Contrary to religious opinion or teaching, the following will NOT occur when the believer partakes in an act of willful sin, or disobedience:
1. Lose their salvation.
2. Become unholy.
3. Forfeit their blessing from God.
4. Become a child of the devil.
5. Lose their standing in Christ.
6. Lose their Justification.
7. Go to Hell should they die suddenly.
8. End of their calling/ministry.
9. Termination of any gifts.
10. Prayers unanswered.
A relationship with Jesus Christ is not built upon works, or a false pretense of religious obedience, it is built upon by faith alone. (Ephesians 2:8) Our Justification (Romans 5:1) does not come due to anything we do, or could do, which includes even the moment when we sin, it comes by faith in Christ. Sin is a result of when we remove our eyes off the cross and onto something else which sustains us in our faith. Sin is a result of pride, the knowledge that we can do things better than God. Sin is also a result of giving ourselves over to the flesh, which always results in spiritual ruin. Yet for the believer, sin is an act which weakens the believer to such a degree that eventually, if that action is not rectified, will produce death.
The love of God surpasses everything we can comprehend as it relates to God's desire for his children, those who serve him. Yet that same love of God will always chastise us in order to bring us back into perfect fellowship with Christ when we do sin. 1 John 1:9 makes it perfectly clear, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
When we confess (repent) of our wrongdoing, then that faith which has already been established within us, continues its perfect work.
Even if the believer does not immediately repent at the time of an act of sin, God continues to work and operate in the life of the believer until such a time where he will deal with the servant that they acknowledge their wrong and make things right. That is the nature of grace, it (grace) does not terminate at the first sign of failure, actually, it reinforces Gods regeneration in us not by the measurement of our righteousness, but thru the righteousness of Christ.
We are holy, and made righteous not by works, or thru obedience, or thru religious ritual. We are made righteous by faith alone. (Colossians 1:22) Religion will always place restrictions of God's love, mercy and even grace upon the believer. Yet Christ has already did the work needed for our justification, thru the cross. It all comes by faith.
This is not to overlook sin in the life of a believer, this is to remind the believer that sin should not have dominion over us at any given point in our life, but when we do sin, when we do fail in our walk, it is by grace that we can stand, not by anything other than because of our faith in Christ to redeem us, declare us holy before a righteous God, and help us to overcome that sin or weakness in our walk with him. That is the nature of grace, and why we must forever remember such. For grace knows no restraint in our ignorance.
[Christopher Gregory]
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