Security of the Believer
John 5:24
Illustration: A young ministerial student went to see and hear
D.L.Moody. After the service he was surprised to find
himselfin the presence of Mr. Moody. Moody asked him if he
werea Christian. "Sometimes I think I am and sometimes I
have my doubts," was the reply. Moody opened his Bible and
read John 5:24 to the young man. "Do you believe it?" Moody
asked.
"Yes." "Do you receive Christ?" Moody asked. "Yes," the
young man answered. "Then let me ask you again, are you a
Christian?"
The young man responded with his previous answer to the
question. "Look here, young man, just who are you
doubting?"
Moody shouted. Then the young man realized that assurance
of salvation rested solely upon God's ability to save and keep.
When we have placed our trust in Christ alone for
salvation and forgiveness and then allow doubt to fill our
heart and mind we have called God a liar. (1 John 5:9-13) If
we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater:
for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his
Son. {10}He that believeth on the Son of God hath the
witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him
a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of
his Son. {11}And this is the record, that God hath given to us
eternal life, and this life is in his Son. {12}He that hath the
Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not
life. {13}These things have I written unto you that believe on
the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have
eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son
of God.
The Bible give NO example of anyone losing salvation,
including Samson (who committed suicide), Jephthah (who
offered his own daughter as a human sacrifice), or David
(who murdered Uriah and committed adultry with
Bathsheba), just check Hebrews 11:32. What sin is there
committed by man that God has not already forgiven the
repentant sinner when he comes to Christ, that He will not
forgive His very own child? We can no more deny our second
birth than we can deny our first.
The problem many have believing the doctrine of the
security of the believer is in five areas:
1. Salvation is totally of God, therefore salvation is God's
not ours. (Psa 51:12) Restore unto me the joy of thy
salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. David speaking
to God here calling it thy salvation.
(Psa 91:16) With long life will I satisfy him, and show him
my salvation. God speaking here calling it my salvation.
2. God gives His salvation on the basis of His will, not
ours.(John 1:13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. This is
why it is so important when a sinner comes under the
conviction of the Holy Spirit to respond to that conviction
immediately. Five minutes later that conviction could be
gone.
3. Salvation is of His will to give, freely and
unconditionally, to whomsoever will receive His Son by faith.
(John 1:12) But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name: (Rom 10:9-10) That if thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
{10}For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and
with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
4. The security of God's free salvation rests on His
faithfulness to His promises, and not on our faithfulness to
His commandments. (Lam 3:22-24) It is of the LORD'S
mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions
fail not. {23}They are new every morning: great is thy
faithfulness. {24}The LORD is my portion, saith my soul;
therefore will I hope in him. (2 Tim 2:13) If we believe not,
yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
5. Salvation is not a commitment which we make to God,
but rather a commitment which He has already made to us.
(Titus 1:2) In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie,
promised before the world began; Our total responsibility is
personal acceptance of His commitment.
If God were to change His mind and send me to hell
today, He would have every right to do that because I most
certainly deserve hell. But He will not, because He has more
to lose that I do. If he sends me to hell I will have lost my
soul, but God will have lost His good name.
Sometimes folks misunderstand or are not clear on the
security of God's child:
1. Some believe that the true child of God cannot fall into
sin. But the Bible is full of God's people who have sinned, yet
not once does the Word of God ever suggest that they lost
their redemption. A good example would be Simon Peter,
who denied the Lord three times.
2. Some believe a saint will not lose his joy or assurance of
salvation. Yet David cried out to God in Psalm 51 for the
Lord to restore the joy of salvation to him.
3. Some believe that a Christian is free to do as he pleases
or to tempt God. Believers are not free to do as they please,
but free to do as God wills. Our example here is the Lord
Himself.
(Luke 4:8) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee
behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the
Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (Luke 4:12)
And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God.
I. SECURE BY THE FATHER'S POWER
(1 Pet 1:4-5) To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,
and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, {5}Who
are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time. (John 10:29) My Father,
which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able
to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (Rom 8:35-39) Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword? {36}As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the
day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
{37}Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us. {38}For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, {39}Nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
II. SECURE BY THE SON'S PROVISION
(1 Pet 3:18) For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to
death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (2 Cor
1:10)Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth
deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; (Gal
2:20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and
gave himself for me. The song write wrote: Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe, Sin hath left a crimson stain, He washed it
white as snow. (1 Pet 1:18-19) Forasmuch as ye know that ye
were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,
from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers; {19}But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish and without spot:
III. SECURE BY THE SPIRIT'S PART
(Eph 1:13-14) 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, {14}Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his
glory. (1 Th 5:23) And the very God of peace sanctify you
wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body
be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. (Eph 4:30) And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,
whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Conclusion: If the believer is not completely secure in the
salvation that God provides then the name of the Father is
defamed, Jesus Christ died in vain, and the Holy Spirit's
power is nill. God most certainly would be a liar. But the
truth is He is not a liar, the believer is completely,
everlastingly, eternally secure. PRAISE GOD!
