Eternal Security Part 2

Defending Eternal Security


(My notes taken from Reclaiming the Mind Ministries Theology program)

#1 I would be denying the clear teaching of these scriptures...
Romans 9 & 10
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified,(made right with God) and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

#2 The bible clearly teaches that a true believer cannot ever be lost.
John 10:25-29
"Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
So no one can take my salvation away. Looking from God's perspective who has a hold of me, I can't imagine me being able to get out of His grasp once I am truly there it's totally impossible.

#3 Romans 8:29-30 Predestination...I'm saved and in the process of being saved (8:38-39 This is a completed action! This is not just based on affection for us or from God, but Paul has put this in to explain our salvation. This is an ACTIVE love of God.

#4 Eternal life begins the moment you have it or receive it.
John 5:24
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, he has crossed over from death to life.

#5 This is a down payment...a guarantee
Ephesians 1:13-14
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory."
John 6:39-40
"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day."

#6 Scripture clearly teaches we can be CONFIDENT of our salvation:
2 Corinthians 5:6-10
“Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Philippians 1:6
“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.”

Response to "Conditional Security" arguments
1.TWO THINGS WRONG
*Based on faulty notion of free will. Our free will is limited by ability, and no one has the ability to choose God on their own (Romans 3:11)
*Even the conditonal security advocates believe that in eternity we will not be able to reject God.

None of these passages teach that a person can loose their salvation

2. John 5:16
Death here is not spiritual, but must be physical. If this was a reference to an unforgiveable sin causing spiritual death, God did not do a good job of covering a spiritual topic.
(there is a sin that leads to physical death)

3. MATTHEW 3:28-29
The unforgiveable sin, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, is the sin of unbelief or rejection of Christ.

4. Hebrews 3:26-28
HAVE YOU NOT SINNED WILLFULLY AFTER RECEIVING THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH?
They have overturned the system of sacrifice for 2,000 yrs. Now everyone is still doing this system of sacrifice, their saying the old system does you no good, after you've been introduced to Christ, He does away with the sacrifices.)

5. 2 Peter 2:19-22
THE FALSE TEACHERS WERE NEVER TRUE BELIEVERS
They escaped this thing of this world in that they made an outward change, but they never really had a change of heart.

6. Galatians 5:1-4
"Falling from grace" does not mean that they fell from saving grace, but sanctifying grace. This is the entire argument of the book. Paul is wondering why people think that it is possible to be sanctified by the law when they have been saved by grace (3:1-3) When a person tries to be sanctified by the law, he or she has fallen from grace in that they have no power to grow in Christ.
(Not using the provision of grace from God-they have fallen outside the use of God's grace. Every one of us can fall from grace, if we are not using God's grace or power available to believers. In other words, the flesh instead of the spirit.

7. Matthew 18-23-25
This passage is not speaking about salvation, but about forgiveness.

8. Hebrews 6:4-9
This passage does not suggest that true believers can leave the faith, but if they could they could not be restored to repentance. This is made clear in verse 9, "But Beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, & things that accompany salvation." Things that accompany true salvation must not include apostasy. Perseverance would have taken hold.

9. Hebrews 4
These scriptures are real warnings. The writers all encourage their readers to persevere in the faith, but are not suggesting that one can lose true faith. The scriptures do, however, teach that many people have a nominal or "said" faith. People are encouraged to examine their faith, to make sure it is true. If people do not persevere until the end, they were not ever true believers.
Matthew24:10-13, John3:16, 2 Cor.13:5, 2 Peter1:10, 1 John2:19
Matthew 7:21-23 (sure would look like a true believer!)

****************THE OUTCOME TOTALLY RESTS ON GOD*************************************

The means by which you are saved is also the means by which you are kept. If you were saved by grace, you are kept by grace. If you were saved by faith, you are kept by faith. Both are true. God graciously gave us the gift of faith when we were not seeking it. If we were to loose our salvation, God must take the gift back. But if man produced faith by his own volition, as the conditonal advocates teach, then his own volition can also decide to reject God.
While it is true that the majority of church history has believed that one could forfeit their salvation either through mortal sin or apostasy, this does not make it correct. The majority of church history also believe in baptismal generation. (saved when baptized)
CONCLUDING PRINCIPLES

1. Our salvation is protected by the Power of God

2. If you are trusting in Christ for your salvation, you have eternal life as a present possession.

3. We are to persevere in our faith.

Eternal Security Part 1

(These are my notes taken from Reclaiming the Mind Ministries Theology program)


A lot of people wrestle with their salvation. They don't know if they are saved for all eternity or not. Well, maybe they are more confused by their own actions to keep it. Some believe God gives us the freedom to choose him or to reject him and some believe he doesn’t' take that freedom away when we become believers. So, by means of their own actions, they believe their salvation is on a "conditioned" basis. According to the conditional security position, they believes that they can never be sure if they are saved until when at death they die with all sins confessed & before they die they are in a state of believing at that time.

Some scriptures seem to indicate that we can lose our salvation (eternal security) Hebrews 6:4-6... a falling away...turning away from God after having been enlightened & have shared in the Holy Spirit.

Check these scriptures out:
Hebrews 10:26-27, 2 Peter 2:19-22, & Galatians 5:1-4

The scriptures clearly teach that people must continue to believe:
Matthew 24:10-13, Hebrews 3:6, John 3:16, John 10:26-27

There are lots of scriptures that command us to persevere and those are the over-whelming ones. One thing, don't presume too quickly that someone is a believer. Test yourself to see if you are of the faith...Read the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4)

Seeing Miracles

My sister called yesterday to wish me a "Merry Christmas"
Then, she told me how she & her husband spent their christmas day feeding the hungry. She shared with me that she was blessed. I could hear in her voice that a miracle had happened within her heart.
It's just a miracle what God can do in our hearts. God is doing an internal work with them with external manifestations. Their hearts and minds are witness to the miracle power of the holy spirit working not just around & with them, but IN them. I can see how the Lord has prioritized performing a miracle IN them over a miracle concerning their circumstances. But I believe He can perform a miracle with their circumstances too at the same time! He knows what is best & His timing will be perfect. All of us suffer in this life, but I know God will use it & I can see this miracle... that He is using it... for His greater good... as I see here with my sister and her family!
God Bless you dear sister Sue and Stu! for all that you do for Him!
I love you both so much!

"Did I tell you, that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
John 11:40

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

Roman's 8:17

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurabley more than all we ask or imagine, according to HIS POWER THAT IS AT WORK WITHIN US, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."

Ephesians 3:20-21

Tim's Memorial Service

Thank you so much for your prayers for my family and I. My brothers memorial
servicel was a great blessing for my family & we all agreed it was what Timmy
would have loved. Each member of my family spoke. It was what God
wanted. I didn't plan on singing, I was led to. It was sad and there was alot of
tears and alot of laughter too. We all went to dinner afterwards and then had
dessert at my youngest sisters house. My Dad is doing really
well. When he spoke, it was deeply humbling, confessional, & loving. I already have
witnessed the good God is doing through this & with your prayers. God is so GOOD! My brother Kevin from Japan called me tonight. It was so good to talk with him. Now, that's a far away call!I will miss Timmy & his way of always making us laugh, his warm smile, & his love to me.

All My Wonderful Brothers

These are my FOUR brothers
Starting from the left is Timmy (3rd brother) Kevin (2nd brother) Robert (Oldest) & Sean ( Youngest)
I will miss my brother Timmy so much
His funeral will be on friday 12-19-08
It was this brother who introduced me to my husband
That was one of the best things he did for me
He was free-spirited, light hearted, genuine, & lived simply. He didn't need much but the open road to roam and see the countryside of God's beautiful earth.

My Brother Timmy

A few hours ago I received a phone call from my sister telling me that my brother Timmy has passed away. He was found in his hotel room. They don't know the cause of his death. I'm in shock. We just talked with him yesterday at the family Christmas. He wasn't able to make it because he got held up in Kansas City because of his job. Oh boy, my stomach is in knots and I can't sleep. I know the Heavenly Father didn't let go. Please pray

1 John 2 :15-17

Do not LOVE the world or anything in the world. If anyone LOVES the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2: 15-17 (NIV)
LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world , the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust therof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (KJV)

Don’t get sucked into the world system. Seems to me that the lust of the flesh is a passion to feel pleasure in sinful ways & the lust of the eyes is a passion to be “ somebody” in appearance whom people idolize by the success standards of the world by what they do & not who they really are, how they look outwardly & all the ways that people achieve that these days, and how much money they have in their bank account. The pride of life is a passion for a position of status which often leads to a boastful & prideful heart. It's that passion that says "I've got all I need in myself & I don't need anyone."

“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the Heart”
1Samuel 16:7

Don’t get caught up thinking you need all these things, because if you do, the Lord says you are far from His Love inside you. Your mind is on earthly wants and desires and instant gratification. The Lord wants you to think of those things as stupid. They do nothing to bring Him glory & do nothing to make you more like Christ (James 3:17) Nor do they bring about God’s peace (Psalm 119:165) & are temporary (2 Cor.4:18). The Lord wants you to be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you will be able to test and approve what His will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Rom. 12:2) Then you will be able to see those earthly desires vanish and a peace will wash over you as the LOVE and mind of Christ works in you His desires to will and to act according to His good purposes that will last for all eternity.

May the mind of Christ dwell in you richly. May your roots grow deep in the soil of God's marvelous Love!

Courageous Leaders Christmas Dinner 2008

I thank the Lord for these friends of mine! What a blessing they are to me to be in my life and truly a precious gift! We went to the Cheesecake Factory and shared a great meal together. We exchanged our Christmas gifts by the usual number game. This year we decided that the gift would be a book. This book was to be very dear to us and one that had made a significant difference in our lives. No one received a book that they had read before. We decided that we would meet again in February 2009 to discuss what we received by reading the book. I've already read 3 chapters of mine! And oh boy, I'm in for a ride!
Then, we spent time updating & catching up with each others lives and shared prayer requests. It was a great night I will always treasure and I pray we have many more together. Thank you Lord for the gift of friendship!

Are you lIstening?

Today was one of those days
those good days that you know
couldn't have happened by chance.
What is...by chance anyway?

Not just Pneumonia
but Double Pneumonia
that's a pretty obvious illness

just a few days into recovery
and she walks in wanting an 85 minute
Hot Stone Deep Tissue Combo....

Opportunity knocks....that's when the Lord said (not really)
"Use what I taught you"
"You know what she needs"
As I reflect back...

How easily I fail to remember what the Lord has done
time and time again
Whenever He teaches me something, before I realize it...
here's comes the opportunity that follows

The Lord is teaching me to live expectantly
for what He's going to do...anticipate opportunity
being reliable and expressing faith,
"For without it, it is impossible
to please Him" (Hebrew 11:6)

It is God who has been faithful in the past
I've seen what He has done
His promises are true

I want to be like Samuel who said
"Speak Lord, for your servant hears." (1 Samuel 4:10)
and
Elijah who was expecting God to answer when he called Him
to reign down fire from heaven.

Without you Lord, I am nothing