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| Photo courtesy of russellkorets.com |
I have poured over this one recently and, in a nutshell, I can say with confidence that our relationship with God as His children is unchangeable and eternally secure in light of all Scripture.
Now I realize this is a big topic and one in which involves such concepts as "inputed" vs. "imparted" righteousness, predestination, etc, which I hope to address in a separate post! However, my goal today is to do a broad-brush look into this subject and answer this critically important question using insight from both the Old and New Testaments.
We see this eternal security starting in Genesis with Noah. The Scriptures tell us that God shut the door of the ark, once Noah and his family were safely inside. No one could enter in and no one could get out: "The Lord shut him in" (Gen 7: 16). God made it His business to keep Noah safe through the judgement of the flood and neither Noah, nor his family, took any active part in this.
A few chapters later, we see God cut a covenant with Abram, to make his family into a great nation of God. However, unlike traditional covenants where two parties vow to one another using blessings and cursings, we note that Abram is put to sleep, while God, appearing as a smoking pot and a flaming torch, moves between the cut pieces of animals, sealing the covenant alone (Gen 15:12-21).
In the Psalms, when David is crying out to the Lord after his great transgression with Bathsheba, he asks the Lord to "restore the joy of my salvation" (Psalm 51:12). It is important to note that he does NOT ask that his salvation be restored to him...just the joy of it. The Scriptures clearly show that sin impairs our fellowship with God, negatively impacts our prayer life (Ps 66:18), steals our joy, etc, but that we ought never despair that we have lost our status as adopted children of God.
Flipping over into the New Testament, we see that Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. He speaks at length about the shepherd and his ways with his sheep--how he cares for the sheep and how His sheep know His voice. John 10:27-30 states:
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Jesus and God the Father (as one) are the author of salvation and eternally secure it in their hands.
And what should happen when a sheep goes astray? This blog article describes it well:
"My Sheep. . .Shall Never Perish" As sheep, our security is the responsibility of our Shepherd (1 Pet. 2:25). Of each saved sheep it is written, "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing" (Luke 15:5). The struggles of the sheep would not be to keep on, but to get off. We are not saved by our "holding on," for sheep have no hands to hold on by. Now all the Lord's sheep are borne along on the shoulders of the rejoicing Shepherd, and thus all are equally saved. The Shepherd will take care that not one shall slip off His shoulders. When danger is past, the journey ended and home reached (v. 6), the Shepherd's note of joy is this: "I have found My sheep which was lost." Thus the eternal safety of every sheep is the blessed Lord's own personal responsibility and care.**
Peter also demonstrates this eternal truth, too. Even prior to his sinful denial of Jesus, we see him floundering in the open sea, as he steps out of the boat and walks on the water toward Jesus. Do we see Peter reach out and try to hold onto Christ as he is seized with fear and doubt and begins to sink? NO! Instead, we read that Christ reaches out and holds securely onto Peter.
"And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:28-33)
The theme of adoption as sons is most profound throughout Paul's NT writings especially. Can one be "ungrafted" into a family tree, once one is adopted and becomes an heir? Can one be "unborn" into a family, once they are born into it? Never.
I could go on and on, dear friend, but for time's sake, I won't. Be at peace with me--regardless of our failings, our sins, our fears, and our doubts, we can stand and rest secure and share in the JOY and HOPE of eternal life with God as His children. If you have come to that point or season in your life when you have sincerely repented of your sin and turned to Him, received the Holy Spirit and become a child of God, then you are forever and eternally His. Do not misunderstand--this does not give us license to sin and backslide! But, through His grace and mercy, God promises to keep a hold of us, and by His Spirit, convict us of our sin so that we may turn once again and confess and repent and be restored to full fellowship and joy as His sons.
Post Script
If you wish to know more about what Paul meant when he struggled with the possibility of being "disqualified," then this post is for you.
If you want to know more about how one becomes a child of God, perhaps my personal salvation testimony will help you, as well.
**- See more at: http://www.backtothebible.org/is-my-salvation-in-Christ-secure-or-can-I-lose-my-salvation
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