Expert: Dr. Tim Gladu - 3/30/2008

Question
Why is it that some preachers that after salvation, One can do anything adultry, murder, etc & it's ok?
Our preacher teaches once saved always saved. That after you are saved you can commint murder, adolitry, adultry, etc. God still has you in his hands and you are forgiven and you are still going to heaven, even without rependence and no regret. I have never heard this extreme teaching.What is the purpose of salvation and rependence and following our teaches. If it is ok just to keep sinning to the extreme. You are still going to heaven.


Answer
Sam,

I can understand where you are having trouble with this concept. The idea of once saved always saved is important. God decides that once you commit your life to His Son Jesus that you are forgiven of your sins and you will go to heaven. I want you to think about something important. If someone has given their life to Jesus then they want to try to strive to be like Jesus. If someone is trying to be like Jesus then they will no longer live the life they lived before they were saved. I want you to think that if someone says they are saved but there is no sign that they are a different then did they really commit to Jesus or did they just say the words. Only God knows who is saved and who is not saved. When we truly give our life to Jesus then our heart and mind will change and we become a new creature in Christ. When someone says they have given their life to Christ but they do not change then maybe they just said the words but did not believe in Christ. This is the person who just is saying the words for someone here and not to God. The idea behind the ability to continue to sin is this. We are human beings and we will sin to the day we die. We can and do try not to sin. If we truly have Christ in are heart then the fruit of the spirit will be obvious. People will be able to see Christ in us. They will see by how we act and what we say that Christ is in us and we are doing all we can to be like Christ. The fact that you can sin and still go to heaven should not give you the thought that you have liberty to sin without consequence. The true Christian will not take this liberty. They will use the help of the Holy Spirit and not sin. When we do sin and ask for forgiveness then God will forgive and forget. He will not hold it against us. I hope that you just misunderstood what you pastor was saying and he was not saying that we are free to sin all we want. I would suggest that you take some time and read through the book of Romans this will be able to explain the basics of what it truly means to be a Christian.