Why You Can Never lose Your Salvation- Sermon 6

(This introduction information is covered in the slides)

Text: Hebrews 10:13–18

14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

* Congregation you help me this morning-

* Jesus Christ offered himself for our sins on the cross of Calvary, And according to our text here in Hebrews 10:13, by His offering we are perfected.

How long are we perfected for?

… congregation “for ever!”

Repeat this question and answer again for emphasis…

15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

* Now congregation you help me again-

How long will God not remember our sins and iniquities for?

Congregation- “For Ever!”

* The plain message of our text this morning is:

Once perfected, always perfected!

Once forgiven, always forgiven!

Once saved, always saved!

Series Outline:

I. We become righteous by covenant with God- an unconditional covenant and an everlasting covenant.

II. The illustration of our covenant with God.

III. The application of our covenant of salvation with God.

IV. The strange place to find assurance that you cannot lose your salvation.

* Here is where we have been so far in in this series of sermons laying out the Biblical Doctrine of Eternal Security:

I. We become righteous by covenant with God- an unconditional covenant and an everlasting covenant.

II. The illustration of our covenant with God.

* Today we will still be looking at point number 3 of our master outline…

III. The application of our covenant of salvation with God by the Apostles.

Introduction:

* I would like to illustrate for you, by the scriptures that the teaching of the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer is consistently taught across the span of the entire Bible.

* In our look at what the New Testament writers and the apostles taught concerning the doctrine of eternal security, we have been looking at one of the most complete explanations of this Great Doctrine, the book or Romans.

* Did you know that the entire book of Romans is a lengthy sermon on the doctrine of eternal security?

* We have been on a little trip through the Apostle Paul’s sermon on 5 reasons you can never lose your salvation.

I. We cannot lose our salvation because we stand in the grace of God not in our own works.

II. We cannot lose our salvation because we have been loosed from the law that condemned us for our sin.

III. We cannot lose our salvation because we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit.

IV. We cannot lose our salvation because we have been predestined by God to be called, justified, and glorified.

V. We cannot lose salvation because once joined to Christ, nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.

(Start here after slides)

* Last week finished up our study of Paul’s second point in this very detailed sermon about how our salvation is secure in Christ-

* Now this Sunday we are moving on to Paul’s third point, “We cannot lose our salvation because we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit.”

III. We cannot lose our salvation because we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:5–11 (KJV 1900)

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you,

the body is dead because of sin;

but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

* First, the apostle Paul, in his effort to prove that we can never lose our salvation, showed us in Romans chapter 4 that we cannot lose our salvation because our salvation does not depend on our works, but our salvation stands in the grace of God.

* Next, in Romans chapter 6 the apostle Paul proves that we cannot lose our salvation because we have been loosed from the condemnation of the law forever.

* And now thirdly, the apostle Paul proves that we cannot lose our salvation because we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit.

* Ephesians 4:30 says “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

* Now, I used to think that this meant that we were sealed up, protected, from the effects of the sins of the body, and that sin could no longer touch us- and that is very true, but that is not the picture that the apostle Paul is intending to paint in our minds.

* Here is what he really means.

* In the days of the Bible, when a king wanted to mark something to show that it belonged to the king, he would place either a wax seal, or a plaque with his individual mark, or seal on it to show that this belonged to the king.

* In the example of the book of Revelation we see a scroll with seven seals that marks the ownership of the earth and it’s nations given by God the father to God the Son.

* As each seal is opened, the God the Son takes back what rightfully belongs to God, that was forfeited by Adam and Eve to the Devil.

* In the book of Revelation we see 144,000 Jews who receive the seal of God in their forehead, and the devil and the antichrist is unable to harm them because of the seal of God upon them.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (KJV 1900)

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Peter 1:18–19 (KJV 1900)

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

* A seal shows ownership, and the seal of the Holy Spirit marks every believer showing God’s ownership on us.

* Just as those 144,000 Jews were safe because of the seal of God was upon them, even so everyone who has been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, their salvation is safe and secure because they have God’s seal of ownership upon their soul, and they can never, ever, lose their salvation.

* Now, look a little further along in the book of Romans to Romans chapter 8 and lets’ start with verse 5 as the apostle Paul makes his third point in his sermon on the doctrine of eternal security.

Romans 8:5–11 (KJV 1900)

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you,

the body is dead because of sin;

but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

* I pulled the following comment from a sermon by John Macharthur:

* Ephesians 4:30 tells us that believers are "sealed for the day of redemption."

* If believers did not have eternal security, the sealing could not truly be unto the day of redemption, but only to the day of sinning, or the day of apostasy, or the day they no longer believe.

* John 3:15-16 tells us that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will "have eternal life." If a person were to be promised eternal life, but then have it taken away, it was never "eternal" to begin with.

* If the Biblical doctrine of eternal security is not true, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error.

* The apostle Paul tells us that we cannot lose our salvation because we have been sealed by the mark of God’s ownership- the Holy Spirit.

Sub Series Outline 1

I. We cannot lose our salvation because we stand in the grace of God not in our own works.

II. We cannot lose our salvation because we have been loosed from the law that condemned us for our sin.

III. We cannot lose our salvation because we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit.

IV. We cannot lose our salvation because we have been predestined by God to be called, justified, and glorified.

V. We cannot lose salvation because once joined to Christ, nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.

IV. We cannot lose our salvation because we have been predestined by God to be called, justified, and glorified. (Romans 8:29-29)

* Now drop down with me to Romans chapter 8 and verse 28:

* In his effort to prove to you that you cannot lose your salvation, the apostle Paul says:

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

* Stop here just a minute- Back in the Garden of Eden God made Adam and Eve in his image, but that image of God became marred because of sin, and so God began the redemptive process what back then in order to restore the image of the Gory of God to the human race.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV 1900)

. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

* Paul says that as we look upon our savior Jesus, the Holy spirit is changing us so that we become like a mirror reflection the image of God!

* In order for God to restore is image to mankind, He had to completely get rid of sin.

* and that my friends, is what the Bible is talking about when it says that we will be glorified at the return of Jesus Christ!

* Speaking of the final step of our salvation, listen to what the Bible says about our glorification in I Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 35:

1 Corinthians 15:35–57 (KJV 1900)

35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.

There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

* Now let’s return back to Romans chapter 8 and verse 30.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

* What the apostle Paul is saying here is that because of God’s foreknowledge of all things past, present, and future, God has determined ahead of time, according to the bible, before the foundations of the world were made…

* God way back then, determined that He would call everyone who obeyed the Gospel by placing their faith in Jesus Christ to Himself.

* Not only did He determine that he would give grace to these people, but He also determined that He would justify them.

* That is a legal term. It means that anyone who would place their faith in Jesus Christ, would be declared no longer guilty of sin, but made righteous by applying the righteousness of Jesus to them.

* That means that in the eyes of God, you are as righteous before as Jesus Christ! You have been declared that way by the Holy and Righteous God of the universe.

* Not only did god predetermine that everyone who comes to Jesus by faith would be declared righteous forever, but according to the apostle Paul God has predetermined, guaranteed,

* that everyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ will without a doubt be glorified, and receive a glorified body to complete our salvation at the return of Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:28–30 (KJV 1900)

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

* What Paul is saying here is that when you got saved, God set in motion his redemptive plan for you, and he will keep his plan of salvation in motion until He completely brings your salvation to pass!- all the way home to glory!

1 Corinthians 1:4–9 (KJV 1900)

4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Philippians 1:5–6 (KJV 1900)

5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6 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:

Jude 24–25 (KJV 1900)

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

* Paul is proving to you that you cannot lose your salvation because you have been predestined by God to be called, justified, and glorified.

SubSeries Outline 2

I. We cannot lose our salvation because we stand in the grace of God not in our own works.

II. We cannot lose our salvation because we have been loosed from the law that condemned us for our sin.

III. We cannot lose our salvation because we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit.

IV. We cannot lose our salvation because we have been predestined by God to be called, justified, and glorified.

V. We cannot lose salvation because once joined to Christ, nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.

VI. We cannot lose salvation because once joined to Christ, nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.

* Now there's only two possible ways hypothetically your salvation could be lost.

* It could only happen in two categories, or two areas...either it could be lost because of something done by a person or something done by a circumstance.

* That's all you can say, there's nothing more to say. Can some person or persons cause us to lose our salvation? Can some circumstance or circumstances cause us to lose our salvation?

* Those are the only two possibilities. So, in verses 31 to 34 Paul answers the question: can you lose your salvation by the influence of a person?

Romans 8:31–39 (KJV 1900)

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

* And in verses 35 to 39 he answers the question: can you lose your salvation by the influence of circumstances? It's a very simple outline.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

* I quote John Macarthur again:

* “I am convinced, without a shadow of a doubt, that it is the studied and prepared agenda of many professors and universities in this nation to do everything they can with impressionable young Christians to sever them from Christ.

* I'm sure the culture would like to do that.

* I'm pretty confident that all of those who are trying to indoctrinate us with this immoral, Godless approach to life would like to sever us from Christ.

* There is a sweeping movement in America to paint Christians as some kind of bizarre troublesome people who stand I the way of their liberties that are provided for in the Constitution.

* The legalists would like to separate us from Christ. The cults would like to separate us from Christ. False teachers would like to separate us from Christ! –unquote

* Paul says that everything in the Devil’s kingdom of darkness upon this sin-filled earth desires to separate God’s saved, redeemed, justified and soon to be glorified people, from the love of God-

* The Devil would love to convince you that you can lose your salvation, but the apostle Paul says it cannot be done!

* Nothing can ever separate God’s elect from his unconditional love- ever!

Conclusion:

* The bottom line then, we have to conclude that there isn't any human, including ourselves, that could ever interrupt the plan of salvation that God is performing in us.

* Because God is continuously working his plan of salvation in us, no person, and no circumstance can ever separate us from God and undo, reverse, or cancel our salvation.

* He's going to make sure He takes care of maintaining the salvation of every believer until they get all the way to glory!

* The theme of the entire book of Romans is that God will continue to see work of redemption in us all the way to the end.

* In order to do that He has to take the "all things" of life and make them work out for our good and our salvation.

* Paul is saying “if God works all together for the good of those that have been saved, then how could you possible lose your salvation?

* To deny the biblical doctrine of the Eternal Security of the believer is to misunderstand the work of redemption, and the love of God.