Eternal Security | thebereancall.org

Eternal Security

Paul declares, "...if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work" (Rom:11:6). Salvation cannot be partly by works and partly by grace....Works have nothing to do with salvation. Period. The Bible clearly states, "For by grace are ye saved... not of works " (Eph:2:8-9). True to such scriptures, evangelicals firmly declare that we cannot earn or merit salvation in any way. Eternal life must be received as a free gift of God's grace, or we cannot have it. Salvation cannot be purchased even in part by us, because it requires payment of the penalty for sin—a payment we can't make. If salvation from the penalty of breaking God's laws cannot be earned by good deeds, then it cannot be lost by bad deeds.

Our works play no part in either earning or keeping salvation. Salvation can only be given to us as a free gift if the penalty has been fully paid. We have violated infinite Justice, requiring an infinite penalty. We are finite beings and could not pay it: we would be separated from God for eternity. God is infinite and could pay an infinite penalty, but it wouldn't be just, because He is not a member of our race. Therefore God, in love and grace, through the virgin birth, became a man so that He could pay the debt of sin for the entire human race! In the Greek, Christ's cry from the cross, "It is finished!" is an accounting term, meaning that the debt had been paid in full. Justice had been satisfied by full payment of its penalty, and thus God could "be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom:3:26). God offers pardon and eternal life as a free gift. He cannot force it upon anyone or it would not be a gift. Nor would it be just to pardon a person who rejects the righteous basis for pardon and offers a hopelessly inadequate payment instead—or offers his works even as "partial payment."

Some say that "once saved, always saved" encourages one to live in sin because if we know we cannot be lost then we have no incentive for living a holy life. On the contrary, love for the one who saved us is the greatest and only acceptable motive for living a holy life; and surely the greater the salvation one has received, the more love and gratitude there will be. So to know one is secure for eternity gives a higher motive for living a good life than the fear of losing one's salvation if one sins! —Dave Hunt, TBC "Eternal Security" June 1989

Key Scripture verses related to "Salvation":

  • John:3:14-16
  • Ephesians:1:3, 17-21; Eph:2:4-10; Eph:2:19-22
  • 1 Thessalonians:5:9
  • 2 Timothy:2:10
  • Hebrews:1:14
  • 1 John:5:13
  • 1 Peter:1:5-10