Note: the “parts” to this message are not based on logical breaks in the notes below. The message is broken up into sections (parts) based on the amount of time I had to teach for each segment. So it one part may end and another start at an odd place in the outline.

Six More Reasons For Assurance

Note: the next six reasons are taken from a message by John MacArthur

The sovereign purpose of God.

Ephesians 1:7–12 (NKJV) 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
• Everything our sovereign God sets out to do, He most certainly will accomplish.
• So we need to ask ourselves, “What is God’s purpose in saving a person? What has He set out to do?“
• Paul answers these questions: “In Him [Christ] also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him,…that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:11–12).
• That is His sovereign purpose—that believers ultimately, with all their present imperfections, will one day be in heaven and will be to the praise of God’s glory. Each believer, a trophy of God’s grace, will bring glory to Him for all eternity.
• This phenomenal thought—that at the end of this process called salvation we will actually bring glory to Christ eternally—is beyond our comprehension. Yet that is why He saved us.

The infinite power of God.

2 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV) 12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
• Along with God’s sovereign purpose to present every believer to the praise of His glory, He has the power to carry out that purpose.
• Peter rejoiced that we have been begotten “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet. 1:4–5, italics added).
• “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost [completion] those who come [present tense] to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). Every time a Believer sins, Jesus intercedes on our behalf.
• Paul stated with confidence, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Tim. 1:12).

The immeasurable love of God.

Rom. 5:8 God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”

• John 3:16, begins with the words “For God so loved the world.” In Greek the word “so” is at the beginning of the sentence, so that the idea in the verse is, “In this way, God loved us.”
• This holy God found a way to extend His love to us while we were yet lost in sin.
• Whoever heard of a love like that? Since He did this while we were enemies, will He not then love us enough to keep us now that we are His children?
This leads to the two “much more’s” of Romans 5:9–10:

Romans 5:9–11 (NKJV) 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

The promise of the Son of God.

John 10:27–30 (NKJV) 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”

• Jesus Christ said of everyone who believes in Him, “And I give them eternal life” (John 10:28). Here is a simple unconditional promise.
• He didn’t say, “I give them life until they sin.” Nor did He say, “I give them temporal life.”
• The Son of God, who brought the universe into existence and maintains it (Col. 1:16–17), simply affirmed, “I give them eternal life.”
• Then He added, “They shall never perish.” “Never” in Greek is a strong negative. “When Jesus says, ‘never,’ He means exactly what He says….‘and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never, in no wise, under any consideration, perish.’
• Why? Because ‘no man is able to plunder them out of My hand.’ ”

Then Jesus said, “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:29).

• How marvelous to contemplate, that Jesus Christ views each believer as a personal gift from the Father! Would God the Father take back a gift He gave to His own Son? Certainly not.
• Our salvation is secure because we belong to Christ. Also no one can remove a believer from the Father’s hand.

The work of the Son of God.

Romans 8:33–34 (NKJV) 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

• Another factor that guarantees each believer’s security is Jesus’ work on their behalf, a subject Paul addressed in Romans 8:33–34. He asked rhetorically, “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?”
• And then he answered his own question: “It is God who justifies” (8:33). Inasmuch as everyone who has believed on Jesus has already been justified (3:26; 6:7; 8:30), how could God or anyone else lay a charge against them?
• As Chafer wrote, “A justification which is not subject to human merit could hardly be subject to human demerit….God, having justified the ungodly (Rom. 4:5), will not and cannot contradict Himself by charging them with evil, which charge amounts to the reversing of their justification.”

Reinforcing his argument, Paul said, “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (8:34).

The substitutionary death of the sinless Son of God was a full and sufficient payment for the sins of all mankind (1 John 2:2).

• There is no sin that can be charged against the one who has been “freed from sin” (Rom. 6:7) without denying the efficacy of the death of Christ.
• There is no difference in the solution of the problem of sin for the regenerate than for the unregenerate. Both are dependent on the validity of the sacrifice of Christ.

The fact of Christ’s resurrection guarantees the believer’s resurrection. Paul wrote of this in Romans 6:5: “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

The believer’s union with Christ.

• The believing sinner is placed “in Christ” and stands or falls with Him (Col. 1:14; Eph. 1-3 — “in Christ” mentioned 25 times in NT; He. 9:10; 1 Pe. 1:18-23; 2:6,24-25).
• Colossians 1:13–14 (NKJV) 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
What about when we sin?
1 John 2:1–2 (NKJV) 1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
• Advocate… a lawyer for the defense; He is our advocate. He is our intercessor
• He goes to the Father and says, ‘Father, You can’t hold that sin against that child because I have paid in full the penalty for that sin,’”
1 John 3:19–21 (NKJV) 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
• If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our condemning heart.
• There will be times when your heart will condemn you, you won’t know that assurance but that doesn’t mean you’re not saved, because God is greater than your condemnation

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What if we sin, lack of good works, our life bears little or no fruit?

• 1 Corinthians 3:12–15 (NKJV) 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
• 2 John 8 (NKJV) 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.

Does Eternal Security Cause People To Live Carelessly?

Is eternal security a license to sin? Does eternal security mean “get saved and live however you want?” NO!!!!!

The blessing and gift of eternal security increases the response of thanksgiving and appreciation and causes the true believer to want to live an even higher standard of sanctification in pure gratitude and love for the gift of being eternally secure in their destiny and relationship with god

• Eternal security does not cause people to live carelessly. The very opposite is true.
• The Bible teaches that the grace of God actually motivates believers to serve God with a thankful heart (Ro. 2:4; Ep. 3:14-19; Tit. 2:11-14).
• The more a believer understands the unfathomable love God has for him in Christ, the more he wants to please God.
Ephesians 3:19 (NKJV) to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Romans 2:4 (NKJV) 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
• Let me ask you Believers listening today: how many times do you wake up and say “Jesus saved me. All my sins are covered, so I’m going to go out and really enjoy some extra sin today!”
• If you never say that, why is this point always used to say that eternal security will lead people to a life of “I’m saved, I’ll sin all I want!”

An Example of A Big Sinner
Who Was Still Saved

• David committed adultery with Bathsheba who became pregnant ( 2 Sam 11:4-11:5 ).
• David arranged the death of Bathsheba’s husband Uriah ( 2 Sam 11:17 ).
• David failed to discipline his sons. His son Amnon committed the sin of rape and incest; he was murdered by David’s son Absalom ( 2 Sam 13:14-29 ).
• David ignored Joab’s advice and took a national census ( 2 Sam 24:2-15; 1 Chr 21:1-4 ).
• David’s unauthorized census resulted in a deadly plague which infected the people ( 2 Sam 24:1-9; 15; 1 Chr 21:7-17 ).
• David wanted to build Yahweh a “house” in Jerusalem. God told David that he could not build the Temple because he was a “man of blood” ( 2 Sam 7:1-2; 1 Kgs 5:16 ).
And yet….
• “The LORD has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over his people…”(1Samuel 13:13-14).
• God said regarding David, “I have made a covenant with my chosen; I have sworn to David my servant, ‘I will establish your seed forever, and build up your throne to all generations'”(Psalm 89:3-4).
• David s throne was the earthly equivalent of God s throne in heaven. Thus Jesus is said to have sat on David s throne when he sat down on God s throne (Acts 2:29-36, Revelation 3:21).
• The Bible contains many Psalms written by David, several of which contain prophecies about Jesus Christ (eg Psalm 16, Acts 2:25-28).
• Jesus Christ is introduced in the New Testament as “the son of David” (Matthew 1:1).
And what about the Apostle Paul himself, the “chief of sinners”? He murdered a multitude of God’s children… and admitted he struggled every day with sin.

For the true Believer: where sin abounds, grace abounds much more!
God sees even David with all His sin clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
If you are a truly saved believer, can you sin more than Jesus died for?

“Lose Your Salvation” Verses

Context, context, context! You can make the Bible say anything by pulling verses out of the text and stand them alone.

Galatians 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
• Galatians was written to a church that had been gloriously saved but false teachers had come in and tried to add works to salvation. Paul hears of this and warns:
• Galatians 5:2–3 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.
• Paul is saying dramatically: “you were saved by the grace of Christ through faith. Are you going to now be fooled by these false teachers who don’t know the true Christ… those of you giving ear to them, have you fallen away from the truth you have been taught, that grace is what saves you?” Galatians 5:7 7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
• In other words, if you want to be saved by works, you have to keep the whole law, perfectly… you’ve “fallen from grace” back to the old works system

Hebrews 6:4–6 (NKJV) 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
V. 4-5 these are true believers
• v.6 IF they fall away… if you take this to mean they CAN fall away, then you have to accept the rest of the verse that “it is impossible… to renew them again to repentance”. IF you can fall away, you can never be saved again!
The verse is using rhetoric (persuasive speech) to explain a truth… like saying “IF our local high school football team could play the best NFL team and beat them, they would be world champions”. That’s not declaring something that might possibly happen, its emphasizing the impossibility of something.
• Paul is saying “IF you could fall away, you would be crucifying Jesus all over again, putting him to open shame again… NEVER going to happen! It’s impossible”.
• This is actually an amazing verse declaring the security of our salvation.
• Salvation can’t be taken away once given because Christ would have to be crucified all over again in order to save you because it would mean His first death/sacrifice was not enough.
• IF you could fall away, you can never be saved again, because there is no chance Jesus will ever be crucified again.
• Christ’s sacrifice paid for all your sins, He does not need to be crucified again, and it is impossible for anyone to “fall away” who has already been saved by Jesus death.

Hebrews 10:26–27 (NKJV) 26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
• If we sin willfully… this what I grew up believing… if we sin “willfully” then that sin cannot be forgiven because we aren’t even WANTING forgiveness
• And you can’t go to Heaven with unforgiven sin, ala, “You can lose your salvation”
First, were all your sins – past/present/future – forgiven at the moment of salvation or not? You either have to say “all” or say “all of them up to this point, and all future sins are conditionally forgiven”…
Second, is Christ’s sacrifice enough to cover all your sins, even willful sins? Willful sins are sins we commit that we are gladly embracing, not really fighting against, maybe not even convicted about; we know its sin, we aren’t even trying to stop or avoid them, we just do them… [FYI, God will chastise any true believer for this up to and including death, but that’s a lesson for another time]
• What Paul is saying is: if you sin willfully as a true Believer, you don’t need any more sacrifice from Jesus for those sins, but you better watch out… don’t mock God, you reap what you sow… there will be fiery indignation, chastisement and consequence for that willful sin.
• We know this lesson from parenting: if you’re child is living through a phase of willful rebellion and bad behavior, are they no longer your child? Of course they are still your child! But there is judgment, consequence and your fiery response because you love them.

Matthew 7:21–23 (NKJV) 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Argument: “Lord, Lord” means they are true Christians… but they have not “done the will of My Father” so they lose their salvation.
• First, we know there are many who say “Lord!” but are not saved: tares, and those who “walk away because they were never part of us” 1John 2:19
• Second, the Bible defines what “the will of My Father” is:

John 6:39–40 (NKJV) 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
• Everyone who Jesus says “I don’t know you” has not done that will

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 (NKJV) 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified

In context: “unfit for, unproved, not approved for use”.
In other contexts it can mean “reprobate, reject, castaway”.
• This has nothing to do with salvation. It has to do with being qualified to be in ministry.
• Paul is saying if I don’t run the race according to the rules, I will disqualify myself from being part of the race (his part was to preach the Truth and proclaim doctrine)

1 Timothy 4:1–3 (NKJV) 1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
• In context, Paul is warning Timothy about the onslaught of false teachers leading the Church astray. This was a problem from the start for the church.
• We have all sorts of “Christians” today who have departed the true faith (Biblical truth) doing exactly what is described in these verses. They have departed from the true faith.
• It says nothing about GENUINE BELIEVERS departing the faith… in fact the Bible plainly says they are NOT true believers evidenced by the fact that they departed.

2 Peter 2:20–21 (NKJV) 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
• Peter is saying that if you come to truly know the Lord but then go back and entangled in the world, you are going to be miserable [again, God will never fail to chastise His children because He loves them]
• Peter is declaring that a true Believer living in sin will be so miserable they would have been better off – temporally speaking – never having heard the truth at all.
• It’s a warning to us to take sin seriously… and to know we are going to be truly miserable if we sin willfully and live in the ways of the world as Believers.

Matthew 10:22 (NKJV) 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
• Who is an overcomer? Who is the one who endures? Who keeps the commandments? Who loves God?
• 1 John 5:4, 5 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
• This same principle applies to all the verses that say “endure to the end”, “keeps my commandments”, “obeys my word”, “does my will”, “never forsakes me”, etc

Revelation 3:5 (NKJV) 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
• Again, who is an overcomer? This verse is one of the best proofs FOR eternal security
• A Believers name is put in the Book of Life and will NOT be blotted out because he overcomes “by the blood of the Lamb”

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There are other verses along these lines but they suffer the same fate: taken out of context, “lose your salvation” read INTO the verse, not OUT OF the verse.
• There is no plain verse in the Bible that says “be careful, you can lose your salvation” or this would not be a debate. On the other hand, there are dozens and dozens that plainly and simply declare the assurance of salvation for the genuinely saved.