“ONCE HAVING ENTERED SALVATION, ABSOLUTE ETERNAL SECURITY IS GUARANTEED! Part One
This Doctrine is the greatest Doctrine in the entire Bible, I believe, as, until a Christian firmly is committed to this wonderful Truth, he never will be able to rest solely upon the work of Christ on the Cross for his salvation.
He, even if not consciously, will at any rate, always be trying to improve on his salvation by various ongoing personal works. This Doctrine is sometimes labeled "Once Saved, Always Saved”, or “Eternal Security,” or “The Perseverance of the Saints”, etc.
There are multitudes of Christians who have not entered into this rest, yet, and even refer to it as a heretical doctrine. But, as one who has been slowly led into this rest, by diligent study and the Lord’s Grace, I am firmly committed, that to refute this Doctrine, is to deny Christianity in its most purest form, and to peddle a “works gospel” which can never bring the true peace of God which passes understanding or the true joy of the Holy Spirit!
After studying predestination, election, and reprobation, I personally found myself enlightened to the fact that God had chosen ME before the foundation of the world. I became overjoyed to really find out! I was one of the Elect! After fully discovering that it was God, and not I, Who saved me, I could not help but come to the only logical final conclusion. If God was the Author of my faith in the first place, then, He would also have to be the Finisher of it., because if I was to stay saved by my own merits, I would never make it until the end!
Let’s examine some Scriptures to first see IF God will keep me saved; and then some other verses which “seem” to indicate that it is possible to fall away after being saved.
I believe the best place to start, is with Hebrews 12:2, of which we already mentioned. “Look unto Jesus, the AUTHOR AND FINISHER of our faith.” He started this love affair, and if it is to continue, then He has to be the finisher of it.
Then, we are told in Philippians 1:6, “He (Jesus) which has BEGUN a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” That verse, quite clearly, states that if the seed of salvation was EVER really planted that God will keep it growing until Jesus either raptures me, or resurrects me! Paul knew this truth when he said to Timothy, “I am persuaded that HE is able, to KEEP that, which I have committed, unto Him against that day (that final day)”, (2nd Timothy 1:12).
Peter also knew that truth, when speaking about the Elect, “Who ARE KEPT by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” (1st Peter 1:5). It should be understood that salvation is a progressive process which will progressively continue until we see Jesus face to face, and have our Glorified bodies!
During this course of time in all of our trials on earth, as long as we realize that we cannot keep ourselves from falling away, we can enter into that rest knowing now unto HIM that is able, TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING and to present you faultless before the presence of His Glory.” (Jude 24).
An often overlooked verse, is the often quoted John 3:16. “”For God so loved the world, that HE GAVE His ONLY begotten Son, that whomever belevieth in Him should not perish, but have EVERLASTING life.” The question to be asked is, “HOW LONG is everlasting? Did He say those that believe would not perish as long as they “hold on to Christ”, or anything else at all? There were NO OTHER conditions set forth, except to believe, and we already know that ALL of the Elect WILL BELIEVE! Everlasting life is forever, or eternally, NOT temporarily.
In John 3:15, Jesus said, “that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have ETERNAL life.” So, everlasting and eternal are both forever. Notice, in John 3:16, Jesus said, God so loved the WORLD. He loved the Elect all over the world, not the reprobate. In John 14:16,17,22,27, He contrasted the Elect and reprobate in the WORLD, when He said, “I will pray my Father, and He shall give you (the Elect) another Comforter, (the Holy Spirit to be given at Pentecost). Judas saith unto him, (not Iscariot), Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us (the Elect), and NOT unto the WORLD (the reprobate)? Peace I leave with you (the Elect), my peace I give unto you: not as THE WORLD (reprobates) giveth.” Jesus, quite clearly, sums it up in John 17:9, “I pray for them (the Elect); I pray NOT for THE WORLD (the reprobate), but for them (the Elect) which thou hast given Me, for they are Mine,” Some say He was only referring to the Apostles or disciples with Him, at that time, but, in John 17:20, He said, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for THEM ALSO which SHALL BELIEVE ON ME through their word.” That includes every member of the Elect, until the church is raptured to meet Christ. (Thess. 4:16,17)
Now, since Jesus prayed for them and for us, did any of His prayers go unanswered? No. They always are ALL answered, because He prays in the perfect will of the Trinity. A Christian cannot possible fall away into the final condemnation, because of the ministry of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, which is an ongoing process until we are completely redeemed.
We are told about Jesus, our High Priest, who sits at the right hand of the Father continuously, pleading the Elect’s case. We are told in Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore He is able also to save them (the Elect) to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He EVER LIVETH to make intersession for them.” How can we possibly fall away?
Then, we are told in Romans 26:27 that since we do not know how to pray, because we do not know God’s perfect will, the Holy Spirit prays the perfect prayers FOR US, because, He knows the perfect will! Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (weaknesses): for we know not what we should pray for as we aught: but the SPIRIT HIMSELF maketh intercession FOR US with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts, knoweth that what is the mind of the Spirit, because He MAKETH intercession FOR THE SAINTS according to the will of God.” Notice closely, it is the Holy Spirit doing the praying with “unutterable groanings.” It is NOT US doing the groaning with groans that CAN be uttered. Some understand this verse to mean the Spirit filled saint speaks in tongues, but that is putting meaning to the verse which is just not there! The holy Spirit does not have any physical organs and is speaking to God the Father in His perfect will in a perfect SILENT language! HE is doing it!
And again, that Christ intercedes for us at the Father’s right hand in Romans 8:34. So, with Jesus interceding, and the holy Spirit praying in the perfect will, it would only be logical that if the saints they were ministering to would fall away, they would have an imperfect ministry; but we know, God’s ministry is always perfect! That is why Paul was able to say in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ, Jesus.” The Greek word for “condemnation” is “Katakrima”, and means, “final sentence to death, or final judgment.”
I have heard people say, “God is a perfect gentleman; He will not hold anyone against their will. They can stop believing, or walk out of Christ anytime they want to! Personally, even when I did not believe in the Eternal Security Doctrine, I never for a moment, could imagine myself, voluntarily, walking away to destruction. I just worried about staying good enough for Christ to keep me! However, Paul told us in Romans 8:35,37,38,39, “who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in ALL these things, we are MORE than conquers 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, not 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. Wow! If THAT is not Eternal Security, then what is? There is no way Christ is going to let us go, or that He will stop loving us!
“But”, some say ,”what about if we get led astray by false teachers?” Jesus covers that “loophole” in John 10:27-30. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know THEM, and they follow Me: and I give unto them ETERNAL (you know-----forever) Life; and they shall NEVER perish, neither shall ANY man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater then all: and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father ARE ONE.” Some say “no MAN can pluck me away, but, what about demons? “I do not let demons worry me, because I am told in 1st John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them (the demons): because greater is He that is IN YOU (God)than he (the devil or demons) that is in the WORLD (reprobates).
CONT>>>>>>>>>>
Blessings!
Marked Elect
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