Sermon 12

Salvation Is Forever (Part 1)

Romans 5:1-2

The theological debate on the issue of eternal security goes on. Some say, "You can cease being saved." Others claim you cannot. This is what we call the doctrine of eternal security. It is also known as "the perseverance of the saints" and "once saved, always saved."

I am often asked questioned and challenged on this topic. A man once said to me, "The trouble I have with you Baptists over is this 'once saved always saved' belief. What you are saying is that once you are saved you can live like a heathen and still be saved. I just can't accept that." They sincerely believe that there is something inherently dangerous in this doctrine, that it opens to door to all kinds license and loose living. On another occasion, a group of men showed up at my door. They were upset that their preacher had stopped a guest speaker in the middle of his sermon when the man had preached that you could lose your salvation. I told them that I believed that their pastor was right in believing in eternal security and that the evangelist was wrong. One of the men said to me, "You mean to tell us that if a saved man goes out and gets drunk and cheats on his wife, he is still saved?" I said, "Well, what if a saved man fails to pray, or to study the Word, or to witness... He is still committing sins ... Will he lose his salvation?" They thought that those sins were somehow not as bad as getting drunk and committing adultery. "So", I asked, "You are saying that in order to lose your salvation you have commit a really bad sin?" Another man once said, "I don't believe in eternal security." He said, "I believe in eternal security, but not extreme security. I believe you can backslide all the way to hell." My comment to him was, "Don't you think eternal security is pretty extreme?'

But the most important question is not, "What do you believe?" but "What does the Bible teach?" Does the Bible teach the doctrine of eternal security or does it teach that you can backslide to the point of falling away from Christ? And does eternal security mean that we can continue to live in sin and still be saved? How can we explain sin in the life of a saved person? What could keep us from falling away from Christ? These questions are all dealt with Romans 5-8. Chapter 5 answers the question - "Are we eternally secure?" Chapter 6 answers the question, "Does eternal security mean that we can continue in sin?" Chapter 7 speaks to the matter of the believer's continual struggle with sin. And chapter 8 explains just how secure we are. So fasten your seat belt because we are going to be spending some significant time on the subject of eternal security.

Romans 5 begins with the word 'therefore". It is an often overlooked but very important word. This word always links together what is about to be said with what has previously been said. The Book of Romans has a number of "therefores" (3:20; 5:1; 8:1; 12:1). Romans is a very logical book. I have compared it to a lawyer's presentation of his case. Paul establishes a fact, draws a conclusion, and then builds on that conclusion. What has Paul proven to this point? He has demonstrated conclusively that the whole world, both Gentiles and Jews are guilty before God (2:1; 3:10, 19). Using Abraham as his primary illustration (witness), Paul has demonstrated that God's way of salvation has always been "by grace, through faith" and never by religious deeds such as keeping the law (3:20; 4:2-3; 16, 22-25). We are justified by faith.

It is foundational to understand that if you do not believe in eternal security, if you believe that once God has saved you, you must maintain your salvation by continuing to meet God's standards, what you have is really a conditional salvation. It is saying, "God saves us initially, but we must keep ourselves saved." In a sense, that theology is a works righteousness salvation. It is not altogether different from all man-made religions which say that man must live up to some religious code or ethical standard in order to be saved (stay saved). But the Bible teaches that salvation is a free gift, undeserved, unearned, ours by faith alone.

I have to tell you that that belief plays right into the hand of Satan. A person who rejects eternal security lives their whole life in uncertainty about themselves and everyone else. The choice is either between eternal security and the assurance that it brings or eternal insecurity and the constant doubt that it brings. How can face death with security? Will it be full of doubt, not knowing for sure if they are saved? How can he or she handle the death of a loved one? With the same doubt? Doubt is the opposite of faith. Satan's strategy must be that we would live our lives in doubt, not in faith, with confidence that we are saved. How could you possibly be an effective witness, if you were always plagued with a nagging concern about whether or not you will remain faithful to the end.

Romans 5 shows us several links in a chain that eternally ties a true believer to the Savior. I want to show you the first two links.

Chain Link #1 - Peace With God, 5:1

What is this peace with God? Some think that it is tranquility of mind. But the kind of peace being spoken of here is not subjective, it is objective. It is not a feeling but a relationship. What Paul is saying is that once we are saved (being justified by faith) our war with God is over. At war with God?! Yes. The non-Christian probably does not think that he is at war with God, that he and God are enemies. He probably, at worst considers himself neutral toward God. But the Bible says that there is a war between God and the unredeemed and that salvation brings peace with God. Donald Grey Barnhouse, in his commentary on Romans 5, tells a story from the life of Missionary David Livingston. Once, while Livingstone was away from the Zulu tribe, an enemy attacked the Zulus and captures the chieftan's son. Upon his return, Livingstone urged the chieftan to make peace. The chieftan said, "How can I be at peace with them while they hold my son prisoner?" How can God be at peace with man so long we that man "tramples under foot the Son of God, and ... counts the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and is spiteful unto the Spirit of grace"? (Hebrews 10:29). Indeed, there is war between God and man. Romans 5:10 says that "we were enemies"; Romans 8:7 says that the unsaved man is "at enmity against God.". According to Colossians 1:21 we were enemies. But now, "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." A dying Savior brings us to God; a living Savior keeps us with God. This is an eternal peace. It lasts as long as Christ lives and makes intercession for us. How long is that? "He ever liveth to make intercession for us."

The first link between us and God is peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Chan Link #2 - Standing In Grace, 5:2a

Many think of God as being unapproachable and inaccessible. But Paul says that those who have been justified by faith have access to the grace of God through of faith in Christ. Jesus Christ has opened up the way for man to go to God (read Matthew 27:51; Hebrews.4:16; 10:19-22).

But notice... Paul says that we stand in grace! The word "stand" means stand firm, abide. Paul is saying that we are firmly fixed in an environment of grace. Jude 24 - Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory. Romans 5:20 - Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. There is no way our of grace! Grace functions where there is failure. Every time you sin, grace abounds to cover your sin.

If our salvation depended upon us keeping it, everyone of us would fall and lose it. But we are saved by grace and we stand firm in grace. II Timothy 1:12 - I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (Read Hebrews10:10-14.)

What about that person who abandons Christ? What about the individual who supposedly "stops" believing?

When you are faced with someone like that always think of I John 2:19.

Saved by grace; justified by faith; at peace with God; standing in grace. This is evidence of our eternal security.