 |
 |
|
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Tract Number 155
Audio download at bottom of page
__________________
ETERNAL SECURITY
What Does The Bible Teach About It?
John 10:28,29, “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.” These two verses and such as Hebrews 10:14: “For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.” Also Ephesians 1:1 3b, “In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” (The Ephesians no doubt needed to be taught that the infilling of the Holy Spirit was the second work of grace, for Paul had told them in Ephesians 2:3, “We were all BY NATURE the children of wrath” and here he says, “AFTER YE BELIEVED, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” See Joel 2:28,29 and Acts 2:16-18 are used to teach that if we are once saved, we are always saved. They even use 1st Corinthians 5:1-5, to say that God would even overlook fornication; but to take that stand, we might as well junk the Bible, for if that were true, then the Bible contradicts itself for it plainly states that no fornicator shall enter the kingdom of God, and the wrath of God abideth upon them. If we find one scripture contradicting another, we have the wrong interpretation on one or maybe both.
I could give a great number of references, but the following should be sufficient; a few I shall quote in full: Matthew 15:19,20; Acts 15:20,29; 1st Corinthians 5:9-11;6:9,18;7:2,3; 10:8; 2nd Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:19,21; Ephesians 5:3-5; Colossians 3:5,6; 1st Thessalonians 4:3; Revelation 21:8,27; 22:15. Galatians 5:19,21, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like THEY WHICH DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD” (Verse 24), “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” 2nd Corinthians 5:17, ”Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” 2nd Corinthians 7:1, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, LET US CLEANSE ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Hebrews 12:14, “Follow peace with all men, and HOLINESS without which no man shall see the Lord.” (See verses 15-17). 1st Corinthians 6:9,10, “Know ye not the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, SHALL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” In this scripture and in Galatians 5:19-21, we see fornicators and adulterers named right along with, BUT AHEAD OF murderers, fornicators and adultery are denounced far oftener than any other sin listed in the Bible even murder. Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Would the Spirit of God lead us to do anything the Word of God condemns? ABSOLUTELY NOT! What does Paul teach in 1st Corinthians 5:5, “Deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, THAT THE SPIRIT MAY BE SAVED in the day of the Lord Jesus?” Those who teach that if you are once saved you are always saved claim that this man who had his father’s wife was still saved, but this is BLASPHEMY to say that a holy man would condone such EVIL. Such sin as this was bitterly condemned in the law and God requires a far higher standard under Grace. What this scripture does teach is, to deliver such an one to Satan, so that the rest of the congregation would fear to do evil, that they might continue in the will of God, and THEREBY BE SAVED. God tells us in Exodus 32:33, “Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I BLOT OUT OF MY BOOK.” Ezekiel 18:4, “The soul that sinneth, IT SHALL DIE.” Twice Jesus said, “GO SIN NO MORE.” John 5:14;8:11. In John 8:21,“And shall die in your sins, whither I go ye cannot come.” John 8:34, “WHOSOEVER COMMITTETH SIN IS THE SERVANT OF SIN.” Romans 6:1, 2, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? GOD FORBID. How shall we, that are dead to sin live any longer therein?” 1st John 2:4, “He that saith, I KNOW him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him.” There are many liars in the world, and where are they headed for? (see Revelation 21:8 ,27) 1st John 3:8, “He that committeth sin IS OF THE DEVIL, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.” (Sin). In considering Hebrews 10:14, “For by one offering, He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.” Back under the LAW they had to offer sacrifices continually for their sins, but Jesus gave His blood ONCE for the pardon or cleansing of all who come unto Him for salvation. Sanctification, the second work completes the cleansing work within us, and is in reference to Ephesians 1:13, “In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. By Ephesians 4:30, we see that we can grieve the Holy Spirit and then He will depart from us if our grievance is willful sin.” “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” Hebrews 10:26. Hebrews 10:38, “But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no PLEASURE in him.” Again in Romans 11:22,23, “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, SEVERITY; but toward thee GOODNESS, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou shalt be cut off, and they also if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.” I surely do thank God for this last verse for it included me, for when I was in my teens I had drifted away from the Lord, but He received me into His fold when I came back to Him the Bible way. No one can tell me that I did not backslide. If I would have died during those years HELL WOULD HAVE BEEN MY DOOM, but now I know he has received me back into His fold again. David said in Psalms 119:109, “My soul is continually in my hand.” The choice is yours, dear reader, God does not make a piece of machinery out of us and force us to serve Him, nor does He force us to serve Satan, but He only wants us to volunteer to serve Him, because of our love for Him. We have to make the choice every time we are tempted, but He supplies the grace and strength to overcome every temptation if we look for it; see 1st Corinthians 10:13, 2nd Corinthians 12:9. Judas FELL by transgression, Acts 1:25. Jesus said, John 8:31, “If ye continue IN MY WORDS, then are ye my disciples indeed.” Peter also mentioned a number of things, 2nd Peter 1:4-10, (verse 8), “If these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (verse 10) “Give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” It only stands to reason that if we do not these things we WILL fall. Even as strong a Christian as Paul was, he realized he must be mindful daily of the will of God, and seek the leadings of His Holy Spirit daily. 1st 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.” None of us can go through in our own power, but if we look unto God and are obedient unto Him, He will keep us in His hand and protect us from all evil.
Wilbur B Dettweiler
|
|
|