Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Friday,
May 17, 2019
Our Lord has given to all mankind, which is the gift of salvation, as well as the ability to enjoy it by providing the gift of Eternal security.
Our Lord also reminds us of the fact that we are not only eternally saved but we also have the gift of eternal security.
EPH 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that (grace; salvation; faith) not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.
Here is another “different approach” that we will note which is called the “original language approach.”
The original language of the verb sozo in Eph 2:8 is a perfect, passive, participle of sozo.
Perfect – saved in the past with the result of being saved forever.
Passive – you received the salvation – you did not produce it.
Participle – purpose.
JUD 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
The Lord has provided many different ways for us to approach the doctrine of eternal security because of the importance of it.
After salvation, it is extremely important that we are secure in who we are and who the Lord is in our life; 1Co 15:10a, By the grace of God I am what I am.
Never think that you can live for God by your own power or by your own strength; but always look to Him and rely on Him for the assurance and the mental stability that is needed in times of pressure.
2TI 2:1 = the apostle Paul taught Timothy some very important principles concerning the grace of God.
I have chosen to approach our doctrine of which I will call “The Eternal Security Approaches.”
There are different approaches that believers can use concerning their “Eternal Security” that guarantees that believers cannot lose their salvation no matter what they do even after salvation.
Joh 15 -- our Lord is teaching His disciples the difference between suffering for blessing and suffering for divine discipline.
Why did the Lord teach His disciples such a controversial subject which really is about divine discipline and suffering for blessing.
Our Lord was preparing His disciples to always be ready to give to everyone the reasons that they can handle adversity or prosperity as well as deserved suffering and undeserved suffering.
1PE 3:15 Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
Our Lord is dealing with our fellowship with our Lord and not our salvation, but do you see the word salvation in this verse?”
(Q) Do you see the word “lose” in this verse?
(Q) Do you see the word “sin” in this verse for it is sin that causes believers to lose their salvation according to those who believe the “satanic lie” that they can lose their salvation?”
If a believer does willfully sin, he does not lose his salvation, he loses the principle of “Abiding” or “fellowshipping.”
(Q) Do you see the word salvation in this passage?
No, salvation is not even mentioned in this passage; Joh 15:2; and Joh 15:6.
There are always individuals who distort passages like Joh 15:2 "Every branch [believer] in Me that does not bear fruit, He [TLJC] takes away;
The main question that our Lord was dealing with is found in phrases like Joh 15:2 where our Lord says that "every believer in Him that does not bear fruit, our Lord takes them away.
“What does our Lord take others away to?
This is one of the main questions that we should have in Joh 15:2, where our Lord says that "every believer in Him that does not bear fruit, our Lord takes them away [from what?].
“from what” = Isa 57:1 The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; And devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil,
What did our Lord refer to by the phrase that “if a believer does not bear fruit, our Lord will take away the believer.”
Another question = Joh 15:6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”
Notice the main subject that our Lord is addressing is said to those who “do not” abide in Him that they need to “abide in Him” and not have anything thrown away as a dead branch.
I need to be sure that all of you understand that you cannot lose your salvation and we will approach this subject very carefully by using the word “Approach.”
Approach - you are living the spiritual life as you proceed to advance toward the goal that is set before us you; PHI 3:14 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
To do this you have to make sure that you do not fall away from the Lord but believe that you can live the spiritual life as you forget what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.
- We are finally at the beginning of our “first approach” concerning the doctrine of eternal security which I call the Positional Approach: Rom 8:1; Eph 1:3-6; Jude 1.
Every believer is in union with Christ and is perfect in their position but not in their condition which is why the apostle Paul says certain things the way he does in Rom 8.
Notice, if you are “in Christ,” then this verse says you will never be condemned or judged by God no matter what you think, say, or do.
There is conviction by God the Holy Spirit, which is legitimate, but condemnation is not.
Holy Spirit conviction verses satanic condemnation is always a crossroads as to which way we will go.
Holy Spirit conviction always gives us a way out in which the grace of God is magnified, and reconciliation is the goal of God the Holy Spirit.
Whereas satanic accusations condemn a person and has no way out except satanic condemnation.
It is the Spirit verses Satan.
Conviction verses condemnation.
It is life spiritually or death experientially.
Even though our lives will be judged according to the word of God, it is an evaluation of our works not condemnation for our sins.
Joh 7:24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
Joh 3:17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.
JOH 5:22 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,
Even when our Lord had to judge us which was really His way of evaluating the lifestyle that we live; He did so with grace and honor motivated by agape love.
We are “in Christ” that is our position and not our condition.
Our position in Christ guarantees that there is no condemnation for any of us who have been saved; Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
The prepositional phrase “in Christ” gets right to the point --- Because we are “in Christ” we will never lose our salvation.
The apostle Paul stresses that we are in Christ and we can never lose what God has given by means of grace.
What we have noted so far really has to do with the fact that we share what Christ has and we share who Christ is.
What a great doctrinal principle backed up by the “Divine Promises” from God; 1Jo 3:1-2.
Our Lord is seated at the right hand of the Father and we share everything that He has and everything that He is; Rom 8:29.
- Christ is absolute righteousness; 2Co 5:21.
2. Christ is elected, we share His election — Eph 1:4. - Christ has a destiny; we share His destiny — Eph 1:5.
4. Christ is the Son, we are in union with Christ, we share His sonship; 2Ti 2:1. - Christ is the heir; we share His heirship; Rom 8:16-17.
6. Christ is sanctified, we share His sanctification; 1Co 1:2. - Christ is a King; we share His kingdom; 2Pe 1:11.
8. Christ is the High Priest; we share His priesthood; Heb 10:10-14.
The Bible says we will all have to face not only deserved suffering but also underserved suffering as well; PHI 1:29; 1Pe 3:12-18.
The apostle Peter says that you and I can suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. = Undeserved Suffering.