- Joined
- 03 Jan 13
- Moves
- 13080
03 Aug 19
Reason #1 of 11:
Our salvation is by "the will of God". Ephesians 1:5 says the those chosen in Christ are predestinated according to God's will.
"Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love,
Predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." (Eph. 1:4,5)
Once you are in the sphere, the realm of the living Jesus Christ your destiny is marked out mysteriously, before the creation of the universe.
And John 6:39 says that NONE ... NONE of those whom God has given to the Son should be lost, also according to God's will.
" And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all which He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up in the last day." (John 6:39)
So our promise of being eternally saved is absolutely rock solid, regardless what discipline the Father has to perfect us.
The universe may decay and be removed before the eternal will of God is changed. His will does not go up and down like an elevator. It is steady, steadfast, and faithful.
@sonship saidI am a firm believer in eternal security, that salvation itself is a matter of one time spiritual regeneration and that our hope is dependent on Christ and him alone.
When we believe in Christ our salvation is secured eternally.
Eleven reasons are given why this is so. This thread is a rebuttal to Rajk999's assault on the assurance of "eternal redemption".
However, although salvation is free, discipleship will cost a person everything. We are instructed to follow Christ’s commands and there are consequences for no doing so ~ but NOT loss of salvation, not loss of.
Part of the problem, the challenge which you have with this topic sonship is that you believe that non Christians, I.e. those who do not accept the free GIFT, will be burnt alive forever. This means that the wonderful security of eternal salvation can be abused without eternal consequence but living a good model life without that free salvation means eternal torture. It is a juxtaposition without coherence or moral fibre. It is nonsense.
- Joined
- 03 Jan 13
- Moves
- 13080
03 Aug 19
2 edits
Reason #2 of 11
Our guarantee of eternal redemption is also based on God's selection and calling.
God's Divine Selection and Divine Calling are more steadfast then the physical universe. He selected the saved. The Bible goes so far as to say we did not select Him but He selected us the saved.
" You did not choose Me, but I chose you, ... " (John 15:16a)
Mysteriously, it ends up that God chose us and not that we chose God.
God transcends time. It is hard to fully understand or explain. But Jesus teaches that it is HE that chose and not we that chose ultimately.
And He did not select us was not of our works but of Himself who calls (Rom. 9:11).
"Though the children, had not yet been born nor had done anything good or bad (that the purpose of God according to selection might remain,
not of works but oif Him who calls). (Rom. 9:11)
God has not only predestinated the eternally saved but has called them.
"And those whom He predestinated, these He also called; and those who, He called, these He also justified; and those whom He justified, these he also glorified." (Rom. 8:30)
He called us the saved not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace in Christ Jesus.
"Who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the times of the ages." ( 2 Tim. 1:9)
His calling is irrevocable. God will never repent of His calling or regret His calling of us. His selection and calling of the eternally redeemed has nothing to do with their works. Their works can never effect this eternally secured calling and selection.
The divine selection and calling before the times of the ages was initiated by Him, not by the saved. Since it is initiated by God it is as secure as God Himself.
Regardless of how the wise Father may discipline His sons in this age or in a subsequent age, their eternal selection and calling is irrevocable.
- Joined
- 03 Jan 13
- Moves
- 13080
03 Aug 19
1 edit
Reason # 3 of 11
The eternal salvation is secure because of God's Love and Grace.
God's divine love and grace secures the salvation of the saved. It is not the sinners who loved God, but He loved them and sent His Son to be the propitiation for their sins.
"Herein is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)
There is NOTHING that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Nothing exists, or will exists, or could exists which is able to separate the saved in Christ from the love of Christ.
"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities not things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."(Rom. 8:38,39)
What about the collapse of the universe? Can't separate us from the love of Christ.
What about a black hole the size of the Andromeda galaxy? No. Nothing in creation - nor creature - nothing present nor in the distant future will be able to separate the saved from the love in Christ. Not the end of the world, not the beginning of the last war, not anything. The saved are eternally secured in Christ's almighty love and almighty grace.
We are changeable. God's love is not changeable. And we saw that God has not saved the redeemed because of their works, but according to His own grace - His own purpose. Our works will fail. His grace is never failing.
If you believe into Jesus Christ you may rest assured that your eternal salvation is SECURE not by your works but by God's solid grace and prevailing and unchanging divine love.
03 Aug 19
@sonship saidOn the "Christianity After the Rapture" thread late last year, you asserted that Christians ~ who are not members of the cult you promote here ~ must read the books of Watchmen Nee and Witness Lee if they are to be "saved". Is having read those men's books one of the Eleven Reasons for Assurance of Salvation or is it a twelfth one?
When we believe in Christ our salvation is secured eternally.
- Joined
- 03 Jan 13
- Moves
- 13080
03 Aug 19
1 edit
Reason # 4 of 11.
The eternal salvation is secure forever because of the Righteousness of God.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, both to Jew first and to Greek.
For the righteousness of God is revealed in out of faith to faith, as it is written, But the righteous shall have life and live by faith." (Rom. 1:16,17 RcV)
Once you are in the realm of the living and available Jesus Christ God is bound by His own righteousness to completely follow through to save you to the uttermost.
God must justify you. He has justified those who have believed in Christ Jesus.
"With a view to the demonstrating of His RIGHTEOUSNESS in the present time, so that He might be RIGHTEOUS and the One who justifies him who is of the faith of Jesus. " (Rom. 3:26)
If God does not eternally save the man or woman who has believed in Jesus Christ He would violate His own eternally righteous being.
Righteousness is the foundation of God's throne. It is the RIGHT thing for God to do, no matter how difficult you make it for Him, to justify you. He is bound by His own righteousness.
The Father is very wise. You may only give Him a little temporary trouble. Eventually, God has a way to incentavize the human being to want to go along with His salvation process.
God's righteousness secures that you will be thoroughly saved within and without.
If not in the church age, there is still the 1,000 year millennial kingdom age. Eventually by the time of the new heaven and new earth all the saved will have been saved to the uttermost to be like Christ. God MUST follow though this work over the saved or He would not be righteous.
He cannot fail to honor His Son's redemptive death and resurrection for our eternal salvation. It is the righteous thing for Him to do. He is bound by His righteous being to complete the work of producing sons of God to the Firstborn Son - Jesus Christ.
Again, the foundation of the Divine throne and authority of God is the righteousness of God.
"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Lovingkindness and truth go before Your face." (Psalm 89:14)
God's throne is established forever. Nothing can shake its firm establishment for eternity. And our salvation in Christ is secured by God's righteousness, a righteousness as unshakable as the eternal throne of His authority.
- Joined
- 03 Jan 13
- Moves
- 13080
03 Aug 19
I will entertain some comments once I get the eleven points completed.
Up to now, it should be clear that eternal redemption and salvation are secured by
The Will of God,
The Selection and Calling of God,
The Love and Grace of God,
The Righteousness of God.
I must go on to the security based on the Covenant of God.
But it may wait until tomorrow.
- Joined
- 03 Jan 13
- Moves
- 13080
03 Aug 19
Reason #5 of 11
Salvation is forever secure to the saved by the Covenant of God. The New Covenant contains at least two vital matters - God's life become a law of life within the believers.
And God promises that He will by no means remember their sins. When God forgets something -it is really gone - forgotten.
"For finding fault with them He says, Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, and I will consummate a new covenant upon the house of Israel and the house of Judah, (v.8)
Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. (v.9)
For this is the covenant which I will covenant with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord, I will impart My laws into their mind, and on their hearts I will inscribe them; and I will be God to them, and they will be a people to Me. (v.10)
And they shall by no means each teach his fellow citizen and each his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all will know Me from the little one to the great one among them. (v.11)
For I will be propitious to their unrighteousnesses, and their sins I shall by no means remember anymore." (v.12) [Hebrews 8:8-12)
God is faithful and will never break His covenant as it says in Psalm 89:34.
"I will not profane My covenant, Nor will I change what has gone forth from My lips." (Psa. 89:34)
God is bound by His righteousness to save the believers.
God is also bound by His faithfulness to save them.
God's faithfulness to His covenant is the saved human being's security.
The faithfulness of Christ's words are more secure then the physical existence of the entire universe.
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall by no means pass away." (Matt. 24:35)
- Joined
- 03 Jan 13
- Moves
- 13080
03 Aug 19
1 edit
Reason #6 of eleven.
As Christians our salvation is secure forever by the POWER of God.
The everlasting power of God is your security of eternal life. Jesus said that His Father is greater, greater then all and His power is such that we cannot be snatched out of the Father's hand.
I may respond to some posts after all eleven points have been written.
Here Christ says it is impossible for anyone to snatch the saved believer out of the powerful hand of the Father.
"My Father who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand." (John 10:29).
The powerful hand of the Father can never be overcome so as to snatch the believers from His hand. So the believer's eternal redemption is SECURE everlastingly. The Father has a strong arm and a strong hand and nothing and no one can overpower His hold on the saved person.
" You [God] have an arm with might;
Your hand is strong; Your right hand is high." (Psalm 89:13)
- Joined
- 03 Jan 13
- Moves
- 13080
03 Aug 19
Reason # 7 of eleven
Eternal salvation is secured by "the Life of God". His Life is the indestructible security of His gift of eternal life to us.
Jesus said that those whom He gives eternal life shall by no means perish forever.
"And I give them eternal life, and they shall by no means perish forever, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand." (John 10:10)
Eternal life given by God is not a temporary loan. It is the gift of God.
His inscribing His law on our hearts in the new covenant is His dispensing His life into us. As long as God is His eternal life is. So our salvation is secured by His very life by which He joins Himself to man and man to Himself.
He does not call His life back.
He does not UNBORN the one BORN of Him.
If the believer can be forever lost after receiving the eternal life of God then it is not eternal to him.
"And I give to them eternal life " Jesus taught. Once we receive the gift of eternal life we shall never perish forever for God will never recall His gift of His own life imparted into us.
- Joined
- 03 Jan 13
- Moves
- 13080
03 Aug 19
1 edit
Reason # 8 of eleven
Eternal redemption and eternal life are secured by God Himself. God Himself is also the security and assurance of salvation.
It is God who has chosen and predestinated.
It is God who has called and justified.
It is God who has cleansed and saved the believers.
There is no shadow of change with God.
"All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, [b]with whom is no variation or shadow cast by turning." (James 1:17)
God tells of His unchanging being through the prophet Malachi.
"For I, Jehovah, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Israel are not consumed." (Malachi 1:6)
From the day of His resurrection on into eternity, Jesus Christ is the SAME, yesterday, today, and forever.
" Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday and today, yes, even forever." (Heb. 13:8)
Our situation cannot change God.
It is impossible that we could affect His nature.
By the unchangeable God Himself the believers' salvation is secured, guaranteed, irrevocable, and cannot fail to be accomplished.