What does Scripture say
about eternal security?
This is an excellent
question and one that many people wrestle with at some point during their
Christian walk. Many people like myself were raised in a home and a church that
taught eternal security, and it is part of their belief system. However, at the
same time many struggle with knowing what the Bible says about this doctrine.
So let’s look at some of the basic scriptures that support the promise of
eternal security.
Jesus Christ clearly
expressed his heart in the most famous verse John 3:16.
John
3:16
For God so loved the
world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life.
Notice God is the one that
is making an offer of a gift of eternal life. One of the key words is
“eternal”, this word means never ending. Much of our confusion concerning
eternal security actually begins with our concepts of salvation. Many people
are under the impression that we have something to do with our salvation experience.
The truth is salvation rests upon the completed work of Jesus Christ. It is His
sacrifice that has made the way for all of men to be redeemed. (Ephesians
1:4-6, 10-12) When Jesus died on the cross his death fully satisfied the laws
requirement for a payment for man’s sin. You must accept the reality that you
had nothing to do with salvation it was purely a loving act of a merciful God.
It is a gift of God not of any work that you have done or could ever do to
earn. Therefore, since you had nothing to do with obtaining salvation you have
nothing to do with losing salvation. Salvation rests in the hand of God. Jesus
actually assured us that there is no safer place than God’s hand in John 10.
John
10:27-30
New
International Version (NIV)
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and
they follow me. 28 I
give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them
out of my hand. 29 My
Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them
out of my Father’s hand. 30
I and the Father are one.”
Jesus gives us a beautiful
picture of eternal security in these verses. Picture with me the hand of God,
when you believed you were placed in the hand of God and he closed his hand
around your life. Then around the fathers hand is Jesus hand. Now in this
example who is holding on to whom? Notice God is holding on to you, you are not
holding on to God. Many people picture their relationship with God to be them
hanging on to God’s finger with all their might and if they are careless or
sinful enough that they can let go and the relationship is severed. You see
just the opposite is true God is holding on to you and he promises that he will
let nothing separate you from his grip.
Romans
8:38-39
New
International Version (NIV)
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in
all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
Notice the emphasis nothing
in all of creation can separate you from Gods’ love, stop and consider that
verse for a second there is only one person who is not created and that is God
himself. He is telling us that nothing that has been created can remove you
from his Hand.
To help us know that we are
saved God has given us a witness concerning our salvation, the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13-14
And you also were
included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy
Spirit, 14 who is a
deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are
God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
This
passage tells us two very important truths that we need to know concerning the
Holy Spirit. He is our seal-The word
seal is a very unique word taken from History it was an official mark of
Identification that was placed upon a letter, document or other important Item.
The seal stated that whatever was sealed was now under the authority of the
person to whom the signet ring belonged. Notice in this passage when you
believed-the moment that you believed you were sealed with the promised Holy
Spirit.
The
Holy Spirit’s seal guarantees certain things to the believer
a)
Security-The seal was
a source of security that was to never be violated
b)
Authenticity-This
seal means that we are a member of God’s family
c)
Ownership-We become
God’s possession and entirely and eternally belong to God
This
passage also says that the Holy Spirit is a deposit- a Down payment -The first
installment. One of the best examples we have today is that of layaway. You put
an item aside and make an initial payment with the intention of paying it off
and redeeming it at the proper time. This payment was not the end but it was
the beginning there are more payments to come. When the down payment is made
there is only one question, “will the buyer have enough money to make the final
payment”?
Now in relation to the Spirit being the
down payment for us many people think I cannot make the payments to complete my
salvation, since when does the item on layaway pay for itself? So the only
question is can God afford to redeem me? The good news is that the funds to
redeem you have already been provided.
Do you remember Jesus final words on the cross “It is finished”. That
phrase in Greek is “tetelasti” it is defined as “Paid in full”. Jesus paid the
entire price on the cross to fully redeem you nothing else is owed. Your sin debt
is paid in full. You have been redeemed the transaction is complete the Holy
Spirit is the guarantee that your future is now secure in Christ.
If
you have truly believed in Jesus Christ you can rest in the truth that you
belong to Him and nothing can separate you.
For
further information you can go to eagleheightschurch.net and listen to the
January 8th sermon entitled the “Security of the Spirit”.