The Mysterious Partnership Between God's Will and Ours
The interplay between God's will and our will is not easy to understand. When something is not easy to understand we can become fearful because of the lack of certainty. When we are fearful we lose our ability to think clearly and our emotions override our ability to reason. We can the become dogged about our beliefs, not because we are certain of them but because we are uncertain and any attempt by others to present an alternative view results in us digging our heals in further.
This describes what happens during debates about contentious topics within the Christian teachings and it also describes what is happening en masse within our culture.
I'll begin by saying, it's okay if we get things wrong. It's okay if we don't understand all of God's ways. There are some things that will remain a mystery to us and one of those things is how God's will and our will combine, in love, to ensure that we will be with Him for eternity.
"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" Romans 11:33
There is a divide within the body of believers over whether our salvation can be "lost" and this causes immense, emotional debate. Bible verses are hurled like bombs over the dividing line.
Romans 8:38-39, Philippians 1:6, John 10:29-30, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 5:4-5 among other verses, speak about God's will, power and faithfulness to save us.
Romans 11:18-21, Colossians 1:22-23, Hebrews 3:6 & 14, 2 Peter 2:20-22, Matthew 24:13 and Revelation 2:10 and 3:15-6 and others, warn us that we have to have faith to the end.
There seems to be no common ground, or nuance, within these debates and they inevitably end in the battleground of "salvation through grace or works". This is not the same debate, but it makes it easier to dismiss the other side if you straw man their argument.
I haven't read, or heard, any true Christian saying that we are saved through our own merit, or the works we do. All Christians believe we are saved by grace, through faith.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
The gift of grace that was "of God" was Christ's atoning, once and for all, sacrifice on the cross. This was a gift given to the whole world, but it is not received by the whole world. We receive the gift when we choose to believe in Jesus. Our faith in Jesus is what makes us a Christian. Those who choose not to believe are not Christians.
"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." John 3:18
The important questions are; Does God make us believe, or do we have a free choice? Once we believe are we able to stop believing? Can we walk away from Him, or will God prevent us from doing so?
This debate is really about the uncomfortable tension between predestination and free will.
I've realised that people who become emotional when it's suggested that you can walk away from God, which they frame as "losing your salvation", are not upset because God's love, will, power or faithfulness have been called into question. They get upset because they believe that they are being told that their salvation depends on them. They are not confident in their own ability to holdfast, which is why they quote Philippians 1:6 and Romans 8:38-39. But these verses are about God's faithfulness, not ours.
In other words, when people think that they can "lose their salvation" they become fearful, because they know God is faithful, so it must be something they do that causes them to "lose" it. They have a fear that they are not good enough (merit), they haven't done enough (effort/works) and they aren't strong enough (faith). And they are right. None of us are good enough, productive enough, or strong enough to merit God saving us. That's why Jesus became the atoning sacrifice for our sins. What we have to do is accept that gift and have faith in Jesus.
But what is faith? Is it a one-time choice, or a continual choice?
To have faith is a verb. I had faith in the past, I have faith now and I will have faith in the future. I believed in the past, I believe now, I will believe in the future. I chose to follow Christ, I am following Christ, I will follow Christ until the end. It is a continual choice that we make every day.
One of the chapters that relates to this debate is Hebrews 6, yet people often avoid it. It is a warning to believers about the real danger of apostasy, or falling way from the faith. There would be no reason to write a letter to people who were not believers to warn them about falling away, because if they didn't really believe, what are they falling away from?
It would be like saying, "We know you don't believe, so make sure you don't fall away." But that isn't what Hebrews 6, or the entire letter to the Hebrews says. The whole letter is a warning to believers that they can fall away and so it also encourages them to hold fast. (Hebrews 3:6, 3:12-14, 6:4-12, 10:26-39, 12:15 & 25).
Hebrews 6 is avoided not because it is unclear in what it says, but that it is so clear that its meaning cannot be altered.
"Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.
For, it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance.
To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realised. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." Hebrews 6:1-12
Some people say that these verses don't apply to true believers, even though verses 4-6 describe true believers, so there must be something else going on.
The key words here are "brought back to repentance" in verse 6.
If we have been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and then fallen away (V:4-6), what else will bring us back to God? We have already seen, heard and experienced the good He has to offer us, yet we choose to reject it. This is apostasy. We truly believed and were saved, but for some reason we chose to walk away into unrepentant unbelief. The Israelites were saved from Egypt and sustained in the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, but that generation fell away because of their unbelief and so failed to enter the promised land. If we fall into unbelief, we too will not enter His rest. (Hebrews 3:18-19)
All of the communities set up by the Apostles received the Holy Spirit. When Paul or Peter and John come across communities who hadn't received the Holy Spirit they rectified that. (Acts 8:9-17 and Acts 19:1-7). Based on Hebrews 6:4-6, these believers have also been received the Spirit. Yet they are warned that some may fall away. Why?
Because after we receive the Holy Spirit, persecution and hardship will come. That is why there are so many verses about holding fast, enduring, examining and testing ourselves in the New Testament letters. It is in these testing times that people fall away, not because they weren't "saved" or weren't born again, or didn't truly believe, but because instead of turning to God when the trials come, they either become disillusioned and angry with God, or they try and face the trials in their own strength.
Unless we seek God in the trials we will fail. The testing is there to ensure we hold fast to Him through many trials until the end.
Hebrews 6:4-6 is not describing believers who are back-slidden, or have doubts, or sometimes sin and then repent. These verses are talking about people who truly believed and then completely reject God. They no longer believe in Him. They are apostate. They will no longer repent because they no longer believe.
“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.“ Hebrews 3:12-19
When salvation is seen as a golden ticket given to us when we believe and that nothing or no one can take it away from us, we can fall into complacency.
When we believe and are born again of the Spirit, the training really begins. We are being trained for the Kingdom to come. Some will not want to continue in the training and have the choice to walk away.
If we didn't have the choice to walk away, it's no choice at all. If there wasn't a chance that we could fail the test, it's not a real test.
Believing, seeking, asking, listening, obeying, examining and enduring are all part of having faith in Christ. If we don't continue to do these things we won't be able to hold fast until the end, because we will be trying to do it in our own strength. If you don't love, trust and obey the Lord you will fall. Pride and complacency will make you fall away and the danger is that you won't even realise it. Remember what Paul writes to Timothy.
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. " 1 Timothy 4:1
You can't abandon a faith that you never had. The New Testament warnings are written to those who truly believed and those of us who truly believe now.
God will never leave you, nor forsake you. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and no one will snatch us out of His hand.
But we must believe. We must have faith. We must hold fast.
His will and our choice combine to ensure that we won't fall away.
Is this something we can understand perfectly? Of course not. But we aren't called to understand all the mysteries of God's will, we are called to have faith.
"And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:7-8
The following verses in Philippians show us that there is a partnership between our will and God's will in us. That maybe difficult to comprehend, but we know God's ways are higher than our ways. (Isaiah 55:8)
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." Philippians 2:12-13
His will and our choice combine in love to maintain our relationship.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:1-11
If we couldn't freely choose Him, we couldn't freely love Him. If we couldn't walk away from Him, it wouldn't be a relationship based on love.
The Holy Spirit isn't our controller. He isn't our enforcer. He is given to those who believe, to be our helper, our comforter, our advocate and He bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him….The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8:9 & 16-17
You can count on God's love and faithfulness, that is a given.
But if you take His love and faithfulness for granted, you may start to believe that your continued faith and loyalty are not required and that would be a mistake. A loving relationship requires both parties to sustain it.
May the Lord help you to endure, in love, to the end.
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You can watch the video on this topic "Work Out Your Own Salvation?" on my You Tube channel. Many Bible references are included in the description box for your own study.
Always enjoy your videos and podcasts, Samantha. Such a blessing!
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