eBible Fellowship

Many of you may be knowing that in the last few Sundays I have been speaking a little bit about how wonderful and glorious God’s salvation plan is.

The Bible could not have been written by man. It is impossible that man in his mind could write the Bible that is so wonderful and magnificent. He could not have done it. God tells us that He wrote the Bible. Remember, that in 2 Peter 1:21 we read, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” The Word of God is God breathed.

Everything that we read in the original Greek and Hebrew is from the very mouth of God and this salvation plan could not have been designed by man. God designed it and by nature we do not like God’s salvation plan. We do not like it because it is offensive to us.

But when God has opened our spiritual eyes to the wonders and truths of the Bible, we can begin to see how wonderful it is and we glorify God for such a wonderful salvation that He has provided for us and we are not deserving of it.

I am going to go on to speak a little bit more about this wonderful salvation plan. God’s salvation plan is eternal. When He saved a person whom He has elected to salvation, this person is saved forever more. Salvation is eternal.

Many people believe that if you are saved, someway and somehow, you could lose your salvation. They do not understand what salvation is. They do not understand the nature of salvation. When somebody is truly saved, they are saved forever. It is eternal. You cannot lose your salvation.

It is impossible for a true believer to lose his or her salvation. Just think about the wonderful promises that God has given to the true believers that nothing is going to separate them from the love of God. Notice the things in Romans 8 that will never separate the true believers from the love of God. They are eternally secured in Christ. Nothing will ever come between that.

Let us go to John chapter 10. Let us look at some verses and there are many verses that we could go to, to see that when we are saved, we are saved eternally. In John 10:24-31, we read:

Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep (which is God’s people) hear my voice, and I know them, …

All of God’s people are known to Him, from eternity. He knew us. He elected us to salvation. It continues:

… and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; …

Eternal life is a gift. Not one of us is deserving of it. He gave His people eternal life. It continues:

… and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. …

No one can snatch the true believers away from God. They are eternally saved forevermore. He will never lose one of His. It continues:

… My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. …

Notice how God repeats Himself in that one verse. No one can snatch the true believers away from God. They are eternally secured in Christ. It continues:

… I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

They were offended at Him with what He was saying and so many today are offended at it. They may not do what the Jews did but many are insisting that you can lose your salvation. No. It is not possible. You can lose something that you never had. But if you never had it, then you can lose it.

But when the Holy Ghost comes into a person and indwells that person, just think about it that it is God that comes and lives within that person. How can we possibly lose our salvation? It is an impossible thing. Let us go to John chapter 17. In John 17:1-6, we read:

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: …

It is God’s salvation program. What Christ came to do, it was glorifying God. The people whom He has saved for Himself, it is to the glory of God. God’s salvation program is for His glory. It is not for us. He did not do it because He saw something good in us. No. It is to the glory of God why He saved a people for Himself. It continues:

… As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. …

We were given to Christ by God the Father as He came into the world to demonstrate what He already had done. It is to the glory of God and He says that we were given to Christ by God the Father. All His elect, from throughout the whole world and all those who are coming, He has caused to be saved. It continues:

… And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth (There is Christ speaking about how He glorified God on the earth): I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

And God goes on. Remember, the true believers are eternally saved by God. They can take comfort in that, that nothing will ever separate them from the love of God and how wonderful that is that they are eternally secured in Christ. Let us go to Acts chapter 13, to the same idea. In Acts 13:45-48, we read:

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

All of God’s elect were ordained to eternal life. It is a gift of God. Do you remember that very familiar verse in Romans? In my opinion, it is one of the second most popular verse in the Bible. Let us go to Romans chapter 6. In Romans 6:23, we read:

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God (is what?) is eternal life (and it is through whom?) through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Notice in Romans 6:23, “… eternal …”. Remember that salvation is eternal. You cannot lose it. You are saved forevermore. Those of us who are truly saved, remember that the Holy Spirit comes within us.

Remember that He had done all the work of saving His elect and so how can they possibly lose their salvation. He is the one who had to take away the stony hearts from them and give them hearts of flesh. He has to do all His work in them. Spiritually they are dead. They are wicked human beings before God has saved them. So God gets all the praise and the glory for saving His people. They cannot take one little ounce of credit and if they do that, they have turned the grace of God into a works gospel. God is the one who should get all the glory and praises for saving His elect. Let us go to Romans chapter 5. In Romans 5:21, we read:

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness (righteousness is Christ) unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

So we get that eternal life through Christ. It is by Him that He has done all this and so where does that leave us? We cannot take any credit for anything because God is the one who saves. Let us go to Titus chapter 1. When we begin to look at this in the Bible, there are so many verses and God has given abundant evidence to us that He has given to His people life eternal. In Titus 1:1-3, we read:

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life (notice “hope” and remember that “hope” is Christ Himself, it is not our hope.), which God, that cannot lie (notice other parts in the Bible and remember that it is impossible for God to lie. He cannot do that.), promised before the world began (When did He promise this to His people? It was before the world began and He has promised the true believers life eternal or eternal life.); But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

Who is our saviour? God is our saviour, Christ is our saviour, it is the same. Christ is God. Let us go to Titus chapter 3. In Titus 3:7, we read:

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The true believers are joint heirs with Christ. Let us go to Romans chapter 8. In Romans 8:16-17, we read:

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

What is Christ’s is theirs (the true believers). Undeserving though they are but God has given to them. Remember that in Luke 12:32, we read, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

When God saved His elect, they came into the most wonderful, stupendous and magnificent blessing ever. There is nothing more greater than salvation. People can win the lottery–tens of millions–and whatever. But it does not hold a candle to the wonderful blessing of salvation because this salvation that God gave to His elect is eternal.

The things in this world as we know, are temporal. They are temporary. When a person dies, that person cannot take anything from this world with him or her. I have yet to see anybody after he or she dies take anything from this world with him or her. After a person dies, that person loses the things of the world that they may posses.

If a storm comes in a person’s area and if that person’s house gets destroyed or whatever the case might be, that person may lose some of the things of the world that he or she may posses but if that person is saved, then that person cannot and will never lose his or her salvation. If a person is truly saved, then that person is saved forevermore. Let us go to 1 John chapter 1. In 1 John 1:1-2, we read:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

And all that was manifested to the true believers through Christ. In 1 John 1:3-4, we read:

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

When God saved His elect, God gave them a joy and although, they are living in this life and trials and tribulations may come but God gave them the deep root of joy in their hearts to know that this world is a veil of tears.

They are not here permanently, but it is a veil of tears and at the end of it, it will be joy for them in Heaven, where there will be no more trials and tribulations anymore because He gave the true believers eternal life.

The life in this world is very brief but for a moment, compared to eternity. We should continue to wait upon the LORD. I cannot believe that I am in this age already. Time flies. But when we look at eternity, it is worth it, to wait upon the LORD. God’s Word is true and so we continue to wait upon Him. Let us look at 1 John chapter 5. In 1 John 5:10-11, we read:

He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself (which is the Holy Spirit, that witnesses with the true believers Spirit. The true believers have the Holy Spirit): 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.

Everything is through Christ. It is eternal life that God gave to the true believers. It is in Christ and God is eternal. Christ is God. So, this salvation, this life, this eternal life that God has given to the true believers is in Christ and they could never lose them. In 1 John 5:12-13, we read:

He that hath the Son hath life; …

If a person is born again, then that person has the Son of God and God gave that person eternal life. It continues:

… 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, …

If one of God’s elect is truly saved, that person has eternal life. It continues:

… and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

In 1 John 5:17-18, we read:

All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

In 1 John 5:20, we read:

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true (notice how God tells that when He is in us and we are in Him), even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

So God is just going all over to tell us that the true believers are eternally secured in Heaven and all glory goes to God. They cannot take credit at this wonderful salvation which He gave to them. Notice the same idea in Psalm 125 and all of this is to the glory of God. Let us go to Psalm 125. In Psalm 125:1-2, we read:

A Song of degrees. They that trust in JEHOVAH shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed (and in the Bible, the mountain is His Kingdom), but abideth for ever. (God’s salvation Kingdom is forevermore) As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so JEHOVAH is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

God is around His people. Remember that in Zechariah 2:5, we read, “For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.” How can the true believers lose their salvation and notice that all of this is to the praise and glory of our LORD and saviour Jesus Christ.

What assurance He has given to His people that God Himself has done this. They are not deserving of it and there are so many verses in the Bible that God tells us that He has saved us for His own glory and all glory must go to Him. We can not enter into that. Even to the cross – all by Himself. He paid for the sins of His elect before the foundation of the world. He did it all.

Let us stop here. Let us pray.

Heavenly Father we thank You O LORD for this salvation which You have given to us. LORD, we are not deserving of it. There is not one reason that any of thy people could say that “LORD this is why You saved me”, no. We are all an unclean thing. O LORD, we are all deserving of thy wrath and to be destroyed forever. O LORD may all the praise and glory go to thee for thy great mercy and thy compassion. O LORD, I am so thankful that You have done this because it was up to us who would never come to thee for our own accord. You have to do all the work and the drawing and the working in us and O LORD may all the praise and glory go to thee for thy mercy, in Jesus name. Amen