Baptist Distinctives: A Deep Dive into Eternal Security

No, that was good.

Amen.

One of my favorite songs.

We're just sinners saved by grace.

Amen.

I do again remind you tonight we'll kind of go over that a little more about our standing before God versus our state before God.

I'm thankful that before God, because I am in Christ, that I am.

My sins are gone.

They're gone.

My sinful record's been erased.

Christ's sinless record put in its place.

And really that is, if you can, if you would, the foundation of eternal security.

And so if you would, in your Bibles tonight, turn to Romans chapter 8.

We'll approach this a little different tonight.

This sermon is adapted from some of Brother Stewart's stuff.

So just to let you know, we have preached on eternal security many, many times.

And I do think to have a few verses written in the back of your Bible.

One of the main verses to be written in your Bible, John, chapter 10, verses 28 and 29, somewhere in the back of your Bible, put eternal security, John, chapter 10, verses 28 and 29.

And having to deal with no man can pluck us out of the Father's hand.

I and my Father are one, Jesus said, and we know that, that once we are saved, once you accept Christ as your Savior, you are always saved.

And we're going to go through that again tonight.

But more from perspective of Romans chapter 4, Romans chapter 8, than maybe from the practical.

For instance, John 3:16 teaches eternal security, right.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth him should not perish.

But what have everlasting life?

Well, how long is everlasting?

You know, so practically, I mean, just some good practical verses to know and to be able to recite.

It's kind of like when somebody asks me, why do you use the King James Bible?

Why do you use the King James Version of the Bible?

And my first response usually is, because I believe it to be the most honest translation.

And nine times out of 10, that's the, you know, the conversation ends there.

But there is so much more.

And so I have the other outline text tongues and translators that I will go through with somebody who wants to know more and delve into it.

Well, that's kind of the way this is tonight.

If somebody was to ask you, why do you believe that when you got saved that you will never lose it?

That we do believe, once saved, always saved.

In fact, as Baptists, many times we get made fun of that.

We get made fun of because of that.

And so what is your answer?

And so again, John 10.

And just to take them to some simple verses.

And most of the time that's all you need to do.

But the foundation of it is really justification.

And that is when I got saved, my sins were forgiven, just justified.

Remember justification?

When I was a kid, I learned the definition was just as if I had never sinned.

When I got saved, my sins were forgiven.

And it was just as if I had never sinned.

But see, justification is so much more than that.

Justification is not only having your sins forgiven, having your sinful record erased, but Christ sinless, His law fulfilling life, his 33 and a half years of law.

Sinless, lawful life.

Sinless, his sinless life.

Put in your sinful records.

Place again.

Brother Stewart said it while he was here.

It's about again, my bank account was.

I was negative in my bank account when I was born in this world.

I was born a sinner.

My bank account, very negative.

And it just kept getting more and more negative as I sinned more and more and more.

But when I accepted Christ as my Savior, my bank account was not only brought up to even, but he put money in the bank.

Because not only was my debt forgiven, but Christ's again, His sinless record was put in his plate.

I got money in the bank.

And there's so many illustrations for that.

But look at Romans chapter 8 with me.

Read verses 1 through 8.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

And we don't have time tonight, even though he gave me five extra minutes.

Romans chapter one.

Paul says there is no excuse for someone not understanding and knowing that there is a God.

And he says the heaven, you know, they are willingly, willfully ignorant.

In other words, they, they are denying God's existence because they willfully do so in order not to be subject to him, not to be accountable to him.

That's it.

And not only that, but the immorality, you know, again, all those things found in Romans chapter one and then in Romans chapter two, there's an interview basically of three or four different people or classifications of people.

The religious person, the societal, you know, elevated person, the Jewish person, and then the pagan person.

And Paul says all of them are guilty before God.

The pagan is guilty before God.

The religious person is guilty before God.

The Jew is guilty before God.

Because then chapter three tells you why.

Because all are sinners.

Doesn't matter whether you're religious, doesn't matter whether you're a Jew, doesn't matter whether you're a pagan.

We are all for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Romans chapter three and then Romans chapter four and five.

I'm saying, I'm giving the outline anyway.

Romans chapter four and five.

It illustrates for us that Abraham and David were saved by grace through faith.

How was David saved?

How was Abraham saved?

And then chapter six.

Once you get saved, I'm thankful.

Romans chapter six is there.

You do not have to yield yourselves as an instrument of unrighteousness.

You've been saved not only from the penalty of sin, but Romans 6 says you're saved from the power of sin.

You've been given power over sin.

What shall we say then?

Shall we continue in sin that grace should abound?

God forbid.

How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer?

Therein again we don't have to live in sin anymore.

We've been given victory when we can have victory over sin through the Holy Spirit, through the Lord Jesus Christ, the grace he gives us.

That's Romans 6, Romans 7.

Y'all know what that one is, right?

Paul is saying as he said, you know, salvation is through grace, through faith.

That's the way Abraham got saved.

That's the way that David got saved.

And we no longer have to be subject or in slavery or in bondage under the power of sin.

We've been given power over that.

In chapter seven, Paul says, the things that I would do, those are the things I don't do.

The things that I should do, those are the things I don't do.

And he just says, there's a war within my members.

Romans chapter 7.

Alright, so you get set.

You realize you're a sinner.

You, you get saved.

You've been given power over the penalty of sin, the power of sin.

And now there's a war going on inside of you.

Because that old man, the new man, are just.

They're fighting it out.

The old nature of the new nature, however you want to express it, are fighting it out.

And so Paul said that war.

But he said at the end of chapter seven he says, but I thank God who hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

And that's why he starts chapter eight with now.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

In other words, I'm not condemned anymore.

My sins have been forgiven, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his.

In other words, we can't keep the law.

The law was given to show us that we can't keep it.

The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.

God sending his Son, his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and of sin, condemned sin in the flesh.

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Spirit, but after the flesh.

After the Spirit.

Sorry.

Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Verse 5.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after.

After the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God.

For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be so.

Then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.

If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

Now, if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Everybody see that.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin.

The Spirit, the Holy Spirit is life because of righteousness.

But if the Spirit notice again capital S Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, we could go on and on.

Chapter eight is talking about again that the flesh and the Spirit.

And now we have the Holy Spirit inside of us who enables us to overcome the flesh.

To overcome the flesh, you do not have to be subject under the flesh.

You don't have to be in slavery to the flesh.

You do not have to be bondage to the flesh.

You can overcome it through the Holy Spirit, through the Spirit of God.

I'm so thankful for that.

So the Baptist distinctives are a collection of biblical truths unique to Baptist.

Be careful.

I'm saying it that way for a reason.

I'm not saying.

Here's what I'm not saying.

I'm not saying there's not other denominations and other churches out there that teach parts and even maybe most of these truths.

But the collection of these 12 truths that we're going to be going over make Baptists unique.

Make Baptists unique in that we believe all 12.

All 12, because the Bible teaches all 12.

And so make sure you understand them.

We're not saying there's not other churches out there preaching the gospel or preaching even teaching eternal security.

There's others out there who believe that, but we're saying collectively as we go through this Baptist distinctives that it makes Baptists unique.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, Lord, as we come upon this important subject tonight, help us again to understand and to know and to cherish, Lord, the righteousness we received in your dear son, Jesus Christ.

We thank you and love you in Jesus name, Amen.

Our theme verse for this series is second Timothy, chapter two, verse two.

And Paul told Timothy, the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.

And again, the church has been given the responsibility to be sure that we pass on truth to the next generation.

We are caretakers of the truth, the truth of the Bible, the doctrines of the Bible, the teachings of the Bible, the teachings, the that are found in the Scriptures.

And those things that we've been taught, we're to teach those same things to the next generation.

The same, he says the same.

The same commit thou to faithful men who then can also teach the next generation those same truths.

The first truth we covered was the Bible.

The Bible is the singular, absolute, fully sufficient and final rule of faith and practice.

Again, it is the ultimate standard of truth and the ultimate standard when it comes to application.

So this is the final authority for everything in my life, for everything concerning the church.

This is the absolute and final, fully sufficient rule of faith and practice.

That was the first truth of the first Baptist distinctive that we covered.

The second one a few weeks ago was salvation.

Salvation from the wrath of God for our sins is by grace, through faith, solely in the person, life and work of Christ.

Amen.

Jesus said it himself, I am the way, the truth and the life.

No man cometh unto the Father but by me.

Again, the first one is the Word.

The second one is salvation.

And without the word of God, this Bible, the Scriptures, there can be no salvation.

By the word of God.

By the Word of God.

I'm thankful for the word of God.

Without it, there'd be no salvation.

Without Jesus Christ's life, death and burial and resurrection, we are without hope.

I believe Paul put it pretty good that in Corinthians that if there was no resurrection, our faith is in vain.

And then he said in verse 20, he said, but I'm glad I'm summarizing, but Jesus Christ did rise from the dead.

And so we believe and we know that Jesus Christ is the right hand of the throne of God.

Salvation is solely through faith, by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, it's only by grace through faith.

How do we know that?

Well, there's many illustrations of that in the Bible.

Maybe one of the most revealed one is the thief on the cross.

When Jesus Christ is dying there on the cross, two thieves beside him.

One of them, he said to him, today, thou shalt be with me in paradise.

Today he didn't go get baptized.

He didn't have to, you know, give, give money to the church.

No, he said, today again, baptism doesn't save you.

Good works do not save you.

Salvation is found solely in the person, life and work of Jesus Christ.

That's it.

Period.

It is the narrow way, the Bible says.

And sometimes we get called narrow minded because we believe that.

Well, I'm narrow minded and then believe that because that's what Jesus taught.

That's what he taught.

So today is eternal security.

So this is number three, number three of 12, eternal security of the believer.

And the phrase we usually hear with this is once saved, always saved.

Once saved, always saved.

We've been using that same expression forever.

And that is again by putting your trust in the works of Jesus Christ, we are therefore, or you are therefore kept according to 1 Peter 1:5, kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed at the last time.

We are kept.

Kept by the power of God through faith we are kept.

I'm so thankful that I know that when I was six years old, I accepted Christ as my Savior in first John.

John says that ye might know that ye have eternal life.

I'm thankful that I have a salvation that's not a hope so salvation, but that is a know so salvation.

I can lay my head down at night and go to sleep knowing that if I were to die in my sleep, that heaven would be my home.

Even though before I went to sleep I may have, you know, was eating too much and may have, you know, committed some kind of sin that has to do with eating.

And I know that when I go to bed, I'm still going to heaven.

In other words, if I sinned right before I went to bed, if I had a, if I did, if I did something or I said something or I thought something, there you go.

That would have been a sin that even though that happened right before I went to bed, right before I fell asleep, if I was to die, I know heaven would be my home.

The Bible calls that is what helps give us joy.

It's what helps us have joy as Christians.

So eternal security, everlasting life once and forever eternal forever again as we Think about this eternal security of the believer.

All right, so let's look at these words.

Eternal means forever.

I mean, that's pretty easy.

Christ's sacrifice has an eternal dimension to it.

Listen to this.

Christ's sacrifice on the cross has an eternal dimension to it.

And you'll know the verses when I mention them.

First Peter, chapter one, verses 18 through 20.

Forasmuch, as you know, I'm going to go ahead and turn over there.

Maybe it's been a while since you've seen these verses.

Look at one Peter, chapter one.

Give you two seconds to get there if you want to go there.

First Peter, chapter one, verses 18, 19 and 20.

All right, so again, the point here is that our salvation, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, has an eternal dimension to it.

Can I remind you that God lives outside of time?

God is not subject to time.

In Genesis, chapter one, verse one, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Time began.

Before that, there was no time.

One day there'll be no time.

Again, time will be over, and there will only be eternity.

So God put the first dot on the line, and he'll put the final dot on the line.

But God lives outside of time, so there's an eternal dimension to salvation.

So look at this.

First Peter 1:18.

Forasmuch, as you know, that you were not redeemed with corruptible things.

All right, so you're not purchased with corruptible things.

The silver and gold from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers.

So we're not saved by tradition, not saved by things received from our fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

What does that mean?

It means he was foreordained before the foundation of the world.

That he would die, that he would be buried and rise again from the dead before the foundation of the world.

Before time began.

Before time began, it was already in the mind of God that Christ would die and be buried and rise again from the dead.

You could say it this way.

It'll blow your mind, it blows mine.

And it's really hard to wrap your head around because there's no time with God.

Christ did die in eternity past.

He died in eternity future.

Because there's no time with God.

Boom, there you go.

It's hard for us to comprehend.

Someday get to heaven, Lord willing, be able to grasp it more.

So the sacrifice of Christ has an eternal dimension to it he was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world to God.

Again, Jesus Christ was made before the beginning of time.

And therefore remembering God is eternal.

He's outside of time.

So salvation must be eternal as well.

So salvation is eternal because the sacrifice that Christ made was eternal.

Good job, everybody.

Security.

So eternal security of the believer.

Security settled, fixed, locked.

Salvation is of the Lord.

It's secure because he is secure.

And once it's secured, it's forever.

In other words, God never changes.

He's always the same.

Next, the security of the believer.

All right, so again, the only one who has security is the one who believes.

The believer is one who puts their trust in Christ Jesus, who puts their trust in Jesus, that puts their trust in who he is and what he did for them.

Again, putting their trust in him and him alone.

His life, his death, his resurrection.

So we have the security of the believer, the security fixed, certain salvation once saved, always saved.

Again, one time reckoning.

A one time reckoning.

And based upon the merits of Christ, the merits of Christ, in other words, Christ is worthy.

The merits of Christ, in that he alone gave Himself for us, the God of the universe became flesh and our Creator died for us.

Thus the merits of Christ, our salvation is based upon him, his merit.

One time reckoning on the merits of Christ.

Salvation is secured by transferring our trust from any other source of salvation unto Christ and Christ alone.

Once saved, always saved.

Again, a lot of times we get made fun of that term because they will come back with, well, if you're once saved, you're always saved, then that gives you, you can live like you want.

Then if you can't lose it, then you could just live like you want to live.

You live how you want to live.

And of course we have to deal also with the radical grace movement that believes because of God's grace you can just live like you want and God's grace will cover it up.

So as we think about that, we think about again those important truths that no, that's not true.

Paul said that the grace of God is not a license to do what you want.

In fact, the grace of God was given to us that we might live a godly life that enablement the power of God, the power of the Holy Spirit.

That grace that saved us is the same grace that enables us to live a godly life, to live a life pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so when we think about that term, when somebody says to you, well, if you believe that, then you believe you could just live however you want to that's not the case at all.

Those who are truly saved will not live in habitual sin.

Will not live in habitual sin.

Those who are truly saved will not live in habitual sin.

I don't have the verse written down, but I had someone come to me with those.

There's a verse there that talks about how that those who live in adultery and fornication and drunkenness will not inherit the kingdom of God.

That's absolutely true.

Those who live in those, those who live in idolatry, those who live in adultery, those who live in fornication, those who live in drunkenness, who habitually live in those things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Why?

Because they're not saved.

Because as a saved, born again believer, you can't habitually live in those things.

I could also preach that from the book of John.

I could preach it from the book of James.

There's many other ways in which we could preach and teach that.

Again, James says, if you say you have faith, but that faith is shown by our works.

Jesus even said by their fruit, you shall know them.

And I know again, we have to be careful with that because God is the one who inspects the fruit.

Be careful about us inspecting the fruit, but understand that someone who lives in habitual sin, the Bible makes it clear they're not saved.

And that's the point of eternal security tonight.

Is this the point I'm making?

Is because you're saved, because you know Jesus Christ your Savior, you will not want to sin.

Why?

Why is that true?

Well, because Second Peter chapter one says you received a new nature when you get saved, when you really, when you accept Christ as your Savior, you receive a new nature.

And that new nature you received, it affects your actions because it affects your wants.

You don't want to sin.

And therefore you are constantly reminded of that by your nature, by your new nature, your new nature gives you new appetites.

New appetites.

I know when you first get saved, it's really evident when you first get saved, there's very much an evidence of a new nature and wanting to read the Bible and learn more.

And many times you'll see someone who either has just gotten saved or maybe they rededicated their life.

And man, you'll see the appetite change.

And man, they just start delving in the word of God.

They want to be here every service.

And man just see the fire burning.

I love that.

I think that's amazing.

Hope that's we ought to encourage that and we ought to all be on fire Amen.

Because we received a new nature and with that new nature we received a new appetite again.

We received a new disposition, the very nature of God.

Understand that when you got saved, the Holy Spirit came and indwelt you.

One preacher said, he said somebody asked him the question, well, how do I know if I'm saved?

He said, well, the preacher answered him, said, well, the Holy Spirit came and indwelt you.

And the preacher said to that man, he said, and something that big moves in, you're going to know it.

I'm just telling you that's true.

Something that big comes in and dwells you, you're going to know it.

Again, I'm not talking about a feeling or some emotional necessarily response, but I'm saying there's going to be a different one too.

And it's going to happen quickly.

Something that big moves in, it's going to make a difference in your life.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit brings about in our lives again that new nature brings about in our lives a new desire.

And that desire is a desire to do right, a desire to live right.

Again, notice how I'm phrasing it.

It's a desire.

Paul said, I have a desire to do right.

I don't always do right.

He says, and sometimes the things that I again, I should do, I don't do.

And the things that I shouldn't do, I do.

He said, there's a war in my members and man, they're just battling out and that's what happens.

But there is that want to, to do right.

How do I know I'm saved?

Because of the struggle, because of the struggle, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

What an amazing, amazing thing it is.

Also understand that Hebrews chapter 12 says that God loves his children and God will discipline his children.

And the discipline of our Heavenly Father on his children is one of the evidences that we are saved.

When we discipline our kids, we chastise them in order to get them back going the right direction.

God does the same for us when we are out of line, when we miss the mark, he is disciplining us to get us back on the right path.

And I will say to you, remind you, the Bible says there is a sin unto death.

I believe that that is applicable to Christians.

And that sin of the death is when you just come.

There can be a time where God says, okay, I've had enough, that's it.

Take you on to heaven.

That's a little negative, wasn't it?

I believe that's what The Bible says so.

When we are saved, we're always saved.

Once saved, always saved.

Why again?

Because that new desire we received, we understand and know that it's not a license to sin just because we say once we're saved, we're always saved.

No, because we'll want to do different.

We'll want to do right.

All right, then next we'll say that the role of God in salvation.

What is the role of the Godhead in salvation?

What is the role of the Godhead in eternal security?

Number one, the Father.

The role of the Father.

God the Father.

We see this in Romans 8, 9.

We covered this when we studied Calvinism.

But I'm going to go read it.

Romans 8:29.

Very familiar passage.

Well, at least 28 is.

I'll read verse 28 first.

And we know that all things work together for good.

To them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed into the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

So understand that God the Father's part in salvation and then our eternal security is that every believer is predestined to be conformed into the image, the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Again, we think about sanctification as God is working on us and molding us and shaping us into the image of His Son.

Ephesians chapter one.

We covered this also when we studied Calvinism.

Ephesians.

By the way, we're not Calvinists.

We are not Calvinists.

Ephesians 1:4:5 is not talking about God predestined who gets saved and who doesn't.

It's predestinating us to be sons of God.

In other words, to be heirs of God, to be joint heirs with Him.

So the sanctification includes the status of sonship.

Sonship.

There's a story told about a botanist who went to Africa somewhere and they were trying to find this rare flower and they spotted it down in a canyon, but they could not reach it.

So they saw a little boy.

And they asked the little boy, if they let him down in a rope, would he go down there and grab that flower and bring it back up to them?

I said it right for you.

Some of you flower and it brought it back up for them.

The boy ran off, but in a minute the boy came back to them and he had a man with him.

And the boy said, yes, I'll go down and get the flour.

As long as you let him and pointed to the man.

Hold the rope.

He said, that's my daddy.

He didn't trust them other guys, but he trusted his dad.

We ought to trust our Heavenly Father.

We are his children.

And so again, he's holding the rope.

No man can pluck us out of the Father's hand.

Nothing, according to Romans chapter 8.

If you read the rest of the verses, there can separate us.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.

And then the role of the Son, the role of Jesus Christ again.

Once saved, we have been redeemed and we have been forgiven.

We have been justified and we have been sanctified.

Sanctified.

All of these words, most of us who have been a Christian very long know may not quite understand them all.

But that is what Jesus Christ has done and is doing in our life.

Again, found in Ephesians 1:7, Romans 3, 25, Romans 5, 1 Colossians 2:13 and 1 Corinthians 1:2.

All four of these words I am thankful that I know that Jesus Christ is now at the right hand of the throne of God.

That Hebrews says that he is my great high priest who went in to the holy of holies in the heaven and gave his blood and sprinkled his blood on the mercy seat there.

Having obtained redemption for us, having obtained salvation for us through his blood, our sins have been forgiven.

Through the sacrifice that he made, our sins are forgiven.

And he now, as our great high priest and advocate.

What is that?

Well, it's a lawyer.

He's called alongside.

He's there advocating for us.

We use the illustration that when God looks down and he sees.

And again, this is.

It's just conjecture here.

As God looks down, he sees me.

He doesn't see my sins.

Or when I do sin, it would be Jesus who said, well, I died for Him, I shed my blood for Him.

His sins are under the blood.

He's our advocate.

Everybody with me.

Alright, so if you could lose your salvation, how good of an advocate is he?

That's a good question.

I never really thought of it this way.

If he's our great high priest and you can lose your salvation, then how good of a high priest is he really?

In other words, it would make him a failure as a high priest and a failure as an advocate.

I just never saw it that way.

Alright, you can write that down somewhere and think about that one for a little bit.

He is our great high priest.

I'm so thankful for that.

And then lastly the Holy Spirit again, all three of the Trinity involved in our salvation.

Titus, chapter three, verse five, speaks about and talks about.

He is the one who regenerates the believer.

John says that he's the one who seals.

And Ephesians says he seals the believer and then he indwells the believer.

And he does so forever.

Forever.

John 19.

Ephesians, chapter 1, Ephesians 4 speak about him being the earnest of our salvation, that he's the down payment.

It shows that the believer's been purchased.

What were we purchased?

With the blood of Jesus?

We've been purchased.

We've been sealed.

The earnest of that, the down payment of that is the Holy Spirit that indwells you.

And one day Jesus is coming back for his purchase.

He's coming back for what he bought.

And he left the Holy Spirit as a down payment.

Amen.

Isn't that good?

We take the Holy Spirit for granted.

He lives in you.

He lives in you.

What we lost in Adam, we find in Christ.

What demerits we received in Adam.

I like this analogy.

The merits of Christ replace, by the way, the merits of Christ.

It replaces those.

But neither one was ours.

None of our merit gets us to heaven.

None of our merit obtains salvation only through Christ.

Christ fully paid for our sins.

Christ.

I put it this way.

Christ was fully punished for all our sins.

Get this now.

If he is the sacrifice or the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, then he died not for just my past sins, but my present sins and my future sins.

And that's why David could say, blessed is a man whom God does not impute sin to.

In other words, when I sin, my legal standing before God, my righteous record before God does not change.

Doesn't change at all.

Because sin cannot be imputed to my account.

Hallelujah.

Because if it did, I would fail.

I would go to hell.

Because I can't live a life as Jesus lived.

But what did Jesus do?

He came and died in our place.

He died for our sins.

My sins were placed on him.

And he fully paid the price for my sins, past, present and future, for the sins of the whole world.

And because salvation is not based upon what I do, but based upon what he done.

I can't lose it because.

Listen.

Because sin can't be imputed to my account.

Because my account has already been filled and it's the righteous record of Jesus Christ.

Now, again, definitely a difference between my position and.

Practically, I'm still a sinner, saved by grace.

But I'm so thankful.

Positionally, before God, I am in Christ.

I know that's hard for us to wrap our head around.

But just got to think of it again.

If you had two pieces of paper out here, one had all your sins all written on it, and over here you had all the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

When I got saved, all these sins were erased.

And his record, his 33 and a half years of sinless record was, was put in the place of my sinful record.

And that is all that God sees.

Because in Christ Jesus, all my sins were paid for on the cross.

Either he was a substitute or he wasn't.

Either he truly died in my place or he didn't, but he did.

He died so that I wouldn't have to.

He paid the price.

He took the penalty so I wouldn't have to.

And he paid for those sins in full.

I've been born again.

By the way, you're born again.

You're born into this world physically one time, and you can only be born again spiritually one time.

Or else you'd have to be born again over and over and over again every time you sinned.

Doesn't make sense either.

Right.

So the analogy.

I did that on purpose.

So the analogy is we've been born again.

The analogy is a physical birth.

And why would we have to continue to be born again over and over and over again?

It wouldn't fit the analogy.

You can't be unborn either.

Wouldn't fit the analogy.

Right.

Abraham and David were saved by grace through faith.

Romans chapter 8, Romans chapter 4 and 5 make that very, very clear.

And once you're saved, you're saved forever.

You receive a new nature.

When you get saved, the Holy Spirit comes and indwells.

You become a child of God, join heirs with Jesus.

It wasn't earned, wasn't based upon our merit, wasn't based upon our works.

And because it wasn't, it's not.

You can't lose it.

When somebody asks me about again once, they'd always say, well, they say, well, you know, I believe I can lose my salvation.

Well then you're working for it.

If you believe you can lose it, then you're working to keep it.

My Bible says, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saves us for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourself.

It's a gift of God, not of works.

Lest any man should boast the imputed righteousness of Christ.

Imputed to my account.

I know a devil said, that is one of the greatest doctrines in the Bible.

And once you grasp, will help you to never, ever, ever question your salvation.

Talking about the joy of the Lord, the peace that passes all understanding.

A lot of that has to do with your confidence and your trust in knowing that you know that you know that you know that you're saved.

And I'm telling you tonight, if you're in a position where you don't know, maybe you are in a position tonight where you think so, but you don't know.

So you need to get that right.

You really need to get that right.

And many in the auditorium tonight would attest to that, that maybe they made a profession when they were a little kid and there were some questions about it.

And sometimes you get to thinking about those things.

Well, make sure you get it settled.

But once settled, it's settled forever.

You don't need to get saved two, three, four, five times.

You get saved one time, one time forever.

I would say to the crowd that believes you can lose your salvation, I will remind them that the Bible says that it's a sin to envy your neighbor.

Exodus, chapter 20.

The law makes it very clear, the New Testament expounds on it, that even our thoughts.

If we are to look upon a woman and lust after her, we've committed adultery in our heart.

In other words, our thoughts are also sin.

Can anybody go one day.

Can you go one day without a sinful thought?

And I'm not saying we could go without a sinful action, but maybe you could.

Maybe you could go one day without a sinful action, and I think that could happen.

But can you go one day without a sinful thought about, you know, the anger on the inside that you didn't let go out your mouth, but you had it on the inside.

No.

No, we can't.

We need a savior who would die and pay the price for our sins, even our sinful thoughts.

And they're under the blood of Jesus, the precious blood of Jesus Christ as a lamb without spot, without blemish, for all eternity.

Let's all stand.

We'll have a first invitation.

Hymn 159.

Jesus, I come after we pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for salvation.

And Lord, we thank you for the confidence we have in your son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life, shed his blood for us, was buried and rose again from the dead that we might have everlasting life.

I'm thankful that I can know that I'm saved.

I don't have to hope so.

I'm thankful that I'm saved for all eternity.

So thankful that I can lay my head down at night having peace and contentment knowing that if I was to die, heaven would be my home.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Lord, for that.

In Jesus name, amen.

As.