In this video, we’re going to examine whether Paul actually said that salvation can be lost by becoming a castaway or by shipwrecking your faith. To do that, I’ll demonstrate two critical rules that everyone should use to correctly interpret Scripture. There are so many Christians who have come to wrong conclusions about what God’s Word says simply because they don’t approach Scripture correctly and they violate these two rules. What are the two rules? Let’s look into it.

First, here are the two verses we’ll examine, from 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and 1 Timothy chapter 1, where Paul is giving instruction to believers:

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
(1 Corinthians 9:27 KJV)

“This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare (fight the good fight); Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck (shipwrecked their faith): Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.”
(1 Timothy 1:18-20 KJV)

These two verses have been used by many well-meaning Christians to say that it is possible to lose your salvation by doing what Paul warns against in these verses: Namely, by becoming a castaway in your faith where you become lost and God abandons you, or by shipwrecking your faith to the point where you are turned over to Satan.  On the surface, these verses do sound like they could be saying that very thing, that it is possible to lose your salvation by becoming a castaway or by shipwrecking your faith. Is that what Paul is saying? 

To answer that, I want to present two rules for correctly interpreting Scripture. If you follow these rules, no matter what verse you are looking at, it will become much harder for you to be led off in the wrong direction into a false belief. What are the rules? I’ll sum them up with two words, then we’ll define them. And then, we’ll use those two rules to show how to correctly interpret these two verses.

The two rules can be summed up by these two words: Context and Harmony. Context and harmony will literally keep you from shipwrecking your understanding of God’s Word. What do these words mean?

First, Context means that we:

Never interpret a verse in isolation but always read it in context, what’s said before and after
What topic is being discussed and what point is the author trying to make through the entire passage, verses before and after the one you are trying to interpret? To whom is the author speaking?

In other words, does my interpretation of a verse fit the context, what the author is trying to say through the entire chapter or chapters. Our God is a God of order and purpose. He doesn’t throw random thoughts out there that are out of place. 

Have you ever heard the term, “non sequitur?” A NON SEQUITUR is a conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement. It would be like a doctor who is giving a step-by-step presentation on how to do open heart surgery when, right in the middle of step number 3 he makes a comment about the favorite treat his dog enjoys on Sunday afternoons. It’s a non sequitur. It doesn’t follow or fit in with what the doctor is talking about. The same is true of God’s Word. God is a God of order, and He doesn’t make non sequitur comments that are totally off base from the message He is communicating. This means that your interpretation of a verse has to fit the context of the passage. It has to fit the theme or message that the author is communicating. If your interpretation doesn’t fit the context, you’ve got a problem and are most likely wrong in your interpretation. 

It also means that your interpretation has to fit the audience to whom the author is speaking. Is he speaking to Jews or Christians? Is he speaking to saved or unsaved people? Is he even talking about salvation, what it takes to get saved? Or is he talking about discipleship, what you should do AFTER you are saved? That makes a huge difference in the meaning of the Words. Your interpretation has to fit the context. 

Second, Harmony simply means that:

God never lies, so His Word (The Bible) will never contradict itself.
This means we always interpret difficult passages by comparing them to clearer passages. Scripture must remain in harmony.

God will never say one truth in one place and then say something completely opposite concerning the same type of people or situation someplace else. He never contradicts Himself. We can be sure of God’s Word. If He says something clearly in one place, then it is true everywhere. This means that if you interpret a difficult verse in a way that contradicts a clear teaching of God’s Word someplace else, then you have a problem. Your understanding of Scripture is no longer in harmony. God only has to say something once for it to be true and reliable everywhere. 

This is why it is so dangerous to look at verses in isolation, without considering the context and without making sure that your interpretation is in harmony with the rest of Scripture. If you violate these two rules, I guarantee you that at some point your understanding of God’s Word will run off the tracks, and your view of Who God is or your view of salvation will be negatively affected.

So, let’s now demonstrate how to correctly interpret our two verses from Paul by using these two rules. We’ll begin with Paul’s concern that he not become a castaway and see what that term really means.

Let’s start with:

Rule #1 – CONTEXT: Never interpret a verse in isolation but always read it in context, what’s said before and after

Here’s our verse:

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1 Corinthians 9:27 KJV)

If we look at what Paul wrote before and after this verse, beginning in the previous chapter, chapter 8, through the subsequent chapter 10, we can see that there is a consistent theme or topic that Paul is trying to communicate. In the interest of time, I won’t go through every verse, but I’ll highlight a few verses just to show you Paul’s consistent message, in other words, the context.

Beginning in 1 Corinthians chapter 8, Paul introduces the topic of LIBERTY, OUR FREEDOM IN CHRIST, how we who are saved by the blood of Christ are free from the power of sin and condemnation, but with that liberty comes responsibility. That’s his topic in chapters 8-10 and I’ll sum it up with one word: Liberty.

Paul begins his topic of liberty by addressing the issue of touching or eating food that’s offered to idols, saying that we have liberty over what we touch and eat, that an idol is nothing in this world because there’s only one God, so touching or eating food offered to idols doesn’t harm us. I’ll just highlight a few verses:

“Now as touching things offered unto idols, … As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. … But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him…But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. ” (1 Corinthians 8:1, 4, 6, 8 KJV)

As Christians, Paul tells us we have liberty, freedom, to touch or eat anything set before us. It doesn’t matter. Paul says there’s only one aspect of our liberty that we should be concerned about, and that is if our use of liberty causes a weaker brother to stumble. In other words, if a brother or sister in Christ doesn’t fully understand their liberty in Christ and thinks that what they touch or what they eat could be sinful, then we, as the stronger brother or sister in Christ, have an obligation not to use our liberty in Christ to lead that weaker Christian into what he or she would consider sin. We should be considerate and refrain from using our liberty for the sake of conscience, for the sake of our weaker brother or sister in Christ. Paul said:

“But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.” (1 Corinthians 8:9 KJV)

So, the context of what Paul is talking about is Christian liberty. We are free in Christ, but we should not abuse that freedom if it causes a weaker brother to stumble in their conscience.

Then, we move to chapter 9, where Paul continues his discussion of Christian liberty by using himself as an example, saying that liberty extends to the Apostles as well, including freedom to eat, drink or become married. Paul’s liberty also means that he has the right to be financially supported by the preaching of the Gospel, though for the sake of weaker believers, he freely refrains from using that freedom. Speaking of himself as an Apostle, he says:

“Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas (Peter)? Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? … If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?… Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. … Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:4-6, 11-12, 14 KJV)

Here, the context continues on the same theme of liberty, this time dealing with the Apostles use of liberty, that they also have liberty, not just over what they do (eating, drinking, marrying) but also freedom to be supported financially by the Gospel. 

Then, after verse 15, where Paul says that he freely chose not to use this liberty, Paul begins adding to the concept of Christian liberty the idea of using liberty in ways that are pleasing to God so as to earn eternal rewards, what he calls, “an incorruptible crown.” In other words, in our Christian liberty, we can choose to spend our time doing things by faith that are honoring and pleasing to God, or not. If we do, God promises us a reward, an incorruptible crown. If we don’t, we won’t earn the reward, what he calls “the prize.” Seeking rewards is Scriptural.

Hebrews 11:1 says,

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

It is not wrong for us to seek eternal rewards. In fact, Jesus encouraged us to do so in Matthew 6, where He said:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” (Matthew 6:19-20 KJV)

Jesus encouraged us to be treasure hunters, only not for earthly gain but for heavenly treasures. Paul is encouraging believers the same way, to use their liberty in ways that please God so as to earn eternal rewards. This is not prosperity Gospel. Prosperity Gospel says that you can use God to become rich in this life. Paul is saying the opposite, to forego using your liberty in ways that enrich yourself in this life and, instead, use your liberty in ways that please God. If you do, God will reward you with eternal rewards in heaven. He may also give you blessings in this life, or He may not. Regardless, we are not to pursue prosperity Gospel but instead pursue pleasing God and serving Him. If we do, there’s an eternal reward stored up for us in heaven that goes beyond salvation. 

That’s why Paul says he freely chose not to use his liberty to be supported financially by the Gospel, starting in verse 15:

“But I have used none of these things…For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.” (1 Corinthians 9:15-19 KJV)

Paul then uses the example of how an athlete runs in a race and trains his body to the point of mastery so that he can win the race and win the prize. He says we are to do the same in our Christian liberty.

“… Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25 KJV)

Paul is encouraging us to freely choose to use our liberty to master our bodies, bringing them into subjection to where we can serve God honorably and earn a reward, an incorruptible crown. He is telling us to not be satisfied with just being a Christian, just being saved, but to strive beyond that to serve God and earn rewards. In your Christian liberty, you can spend your time however you want. Most of us spend time on ourselves. Some things you do will be a waste of time. Or you can choose to serve God and God will reward you. It may not be in this life, but God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:1). Paul is urging us to win the prize that goes beyond merely being saved, that eternal reward, that incorruptible crown. 

The prize he’s talking about is not salvation. Everyone who believes in Jesus gets that. He’s talking about rewards, incorruptible crowns that will be given to those believers who finish the race well, faithfully serving Christ in this life. Not every Christian does that.

In our Prophetic Timeline, we’re almost at the point of the Rapture, which will be immediately followed by the Judgment Seat of Christ, where those rewards will be given. We are that close to standing before Christ and giving an account of our lives.

All believers and only believers (no unbelievers) will appear before Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ. When we appear before Him, here’s what will happen, as described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:

“Now if any man build upon this foundation (the foundation of the Gospel) gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15 KJV)

It is important to note that no one loses their salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ, for it says that even if all of your works are burned up (in other words, if all that you did on earth was of no value to God, just wood, hay and stubble), you will still be saved, because salvation is a free gift of God based solely on His Grace through faith in Christ, not on our works.

For those whose works on earth are burned up because they are of no value, it says they will still be saved, “yet so as by fire.” That fire is not the fire of hell, for it says the person will be saved. It is the fire of examination, having to stand in front of Christ while He examines their life and reviews what they did with it. Most believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ will receive rewards. But for some, Christ will show them the rewards that they could have had if they had served Christ in this life. Instead, their reward is lost and will be given to another believer who was ready to serve Christ, someone God had to use in their place. He wanted to use them and reward them, but they lived a life that did not serve God. So, their reward is lost, given to someone else.

Rewards are things that go beyond eternal salvation. Rewards include things like reigning and ruling with Christ. In the parable of the talents, the faithful servant who earned 10 talents was placed in charge of ten cities, while the one who earned only 5 talents was still commended but was placed in charge of only 5 cities. He was still commended for serving His Master, by had a smaller reward.

Rewards are special privileges and authority we will have in heaven. Also, as it says in Daniel 12, even our eternal bodies will shine brighter the more we lead people to righteousness in this life. Eternal rewards do not include salvation. Salvation is not a reward but is a free gift from the Father to those who place their faith on Christ. If you want to learn more about rewards, I did a video called, “Don’t let sin or anything else steal your rewards.” I’ll include a link to it at the end of this video.

Now, some of you may be thinking, “What about the Crown of Life?” When Paul speaks of earning crowns in chapter 9, verse 25, wasn’t Paul saying that he was striving for the crown of life, meaning eternal life? So, wasn’t he therefore striving for his own salvation?

The answer is no.

In Scripture, the Crown of Life does NOT mean eternal life, eternal salvation. The phrase, “crown of life,” appears twice in the Bible. First, in James chapter 1:

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.” (James 1:12 KJV)

And then in Revelation, chapter 2:

“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10 KJV)

In both of these verses, we can see that there is a condition for receiving the Crown of Life: Namely, the Christian is found to have endured temptation and was faithful, even unto death. 

The point is that the Crown of Life is not referring to eternal life itself but to how we lived our lives faithfully for Christ. So, in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, where Paul says that he is striving to earn a crown, and imperishable reward, he is not saying that he is striving for his own salvation.

The Crown of Life is a REWARD for enduring trials, even unto death. All believers will receive eternal life. But not all believers will receive the Crown of Life. It is a special crown signifying that you lived your life for Christ against temptation and adversity.

On the other hand, eternal life is a FREE GIFT (not a reward) that is given through faith in Christ.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

We can’t earn eternal life through our behavior, our obedience. Our obedience doesn’t affect our salvation because salvation is a free gift. If we have to earn it through obedience, then it is no longer free.

We can’t earn salvation, but we can earn the Crown of Life, a reward of privilege and distinction that goes beyond the free gift of eternal life. Think of it as a badge of honor that you will wear for eternity. Not every saved Christian will.

Paul’s goal was not just to receive eternal life but to win also the Crown of Life (and other crowns) by living faithfully for Christ, enduring trials, even unto death.

That should be our goal as well!

So, let’s now get back to 1 Corinthians 9, where Paul compares living the Christian life to running a race in verses 25-27.

In v. 25, Paul says his goal is to run in such a way as to win the race, the reward, which he describes as an incorruptible crown.

Then, beginning in v. 26, he describes how to run that race so that he wins. He first says: 

“I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:” (1 Corinthians 9:26 KJV)

In other words, Paul says we are to run the race of living the Christian life with certainty, purpose and direction. We are not to go aimlessly through our lives. When Jesus headed toward Jerusalem to be crucified, it says that he fixed His sight on Jerusalem. He was locked in on that one direction. That’s how we’re to live our lives, locked in on serving God, obeying Him and being used by Him for His glory. We’re not to live each day aimlessly. Every day is an opportunity to glorify God.

Then, in verse 27, Paul describes how he accomplishes this and that is through discipline. We are to run with discipline.

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
(1 Corinthians 9:27 KJV)

First, he says that he disciplines his body, his lusts and passions, so that they don’t rule over him and pull him away from the race, from winning the prize. As Christians, we are not helpless against sinful temptation. We’ll see that in the next chapter. If you struggle with sin, I did a video on how to transform your life into one of obedience toward God, where obedience becomes the norm without any effort. I’ll include a link to that video as well at the end of this teaching. The point is: There are things we can do, steps we can take, to make sure we stay in the race so as to win the prize at the end, the reward, the incorruptible crown.

But then Paul talks about what can happen in you don’t finish the race well, a theme which carries into the next chapter. He begins this them by saying that he disciplines himself so that, after having preached to others, he himself would not become a castaway.

What is he talking about when he uses the term “castaway?”

If he were talking about possibly losing his salvation, that would certainly not fit the context of chapters 8 and 9, where the consistent theme throughout both chapters has been that of Christian liberty, our freedom in Christ. If it is possible for us to lose our salvation through our own actions, then we don’t have freedom or liberty. In fact, instead of being free, we had better watch closely what we do because we could blow it and lose salvation at any moment. That’s not freedom. That’s not liberty. But for two chapters, right up to this verse, Paul has been talking about our freedom in Christ, our liberty. For him to suddenly drop this bombshell, saying that if he doesn’t finish this race well that he could lose his salvation, then that would be a non-sequitur, a comment that doesn’t fit the context of his theme of Christian liberty. It wouldn’t fit.

Yet people look at this verse in isolation, totally ignoring everything he said up to that point, and say, “See, even Paul was concerned that he could lose his salvation.” That’s total error. It doesn’t fit the context. That’s not what he’s saying.

So, what is he saying when he uses the term, “castaway?”

The word “Castaway” in Greek is the word, “adokimos,” which mean “not approved.” The Greek word, “dokimos” means approved. You put an “a” in front of that to get the negative, “adokimos,” meaning “not approved.” It’s like you have the word, “theist,” meaning “a person who believes in the existence of God,” and you put an “a” in front to that to form “atheist,” meaning “a person who does not believe in the existence of God.”

Castaway means not approved. Not approved for what? Paul hasn’t been talking about salvation at all up to this point. What has he been talking about consistently for two chapters? He’s been talking about Christian liberty and using his liberty in Christ to serve God so as to earn eternal rewards, to live his life in faithful service to God so that he wins the race, the reward. If he doesn’t use his liberty to live for God, then God can’t use him for service, so Paul won’t win the prize, the reward. This word “castaway” has nothing to do with salvation.

“Castaway” means “being not approved for SERVICE TO GOD to where God can’t use you and therefore you become disqualified from winning the reward, what Paul called an incorruptible crown. He’s talking about being not approved for SERVICE, not salvation. This verse has nothing to do with salvation.

Being not approved for service is the only interpretation that fits the context. Paul was concerned that if he used his liberty in Christ to give in to temptation to where he said one thing but did another, preaching the Gospel to some but then living a secret life of disobedience to God, that he would be a hypocrite, that God would stop using him for service, and that he would become disqualified from serving God and earning the reward. Paul didn’t want that to happen so he freely chose to discipline himself so that he would remain approved for service by God and qualified to win eternal rewards.

“Castaway” does NOT mean disqualified from salvation. This verse is not about losing salvation. It’s about freely choosing in your Christian liberty to live in faithful obedience to God so that He can use you for service, to accomplish His desires, in which case you earn eternal rewards. 

To further confirm this, let’s look at:

Rule #2 – HARMONY: God never lies, so His Word (The Bible) will never contradict itself.
Always interpret difficult passages by comparing them to clearer passages. Scripture must remain in harmony.

If the word “castaway” could include loss of salvation, then that interpretation cannot conflict with any other verse of Scripture. If it does, even just one time, then our interpretation is wrong, because God never lies or contradicts Himself. God’s Word must remain in harmony. 

When it comes to whether the word “castaway” could mean loss of salvation, there are many verses that would contradict this interpretation. Here are but a few:

“And this is the Father’s will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” (John 6:39 KJV)

Jesus Himself said that not even one believer would be lost, that this is the Father’s will. 

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24 KJV)

The one who believes in Jesus “shall not come into condemnation.” PERIOD. There are not conditions other than believe, to trust on Him for salvation.

“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6 KJV)

God promised to not abandon us or banish us away as a “castaway.” Instead, He promised to opposite, to continue to perform this work of salvation in us, transforming us to be more and more like Christ, until the very day Christ returns.

“…waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:7-8 KJV)

Who confirms us and not only makes us blameless but keeps us blameless unto the day of Christ’s return? Is it we ourselves through our obedience? No. Christ confirms us and will never stop confirming us, which means that every single believer will be saved and will be blameless in His sight as far as sin is concerned when He returns. 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5 KJV)

This verse could not be clearer. Our salvation is incorruptible (cannot be corrupted by anything we do), undefiled (cannot be defiled by our sin), and fadeth not away (cannot be lost). Peter says it is God Himself Who protects our salvation by His power and keeps us secure. This truth that it is not our obedience that keeps us saved but it is the power of God that keeps us saved is confirmed also in the book of Jude:

“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25 KJV)

If it is God Who keeps us from falling, who keeps us saved by own His power, then it is not up to us and our own obedience to keep ourselves saved. Our obedience plays no role in our salvation because salvation is by grace alone through Christ alone. Obedience is very important for our discipleship, to become like Christ and to earn rewards. But obedience has no part in salvation itself. It is God Who keeps us, His children, saved, and He is a good Father Who will not let even one of His children perish.

These are but a few of the many clear verses that would be violated and contradicted if we take the word “castaway” to include loss of salvation. It can’t be. God never lies. God never contradicts Himself. If there’s even one contradiction, then your interpretation is in error. 

So, to sum up, the word “castaway” cannot possibly include the loss of salvation. In its proper context, it means:

“Castaway” = being not approved for service to God, and therefore disqualified from winning the reward (incorruptible crown v.25). 

But what other consequences are there for a Christian who becomes disapproved?

If we’re going to look at context, then we also have to look at what comes after this verse. This word, “castaway,” marks a transition in Paul’s discussion of Christian liberty to where he now in chapter 10 starts discussing the negative side of liberty: What happens if we use our liberty to disobey God and not serve Him? There are consequences to that which go beyond merely losing rewards and he warns us of those consequences, starting in chapter 10. Those consequences do not include the possible loss of salvation because, if they did, then again that would mean that we don’t have real liberty and it would contradict many other verses, like the ones we just examined. Paul has been clear up to now saying repeatedly that we do have liberty, and you’ll see at the end of chapter 10 that he again reaffirms his own liberty in Christ.

Chapter 10 is a scary chapter where Paul lays out the consequences of using our liberty as license to sin. Many well-meaning Christians have mis-interpreted this chapter to again say that it provides further proof that the word “castaway” means loss of salvation. We’ve already proved that it doesn’t. But if you can’t lose salvation, then what does chapter 10 mean?

Before we get to the verses of chapter 10, I want to present a chart that I think will make chapter 10 easier to understand. This chart summarizes what happens to a Christian when we choose to use our liberty either to obey God or to disobey God. We’re not robots. We have freedom to choose and there are consequences for each choice we make to obey or disobey God. Let’s review what those consequences are so that you can see this clearly, and then we’ll look at the verses of chapter 10 to reaffirm that they are in agreement.

This chart will show the proper use of Christian liberty and the consequences of improper use of liberty. On the left side of our chart, we have Christian Obedience (How we use our liberty), ranging from Very Obedient to Very Disobedient. In chapters 8 and 9, Paul has been talking about the positive side of Christian liberty, encouraging us to freely choose to obey God. If we do, then we become approved for service, we can earn eternal rewards for our faithful, obedient service and we can receive special blessing and privileges that go along with walking in obedience to God. 

But beginning in chapter 10, Paul also talks about the negative side of obedience, where we use our liberty, our freedom from the power of sin to condemn us, as license to sin, to walk in disobedience. When we do that, we become disapproved for service, what Paul refers to as a “castaway,” which means in the Greek, “not approved.” At that point, God will no longer use us to accomplish what He desires or at least to the extent that He would have, because we are walking in disobedience. That means we become disqualified from earning eternal reward and can even lose rewards. God will instead choose to use someone else for service who is walking obediently and the rewards we could have earned will go to them. Instead of rewarding us and blessing us, God instead has to start chastening us and disciplining us to correct our behavior. 

Discipline always starts with a warning. That’s why warnings are there in the Bible. If we don’t heed the warnings, God’s response can progress to mild discipline. If we still don’t respond, God may apply severe discipline. God knows how to turn His children around. I speak from experience.

The important thing to note is that God’s discipline is always RESTORATIVE, designed to pull us back to obedience. He’s not punishing us for sin, because sin has already been paid for on the cross. Sin can no longer condemn us, but it can result in chastening, but the goal is not punishment but to turn us around, to turn us back to Him. Speaking to these same Corinthians and to us, Paul wrote:

“But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:32 KJV)

God chastens us so that we will NOT be condemned with the world. God’s chastening has nothing to do with eternal judgment. Our eternal judgment was settled on the cross. There is no threat of eternal condemnation. And before some of you say, “Wait a minute. The word “should” is in there, meaning we should not be condemned but we certainly could be condemned,” you should know that the word “should” was added in translation. It’s not there in the Greek. The Greek is even more emphatic. The Greek text literally says that those chastened be “condemned not with the world.”

Hebrews 12 also shows that God’s purpose in disciplining us is to restore us:

“…He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.” (Hebrews 12:10 NASB95)

God chastens us not to punish is for sin but to turn us around. God is a good Father Who loves His children. He’s not looking for a reason to disqualify you from service or rewards. Instead, He acts to turn you around because He wants what’s best for you and He desires to lavish rewards on you. God is for you, not against you.

But if we persist in disobedience, discipline can become severe. God’s protection and blessing can be removed from your life. And if we still persist in disobedience, God can reach a point where He simply says, “Enough,” and takes us home early, causing us to physically die. God can use physical death as discipline. This does not include loss of salvation.

One example of this would be Moses. We’re about to look in chapter 10 where Paul uses Israel in the desert as an example of people who were blessed of God but then had to be disciplined by God for choosing disobedience. Only two people made it out of the desert alive: Caleb and Joshua. Moses also died in the desert because of disobedience. I guarantee you that Moses is in heaven, not hell. So, physical death as discipline does not mean you go to hell. Going to hell means one and only one thing: that you never trusted on Christ to save you.

To balance this chart out, there’s also another view of physical death, which is that God can bring about physical death as a blessing. In the Old Testament, we see examples of kings that were promised they would experience death so that they would not have to see the terrible judgments and destruction coming to their nation. Death can be a blessing or discipline. Paul said in Philippeans chapter 1:

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 KJV)

Physical death can be a blessing to one who is faithful.

But as far as salvation is concerned, if you have trusted on Christ to save you, no matter where you are on this chart, you are eternally saved. That’s because salvation is a gift of God’s grace through faith in Christ. It is not a reward that is earned or lost by our obedience. As it says in Ephesians 2:8-9:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

Our obedience doesn’t ensure our salvation. Our disobedience cannot kill it. We are forever secure in Christ. But as seen on this chart, there is still a high price to pay for disobedience and sin is never ok.

If you correctly understand salvation by grace, this chart should make total sense. But I guarantee you, for those who think you can lose salvation, they will have a hard time with this chart. They’ll say, “Wait a minute. You’re saying that a saved Christian can be very disobedient, murdering and raping people, and still be saved?” Well, I would turn that question around: If you are someone who calls yourself a Christian and yet you are going around murdering and raping people, what makes you think you were ever saved? Because you said some prayer way back when? If a person is truly saved, God’s Holy Spirit comes to indwell that person permanently and that changes the person. Paul said,

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV)

Saved Christians who have God’s Holy Spirit in them don’t go around murdering and raping people. They are made new. That’s not who they are anymore. If you think you are saved but nothing ever changed to where you are still the same person, still living in sin as before, then you are giving evidence that you were never saved. 

The error in this chart is not believing that a disobedient Christian can be saved. The error is believing that your obedience qualifies you for salvation, that by becoming very obedient you will prove yourself worthy before God, which will ensure in your salvation, because only those who prove themselves worthy will be saved. That’s the error. That is total error. Our obedience does not make us righteous. We don’t stand before God in our own righteousness. Instead, we stand in the righteousness of Christ by faith. Paul said:

“For as by one man’s disobedience (speaking of Adam) many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One (speaking of Christ) shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19 KJV)

It is Christ Who made us righteous. We are made righteous through Him, not through our own obedience. His righteousness is perfect righteousness, something we could never achieve. Our obedience doesn’t make us righteous. We’re not saved because we prove ourselves worthy. We’re saved because His obedience made us (past tense) righteous. What He did on the cross and His resurrection from the dead is what made us forever righteous before God.

“For He (God the Father) hath made Him (Christ) to be sin for us (He took on our sin), Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV)

We are made righteous before God by faith in Him, not by our own righteousness. If you don’t get that, you’ll think this chart is in error, because you think obedience is the path to becoming righteous before God and your obedience can either qualify you for salvation or disqualify you for salvation. That is total error. Paul specifically spoke against people who try to establish their own righteousness before God through obedience in Romans, chapter 10:

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God (which is righteousness by faith). For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” (Romans 10:3-4 KJV)

In other words, we don’t have to obey laws or commandments to prove ourselves righteous. Paul was certainly not trying to obey laws and commandments to establish his own righteousness before God. That wasn’t his goal. In Philippians 3, Paul said his goal was to:

“… be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” (Philippians 3:9 KJV)

When we trust on Christ for salvation, we are declared righteous before God. Our righteousness before God has nothing to do with our own obedience. We are righteous because of His obedience, and we stand by faith in His righteousness.

We certainly are expected to obey God, but that has nothing to do with salvation, which is by God’s grace through faith in Christ alone. So, both the obedient Christian and the disobedient Christian will be saved and are already righteous before God because each trusts on Christ for their salvation. That is the only requirement for salvation: to trust on Christ, believing that He died to pay for your sins and that He rose from the dead so that you also can have eternal life.

Now, with this framework, showing what happens on both the positive and negative side of obedience, let’s look at chapter 10, where Paul continues his topic of Christian liberty by looking at the negative side of liberty: What happens when we choose to walk in disobedience.

Paul starts by telling us to avoid Israel’s mistakes. We are not to be like them. What happened to them? All but two of them, Caleb and Joshua, disobeyed God to the point where God put them to physical death.

Paul says of them:

“But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. … Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:5-6, 8-12 KJV)

In our Christian liberty, we can choose to not serve God, to lust after the things of this earth, even though we have been saved by Christ. If we do that, we run the risk of tempting God to discipline us up to and including the possibility of Him putting us to physical death. In Acts chapter 5, Ananias and his wife Sapphira were saved believers who were put to death because they lied to the Holy Spirit. There is no mention there that they lost their salvation, just that they were put to physical death. Also, in 1 Corinthians 11, the very next chapter, Paul says that some believers in the church experienced poor health and some died because they partook of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner. There’s no mention that they lost their salvation, just that they were put to physical death. 

Remember our chart: What happens when we disobey God? First warnings, then mild discipline, then severe discipline. If we still don’t respond, God may put us to death. But our salvation is not lost.

The same is true in chapter 10: There is no mention of anyone losing salvation. Paul doesn’t use even one term that is commonly found in the Bible to describe someone going to hell, terms such as “eternal condemnation,” “eternal judgment,” “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” “eternal fire.” The closest term would be Paul’s use of the word “destroyed,” but that term is often used to describe physical death, such as:

“Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against Him (Jesus), how they might destroy Him.” (Matthew 12:14 KJV)

In chapter 10, Paul is not talking about eternal condemnation or eternal salvation at all. Salvation isn’t even the topic that was discussing since chapter 8. The topic is Christian liberty all the way to the very end of chapter 10. In this chapter, he’s addressing the negative side of liberty, the fact that liberty does not mean we have license to sin, using Israel as an example.

The point Paul is making is that they were put to physical death as discipline because of their disobedience and that we should learn from that example so that we don’t tempt God to put us to physical death for our disobedience. This chapter isn’t about salvation. It’s about how we should not use our Christian liberty as license to sin, tempting God to discipline us, which could cost us our physical lives. Instead, we are to use our liberty to serve God and others.

Paul said this very same message to the Galatian church in Galatians chapter 5:

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13 KJV)

If we persist in sinning to a point where God thinks we can’t be turned around, God will simply say, “Enough,” and take us home. We’ll lose all earthly blessings, all chance of serving Him, all change of rewards. But we won’t lose salvation. There’s no evidence in this chapter that anyone lost salvation. Most were not saved to begin with. But Moses himself certainly was saved and yet he was also put to death because of disobedience. Salvation is not the topic of this chapter. Paul is talking about how we use our liberty in Christ.

At the Judgment Seat of Christ, even those with only wood, hay and stubble to show for their lives are still be saved, though as by fire. But that’s not the way anyone should want to be saved. We should want to walk in obedience to God so as to be commended and rewarded. That’s what Paul is trying to communicate in chapters 8-10.

Paul even shows us the way out of sinful temptation, making it clear that we are not trapped in a lifestyle of sin.

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV)

God is for you, not against you. This verse is NOT saying, as some incorrectly interpret it, that God will NEVER give you more than you can handle. In fact, God will ALWAYS at some point give you more than you can handle, so that you come to the end of yourself and reach out to Him for help. That’s the way of escape – reaching out to Him. If we do, He’s there to faithfully help us out of temptation. Or, as James says:

“Submit yourselves therefore to God (draw near to Him). Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 KJV)

When we reach out to God, submitting ourselves to Him, as believers in Christ we stand in the very authority of Christ to resist temptation as make the devil flee from us. When we sin, God disciplining us is not to punish us for sin, which has already been paid for on the cross, but to get us to turn back to Him so that we will again submit ourselves to Him, so that we can stand in the authority of Christ and be victorious over sin. That is the first step to overcome sin – turning back to God.

Finally, Paul ends his discourse on Christian liberty by reaffirming that we do have liberty in Christ over all things, saying once again: 

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24 KJV)

If all things are lawful for Paul, there is nothing unlawful that could send him to hell. But not all things edify and, as he pointed out in chapter 10, some things such as persistent disobedience can cause us to suffer even to the point of being put to physical death. Therefore, Paul concludes by saying we should use our liberty in Christ to serve others and, in verse 31, to glorify God:

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 KJV)

That is how we should use our liberty, not as license to sin but to glorify God. Nowhere does Paul say or even imply that we could lose our salvation by becoming a “castaway.”

Let’s now look briefly at 1 Timothy chapter 1 where Paul delivers to Timothy this very same message to Timothy, that he should use his liberty in Christ to serve God faithfully, pressing on, holding fast to his faith. He tells Timothy to fight the good fight, so that he doesn’t end up like Hymenaeus and Alexander, two people whom Paul says have “shipwrecked” their faith. Many people who believe you can lose salvation have misused this verse to say that Paul is talking about loss of salvation. He isn’t. How do we know? Let’s use our two rules (context and harmony) to prove it.

Here’s the passage:

“This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare (fight the good fight); Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck (shipwrecked their faith): Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.”
(1 Timothy 1:18-20 KJV)

In context, Paul is not warning Timothy that he could lose salvation to where he would burn in hell. Read the chapter. Paul is trying to encourage Timothy, to lift him up. Paul’s topic, his theme in this chapter, is to fight the good fight of faith. It’s the very same message Paul gave to the Corinthians when he told them to run the race to win. 

Twice in this chapter and twice in 2 Timothy, Paul refers to Timothy as his son. Paul was reaching out to Timothy, whom he loved dearly, to encourage him. Observe the tone of Paul’s writing. This is a positive message, not a negative one, not a message warning Timothy that he could burn in hell if he messed up. 

“Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;” (1 Timothy 1:2-6 KJV)

Paul loved Timothy and encouraged him to use his Christian liberty to pursue and teach sound doctrine, to grow into the fullness of Christ. This loving message of encouratement is what precedes verses 18-20 where Paul describes how Hymenaeus and Alexander have shipwrecked their faith:

“This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare (fight the good fight); Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:18-20 KJV)

Rule number 1 is context. What’s the context of this chapter? Is it a stern warning or loving encouragement? Was Paul warning Timothy to hold fast to his faith or he would burn forever in a lake of fire and torment? Does that fit this context? Because that’s the bottom line if you think “shipwreck” means loss of salvation. No, of course not. That interpretation doesn’t fit the context. So, immediately we see a disconnect or dissonance with the context of the chapter, the tone of Paul’s message to Timothy, if we think the word “shipwreck” means loss of salvation. 

Rule number 2 is harmony. Is it possible to lose salvation if your faith becomes shipwrecked? Since God never contradicts Himself, would that interpretation be in conflict with any other verse of Scripture? Yes, it most certainly would be in conflict with other verses that are clear. For example, we can look at 2 Timothy 2:13, Paul’s reassurance to this very same Timothy:

“If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13 KJV)

“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13 NASB95)

Or how about Hebrews 13:5:

“…for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5 KJV)

There are no conditions associated with that verse. God will never leave us. PERIOD. Always interpret a less clear verse by a clear verse. It doesn’t get any clearer than that. I could also list all the verses I did for 1 Corinthians 9 here. There are so many verses that would be violated and in conflict if this word “shipwreck” means loss of salvation, for that interpretation says that God will leave us, will forsake us, if we wander in our faith, which is directly contradicted by this verse. So, that interpretation fails in terms of both context and harmony with other Scripture.

To further prove this, we then can look at the plain meaning of the text. The consequence of being “shipwrecked” was that they were turned over to Satan. But for what purpose? NOT eternal punishment in hell. What does Paul say the objective was for him turning Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan? Just like on our chart, his objective in this discipline was restorative, that “they may learn not to blaspheme.” He wasn’t even saying they would be put to physical death. He certainly wasn’t saying they would be sent to hell. The Bible says people in hell are weeping and gnashing their teeth at God, which means they are continually blaspheming God in hell for eternity. Yet, the end result of Paul’s action was that Hymenaeus and Alexander would stop blaspheming God. It was restorative discipline. He wasn’t talking at all about hell. He wanted to restore them to sound faith and obedience.

When it comes to salvation, it is impossible to shipwreck your faith to the point where you lose salvation. There is no such thing in the New Testament as a saved believer who became an apostate, an unbeliever. Why is that impossible? Because the moment you are saved you are forever indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Whose mission is to lead you into the truth. If we drift toward apostasy, the Holy Spirit is still there inside us, teaching and correcting, so that we cannot remain in an apostate condition. You have the liberty to turn away from God, but the Holy Spirit will not leave you. He will be right there with you, teaching and correcting, so that you don’t return to a lost condition. God isn’t neutral about this. He’s not going to let even one of His children plunge off into a permanent state of apostasy. 

The Apostle John was asked about this very thing when members of the church left the faith. His response was that they weren’t losing salvation but revealing that they were never saved in the first place.

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” (1 John 2:19 KJV)

John had “no doubt” that a truly saved believer will never leave the faith permanently. Because of God’s Holy Spirit in us, it is totally impossible to shipwreck your faith to where you again become unsaved, an unbeliever, an apostate.

But it is possible “shipwreck” your faith in areas that have nothing to do with salvation. For example, you could become shipwrecked in your faith if you stopped believing God’s many promises to protect you or bless you, which has nothing to do with salvation but everything to do with your understanding of God’s character, Who He is and His faithfulness.  

For people who believe you can lose your salvation, I would contend that they have already shipwrecked their faith because they are not believing the Gospel, that Christ truly saved them when He died on the cross and resurrected. Instead, they’ve come to believe that what Christ did was only part of it, that it’s really up to them now to obey and prove themselves worthy. If they don’t, they’ll be lost. They have shipwrecked their faith to where they no longer believe the pure Gospel that God really saved them by His grace alone through faith in Christ alone, assuming they ever believed it to begin with.

When we stray from that pure faith and trust in God’s Word, whether it has to do with salvation or something else, know that God is a God of restoration. God’s goal is always restorative, even when He has to discipline us for disobedience. 

If you are engaging in sinful disobedience as a Christian, you won’t lose your salvation, but understand the path you are on and where it leads. When we sin in disobedience, God first warns, usually through His Word and through other Christians. Then he disciplines, first mildly and then severely. In severe discipline, God may lift his protection over us, which is one of His blessings. This allows Satan and demons to come against us. They can’t possess us, for God’s Holy Spirit remains in us forever, but without God’s complete protection over us they can oppress us. That’s why addictive sins like sexual immorality are so dangerous. You are literally inviting God to lift His protection from your life so that the darkness of the demonic world can come against you. And God may allow it so that you, like Hymenaeus and Alexander, will learn not to blaspheme, learn not to sin, and turn back to Him. His objective is to restore you. If you are His child, He is for you, not against you, though when being disciplined it may feel like He’s against you. But His goal is to turn you back to Him and lead you to repentance. So don’t fight that. Repent and return yourself to a place of blessing.

Paul turned Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan just like he turned the immoral Corinthian believer over to Satan in 1 Corinthians 5, where Paul decided:

“To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 5:5 KJV)

This immoral Christian wasn’t being turned over to Satan so that he would lose salvation. Paul’s purpose again was restorative, that his spirit “may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” And here again, this phrase “may be saved” does not imply that he may not be saved. There is no conditional word “may” in the Greek text. The phrase “may be saved” is one word in the Greek, the word sōzō, which means “saved.” There’s no conditional element. The Greek text is emphatic: that the spirit SAVED in the day of the Lord Jesus.

To sum up, neither of these words, “castaway” or “shipwrecked,” imply a loss of salvation. That interpretation doesn’t fit the context of either passage. And such an interpretation is not in harmony with rest of Scripture but is contradicted by and in conflict with numerous verses that clearly refute that meaning.

So, in the future, when you are confronted with a difficult passage, try using these two rules: Context and Harmony. If you do, you stand a much, much better chance of not running off the rails in the wrong direction, believing a false doctrine and, ultimately, believing what is false about God and salvation through faith in Christ.

God is a good Father Who is for you, not against you, and will never let even one of His children perish. The question is: Do you know Him and are you walking with Him?

If we look at our chart, which arrow most closely represents your life right now? If you are on the upward line, you’re doing well. Hold fast. Keep going and growing in Christ. But if you are on the downward line, repent now and turn back to God. Christ is at the door. We’re about to stand in front of Him to give an account of our lives. It’s not too late to turn your life around and walk in faithful obedience. It’s not too late to hear those words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” 

Above all, and I say this to everyone, make sure you are saved. We are not saved by our own righteousness. We are saved only through faith in Christ, believing that He died in our place on the cross to pay for our sins before a perfectly holy God. He died for us so that our debt to God is paid in full. And He rose from the dead, showing us that through faith in Him, we too can have eternal life. Jesus Himself said:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47 KJV)

Salvation = God’s Grace Alone Through Faith Alone In Christ Alone

Believing the Gospel means placing your entire trust in Christ for your salvation, believing that He:

1. Died for your sins
2. Was buried 
3. Rose from the dead

As it says in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. That’s the Gospel, the good news.

Nothing more. Nothing less. There are no other requirements to be saved than to believe in Jesus. Once you place your faith in Christ for your salvation, you are born again, and you are forever a child of God. Our Father is a good Father Who will never abandon you but will preserve you in the faith and never let you go. 

If you are not certain about your salvation, time is getting very late. Don’t take the chance of missing out on God. 

Making Sure You Are Saved Is As Easy As ABC

Admit to God that you have sinned.

Believe that Jesus, God’s Son, died to pay for
your sins 100%, was buried and rose from the dead.

Call upon Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save you.

If you make that decision to call upon Him, God gives you this assurance:

“For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13 KJV)

Thank you for watching.