ETERNAL SECURITY

Queen for a Day was a game show that aired on the radio from 1945-1957 and on television from 1956-1964. The television series was hosted by Jack Baily and became very popular, so popular that television commercials eventually aired for $4,000 per minute. The younger crowd probably isn’t familiar with it, but those in my age group should remember it well.

When I hear people react negatively to once saved, always saved (OSAS), I think about this game show. They act as if “everlasting life” is something God passes out temporarily and confiscates when we mess up. However, “everlasting life” means just what it says. It is everlasting. It has no end. It lasts forever. It is eternal.

For a true Christian, everlasting life is just that. It will never end. While on this earth it is everlasting, and when we leave this earth it is everlasting in Heaven with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It never ends.

God has always been everlasting (eternal). He has no beginning and He has no end. With those who are true Christians, we do have a beginning, but we have no end, because Jesus has provided for us everlasting (eternal) life. God has gifted those of us with the same everlasting life of Jesus because He lives within each of us.

So, if Jesus saves us, are we saved for a day, as the game show was played? Are we just saved until we mess up, or is it everlasting (eternal)? When coming to Christ as an unbeliever, is it really all that important to believe that He will save us permanently (everlastingly, eternally) and not just temporarily? If we can only believe in a temporary salvation, what kind of belief is that?

Eternal Security (Saved & Lost)

Two issues keep coming up concerning this whole thing of OSAS. First of all, should OSAS even be considered when coming to Christ to be saved? Secondly, many Christians and non-Christians think we can lose our salvation once we get it.

Should OSAS even be considered when coming to Christ to be saved? I will say up front, “Yes.” Why? I believe it is a natural part of the “belief” or “faith” process when we put our faith in Jesus to save us.

Many will quote Acts 16:31. “And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” I have quoted it many times myself. The problem arises when something to the effect of, “just believe,” or “all you have to do is believe” is stated with no thought of what that involves. Both are true, but what does “believing” actually involve?

James said, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” The book of James is all about, “what is true belief?” So the question is, “what do we mean by “believe?” I know what God means by “believe,” but what do we mean by it?

I can’t imagine going through life and constantly worrying about someone or something taking my gift of salvation away from me that Jesus bled and died for.

The Apostle Paul tells us, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 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. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 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.” (Romans 8:31-39)

To say “eternal security” (OSAS) is unscriptural or not important, is absolutely not true. I’m sorry, but there’s just no other way to describe it, and I haven’t even touched the host of other passages in God’s Word that address this.

So, is OSAS really that important? It is very important to understand and accept when becoming a Christian and living out our lives as a Christian. When saying “I believe” in Jesus to save me I recognize several factors in that one, small, two-word statement: I am a sinner. He will forgive me all my sins (past, present and future). He is not only my Savior, but also my Lord. I will always be His forever and ever (OSAS) because He bought me with His own precious blood. There is nothing I can do to save myself or keep myself, but as my Redeemer He saves me and keeps me. All of that, in an instant, is included in those two words; “I believe.”

Eternal Security Is A Gift

The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-10 the following:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Notice carefully that our salvation is a “gift” from God when we put our trust in Jesus. It is without works on our part. Jesus supplied the works. Faith is the vehicle, and salvation is the reward. Also notice further what Paul says in Romans 11:29 about gifts: “for God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.” By God’s own promise, once the gift of salvation has been given to us by God through the works of Jesus Christ, they areIRREVOCABLE.

When I put my trust in Jesus to save me, I knew it was a gift and I trusted Him to never take it away from me. As one who has been a Christian for sixty years, I still have that gift. I have never deserved it, but I am so thankful to Jesus that I can have it and keep it forever and ever without end. I am also thankful that my salvation is sealed (guaranteed, 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30) by the Holy Spirit and stored securely in Heaven.

I can’t imagine witnessing to someone and telling them that the gift of salvation Jesus offers is not permanent and that there are many factors that determine whether or not they get to keep it.

Come As A Child

How many, on Christmas day or a birthday, will hand out gifts with the condition that the recipient must forfeit the gift(s) if they don’t live up to certain standards? I have never given a gift under those conditions. I have never received a gift under those conditions.

When a child is small his/her parents are almost like a god to them. (We parents know that attitude changes when they become teenagers.) They have absolute trust in their parents. This is where Jesus was coming from when He said, “…Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14) He is emphasizing absolute trust in Him.

A child’s belief in their parents includes everything written in this article and more. They don’t just believe and ignore the fact that they are a permanent part of that family. Regardless of what happens in their lives, they will always be a part of that family and that fact is IRREVOCABLE.

To The Rescue

The life guard may not like me, but if I am drowning and call for help he will rescue me. Will he decide later, for whatever reason, to throw me back in to be shark food? Of course not!

If a fireman rescues me from a burning building, will he toss me back into the burning building if I fail to live up to some preconceived standard? No, that will not happen.

Jesus knows we will never live up to His standards. We will constantly fall on our face. Jesus did not come to call the righteous (because there aren’t any), but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). We believe (trust). He saves. He keeps that which has been entrusted to Him.

Part 3 will conclude with “repentance and works.”

 

Grant Phillips

OPENING STATEMENT

“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “And My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He.

Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me.It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you; so you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, and I am God. Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?” (Isaiah 43:10-13 NASB)

We now live in a politically correct world that that pays little homage to the faith that God requires in His Son. Satan has corrupted the terms “I believe” and “faith” to the point that their true meanings are ignored. Little regard is given to just what it really means by placing our trust (faith) in Jesus Christ to be saved from our sins and being born again spiritually.

Many will utter the words, “I believe,” but what do they believe and to whom or what do they believe in?

Even more politically correct today is the word “faith,” but faith in whom or what? Is it a faith of casual verbiage built upon sand or a faith rested upon the rock that is Jesus Christ? Matthew 7:24-27?

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ to save our soul by His grace alone, what is happening within us?

Some want to concentrate solely on “belief” and exclude everything that is involved for fear of introducing works. While others insist there must be works involved to get it and even to keep it.

When we put our faith in Jesus to save us several things are happening in our minds, whether consciously or subconsciously.

Please read carefully the introductory passage (above) again from Isaiah 43:10-13. Yes, the Lord Jesus is speaking to Israel in this case, but the message is for us all. In these four verses we can see that we are to witness, that we are servants to Him, that we are to know, believe and understand, that there is only one God, that Jesus is the only way to the Father, and we are secure in Him.

On the following pages I will briefly speak of a few points that I believe are a natural “part of the package” when we put our faith in Jesus to save us.  One who actually places their trust in Jesus for their own personal salvation has accepted these truths as part of their statement of belief in Him. They may not be consciously realized at first, but they are there nonetheless.

Anyone can say, “I believe,” but offer no commitment upon what they say they believe, thereby going their way unchanged, with no relationship with the Savior Jesus Christ. Belief requires action.

But the one who has truly believed will be moved to commit to their object of belief; i.e. Jesus Christ, and an eternal relationship with Him will have been born. As this truly saved person grows in that relationship, these truths will become much more obvious. Yet, even so, they were there in the beginning.

JESUS AS LORD

Is it really necessary to submit to Jesus as Lord of our life, and to believe that what He offers (eternal life) is really a permanent gift?

Some criticize “Lordship salvation.” Why? The Bible says, “If you declare with your mouth “Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Believing in Jesus per Acts 16:31 includes accepting Him as our Lord as well as our Savior. The Scripture is very clear that we accept Him as our Lord.

How can we claim faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, but back away from any acknowledgment of Him as our Lord?

DEATH, BURIAL & RESURRECTION

Then there are others who go to 1 Corinthians 15:3ff. I’ve gone there often. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but we cannot separate it from the rest of God’s Word. Do we believe Jesus “died for our sins according to the scriptures?” Do we believe He was “buried?” Do we believe He “rose again the third day according to the scriptures?” Do we believe He was seen by all the witnesses that are mentioned in these verses? If so, that’s great! So what was going on in our heart when we believed all that? Trust! Child-like trust! Again, when we truly believe in Jesus, all of this is coming together by our trust we place in Him. It is part of the “I believe” process.

If we say that we believe in the death, burial and resurrection are we not including all that identifies Jesus Christ in His relationship to us and ours to Him?

ADOPTION & HEIRS

In Romans 8:15, 8:23; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5 (and many other Scriptures) we find that we have been adopted by God as adult sons.

In Romans 4:14; 8:17; Galatians 3:29; Titus 3:7; Hebrews 1:14; 6:17 (and many other Scriptures) we find that in Jesus we are heirs with Him. When I put my faith in Jesus, I was assured that I became a permanent heir with Jesus, simply because He said so. Since my heir-ship is permanent, my salvation is also.

I may not have understood all the ramifications of adoption and heir-ship at the time of my salvation, but I knew I was being accepted into the family of God.

NEVER

Jesus says in John 4:14; 6:35 (and other passages) that when we come to Him and are saved we will never thirst or hunger again because He is the bread and water of life. What does the word “never” mean? He says we will “never” thirst or hunger again. It means just what it says, “never.” And again, I believed that my salvation was secure because Jesus said I would “never” thirst again. Not only that, He said it would produce “everlasting life.”

The woman at the well believed Jesus, as did the people from her town that accepted Him as Savior. They understood that He was speaking spiritually of thirst and hunger. As new Christians, we will never thirst or hunger again spiritually because Jesus said “never” again.

I don’t know about you, but to me “never” means I never have to worry about being what I used to be, a lost sinner, because by the grace of God through His Son Jesus Christ, I am a saved sinner bound for Heaven when I leave this world.

Obviously, this is leading to the subject of eternal security (OSAS). I’ll get to it later in this article.

UNWAVERING FAITH

The Bible says concerning faith, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Substance = confidence, the steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution

Hoped = in a religious sense, to wait for salvation with joy and full confidence

Evidence = a proof, that by which a thing is proved or tested

I don’t seen anywhere in that verse a belief that does not assure me that I am saved once and for all, forever securely in God’s hands. I believed it when He saved me, and I still do.

The same writer says, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful that promised),” (Hebrews 10:23) When I came to Christ as an unbeliever seeking to be saved, I came unwavering and I have remained so as a long-time Christian because He promised and I believe Him.

Does that mean I have never had doubts? Does it mean I have lived a perfect life since I was saved? No, No, No! Here comes the important fact: God has never doubted Himself and He is absolute holiness. Everything I am is dependent upon God’s power and His holiness, not mine. That makes me secure in every area of my imperfect life.

GRACE

The Word of God, the Bible, is very clear that we are saved by grace and grace alone. We are saved by the works of Jesus Christ and not our own. We will never see Heaven, let alone be a part of the family of God, if we rely one iota upon our own efforts. If we claim 1% credit and give Jesus 99% we miss the boat. It’s 100% His works or none at all. In part two we will continue with eternal security (OSAS).

Grant Phillips