"Eternal Security"
A sermon
by George W. Sinquefield.
What do we mean by "eternal security?" Eternal security is that work of God which guarantees that the gift of salvation, once received, is possessed forever and cannot be lost. this security rests on God's guarantee and not on our good works or our being faithful.
Every child of God has security but many do not have assurance. Assurance is the realization that a saved person has eternal life -- that he will never be lost again.
Charles C. Ryrie helps us here when he says, "If we are faithless, He (God) remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself. This is no warning of certain condemnation to false profession; rather, Christ's constancy to His own promises provides the believer with his greatest security. It is unthinkable that any contingency could affect the faithful of God, for He cannot deny Himself. He will not deny even unprofitable members of His own body. True children of God cannot become something other than his children, even when disobedient and weak. Christ's faithfulness to Christians is not contingent on their faithfulness to Him."
The Bible teaches that salvation is in three stages. A Christian has been saved and is being saved and will be finally and completely saved when his salvation is consummated -- when he receives his glorified body.
I. The Christian has been saved.
Luke 7:50) "And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
(Luke 18:4) "And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;"
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;"
From a Sunday School lesson for November 1958 we get this information. I think the writer was Dr. Hershel Hobbs.
In Ephesians 2:8-10 we read, "For by grace are ye (have ye been) saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast. You will notice that I have translated it, "For by grace have ye been saved." This is because the verb is in the perfect passive tense, which signifies something which happened at the hand of another in the past, is still going on, and will continue to go on. It means a finished work or a permanent condition. Thus, if you believe in Jesus immediately your salvation is a finished work wrought upon you by a loving God; it is a permanent condition.
Notice again this portion of a verse of Scripture -- John 5:24 "is passed from death unto life." The verb here is a perfect tense, expressing something that happened in the past, is still going on, and will continue to go on forever. It is a finished work, a permanent condition. The verb means to pass from one place or state into another. Thus the very second that you place your trust in Jesus as your Savior you pass out of death into life -- everlasting life -- a finished work, a permanent state or condition.
It is no wonder, then, that Jesus began this tremendous declaration by calling your careful attention to it. "Verily, verily I say unto you. . . ." He is calling your attention to it right now. Notice that Jesus does not use a future tense in this great pronouncement. It is all present or perfect tense which emphasizes the permanency of it. You have heard His word that He has died for your sins and has risen from the dead for your justification. If you will believe that God was in Him as your Savior -- the very second you do it, right now, you will have everlasting life. You will never be brought into judgment for your sins, because you will have passed out of the realm of death into the realm of life.
Jesus said that you hear the Word and "believe" you will have everlasting life. One must believe in Jesus in order to be saved. He is the only way for one to pass from death unto life.
(John 14:6) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
(Acts 4:12) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Notice this when you believe you have then that very moment everlasting life.
Did you ever hear people pray, "And save us at last in Heaven? Such a prayer makes all the difference in the world and in the world to come. It involves the very nature of salvation. Such a prayer speaks only of a future salvation. It literally reeks with uncertainty, implying that if you hold out to the end of life, you will be saved then. It says that you can have no certainty about it until you stand before the judgment bar of God and hear the final verdict. So some go on day after day trying to be saved, hoping that they will be saved, but never being quite sure.
The Bible teaches that one has everlasting, eternal life the moment he believes in Jesus.
(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."
(John 6:47) "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."
In the New Testament the word "eternal" translates the Greek word which means "age lasting" or "age abiding." It is translated eternal forty two times and everlasting twenty five times. Forty five times it is used in connection with "life." It is used this way in the Gospel of John seventeen times and in I John six times.
"Eternal life" does not refer simply to age abiding existence. It refers to a life of personal knowledge of and fellowship with God in Christ (John 17:3). It is a state of being which begins the moment one believes in Christ (John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47), and continues thereafter without end (John 3:16). It is a gift of God's grace (Rom. 6:23) whereby the believer attains unto the righteousness of God in Christ (Rom. 5:21). The one having this life shall not come into judgment (John 5:24). This life is a matter of faith not of works (John 6:40, 47).II. Jesus promised us eternal life if we'd believe on Him -- trust Him for salvation.
We can rest assured that He'll keep that promise. He will never disappoint us.
(Rom 9:33) "As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."
(1 Pet 2:6) "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded."
III. Jesus came to accomplish the will of God.
(Heb 10:7) "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God."
One of the strongest passages of Scripture in favor of the eternal security of the child of God is found in the sixth chapter of John. One verse there (verse 39) declares that none be lost, but that all be raised up. Let us discuss verse 37 which I feel is used in the wrong way by well meaning people. It reads, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Some people give this interpretation to this verse: When anyone comes to Christ to be saved, he will be received. He will never be turned aside or refused. God has promised to accept anyone who comes to Him but that is not what this verse teaches except indirectly. What this verse teaches is this: When anyone comes to Jesus, He will not cast him out; that is, He will not let him be lost again. A person must get in something before he could be cast out. So what our Lord is saying is that when a person comes to Him he will forever remain saved. The proof that this is the correct interpretation is found in the next three verses.
(John 6:38) "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."
(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."
(John 6:40) "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
Now let us see what these three verses teach. Jesus came to do God's will. But what is God's will. It is that of those who came to Christ, He should lose nothing and that He should keep them until the resurrection day. Now if Jesus ever did lose one of those who came to Him, could it be said that He was doing God's will. No; and we can rest assured that our Lord always did and always will do the will of God, the Father.
(John 6:38) "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."
(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."
(John 6:40) "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
Now let us notice that the doctrine of eternal security of all believers in Christ is a logical doctrine. God is perfect in His character and in His works and in His Word. It is logical to say, therefore, that anything God does must be perfect. Therefore, if all of God's works are perfect, God could not be guilty of giving man an imperfect salvation that could be had one day and lost the next. From God's viewpoint the very use of such words as "salvation," "saved," "eternal," "never perish," and "life" indicate eternal security.
The dictionary defines "save" as "to make safe." It defines "safe" as that which is "without risk of mishap or failure."
There are many other passages of Scripture which positively assert the validity of the eternal security of the believer. One such passage is found in I Peter 1:3-5.
(1 Pet 1:3) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"
(1 Pet 1:4) "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,"
(1 Pet 1:5) "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
Several facts are outstanding in these verses. God Himself is the one who has begotten us unto a living hope. Our inheritance is described as being incorruptible. It is impossible for our salvation to fade away. Our inheritance is already reserved in Heaven for us. We are kept by the power of God and not by our own strength or morality. The salvation in which God keeps us is ready now (already ready) to be revealed in the day of judgment as sufficient. Jesus Christ is the all sufficient Savior.
Say, do you believe God is reserving, keeping your mansions, your inheritance in Heaven for you? All right, suppose a child of God can perish, suppose you go out into sin and you are lost, after all. Then God will have to call His real estate agent and say, "I want you to get one of your 'To Let' or 'For Rent' signs and place it over against John Jones' house; I miscalculated on him, and he has gone to Hell." How would that sound up in Heaven?
Suppose we were in Heaven walking down Glory Street, and as we walked along we saw a beautiful mansion and over the door was written "Vacant," "For Sale" or something like that? We would inquire of those in charge, "How does it happen you have so many empty houses in Heaven?" The one in charge would reply: "Every time anybody got saved, and came under the blood, Christ began to build his house, and He reserved every house He builded; however, He forgot to reserve those who were saved for their house." Say, that would be a bad mix-up. such deductions, however, cannot be truly made for, according to I Peter 1:3-5 God works both ways; He has reserved an inheritance in Heaven, for those who are reserved by the power of God through faith for it. Thus, "security works both ways."
I may use an old illustration. A man is the heir to a large sum of money. The money is put in the bank but the bank cannot guarantee that he will get it. All the bank can do is keep the money; it cannot keep the man. He may die or be on the other side of the ocean, and when he takes a plane to come home and claim his inheritance something goes wrong and the plane crashes into the sea. The bank was keeping his money but it had no way of making sure that he would arrive and claim it. That man said, "I have a million dollars in a bank on the other side of the ocean," but he never saw it.
If we weren't sure of getting this inheritance, the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-20 wouldn't interest us much, would it.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:"
Jesus said in John 14:3, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Now would Jesus prepare a place for His followers if there was the possibility that they'd lose their salvation and wouldn't make it Heaven to claim their dwelling place? Jesus knew that they would all be there.
(1 Pet 1:4) "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,"
(1 Pet 1:5) "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
What is the Holy Spirit telling us in these two verses? That our inheritance is reserved in Heaven for us and that we are kept by the power of God through faith. God is able to keep His people and make sure they are eternally saved.
(2 Tim 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."
(Heb 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."
(Jude 1:24) "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,"
One final passage expounding eternal security is:
(John 1:12) "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"
(John 1:13) "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
God gives the new birth to every person who turns to Christ in repentance and faith. What is "born" cannot be "unborn." We are made accepted in the Beloved, -- in Jesus Christ. We have our redemption through his blood. Our salvation is in Him -- not in any way in us. Everyone that believes that he can be saved today and lost tomorrow, centers his redemption in himself and not in Christ.
The way to Heaven is a straight way and the saved are on that road. No one gets lost on a straight road. He may fall "in" the road but he ill never fall "from" it.
I know not why God's wondrous grace,
To me He hath made known;
Nor why unworthy Christ in love,
Redeemed me for His own.I know not how this saving faith,
To me He did impart;
Nor how believing in His Word,
Wrought peace within my heart.I know not what of good or ill,
May be reserved for me;
Or weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair;
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.But 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.If you're not a child of God; if you do not have a home in Heaven; if Jesus is not your Savior, may I urge you to accept Him now --RIGHT NOW!
