ROMANS 10:8-13; JOHN 3:14-21, 36
Eternal security is the Bible-based confidence that
every born-again Believer has perfect, complete, eternal salvation in Jesus Christ.
As soon as a repentant sinner receives Christ, he possesses full, unending
salvation. Some reject this idea because confusion about how we were saved leads to confusion about how we
might remain saved. The Bible; however, presents Jesus Christ as THE SAVIOR! He saved us and not we ourselves; it is His extraordinary sacrifice and resurrection that avails a complete salvation to those who repent and believe. It is imperative that we embrace with our minds and hearts this vital perspective of Eternal Life.
We need to know what eternal life is in order to have confidence,
joy, and peace in our Christian lives as God intended. The assurance that we are secure in Christ
and God’s love is fundamental to the abundant life He wants to give us. Without the assurance that we are secure in God’s love and deliverance, we are likely
to be tormented by doubts and fear, robbing us of our peace and joy in our Christian
experience. Such spiritual anxiety may also enslave us to a life of legalism; that is, erroneously attempting to
keep our good works in sufficient supply so that we will not lose our
salvation (Anders, M.). No, God did not design salvation to be a source of anxiety and uncertainty!
As we begin our study of eternal security, we must keep
two definitions very clearly in mind:
·
Salvation—Deliverance from eternal death, and
possession of eternal life.
·
Eternal Security—That work of God which guarantees
God's gift of salvation, once received, is possessed forever and can never be
lost.
What you believe and know about these two terms is vital
to your hope and confidence as a Christian, as well as to your witness for
Christ. Confusion about how you were saved leads to confusion about how a
person might remain saved (Stanley, C.). Now let us consider together these six thoughts:
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE “SAVED” Rom. 10:8-13
A. TO BE SAVED FROM SIN'S CONSEQUENCES IS NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH:
! Dropping bad behaviors and adopting good ones in order to
“get right with God”
! Joining a church
! Deciding to call yourself a Christian
! Going to the altar and saying you are sorry for your sins
! Changing your bad habits
! Adding Christian disciplines such as prayer or Bible
reading to your daily routine
All of these things are “works” of some kind (Tit. 3:5). (Stanley, C.)
B. SALVATION COMES BY FAITH
Salvation is the result of believing, not a
by-product of doing. Nicodemus, a very religious man in the time of Jesus, was
shocked when Jesus told him that the good works he had done as a Law-keeping
Jew were inadequate for his being born again spiritually. Read what Jesus said
to Nicodemus: (John 3:5–8, 14–18). According to the Lord Jesus salvation is provided by a gracious God and it becomes ours by faith in His work on our behalf.
THE ROOT PROBLEM OF A SINFUL NATURE
What exactly is a sinful human nature? Is it our very nature that makes us unacceptable to God without His salvation?
A. DEAD IN TRESPASSES
Ephes. 2:1-3, And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; [2]
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according
to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience: [3] Among whom also we all had our conversation in
times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind; and were by nature the
children of wrath, even as others.
- People
Who Are Spiritually Dead Have No Communication With God. These
people are physically alive, but their sins have rendered them spiritually
unresponsive, alienated from God, and thus incapable of experiencing the
full life that God could give them. (See also Ezek
37:1-14; Rom 6:23; 7:10,24; Col 2:13.)
- Unbelievers
Are Dead "In" Their Transgressions And Sins. The sins
and transgressions do not cause the death; instead, sinners and their sins
are together in the same sphere of death. The significance of the two
words "trespasses"
and "sins" may be
no more than repetition for emphasis (a common Hebrew writing technique --
see also 1:7).
- The
root meaning of "trespasses"
suggests a fall or lapse, while the root meaning of "sins" implies an innate state
of corruption.
- Both
words reveal people's inability to please God and live as they should.
- The
plural of both words further emphasizes the natural tendency of humans to
continue in sin. Unbelievers' constant sin and rebellion against God
portray their spiritual death.
- It
Is Important For Each of Us To Understand That We Were Dead.
a.
If someone handed you a couple of pills and said,
"Swallow these," would you do it? Not likely.
b.
However, if you were in a medical office and the person
speaking was a doctor who had just told you that you would die unless you took
the pills, you would be more likely to do so.
c.
Sometimes you have to know how bad the bad news is
before you can appreciate the good news. Paul tells us how bad the bad news is:
"you were dead in your trespasses and
sins." Dead. Not sick, not dying, not having an off day --
dead.
d.
What can dead people do to help themselves? Not much .
. . in fact, absolutely nothing. That is why God, in his mercy, had to reach
out to us in his unfathomable love: a love that would sacrifice his only Son
for us. God has given you your diagnosis. Have you understood it? He has also
given you the remedy. Have you taken it?
B. CONDEMNED ALREADY (Jn. 3:14-18)
1.
Because of Our
Sin Nature. To believe in eternal
security is not to deny the fact that man has a sin problem or that sin bears
consequences, including the potential consequence of eternal death. Jesus made
it very clear to Nicodemus that mankind has a sin problem.
2.
Because of a
Failure to Face our Sin Problem.
Furthermore, that sin problem puts mankind into the status of being “condemned already” (John 3:18). People can perish and be separated from God
eternally if they do not face their sin problem and receive God's provision for
it.
3.
Jesus Spoke Very
Clearly about this in Matthew 25:
·
Matthew 25:30, And cast
ye the unprofitable servant into outer
darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
·
Matthew 25:41,Then shall
he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the
devil and his angels:
·
Matthew 25:46, And these
shall go away into everlasting
punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
·
Those who do perish
and go to Hell, go because they are depraved and worthy only of Hell and have
rejected the only remedy, Jesus Christ, not because they were created for Hell
and predetermined to go there.
4.
The Path To Damnation Is The Path Of A
Non-Repentant Heart; it is the path of one who rejects the person and
provision of Jesus Christ and holds on to sin (Is.
55:1; Jer. 13:17; Ezek. 18:32; Matt. 11:28; 13:37; Luke 13:3; John 3:16; 8:21,24;
1 Tim. 2:3,4; Rev. 22:17).
C. SINNERS BY NATURE
Romans 5:6-10, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For scarcely for a
righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. [8] But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. [9]
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through him. [10] For if, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being
reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Rom. 5:6, 8, 10).
1.
More Then a Behavior Problem.
a.
Sin against God is
going beyond the boundaries established by God.
b.
It is not only a
behavioral problem, however—one rooted in attitudes, motives, actions, and
patterns of conduct.
2.
It Is a “Nature” Problem.
a.
An identity or “state
of being” problem. Man's sin nature is one of pride, greed, and total
self-centeredness and self-will. Every person is born with this sin nature.
Behavior is learned; our natural tendency to sin is not.
b.
A sin nature is
inherent, and it is inherent regardless of the spiritual condition of our
parents. It is part of our inheritance as fallen human beings, the descendants
of Adam and Eve.
3.
We Can Change Our Behavior, but Not Our Nature.
a.
Now, a person might
change his or her behavior as an act of the will. But a person cannot
change his or her basic sin nature, regardless of how much “willpower”
is exerted. We are incapable of transforming our spirits or of altering the core of our spiritual being. We are born
with a “sin condition” that only God can correct.
b. In
the face of our powerlessness, God was fully in control. The events in
human history did not determine the plan of salvation; the plan of salvation
was designed by God to happen at just the right time (Gal.
4:4).
c.
We are saved only because God took the initiative
and demonstrated his incredible grace and love by sending his own Son to take
the punishment we deserved. And he did this while we were “yet without strength” powerless (unable to do
God's will because of the power of sin in our lives) and ungodly (constantly living independently of
God, as described in Rom. 1:18 ff.).
4.
Christ Died for Sinners Like Us.
(Romans 5:9-10)
a.
The good news is that
while we were in this helpless, ungodly state, God sent His Son, Jesus, to die
for us so that we do not have to experience the consequence of our sin
nature—which is separation and alienation from God. We can be transformed and made new in spirit.
b. The
substitutionary death of Christ removed the cause of our hostility toward
God—namely, our sins. By faith in Christ we have been reconciled to God.
c.
If God purchased our reconciliation so dearly, will He
ever let us go?
i.
If we were reconciled through the death of
His Son, which is a symbol of utter weakness, shall we not be
preserved to the end by the present life of
Christ at the right hand of God, a life of infinite power?
ii.
If His death
had such power to save us, how much more will His
life have power to keep us! --- MacDonald, W.
GOD'S PROVISION FOR MAN'S SIN PROBLEM (Jn. 3:14-16)
God has a “provision” for man's sin problem—an establishment born of His love. Every man and woman is the object of God's love, regardless
of their past or present deeds. It is wrong, however, to conclude that every
person is “accepted” or has been made acceptable to God. Even though God loves
each person with an immeasurable, unfathomable love, God's pure and holy nature
cannot coexist with sin. Therefore...
A. GOD PROVIDES A NEW NATURE. (Jn. 3:6-7; Tit. 3:5; 1Pet. 1:23; 2Pet. 1:4; 1Jn. 3:9)
1.
A New Birth.
In order for God and man to be fully reconciled, the
nature of man must be changed. The sin (wrong) nature must be put to death through Christ's cross and a righteous (right)
nature must be received. God implants a new nature by means of the new birth. Only when this
transformation has been made--a man or woman has been “born again” in spirit
by the Spirit--is that person accepted as being in right standing with God.
2. A
New Nature.
“The concept is of God renovating the heart, the core of
a person’s being, by implanting a new principle of desire, purpose, and action,
a dispositional dynamic that finds expression in positive response to the
gospel and its Christ.”---Packer,
J. I.
3. A
Regeneration.
“Regeneration:
the spiritual change wrought in man by the Holy Spirit, by which he becomes the
possessor of a new life. It is to be distinguished from justification, because
justification is a change in our relation to God, whereas regeneration is a
change in our moral and spiritual nature. …Still they are distinct in that the
one is the removal of guilt by divine forgiveness, and the other is the change
from the state of depravity, or spiritual death, to that of spiritual life.”---The New Unger's Bible Dictionary
B. GOD’S PROVISION MUST BE RECEIVED.
Many people in our world today wrongly conclude that
because God loves everybody, surely He will save everybody—in other words,
nobody will be punished for entering eternity with an unforgiven sin nature.
That is not what the Bible teaches. Jesus made it very clear that sin has
consequences, including eternal consequences! However, just as surely, God has
made a provision for the sin nature of man to be crucified. Through Christ's cross our sin debt of death was paid! Man must act on that
provision if he is to avoid the punishment reserved for those who enter
eternity still guilty of sin.
1.
Believing is Receiving (John 3:16; 1:11-13)
a.
This is one of the best known verses in all the
Bible, doubtless because it states the gospel so clearly and simply. It
summarizes what the Lord Jesus had been teaching Nicodemus concerning the
manner by which the new birth is received.
b.
Jesus told Nicodemus
that the “receiving” of God's provision is a simple matter of believing. Jesus
said, “Whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
1. God, we
read, so loved the world. The world here includes all mankind. God
does not love men’s sins or the wicked world system, but He loves people and is
not willing that any should perish.
2. The
extent of His love is shown by the fact that He
gave His only begotten Son.
God has no other Son like the Lord Jesus. It was an expression of His infinite
love that He would be willing to give His unique Son for a race of rebel sinners.
This wonderful gift cannot be yours until you receive it by faith.
c. This
does not mean that everyone is saved. A person must receive what Christ
has done for him before God will give him eternal life. Therefore, the words
are added, “that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish.” There is no need for anyone to perish. A way
has been provided by which all might be saved, but a person must acknowledge
the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior. When he does this, he has everlasting life as a present possession.
d. Boreham
says:
“When the church comes to understand the love with which
God loved the world, she will be restless and ill at ease, until all the great
empires have been captured, until every coral island has been won.”
2.
Believing is Focusing on the “Lifted Up” Crucified Savior (John 3:14)
“even so must the
Son of Man be lifted up.”
a.
The Lord Jesus was now about to unfold heavenly
truth to Nicodemus. How can the new birth take place? The penalty of man’s sins
must be met. People cannot go to heaven in their sins.
b.
Jesus told Nicodemus
the basis on which Nicodemus must believe: “And
as Moses lifted up the serpent in
the wilderness, even so must the Son
of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14). “Lifted up” was a reference to Jesus being raised upon a cross of
crucifixion, on which Jesus would die for the sins of mankind. (Jn. 8:28; 12:32, 34; 18:31, 32).
c.
This is a veiled
prediction of Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus referred to the story of Num. 21:5–9 where the
Israelite people who looked at the serpent lifted up by Moses were healed. The
point of this illustration or analogy is in the
"lifted up." Just as Moses lifted up the snake on the pole so that
all who looked upon it might live physically, those who look to Christ, who was
"lifted up" on the cross for the sins of the world, will live
spiritually and eternally.
d.
Read again the story in the Old Testament to which
Jesus referred: Numbers 21:5-9, And the people spake
against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to
die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and
our soul loatheth this light bread. [6] And the Lord sent fiery serpents among
the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. [7] Therefore the people came to Moses, and
said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee;
pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed
for the people. [8] And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent,
and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to
pass, that every one that is bitten, when
he looketh upon it, shall live. [9] And Moses made a serpent of brass, and
put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he
lived.
e.
As they wandered through the wilderness to the
promised land, the children of Israel became discouraged and impatient. They
complained against the Lord. To punish them, the Lord sent fiery serpents among
them, and many people died. When the survivors cried to the Lord in repentance,
the Lord told Moses to make a serpent of brass and put it on a pole. The bitten
Israelite who looked to the serpent was miraculously healed.
f.
Jesus quoted this OT incident to illustrate
how the new birth takes place. Men and women have been bitten by the viper of
sin and are condemned to eternal death. The serpent of brass was a type or
picture of the Lord Jesus. Brass, in the Bible, speaks of judgment. The Lord
Jesus was sinless and should never have been punished, but He took our place
and bore the judgment which we deserved. The pole speaks of the cross of
Calvary on which the Lord Jesus was lifted up. We are saved by looking to Him
in faith.
3.
Receiving Christ by Faith is Looking to His Work in Order to Live. (John 3:15) “Look and Live”
a.
Note clearly that all the Israelites had to do was to look upon the serpent (with belief that this was God's provision
for their deliverance) in order for the Israelites to be cured of the
consequences of their sin. Jesus said this same pattern would hold true for
those who “looked” upon His death on the cross.
b.
All a person needs to
do today in order to be saved from the consequences of their sin nature is to look at Jesus on the cross, believing that
Jesus was and is forever God's sole provision for man's sin problem. A
belief in Jesus as God's Son and as God's sacrifice for the sins
of man is what saves a person. Nothing
less will do, but nothing more is required.
C. GOD REQUIRES THAT WE “BELIEVE”? Jn. 3:14-16; Rom. 10:8-13
We are saved by grace through faith in the completed salvation provision in Jesus Christ.
1.
What
Believing is Not. Believing in Jesus
does not mean that a person merely believes that Jesus once lived on this earth, or that He was a good man or a fine
religious teacher.
2.
What
Believing is. Believing in Jesus means to place one's trust in the Lord Jesus as the
PROVISION OF GOD for the forgiveness of sin. It means believing Jesus was,
indeed, God's only begotten Son who paid the debt for your sin and who therefore qualifies to be your Savior.
3.
Believing in Jesus means believing that Jesus' death on the
cross was:
·
Substitutionary—in your place; on account of your sin. He died in our
place.
·
Atoning—for the forgiveness of your sin, making it possible for
you to be restored to God and accepted by Him.
·
Sacrificial—the shedding of His blood instituted a new covenant
relationship between you and God. God’s Holiness demanded the shedding of blood
to fully pay for sin–Christ was the complete payment (Heb. 9:22-28). This same Jesus who died in our place for our sins is alive forevermore to save all who will repent and believe the Gospel (Rom. 10:8-13).
All who believe in the substitutionary, atoning,
sacrificial death of Jesus are saved. All who fully embrace the reality of Jesus Christ as the risen Savior and Lord are saved by God's infinite grace. Through Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, God has fully provided for the needs of fallen depraved humanity. That is what it means to be saved.We may accept this extraordinary gift of forgiveness, life, and a new nature by faith in Him.
GOD'S PROMISES RELATED TO HIS PROVISION (John 3:16)
Any person who believes and receives fully the provision
that God made in Jesus Christ's death on the cross and resurrection is a person who
automatically receives at least three excellent “promises.” One promise is related to a quantity of life, the other to a new quality of life (Stanley, C.). But, first note the promise of a home with God in Heaven!
A. THE PROMISE OF A HEAVENLY HOME
The promise of a heavenly home was also made by Jesus:
John 14:1-4, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. [2] In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. [4] And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Our Lord has prepared heavenly homes for His people to live with Him. While I do not know all that these homes will consist of, I believe it will be multiplied times better than the most extraordinary places and experiences here on earth. Finally, we will be with our Lord and God!
B. THE PROMISE OF AN EVERLASTING QUANTITY OF LIFE (John 3:16)
Jesus told Nicodemus this about His death on the cross: “Whosoever believeth … should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The word ‘should’ in this verse means “will” or “shall.” The intent of Jesus is that whoever believes will undeniably be given everlasting life by God. There are no qualifiers to this promise—no ifs, ands, or buts.
C. THE PROMISE OF A NEW QUALITY OF LIFE
John 3:6, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that
which is born of the Spirit is
spirit.
Jesus also gave a promise related to the quality of a
person's life once he or she has accepted God's provision of Jesus' sacrificial
death. Jesus said that upon believing in Him, a person is “birthed” by the Holy
Spirit. Read again what Jesus said to Nicodemus: “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). When you accept Jesus as your Savior and believe in His
death on the cross as being your
provision for forgiveness, the Spirit causes your spirit to be reborn or made
new. Note two very important things about this rebirth by the Spirit:
1. The Spirit Does the Birthing.
You cannot will for it to be done. We are rather passive in the new birth experience, much like in our physical birth! In natural birth your mother and the doctor did all the real work. Likewise in salvation the Spirit of God uses the Word of God in our hearts to accomplish the work of salvation deep within. Your and my part is to look
upon the Cross and resurrection believing in Jesus as our provision for forgiveness by God.
God's part is to bring about the new birth transformation of implanting a new spiritual nature within you and me. (Jn. 1:13)
2.
The New Nature and New Motives.
Once a person has
received the Holy Spirit into his or her life, that person will have a desire
to love God, serve God, and walk in the ways of God. The person who has been truly born anew will want to live
according to God's commandments and to follow the daily leading of the Holy
Spirit. The giving of the Holy Spirit is to help us walk in this new way of
life (Phil. 2:13).
GOD STILL REQUIRES REPENTANCE
2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as
some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come
to repentance.
God's grand desire is that all men come to the place of repentance! The word repent
means to have a change of mind. Further, Bible
Repentance means a change of mind toward God that results in a change of
life. The Holy Spirit dwelling within a person will cause a person to want to
have a change of mind, and therefore, a subsequent change of behavior.
Repentance is a condition of salvation (the climate of faith and repentance in the human soul (Acts 20:21)), and it is expressed in the wake of genuine salvation. The newly saved person begins to follow the Lord Jesus as a way of life (Acts 26:18).
A. WRONG IDEAS ABOUT REPENTANCE
Ephes. 2:8-9, For by
grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: [9] Not of works,
lest any man should boast. (Also see Titus 3:4–7).
1.
Let me give you an example of this. A man might have a change of mind
about whether smoking is the right thing to do. He might begin to believe that
smoking is harmful to his physical health and make a decision to change his
behavior. In effect, he has “repented” of smoking. But this does not mean that
this man is saved spiritually. Nothing about the person's sin nature has been
altered … only his behavior when it comes to smoking (Stanley, C.).
2.
Many people walk down church aisles to kneel at altars and repent of behaviors
that they know are bad or sinful in God's eyes. They repent of
adulterous affairs, selfish actions, hateful words and deeds, and countless
other deeds of their past. They believe that by admitting their sins and making
a promise to God that they are going to do “better” in the future, they are
then “saved.” In reality, nothing has happened to them spiritually because they
have not truly accepted and believed in Jesus as their sole means of salvation
from the consequences of their sin nature. They may be confessing their sins,
asking for forgiveness, and repenting, but they are not necessarily believing
in and receiving Jesus Christ. A person can say, “I'm sorry, please forgive me,
I don't ever want to do this again,” and never say with genuine belief, “I
believe in and accept what Jesus Christ did on the cross as being for my sins.
I receive Him as my Savior.” (Stanley, C.)
3.
When these people leave the altar—having repented but not having truly been
saved—they attempt to change their old behavioral patterns and habits.
When they slip and fall back into their old habits, they think they are no
longer saved. Nothing could be farther from the truth, for indeed, they never were saved. They had merely tried to
change their behavior, and whether they acknowledge it to be true or not, they
were hoping to get “good enough” for God to accept them.
4.
Being good enough—being free from bad habits and bad behavior, earning enough
“points” on the ledger of good behavior—is not what brings about a new
spiritual birth in a person. Salvation is solely a matter of believing in Jesus. The evidence of repentance and change of
behavior come later as the Holy Spirit prompts it, and also as the Holy Spirit
helps a person to accomplish it! We will discuss this further in another
article, but it is vitally important for you at this point to come to this
understanding: Nothing you do apart from
believing in Jesus Christ causes you to be saved. When you believe, the
Spirit enters into you and imparts to you a new nature that is in the likeness
of God. The transformation of your dead spirit is a sovereign work of God; you
cannot do it on your own, achieve it through your will or behavior, or force it
to happen by any other means than believing.
B. CORRECT IDEAS ABOUT REPENTANCE
Some insist that repentance is only a change of mind and
does not include a change of action. Others insist that repentance has nothing
to do with turning from sin; they try to prove that by referring to God's
repentance. Bible repentance means a change of mind toward God that results in
a change of life.
1.
Salvation Demands a Repentant Heart (Lk. 13:3-5; Ac. 17:30-31).
Repentance means a
change of mind resulting in a change of life
(2 Co. 7:8-11).
The person who has never changed his mind about God, sin, Christ, the Bible,
and who has never evidenced this changed mind with a changed life, has not
repented and has never been saved.
2.
Repentance Is a Required Condition
for Salvation.
In reference to
salvation repentance means to turn to God from sin; it means to bow before
Jesus Christ as the God of one's life. It is recognizing that our sinfulness is extremely offensive to the God we need to rescue us! Repentance embraces the reality that it was our fault that Jesus died at Calvary; it was to pay for our personal sins and sinfulness. You see to be repentant describes the climate and condition in the soul--the posture of the heart toward sin, God, Jesus Christ, and our desperate need for God! No one can be saved without a repentant
heart.It is NOT making your life good enough for God to accept you! It is coming to the place of recognizing the incredible weight and terrific consequences of having offended a thrice holy and just God.
a.
Repentance was
preached by Christ (Mt. 3:1,2; Lk. 5:32; 13:1-5). He said, "I came not
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Christ's goal in dealing with men was to bring them to
repentance.
b.
The Bible says that
God is "longsuffering to us-ward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pe. 3:9). There is no Bible example of people being saved who did
not evidence some change (sometimes a drastic change) in their lives after being born again.
3.
Repentance and Faith.
"Repentance never saved a soul by its merits; it lays
the needful foundation for the temple of faith in the heart. But all the
penitential sorrows of Adam's family would not remove one faint stain of sin.”
“Repentance is denying (negative), faith is affirming
(positive). Repentance looks within, faith looks above. Repentance sees our
misery, faith our Deliverer. Repentance is hunger, faith is the open mouth, and
Christ is the living food"--Stewart
HOW DO ALL THESE TEACHINGS RELATE TO ETERNAL SECURITY?
A proper view of salvation will naturally lead to a
belief in the eternal salvation of genuine Believers. It is a wrong view of our
deliverance from the eternal consequences of sin that results in doubts, fears,
and anxiety about whether we are truly saved. Too many worry about whether they
are still saved.... Will God reject and condemn me because of this sin or that
sin? Am I still in jeopardy of Hell? Even though I have lived for God for
years, can I really finally end up in Hell? Will I be able to continue to “hold
on”? What if I died before I can repent and confess a sin? Do I need to be sure
my good works out-weigh my bad actions? What else can I do to 'sure up' my
salvation? All such worries and pains are not only bad for the human heart and
mind, but they blatantly ignore what God said in His Word about salvation. Such
feelings and trepidation make no sense in the light of what Almighty God has
done to save us from the condemnation of our sin. We are fretting in the face
of God's tremendous work of grace on our behalf, and such behavior is entirely
unjustified! Beloved, we HAVE a real SAVIOR! Consider two more observations:
A. SALVATION IS NOT BASED ON YOUR WILL AND
WORKS, BUT GOD’S.
If you believe that your salvation came about by anything
other than simply believing in what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross, then
you believe that your salvation was in some way related to your own will and to
your own works. If you believe that your salvation is related to your will and
your works, then you will believe that your will and your works can in some way
“undo” or negate your salvation. This simply is not the case. The Apostle Paul insisted stating, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us...." (Tit. 3:5).
B. SALVATION IS ENTIRELY A GREAT WORK OF GOD; WE SIMPLY BELIEVE!
On the other hand, if you believe that your salvation was
based solely on what Jesus did for you and what the Holy Spirit has done in
you, then you believe that your salvation was a sovereign work of God. Your
part was simply to believe and receive what God provided and what God
promised. The person who believes this must therefore conclude that since
he did absolutely nothing to
be delivered from the eternal consequences of sin by receiving a new spiritual nature, he cannot do
anything to cause his new spiritual nature to be removed or nullified.
The critical questions are these:
- Have you believed in
Jesus as the sole, substitutionary, atoning, sacrifice for your sin?
- Have you received
the Holy Spirit of God into your life?
- Has the Holy Spirit
transformed you within and caused your spirit to be “reborn”?
If you cannot answer “yes” with full assurance today,
then I invite you to look upon the death of Jesus and to believe in Him today
(Rom. 10:8-17). Receive Him as your Savior (Tit. 3:3-8).
You may want to pray this prayer or a similar one. The
words are not magical. What is important is the intent of your heart—to believe
in and receive The Lord Jesus as Savior.
I acknowledge to You, God, that I have a sin nature. No
matter what I do or try, I cannot change this nature on my own. I acknowledge
that my sin nature has separated me from You. Today, I look upon the cross on
which Jesus Christ shed His blood, and I believe that Jesus is the provision
that You have made for me to come into a right relationship with You. I believe
that Jesus is the substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for my sin nature. I
acknowledge Him as my Savior. And I receive, as an act of my believing, the
promises that You have made: I receive Your promise of everlasting life. I
receive Your promise that my spirit will be “reborn” by the Holy Spirit and
that the Holy Spirit from this moment on will be resident in me to transform my
nature and help me to live out a new life that is in full relationship with You
and in full agreement with Your commandments. Thank You for sending Jesus to
die in my place. Thank You for loving me enough to want to live with me
forever. I believe that from this day forward, and throughout all eternity,
what Jesus has done for me is sufficient for me to be fully acceptable to You
as Your child and Your heir of all heavenly promises.(Stanley, C.)
