A. Can a true believer lose his/her salvation? . . . Is the statement that “once saved, always saved” really true?
B. There are some who believe a believer can … and there are believers who believe a believer can’t.
MANY PASSAGES IN THE BIBLE SUPPORT The Doctrine of Eternal Security.
- Over the past few weeks,
- we’ve looked at some Bible passages that support the doctrine of eternal security …
- Two of the most supportive would be …
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- John 10:27-29 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
- Philippians 1:3-6 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
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Tonight, the plan is to look at …
MORE BIBLICAL SUPPORT For The Doctrine of ETERNAL SECURITY
Hebrews 10:12‐18 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
Jesus finished the work required by the Father for your eternal salvation and there is no work for you to do or add to keep yourself secure.
- His offering perfected you forever, not just until you commit your next sin.
- All of your sins were future when Jesus died for you at Calvary.
- The very fact that Jesus’ work for you is finished, the fact that He will never need to come and die again, proves that you have an eternal salvation.
- If you can lose your salvation, Christ did not finish His work and He would need to come and die again for you to get you re‐saved.
You are secure because Jesus said, “It is finished.”
You are secure because you can add no work to Jesus’ finished work for your eternal salvation.
You are secure because Jesus’ one sacrifice was sufficient for eternity.
You are secure because Jesus’ finished work has perfected you forever.
You are secure because on the basis of Christ’s finished work God will remember your sins no more.
You are secure because there is no more any offering for sins since Jesus has finished His work for your redemption.
1 Peter 1:3-5 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
- Did you notice that is NOT the inheritance that is kept by the power of God?
- So what is kept by the power of God?
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- You do not keep yourself. Rather, you are kept secure in your position by the power of God.
- If retaining your saved position “in Christ” depended upon your power to perform, you could not possibly stay secure.
- The good news is that your eternal security is dependent on God’s power to keep you and NOT your power or performance!
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- God alone is the One keeping you secure and He alone has the power to keep you until the last time or until you are glorified! (Note Jude 1:24-25).
Your position in Christ does not fade away.
Your inheritance in Christ is incorruptible and cannot be defiled.
Your eternal position is reserved in heaven for you.
You are kept by God’s power, not yours.
Your salvation is secure until the last time or the end of time.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
- What does it mean for you to be a new creation? What old things have passed away?
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- The word old is not used in the sense of age, but in the sense of former.
- The word new means present.
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- What are some of those former things about you spiritually “in Adam” that have now become new things about you spiritually “in Christ”?
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- The following chart is courtesy of Truth Seekers Fellowship, in their Milk To Meat study …
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| Former Things “in Adam” | New Things “in Christ” |
| You possessed spiritual death or separation. | You possess spiritual life and fellowship with God. |
| You had Satan as your father. | You have God as your Father. |
| You were in slavery to your sin nature. | You have freedom to serve your new nature. |
| You had a guilty conscience before God. |
You have a cleansed conscience before God. |
| You did not have Christ living in your heart. | You have Christ living in your heart. |
| You did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit. | You have the Spirit’s indwelling and enabling. |
| You were under God condemnation. | You have justification, sanctification, glorification. |
| You could only look forward to judgment. | You have forgiveness and no condemnation. |
| You lived in fear and dread of death. | You have love and hope for eternity. |
| Your final destination was to be the Lake of Fire. | Your destination is the new heavens and earth. |
- The spiritually dead person you were “in Adam” has forever ceased to exist and the spiritually alive person you are now “in Christ” will never cease to exist.
- You can no more go back into your former position “in Adam” than a butterfly can reverse the miracle of metamorphosis and again become a caterpillar.
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- Suppose for a moment that a butterfly did return to the cocoon, what would it find? It would find an empty cocoon.
- What happened to the caterpillar that once inhabited that cocoon? It has passed away in that it has been changed into a beautiful butterfly.
- God made the miracle of metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly irreversible.
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- … and He has made your spiritual metamorphosis from being spiritually dead “in Adam” to that of being a new spiritual creation “in Christ” just as irreversible.
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- In the future when God creates the New Heavens and the New Earth, we are told that His new creation will never pass away. The former or old heavens and earth will then cease to exist forever.
- Since you are now God’s new creation, you are now eternal and you can never pass away.
- The only thing that has passed away forever is the spiritual person you were “in Adam” … like that caterpillar in the analogy.
- Your eternal security “in Christ” comes from the fact that you are a new creation and old things have passed away or ceased to exist. Your being a new creation means that the caterpillar you once were “in Adam” has been miraculously transformed into a beautiful spiritual butterfly “in Christ”!
You are now a new creation “in Christ” and can never pass away.
Your former position “in Adam” has passed away or ceased to exist.
A butterfly cannot reverse God’s miracle of metamorphosis.
You cannot reverse God’s greater miracle of transforming you into a new creation” in Christ.”
Your being God’s new creation guarantees your eternal security “in Christ.”
John 6:37‐40 37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
- Did you notice in verse 37 that Jesus said that anyone who comes to Him will never be cast out?
- Verse 38 confirms that Jesus came not to do His will but the will of His Father.
- What was the will of His Father?
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- Jesus says in verse 39 that part of the will of His Father was that He should lose nothing or no one who believes and comes to Him in faith.
- Jesus clearly says that it is His Father’s will that anyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and that Jesus was to raise that person up at the last day.
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- In order for Jesus to raise you at the last day you will have to make it to the last day. Your eternal security is guaranteed because of Christ’s complete obedience to the work of His Father.
- Your security rests in His commitment and His power to complete the work His Father gave Him, NOT your commitment or power.
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- Jesus repeatedly said that His goal in life was to do the will of His Father and please the One who had sent Him.
- Jesus did always those things that were pleasing to His Father, including His obedience in death.
- Jesus fully understood the will of His Father and set His face like a flint to finish the work that had been given to Him by His Father.
- Jesus has completed the work of redeeming you and He will just as surely complete the work of glorifying you.
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- Your eternal position in God’s family or your eternal security “in Christ” is dependent upon the complete obedience of Christ to the work of redemption that was given to Him by His Father.
- Jesus’ promise to you is “ that of all He has given me I shall lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” His obedience, not yours, guarantees your eternal security.
Jesus accomplished the Father’s will and work for your redemption.
Jesus will accomplish the Father’s will and work in keeping you secure.
Jesus will never lose you now that you are His.
Jesus will raise you up at the last day in obedience to His Father’s will.
Your eternal security depends upon Jesus complete obedience, not yours.
1 John 3:9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
- What is the seed that abides in you forever and thus guarantees your eternal security?
- First notice that the Apostle John refers to this seed as “His seed” or the Father’s seed. This divine seed corresponds to the physical seed of a father that is involved in human birth. The Apostle Peter gives us some insight into the meaning of this seed in the following verse:
2 Peter 1:3-4 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
- In what way have you become a partaker of the divine nature of God the Father?
- for now you should know that this seed is the germ of the new, divine, spiritual life that was implanted in you by the Holy Spirit at the time of your new birth. Just as human fathers impart their human nature to their children, so, in some sense God the Father in begetting you has permanently imparted the Divine nature to you as His spiritual child.
- Since God’s nature is opposed to sin, and you share that nature, you cannot sin habitually because that nature is in you. You have not become part God or a lesser god in any way, but you do possess the eternal seed of the divine nature. So far, we have referred to this nature as your new nature, and have reflected as such in our illustrations of what it means to be “in Christ.” Your new nature is the seed from which your new, righteous or God pleasing way of living springs forth and grows to maturity.
- The Apostle John says that once a spiritual germination has occurred in your heart, the seed abides forever. You can stunt its growth by your resistance and disobedience, or you can allow God’s nature to blossom and produce to its full potential. The seed can be stunted, but it cannot die. The fact that the seed abides forever guarantees you glorification and thus your security.
The Father’s seed has the power to germinate new spiritual life.
The Father’s seed was implanted in you at you new birth.
The Father’s seed can be stunted by your disobedience or become productive through your obedience, but it cannot die.
The Father’s seed abiding in you forever also guarantees your eternal security.
Romans 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
- Did you notice in our passage that the gifts of God are irrevocable? What does irrevocable mean to you? Can you not see that an irrevocable gift, by definition, cannot be taken back by the giver or forfeited by the recipient?
- Salvation is the result of God’s gift to you of His Son as your Substitute.
- God’s gift of forgiveness and restoration can only be received or rejected.
- You have received God’s gift and since God freely gave it without any merit on your part, it cannot be taken back!
- If God’s gift was given without your works or merit, it will not be taken away later by your lack of works or merit. (IOW … You did NOT do anything to save yourself … SO you can NOT do anything to “unsave” yourself.).
- You are eternally secure “in Christ” because your salvation is a gift from God the Father and all of His gifts are irrevocable.
A gift by definition cannot be earned.
A gift can only be received or rejected.
Your salvation resulted from your receiving, not your earning or deserving.
God’s gift of your salvation is irrevocable because it is free.
God’s gift being irrevocable guarantees your eternal security.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
- How many times can you be born physically? Once.
- Is it possible for you to become un‐born physically? No.
- Why has God chosen to describe your salvation as a birth? Because your birth, first physical and then spiritual, are final and unchangeable events in your life. You were born physically through your physical parents, and you are born spiritually through God’s seed regenerating you. Your physical birth cannot be repeated, reversed or altered. Likewise, your spiritual birth at salvation was final and unchangeable, and cannot be repeated, reversed, or altered!
- You obviously have no memories of your physical birth process, but you know for sure that you were physically born. You also may not remember your new birth process, but you should know that you have been born again spiritually. The process of birth is not retained in your memory, but the fact of birth is a reality both physically and spiritually. Your spiritual new birth is now a fact and your birth is final and unchangeable!
- your eternal position in God’s family or your eternal security “in Christ” is based upon the fact that your becoming a child of God is described in the New Testament as a birth. Jesus used the term “born again” to describe what must take place in your heart for you to see the kingdom of God. Notice that your being born again results from your receiving Him by believing in His name (that He is God and Savior) as He claims.
- The finality and unchangeableness of your new birth guarantees that it cannot be repeated, reversed, or altered and thus you are eternally secure.
Salvation is Biblically called the new birth.
You can be born physically only once.
Your physical birth cannot be repeated, reversed or altered.
Your salvation is a final and unchangeable birth.
Your final and unchangeable spiritual birth guarantees your eternal security.