The Bible clearly teaches that God does not want anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance. God demonstrates this by saving any and all sinners who come to Him through faith in Christ, and also by restoring backsliders, once they confess and turn from their sins.
God is a redeeming God.
God loves sinners (though He will eventually punish the unrepentant).
God is married to the backslider (though He will eventually write a letter of divorcement for the unrepentant).
However, it is also clear, but seldom mentioned today, that God can and will keep believers from sinning.
He will deliver us from all temptation.
He will cause us to triumph in Christ.
God is even more honored when we allow Him to save us from sinning than when we allow Him to forgive us our sins.
GOD DESIRES SALVATION FOR ALL
2 Peter 3:9
(9) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
1 Timothy 2:3-6
(3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
(4) Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
(5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
(6) Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
WHOEVER CALLS SHALL BE SAVED
Romans 10:9-13
(9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
(10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
(12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
(13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
APOSTATES (UNREPENTANT) CUT OFF
Revelation 2:4-5
(4) Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
(5) Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
REPENTANT BACKSLIDERS SAVED
Hosea 14:4
(4) I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
Ezekiel 18:30-32
(30) Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
(31) Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
(32) For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
MARRIED TO THE BACKSLIDER
Jeremiah 3:14
(14) Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
BILL OF DIVORCE FOR UNREPENTANT
Jeremiah 3:7-8
(7) And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
(8) And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
GOD DELIVERS FROM SIN
John 14:23-24
(23) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
(24) He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
John 17:15
(15) I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
1 Corinthians 10:13
(13) 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.
2 Corinthians 2:14
(14) Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
(3) But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
2 Timothy 4:18
(18) And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 John 2:3-6
(3) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
(4) He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
(5) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
(6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1 John 3:4-10
(4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
(5) And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
(6) Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
(7) Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
(8) He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
(9) Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
(10) In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
Jude 1:24
(24) 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,
HOLINESS HONORS GOD
1 Thessalonians 4:1-4
(1) Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
(2) For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
(3) For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
(4) That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
2 Timothy 2:21-22
(21) If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
(22) Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
1 Peter 1:5-7
(5) Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
(6) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
(7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
GOD DESIRES SALVATION FOR ALL
2 Peter 3:9
(9) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
1 Timothy 2:3-6
(3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
(4) Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
(5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
(6) Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
WHOEVER CALLS SHALL BE SAVED
Romans 10:9-13
(9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
(10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
(12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
(13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
APOSTATES (UNREPENTANT) CUT OFF
Revelation 2:4-5
(4) Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
(5) Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
REPENTANT BACKSLIDERS SAVED
Hosea 14:4
(4) I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
Ezekiel 18:30-32
(30) Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
(31) Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
(32) For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
MARRIED TO THE BACKSLIDER
Jeremiah 3:14
(14) Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
BILL OF DIVORCE FOR UNREPENTANT
Jeremiah 3:7-8
(7) And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
(8) And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
GOD DELIVERS FROM SIN
John 14:23-24
(23) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
(24) He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
John 17:15
(15) I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
1 Corinthians 10:13
(13) 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.
2 Corinthians 2:14
(14) Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
(3) But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
2 Timothy 4:18
(18) And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 John 2:3-6
(3) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
(4) He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
(5) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
(6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1 John 3:4-10
(4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
(5) And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
(6) Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
(7) Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
(8) He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
(9) Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
(10) In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
Jude 1:24
(24) 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,
HOLINESS HONORS GOD
1 Thessalonians 4:1-4
(1) Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
(2) For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
(3) For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
(4) That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
2 Timothy 2:21-22
(21) If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
(22) Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
1 Peter 1:5-7
(5) Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
(6) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
(7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
