Encouragement

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The subject of Eternal Security is one of a simple nature, yet essential to the doctrine of Scripture. I would like to handle this matter in a two prong defense. First of all, we know from Scripture, that we have eternal certainty of salvation–based on the finished work of Jesus Christ, whereby His death and resurrection fully exhausted the wrath of God and earned the salvation of His elect people; those who trust Him alone for salvation. The Westminster Confession, a substandard of Scripture, yet an excellent statement of faith, states that this certainty “is not bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God, which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption.1” Hebrews 6:17-18 confirm that it is “impossible for God to lie. 2” We have a sure and unwavering hope that God’s saving Grace is eternal and immutable–toward us, His chosen people. We are free from fear and are to rejoice and trust in our Heavenly Father. Romans 8:15-16 says, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” So we see that our security lies in the promise and Word of God Almighty, therefore, we are secure as His very Son Jesus Christ.
Secondly, let us see that while fruits of good works are not what earn our salvation, they are legitimate indicators that a work of divine grace has been wrought within us. We know from Scripture, that once God begins this work of grace, we will never permanently fall away from Him. Philemon 1:6 says, “...being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” We are thus guaranteed that a true believer will continue to be sanctified until he passes from life unto life eternal. The Westminster Confession sums this up with what we, the Reformed Church call “The Perseverance of the Saints.” The Confession states, “They, whom God God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.” Once again, this perseverance is not the means of salvation, but is a byproduct and evidence of salvation. “This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father.” So we se that this persevering going on with God is a result not of our own power and will, but is underlined by the power and steadfast power of the Holy Spirit, which has called us, brought us unto repentance, and will finish the work begun in us, until we shall breath our last. So seeing these previous evidences from Scripture, we conclude that eternal security lies solely in the merits of Jesus Christ and is evidenced in the progressive sanctification of the saints.
1 The Westminster Confession -1684 -As Adopted by the Presbyterian Church
2 King James Version

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