Can A Saved Person Ever Be Lost, Pt. 2 Series

Words I’m Thankful For

John 10

http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/WordsThankfulFor.html

The first reason to believe in eternal security is because Salvation is of the Lord. We looked at that last week and with an open mind, asking God to correct our position if need be. The goal for any preacher ought not to be trying to make sure he ’has always been right’ but rather to make sure ’he IS right.’ So hear me out before you pass judgment and part ways with me.

The 2nd reason to believe in eternal security is the language found in this passage:

v. 27-29

“never” “any” “no man”

These are words I’m thankful for this year!

If language means anything at all, and if our God does not have a problem w/ vocabulary, you cannot walk away from this passage w/out saying, I’m not only saved, I’m secure!

The English is clear enough, but if we were Greek, and spoke the language the Bible was originally written in, we would be even clearer. Greek is much more complex and specific than English.

In the Greek, Jn. 10:28, 29 are even clearer.

“give” =freely bestowed, impossible to earn

When God saved you, he gave you the gift of eternal life. If you have to work for something, then it’s not a gift.

Ill.—Gary’s fridge goes out/I hear about it/delivery truck brings him a new one/has all the features!/he writes thank-you note/week later, checks mail, fat letter from finance company/open it, it’s a payment book for the fridge/ Calls me: “Bro. Jerry, the payment book for the fridge was accidentally sent to my address"/I reply, it was no mistake, I made the down payment, now you make the monthly payments!

Is that a gift?

When it comes to the gift of salvation, Jesus made the down payment (earnest), and He keeps up the monthly payments!

To think otherwise is to insult the high price He paid on the cross!

Ill.—let’s turn it around now…/Gary comes into a lot of money/buys me a Rolls Royce… “Bro. Jerry, you mean a lot to me…it’s yours!”/I say, that’s beautiful, I love it, but it’s too much/No, nothing’s too much for you!/I say, "What do you want?"/Replies, "No, no catch, no strings attached!"/"May I ask, how much was it?"/$250,000/I can’t accept this!/No, it’s yours/Then I say, "just let me do something towards it"…and I reach into my pocket, and hand him a quarter! ("Thanks a lot!")

Then I run into you at the gas station, and you say, nice wheels, where did that come from? I answer, “Gary and I bought it”

What an insult to Gary! And to think there’s anything you can do to keep your salvation after God gave it to you as a gift…what an insult to our God!

Eph. 2:8 “For by grace…it is the gift of God”

Rom. 6:23 “For the wages…but the gift of God…”

“eternal”

Does God need a vocabulary lesson; did He choose the wrong word? No! In the Greek, it means, “without end, never to cease, everlasting”

The Bible does not say you will receive it when you die, but rather it says that you have it, right now! “He that believeth…hath everlasting life!” Salvation has a present tense.

Eph. 2—“we are sitting w/ God in the heavenlies” – present tense. God has no sense of time, time is a human concept. That’s why He is called the great I Am.

We’re already there in God’s mind!

It’s not 10 day life, 10 year life, or until you sin a really bad sin life, it’s everlasting life…and if doesn’t last forever, it wasn’t everlasting now, was it?

And if it doesn’t last forever, then God is a liar, or has a very weak vocabulary…and no disrespect, but I could throw these verses in the face of God if I were to lose my salvation, and have a solid case! "Why did you deceive me, I didn’t see the fine print!"

By the way, the word eternal here is the exact same Greek word used to describe our eternal God. Think about that one! Your salvation is as eternal as is God! Your salvation will cease to exist when God ceases to exist!

“never”

In the Greek it’s actually 5 words, which put together are translated never. (condensed to one word)

In Greek it means “certainly not, not at all, by no means, under no circumstances”…lose their salvation

Some say, yeah, but you can take yourself out of His hand…no, “under no circumstance” shall they perish!

Reminds you of Rom. 8, doesn’t it?

38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor 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.