Response:

I am pleased to hear that you believe in eternal security. There is absolutely no question that the Bible teaches this doctrine. There are many clear verses that contain this promise.

I John 5:12 states that "he that hath the Son hath (present tense, right now) eternal life". John 3:16 promises that the believer "should not (at any time in the future) perish". John 3:18 states that the believer "is not condemned". John 10:28 promises that the believer "shall never perish", and that he can not be removed from the hand of Christ. Verse 29 states that God is greater than anyone or anything, and therefore nothing can escape His hand either.

John 1:12 tells us that when we got saved, we became "sons of God" As you know, sonship is a permanent relationship. I was born a son of Jim Montgomery, and nothing can change that. Even if our relationship should turn bad, I am still his son. The same is true of my relationship with God. When I was born again, I became a member of God's family, which is a permanent relationship. Sometimes our relationship isn't as good as it could be, due to my sin, but He never ceases to be my Father. I have heard it said that this illustration is invalid because I used to be a child of the Devil. That fact is true, but I was "born again" into a new family, and God adopted me out of my previous family (Gal 4:5). Once someone is adopted, his previous parents no longer have any legal claim to him. The same is true of my adoption into the family of God.

I Peter 1:5 says that the believer is "kept by the power of God through faith (that which saved him in the first place) unto salvation". We have already seen the verses in John that teach that we are held in the hands of God and Christ. Let me give another illustration. As a boy, I had gerbils. Sometimes I took them out of the cage, and would hold them in my hands. Now, whose responsibility was it to keep those gerbils from getting loose? It sure wasn't the gerbil's responsibility! It was mine! Likewise, it is not my responsibility to stay in the hands of God. I am not kept by the power of Mark. I am kept by the power of God, and it is His responsibility top keep me in His hands.

God has also given His children the Holy Spirit to indwell them. II Cor. 5:5 tells us that He has given us the "earnest of the Spirit". What is earnest? When you offer to buy a house, you give the owner "hand money" or "earnest money". This is only a small portion of the total price, but it is a sign of your commitment that the owner will eventually get it all. I am not yet in a Heaven. I do not yet have all the blessings that salvation will bring. But God did give me the "earnest money": He gave me the Holy Spirit as a promise that someday I would get it all.

In Ephesians 1:13 it states that the believer is "sealed by the Spirit". Again, whose responsibility is it to see that something stays sealed up? It is the responsibility of the One Who does the sealing. The Holy Spirit sealed me at the point of salvation, which gives me assurance that I can not get away, or be taken away.

There may be verses which, left to themselves, might indicate that a man could lose his salvation. However, in light of the clear teaching of Scripture, these verses must mean something else. Probably the most famous of these is Hebrews 6:4-6. Here, some say that the Bible is teaching that a man can lose his salvation. That is not the case. I believe these verses are hypothetical. Verses 4-5 seem to indicate that the man is saved. He has been enlightened, he has tasted, and has been a partaker of the Holy Spirit. Note that verse 6 starts with the word "if". IF he can fall away, verse 6 indicates that he can not get saved again, for it would require Christ to be re-crucified. I don't know of any folks that are teaching that if you lose your salvation you can't get it back They are all teaching the need to get saved over and over again. These verses say that you can't do that. Now look to the end of the chapter at verses 17-19. In verse 17, God says that He has made a promise, that He is immutable (in other words, He does not change), and He swears to it by an oath. In verse 18, he states that because God can not lie, we who have trusted Christ can have hope in this promise of God. Verse 19 tells us that this hope is an "anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast". What is this promise that is an anchor for us? Look at verse 1 of the chapter. It speaks of the doctrine of repentance and faith. The Bible teaches that if a man repents of sin, and places his faith in Christ, he has eternal life. God promised it, He can't lie, He doesn't change His mind, He swore to it, and it will happen. Verse 20 leads into a discussion of Christ's ministry as High Priest. Who is this ministry for? The Believer! Therefore, the context clearly shows that Hebrews 6:4-6 is not showing that a man can lose his salvation, but is clearly illustrating that a man can NEVER lose his salvation, because of the promises of God.

One last thought. How many sins would it take for a man to lose his salvation , if he could? How many sins did it take to keep us from being able to get to Heaven on our own merit? ONE! Therefore, if one sin keeps me from being able to earn my way into Heaven, then I guess one sin would cause me to lose the "salvation" that I already have. James 2:10 says that if a person breaks one law, he is guilty of all. Therefore, it would only take one sin to cause a man to lose his salvation.

Salvation is by grace. We don't get saved by grace, and then keep it by works. Not only is this illogical, but it is a violation of Romans 11:6, which teaches that if salvation is "by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more of grace: otherwise work is no more work". In other words, Grace and Works can not co-exist in providing salvation. Either we are saved, and kept, by the grace of God, or we must work our way to Heaven. And we know that Ephesians 2:9 says that salvation is "not of works, lest any man should boast".

By Dr Mark Montgomery Ambassador Baptist Church 1926 Babcock Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15209 (412)477-3210