1 Corinthians 11:30-32 “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (31) For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. (32) But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”
Before we go any further on the subject of eternal judgement we need to deal with an erroneous teaching that has caused many believers to stumble. The false teaching that I am referring to is that once someone is saved they can never lose their salvation. In other words the error that is taught is that once someone has made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour that decision can never be reversed. All believers however, still have a free will after they are saved and to say that they cannot reverse their decision can therefore not be true. Some will argue that one, who is born-again, will never want to reverse their decision to have Jesus as their Lord. If that statement were true, then why does scripture teach us that it is possible for believers to be condemned with the world? In writing to the church in the above quoted passage of scripture, the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul reveals to us that our Lord Jesus judges some believers in this life with weakness, sickness and even early death. So why does He do that? This passage tells us that He does that because He is concerned about our eternal destination. And so when He sees that if we were to continue down a certain path that will lead us to ultimately rejecting His Lordship and thus being condemned with the world, He then judges us in this life rather than allowing us to be eternally condemned.
Romans 11:17-22 “And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, (18) do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. (19) You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." (20) Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. (21) For if God, did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. (22) Therefore, consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.”
In the passage of scripture quoted above the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul warns us as believers that if we choose not to continue in the goodness of God, that He will cut us off just as natural Israel have been cut off. Clearly Christians can make the decision of their own free will not to continue in God’s goodness, otherwise the Holy Spirit would never have written this warning to us. There have been a number of instances recently, of “high profile” believers who have publicly renounced their faith in Christ and have chosen to walk away from the Lord Jesus. Each one of these individuals made their decisions of their own free will, which has created a lot of confusion among believers that have always been taught that it is impossible for one to reverse their decision once they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. For those who have been taught correctly however, they recognise that these individuals have, for varied reasons, decided to no longer continue in the goodness of God and have thus been cut off by Him.
Michael E.B. Maher
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