How You Can Be Sure You are Eternally Secure | Part 1

Can we ever lose our salvation?

Listen to Pastor Adrian Rogers. Get your Bible turned there now as Adrian Rogers explains how you can be sure you are eternally secure. Well, is there anything more wonderful than knowing that you can be saved and knowing that you can be certain that you're saved?

Yes, there is. And what is it? It is knowing that you're saved, knowing that you can be certain that you're saved, and knowing that once you're saved and certain you're saved, you can also know that you can never, ever lose your salvation. Now, I want to talk to you today about this subject, how you can know that you are eternally secure. Listen to the Scripture, God's Word. John chapter 10, verse 27. Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. Now, we're not talking about something that is incidental. We're talking about something that is fundamental when we're talking about the eternal security of the believer, how you can know that you are eternally secure.

It is necessary for your spiritual health. Can you imagine what the emotional state of any child would be if that child did not know from day to day whether or not he or she were a member of the family? Today, I was a good boy. I'm a member of the family.

The next day, I wasn't so good. I'm no longer a member of the family. I'm loved of my Father. I am not loved of my Father. I am received in the family. I am not received in the family. Friend, that would make a person a neurotic, not to know that he is accepted in the family. He may be punished. Yes, indeed.

He may have to go up to his room. Yes, indeed. But he or she knows that they know that they are part of the family. It is necessary for emotional strength in the natural world, and so it is in the spiritual world. These people who do not know that they're saved and secure do not have the emotional stability in my estimation that a child of God ought to have. I'll tell you another reason why it is so important that you understand this. It's important if you're going to be a productive, fruit-bearing Christian.

When you know that your future is secure, then you can concentrate on the present. In 1937, they built that marvelous bridge that many of us have seen, the Golden Gate Bridge. I can remember very vividly the first time I saw that monumental structure as they began to build what at that time was the world's longest suspension bridge. But as they built it, they built it very high above those swirling, perilous waters.

Many of the workers were afraid that they might fall, and it seemed like the very fear of falling was what caused them to fall. Though they spent $77 million on this bridge, at first they failed to build a safety net when they were building the bridge, and 23 people on the first section of the bridge fell into the water and perished. On the next section of the bridge, they spent $100,000 to build a safety net.

Now $100,000 back in that time was a monumental sum, but they felt it was worth it. And so they built a safety net under the workers on the next section of the bridge. After they built the safety net on the next section, only 10 fell. But every 10 that fell were caught and were safe. The lives were not lost. But here's the important thing. With the safety net there, the work went 25 percent faster.

The people could concentrate on their work because they knew that beneath them was a safety net. And so it is with a child of God. When he knows that his future is secure, he can concentrate on the present. Now I'll tell you another reason why what I'm talking about today is very, very important, not only for your spiritual health and your spiritual productivity, but to help you in evangelism and in soul winning. Do you know why a good number of people never get saved? Very frankly, they're afraid they'll not be able to hold out. They think, you know, maybe someone like these other people, someones like these others are able to do it, but I'm just not able. I don't have the strength. I don't have the wisdom.

I don't have the knowledge. I don't have the willpower. I don't have what it takes, and rather than go down there and make a false start and then fall away, I just won't go at all. Many people feel that way. There's some of you who really in your heart of hearts want to be saved, but you're just fearful.

You're fearful that you'll make a false start, and then you will fall away. Oh, if we could only teach people what the Bible has to say about the fact that the God who saves you is the God who secures you. He is the God that keeps you.

He has saved me and kept me, and I can tell you truly that the God who saved me is the God who will save you, and the God who has kept me is the God that will keep you. Now, what do we mean when we're talking about the eternal security of the believer? Well, first of all, let's talk about what we mean when we say the believer.

We're not talking about someone who just has head knowledge. We're not talking about someone who has joined a church and been baptized and gives his money and does religious things. That's all well and good, but none of these nor all of these can save. We're talking about a person who has received Christ into his heart by faith, who has become a partaker of the divine nature, who has been twice born, who has received the new birth. This person can never, ever, ever again be a lost soul. Well, you say, now wait a minute, pastor.

That causes me a problem. I know of some people who once were saved, and now they're no longer saved. Be careful when you say that, because you may have thought that you knew that they were saved, but they never truly were saved. Do you remember the scripture there in Matthew chapter 7, verses 22 and 23, where Jesus was talking about the judgment, and he said, Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, it were not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works.

And Jesus said, And then will I profess unto them, depart from me, ye that work iniquity? I never knew you. Now, listen, he didn't say, I once knew you, and you lost it.

He said, I never knew you. You may have prophesied. You may have thought that you cast out devils and did many wonderful works, but I never knew you. Now, we're not talking about people who profess to be religious and turn away.

We're not talking about those. We are talking about people who have truly received the Lord Jesus. Remember the scripture that I read to you just a few moments ago? Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them. I know them, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. You say, well, pastor, what about these people who join a church and get baptized and live for God for a while and then go away? Are you telling me that they were never saved?

Yes, that's what I'm telling you. If they go away and stay away, they were never saved. And John tells us about them, and put this verse in your margin. As a matter of fact, get out a piece of paper and put down, we're going to give you so many verses.

I want you to jot them down. But in 1 John 2 and verse 19, John explains those who start for a while and then fall away. And this is what John says.

Now listen to it carefully. 1 John 2 verse 19, They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us. Now that's 1 John 2 verse 19. They went out from us because they were not of us.

John said if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. And the reason that they fell away is they were never truly saved. The faith that fizzles before the finish had a flaw from the first.

Now that's it. People who make a false start and then fall away, they didn't lose their salvation. They never had it. Judas never lost his salvation. Judas was never saved.

The Bible says that Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas did not believe in him. So when we're talking about eternal security, we're not talking about eternal security for people who've never been saved. We're talking about eternal security for people who have had a personal, vital relationship with God through Christ. Now let me give you some reasons why and how you can know that you are eternally secure.

Get a piece of paper and jot them down. I'm going to give you eight reasons, and I'm going to let every one of them begin with the letter P so you can't forget it. And the very first is the word promise. Promise. God has promised to you eternal security. Turn to Romans chapter 8, if you will, and look with me in verses 38 and 39.

Now Paul says, here's something I'm absolutely certain of. Here's something that I am persuaded of, for I am persuaded. That means I have a deep conviction that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth, and in case he left anything out nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul has given a list of ten mighty opponents that cannot separate you from the love of God. He says death can't do it. If you die, you're still in the love of God. Life can't do it.

If you still live, you're still in the love of God. Angels can't do it. Good angels and bad angels.

Satan is an angel, a fallen angel. Principalities, that means kingdoms can't do it. Powers, that means authorities can't do it.

You name the authority. And then he says things present, anything that happens, anything that is in the world today, and then he says things to come, anything that may ever be created, anything that may ever come into being. Heights, that means anything in heaven above. Depths, that means anything in hell beneath. And just in case he didn't cover all the bases, he says, nor any other creature.

Anything else, I mean. So he just covers the bases. He is saying, I promise you, there is nothing that can separate you from the love of God. And if we went no further than that, just the promise, that's the first reason.

Here's the second reason, the second P. Not only promise, but perseverance. God will complete what he has begun. Now take your Bibles and find Philippians chapter 1, and you're going to find a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful verse, Philippians chapter 1 and verse 6.

Here again Paul says, here's something I know for certain. He begins this verse with this phrase, being confident. He began the last verse by saying, I am persuaded.

He begins this one saying, being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Now when you got saved, who began the good work in you? Was it you or God? It was God. We love him.

Why? Because he first loved us. He began the good work in us. He was the one who called us. Now the Holy Spirit of God is the agent of the new birth.

And let me tell you what the Holy Spirit is. First of all, he is the convictor. He was the one who convicted you of sin. He was the one who showed you that you were a sinner and saved. Not only was he the convictor, he was the converter. He was the one who opened your eyes. He was the one who helped you to understand the gospel.

He was the one who put faith in your heart and helped you to receive the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the convictor and the converter. And listen, my friend, he is also the completer.

He is also the completer. He who hath begun a good work in you, the convictor and the converter, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Have you ever started anything you weren't able to finish?

I've started many things I haven't been able to finish. But Jesus has never started anything he's not able to finish. God the Father has never started anything he's not able to finish.

The Holy Spirit has never started anything he's not able to finish. I heard that Billy said to Jimmy, my dad has a list of men that he can whip. And Jimmy, you need to know that your daddy's name is on that list. Jimmy went home and said, Dad, I want to tell you something. Billy says that his daddy has a list of men that he can whip and your name is number one on the list.

Jimmy's daddy went to see Billy's daddy. He rolled up his sleeves and said, I understand that you have a list of people that you can whip and my name is number one on the list. Is that right? He said, yeah, that's right. He said, well, you can't do it.

What are you going to do about it now? He said, well, I'll just take your name off the list. I am so glad that God never has to take anybody's name off the list. I'm so glad that God never starts anything he's not able to finish.

That the job is not too big for him. Paul said, I am confident of this thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it. You see, if any child of God, any of God's elect were to perish, that would mean that God the Father is defeated in his purpose. That means that God the Son is disappointed that his blood had no saving efficacy to keep. It would mean that God the Holy Spirit is disgraced because he's not able to complete that which he began. So perseverance, not the perseverance of the saints.

It's not the saints that persevere. It is the God of glory who is able to complete what he has begun. The third P, the first one, promise. The second, perseverance. The third one, predestination. Turn to Romans chapter 8 now and look with me, beginning in verse 29.

And I hope you're getting these verses down, but listen. The Bible says, For whom he did foreknow, speaking of God, he did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he, that is, God's Son, might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Now, the Bible says that God foreknew certain ones, and when God foreknows those ones, then God predestines those ones. For whom he did foreknow, them he did predestinate. Do you know what predestinate means? It means your destiny is already predetermined. God has predetermined your destiny.

You cannot be more sure than predestined. If you're predestined to be in heaven, then you'll be in heaven. If you don't get to heaven, you were never predestined to be in heaven. God says that you are predestined to be like the Lord Jesus Christ, and you couldn't be in hell and be like the Lord Jesus Christ. And in these verses, God gives you a chain with five golden links, foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. If you're a child of God, God already sees you glorified. He already sees you in heaven. It doesn't say he will glorify.

Look at that verse. He says you're already glorified. You see, your salvation did not begin with you. Your salvation began before this world was swung into space. God saw you before he ever created this world, and God saw you glorified. God saw you in heaven. God knows the past, the present, and the future all at one time, and God sees you now predestined for heaven. God sees you now already in heaven. God sees you predestined to be like Jesus and already glorified. Now tell me, tell me, what can stop that?

What can hinder that? How could I ever lose my salvation if I am already predestined to be like him? There was in West Palm Beach, Florida, a teenage boy. He didn't deserve to be saved. He had no merit of his own. He deserved to die and go to hell, but God foreknew that boy. God saw that boy. God looked at him. God saw that boy repenting of his sin. God saw that boy asking Jesus to save him. God saw that boy open his heart and receive the new birth, and God said it is, listen, predestined.

Adrian Rogers is going to be like Jesus. It's predestined. It is settled. It is absolutely settled. That could anything be more sure than to be predestined. Friend, what is settled in eternity cannot be undone in time, and what has been decreed by heaven cannot be annulled by hell. Say amen. Listen, Romans 11 and verse 19, the Bible says, the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

What does that mean? It means God never changes his mind. God never changes his mind.

The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. God foreknew, and God called, and God, oh, my dear friend, predetermined that I would be like the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn to the book of Hebrews chapter 10 and look with me in verse 14. What a wonderful verse this is.

I love this one. It may be my favorite of all of these verses. Hebrews 10 verse 14, For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. By one offering he, Jesus, hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Now, what is that one offering?

His precious blood poured out on Calvary's cross. That one offering makes you perfect forever. For by one offering he hath perfected for how long?

Forever. Learn this about salvation. When you get saved, you don't just get a fresh start. God doesn't say, well, I'm going to make the down payment, and you have to keep up the monthly installments. Now, that's the way a lot of people believe salvation is.

They believe that God just simply says, all right, here's a fresh start. I'm going to forgive your past, and I'm going to give you a fresh start. Here, I've made a down payment for you, and you can keep up the monthly installments. If you can just keep on making deposits on your good account, then maybe you can get to heaven.

Oh, no. Listen. He paid it all the way through. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.

It is done. I mean, I am made perfect forever in God's sight. I didn't get a fresh start. Friend, I got a new nature. We didn't get a fresh start.

We got a new nature. What a powerful word to end today's broadcast. And we'll hear part two of this important message coming up tomorrow. In the meantime, maybe you have questions about who Jesus is, about what he means to you. You have doubts about your salvation. Go to our Discover Jesus page at lwf.org slash radio. You'll find resources there and materials that will answer questions you may have about your faith. Again, go to lwf.org slash radio and click Discover Jesus. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message, request one by the title, How You Can Know You Are Eternally Secure when you call us at 1-877-LOVE-GOD. This message is also part of the insightful Back to the Basics series. For that complete collection, all 18 powerful messages, call that number 1-877-LOVE-GOD, or you can order online at lwf.org slash radio, or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. Many of the messages in this series are also featured in our new resource called the What Every Christian Ought to Know Study.

Utilize the tool at the website lwf.org slash radio. Well, are you sure you're eternally secure? Remember, security is not a place, it is a person, and His name is Jesus Christ.

If we believe in Him, He will save us and keep us. Thanks so much for joining us for today's program. Be sure to tune in next time for the conclusion of how you can know you are eternally secure, right here on Love Worth Finding. One of our generous donors attached a kind word to their most recent gift that said this. Almost every day I listen to one of Dr. Rogers' messages.

They are definitely profound truth simply stated. I am so happy to give monthly as Love Worth Finding reaches so many more than I ever could. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a tiny part of such a great ministry. Well, thank you for your prayers and your generous gifts. They're enabling us to share some exciting new resources based on the timely teachings of Adrian Rogers. When you give to Love Worth Finding right now, we want to send you our factors of faithfulness discipleship tool. This seven-week study and corresponding bookmark guide you through the essentials of disciple-making as you grow and lead others to grow in the truth worth sharing. Call with a gift right now. We'd love to send you yours. 1-877-LIVE-GOD.