Can We Lose Our Salvation?
Sermon Notes
Good morning, so glad you came to worship with us and that I get to open up the Word for us. We’ll take a second to dismiss our elementary school students to children’s ministry. You can still sign your child in if you didn’t get a chance to do so before the service. Today, we’re continuing our walk through Paul’s letter to the Roman church. Now it seems like Paul had a lot of papyrus or velum handy when it came time to write the book of Romans, because it is quite a long book. And Paul uses that space to fully articulate and flesh out many theological truths. So often we find ourselves preaching for multiple weeks covering the many facets of a single idea, and today is no different.
The last few weeks have seen us wrestle with the concepts of God’s sovereignty and control and humanity’s free will and personal responsibly. I would encourage you to listen back to those sermons if you missed them. We’ve seen that God’s and man’s wills don’t contradict each other but actually work in concert with each other. Today, we are going to look at Romans 10:14-21 to focus on a negative phenomenon that happens in this interplay, Rejection. We know from experience and from our past few weeks in Romans that people reject God and the Gospel. Many of you can contest that even people who eventually come to faith walk through a time of rejecting the Gospel and this can go on for years. Everyone in here knows what it feels like to be rejected by someone or for an Hey everybody my name’s Louis I’m the lead pastor here at City Awakening, it’s great to gather with you both onsite and online. At this time we can dismiss the children for children’s church, and if you didn’t get to check your child in, please see our children’s ministry leaders in the back and they’d be more than happy to assist you with that...Today we’re continuing our teaching series on a book of the bible called Romans. It’s a series about renewing your mind for the transformation of your life, and what we’re talking about specifically today is can we lose our salvation?...Can we lose our salvation, can we lose our relationship with God?...Another way to put it is will God quit on you, after he saves you and starts a relationship with you?...
Now when it comes to people, there’s a lot of things we quit on in life. For example we sometimes quit on our diets, starting out strong eating paleo and keto, then we quit and it’s back to eating Frosties and Fritos...We sometimes quit on our workouts, starting out strong with our Fitbits, CrossFit, Peloton cycling through Switzerland, then we quit and it’s back to sitting in the La-z-boy again...We sometimes quit on our goals, our dreams, our jobs, our ministries, our bible readings, devotions, and prayers. If you’re like me you don’t like quitting and you don’t like admitting you quit, but everybody quits something at some point in their life. So the question isn’t do you sometimes quit, instead the question is does God quit? The question is does God quit on you, after he saves you and starts a relationship with you? Let’s turn to Romans 11 and find out. You’ll find Romans in the last quarter of the bible, and we’ll be in Romans 11:1-29. Title of the message is Can we lose our salvation? The big idea is you can’t lose your salvation, unless it’s an artificial salvation...You can’t lose your salvation, unless it’s an artificial salvation...
Here’s your context. Romans was written by the Apostle Paul who was a skeptic and enemy of Christianity, until 35 A.D. when he has an interaction with Jesus that changes his life, and he becomes a Christian. He writes this letter to teach others about Jesus and the very gospel that transformed his life. In ch’s 9-11 Paul starts asking if we can lose our salvation, because he’s addressing what happens to the Jews who reject Jesus as their messianic savior. The Jews were considered God’s elect, God’s chosen people, but many were rejecting Jesus as their messianic savior. Last week when Alex preached on ch 10 he said God faces rejection like us, and here in ch 11 Paul’s again asking what happens to Jews who reject God? Will God reject the very people he promised to save? Will they lose their salvation, because of their rejection? Let’s check it out.
Romans 11:1, “I ask then, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite...” Right away we’re seeing Paul ask if God’s rejected his people? He’s asking if God’s rejected and quit on the very people he promised to save? Paul says absolutely not, and he gives us 3 reasons for trusting God hasn’t rejected and quit on them. This is important, because if God hasn’t rejected and quit on them, then it means God won’t reject and quit on us. Paul gives us 3 reasons for trusting God hasn’t rejected and quit on them, and the 1st reason is a present reason. He’s saying look at his very own life, in that present moment, because he’s living proof that God hasn’t rejected them. He says for I too am an Israelite! We can’t say God rejected and quit on the Israelites, when Paul’s living proof God’s still saving the Israelites since Paul’s one of them. He's living proof God hasn’t rejected and quit on them, instead he’s keeping his promise to save them.
Vs. 2, “God hasn’t rejected his people whom he foreknew.” Don’t get stuck on the word foreknew. Paul’s just saying God always had a plan to save the Israelites, and he won’t quit that plan just because many of them are rejecting his plan. God doesn’t have to call audibles at the line of scrimmage like Patrick Mahomes. When God has a plan he doesn’t quit on it or adjust it; he sticks to it and fulfills it. Paul’s saying God always had a plan to save the Israelites, and he’s living proof God’s sticking to that plan, even though many of them are rejecting that plan.
Vs. 2 continues, “Or don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I’m the only one left, and they’re trying to take my life!’ 4 But what was God’s answer to him? ‘I’ve left seven thousand for myself who have not bowed down to Baal.’ 5 In the same way, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.” This is the 2nd reason we can trust God hasn’t rejected and quit on the Israelites. The 2nd reason is a remnant reason. It’s that there’s still a remnant of other Israelites who’ve been saved by God’s grace like Paul, including the original disciples of Jesus who were all Israelites. Paul gives an example of a time in history when it seemed like nobody in Israel believed in God anymore, and Elijah thought he was the only believer left. Elijah thought God had rejected and quit on the Israelites. But God showed Elijah there was still a remnant of 7,000 Israelite believers. It’s like the Star Wars Mandalorian series where everyone thinks all the Mandalorians are gone, but there was still a remnant. God showed Elijah there was still a remnant of 7,000 believers, and it’s proof God was still saving them, still keeping his promise alive through a remnant. Paul says it’s still happening today!
Again vs 5 says, “There is also at the present time, a remnant chosen by grace.” Paul’s point is God’s been saving people through a remnant all throughout history, and he’s still doing it today in this present
time! In the days of Noah there was a remnant in the arc. In the days of Daniel there was a remnant in the Babylonian exile. In the days of the Roman Empire there was a remnant, Paul’s a part of that remnant, and that remnant eventually led to the Christianization and transformation of the entire Roman Empire. In the days of the French and British Empires there was a remnant from the Roman Empire, that eventually led to the Christianization and transformation of those empires, which eventually led to the spread of Christianity in America and South America. In our 2023 present time, God’s still saving a remnant of believers who are messianic Jews that believe Jesus is their messianic savior, and he’s still saving a remnant of believers in some of the hardest to reach countries in Africa and Asia. In our 2023 present time, Christianity is spreading faster in Africa and Asia than anywhere else in the world, with over 1 billion Christians in Africa and Asia making up almost 40% of the world’s Christian population. The point is all throughout history God’s been continually saving people through a remnant.
Philosopher Blaise Pascal was once asked by French King Louie the XIV, “How could you possibly believe in miracles? Go ahead, prove any miracle your God’s ever done.” Pascal said, “The Jews your majesty. The Jews still exist today, even though everyone’s tried to destroy them.” In the 19th Century H.L. Hastings quoted a French soldier persuading his king to stop persecuting Christians. The soldier said, “Sire the Church is an anvil, that’s worn out many hammers.” He said the church is an anvil, a flat iron block that blacksmiths hammer metal on, and it’s worn out many hammers. So you can try persecuting it, try censoring it, try destroying it, but it can’t be destroyed! History’s proven the church can’t be destroyed, because there’s always a remnant! People say it isn’t about the size of the dog in the fight, it’s about the size of the fight in the dog. But with the church it isn’t about the size of the church in the fight, it’s about the size of the God fighting for the church. With God in the fight, there will always be, a remnant.
Vs. 11, “I ask then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.” This is the 3rd reason to trust God hasn’t rejected and quit on the Israelites. The 3rd reason is a future reason. It’s that God plans to save even more Israelites in the future. Paul says it’ll happen in two stages, and the 1st stage is to save the Gentiles, which is anybody who isn’t Jewish. We just learned this 1st stage is already happening through the global spread of Christianity. Paul says the 2nd stage is Israelite jealousy, which is a holy jealousy craving a deeper relationship with God. He’s saying in the future the Israelites will see Gentiles, they’ll see Christians having such a deep, personal, relationship with God through faith in Jesus, they’ll crave that relationship with God too, and many will turn to Jesus for salvation. It hasn’t happened yet, but he’s
confident many of them will turn to Jesus in the future, since it happened to him and it’s happening to so many others.
Vs. 17, “Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you though a wild olive branch were grafted in, and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, 18 do not boast that you are better than those branches.”Paul’s giving an illustration with a warning. The illustration entails an olive tree that had branches broken off and branches grafted in. The branches broken off are the unfaithful Israelites who’ve rejected God’s grace, and the branches grafted in are the faithful Gentiles who’ve received God’s grace. The warning Paul’s giving us is don’t get cut off from God, like the unfaithful Israelites. How do we get cut off from God?
Vs. 20, “They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Don’t be arrogant, but beware; 21 because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.” So the way to get cut off from God like the unfaithful Israelites, is through unbelief. It’s rejecting God and God’s grace, that leads to getting cut off from God and God’s grace. This is a very hard text for me to preach as a pastor, especially living here in Orlando where churches are filled with nominal Christians. It’s hard because I know some of you are nominal Christians who think you’re saved, but your halfhearted faith and unbelief, is cutting you off from God’s grace like the unbelieving Israelites. Paul’s warning is against casual nominal Christians who have an artificial faith and an artificial salvation. It’s possible some of you are dying branches, and you don’t even realize it...You’re attending church, but are you a dying branch who isn’t committed to producing fruit in and through the church?...You’re reading the bible, reading the teachings of Jesus to make your life better, but are you a dying branch who isn’t committed to following Jesus as Savior and Lord?...Jesus isn’t a build-a-bear you mold into being more like your life. He’s a Savior and Lord who molds you into being more like his life. He can’t be Lord of some of your life, he has to be Lord of all your life. In Matthew 7 Jesus said many people will call him Lord and claim they did many things in his name, but I’ll tell them I never knew you. It’s because they’re fans of Jesus, but not true followers of Jesus. Just because a fan knows a lot about Lebron James, that doesn’t mean they know him personally. Just because a fan knows a lot about Jesus, that doesn’t mean they know him personally. In John 15 Jesus says I am the vine, meaning he’s the one we should be grafting our lives to above anyone and anything else! If we aren’t grafting our lives to him, seeking to follow him, then we’re a dying branch that’ll be cut off from him like the unfaithful Israelites. We’ll be cut off for our own halfhearted faith and unbelief.
Vs. 25, “A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.’” The Deliverer promising to take away their sins is clearly Jesus. Paul’s saying a time will come when Jesus will take away their sins, and all Israel will be saved. When he says all Israel he’s talking about all believing Israelites, not unbelieving Israelites. We have to read vs 26 closely, because it says in this way they’ll be saved. What’s this way? It’s to be saved by faith in God’s grace, not by good works or Jewish births. It’s to be saved by faith in Jesus as their messianic deliver who died for their sins on the cross. In John 14 Jesus says “I am the way, the truth, the life.” He doesn’t say he’s a way or one of many ways. He says he is the way, and Paul says in this way, many Israelites will be saved in the future. It’s by believing Jesus is their messianic deliverer. But there’s 3 questions we should asking based on this text.
#1 Do you have an artificial salvation? = Do you have an artificial salvation? Paul’s clear that the only people who lose their salvation, are people who never had it to begin with. It’s the unbelievers who lose the gift of salvation, not the believers. He even says in Vs. 29, “God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.” It’s irrevocable, meaning when God saves you he keeps you...When God saves you he keeps you...We need to remember salvation is received not achieved. So if you can’t do anything to earn it, then you can’t do anything to lose it. You can fake it like the unbelieving Israelites, but you can’t lose it. Judas is an example of this. He faked his friendship with Jesus as he was hanging with sincere believers of Jesus. But you can’t fake it till you make it with Jesus, instead you have to believe it to receive it. You have to believe Jesus is your Lord, your Deliverer who died for your sins on the cross. Anyone who sincerely believes that, receives eternal salvation, an eternal relationship with Jesus, and it’s irrevocable.
#2 Will you be a faithful remnant? = Will you be a faithful remnant? If you’re a sincere believer in Jesus, then you’re a part of a long history of remnants, and the remnant life you’re living today can impact lives for future generations later. How can you do that today?...How can you live as a faithful remnant today, in ways that’ll impact lives for future generations later?... Historically it’s always a remnant that leads to revival. If everybody believes there isn’t room for revival, but if only a remnant believes there’s plenty of room for revival. What if Jesus is pruning our country to make room for revival?...What if Jesus is pruning dead branches in our country, because we’ve been rejecting his morals and values for years?...What if Jesus is pruning dead branches in the American Church, because instead of pursuing him we’ve been pursuing mega church prosperity, the popularity of Celebrity Pastors and American Idol worship leaders, and we’ve replaced biblical truths with people pleasing cultural
lies?...What if God’s pruning our country and churches to make room for revival, and what if you’re the remnant he wants to use to bring that revival?...We can’t see it now, and we might face some hard times where we cry out like Elijah saying “What are you doing God? Am I the only one?” But it’s in those hard times that God isn’t abandoning his plans, he’s pruning and prepping a remnant of us for revival.
#3 Have you quit sharing and praying? = Have you quit sharing and praying? If you’re a part of the faithful remnant, then don’t quit sharing and praying for the few people Jesus wants you to reach. Don’t be pushy and annoying, but don’t quit sharing and praying either. If they’re willing to listen then keep sharing, if they aren’t willing to listen then keep praying. But some of you have quit...Some of you have quit sharing Jesus and praying for the people Jesus wants you to lead to him...One of our codes here at City Awakening is we want to love the few so we can love the many. We want to love a few people so well, that they can’t ignore the love of Jesus for their lives, and then send them out to do the same. But some of you have quit on your few. Some of you have quit on your family, friend, neighbor, co-worker, classmate, roommate, teammate. But whoever the few are that God put on your heart, he put them on your heart for a reason, so don’t quit on them! Don’t quit on your few, just like Paul didn’t quit on the Jews. Don’t quit on your few, just like Jesus didn’t quit on you. Don’t quit sharing and praying for them, for our city, for our country. Don’t quit sharing and praying for our church to truly be, a City Awakening.
Look the big idea is you can’t lose your salvation, unless it’s an artificial salvation. So if you want an eternal irrevocable salvation that can’t ever be taken away, then sincerely put your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Deliverer. If you’ve already sincerely put your faith in Jesus, then don’t quit living as a faithful remnant. Don’t quit trying to reach the people Jesus wants you to reach. There’s a lot of things we’ll quit on in life, but the one thing Jesus will never quit on is you...When he saves you, when he starts a relationship with you, he’ll never quit on you...
Communion’s a reminder that Jesus didn’t quit on you, he died on the cross to enjoy eternal life in heaven with you. If you don’t believe he died for your sins, then please refrain from taking communion so you don’t fake going through the motions of this. Instead, use this time to reflect on the message and consider asking Jesus to forgive your sins, so you can enjoy eternal life in heaven with him...As the elements are being passed let’s take a few minutes to prep our hearts and for those at home to prep their tables. Let’s pray asking Jesus to forgive our sins, thank him for dying for our sins, and ask him to help us live as a faithful remnant.
On the night Jesus was betrayed he took some bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it saying “This is my body which is to be broken for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you eat it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done for you.” When supper ended he took the cup, blessed it, gave thanks for it, and said “This is a symbol of my blood which is to be shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you drink it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done.” City Awakening let’s eat, drink, worship Jesus for saving us instead of quitting on us. If you want somebody to pray with you for salvation or your struggles, then come to the back so my wife and I can pray with you. Don’t be artificial, don’t fake it like you have it all together, hesitating coming back for prayer because you’re too worried about what others will think. Just come to the back as you feel led, if you want prayer for salvation or your struggles. Come to the back and we’ll pray with you, or you can stand to worship Jesus for not quitting on you.