Tuesday, July 28, 2015

John 10:25-30 comments: Eternal Security


25  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. 26  But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.  27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30  I and my Father are one.

Jesus plainly tells the Jews that were crowding him and demanding answers that He had told them already what they needed to know but they did not believe Him. He insisted that the miracles He had performed should be adequate proof. But, they did not believe because they were not of His flock. He previously said that His sheep would hear, implying to understand and obey, and He knows His own and they follow Him.

The result is eternal life for those “sheep” without any chance of perishing.

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

There is not even a possibility of losing one’s salvation and this is clearly understood by anyone who believes the Bible and understands it as written, to whom it is written, and when it is written: under what circumstances.

Romans 12:5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

1Corinthians 12:27  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

No man can pluck the believer out of Christ’s hand, because they are a part of His hand. We are made Christ’s by the will of the Father, and no one is more able than He is to keep the believer safe. Jesus Christ and God the Father are one and the same individual which has been made clear. The followers of Christ are His body on earth with the head in Heaven.

The doctrine of Eternal Security is fundamental to understanding the parts of the Bible written directly to Christians who came from a Gentile (non-Jewish) background. First, remember that we are saved, not by our own will or power, but by God’s.

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

God, then, in His three parts of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost or soul, body, and spirit come to dwell in us by the vehicle of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Romans 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

That Spirit seals us and is our earnest money, so to speak, our deposit, our promise of eternal life.

Ephesians 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephesians  4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

2Corinthians 1:21  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

2Corinthians 5:5  Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

If you were under the Law you would not have this assurance unless you stayed faithful and obedient at all times. Remember God’s warning to Ezekiel?

Ezekiel 3:20  Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Preachers mistakenly apply this to us under Grace but this is an error when they do. You cannot save anyone and are not ultimately responsible for their salvation. Only God is. You cannot send a person to Hell. A person who will be saved will be saved but if you forbear you will lose a great blessing and a sublime reward. (see 1Thessalonians 2:19,20)

Looking forward to the Tribulation to come, as well, God has warned those in a different time than the Church Age that not only can they lose their salvation but once they accept the Mark the Beast will require of them they cannot be saved again.

Hebrews 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Revelation 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Under the Law given to Moses an individual can be saved and lose their salvation by disobedience and disbelief that leads to death. In the Church Age, now, the believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit inside them and cannot lose their salvation. At the end of history the believer can lose their salvation and cannot be saved again, if they accept the Mark of the Beast (popularly called the Antichrist) and worship him.

Until the Translation of the Church (popularly called the Rapture from the Latin rapto) the believer is sealed and secure. Be grateful for that.

1Thessalonians 4:13 ¶  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Colossians 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Translation is defined by;

Genesis 5:24  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Hebrews 11:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

While what I presented is the short version of the doctrine of Eternal Security I wanted to at least show that Christ has promised us eternal life and that life is assured and we are to live without fear, honoring and obeying Christ in all things. Of course, if you are still acting like a wicked reprobate then perhaps your god is Self. He or she cannot promise you anything but eternal misery. However, even a believer can still slip and even willfully sin but God is faithful.

Always remember;

Romans 8:31 ¶  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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