Chapter 6

VI. How Long Does Salvation Last?

What does God give us, temporary life — or eternal life?

Does God say that, for a while, as long as we meet His

shall never perish. Now either salvation is sure

and secure, or else God is a liar.

Note: We know that God is not a liar. The Bible says in Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that ____________ lie, promised before the world began.”

Some people say, “Oh, I know that no one can take me

out of the Savior’s hand, or out of the Father’s hand,

but if I sin, God will cast me out.”

Note: That is impossible according to John 6:37. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise ________ out.” God promises to NEVER cast anyone out who comes to Him. If He did, that would make Him a liar, and God is NOT a liar.

Other people say, “Oh, I know that God promises to

never cast me out, but I can fall out  on my own if I sin.”

Note: That is impossible according to John 6:39. “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should ________ ______________, but should raise it up again at the last day.” Now if you can fall out on your own, then God has lost you as one of His children. Once again, that would make God a liar, because He said that He will not lose one person that comes to Him for salvation. God is NOT a liar. His Word is truth.

Note: If a person is confronted with the truth of all these Scriptures, and still maintains that salvation can be lost, then he/she is calling God a liar, and is not truly saved. Such a person is trusting in a false works salvation — which is not salvation at all.

The diagram below shows that the belief that salvation

Jesus + My Faithfulness (does not =)  Eternal Life

If a person believes that HE can LOSE his salvation, then he is DEPENDING UPON HIMSELF and his own righteousness to be able to enter heaven one day. Do you see that that is a false works salvation? That is a dependence upon oneself and one’s own good works.

We have already seen that good works cannot save a person. Ephesians 2:8,9 said, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that NOT OF YOURSELVES: it is the gift of God: Not of __________, lest any man should boast.” If a person believes that salvation can be lost, and he ends up in heaven, then he could boast when he got there, that he had been good enough throughout his life to be worthy of heaven. That would be saying that Ephesians 2:8,9 is teaching a lie.

If a person cannot save himself (and he cannot),

then why would he be foolish enough to think that

he could ever keep himself saved?

Note: The people in Galatia were teaching the same error, that you had to trust Christ — plus keep the law to be saved. Listen to what was written to them in Galatians 2:21. “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in ________.”

If your works has anything to do with you getting to heaven, then Jesus died for nothing. His death on the cross would have all been in vain.

Listen in further, as the Galatian people are rebuked for their false doctrine, in Galatians 3:1-3: “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the __________?”

He goes on to say in Galatians 4:20, “I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in __________ of you.” He was doubting whether these people were truly saved, because of their teaching of good works plus Jesus to keep saved. He knew if that was what they believed, they were not even really saved at all. Galatians 5:4 says, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are ____________ from grace.”

BEWARE!

Those groups that teach you can lose your salvation

always teach that you can get it back — but that is not so.

Hebrews 6:4-6 teaches “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto ____________________; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” If a person says that salvation can be lost, then he is putting Christ to shame — he is saying that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was not enough to save a person and keep him saved.

If you could lose your salvation,

then there would never be a way to get it back again.

Why? Because if Jesus’ one sacrifice on the cross was not enough to save you eternally (save you and keep you saved), then there would only be one other option — put Jesus back on the cross to die again. God is not going to send His Son to go through all of that shame, reproach, and suffering again. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened… If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

True Salvation

Notice the difference between this diagram and the

previous one. This diagram shows that a person’s own

good works have nothing to do with salvation, but that it is

a total faith  in Jesus, and in His sacrifice alone, to save us

and to take us to heaven one day. The reason that many

because they are partly trusting in themselves.

Jesus + Faith In Him Alone = Eternal Life

REVIEW:

1. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ______________________ life.” (John 3:16)

8. If you could lose your salvation, it would be ____________________ to ever get it back.

Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Final Test   Liberty Bible Course Directory