Baptists for Africa

Discipleship Lesson 10 (Jesse) – Eternal Security

Eternal Security
Discipleship Lesson 10

John 10:28: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

The Importance of Eternal Security

The doctrine of eternal security is part of the gospel. If someone thinks they can lose their salvation, then, according to the Bible, they do not believe the record of salvation. Paul gives a thorough explanation of the gospel in the gospel, doctrinal part of Romans (chapters 1-8), and explicitly includes the doctrine of eternal security in it (Romans 8:1, 14-17, 23, 29-39).

I John 5:10-11: He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

The doctrine of eternal security provides full assurance of salvation. Understanding that we cannot lose our salvation gives us confidence. Those who are actually saved can say with the Biblical characters: “I am persuaded…” (Romans 8:38); “being confident of this very thing…” (Philippians 1:6); “I know that my redeemer liveth…” (Job 19:25); “I know whom I have believed…” (II Timothy 1:12). We can know we have eternal life, because we receive it the very moment we believe in Christ (e.g., John 6:47).

I John 5:13: These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The Biblical Case for Eternal Security

There are 5 reasons to believe in eternal security:

  1. The Promise of God – salvation cannot be lost because of God’s promise.
  2. The Pardon of God – salvation cannot be lost because it is of grace, not of works.
  3. The Product of God – salvation cannot be lost because it is eternal.
  4. The Power of God – salvation cannot be lost because it is kept by God’s power.
  5. The Precedent of God – salvation cannot be lost because no one has ever lost their salvation.

(1) PROMISE – salvation cannot be lost because of God’s promise

God promises that a believer cannot lose their salvation (e.g., John 3:16), and this promise was made before the world began (see Titus 1:2), and cannot be altered by the behavior of man. God always does what he promises, and most especially with regard to our salvation (see John 6:37-40).

I John 2:25: And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

God’s promise is immutable; it cannot be broken. The degree to which it is utterly impossible for God to lie (see Numbers 23:19; Romans 3:4a), so it is that one who has believed in Jesus can never lose their salvation—if God cannot lie, a believer cannot go to hell. God states that whosoever believes in Christ will never go to hell (his word), and he vows that whosoever believes in Christ will never go to hell (his oath/promise), giving a twofold (see e.g., Genesis 47:29-31) surety of our eternal salvation. God cannot do anything contrary to his nature, so these two things—God’s word and God’s oath—are guarantees of the eternal security of the believer.

Hebrews 6:17-19: Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.

With regard to our eternal destiny of heaven, no matter how unfaithful or how wicked we may be, “he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself” (II Timothy 2:13). He is “a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4), and so forever shall he be (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8).

(2) PARDON – salvation cannot be lost because it is of grace, not of works

Salvation is by grace (Ephesians 2:5); it is an unearned benefit. Salvation had to be by grace (Romans 4:16; Galatians 3:21-22), because only God’s grace makes salvation possible (Titus 2:11), not man’s works (Ephesians 2:8-9; II Timothy 1:9; see also Romans 11:6). If man received the due reward of his deeds, “who shall stand?” (Psalm 130:4). When someone believes, they enter “into the grace of Christ” (Galatians 1:6) and “stand” in grace (Romans 5:2; I Peter 5:12), so someone’s salvation is wholly of grace. Just as a gift cannot be taken back, neither can the “gift by grace” be lost (Romans 11:29; see also 5:15).

Romans 5:20: Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

At our salvation, all of our sins are imputed to Christ (II Corinthians 5:19; Romans 4:7-8), so we no longer bear the eternal blame for any past or future iniquity. All sins, past, present, and future, are forgiven at once (Romans 4:7-8; see also Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 1:18; 38:17; Micah 7:19), because when Jesus died, he died for all the sins of the whole world (II Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:13; I Peter 2:24; I John 2:2). Therefore, any sins in the future cannot make us lose our salvation. It is not that the believer no longer sins (see I John 1:8), but rather that he is no longer under the condemnation of the law (Romans 6:14-15; 8:1) as a result of his sin.

Hebrews 10:17-18: And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Romans 8:33-34: Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Jesus is the mediator (I Timothy 2:5), intercessor (Romans 8:33-34), and advocate (I John 2:1-2) of the saved. Our salvation is entirely based on him: his help, his plea, and his “legal” case. If we go to hell after believing in him, then Jesus would be a bad Savior. But because the Lord is mighty to save (Isaiah 63:1; Zephaniah 3:17), we cannot lose our salvation.

Hebrews 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.

(3) PRODUCT – salvation cannot be lost because it is eternal

When someone trusts Christ, many things occur. They are made spiritually alive (Ephesians 2:1), and presently have eternal life (John 6:47), receiving it as a gift (Romans 6:23). If someone has eternal life now, then they must live forever. They will “never thirst” (John 4:13-14), “never hunger” (John 6:35), and “never die” (John 11:25-26). Each of these “spiritual blessings” (Ephesians 1:3) are guarantees that one cannot lose their salvation.

John 5:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

The believer is born of God (I John 5:1, 4; John 3:3-7), and has become God’s child (John 1:12, Galatians 3:26). Just as a child will always belong to their parents (John 8:35), so also God’s children will never be separated from his love (Hebrews 12:5-8; Isaiah 49:15). Though he rebukes and chastens us for wrongs we do (Revelation 3:19; Deuteronomy 8:5), as his children, we shall with him abide forever.

Ecclesiastes 3:14: I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

(4) POWER – salvation cannot be lost because it is maintained by God’s power

God is the giver and guarantor of salvation: he not only saves the believer, but also secures that they will always be saved. The role of maintaining the salvation of the believer is not placed upon the believer, but upon God himself (see II Timothy 1:12). He is the “author” and “finisher” of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), the one “which hath begun a good work in you” and “will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). Once you are saved, God will “confirm you unto the end” (I Corinthians 1:8). Therefore, a believer could never go to hell, because their salvation’s continuance is not through anything they do, but rather through what God does. We are “kept by the power of God” (I Peter 1:5) and “preserved in Jesus Christ” (Jude 1). Nothing in all of creation is stronger than God (“the Lord God omnipotent,” Revelation 19:6; “hast thou an arm like God?” Job 40:9), and thus, within God’s hands, we are eternally secure (John 10:28-30). With “the eternal God” as our refuge, at every moment, “underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27).

Romans 8:38-39: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

At the instant of salvation, a believer becomes indwelt and sealed with the Holy Spirit (II Corinthians 1:21-22). Once he indwells you, he will “abide with you for ever” (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit might be “vexed” (Isaiah 63:10), “grieved” (Ephesians 4:30), or “quenched” (I Thessalonians 5:19) by the believer, but he does not leave them. This assures us that the believer will go to heaven at death and will, in the resurrection, receive an eternal, glorified body (see Romans 8:23)—that is, they will certainly be in heaven with God forever.

Ephesians 1:12-14: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

(5) PRECEDENT – salvation cannot be lost because Christians have never lost salvation

General Types of People

  • The golden chain of salvation: All people (100%) who are “justified” (or, who get saved) will ultimately be “glorified” (or, will be resurrected, and will be in heaven).

Romans 8:29-30: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

  • The man with no works: Many people will get to heaven who do absolutely no work for God at all, proving that no amount of bad works we do can make us “lose” our salvation.

Romans 4:5: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

II Peter 1:8-9: For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

  • The man with no heavenly rewards: Many people will get to heaven and have absolutely no rewards for their works on earth, proving that no amount of good works are necessary for us to “keep” our salvation.

I Corinthians 3:14-15: If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Matthew 5:19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Specific People

The GREAT SINNERS

  • Noah: a drunk (Genesis 9:20-21), but called righteous by God (Genesis 7:1; cf. Ezekiel 14:14; see also Hebrews 11:7).
  • Moses: a murderer (Exodus 2:12), disobedient to God’s direct command (Numbers 20:12), but glorified with Jesus on the Mt. of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3).
  • Jephthah: a proud, genocidal (Judges 12:1-6) judge of Israel who, for political victory, rashly vowed (and performed upon his daughter: Judges 11:39) a dangerous oath to God of offering a burnt offering of “whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace” (Judges 11:31). However, he is reckoned among those believers in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11:32).
  • Samson: a fornicator (Judges 16:1) who broke his Nazarite vow in every way (Judges 14:8-9; 15:15; 16:17), but in the Hall of Faith as a saved man (Hebrews 11:32).
  • David: an adulterer and murderer (II Samuel 11), a very bloody man (I Chronicles 22:8), involved, furthermore, in such ungodliness as cruelty (I Samuel 12:31) and bitterness/unforgiveness (cf. II Samuel 19:23 with I Kings 2:8-9). He wrote that he had more sins “than the hairs of mine head” (Psalm 40:12), but also was confident that he would dwell “in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6). David is undeniably used as an example of a saved man by Paul (Romans 4:6-8).

The SINNERS TO THE END

  • King Saul: committed many sins (e.g., mass murder, I Samuel 22:18-19; witchcraft, I Samuel 28:7-8), and even died by suicide (I Samuel 31:4), but yet still went to heaven (I Samuel 28:19; also, cf. I Samuel 10:11-12 with Luke 13:28).

The DOUBTFUL SINNERS

  • John the Baptist: doubted the Messiahship of Jesus at the end of his life (Matthew 11:1-6), but Jesus (in immediate response to this doubt) declared him to be a mighty prophet, the greatest man born of women (see Matthew 11:11).
  • Peter: publicly denied Jesus three times out of fear (Matthew 26:34ff), but is certainly seated now upon a throne in heaven (Matthew 19:28)
  • Thomas: doubted the bodily resurrection of Jesus (John 20:24-29; see also Matthew 28:17), but likewise is in heaven with the other apostles (Matthew 19:28).