The mortal man who trusted Christ cannot undo the spiritual work God completed.
This article has been written by Tim Morton. Shared by permission.
Lately the thing being discussed in several groups concerns whether the believer can possibly "walk away" from the faith. I'd like to share why I believe that's impossible. The believer may become deceived by a false gospel, or may even renounce God due to some emotional issue. Anything could happen in the mortal life of a believer especially if they've forgotten they were "purged" of their sin (2 Peter 1:9) These are things we're all susceptible to as believers if we're not growing in our "knowledge of God" (2 Peter 1:2).
The bible teaches a believer is saved the very instant they have trusted Christ as their Savior. A few spiritual truths for the believer take place in that instant through a work of the Holy Spirit:
The believer is deemed as "dead" in God's judicial view.
"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." Romans 8:10
Spiritually speaking, the believer's "life" (eternal) is "hid" with Christ in God.
"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Col. 3:3
Salvation is not a process completed by man, but by God at the instant of belief, as is shown by the tenses used in the passage below.
"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:12-14
Salvation is by the grace of God and the salvation is from our own corrupt selves.
The mortal man who trusted Christ cannot undo the spiritual work God completed. God considers the body dead. Can a dead man "walk away" from God? Can a dead man be deceived by a false gospel? Could a dead man possibly sin against God? No, because he's dead! This is how God works to save those who trust in His Son.
Salvation isn't a process completed by mortal man, but a spiritual work completed by the Holy Spirit the instant we believed. Nothing the mortal believer could do could change the judicial standing with God already granted the believer through His Son.
"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." 1 John 5:11-13
This article has been written by Tim Morton. Shared by permission.