Eternal security
Word of mouth: John 10: 27-28; 1 Corinthians 1: 8; Ephesians 1: 3, 7; Philippians 1: 6; 1 John 5: 11-12; Hebrews 6:19; 9:12; 10:14
Although the term “eternal security” is not found in the Bible to describe a person who believes in Christ , terms such as “eternal life” (John 3:16) and “eternal comfort” (2 Thessalonians 2:16) are used. The Bible teaches that God’s children are eternally secure in Christ.
The teaching of eternal security plays a vital role in stabilizing the Christian life.
As we shall see, the promise of eternal security is given only to those who are born again. This promise is not given to hypocrites, nominees, or those who have only a superficial interest in the things of Christ. We need to understand that those who once abandoned the faith they once accepted were never born again.
1) Believers are safe because of the great work that Jesus did for us.
Jesus died for the sins of believers – for all sins. His blood was the full payment of the penalty demanded by God’s law; That was 100% enough. Those who believe that a believer can lose his salvation do not understand the great work that Jesus did. They do not understand the gospel properly.
See: Ephesians 1: 7 – “Deliverance” means to be bought with a price. Jesus redeemed us completely from the slave market of sin .
See : Romans 3: 24-25 – “To be justified” means to be declared righteous by God. The believer is not righteous in himself, but he has been declared righteous by the Chief Justice himself. The basis for such a declaration is that Jesus paid the full ransom to remove the believer’s sin before God.
The word “atonement” refers to this substitution. This means repaying the loan in full by paying what you owe. That is what Jesus did. The sinner has broken God’s law and is unable to pay its due. Jesus paid the debt instead of the sinner. We were in debt; Jesus Christ paid the debt that he did not owe.
2) Believers are safe because of God’s promises.
Salvation is described in various ways in the New Testament, some of which will be discussed here. These promises are unchangeable because they are promises of a God who cannot lie, whose declarations cannot be changed. Although the New Testament appears on the surface as one or two such verses teach that a believer can lose salvation, there are hundreds of passages that clearly teach that a believer does not lose salvation!
“Not to perish but to have everlasting life” (John 3:16) – If God gives the believer eternal life and promises that he will never perish, how can he “lose” his salvation? How does a believer perish if God says he will not perish? If that happened then God’s promise would be in vain.
God will “stabilize you to the very end” (1 Corinthians 1: 8) – such promises ensure the salvation of the believer.
“Blessed by All Spiritual Blessings” (Ephesians 1: 3) – If a believer is blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ, how can he be deprived of it and how can he lose his salvation? Notice that these blessings are “in Christ.” The salvation of the believer is stored up in Christ, and this salvation is in no way based on the life or works of the believer.
“You are sealed by the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1: 12-14) – to be sealed by the Holy Spirit is to receive God’s promise of eternal redemption.
The act of being imprinted by the Holy Spirit is related to ownership. When one believes in Jesus he becomes God’s personal property. The imprint of this ownership is the Holy Spirit. It is like a king putting his stamp on something.
To be sealed by the Holy Spirit is to receive a promise. This is the guarantee of the eternal salvation of the believer. It’s like a man getting a plot of land. Baina is the pledge of the remaining amount. It’s like a plane ticket. If someone gives you a plane ticket to go somewhere, you can be sure that you can get there with that ticket. Tickets are a guarantee. In the same way, Jesus paid for our journey to heaven, and the Holy Spirit is His promise for this journey.
“Set in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 2: 5-6) – a believer does not have to wait for death to go to heaven; In God’s eyes he is seated with Christ in heaven; This is his new position. The salvation of the believer is stored up throughout Christ. He is dead with him, has risen with him, and lives with him.
“Worthy of Heaven” (Colossians 1: 12-14) – Christ has done all the necessary work to bring the believer to heaven; There is nothing left for the believer to do in this regard; Our works do not qualify us for heaven or add a single point or quantity to what Christ has done and managed.
“Strong Comfort” (Hebrews 6: 17-19) – The terms used in this passage to describe salvation are wonderful. The meaning of “things that never change” is clear: unchangeable; When God declares or promises, He is sure. “Comfort” means encouragement; The comfort of the believer is not weak, not uncertain; She is “strong.” “Hope” does not mean something as uncertain as in any other world. This does not mean “I am hoping for salvation” but “I am sure I will be saved.” The hope of the believer is described as “the anchor of the soul which is safe and secure.” All of this came true because Christ paid the full penalty for sin.
conclusion
The knowledge that he is eternally secure in Christ is the believer’s “helmet” that protects him from the fiery arrows of doubt from Satan (1 Thessalonians 5: 8).
Eternal security of the believer.
Word of mouth: John 10: 27-28; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 1:16; 1 John 2: 4
In this lesson we further study this doctrine by answering two more questions about eternal security: First, does the teaching of eternal security mean that anyone who verbally accepts Christ has eternal life? Second, does it encourage people to live carelessly?
Does the teaching of eternal security mean that anyone who verbally accepts Christ has eternal life?
No, the promise of eternal security is only for those who are saved, not for those who accept it by word of mouth. Salvation always changes a person’s life.
1) Repentance is essential for salvation (1 Thessalonians 1: 9-10).
God requires repentance in order to be saved, and repentance is a terrible change of heart that results in a change of life. It means surrendering to God. He who has not surrendered is never saved. We can see biblical repentance among believers in Thessalonica. They “turned from idols to God to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1: 9).
Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John 3: 7) and the new birth is a great miracle that God does for the believer. This is a terrible change, but those who live as they did before they were accepted are never born again.
3) Those who are saved hear the voice of Christ and follow Him (John 10: 27-29).
In this passage Jesus defines a true believer who has received eternal life. Jesus’ sheep hear his voice, meaning they obey his word and follow Christ, meaning they submit to him as disciples. The promise given in verses 28-29 cannot be separated from the evidence in verse 27.
4) He who believes in salvation has faith as well as holy works (Ephesians 2: 8-10).
Ephesians 2: 8-10 describes the exact relationship between faith and works. Salvation is by faith and works are the result of salvation. The works of the Christian life are works done by God within the believer, for which no credit goes to man. Trying to confuse works with faith in order to be saved is false gospel (Romans 11: 6). But on the other hand, it is also true that if there is faith in salvation, then holy works will be rewarded along with it. James describes the Christian life from a human point of view (James 2: 14-17). If someone says he has “faith” but does not show any evidence of it in his life, he does not have the faith to be saved.
In 1 John 3: 2-3, God’s Word says that those who receive eternal life are the ones who purify themselves. The promise of verse 2 cannot be separated from the proof of verse 3.
6) The Bible warns of those who accept Christ but do not obey him; They are false names (Titus 1:16).
If a person claims to be a believer in Christ but his life does not prove it, he is deluded. The fruitless acceptance of faith cannot claim the promises of eternal security from God. If a person accepts Christ and later abandons his confession, he is proving that he has never been saved.
Does the teaching of eternal security encourage people to live carelessly?
Those who do not believe in the teaching of eternal security say that it encourages people to live carelessly. But the reality is just the opposite. I began my preaching work in an area of the US state of Tennessee where Methodists have dominated for centuries. The doctrine that salvation could be lost had devastated the area spiritually. The area was filled with people who “tried to live the Christian life” but failed and are now living like Satan.
1) The Bible teaches that God’s grace motivates believers to serve God with a grateful heart (Romans 2: 4; Ephesians 3: 14-19). The more a believer understands God’s undying love for him in Christ, the more he wants to please God. The Bible says, “We love him because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
2) True grace of God teaches people to live holy lives (Titus 2: 11-14).
