Please turn in your Bibles this morning to Romans chapter 5 as we continue our study through Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. We are currently in a section dealing with justification or how the blood of Christ has washed away all our sins. There is no record of them if we have received Christ as our Lord and Savior.

            This morning we are in part 3 of our study dealing with the benefits or the blessings of righteousness. We have looked at the first 6 of these 8 benefits or blessings so far. We have seen that in Christ we have PEACE WITH God, we have ACCESS TO GOD, we REJOICE IN HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD, we GLORY IN (NOT “FOR” TRIBULATION, we have seen how the LOVE OF GOD HAS BEEN POURED OUT IN OUR HEARTS, and we concluded last time looking at how we are SAVED FROM WRATH. Not a bad list to say the least. This is what we have in Christ and there are still two more to go!

            This morning we are going to begin looking at the seventh benefit or blessing       of righteousness and as you will see, this is a very controversial subject.  We are going to be looking at ETERNAL SECURITY as the seventh benefit or blessing of righteousness! Now this has been a subject that has been debated for years and people on both ends of the spectrum feel very strongly about their view and will fight to the death to defend it.

            Guess what? I really don’t care what others say regarding this issue. I know, that may sound harsh, but it is true. What people believe does not matter to me, they are not going to sway me one way or another. You see, I am more concerned about what God has to say in His Word regarding this issue of eternal security and for that matter, any subject! Let me tell you where I stand and as we will see, I think the Scriptures are very clear on this issue. I don’t believe there needs to be a controversy over this issue or confusion over it.

            I believe the Scriptures clearly teach on eternal security. That once you are truly saved you can’t lose your salvation. Now if you disagree with me on this issue I would ask you kindly to keep an open mind and don’t harden your heart to what God’s Word is teaching. Spurgeon rightly said, “I believe hundreds of Christian people are being deceived by Satan now on this point, that they have not got the assurance of salvation just because they are not willing to take God at His word.” I can’t agree more!

            Before we get to our text this morning, let me share with you this story that will help illustrate for us this issue related to eternal security. We are told:

There were two brethren who differed on the question of the believer's safety in Christ. They were discussing the question, and one said to the other: “I’ll tell you, a child of God is safe only so long as he stays in the lifeboat. He may jump out, and if he jumps out he is lost.” To this the other replied, saying: “You remind me of an incident in my own life. I took my little son out with me in a boat. I realized, as he did not, the danger of his falling or even jumping into the water. So I sat with him all the time, and all the time I held him fast, so he could neither fall out nor jump out of the boat.”

“But,” said the first speaker, “he could have wriggled out of his coat and got away in spite of you.” “Oh,” said the other, “you misunderstood me if you supposed I was holding his coat; I was holding him.”

- Illustrations of Bible Truths

            Folks, I believe this is a very important topic because if you feel you can lose your salvation based upon the works you do or don’t do, you won’t be able to rest in the Lord. You will constantly be working and striving and wondering if you have been good enough and the reality is, you haven’t been good enough, you can never be good enough! I know, that may shock some of you, but keep in mind that your salvation is not based upon your good works, it never was. It has always been based upon His finished work, the work of Christ. With that said, let’s begin reading in Romans chapter 5, starting in verse 1 and let’ see what the Lord has for us as we look at this benefit or blessing of righteousness, ETERNAL SECURITY!

            This morning our focus will be on verse 10 as we look at this issue of eternal security. And as I have said last time, here in verses 9 and 10 of Romans chapter 5 Paul is using an argument that the Rabbis called KAL WAHOMER.  And it basically means, “light and heavy”.

            And the point that Paul is making is that if the heavier or weightier or greater is true, then the lighter or the lesser must also be true. And we saw this last time as Paul spoke of the heavier or greater issue, that God saved us when we were stiff-necked, rebellious sinners and if He was able to do that, then of course He is more than able to save us from the wrath that is to come because that is a lesser or lighter issue!

            It is a powerful argument that Paul is making and he will continue to use that line of reasoning, that kind of argument to show us that we are eternally saved, eternally secure in Christ. Thus, let’s read Romans 5:10 once again and see how the Scriptures clearly show us that we are eternally saved!

VERSE 10

            Notice the argument that Paul is making here. If when we were enemies of God, living in rebellion against God and we have been restored to God by the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, which is the greater or heavier matter; we then can be fully assured of our eternal security because He lives. And believe it or not, this is the lesser part of the argument. If He saved us while we were enemies, He can surely sustain us in our salvation, He will complete the work!

In regards to this issue of God being more than able to save us to the end, listen to what John MacArthur had to say. He wrote:           

The thrust of this truth for believers is that our Savior not only delivered us from sin and its judgment, but also delivers us from uncertainty and doubt about that deliverance. If God has already made sure our rescue from sin, death, and future judgment, how could our present spiritual life possibly be in jeopardy?  How can a Christian, whose past and future salvation are secured by God, be insecure during the time between?  If sin was no barrier to the beginning of our redemption, how can it become a barrier to its completion?  If sin in the greatest degree could not prevent our becoming reconciled, how can sin in lesser degree prevent our staying reconciled?  If God’s grace covers the sins even of His enemies, how much more does it cover the sins of His children?

                                                                                                            - John MacArthur

            Now we are going to take our time looking at this issue because I believe it is that important. We are going to start out by looking at those verses that clearly show us that our salvation is secure in Christ, that we can’t lose our salvation. We also will look at some examples of those who looked like they were saved at one time but the reality is, they were never saved; they did not fall out of grace! And we will also look at those controversial verses that seem to indicate that we can lose our salvation if we are not walking like we should. The problem with that is where is the line, how good do you have to be? You see, you can never know then if you are saved or not because there are no verses that tell us this. But we will deal more with those verses in a few weeks. You see, I think we can know we are saved, we don’t have to worry and we will see that this morning.

            Now, what does eternal security mean? That is obviously and important question that we need to deal with. H. A. Ironside put it like this as he said:

When we speak of the eternal security of the believer, what do we mean? We mean that once a poor sinner has been regenerated by the Word and the Spirit of God, once he has received a new life and a new nature and has been made partaker of the divine nature, once he has been justified from every charge before the throne of God, it is absolutely impossible that that man should ever again be a lost soul. Having said that, let me say what we do not mean when we speak of the eternal security of the believer.

We do not mean that it necessarily follows that if one professes to be saved, if he comes out to the front in a meeting, shakes the preacher’s hand, and says he accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, that that person is eternally safe. It does not mean that if one joins a church or makes a profession of faith, is baptized, becomes a communicant, and takes an interest in Christian work, that that person is forever secure. It does not mean that because one manifests certain gifts and exercises these gifts in Christian testimony, that that person is necessarily eternally secure.

- H. A. Ironside, Eternal Security of the Believer

            In other words, an empty ritual won’t save you; it is a matter of the heart. Are you just a professor of Jesus or a possessor of Jesus, it does make all the difference! I believe it is important for us to understand that. Also, all humanity is born with inherited sin through Adam and all humanity also acquires sin on a daily basis. Thus, it is this inherited and acquired sin that separates us from God in the first place. Isaiah reminds us of this as he tells us, “Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”  Isaiah 59:1-2.

            I do realize that there are those who don’t believe in inherited sin from Adam, but you are wrong. Sorry, I know I am being pretty straightforward here this morning but I don’t know how else to put it. And again, it is not because I have said that we have inherited sin through Adam, but because God’s Word tells us this fact.

            Remember in Genesis when God created Adam and Eve and they were created in the image of God, the likeness of God, without sin.  In Genesis 1:26-27 we are told, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”  Also, in Genesis 5:1 we see that same thought, “This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.” They were created without sin in the likeness of God!

            Then, before Adam and Eve had any children, sin entered this world through Adam. Now, no longer is man created in the likeness of God, but in the likeness of sinful man, in the likeness of Adam. You can read of this in Genesis chapter 5, but to give you just one example, one verse, we are told in Genesis 5:3, “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.”

When Seth was begot, when he was born, whose likeness did he have? It was not in the likeness or image of God any longer but in the image or likeness of Adam, sinful man. He inherited from his father the sin nature. And so every person who is born is born with this sin nature, they are born in the likeness or image of Adam! Thus, being born again makes us into the image of Christ, into the image of God once again and we will deal with that issue more as we move on in Romans.

            In fact, that is what Paul tells us in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.”  The Amplified Bible puts this verse like this, “Therefore, as sin came into the world through one man, and death as the result of sin, so death spread to all men, [no one being able to stop it or to escape its power] because all men sinned.”  And again we will deal more with this verse as we move on in Romans but I want you to see Paul’s point here. Prior to sin entering this world, there was no death. But, as soon as sin entered this world, the death process began and thus, all die.

            As far as I can tell, and I have done extensive research on this, the death rate is still one per person. All will die! Yes, there are those few exceptions in the Scriptures but the general rule is all will die because they have inherited and acquired sin in their lives and sin separates man from God!

            The only solution is the forgiveness of your sin, the wiping away of them, making the slate clean and that can only be accomplished through Christ. It is then that death has no power over us. For us, the death of these physical bodies is just moving day for our spirit and our soul as we go to be with the Lord and will spend eternity with Him because the blood of Christ has washed our sins away!

            Over the next several weeks we will be looking at a few points regarding this issue of the eternal security of the believer. And again, I pray that you don’t come to this topic with any preconceived ideas, but you will listen to what the Lord is saying through His Word on this subject, that you would search the Scriptures and you would pray about it and let God’s Spirit show you.

            You see, I truly believe that to tell someone that they can lose their salvation does not bring into their lives any peace, any comfort, any rest but it will bring anxiety, fear and-so-on. And yet, Jesus said that He has come to bring us peace, not in this world but in our lives, He wants to give us rest from trying to strive and work to enter into Heaven by the works of the Law, which is impossible and that is why there was no rest with that theology, which is wrong. We can rest, we can have peace, we can have comfort knowing that the work was done by Jesus, IT IS FINISHED! With that said, let’s begin looking at these points related to eternal security.

1.  CAN A BELIEVER LOSE HIS SALVATION?

            This is obviously an important issue and thus, we are going to start out at the top. And again, I don’t believe a Christian can lose his salvation. And I don’t believe this is a gray area at all! Look at Romans 8:38-39 as Paul tells us, “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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

            Paul covers all the bases here and shows us that absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus. Thus, Paul is speaking of believers here and how they are eternally secure in Christ.  Think about our salvation, our justification, our glorification, it is all by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. That is very clear, it is not about us or our good works, which are not good, but His finished work at the start, in the middle and at the close of our life!

One writer put these two verses here in Romans chapter 8 like this and I do think it drives the point home. He wrote:

“Paul then ended his discussion on believers’ safety in Jesus Christ and the certainty of their sanctification with a positive declaration—For I am convinced (perfect tense, “I stand convinced”; 15:14) that nothing can separate believers from the love of God (God’s love for them, not their love for God; cf. v.35). Paul’s list of 10 items begins with death, where the list of 7 items in verse 35 ended. These elements in God’s universe include the extremes of existence: (1) death and (2) life (in either death [2 Cor. 5:8-9] or life, believers are in God’s presence); the extremes of created spiritual armies: (3) angels and (4) demons (angels would not and demons could not undo God’s relationship with His redeemed ones); the extremes in time: (5) the present and (6) the future (nothing known now, for example; the hardships listed in Rom. 8:35, or in the unknown time to come); spiritual enemies: (7) powers (perhaps Satan and his demons; cf. Eph. 6:12; or possibly human governments); the extremes in space: (8) height and (9) depth (nothing overhead or underneath can suddenly come swooping down or up to sever believers from God’s love); and (10) everything in the entire created realm. Absolutely nothing in His Creation can thwart His purpose for believers in Christ. What a climactic way to affirm the certainty of believers’ salvation!”

And I do realize this is just one point and it does not prove the point totally on eternally security, but I hope it is at least making you think about this a little more. You see, the work of Christ was perfect. His offering for sin took care that issue for all who believe in Him. Look at Hebrews 10:14 and listen carefully to what Paul is saying here. He wrote, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

How long is the effect of His sacrifice upon our lives?  Paul says that it is “forever” or eternal, it is never ending.  Thus, how can you lose something that never ends? You can’t. How can something be taken away that is eternal? It can’t!  We are perfected forever!  That should speak volumes to us on how secure our salvation is!

Now I do understand that some will say, “Well, yes that is true, as long as they are faithful.” But that is not what Paul is saying here. You see, it is forever because the sacrifice is all-efficacious, all-successful, it can’t be lost or taken away!  And here is the thing. If you deny eternal security you are basically saying that the work that Christ has done for us is like that of the bulls and goats that were offered as the sacrifice for sin. They could never take away sin and thus, the finished work of Christ is reduced to that line or reasoning and that is wrong! We are saved eternally because the work was completed. The work is finished!

Paul makes that point that the work of Christ is sufficient to save us, more than that of the bulls and goats that were sacrificed for they could never take away our sins, only cover them for a time. Paul put it like this, “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”  Hebrews 9:12-15. And did you notice that it is an eternal inheritance, it can be taken away. That is what Christ has done for us folks, much more than the sacrifice of bulls and goats, His sacrifice completely took away our sins!

And here’s the thing. What you are also saying is that once you gave your life to Christ, you trusted in Him as your Lord and Savior, that if you fall from His grace you will face the judgment of God!  That means you have to work to maintain your salvation, something you did nothing to obtain in the first place and do you really think God is going to judge His children? Of course not. Yes, He will chasten them, but never pour out His wrath upon them!

 I like the way that Dave Hunt explains it in his article on Eternal Security. He wrote:

Those who believe in “falling away” accuse those who believe in “eternal security” of promoting “cheap grace.” The latter is in itself an unbiblical expression. To call it “cheap” is really a denial of grace, since it implies that too small a price has been paid. Grace, however, must be absolutely free and without any price at all on man's part, while on God's part the price He paid must be infinite. Thus for man to think that his works can play any part in either earning or keeping his salvation is what cheapens grace and devalues this infinite gift to the level of human effort.

To speak of “falling from grace” involves the same error. Since our works had nothing to do with meriting grace in the first place, there is nothing we could do that would cause us to no longer merit it and thus to “fall” from it. Works determine reward or punishment—not one's salvation, which comes by God's grace. The crux of the problem is a confusion about grace and works.

- Dave Hunt, Eternal Security, May 31, 1989

            I think he drives home that point very clearly. There is also that verse in Philippians 1:6 where Paul tells us, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  The Amplified Bible puts this verse like this, “And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.”

            Now, let’s look at this verse a little closer. First of all, who began this good work in us?  It was the Holy Spirit who comes alongside us to draw us to Christ. Once we come to Christ the Holy Spirit comes in us and dwells within us and He also comes upon us to empower us for the work we are called to do. So the Holy Spirit began the work, continues in the work and He will complete the work that He started in us!  The finished product, you might say, is that the Holy Spirit is conforming us into the image of Christ!

            And think about this for a minute. When you were a sinner, in rebellion against God, the Holy Spirit was able to break down that rebellion and draw you to Christ, do you think that now He will not be able to maintain you and complete the work in you that He started? Of course he is able, more than able to finish the work!

            Also, listen to what Peter tells us in I Peter 1:3-9, and this is very important. He wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls.”

Peter is speaking of our salvation and apart from Christ we are dead in sin and the flesh controls our lives.  Thus, we can’t do anything good because it is not part of our nature apart from Christ.  You see, whoever is on the throne of your heart will be manifested in your actions.  Now here is the thing.  God has “begotten” us or we are born again in Christ.  That old flesh nature is now dead and the spirit controls us.  That is Paul’s point in II Corinthians 5:17, and we spoke of this verse many times, but it bears repeating.  Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  We are a new creation in Christ, not because we can change our ways, but God can and He has!

            Now think about our earthly inheritance, is it safe, is it everlasting, will it not fade away?  Of course not, nothing of this world will last, it is always moving from order to disorder, from new to rotting and decaying, from yours to someone else’s.  You can’t take it with you.  But look at our heavenly inheritance, it is “incorruptible” or it will not be destroyed, it will never be lost.  Our heavenly inheritance is “undefiled” or it is unstained or unpolluted.  And our heavenly inheritance will not “fade away” which speaks of a flower that does not wither and die.  The kingdom of this world, the things of this world, the things we tend to treasure and hold onto so tightly will all go away but what God has for us will not!

            And folks, if you think you can lose your salvation, think again because Peter tells us it is reserved in heaven for us. If God has a place reserved for us do you think He will lose it or give it away to someone else?  Of course not because our salvation is based upon His finished work, His faithfulness and all we must do to receive that gift is to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior!

            Notice again that Peter says that we “are kept” or PHROUREO, (froo-reh’-o) in the Greek, and it was a military term used to refer to a garrison within the city.  The same Greek word is used in Philippians 4:7, where Paul tells us, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” If God is on guard over our salvation do you really think the enemy is going to be able to take it away?  Of course not! 

            The bottom line is this. We are kept by the power of God and thus, He will take us to glory one day, not because of our good works, but because of His finished work. And in verse 9 Peter talks about the finish line you might say. That one day, at the end of our faith, when we die that we will receive the salvation of our souls, not because of what we have done but because what He has done!  He is more than able and he will keep us and we will obtain the inheritance which is imperishable, it is undefiled, it will not fade away or disappear because God has a place reserved in Heaven for us and He will bring us to that place one day! Doesn’t that make sense to you? It does to me, it is very clear to me that we are secure, eternally secure in Christ!

            And in Hebrews 7:25, Paul reminds us of the work of Christ as he wrote, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”  The Amplified Bible puts this verse like this, “Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them.”

            This is another very important verse for us to understand. Paul tells us that Jesus is able to save us to the “uttermost” or completely! He will bring you to the fullest point of salvation, He will see you through to the very end, and the work will be completed because you came to God through Jesus Christ. Thus, it is His finished work and not yours or mine!  And He continues to make intercession for us before the Father. Yes, the accuser of the brethren, Satan, may come against us, may make points like, “You can’t love Joe, look at all his sin, even today!” Which is true, but then Jesus steps in and says, “Father, Joe is clean, cleansed by My blood!” And thus, He is able to carry out our salvation to the uttermost, the farthest point, to completion!  Don’t you just love that? You need to because it brings such comfort, such peace knowing that we are saved by the Lord and what He started, He will finish in us!

            Also, in John 3:14-15 Jesus tells us, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  What kind of life does someone have who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? It is eternal life! How long does that eternal life last? Some would say, “As long as you walk the walk. Once you blow it, you sin, you are out!” And folk’s, that is not eternal life then, it is limited life and that is not what the Lord has given to us. He has given to us eternal life that is only found in Him!

            In fact, Jesus goes on to say, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  John 3:16-17.  Everlasting life lasts forever and it is based on believing, that is the work that is done by us, if you can call that work. And if you don’t believe that is the only work we need to do to be saved, then again, listen to Jesus in John 6:29, “ . . . ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’”  That is really not work, we are to believe in Jesus and His finished work. He did it, we didn’t. As I have said before, the only work we can add or have added to salvation is SIN!

            And folks, we are not going to finish this up this morning, obviously. But I want to leave you this morning thinking about this. That you can know you are eternally saved. Not because I have said it but Jesus did and John echoed those words of Jesus. In John 5:24 Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

It is interesting, people do want to know what they have to do to have eternal life, and the answer is simple, He tells us to “Pay attention” to “Listen carefully and get this straight!” if you want everlasting life you must not only hear the Words of God, but believe them and what they teach, that Jesus is the Messiah, our Savior and you must receive Him into your life to obtain this everlasting life, that abundant life that is only found in Him! And here it is. We can know that we have eternal life, we don’t have to guess, we don’t have to hope!  If we believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior, if we receive Him into our lives, we can be assured that we have eternal life!  What peace that brings. And again, eternal life means just that, eternal life!

And John tells us in I John 5:13, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”  This everlasting life not only lasts forever, but we can have it, we can enjoy it now!  We can know we are saved and going to Heaven because of what Christ has done, is doing and will do in our lives.

Again, we have just scratched the surface, but I pray that you are seeing that we are eternally secure in Christ and we do not have to fear. We will dig even deeper next time and continue on this point of, CAN A BELIEVER LOSE HIS SALVATION! Let me close with these words from Spurgeon as he wrote:

“But,” a man said to me, “no one has come back, and we don't know what is in the future. It is all dark, and how can we be sure?” Thank God! Christ came down from heaven, and I would rather have Him, coming as he does right from the bosom of the Father, than any one else. We can rely on what Christ says, and He says, “He that believeth on Me shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” Not that we are going to have it when we die, but right here to-day.

What a benefit of righteousness this is to us, the ETERNAL SECURITY that we have in Christ!