Salvation: Eternal Security

Dear Christian Friends:
There are actually two opposing schools of thought on the question of the security of the believer. These schools are known as Arminianism and Calvinism. The Arminian school teaches that it is possible for a true believer to fall away and finally be lost in Hell. The other school (called Calvinism) holds that it is impossible for a truly saved person to ever be lost.
Now, what does the Bible teach? Is the believer secure or insecure? What happens when a Christian sins? Can a person be saved one day and lost the next? Let me answer these questions for you.

Before We Proceed, Are You Saved?

Beloved, any discussion of eternal security is useless, if one is not saved! If you do not know if you are saved; if you are not sure whether you have everlasting life, please read this chapter carefully.

How can I be saved?
This is the most important question of your life, for your eternal destiny hangs in the balance. First, you must realize you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." The Bible says that " ... the wages of sin is death; ... " (Rom. 6:23), and this includes eternal separation from God in Hell (Rev. 20:14-15).
Secondly, you must believe that Jesus Christ died to pay the full price for your sins. First Peter 2:24 says of Jesus, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, ... " This means that Christ took our punishment, our guilt, our shame, our judgment, and everything that we deserve and bore it all for us on Calvary's Cross.
Since Jesus paid the full price for all our sins, all you have to do is accept that payment by believing in Jesus Christ as your Saviour. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Simply come directly and personally to Him and say: "Lord Jesus, I believe that I am a sinner and that you died for all my sins. Now I receive you as my personal Saviour." If you will come to Him in this manner, God will save you right now, for the Scripture says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13).
Salvation is a free gift from God, apart from any work we could do (Eph. 2:8-9). We cannot be saved if we are trusting in our church, our giving, our baptism, or any other good work we could do. Only faith in Jesus Christ alone brings salvation.
And, as you shall see, once you are saved, you are saved forever!

Nineteen Reasons for Believing in Eternal Security

The enemy of our souls has an agenda. Satan would like us to live in fear. Our Heavenly Father would have us rest confidently in His sure hands, knowing the infinite depths of His love. But the devil would have us cower and tremble.
Satan knows that fear and love cannot coexist.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). He knows that if we cannot trust God to keep us safe, our love for Him will suffer.
But, beloved, the Bible is crystal clear. We are well able to trust our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, because He saved us to the uttermost. The teaching of eternal security is not just an inference from some obscure passage. This blessed fact is written large in the pages of God's Word, so that this booklet barely scratches the surface of this wonderful truth.
As we conisder these reasons, let's see how clearly God speaks.

1 - Every believer is secure because salvation is by grace.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).
Our salvation is by grace, a gift of God from start to finish. No person ever merited salvation. We do not deserve salvation when God saves us, nor will we ever deserve it. If God saved us when we were undeserving, will He cast us off because we are undeserving? If we do anything to obtain or to keep salvation, then it is not of grace but of merit or works. Romans 11:6 states: "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

2 - Every believer is secure because our Saviour never casts anyone out who comes to Him.
"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).
This is the promise of the Son of God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2). If anyone who comes to Christ could ever be sent to Hell, that person could, from Hell, accuse the Son of God of lying. Notice that the Word says, "in no wise cast out." This means "in no way," under no circumstances or conditions.

3 - Every believer is secure because all things work together for his good.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
And, of course, the worst thing, that could possibly happen to anyone, would be for that person to be lost forever. There is no way an eternity in Hell could ever work out to his good!
In fact, the "good" Paul is speaking of here is that believers are predestinated to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). Can you picture that someone fashioned in Christ's image would be in Hell?

4 - Every believer is secure because God finishes every good work He begins.
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).
All too often, we begin some work or something that we cannot finish, either through lack of time, knowledge, ability, or some other obstacle beyond our control. This is not true with God. He is almighty and is never out of time. When He begins a good work - the good work of conviction and regeneration - there is nothing that can stop Him. He will one day complete it in glorification.

5 - Every believer is secure because our Saviour never changes.
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever" (Heb. 13:8).
Our salvation is in a safe place. The true believer's salvation is "in Christ," and the Word of God
. says He is the same yesterday, today, and for ever.
Now if our salvation is in Christ, and Christ does not change, then our salvation does not change. The Apostle Paul said, "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" (2 Tim. 1:12). Paul knew Christ, and he knew that Christ was able to keep him eternally.
Now suppose, by way of illustration, I take some money to a bank in which I have confidence. The safety of that money does not depend on my taking a gun and marching to and fro in front of that bank. It depends on the bank itself. The money is safe, if the bank is safe; and if I put the money in the bank, that means that I believe the bank is safe. So you see, beloved, the safety of the money depends on the bank and not myself. This is true of every believer in Christ. The safety of his soul depends on Christ and not on himself.

6 - Every believer is secure because he is born of God.
"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" (John 1:12).
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).
Now, I will admit that we do not always act like children of God-but we are the children of God, if we have been born of God. And a child of God can no more be unborn than can a child of physical birth.
Most people who believe that a person can fall from grace and lose his salvation likewise believe that a person can be saved again after he falls. If this is true, then it would take the "third birth"? maybe even a fourth and a fifth! The Bible has nothing to say about such a "third birth."

7 - Every believer is secure because Christ knows His own and keeps them.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:27-29).
These words are simple, but they are true. Christ says about true believers, "I know them." But in talking to those to whom He said, "Depart from me" in Matthew 7:21-23, Christ adds, "I never knew you." This proves conclusively that those who are cast away from Christ were never believers. They were never saved, so they did not lose their salvation.
Beloved, the Bible says we are in His hand. We do not hold on to God, He holds on to us. Noone is strong enough to loosen the grip of Almighty God!

8 - Every believer is secure because he has eternal life.
"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son . .. 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" (1 John 5:11,13).
Many people think eternal life begins in heaven. But the verse uses the present tense. It does not say "shall have." Believers in Christ "have" eternal life now.
This Bible term, "eternal life, " demands security. If "eternal" means "eternal," then a person who is given eternal life must keep that life eternally. If , I am saved for one hundred years, and then lose my salvation, I do not have eternal life.

9 - Every believer is secure because Christ's blood cleanses from all sin.
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
The word "all" here means past sins, present sins, and future sins. The word that is translated "cleanseth" in this passage signifies continued action and could be read, "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth, and cleanseth, and cleanseth, and keeps on cleansing us from all sin."
The writer of Hebrews makes plain that Christ's sacrifice was sufficient for all our sins, not just in the past, but for all time: "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; ... For by one offering he hath [past tense] perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10:12, 14).

10 - Every believer is secure because nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ.
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved 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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:35-39).
Here in these verses, the Apostle Paul reaches to the edges of the universe, to the ends of time, to the highest of the heavens, to the depths of Hell and tells us that nothing in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.
Not even the fallen angels (demons) can come between us and the love of God. If even the "powers" are powerless to pull us away, certainly no mere man can separate us from the love of God.

11 - Every believer is secure because, if Christ is Saviour at all, He must save eternally.
" ... And thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21).
The name '~esus," from the Hebrew Yeshua, means '~ehovah saves." His very name means "Saviour."
Beloved, the word "Saviour" demands the eternal security of the believer. Suppose you were drowning at sea, one hundred yards from shore, and I rowed out to get you. When you were in the boat you did something I didn't like, so I pushed
Reasons for Believing in Eternal Security • 11 you back out and let you drown fifty feet from the beach. Will I receive any medals for saving you? No, for I was not your saviour. It is true I did save you for a time, but then I let you drown. So if Christ is a Saviour at all, He must save eternally.

12 - Every believer is secure because of the five golden links in God's unfailing purpose.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he
. called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified" (Rom. 8:28-30).
It is God's unfailing purpose that every believer be formed into the image of Christ. Nothing will hold God back from the fulfillment of that purpose.
This reaches from eternity past to eternity future. Everyone whom God foreknew and predestinated, He likewise called and justified and will one day glorify. These are grounds for every believer to shout praise to God.
Beloved, please read Verses 29 and 30 carefully.
See that all five golden links in God's purpose are written in the past tense. From God's point of view, they are as good as done. He is not bound by time. In his eyes, we are already glorified!

13 - Every believer is secure because he is sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption.
"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30).
When the Lord saves us, it is not for a few days or a few months or for a few years. It is for time and eternity. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption-and, praise God, it is a seal that Satan cannot break!
In Ephesians 1:13 and 14, Paul calls this seal by the Holy Spirit an "earnest" or deposit with which Christ has promised us that He will return for His "purchased possession."
If I place a deposit on an item, I may run out of funds and forfeit my possession. But Christ's payment was sufficient for "the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). He will not lose that which is His.

14 - Every believer is secure because his name is written in Heaven.
"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you: but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20).
God doesn't have an eraser on His pencil, because He never makes mistakes! Please notice that Christ does not go on to dampen their rejoicing by saying, "live in fear, and keep up your good works, lest your name be removed."

15 - Every believer is secure because sins are not charged to the believer.
"Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin" (Rom. 4:8).
All our sins have been imputed to Christ and will never be charged against us again. As the song says, '~esus paid it all, All to Him I owe, Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow."
Let me illustrate it this way. If I paid all your utility bills for the rest of your life, the utility companies could never come after you to charge you, or to turn off your gas and electric. You would owe nothing, because I have paid it all. In the same manner, your sins cannot be charged to you, because Jesus paid it all.

16- Every believer is secure because the Bible teaches we are chastised for our sins and are not damned eternally.
"And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons" (Heb. 12:5-8).
Like all good parents, God chastens his children when they go astray, but He does not cast them out of His family. The Bible states that " ... we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Cor. 11:32).

17- The believer is secure because our Lord Jesus is praying for us.
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25).
God answers all prayers that are prayed according to His will (1 John 5:14-15), and Christ does everything according to the will of His Father (John 5:19; Heb. 10:7). Therefore, Jesus' prayers for our salvation will be answered.

18- Every believer is secure because there is no condemnation for the believer.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus ... " (Rom. 8:1).
What a wonderful promise! How would it be possible for God to send an uncondemned person to an eternity in Hell?

19- Every believer is secure because he is being preserved by the Lord.
"Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand ... For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off" (Psalm 37:24, 28).
Our sovereign Lord is in total control of every circumstance that comes into the believer's life. He promises in 1 Corinthians 10: 13 that nothing will enter our life that we are unable to bear. Beloved, what a comfort it is to know that God is involved in every detail of his children's lives, to preserve them unto that day, when they will see Him face to face!

* * * * *
Many other reasons could be given to prove the doctrine of eternal security, but these I have just quoted ought to be enough to cause every bornagain child of God to rejoice in the wonderful salvation and the wonderful Saviour we have.

Objections to Eternal Security
Beloved, the Scriptures clearly teach that a saved person can never be lost. However, those who oppose eternal security frequently resort to certain Scriptures and Bible characters to try to prove their point. Let us examine some of the main arguments which are commonly used against eternal security.

Judas Iscariot
The case of Judas Iscariot is often used as an outstanding example of a true child of God sinning against the Lord to the extent that he lost his salvation and went to eternal perdition. The Bible, however, is crystal clear concerning the spiritual standing of Judas Iscariot. He was never saved! He never experienced regeneration! He never possessed saving faith in Christ! Note the plain words of the Lord Jesus in John 6:70-71, "Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve." His choice of Judas was not to salvation, but to the office of an apostle.
In John 13, where Christ washed His Apostles' feet, we read the statement, " ... ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; there? fore said he, Ye are not all clean" (vv. 10-11).
In His intercessory prayer, Christ did not pray for Judas Iscariot, because Christ only intercedes for His own - not for the world. "While l was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition [Judas]; that the scripture might be fulfilled" (John 17:12).
The Old Testament, in Psalm 41:9, predicted that Judas would betray Christ. Note: "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. " Judas' betrayal of Christ is also mentioned in Matthew 26:24: "The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born."
One might ask how a man could preach and perform miracles and still not be saved. The words of Christ in Matthew 7:22-23 answer this question:
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Notice that Christ does not say, "I knew you at one time, but I do not know you now." This is what the Arminians teach. But what does the Lord say? He says, "I never knew you." Christ never knew these people as His own. A person can join the local church, be active in Christian work, even be a preacher, and still not be saved. Judas Iscariot was in this class. Judas fell from his office as a preacher; that's all he ever had.

King Saul
Here is another case which is supposed to prove that a person can lose his salvation. However, the question of King Saul's salvation is never mentioned in the Word of God; so we have no way of knowing with certainty whether he was saved or lost. It is always better to stay silent where the Scriptures are silent.
But if we must speculate, indications are that King Saul was an unsaved man. Never once do we find him doing God's will completely.
Sometimes people refer to 1 Samuel 10:9-19 where we are told that God gave Saul another heart. This is true, but it doesn't say that God gave him a new heart. As with Judas, God chose and empowered Saul for an office. God gave him another heart to act as a king, but it doesn't say that God gave him a new heart to live like a Christian.
Perhaps you are asking the question, "Why then did the Spirit of God come upon him?" The Spirit of God came upon many people in Old Testament times and used them for different purposes. It is one thing for the Spirit of God to come on a man; and it is still another thing for the Spirit
, of God to come within a man. The Spirit of God spoke through a donkey - Balaam's ass - in Numbers 22. But who would say that the donkey was saved?

1 Corinthians 9:27
"But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. "
There are some who claim that Paul himself was not certain he was eternally saved. They appeal to the expression found in 1 Corinthians 9:27: " ... when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." However, the context here makes it plain that Paul is dealing with the subject of rewards - not salvation. Paul appeals to the Corinthians to recognize his apostleship and the dispensation committed unto him. He appeals to them, on the basis of their knowledge of the athletic games that were conducted at Corinth, to be faithful to the Lord.
He mentions the runner in a race: "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain" (1 Cor. 9:24). This text does not refer to salvation because, when Paul speaks of salvation, he makes just the opposite assertion: "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy" (Rom. 9:16). The sinner cannot do a single thing to save his soul. But after God has imparted life into the dead sinner, then God tells him to run, fight, wrestle, etc.
Thus, the context makes it plain that Paul does not express concern about his salvation, but his reward. Paul, in his epistles, gives the rules of the Christian race. If a believer breaks the rules of the game, he will be disqualified by the umpire - the Lord Jesus Christ - at the Judgment Seat of Christ. He will lose the winner's prize.

Hebrews 6:4-6
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. "
In all likelihood, this portion of Scripture is used more often than any other by the opponents of eternal security. However, these verses do not in any way prove that a person can lose his salvation.
These verses refer to professors, not possessors.
Those referred to were enlightened, they tasted, they were convicted by the Holy Spirit; but they fell away because they had never been saved in the first place. Hebrews 6:9 makes this clear. The Apostle Paul says: ". " beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, ... " This proves that these people never really had a born-again experience.
Actually, these verses show that it is impossible for a saved person to be lost. The writer of Hebrews, in Chapter 6 says, "It is impossible ... if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; ... " (vv.4-6). In other words, if a person were saved and then lost, it would be impossible for that person to ever be saved again. Most people, who believe you can lose your salvation, also believe that you can repent and get it back again. This verse says that this would be impossible.

Hebrews 10:26
, "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. "
Satan has misused this Scripture to torment many with the thought that there is no hope for them, and that they will be eternally damned, because they committed an act of willful sin. However, Hebrews 10:26 does not pertain to born again believers in any way.
In context, this verse is talking about the sin of unbelief and was written to the Hebrews as a warning that, if they rejected the blood of Jesus Christ, shed once for all, and trusted in Old Testament sacrifices, there would be nothing but the wrath of God in store for them. Notice in Verse 29 that these people trample under foot the Son of God; they count the blood of Christ an unholy thing. This word "unholy" means "common." Many of the Jews in that day said that the blood of Christ was just the blood of a common man (just as do many people today).
The Bible teaches that the blood of Christ is precious; it is the nearest thing to the heart of God. It is the only thing that can save from sin. All the Old Testament sacrifices were merely pointers to it. Now if a person rejects the blood, God has no other way whereby that person can be saved. That is the simple meaning of this passage of Scripture.

2 Peter 2:20-22
"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. "
This Scripture is often quoted in order to prove that a Christian can so sin as to fall away and lose his salvation. However, the context makes it plain that the Apostle is describing false teachers - not saved people. He warns his readers, that just as there were false prophets in Israel, so there would be false teachers among them, who would even deny the Lord who bought them (2 Peter 2:1). He shows that God will judge these false teachers, as He judged the angels that sinned, the antediluvian world, and Sodom and Gomorrah (vv. 4-9).
Peter teaches emphatically that Lot was eternally secure, because he was justified by faith, just as was his uncle, Abraham: "And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;} The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished" (2 Peter 2:7-9).
In Verse 12, Peter describes these false teachers as natural brute beasts. That is why, at the close of the chapter, he describes them as a dog and a sow. True believers are never described in these terms. God's people are referred to as sheep who follow the Shepherd (John 10:27-30). When a sheep falls in the mud, he will get up and get out; but when a hog falls in the mud, he stays there. That's the difference between the saved and the lost.

Revelation 3:5
, "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels."
This Scripture is used quite frequently to try to prove that a Christian can have his name blotted out of the Book of Life. Actually, this teaches the exact opposite. God promises in this verse that our names will never be blotted out of the Book of Life.
Notice that God promises that the overcomer will not have his name blotted out of the Book of Life. Who overcomes? All those who are born of God. Every believer is an overcomer. "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:4-5). Since no one who overcomes will have his name blotted out of the Book of Life, and all who are born of God overcome, then no child of God will have his name blotted out of the Book of Life.

Revelation 22: 19
"And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. "
Here is another Scripture which Satan has twisted to confuse many on the doctrine of eternal security. But again, as in 2 Peter 2:20-22, this verse is speaking about false teachers, who attempt to add to or subtract from the Word of God. Only an unsaved person would do a thing like this. Men like Joseph Smith, who wrote the Book of Mormon, and women like Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science (which is neither Christian nor science), are guilty of this crime. Anyone who adds to God's Word has committed this sin.
Now notice that this verse does not say his name will be taken out of the Book of Life. It says his part, and the word "part" here means "interest." The word is used in this sense in many passages of Scripture. See John 13:8 and Acts 8:21, for example.
All men have an "interest" in the Book of Life-the privilege of having their names written there. However, anyone who adds to or subtracts from God's Book (the Bible) forfeits his interest (his part) in the Book of Life.
Once a name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, it will never be erased.
Beloved, the Scriptures clearly teach that the believer is secure in the Lord for all eternity. We can never lose our salvation.

What Happens When a Christian Sins?

The enemies of the doctrine of eternal security teach that to believe this doctrine encourages a believer to be careless and to live in sin. However, the Bible teaches just the opposite. The great passage that refutes this false accusation is found in the sixth chapter of Romans. Paul begins the chapter by asking the question, "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" This has been the premise of some. They argue, "Since sin gives an occasion for God to show His grace, let us keep on sinning that God may have an opportunity to keep on showing more grace."
Paul answers this fallacy by saying, "God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom. 6:2).
Then Paul goes on in this sixth chapter of Romans to show that we were baptized into the death of Christ, not by water baptism, but by the Holy Spirit. Not only have we been baptized into Christ's death, but we have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life. Paul tells us that we are to experience our position in Christ in our daily lives. "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:11).
Often the question is asked, "What does God do when a believer sins?" Beloved, the Scripture is very plain on this subject. When a believer sins, he is to confess his sins, not to some religious leader, but to God Himself: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). This text does not refer to the terms for a sinner's salvation, but to the condition of fellowship with God. (A lost sinner is justified by faith, not by confessing his sins.) Notice that John does not say to plead for forgiveness, but just confess. The Greek word translated "confess" literally means "to say the same thing as," or "to admit or to acknowledge that a thing is true." It means you say the same thing about your sin as God does.
Another question often asked is, "What if the believer does not confess his sins? Does he lose his salvation?" Beloved, God has a remedy for this situation. Hear the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:31-32, "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not bejudged. But when we arejudged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world."
When we read God's Word and He says certain things are sins, we are not to make excuses. Rather, we are to say, "God says it is sin, and I say the same thing." We are to confess or acknowledge our sins; this is all that God expects. And if we will honestly do this, God promises to "forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
The Scripture states quite plainly that God chastens His children to bring them to their senses. In the Corinthian Church, God chastened even to the extent of physical death, but the purpose was " ... that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Cor. 5:5) and" ... that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Cor. 11:32). God's chastening has its source in His love for His own: "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth ... for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" (Heb. 12:6-7).
Let us realize that God deals with us as a father deals with his son. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1).
The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 is the most beautiful illustration as to how God deals with His wayward children. Even when the son was in a far country - even when he was in the hog pen trying to fill his belly with husks - he was still a son. He was far from his father, he was out of fellowship with his father, but he was still a son of his father. Though the father was grieved with his son's waywardness, the love relationship was not broken. And because he was a son, he came to himself, he recognized his condition and said, "I have sinned." This is a perfect picture of how every wayward believer must come back to God.
Now, just as an earthly father does not cast out a beloved son for some act of disobedience, so the Lord does not cast us out when we sin. Rather, He scourges and chastens us, as we are so plainly told in Hebrews 12:5-9. Sometimes the Lord punishes with sickness or disappointments, and there are times when He even brings tragedy into our lives. I have known of disobedient Christians who have lost their jobs, or lost their health. Some have lost their marriages, their children, and even their physical lives. This is the way God always deals with His sinning children.
Finally, let's look at the effects of sin in the life of a believer.
First, when a believer sins, he loses fellowship with God. Isaiah 59:2 says, " ... your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." This is what God said to Israel, the nation that is God's photograph of the individual believer. Sin always severs fellowship between the believer and God.
Secondly, when a believer sins, he loses the joy of his salvation. David said, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit" (Psalm 51:12). He was still saved, but the joy was gone.
Thirdly, when a believer sins, he grieves the Holy Spirit. "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30).
Fourthly, when a believer sins, he receives the physical consequences of that sin. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). A believer who lies in his business may forfeit raises or lose his job. A Christian who abuses alcohol will suffer the health and family problems that go with it. Though the sin is forgiven, the consequences remain.
Fifthly, when a believer sins, he loses rewards.
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10).
"Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Cor. 3:12-15).

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Beloved, let us rejoice in the fact that our salvation is eternal, and let us live each day to please the Lord in appreciation for the great salvation He has given us.

Run for the Prize! The Incentive of Rewards
The biblical doctrine of rewards is an essential part of any discussion of eternal security. It is part of the Bible's answer to the person who asks, "Since my place in Heaven is sure, what advantage is there if I live my life for Christ?"
Beloved, the Word of God is clear. All those who have come to Christ through faith will go to Heaven, but not all will have the same kind of entrance. The Bible says that some will have an abundant entrance (2 Peter 1:11), and some will be " ... saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Cor. 3:12-15).
As mentioned in the previous chapter, the Bible clearly teaches that our works do matter. While they do not determine our destination, they do determine the rewards we will receive when we get there. Believers will stand before God and be judged for their works. Paul says to the Corinthian believers:
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10).

The Truth of Rewards
One of the pictures that Scripture presents of the Christian life is that of athletic competition. Our service for Christ is like a race. The writer of Hebrews exhorts us: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1). It is a race that requires temperance, confidence, and discipline (1 Cor. 9:25-27). We must run unencumbered, laying aside every bit of extra weight-and we must run patiently. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
Spiritual athletics are hard work! We may be tempted to walk off the track, unsure as to whether the prize is worth the toil. The Apostle Paul assures us that it is, for it is a prize that never fades away. "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible" (1 Cor. 9:24-25).
Beloved, the Bible teaches that there is incorruptible treasure, which the faithful believer can lay up for himself in Heaven (Matt. 6:20-21). Our trials can work in us " ... a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17). On the other hand, many believers will be terribly ashamed when they stand before the Lord at His coming (1 John 2:28). They will hang their heads, because God will be ashamed of them (Mark 8:38). When they see the prize they could have had, they will wish with all their heart that they had been more faithful-but then it will be too late.
Run for the Prize! The Incentive of Rewards • 29 assured that they will be infinitely greater that anything offered to any earthly athlete.
The Bible names four crowns for which the believer is to strive-and, with each one, tells us what we need to do to win it.

The Incorruptible Crowns
In the days of Paul, winners of the Olympic and Isthmian games were given a crown of laurel leaves, which would wilt in a short time. It was a very temporary crown, but it brought lasting results. The winners would go back to their countries as heroes. They were given lifelong exemption from taxes, and often exemption from military service, along with many other economic and social benefits. But no matter how great the prize, it was only temporary. Death inevitably stole their prize.
Beloved, it is not so with the believer's crowns. As we saw above, they are incorruptible (1 Cor. 9:25). The benefits will never fade away.
While we cannot even imagine the specifics of what the heavenly benefits will entail, we can rest

• The Crown of Life. The first crown God gives as a prize is the crown of life. Please notice what the Bible says about this crown.
"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him" (James 1:12).
"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and [ will give thee a crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).
The Bible gives two qualifications for receiving this crown. First, the Christian's life must be characterized by faithful endurance in times of trial, and secondly, it must be done because we love Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, when a trial comes into your life, is your usual reaction to murmur against God? James says that trials are to be counted as joy, for they are meant to perfect our faith that we may lack nothing (James 1:2-4). Trials are given by our Heavenly Father for our benefit, and He gives only good and perfect gifts (James 1:17). If we respond to those trials in loving trust, we will receive the crown of life.

• The Crown of Righteousness. Beyond the crown of life, Christ rewards the crown of righteousness to those who keep the faith and love His appearing.
"I have fought a good fight, [ have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
Do you look forward to the coming of Christ with all your heart? Many believers want the Rapture to come simply to get them out of the mess they're in. But that is not "loving His appearing." The believer, who loves Christ's appearing, longs to see his precious Saviour face-to-face. The world has lost its luster. Like King David, the believer has a deep hunger for the presence of God: " ... my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is" (Psalm 63: 1).
The believer, who loves Christ's appearing, keeps the faith. He grounds his life firmly in Christ's Word (Matt 7:24-27). He is not afraid to stand firmly on the Word of God against the seductions of the world. He has shown himself an approved workman before God " ... rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).

• The Crown of Rejoicing. Many have called this crown the "soul winner's crown." It belongs to those who have been faithful in winning others for Christ and discipling them. Paul said of the believers in Thessalonica, "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?" (1 Thess. 2:19).
Paul had reached these dear people for Christ, and toiled among them night and day, as if they had been his own children (1 Thess. 2:7-11). He knew that, at Christ's return, he would be welcomed by these saints whose lives he had changed. He would receive the crown of rejoicing.
Beloved, do you share the Gospel with the lost? Do you have a burden to see people saved, snatched from the jaws of Hell, and then go on to serve Christ as faithful disciples? When Christ returns, will you enter His presence alone, or will you be accompanied by multitudes whom you reached, who will rejoice with you as you receive your crown?

• The Crown of Glory. There is a special crown for those who faithfully shepherd Christ's Church:
"The elders which are among you I exhort, ... Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away" (1 Peter 5:1-4).
Pastoring a church can be a thankless job. Today the average pastor remains in his church for about three years. The rate of pastoral burnout is at an alltime high. But God exhorts His shepherds to remain faithful. He " ... is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, ... " (Heb. 6:10).
The Bible says that the one who desires to be a pastor "desires a good work" (1 Tim. 3:1). But it is a work fraught with discouragement. Pastor, remain faithful, and you will receive your crown!

Claiming Our Crowns
Yes, the prize is worth the agony, but there are no shortcuts. "And if a man also strive for masteries [Greek: compete for a crown], yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully" (2 Tim. 2:5). As I mentioned earlier, we must abide by the rules of the contest, if we are to win.
First, we must be sure we are in the right stadium! God states emphatically, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11). Beloved, if you are doing your good works for any reason other than glory for Christ, they will burn up in the end. Jesus said " ... for without me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). That is why Paul says, "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" (Col. 3:17).
Secondly, not only must we build on the right foundation, we must also use the right materials. Listen to Paul. "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is" (1 Cor. 3:12-13).
Let us keep our eyes set on eternity, and not waste time on those things that will pass away, no matter how good they seem. God says we are to build with materials that endure. The parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:15-21) shows the futility of a life lived for earthly pleasure. How quickly it passes away!
Thirdly, our good works must stem from the right motive. 'J:\nd though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity [love], it profiteth me nothing" (1 Cor. 13:3). Many people do works that outwardly appear good, but they fall short in the eyes of the Judge, because these works were done to exalt self: " ... Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7).

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Beloved, much more could be said about the rewards which God promises to those who remain faithful to Him, but what is discussed should be enough to whet your appetite. The believer's entrance into Heaven is secure through the grace of God. But a bare entrance into Heaven isn't all there is. Let us remain close to our precious Saviour, looking for His appearing, winning the lost and teaching the saved. "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:11).