Week 36: Eternal security

• Key verses: John 10:27-30; Hebrews 6:4-6, 17-20
• Secure from removal, not walking away
• Pursued by Jesus, my story
• Parting thoughts

Key verses

John 10:27-30 (NLT)

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.

Hebrews 6:4-6 (NLT)

For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.

Hebrews 6:17-20 (NLT)

God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Secure from removal, not walking away

I grew up in the belief of once saved always saved. This was contrasted with the constant fear of losing your salvation. When I look at what the Bible says, I think these are both extreme yet complementary. We see security in Jesus. Yet we also see that we can walk away from Christ.

Here’s what I have settled on. To be clear, these are my thoughts. I believe that we can be confident in our salvation. Nothing can take us out of Jesus’ hand. Our security and hope rely on this promise. Be confident in your salvation and your standing before God. But beware! You can choose to leap from his hand. This is your choice not God’s. I think this is rare, but it is a real possibility.

We can and will fail. We will sin. However, this is not the same as walking away from God’s grace. But remember, if Judas can reject Jesus, we can too.

I love this passage from Hebrews 6. “This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.” This hope is an anchor. Just because something is a possibility doesn’t mean it’s your reality. Our security is God’s promise which is the anchor of our soul. This is absolutely amazing! Isn’t God great!

Pursued by Jesus, my story

We were challenged this week to identify a time we were pursued by God. Here is my story.

I was two years into my time at Northland Baptist Bible College preparing to be a missionary. During that time, I became skeptical about my faith and Christianity. I grew up in a Christian home, went to church all the time, and attended a Christian school. I was raised in a Christian culture and was now in a Christian college.

I trusted Jesus as my savior at the age of five. I was baptized shortly thereafter. My life was decidedly influenced by my faith. In the fifth grade, I felt called to the mission field. I preached my first sermon at my church in Junior High. As I got into high school, I continued preaching and serving in the church and Christian camps. And now I was continuing along that path in college.

In the middle of all this Christianity and fellow Christians, I began to doubt the existence of God. It was a very difficult time in my life. My foundation was shaken. During a week of preaching, I was broken. I felt like I was abandoned by God. But I wasn’t! When turned back to God, Jesus was right there. He had never left. I found my faith.

Parting thoughts

That moment was a turning point for me. Jesus anchored my soul with hope eternal. This hope anchors my life today as I navigate this journey with ALS.

Pastor Ben Webb is doing some sermons on Core 52 topics. Check out his sermon on eternal security.