Eternal Security
“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast,
and which entereth into that within the veil.”
(Hebrews 6:19)
web site: salembible.org
Sunday School Ministry
Eternal Security
Table of Contents
Intro: An
Important Distinction: Security vs.
Assurance
- The Salvation of God
- The Promises of God
- The Grace of God
- The Faithfulness of God
- The Power of God
- The Life of God
- The Sovereignty of God
- The Justice of God
- The Ministries of God the
Spirit
- The Works of God the Son
- The Love of God the Father
- Misunderstood Terms
Introduction: An Important
Distinction: Security vs. Assurance
A.) Eternal Security Defined: The everlasting and unchanging position of
every true believer in Christ, due to the power and faithfulness of God,
whether realized by the saint or not.
·
John
10:28
B.) Assurance of Salvation Defined: An experiential confidence that one is
genuinely and eternally saved.
·
I
John 5:13 – we can and should KNOW.
·
This
knowledge is not presumption, but FAITH.
C.) Every true believer in Christ is
eternally secure, although NOT every true believer experiences the assurance of
that salvation. Because of ignorance,
many believers (who ARE eternally secure) do not know it, do not believe it,
and thus cannot experience the rest of soul this doctrine was intended to
bring.
D.) Prerequisite for assurance of
salvation: a biblical understanding of
God’s character, God’s promises and the nature of salvation.
E.) Examples of believers who were
“sure” they were going to heaven:
·
Daniel (Dan. 12:13)
·
Paul (II Tim. 1:12; 4:6-8)
·
David (II Sam. 12:23)
F.) Hindrances to assurance of
salvation:
·
A lack of knowledge of the
Scriptures
·
Sin: defeat, unconfessed sin,
repeated failures
·
Trusting exclusively in our own
works for assurance
·
Trusting in our feelings for
assurance
·
Dwelling on our condition rather
than our position
·
Can you think of some others?
I.) The Salvation of God
A.)
Regeneration
1.) Defined: the impartation of
eternal life at the moment of saving faith.
2.) The life given is ETERNAL. (John
3:16; 10:28)
3.) Those regenerated will NEVER
PERISH (John 10:28)
4.) Those regenerated will never come
into CONDEMNATION (John 5:24)
B.)
Propitiation
1.) Defined: The infinite satisfaction
of Divine justice based upon the all sufficiency of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
2.) I John 2:2 – The present tense
indicates that Christ CONTINUALLY is the propitiation for our sins.
3.) His shed blood has eternally
satisfied the Father with respect to judgment on the believer.
C.)
Redemption
1.) Defined: The work of God through
the blood of Christ whereby He paid as a ransom the price of human sin, and
delivered the believing sinner from the penalty and power of sin.
2.) Heb. 9:12 – an eternal redemption
3.) Eph. 1:13-14 – a promise of future
glorification
D.)
Justification
1.) Defined: To declare righteous
2.)
3.) Rom. 5:9 – saved from any future
wrath
E.)Reconciliation
1.) Defined: The work of God through
the death of Christ, whereby He provided for the changing of man from the state
of enmity to friendship and fellowship.
2.) Rom. 5:10 – those reconciled have
the promise: we SHALL be saved.
3.) Col. 1:21-22 – those reconciled
have the promise of being presented holy and unblamable before God.
F.) Sanctification (Positional)
1.) Defined: the once for all setting
apart of the believer FROM his former position in Adam, his sin and
condemnation and TO his new position in Christ and in His righteousness.
2.) Heb. 10:10 – The believer has been
sanctified once and for all. It never needs to be repeated.
3.) Heb. 10:14 – those sanctified have
been perfected forever.
§
Every aspect of salvation is
clearly revealed to be forever… eternal… secure.
II.) The Promises of God
A.)
Things Which “Shall Be” true
of Every Believer
1.) Rom. 5:9 – we shall be saved
2.) Rom. 8:18 – glory shall be
revealed in us
3.) I Cor. 1:8 – He shall confirm you
unto the end
4.) I Cor. 15:49 – we shall bear the
image of the heavenly
5.) I Cor. 15:51 – we shall be changed
6.) II Cor. 4:14 – we shall be raised
and presented before God with the apostles.
7.) Phil. 1:6 – God will finish the
work of transformation in us
8.) Col. 3:4 – ye shall appear with
Him in glory
9.) I John 3:2 – we shall be like Him.
§
These
are not things that might occur, or could occur. God said that they SHALL be! This could not be said if it were possible to lose one’s
salvation.
§
There
is no uncertainty in any of these promises.
B.)
Promises of Life/Salvation
1.) John 3:16 – Whoever believes shall
have everlasting life.
2.) Acts 16:31 – Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou SHALT be saved.
3.) Rom. 10:13 – Whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved.
4.) Rom. 10:9 – If thou wilt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised Him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved.
C.)
Promises of No Condemnation
1.)
2.) John
3.) John 3:15-16 – Whosever believeth
in Him should not perish.
4.) John 10:28 – They shall never perish.
5.) John 3:18 – He that believeth on
Him is not condemned.
III.) The Grace of God
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
1.) If salvation were
obtained by our ____good_____ works,
(but it is not!) then it could be lost by our ______bad___works.
2.) Eph.2:8-9 speaks about
the ______past____ tense of salvation.
Salvation has _________already been completed, finished ___
3.) The past tense of
salvation is not a ____process
____that is carried
on and is to be completed later.
4.) What words or expressions
indicate that salvation does not take into
account human merit? gift; grace; not of works;
5.) Note that Paul did NOT
write “By grace are ye __being
__saved.”
Nor did he write “By grace ye __will
__ ___be __ saved.”
Rather, he wrote that “By grace ___ye
___ ___ ARE __ saved.”
The salvation Paul describes is looked
upon as an :
______ completed
______ ____ action ____ .
·
The tense of
the word “saved” in the original indicates a past completed action with present
continuing results.
6.) Salvation by grace....
the kind of salvation God has planned, leaves men
with absolutely no room for ___ boasting
__. Cf.(Rom.3:27)
It demands that 100% of the glory goes to
___ God __. (I Co.1:29)
* Salvation by grace means that human ___ merit
_______
or human _____ effort
____ is not even a consideration on God’s
part with respect to the eternal
destiny of men. (Titus 3:5; Rom.4:5)
7.) Paul states that
salvation is a “gift of God.” A gift is
not earned.
What does God say about His gifts in
Rom.11:29?
God’s gifts and calling are WITHOUT
REPENTENCE. When God gives a free gift, He doesn’t change His
mind!
8.) In Romans 4:16, Paul
states that “it is of faith, that it might by by grace, to the end that the
promise might be sure to all the seed.” This promise is sure because it is of
faith and by grace.
* Paul’s point: If
salvation is of faith by grace (and it
is!) then it
is sure!
* If it were any other
kind of salvation (of works; dependent upon
human
merit even to the tiniest degree) then salvation is NOT sure. That kind of salvation could be lost!
* Since human merit has
NOTHING TO DO WITH eternal destiny, then
salvation rests
totally upon what GOD has done, and is thus sure!
“Every argument
against the eternal security of the believer is based on the human element. As
God definitely and clearly excludes all human element in salvation, every one
of these arguments is thereby ruled out.” (Strombeck, Shall Never Perish)
IV.) The Faithfulness of God
A.) God Cannot Lie
1.
Num.
23:19 – God cannot lie.
2. Heb. 6:17-18 – God’s unilateral promises rest upon HIM and
Him alone for fulfillment.
B.) God Will Not Repent
1.
Num.
23:19 – God does not change His mind.
2.
Rom.
C.) God Performs What He Promises
(Rom. 4:21)
The next time you
are discouraged and thinking about YOUR unfaithfulness to God, think of HIS
faithfulness to His Word! (II Tim.2:13)
V.) The power of God
A.) Kept By the Power of God (I Pet.
1:5)
1. What
is OUR responsibility? To believe!
2. What
is GOD’S responsibility? To keep! Just
believe and leave the keeping to Him!
Cat & monkey
believers: In a region of the Amazon, the natives divided believers up into two
groups: cat & monkey. The “cat”
believers view of salvation viewed their safety as a cat carries her kittens.
Their safety depended upon her grip on them. The monkey group believed they
could lose their salvation. They saw their security in their ability to hold on
to their mother - like a baby monkey holding on to its mother’s back! (author unknown)
B.) No One Can Pluck Us From His Hands
(John 10:29)
- Who could over power Christ
or the Father? No one!
- He never casts us OUT of His
hands or care either. (John 6:37)
C.) He Is Able to Keep That Which I Have
Committed Unto Him (II Tim. 1:12)
1.) What did Paul commit to the Lord?
(His own eternal destiny!)
2.) Of what is Paul persuaded? That God is ABLE to keep.
3.) For how long of a period of time
does God “keep” in this passage? Until that day… of His coming. (Cf. II
Tim.4:18 – Paul was assured of being in the future Kingdom!)