Eternal Security is one of the most
prevalent false doctrines of today. It causes men to believe that they can
sin and live any way they please; yet be saved and eternally secure. There
is a true security for the saints, but we must live right to keep
eternally secure. To be eternally secure we must stay in the grace of God.
Consider the false teaching of eternal security. If this
is true, a saved man is no longer a free moral agent. The devil would be a
fool to tempt a man to sin, if after he was saved he was eternally secure
and could not backslide. There would be no reason for the devil to ever
come around again. He would be wasting his time. Man is still able to make
choices after he is saved. He is still able to choose whether or not to
serve God.
Joshua said, "And if it seem evil unto you to serve
the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which
your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods
of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we
will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15.
The Bible says in Genesis 3:24, that Adam and Eve were
created in the moral image and likeness of God; yet the commandment of God
gave Adam the power of choice. Through Adam's will, he chose to disobey
God and he fell from grace. We need to take heed that we do not fall. When
we consider these things, we see that there is no scriptural validity in
the eternal security that false religion teaches. Christ does not condone
sin in the saved, while condemning it in the unsaved. That is foolish
thinking. God will not condone sin in anyone.
The word "saint" means a holy person. God
condemns sin in any individual, regardless of what they profess, or who
they are. If they are committing willful transgressions, they are sinners
and outside the grace of God. As long as we cooperate with God and His
plan, our salvation is eternally secure. If we no longer follow the divine
mind and plan of God, we are not going to make heaven our home. This is a
life of submission. We live right whether we are at church or at home with
our family. We do not act differently when we are with the saints. God
demands holiness all of the time.
Whatever God demands, it is up to you and I to do it. We
should not be a hypocrite or a reproach to the church. We can be a
hindrance to others as well as ourselves spiritually. We have to be
serious. If there was ever a time when man needs to be serious and reign
over sin, it is the day in which we live. You must bring yourself under
subjection. God will give you the grace and power to hold steady and stay
true. He expects you to live as the Word of God teaches you to live, or
you will not go to Heaven.
There is no excuse for a man not to know the will of God
in this enlightened day in which we live. There are some things you must
do to keep your soul in the grace of God. Your past standing with God will
not suffice for the present. You must ...
CONTINUE IN THE FAITH
The Word of God tells us that we have to continue.
Romans 11:22, "Behold therefore the goodness and
severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness,
if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut
off." This is speaking of the natural Jews being cut off from God,
and the Gentiles being grafted in. Paul told these Gentile Christians if
they did not continue in God's goodness, they would be cut off like the
Jews were.
After we are saved, we must continue; that means to go on,
press, and do those things necessary to reach the goal. There is a lot to
continue for: the winning of souls, living victoriously, and all the joy
and peace that comes to our souls here. Thank God for the fire in my soul
that keeps me on the way to heaven.
Colossians 1:21-23, "And you, that were sometime
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he
reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and
unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith
grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel,
which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is
under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister." In these scriptures
Paul is speaking to the church. They had been reconciled or reunited with
God. Before, they had been enemies, now they were friends of God. Through
Christ's sacrifice on Calvary, He will present us holy, unblameable and
unreproveable in His sight. We were enemies before, but now we are
unblameable and unreproveable. We can be all this in Christ, IF we
continue.
If you or I turn back, or decide the cost is too great,
certain things will come along and you will sell your soul. The devil
knows if you can be bought. The Word of God says "If you
continue." It takes effort on our part to rise above our human
feelings. Our feelings can get hurt, wounded, and pressed down. If we do
not get victory over feelings, we are not going to last very long
spiritually. We are not going to feel saved most of the time. We walk by
faith and not by feelings. We are going to have to continue, be settled,
and not moved away.
REMAIN IN THE FAITH
The Word of God teaches that we must remain in the faith.
I John 2:24, "Let that therefore abide in you, which
ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the
beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in
the Father." John is admonishing the saints that they were to let
truth abide in their hearts. In doing so they were assured of their
salvation.
This scripture also lets me know that there is a
possibility of discontinuing, or departing from the truth. You could run
well in your salvation, but if something rises up and you become diverted,
you will miss the mark. Heaven is the mark or goal we are running toward,
and a life of holiness is the path to get there. You may be religious and
profess highly as you always did, but you will miss the mark. You could
get on either the liberal or the fanatical side. The way of holiness is a
straight and plain path. An honest heart does not have to be confused in
this way, nor err from it.
Revelation 3:1-2, "And unto the angel of the church
in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God,
and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou
livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain,
that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before
God." Christ reproved this congregation; He said thou hast a name. In
other words, their name was right--church of God. They said they were
saved, but they had allowed the Spirit of God to gradually drain out of
their hearts and lives.
The Scripture said to be watchful and strengthen the
things which remain, that are ready to die. If you have a spark of life
left, you need to strengthen it. Hold fast to your spiritual life and run
to an altar of prayer. You have to do some things if you want to stay
spiritual. You have to stay hot for God. It does not take a fire long to
go out when the coals and embers are almost burned down. You can make a
good, hot fire and have a good, hot bed of coals and it seems it will glow
for hours. Then gradually the fire will lose its intensity. Over a process
of time it can go out and it will be stone cold. This is the same way with
a soul.
Strengthen those things that remain! You may ask,
"what can I strengthen?" Strengthen your hope, faith, and
confidence in the church, in one another and in your pastor. If you
strengthen yourself in God, all of these other things will follow. Do not
allow the devil to rob you of the most precious thing you have--your
soul's salvation. Strengthen it! This will let us know that there is
effort needed. People who are saved and sanctified do not give up without
a process having taken place. Backsliding is a slow process of drawing
cold, letting up a little here and there, murmuring and complaining, and
not being satisfied.
ABIDE IN CHRIST
We must abide in God. John 15:4-5, "Abide in me, and
I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in
the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the
branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth
much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." Christ is the true and
living vine. If we abide in Him, we bring forth fruit of righteousness and
holiness. Without Him we cannot do anything, so we must abide in Him to
maintain our spiritual lives.
I John 2:3-6, "And hereby we do know that we know
him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth
not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso
keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know
we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also
so to walk, even as he walked." If we truly abide in Christ, we will
walk as He walked and talk as He talked.
FOLLOW ON
The saints are good followers. People who are not willing
to follow are not going to make it. You may ask, "who are we to
follow?" Paul said in I Corinthians 11:1, "Be ye followers of
me, even as I also am of Christ." When people get saved, they are
willing to follow God and His plan. They are willing to take the message
that a true man of God will preach, and the example of his life. You
follow your pastor as he follows Christ. This does not mean you will have
the same preferences in the clothes you wear, or the food you eat. It
means you will follow the godly example that he preaches and sets before
you in his every day personal life.
A good pastor is a good example in godly living. If your
pastor quits following Christ, God will show you and it will be scriptural
and plain. Do not become disgruntled. There will always be a few who want
to quit following; they make excuses by blaming it on the preacher. Man is
not smart enough to plot his own course; that is why God ordained pastors
to lead His people. A true pastor does not want you to follow him blindly.
Watch how he walks, talks, where he goes, and what he does. Follow his
example. God's saints and the ministry can be followed. A congregation is
commanded to follow its pastor in example and leadership of the truth. Woe
be unto the preacher God has to set His hand on, because he led the saints
astray. God's sheep will not follow a stranger.
John 10:5, "And a stranger will they not follow, but
will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." If a
preacher starts preaching a foreign or a strange doctrine, the sheep will
say "what is this?" They will not follow strange words, but they
do follow God. We have to follow.
John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me."
John 12:26, "If any man serve me, let him follow
me." There is some following to do.
HOLD FAST
Hebrews 3:6, "But Christ as a son over his own house;
whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of
the hope firm unto the end." We are Christ's house "if
...." There are some requirements on our part. We must hold fast our
confidence. How long? It has to be firm unto the end. As an individual we
have to hold fast. We have to grasp hold of God, just like a man holding
onto a rope over a cliff. With all his strength he holds fast, knowing
that if he holds on long enough, someone may rescue him. If you are saved,
your spiritual life is at stake. You better hold on to God! This is no
time to be careless and loose. This is no time to get lukewarm or cold in
your soul. The devil would like to take your crown.
Revelation 3:11, "Behold, I come quickly: hold that
fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Hold fast! Hold on
to your salvation. Do not give up your crown for anyone or anything.
John 8:51, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man
keep my saying, he shall never see death." That is spiritual death.
If you keep His sayings, you will not backslide. The Word tells us that He
will have no pleasure in them that turn back. All of these "ifs"
in scripture imply that if we do not meet those conditions, we forfeit the
divine life that is within us. We are eternally secure as long as we
submit and obey the Word of God in our hearts and lives. Let us look at
some things that are eternally secure. God's plan of salvation is
eternally secure for us. God has made one eternal atonement for sin. That
is wonderful and reassuring to the saints of God.
Hebrews 5:9, "And being made perfect, he became the
author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." Christ's
death made it possible for an eternal relationship between man and God.
John 3:16 teaches that. "For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life." God, through His Son, has
given us eternal life. He made it possible for us to have divine life and
retain divine life everlasting. That is true eternal security. It is
eternally secure as long as we believe and obey His Word. The Holy Spirit
is eternal in its nature.
Hebrews 9:14, "How much more shall the blood of
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to
God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
When our spirit is regenerated by faith in the blood, our spirit is made
alive through the eternal Spirit of God. Christ is eternal, so his Spirit
is eternal.
I John 5:11-13, "And this is the record, that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath
the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son
of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may
believe on the name of the Son of God." It is possible to forfeit
that life, but if we keep ourselves in the grace of God, it is eternal. He
has made an everlasting covenant.
Hebrews 13:20, "Now the God of peace, that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the everlasting covenant." He is the God of all
flesh; He controls everything. You may ask, "If God controls
everything why am I a free moral agent?" He wants you to serve by
choice and not because you have to. He would get no glory by making you
serve Him. He made you so that you could make your own choice. Your choice
determines where you go and how well you do spiritually. Are you willing
to submit to the divine mind of God? God cannot do much for you if you
will not submit your will to God's will. This union of your will with His
must be active, alive, and continuing. It is not a temporary affair. If we
so desire, our will can stay submitted to His will. Our will must be
purposed toward God today, tomorrow, and the rest of our lives. By this we
can keep eternally secure.