Security in Christ - Stephen Jamison

In the history of the Church, few Christians have not struggled, at some time or other, with assurance of their own salvation. For those who are young in the faith, it is especially difficult to overcome the thoughts that we can somehow lose what the Lord has given to us. Yet as Stephen Jamison explains, the Bible is abundantly clear that we can never be taken out of the Lord's hand once He has redeemed us from our sins. We are secure in Him, just as secure as if we were in Heaven with Him. Stephen reminded the young people that our eternal security does not mean that we will never sin. Many of us will fall away from God, we will grow cold in our love for Him, distracted by the temptations of the world. But if we are truly saved, washed clean by the precious blood of Christ, it will never be possible to fall from our privileged position of salvation. ' The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.' Psalm 37:23,24. There are many examples in Scripture of believers who battled with sin throughout their lives, but the Lord never left them. King David committed lust in his heart, adultery and eventually murder, growing far from the Lord in his spiritual life. But God, in mercy, continued to hold onto him, and restored him back into a loving relationship with Himself. Peter too, when faced with opposition at Christ's trial, denied the Lord three times. But God gave Peter back the fire and enthusiasm that he once had, and 3,000 people were saved when He preached with the power of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Praise God our eternal security does not depend upon us, and our efforts to keep close to Him. Instead, it depends wholly upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. Our Lord never changes (Hebrews 13:8), and His work is finished (John 19:30). Once we are saved, we can never be lost. Eternal security. WE ARE SECURE BECAUSE OF GOD'S ELECTION 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.' Ephesians 1:3,4. God has chosen us, and therefore He will not let us go. In fact, He cannot let us go, because He has promised to give us 'all spiritual blessings in heavenly places'. That means now, and also with Him in glory. We are His forever.  God does not make any mistakes, everyone that He has chosen will be with Him in heaven. WE ARE SECURE BECAUSE OF CHRIST'S DEATH 'For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.' Hebrews 8:12. When we put our trust in Christ, He has said that He will remember our sins no more. Christ's blood atones for our sins. His death, in effect, removes our sins from God's memory. Our sins have been paid for, and that can never be undone. Eternally perfect before a holy God because of the sacrifice of Christ. WE ARE SECURE BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT IS IN US 'That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.' Ephesians 1:12-14. We are 'sealed' into Christ by the Holy Spirit, the gift of God in the life of anyone who believes unto salvation. This 'seal' of the Holy Spirit is the 'earnest' of our inheritance. It is the guarantee of our inheritance in Christ. As believers, we possess the key to unlock the treasures of God's inheritance, the Holy Spirit. And while we have the Spirit, we have the inheritance. WE ARE SECURE BECAUSE OF GOD'S FAITHFUL PROMISE 'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.' John 10:27-30. The promise of God is that we can never be removed from his hand. The word [man] is not found in the original Greek language, and so we could read this as 'neither shall any pluck them out of my hand'. No power, no demon, no devil, no sin and no man can ever remove us from Christ's hand. That is the eternal promise of God. We are His forever.