ETERNAL SECURITY

Once a person is truly born-again, IS that person saved FOREVER?  We believe the Bible teaches just that…salvation is a FREE GIFT apart from any works or performance we can do!  Salvation is forever…it is ETERNAL LIFE…NOT PROBATIONARY LIFE!  Jesus is doing the saving…we are not saving ourselves!  Now this does not mean there are not any consequences to the backslidden believer!  The Bible teaches that our Lord loves us too much to allow us to continue in a backsliding condition away from our Lord…He will send chastisement and ‘spankings’ to correct us and get us back on the right path!  He has ways of getting our attention!  The disobedient believer will certainly be miserable and out of fellowship with the Lord and his joy will be gone while we’re away from the Lord.  There will be loss of rewards, inheritance, rank and privilege of service in heaven for all eternity if we are unfaithful during this life!  Our testimony before others will be shamed if we live hypocritically and the Lord will not be able to use us in a very prominent way to reach others!  If we persist in a backslidden condition, the Bible seems to teach God can just call that believer home to heaven thru premature death!  The Backsliding believer WILL NOT get by with his SIN! It is so very important how we live after we’re saved!

1.        The believer who trusts Christ as Saviour has EVERLASTING life.  This lasts forever.  If the believer were to end up in hell after trusting Christ, he would not have had everlasting life.

John 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. 

2.       Jesus says the one who trusts in Christ shall not come into condemnation (the judgment of hell…and is passed from death unto life RIGHT NOW!        No waiting till death to find out!

John 5:24   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.

3.       The believer who comes to Christ as Saviour will never be CAST OUT to HELL and LOST… ‘in no wise’…UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!  If a believer loses salvation and ends up in hell…how does one explain this verse?

John 6:37   All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

4.      It is God the Father’s WILL that EVERY BELIEVER will be raised at the Resurrection to go to heaven and then NONE will be lost!

John 6:39   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.

5.       The believer is given ETERNAL LIFE…now.  How long does ‘ETERNAL’ mean?  If the believer has ETERNAL LIFE and ends up in hell, did he really have ETERNAL life?  Notice Jesus did not say PROBATIONARY LIFE, but ETERNAL LIFE!

John 10:28   And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

6.       Jesus promises in His Own Words…that the believer will never PERISH in hell!

7.       The believer CANNOT be plucked out of the Father’s Hand and cast into hell!  The Believer is secure in the Father’s Hand!

John 10:29   My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

8.      Believing on Christ saves us.  That is the determining factor.

Acts 16:30  And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  Acts 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 

9.       The believer is justified (declared not guilty) freely by His grace thru Christ’s redeeming death.

Romans 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

10.    Simply Believing upon Christ as our Saviour makes us righteous before God…not by any works could do…

Romans 4:3  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.  Romans 4:4  Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.  Romans 4:5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

11.     The believer has PEACE with God and is Justified by faith in Jesus Christ, not by works and performance on our part!

Romans 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

12.    Eternal Life is said to be a GIFT to the one who believes in Christ!  A GIFT will not be taken away if certain conditions aren’t kept...or it would not have been a GIFT to start with!!!

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

13.    God has already predestined or predetermined that the one who trusts Christ as Saviour will be like Jesus some day and have a glorified body!

Romans 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Romans 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

14.    If God is for the born-again believer…who can be against him?  No one.

Romans 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 

15.     The Bible says NO ONE will lay anything to the charge of God’s ELECT…the born-again believer who trusts Christ as Saviour!  It said NO ONE!

Romans 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.  Romans 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

16.    Nothing in this life, past, present…or future...things that haven’t even happened yet...can separate the believer from God’s love and cause us to be cast into hell!  Troubled?  Peril?  Temptation?

Romans 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Romans 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Romans 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  Romans 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Romans 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

17.    Nothing in heaven above or hell below…including the devil or any other creature… (that would include even ourselves!) will separate the believer from God’s love and cause him to be cast into hell!

Romans 8:35-39 (above)

18.    The Bible says plainly that the WHOSOEVER calls upon Christ SHALL be saved…It does not say we might be…IF we do this or that… That one time act of repentance and calling upon Christ to save you, as you trust His death at Calvary is what saves us!

Romans 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

19.    Salvation is by God’s grace.  It is not by our works or performance.  We are not keeping ourselves saved by what we do NOW!  Salvation is not a mixture of GRACE and WORKS!  It has to be one or the other.

Romans 11:6  And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 

20.   The Bible says once God gives a gift…He doesn’t change His mind and take it back after He’s given it!

Romans 11:29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 

21.    The Bible declares amazingly that the believer can be an utter failure in his Christian life and have his entire life of works and service to Christ perish as worthless at the Bema Judgment Seat of Christ…and suffer loss of rewards…and yet still remain saved and go to heaven!

1 Corinthians 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  1 Corinthians 3:13  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.  1 Corinthians 3:14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  1 Corinthians 3:15  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

22.   No Person has ever been saved by performing good works nor does a person keep himself or herself saved by performing good works.

Galatians 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

23.   The Believer at the moment of trusting Jesus as Saviour is sealed buy the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the earnest (Downpayment or guarantee) that we will be delivered to the owner who has purchased us (with His blood).  A king’s seal signified ownership and carried the authority of the King behind it.  Anyone tampering with the seal would answer to the King!

Ephesians 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,  Ephesians 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

24.   The HOLY SPIRIT seals the believer until the DAY OF REDEMPTION (when we’re taken to heaven) If the believer would end up in hell, that seal would have to be broken!

Ephesians 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

25.    Salvation is not of ourselves and any works we could do.  If a Christian could be lost after trusting Christ, it would have to be because of something we did or failed to do…AFTER we were saved…Agreed?  That means we would be keeping ourselves saved by a certain level of GOOD WORKS which must be maintained…Let me repeat, if a Christian could lose salvation, it would have to be because of something we did or failed to do after we were saved…That is a salvation by works no matter how you look at it!  The Bible says salvation is a GIFT..not of works of our performance or behavior!

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

26.   The Bible says that Jesus Christ began the work of salvation in us and He will finish it until we get to heaven with Jesus!  He doesn’t just start it and let us finish it…

Philippians 1:6  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:

27.   The Believer is not appointed to wrath but God has appointed the believer to obtain salvation!

1 Thessalonians 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

28.   Paul was persuaded that Jesus is able to keep safe and secure our very souls which we have committed unto Him…He was persuaded his soul would never end up in hell after he trusted Jesus as Saviour!

2 Timothy 1:12  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

29.   Even if the Born-again Christian ever STOPS BELIEVING, AND TURNS HIS BACK ON Christ, whether because of severe discouragement, depression, or prolonged lapse into sin and backsliding…Jesus will not deny the promises of Eternal Life He has given! According to this verse, evidently a Christian can stop believing and trusting Christ!  Notice the word ‘we’ in the verse!

2 Timothy 2:13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

30.   Works of Righteousness cannot save us or keep us saved.  According to His MERCY are we saved and KEPT saved!

Titus 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

31.    God has promised us ETERNAL LIFE…and He cannot lie…

Titus 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

32.   Jesus is able to save unto the UTTERMOST…all the way…those who come by faith to Him and are saved!

Hebrews 7:25  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

33.   Eternal redemption is OBTAINED for us by Jesus’ death on the cross…It is not ATTAINED by our effort and ability to KEEP us saved!

Hebrews 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

34.   The Believer has ETERNAL redemption…this lasts forever!  It is not temporary or probationary based upon our ability to stay faithful to Jesus.

(See Hebrews 9:12 above)

35.    Since Calvary, The believer who comes to Christ has ceased from his own works of trying to save himself…Jesus did it all and it is finished!

.Hebrews 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

36.   The believer is sanctified (set apart as God’s Child) once for all, as he trusts Jesus as His Saviour.

Hebrews 10:10  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

37.   The believer is perfected FOREVER!  Now my friends think about this verse.  If I end up in hell after being born again, was I perfected forever?  No.

Hebrews 10:14  For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

38.   The believer is preserved FOREVER!  PRESERVED means to be kept safe and secure.  Forever means forever.  HOW COULD THESE VERSES BE IN THE BIBLE AND MEAN ANYTHING IF THE BELIEVER COULD SOMEHOW END UP IN HELL?  How could God say You and I are perfected and preserved forever?

Psalms 37:28  For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

39.   God has promised that He would remember our sins no more!  If we would end up in HELL after trusting Christ, it would have to be because of some SIN we committed after we were saved!

Hebrews 10:17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

40.  The Believer’s SALVATION is begun and FINISHED by Christ and His death at Calvary.  He doesn’t get us started and then we have to finish it by our good works and performance…He is the author and finisher!

Hebrews 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

41.    Once we trust Christ, our heavenly inheritance is reserved in heaven and will not fade away.

1 Peter 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

42.   We are KEPT SAVED by the power of God, not by our own power and ability!  We do not keep ourselves saved...which we would have to do if it could be lost!

1 Peter 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

43.   The Bible says the believer can KNOW he is saved and going to heaven!  How could the Believer know he was saved if he could lose it someday?

1 John 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.