But I thought I chose to be saved?
You thought wrong. The Bible never encourages you to trust a past decision you made.
Even Paul’s confidence for eternal life was in fighting a good fight, finishing his course, and keeping the faith (II Tim 4:7-8). He knew whom he had believed, not that he had believed, and not when he had believed (
II Tim 1:12)! Faith in God is no more than devilish faith (
Jas 2:19), but faith in your faith is more profane (
Rom 9:15-16)! You are saved from condemnation by your position in Christ, to which you were chosen, and
which is proven by godliness (
Rom 8:1;
Eph 1:3-6).
When and how am I saved?
Men are saved in five different senses in the scriptures. God elected some men before the world began (
Eph 1:3-6;
II Tim 1:9). Jesus died for them on the cross (
Gal 4:4-5;
I Tim 1:15). The Holy Spirit regenerates them in time (
John 3:8;
Titus 3:5). They are converted by the gospel to various degrees (
I Cor 15:2;
II Tim 1:10). They are finally glorified in heaven (
Rom 8:29-30;
I Pet 1:3-5). Only those predestinated end up glorified (
Rom 8:29-33;
Eph 1:3-12).
Your faith, baptism, or any good works are the evidence and result of salvation, not conditions for it.
Can a child of God lose his salvation?
No, a child of God can never lose heaven and end up perishing. He may lose earthly benefits of knowing and living the truth, but his name will stay in the book of life. God predestinated His elect to adoption as sons through the purchase price of Jesus Christ’s death (
Gal 4:4-6;
Eph 1:3-6). Jesus Christ will stand before God and present every one of them to God (
Heb 2:13).
It is impossible for even one to be separated from God’s love (
Rom 8:28-39). It is God’s faithfulness that keeps them, not their faithfulness. He will never repent of His gift of eternal life (
Rom 11:29).
Will any elect be cast into the lake of fire?
No, that is impossible! The word “elect” means that God chose a person to eternal life before the world began (
Rom 8:29-33;
Eph 1:3-12;
I Pet 1:2). God put the elect in the hand of Jesus Christ, and no man is able to pluck them out of either Christ’s hand or God’s hand (
John 10:28-29). Just as surely as Adam made all men sinners, so Jesus Christ made all the elect righteous and beneficiaries of eternal life (
Rom 5:14-19;
I Cor 15:22). It is just as impossible for Jesus Christ to be cast into the lake of fire as it is for even one elect in Jesus Christ to be cast into the lake of fire. (
Ps 89:19-37;
Heb 6:13-20).
Can Jesus lose any He died for?
No, that is entirely impossible! Jesus promised He would raise up every single person God gave Him (
John 6:39). God has made all the elect accepted in Jesus Christ the Beloved (
Eph 1:3-6). Everyone in Jesus Christ, the elect are chosen in Him, will be saved to the uttermost (
Heb 7:25). Jesus Christ will present every single one of the elect to God (
Heb 2:13). Since His death was so precious, God will give every other gift to the elect (
Rom 8:32). If anyone for whom Jesus died could be lost, then God would have to reject His Son’s work, which cannot occur (
Is 53:10-12).
What is the basis of eternal security?
The faithfulness and power of God and the meritorious value and perpetual intercession of Jesus Christ (
Rom 5:10;
8:34;
I Cor 1:8-9;
Heb 7:25)!
The elect's salvation from sin and condemnation was secured by two immutable acts of God...his oath and his promises! Psalms 89...There is no other basis for confidence in eternal life, either now or later. The “once saved, always saved” crowd takes comfort in a mere decision for Jesus, for God and Jesus Christ have put forth the same effort for the lost in hell! Even at funerals, they assure families that their loved ones are in heaven based on an event in the past, rather than God’s grace or Christ’s work. No one in the Bible did anything even close to this error.
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