When we accept Jesus and His forgiveness by faith, we receive the gift of eternal life, which is not something we can earn through our own obedience. This gift of salvation is bestowed on us by grace through faith, as evidenced by Paul’s response to the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:30-31 to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved.
However, belief is an act of our will, and if we choose to disbelieve, it leads to spiritual death. Hence, we must hold on to our confidence in God until the end and endure in faith to be saved. Living a life of faith and keeping in memory what was preached are also essential for salvation. It is possible for us to turn away from God and return to a life of sin, which would lead to our names being blotted out of the book of life and being eternally lost.
Paul’s use of the word “castaway” in 1 Corinthians 9:27 is the same word used in Jeremiah 6:30 to refer to those who are ultimately lost. John 10:28 assures us that coming to Jesus by faith brings eternal life, but our unbelief brings spiritual death. Although we cannot be unborn, we can choose to die spiritually by rejecting God. Ultimately, nothing can take us from His hand except our own choice.
When we are genuinely remorseful for our sins and confess them, we can rely on God to forgive us once again. According to 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.” Additionally, Matthew 6:12 also speaks to the importance of seeking forgiveness from God.
Because everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23) and sin leads to death (Romans 6:23), something special was needed to save us. Only someone whose life is worth more than all of humanity combined could die for the sins of all people. Jesus is the Creator of all life, and the life He gave was greater than all of our lives. This is why He can save anyone who comes to God through Him, and He always intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25).
Jesus understands our struggles because He faced the same temptations as us and overcame them (Hebrews 4:15; John 16:33). Therefore, He can forgive us for our sins, and we don’t need a human priest or minister to do that. The Bible says that Jesus is the only mediator between God and humans (1 Timothy 2:5). Because of what Jesus did for us through His life, death, and resurrection, we can approach God confidently, knowing that He is constantly praying for us (Romans 8:34).
No, God’s plan is entirely based on grace (Romans 3:24; 4:5), which is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). As God gives us grace through faith, He also gives us the desire and ability to obey Him out of love. This obedience is evidence of our discipleship and is a natural result of our faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:1 says, “If you believe in Jesus, you are not condemned.” When we have faith in Jesus, He pays for our sins and washes us clean (Revelation 1:5). God promises to forgive us and forget our sins (Isaiah 43:25). Micah 7:18, 19 assures us that God will pardon our sins and cast them into the depths of the sea. So, if we have faith in Jesus, we don’t need to do anything else to make up for our sins.