As a pastor of a Southern Baptist Church, I have found the doctrine of the Security of the Believer to be one of the most misunderstood beliefs in the church today. On one hand, there are those who believe that a sinner’s prayer, a casual profession and a warm water dunking will secure them eternally no matter how they choose to live. On the other hand, there are those who believe one can loose their salvation at any turn and could possess eternal life one day and be in danger of the fires of hell the next. Like most beliefs, the truth is probably best found in the middle. I have a very strong belief and am a great proponent for the Security of the Believer. Over the coming weeks, I am going to address this very important topic.
I am going to attack this issue with about four different writings. First, I simply want to say I believe the clear teaching of scripture overwhelmingly supports the belief that a genuine follower of Christ is eternally secure in the hands of Christ. As we examine this doctrine, allow me to show you a few promises in Scripture:
1. The Present Tense of Eternal Life
1 Jn 5:13-14
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
He writes to those who believe (present tense) so they may know (without a shadow of a doubt) that they have (possess now) eternal life. What do they possess? How long is eternal life? I could have eternal life one day and loose it the next day it would not be eternal.
2. The promise of eternal life
Jn 3:16-17
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Once again, when one believes what do they receive? How long is eternal life? When do you begin your eternal life with Christ? (the moment you believe).
3. God’s Plan
Jn 6:39-40
39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
What is the Father’s will? How many will Jesus lose?
4. In the hand
Jn 10:27-30
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
When Christ gives us eternal life, we shall never perish. We are placed in His hands where nothing can snatch us out.
5. The Deposit
Eph 1:13-14
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.
When a person believes, they are marked with a seal the promised Holy Spirit. The Bible says, (not I) the Holy Spirit is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. The Holy Spirit is a deposit (part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest) God gives us the Holy Spirit has a deposit promising there is more where that comes from.
The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament says that “arrobon” (deposit) is a commercial loan word from the Semitic signifying ‘pledge’ or ‘deposit’. Paul uses it in 2 Corinthians 1:22 and Ephesians 1:14 for the Spirit who is for us the guarantee of full future possession of salvation” (page 80).
6. Kept for us
1 Pe 1:3-4
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you,
In Ephesians we see that the Holy Spirit is the deposit on our inheritance. Where is our inheritance kept? How can we loose something we do not keep?
7. The Presentation
Jude 24 –
24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy- 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Who keeps me from falling and presents before His glorious presence?
8. Ro 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What can separate us from the love of Christ?
As we go through this process of looking at the security of the believer, I have outlined a few Promises from Scripture. Part two will show that the doctrine of the security of the believer is based not only on the promises from Scripture but also the Pardon of the Father, the Payment of the Son, and the Power of the Holy Spirit. I will show that this doctrine does not give us a license to sin but is a promise to give us continual hope and confidence in the keeping power of God.
As I close this part, I echo the great words of Paul to Timothy: “Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day” (2 Tim 1:12). I, too, am convinced that Christ is able to guard what I have entrusted to him.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
A Tornado Emergency in Greensburg
The devastation is incredible. As the news reports come flowing in and pictures are shown, I am struck with the awesome destructive power of the F5 tornado. A few weeks after the Hoisington tornado, I toured the area of destruction. Also, a couple of months after hurricane Katrina I walked the beaches where the devastating hurricane made landfall. In both of those instances, I was truly amazed, humbled, and awestruck by the severe devastation. However, in both of those cases, there were parts of town which were left standing. There were places to regroup and plan strategies to rebuild. However, the Greensburg devastation is so total. My heart grieves for the people of that city and the many more Kansans who were affected by many powerful storms last week. I still believe God is in complete control. I know He offers comfort to each person who has cried even one tear of loss and pain this week. I have complete assurance that He cares about each of those people more than we can ever imagine (for more on suffering see my Thoughts on West Virginia). As I look back on the ominous evening of destruction in Kansas, I am reminded of a great truth the body of Christ needs to always be mindful of: Advance warning can be very effective and life saving.
As reports keep streaming in, there is one great story of the work of the National Weather Service in Dodge City. Approximately 20 minutes before the tornado unmercifully entered the city limits of Greensburg, a NWS weather man issued a rare Tornado Emergency bulletin. It is believed that bulletin alone saved countless lives. A single warning of impending doom truly was instrumental in saving lives. As I reflected upon that amazing story, I was reminded of the importance of the body of Christ in warning people of impending judgment and doom. I believe one of the great mandates of the church is to be about the business of warning people of certain divine judgment.
The prophet Ezekiel was called to be a watchman for the house of Israel. In chapter 3 verse 17, he is commanded to warn the people. In the Hebrew, the word “warn” has the idea “to teach, to warn, to shine, to send out light.” The prophet was told to teach, to warn, and to shine the words God gives him. God goes on to tell the prophet,
Ezekiel 3:18-19
18 When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself. (see also 33:7-9).
Ezekiel was commanded to warn the people. In fact, God says if he did the blood of the guilty would not be upon him. However, if he failed to warn the people, the blood of the people would be upon him. Could you imagine what would have happened if it came out that the NWS knew a F5 tornado was making a beeline toward Greensburg yet failed to give out a warning? It would have been unconscionable, irresponsible, and deadly. They would have come under great scrutiny. People would have lost their lives for their costly mistake and someone would have lost their job. The question for the body of Christ is very simple: Could you imagine knowing of the impending doom, destruction, and judgment of God and not telling anyone? Our not warning people of the judgment of God is unconscionable, irresponsible, and deadly. No matter your eschatological views, most Christians would agree that everyone must face God in judgment. “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake; some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). When was the last time you warned someone of their future? When was the last time your church became busy and concerned over the souls of people? We have been called to be a watchman for God and to warn the people of God’s plans. We must take this mandate serious and get busy in the business of shinning Christ, warn people of the impending destruction, and teach them of God’s grace and mercy.
What do we tell people? Ezekiel was told to tell them, “As surely as I live … I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11). As we warn people, we need to tell them five basic truths: The problem, the penalty, the pardon, the promise and the purpose.
First, we must remind them of the problem of sin. We are all sinners (Roman 3:2). Each and every one of us has fallen short of God’s glory. Once we tell them of the problem of sin, we must remind them that the penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Because we have sinned, we deserve to die. But the good news is that Jesus Christ has paid the pardon for our sin (1 John 2:2). Instead of you and me dying, Jesus Christ died for us. The promise of God is simple: if we only repent of our sins, believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we will be saved. In repentance, there will be a change of life and direction. Our conduct and character will be different and we will be able to enjoy times of refreshing (Acts 3:19). Finally, as a person becomes convicted of their sin, as they understand the penalty they deserve, as they believe in the pardon Christ gives, and as they accept the promise, then and only then are they able to live for the purpose and plan God has for their lives. God has an incredible plan and purpose for our lives. It is only has we join ourselves in faith to Christ that we can begin to realize God’s amazing plan for our lives.
Body of Christ, let us get busy in warning people. We are the instruments God has chosen to get His good news to a lost and dying world. Let us make sure that the blood of others will not be upon us. By all means, do not be guilty of the sin of silence. I have praised God many times over the last few days on the timely tornado emergency given to the people of Greensburg. There can be no doubt of the number of people that saved. Let us learn the lesson well and be about the business of warning everyone around us. There is time left for us to act. Someday it will be too late – but not yet! Warn the people. Tell them of the hope and salvation God has offered each of us through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
As reports keep streaming in, there is one great story of the work of the National Weather Service in Dodge City. Approximately 20 minutes before the tornado unmercifully entered the city limits of Greensburg, a NWS weather man issued a rare Tornado Emergency bulletin. It is believed that bulletin alone saved countless lives. A single warning of impending doom truly was instrumental in saving lives. As I reflected upon that amazing story, I was reminded of the importance of the body of Christ in warning people of impending judgment and doom. I believe one of the great mandates of the church is to be about the business of warning people of certain divine judgment.
The prophet Ezekiel was called to be a watchman for the house of Israel. In chapter 3 verse 17, he is commanded to warn the people. In the Hebrew, the word “warn” has the idea “to teach, to warn, to shine, to send out light.” The prophet was told to teach, to warn, and to shine the words God gives him. God goes on to tell the prophet,
Ezekiel 3:18-19
18 When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself. (see also 33:7-9).
Ezekiel was commanded to warn the people. In fact, God says if he did the blood of the guilty would not be upon him. However, if he failed to warn the people, the blood of the people would be upon him. Could you imagine what would have happened if it came out that the NWS knew a F5 tornado was making a beeline toward Greensburg yet failed to give out a warning? It would have been unconscionable, irresponsible, and deadly. They would have come under great scrutiny. People would have lost their lives for their costly mistake and someone would have lost their job. The question for the body of Christ is very simple: Could you imagine knowing of the impending doom, destruction, and judgment of God and not telling anyone? Our not warning people of the judgment of God is unconscionable, irresponsible, and deadly. No matter your eschatological views, most Christians would agree that everyone must face God in judgment. “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake; some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). When was the last time you warned someone of their future? When was the last time your church became busy and concerned over the souls of people? We have been called to be a watchman for God and to warn the people of God’s plans. We must take this mandate serious and get busy in the business of shinning Christ, warn people of the impending destruction, and teach them of God’s grace and mercy.
What do we tell people? Ezekiel was told to tell them, “As surely as I live … I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11). As we warn people, we need to tell them five basic truths: The problem, the penalty, the pardon, the promise and the purpose.
First, we must remind them of the problem of sin. We are all sinners (Roman 3:2). Each and every one of us has fallen short of God’s glory. Once we tell them of the problem of sin, we must remind them that the penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Because we have sinned, we deserve to die. But the good news is that Jesus Christ has paid the pardon for our sin (1 John 2:2). Instead of you and me dying, Jesus Christ died for us. The promise of God is simple: if we only repent of our sins, believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we will be saved. In repentance, there will be a change of life and direction. Our conduct and character will be different and we will be able to enjoy times of refreshing (Acts 3:19). Finally, as a person becomes convicted of their sin, as they understand the penalty they deserve, as they believe in the pardon Christ gives, and as they accept the promise, then and only then are they able to live for the purpose and plan God has for their lives. God has an incredible plan and purpose for our lives. It is only has we join ourselves in faith to Christ that we can begin to realize God’s amazing plan for our lives.
Body of Christ, let us get busy in warning people. We are the instruments God has chosen to get His good news to a lost and dying world. Let us make sure that the blood of others will not be upon us. By all means, do not be guilty of the sin of silence. I have praised God many times over the last few days on the timely tornado emergency given to the people of Greensburg. There can be no doubt of the number of people that saved. Let us learn the lesson well and be about the business of warning everyone around us. There is time left for us to act. Someday it will be too late – but not yet! Warn the people. Tell them of the hope and salvation God has offered each of us through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
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