Hi Everyone!

Today's Gospel readings helped shed some light on the question: Can I lose my salvation?

In St Paul's letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12), he warns the people that they must hold firm to Jesus's teachings or they will fall.

In Luke 13: 1-9, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree that bore no fruit. The man who owned the garden ordered the gardener to cut it down, but the gardener asked for another year to tend the tree and see if it would produce fruit then.

We know that Jesus died on the cross to reopen the gates of heaven and make us once again pleasing in the eyes of God. But does that mean that once saved, always saved? We know that Jesus said that we must become as holy as the Father is holy. Well, that certainly precludes our going back to our former life of sin. After all, to "repent" means to "turn around, to face another direction." So do we have to work to keep moving forward in our new direction? St Paul says we will fall if we do not continue to strive to do God's will. That's a big "yes."

And Jesus himself warned that unproductive Christians who produce no fruit (like the fig tree) will be judged and condemned accordingly when we appear before his Judgment Seat. So can we lose our salvation if we produce no fruit? Jesus says we can.

Yes, we know how merciful God can be. In the first reading (Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15) he took pity on the Israelites and led them out of Egypt. In today's Psalm 103: 1-4, 6-8, 11, the psalmist extols the mercy of God whose love is without limit for those who revere him. Notice the proviso: "for those who revere him." And what happens to those who persist in their evil ways by not giving God the love and respect he deserves? They will find that his mercy only goes so far before his judgment must be exercised. God is loving, but he is also just and fair. After all, he loved the Israelites, but he still destroyed those who had built a golden calf when Moses came back with the 10 Commandments.

So is God merciful to sinners? Of course! Does he expect us to bear fruit? Of course! Does he understand our weaknesses? Of course! Can we lose our salvation? Yes, if we make no effort to bear fruit. And that's the key! His mercy kicks in when he sees that we are trying! So don't sit on your laurels believing that you have a "get out of jail free" card just because Jesus atoned for our sins on the cross. Go bear some fruit! Go and serve our King!

John