Q.
Hello, I have friend at work that I have been talking to about salvation and he believes that when you get saved you abide in Christ and Christ in you. But when you start to live in sin and don’t abide in Christ then you walk away from your salvation and lose it. Where would be the best place to show him that he can’t lose his salvation. Thank you!
Joe
A.
Hello Joe,
Neat question! New converts do begin by abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in them, but continuous abiding is not automatic. That is why Jesus taught us to keep abiding (John 15:4-5).
Abiding in Christ is a depiction of the life of faith. Walking by faith is the same as walking in the Spirit, and while faith is not a work, it is a responsibility. We can stop abiding. We can stop exercising faith. But though we can walk in the flesh and thereby cease to abide, we cannot walk away from salvation. We can walk away from accessing our salvation, but we are still saved.
Jesus promised that when you believe in Him, you have eternal life (John 6:47). Eternal life is eternal. It is impossible to have eternal life for a short period of time. Better yet, Jesus is called that eternal life (1 John 1:2; 5:20). Eternal life is not something, but someone. That someone is Jesus who said “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). When you have eternal life, you’re stuck with it! Better yet, you’re blessed with Him!
John
