Trinity Baptist Church

 

For the last several weeks we’ve been looking at different aspects of salvation. We began by considering spiritual defection. It is recorded in John 6:66 that many followers of Jesus turned back and followed Him no more. We saw 10 characteristics of a false profession of faith.

 

Then we looked at the nature of genuine salvation. We learned what the Bible means when it commands us to repent and believe and be born again. And we heard Jesus explain to Nicodemus the consequences of failing to do so. 

 

This morning I want us to begin a several week study of the eternal security of our salvation. I am convinced that many believers do not understand or appreciate, or perhaps even accept the teaching of eternal security. 

 

In fact, I read this week a statement from a book on theology that included this statement:

 

"Some truly converted people have fallen from grace and the danger of doing so threatens every Christian."

 

Now that is an extremely important claim because it it's true, every child of God is affected by it. For if some “truly converted people” have fallen from grace, and you can lose your salvation, then we better find out quickly what it is that would cause us to fall, and learn even more quickly how to hang on.

 

The eternal security of the believer is a subject that has been very hotly debated through the years. There have always been those who have believed that you could lose your salvation and those who have believed that you could not and the battle has gone on through the years.

 

And I would say there are some of you here today who are really unsure about it. You’ve been influenced by family or upbringing or tradition or even human logic and you just can’t get a handle on it. 

 

That’s why I want to spend a large quantity of time on the subject. In fact, I am going to spend about 10 weeks preaching on this subject from two primary passages of Scripture in Romans. 

 

And here is where I want to begin: To believe you can lose your salvation basically makes salvation conditional. Your salvation is only so good as long as you meet the conditions of maintenance. In other words, God has saved us and now if we continue to match up with the standard we can hold on to that salvation. If at any point we fail to live up to the standard we lose it.

 

Now it doesn't take much insight to realize that that is basically a works-based perspective. What is really being said is salvation is conditional in the sense that my works have to stay up to standard or I forfeit my salvation.

 

Now this, I believe, is exactly the issue to which Paul speaks in Romans 5.

 

I find it very interesting that the majority of authors who deal with the subject of the security of the believer don’t even mention Romans 5. It isn't even discussed. I find that amazing because when I think of all the passages in the New Testament, perhaps the most definitive text ever written on the security of our salvation is found in the first eleven verses of Romans 5.

 

Now, let tell you why I say that. Paul is writing basically to affirm the gospel. And his thesis in chapters 3 and 4 is that salvation comes by grace through...what?... faith. In fact, his assertion is that faith is all that is necessary to appropriate eternal salvation.

 

Now this is quite revolutionary to his Jewish audience who has been reared on a works-based system of salvation. And so, when Paul comes along preaching that salvation is a free gift, as he does in chapters 3 and 4, that it is given by God's grace, that it is unearned and undeserved, and is appropriated by faith and faith alone, men find that very difficult to comprehend. 

 

Some things never change. Men have always embraced works as an approach to God. We're into human achievement. We like the idea of self-righteousness; lifting up ourselves by our own boot straps.

 

Basically, the philosophy of men and the religions of the world is - I'm good, I'm religious, God would never send me to hell. You've heard that myriads of times. I'm a good person, I'm religious.  I do my best, I go to church and I'm sure God would never condemn me.

And it's very hard for people who have been reared and taught to understand that they get into God's Kingdom by being good or ethical, or moral, to hear that it's only a matter of faith. That was particularly hard for the Jew. And since Paul argues in Romans with an imaginary Jew from time to time, I don't doubt that that's in his mind right here. He has just made this long treatise about Abraham being justified by faith as an illustration of justification by faith in chapter 3.

 

And he is now anticipating how a Jew would respond. 

A Jew is going to say: Paul, you say that faith is all that is needed for salvation. Are you sure it's enough? Are you sure that you just get in by faith and that's all? And once you're in, don't you have to keep some kind of standard up? Aren't you required to live at a certain level or you're going to lose it? Are you sure it's faith and faith alone by which we stand?

 

It seems so over-simplified. Are you sure it will work? Can faith keep us saved?  What about the future judgment. Is faith enough to assure us that we'll escape the condemnation of God in the time of great judgment?

 

They may have questioned what maintains this salvation by faith. If we get in by faith, what keeps us there? What maintains it?

 

The answers to those questions are what Paul provides in chapter 5. Paul is speaking directly to that issue.

 

 

Now for most people, salvation is much too simple and easy. Just to think you can respond to God’s offer of salvation and you’re in and once you’re in, you're in forever and it's all by grace and it's all by faith and that's it is way too easy. 

 

I hear it all the time from people who don’t understand eternal security: You mean to tell me that you can become a Christian and just do anything you want? That is inevitably the question they will ask. I've been asked that question a hundred times.

 

You mean, when you become a Christian there's no standard after that, you can just do whatever you want? Doesn't your salvation somewhat depend upon your obedience and so forth?

 

That is precisely the issue to which Paul speaks in this passage. And to deal with the issue, he presents six great links in a chain that ties a true believer eternally to the Savior.

 

And what we’re going to do over the next three weeks is look at each of these six, two today, two next week and two the week after. And then we’re going to move to the end of Romans 8, and see from the closing verses of that chapter some great truths about our salvation. 

 

Now, in regard to these six great truths, if you will come and listen and learn, you will discover that the chain is so secure you can go out of here knowing full well that if you have come to Jesus Christ you will belong to Him forever. That's a marvelous thing to know. I'd hate to live in eternal insecurity.

 

Now, before I begin the study of these links, let me insert this one more introductory thought. 

 

One of the things that Satan does in attacking a Christian is to attack him at the point of his assurance of salvation. Satan likes to make us doubt our redemption. That's why when you put on the armor in Ephesians 6, it says put on the helmet of salvation and Paul writing to the Thessalonians further defined that by calling it the helmet of the hope of salvation. Why?

 

Because Satan wants to deal devastating blows to your head in the area of doubt...to doubt that you're really saved, to doubt that you're really redeemed, to doubt that God is really holding you in the palm of His hand forever, to doubt that you really belong to God. He wants you to believe that somehow, someway you forfeited your redemption and so he blasts away at you making you feel insecure, intimidating you. And so you must have on the helmet of the hope or the confidence that you're really redeemed. And I want to help you get your helmet on and show you why you can know that you do belong to God forever.

 

Notice verse 1

 

The first great reality that affirms to me as a believer that I am eternally secure in my salvation is that I am at 

 

1. "Peace with God."

 

The word therefore links us to the foundation that's been laid in chapters 3 and 4.

If we were to take the time to study 3 and 4, we would discover a wonderful teaching regarding justification by faith, being made right with God through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

 

Now that initially ushers us into salvation. We learned from Jesus conversation with Nicodemus that it is necessary to “Believe on the Lord”. When you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are brought into salvation. And entering into salvation you come into the inheritance of an eternity filled with blessing. And first on the list of those blessings is peace with God. 

 

We are secure in our salvation because we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Now, what is this peace? What are we talking about when we talk about peace with God?

 

Well, some have suggested that it means we have tranquility of mind. We have a psychological sense of security. We have a positive feeling about being secure.

 

But this passage does not speak of feelings it speaks of a relationship. Feelings are not the issue here. It says that we have peace with God.

 

Now if we have peace with God because of salvation what did we have prior to salvation? A simple three letter word that begins with a 'w' will answer that question. What's the opposite of peace? War.

 

 

 

Christ has dramatically changed our relationship to God and that's what he’s talking about. We were at war with God. We were the enemies of God. But because of justification by faith we have been brought into a relationship of peace. And that peace is not an attitude; it isn't a psychological tranquility; it isn't calmness of mind; it isn't a subjective kind of feeling. It is simply that the war between us and God is over.

 

Now, it is at this point that I think most people miss the point of this text. People will always say, “But I’ve never been at war with God. I like God.”

 

 But the Bible says before you come to Christ you're at war with God. And some people might say - Well, now wait a minute, I'm religious and I don't have anything against God, I believe in God, and I'm even concerned about what He thinks. I don't see myself as an enemy of God. I don't see myself actively engaged in striking blows at God's Kingdom. I don't see myself overtly set against His divine plan and His purpose and His will. I don't see myself at war with God.

 

That's right. I agree with that. And that isn't the issue. The issue is not that you're at war with God. The issue is God is at war with you. That's a whole different set of circumstances. 

 

Listen: to be outside of salvation means God is your enemy, whether you are consciously His enemy or not. And His plan is this - you are so much His enemy and He is so much at war with you that someday He will take you and cast you into an eternal lake of fire to burn forever and ever. That's how much God is at war with you.

And whether you or not you understand your war with Him, you need to understand His war with you.

 

You see, God is at war with the sinner. God is the enemy of the sinner. God fights against the sinner. God is the enemy of sin. God is the enemy of Satan. And by the way, if you're not a child of God you're a child of Satan and you belong to Satan's dominion and God is at war with that dominion. And that's the point.

 

You say - I'm not angry with God. That's fine. But God's angry with you. I'm not doing anything to harm God. That's fine. God's going to send you to eternal hell. You see, that's the point. God is at war with men whether they're conscious of their own animosity toward Him or not.

 

In fact, to adequately see the background of this concept of peace, we really need to read Romans 1 and 2. There we are told about the wrath of God. For instance, Romans 1:18 says, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness." You see, it's God who's at war with the ungodly and the unrighteous, and those who do not know Christ. In fact, God even says if you don't embrace Jesus Christ you are anathema, you are cursed.

 

So, men may not be that angry with God but God is very, very angry with them. And that's the reason they're sent to hell. And He's angry with them because of their unrepentant sin.

 

 

Psalm 7:11 says, “God is a just Judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.”

 

The issue is that God is at war with the wicked. They are children of wrath. They are enemies of God.

 

Now, with that as a background, what do you think it means when it says - we have peace with God? Does that sound good to you now? Does that sound wonderful to you now? It sure sounds good to me.

 

We have peace with God. And it isn't that we did something and we have it from our end, it is that something satisfied Him about it. What was it?

 

It was the perfect work of Jesus Christ. Wonder of wonders, God who had declared war on us, the enemies of God, decided to pour out His fury and His wrath on His only begotten Son. 

 

Notice what it says at the end of verse 1: we have peace with God, but it came through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

You see, in Christ our sin was penalized, as it were, in Christ there was the full payment and God was propitiated, God was satisfied. The price was paid.

 

Listen to how Paul said it to the Colossians in chapter 1:18 and following:  

 

"Having made peace through the blood of His cross,  

and you who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, He hath now reconciled in the body of His flesh through death to present you," watch this, "holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight."

Now remember, we are talking about eternal security. Here’s what that means: The act of Jesus Christ so fully accomplished peace with God that from now on and forever you are holy, blameless and above reproach in His sight. Why? Because every sin for which you should have been punished, Christ bore.

 

However, someone might say, “That's great. He brought us to God, but does He keep us in that relationship? How do we know that that goes on? How do we know that results in eternal security?

 

Here’s the answer: Jesus not only reconciled us to God initially, but He maintains that reconciliation through his work as our great High Priest. 

 

First John 1:7 says: "He keeps on cleansing us from all...what?...sin." You see, the continual cleansing, the continual mediation, the continual washing of our sin provides for us the maintaining of that reconciliation. 

 

There are two great truths that walk hand-in hand. 

 

First, I, who was an enemy of God, have been reconciled with God, plus I am now at peace with God forever because every sin I will ever commit has already been borne by Christ. And so there is nothing to violate our reconciliation, for the sin for which we should be cast out was paid for and covered.

 

 

 

 

Even in the daily walking through the world as we sin, the Lord keeps on cleansing and keeps on cleansing so then we are maintained in reconciliation, not only by the past act of Christ on the cross, but by the present mediation of Christ at the right hand of God.

 

In fact, His high priestly ministry says He ever lives to make intercession for us. Isn't that great? I'm at peace with God.

 

For how long? For as long as Jesus Christ lives. And how long does He live? Forever...who intercedes for us. When a person embraces Christ by faith the spotless Son of God makes that person one with God and he's at peace forever and ever.

 

Therefore, for you to say or for anyone to say that you can lose your salvation is to say one of two things or both. The work of Christ was not sufficient - past tense - on the cross. Or, the present high priestly work of Christ is insufficient. Do you want to say that?

 

The first link that secures us eternally to the Savior is peace with God.

 

Second link, do you think that one was good? Wait till you see this one.

 

The second one is

 

 

verse 2

 

We aren't moving in and out of grace, we're standing in it. We're not coming and going through it, we're standing in it

 

Standing in grace. What does that mean? My feeble brain can't touch the boundaries of this truth. It is so vast and so profound and every word is powerful.

 

Let’s start with “through Whom”

 

That is a reference to Jesus Christ...everything is because of Him. The key thought in the whole text is the mediation of Jesus Christ. Through His marvelous mediation, by His death He brings us to God and to peace.

 

And notice this, and it says: "Through whom also we have access by faith," again. Now let me just stop on the word access for a moment because it is a monumental word. It's a staggering word. It is a shocking word. It is an infinitely incomprehensible word. It is a word that is beyond the purview of a Jew to even conceive that anybody on earth could have access to God. Why?

 

Because everything a Jew had ever known all his life was that God is the utterly holy and unapproachable one. Throughout all their history that's all they knew. And by the way, the word access here, this word is used three times in the New Testament. It is used here, Ephesians 2:18 and 3:12 and it always speaks of access to God. He's given us access to God. And a Jew just never knew that. In fact, what happen to a Jew if he ever got close to God? He'd be consumed.

 

Let me give you one illustration of that. 

 

Exodus 19:9-16

 

Now, they're going to meet God. Right? Nice, warm, happy occasion....the whole place is exploding like a volcano...lightning, thunder, fire. fury...the people are shaking, this massive trumpet blast rattling their minds, they've been purifying themselves for three days. This is really a very big occasion.

 

Verse 17-25

 

I mean, that's a pretty fearful deal, isn't it? One thing God established from the very beginning as He drew those people out of Egypt to take them to their land was that you don't have access to God.

 

Now why do you think He wanted them to know that? Because He was teaching them a very important lesson about His utter holiness and man's utter unholiness. And there was no way that there was access. None.

 

Even when God put the tabernacle in place, and He put the temple in place...they could go so far. The Gentiles could go so far--no further. The women could go so far--no further. The men could go so far--no further. The priests could go so far--no further. And there was only one priest who only one day a year could ever go into the presence of God and that was the high priest after all kinds of cleansing ritual, he went in there and he sprinkled the blood as fast as he could and he got out of there.

 

All they ever knew was you couldn't approach God. And people who tried to approach God apart from God's prescription were dead on the spot.

 

If they knew anything, they knew that God was unapproachable. Access was not a word in their religious vocabulary.

 

But Christ's death changed that. That’s why the gospel was so difficult for the Jew to accept. To see themselves as rushing into the presence of God was unthinkable. That's why the writer of Hebrews says - Look, let us come...what?...boldly before the throne of grace, for Christ has consecrated a new and living way. Matthew 27:51 says that when Jesus was crucified, what happen to the veil in the temple? It was rent from the top to the bottom. Why? Access to God was being opened.

 

So, access is a rich word.

 

Now, when we get in there what have we found?

 

Watch it, verse 2, we have access into this grace in which we stand.

 

When we get in there to the presence of God we stand in grace. That's why it says, "Let us come boldly to obtain grace." Because when we come in we stand in grace. Stand means just that: stand firm, stand solid, stand fixed, abide. And we are abiding in a state of grace.

 

Now if we are standing in grace, what, then, is grace? It is undeserved favor. In fact, if you were to get a definition of grace this is what I would say: God's unmerited favor by which He saves us and makes us righteous solely on the basis of His sovereign love and not because of any worthiness on our part and in spite of our sin because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

I mean, He saves us by grace which means we had nothing to do with it. And once we get in there we stand in grace. That is so important To stand in grace means we are abiding in that which we don’t deserve. 

 

And that’s why eternal security is so difficult for people to understand. They want to think in terms of what they deserve and earn. People say, “Well, you got saved by grace. but you're going to stay in there by law.

 

No!! You got saved by grace and when you got in you are so immersed in grace that you stand in it. You abide in it. You sleep in it. You serve in it. You sing in it. You can just get it all over you, and lay down and wallow in it and enjoy it and breathe it in and let it get all over you!

 

This says you stand in grace, you are firmly fixed in an environment of grace and grace is God's unmerited forgiveness of sin.

 

Or we could say it this way: We stand in security. Think about it this way: What could you ever do to get thrown out of grace? 

 

I mean, you didn't do anything to get in there, you can't do anything to get out of there.

 

Someone: Well, if you sin so many sins you'll get thrown out. No. Keep reading in Romans!

 

Because where sin...Romans 5:20 and 6...where sin abounded...what happens? Grace abounded much more. 

You see, there's no way out because if you stand in grace, grace can only function where there is failure. Right? I mean if there is perfection, there is no need for grace. Grace needs failure to function. Marvelous thought.

 

And that's why you're so secure. If it was a place of law and it was a place of rule-keeping, you'd be out and so would I. But if your sins expelled you then it isn't grace. But by grace are you saved.

 

Well, that’s two of the links. And if they were the only two, that would be enough.

 

Why do I believe in eternal security? Because I have  peace with God.

 

Now if you want to argue about that, then you're going to have to say the sacrifice of Christ was not adequate to cover all your sin and keep the peace, plus the maintaining of that peace is beyond the ability of Jesus Christ who ever lives to make intercession for you. In reality, to deny that is to deny who Christ is and what His work is...past and present. Peace with God would be enough.

 

But just to add to that the Lord says - Not only that, you stand in grace and grace can only operate where there is sin because it is undeserved favor. It is unmerited forgiveness and so when you sin it functions. And so you're kept in a state of grace.

 

So, if you want to attack the security of the believer,  you are attacking, first of all, God. You're saying He changed His verdict. Secondly, you're attacking Christ, you're saying His cross work was inadequate, His high priestly work cannot maintain us.

And then you're attacking the Holy Spirit in saying He is inadequate to cause the believer to persevere and a discrediting of the entire trinity is wrapped up in a denial of the security of the believer. Does that help you to feel secure? That's only two out of six, folks.

 

Horatio Bonar, the great saint of God, wrote these majestic words...I read them to you in conclusion:

 

"Thy works not mine, O Christ, speak gladness to this heart. They tell me all is done, they bid my fear depart. To whom save thee who can alone for sin atone, Lord, shall I flee.

 

Thy pains not mine, O Christ, upon the shameful tree have paid the law's full price and purchased peace for me.

 

Thy tears not mine, O Christ, have wept my guilt away into a blessed day.

 

Thy bonds not mine, O Christ, unbind me of my chain and break my prison doors ne'er to be barred again.

 

Thy wounds not mine, O Christ, can heal my bruised soul.

 

Thy stripes not mine contain the balm that makes me whole.

 

Thy blood not mine, O Christ. Thy blood so freely spilt, can blanch my blackest stains and purge away my guilt.

 

Thy cross not mine, O Christ, has borne the awful load of sins that none in heaven or earth could bear but God.

 

Thy death not mine, O Christ, has paid the ransom due, ten thousand deaths like mine would have been all too few.

 

Thy righteousness, O Christ, alone can cover me. No righteousness avails save that which is of Thee.

 

Thy righteousness alone can clothe and beautify, I wrap it round my soul, in this I'll live and die."

 

Let's pray.