Salvation is Eternal

[BrotherJJ]

Once you've placed your faith in the sin atoning Death, Burial & Resurrection of Christ. Your salvation is secure, ETERNAL!

Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
(MY NOTE: Christ via the offering of his own sinless blood, entered once into heaven holy place & obtained ETERNAL REDEMPTION for us.)

Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
(MY NOTE: This new sin management blood covenant is EVERLASTING! Not just 1 year or until the next time to stumble or fall)

Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
(MY NOTE: Christ sinless payment REDEEMED believers/saints from Mosaic laws sin punishment & has obtained scriptures promise of an ETERNAL inheritance)

Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
(MY NOTE: Christ PERFECTED FOREVER those that are sanctified)

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
(MY NOTE: Eph written to saints/believers (see Ehp 1:1) Are SEALED via Christ's indwelling Holy Spirit until the day of our bodily redemption)

Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ
(MY NOTE: Believers/saints are sanctified by God & PRESERVED in Jesus Christ)

Ps 37:28 For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
(MY NOTE: The Lord doesn't forsake His saints/believers, but, PRESERVES them FOREVER!)

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified
(MY NOTE: Once a person, via faith is justified =Judicially Declared Righteous by a sovreign God his salvation is sealed/guaranteed)

Rom 8:
33 "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies
(MY NOTE: No charges because Christ our God has Judicially Declared us Righteous) Christ our advocate - 1Jn 2:1 - is also the Judge - Jn 5:22).

34 Jesus Christ died, and has risen again, he sits at the right hand of God, (Jesus) makes intercession for us
(MY NOTE: Christ our advocate & judge interceds for us)

Believers are born again (regenerated - Jn 3:3; Tit 3:5). For a Christian to lose his salvation, he would have to be un-regenerated.

The Holy Spirit indwells all believers (Jn 14:17; Eph 1:13 & 14 Rom 8:9) & baptizes all believers into ONE BODY (1 Cor 12:13). For a believer to become unsaved, he would have to be "un-indwelt/un born again.

Jn 3:15 states whoever believes in Jesus Christ will "have eternal life." If you believe in Christ today & have eternal life, but can lose it tomorrow. Then it was never "eternal" at all.

Jn 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

1 Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God ""hath"" (Past tense ALREADY done) given to us eternal life, and this life is in (Believing In) his Son.

1 Jn 5:13 I written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God; """that ye may know that ye have eternal life""" and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Rom 8:
38 "For I am convinced that neither death or life, neither angels or demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers,

39 neither height or depth, or anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"

The same God who placed His ETERNAL Spirit in you/saved you. Is the same God who will keep you. Once we are saved we are always saved. Our salvation is eternally secure!

 

[Rachel20]

I'm one of those that took FOREVER deciding about eternal salvation, which I now believe. Probably more than a decade listening to both sides. I'm sure everyone has their own hurdles and for me it was Hebrews 6:4-6 and 1 Cor 9:24-27.

1) Regarding Hebrews 6 I believe now that Paul was reducing the non-OSAS argument to it's absurdity, inorder to show that salvation is secure. The below is from gotquestions.org and explains it well:

This second interpretation is based on an alternate translation, found in the KJV and a few others, in which Hebrews 6:6 begins with the phrase if they fall away, with the key word being if. According to this view, the writer of Hebrews is setting up a hypothetical statement: “IF a Christian were to fall away.” The point being made is that it would be impossible (IF a Christian falls away) to renew salvation. That’s because Christ died once for sin (Hebrews 9:28), and if His sacrifice is insufficient, then there’s no hope at all.

In this view, the passage presents an argument based on a false premise (that a true Christian can fall away) and follows it to its senseless conclusion (that Jesus would have to be sacrificed again and again). The absurdity of the conclusion points up the impossibility of the original assumption. This reasoning is called reductio ad absurdum, in which a premise is disproved by showing that it logically leads to an absurdity.

2) Then the key to 1 Co 9:24-27 for me was realizing Paul was talking about rewards (prizes, crowns) for finishing the race, and his fear of being disqualified wasn't a fear of losing salvation, but of losing rewards (at the Bema). This aligns nicely with his distinction between grace and debt in Rom 4:4

 

[BrotherJJ]

Early in my walk I struggled with Heb 4-6 as well.

Heb 6:4-6 context is not about losing salvation.

To begin with; here are just 7 of many scriptures. That make it abundantly clear that salvation is eternal. (Jn 3:16 & 6:47; Jn 10:27-29; Rom 8:35; 38-39 & 10:9-13; Phil 1:6)

Some background: The main theme throughout the book of Hebrews is NEW ""BETTER"" COVENANT.

Christ is better: Better than angels, because they worship the Christ. Better than Moses, because He created Him. Better than the Aaronic priesthood, because Christ's sin sacrifice is once for all time. Better than the law, because Christ mediates a better blood covenant.

People that have herd the good news of a BETTER covenant. Are having trouble stepping out from total indoctrination in a legalistic religion.

These Jews who were having a hard time making a break from total indoctrination in a legalistic religion. Judaism's temple worship, daily sacrifices & personal sin sacrifices. Many are reversing course and choose to continue in their religion to avoid persecution, often being totally ostracized

Background 2: The parable of the sower Matt:13 & Mk 4:5

4 Jesus said, a sower sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, the fowls came & devoured them

5 Some fell upon stony places, they had not much earth: they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 when the sun was up, they were scorched; because they had no root, they withered away

7 And some fell among thorns; the thorns sprung up, & choked them

8 Other fell into good ground, & brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some 60-fold, some 30-fold

Background 3: Pro 26:11 & 2 Pet 2:22 "A dog goes back to its vomit"

Now let's parse Heb 6:4 (A) For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened.
(MY NOTE: Enlightened definition: having been showed a rational well-informed outlook. Just because a person has been shown how to get someplace. Doesn't mean they will choose to go there)

Heb 6:4 (B) For it is impossible for those who have "tasted" the good Word of God,
(MY NOTE: To taste something: Means just that, "TASTE IT" not consume or accept the whole meal. But, to "TASTE". And now you can decide if you want to finish eating it or not)

Heb 6:4 (C) Were made partakers of the Holy Spirit
(Jn 14:6 Jesus saith; I am the way, the truth, & the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me)

Ok, Jesus sowed the Word (they TASTED), the Holy Spirit confirmed (enlightened) the truth into their hearts

After TASTING the WORD of God. Like the seeds that fell by the wayside onto stony ground. They rejected God's Grace/Word (Jesus Christ)

Jn 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
(MY NOTE: Jesus was in fact lifted up on a cross & ultimately from the grave. Heb is written post resurrection. He/His Holy Spirit drew these Jews & they rejected Jesus's sin atonement by returning to Temple sacrifices)

Again, Heb 6:4-6 scriptures are about the price of rejection & UNBELIEF! NOT losing salvation!

Under the old covenant (Jews only) the only sin that couldn't be covered was, IDOLATRY

Under the new covenant (covers all believers) the only unforgivable sin is, UNBELIEF!

Final Parsing:

Context is always key:

"IF": If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance.

"IF" here is hypothetical. Those who are genuinely saved are, enlightened, have tasted of the heavenly gift, were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, have tasted the good word of God & the powers of the world to come.

Therefore, it is "impossible" for THEM to "fall away" "IF" (hypothetical) they would fall way, it would be impossible for them to be renewed again unto repentance.

Conclusion:
These Jews rejected Christ; God's saving grace accessed thru Faith (Rom 5:2). They NEVER were SAVED. After HEARING & TASTING the WORD of ENLIGHTENMENT they REJECTED it = UNBELIEF. And returned to their legalistic traditions/the law!

1 Jn 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

 

[com7fy8]

"But he who is joined to the Lord is one Spirit with Him." (1 Corinthians 6:17)

I see it possible, that if God joins us to Jesus spiritually, this bond is almighty so no one can take us away from Jesus. There will be encouraging love keeping us gently and kindly but with almighty power.

And in our bond with Christ, how Jesus is will win out over how we are . . . in our character. And so we will not have the character to choose to leave Jesus.