Is Our Salvation Forever Or Do We Have Eternal Security?

I am grateful to our Pastor Al for this opportunity to share God’s Word with you. Thank you to the Ryan and the other media team members.

Is Our Salvation Forever or Do We Have Eternal Security?: Your takeaway from this sermon is: to understand that the Bible teaches that once an individual receives the salvation from or is rescued by Jesus Christ from the world, God never takes it back and it can never be lost!

Is Jesus Christ’s Salvation Forever?

In order to understand that God’s salvation or that His rescuing of us is forever, we must first comprehend His love for us.

Jesus Passionately Loves You!

Genesis 1:26-28 26Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” New Living Translation (NLT)

In Genesis 1:26-28, God thinks about us before creating us, He consults God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (the Trinity), then, they make us in the image of God or we are given God’s DNA!

He give us the ability to rule over the animals because He is a ruler and we are made in His image.

He Blesses us because we are His with His DNA!!

God Loved Us First! 1 John 4:19. “We love each other because He first loved us.”

God is our source of love. And He initiates our relationship with His love for us!

Why do you think God feels this way about you? Did you do anything to earn or make God feel this way about you?

It is critical for us to begin with understanding God’s love for us before attempting to understand that the salvation He gives us is eternal.

Is this the kind of God you would want to follow?

How Does the Bible Describe Salvation? What are the “key words” describing salvation?

Matthew 19:29, And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.

Matthew 25:41-46, “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ 44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ 45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

John 3:15-16, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:36, And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

John 10:28, I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord 1 Timothy 1:16, But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life

1 John 5:11, And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son

What are “key words” repeated in all of these verses? Eternal Life

*Eternal is the word used the most often to describe salvation. What does eternal mean? The dictionary defines eternal as everlasting, never-ending, endless, perpetual, undying, immortal, abiding, permanent, endless, infinite, boundless, timeless*

If eternal means “forever” or “without end,” then, the Bible is clearly stating that His gift of salvation is forever or without end!

God Gives Another Gift at Salvation

Something happens immediately when we become Christ followers.

Ephesians 1:13-14. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation —having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. (New American Standard Bible)

These two verses (Ephesians 1:13-14) tell us that the Holy Spirit is a guarantee of our inheritance!

John 14:16, And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. We received the Holy Spirit because Jesus Christ promised to send Him.

According to Joshua 21:45 & 1 Kings 8:56, Jesus keeps His word.

Does Ephesians 4:30 give us any additional information about the Holy Spirit?

Here are two more verses restating what the Holy Spirit represents in our lives.

2 Corinthians 1:22, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge New American Standard Bible 2 Corinthians 5:5, God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. Let’s see how the word “sealed” was used during the time Ephesians was written.

“In the ancient world—and it is a custom which is still followed—when a sack, or crate, or package was dispatched, it was closed with a seal, in order to guarantee that it came from the sender, and that it was intact until delivery. This was the secular use for this word in 62 A.D. The Greek word Paul used has the same meaning. It also meant ownership, security, and kept intact until it reached its destination.”

William Barclay, The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians, The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, p.100-101.

Philippians 3:20 tells us that the destination for Christians is heaven!

Why Doesn’t God Take Us Immediately to Heaven After We Become Christians?

Matthew 28:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:2

Witnessing is telling people enough about Jesus so they can make an informed decision about Him, making disciples, helping the poor, an such acts are considered works-actions for others motivated by God.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have— Jesus Christ. 12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

According to 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, on Judgment Day, our works will be judged, but not us. We may smell like smoke in heaven!

Ephesians 2:8-9, God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Our works will be judged, but not us! We may lose our rewards, but not our salvation.

Salvation Has Three Parts When accepting Christ as Lord and Savior, we experience 3 types of sanctification: positional, experiential, and ultimate (glorification or sanctification).

Positional Sanctification eternally rescues believers from the penalty of sin. According to Ephesians 2:6, Christians are sitting with Jesus at the right hand of God.

Positional sanctification is just as complete for the weakest and youngest believer as it is for the strongest and oldest. It depends only upon one’s union with and position “in Christ.” All believers are “saints” and are “sanctified” (Acts 20:32; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; Hebrews 10:10, 14; Jude v.1). First Corinthians proves that imperfect believers are nevertheless positionally sanctified—therefore “saints.” The Corinthian Christians were carnal in life (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; 5:1,2; 6:11, etc.). Thus, this positional aspect of sanctification is absolutely essential if the doctrine of sanctification in its entirety is to be clearly understood.

Experiential Sanctification delivers Christians from the slavery of the practice of sin. We now have the ability (through the power of the Holy Spirit) to lives free of sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). This aspect focuses on the daily walk of the Christian here on earth. We must live by faith (Romans 6:11).

Ultimate Sanctification or Glorification permanently removes followers of Christ from the presence of sin, occurring when we take our place in heaven (Revelation 21:1-8). Our faith becomes sight!

Henry C. Thiessen’s Lectures in Systematic Theology, pages 377-384

Philippians 2:12-Salvation is a process!

Who Wants to Separate Christians from God?

Revelation 12:10b For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night.

God says in Joshua 1:9b that He will never leave us.

Jesus makes this same promise in Matthew 28:20; John 14:16-18 and Hebrews 13:5 Slide 14 John 10:27-30. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me. For my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

Who is speaking? Jesus Christ Who are the sheep? Christians. Who would want to “snatch” them? Satan______Is that possible? No______

Romans 8:31-39 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory (Super conquerors) is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

No one or no thing created, including ourselves according to Romans 8:31-39 can separate us from God and His love! Everything and everyone other than God, the Father, God, the Son and God the Holy Spirit have been created!!

Read 2 Thessalonians 3:3; 1 John 5:18 (NASB, NIV, NTL). What does God promise us in these verses?

1 John 5:18 We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning (do not sin-NASB), for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.

Titus 1:2 speaks of one of God’s characteristics. What is it here? ______Slide 17 Christ’s death on the cross is timeless. The power of His death and resurrection reached back, cleansing the Old Testament saints (believers). Hebrews 11 provides examples of Old Testament saints’ faith. Chapters 11 & 12 are connected by a conjunction. Chapter 12:1 contains the word witnesses, referring to Old Testament saints who are now in heaven!

Jesus’ death and resurrection also reaches forward paying the penalty for the sins for future saints.

In John 17:20. To whom does Jesus refer? Future saints, believers When Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, all the sins of us who have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior were future! Nonetheless, we are forgiven, because of Christ death and resurrection.

What Happens When A Christian Sins?

If Christ’s death on the cross is timeless, and if the penalty for all our sins has been paid (past, present, & future), then what does happen when a Christian sins? (This is a great question! I’m glad you asked.)

Review 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. We know the believer doesn’t lose his/her salvation? The believer can lose his/her reward for their poor work.

Christians who sin also suffer the consequences; Galatians 6:7- Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For example, if a Christian girl gets pregnant outside of marriage, God loves just as much after she got pregnant as He did before she became pregnant. God will forgive her; but she is still pregnant. She must decide whether to have an abortion or have the baby (hopefully, she will have the baby). Either decision will leave life-long consequences (2 Peter 3:3-10).

The bottom line is that only God and the individual really know whether he/she has accepted Christ as his/her Lord and Savior.

What If You Don’t Repent of Every Sin Before Dying? It has been said that, “If you do not repent of every sin before you die even though you are a Christian, you will not be saved.” Well, earlier, we have already proven that the penalty for our sins are paid for past, present, and future

1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” If we have to repent of all our sins before we die, then our salvation is based on our works (saying repentance) and us, not God’s grace. If we do not repent of all our sins before we die, it will affect our rewards, not our salvation.

Use a dictionary to define contract and covenant.

*Samson is in the Faith Hall of Fame (Judges 16:20-30 & Hebrews 11:32) Barak- Judges 4:4-10 Thief on the Cross with Jesus Christ

If one party breaks the term of the covenant, then the offended party has the option, privilege, and the right to be released from the contract if they desire to do so. If the offended party chooses not to be released from the contract, then the contract is still valid! It is entirely the business of the offended party if it wants to remain in a contract with an unfaithful or inconsistent partner or partners.

This is exactly what God did the covenant He had with Israel. The nation of Israel often tried to walk away from God. Israel went as far from God as it could go: worshiping other gods; yet God kept His covenant. The book of Hosea is symbolic of how Israel mistreated God and how God disciplined Israel, but He never abandoned Israel! God is honoring His covenant with believers today! So once an individual makes that commitment to God (and only God and individual know this), then, that individual is eternally stuck with God, no matter what—no walking away from God!

Psalm 37:23-24. “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall. For the Lord holds them by the hand.”

God keeps Christians and doesn’t throw us away

Salvation is not based on magic words, but the attitude of your heart. God only comes in if we are serious (only you and God know if you are serious).

Read Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

This verse is referring to the consistency of the essence and character of God. Therefore, God’s sealing of the Holy Spirit in each believer is a continuance of the character of God in the Old Testament into the New Testament. God’s grace cannot be worn down or worn out!

What if a Believer Continues to Sin?

1 Corinthians 11:27-30 “So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.”

DISTORTING THE CHARACHER OF GOD:

Hebrews 6:4-7 “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experience he good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the poser of the age to come—and who then turn away from God. If is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.” Is this passage written to non-Christians or Christians? Christians

This is a hypothetical question because:

Some professing believers seemed to be toying with the idea of a return to Judaism. The writer of Hebrews assumed that continuance in commitment to Christ demonstrated real Christianity. The readers had professed some experiences with Christ. If they turned away from him after this initial start, their desertion would show that they were not real Christians. They needed to understand the seriousness of what they were considering.1 Only their endurance with Jesus would demonstrate that they had the real thing2

“experienced the good of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit and tasted of the good of the word of God

Matthew 7:22-23 “On judgment day many will say to me, “Lord! Lord! We prophesized in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.”

If these verses are written to Christians, how many times can a Christian lose his/her salvation?

Read 1 John 1:9. How often does it say that God will forgive our sins?

If, according to Hebrews 6:4-7 you can only lose your salvation once, then, it seems that 1 John 1:9 is a contradiction.

2 Peter 3:8-9

1 Lea, T. D. (1999). Hebrews, James (Vol. 10, p. 110). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. 2 Lea, T. D. (1999). Hebrews, James (Vol. 10, p. 110). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. But you must not forget this one thing, dear friend: a day is like a thousand years to the Lord and a thousand years is like a day.

. What does it say about God’s patience? Read Matthew 18:21-22. How many times does Jesus tell Peter he must forgive anyone who sins against him?

If you can only lose your salvation once, then isn’t Jesus is being inconsistent in telling Peter to forgive anyone 490 times? 490 times really means to forgive anyone who asks every time he or she asks for forgiveness.

As Christians, we cannot lose our salvation. If we could lose our salvation, we could only lose it once according to the Bible. As we have just seen, that would make God a liar.

Titus 1:2 “This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.”

The issue of eternal security or once saved, always saved should put to rest some possible fears of losing your salvation. But, it is not a license to sin. The Bible clearly explains, that if, Christians sin, they will be disciplined by God (Galatians 6:7 & Hebrews 12:5). This Godly discipline always has present and eternal effects.

Hebrews 12:5-6 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.

From a logical perspective, if you can lose your salvation, then you should just as easily be able to earn it! Here, the believer must be careful not to fall into a trick of Satan. If you can lose your salvation, then the emphasis shifts from what Christ has done and from what Christ is doing to what you can do!

How do people become Christians according to Ephesians 2:8-9?

Earning our salvation is eliminated by this passage. If we could earn our salvation, then Christ’s death on the cross was needless! And it distorts God’s grace. A key word in Romans 6:23 is the word eternal. The definition of this word is to be without end. If we can lose our salvation, it means God may very well give us a better life; but certainly not an eternal one.

Read Hebrews 7:23-28. It states not only the completeness of Christ’s earthly work, but also shows the perfection of His work.

Preserve Our Unity:

Christians must be careful to realize that whether or not someone believes in eternal security, it is not a Biblical ground for breaking fellowship or creating division (1 Corinthians 12). As Christians, we must guard our unity in Christ. Satan is doing all he can to trick us into fighting each other, instead of us fighting together against him. His trick is to get us focused on what we can do, usually in opposition to what Christ has done, is doing, and will do. So, be careful!