By: Robert Serreyn
Question? Must we “Continue in the Faith” – Colossians 1:23 to remain saved?
(Colossians 1:23) If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.
Answer: No, that would ADD WORKS to salvation.
Once a person has TRUSTED ALONE in the Death, Burial, and Resurrection Of Jesus Christ for their salvation that person no matter what, they are ALWAYS SAVED.
A good thing to remember: Just because we become unfaithful to the Lord, DOES NOT make God unfaithful to his promise to us which EVERLASTING LIFE.
(Ephesians 1:13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.
(John 10:28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
(NOTE: the word man in John 10:28 is not in the original manuscripts and added by the translators, so the John 10:28 SHOULD be translated as:)
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand”
ALWAYS remember a person IS NOT saved by doing or not doing something, our absolute best (righteousness) is filthy rags in God’s eyes – Isaiah 64:6
(Isaiah 64:6) But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
(Titus 3:5) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
(Romans 4:5) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
(Ephesians 2:8,9) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.
All a person needs to do to be saved is BELIEVE (trust completely alone) that the Lord Jesus Christ DIED, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for ALL their sins.
(Acts 16:31) And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Colossians Chapter One is SPEAKING TO BELIEVERS. The Apostle Paul is instructing these Christians to CONTINUE in the Faith in other words to be ALWAYS going forward in pursuing the lost with the Gospel and MOVING AHEAD in furthering OUR KNOWLEDGE of the word of God. The Apostle Paul also impresses STRONGLY their need to be GROUNDED, and Settled in the sense of being IMMOVABLE or STEADFAST and not to be MOVED AWAY (placed elsewhere, removed) from the HOPE (Truth, Confidence) of the Gospel.
Satan’s game plan is to try to get every christian that he can to COMPROMISE the Clear, Simple Gospel, because only the RIGHT GOPEL message will save. – 2 Corinthians 11:3,
(2 Corinthians 11:3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The simplicity that is in Christ, is the SIMPLE GOSPEL message of: How Christ Died for our sins on the cross, was Buried, and arose from the dead and all you have to do to be saved is BELIEVE IT.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Satan’s other game plan is to KEEP AS MANY people lost as possible through FALSE GOSPEL MESSAGES, and then fill them full with deception, lies and false doctrine so that they WILL NOT believe the truth when they are told.
(2 Corinthians 4:4) In whom the god (satan) of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
(1 Corinthians 1:18) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
(Matthew 13:15) For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing to known IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.
-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8
-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24
-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9
“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23
IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH