Salvation: Forever or Temporary?

 Salvation: Forever or Temporary?

Part One

If you knew that you had only one day to live, and then you would die sometime before midnight, would you not want to make sure that you would spend ETERNITY in heaven with the Lord? What if you were to die in less than a week, or a month, or even one year from now? You would surely want to know where you would spend eternity.

I have been blessed to see thousands come to Jesus Christ this year, but I have yet to have even one person, in any Country, say that they WANTED to die and go to hell. In fact, in 44 years I have only had two people say they were not afraid to go to hell, though they tried to convince me that they would have one continual party with their friends.

We know that we all are going to die. This is a given, unless we are blessed to be alive when Jesus Christ returns in the air for every Christian. I Thessalonians 4:17 reminds us, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Would you say to yourself, “It will be a time of Rejoicing in Heaven or will it be a time of immediate Regret, as you lift up your eyes in Hell? By the way, the Bible teaches that when a person dies they will immediately to heaven or hell.

Luke 16:22-23 “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

In II Corinthians 5:8 Paul speaks of the Christian’s departure at death. “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

Hebrews 9:27 says “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

The basis of going to Hell is found in John 1:11:” He came unto his own, and his own received him not..” All a sinner needs to do to miss heaven is to simply reject what Jesus Christ did in becoming their substitute and shedding His blood as the only payment for sin on their behalf.

The basis of going to Heaven is found in John 1:12: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” To receive eternal life one must receive by faith that which Jesus has done on the cross.

Romans 10:9-13 promises every sinner, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 6:23 is a Promise from God to every sinner that calls upon Him alone for salvation: “…but the gift of God is Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

How long is everlasting life?”

Everlasting life is life without end; it means it will never cease. The question each must ask of themselves is this, “Since I possess an eternal, never-dying soul, where do I want my soul to spend eternity? Do I want to live in a place where there is no sorrow, sickness, or sadness? Where is no poverty, pain, or punishment? Where there is nothing to fear, fight, or frustrate you? Or do you really want to live in a place of peace, purity, and purpose? A place where the streets are of pure gold, reunited with all saved loved ones, and to gaze upon the One that made it all possible, the Lord Jesus as He is sitting upon His throne? To go to a place where there is no more disease, discouragement, or death?”

Yes, God has promised many times in His Word that His salvation promise to us is that of everlasting life! If you can lose it, then it was only temporary. If you lose it, it was not “everlasting” and Jesus lied in John 3:16 and in dozens of other passages, which of course, it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie. Titus 1:2: “In hope of ETERNAL life, which God, that cannot lie, PROMISED before the world began.”

The question is not what did grandma say, or a preacher, or a neighbor, or even our Church. The question is “What does the Bible say?” No church, preacher, denomination, or Christian is being faithful to the Scriptures who teach otherwise.

Some churches sing, “Blessed Assurance.”

They sing, “When We All Get to Heaven.”

But these same churches don’t embrace eternal security!

• There is not one person in the Bible ever saved, then lost.

• There is not one principle that supports that false doctrine.

• There is not one preacher or prophet that ever taught it.

• There is not one picture that symbolizes losing salvation.

• There is not one precept or passage that teaches you can lose your salvation.

• There is not one provision for being saved again.

…but shall have…”

What the saved has is not just until you sin, but forever and ever!

John 3:36 – “He who has the Son has eternal life…” John 10:28 – “I give eternal life to them…” Notice the present tense in these verses.

God  repeatedly  gives  us  the  assurance  of  our salvation  in  His  Word  the  Bible:   In     II Corinthians 5:8 God says to the believer, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

On the other hand Jesus told of the rich man who died unsaved “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments” Luke 16:23. At the moment of a person’s death it is determined where they will spend eternity. Judgment for the lost is for the degree of punishment, but for the believers judgment is only for reward or the lack of it.

The Bible is perfectly clear that the true believer has eternity security, and just as clear as to the condemnation of those who reject God. It is misled men and churches who have falsely confused the matter.

What Did Christ Himself Say on Eternal Life

John 17:1-3, Jesus said this was life eternal. “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Verses 9-10 states seven times that believers are given to Christ, by God. Jesus made the point that believers are God’s, h so how can they be lost?    Verse 12 emphatically states clearly none are lost and that Jesus keeps His children saved!

“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” (John 17:12)

What does everlasting life mean?

It simply means that everlasting life that does not end. When does eternal life begin? When one receives it! John 3:16. says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Jesus said, believers are given eternal life and no one can pluck them out of My hand. It is God Himself that keeps the believers saved! That is His promise to those that believe!    John 10:27-29.

We have the testimony of the New Testament. If the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Savior, says once a person believes and is saved has eternal life, how can anyone call Him a liar and say that eternal life is not eternal life?

II Corinthians 5:6-8. “Therefore we are always CONFIDENT, KNOWING that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.”

II Timothy 1:12, Paul says to Timothy, “For the which cause 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 that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

Note Paul’s says he KNOWS, and is PERSUADED that GOD, (not Paul) would keep that which he had committed to Him. Paul believed God’s promises of salvation, and Paul accepted and committed his soul to God. Paul was absolutely sure he had been forgiven and was saved.

Paul knew too, that he was not sinless. He said “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world to save sinners; of whom I am chief”  I Timothy 1:15. He said he was the chief of sinners, yet God forgave him all his sins past, present and future the day that Paul believed.

Romans 8:1, God tells us through this passage, “there is therefore “NOW” no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. That word “now” is an important word. “Now” refers to the period after one believes, meaning after a person believes in Christ, there is no longer any condemnation. Why? Because God has forgiven him.

What a great absolute assurance God gives us in Romans 8:31-39.  “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:31-39).

I Peter 1:5 tells us it is God who keeps us saved, “Who are kept by the power of God, by faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” One is not said to be kept by his works in which we all fail, but by the power of God.

What is the basis of God’s accepting a person and forgiving him? Clearly, the scripture says it is based upon what Jesus Christ did on the cross. If a person by faith believes and receives Christ as their Savior…they receive eternal life and if it is eternal it cannot be lost. A person is not saved by any work or works they do and salvation is purely an act of God’s grace in giving the “gift” of salvation to those who will believe and accept it. Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Titus 3:5: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”