ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER:
FACT, OR FANTASY?
Text: 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 con-
demnation; but is passed from death unto life."
-Jesus Christ
Introduction-
What used to be called the doctrine of the
"final perseverance of the saints," is now often
referred to as "once saved, always saved," or
"eternal security of the believer." Is this a
Bibical truth, or is it just some concoction of
some deranged theological mind?
I want to stand on the side of those who
affirm eternal security of believers, not because
someone told me to believe that, but because it
is a Bibical truth taught and promoted by none
other than our Lord Jesus Christ. It was He who
spoke the words that I just read in the beginning
of this message, and it strongly supports this
idea.
Now, I’ve heard all the arguments for and
against the eternal security of believers, why
some say it is just an excuse to believe and then
live as you choose, and how some teach that our
salvation is dependent on our "holding out," or
"enduring to the end," in our own strength and
faith. Those who say that do not realize how
true a statement it is that if our salvation
depended on our own efforts to be victorious over
sin, the temptations of the world, and Satanic
powers, then we would all be hopelessly lost and
condemned, for man so often fails. But, if we
are secure because of the power and will of One
who is stronger than us, then we can have blessed
assurance.
As Barney said on The Andy Griffith Show, "Let’s
nip it in the bud, right now," that false pre-
sumption that the grace of God leads to sinfulness.
Titus 2:12-"The grace of God teaches us, that
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should
live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this
present world."
How, then, does grace teach us to live? Soberly,
righteously, and godly. God’s unmerited favor
and undeserved love is an incentive not to do
wrong, but to live with thankfulness and gratitu-
de to One who loved us so much that He gave His
Son to die for us.
Those who belive they can be saved one day and
lost the next have no assurance. They have no
joy of sins forgiven, because they believe that
they might stumble sometime in the future and
wind up condemned by God. Jesus said-
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and
they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life;
and they shall never perish, neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which
gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is
able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand."
John 10:27-29
Don’t tell me about "so & so," and how they made
a decision and walked an aisle and joined a church
and were baptized but then forsook God and lived
for the Devil. God knows those who are His. He
will keep all true believers. Hypocrites, and
fakers who never made any genuine commitment to
Christ will be found living a lie. But they
seemed to be so sincere, you say. So did Judas!
Not every one who says "Lord, Lord," will enter
God’s kingdom, but only those who do the will of
God. And, what is the will of God? That you
believe on Him whom He sent into the world to die
for our sins. Trust in Him, and you will not be
disappointed.
The Scipture declares that we are "kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation ready
to be revealed in the last time." 1st Peter 1:5
Now that’s real security-God’s power keeping us,
through faith, and according to Ephesians 2:8-9
we are saved by faith, and that is not of our-
selves. We would never believe if God did not
grant us the faith to believe. It is the gift
of God! Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the
Word of God. It is all of grace. It is not what
we can do for God, but what He has done for us
in giving His Son; therefore, in the ages of ages
to come, He will be glorified for His grace, not
us for our goodness or our deeds of righteous-
ness.
(God) is able to keep us from falling, and to
present us faultless before the presence of
His glory with exceeding joy.-Jude, vs. 24
Again, in John 10:28, Jesus said-"All that the
Father gives to me shall come to me, and he that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Under
no circumstances or conditions will Christ reject
and cast out one who has truly believed in Him.
He said so. John 6:39-"And this is the will of
Him that sent me, that I should loose none of all
that He hath given me, but raise them up at the
last day. For my Father’s will is that every one
who sees the Son and believes in Him shall have
eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last
day."
Now, when does eternal life begin. Not when we
die, but the moment we believe. Jesus said-
"He that believeth on me has everlasting life..."
Our eternal security then, is dependent on the
POWER OF GOD, THE PROMISES OF GOD, AND THE
PRAYERS AND SHED BLOOD OF THE SON OF GOD.
Some denominations teach that it is impossible
for you to be sure of your salvation, that you
can, at best, only hope that you are saved. Well,
they are wrong. Not because of what I say, but
because of what Jesus said, and because of what
the Word of God teaches.
John 3:18-"He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not the
Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God
abideth on him."
More Sciptures which support this truth:
1st John 5:11, 13; Philippians 4:3; Acts 13:38-
39; 1st John 3:14; Romans 8:16
