Baptists and Eternal Security, or Once Saved Always Saved; Part 2 of 3

8. We are kept, not by our power, but by the power of God.  1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24; Psalm 37:24.

If you were to say, “I will give you salvation, but then you will have to keep yourself saved,” I would have to say, “That kind of salvation will not do me much good.” I could’t keep myself saved five minutes.

God does the saving and God does the keeping!

9. If we could lose our salvation, we would never be secure.

We would always be wondering if we would slip up. Always wondering if we will end up in Hell instead of Heaven. Wondering if a former child of God would be burning in the fires of Hell. Without eternal security, there is really no security at all.

10. If we could lose our salvation, what would cause us to lose it? How would we know when we had lost it?

A little sin? A big sin? A lot of little sins? If so, how many little sins? Five, ten, 20? If 20, then could we get away with 19 little sins?

Once again, it would be impossible to know if we were really saved or lost.

11. If we could lose our salvation, then would we need to be baptized over and over again?

This especially applies to those who teach that baptism is a part of salvation. When they lose their salvation, why do they only have to believe again? Why do they not have to be baptized again? Are they not making the baptismal waters more powerful than the blood of Jesus?

Of course their problem is that they would have to continually be baptized. If I believed that way I think I would just stay in the baptistry. Maybe we should just baptize them and shoot them! Send them straight to Heaven!

12. If we could lose our salvation it would mean that God had failed.

It would mean God had tried to keep us, but could not.

It would mean that children of God would be cast into Hell.

13. “Falling from grace” is a contradiction in terms.

Falling from grace is really an oxymoron. Grace means unmerited favor. How can you no longer deserve what you never deserved in the first place?

There is a reference to falling from grace in Galatians. It refers to the point that the Galatians once believed in grace, but now believe in works. They have left the idea of grace behind, hence they have “fallen from grace.”

Galatians was written to refute those who believed you must believe in Jesus and be circumcised in order to be saved, or believe in Jesus plus do good works to be saved. Paul taught that faith in Jesus plus nothing equals salvation.

14. John 10:27-29

In this passage Jesus teaches once saved always saved in four different ways:

1. “I give them eternal life” v. 28a
2. “They shall never perish.” v. 28b
3. “Neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” v. 28c
4. “No one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” v. 29b

Jesus added, “My Father…is greater than all.” v. 29a. If we are in the Father’s hands, we are secure.

A boy had a nickel in his hand, back in the day when a nickel was worth a lot. He challenged his friend, “If you can get the nickel out of my hand you can keep it.” He closed his hand tightly around the nickel as his friend tried to open it. Finally the friend pried one finger up and started on another. The boy jumped up from the porch and ran inside to his father. He asked his dad to put his big hand around his hand with the nickel. The father did so, and try as he might, his friend could not open his dad’s hand. That is what Jesus and God the Father do for us.

15. Galatians 5:1-4

The problem with the Galatians is that they started out believing in Jesus, but then they began to teach that you must also follow the law to be saved. This is really a form of what those teach who believe you can lose your salvation. In this sense, Galatians is one of the best arguments in favor of eternal security.

-to be continued.

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, May 2, AD 2012. 

Other Articles:
Baptists and Eternal Security, or Once Saved Always Saved; Part 1 of 3
Baptists and Eternal Security, or Once Saved Always Saved; Part 3 of 3
How to Get a Life When Ministry Drains it Out of You
Flee Immorality
Other articles in lower right margin