Once Saved Always Saved Series

SALVATION FROM A TO Z

Bob Marcaurelle

freesermons@homeorchurchbiblestudy.com

Website: Yahoo search homeorchurchbiblestudy.com bob marcaurelle

Copyright 2005 by Bob Marcaurelle

2014 Revision by Bob Marcaurelle

Messages 6 (Two Parts)

ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED

(ETERNAL SECURITY

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28)

“They went away from us because they were not really one of us. If they were really one of us they would have stayed with us. Their leaving showed that none of them were one of us.” (1 John 2:19)

THE NAMES

Most Baptists and Presbyterians believe that once a person is truly saved, he is forever saved. It is called eternal security because God protects us and keeps us from falling away. Noah and his family were secure in the ark because God designed it and built it to stand against the storm. Just so, are we secure in Jesus. Jesus said, “Nothing can take us from his hands and the hands of God.”

It is also called the perseverance of the saints because it means our new birth has so change our character and desires and fears and loves that we will always hate sin, fear God, love righteousness and be repentant believes. The Bible says, “The righteous holds to his way.” (Job 17:9)

THE NATURE

1. A Powerful Change from God

Jesus says those who will “never perish” that is, go to hell (Jn. 3:16), have a “sheep nature” and follow Him (John 10: 27-28). Our wolf nature has been changed in the new birth. We become repentant believers. That is we hate sin, fight sin, are punished for our sins, and come to God for forgiveness and the power to overcome sin.

A Christian can backslide into sin like David did into adultery and murder. But even in sin, his new nature makes him act like a believer. Ps. 32 and 51 show David’s pain and shame and penitent return. And 2 Sam 12 tells us David’s life was about to be taken by God as further punishment for his sins. Anyone who goes off into sin and does not suffer, and does not come back, and is not taken to heaven early, we believe, was never truly born again to begin with. First John says plainly:

“They went away from us because they were not really one of us. If they were really one of us they would have stayed with us. Their leaving showed that none of them were one of us.” (1 John 2:19)

2. The Promises of God

Jesus says,

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.”

(Jn. 10)

1) The promise of permanent life.

This one sentence is contains two promises that should give us peace. I ask you- how long is eternal? It our new live of repentance and faith lasts only 8 days; it is not eternal. If it lasts only 8 billion years, it is not eternal. What we have is ours forever.

2) The promise of protection.

No power in heaven or hell, says Jesus, can snatch us from his hands, and the Father’s hands.

Peter says, We are guarded by God’s power until the

salvation comes that is to be revealed”( 1Pet. 1:5).

Jude says,

“God is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before His presence (Jude 24).

The devil is strong and his temptations are terrifying. The world never stops trying to pull us away from godliness. We are like doves flying over a field full of hunters. We are like babies adrift on the ocean.

All around us we see evil powers stronger than us. If our child dies or our health fails; we fear we will turn our backs on God. We fear we will listen to the “Job’s wives” of our world and “curse God and die”? Who of us is strong enough to say we would not do so?

Our trust is in God. Paul was strong but he said, “When I am weak, He is strong.” (2 Cor. 12:9) And he said, “The Lord. . .will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:18). Spurgeon loved the hymn,

“If ever it should come to pass

That sheep of Christ could fall away

My feeble, fickle soul, alas

Would fall a thousand times a day.

“Ah, Lord, with such a heart as mine

Unless Thou hold me fast

I feel I must, I shall decline

And prove like them at last.”

He said we are so dependant on the grace and power of God that without it, at the very door of heaven we would turn around and head for hell.

If I have to cross a busy four lane highway with my two year old daughter, do I hold out my finger and tell her to hold on? Of course I don’t. That would mean the only thing between her and the cars would be the strength in her little grip. I would hold her so the power between her and the cars would be my strength.