So there you have it. Twenty-five reasons why we can be absolutely certain that our salvation is eternally secure. When Christ promised eternal life, He actually meant eternal life and not "temporary" eternal life, which is not eternal life at all.
Now I understand why people object to this doctrine… I understand why they find it so offensive. It's offensive because people see it as some sort of "license" to sin. They can't imagine that God would let us get away with sin. I think that on some level, people understand the doctrine of Eternal Security to actually condone sin. Perhaps they think it makes too little of sin and encourages a casual attitude toward sin.
All of these reactions are completely reasonable and understandable from a human viewpoint. The only trouble is that we have the Word of God telling us in quite simple terms that, in the end, He has provided us a way to "get away" with sin. Now, of course by "get away with sin" I only mean the eternal consequences of sin. I don't mean that we can escape the consequences of sin here on Earth. All sins were paid for, Doctrine of Unlimited Atonement. But there's no good reason to understand this as any kind of endorsement of sin, nor is it a good reason to think that people who understand Eternal Security don't take sin seriously. I simply understand that sin is no longer an issue… our sins have been forgiven, and I take that seriously.
Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Micah 7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Sin is a serious problem. I get that. God cannot have fellowship with sin. I get that. But I also get that God, in His Word, tells us that in His love for mankind, He has taken it upon Himself to eliminate the sin barrier and provide us with the opportunity to spend eternity with Him in spite of our sin. This is what grace is!! It's undserved, unmerited favor. It's FREE.!!
And isn't it ironic that someone might suggest that I take sin too casually with my belief in Eternal Security? I would say that I take it so seriously that I realize there's nothing I can do to reconcile myself to God. Whatever the solution, the situation is so severe, in fact, that I can only rely on God's solution. That's how serious it is. And the logical conclusion to that is that, since I did nothing to merit my salvation in the first place, I can do nothing to secure it, either. I trust God, I trust Christ, completely. I'm hurtling toward Earth and I'm only wearing one parachute. No reserve. No "B-plan." With Christ as your main 'chute, why would anyone need a reserve?
In the final analysis, salvation by Grace sets Biblical Christianity apart from all other World religions. Christians ought to understand that they cannot take credit for their salvation in any way, shape, matter or form. But to imagine that something you might do, whether it's some egregious sin or simply a failure of faith, is to say that your salvation depends upon you and not Christ. But the Bible says to depend on CHRIST and not yourself.
If the Bible taught that we could lose our salvation, then the Bible could not teach that salvation is "by grace" and be internally consistent. That'd be like saying "free, for five dollars." It's doublespeak. A salvation that was billed as a "free gift" but that can be revoked or forfeited by our own actions (or lack thereof) is not really a "free gift" after all.
I, for one, am grateful that God's plan of salvation doesn't depend on me. I am hidden with Christ and I can know, with absolute certainty, that I have eternal life right here and right now, no matter what. And since eternal life means eternal, I know that means forever.
God said it, Christ did it, I believe it, that settles it.
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