How to Stand Secure on God’s Promises
Ever broken a promise, failed to keep your word, or been late for an engagement?
Of course you have.
Now you know why many Christians are worried sick that they may disappoint God. After all, isn’t the Bible full of exhortations to hold fast, continue, and endure to the end?
Uncertainty is a faith-killer. If you are uncertain about your eternal position how can you trust God?
If the issue of your eternal security isn’t settled in your heart you’ll lie awake at night wondering whether you are good enough or have done enough to impress him. And then you’ll set aside grace by taking out a little works insurance just to be safe.
Insecurity about the future is just one example of the prevailing winds of unbelief that assail the church. If you are insecure and in doubt, know that I write so that you might repent (change your doubting and unbelieving mind) and believe the good news. I write so that you might trust Jesus to finish what he started.
But first, you may need to change your glasses…
What you look through determines what you see
If you wear cracked glasses, everything you look at will appear cracked. If you are insecure, every scripture in the Bible will appear to support your prior notions of insecurity.
In my last post I identified four cracks in the lens of insecure theology. To save time I could have just pasted this gem from Andrew Farley:
Every Christian I’ve met who believes they can lose their salvation has always given a reason that involves them. What if I commit suicide? What if I get a divorce? What if I stop believing? What if I…? You fill in the blank there, but it’s all the same. Every hypothetical scenario puts ourselves at the center of the equation. But our faithfulness to God is an old-covenant problem that is solved by the new.
~God Without Religion, pp:30-31
Drew has nailed it. The reason we are even having this discussion is because so many Christians don’t know what makes the new covenant new. They read the Bible through the old covenant mindset that says “Do to be.”
If this is you, let me tell you about Jesus! That old covenant is obsolete. We no longer stand on our brittle promises to him but on his solid promises to us.
Promises, promises
If I could show you just one promise from the Lord that guaranteed your eternal security, would you quit fretting? Would you stop listening to the lies of the confused and trust instead in God’s word? Would one promise from the Faithful One be good enough for you?
Here’s one:
He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. (1 Corinthians 1:8-9)
This scripture is the atom bomb that obliterates the doubts of the insecure. If you struggle with doubt and anxiety, you should frame this verse. It will remind you that salvation is not about your faithfulness but his and God is faithful.
And don’t forget who Paul was writing to either.
This scripture was addressed to Christians many today would write off as reprobates. The Corinthians weren’t what you call “good Christians.” Yet Paul sees God’s fingerprints all over them, and he speaks confidently of their future. “Our hope for you is firm” (2 Cor 1:7).
Who called you into fellowship with Christ? God!
Who will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on that Day? God!
Who is faithful? God!
It’s not about you but him. Do you see it yet? If not, here’s another promise you can stand on:
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
The word guarantee means a down-payment or pledge, “i.e. part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest.” So either God has nothing but more good stuff planned for you – guaranteed! – or he is a liar.
Are you getting this yet?
I said one promise from the Lord should be enough and I’ve given you two. Just to settle matters once and for all, here are seven more promises from your heavenly Father that speak directly to your eternal security. Write them on your heart and take them to the bank because they are gold. If you are a Christian, the chances of you losing your salvation are exactly the same as the likelihood God will violate his promises. Since God is utterly faithful, you can be utterly secure.
Seven golden promises about your future
For a Christian to lose their salvation and be expelled from the kingdom…
1. God would have to forsake us, when he said he wouldn’t (Heb 13:5)
2. God would have to cast us out, when he said he wouldn’t (John 6:37)
3. God would have to condemn us, when he said he wouldn’t (Rom 8:1,34)
4. God would have to withdraw his Spirit, when he said he wouldn’t (John 14:16-17)
5. God would have to remember our sins, when he said he wouldn’t (Jer 31:34, Heb 10:17)
6. God would have to forget that we are his children, when he said he wouldn’t (Is 49:15)
7. God would have to blot our names out of the book of life, when he said he wouldn’t (Rev 3:5)
Good news, no?
“But Paul, what about all those scriptures that say we have to hold fast, continue, and endure to the end?”
I’ll to get to some of those scriptures in the coming weeks but let me put your mind at rest right now. Do you have a need to hold fast? Do you have a need to continue and endure? Do you have a need to overcome, obey, avoid sin, be holy, and persevere? Yes, we all have these needs. But look at this…
My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
How many of your needs will God meet? All of them!
How many of your needs must you supply to stay qualified for the kingdom? None of them!
The only thing to do is receive what God has already provided in Christ Jesus. The only thing to do is say, “Thank you Jesus!” and then remain in that place of restful trust.
Anything and everything that needs to be done to see you safe to the end, will be done by him. Trust him. The one who “began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Php 1:6). (See what I did there? I just slipped in another promise.)
Salvation is not from yourself it is the gift of God (Eph 2:8), and his gifts are irrevocable (Rom 11:29). (Two more promises!)
No doubt there will be some who will tell me I am presenting an unbalanced view, that I have left out important bits of the Bible. What they really mean, though, is God is a mealy-mouthed mincer of words who doesn’t say what he means or mean what he says.
I disagree.
Through the death and resurrection of his Son, God shouts to the human race, I am for you and I will do whatever it takes to win you back to myself! I believe him. I choose to stand on his promises to us. I encourage you to do likewise.
Saint, you are one with the Lord. His future is your future. Since Jesus isn’t going to lose his salvation and go to hell, it can’t happen to you. You may fall asleep on the job, but the one who watches over you never slumbers (Ps 121:3-4).
Be confident. Be secure. Be at peace.
___________
Escape to Reality 
I wonder how many of the insecurity types realize their view depends on me, myself and I while the grace view depends on God who never lies or fails?
Funny you should write this now, Paul. I’ve been thinking a lot about faith, belief and security lately. I don’t think any scripture has the power to imbue a person with faith… or rest in God’s love. It is something a person has to do inwardly, yet it is not done, rather it is “un’done… like relaxing a muscle.
On the other hand, real faith comes from God, so it isn’t our faith that we’re talking about, but God’s faith in us allowing us to experience God. God can imbue faith however He wants. 🙂
Sometimes, I think the best way to convey faith upon a person is to tell them how utterly impossible it is to please God. Make the impossibility so damned clear… that the hearer gives up trying… only to find… they’ve landed in God’s Hands.
That’s sort-of what happened to me.
Love this!
WOW! That really opens up my understanding of faith..CLEARLY!!! Thank you!!!
Amen Tom very succinctly put. Nothing could be clearer! Thank you Jesus for shouting Tetelestai so that we can KNOW!! 1 John 5:13
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition :
13 I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God [in [a]the peculiar services and blessings conferred by Him on men], so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, [b]yes, eternal life.
thank you!
Great post! I stand amazed by our God!!!!
I think a lot of the insecurity types like that the responsibility falls on them rather than God. Then they can ‘control’ God in a sense based on their behavior. Based on my limited experience, I believe this topic has a lot to do with control issues. People who rely on Jesus-based acceptance instead of performance-based acceptance have to completely give up control. And even though this is liberating and absolutely amazing, it’s scary for some people who have never experienced unconditional love.
Wow Laura, this explains so much. I have never heard that. My best friend and I both were delivered out of heavy religion last May and we’ve had to FIGHT the old thoughts and immerse in Grace teachings. Yes,we had not known unconditional love-ever and yes, we are both “former/or almost former” control freaks….lol. Thanks for the insight.
Thank you for this refreshing article. Blessings from the Philippines.
Uwaaaaah, Paul! Once again well put! GtG!
thaks, good stuff. as believers we also have to remember, that our father cannot lie. and if he say we are sealed, believe you me, we are sealed for ever.
Thank you Paul for this great post!
For Tom NeSmith……faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
I find that I need to meditate on the Word, to hear it over and over to get truth from the Word from my thick skull to my heart! Then, bingo, light, joy, assurance!!
I have recently come to understand that “hearing (comes) by the WORD of God” is not necessarily talking about the Bible being the word – but THE WORD OF GOD Who is Jesus. In other words if we don’t fully trust and believe Jesus, we will not understand what the Bible says.
Wonderful…I love the way you broke it down. When I cried out to God for help..at the end of my tether thinking it was impossible to please him. He filled me with his love and grace and pointed me to what He had done for me, not what I could do for him. What a relief!!
I will be interested to read your next post on this theme. Once saved always saved is an area I still am unsure about. Partly due to a lifetime of teaching imparted to me, partly due to those scripts which infer you are the one who has to stand till the end and partly because there is a script which mentions about a a believer trampling underfoot the sacrifice of Jesus. Yet I don’t get concerned about this topic because I have peace about my salvation and I guess I don’t see myself reaching a point where I completely disregard god..much thought..lol btw Paul, I have found your site and book, pure quality. Blessings.
I am struggling bc it feels like I’m the man described in Hebrews 6 fourth verse
I discuss this passage in the Grace Commentary.
keep up the GOOD WORK. thel Lord put my mind at rest, when he said to me, earl jump up here to me, and I said jump? I can hardly walk,and he said,well I guess ill have to come down to you, and I said OK no problem.
Haha! Good story, Earl!
Thank You paul, I’LL be here all week,tip the waitress and try the beef.
Thanks Paul for another great article on God’s amazing grace!
Thanks Paul!….Another Nugget!…..I really appreciate your very special, Annointed,calling to Break down Strongholds ( Religious Cows) that have paralized the Body of Christ for years! Most preachers/ Teachers don’t or wont deal with these kind of issues……Its like pulling a Skunk out of a Bag in a crowd!……..Cant wait for your next post!!! You are Blessed!!
Thank you! Your comment on “uncertainty is a faith killer” struck a cord with me.How can you continue to walk your faith out when you are in then you are out.What kind of mental abuse is that when you really think about it.
Belonging comes out of security and identity in Christ, I am His and He is mine. Father completes His heart response by saying of the Son, “in You I am well pleased.”
It is God’s pleasure that we belong to Him alone. Our belonging is motivation to become a Father pleaser.
Abiding reinforces these realities until they become foundation stones upon which we can build our lives and endure the storms so that our house doesn’t get washed away.
Each of us can say: I am secure in God’s love. My identity is that I’m a child of God and no one can take that from me. My belonging is in the family of God; therefore I can abide and rest.
Bob mumford
Bob is a old friend, and I told him, that for me He has a way putting it,that helps me understand well.
Wow, that first promise, boom! Really was like taking a scripture bomb to the heart… and thanks for the way you broke down the seven promises. Will be keeping this page bookmarked.
Cheers Paul
Paul I am thoroughly enjoying this series. In the last couple of years the Lord has been setting me free from my old religious mindset. The truth of the Gospel has broken sickness off of me and released my mind from bondage. I’m done with Egypt and Sinai, and am day by day learning to stand in the promised land of Christ in me. Despite constant reminders of the old (wine) I am learning to stand on and walk in His promises. Jer 32:38-41 contains an amazing promise of security with no mention of what “I must do”. It’s all Him. In Christ, that promise has been fulfilled. He’s given us a new heart and the new Way (v38). In Him he has placed in us a perfect fear of the Lord (v40). And since the day we were planted (v41) together with Christ in his death (Rom 6:5) we have dwelt safely in the land of promise(v37). It’s all because of His goodness, perfectly demonstrated in Christ. Indeed, every promise is a “resounding yes” in him (2 Cor 1:20 NLT). Keep it coming 🙂
Paul,
I liken the insecurity issue to the “do,do,do” teaching of the IC. The other day I read your article on Hell and the part where you said if you don’t share the gospel with anyone you
still would not be denied access to heaven jumped out at me. God then brought up Hebrews 8:10-11 to me and said very clearly “just be!” It was so drilled in my head by the ic to “do,do,do” that I struggle with knowing how “to be!” Like tracts, I’m not saying there bad but I know they turn some people off. They just remind me of the mormons. Then something dawned on me if we just act the part of a believer, (consistency) our fruit will give us away
and in time they’ll seek us out. How do you reach out to others?
By being myself.
to quote Bob Dylan [you just cant fake it] Paul is right,just be you and the fruit will grow,because of the caretaker.
That makes sense. Thank you Earl!
One of the most powerful revelations I have ever had was very similar to what you said. I have been on a journey for a while of “undoing.” Back in 2014, Jesus spoke life-changing words to my heart one day that have marked my life: “Stop trying to ‘do’ and ‘just be.'” He’s been unpacking this revelation since, and I always have so much excitement when the Holy Spirit uses similar languages to my other brothers and sisters. There’s so much freedom in that revelation! There’s nothing left to “do” because it is already “done.” We are free to “just be” – nothing is left to prove since we are fully approved. Still learning how sweet that good news is 🙂 Bless you!
Don’t always have time to post a comment, but want you to know I appreciate your words Thanks Paul.
salvation that can be lost or forfeited is no salvation at all.The very idea that we could lose salvation when scripture clearly teaches that we were chosen in him(Christ),before the foundation of the world is ludicrous!While we may not be able to grasp this,it is so.If we could be saved for a time then somehow become unsaved,we would be making the unfortunate determination that God made a mistake and that where grace abounded sin abounded more.
I just have a question for those that believe that we can lose our salvation. When we were born again our old man died, all things are made new. So if we lose our salvation what happens? Does the old man come back to life? Do we get a new unsaved man? To deny the fact that we are eternally saved and not have an answer to these questions is to deny that anything actually happened at the new birth, that it is all just philosophy or a mental exercise is it not?
Good question!
Boy, I never thought of it that way!!! That’s terrific and sure helps me settle in faith and assurance of my salvation better. Thank you so much, Thana!!!
Thank you Paul, am really blessed by this message. I believe knowing how God loves you and how he has forgive us will help you live right.
AYFREAKINGMEN.
Great work brother. Keep it up….we are together in this. Many religious folks will revolt but alas….we will save many more and help them gain stability of faith. AM PROUD OF YOU. KUDOS!
Hallelujah, for this truth!
Thank you Paul for this very great post! If I may add, I think this verse is a great but simple assurance for eternal salvation:
Psalm 118:1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Believers has just got to believe these four words: “His mercy endures forever!”
I love repeating this over and over. It sounds so good! Even if we fallen in some of our ways, His mercy endures forever! His mercy endures forever!
Hi drivingback, I once heard someone say: JUSTICE is getting what you deserve, MERCY is not getting what you deserve, and GRACE is getting what you don’t deserve.
Good post
“The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:7-10” God is faithful in His part in helping us keep strong to the end, agreed. But further down the same letter, why does Paul warn the Corinthian Christians that whose who continue to be immoral/idolaters/adulterers/etc will not inherit the kingdom of God? Why warn them if they have no responsibility to turn from evil if God is keeping them strong to the end?
He’s not warning them, he’s reminding them. “That is what some of you were, but you were washed, sanctified, justified, etc.” In other words, don’t act like somebody you’re not. Don’t act like someone who’s lost.
So is it that those who continue this behavior are still lost? Were they apparently never “found” to begin with? Are people who are believe they have been “born again”, but continue to act like something they are not, deceiving themselves? Anyone who claims Jesus as their Savior, yet continues to act like someone who is lost, are they still in fact lost? Or are their actions irrelevant because of their claim of Jesus and his promises in their life?
It was quite a glorious day when I found ETR and learned it is not what I do for God but what Jesus did for me that is the foundation of Christianity. But I guess I still have questions that need clearing up. I am sure to be confronted by non believers, pointing to examples of other believers’ behavior, as their justification for living life as they please without a Savior.
Thank you Paul E. for your dedication to studying God’s Word and for sharing what is revealed to you.
A butterfly can act like a caterpillar and those who are born of the spirit can walk in the old ways of the flesh. If this were not possible and didn’t happen often, there would not be so many exhortations in scripture to renew your mind, put off the old, and walk in the spirit. “You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it.” (1 Th 5:5-8, MSG)
AMP, Gal 5:21 “…envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. I warn you beforehand…” That’s the word “warn” if you want it!
It is just like Paul said but you won’t see that if you stop reading at verse 10. The meaty goodness of truth does not come until verse 11. Ever wonder why most preacher/teachers stop at verse 10? 😉
Exactly Colleen! Most people stop at verse 10 … I think because it suits their purposes to kept others in bondage. Many evangelicals here in the US do that. I refuse to walk on eggshells any longer!
I have been reading e2r for awhile now and wanted to tell you what a blessing it has been to me! I thought of another promise you could add to your list…to lose our salvation God would have to break his covenant and He said he wouldn’t. PSA 89:34. Blessings to you!
Thank you, Grandma. That’s a great promise!
Sweet!
I wonder! If Romans 6:23 said that ‘the gift of God is LIFE FOR ONE HOUR, would these unsecure friends of ours still split the hour into smaller fractions so that a parttaker of the life-gift may enjoy it for only a quarter an hour? No. They just need to strengthen their muscles to receive the big gift: LIFE FOR ONE HOUR, PLUS TWO HOURS, PLUS TEN YEARS, PLUS A THOUSAND YEARS PLUS TRILLIONS OF TRILLIONS OF YEARS, ALL THAT BEING JUST A FRACTION OF IT. IT’S SIMPLY ETERNAL LIFE. AMEN.
Cool, after i read this i wonder why haven’t I heard this for the past ten years since I gave my life to Christ. A clear cut understanding of the gospel of grace when i first got saved would have helped me tremendously the past ten years with all the insecurity I suffered in daily life and in my relationship with God. I knew in my heart that things I were told by churches that were religion based were wrong but I trusted their judgement over my heart since they were older and were Christians longer so my mind was led away from the simple things in Christ, that grace is a gift, period instead of grace plus a work. Thanks Paul for this one I am renewing my mind more then I ever have since reading these posts.
Well said.
Thank you Paul
Thank you.
I have recently had several discussions with a street preacher and he could not accept our eternal security, he says God gave us free will, and we can choose to leave.
If we are born again how can we choose to be unborn…..I just do not think free will enters into the equation. Only Adam perhaps had free will and even then I am not sure it should be called free will.
Anyway my conversations with him were a little damaging to me, however this website was a tremendous help to return, to what I know and have known since being first born again, and to what scripture truly teaches.
I can only think that people who believe this way, has more to do with their wanting to boast about holding on to the end than there belief in free will since they seem to push obedience, dying to self, crucifying the flesh very strongly as part of the Christian walk.
Be encouraged and blessed by Him, it is an important work you do.
Angela
Three years ago I had hope. And I had faith. So much faith. Faith and hope so strong that in my darkest darkest moments of unimaginable confusion emptiness and pain I truly truly believed that I would find my way out no matter where I went or how hard a road I would take. God has shown me unimaginable miracles. Miracles I can barely comprehend. Miracles that have been so small yet so significant they were always so terrifying and beautiful and shocking and real sometimes I wouldn’t be able to comprehend them and I would try to push them away. Unfortunately that hope has been taken from me. Taken by a hand very close to that of religion. By a human that brainwashed me to believe in him instead of myself instead of God and the truth. A human being that first made me believe in him and than tore my trust from my heart and broke every piece of life I truly had left inside my once confused yet innocent and gentle heart. I no longer have that same will to live like I once did. I do not run Any longer. I do not laugh any longer And I do not love any longer and I do not most of all believe in myself any longer : The hope for tommarow has Been forsaken. My trust in people and in life’s future has been eroded to the point where I live very comfortably with myself but I do not and cannot connect to other people. I do not trust others any longer and I want nothing to do with this horrible world. I do NOT exist. Not in the realm of others and not in the realm of God any longer. my steadfast knowing that I WILL be ok. That there is a plan for me. That regardless of all the risks in life that could happen to me that they won’t happen to me cuz I know I’m here for a reason and that I’m safe. Has gone. And thankfully I don’t have that emptiness I once felt anymore . And thankfully I am starting slowly to realize how all this DID happen truly for a reason. And that I AM learning to trust life again and look ahead into the future and feel safe. I can’t help but feel sad for my loss of innocence. Feel sad for my lack of luster left in my eyes. The one that everybody else has but not me. Even though I love to sleep and just rest after all that I’ve been through. And I am so so lucky that I have been given this opportunity. I still feel sad sometimes thinking that others can do what I cannot any longer. Because I don’t think I believe that anymore. I don’t think that I believe that I am truly worth anybody’s time.
Avigayil,
I can relate to some of what you say and my heart goes out to you. It is very difficult indeed to come under the influence of someone who does not walk in the Truth, Love Joy, Grace that is in Jesus.
Especially when they use much of the same words that Christians use like “born again” “grace.”
It is not about trusting LIFE it is about trusting Jesus for your salvation. He died to save you, me and everyone else who lived, lives and will live from our sins, He did it all on the cross while he was dying. You need to believe in that finished work, that he did it for you and each one of us.
Tell God in prayer with a humble and contrite heart that you believe in that finished work knowing there is nothing you can do to escape your sinful nature and He will bless you with His new life (born again) that He won for you through His Resurrection. You are then eternally His and Secure.
Saving faith does not simply affirm that Jesus’ death is “necessary,” it must affirm that His death is enough! That it is sufficient all by itself to pay for your sins apart from any human effort or good work, and that it is a free gift available only through faith, and apart from any human effort or good work. (See Romans 4:4-5, 14; Galatians 2:21, 3:10-14, 4:5).
If you already born again then I can say from personal experience that God is more than able to restore the joy of your salvation to you if you earnestly seek Him through prayer, fellowship, studying and meditating on His word. We must always keep our eyes on Jesus because Satan is a thief roaming around trying to steal our joy and causing us to stumble.
His Grace is sufficient for us and brings healing. God loves you beyond anything you can comprehend, people will fail us but He does not. I hope you can start to believe this because it will heal.
You can email me is you would like
angela.d@sympatico.ca
I will be praying for you,
Angela D.
Saint Paul,
I wonder if this is where you got your Grace Lenses securely fastened onto your Grace filled beautiful head (the summer going thru 300 scriptures on eternal security)?!?! I bet your feet are beautiful also :-).
Thanks for the eleven golden nuggets. I like the quote you gave by Andrew Farley but I really like what you wrote:
“The reason we are even having this discussion is because so many Christians don’t know what makes the new covenant new. They read the Bible through the old covenant mindset that says “Do to be.” If this is you, let me tell you about Jesus! That old covenant is obsolete. We no longer stand on our promises to him but on his promises to us.”
Blessings,
Warren (South Carolina, USA)
One truth that has really rocked me is the evidence that we have been given His spirit. When I went through my painful season of doubting my salvation, I would look within and wonder if the Spirit was really still there. It seems to be a linchpin that holds everything else together. But Jesus said that the Spirit would come to bear witness of Him. And in 1 John 4:15 it says ‘Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he in God’. And in 1 John 5:10a ‘He who believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself’. Our simple faith confession is the proof. The Holy Spirit, along with our spirit, bears witness that we are indeed ‘the children of God’ (Rom 8:16).
Good scriptures. You might be interested in this more recent post where I talk about the assurance of our salvation.
Awesome Paul! Such a blessing. Thanks a lot. God bless you
You may have addressed this in another post. I have just recently run across this ministry and have begun to read some of your posts. My church doesn’t teach that “true” believers can lose their salvation but I have heard numerous times that if you turn away from God it means you were never truly saved. Kind of the issue of dead faith in James. Do you have any writings on this idea? I have been researching for several months trying to figure out which is true; salvation by grace alone even if ones lifestyle makes little to no changes or salvation by grace alone that, if it is genuine faith, will be followed by spiritual growth/bearing fruit. Thanks for any input.
Hi Nancy, and welcome. There are 500+ articles and study notes here on E2R. The best way to answer your question is to direct you to the Archives (see the menu bar) where you can search for articles using either the Scripture Index (e.g., for James) or the Subject Index (e.g., for eternal security).
I am a seeker who is struggling. Thank God for this fantastic article.
I have a question on secured salvation and free will. I can see secured salvation in two ways. 1, salvation is secure because a true believing christian will never come to the point of deciding to leave Christ with Gods grace and will, or 2, God is constantly convincing (which can be interpreted as manipulating or forcing) someone to stay believing such that they are being taken away the choice to choose to leave salvation.
Calvinists have the notion that God picks and chooses people as he wants to be saved and that they are not allowed to leave Christ, therefore arguing that you cannot lose salvation.
My struggle with convincing that salvation wont(I don’t like using the word “cant”) be lost is that whether we like it or not, pretty much all verses can be interpreted opposite objections. One example is John 6:37 where it says “I will by no means cast out”. Some interpret this verse saying that Christ will not cast out anyone who wants to stay, but also wont force someone who wants to leave to stay. Therefore arguing that people can walk away from salvation. Not that they lose it, but they choose to abandon it.
What is your input on this?
No one can undo what the Lord has wrought.
That is quite a vague response. I can easily counter that argument with free will. The Lord can do anything He so wants, so you are already wrong. Do you not have a response to people willingly leaving Christ, therefore rejecting the salvation they received? Or are you saying that Christians lose free will once they receive salvation?
Once you are born, you cannot become unborn. As in the natural, so in the spiritual. Free will doesn’t come into it.
You can’t be unborn, but you can die in the natural world. I am trying to point out someone who wants to get rid of their new life. I understand the point you’re making and I can and want to agree with you. I am just arguing for the sake of all perspectives being seen.
With that point of view in mind, what would you say if hypothetically someone truly believed in Christ, but didn’t care to keep his faith. Eventually, the world succumbed him and he denounced Christ. Are you saying that this person isn’t allowed to lose his spiritual life anymore even if he doesn’t believe in Christ and his sacrifice?
Losing faith after salvation is no different than any other sin. All sins, no matter what type, are covered by the one time blood offering of Jesus. It is not that God is forcing them to stay. He just is not treating it as a special kind of sin that was omitted from Jesus sacrifice. God knows the pressure of this world and that not everyone is going to have the personal strength to not get so broken that they can no longer see Him anymore. At least that is what I am pinning my hopes on.(got a real life event going on with this very topic)
So what do you say about a person willingly deciding to leave Christ after salvation? Is that person saved no matter how defiant and rebellious they are against God? Even if they rebuke Him til their last breath?
Sin is sin. The smallest rebellion of calling a brother a fool is hell worthy. Why would rejection be any different? God knows the heart whether a person truly believed and then their faith got derailed or if a person may have never really believed. Either way their own personal hate and rejection is not the deciding factor. The sole deciding factor is the blood of Jesus. If they were once under the blood, washed forever and made a new creation I have yet to find any scripture that says those spiritual states/processes can be undone. It is God who first loved us not we who won him with our love.
Amen, Momzilla! Salvation is not about our faithfulness but about His. Herein lies the difference between the Old Covenant and the New One. As Paul so eloquently pointe out in his site over and over because we keep interjecting self into the dialog : )
So I want to confirm two things with you. first, do you think that a person not believing in Christ and what He did for us is the same thing as stealing gum from the store or murdering someone? Not having faith is the same as having pride? All sin are the same? I am not trying to say it arrogantly, I haven’t studied on that idea and am curious what your thoughts are.
And secondly, do you think we can freely do whatever we want once we are saved? even if we deny Christ willingly? How was Abraham declared righteous? By his faithfulness. I understand where you are coming from, but I feel like you’re sitting on a fine line of God picking and choosing who He wants to be saved. The sole deciding factor is deciding if we believe in the blood of Jesus, as its been said countless of times. God doesn’t pick and choose who He wants saved, because he obviously wants everyone to be saved. He gives everyone the choice and the eyes to understand, but it is our duty to have faith in Christ and to not deny what is shown and given to you.
I have been speaking of someone who has put their faith in Jesus but for whatever reason feels like they have lost faith. Yes for them losing their faith is the same as stealing, pride, adultery, ect. I am not talking about those who have never came to Him at all.
God isn’t picking who gets saved. The person made the initial free choice to be born again. Yet this isn’t joining Club Jesus where you can unjoin if you change your mind.
Specific things happen to us when we first come to Christ in faith. I suggest going through Romans 3-8, Colossians 2 for just some of the things that happen to us when we first come to Jesus.(don’t want to bog down the comment with a list)
At first glance it looks as if we can “sin and get away with it” but that comes from the mindset where sin gets divided up into big, small, intentional, accidental. Honesty asks that we stop treating big sins as special, or exempt from the blood, while overlooking the everyday kind. The wage for any kind of sin is death. God does not categorize them. Hebrews 9:1-10:18 is a good explanation of our sins, Jesus sacrifice and what He did once He offered it.
Add to that the fact that sin still does have consequences. Josh, we aren’t getting out of jail free by continuing to sin. Sin does have an allure for sure; but the apostle Paul said if you sow to your own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption Gal 6:8 NASB. Have you noticed when you give into sin, how you ultimately ask yourself why did I do that ? In terms of sex, for example , that pleasure is so transitory. Sin doesn’t work for us believers. And although it may seem to work for a time for believer and unbeliever alike , it ultimately leaves us wanting and the world we live in even more desperate than before.
Man this is one beautiful article!!! Well put and great to share with people who struggle with their security in Christ!
Very encouraging,gives me confidence in Christ. Thanks so much for reminding us and making the promises look simple and easy to conceptualise.
God bless you!