Eph. 1:4-5 – God’s choice to place His love upon us was NOT based upon our merit, works, or “loveliness.” God’s love is extended to us regardless of what we deserve. Even sin cannot end God’s agape love for us.
Jeremiah 31:3 – an everlasting love.
This love was for His elect nation, Israel.
Even in the midst of their apostasy, His love was everlasting.
Everlasting means that NOTHING can thwart, hinder, or prevent it.
Rom. 8:38-39 – Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Whom the Lord Loveth, He Chasteneth
Some would argue that when a believer sins (a real big sin!) and continues in it, he will lose his salvation.
That is tantamount to saying that because of sin, the Father will reject His son.
As a son, we were BORN into God’s family. (John 1:12)
Not every son is always an obedient son. Some sons sin. Some sons commit awful sins. (David committed murder and adultery. Peter denied the Lord.)
The Father DOES deal with sin in the lives of His children, but not by removing us from His family.
God deals with sin in the lives of His children by chastening them. (Heb. 12:6-7)
God does NOT chasten those who are not His sons (those who are not born into His family). (Heb. 12:8)
Chastening is painful to the disobedient son, but is an expression of the Father’s love. (Heb. 12:6)
Those who teach you can lose your salvation are teaching that when a son sins (a big sin, or a series of sins), then God might disown him.
The Bible does not teach that. The Bible states that when a son sins, the Father deals with him “as a son.” (Heb. 12:7)
The Father chastens SO THAT the disobedient son will repent, and return to the place of fellowship and fruit once again. (Heb. 12:10-11)
Sin does not end our position as a son, but it does temporarily change the condition of our walk and our fellowship with the Father.
God is grieved when His sons sin. (Eph. 4:30)
Fellowship is temporarily cut off because of sin. (Isa. 59:2; I John 1:6-9)
God “spanks” His sons when they sin.
God never DISOWNS a son when he sins.
Chastening is corrective. It is designed to cause the disobedient son to repent and become obedient. (Heb. 12:10-11; Luke 15:11-24)
On rare occasion, a disobedient son will NOT repent. Sometimes a disobedient son will not respond to chastening.
Such a disobedient believer is to be rejected from the fellowship of the assembly. (I Cor. 5:1-5a)
This non-responsive disobedient believer is severely chastened of the Lord, rejected from the fellowship, and is to be turned over to the world (the realm of our adversary). (I Cor. 5:5)
But even if his flesh is destroyed, his spirit is saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. He may be chastened, and the chastening may be so severe he looses his earthly life, yet, he is still saved.
Sin destroyed his testimony, his usefulness, and his fellowship with God and man, but it COULD NOT take away his eternal life.
I Cor. 11:29-23 – Other believers (saints!) in the church at Corinth sinned by demonstrating a lack of respect and reverence towards the Lord’s Table.
As a result, some of them were severely chastened.
The Lord even took the lives of some. God took their earthly lives, but their souls were saved.
They were chastened, but not condemned. (vs. 32)
Sons are chastened (Heb. 12:5-6). Illegitimate sons are not chastened (Heb. 12:8).
Illegitimate sons (those who are not genuine sons of God) are not chastened but are condemned (I Cor. 11:32).
I Cor. 3:13-15 – The son whose life is not pleasing to the Father will be chastened in this life and will be judged at the Bema seat.
Time wasted in the flesh and sin will bring a loss of reward.
However, he himself “shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (vs.15)
God, as a loving Father, will deal with sin in the lives of His own dear children.
He may even deal severely.
But because He loves them as a Father loves a son, He will never disown them or reject them as sons.
He chastens His sons “that we should NOT be condemned with the world. (I Cor. 11:32)
Because He loves us, He chastens us SO THAT we will not be condemned with the world.
There is therefore now NO condemnation for those whom the Lord loveth.