Hebrews 11:34-40 King James Version (KJV)
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
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Lee Strobel: The Case For Christ
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LEE STROBEL – The Case for Christ
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The Case For Christ
https://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/the-case-for-christ.htm
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The ultimate reward promised to believers in God has not yet been delivered—God has not yet completed His ultimate victory over evil and suffering. The “city with foundations,” used to symbolize that ultimate hope (Hebrews 11:10), has not yet appeared (Revelation 21:9–14). Why hasn’t God delivered this, yet? According to this verse, the answer is: us! We are that reason.
Those who are alive and able to hear the gospel today have access to even more
evidence of God’s faithfulness than those who went before. God has delayed the
end of His plan (2 Peter 3:9), for our sake, allowing those of us who believe
today to share in the rewards of those former heroes. That, in and of itself,
speaks to the love God has for us, even if we don’t see ourselves in the same
spiritual league as men like Moses and Abraham.
The author of Hebrews called them, and us, to consider the Person and Work of Jesus and warned against neglecting the gospel of grace; hardening our heart; reverting to spiritual infancy; falling away from the truth or treating the wonderful birthright we have in Christ, with disdain.
It is at the very end of the most glorious chapter on ‘faith’ that the writer explains to his readers why his long list of men and women of faith did not receive the promises God made them… “God has provided something better for us, so that apart from us – they would not be made perfect”.
However wonderful the promises He gave to Israel, God planned to give us – and them, something even better. The promises of the New Covenant, (which was cut at Calvary) with its victory over sin and death; the indwelling Holy Spirit and all the privileges that come with our great salvation was secured at the cross. This not only enabled God’s earthly land and kingdom promise to be brought to fruition at the right time – but for 2000 years the Christian Church, has been engaged in an ongoing spiritual battle, which – ‘though won at the cross will be fulfilled at His return.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect” ( Hebrews 11:39-40 )
To die in faith, believing God until the very end was a privilege that the patriarchs shared. Their ultimate promise was the Messiah and they looked forward in faith until the time of Jesus. God had planned this for us, so along with these heros of faith we would be the recipients of this promise. David saw what New Testament believers would have and called us blessed and highly favored in Psalm 32. We now live in the time they saw from a distance. God truly had something better planned for us!
Every example of faith given, is to solidify the message of mercy and redemption in the book of Hebrews. Jesus’ sacrifice for us, made us righteous, holy and cleansed from the guilt of sin. He resides, seated on His throne in heaven, as our High Priest guaranteeing this right standing with God. His blood has cleansed us and speaks a powerful word of righteousness on our behalf. Because of this we have confidence to live a dramatic faith-filled existence as the writer notes in chapter 10, “we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved” ( Hebrews 10:39 ).
Those listed in Hebrews 11 understood this and yet they did not receive what had been promised. However we have, which is why we live and walk by faith ( II Corinthians 5:7 ). This is what the ancients were commended for, it is what pleases God and it is what ensures and makes readily available the sweet and precious promises given to us in the Scriptures. Faith is how the righteous live ( Habakkuk 2:4, Hebrews 10:38 ). Together with the patriarchs, we have now been made perfect by the blood of Jesus and we have received the blessings of their faith. What an amazing truth!
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Everyone has FAITH but for what, or for who; What or who has our FAITH is what really matters
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What exactly is faith? Without relying on Daniel Webster, just off the top of your head, how would you define it?
Would you believe me if I told you that even though you might not be a Christian but instead a non-believer of sorts…that your whole life is based on faith.
So then it would be imperative that we define what it is before we clarify what I just said. Right?
Simply put, faith is believing in something unseen…
So, do we have faith that our heart is not going to stop today and that we will see the sun shine tomorrow?
Most of us do.
Do you have faith that your car will run that next time you turn the ignition switch with your key?
What kind of faith does it take if you can see something right before you…clear as a bell?
None. If the sun is shining, you can’t say that I have faith that the sun will shine today because it already is. But, you could say, that I have faith that the sun will continue until it gets dark. Right?
I have faith that the Pittsburgh Steelers are NOT going to the Super Bowl this year. I don’t see them winning without their star quarterback…so is this faith or not? Let us read what God has to say about the subject…shall we?
Before we start, let me warn you that we will be reading 40 verses today. I think though that you will find them a good review of who in our past showed a deep sense of faith in the unseen.
Hebrews 11:1-40
I guess now that you and I are in agreement that A) Faith has been around for a long time and B) that there are some pretty awesome people in our heritage that exhibited supreme levels of faith and C) it warms the heart to hear it…especially in our world today. Amen?
We have four POINTS to discuss this morning: FAITH is the BASIS of HOPE, FAITH is UNSEEN, FAITH is OFTEN misplaced and FAITH is ACQUIRED (or learned)
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POINT #1
FAITH is the BASIS of HOPE
This appears in our very first verse this morning: FAITH is the substance of things HOPED for, the evidence of things NOT seen. It says that it was because of their strong FAITH, our elders in history received a good report (that would be from God of course).
It is ONLY through FAITH that we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. I love how we get a little gold nugget next in verse three: “so that things which are seen were NOT made of things which appeared!”
None of this universe and beyond were created by some act of NATURE or by some interstellar glue that occurs when stars and such come in close proximity…I have no idea what I just said or why I said it, other than, God Created All Things…and it was NOT by any accident but for His purpose alone!
It is important to note that God Himself instructs us here that “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
POINT #2
FAITH is UNSEEN
Noah had no idea what it was going to be like once the rains began and the earth opened up to raise the water so very high. He had no idea of the destruction powers of our LORD and water itself.
How much FAITH would it take to build an ark 450 feet long when you’re in some pretty arid country? How hard would it be to maintain that FAITH everybody around you is laughing at you and NOT with you?
I don’t even have sufficient FAITH in my own ability to install a handicapped bar in my shower, let alone an ark!
What is also important is that we understand that like Noah, we become heirs to God’s righteousness through our FAITH (v.7)
POINT #3
FAITH is OFTEN misplaced
Moses had no lapse in his FAITH when it came to that enormous river that stood between his people and the land promised by God.
Up until the waters of the Great Red Sea were parted by Moses, there had to be many…who doubted how they would sojourn these waters and return to their homes unscathed
It wasn’t long after this that they put their trust and FAITH in a golden calf the had created, all while Moses was with God on the mountain-top.
Because they put their FAITH in things that were created rather than He who creates, they lost their opportunity to see the Promised Land and wandered in the wilderness for forty years and then died.
POINT #4
FAITH is ACQUIRED
If FAITH was natural and required no work on our part, then we would all be saved. We must first identify that which is worthy of our FAITH and then build on that. We must make that our foundation.
These men and women we just read about had a strong FAITH that endured but it did NOT come natural to them.
IN CLOSING
Let us look at Peter. We all remember the story of Peter attempting to walk on water or how about a rooster that crowed on the night our Savior had chosen to be mocked by the High Priest of Israel to begin His mission which was to die for mankind, that we might live.
Many then and many now still have their FAITH misdirected and need to acquire FAITH in our Lord Jesus.
There will come a time when FAITH in our unseen Lord Jesus will no longer be required. If that person has not yet acquired the right kind of FAITH by then, it will be too late and their misdirected FAITH in those things that are created will doom them to everlasting torment.
BENEDICTION
Let us pray for them. Lord Jesus, we pray that we are able to plant the seeds or water those that have been planted that they might see the light and redirect their FAITH in You. If we had it our way, not a single one of them would see the Lake of Fire, but it will never be our way but Your Way, for you are the Way, the Truth and the Light. Help us O Lord to help them to see the error in their ways. Amen.
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Once these promises come, the people of God must see their faith in a different light. They must understand that once the day of perfection begins, their faith will not manifest itself as it did before this day came. The people of God will then no longer approach God in terms of temple shadows but by means of the One who brings perfection.
Verse 40 tells the original audience (and us) that this day of perfection has come in Christ. Jesus Christ has come and inaugurated the final age in which all the promises of God will finally find their ultimate fulfillment. This is the day for which the old covenant saints waited. If these saints had lived to see it, they would not be attempting to go back to the time before Jesus but would join with the new covenant saints in drawing near to God, not through the shadows of animal sacrifice but through the person of Jesus Christ.
In short, the message of chapter 11 is: “Can you not see? Do you not understand? You are living in the age for which these saints you admire so much awaited. You might think you are being faithful to their God if you turn away from Christ. But if you abandon your confession, you will no longer be standing with them. If you really want to be faithful to God, if you really want to be true to the witness of those who have gone before, then you will press on. You will cling to Jesus even when it brings suffering.”
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“The people who can see Satan in everything aren’t LOOKING to see Satan in everything. They are AWAKE to the DECEPTION because he IS in everything. The people who can’t see it are walking WITH the WORLD and don’t want their ILLUSION destroyed because they would have to CHANGE their WALK!”
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James 4:4 – Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
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1 John 2:15–17
15 eLove not the world, neither the things that are in the world. fIf any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, gthe lust of the flesh, and hthe lust of the eyes, and ithe pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And kthe world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth lthe will of God abideth for ever.
Exposing the evils of this world will make you an enemy of many “professing” Christians because you are treading upon that which they truly love.
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Luke 14:26-27 King James Version (KJV)
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father,
and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own
life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come
after me, cannot be my disciple.
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John 12:25 King James Version (KJV)
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he
that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
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Luke 14:26-27 King James Version (KJV)
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father,
and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own
life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come
after me, cannot be my disciple.
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James 4:4 – Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
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Abraham was, I am.
Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I
AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I
AM hath sent me unto you.
1 John 5:7 King James Bible
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
KJV Bible = The WORD is Jesus
God = Jesus
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John 1:1-3 King James Version (KJV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was
not any thing made that was made.
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Php_2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
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John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and THE WORD WAS GOD. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 14AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us,(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 8:58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US.
John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9Jesus
saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known
me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou
then, Shew us the Father?
John 20:28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord AND my God. 29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us
2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, WHO IS THE IMAGE of God, should shine unto them.
Ephesians 4:4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
John 10:30 I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was MANIFEST IN THE FLESH, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION, AND TOOK UPON HIM THE FORM OF A SERVANT, and WAS MADE in the likeness of men:
Revelation 1:8I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 22:13I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Revelation 22:16I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
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DO YOU HAVE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION?
You Can Be Sure You Will Go To Heaven.
How would you respond if I asked you right now, “Are you saved?”
You ought to be able to say:
“Praise God! Glory to God, I know that I’m saved!”
The Bible presents a clear path to eternal life.
First, we must recognize that we have sinned against God: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
We have all done things that are displeasing to God, which makes us deserving of punishment.
Since all our sins are ultimately against an eternal God, only an eternal punishment is sufficient.
“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
God became the man Jesus (John 1:1,14) and died to pay our penalty. “God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Jesus Christ died on the cross (John 19:31-42), taking the punishment that we deserve (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Three days later He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), proving His
victory over sin and death. “In His great mercy He has given us new birth
into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”
(1 Peter 1:3).
Do you believe this?
If Jesus returns and you have now refused
to believe and trust Jesus as your Savior,
you will perish.
You have a choice:
Believe in Jesus or Perish.
John 14:6
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Can a Christian lose salvation?
What are some of the signs of genuine saving faith?
How can I have assurance of my salvation?
How can I have assurance of my salvation?
Is once saved, always saved biblical?
“Can a Christian lose salvation?
First,
the term Christian must be defined. A “Christian” is not a person who
has said a prayer or walked down an aisle or been raised in a Christian family.
While each of these things can be a part of the Christian experience, they are
not what makes a Christian. A Christian is a person who has fully trusted in
Jesus Christ as the only Savior and therefore possesses the Holy Spirit (John 3:16;
Acts
16:31; Ephesians 2:8–9).
So, with this definition in mind, can a Christian lose salvation? It’s a
crucially important question. Perhaps the best way to answer it is to examine
what the Bible says occurs at salvation and to study what losing salvation
would entail:
A Christian is a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). A Christian is not simply an “improved” version of a person; a Christian is an entirely new creature. He is “in Christ.” For a Christian to lose salvation, the new creation would have to be destroyed.
A Christian is redeemed. “For you know that it was not with perishable things
such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed
down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a
lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18–19). The word redeemed refers to a
purchase being made, a price being paid. We were purchased at the cost of
Christ’s death. For a Christian to lose salvation, God Himself would have to
revoke His purchase of the individual for whom He paid with the precious blood
of Christ.
A Christian is justified. “Therefore, since we have been
justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
(Romans
5:1). To justify is to declare righteous. All those who receive Jesus as
Savior are “declared righteous” by God. For a Christian to lose salvation, God
would have to go back on His Word and “un-declare” what He had previously
declared. Those absolved of guilt would have to be tried again and found
guilty. God would have to reverse the sentence handed down from the divine
bench.
A Christian is promised eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Eternal life is the promise of spending forever in heaven with God. God promises, “Believe and you will have eternal life.” For a Christian to lose salvation, eternal life would have to be redefined. The Christian is promised to live forever. Does eternal not mean “eternal”?
A Christian is marked by God and sealed by the Spirit. “You also were included
in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy
Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of
those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians
1:13–14). At the moment of faith, the new Christian is marked and sealed
with the Spirit, who was promised to act as a deposit to guarantee the
heavenly inheritance. The end result is that God’s glory is praised. For a
Christian to lose salvation, God would have to erase the mark, withdraw the
Spirit, cancel the deposit, break His promise, revoke the guarantee, keep the
inheritance, forego the praise, and lessen His glory.
A Christian is guaranteed glorification. “Those he predestined, he also called;
those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:30).
According to Romans 5:1, justification is ours at the moment of faith.
According to Romans 8:30, glorification comes with justification. All
those whom God justifies are promised to be glorified. This promise will be
fulfilled when Christians receive their perfect resurrection bodies in heaven.
If a Christian can lose salvation, then Romans 8:30
is in error, because God could not guarantee glorification for all those whom
He predestines, calls, and justifies.
A Christian cannot lose salvation. Most, if not all, of what the Bible says
happens to us when we receive Christ would be invalidated if salvation could be
lost. Salvation is the gift of God, and God’s gifts are “irrevocable” (Romans
11:29). A Christian cannot be un-newly created. The redeemed cannot be
unpurchased. Eternal life cannot be temporary. God cannot renege on His Word.
Scripture says that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).
Two common objections to the belief that a Christian cannot lose salvation
concern these experiential issues: 1) What about Christians who live in a
sinful, unrepentant lifestyle? 2) What about Christians who reject the faith
and deny Christ? The problem with these objections is the assumption that
everyone who calls himself a “Christian” has actually been born again. The
Bible declares that a true Christian will not live a state of continual,
unrepentant sin (1 John 3:6). The Bible also says that anyone who departs
the faith is demonstrating that he was never truly a Christian (1 John
2:19). He may have been religious, he may have put on a good show, but he
was never born again by the power of God. “By their fruit you will recognize
them” (Matthew
7:16). The redeemed of God belong “to him who was raised from the dead, in
order that we might bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4).
Nothing can separate a child of God from the Father’s love (Romans
8:38–39). Nothing can remove a Christian from God’s hand (John
10:28–29). God guarantees eternal life and maintains the salvation He has
given us. The Good Shepherd searches for the lost sheep, and, “when he finds
it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home” (Luke
15:5–6). The lamb is found, and the Shepherd gladly bears the burden; our
Lord takes full responsibility for bringing the lost one safely home.
Jude
24–25 further emphasizes the goodness and faithfulness of our Savior: “To
Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious
presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory,
majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages,
now and forevermore! Amen.”
Recommended Resource: Eternal Security by Charles Stanley
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Can a Christian lose salvation?
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Can a Christian Lose Their Salvation?
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“What are some of the signs of genuine saving faith?
This is one of the most important questions in the Christian life. Many believers doubt their salvation because they don’t see signs of genuine faith in their lives. There are those who say we should never doubt our decision to follow Christ, but the Bible encourages us to examine ourselves to see if we are truly “in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Thankfully, God has given us ample instruction for how we can know for sure that we have eternal life. The first epistle of John was actually written for that purpose, as it states in 1 John 5:13, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
There is a series of tests in 1 John that we can use to examine ourselves and
our faith. As we look at them, remember that no one will perfectly fulfill all
of them all the time, but they should reveal a consistent trend that
characterizes our lives as we grow in grace.
1. Do you enjoy having fellowship with Christ and His redeemed people? (1 John
1:3)
2. Would people say you walk in the light, or walk in the darkness? (1 John
1:6-7)
3. Do you admit and confess your sin? (1 John
1:8)
4. Are you obedient to God’s Word? (1 John
2:3-5)
5. Does your life indicate you love God rather than the world? (1 John
2:15)
6. Is your life characterized by “doing what is right”? (1 John
2:29)
7. Do you seek to maintain a pure life? (1 John
3:3)
8. Do you see a decreasing pattern of sin in your life? (1 John
3:5-6) [Note: this refers to not continuing in sin as a way of life, not a
total absence of sin.]
9. Do you demonstrate love for other Christians? (1 John
3:14)
10. Do you “walk the walk,” versus just “talking the talk”?
(1
John 3:18-19)
11. Do you maintain a clear conscience? (1 John
3:21)
12. Do you experience victory in your Christian walk? (1 John
5:4)
If you are able to truthfully answer “Yes” to these questions (or a
majority of them, and are working on the others), then your life is bearing the
fruit of true salvation. Jesus said that it is by our fruits that we are known
as His disciples (Matthew 7:20). Fruitless branches—professing believers who
do not display the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians
5:22-23) are cut off and thrown into the fire (John 15:6).
A genuine faith is one that not only believes in God (the devils themselves do
that – James
2:19), but leads to open confession of sin and obedience to Christ’s commands.
Remember, we are saved by grace through faith, not by our works (Ephesians
2:8-9), but our works should display the reality of our salvation (James
2:17-18). Genuine saving faith will always produce works; a faith that is
perpetually without works is no faith at all and saves no one.
In addition to these confirmations, we need to remember God’s promises and the
reality of the war we are in. Satan is just as real as Jesus Christ, and he is
a formidable enemy of our souls. When we turn to Christ, Satan will look for
every opportunity to deceive and defeat us. He will try to convince us that we
are unworthy failures or that God has given up on us. When we are in Christ, we
have the assurance that we are kept by Him. Jesus Himself prayed for us in John 17:11
that the Father would “protect them by the power of your name—the name you
gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.” Again in verse 15, He
prayed, “keep them from the evil one.”
In John
10:27-29, Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and
they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one
can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater
than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” If you hear and
obey the voice of Jesus, then you are one of His sheep, and He will never let
you go. Jesus gave a wonderful word picture here of Christians securely held
within His loving hands and the Father’s almighty hands wrapping themselves
around His, giving us a double assurance of eternal security.
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“How can I have assurance of my salvation?”
Many followers of Jesus Christ look for the assurance of salvation in the
wrong places. We tend to seek assurance of salvation in the things God is doing
in our lives, in our spiritual growth, in the good works and obedience to God’s
Word that is evident in our Christian walk. While these things can be evidence of
salvation, they are not what we should base the assurance of our salvation
on. Rather, we should find the assurance of our salvation in the objective
truth of God’s Word. We should have confident trust that we are saved based on
the promises God has declared, not because of our subjective experiences.
How can you have assurance of salvation? Consider 1 John 5:11–13: “And this is the testimony: God has given
us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he
who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to
you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have
eternal life.” Who is it that has the Son? It is those who have believed in Him
(John
1:12). If you have Jesus, you have life. Not temporary life, but eternal.
God wants us to have assurance of our salvation. We should
not live our Christian lives wondering and worrying each day whether or not we
are truly saved. That is why the Bible makes the plan of salvation so clear.
Believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31).
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
Have you repented?
Do you believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins and rose again
from the dead (Romans 5:8; 2
Corinthians 5:21)? Do you trust Him alone for salvation? If your answer to
these questions is “yes,” you are saved! Assurance means freedom from doubt. By
taking God’s Word to heart, you can have no doubt about the reality of your
eternal salvation.
Jesus Himself assures those who believe in Him: “I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my
hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can
snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John
10:28–29). Eternal life is just that—eternal. There is no one, not even
yourself, who can take Christ’s God-given gift of salvation away from you.
Take joy in what God’s Word is saying to you: instead of doubting, we can live with confidence! We can have the assurance from Christ’s own Word that our salvation will never be in question. Our assurance of salvation is based on the perfect and complete salvation God has provided for us through Jesus Christ.
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“How can I have assurance of my salvation?”
Many followers of Jesus Christ
look for the assurance of salvation in the wrong places. We tend to seek
assurance of salvation in the things God is doing in our lives, in our
spiritual growth, in the good works and obedience to God’s Word that is evident
in our Christian walk. While these things can be evidence of
salvation, they are not what we should base the assurance of our salvation
on. Rather, we should find the assurance of our salvation in the objective
truth of God’s Word. We should have confident trust that we are saved based on
the promises God has declared, not because of our subjective experiences.
How can you have assurance of salvation? Consider 1 John 5:11–13: “And this is the testimony: God has given
us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he
who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to
you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you
have eternal life.” Who is it that has the Son? It is those who have believed
in Him (John
1:12). If you have Jesus, you have life. Not temporary life, but eternal.
God wants us to have assurance of our salvation. We should
not live our Christian lives wondering and worrying each day whether or not we
are truly saved. That is why the Bible makes the plan of salvation so clear.
Believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31).
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
Have you repented?
Do you believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins and rose again
from the dead (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians
5:21)? Do you trust Him alone for salvation? If your answer to these
questions is “yes,” you are saved! Assurance means freedom from doubt. By
taking God’s Word to heart, you can have no doubt about the reality of your
eternal salvation.
Jesus Himself assures those who believe in Him: “I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my
hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can
snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John
10:28–29). Eternal life is just that—eternal. There is no one, not even
yourself, who can take Christ’s God-given gift of salvation away from you.
Take joy in what God’s Word is saying to you: instead of doubting, we can live with confidence! We can have the assurance from Christ’s own Word that our salvation will never be in question. Our assurance of salvation is based on the perfect and complete salvation God has provided for us through Jesus Christ.
———————————————————–
Is once saved, always saved
biblical?
Once a person is saved are they always saved? Yes, when
people come to know Christ as their Savior, they are brought into a relationship
with God that guarantees their salvation as eternally secure. To be clear,
salvation is more than saying a prayer or “making a decision” for Christ;
salvation is a sovereign act of God whereby an unregenerate sinner is washed,
renewed, and born again by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3;
Titus
3:5). When salvation occurs, God gives the forgiven sinner a new heart and
puts a new spirit within him (Ezekiel
36:26). The Spirit will cause the saved person to walk in obedience to
God’s Word (Ezekiel 36:26–27; James 2:26).
Numerous passages of Scripture declare the fact that, as an act of God,
salvation is secure:
(a) Romans 8:30 declares, “And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” This verse tells us that from the moment God chooses us, it is as if we are glorified in His presence in heaven. There is nothing that can prevent a believer from one day being glorified because God has already purposed it in heaven. Once a person is justified, his salvation is guaranteed—he is as secure as if he is already glorified in heaven.
(b) Paul asks two crucial questions in Romans
8:33-34 “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more
than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also
interceding for us.” Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? No one
will, because Christ is our advocate. Who will condemn us? No one will, because
Christ, the One who died for us, is the one who condemns. We have both the
advocate and judge as our Savior.
(c) Believers are born again (regenerated) when they believe (John 3:3;
Titus
3:5). For a Christian to lose his salvation, he would have to be
un-regenerated. The Bible gives no evidence that the new birth can be taken
away.
(d) The Holy Spirit indwells all believers (John 14:17;
Romans 8:9)
and baptizes all believers into the Body of Christ (1
Corinthians 12:13). For a believer to become unsaved, he would have to be
“un-indwelt” and detached from the Body of Christ.
(e) John
3:15 states that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will “have eternal
life.” If you believe in Christ today and have eternal life, but lose it
tomorrow, then it was never “eternal” at all. Hence, if you lose your
salvation, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error.
(f) In a conclusive argument, Scripture says, “For I am convinced that
neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the
future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord” (Romans
8:38–39). Remember the same God who saved you is the same God who will keep
you. Once we are saved, we are always saved. Our salvation is most definitely
eternally secure!
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Is once saved, always saved biblical?
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