 Good afternoon Pastor David. Hey John. Welcome everybody to a random moment unfiltered with Pastor David You know as I want to welcome you guys who are tuning in there There's a class that you have currently pastor with with a group of men on every other Sunday It's our mentoring class in you know Somebody brought up a question last Sunday in our class and it's been resonating with me and it really comes down to the stance on God's grace and Somebody in our class brought up. Can somebody lose their salvation? So we know that there is an ongoing debate on Yes, you can lose your salvation on the other hand is once saved always saved. So we have these two different types of Thinking but it really centers on their view on God's grace Is there a concern on one side or on the other? That it could be focused so much on this topic that is It really asking how much we can get away with on God's grace, you know Sometimes I've heard that question over the years and the way it's been posed has given to me a sense that or perhaps a suspicion that the person is not really so much theologically interested in the possibility of losing your salvation so much as What is the length of our our abilities to go before we Somehow step into the realm of no longer saved in almost and not always of course I mean think this I think this to be a worthy Theological question, you know but sometimes it it I Have received I'll say it this way. Sometimes I've received the impression from the one asking That the real question was is how much sin can I commit and still go to heaven? sometimes it comes from experience that they may have with fellow believers or professing believers Where they see them doing so many things and You know and turns out that There's no fruit of salvation in them Though they claim themselves to be Christians and so they wonder has that person crossed some kind of line Is that person at one time was that person a believer and did they cross the line to now into unbelief? Then there are others who seem to be asking How far can I go in this grace thing so that I can still go to heaven? but live in any way that I really want to hear on earth and so It depends on the sincerity of the questioner and the theological Basis of their of their question John, I'd say and so I remember my own pastor Chuck Smith how he said to those who are Very In there and their walks with God Taking a lot of chances. He says I'll preach a stronger message of the need for repentance and to walk in holiness but to the ones who are timid the ones who are Always questioning their Relationship with God, which there are many people who do that Chuck said I'll I'll give to them healthy doses of the grace and love of God So to the proud he would be preaching humility into the fearful he'd be preaching, you know for them to have Comfort in the in the love and and the wonderful grace of God and so The way I've always handled that and I I have a strong belief that justification when somebody is saved That that the word actually means that it's as if I had never sinned all my sins are Are washed away by the blood of Christ and and I'm in the hand of Christ and no one can pluck me out of that And then no one would include myself. I do believe that there is a A Comfort that I can have in knowing the keeping of the keeping grace of God and yet at the same time That is not permission to continue in sin like Paul would ask the Romans What shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid now? Shall I who have been you know set free or saved how can I go back to a life of sin? So in Romans chapter 5 and chapter 6 he actually deals with that kind of question Well, God forbid that ship we should continue in sin so that grace may abound do we continue in sin? No grace has been given to me in order that I might be free from its bondage And so somebody who's got the question have I lost my salvation is Is generally somebody who has a sincere faith and has a sincere question Those who wouldn't be concerned about quote-unquote losing your salvation more than likely have never experienced it So Pastor Chuck taught us something that I like to to use as an illustration He said there are those who believe that life is like a pickup truck and And salvation is as if you're riding in the back of that truck Some people think that the tailgate is open and that they could bounce out any time along the road the road and Others believe that the tailgate is closed and there's no way you're going to bounce out So some believe you can fall out and some believe that you won't fall out He said what's the answer to that? He said stay close to the cab You know stay close to the driver and that that's how I look at that particular subject I believe that if I'm walking with the Lord and it's not an act of works By the way because if it's something I can do to save myself then I obviously I'm trusting in myself for salvation You know grace would be speaking about the fact that I don't have the capacity ability to To save myself and so if I'm thinking then I'm going to keep myself in God's grace by my works and efforts That's that that produces a works salvation mentality But on the other hand, I'm not going to take God's grace for granted and and just continue sinning as if you know I'd never tasted of the grace of God. So what's the answer develop relationship with Jesus Christ? Love him love his word walk in his spirit have fellowship with other believers make sure that Your you know your commitments to Christ are the biblical kind You know where you read the word and where you pray and we have relationship with with those who also call upon The name of Jesus, you know and and just rest in him and have peace in him You know stay close to the cab stay close to the driver And you won't have any questions about falling out of the truck and it almost becomes it doesn't even come that important because You mentioned to us on in our class last Sunday Is that when you're close to Jesus and as you just mentioned then we don't have to worry about if the Tailgates open or closed. No, no, yeah, I've been married to my wife for a long time and I never wake up wondering if I married her I never do I never wake up saying am I married, you know, I just am and So in my walk with the Lord, I I never wake up saying am I not saved? Why because I've stayed close to the Lord, you know Much more now than ever before but that should be true in every believer that every day you draw closer to him and every day you're much more Much more in tune with him, etc. You know this upcoming December, you know in a little less than a month I celebrate 51 years John 51 years of Since my salvation and and there have been times in the beginning where I wondered because I had based my faith on my Experience of salvation which the day I got saved with such an exhilarating moment to sense almost physically sense the release of those burdens I that sense of My sin rolling off of my shoulders. It was a very real and perceptible kind of thing, you know And then two weeks three weeks later. I'm not filled with Holy Ghost goose bumps and all of that enthusiasm And I spoke to the brother who stood up with me when I got saved and I said am I going to hell? Have I you know lost my salvation? I don't feel that excitement and he he was Not even a year old in Christ himself, but he said, you know, you're Your salvation doesn't rest on your feelings Your salvation rests on the faith that that God has given to you in Jesus Christ It it's a faith you have in the Lord Jesus Christ David. Just say by faith and not by works It's by God's grace and and not by efforts on your own part You know, so the only thing I learned it then John and I've continued to believe that ever since the only thing I ever added to my salvation Was a sin that Jesus Christ forgave me, you know So I rest in him. I trust in him. I I've been born again through him by him his spirit dwells in me as temple of the spirit of God and And so no, I I haven't had a question about losing salvation Since my very early days in Christ why because I am walking in the grace of God Because his word is said if any man trusts in him that that man can be born again It doesn't tell me I have to be born again many times it says, you know that if I trust in him I'm born again. And so I live as the one who has been bought at a price and I've been born again And so I don't worry about, you know My salvation I just stay close to the driver. Amen 51 years pastor 51 years. Congratulations. Well, yeah, we'll have to wait next month to congratulate you, right? Yeah, we can congratulate you now. Well, why not send gifts people? Quiet gifts, not loud, it's quiet gifts. Well pastor, thank you so much And and you know it that sheds light to stay close to Christ that when we're close to Jesus I like how you said you don't wake up every morning and asking am I married? No, I don't we're just you're just married I am and and that's a great illustration. So pastor. Thank you so much church family I hope you enjoyed this this random moment unfiltered. I want to invite you to our Wednesday evening service our Sunday our Wednesday evening service is at 7 p.m. as pastor David's taken us through the book of Titus And invite your friends and family It's a great way to to get into God's word and just be refreshed in his word Maybe the Lord's putting somebody on your heart right now reach out to them and and invite him to come to church And even bring him on Sunday We have our 830 and our 1045 service and you know, what a better way to to to invite a friend especially during these times that we're living in And so may God bless you pastor. Thank you so much for joining us and you guys. Thank you for tuning in and God bless you