Reason #6. They commit a glaring sin
We doubt our salvation when sin creeps into our life or when we choose to do wrong over what we know to be right. Here is the logical progression of this thought:
- “I did this (whatever the sin is).”
- “A real Christian would not do this.”
- “Evidently I am not a Christian.”
Although we should not sin and should not get comfortable sinning, all of us still sin after salvation. James 3:2 says, “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body”. 1 John 1:8 & 10 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us”.
Think of it this way. If “not sinning” kept us saved and “sinning” caused us to lose our salvation then what is the logical conclusion? Salvation would be a work of our own and our salvation would be short lived.
Another problem related to this line of thinking is, we begin to catalogue sins. We develop mental lists of acceptable sins and unacceptable sins; a list of constructive sins and destructive sins.
When you really think about it, constructive sins [an oxymoron] would be a sin we have determined is a sin but the end justifies the means and we have put it in a separate list. It is true that some sins are worse than others (Matthew 7:1-5; John 19:11), but as far as God is concerned for whatever is not from faith is sin. (Romams 14:23)
R. T. Kendall says, “All of us have one single greatest fear. Something that we have done that we would not want anyone to know. But God knows it and loves us anyway. Whether it happened before you were saved or after, He knew it and He saved you anyway.”
Once again, let us affirm our salvation is by God’s grace and is secure in Jesus Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”