John 3:15 – Pillars of Eternal Security – Bible study

John 3:15 Pillars of Eternal Security I was lead to a saving knowledge of Jesus by those associated with Baptists, but I am not a Baptist because I was lead to the Lord by a Baptist. I would have started out in the Baptist church, but I began to study the Bible for myself years ago and would have left years ago had I thought the Baptist to be wrong in their doctrine. Baptists are not perfect, but I believe they are the closest to correct to in Bible doctrine and that includes their belief in the eternal security of the believer, otherwise referred to as Once saved, always saved. Years ago, we had a man in the church who did not believe in eternal security. In one of our earlier Bible discussions, he said to me something along the line, "You only have one verse in all the Bible that teaches eternal security." Well, I did not believe that so I looked, and he was wrong. We do not believe in eternal security because of one verse. The doctrine of eternal security is like a gigantic bridge. No structure so colossal could be held in place by one lone pillar. It takes many pillars, each secured in their own right, to support such a truth. Let me share with you some of those pillars. I. There is the pillar of eternal and everlasting life. A. What is it that God has offered to us? John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. B. Not only does the Bible tell us WHAT God offered, it also indicates WHEN God offered it. John 3:36 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. 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 condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, HE THAT BELIEVETH ON ME HATH EVERLASTING LIFE. II. There is the pillar of Holy Spirits seal. A. The Bible speaks of a work the Holy Spirit HAS done for the believer. 1. It is the work of sealing us. Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 2. What is sealing? a. The Bible never actually defines it so we will have to look at how it was used in Bible times. b. A seal in the Bible was a mark of ownership and possession. c. When Jesus tomb was sealed, it showed that His grave was now under the authority of Rome. d. As long as that seal was there, that tomb belonged to Rome. B. Someone says, Well, if it can be marked, it can be unmarked. 1. Not if it was marked with the Person of the Holy Ghost. John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. 2. What the Holy Ghost marks, is marked forever. III. There is the pillar of grace. A. We were never saved by doing right. We were saved by grace. B. Unfortunately, I do not know where the Bible defines grace. 1. We know my definition. 2. Grace is God working in you, through you, and around you to accomplish His will. 3. But not the Bible. C. However Paul, in speaking of salvation, made it clear that grace is God doing the work. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Romans 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 1. To any unbiased person, grace is God doing the work without human aid. 2. How you could add baptism, joining a church, doing good works, and so forth without calling it human work, I dont know. D. But the Paul added that what grace has begun, the works of the flesh can not finish. Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. E. AND what grace has given, sin cannot take it away. Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: IV. There is the pillar of sinful, carnal, backslidden, getting in by the seat-of-the-pants Christians. A. This is a truth I am very sad to have to admit to. 1. \#1Cor 3:1-4\ There are carnal Christians. 2. \#1John 1:8-9\ There are sinful Christians. B. Yet, they get into heaven! 1Cor 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every mans work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is. 14 If any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any mans work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. C. So what sin does a person have to commit to lose his salvation? 1. \#1Cor 5:1-4\ Paul gives us the example of a man at Corinth who slept with his fathers wife! Yet, Paul instructed the church to pray that God would take his flesh so his spirit could be saved. 1Cor 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. a. I God answered that prayer and took the mans life at that very moment, would he still be saved? b. Paul thought he would have been, or else praying for the destruction of the flesh would have been a sure ticket to hell. 2. Then there is Pauls admonition concerning one who would not obey the epistle. 2Thessalonians 3:14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. a. Yet Paul said the church was to treat him like a brother! b. We would not treat a lost person like a brother. D. If disobedience to the Word, incest and fornication dont take salvation, what sin does? V. There is the pillar of our reservations. A. I have a house prepared in heaven. John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Fathers house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 1. What does God do with the mansion of the person who lost his salvation? 2. If one can lose their salvation, there is likely to be a lot of empty subdivisions in heaven! B. I have an inheritance. 1Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1. \#4\ Every Christian gets a reserved place in heaven! It does not fade away! 2. \#5\ Why? Because we are being kept by the power of God! VI. There is the pillar of predestination Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. A. \#28\ – Going from saved to lost, heaven to hell cannot be considered for OUR good. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. B. \#29\ While men and women are not predestined to go to heaven or hell, Christians are predestined to be made into Jesus image. C. No such promise is made to the lost and that work is not going to be done in hell. D. \#30\ God has decided that those who are saved will be justified (have their sins made right) and glorified (share in the glory of God). That is not going to happen in hell either. VII. There is the pillar of Jesus keeping. A. \#28\ Jesus promised to keep those who were His. B. \#29\ Jesus promised that His Father would keep those who were given to Him. John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand. C. The Bible refers to this commitment repeatedly. John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, VIII. There is the pillar of receiving all things. Romans 8:32 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? A. Paul said that God will give us all the things we need. B. If we could lose our salvation, we would have lost the MOST IMPORTANT THING that we needed. C. That would make the Bible untrue. IX. There is the pillar of being more than conquerors. Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. A. A conqueror is a victor. B. If I could lose my salvation, I would not be a victor! C. I would be defeated. D. Again, this would make the Bible untrue.