Three Assurances Of Eternal Security

Jude 24-25

            God’s elect in this world have eternal life by the gift and power of his almighty grace. Having eternal life, “they shall never perish.” All who trust Christ know that all who are chosen, redeemed, and called by the grace of God are everlastingly saved. But our God is so kind and gracious that he gives us many assurances in his Word of our security in Christ. Here are three things which necessitate our eternal security.

            1. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS PRAYING FOR US (1 John 2:1-20). Strive with all your being against sin. But when you do sin, do not despair. We do sin. Sin is what we are. Sin is mixed with all we do. Any man who says he is without sin, even for a moment, is a liar and calls God a liar (1 John 1:8, 10). But rejoice, children of God, when we sin “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” If Christ, who has made propitiation for our sins, prays for us, then we are secure.

            2. GOD WILL NEVER CHARGE HIS OWN ELECT WITH SIN (Rom. 4:8). When David realized this, his heart leaped for joy. It did not make him licentious. It made him humble. God charged our sins to his dear Son, punished our sins in his Son, and found propitiation for our sins in the death of his Son for the full satisfaction of his justice. And “payment God cannot twice demand, first at my bleeding Surety’s hand, and then again at mine!” No matter what monstrous evil a child of God may imagine or do, God will not charge sin upon his elect. He charged our sins to Christ. We are no longer subject to punishment. Self-righteous legalists see red when they hear or read such words as these. God’s saints see glory in them and rejoice.

            3. WE ARE KEPT BY THE ALMIGHTY POWER AND INFALLIBLE GRACE OF GOD UNTO ETERNAL GLORY. (John 10:27-29). We are kept in his hands and by his hands. Our salvation does not depend upon our hold on God, but upon God’s hold on us. Who can harm us? We are in his hands! Neither satan, nor man, nor sin, nor the world can rend our souls from the hands of him who made and rules the universe. His hands are loving hands, faithful hands, almighty hands, saving hands. Tempted, tried, afflicted child of God, be at peace. We are safe and secure in our Savior’s hands.

Don Fortner