Eternal Security
Romans 8:1-17,35-39
by Cooper Abrams
INTRODUCTION: Two of the devil’s most cunning devices is to first convince men who are seeking find eternal life and salvation that they can go to heaven by doing good works and earning salvation. Second is to misrepresent salvation by persuading them they can lost their salvation. That is what I would like to address this morning. It is one of the worse false teachings that the devil has made men a party too. Sadly, some churches have been deceived and teach that even if a man comes to Jesus Christ for salvation, he can…. if he does not live right, fails or wains in his faith…lose his salvation. In other words God will cast him out and with draw His grace and mercy.
Let me plainly and emphatically state….that is pure heresy and a lie perpetrated by Satan himself. Further, God’s word is clear on the matter that once a person repents of his sin, in belief and faith turns to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation he is instantly and eternally saved and assured of God Himself that when he dies he will wake up in heaven. (Romans 10:9-10)
What kind of Father would the Lord be if He made a plan therein those who put their faith and trust in Him would have no assurance of where He had truly saved them or not. What kind of life would a child have who did not know from day to day whether or not he was a member of the family. If he was good one day, he was in, if he was bad, then he was out. One day his father loved him, the next day, he didn’t. I tell you that child would be an emotional and a psychological wreck. Fact is, that if you have put your faith in the Lord Jesus to save you. . . You became a child of God and were born again into His heavenly family. God tells us that in John 1:12-13:
- “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
God tells clearly that regardless of your behavior, once you are born again, by God Himself, just like being born in a earthly family…..you are always going to be a member of your family and there is nothing you, or they can do about it! Why is that? Because you were born into the family and that can never be changed! So it is with God’s family! You see, if you are in Jesus, you are a part of the family and you can experience all the peace and security that He wants all of His children to enjoy.
- Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Please note that verse 8-9 clearly state a man is not saved by his works and verse 10 explains that those who are saved will work….God has created His children to live godly lives and that is where works fit in God’s plan. After salvation…..not before it.
By God’s help this morning, I want to show you how you can know for sure that you have eternal security. Next to salvation, the greatest blessing in life is knowing that you are eternally saved.
Before we discuss why the believer is eternally secure, we all need to be on the same page. We need to define our terms. Just who is a believer?
A believer is one who has received Jesus into his heart, as Savior, by faith. A believer is trusting Jesus Christ, totally, for salvation. This person is born again, John 3:3, and has been made a partaker of the Divine nature. (Hebrew 3:14)
This person can never be lost again! But, what about those who appeared to be saved, but now have no interest in spiritual things? What about people you may know who claim to be saved, profess that Jesus is their Savior, yet in no way honor the Lord in their lives. Some for a time were faithful and seemed to really loved the Lord…but then turned from the faith and went into sin…turning their backs on the God.
I would answer that they have never truly been saved! They used to attend church, they may have been baptized, they may have made a public profession of faith, they may have looked like Christians, but now they are out in the world.
Jesus spoke of these people in Matthew 7:22-23:
- “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
We have all seen it happen. People come and seem to be genuinely saved and then for some reason they leave. I would like to say that they have probably never been saved. If they left the faith and stayed away, then they were never saved The tells us that in 1 John 2:19 :
- “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”
They didn’t lose their salvation, they simply never had it to begin with. (Example: Judas- He was with the Lord three years and if fooled the other disciples, but not the Lord Jesus)
The reason they fell away and stayed away is because they were never saved.
I. God tells us that we can surely know if a person who professed to be saved and lives in sin is truly saved.
- A. God says He chastens ALL his children who are disobedient. READ : Hebrews 12:6-11.
This passage makes some important statements.
1. God chastens ALL His children who go astray.
2. He does not chasten those who are not saved.
3. If a believer is in public sin and refuses to repent God chastens him. 4. If a person is a professing Christian in public sin and refuses to repent and further is without chastisement….he is not a child of God. It does not matter that one “says” he is a Christian….it is the fruit of his life that shows what he is as Jesus explained in Matthew 7.
B. For those who are truly trusting Jesus this morning, allow me to show you several reasons why you are eternally saved.
C. The very attributes of God clearly show us that those who God saves are eternally saved….if they have repented and truly received Christ as their Savior.
D. God says the His children overcome the world. 1 John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
II. GOD’S PROMISE. Romans 8:1-39
- A. He begins the chapter saying…”There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
1. That is a wonderful promise. Can’t you see why the Devil would want to confuse you about this and rob you of this wonderful promise of God?
2. His promises are guarantees salvation to those who believe In Romans 4:21 talking about the faith of Abraham the Lord said “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” If you believe the Bible, then you can believe in eternal security! Salvation is assured by the very nature and character of God Himself who cannot lie.
III. GOD’S PERSEVERANCE tells us we can know surely that we are saved. Philippians 1:6 says…..”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.” If this is God’s very word…then we can trust it and assured know that God will do what He says He will.
- A. Who does this passage say will is doing the work of salvation? He, God has “begun the work”
- 1. How long does it say He will continue His work. “Until the day of Jesus Christ.” That means until we are with Him in heaven.
2. It is not you and I who save ourselves. That is the work of God. He brought us under conviction and then He helped us receive Jesus. He is the Convecter, and He is the Completer! He always finishes what He starts. Eccl. 3:14. Says, “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”
3. If any believe could ever be lost again, it would mean that God would be defeated in His eternal purpose. That is an impossibility! He will finish what He has begun in you!
4. Hebrews 6:4f states that is it impossible for those who have been once tasted the good word of God…to fall away. The chapter goes on to assure show is the impossibility of such a thing….saying that if it could happen….the only way to be restored…would be to crucify the Lord Jesus again.
The purpose of God giving us this Scripture is in Hebrew 6:11-12. Read what verse 18-20 say. People have written me and tried to use this passage as proof one could lose their salvation….when in fact this is one of the strongest passages in the Bible that teach eternal security of the believer.
IV. GOD’S PREDESTINATION Rom. 8:29-30
- A. Those who receive Christ are predestined to go to Heaven and to be just like Jesus. He planned it, He predestined it and He brought it to pass. It is impossible to be saved and then be lost again. Because it destroys the predestined plan of Almighty God.
B. He sees us as already being in Heaven. If man or Satan could change that, it would mean that God were neither Omniscient or Omnipotent. Think about it! That which is settled in eternity can never be undone in time!
V. OUR PERFECTION Heb. 10:14 “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
- A. He made us perfect by His sacrifice. Not perfect for a time, but perfect forever! He did not make a down payment on our sanctification, He paid the debt in full and purchased it forever by His precious blood.
B. As a Christian, I did not get a fresh start, I got a new life. Not a new beginning, a new nature and a new life altogether…being born of the Spirit of God!
- 1. We are not perfect in the flesh! Only in the soul!
2. If I step out of line, I will be chastened, but I will still be viewed as perfect by the Father. That is what the Devil does not want you to know.
C. Ephesians 2:8-9 We are not saved by good works and we cannot lose it by bad ones. We are saved through the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The person who repents and believes in Jesus Christ has been declared perfect- 1 Cor. 6:9-11.
VI. OUR POSITION (In Christ) 2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
- A. When a person receives Christ, he becomes a new creation, they literally become a part of Christ 1 Cor. 12:13. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”v B. The only way that a believer can lose his relationship with the Father is for the Son to do so first. That is a total impossibility!
VII. OUR POSSESSION – 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.”
- A. We were given eternal life when we were saved. Not “ten year life”, not “until I sin life”. We possess it right now, not at death!
B. It is the present, eternal possession of every child of God! C. If someone, offer you a million dollars with the only condition that accept it and then told you that for all eternity you would continue to be a millionaire…how long would you expect to be a millionaire?
VIII .CHRIST’S PRAYER – John 17:15 “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” Jesus never prayed a prayer that wasn’t answered. He always prayed in the Father’s will and the Father always answered in the affirmative.
- A. He prayed specifically for us in verses 20 and 24. In verse 24, He expresses a desire that will be brought to pass. We will be with Him in Heaven some day. He prayed for your keeping and for your home going.
B. Therefore, you can rest assured and walk secured in the knowledge that you are saved by the grace of God and secure in the love of Christ. He is still praying for you now Heb. 7:25!
IX. GOD’S POWER – 1 Pet. 1:3-5 “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, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
- A. God’s power is greater than any other and it is that power that keeps us saved! If Satan could get one believer out of the hand of God, he would have them all! But praise God, he cannot do that. B. John 10:28-29. “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.”
- 1. The word “Never” is there four times in the Greek. You know what it means in Greek….”never” Not at all, by no means, in no case, in no time, place, purpose, perpetually or eternally.
2. A literal rendering of that verse is this, “And I give unto the eternal life and they shall not at all, by any means, in any case, in any place, at any time, for any purpose, whether they be male or female, perpetually or eternally ever perish!”
C. The word perish is interesting also. It literally means that they can “never destroy themselves.” The Good Shepherd has made it His mission that we all arrive home safely!
Conclusion: Are you a believer? If so rejoice, because you are eternally secure in Christ! Stop allowing the devil to kick you around. You are a child of God and you are going to Heaven, you have a right to feel good about what the Lord has done for you.
- Live for the Lord….your eternal home is heaven…then live faithful NOW to what you are and what you have. Serve the Lord and show Him you gratitude…..show Him and those around you how great is our salvation.
If you have never placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible says you are lost, Please come to Him and be saved. Do not let your fears or you sins take you to Hell.