INTRODUCTION

A.  There are some who believe “once saved, always saved” … that a believer cannot lose his/her salvation.

B.  On the other hand, there are Christians who believe that a Christians can lose his/her salvation.   

C.  So, which view is correct?  Can a true believer lose salvation? … OR … Is the statement that “once saved, always saved” really true?

D.  Over the past few weeks, we’ve looked at some Bible passages that support the doctrine of eternal security, which supports the idea once a person has been saved, he/she cannot lose that salvation.

E.  In this session, we continue to look at passages in the Bible that support that belief.

RECAP:  Some passages we’ve looked at thus far …

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;    

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.

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.

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.   

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.”

MORE BIBLICAL SUPPORT FOR DOCTRINE OF ETERNAL SECURITY

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.   

1. What do you takeaway from this passage?
2. Who are the ones “born of God”?
3. What do you understand “does not sin”  and “cannot sin” to mean?
4. Why does John say a true believer does not sin?
5. What is the “seed” that remains (abides) in a true believer?
6. How long do you think that seed remains in the believer?

From Tom Murray’s commentary …

• • 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 in you forever guarantees your 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.   

1. What, in that passage, stands out for you?
2. What does irrevocable mean to you?   
3. What did Paul say was irrevocable?
4. What did Paul say/infer about our calling in Romans 8:29-30?
5. Can you think of any gifts that we have received as true believers?

• • Acts 2:38-39
  • Ephesians 2:8

From Tom Murray’s commentary …

• • Did you notice in our passage that the gifts of God are irrevocable?  
  • 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.”   

1. What is the main takeaway of John 1:12?
2. What is the main takeaway of John 3:3?
3. Why do you think Jesus would use the idea of a birth to represent salvation?

From Tom Murray’s commentary …

• • 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.

Some persons may still have doubts about what we’ve been saying about eternal security (or about what I have been saying).

However, to help show that I am not the only one with this view, I’d like to share  TWO QUESTIONS and ANSWERS from gotquesions.org …

Eternal security – is it biblical?

Is “once saved, always saved” biblical?