Bible Study 6: The Most Important Confidence: Eternal Security & Assurance of Salvation in Christ

Bible Study #6: "The Most Important Confidence," explains the Biblical truths of eternal security and of assurance of salvation.

1.) The Christian is secure because of unchanging and eternal election.The elect are those whom God “hath chosen . . . in [Christ] before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9). Elect means chosen—the elect are those who God has determined to save. The all-powerful God will not, cannot, fail to bring to heaven those He has chosen to save.

2.) The Christian is secure because of Divine predestination. God has "predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:5-6). God has determined that all who believe in His Son will be like the Lord Jesus and be with Him in heaven forever.

3.) The Christian is secure because of Christ’s High Priestly ministry. The Lord Jesus perpetually intercedes for His own before His Father on the basis of His death and shed blood. The Savior has never lost a case. He is able to “save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

4.) The Christian is secure because of the nature of justification. Since we are “now justified by [Jesus’] blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:9). The Law requires death for sin, and the Savior has died in your place. The Law promises life for sinless obedience, and the Savior has obeyed for you. The righteousness, faithfulness, and holiness of God require the elect's salvation.

5.) The Christian is secure because salvation is not by works. Salvation is “not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Romans 9:16). If we needed to stay saved by doing good works, everyone would be lost: “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).

6.) The Christian is secure because of the seal of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13- 14). The Spirit, whom all believers receive the moment they are regenerated (Romans 8:9), is God’s pledge that the saints belong to Him and that He will bring them to be with Him eternally (Romans 8:11). Since all believers have this wonderful seal, they will certainly dwell forever with the Lord.

7.) The Christian is secure because of many plain promises of security, including:

i.) Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will continue it until the day of Jesus Christ.” The God who gave you repentance and faith, who justified and regenerated you, will continue that good work in you until you meet Christ.

ii.) John 4:13-14, “Jesus answered and said unto [a woman], Whosoever drinketh of this [physical well] water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the [spiritual] water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” If we drink of the spiritual water that Christ gives at one point in time, we will never, ever thirst again.

Other texts include Psalm 37:28; John 6:39-40; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

Eternal security in Christ is the objective state of every child of God. It is unchanging and based upon Divine realities. Assurance is the subjective recognition by the Christian of his salvation. While he is always secure, he may fail to recognize this fact and lose the comfort of it. It is possible for the believer to have 100% certainty of his eternal happiness, for those “that believe on the name of the Son of God ... may know that [they] have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

God commands believers to have assurance in 2 Peter 1:10. It helps a believer to “sin not” (1 John 2:1). The Christian who has assurance of his salvation can joyfully (1 John 1:4) serve God with love and gratitude for the gift of eternal life, instead of having his spiritual growth crushed by doubt and fear.

Assurance comes from Scriptural evidences of the new birth in your life. First John provides seven marks of true conversion in order to give assurance to believers. All believers have these seven marks, and no unbeliever can have any of the seven marks. The marks are:

1.) Inability to live in perpetual sin / to practice sin as a lifestyle (1 John 3:2-10).
2.) Genuine faith in Jesus Christ for salvation (1 John 5:1).
3.) Love for God and other true Christians (1 John 4:7-11).
4.) The practice of righteousness (1 John 2:29)
5.) Continued belief and practice of true doctrine (1 John 2:19-21, 26-27).
6.) The testimony of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13; Romans 8:9-16).
7.) Overcoming the sinful world (1 John 5:4-5).

Do you have the seven marks of the children of God? If so, you should rejoice in the assurance of your salvation. If not, you are lost and must repent, believe the gospel, and be born again.