SECURITY

Scripture states that salvation is eternal, permanent, and cannot be lost ... once saved, always saved. Our eternal security is based on God's strength. It is His work, not ours. Assurance is our response to security. You can "know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13. "He who hears ... and believes ... has eternal life, and does not come into judgement but has passed out of death into life." John 5:24. "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." John 6:37. "And I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father ... is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." John 10:28-29. You are not holding onto Him in your strength ... He is holding on to you in His strength.

A greater understanding of eternal security comes from the following four subjects ... none of which affects our eternal security.

1) Believer's judgement. Every believer's works will be judged by fire,    1 Corinthians 3:10-15. What remains after the fire, determines rewards. If nothing remains, "he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved", verse 15. Salvation can never be lost ... only rewards can be forfeited.

2) The three tenses of salvation ... past, present, and future. We have been saved from the penalty of sin, Luke 7:50, Ephesians 2:5,8. We are being saved from the power of sin, Philippians 2:12, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 2 Corinthians 2:15. In addition, we will be saved from the presence of sin, Romans 5:9-10, 13:11. None are lost in these three stages. Actually the opposite is clearly stated ... all who have been saved will ultimately be saved, John 6:39 and Romans 8:30.

3) Justification is a declaration of righteousness. "A man is justified by works, and not by faith alone." James 2:24. Our good works declare our salvation. Our good works do not save us or keep us saved.

4) God's discipline of His children. Hebrews 12:4-13 describes His discipline, which is based on His love. God disciplines all believers. However, He does not take back our salvation as part of His discipline.

The strong conclusion is that nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39.

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SALVATION 6    PAGES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6    << PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT  >>     << PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT  >>
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Disciplemaking 1, copyright 2003, is available free from www.MyDisciplemaker.org where you can study online or print free copies. You may copy this course, any any part of it, for free or at-cost distribution ... without change to the content ... and with this copyright policy attached. Published by www.ActsOneEight.org. Bible Quotations are from the NASB unless noted.