THE

DOCTRINE OF ETERNAL SECURITY

That fact that we cannot lose our salvation (Eternal Security) is the foundational basis for the Christian life.
When Christ died on the cross, He conquered sin once and for all (Heb. 10:10). If we could lose our salvation that
would mean that Christ would have to die again and again and again...He would have to die after each time we
sinned - He would have to die a billion times per day! This would make our sin greater than God. Eternal Security
is a question of fact. Salvation is a gift from God (Rom. 6:23; 11:29; 5:15, 16, 18) - it cannot be earned, merited
by human effort, or deserved. If we had to do something to achieve salvation then we could lose it; but it's a gift
from God (Jn. 14:6) and we did nothing to earn it - we just received the gift. Salvation is Christ indwelling the
believer in the sense that eternal life is inseparable from the believer (Col. 1:27; 1 Jn. 5:11, 12). You can lose
rewards (1 Cor. 3:15); you can lose fellowship with God when you sin (Jn. 1:6); and you can lose you life (1 Jn.
5:16); but you can never lose your salvation. In Hebrews 13:5 - in the Greek emphasizes that "God will never, no
never, no never (3x) leave you; and never, no never (2x) forsake you").

The three parables in Luke 15 - the lost sheep, the lost coin, and especially the lost son - all show the point of
eternal security. Those that lost these things didn't lose ownership over them, they were just lost. And when
they were found, they were still the owners. Even though the lost son left his father and lived in sin, he was still
his father's son. Likewise, once we're in the family of God, we're always in the family even if we leave our Father
and live in sin. We lost fellowship with Him, we lost rewards, but we never lost our position in the family of God
(salvation).

Eternal Security is a question of fact.
Assurance is a matter of what one believes at a given time concerning his personal salvation.

I. Salvation is a gift of God
[It cannot be earned, cannot be merited- obtained by human effort, cannot be deserved.]
A. Gift of God is eternal life (Rom. 6:23).
B. Irreversible gift (Rom. 11:29).
C. Free gift (Rom. 5:15-18).
D. Once a possession, youll never perish (Jn. 10:28; Rom. 6:23).
E. It is from Christ (Jn. 14:6).
F. It is by grace (Eph. 2:8).
G. It is Christ indwelling the believer in the sense that eternal life is inseparable from him (Col. 1:27; 1 Jn.
5:11,12).

II. How do I know Im saved?
A. Apostle Paul said, I know whom I have believed (2 Tim. 1:12).
B. Spirit bears witness (Rom. 8:16).
C. Chastening - conviction of sin (Heb. 12:6).
D. Acceptance of Christ into your heart (Rom. 10:10).

III. Why would I lose my salvation?
A. Because God lied?


No, God cannot lie (Heb. 6:13-20)
B. Because God changed His mind?
No, what God does He does forever (Ecc. 3:14)
C. Because I sinned?


No, Christ died for all our sins (1 Jn. 2:2)
D. Because God was disappointed?
No, He knows our frame that we are dust (Ps. 103:14)
E. Because I was unfaithful?

No, if I deny Him, He will not deny Himself (2 Tim. 2:13)

Outward conformity and Christian confession without inward heart conversion or moral reformation of the
outward appearance (character, deeds) is not genuine salvation. Neither does going back to the former life
correspond to losing ones salvation.

TWENTY-SIX APPROACHES TO ETERNAL SECURITY

1. POSITONAL APPROACH: Rom. 8:1, Eph. 1:3-6, Jude 1. Every believer is in union with Christ. Rom. 8:38-39.
a. Positionally, we are in Christ, and Christ is in us (Col. 1:27, 28). Can God deny Himself within us?
b. Positionally, we are as righteous as Christ is (1 Cor. 1:30). Can God deny His own righteousness in us?
c. Positionally, in Christ, we are holy (Col. 1:22). Can God deny His own Holiness?
d. Positionally, we are perfect (Col. 1:28, Heb. 12: 23). Can God then see us as imperfect?

2. LOGICAL APPROACH: Rom. 5:9, 10, 15, 17, 20 and 8:32. God did the most for us when we were His
enemies and will do much more for us as His sons. Rom. 8:38-39. LAW OF AFORTIORI if you can do the
greater; of course, you can do the lesser.

3. THE HAND APPROACH: Jn. 10:28, Ps. 37:23, 24. The believer is held by Gods hand and He will never let go.
a. The believer is safe and kept in the hand of God. Jn. 10:28, 29; Ps. 37:24 emphatic future negative (not,
notwill definitely not perish.) V. 28, 29 no matter how many times you try (present infinitive) you cant
take them out.
b. Deuteronomy 33:27 the eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

4. EXPERIENTIAL APPROACH: 2 Tim. 2:12,13. Though a believer may say he no longer believers, God remains
faithful, because He is immutable. The Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit indwells you and He cannot deny
Himself.
a. 2 Timothy 2:12 speaks of rewards: deny us (believers) reward. When a believer denies Christ, he is out
of fellowship and therefore not producing.
b. 2 Timothy 2:13 believe not. A believer denouncing Jesus Christ, yet He keeps on abiding faithfulHe
cannot deny the unconditional quality of our salvation.

5. FAMILY APPROACH: Gal. 3:26, Jn. 1:12. We are born into Gods family and cannot be unborn.
a. We are the sons of God (Jn. 1:12; 1 Jn. 3:1,2).
b. We are born into Gods family and cannot be disowned.
c. Prodical Son * Lk. 15:11-24.
d. We are Children of God (Rom. 8:16; Gal. 3:26).

6. INHERITANCE APPROACH: 1 Pet. 1:4-5, based on Omnipotence. We are heirs of God. Rom. 8:17.
a. We are heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17; Gal. 4:7).
b. Heirs according to promise (Gal. 3:29).
c. Heirs of the Kingdom (James 2:5).
d. 1 Peter 1: 4, 5. Those whom God has regenerated have become the heirs of the resurrection body
because of the resurrection of Christ. This inheritance is kept for them.
1) RESERVED (v 4) perfect participle in the passive voice this inheritance was made possible by
Jesus Christ sometime in the past and is now kept by Him until the proper time of delivery. It is
kept in heaven and also we are being guarded by God who is in heaven while, through faith, we
are awaiting our liberation from earth.
2) SALVATION (v 5) is equivalent to Romans 8:23, the redemption of our physical body. It does
not refer to salvation from sin, but to our liberation or salvation from our present mortal and
corruptible body. (Rom. 13:11).

7. SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD APPROACH: 2 Pet. 3:9 and Jude 24.
a. 2 Pet. 1:4 are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be
partakers of the divine nature.
b. 1 Corinthians 1:20 for all the promises of God are yea and amen, unto the glory of God by us.
c. 2 Peter 3:9 the Lord is not slack concerning His promise.
d. Hebrews 9:15 Eternal life is a promise.
e. Hebrews 11:11 God is faithful to His promises.

8. BODY APPROACH: 1 Cor. 12: 13, 21. Christ, head of the Body, can never say to any member of the body (a
believer) that He does not need him.
a. We are members of Christs body (1 Cor. 6:15, Rom. 12:5). Eph. 5:30 For we are members of His
body, of His flesh, and His bones.
b. We are members of one another (Eph. 4:25).
c. Christ is the head of the body (Eph. 1:22, 4:15, 5:23; Col. 1:18) and He can never say to any member of
His body that he isnt needed (1 Cor. 12:12-31). V. 13 This baptism in one Spirit into the body of Christ
was for each one and all put together: its all inclusive Jews, Gentiles, those in the OT, those in the
NT, those that believe now, and those that will believe in the future. Its something God did once and
for all in joining all believers into His body like His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and
second coming.

9. GREEK TENSE APPROACH:
a. Aorist tense: (once and for all) Acts 16:31.
b. Perfect tense: (saved in the past with the result that you keep on being saved forever. Eph. 2:8-9, Col.
2:6, Rom. 8.1.

10. SEALING MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT APPROACH: Guarantee for protection and safe delivery at
destination (heaven). 2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13, 4:30; 2 Tim. 2:19.
a. Stamp of guarantee.
b. Signet of ownership.
c. Sign of protection and security and preservation.
d. Safe delivery at destination.

11. TITLE DEED APPROACH: Jude 24,25; 1 Pet. 1:5. God will keep any promise made.

12. GODS ESSENCE APPROACH: God never goes back on His character. Rom. 8:35, 38, 39; 14:4.
a. God never goes back on His character.
b. 1 John 4:8, 16 - God is love.
c. Hebrews 6:18 - That by two immutable things, on that it is impossible for God to lie.
d. Deuteronomy 32:4 A God of Truthjust and right is He.

13. MARRIAGE APPROACH: Rev. 19:1-10 (Eternal Relationship); Jer. 3:4; Hosea 2. We are the (eternal) Bride of
Christ. He will not divorce us.

14. GODS FAITHFULNESS APPROACH: 2 Tim. 2:11-13; 2 Cor. 3:4-5; Rev. 19:11. Gods unwavering faithfulness
cannot be compared to human, inconsistent faithfulness.

15. JESUS CHRISTS WORK ON THE CROSS APPROACH: Heb. 10:14. Denying eternal security is to deny the
finished work of the Lord and reduces the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to the level of offering bulls and goats. The
sacrifice of Christ abides: Jn. 5:24; Heb. 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected forever them that are
sanctified.

16: FACT OF THE NEW CREATION APPROACH: Col. 2:10 you are complete in Him. 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:6.
a. Colossians 2:10 you are complete in Him.
b. 2 Corinthians 5:17 if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are past away.
c. Ephesians 2:6 were raised up together with Christ.

17. ASSIGNMENT APPROACH: We have been assigned eternal. Acts 13:48.

18: HOW A BELIEVER IS DESCRIBED APPROACH: Col. 3:12. We are called elect, holy, blameless, perfect.

19. THE VERSE APPROACH: Passage upon passage, verse upon verse screams eternal security. Prov. 24:12, 14;
1 Cor. 3:11; Ps 37:24, 28; Col. 2:6; Jn. 5:14-16, 36; Rom. 14:4; Col 2:13; Jn. 5:24.

20. THE FATHER UNDERTAKES FOR THE BELIEVER APPROACH:
a. The Unconditional Covenants: Abrahamic, Palestinic, Davidic.
b. Infinite Power of the Father to set free, save, and keep: Jn. 10:29; Rom. 4:21, 8:31, 38, 39; Eph. 1: 19-21,
3:20; Phil. 3:21; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 7:25; Jude 24.
c. Infinite love of God: Rom. 5:7-10.
d. Influence on the Father of the prayer of the Son of God. Jn. 17:19-20.

21. THE HOLY SPIRIT UNDERTAKES FOR THE BELIEVER APPROACH:
a. Regeneration: Entrance into that which cannot be removed. Jn. 3:4-6; 1 Pet. 1:23; 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 Jn. 3:9.
b. Indwelling: Holy Spirit is given. Rom. 8:15; 1 Cor. 2: 12, 6: 19; 1 Jn. 2:27.
c. Baptism: Spirit, not water, by which the believer is joined to Christ as to stay eternally in new creation.
1 Cor. 12:13; Gal .3:27.
d. Sealing: Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30.

22. GOD THE FATHER CARES APPROAH: Jn. 3:16.

23. GOD THE SON CARES APPROACH: Jn. 10:11, 15, 17.

24. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT CARE APPROACH: Jn. 14:17, 18, 26; Jn. 16:7-14.

25. UNBELIEVERS CARE APPROACH: Lk. 16:26-31. Even the man in hell had concern for his unbelieving
brothers.

26. ANGELS CARE APPROACH: Lk. 15:7, 10.

What you can lose:

a. You can lose rewards (1 Cor. 3:15).
b. You can lose fellowship (1 Jn. 1:6).
c. You can lose your life (1 Jn. 5:16).
But you cannot lose your salvation.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE CAPTAIN OF OUR SALVATION (Heb. 2:10)not us.