Our language changes because we no longer take God’s name in vain or use bad words out of anger.
• Our thoughts change because we think about things that are pure and honest.
• We do not watch or look at things on television, at the movies or in magazines that promote sin.
• We love praying now, reading our Bibles and attending a good Bible church. 
• We have more patience now and are not so easily provoked.
• We have a love now for our God and for others like we never had before.
• And we love talking about Jesus now and the things of God’s Word.

What a wonderful change that takes place in the believers’ heart!

(2 Corinthians 5: 17), Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Beginning in Christ is truly a wonderful experience!

But in order to be assured of Heaven, one must also “continue” in Christ and the way to do that is the same way they began. One begins in Christ by faith and love for God and His Word along with true repentance of sin, and then continues in Christ the same way they began.

Faith 

(Colossians 1:23), if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

(1 Corinthian 15:1-2), Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you–unless you believed in vain.

(Hebrews 3:6), but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

(Hebrews 3:12), Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;

(Hebrews 3:14), For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,

Love 

(Luke 10:25-28) And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”

(Deuteronomy 7:9), Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

Repentance (Luke 13:3,5), I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

(1 John 1:9), If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Because we have faith and love towards God and His Word and have a repentant attitude towards sin, God has given us sweet assurance that we will be in heaven when this earthly life is over!  This assurance is only a reality for those who not only begin, but also continue to have love and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and repentance towards sin.

Even though there are different views about the security of the believer, all mainstream Christianity agrees with our Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded in (Matthew 7: 19-20), that we will know a believer by their fruit. If one is not bearing “fruit”, they are careful to doubt the salvation of the individual for the concerned safety of their soul. They have very good reason for doing so because of all the verses in God’s Word that warn about those who profess to believe, but in reality, God sees only a false profession and self-deception of the human heart!

With this in mind, one must also be careful not to think that we have salvation and eternal life because of our good works; 

(Titus 3:5) not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

We have salvation because of God’s grace given to us through our faith in him.

(Luke 7:48,50) Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Notice in this account that the woman’s sins were forgiven simply because of her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!

One must also be careful not to think that we have salvation and eternal life because of some “superficial belief”. Many people profess to be believers in God, but their lives do not bear evidence of it. We are not saved by a “faith” that does not work, but rather by a faith that works.

(James 2:14) What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

(v.20) But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

(v. 26), For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

(1 John 2:3-4), Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

(Galatians 5:6), For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Because we really have faith in God and His Word, we want to keep God’s Word in our hearts, keep His commandments and do good works such as helping others, pray, attend a Bible church, read our Bibles, tell others about Jesus and eternal life. If a person says they have faith, but their lives are not showing it, God’s Word tells us that they are not speaking the truth.

What happens if a person begins in the faith but then turns away from God and His Word and remains in unbelief and sin? God warns us through His Word that such a person is not promised eternal life.

(Hebrews 3:12-14), Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,

(Hebrews 10:26-27), For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

So, to sum up our lesson on “Salvation and Eternal Life,” in order for one to have absolute assurance that they will be in Heaven when this earthly life is over, they must;

• Realize they have sinned against God and are dead (spiritually) in trespasses and sin.
• Realize they need to begin in the faith by being born again, be made alive spiritually.
• Believe with all their heart that Jesus Christ died, shed His blood, was buried and rose again to be the sacrifice for our sin.
• Repent, asking God’s forgiveness and call upon the Lord Jesus to save them from their sin.
• And then continue in the faith, a true, real faith that will show in their life by good works and continual repentance towards sin and growth in the Lord, in holiness and in His Word.

In our next lesson, we will answer the question, “If I must be continuing in the faith in order to be assured of Heaven, how would I know when I am falling away from the faith?”