From His Heart

Guest (Male): If you're a born-again Christian, can you lose that salvation? Let's discover what the Bible says today on From His Heart.

Dr. Jeff Schreve: What does the Bible say about that all-important question, "Can I lose my salvation?" When I receive salvation, is that something that I have for all eternity, or is that something that I can lose?

And so we're going to look at various passages of scripture that give us confidence and assurance that once you become a believer, a true believer in Jesus Christ, you're His child forever.

Guest (Male): This is From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Schreve. You know, some people say that once you've repented of your sin and surrendered your heart to Jesus by faith, you can never lose that salvation, no matter what. Others say you should still hold on and hope that that's true.

So what's the right answer? Because they both can't be right. Well, the best way to discover the answer is to see exactly what the Bible says about that. And that should settle the issue, right?

Today on From His Heart, we'll have the second message in Pastor Jeff's revealing series called, "Now, That's a Tough One," answering the difficult questions of life. And the lesson today, "Can I Lose My Salvation?"

Now, if you really want the answer to this question, but you can't stick with us for the rest of the program, be sure to go online to listen again at fromhisheart.org. Just click the listen link.

And you can download a free MP3 of this broadcast and get Pastor Jeff's sermon notes and outlines. Plus you can go to the Y Jesus link to give you some important insight about what it means to be a child of God.

Right now though, open your Bible to Hebrews chapter 6, verses 17 through 20. As Pastor Jeff answers this tough question, "Can I lose my salvation?"

Dr. Jeff Schreve: Many years ago in San Francisco, they were building a bridge. It was a massive project called the Golden Gate Bridge. A $35 million project at that time, a great, great sum of money. Well, the workers on that bridge were very, very nervous and very worried and very concerned because the superstition, the rule of thumb for bridges, especially at that time, was for every million dollars spent on a bridge, a man would fall and lose his life.

Now, when you build the Golden Gate Bridge, to fall from that distance is equivalent to hitting a brick wall at 80 miles an hour.

So the workers were very, very nervous, and the chief engineer of the project, he believed that as many as three dozen men could lose their lives. So he talked the city of San Francisco into doing something that had never been done on a project like that. They put in a big trapeze net underneath the workers to give the workers a sense of security.

So if they did fall, they would fall into the net and they'd be safe. One worker said after they put the net in, he said, "I felt like I could dance on the steel." The work began to pick up as the men didn't have any fear of falling anymore, and they would walk across those beams.

Now in the Christian life, many, many Christians have a fear that they can fall. Not from the Golden Gate Bridge, but fall from grace. Fall from a position with God and somehow fall out of God's family.

And so they live their Christian lives a little bit tentative, a little bit nervous. They're not dancing on the steel, so to speak, because they have some fear there that they could do something. They could cross some line. They could commit some sin and cross some line and somehow fall out of God's family.

Now we want to talk about that question tonight, "Can I lose my salvation?" What does the Bible say about that all-important question? When I receive salvation, is that something that I have for all eternity, or is that something that I can lose?

Now I believe, just as we begin this sermon, I believe with all my heart that salvation, true salvation, is something that you can never, ever, ever lose. Once saved, always saved has been called a Baptist doctrine. "Oh, you Baptists, you guys believe once saved, always saved." Once saved, always saved is not a Baptist doctrine, it's a Bible doctrine. It's taught in the Bible.

And so we're going to look at various passages of scripture that give us confidence and assurance that once you become a believer, a true believer in Jesus Christ, and you become His child, you're His child forever. Hebrews chapter 6, I'll begin reading in verse 17.

The scripture says, "In the same way, God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order that by two unchangeable things, God's oath and God's promise, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge and laying hold of this hope set before us."

"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both steadfast and sure, and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

Now, we're not going to delve into a lot in that passage, but I wanted you to see two things from it. Number one, it's impossible for God to lie. It's not improbable, it's not highly unlikely. It is impossible for God to lie. And so when we read promises in the Bible, you just know that God can't lie and that promise is true.

But not only does it say here that it's impossible for God to lie, but it says that we have a hope that's an anchor of the soul, a hope both steadfast and sure. The song says, "My anchor holds."

Though the ship is battered, though the sails are torn, the anchor holds, and the anchor in the life of a Christian is the Lord Jesus Christ who comes in to live by His Holy Spirit. Now, the Bible makes it clear what happens to a person is this, and salvation is an instantaneous decision and a miracle from God.

A person hears the truth of the Gospel, he's convicted by the Holy Spirit, his eyes, her eyes are open and they understand, "I'm a sinner. And I'm lost. And I'm in trouble, and Jesus died for me, and Jesus rose again for me." And when a person, whether they're 6 or 96, when that person understands that, and that person opens his heart, her heart to Jesus and says, "Lord Jesus, come in, Lord Jesus, save me, Lord Jesus, take my life." Jesus comes in.

And the Bible says, "You're sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." And the Lord comes in and the Holy Spirit comes in, and Jesus said the Holy Spirit, "He will be with you forever." Forever. Jesus said in Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave you, never forsake you." And so the Lord comes in and He comes in for all eternity and you can be eternally secure.

So we want to look tonight at six foundation stones to help us understand what the Bible says about eternal security. Foundation stone number one. God has said that there will be those who pretend to believe.

See, anytime you talk about eternal security, the bells go off, the lights go off in people's head. And they say, "Wait a minute! I know someone who was saved, and now they're not saved anymore. You know, you guys say once saved, always saved. Well, that can't be true because I know someone who was once saved and now they're an atheist. Now they reject Christ. Now they're no longer saved."

You don't know someone who was once saved and now no longer saved. You know someone perhaps who once claimed to be saved and now they've rejected God. Big difference. Jesus said, and the Lord said, that there would be those who pretend to believe.

And you and I can't tell, really, really, really tell about somebody because you can't see into that person's heart. The person that you can know, that you can know, that you can know, that you can know about is you because you're the one that can control giving your heart to the Lord.

The disciples all thought Judas was the most trusted, the most godly one around. They made him the treasurer. You don't make the guy that you don't trust the treasurer. They made him the treasurer. They trusted Judas. When Jesus said, "One of you will betray me," they didn't say, "I bet it's Judas." Nobody said that. They didn't know. They said, "Is it, Lord, am I the one?" They didn't know.

Even when Jesus said to Judas, "What you do, do quickly," they didn't understand, because it just blew their mind that Judas would be the betrayer. See, you and I don't know. And the scripture says in 1 John 2:19, "They went out from us, but they were not really of us." That's important. "For if they had been of us, they would have remained with us, but they went out in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us."

Not everybody who claims to be a Christian is a Christian. Not everybody who preaches at a church is truly born again. Not everybody who's on staff is truly born again. Not everybody who sings in the choir. Not everybody who's a deacon. Not everybody who's a Sunday school teacher. And anytime you see someone who starts out among us and then drifts away and fades away, you just remember 1 John 2:19, "They went out from us, but they were not really of us. For if they had been of us, they would have remained with us."

What did Jesus say in Matthew chapter 7? He said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven." "For many will say to me, on the day of judgment, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?'" "Well, how did we do that, Lord?"

Jesus said, "I'll say to them, 'Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness, I never knew you.'" "I never knew you." He doesn't say, "Well, I knew you for a time, but then I kicked you out." No, he says, "I never, ever knew you." Judas was one who performed miracles, who cast out demons, who did great works in the Lord's name.

But it wasn't real. See, Judas didn't lose his salvation. He never had it. Jesus said in John chapter 6, verse 70, "Did I not choose you, the 12? Yet one of you is a devil." The next verse says, "He was speaking of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot." So God has said that there will be those who pretend to believe.

And I know lots of good, solid, well-meaning, "love the Lord" Christians who get confused on point one because they say, "No, it's not that you never had it, it's that you lost it." Listen, you can't lose it once you really have it.

Guest (Male): It's so reassuring to know that a genuine faith can't be lost or misplaced. Today we're listening to part one of the message entitled, "Can I Lose My Salvation?" It's from Pastor Jeff's seven-lesson series, "Now, That's a Tough One," answering the difficult questions of life.

Now, pastor, in this series you answer some tough questions like today's salvation one, plus questions like, "Is the Bible really true? What about those who never heard? Why doesn't God answer my prayer? And what does the future really hold?" And three more.

Now, these are seven tough questions answered in the series. Why are these particular answers so important to know?

Dr. Jeff Schreve: Great question. Larry, I think the reason that these answers are so important is it drives us back to the Word of God, and it shows that God really does answer these questions, and it helps us to trust His Word and to trust His character and trust His nature.

And to know that God is faithful and He's worthy to be trusted and His Word is worthy to be trusted, and so many of the questions that we do have, He does answer in His Word. And so this series really focuses in on the fact that the Word of God is faithful and true, just as God Himself is faithful and true.

Guest (Male): Well, without question, that is true. And you can find out more about what is on this seven-message series called, "Now, That's a Tough One," answering the difficult questions of life. When you visit us online at fromhisheart.org, click the listen link.

This month, we're also offering another timely series that answers some big questions as well, and we aired it earlier this month, it's called, "Life's Big Questions." It's available for your gift to From His Heart this month of any amount, and with that gift, we'll also send you the popular booklet, "The ABCs of the Christian Life."

Just call 866-40-Bible to get your copy. 866-40-Bible. Or go online to fromhisheart.org to make your gift. The series is available in the format of your choice. It is your financial support that allows us to be here each day. So thank you for investing in Kingdom work through From His Heart.

Now let's continue with part one of the message, "Can I Lose My Salvation?" Here again is Pastor Jeff.

Dr. Jeff Schreve: Cornerstone number two. God has promised eternal life to those who believe. 1 John 2:25 says this, "And this is the promise which He Himself has made to us, eternal life."

The promise is eternal life. Remember what Hebrews 6:18 said? "It is impossible for God to lie." So it's impossible for God to give a promise and then not come through on the promise because that would be lying. And this is the promise that He has made, eternal life.

Promise of eternal life. I have that promise. I hope you have that promise. And when you think about eternal life, when do you get eternal life? Is eternal life something you get the moment you die? I'm dead now and now I get eternal life. No. Eternal life is something you get the moment you believe. The moment you believe, you receive eternal life. Look what Jesus said in John 5:24. "Truly, truly I say to you."

"Truly, truly I say to you," you'll find that little phrase in the Bible in different occasions. Jesus would often use it, it's a little idiom, "Truly, truly I say to you," literally means, "Hey, this is really important, tune in right now because I'm getting ready to say something that you desperately need to know." "Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears my word and believes Him who sent me, has present tense, right now, eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."

The present tense of salvation. You have it right now. Jesus said, "It's not something you're going to get out in the future, you get it right now." Now, how long does eternal life last? For all eternity, right? Wasn't a trick question, "Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?" Grant. So, how long does eternal life last? It lasts for all eternity.

And you have it right now, life that lasts for all eternity if you are a true believer in Jesus Christ. So if you, who have eternal life, could lose that five years from now, what did you have? Five-year life. If you could lose it in 10 years, what did you have? 10-year life. If you could lose it in 50 years, what did you have? 50-year life.

If you could lose it, whatever it was, wasn't eternal, because eternal life that you have right now means it lasts for all eternity. And that's what God has promised to those who believe. Cornerstone and foundation stone number three. God has promised to complete what He has started in believers.

To complete what He's started. Look at Philippians chapter 1 and verse 6. Great verse. Paul says, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

Now, remember, God can't lie. He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Now, when did God begin a good work in a believer? The moment He comes in, He begins a good work in a believer. The moment He comes in to your life. Philippians 2 says, "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

God begins that work the moment you believe. He comes in by His Holy Spirit. You're sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. He comes in and He begins a good work. And see, salvation doesn't depend on you. You didn't get saved by anything you did. You know, Christianity is not spelled D.O., it's spelled D.O.N.E. Jesus did it all.

All you do is receive what He did. So you didn't do anything. You don't do anything to get saved. You don't work for salvation and you don't work to keep salvation. Salvation is a work of God. God was the convincer. He convicted your heart to show you that you are a sinner. God was the converter because He comes in and He converts you and He makes you alive. You become born again by His Spirit.

And God who's the convincer and God who is the converter is also the completer. And God completes the work of salvation. And the one who began a good work in you, He will, He will, He will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

How many in here have ever started something that you couldn't complete? Maybe it was a puzzle. I have started a puzzle I didn't complete. I've started a project I didn't complete. I started a degree that I didn't complete. I remember when I was in high school, my dad wanted to rebuild the engine on my Camaro.

And it sounded good for a while and we were going to do all this stuff, and then it became every weekend, I'm a junior in high school, and every single weekend for months, we're rebuilding the engine in the Camaro. Man, I had boxes of parts, just labeled carburetor, this part, that part. Had one little thing of bolts called miscellaneous. I didn't know where those went. After six months, we finally gave up. We couldn't do it anymore.

I had to box it all up, gave the miscellaneous bolts and put it all in this box, and we towed it out to a garage somewhere so they could fix it. I was a little nervous when I got the car back and they gave me the miscellaneous bolts thing back. Like, hey, those were on there. You needed those.

But we couldn't do it. And all of us can relate to starting a project that you can't complete. God has never started anything that He didn't complete. See, God's not like us. God doesn't throw in the towel. God doesn't say, "This is too hard. I quit. I give up. I can't do this."

No, the one who begins a good work in you, He will, He will, He will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. And Hebrews 13:5 says, "He will never leave you, nor will He ever forsake you." See, the going never gets too tough for the Lord where He says, "I'm out of here."

No, He's going to stick with you. When He comes in, He sticks with you forever until He can present you to the Father perfect in Christ. Foundation stone number four. Not only has God promised eternal life.