Eternal Security Of The Believer

Eternal Security of the Believer

Chuck Sligh

January 6, 2016

TEXT: 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 – “Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

INTRODUCTION

These two verses teach the eternal security of the believer—that once a person is saved, he can NEVER lose his salvation and end up going to hell. The key word in verse 8 is the word confirm.

In the Greek, the word translated “confirm” here is bebaióō, which the Greek scholar Spiros Zodhiates says means:

“to make firm or reliable so as to warrant and inspire confidence; to strengthen, make true, fulfill. In the New Testament it is used with the personal object and signifies confirming a person’s salvation or preservation in a state of grace.”

Illus. Let me illustrate the word confirm by one way we use the word today. Sometimes, to simply make a reservation, in a hotel or for a flight for instance, is usually not enough.

Often you must also confirm your reservation, usually with a deposit.

Well, believers do not just have a RESERVATION in heaven. It is CONFIRMED by the deposit of the precious blood of Christ!

In a few minutes I want to take a tour through the Bible of many of the verses that teach the the eternal security of the believer, but first let’s look carefully at these verses in 1 Corinthians:

First, note that Paul begins with the word, “Who.” Who is the “who” referred to here?

Look back at the previous verse, verse 7 – “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…who shall also confirm you unto the end…”

Our eternal security is based on none other than THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. HE guarantees our eternal security! If my salvation were dependent upon ME, I certainly WOULD lose my salvation. But my salvation is not dependent upon me, but on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul continues in verse 8 – “...shall also confirm you unto the end...”

How long does Jesus guarantee our salvation? Until we sin?—Once? 50 times? 100 times? Or as long as it’s not a big sin?— ¿So all the little ones are okay? For 4 years? 5 years? 10 years? As long as we are faithful? As long as we are living for God? No!—UNTO THE END!

Verse 3 continues, “...that ye may be...”

Note that this phrase is italicized in the KJV. Does anyone know what that it means when you see a word or phrase in italics in the King James Version? It means it was not in the original Greek, but was added by the translators to help us get the sense of the text.

Almost always the KJV translators did an excellent job in adding words where necessary to clear up in the English what would be untranslatable from the Greek without the added words, and also to led their readers be able to distinguish their additions to the English text from the actual words translated. However, there are times when their additions would have been better left out. This is one of those cases.

Remembering that these words are not in the original, let’s read the verse without this little phrase: “Who shall also confirm you unto the end…blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

He doesn’t say that He confirms us so that we “MAY be” blameless on that day. Rather, he says that He WILL confirm you blameless until the end—until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the Second Coming of Christ.

Paul goes on to say, “...blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Just as “pennyless” means without without money; “homeless” means without a home; “clueless” means without a clue; “blameless” means “without blame.” When do we become blameless?—At justification (“Just as if I’d never sinned”; blame-less). How long does God guarantee us to be blameless, according to this verse?—From the point of salvation to “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” —that is, when He comes again.

Note the first phrase of verse 9 – “God is faithful...”

Paul says that God will confirm us to the end because He is faithful. Now think about the faithfulness of God let me ask you three questions: If I married someone and then kicked her out and abandoned her, would I be faithful? – Well—the Bible says that wE ARE THE BRIDE OF CHRIST!… If I had a son and then abandoned him, would I be faithful? Well—the Bible says that WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD!… Would a faithful shepherd ever abandon his sheep? Well—God’s Word says that WE ARE THE SHEEP OF GOD’S PASTURE!