Posted on 12/21/2013 11:13:29 AM PST by GonzoII
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Hebrews 6:4-6 reveals a rather unsettling truth: We can lose our state of grace and fall away from the Lord. For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. For those who teach what Calvinists call “the final perseverance of the saints,” this text presents real problems. Some will argue the above description only refers to people who “knew about the Lord,” but were never really saved to begin with. I have always wondered if those making that argument can really be satisfied with it. It seems the inspired author makes clear, almost to the point of redundancy, that he was speaking about those who have been saved and then “commit apostasy.” Another Protestant tack is to claim the author is presenting an impossible hypothetical. In other words, he’s saying it would be impossible to restore again to repentance one who had truly been baptized into Jesus Christ because it is impossible for such a person to fall away to begin with. This doesn’t work, either. The author is presenting a warning of the peril of falling away from the Lord. He would hardly warn his readers of something that is impossible to actually happen. Do Catholics Prove Too Much? Most “eternally secure” Protestants with whom I have spoken about these verses of Scripture end up acknowledging their case to be weak from the text alone. But when cornered, I have found almost invariably they attempt to turn the tables on me by claiming I prove too much as a Catholic. If this text is saying one can fall away, then it also says the one who falls away cannot be restored. This would be contrary to Catholic teaching. The greater context of the entire epistle gives us the answer to this apparent difficulty. Hebrews was written to… you guessed it… Hebrews. But more specifically to Hebrew Christians who were being tempted to go back to the Old Covenant priesthood, sacrifices, and other practices, like circumcision, in order to be saved. It is in this context—from start to finish—that the inspired author runs the gamut on Jewish belief showing how Christ is greater than and/or is the fulfillment of the entire Old Covenant. In chapters one and two, Jesus is revealed to be greater than the angels; he’s revealed to be God (see Hebrews 1:5-10). In chapters three and four, he is our true high priest, greater than Moses, and fulfillment of what the Sabbath symbolized (see 3:3; 4:2-11). In chapters five and seven, he is the antitype of Melchizadek (5:5-10; 7:11). In chapter eight, he is superior to and the fulfillment of the Old Covenant in establishing the New (8:8-13). In chapters nine and ten, he is superior to the temple and its sacrifices (9:23-24; 10:4-10). And it is in this context that the inspired author then exhorts his readers to endure the persecution that had already begun by this time (10:32-39). He calls them to “hold fast the confession of [their] hope without wavering” (10:23), and to remain faithful to the Church Jesus established rather than go back to an Old Covenant and its sacrifices that have no power to save (10:25-31; 12:18-25; 13:7-10). If we understand the greater context, we understand that the author of Hebrews is not saying it is impossible to be forgiven of the sin of apostasy; rather, it is impossible for those who “have tasted the heavenly gift” of the New Covenant and would then return to the Old Covenant to be saved. Why? Because they are trusting in a covenant, law, priesthood, sacrifice, and more that do not possess the power to save. They are returning to a well without water. If these same Hebrews, or by allusion anyone down through the centuries who may have apostatized, turn back to Christ and his Church trusting in the graces that alone come from the sacrifice of Christ, then of course they can be restored to a saving relationship with God. |
Please don’t leave us!
;-)
no
Nope.
Before the foundations of the world the Father gave to Him all the elect. Ephesian 1:4ff
Makes sense to me.
why would God sacrifice his son to be tortured whipped and hung to suffocation on the cross if it was not complete payment for or sins? What more do we have to offer?
Repentance is NOT salvation.
The words do NOT mean the same thing.
Repentance is required before receiving salvation, but it is not in and of itself salvation.
The penalty for sin is death.
Whether this scripture is referring to born again christians or not, it is clearly describing the impossibility to restore a mindset of repentance if one has witnessed first hand the works of the Spirit and still turns away. In other words, If the Holy Spirit Himself cannot reach them, it is impossible for men to do what the Holy Spirit cannot.
If you look throughout scripture, you will see that persistent unrepentant sin leads to physical death... destruction of the flesh... end of life of earth.
You do NOT however see reference to GOD SAYING that our name will be removed from the book of life.
LOL!
There was a case on a tv show where a man who was, IIRC, Christian and married, met with an accident that damaged his memory. He underwent rehabilitation but in the process ended up adopting a new religion. His wife was utterly distressed and didn’t know what to do.
Once ‘saved’, always ‘saved’, no?
:-D
(I guess that means we can keep you?)
Since the above takes pot shots at Calvinists you should know that once saved always saved is not a tenant of the Reformed faith.
No, but I think that a person can believe they have salvation when they really don’t.
For example: “Oh yeah. I’m saved. My girlfriend dragged me to some revival about 30 years ago and I went up to the altar and said some prayer. Never went back, but I really didn’t need to after that. Got my ticket to heaven punched.”
Paul is speaking about sinning against the Holy Spirit, which would entail denying it and acting in opposition to it. For someone who was once a believer, this is would be an unforgivable sin.
OSAS is a false doctrine. A person can think they are saved and disobey a Commandment and be on their way away from Christ.
The True Believer is Safe and Secure in Christ Forever
Personal assurance and the enjoyment of my so-great salvation depends on my knowledge of the absolute certainty of the promises of God.
The story is told of a western traveler in the pioneer days who came one winter night to the banks of a wide river. He had to get across but there was no bridge. The river was coated with a sheet of ice but he did not know how safe it was. After much hesitation he gingerly tested it with one foot and it held. Night was coming on and he must get across. With many fears and with anxious care he crept out on hands and knees, hoping to distribute his weight evenly on the uncertain ice. When he had gone some distance painfully and slowly he suddenly heard the sound of horse hoofs and joyful singing. There in the dusk was a man happily driving a wagon load of coal across the ice, being pulled by a muscular horse. The man was cheerfully singing as he went. He knew the ice was safe and he had no fears.
Both of these men were absolutely safe on that ice. The ice was thick and solid. It could have borne twice that weight easily. One man was in fear and doubt because he did not know how safe he was and did not realize how solid and thick the ice was. The other man enjoyed his ride across the frozen river because he knew without any doubt that the ice would hold and that the foundation under him was solid and safe.
A true believer is safe and secure in Jesus Christ. No foundation could be any more safe or solid (1 Cor. 3:11). The problem is that some believers are not familiar with the statements and promises of God concerning their absolute security in Christ and therefore they are not in the place to fully enjoy their so-great salvation. It is to help such people that these pages are written. May our security in Christ cause our hearts to greatly rejoice: + "Safe am I, Safe am I, in the hollow of His hand!"+
Every believer is safe and secure and protected in Christ, but not every believer realizes and understands his safety and security as well as he should. The more I realize how safe and secure I am in Christ, the more assurance I will have and the more I will be able to enjoy my relationship with Christ.
Sadly, there is another class of people who have a sense of false security. They think that they are safe when they are not safe at all. They think they are on solid ground when they are actually on sinking sand. Their situation would be like the person who thinks the ice is thick and walks out on it, only to have it give way under his feet, plunging him into the icy waters. Some have false security because they think that their good works will earn them entrance into heaven. Others have false security because they are trusting in some religious system for their salvation. Anyone who trusts in anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ and Him alone is not safe! Such a person is in great danger. Our refuge and safety must not be in SELF but in CHRIST ALONE.
In these pages we are going to see from the Bible that the true believer is safe and secure in Christ forever. The one who has come to Christ for salvation will never be cast out (John 6:37). No true believer will ever be lost. No true believer will ever lose his salvation (John 6:37-40). Will the true believer ever perish (John 10:28)? Never!
Before considering our eternal safety in Christ and God’s amazing keeping ability, let us consider the important, soul-searching question: Am I a true believer? To help you answer this question, consider the following questions given on the next page. Think about each one in an honest, personal way. Take time to look up the Bible verses that are given along with each question. Ask yourself: Who am I really trusting for my eternal salvation?
Am I A True Believer?
Do I see myself as a guilty, lost sinner who stands condemned before a holy and righteous God (Romans 3:10-19,23)? Do I recognize that my own heart is deceitful and wicked and incurably sick (Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23)? Do I see myself as deserving of death and hell (Romans 6:23)? Do I realize that if God were to give me what I deserve and repay me for the way I have lived, then I would be totally destroyed (Psalm 130:3; compare Psalm 103:10)? Do I recognize that there is absolutely nothing I can do to save myself (Titus 3:5)? Do I understand that trying my best to perform good works will never gain me or earn me an entrance into heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9)? Do I realize that my church or my religious system cannot save my soul (Jeremiah 17:5)? Am I convinced that my own righteousness and my own goodness falls far short of the righteousness that God requires and demands (Romans 3:10-12; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)? Do I, in and of myself, have any personal credentials that are acceptable before God (Isaiah 64:6)?
Do I believe that Jesus Christ is God’s only Solution to my sin problem (Acts 4:12)? Do I recognize Him as the only way to God (John 14:6), the only Door to salvation (John 10:9), the only Saviour for sinners (Matthew 1:21) and the only One who can give me eternal life (John 10:28; 17:3)? Do I understand that Jesus Christ is the eternal God (John 1:1-3) who came into this world and became a man to save me (John 1:14; 1 Timothy 1:15; John 3:17)? Am I convinced that He loved me even when I was a great sinner (Romans 5:8; John 3:16) and that He died and rose again to save my soul (Romans 4:25)? Am I persuaded that the Lord Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that He died in my place as my perfect Substitute, dying in my stead and paying completely the full penalty for my sins (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21)? Am I trusting in Him and in Him alone to save me (Acts 16:31)? Have I come to Him in simple, child-like faith (John 6:35,37; Matthew 11:28)? Have I, by faith, personally received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour (John 1:12)? Am I resting my entire self on who He is (John 8:24), on what He has done (1 Cor. 15:3-4) and on what He has said (John 6:47)?
Do I believe that He is able to completely save all those who come unto God through Him, including me (Hebrews 7:25)? Do I believe the statement of Christ found in John 5:24? Is John 3:16 true of me? Have I ever shared with others that Jesus Christ is my Saviour (Romans 10:9-10; Matthew 10:32)? Am I able to say from my heart: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ Name. On Christ the solid Rock I stand—all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand!" [Edward Mote]
Another helpful question that I can ask myself is this: If I were to die today and stand before God and He should ask me, "Why should I allow you to enter My holy heaven?" what would my answer be? If my answer in any way points to MYSELF (my own credentials, my own works, my own religious deeds, etc.) then I am not standing on solid ground. Here are some examples of people putting their trust in SELF:
"God should let me into His holy heaven because in my lifetime I have done more good than bad." "God should let me into His holy heaven because I try to keep the ten commandments." "God should let me into His holy heaven because I’m a member of a certain church" etc. All such answers point to ME, but salvation is not of ME; salvation is of the LORD!
There is only one reason why I can enter God’s holy heaven. The appropriate response is this: "I will enter God’s holy heaven for one reason and one reason only. It is only because of Jesus Christ my Saviour. Apart from His work on the cross I could never be saved. Apart from His life which He has given to me as a free gift, I could never enter His holy heaven. He is my only hope. He is the only righteousness I have and He is all the righteousness I need. Thank You Lord for saving my soul and making me whole." Notice how this answer points away from SELF and clearly points to the Saviour and to Him alone!
In the following sections of this document, we are going to establish the fact that the true believer is safe and secure in Christ forever. This is the doctrine of eternal security. In answering the questions, please look up all of the verses that are given, even if you think you know the answer without looking up the verses. It is important to see exactly what God says and to let His Word sink deeply into your heart (Psalm 119:11; Colossians 3:16).
Is The True Believer Safe and Secure in Christ Forever?
The answer to this question is an emphatic "YES" for the following reasons:
Is God a man that He should lie (see Numbers 23:19)? ______ Therefore, God cannot break His promises! In this course of study we have already studied 15 salvation promises. One of them was John 3:16. In this passage God promises the true believer that he will never ______________________. In John 3:18 God promises that the true believer will never be _____________________.
According to John 5:24, what are 3 things that are true of every believer?
In John 6:37 Christ promises to never ______________ __________ the person who comes to Him. In John 11:26 Christ promises that the true believer will never ________ [This "death" does not refer to physical death which both saved people and unsaved people experience, but it refers to "the second death" which is eternal separation from God (see Rev. 20:14-15; 21:8) which only the unsaved experience].
Answer True or False:
| ________ | If a believer sins, then Christ will cast him out (John 6:37). |
| ________ | A person who truly is trusting in Christ as Saviour will never perish (John 3:16). |
| ________ | John 5:24 teaches the same truth as Romans 8:1. No condemnation! |
| ________ | It is possible for a true believer to lose his salvation and perish. |
| ________ | If a true believer in Christ could perish, then this would make God a liar (see John 3:16). |
| ________ | God is not a liar, and therefore John 3:16 is true. The believer in Christ will not perish. God has given us His Word! God said it and that settles it! |
According to 1 Corinthians 6:11, when the Corinthian people became saved, three things happened to them:
Do you think it is possible for a believer to become unwashed? _____________ Can a person become unsanctified? _____ Do you think that a born-again person can become unjustified (condemned)? _______ Can a believer become unredeemed? ______ For a person to lose his salvation he would have to become UNWASHED, UNSANCTIFIED, UNJUSTIFIED and UNREDEEMED! Is this possible? _________ Does God "undo" the good work that He begins in a person or does He bring that good work to its ultimate completion (Phil. 1:6)? _________________________________________________
In John chapter 10 Christ describes Himself as the Good S_________________ (verse 11) and He describes those who are true believers as His ______________ (verse 27). What does Christ give to His sheep (verse 28)? ___________________________________ In verse 28 the Lord Jesus said that His sheep will never _________________ (verse 28). Note: In the Greek this is a very strong statement. It could be translated, "They shall never perish, no not ever!!!" Or literally, "Forever they will never perish!" This is eternal security!
In John 10:28 we learn that the believer is safe and secure in whose hand? ___________________ Is anyone able to pluck the believer out of His hand? _____ In John 10:29 we learn that the believer is safe and secure in whose hand? _____________________ Is anyone able to pluck the believer out of His hand? ________ In verse 30 we learn that God the Son and God the Father are _________. In order for the believer to be lost, there would have to be a person stronger and more powerful than God the Son and God the Father who could pluck him out from the safety of God’s hand! Is there such a person? _____ Is the God who lives in us (God the Holy Spirit) greater than Satan (see 1 John 4:4)? _______
True or False: ______________ According to John 6:35, the person who comes to the Lord Jesus is the person who believes in Him. What will Christ never do to the person who comes to Him and believes on Him (John 6:37)? ______________________________ Note: In the Greek, John 6:37 is also a very strong statement. It uses a double negative: "I will never ever throw him out." Read John 6:38-39 and answer True or False:
________ Christ came to this world to do His own will.
________ Christ came to this world to do His Father’s will.
________ The Father’s will was that Christ should lose only a few believers.
According to John 6:40 and 6:47, God’s will is that everyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ should have ____________________________. According to John 6:39,40,44,54, what future promise does the Lord give to those who are true believers? __________________________________________________ Thus, John 6 teaches us that the true believer has eternal life, he will never be cast out by Christ and he will be raised up at the last day! Is the believer in Christ eternally secure? ___________________
Note: "I will raise him (the true believer) up at the last day" (see John 6:39,40,44,54). This is a reference to the first resurrection which is for believers only. It is a bodily resurrection that is unto LIFE (John 5:29). Only those who are "blessed and holy" can take part in the first resurrection (Rev. 20:6). The second resurrection is for the unsaved only. The unsaved dead will be raised up bodily to stand before Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment described in Revelation 20:11-15. Such persons will end up in the lake of fire which is the second death (Rev. 20:14-15; 21:8). Those who believe in Christ will never be a part of the second resurrection which is called the "resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28-29).
We learn from Hebrews 13:5 that our conversation (manner of life, conduct, the way we live) is to be without __________________________. This means we are to be free from the love of money. We are not to love money or be possessed by our possessions (see 1 Timothy 6:9-11). There is a danger that we can get so wrapped up in materialistic things that we forget the Lord.
Instead of loving money, we are to be C_______________ (Hebrews 13:5) with the things that we have. Therefore we are to be content and satisfied with what we have ("What I have is ENOUGH!"). As believers what do we have? What do we possess? We have the most precious possession that anyone could ever have because HE (Christ) has said (and He continues to say), I will never ________________ thee, nor ______________ thee (Hebrews 13:5). In the Greek this is a very strong statement. Five negatives are used and it could be translated in this way: "I will (1) never (2) ever leave thee, (3) no, I will (4) never (5) ever forsake thee." It is a negative way of saying, "I will positively be with you forever!" Christ will never abandon, desert, forsake or leave those that belong to Him!!
Note: The word "leave" in Hebrews 13:5 is the same word as the word "loosed" in Acts 16:26 (Paul’s chains "left" him). The chain that binds the believer to Christ will never be loosed. We are chained to Him forever. He will never leave us! Nothing shall separate us (Rom. 8:38-39).
Christ was forsaken by God (Matthew 27:46) so that the believer will never be forsaken by God (Heb. 13:5). Because of this we may boldly say, "The _____________ is my _________________ and I will not F_________" (Hebrews 13:6). "The ______________ is my ___________________ I shall not _____________ (Psalm 23:1, "want" means to lack or be in need). We have Christ! Do we need anything or anyone else? ______ Will He always be with us (Matthew 28:20)? ______ Do we need to fear (Heb. 13:6)? ______ Was this same promise given to Old Testament believers (see Deuteronomy 31:6,8)? _______ If it were possible for a believer to be lost, then Christ would have to leave him and forsake him. Is this possible? _____ God will not abandon His own! No not ever!
John 1:12 declares that the moment you received the Lord Jesus Christ and believed on His Name you became a _________________ of God (Note: the word "sons" in John 1:12 means "children"). "Behold, what manner of love the _________________ hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the _________ (children) of _______" (see 1 John 3:1). "Beloved, ______ are we the _________ (children) of _______" (1 John 3:2). According to 1 John 3:10, what are the two groups of people in the world today?
1) _________________________________ 2) ______________________________________ If a person is truly saved, then to what group does he belong? ________________________________ Thus, in order for a saved person to become "UN-SAVED" God would have to say to him: "I now DISOWN you as My child. You are no longer My child and you are no longer a part of My family." Do you think that our Heavenly Father would ever say this to His child? ____
Let’s think about an earthly, human father. Suppose Mr. Smith has a 9 year old son named Joey. One day Joey disobeys his father by messing around with his father’s expensive computer and breaking it. He had been told to not even touch it without permission. How do you think Mr. Smith would respond to Joey’s act of disobedience (circle the sentences below that that best describe how you think this father might handle this situation)?
Let’s assume that Mr. Smith is a loving father and really cares about his son. How would Mr. Smith respond to Joey’s act of disobedience? (Circle the correct answers)
Read Matthew 7:9-11 carefully. Can we expect our Heavenly Father to be "much more" fair and loving towards His children than an "evil" earthly father? _______ Would an earthly father give his son a rattlesnake for lunch? ______ Would he feed his son rocks? _____ Would a human father disown his son? ______ Would God disown His child? ______
As God’s children (sons) we are not to despise the ____________________ (discipline, training, correction, "spanking") of the Lord (Hebrews 12:5). Whom does the Lord chasten (Hebrews 12:6)? ________________________________________ True or False: ___________ Every son is chastened by his father and the person who is not chastened is not really his son (Heb. 12:7-8). Thus, the fact that Mr. Smith chastens Joey proves that Joey is his _______. Would Mr. Smith dare spank or discipline his neighbor’s child? _______ The fact that he does not discipline his neighbor’s child proves that his neighbor’s child is not his ___________. Is it enjoyable to be chastened by the Lord (Hebrews 12:11)? ______ And yet we can endure (Hebrews 12:7) the chastening of the Lord because it produces the peaceable ____________ of _________________________ in our lives (Hebrews 12:11).
In 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 we find two important words (both beginning with the letter "C"): 1) Chastened 2) Condemned. Which of these words describes God’s way of dealing with His children? ________________________ Which of these words describes God’s way of dealing with the world? ________________________ Answer the following True or False:
________ God’s children are chastened by the Lord.
________ God’s children will be condemned by the Lord.
________ The unsaved world is chastened by the Lord.
________ The unsaved world shall be condemned by the Lord.
________ The believer is not under condemnation (Romans 8:1).
________ God is the Father of all men (John 8:44).
| ________ | God corrects and chastens His children but will never disown them. |
| ________ | I thank the Lord that I am a member of God’s family (John 1:12; Eph. 2:19) and I know that He will never cast me out (John 6:37). |
| ________ | Because God will never disown me, I can live as a disobedient child (1 Peter 1:14). |
| ________ | Because I am God’s child, I never want to displease or dishonor (Malachi 1:6) or grieve my Heavenly Father. |
| ________ | The parent who spanks and firmly disciplines his child is showing his hatred for that child (Proverbs 13:24). |
| ________ | God chastens those whom He hates (Revelation 3:19). |
Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and answer these questions: Paul describes the believer’s body as ___________________________________________ Did Paul expect the Corinthian believers to know this truth? _______ Where is the Holy Spirit (verse 19)? ___________ Now that we are saved, are we our own? _____ Who do we now belong to? ______ Are we free to live for ourselves (2 Cor. 5:15)? _____ Why are we not our own (1 Cor. 6:20)? _______________________________________ Who paid this awful price (1 Peter 1:18-19)? ___________________ Salvation is free, but it is certainly not cheap! Circle the one sentence that is false:
Romans 8:9 teaches us that if any man does not have the _____________ of Christ he is ____________________________. This means that if a person does not have the Holy ____________ then he does not belong to ________________. Therefore, everyone who truly belongs to Christ has the _________ _______________ dwelling within.
________ Every person who belongs to Christ has the Holy Spirit.
________ Every true believer has the Holy Spirit.
________ It is possible that a true Christian may not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within.
________ If a person does not have the Holy Spirit, then He is not a true Christian.
In Ephesians 1:13 we learn three things that have happened to every person who is truly saved: "In whom ye also trusted, (1) after ye heard the ____________ of ____________, the __________________ of your salvation; in whom also (2) after ye _____________________, (3) ye were _________________________ with that __________ _______________ of promise." We shall now study these three ingredients of salvation:
| Suppose Cowboy Sam were to brand his cattle with this mark: |  |
| Suppose Cowboy Hank were to brand his cattle with this mark: |
|
| If you were riding on your horse and you came across a stray steer with | |
branded on its hide, then you would know that the steer belongs to whom? ___________________________
A little further down the trail you come across another steer and as you examine this animal you discover that it is branded with , and therefore it must belong to Cowboy Hank. Every steer that is branded with 
must belong to _____________________. If you were a steer with branded on your hide, then you could proudly say, "I know that I belong to Cowboy Hank. He has branded me with his own personal mark of ownership!"
The believer in Christ has been "branded" or sealed with what (or WHO)–(Ephesians 1:13)? ______________________________________ Who has sealed the believer (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)? _______ Therefore the believer can say, "I know that I belong to _______ because He has S_________________ me with His Holy _______________." In 2 Timothy 2:19 we read: "Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure (solid), having this _________, the ______________ knows them that are __________." He knows those who truly belong to Him! Does the Lord know who His true believers are? ________ Does the Lord know which people He has sealed with the Holy Spirit and which people He has not sealed? _______ As you watch and observe other people, is it possible for you to actually see the Holy Spirit in them? _____ Is the Holy Spirit visible or invisible? ______________ Therefore, is God’s seal visible or invisible? ____________________ The first time you looked in the mirror after you were saved, did you see any great difference in your appearance? _____ Did you see the Holy Spirit living in you? ______ Did you find God’s name written on your forehead as the people described in Revelation 14:1? _______
________ The believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit, but no one can see this seal except the Lord.
________ When a sinner is saved his physical appearance changes drastically.
________ The Lord knows which people have the Holy Spirit in their hearts (compare 1 Samuel 16:7 with 2 Corinthians 1:22).
Certainly God knows that we belong to Him, but how can other people know that we belong to the Lord? The answer to this question is found in the last part of 2 Timothy 2:19: "Let every one who names the name of Christ depart from ________________________ (unrighteousness)." According to this verse, explain how other people can know that we are truly Christians: _________________________________________________________________________________
Although people cannot see the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, are they able to see the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 5:9)? _______ How can the world know that we belong to Christ (John 13:35)? _________________________________________________
________ The world can actually see the Holy Spirit in the believer.
________ The world can see the way we live and conduct ourselves and they can see the evidence of the Spirit at work in our lives.
________ The person who truly has the Holy Spirit will want to depart from iniquity and unrighteousness. His desire is to please and obey the Lord.
________ If a person is consistently living in sin and unrighteousness then he is giving evidence that he does not belong to the Lord (compare 1 John 2:29; 3:10).
________ If a person claims to be a Christian then he must be a true believer. If you say you are saved then this means that you really are saved.
Ephesians 1:14 teaches us that the Holy Spirit is the "_______________ (down payment, pledge) of our inheritance until the _____________________ of the purchased possession." This verse is talking about the believer’s final redemption when the believer will be with the Lord forever and will never again sin. Christ has promised us that someday He will return for His believers (see John 14:2-3; Romans 8:23). As a guarantee that Christ’s promise is true, God the Father has given us His Holy Spirit as an earnest or pledge that someday our salvation will be completed (compare Phil. 1:6). "God has also ______________ us, and given the ________________ (pledge) of the ____________ in our hearts" (2 Cor. 1:22). "God also has _______________ unto us the __________________ (pledge) of the ________________" (2 Cor. 5:5). To understand the word "earnest" just think of an engagement ring. When a young man gives his sweetheart an engagement ring, the ring serves as a pledge or a guarantee that someday he will come to marry the girl who has the ring. He will receive his bride and enter into a wonderful relationship with her. Therefore, the fact that we have the H__________ S_____________ is a guarantee that someday Christ will come to receive His bride (John 14:1-3) and we will be with Him face to face (1 Thess. 4:16-18) in a far greater and closer relationship than we enjoy even now (Phil. 1:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:8; 1 John 3:1-3).
________ The fact that we have the Holy Spirit now proves that someday our salvation will be complete and we will be with the Lord. All who are sealed will be saved forever!
________ We are sealed with the Holy Spirit until we sin (Eph. 4:30).
________ It is possible for the believer to grieve and sadden the Holy Spirit because of sin in his life (Eph. 4:30).
________ When the believer sins, it is then that the Holy Spirit leaves him and abandons him (Eph. 4:30; John 14:16-17).
________ God the Father has given us the Holy Spirit so that He might abide and live with us forever (John 14:16).
________ A saved person can lose the Holy Spirit and become UN-SEALED.
________ The Holy Spirit sometimes leaves a believer (John 14:16; Hebrews 13:5).
________ It is possible for a true believer to become un-sealed.
________ If a person claims to be a Christian, then he should show that he is really saved and really sealed by the way he lives (2 Timothy 2:19).
In Ephesians 1:22-23 the true church is said to be His (Christ’s) B__________. Paul said to the Corinthian believers: "Now ye are the __________ ____ _______________" (1 Corinthians 12:27). Those of us who are truly born-again (John 3:3-7, 14-16) can say, "We are ____________ of His (Christ’s) _______________, of His ______________, and of His _______________________" (Ephesians 5:30).
Who is the Head of this body (see Colossians 1:18 and compare Col. 1:13-14; see also Ephesians 1:22-23)? ______________________________ Think of your own body. Does your head tell your hands what to do or do your hands tell your head what to do? ____________________________________________________ Who then should be the One that gives orders to the church? _______________ Where do we find these orders (2 Timothy 3:16-17)? ________________________ Who should have the pre-eminence (first place) in all things in the church (Colossians 1:18)? ___________________________________
How many bodies does Christ have (Ephesians 4:4)? _________ [Note: We know that Christ is in heaven today in a literal, physical, resurrection body – Philippians 3:21; compare John 20:26-27; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 1:7. And yet, it is also true that Christ has a body of believers on the earth whose purpose is to manifest the resurrected life of the Lord Jesus who is now in heaven – Romans 6:4-10; Galatians 2:20. This is the "one body" spoken of in Ephesians 4:4].
How many LORDS do we have over the church (Eph. 4:5)? _______ What is His Name (Eph. 3:11)? __________________________________ Therefore, the church has how many Heads? ________ In Matthew 16:18 Christ said, "I will build _____ church." In Ephesians 1:23 we learn that the church is ______ body. Is the Pastor speaking the truth if he says: "This is my church!" ? ______ Should the elders or deacons say this? _____ Those who really understand God’s Word will say, "This is _____________ church!"
How does a person become a part of the true church? How does a person become a member of the body of Christ? The answer to these questions is found in the two words "one baptism" in Ephesians 4:5. This is not talking about water baptism. Ephesians 4:3-6 is speaking about things that are true of all believers. Thus the "one baptism" must be a baptism that is common to all believers. Have all believers been baptized in water? ______ Was there a time in your life when you were a believer in Christ but you were not yet baptized in water? _______ Were you baptized in water the moment you were saved or some time later? ________________________________ Suppose that you received Christ as your personal Saviour and then before you had a chance to be baptized (immersed) in water, you had a heart attack and died. Would you still go to heaven (see 1 John 5:11-12; John 3:16; Acts 16:31)? _________ Does water baptism save a person or does Christ save a person (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; and see also page 21)? ___________________________ Therefore, the baptism spoken of in Ephesians 4:5 cannot be water baptism, but it must be a baptism that has happened to every believer.
As we study the Scriptures we discover that the "one baptism" of Ephesians 4:5 must refer to "Spirit baptism." Spirit baptism is most clearly described and defined in 1 Corinthians 12:13 –"For by one _______________ were we all ____________________ into one __________." According to this verse, how many believers have been baptized into the body of Christ? ________ Therefore, this baptism must have taken place when (circle the correct answer)?
The following diagram might be of help in understanding the truth of 1 Corinthians 12:13:
________ The church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23).
________ Every believer is a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27).
________ Every believer is a member of Christ’s Church.
________ Water baptism is the same as Spirit baptism (see the previous two pages).
________ 1 Corinthians 12:13 describes water baptism.
________ Acts 8:38 describes Spirit Baptism.
________ Ephesians 4:5 is talking about Spirit Baptism.
________ Every believer has been baptized in water.
________ Every believer should be baptized in water (Acts 10:48; Matthew 28:19-20).
________ All believers have been Spirit-baptized (1 Cor. 12:13).
________ Spirit baptism is that experience that results in a person speaking in tongues.
________ Spirit baptism is that work of God whereby a person is immersed and placed into the body of Christ the moment he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 12:13).
________ Water baptism saves us from our sins (Matthew 1:21).
________ When a saved person becomes a member of Christ's church (a member of Christ's body), his membership is permanent. He can never stop being a member of the body of Christ.
________ If a believer were to lose his salvation (which is impossible), God would have to cast him out of the body of Christ (which is impossible).
________ We know that God has placed the true believer into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13) and we can be sure that Christ will never remove him from this body (compare John 6:37).
________ Sometimes Christ must say to His disobedient believers, "You are no longer members of My body! I hereby excommunicate you from My church!"
________ It is impossible for a person who has been baptized into the body of Christ to be baptized out of that body!!
________ The true believer is eternally safe in Christ because he is a member of the body of Christ!!
What shall separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35)? _________________ Shall tribulation? _____ Shall distress? _____ Shall persecution? _____ Shall famine? _____ Shall nakedness? _____ Shall peril? _____ Shall sword? _____
According to Romans 8:36, does God tell us that we would expect an easy life? _____ Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. Did Paul experience the very things mentioned in Romans 8:35? _______
Can a believer live a victorious life even in the midst of trouble and trial and suffering (Romans 8:37)? _________ Did Paul have ASSURANCE that nothing could separate him from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39)? ______ What one word in verse 38 is a word of ASSURANCE? ______________________ Can an unbeliever claim the wonderful promise of Romans 8:38-39 (compare 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)? _______ For a saved person to be lost he would have to be separated from the love of God. Is this possible? _______
What is the answer to this Biblical question: "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)? _____________________ Verses 32-34 of Romans 8 prove that God is for us and not against us. Match the following statements with the correct verse in which they are found:
| 1 ________ | Christ died for us. | A. | Romans 8:32 |
| 2 ________ | God the Father delivered up His own Son for all of us. | ||
| 3 ________ | Christ makes intercession for us. | B. | Romans 8:33 |
| 4 ________ | God declares us to be righteous. | ||
| 5 ________ | Christ rose again for us. | C. | Romans 8:34 |
If the LORD is our light and our salvation, do we need to fear (Psalm 27:1)? _____ If the LORD is the strength of our life then we do not need to be __________________ (Psalm 27:1). The Lord is our refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble and therefore we will not ___________ (Psalm 46:1-2). Because the Lord is on our ______________, we will not _______________ (Psalm 118:6). Who is our HELPER (Isaiah 50:7-9)? ___________________________________ If God is our Helper, do we need to fear men (Hebrews 13:6)? _______ If the Lord is IN US, do we need to fear Satan (1 John 4:4)? ______
For a believer to lose his salvation, it would be necessary for God to be against him. Is this possible? ______
In 1 Peter 1:5 we are told that believers are __________ by the ____________ of God through __________ unto S__________________. The word "kept" comes from a verb which means "to keep, to guard, to protect" and it is in the present tense which means that we are constantly and continually being K_________ by the P______________ of God. The verb is also in the passive voice which means that we are not the ones doing the keeping, but it is _______ who does the keeping! Does 1 Peter 1:5 say that we are kept by our own faithful living and good works? _______ We are constantly being _________ in God’s power.
How powerful is God (compare Genesis 17:1 and Revelation 19:6)? _________________________________ Is God able to save sinful men (read Matthew 19:23-26)? ______ If God is able to save us, is He also able to keep us saved (1 Peter 1:5)? _______ Whose responsibility is it to keep and guard and protect believers (1 Peter 1:5)? ___________ Is the Shepherd supposed to guard and keep the sheep or are the sheep supposed to guard and keep themselves? _____________________________________________ Is the Lord Jesus able to keep and protect His sheep (John 10:27-28)? _______ Now that we are saved, the Lord Jesus is the _____________________ and ______________________ of our ____________ (1 Peter 2:25). The word "Bishop" means "overseer," one who watches over us and protects us and keeps us from eternal harm. Christ is the Guardian of our souls!
According to Hebrews 7:25, the Lord Jesus is _________ to __________ them to the __________________ that come unto ________ through ________. He is able to keep on saving them to the uttermost. The word "uttermost" means "completely, perfectly, fully, wholly." Therefore, because of the work of Christ on our behalf, we have a perfect, complete and full salvation! And this complete salvation is forever because "He _________
______________ to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25)."
Jude tells us (in Jude 24) that God is ___________ to ____________ us from ________________, and to present us ________________________ before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy! Who was another great man of God who had assurance of God’s keeping power (read 2 Timothy 1:12)? ___________ As Paul wrote the book of 2 Timothy, did he believe that his death was close at hand (2 Timothy 4:6-8)? ______ In light of this fact, it is amazing to read 2 Timothy 4:18 and to discover that Paul had full ASSURANCE of the keeping power of God: "And the _______________ shall deliver me from ________________ evil work, and He will _______________________ me unto His ___________________________ ________________________." The verb "preserve" means "to save" and thus Paul knew that the Lord would save him unto His heavenly kingdom! Because of God’s keeping ability, our full and complete salvation is guaranteed!
________ It is the responsibility of sheep to keep themselves safe.
________ We are the Guardians of our own souls.
________ God is able to keep and protect His saved ones to the very end. This is why His believers do not need to worry about losing their salvation.
________ The Almighty God is fully able to keep His own and to preserve them unto His heavenly kingdom.
________ God must save us, but it is our responsibility to keep ourselves saved by living a faithful life and by doing good works that please the Lord.
________ I know that I am constantly being kept in and by God’s power and therefore I am thankful to the Lord and I desire to live a faithful life and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. I thank God for my full and complete salvation.
________ God has saved me by His grace and He is now keeping me by His grace and someday I’ll be in heaven by the grace of God!
________ God has saved me by His grace but I’m keeping myself saved by my good works and by my righteous deeds.
________ Because God has saved me and is keeping me, I can live anyway I want and I can do whatever I please. Since I’m SAFE, it no longer matters if I SIN.
________ God’s sheep are safe in the hand of God forever (John 10:28-29).
________ God’s sheep follow the Shepherd (John 10:27).
Where is the Lord Jesus Christ today (Rom. 8:34)? __________________________ What is He doing there (Romans 8:34)? _____________________________ Who is He doing this for? ___________ Read Hebrews 7:25. Not only does Christ save completely all those who come to God through Him, but He also is always living in order to make __________________ for them! In both Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25 the verb "intercede" is in the present tense, indicating that Christ keeps on making _____________________ for us. "To intercede" means "to pray for someone, to plead on someone’s behalf." Did Christ intercede on behalf of Simon Peter (Luke 22:31-32)? _____ Peter certainly had a lapse of faith when he denied his Lord, but Jesus prayed that his F____________ would not F___________. Do you think this prayer was answered? ______
In John 17:1-26 we find a wonderful example of an intercessory prayer. Who prayed this prayer (John 17:1)? __________________ Therefore, who is our Intercessor? _______________________ To Whom did Christ pray (John 17:1,5,11,21,24,25)? ____________________________________ In this prayer, did Christ intercede for believers or for unbelievers (John 17:9)? ____________________________ In what verse does Christ ask the Father to keep (guard, protect) those believers that belong to Him? _______________ In what verse does Christ ask the Father to keep them from the evil? _________ [Literally, "...keep them from the evil one (Satan)"] In what verse does Christ pray for His believers that they might be with Him and that they might be where He is? ________ Will this prayer be answered (John 14:3)? ________
If we could lose our salvation, then Christ would have to stop interceding for us! But the Bible tells us that He keeps on making ____________________________ for _______ (Romans 8:34). Therefore, is it possible for the believer to lose His salvation? ______
What can you say about the believer who says, "I have no sin" (1 John 1:8)? _____________________________________________________ What can you say about the believer who says, "I have not sinned" (1 John 1:10)? ___________________________________________________________________ Is it true, according to 1 John 1:9, that when we sin we need to ask Christ to save us all over again? ______ When the child of God sins, what must he do (1 John 1:9)? _____________________________________ The word "confess" means "to say the same thing, to agree, to acknowledge." Therefore we must say the same thing about sin that God says. We must see our sin as God sees it. We must agree with God and with God’s Word that what we have done is sinful: "Yes Lord, I have sinned and done this wickedness in Your sight" (compare David’s prayer of confession in Psalm 51:3-4). When we confess our sins, what two things does God promise to do (1 John 1:9)? 1)____________________________________ 2)________________________________________
Did John write these things to us so that we would sin and live a defeated life (1 John 2:1)? ______ True or False: ________________ "If any man sin, then he has lost his salvation" (1 John 2:1). But if we do sin, then we know that we have an ___________________ (1 John 2:1). The verb "we have" is in the present tense and means, "We keep on having an Advocate." That is, He never stops being our Advocate. The word "advocate" means "one who is called to our side to help us, a helper in court, a defense attorney." Who is our Advocate and Helper and Defense Attorney (1 John 2:1)? _______________________________________________
When we sin, who is it that accuses us before the Father (Revelation 12:9-10)? _______________________________ Satan comes before God and says, "______________________ (write your own name) has sinned and done this evil deed, and because You are a holy God You ought to punish this believer and send him/her into the lake of fire to be under Your wrath forever." But we have an A______________________ (Helper) with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One (1 John 2:1) and He pleads with the Father on our behalf: "O righteous Father, I know that ______________________ (your own name) has sinned and disobeyed the Word of God, but I died for that sin and Your wrath has already been poured out upon Me when I died on Calvary’s cross as his/her Substitute and My blood cleanses from all sin (1 John 1:7). My Father, You do not need to punish this believer because I was punished in his/her place!" Blessed Saviour! Perfect Substitute! Wonderful Advocate!
If we could lose our salvation, then Christ would have to stop being our Advocate. But the Bible says that "if any man ________, we keep on having an ____________________ with the ______________" (1 John 2:1). Will Christ stop being our Advocate and Helper? _____ Is it possible then for us to lose our salvation? _______
Read carefully 2 Samuel chapter 11 where we are given the account of David’s great sin. Read 2 Samuel 12:1-14 also. What two wicked deeds did David do (2 Samuel 12:9)?
1) __________________________________________________ 2)___________________________________________________
In 2 Samuel 12:1-14 find the verse where David confesses his sin: Verse _______________. In Psalm 51 we have David’s prayer of confession following his great sin. Find the two verses in which David confesses his sin: Verses ______________Did David pray, "Restore unto me Thy salvation" (verse 12)? _______ Did David lose his salvation because of this great sin? ______ What did David lose (verse 12)? _________________________________________
Note: Are you experiencing the JOY of your salvation? If not, then perhaps there is sin in your life that needs to be confessed. Read Psalm 139 and pray the same prayer that David prayed in verses 23 and 24. Psalm 51 and Psalm 32 would also be good to read. Another helpful passage is 1 John chapter 1 and the first two verses in chapter 2. Notice especially 1 John 1:4—that your JOY may be full!
In Philippians 1:6 what word is a word of assurance? ________________________ Paul was fully persuaded that the One who had _____________ a good work in these Philippian believers would also ______________________ it (finish it, complete it) until the _______ of ________________ ____________________. Who was the One who began this good work in the lives of these believers? ________ Who is the One who keeps on working in them (Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 13:20-21)? __________ Will He finish this work (Philippians 1:6)? _______ Is God able to finish what He begins (Jude 24; 2 Tim. 1:12; Hebrews 7:25)? _______
What great event are believers waiting for (1 Corinthians 1:7)? ____________________________________ What great event are believers looking for (Titus 2:13)? ________________________________________________________ How do we know that this great event will take place (John 14:1-3)? _______________________________________
Were the believers in Corinth mature and healthy and growing (1 Corinthians 3:1-2)? ___________ Was the Corinthian church a united church or a divided church (1 Cor. 1:10-13; 3:3-4)? ___________________________________ Did all of the members of the Corinthian church live holy and pure lives (1 Cor. 5:1,13; 11:29-30)? ______ And yet, in spite of all their failures and sins and problems, we are amazed to discover that in 1 Corinthians 1:8 Paul tells these believers that the Lord Jesus shall _______________ them unto the ________ so that they would be _______________________ in the _________ of our Lord Jesus Christ! Is God able to finish the good work that He has begun even in Corinthian believers? _______ Even in you? _______
Philippians 1:6 and 1 Corinthians 1:8 both mention a certain day. What is this day called? _________________________________ We learn in 1 Corinthians 1:7 that this "day" will come to pass when what great event takes place? _______________________________________________________
Please MATCH the following:
| 1. _______ | God began His work in me when I was first saved. | A. | Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 13:21. |
| 2. _______ | God is working in me right now. | B. | 1 Corinthians 1:7-8; Phil. 3:20-21. |
| 3. _______ | God will finish and will complete this great work. | C. | Acts 16:31; John 6:29; Ephesians 1:12-13; 1 Corinthians 6:11 |
| 4. _______ | God delivered me, He is delivering me right now, and He will deliver me! (This speaks of our great salvation – past, present and future!) | D. | 2 Corinthians 1:10 |
God’s eternal purpose is to conform us to what (Rom. 8:28-29)? ___________________________________________ When will God’s purpose for us be fulfilled (1 John 3:2)? ________________________________________________ According to 1 John 3:2, why will we be like Christ on that day? _______________________________________________ Does God want us to see and behold the Lord Jesus even now (2 Cor. 3:18)? ________ How can we see Christ today (Luke 24:27, 44-45; John 5:39)? _______________________________
If it were possible for a true believer to lose his salvation, then God’s eternal purpose to conform him to the image of Christ would have failed! Is this possible? _____ When God purposes to do something, will that purpose be fulfilled (Isaiah 14:27; 46:10-11)? _______
* * * * * * * *
We have now studied 13 reasons why the true believer is eternally safe and secure in Christ forever! Does the Bible teach that a true believer can lose his salvation and be lost (John 6:37-40)? ______ If you are a true believer in Christ, are you really safe and secure in Christ forever (John 10:28)? ______
Are you thankful for your so-great salvation? Are you thankful that you are eternally safe in Christ and kept by His power? Are you thankful that no man can pluck you out of His hand and that no one can separate you from His love? May our THANKSGIVING result in THANKSLIVING (living a life pleasing to the Lord in great gratitude for all that He has done for us through Christ).
These studies can also be done through our Bible Correspondence ministry. The advantage of this is that your lessons would be corrected and returned to you. See How To Enroll in a Correspondence Bible Study Course.
HELD BY OMNIPOTENCE! Monkeys carry their young by having the little ones hold onto the mother’s tail. If the baby monkey is healthy and well, there is little danger, but if the little one, through sickness or weakness loses his hold when his mother makes a sudden leap from one branch to another, then it’s "good-by" as far as the tiny unfortunate creature is concerned. With a mother cat, the story is entirely different. She takes hold of her baby kitten with her teeth. The baby’s safety depends upon the hold of the mother cat, not upon the ability of the weak kitten. This is much better. So, too, it is not our hold upon Christ that makes us safe, but His hold upon us! CERTAIN THINGS THAT GOD WILL NEVER DO! The following are examples of the Greek use of the double negative (ou me), which is a strong way of conveying the idea of "NEVER!" Take your Bible and look up the following verses: God will NEVER allow His Word to be broken or to pass away unfulfilled (Matthew 24:35). God will NEVER cast out the person who comes to Christ (John 6:37). God will NEVER allow an "overcomer" (a true believer) to experience the second death, which is the lake of fire (Rev. 2:11) and he will NEVER allow such a person’s name to be blotted out of His Book (Rev. 3:5). God will NEVER ever allow one of His sheep to perish or be plucked out of His protective hand (John 10:28). God will NEVER allow a true believer to experience spiritual death which is separation from God (John 11:26; John 8:51). God will NEVER remember the sins and iniquities of the person whom He has pardoned (Hebrews 8:12 and 10:17) and he will never impute sin unto the person who has been justified and a recipient of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 4:8). God will NEVER allow any defiling thing into His holy heaven (Revelation 21:27). THE GREATER LOSS! There was once a young minister who visited an aged Christian woman whose state of health made it evident that she was soon to pass from this earthly scene. The minister, who had some doubts about the total reliability of the Scriptures, said to her, "Just suppose that after all your praying and despite your faith your soul should be lost! What then?" To this tactless remark the old lady replied, "Dear man, should such be the case, God’s would be the greater loss. I could only lose my soul. God would lose His honor. If God would be untrue to His Word He would cease to be God. The Lord Jesus promised that ‘him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.’ I rest my soul in His Word, which never fails." –E. S. English SHE WAS INCREDULOUS An old Welsh lady when she lay dying was visited by her Pastor. He said to her, "Sister, are you sinking?" She answered him not a word, but looked at him with an incredulous eye. He repeated the question, "Sister, are you sinking?" She looked at him again as if she couldn’t believe he would ask such a question. At last, rising a little in her bed, she said, "Sinking! Sinking! Did you ever know a sinner to sink through a rock? If I had been standing on the sand, I might sink; but, thank God, I am on the Rock of Ages and there is no sinking there." –C.H. Spurgeon
"A Wise man...built his house upon a rock...and it fell not" (Matt. 7:24-25) There’s an old saying of Samuel Rutherford: "Believe in God’s love and power more than you believe in your own feelings and experiences. Your Rock is Christ, and it is not the Rock that ebbs and flows, but your sea of feelings." If we build our faith upon the certain Word and finished work of Christ, rather than upon our fickle feelings, we shall have the blessed assurance and sense of security we need. Then let the rains of sorrow, the floods of adversity, and the winds of doubt and difficulty come; they shall not be able to destroy the house of our salvation. Our spiritual life is eternally secure, founded upon the Rock of Christ’s promises (John 10:28-29) and the firm foundation of His immutable Word (Eph. 1:3-11).
"I believe hundreds of Christians have not got the assurance of salvation just because they are not willing to take God at His Word" —D.L.Moody.
The Bible is my "Strong Box" filled with my valuable documents: First Document: My Great Gift (John 3:16). Second Document: My Present Possession (John 5:24). Third Document: My Life Insurance (John 11:25-26). Fourth Document: My Accident Policy (Romans 8:28). Fifth Document: My Fire Insurance (2 Peter 3:10-13). Sixth Document: My Identification Papers (1 John 3:1-2). Riches of inestimable worth! |
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Just like the Prodigal son who went on his way away from his father, all the way to the fields with the swine. He never stopped being a son, even at the lowest point of his life. Like him, the sinner can and will get up and decide to return to the Father! He won't stay in the pigpen forever because deep inside he knows that's not the place for a son to be!
I think it be more accurate to say ‘what [Augustine] calls the Final Perseverance of the Saints”:
“But of such as these [the Elect] none perishes, because of “all that the Father has given Him, He will lose none.” (John 6:39). Whoever, therefore, is of these does not perish at all; nor was any who perishes ever of these. For which reason it is said, “They went out from among us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would certainly have continued with us. (John 2:19)”. (Augustine, Treatise on the Predestination of the Saints)
Hebrews 6 deals with men like Judas, who were filled with the Spirit, and even performed miracles along with the rest of the Apostles, casting out devils or performing miracles (Matt 10:1-8), and yet was always accounted a devil and a thief (John 6:70, 12:6). We cannot say that a person who was, in fact, always a thief or accounted as an accursed one, possessed true saving grace, though he was “enlightened,’ and “tasted of the heavenly gift,” etc. Therefore, he could not have been a regenerated believer.
(Though it is worth noting that it doesn’t appear Paul even felt this way towards those he was writing to, as he says:
Heb 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.)
There are men during the Apostolic age who performed miracles by the power of the Holy Ghost, and yet had no saving grace, and therefore were ultimately unknown to the true church of God.
Observe:
“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.”
(Mat 7:22-23)
These men cast out devils and prophesied, which can only be done by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet Christ did not say to them “I knew you, but you made yourself unknown,” but, rather, “I never knew you.”
Compare to Christ’s words to the Sheep of God, who are always known by God:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
(Joh 10:27-28)
(I’ll add that if they can ever “perish,” then God is a liar on this point, since they can always kill themselves or be plucked out by a false teacher.)
And again, all those who apostasize from the faith, were never of us from the beginning:
1Jn_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.
This is one of the texts that Augustine uses to prove his case, since, ‘If they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us.”
Next from John 6, using Augustine’s other text, but including a few extra verses:
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”
(Joh 6:37-39)
First, the observation:
1) All that the Father has given will come to Christ.
This is not a reference to some, or merely a ‘desire’ that this “all” come, but a direct and infallible statement that all that the Father has given will come.
This cannot be interpreted as meaning that God has ordained all mankind to come, as Christ specifically explains to the unbelievers the reason for their unbelief - it is not in the foreknowledge that they would not be believers, it is in the foreknowledge of what God would and wouldn’t do:
“But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
(Joh 6:64-65)
That they do not believe is the reason why Christ “told” them that “no man can come to me unless it is granted Him by the Father.” So those these men were physically standing before the Son, speaking to Him, and hearing His words, but they could not believe save by the giving of the Father to the Son. Exactly as when Christ told Peter, in response to Peter’s confession that He is the Christ: “Blessed are you... for flesh and blood hath not revealed [this] unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven.”
Hence Augustine’s reading of these same verses, with this conclusion:
“Noble excellence of grace! No man comes unless drawn. There is whom He draws, and there is whom He draws not; why He draws one and draws not another, do not desire to judge, if you desire not to err.” (Augustine, Tractate 26)
So we conclude:
1) All that the Father has given will come to the Son
2) Not all the world is given, but only some out of the world.
3) Of all those who come, Christ will “in no wise” cast any out, and “all that the Father has given, I will lose none of it.”
4) Thieves and even men foreknown by God as Devils can possess the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ, and other spiritual benefits, and yet have no saving grace, and are thus “never known” by the Father, but are invaders who inevitably must leave “to manifest that they were not” of us.
These scriptures form an impenetrable wall in which you cannot pass.
Once saved always saved is nothing more than dressed up lawlessness...it leads to a Christian who doesn’t care or understand about the basic Christian doctrine of repenting from and overcoming sin.
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