Our Secure Salvation [Part 1]

 

The certainty of our salvation is one of the great comforts of the Christian faith. It gives us hope for eternity and confidence as we live for Christ today. Yet eternal security remains a topic of debate, even among Christians.

So, why is understanding our eternal security so important?

Why Eternal Security Matters

 

Our eternal security helps us throughout life by:

• Protecting our minds – The knowledge of our salvation and a better future life helps us through every step of our lives to maintain joy despite difficult times.
• Giving us hope – Knowledge of our salvation provides good wellbeing as shown by Teleios (1-3). It is difficult to have hope in our earthly or heavenly future and good wellbeing if you don’t even know you are truly saved. Eternal security is the helmet of our salvation, protecting our minds (Ephesians 6:17) and the anchor for our souls as we face difficulties on earth en route to eternity with God (Hebrews 6:19).
•  Strengthening our service to God – Eternal security allows us to better serve God as it is hard to be a joyful servant if we lack confidence that we will ever really be with God. Such doubts can sap our energy and turn our thoughts from serving God to ourselves. We can only serve fully when we have a confident, secure foundation (Colossians 1:9-14).
• Helping us grow spiritually – Knowledge of our security is necessary for progressing to maturity in the Christian life as exemplified in 1 Thessalonians 1:5-7. We may not feel we deserve salvation (actually we do not – it is God’s gift through Christ) and it may fight against our nature and upbringing; yet as Christians we must live by the facts of Scripture and its blessed truth.  Eternal security provides confidence of our relationship with God. 

 

Biblical Evidence for Eternal Security

 

These are on at least five levels. Will cover the first two of these important biblical concepts in this blog and then the rest over the next several blocks. 

• Direct statements to our eternal security – At least several key verses directly indicate a believer who has trusted in Jesus Christ by faith for his salvation is eternally secure, are the following:
• 1 Peter 1:4-5 – To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
• John 10:29-30 – 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.
• 1 John 5:10-13 – He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
• Romans 8:28-39 – And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 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.

• Perseverance – This theme is vital because it indicates that God alone, and not us, causes us to endure to salvation. Even if we wanted to change our position in Christ, or if we make mistakes, He causes us to persist to eternal life. Thanks be to God – it’s all based on Him, not us! Here are some key verses (KJV):
• 2 Timothy 1:12 – For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
• Philippians 1:6 – Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
• 1 Corinthians 1:8 – Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23 – And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Thank you for joining me. What a great promise God has given us that we are forgiven and secure in Him for those saved by faith in Christ's precious death on the cross for our sins. However, we're just getting started! We will consider some biblical reasons behind security in the next several blogs. Hopefully these blogs on eternal security will add greater confidence and joy to your life.

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email - info@teleiosresearch.com

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Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.

 

 

Secured in Christ: Justified and Adopted [Part 2]

 

Becoming a Christian involves much more than receiving a new label. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for our sins, God gives us a new and permanent position before Him.

In our previous blog, we discussed two of the four secure positions believers receive through salvation: spiritual baptism and becoming God’s possession. In this article, we will explore two more important positions in Christ: justification and adoption.

For a complete overview, read the Teleios e-book chapter, Positions in Christ.

 

Position 3: Justified

 

This is a vital result of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Let’s examine in some detail the meaning of this great promise.

• Meaning of the New Testament word – This word is key because the complete meaning in Greek for justification (δικαιος, dikaios) is not fully conveyed in English. The word dikaios carried a legal sense that still exists today in modern Greek. In the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, the term signified that someone who was found innocent of all charges against them in a court of law, just as today, is forever innocent.  There was no double jeopardy (1). This important legal concept means once a person has been found innocent, they should not be charged a second time with the same crime.

• Christ’s work in justification – The Bible indicates that each of us has sinned and “fallen short” of what God requires of us (Romans 3:23). Because God is just, He demands punishment for our misdeeds. However, because He is loving, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment in our place (Romans 3:24-26).

•  It’s as though Christ acted as a courtroom judge, found us guilty of our sins, sentenced us to death, but afterward, stood up, removed His judicial robe, came around in front of the judge’s bench and took the punishment for us, for our past, present and future sins!

• Christ’s death satisfied God’s demand for righteousness but also showed His great and gracious love for us.

• No other work or sacrifice is required – Importantly, Christ is a sufficient sacrifice for our transgressions as He is perfect, holy and without sin (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 7:26; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, Christ satisfied God’s righteous demand for judgment. Accordingly, He died once for all sin, for all time, and He does not need to do this again as did the Old Testament priests (Hebrews 6:1-14; 10:10-18).  

• Our legal position before God was pronounced “innocent” when we trusted Christ for forgiveness of our sins. We do this only once, and our sins are forgiven for all time. Since Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient, nobody can charge us again (Romans 8:31-34). There is no double jeopardy!

 

Position 4: Adopted

 

This concept is important in our society because when a family legally adopts a child, the new family member gains all the rights and privileges of a naturally born child (2). In other words, their new status in the family is permanent and cannot be overturned. What a great promise of security to the child!

 

Likewise, in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, as in our own society (with some differences), adoption provided permanent legal status for a child that could not be overturned (3). The Apostle Paul states our position as adopted children into God’s family in four separate places in his epistles, indicating the importance of our new position following accepting Christ as Savior through faith (Romans 8:15,23; Ephesians 1:5;Galatians 4:5).

 

Consequently, we are children of God, adopted into His family with legal protection and a permanent status. Further, our wonderful inheritance, guaranteed as a member of the family, is eternal life. What a great promise!

 

Thank you for joining me today. Please visit next time while we continue this wonderful journey about our salvation. 

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

1.    http://scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1209&context=wmborj

2.    http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Adopting+parents

3.    http://www.biblestudytools.com/encyclopedias/isbe/adoption.html

 

Email - info@teleiosresearch.com

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Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.

 

Secure in Christ: Belonging to God and Made New [Part 1]

 

Thank you for joining us as we continue our exciting series exploring the timeline of our great salvation, from its beginning to the end of time. Every part of salvation is accomplished by God through His grace. We encourage you to read the previous articles in this series for additional context on God’s wonderful plan of redemption.

In this article, we will begin discussing the believer’s remarkable positions in Christ. At the moment of salvation, through faith in Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross, believers receive four primary spiritual positions before God. We will examine the first two in this article and explore the remaining two next time.

Position 1: We are God’s Possession

As New Testament believers, God has redeemed us (purchasing us at the cross) and has enabled us to become His peculiar possession (1 Peter 2:9). 

 

How does God accomplish making us His possession?

• The Holy Spirit’s sealing – We are marked as God’s possession at salvation by the Holy Spirit who is given to us (Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9). This is a great promise and a result of our belief in salvation by faith alone in Christ’s substitutionary work on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9).

• His workmanship – Upon belief, we are also remade into God’s image (Ephesians 2:10) as a new work. Please see just below under Baptism for further detail. 

Position 2: Spiritual Baptism

This biblical truth is vital in understanding who we are as Christians.

• First, let’s consider the word itself. In the Epistles, when baptism is mentioned, it refers almost always to spiritual baptism. Water baptism might be considered as an external ritual to signify the internal event. The word βαπτιζω (baptizoo) in Greek (the original language of the New Testament) was an old term borrowed from the dye trade. It meant that a piece of cloth immersed in a dye became ‘identified’ with the new color.

• Second, how is being ‘identified’ with Christ associated with being a Christian? Fortunately, a lot! When we believe in salvation, we are identified with Christ’s gracious death and resurrection. At this time, our old self died and was buried with Christ. We are raised now to new life with Him, and God views us as sitting with Him at His right hand (Romans 6:2-12; Ephesians 2:4-7; Colossians 2:12-13).

Similar concepts in scripture that also appear to speak to spiritual baptism are: regeneration (Titus 3:5), born again (John 3:5), and new man (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10).

 

Why is this concept so important?

• Believer’s sin – Although every believer sins, we possess the power to say ‘no’ to sin because our new person in Christ is now able to live a victorious life.

• The reason for the resurrection – Baptism teaches us the importance of the resurrection because Christians are raised with Christ to new life, without which they would still be dead in sins (1 Corinthians 15:17).

• Eternal security – Baptism helps each believer know they cannot lose salvation because Scripture does not indicate that committing a sin will kill the new person and bring the old dead self back to life!

• Prayer – Believers who are now holy can approach God at any time, directly in prayer, in confidence. Old Testament believers did not have this advantage, being limited to the Day of Atonement when only the high priest could approach the most holy God (Heb 10:19-22).  

Secure in Our New Life

Through salvation, we have been permanently transformed and raised with Christ into a new life. We are free to serve Him, obey Him, and approach Him confidently in prayer.

The failures and sins associated with our old self cannot undo what God has accomplished. Our position in Christ is based on His completed work, not on our ability to maintain our salvation.

What great comfort and assurance we receive from the truth of Scripture!

In summary, believers receive four wonderful positional promises because of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. These promises involve permanent changes in both our legal standing before God and our spiritual nature.

In this article, we examined the first two positions: we are God’s possession, and we have received spiritual baptism. For a broader overview, please read Positions in Christ - Teleios, Inc. (teleiosresearch.com).

Please join us next time as we discuss our legal justification and our adoption into God’s family. What wonderful promises God has given to assure us of our great salvation!

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email - info@teleiosresearch.com

Website - http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

----

Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.