Who secures our Salvation?

Another way to phrase the title question is The preservation of the Saints. It should be obvious that God secures our salvation. Since that is true, then why do so many people believe and teach that man has to secure it? 

I have said this before in previous articles, but it bears repeating if God leaves it up to us to secure the salvation that he provided to us as a gift, then He might as well have thrown it in the trash. Why such harsh language? Because man cannot secure what God has already secured. The moment man was adopted into the family of God, that was a permanent adoption. We do not get in, and then get out when we choose to. 

Why?

Remember the Bible says we (the elect), were chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesian 1:4). Meaning that God pre-determined that some of fallen mankind would be recipients of His saving grace. Why? Because it pleased the Lord to do so (Ephesians 1:5).  Those that know the wonders of God's grace in saving them and keeping them saved would not dare desire to leave the security of God's loving arms. It just doesn't make sense to believe that man's sin is greater than God's grace (Romans 5:20).

The absurdity of teaching the loss of salvation 

Think about it for a moment what benefit is there in believing and teaching that God's salvation can be lost or given up? There is nowhere in scripture that teaches this heresy.  I want to point out some problems this presents for believers who are young in the faith or struggling with their walk with Christ:

1. It destroys the grounds of a person's assurance

If someone believes that every time they sin that God is going to revoke His love toward them and kick them out of the kingdom, then they cannot live the Christian life with any confidence. They are in constant looking-over-their-shoulder-mode. In other words, they are in perpetual fear of losing what God promised them. It is important that we have a fear and awe of God in that we honor and worship Him. God does not want us to have a paralyzing fear of Him though. That paralyzing fear should be reserved for non-believers. 

2. Lack of assurance produces a joyless experience

This amounts to legalism. This is a false man-made religion. A Christianity that requires works to produce joy and appease God is not Biblical Christianity. This is modern day Pharisaism. True salvation is never based on works. How many works would it require to appease God? There aren't enough. That means that works can never be the means required to have joy in Christ. Remember, we do not perform good works to get saved, we perform good works because we are saved (Ephesians 2:10). 

3. Teaching the loss of salvation makes God out to be a liar

This is the most offensive indictment. Why? Because it assaults the Lord's holy and perfect character. The scripture tells us, "Let God be true and every man a liar" (Romans 3:4). God is not capricious - meaning that just because we sin after we are saved, God decides to revoke our salvation and decides that we are hell bound after He promised to save us. Remember, those of us who are God's children are punished when we sin (Hebrews 12:5-11). Any loving parent will discipline their wayward children to make sure they get back in line and on the right track. A good parent, of course, will never disown their children and neither will our Heavenly Father disown us. Remember what the writer of Hebrews said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5b). 

To those of you who doubt your salvation you need to examine yourselves to see if you are truly in the faith (II Corinthians 13:5). You need to get back to the basics - immerse yourself in the Word. Trust the Word of God and not your feelings about it. What God said in His Word is always true no matter what our emotions are screaming at us. If you are in a Church where the preacher believes that you can lose or give up your salvation, then leave that Church. Pray earnestly that God will lead you to a Bible teaching Church. That is something that you can guarantee God will do for it honors Him.

Finally, I'll add this, salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9). It is God's gift from heaven to man. We have to remember the pains and lengths the Father went through to deliver this precious gift to us. Before time began, the Triune Godhead devised the plan on how mankind would be saved from their sins.  The Father would send His only begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ to come to earth as a man to die for those whom the Father identified to Him to save - these are His sheep. When Jesus was crucified according to the Father's will (Acts 2:23), and raised Him from the dead, all those who put their trust in Christ receive eternal life in time and space. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell within our temples (our bodies). It is an invisible reality, but we know the Spirit is there because those of us who are saved are not the same. It is impossible for one to remain the same because we are new creations in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17). We can not serve sin anymore for we have been delivered from its mastery. This is where a lot of Christians miss it. Many believe they can continue to live the unholy lifestyle they lived even after professing Christ. Why would you want to frustrate God's grace like that? Remember what Paul said in Romans 6:1, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" 

Answer? We can't! 

The Holy Spirit abides within the believer so we MUST serve God and hate our sin. We can not be comfortable with it anymore. We must struggle and fight against temptation that often leads to sin. 

If you're truly saved you will be convicted if you continue in sin. Be glad you feel guilt and shame when you sin. That is the check and balance system (i.e. the Holy Spirit) to let us know we can humble ourselves and repent.

Salvation is eternal. It can never be lost.