Can a true Christian lose his salvation? In this message, Pastor Brian gives 12 Biblical reasons why a born again believer is eternally secure.
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Divine Preservation
John 10:27-30
Folks, we come this morning to our fifth and last doctrine in the Doctrines of Grace series. However, we will still have one more message next Sunday in which I will seek to deal with some difficult questions you may have. In fact, if you have questions you would like me to deal with, would you please email or text them to me ASAP, so that I can address them next Sunday?
Well, we have come a long way. We began by noting the Biblical teaching on man’s spiritual condition. We learned that he is dead in trespasses and sins. As such he can not see the kingdom of God, hear the voice of Christ, come to Christ, understand the things of the Spirit of God, or please God. He is totally and completely cut off from God, and has no ability to change it. He is in a state of Total Inability.
Then we saw what the Bible teaches about God’s choice of particular people to eternal life. We call this Unconditional Election. It is “unconditional” because it is not based on man meeting any conditions. God has chosen some to salvation before the foundation of the world, not based on any foreseen faith or repentance or choice, but merely on His own good pleasure.
Then we looked at the atonement of Christ. We saw that there are passages of Scripture that indicate that in some sense Christ died for all men. He made a sufficient atonement for all. He provided a satisfaction to divine justice that is sufficient for all. But we also saw that there is another sense in which Christ died especially for His elect. The Bible emphasizes that He died for His people, His church, His body, His sheep, the many. Although Christ’s death made salvation possible for all, it made salvation certain for His elect by purchasing the regenerating influences of the Holy Spirit for them.
Then two weeks ago we looked at what the Bible has to say about how God actually saves a person. Sometimes the Bible refers to this as God drawing them, or God calling them, or God quickening them, or God regenerating them. We saw that this work of God grants new life, opens the eyes, changes the heart, and actually brings a person into a state of grace. It is irresistible becomes it overcomes all a sinner’s resistance and brings him in repentance and faith to the feet of the Savior.
Now, this week we are going to deal with what the Bible teaches about the security of the believer. I’m going to call this Divine Preservation. Some have referred to this doctrine as The Perseverance Of The Saints, but I don’t think that is a good description of the doctrine. I do believe that every saint will persevere in faith to the end, but the reason they will do that is because God will preserve them.
We have caught a glimpse of the glory of God’s sovereign grace. However, God’s grace would be of little value if it could be lost. What would it matter if we were chosen, redeemed, and regenerated by God, if somehow we could lose our salvation? Thankfully that is impossible. Romans 8:30 says, “and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
This morning I want to give 12 Reasons Why A True Believer Is Eternally Secure.
1. The Love Of Christ
In John 10:27, Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice and I know them.” This phrase “I know them” means more than that Jesus is aware of them. It means that He has an intimate relationship of love with them. It speaks of His affection for His sheep. When the Bible says that Adam knew Eve in Genesis 4:1, it means more than he knew what color of eyes she had! It means he had intimate sexual relations with her. When Jesus says on Judgment Day, “Depart from Me, I never knew you,” He will not mean, “Hey, who are you? Where did you come from? I never knew anything about you!” No, He will mean that He never had an intimate saving relationship with that person.
The fact of the matter is that Christ has known His people in this intimate way from all eternity. Jeremiah 31:3 states, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” In Ephesians 1:5 the Bible says, “In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself.” If Jesus Christ set His love upon us from eternity past, even though there was nothing in us to attract His love, how can there ever be anything in us to cause Him to stop loving us?
2. The Possession Of Christ
Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice.” Why did Jesus call them “My sheep”? For the simple reason that His Father had given them to Him. He says in verse 29, “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all.” So, when did the Father give these sheep to the Good Shepherd? He gave them to Him in His sovereign decree from before the foundation of the world. These sheep have been His from all eternity.
We protect valuable gifts we receive from those we love. Because a woman’s wedding ring is important to her, she is very careful to put it in a safe place when she takes it off so that she does not lose it. Likewise, because we are a gift to Jesus from the Father, we can be sure that He will watch over us very carefully, and hold onto us forever.
We are also the possession of Christ because He bought us. He laid down His life as the price required to purchase us for Himself. Is it conceivable then, that He will neglect us and allow us to perish? If I ordered and purchased a $7 shirt, but then found out I had to drive an hour to pick it up, I might not bother to go get it. I might reason to myself that fighting the traffice and driving the hour to get to the store would be more of a hassle than sacrificing the money I spent on the shirt. However, if I paid $5,000 for an exquisite diamond ring I ordered from the store, you can be sure that I would make whatever effort was necessary to pick it up! Likewise, if Christ went through such great sacrifice and pain to purchase us, surely He will go to whatever lengths are necessary to make sure we remain safe and secure in His hands forever.
3. The Life Of Christ
Jesus says in John 10:28, “I give eternal life to them.” Eternal life is the life that God intrinsically possesses. It is, by nature, everlasting. If a person possesses eternal life, he possesses a life that will never end, and thus, can never be lost. To speak of losing eternal life is a contradiction in terms. If a person can lose this life, it was not eternal; it was temporary. The receiving of eternal life is the same as being born again by the Holy Spirit. When a person receives the life of Christ, He is connected to Christ in the same way that a branch is connected to a vine or a body is connected to a head. In regeneration we are vitally united to Jesus Christ. His life flows into us. Will Christ be dismembered? Will His body arrive in heaven missing a few fingers or toes? When a man stands in a river, as long as he can keep his head above water, he will not drown. Christ our Head is in heaven. Whatever floods come against His people here on earth cannot cause them to perish as long as He is alive in heaven. Jesus Himself will have to be cast into hell before any of His blood-bought people can perish!
4. The Gift Of Christ
Jesus says, “I give eternal life to them.” What I want you to notice here is that eternal life is a gift. It is not something that a person earns. Our good deeds do not purchase it. Now, if I did not earn eternal life by my good works, it is not possible that I can lose it by my bad works. If God gave me salvation freely as a gift, will He later change His mind and take it back? The Scripture declares, “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).
5. The Promise Of Christ
John 10:28 says, “and they shall never perish.” Now, I have not always believed in the doctrine of divine preservation. I remember as a young Christian arguing with others and saying, “Yes, no one can snatch the sheep out of Christ’s hand, but they can jump out of their own free will!” Have you ever argued like that? Well, if it is true that we can jump out of Christ’s hand, then Christ lied. Jesus said that His sheep will never perish. If I jump out of His hand I will perish. Now who is telling the truth – Christ or me? There are only a handful of things the Bible says that God can’t do. One of those is that He cannot lie. Christ has promised that His sheep will never perish, and you can take that promise to the bank!
6. The Power Of Christ
Jesus goes on to say in our text, “No one shall snatch them out of My hand.” The hand is the place of power. Imagine yourself in the hands of Christ like someone inside the hands of the giant in Gulliver’s Travels. Or, to change the metaphor, think of yourself as one of those sheep hoisted up over the shoulders of the Shepherd as He brings it home to His pasture. In the Old Testament, the high priest of Israel had the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved upon his shoulders and over his heart as he went into the holy of holies to intercede for the people. Likewise, Christ our High Priest has every one of our names engraved upon His shoulders (the place of omnipotence) as He intercedes for us in heaven. Isaiah 49:15-16 says, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” Augustus Toplady must have had this in mind when he wrote these lyrics:
My name from the palms of His hands eternity will not erase
Impressed on His heart it remains in marks of indelible grace
Yes, I to the end shall endure, as sure as the earnest is given
More happy, but not more secure, the glorified spirits in heaven.
When Jesus says that no one will snatch His sheep out of His hand, it implies that His sheep will have many enemies that will try to do just that. We as His sheep face the enemies of our sins, temptations, false teachers, persecutors, adversities, and afflictions. But in spite of all these attacks, the hands that laid the foundations of the heavens and the earth hold us. Really, it is not our hold on Christ that ultimately matters, but His hold on us. This is what Paul is expressing in Romans 8:35-39 when he triumphantly declares, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long, we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The Puritan, Thomas Brooks wrote: “Men and devils are as able, and shall as soon, make a world, dethrone God, pluck the sun out of the firmament, and Christ out of the bosom of the Father, as they shall pluck a believer out of the everlasting arms of Christ, or rob Him of one of His precious jewels.”
7. The Power Of God
Please note that there are two sets of hands grasping us. Not only are we in the hands of our Great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, but we are also in the hands of God the Father. Jesus tells us in verse 29, “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” Of course God is omnipotent. No one can rival Him. Think of it. Our Lord wraps His omnipotent hands around us, and the Father wraps His almighty hands around Christ’s. We are encircled in Christ in God, just as Paul puts it in Colossians 3:3, “Your life is hid with Christ in God.” Now, if God Almighty has pledged to protect us, then we are absolutely secure, for there is no greater power in all the universe! Peter puts it this way in 1 Peter 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
8. The Commitment Of God
In the Scriptures we find that God has committed Himself to something. He has committed Himself to perfecting all those He has begun a good work in. Paul says in Philippians 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Notice who it is that God will perfect – all those He has began a good work in. This promise doesn’t apply to those who make a profession of faith. This verse only applies to those that God has raised from spiritual death to spiritual life. To every born again believer, God commits Himself to perfect them. Notice also, how long God will perfect them – until the day of Christ Jesus. God isn’t going to work on you a few years and then give up when you sin, or become apathetic, or resist His word. No, He pledges to continue to perfect you all the way until you stand before Christ Jesus on judgment day. Many people believe in “Once Saved Always Saved.” As far as it goes, that is a true statement. Once a person is truly saved, he will always be saved. However, many people believe it actually means “Once a person professes faith, he is always saved.” That is absolutely NOT true! It is not true that once a person says the Sinner’s Prayer, or raises his hand at an evangelistic rally, or makes his “decision” for Christ, that he is saved, and will always be saved. Scores of people go through all of those hoops and are never genuinely converted. But if a person has received God’s invincible call and been born again, he will never be lost. God will continue to perfect him until he dies and stands before Christ. A much better phrase to use is “Once Saved, Always Being Saved!”
Hebrews 12:2 speaks of Jesus as the author and perfecter of faith. That means that Jesus is the one the brings your faith into being. Just as an author creates a book, so Jesus produces in you faith through the new birth. But, He is also the perfecter of faith. He starts your faith, and He sustains and preserves your faith until the end.
The apostle Paul puts it like this in Romans 8:29, “and those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.” There it is again. True salvation is not saying a prayer, and then living the rest of your life for your own sinful and worldly desires. True salvation is being raised spiritually from the dead, so that you hate your sin and love Christ. And when you do sin, God disciplines you as any father does his children.
9. The Sovereignty Of God
In Romans 8:28-30, Paul speaks about God’s purpose. He says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Well, what is God’s purpose. Verse 29 tells us that it has to do with God’s foreknowledge and predestination. Now, many people think that God’s foreknowledge simply means that He knows ahead of time what people will do. If that were the case Paul would have written, “For what He foreknew.” However, he wrote, “For those whom He foreknew.” God does not foreknow facts. God foreknows people. Remember that to know in the Bible implies an intimate relationship. To foreknow means that God set His love upon certain people before time, and decided that He would enter into a covenant relationship with them. In this respect, foreknowledge is roughly equivalent to unconditional election. Now, those God chose to set His love on, He also predestines to become like Christ. Then in verse 30, we discover that God’s purpose has to do with calling them, justifying them, and glorifying them. So, the purpose of God is that all of those He has chosen in eternity past, will be saved by Christ and with Him in heaven into eternity future. And brothers and sisters, God’s purpose cannot and will not fail!
This is how Jesus spoke of God’s sovereign purpose in John 6:38-39, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.” What is God’s sovereign will? That of everyone He gave to Jesus, none would be lost, but every one of them would be raised up to glory on the last day. Paul says in Ephesians 1:11, “having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.”
10. The Faithfulness Of God
Let’s look at another one of God’s attributes. We have seen His love, power, and sovereignty. Let’s take a look at His faithfulness.
1 Corinthians 1:7-8 reads, “so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” But, wait a minute Paul. How do we know that Christ will confirm them to the end, blameless in the day of Christ? Well, just read the next verse. “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” If we ever want to know how we can be sure that all of God’s people make it to glory, Paul’s answer is “God is faithful!” He is the one who called you into fellowship with Jesus, and He is the one who confirm you to the end.
This comes out strongly in 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24. “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now, that’s a pretty bold prayer! How can Paul pray so boldly that all of God’s people will be preserved spirit soul and body unto the coming of Christ? Read the next verse. “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” Friends, ultimately this is not up to you. Ultimately, God takes the responsibility of getting you to heaven. Yes, He may have to discipline you along the way, but if He has called you, He’s going to bring you to heaven.
11. The Intercession Of Christ
In John 17 we have recorded for us the high priestly prayer of Jesus Christ the night before he went to the cross. In verse 9 we discover who Jesus prays for, “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours.” Isn’t that interesting?! Did you know Jesus does not intercede on behalf of the world? He intercedes for the elect – those the Father gave Him. Now, what does He pray for His chosen people? Verse 11 says, “keep them in Your name.” Verse 15 says, “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” Twice Jesus prays that the Father would keep the ones He gave Him. I believe that this prayer is a sample of how Christ intercedes for us now at the Father’s right hand. Now, do you think God is going to answer this prayer of Jesus? If Jesus always prays according to the will of God, then His prayers will always be answered.
In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Now, Peter’s faith did fail temporarily. He denied the Lord that very night three times. However, it did not fail totally or finally. Jesus’ prayer for Him was answered. Although Peter sinned grievously agaginst the Lord, he did not utterly forsake Christ because of His intercession for him.
12. The Sealing Of The Spirit
Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In 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, who 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.” Now there’s a whole lot packed into those two verses! First, believers have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. To “seal” something in Biblical days meant the thing sealed was secure. The Romans gave orders to seal the tomb that the body of Jesus was lain in in order to make it secure. If you seal an envelope, you are making sure that the article in the envelope can’t be lost.
Now verse 14 tells us that the Holy Spirit is given as a pledge of our inheritance. A pledge is a down payment, or a deposit. When you make a down payment or a deposit on a house you are buying, you are guaranteeing that you will come through with the rest of the money. In fact, many modern translations translate this word as “guarantee.” Lots of folks today make “money back guarantees” when you buy something from them. Well God Almighty has made you a guarantee! When He gave you His Holy Spirit, He was guaranteeing you that He was going to bring you into your eternal inheritance, and raise you from the dead, and cause you to be with Christ forever!!! Folks, there is no guarantee better than that!
In fact, in Ephesians 4:30 Paul says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” The “day of redemption” is that day when time is no more, and we all stand before the Lord Jesus to enter into the kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world.
Now friends, those are some very powerful reasons why a true child of God is secure forever. Think of them – the love of Christ, the life of Christ, the gift of Christ, the promise of Christ, the possession of Christ, the power of Christ, the power of God, the commitment of God, the sovereignty of God, the faithfulness of God, the intercession of Christ, and the sealing of the Spirit.
Conclusion
Friends, a true believer is absolutely secure. Not because He is so spiritual, and faithful, and has it all together. He is secure because God Almighty has committed Himself to preserve Him to the end. We must persevere to the end. But we will persevere to the end, because God is preserving us to the end. Our perseverance is the result of God’s preservation.
The only real question you need to ask is, “Am I a true believer?” Have you been born of the Spirit? Have you ever gone from spiritual death to spiritual life? Has God begun a good work in you? Is He the author of your faith. I am not talking about making a profession of faith or walking an aisle or saying a prayer. I’m talking about possessing a true, living, saving faith. Folks, nothing but that is the real deal. And nothing but that will bring you to glory. If you are not sure that He has done that work in your soul, repent! Believe! Today! Close with Christ. Cast yourself on His mercy.
And friend, if you die outside of Christ, you will be shut out of heaven, and cast into hell for all eternity. Rouse yourself to seek God while you still have time. “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Amen.
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