It has always seemed to me that all born-again believers were “called” to be such.
But the NT warns of believers losing eternal life, gaining eternal death, being shut
out of entering the kingdom of heaven, etc.
So obviously, the following passage has been a thorn in my side of understanding …
Romans 8:28-30 • “And we know that all things work together for good to those
who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom
He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
However, IMO, many born-again believers who were called were later NOT chosen …
because they proved to NOT be obedient believers, and thus NOT worthy believers!
Matthew 22:14 • “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
“The gospel of Christ is preached to all men, and many hear Christ’s call. They come at first.
They say Christ’s gospel is pleasing. They may agree with it. But in their hearts they do not
fully give their lives to Christ … they are not prepared to be servants of Christ.
They are not chosen. Christ’s servants must be chosen (John 15:16).”
(The Applied New Testament Commentary -- Thomas Hale, 1996, ChariotVictor Publishing)
IMO, there is a special subset group of those whom God has called.
These special called ones actually love Jesus enough to be obedient to Him.
They are ”those who love God … those who are the called according to His purpose”.
Jesus says those who love Him will keep (obey) His commandments …
John 14:15-17 • “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father,
and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever —
the Spirit of truth … for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 14:21-24 • “He who has My commandments & keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and
manifest Myself to him ... If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word;
and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
He who does not love Me does not keep My words …”
Questions:
1 -- Does anyone get to heaven who does not love Jesus?
2 -- Does anyone get to heaven who does not keep His commandments?
3 -- Does the believer who is a “non-keeper” continue to have the indwelling Holy Spirit?
1 John 2:3-5 • “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His command-ments. He who says, “I know Him”, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”
1 John 3:24 • “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him.”
John 15:6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered;
and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
Questions:
4 -- Should believers who are “non-keepers” be considered to be “in Christ”?
5 -- Do “non-keeper” believers, who do not abide in Jesus, lose their salvation?
More NT Scriptures about the necessity of obedience
Matthew 19:17 • “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
Luke 8:21 • “My mother & My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
Romans 6:16-19 • “… (slaves) of obedience leading to righteousness”
Hebrews 3:18 • “… they would not enter His rest … those who did not obey”
Hebrews 5:9 • “… He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”
James 1:21-22 • “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
1 Peter 1:22 • “… you have purified your souls in obeying the truth …”
Question:
6 -- When believers who habitually sin finally return to God by sincerely repenting of their sins,
and beginning (again perhaps) a life of obedience, does the Holy Spirit return to them?
Are they back abiding “in Christ” again?
