In spite of our sin and bad choices, God offers His grace that is beyond our understanding. All those who choose to place their trust in Him are forgiven, this includes all sins past, present, and future. Gotquestions.org sums up salvation nicely:
"A definition of the Christian doctrine of salvation would be “The deliverance, by the grace of God, from eternal punishment for sin which is granted to those who accept by faith God’s conditions of repentance* and faith in the Lord Jesus.” Salvation is available in Jesus alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and is dependent on God alone for provision, assurance, and security."
*repentance properly defined is a change of mind
Salvation from sin only occurs once a person places their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone. Obedience by what some call "god empowered" works, general good works, obedience to the 10 commandments, does not save someone from God's wrath. When one recognizes their condition as a sinner and places their faith in Christ's finished work on the cross they are eternally secure. All who place their faith in Christ will have a place in heaven with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit forever. Some, however, think salvation can be lost. Some think that if they backslide long enough God will revoke their place in heaven, others think salvation is earned by following church ordinances. My friend, Christ has done all the work for us, and here are several biblically endorsed reasons that demonstrate that true Christians cannot lose their salvation and eternal inheritance.
1. The plain implications of being born-again.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. -John 3:3-8
Being born-again clearly illustrates a permanence of salvation. All things that are born, cannot go back to becoming unborn. We are all born of water, however, when one places their faith hope, and trust in Jesus Christ, he is born of the spirit, becomes a new creature, all old things are passed away and all things become new (2nd Corinthians 5:17). A new creature spawned into reality does not go back to becoming uncreated, just as a newborn cannot decide somehow to shirk itself out of existence. The condition of existence is steadfast, nowhere is it suggested in God's Word that a born-again believer can become unborn. When a believer is born of the spirit, we are no longer dead in trespasses and sins, we are made alive unto life everlasting (Eph 2:1).
2. Nobody can be plucked from the Mighty Hand of God!
But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 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. I and my Father are one. John 10:28-30
Even if a confused Christian sadly decided to remove himself from this world, he is still in the Father and the Son's hands. All of God's sheep, those who believe in Him, are unable to be seized or plucked out of His almighty hand! We cannot be removed by anything or anyone, Paul likewise affirms this also:
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:38-39
All in Christ Jesus are in God's hand, and nothing can harpoon a true believer away from their cemented status.
3. Sealing of the Holy Spirit:
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14
The greek word for sealed is sphragízō, and it's meaning here is used to certify ownership. All those who place their belief in Jesus Christ have this special seal (Ephesians 4:30). In plainer terms, God owns a person the moment that saving faith is placed in Him. This is why Paul writes that the Holy Spirit will do a good work in us, until the day of Jesus Christ (Phillipians 1:6).
The Scofield Study Bible drives home this point:
"The Holy Spirit is Himself the seal. In the symbolism of Scripture a seal signifies (1) A finished transaction (Jer. 32:9, 10; John 17:4, 19:30), (2) Ownership (Jer. 32:11, 12; 2 Tim. 2:19), (3) Security (Esth. 8:8; Dan. 6:17; Eph. 4:30)."
4. The earnest deposit of the Holy Spirit
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. -2nd Corinthians 1:22
For thousands of years, people have placed earnest deposits known also as good faith deposits on property and/or land. This would demonstrate the buyer's seriousness and also ensured protection for the seller at the same time. Paul states that the sealing of the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance. Such a seal demonstrates that we are not only in the Father, and The Son's hands as stated above but also the Holy Spirit's! The Holy Spirit is a believer's guaranteed earnest deposit of their eternal inheritance cemented in promise. Since a believer is sealed with the eternal Holy Spirit of promise, his deposit is guaranteed and cannot be forfeited. Prior to the cross, the Holy Spirit would come upon and depart from individuals. Fortunately Christ promised all believers a Comforter, that they would be sealed with until the day of redemption.
5. Sciptures asserts believers as His Body
Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.-1st Corinthians 12:27
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. -Ephesians 5:23
It's not by accident that God's Word allegorizes a believer's membership in Christ as being His body. He is the head and believers are His body. This also implies immutability, as Christ's body would have to be amputated if even a single member were to exit. Jesus Christ is incorruptible, and those that are in Christ are also incorruptible. Though all present flesh will die, all believers will be raised incorruptible just as He is to ever serve and worship Him as the body forevermore.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. -1st Corinthians 15:22
6. Christ asserts believers as stones in His temple.
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. -Ephesians 2:23-22
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. -1st Peter 2:5
A believer is made a part of God's spirtual house, an incorruptible building with Christ being the chief cornerstone (1st Peter 2:6). Stones are built on top of each other. One man's ministry will be built upon another, and so is the case with Christ's temple. We are made unto his workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), and the works God uses through us are incorruptible and solidified within the temple that is made by Christ's body of believers.
7. Believers are Bondservants
For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. -1st Corinthians 7:22
The word used for servant is doulos, Strong's concordance defines this as: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave. Paul and the apostles used this term for themselves, and other believers see (Rev 1:1; 2nd Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1; Rev 7:3; 2 Timothy 2:24).
Helps Word Studies sums the definition up nicely:
1401 doúlos (a masculine noun of uncertain derivation) – properly, someone who belongs to another; a bond-slave, without any ownership rights of their own. Ironically, doúlos ("bond-slave") is used with the highest dignity in the NT – namely, of believers who willingly live under Christ's authority as His devoted followers.
In Exodus 21:4-6 a servant who loved his master could voluntarily become bonded to him for life. After appearing before judges a willing servant would get a permanent piercing through their ear as a representation of the covenant made between the master and now bondservant. This prophetic picture is a representation of all who voluntarily choose to place their faith in Jesus Christ. When one's faith is placed in Christ we become His bondservant, and instead of the physical piercing of the ear, our permanence rests in the sealing of the Holy Spirit. In the law, when the piercing was made on the bondservant, the nail went through the ear to the master's doorpost. When faith is placed in Christ, we are tethered eternally to the door of Jesus Christ.
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. -John 10:9
Many proponents out there think that God's eternal guarantee can be lost. It logically goes to follow that if you think you can lose your salvation, then you are the one keeping it. Place your faith in Christ and he will be the one to keep you eternally as one of His. All those who place their faith and trust in Christ Jesus become born-again, are His bondsevants, His temple, His body, and are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. All those who place their faith in Jesus Christ are within the unblemished hands of El Shaddai, God the Almighty! Are you lost? Place your faith in Jesus Christ, and you can know you're on your way to heaven (1st John 5:13). You will be eternally clasped in God's hand, and nothing will take you out of them. Eternal peace and joy are found in the creator of all things. The question is do you know Him?
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. -Romans 5:1-2
