That no one, including God’s Very Elect, is beyond losing his soul until the instant of death is brought out in a variety of Scriptures by several of Christ’s hand-picked apostles, Paul being foremost among them.  In Ephesians he was writing to God’s “dear children” who were undoubtedly sealed by Him.  These would have been Christ’s “brethren” and “friends” who, Jesus said,  “… will do the will of My Father which is in heaven ….”(Mat. 12:46-50) and “… do whatsoever I command you” (Jn. 15:14).  These people had undoubtedly been sealed.  And yet listen to what Paul wrote to them in Ephesians 5:3-5 where he lists a dozen sins, then tells them that no one among them could be guilty of even ONE of them (vs 3).  Why? Because anyone guilty of even ONE of those common sins “HAS NO INHERITANCE IN THE KINGDOM CHRIST AND GOD.”  In verse three Paul calls them “SAINTS,” whose INHERITANCE IS SALVATION.  Obviously, being guilty of any sin separates the sinner from God (Isa. 59:2), thereby breaking the Lord’s seal which disqualifies him for eternal life.  Now you know why the whole of professing Christendom adamantly refuses to listen to God’s “fine print.”

If, as church people claim, God’s seal cannot be broken, then why did Jesus tell the church in Smyrna that IF THEY REMAINED FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH, “I WILL GIVE YOU THE CROWN OF (ETERNAL) LIFE” (Rev. 2:10). Note the “IF” caveat.  Notice that salvation for those who remained faithful would be received following their deaths.  Why did He tell the church at Philadelphia–the only church in which He found no fault–to “… HOLD FAST TO WHAT YOU HAVE, LET NO MAN TAKE YOUR CROWN (SALVATION)”?–Rev. 3:11.  Jesus said to those churches that IF they remained faithful and IF they held onto what they had and IF they did not let someone steal their crown until the end of their lives, then, and only then, they would receive eternal life.  Read The Three Resurrections.  Key word–Resurrections.

Note the statement: “Let no man take (away from you) your crown (salvation).”  Let us do a little “fine print” studying here: “Let” indicates that the believer has a choice.  “Take” indicates that the believer has something that can be taken from him.  The believer’s “crown” is identified as eternal life in Revelation 2:10.  Even a child can understand that what you do not have cannot be taken from you.  This means that the saint has the “crown of (eternal) life” laid up for him, but that a man (false prophet) can “take” it away from him by deceiving him into sinning–breaking God’s seal–and thereby and giving up his crown.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul tells the sealed saints that they must STRIVE FOR THE MASTERY over Satan in order to OBTAIN AN INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN (SALVATION).  Jesus told His disciples: “Behold, I give you power over all the power of the enemy (Satan)” (Lk. 10:19).  Thought he was undoubtedly sealed, Paul used the Holy Spirit’s power to “STRIVE” against Satan so that he would not become a CASTAWAY.  Note it: though both converted and sealed, Paul, who received the Gospel directly from Jesus Christ through revelation (Gal. 1:12), had to work mightily not to break God’s seal and end up on the trash heap of history.  Truly, no one else can take the saint’s crown, BUT THE SAINT CAN VOLUNTARILY GIVE IT UP.  Paul knew this and worked diligently not to allow that to happen to him.  This is God’s Word, which Jesus called “TRUTH.”  Woe to those who do not believe and obey it.

In James 1:12 the apostle wrote under the power of the Holy Spirit: “Blessed is the man that endures temptation (to sin), for when he is tried (and overcomes the temptations) he will (then) receive the crown of (eternal) life, which the Lord has promised them that love Him.”  Jesus told the apostles, “If you love Me, keep (obey) My commandments/words” (Jn. 14:15,23).  In Matthew 19:17 He said: “If you would have (eternal) life, keep the commandments.”  Jesus makes it abundantly clear that even the God-sealed Very Elect must obey His commandments/words in order to receive eternal life.  No one is exempted from this rule, NOT EVEN JESUS OF NAZARETH.  Jesus was undoubtedly sealed.  If His seal could not be broken, why did Satan tempt to sin?  Come, let us reason together by studying God’s “fine print.”

In Philippians 3:20-4:1 Paul reminded the church at Philippi of what God had in store for them.  This indicates that they had been sealed.  He then told them that, in order to receive what had been promised they had to “stand fast in the Lord.”  Why did they need to “stand fast in the Lord” if their seal could not be broken and their promised salvation could not be taken from them?  Also, they had to be “in the Lord” in order to stand fast in Him.  Don’t you love God’s “fine print?”

Finally, let us allow Jesus Himself to address those who believe that it is impossible to lose what Satan has convinced them that they have.  In Matthew 7:22,23 He addresses those who believe that they are sealed and therefore will be welcomed into paradise on Judgment Day: “Many will say to Me on that (“hearafter”) day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and in Your name cast out devils? and in Your name done many wonderful works?’ And then I will say unto them, “I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME YOU WHO WORK INIQUITY (LAWLESSNESS).”  Notice that these super-religious people will call Him their LORD and will have PREACHED, CAST OUT DEVILS AND DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS IN HIS NAME.  But all of their works will have been in vain, as will their worship of Him.  He says this about them in Matthew 15:9: “IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME, for they preach their OWN COMMANDMENTS rather than MY DOCTRINES.”  If we can take God at His Word, the vast majority of all church ministers are false prophets who are leading the vast majority of professing Christians astray.

Remember the parable of the five foolish virgins?  At one time they had been wise virgins (Mat. 25:1-12).  But they had stopped obeying the Holy Spirit (symbolically represented by “oil”), had broken their seals and, as a result, had lost their crowns (eternal life).  But they continued to believe that they were walking hand-in-hand with God.  Until the announcement came that the Bridegroom had arrived and His marriage to the virgins (His church) would soon take place.  At that point they realized that they were no longer true virgins.  After filling their lamps with oil they had “purchased”  (by “rededicating their lives to the Lord”) they arrived at the door of the marriage hall “knowing” that, because they were sealed virgins, the Lord would welcome them.  Surely He wouldn’t let a little sin nullify all of the wonderful works they had done in His name.  Wrong.  He said to them, “I do not know you.”  Notice that He did not “know” them AT THAT TIME.  He did not say that He had NEVER KNOWN THEM, because He had known them as true saints before they “ran out of oil,” (stopped obeying the Holy Spirit).  When the Spirit left them their seals were broken and their crowns were removed.  Those described in Matthew 7:22,23 HAD NEVER BEEN THE LORD’S PEOPLE, EVEN THOUGH THEY “KNEW” THEY WERE VIRGINS WHO HAD BEEN SEALED, SAVED, BORN AGAIN, ETC.  THOSE DESCRIBED IN MATTHEW 25:1-2 HAD AT ONE TIME BELONGED TO THE LORD BUT HAD LOST THEIR WAY.  HE WILL REJECT BOTH GROUPS UNLESS ….  Read The Three Resurrections.

“Let God be true but every man a liar.”  God’s Word is true.  Every man who says otherwise is a liar.  Period.  L.J.