When I published the article series about the rapture, in which I argued that the suggestion that genuine believers can miss the rapture is unbiblical, one of my contacts wrote to me in response:

“I doubt if people’s fear of rapture is a function of ignorance. It’s simply their theological heritage that they can and might miss the rapture.”

He then went on to explain that right from Sunday School (kids and youth service) he was taught that the doctrine of the eternal security of believers (aka ‘once saved, forever saved’) is a heresy. As a result of the strong legacy of opposition to this doctrine, readers from similar backgrounds will find it difficult to change their minds, even if confronted with evidence that the notion that a genuine believer can lose their salvation doesn’t square with the teaching of Scripture.

Do you identify with my friend’s comment? If you have believed the gospel and received Jesus into your heart, do you harbour the fear that you could lose the salvation you have right now, as a result of failure to do certain things, or because of certain things you have done or might do between when you received Jesus and when He returns?  

If you are, don’t despair – I wrote this article for you. Below, I outline three further reasons why you don’t need to fear for your eternal security:

1. God’s way of salvation
2. The meaning of eternal life
3. The integrity of God and His Glory

Let’s examine each one by one.

God’s Way of Salvation

The Bible is clear that salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, and that this has nothing to do with our works (Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 10:3-4). If you’re a believer, I’m sure you agree that there is no other way by which we may be saved. Now that we are agreed on this, I’d like to ask if you can point to any verse in the Bible that indicates your salvation is partial or is not definite/guaranteed unless you promise to do x, y and z things after believing in Jesus? There simply is none.

The whole point of the gospel is that Jesus paid it all: He came to earth to live a sinless life of obedience to God and died on the cross on our behalf. He lived the life we could never live; He obeyed God’s commands perfectly. And he died the death we deserved for breaking God’s commands continually, so that we won’t have to pay the price of our disobedience.

The Bible is clear: no one is righteous and never sins (Romans 3:23, Ecclesiastes 7:20, James 3:2), and our best efforts at righteousness are like filthy rags when held up to God’s standard (Isaiah 64:6). This is why we could never pay the price for our own salvation; because, you see, to achieve our own salvation by our righteous deeds (what the Bible calls works) would mean we perfectly obey God’s commands and maintain said standards of righteousness perfectly and at all times (Deuteronomy 30:15-20, James 2:10). That’s what Romans 10:5b means when it says “…the person who does the commandments shall live by them.”

To obey God perfectly means you must do so with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. This is the import of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:20-48. The benchmark is not 99.9% but a 100% – clearly an impossible ask.

So, if God required that, in addition to believing in Jesus, we promise to never disobey, we are all doomed. What a miserable Christian life it will be, to never be certain if we will ever make it to the end or not; if we will ever attain full salvation. This is what a spiritual-performance-based-salvation means: damnation for everyone.  But the good news is that that was never God’s method of salvation. Salvation is all free, from first to last, and it has nothing to do with what we ever did or will ever do. Hallelujah!

The Meaning of Eternal Life

Many people underestimate the weight of Jesus’ promise in John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Have you ever paused to consider what eternal life means? Well, it means life that is eternal. Life that never ends. It’s not something you can have for a while and lose it. If you could lose it, then it was never eternal in the first place. Who qualifies for this eternal life? Whoever believes in God’s only Son. Notice the text does not mention doing anything extra after believing to partake of this eternal life. Whoever believes, end of story!

Why is this? Because Jesus never saves half-and-half. Listen to what the writer to the Hebrews says:

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

He saves completely. He saves to the end. He doesn’t save a person and then leave them to sustain their salvation by their own efforts. The price He paid for the sins of those He saves was sufficient – it was the full amount. No further payment is required. All the requirements for their complete and utter salvation is already fully fulfilled.

The integrity of God and His glory is at stake

Most people don’t stop to contemplate that all that God does in Salvation, He does for His glory. The New Testament is replete with references to ‘the praise of His glory’, ‘the glory of His grace’ and similar language whenever the subject of our salvation or the gospel is taught. Anything that detracts from God’s glory in salvation is anti-biblical and a great affront to His nature.

Consider this. If God could go to such great lengths to save someone – including sacrificing His only Son, subjecting Him to such humiliation at the hands of wicked men (whom He created), only for said person to be snatched away from God somewhere along the line, then what does this say about God’s nature and character? It would suggest that His work is imperfect, and that He is weak and not powerful at all. Again, it would mean that He began something He couldn’t finish. That would tell very poorly on His character indeed. But everything we know from the Bible screams against such a preposterous view of God! Such a god is not the God of the Bible at all.

He is a finisher. Philippians 1:6 attests:

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Moreover, Jesus, in perhaps one of the most comforting statements in all of the New Testament said,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29).

The Father Himself keeps those for whom Jesus died. And He loses none. This promise depends, not on the believer, but on God Himself. His glory and integrity is at stake here.

Your turn

Earlier on in the article, I asked if you had any fears of losing your salvation at some point, or of missing out when our Lord returns. I sincerely hope the objections I put forward above have helped to allay your fears. If not, are there other concerns or questions you might have that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you!

On the other hand, if you are at rest and assured of your salvation and eternal security in Christ, perhaps you could also share what has been most comforting to you from the Scriptures to cement your position. I look forward to hearing from you too!