Here are my reasons:
1. Grace
2. Contractual Basis of Salvation
3. Holy Spirit and Inheritance
1. Grace
Verses (all verses NASB): Ephesians 2:8-9
Ephesians 2:8-9, "8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Salvation is by grace. Grace is giving you something you don't deserve in spite of what you've done or DO deserve. Verse 9 points out that salvation is not by works. The reason? So that no one may boast, which makes sense. If salvation wasn't "Jesus Christ = Salvation," but instead was "Jesus Christ + Man = Salvation" then man could boast by saying "I got myself into Heaven." God avoids this by keeping Man OUT of the equation.
People who don't believe in eternal security usually are referring to the situation of apostasy (being a Christian and then turning back and not believing anymore). This stems from the fact apostasy is really the only situation in which a lack of eternal security would matter.
Here's the flaw with that argument. Read carefully: is not practicing apostasy a good work? Yes it is. But to say that not practicing apostasy is required for salvation is to put the "+ Man" into the equation. Because then, in Heaven, men can say "I didn't practice apostasy! So I made it." This is boasting in the works MAN did to make into Heaven.
Since the Word of God is clear that salvation is not by works, this can not be the case. Salvation is also a gift. This verse also illustrates my next point:
2. Contractual Basis of Salvation
Verses: Ephesians 2:8-9
The last section dealt mainly with verse 9. I want to step back and look at verse 8. Verse 8 says that salvation is by grace through faith and is the Gift of God. A gift. The contract is this: You have faith in Jesus Christ and in exchange God gives you salvation. This being the case, and given the fact God can't violate His promises (because to promise something you can't or won't give while knowing it [and God is all knowing] is to lie, and God can't lie; see: Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18) , you are given salvation and have it forever. Think about it. Look at the line below. Pretend it represents your life span form beginning to end:
|-----------------*-----------------------------------------------------|
Now pretend that each "-" represents, say, a year. Each of those years (due to the nature of time) is unrepeatable. The asterisk ("*") represents when you had faith in Jesus Christ and were saved. Since a moment in time is NOT repeatable, once you believed in Christ and were saved, your end of the contract was fulfilled. From that point on, God must honor His side of the contract: salvation. As long as that point in time exists (when you had faith in Jesus Christ) the contract still exists. Since you can never go back and "un-believe," God's side of the contract remains in effect forever.
This situation means just one thing: Once saved, always saved.
3. Holy Spirit and Inheritance
Verses: Ephesians 1:13-14, Ephesians 4:30
Ephesians 1:13-14, "13In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory."
Ephesians 4:30, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
Ephesians 1:13 states that once you believed in the Gospel you were sealed with the Holy Spirit. Verse 14 adds that Holy Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance. "Inheritance" refers to going to Heaven. That's the inheritance of God's children.
Finally, Ephesians 4:30 states that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (or Jesus Christ's second coming).
Now the overall point is very simple idea. If we are sealed the Holy Spirit when we are saved, the Holy Spirit is our "ticket" into Heaven, and the Holy Spirit is with us until we die, how can we be lost? The Holy Spirit is our guarantee to enter Heaven and we are sealed with that ticket until we die. If we have our ticket and can't lose it, how can we be lost? We can't.
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These are my thoughts. I have more reasons for eternal security, but these are some of the strongest. Thoughts?
God bless,
Robert
Yes, I completely agree !! :D Something I have always thought was interesting, is that people who don't believe in once saved always saved, basically think they have control over their salvation. They think they can tell God when they want to be "unsaved." :P But, thats like saying you have power over your own salvation. :P I thought you made a really good point about apostasy :) This is really cool.. I look forward to reading more! :D
ReplyDeleteAWESOME post! Praise God!
ReplyDeleteNot to disagree, I agree with your stance on eternal security, but how do you interpret 2 Peter 1:5-11? Peter admonishes us to "make the calling of our election sure." When witnessing to Muslims, they often try to point out the so called Christian hypocrisy of "being able to do what ever we want now that we are 'saved'."
ReplyDeleteAlso, when Jesus tells the parable of the sower, we see the seeds that feel on shallow soil and withered soon after springing up or the seed that is choked out by weeds, he indicates the parable represents actual people who hear and receive the gospel. What's your take on these passages and their effect on salvation?
Andrew
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteOkay for 2 Peter 1:5-11, I look at verse 10 and 11 (NASB):
"10Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you."
Verse 10 says "calling and choosing you" is what to be sure of. I believe Paul is saying "don't forget about these things". He phrases it as make sure you check your salvation.
Verse 11 I believe is just Paul describing what the entrance into Heaven is like. "It will have the things I'm talking about." etc.
Now for the parable of the Sower.
For the person who was choked by the thorns, it doesn't say that person wasn't saved but that they "bring no fruit to maturity" (Luke 8:14). It's talking about their usefulness to God's Kingdom.
For the person who was thrown in the rocky soil, "they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away." (Luke 8:13) Again, I believe this is referring to usefulness to the Kingdom, not about salvation.
The only one in the parable to have their salvation mentioned is the one thrown on the way side and "then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved." (Luke 8:12). I believe this is talking pre-salvation. It goes like this:
They hear the word ---> Devil comes in here ---> never got saved.
The tenses of the verbs I believe support this interpretation. "so that they WILL not believe and BE saved." (emphasis added) it doesn't say "so he who HAD believED would BECOME lost." If that makes sense.
Agree/Disagree?
God bless, Robert
I agree with Emileeee.....:D Robert...really like the "contractual" discussion which is something everyone can relate to...but think of it an eternal contract to be loved, made perfect and cared for forever! Love you, Mom
ReplyDeleteThank you :) Love you! :)
ReplyDelete