Seven
Reasons From The Bible Why A Born-Again Christian Cannot Lose His
Salvation By
Shane Montgomery |
Shane
Montgomery
(pictured here with his wife, Debi) has been in the ministry since
1990. He and his wife, Debi, were married in August 1980. Pastor
Montgomery has always considered his wife the greatest asset to his
ministry. They have three grown children and two grandchildren. He
graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984 with a B.
S. degree in Aerospace Engineering. Shane finished his Masters Degree
in Theology in 1991 through Bethany Theological Seminary in Dothan,
Alabama. They served at the Rotorua Bible Baptist Church in Rotorua,
New Zealand for over eleven years, and saw the Lord build the largest
national independent Baptist church in New Zealand, with the addition
of Timothy Baptist College. He now pastors Casa Grande Baptist Church,
P O Box 11883, Casa Grande, AZ 85230-1883, Phone: 520-431-4825, Email:
pastor@casagrandebaptistchurch.com |
Following
are seven reasons from the Bible why a born-again Christian cannot lose his
salvation. Over 200 Scriptures are referenced, which are given at the end for
ease of readability. Anyone reading this who doubts the truth of this
doctrine, sometimes called "once saved, always saved", is encouraged
to look up and read the Scriptures for himself.
1.
Eternal Life - The Bible says that ETERNAL life is a present
possession [1]. If we could lose that life from God [2] then we never had
ETERNAL life. Our life is Christ's life when we are saved [3] (see #4) and
Christ cannot die again [4]. I John 5:13 says we can KNOW that we have ETERNAL
life. God promised eternal life and God cannot lie [5].
2.
Born Again as Sons of God - When we accept Christ we are born again
of God [6], are passed from death unto life [7], and become a new creature
[8], or creation [9], with all things new. We would have to become unborn to
lose our salvation and born a third time to get saved again, which is not
mentioned in the Bible. We also become a son of God [10] with a new nature,
Christ's nature [11], and Christ cannot deny himself [11]. We get an
incorruptible nature [12] and our will is changed [13]. John 10:27 says the
believer WILL follow Christ.
After
we are saved, God no longer deals with us as sinners but as sons [14]. He
chastises but his chastisement is not payment for sin, it is child-training.
God may chastise but the payment for ALL sins was made 2000 years ago on
Calvary (see #3). Sometimes God may even chastise with death [15]. The
fellowship with God may change but not the Father-son relationship. For
example, a father tells his boy not to play with the father's delicate tools
or they will break. The boy disobeys and breaks the tools. As chastisement the
father smacks the boy but the smack does not pay for the tools; the father
still must pay for the new tools and the boy is still his father's son. All of
our sins were paid for on Calvary and ALL of them are forgiven when we are
saved (see #3).
3.
What Happens to a Believer's Sins - In God's eyes when we get saved
we are perfect forever [16], justified (made as if we had never sinned [17]),
and sanctified [18], as far as our salvation is concerned. We still live in a
sinful body and still sin but these only affect our fellowship with the Father
once we are saved (see #2). The Bible says that God WILL NOT impute (charge
up) sin to a believer [19] and that includes ANY sin. If a justified person
could go to hell he was never truly justified. If after being saved a sin or
sins could cause one to lose his salvation then all of his sins were not paid
for at Calvary and forgiven (washed away) when he trusted Christ and his blood
[20], as the Bible says [21]. God forgives and forgets [22] every sin,
including future sins (all our sins were future when Christ died for them),
when we get saved.
4.
What We Have "In" Jesus Christ - When we get saved we are
placed into the body of Christ [23]. We become "flesh of his flesh and
bone of his bone" [24]. Our soul is "circumcised" from our
flesh with a circumcision "made without hands" [25]. The Bible says
that the body (church) will be presented without spot or blemish [26]. It
cannot be without blemish if pieces have to be removed. Our position is
settled: we are mystically seated in heaven already [27], a joint-heir with
Christ (a joint heir cannot be disinherited [28]), and safe in Jesus' and
God's hand [29] where we cannot be plucked out. The Holy Spirit places us IN
Christ [23] just as we were IN Adam [30] before we were saved. IN Christ we
are safe from condemnation [31], accepted [32], preserved forever [33],
sanctified [34], alive forever [35], a new creature [36], perfect [37],
righteous [38]; and we have liberty [39], all spiritual blessings [40], and an
inheritance [41]. Our inheritance is reserved for us in heaven [42] (see #6),
will not fade away [42], is incorruptible [42], and cannot be defiled [42].
Colossians
3:3 says our life is HID with Christ IN God; Satan has to get through God and
then Christ to get to us, to cause us to be lost again. If Satan can overcome
God and Christ to get one Christian, then he can get all of us because we are
all sinners alike [43]. If Satan knew there was a way to make a Christian lose
his salvation he is subtle enough that he could cause every Christian to lose
his salvation [43.1]. For a believer to go to Hell, Christ and God [44] would
have to go to Hell, because we have everything in standing and position that
the Lord Jesus Christ has and we are "in" Him [45]. Our security is
in a perfect person: Jesus Christ [45.1].
5.
"God" Keeps Our Salvation - Throughout the Bible Jesus is
called the Saviour [45.2]. Hebrews 7:25 says he saves to the uttermost, or he
COMPLETELY saves. Eternal security is not a separate doctrine from salvation;
if we are not saved forever then we were never saved at all because Christ
saves us from ALL of our sins when we get saved (see #3); and gives us
ETERNAL, EVERLASTING life (see #1). Christ came to save [46]. Once we are
saved it is God's responsibility, not ours, to keep our salvation, because we
never could. Just as a believer can never save himself, he can never keep
himself. We are kept "by the power of God" [47], not our power, and
"HE is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against THAT
DAY" [48]. When we are born again God begins a work in us that He will
perform until the day of Jesus Christ [49]. Jude 24 says that Christ, not us,
will KEEP us from falling and present us faultless to God. We are confirmed
unto the end [50]. Christ is the "author and finisher of our faith"
[51]. "Whatever God does, it will be forever and nothing can be put to it
or taken from it" [52]; and that includes our salvation, AMEN!
The
security of our soul depends on Christ's righteousness, not our own [53] (see
#4). If sinning in any way could cause one to lose his salvation, then Paul
would have lost his, because AFTER he was saved he said he was the chief of
sinners [54]. We get saved by God's grace [55], not by what we do [56], and
our salvation remains by God's grace, not according to what WE do; we will be
saved from wrath THROUGH him [57].
If
we can do something to lose our salvation then God failed and our salvation
was not only dependent upon God's grace, but also upon our behaviour - which
is works! (Doing works in the Lord's name is not definite evidence of
salvation, we must KNOW him as our personal saviour [58], see #8.) Salvation
is a gift, not a wage [59]; it is obtained, not attained [60]. It never was
deserved and never will be. If our safety is dependent upon our works then we
are really saved by our works and must earn our salvation, which is a direct
violation of Scripture and the truth of salvation by God's grace ONLY [61].
A
person who believes that he must work to keep his salvation, instead of work
because he HAS salvation, needs to make sure he is ONLY trusting the Saviour
Jesus Christ to take him to heaven and not Jesus Christ plus his good works;
he needs to understand how to be saved and what salvation really is [62].
6.
Jesus is Faithful - Not only are we kept by God's power but we CANNOT
come into condemnation [63]; we are NOT condemned [64]. Our intercessor is
Jesus Christ [65] and he pleads our case when we are saved; that is why we can
never be condemned again with the penalty of our already forgiven sins, or
else Christ's intercession is not sufficient. If we lose our salvation we are
condemned again and the Scriptures [66] are not true! Once we are saved and
given to Christ [67] we cannot be lost again because John 6:39 says that of
all that God gives Christ, Christ will lose nothing (and we are something).
We
will NEVER die [68] but will live forever [69] (see #1). Christ will IN NO
WISE (under ANY circumstances) cast out any that come to him [70]. All that
get saved will NEVER perish [71] (never means NEVER). Christ will NEVER leave
us or forsake us [72]. NOTHING (including ourselves) can separate us from the
love of God IN Christ [73], and all believers are IN Christ (see #4).
7.
The Holy Spirit, Our Seal - God gives the Holy Spirit to every
believer when we get saved [75] as the earnest (down payment [76]) of his
promise to take us to heaven and give us our inheritance [77] (see #4). We can
only be unsaved if we do not have the Holy Spirit [78], which means we would
have to lose the Holy Spirit to get lost again; but the Bible says we are
SEALED by and with the Holy Spirit UNTIL the day of redemption [79]. The Holy
Spirit can be quenched [80] or grieved [81] but not lost.
8.
The Sinful Believer and the False Christian - We will not be perfect until we
get to heaven, and we may be disobedient, but we cannot lose our salvation. We
can still fall, but not so as to be eternally lost, for the Lord upholds us
[82]. We are still tempted and tried [83], as Jesus was [84], but only for the
purpose of strengthening us and making us more of what the Lord wants us to
be. Our works may not stand the fiery test of the judgement [85] but our
salvation will [86].
Not
all who claim to be saved are. Not all church members are saved. If they are
saved, they will eventually show a change and false professors of Christ
eventually fall away [87]. Just make sure you are trusting ONLY Jesus [88] and
HIS righteousness [89] to get you to heaven, not YOUR faith or a prayer or
work(s), and you believe (trust [90]) to the "saving of the soul"
[91].
9.
Misapplication of Scripture / Rightly Dividing the Word - One should not twist
Scripture [92] talking about the Old Testament saints, Tribulation saints, or
the losing of a ministry, testimony, nation, or life and try to make it prove
a sinner forgiven by the grace of God through Christ's blood can lose his
salvation. The Word of God must be "rightly divided" [93] or it can
be "wrested unto your own destruction" [94].
1.
John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47,51; 10:28
2.
I John 5:11-12; Romans 6:23
3.
Colossians 3:4
4.
Romans 6:9-10; I John 1:2
5.
I John 2:25; Tit 1:2; Numbers 23:19; John 3:14-18; Romans 6:23
6.
John 1:13; 3:3-7; I Peter 1:23
7.
John 5:24; 11:25
8.
II Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15
9.
Ephesians 2:10; 4:24
10.
John 1:12-13; Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 3:26; I John 3:1-2
11.
II Timothy 2:13; II Peter 1:4
12.
I Peter 1:23; I John 3:9
13.
Philippians 2:12-13
14.
Hebrews 12:5-8
15.
I Corinthians 5:5; 11:30
16.
Hebrews 10:14
17.
Romans 3:24-28; 5:1,9; Acts 13:39
18.
I Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; II Thessalonians 2:13
19.
Romans 4:8; 8:33; II Corinthians 5:19
20.
Ephesians 1:7
21.
John 1:29; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:13; I John 1:7,9; 2:12; 3:5; Revelation
1:5
22.
Psalms 32:1; 103:12; Isaiah 1:18; 38:17; 43:25; Micah 7:18-19; Acts 13:38-39;
26:18; Colossians 2:13; Hebrews 8:12; 10:17; I John 1:7; 2:12
23.
Romans 12:5; I Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:21-22
24.
Ephesians 5:30
25.
Colossians 2:8-14
26.
Ephesians 5:27
27.
Ephesians 2:6
28.
Romans 8:16-17
29.
John 10:27-30
30.
Romans 5:12
31.
Romans 8:1-2
32.
Ephesians 1:6
33.
Jude 1; Psalms 37:28; II Timothy 4:18
34.
I Corinthians 1:2
35.
I Corinthians 15:22
36.
II Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10
37.
Colossians 1:28
38.
II Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9
39.
Romans 8:2; Galatians 2:4
40.
Ephesians 1:3
41.
Ephesians 1:11
42.
I Peter 1:3-5; Ephesians 1:13-14; Acts 26:18
43.
Romans 3:10-12,23; 14:23; James 4:17; I John 1:8-10
43.1.
Isaiah 53:9, 11; 59:17; John 8:46; 18:38; II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 1:9;
4:15; 7:26-28; 9:14; I Peter 1:19; 2:22; I John 3:5.
44.
I Thessalonians 1:1
45.
Romans 6:3; 8:1-2,11; 12:5; I Corinthians 1:30; II Corinthians 1:21; 5:17;
Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:6,10; Colossians 1:28; 2:7,10; I John 4:13; 5:20
45.1.
I Peter 5:10
45.2.
Acts 5:31; 13:23; Ephesians 5:23; Philippians 3:20; II Timothy 1:10; Titus
1:3-4; 2:13; 3:6; II Peter 1:1; I John 4:14
46.
Luke 19:10; John 3:17; Acts 4:12; Titus 2:13-14
47.
I Peter 1:3-5
48.
II Timothy 1:12
49.
Philippians 1:6
50.
I Corinthians 1:8
51.
Hebrews 12:2
52.
Ecclesiastes 3:14
53.
Romans 3:24-27; II Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9
54.
I Timothy 1:15; Romans 7:21-25
55.
Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 11:6
56.
Titus 3:5; Romans 4:5
57.
Romans 5:9
58.
Matthew 7:22-23
59.
Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:18; 6:23
60.
Hebrews 9:12
61.
Romans 11:6; Galatians 2:21
62.
John 3:3,18,36; 5:24; 6:28-29,47; 14:6; Acts 16:31; Romans 5:1; 10:9-10,13;
Galatians
3:22,26; Ephesians 2:8-9; I John 5:11-13; Revelation 22:17
63.
John 5:24; Romans 8:1
64.
John 3:18
65.
Romans 8:33-34; I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:15-16
66.
John 3:18; 5:24
67.
John 6:37
68.
John 11:26
69.
John 6:51
70.
John 6:37
71.
John 3:16; 10:27-30
72.
Hebrews 13:5
73.
Romans 8:35-39
75.
John 7:38-39; Ephesians 1:12-13; I John 4:13
76.
II Corinthians 1:22; 5:5
77.
Ephesians 1:13-14
78.
Romans 8:9
79.
II Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:12-13; 4:30
80.
I Thessalonians 5:19
81.
Ephesians 4:30
82.
Proverbs 24:16; Psalms 37:24-25; 145:14
83.
I Corinthians 10:13; James 1:2-4; I Peter 1:6-7; 5:10; II Peter 2:9
84.
Matthew 4:1; Hebrews 4:15
85.
II Thessalonians 1:7-10; I Peter 4:12-13; II Peter 3:9-13
86.
I Corinthians 3:13-15; 5:5
87.
I John 2:19
88.
John 14:6
89.
I Corinthians 1:30; II Corinthians 5:21
90.
Ephesians 1:12-14
91.
Hebrews 10:38-39
92.
Matthew 5:19,22; 7:13,21-23; 8:11-12; 12:32; 13:21; 24:13,48-51;
25:1-13,25-29,34,40-41,45-46; Mark 3:29-30; Acts 1:25; 2:38; I Corinthians
15:1-2; II Corinthians 13:5; Romans 11:16-24; Galatians 5:4; Hebrews 3:6,14;
6:1-6; 9:28; 10:26-27; 12:14; James 5:20; Revelation 2:10; 3:5, 7; 12:17;
14:6-7,12; 22:14
93.
II Timothy 2:15
94.
II Peter 3:16