What is your Security
A Written compostion by The Heavenly Calling Network Study Group

Main
Are you Secured?

The word of God is where we bring this question to see if the word teaches whether it is Once saved always saved or if it is Saved today and lost tomorrow. The final test is what sayeth the scriptures. And so it is with this question.

The first fact that we must realize is that the scripture presents salvation in three tenses. Past. Present. Future. Past... The penalty of sin removed the moment the sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. The Penalty is gone. No condemnation! What a joy that is to realize. Present... Those whom have been saved are learning the lesson of being freed from sins power. Roman chapter 6 says that the chains have been snapped so that sin shall not have dominion over you. Let not sin reign says the scripture. That is a lesson that must be learned. Freed first from the penalty. Freed then from the power. And in the future, freed from its presents. Because one day we are going to be conformed to the image of His Son and we are going to be spotless and holy as He is. The scripture then presents salvation in these three different ways.

If one believes that you can be saved today and lost tomorrow you can heartely ascent to the past aspect of salvation. Saved from the condemnation. You can say yes I am freed from its power. But I am not infalable. I might slip and fall. And if I slip and fall I could possibly lose salvation. So they can not believe really in a future salvation from its presence. They might miss it. They might slip and its gone forever. That seems a pitty. It seems something is lost if that is so.

But what does the word of God say. In Colossians chapter 2 verse 13 we have this assurance.... ,having forgiven you all trespasses; ... Note the past tense, Having. That surely means all. All means all. Past sins. Present sins. Future sins. IF all sins have been forgiven is it possible that any one sin can cause the loss of salvation when God says, I have forgiven you, every single one of them. And we have a principle to. God not only says that He forgives but He also forgets. What about that? In connection with the New Covenant their sins and their inniqueties God says I will remember no more. If God can forgive and forget, and say I will remember them no more, and put them behind behind His back and all those glorious figures of scripture to show the end of sin for the believer. How is it that one sin can trip that believer up and make him forfiet salvation. That doesn't seem to fit does it?

The word of God says a whole lot more. Putting them together and thinking of them as a whole should pursuade us either way. Can we honestly believe that we can come to know salvation in Christ then lose it by any fault or slip of our own.

John chapter 10:27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, ... Does that look as though any of them can? You say no because the Saviour says they can't.they shall never perish ... And not only that. ... neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. ... And the next verse pounds it to make it sure.My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand. I and [my] Father are one. ... If that isn't a gaurentee of eternal security then we can not know what one is. There are three firm statements here that are clear and unambiguous.They are in my hand and they can not be plucked out. They are in the Fathers hand and they can not be plucked out. And they shall never perish. There are no exceptions made. He doesn't say that they will never perish if they go on and don't sin. Because that just isn't true. There would be not one single believer who would ever get to glory if that is true. Sinlesness on this side of glory is just a fiction. It isn't a fact. We have that brought before us by the Saviour Himself.

1Peter chapter one verse 3.Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope... A living hope. ...by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven [u]for you[/u], Who are kept ... By how? Are they kept by their own efforts. By their faithfulness? By their own loyalty? No. ...kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation... And that salvation is not connected with the beginning, but the End. ...ready to be revealed in the last time. ...

1Peter chapter one verse 9.Receiving the end ... The Goal. ...of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. ... There is no possibility in Peters thoughts that anyone could have this salvation, then go on for a short time (or even a long time) and then lose it. They are kept by the power of God right til the end. And that will be the goal for them. Salvation in its fullest sense. When they are at last like the Saviour and see Him and are with Him. That was the hope that Peter is talking about in his first chapter. Peter didn't believe that you could be saved today and lost tomorrow.

Philippians chapter one. Paul is thanking the Lord for Philippians saints and all their loyal fellowship with him. Paul says in verse 3,I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, ... What is this very thing Paul? It is this. ... that He who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus. ... If you have a bible that has margins, perhaps at some point you should open it and look at the margin. For the word Perform it says will Finish it. He who has begun is going to finish. Can He finish a work if a child of God is going to fall away? It can't be true can it? God doesn't do His work by halves. The whole thing from start to finish is God's work and not the believers. He is the one who saves. He is the one who begins. And He is the one who finishes. He doesn't say, I have begun now you go on. I've started you off, now you can go off on your own strength. Never. He who has begun is going to finis the glorious work. If that wasn't so can you see that the grand plan of the ages, as known in scriptures, would never come to its glorious finish. It would be spoiled. It would be ruined. Because some, whom the Lord has redeemed, just wouldn't be there. We have got that assurance.

Niether Peter nor Paul seem to have no room for the fact that you could be saved today and lost tomorrow. But that isn't good enough is it. Nope.

John recorded a prayer in his gospel. A wonderful prayer that Jesus spoke to the Father just before going to Calvary. John 17:11And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to you. Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom you have given me, that they may be one, as we are. ... Gaurd them Father. Keep them, every single one that you have given Me. Is it possible for anyone to fall if gaured like that? Peter said in his writings that you are kept, gaurded, by God's power, till that day of glory. The Saviour says the same thing.While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name: those that you gave me I have kept, ... He keeps telling them that. They being gaurded, made secure. Kept. ...and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. ... None of them is lost. He is of course refering to the twelve primarily. Surely that is true of all the redeemed. The Lord had gaurded. There was only one who was never in the true meaning of salvation. And that was Judas Iscariot. But the true ones, the eleven, I have kept them, says the Saviour. Not one lost. I haven't let one go. They are perfectly safe. And that is what He will do for all His redeemed children the Father has given Him.

That is not all. John 17:24Father, I will ... This is the word of one who is equal to the Father. We can't talk like that. And no one should. We go to Him in supplication.Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, ... This is the will of the Son. None of them will be dropped out. My will is that every single one, not one being lost, shall be with Me and shall see Me and see My glory. Is that prayer going to fail? In the day of glory are some going to be missing because of their sins? It seems to get more and more incredible as you search the scriptures. Surely this prayer can not fail. I have kept them. Has that power decreased? Is He not able still to keep His children? Of course He can. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. All that number that the Father has given Him, all the true seed, Jesus says, I am able to keep them and I will. And they shall be with Me, every single one, and they shall all behold My glory. You can be sure that is going to be true.

The Epistle to the Romans. This study is taking a trip all over the place, as it were, in scriptures so that you have a representative few. Romans chapter 8 is one of them. Doesn't God know the weekness of the Believer? Doesn't God understand? Hasn't He provided for this very thing in the Believer? Haven't we got the fullness of God on our side? If God is on our side, if God is for us who can be against us? It is not worth considering is it? If you have got almighty God for you, on your side. This is expanded in Romans 8:26 by Paul, telling all of us that we have got the Holy Spirit helping our weeknesses. He is on our side and He is making intercession for us. Then later on in this same chapter not only the Holy Spirit but the Saviour is also making intercession for us.

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.

Believing in this idea that you can be saved and lossed tomorrow, you've got the Holy Spirit who is constantly interceeding for you. To help you. You've got the ascended Saviour who is constantly doing the same thing. And it seems to you that that work isn't sufficiant to keep you? You can fall into some sin and lose everything? Do you really believe that? I can't. Because I believe this is absolutely effective. Not only that, then these glorious challenges of these closing verses would not be true if we could be saved and lossed finally through our own failure. When the Apostle Paul says it was his glorious persuasion in verse38, For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, ... You could have brought in anything that you would like. You could have said, "What about the believers sin Paul?" It is just the same. NOTHING can seperate the believer from the Love of God. Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Wouldn't it be kind of outrageous now, after all that gloryious language, to say "Yes, but you might sin and be seperated from God eternally!" He says nothing can seperate you.

Lets take that and take comfort from it. Not even yourselves can take it away. Not our own stupidity and sin and failure can ever seperate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Of course you will say, "That is a little bit dangerous don't you think!" But of course this has been said. People who believe in eternal security put a premium upon sin. They say to the professing Christians that your always going to be saved, it doesn't matter what sort of life you lead you can just sin and do what you like, you'll never lose your salvation." But that is not true either. God's matchless wisdom has so arranged things that this can not be! God knows all about that. Again you can't tell Him anything about the weekness of the beleivers Human Nature. And He has provided for it in the believer. The Believer.. is the point.

There is much more to see. Ephesians chapter 4:30,And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. ... In chapter one we have this sealing brought before us. Verse 12 and 13 tells us,That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 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, ... Twice in Ephesians we are assured that God has stamped His seal on this transaction. That means to say that the work is finished, completed. He is using a human figure to bring before us the completeness of this wonderful work. God has put the seal on it. The point is, can the believer break the seal? You will have to get a very clear scripture somewhere in scripture to say, Yes he can. In the fourth chapter of Ephesians of the scriptures it definately says that he can't. How long is he sealed for? He is sealed unto the day of redemption. And the day of redemption is the day of glory. That means to say that all down this present pilgrim pathway the seal is there and can not be broken. Can't be broken until the day of Redemption.

We have the work of Christ. We have the work of the Holy Spirit. In all these different ways gaurding, strenthening, keeping, and sealing all to bring this wonderful fact home to us that once in Christ we are safe. Not only that, Ephesians also brings before us the wonderful doctrine of identification with Christ. The Baptism that the fourth chapter talks about is not the type, not the picture that set identification forth, which was emersion in water, but the reality, the baptism of the Spirit. And Colossians says this baptism is the working of God. Your raised through the opporation, the working of God. Not what any man does to a believer in emersing them. It is God doing this. It is God the Holy Spirit uniting the believer with the Saviour in all these aspects. His Death. His burial. His quickening. His resurection. His present session at the right hand of God. And soon His glorious manifestation. God has done that, can that be broken by the believers sin? Is there one hint that any sin that the believer falls into can break that identification? There isn't one. It is God's work. Supposing He allowed the believer to have a little hand in it? Then we all could agree that there would be a posibility. But no, He has done all this. All you have to do is believe it. To act upon it. To live by faith. That is what He is asking us to do. But in no sense can that identification be marred by any fault on the part of the believer.

In Ephesians chapter 1 you read of the Fathers will and His choice.Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us ... There is a certain number that have been elected and chosen in Christ by the Father. Now, are some of those not going to get to glory? That is what we should ask ourselves. The Father has chosen them before time ever began, before creation ever existed, in Christ. And some of them are not going to get there? Some are going to fail? Shouldn't we have to say then at least part of the Fathers plan has been spoiled then? It must be so. And for certain, that can not be because we find the work of the Son so complete that the Father choosing us to be holy and without blame is picked up in chapter five,25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy ... Here are the words of chapter one. ...and without blemish.... Without blame. That is the same number as the Father chose.

Is this a mutulated church that is going to be presented? Is it a partial church with some fallen out? Surely not! There is no way to except that for one moment. This is the exact number that the Father chose in past eternity, redeemed, made fit, made possible, this glorious will of the Father and will be presented a completed church. Everyone in there respective places.

Colossians chapter three.1 If ye then be risen with Christ, ... This is not the IF of doubt. This is not saying to the Colossian believers, "Well, I am not quite sure whether you have been risen with Christ. But supposing you have been, then ..." That is not it. It is "since you have been." You have been identified with Christ in His resurection. It is part of His glorious identification. Well if that is so ...seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, ... In the margin it says, "your mind". Your planning. ...not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. ... Those are wonderful words. What a statement.

Where has God put this eternal life, this wonderful gift? We are very sure it is a gift for it says,The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Where has God put it? Has He handed it over to the believer and said, "Well now here it is. That is yours. Now you take care of it." But He hasn't. He is to wise to do that. Because that is just what would happen. We would go and lose it or something silly. So that it will not happen God has hidden it. And He has hidden it so effectively that He has hidden it in Himself. You can't think of a safer place than that can you? He has not hidden it just in Heaven. He hasn't hidden it in Angels or Arch Angels, principalities or powers. He has not even hidden it in the greatest created being. He has hidden it in Himself with Christ. It is Eternally secure. What can any child of God do to lose that which God has so securely hidden in Himself? Hidden until Christ is manifested. It is not handed over until that glorious day. And then the context in Colossians tells us that we are going to share the glory of His manifestation. Every single one. The gifts and callings of God are without repentance. That is to say that God does not change His mind. Salvation, eternal life, is a gift. Now if anyone can have it, meaning they can be saved, and then lose it by their sin then that is like God coming out and giving a gift then taking it back again. The scripture says that God never does that. He won't do it with His earthly people Israel inspite of all their sin and failure. They are all going to be save eventually. All Israel shall be saved because the gifts and the callings of God are without change of mind. When God has made a plan, when God has given a gift He never takes it back.

When we keep all things in front of our minds we should have to find a very clear scripture to upset all this. But some will say, "This is only one side of the story. What about some of the passages that seem to suggest otherwise? Those passages that are addressed to believers." Hebrews chapter six is one of those.4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ... This must refer to the kingdom age which is about to be, the Mellenium. You see all the miraculous gifts of the Acts period were simply fore tastes of the coming kingdom. And every believer had tasted for they all one gift or another as it was imparted by the Holy Spirit. They have tasted that, God the Holy Spirit's enlightenment. Then it says, ... 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. ... Those are truthful words. And God forbid that anyone should lessen them. Some get out of it by saying the Apostle is not talking to saved people but is talking to proffesors. Those who pretended to be saved but they are not. That is one way of getting out of it, but it won't do. Why won't it do? This verse, verse 4, that they have been enlightened. And we have the same verse coming out in connection of the Hebrew Christians in chapter ten. This time it is translated illumenated. ... 32 But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, ... These weren't proffesing people that were not possessors. These weren't the unsaved. These were the real ones.

We can't get out of the difficulty of chapter six by saying of those whom the Apostle wrote were only pretending to be believers, proffessors and not possessors as it is sometimes expressed. Fortunately the Apostle is giving us an example of what he is trying to convey.7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. ... It does not say that the ground is cursed, it says it is near to it. It is getting preciously near to it. And when the ground is burned it is still there ins't it. What has the fire consumed but the weeds, and the stuble, and the useless things on it. And when we know that the epistle to the Hebrews is not dealing with Salvation in the evengelical sense at all, but the things that accompany Salvation dealing with not so much on how to be saved. But to those who are now saved are running a race.