Eternal Security: Does It Matter?
I John 5:10-13
The Bible says that we are to have assurance about our salvation – to know that we are eternally secure in Christ Jesus. Many people trust Him and believe that they are saved, but worry that they could lose that salvation for some reason. Does it really matter if we are confident of our eternal security? It certainly does! Our security is the foundation upon which our faith is built.
When we receive Christ as our Savior, we are assured He saves from our sins. All of our past, present, and future transgressions are eradicated by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. However, if we think we can lose our salvation through some action of our own, then salvation is no longer based on finished work of Jesus. If our salvation were based on performance, how could we know when we had done enough to earn it? Or when we had lost it because we had over-sinned? Where is the line drawn if man is drawing it?
We sometimes fail to distinguish between salvation by faith alone and our conduct after we are saved. If we interject our goodness or right behavior into the equation, faith takes a backseat – suddenly we are trying to earn God’s love when we already possess it. Instead, salvation is based solely on Christ. We can therefore be assured of both our salvation and our eternal security.
Security does not give us license to sin. That would minimize Jesus’ sacrifice and cheapen God’s wonderful grace. When we disobey God, we face discipline, but our penalty is never exclusion from eternity with Him.
Daily Devotions with Dr. Charles Stanlley, InTouch Ministries