(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

I want to preach this morning on the topic of eternal security, or what is often referred to as once saved, always saved. And as Baptists, and a faithful word especially, we believe that once a person is saved, once a person has come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, that they can never lose that salvation. That we are what's called eternally secure in Christ. That once we're saved, there's nothing that we can do, there's no reason that God would ever reject us, there's no way that we could ever not go to heaven once we're saved. We believe that salvation is a free gift, it's something that's given to us freely, it's something that we receive through faith in Jesus Christ alone. And that once we receive that free gift of eternal life, it's ours forever, it can never be taken away. Whether it be by our own actions, or by the actions of another, that we are what's called eternally secure, or what critics would call once saved, always saved. Again, once saved, always saved might be a term that was given us as a criticism, but that's a term that we embrace, that we will say, yes, that in fact is indeed what we are. We believe that once you are saved, you are always saved. That's something that they can go ahead, that's a label that we would embrace and allow them to lay upon us gladly, because that is the truth of the word of God. Now people who would criticize this doctrine, they have certain passages that they like to go to, certain places in the scripture that they like to turn to, to try and trim people up, try to confuse them, and I want to just address a few of them. I won't go into all of them, and I necessarily won't even try to address some of the ones that are the most prevalent, or ones that might be the most difficult to understand in what they're trying to say. But these are some of the ones that I've heard others go to right away, these objections. And I just want to address a couple of these objections, and they shore us up on this doctrine of eternal security, that once we're saved, we are always saved. This is not something that is a doctrine that's up for grabs, it's not a doctrine that we can compromise on. If you do not understand this doctrine, if you reject this doctrine, you yourself are not saved. And that's something that we understand. That's why when we go so many, it's so important that we emphasize the fact that once we're saved, we're always saved. And we'll see why here in a little bit. And let me just say this, you know, this is not something that I was taught when I received salvation, this isn't something that somebody went into when they opened up the word of God and showed me how to be saved. But I'll say it this much, it was something that I instinctively understood, you know, when I never even questioned the idea of, well, maybe you could lose it, that never came up. And when I finally heard of somebody bringing, I can't remember when or when I heard of it, it was shortly after I got saved, somebody brought up maybe about how maybe a person could lose their salvation. And I began to wonder about that. But my instincts were, that can't be right, because I already understood that salvation was a gift. And I said, that doesn't sound right to me. And looking back, I can see that that's the, that was actually the spirit bearing witness of my spirit guiding me and leading me to all truth. And when I heard that error, that spirit of error, somebody saying, hey, it could be possible for a Christian to lose their salvation, the spirit within me, the Holy Spirit said, that's not right. I instinctively knew there was something not correct about that doctrine. I couldn't go and show you how they were in error, how it is that they were wrong. But I wouldn't listen to preaching, I got in the word of God, and sure enough, it shored me up and said, you know what, I was right. My instincts were correct. The spirit, bear witness of my spirit, and it's just as I thought. You cannot lose your salvation. And so I just want to address, and people, and it's important we go through over this, and you know, this is a doctrine that most people have down. This is a doctrine that most people understand. But it's possible that people can get tripped up on this, and that we need to be reminded of these things. And if it's something that we already know, maybe one day, we'll come across somebody who is struggling in this area. Or maybe it'll be something, and we can help them, or maybe it'll be something that we could use out so many, and we might run into somebody who's trying to teach us that, who would object to this doctrine of being one safe, always safe. You know, they might open up a door, and you might find somebody saying, hey, you guys are preaching lies. Hey, you guys, and let me tell you something, the people that oppose this doctrine, they can, there are some that are very militant about it. And they get very, they're very vehement in opposing this doctrine from the word of God. Now, one of the first places I've seen them turn is there in Galatians chapter five, okay? Galatians chapter five, look at verse four. The Bible reads in verse four, Christ has become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace. And I'd like to focus in on that last phrase there, it says, ye are fallen from grace. They'll say, see, it's possible for somebody to fall from grace. And then they'll translate that term, fallen from grace, into it's possible for somebody to lose their salvation. And they'll say there in the first part, they'll say, Christ has become of no effect unto you. And often these people that are mixed up on this doctrine, they're not King James only. In fact, the person I heard espousing this false doctrine was using a new King James. And this is just a great proof of the fact of why we need to be King James only, because these modern versions are changing words. They're changing the meaning of the text of the word of God. For example, this verse in the new King James reads like this, ye have become, you have become estranged from Christ. So instead of it saying Christ has become no effect unto you, it's saying you have become estranged from Christ. Now who's the one that's become estranged? Is it Christ? According to them? No, it's you. And there's a false version that says you have become estranged from Christ, not Christ has become of no effect unto you. So it's something that we're doing, right, that we're causing to come about, right, according to this false version. And notice also it says in there, it says that they have become estranged. Now that's a, now estranged is kind of a strange word to use in that verse, and try to use, because they'll say, well a stranger means cut off, means that you were, you know, you lost your salvation, you were cut off. Well that's not what estranged means. Estranged means that you've become, you know, distant from somebody. You know, a man can become estranged from his wife, or from his children, or vice versa, we can become estranged from people that we have relationships with, we can lose affection. So that's not what this verse is teaching, first of all, when it uses that word estranged. But that's what they'll use, but they're really trying to drive it in, and they'll say, well it says there that you have fallen from grace. See there, a person can lose their salvation. But we have to stop and think about this verse for a minute. Who is it that has fallen from grace? The verse tells us exactly who it is. Who are the people that are fallen from grace? It says, Christ has become of no effect unto you. Whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace. So if we're attempting to be justified by the law, yes, we are fallen from grace. And I want to point out the fact that it says ye are fallen from grace. Not you will fall from grace, but that ye are fallen from grace. Why? Because you're trusting in the law, and not in Christ, you're not trusting in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. So how is one justified by the law? How is one justified by the law? Well by keeping the commandments, by living a good life, by doing the right thing. So it's ironic that these people turn to the very passage that condemns them, and try to debunk this, and try to argue against this doctrine of eternal security. They say they turn here, and this verse condemns them. They're the ones who are trying to be justified by the law. They're the ones who are trying to keep the commandments. They'll say, oh yeah, you've got to believe in Christ, but after that, man, you've got to walk the walk, you've got to be in the Bible, you've got to be in church, you've got to get baptized, you've got to keep the commandments, you've got to do all these works. You're trying to be justified by the law. That's the person that's fallen from grace, not the person who believes that once you're saved, you're always saved. The person who's continually and always trusting in the shed blood of Jesus Christ is the person who's always saved. They're not trusting in themselves, they're not trusting in the law. They're not falling from grace, nor could they fall from grace. You see, the opponents that once saved, always saved, they are those that would justify themselves. Turn over to Titus chapter 2, keep a book from there and then Galatians, but turn over to Titus chapter 2. Titus chapter 2, beginning in verse 11, I'll read to you, Titus 2, 11, where the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Now does it say we must? It says the grace of God hath appeared unto all men, that bring salvation, right? And what does it teach us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly. Does it say we must in order to receive that salvation, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and our savior, Jesus Christ. Verse 14, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity. From all iniquity, meaning whatever iniquity you've committed in the past and will in the future. Because here's the thing, we still have the flesh to deal with every single day. Our new man is inward. The old man, the flesh, we still dwell in this vessel that's made of clay. We're going to slip up, we have feet of clay, it's possible we're going to commit sin. That's why the grace of God is the fact that he redeemed us from all iniquity and purified unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Look over at Titus chapter 3, look at verse 3. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving to diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. So it says that the kindness and love of God our savior toward man appeared, how? Not by works of righteousness which we have done. We didn't bring about the kindness and love of God by our own works, it appeared by God's own grace. And it goes on and says, not according to the works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy. God was merciful to us, God was gracious toward us when the kindness and love of God our savior toward man appeared. It wasn't because we were so great that God decided to love us. Not by works of righteousness which we have done. You know there's a comma there at the end of verse 4. So it's showing us there, look, the reason God's love and grace toward man appeared, it's not because of our own good works, but why is it? But according to his mercy, God was merciful when he sent the savior. But according to his mercy he saved us by the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our savior, that being justified by his grace. We're justified by grace, we're not justified by the law. So if we're trying to keep the law, if we're trying to keep the law, then the grace of God is made of no effect unto us. Christ is of no effect. Because we're saying, I don't need the grace of God. I don't need the mercy of God. I'm going to keep the commandments, I'm going to be justified by the law. And it says that we are justified by his grace, that we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Go ahead and turn over to Ephesians chapter 1, Ephesians chapter 1, look at verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein yet made us accepted and beloved in whom we have redemption by our works. No, that's not what it says. In whom we have redemption by living a good life. No. In whom we have redemption by keeping the commandments. No. In whom we have redemption through his blood. How are we going to be redeemed today? How are we going to go to heaven today? How are we going to know that we're going to be saved? Because of the fact that we're saved through the blood of Christ. That was what redeemed us. The forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. We're saved by grace. We're redeemed by the blood of Christ, not by keeping the commandments. Not by trying to keep the law. Turn back to Galatians. See, if we're trying to justify ourselves by the law, then we say, you know what, I don't need the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ is insufficient for me. That's what you're saying when you're saying you're going to be justified by the law. You're saying that the precious blood of Christ is of no effect to you. It cannot purge you from all iniquity. It cannot save you from all of your sins. There's something that you have to do. See, these opponents of once saved, always saved. Those that would tell you that it's not enough to just put your faith and trust in Christ alone, but that you also must live a good life. You must, as they like to say, not make it practice of sinning. They'll tell you that what they're really doing, they won't say this, but what they're really doing, they are those that would justify themselves. That's what they're trying to do. They're trying to justify themselves in their own righteousness. They're saying, Christ is made of no effect. The blood of Christ is not enough to redeem me from all of iniquity. They're saying, I'm going to justify myself. I'm going to play my part in salvation. Go ahead and turn over to Romans chapter 10. The Bible is very clear that salvation is a free gift. That it's something that we receive through the grace of God, and that once God gives it to us, it's ours forever. That we cannot lose our salvation. Romans chapter 10 verse 3, speaking of these people that would justify themselves in the sight of God. Romans chapter 3 verse 3, for they being ignorant of God's righteousness. When a person is going to tell you that the righteousness of Christ, that the shed blood of Christ was not enough to purge you from all iniquity, I'm going to tell you that that person is ignorant of God's righteousness. They're ignorant of the fact that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, perfect, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, who gave his own self for our sins. Who bear our own sins and his body. The Bible says that they are ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness. They want to establish their own righteousness before God. They say, God's righteousness is not enough for me. You could lose your salvation if you don't live the life, if you don't keep the commandments, if you sin. Therefore I'm going to stop sinning. Therefore I'm going to keep the law. Therefore I am going to keep the commandments. I am going to be a good and noble and upright person and I am going to establish my own righteousness in the face of God and deny his own righteousness. They have not submitted themselves under the righteousness of God. If you think that there is something you have to add to the salvation, that you have to play a part beyond just believing and trusting in Christ that the Bible clearly teaches, then my friend, you are establishing your own righteousness before God and you have not submitted under the righteousness of God. You've said, Jesus Christ is not enough for me. You haven't submitted it to that and trusted that by faith. The Bible says that, verse 4, for Christ is the end of the law to everyone that believeth. When you believe in Christ and you put your trust in him, the law is ended. It has no more power over you. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, the man which doeth those things shall live by them. Right? You should keep your part in place in Galatians chapter 3, turn back there if you would. So yeah, you can be saved by the law. It's true. You can keep the righteousness of the law. That's what Moses said. Reference back to Leviticus chapter 18. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, what did he say? The man which doeth those things shall live by them. Right? Galatians chapter 3, verse 11. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident. No man is justified by the law in the sight of God. Why? Because the law condemns us. When the law came, sin revived and I died. The law is our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, teaching us that we are sinners. We're condemned under the law. The Bible says that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident. For the just shall live by faith. Right? We're going to live, we're going to live by faith, trusting that God is going to provide some better way for us than the law. The Bible says in verse 12, and the law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live in them. You know, if you want to keep the law, guess what, you have to keep the whole law. You have to do it all. And you can't offend at one point. That's why it says in James chapter 2, for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offended one point, he is guilty of all. So they that would establish their own righteousness, they that would not submit themselves to God righteousness, but go about to establish their own and keeping the law, they have to understand something that they have to keep the whole law. That if you offend at one point, you're guilty of all. That's why the just shall live by faith and not by the works of the law. And in Galatians, look at chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2 verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law. Well I believed in Christ, but also, you know, I never committed adultery on my wife. I never drank, I was never a drunkard, I wasn't, I'm not a fornicator. Well that's great, but you know what, you're not justified by the works of the law. I mean, is that what it takes, that's your minimum for getting into heaven, not committing adultery, not committing murder, not being a drunken fornicator? Well good job buddy, nice work. That's a proud, ignorant, and arrogant statement. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law. People that would go around and say, well I'm justifying myself by the works of the law, they are arrogant people. They're establishing their own righteousness. A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law. By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. And that's what these people, these critics of one saint always say, that's exactly what they're doing. They are trying to justify themselves by the works of the law. They will pay lip service. They will say, oh yeah, you've got to believe in Christ, but then they'll tag on something else. They've received Christ, and that's all by grace, but now you have to work to keep it. Now you have to work to not lose that. That's why they're an influence of once saint, always saint. Because we believe, the Bible teaches, that once you're saved, there's nothing you have to do to keep it. You're sealed, you're redeemed, you're a new creature in Christ, it's once for all. Verse 17, but if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are also found sinners. It is therefore Christ, the minister of sin, God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ, none the less I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me in the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God. He's like, I'm not going to cast shade on the grace of God. I'm not going to downplay the grace of God. I'm going to submit myself to the righteousness which is of God. For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Look if you can keep your own, if you can work your way to heaven, why did Christ even have to die? Why did he have to go to the cross and bear that humiliation, that pain, that agony? Why did his soul have to descend out into hell for three days and three nights? Why did he have to be forsaken of the Father? Why did he have to go through all that? Why did he have to be dead in vain? If keeping the law is what gets you to heaven, it's not what gets you to heaven. The law is what condemns you. For I through the law am dead to the law. So they'll say, yeah we know, we trust that Jesus, they'll tell you all the right things at the beginning. They'll say, yeah Jesus Christ died for your sins. Well let me ask you something, how many sins did Christ die for? Just the sins that before you were saved, or did he die for all of your sins? Did Christ just die for certain sins, or a certain amount of sins, or the sins during a certain time of your life, I mean it's confusing. And these opponents of once saved, always saved, these people that would oppose us in this doctrine, they want to help Christ with their salvation. That's what they're doing. They're saying, oh Jesus, let me help you with that getting me to heaven part. I'm glad you came to heaven, I'm glad you walked this earth as a man and went through the trials and temptations of this earthly flesh and strove against sin unto blood, but I'm sorry, unfortunately that wasn't enough. So here, let me help you. That's what they're trying to do. Like yeah, thank you for dying for me on the cross, now let me do my part to make sure that I can get to heaven. You did your part, Jesus, let me do my part. That's wicked, friend, because what they're doing is they're downgrading the power of God's grace and his blood and his forgiveness. Look at Colossians chapter 2. These people, they want to help God with their salvation by not sinning. They want to say, oh, that's it, once you're saved, you won't sin anymore, and if you sin, you've fallen from grace. Colossians chapter 2 verse 6, as ye have therefore received Jesus Christ the Lord, so walk ye in him. Now, let me ask you something right there. How did you receive Christ? By faith, right? So how are you to walk in him? By faith. Nothing changes. Rooted and built up in him, established in the faith as he had been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving, beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. For in him dwell all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are, present tense, complete in him. We're already complete in Christ, completely saved. We got everything we need to go to heaven, which is the head of all principality and power, in whom also ye are circumcised, the circumcision made without hands, and putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Verse 13, and you, being dead, were in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him. How many sins did Jesus die for, having forgiven you all trespasses? All trespasses. All the sins I ever have committed, all the sins I'm going to commit today, all the sins I'm going to commit tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that, until I die. He died for all of those trespasses, not just some of them. And the person that will tell you that Jesus Christ didn't die for all your sins is doing disservice and is insulting the blood of Christ, to say that his sins, what he went through, what he suffered, and his precious blood wasn't enough to forgive me from all trespasses. He's forgiven you all trespasses, all the sins you will ever commit, because again, we're going to commit sin. Friend, the thought of foolishness is sin. So never think another foolish thought, and if you make a practice out of it, and believe me, there's plenty of you out there that do, right? They make a practice of being foolish, saying foolish things, doing foolish things, they're practicing sin. You'll never make it. If us living a perfect life or living a good enough life were enough to get us to heaven, we would never make it. That's why Christ had to forgive us of all trespasses. All trespasses, past, present, future. Turn over to Hebrews chapter 10, Hebrews chapter 10. I'll read to you from Hebrews chapter 10, just turn to Acts 8. The Bible says in Hebrews 10, we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. Amen. Even one slave always said, people would say, amen, we are sanctified by the body of Jesus Christ. But they forget about this next little phrase that's on there at the end, once for all. He died for all of our sins, one time, for all of them. He's forgiven us all of our trespasses, after that he offered one sacrifice for sins forever, and sat down on the right hand of God. He offered one sacrifice, once for all, and forgave us all trespasses. Friend, there's nothing I could do to lose my salvation. Not because I'm just wanting to go out and commit sin, but because that's not why we teach this, so we can go live an immoral life. It's because that's what the Bible teaches, that Jesus Christ died for all of our trespasses, and died for all of our sins. That's how we can know we're saved, once for all. Because Christ died once for all. We'll move on to the next objection there, it's in Acts chapter 8. The next objection that I've heard these people who oppose once saved, always saved, they'll turn to a story in the Bible. And again, what are some of the first principles of Bible study? First of all, we should be very careful we're just reading a story to get our doctrine. Stories, when the Bible just tells us a story, that doesn't mean necessarily everything that was done in that story was correct. We have to use discretion and discernment, and we have to make sure we're understanding correctly. That's one of the first principles of Bible study. Be careful when you're dealing with someone who's getting their doctrine from a story. They're saying, well this is what happened in the Bible. Well yes, that's what happened. The Bible teaches us a lot of things that happened, doesn't mean that's what we're supposed to do, or base our doctrine on. Acts chapter 8, we'll begin in verse 9, of course this is when Saul comes into the city, and it says in verse 9, there was a certain man called Simon, which before time in the same city, used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one, and to him they had regard because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries, but when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Verse 13 is important. Now again, principle of Bible study, who's speaking here? The narrator, the person through whom the Holy Spirit is speaking, or is it the narrator is telling you what somebody said? No it's the narrator that's telling you what happened, not saying what somebody said. It says there, then Simon himself believed also. Now what does a person have to do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. For whoso shall believe in their heart and confess with thy mouth, shall be saved. So Simon here, it's the narrator of the scripture, it's saying that Simon himself believed also. It doesn't say that Simon feigned this belief, it doesn't say that Simon decided to go along with the crowd, it says that Simon himself believed. Also I believe that Simon the sorcerer got saved, that he was a saved man at this point in the scripture, and remained saved. And when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and wondered. So Philip was convinced enough of the fact that this guy was saved that he went ahead and baptized him. I would hope that when we're baptizing people we're checking out their salvation to some minimal degree, which isn't hard to do, hey what does a person got to go to heaven, hey once he got it can you ever lose it, it's not that hard to check somebody out. So Philip was convinced enough that he went ahead and baptized this guy. Well it doesn't say he baptized him, but we can assume that he continued with Philip. You know, minor detail, but he was baptized. And wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. So he continues with Philip and he sees Philip doing all these great miracles, all these great wonders. Now there were certain things that only apostles could do, certain signs that would follow the apostles. That's what he's beholding, these great miracles and these signs which were done. Now when the apostles which at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God they said unto them, Peter and John, who when they were come down prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost, for as yet he was fallen upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost. So Simon, this guy, the sorcerer, he's there seeing all this. That's why it says that when Simon, verse 18, and when Simon saw that through the laying on the hands of the apostles, of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money saying, give me also this power that on whom whosoever I lay hands may receive the Holy Ghost. So he's saying, wow, this is really cool what you guys are doing. You guys are giving people the Holy Ghost. I want to do that too. You know, just the first thing that comes to this guy's head on how to do it, he just offers them money. Hey, hey, hey, if I give you, how much do you want in order for me to be able to do that? It's him, he doesn't understand this. It's a new convert. This is somebody who's just gotten saved. Just gotten baptized. He's a babe in Christ. And not yet, what he's doing isn't right, doesn't make him unsaved, doesn't mean that he lost his salvation. But they'll say, well yes he does, if you read it on scripture it makes it very clear. But Peter said unto him, verse 20, thy money perish with thee. You see that? He told them to go to hell. Is that what Peter said? Now first of all, again, one of the first principles of the Bible study, who said that? The narrator, or is that the narrator, the Holy Ghost speaking? Or is that the narrator, the Holy Ghost telling us what Peter said? That's what Peter said, doesn't mean that he was right, it's just what Peter said. He said thy money perish with thee. You want to say see? He told him that he was unsaved. No he said thy money perish with thee. And what people need to understand, that yes there's perishing in the sense of going to hell. But guess what happened when Jesus cast the pigs, the demons, into those herd of swine when he healed the demoniac. The Bible says they ran down the hill into the sea, and what did they do there? They perished. Doesn't mean the pigs went to hell, it means their body perished. Is he saying take your money to hell? He can't take anything with you when you leave this world. He's saying look, you know what, your money perished with you. It's a rebuke. When you see what he's saying, he's saying your heart's not right. He goes on and says this, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God, verse 21. He says thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Now does he think that the gift of God is salvation there? No, he's saying the gift of being able to lay your hands on somebody and give them the Holy Ghost, which is something that was given to the apostles to do. But thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, because you're not an apostle, Simon. You're not one of the twelve, you're not one of the seventy, you're not those that saw Christ before and after his resurrection. You weren't there. You're not an apostle. Thou hast no part in this lot, neither part nor lot in this matter. And he goes on and says for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. See if our heart isn't right, if we live a wicked life, if we do bad things, God, it very well means that our flesh perishes. The Bible teaches that, we're going to look at it a little bit later. It doesn't mean that we're going to go to hell. That's not what this passage is saying. He goes on and says, repent therefore of this thy wickedness. Is it possible for a saved Christian to repent after they've been saved? Yes. It's something that we should endeavor to do daily. People think of this idea that we're against repentance. We're all for repentance. We should repent of sin. We should repent of our laziness. We should repent of whatever the sin it is in our life. If we're drinking, you need to repent. Not for your salvation, but so that your flesh doesn't perish, so that God doesn't judge you. And he goes on and says this, and to them this is just it. This sums it up. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. Now does that say, is that Peter saying, I perceive that thou art not saved? Is that what Peter said? No. And again, remember, it's Peter speaking. Now I believe Peter was right that this guy was in the gall of bitterness, but why was he in the gall of bitterness? You have to remember who Simon was, okay? We just read about it in this chapter. Simon, verse 9, there was a certain man called Simon before time in the same city used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out himself that himself was some great one. So you have to remember that Simon was a guy who in the eyes of the people had a lot of power. He was very lifted up in the eyes of the people. He was perceived as a great one. That's why it says in verse 10, to whom they all gave heed from the least even to the greatest. Even the lowly, whatever, the lowly guy, even under the people in the city council, from the garbage man to the mayor, they all said this man is the great power of God. That's the prestige. That's the persona. That's what Simon had when he got saved. And these guys come to town, these apostles, and they start laying hands on the holy, giving the people are getting saved. They're saying, yeah, forget about Simon. We believe these guys and they're forgetting about Simon and Simon sees all these people go and get saved and get baptized and he's losing all of his prestige and he's no longer this great one. He's no longer the great power of God anymore. Now he's just another guy, just like them. And you know what? It could very well be, whether he knew it or not, but Peter was able to perceive, look, the reason you want to be able to do what we're doing is because you're in the gall of bitterness. You are envious of what we're doing. Whether he gets bribed, perceived that thou, thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Oh yeah, give me, give me this power that I might put my hands on those that they were seeing in the Holy Ghost. That seems well intentioned, Simon, that all you care about doing is going on and giving others the power of the Holy Ghost. But if we consider who Simon was, what he was used to, really people, he probably wanted to get some of that prestige back. Oh, you want the power of the Holy Ghost? You should go see Simon. All he's got to do is put his hands on you and you'll receive the power of the Holy Ghost. So that's the bitterness that he's in. This ending, this strife, he's bitter, whether he knows it or not yet. That's why Peter says, I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness. Because he used to be the great one. He used to be the one that was considered the great power of God among these people. So is that possible for us to follow that same sin, Simon? The sin of bitterness? That's the sin there, right? Is bitterness enough to make you lose your salvation? Let me tell you something, we all better watch it because, you know, it's probably going to happen to every single one of us. We are all capable of sin, even as saved people. And guess what? We are going to commit sin. And that's why we're admonished to behave otherwise. That's why we're specifically told not to become bitter. Ephesians 4 says, Let no corrupt communication proceed on your mouth, but thou which is good at use of edifying, that it may administer grace into the ears, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption, let all bitterness and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you. Be kind, tender hearted, forgiving. If when we get saved, all bitterness is automatically put away, if we can never again be in the gall of bitterness, then why are we being admonished to not be bitter here? Why is Paul writing these people saying, look, put away all bitterness, don't be bitter? That's what Simon's problem was. He wanted that he was bitter of what he lost, whether he knew it or not, or whether he realized it yet or not. He might have not even known it, but Peter was able to see it and said, look, you're in the gall of bitterness because you lost your former prestige and you want it back. He didn't say you're not saved, he didn't say take your money and go to hell. He's saying, look, you better watch out, God's going to judge you in this life and your flesh can perish in this life. Why are we admonished? We're admonished the same thing in the Bible. Colossians 3, 19, husbands love your wives and be not bitter against them. Right? But if you have bitter envy and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth. James 3. Galatians 5, let us not be desirous of vainglory. That's what Simon's problem was. He wanted that vainglory. I want these people to think that I am the great power of God. Provoking one another, envying one another, I'm so envious of these apostles that came and swayed these people away from me. They no longer think I'm some great one because of these apostles. I need to be able to do what they're doing to get back my prestige. So we see that, and I believe that Simon the sorcerer was a man that God saved, it's as he believed. They were so convinced of his salvation that they went in and baptized him, and I believe he's still saved today, and that he was always saved. That after he believed, he was once saved, always saved. But he had some things in his heart that he had to get right, just like the rest of us. Not in order to go to heaven, but in order that we can live a pleasing and godly life before Christ. We'll deal with one more objection. One more objection. They'll say that we should be diligent not to sin and to lose our salvation according to 2 Peter 1 verse 10. They'll quote this, it says, Wherefore the wrath of the brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if ye do these things ye shall never fall. They're saying, look, you need to make sure you do all these things in the Bible so that you never fall. Because if you don't do these things in the Bible, you're going to fall. You're going to fall from grace. You're going to lose your salvation. But what is Paul really talking about in the context of the scripture? What Paul is doing is he is admonishing them to receive a full reward. He's not saying don't fall in the sense of, you know, you need to do all that. He's not saying, you know, give diligence to make your calling and election sure because you might lose it. Right? For if ye do these things ye shall never fall. Now is that true? Is it possible that we could live a life that we never fall again? Yeah. But are we going to? No. That we never fall, that we never commit a sin? It's possible but highly unlikely. That's why we have to go to God continually to get our hearts right. Not for salvation, but that we can have that fellowship with God, okay? In this world, fellowship here with God. Notice in verse 10, 1 Peter, if you're there in 2 Peter, excuse me, 2 Peter 1. Look at verse 10. I want you to notice something about the end of verse 10. It ends with a colon, okay? It's not a period. Meaning the thought is continuing. It's saying if you continue, make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered on you abundantly unto the everlasting kingdom of our Lord, Savior Jesus Christ. See if we do these things, what are these things that he's mentioning here? Look at verse 4. Excuse me, verse 5. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue. If you've already got the faith, he's saying now add virtue. And to virtue knowledge. The temperance, patience, godliness, and he goes on and says, and the godliness, brotherly kindness, charity, and for if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall go to heaven. If you keep all these things, then you can know that you're going to be saved. That's not what it says. It says that if these things are in you and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 9. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sin. You know, that's why it says there that you might want to make your election and calling sure for yourself, to assure yourself, because the Bible is showing us there that it's possible that if we don't continue these things, if we do not add these things to our faith, we can come to the place in our life where we've even forgotten that we were purged of our old sins. I believe that people can get so backslidden, so far away from God, they're still saved, but they can forget that they ever were. I believe there's going to be people in heaven that it's going to come as shock to them. They're going to wake up and go, how did I get here? And God's going to go, well you remember the soul winner that came to your door that one day and opened up the Bible, and you listened, and you believed, and you put your faith in him? Oh yeah, I do remember that. That's right, that happened. Do you remember after that, after he left, how you went right back into your sin, and you're living a life of drunkenness and iniquity, and you forgot that you were purged from your old sins? It's not that they forget that they started to think that they're unsaved, it's just that they forgot that they ever got saved. Because it's not every day somebody's coming up to them asking them, what's going to happen when you die? Most people just don't think that way. They just live their lives, they just go about their life with no thought, no moral. So it's possible that a person can, I mean that's what it says there. He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off. He's not looking towards heaven, he's not looking to having an abundant entrance ministered unto him. He's blind, he cannot see afar, and he has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Does it say he's no longer purged from his old sins? No, it says that he has forgotten. Therefore the Rather Brethren give dillish to make your calling and election sure. Don't forget. Add to your faith. Why? So an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly in the everlasting kingdom of God. That's what's going on here. It's not saying that you need to make sure you do all these things so you don't lose your salvation. It's saying that so you don't forget that you have salvation. And so that you can have a full reward when you come into his kingdom. Now those are just a few of those objections. There's other ones. Another stupid one that they like to go to, and I won't spend any time for the sake of time on it. They say they'd like to go to the story of the prodigal son and talk about how he was the one that, you know, spent his subjects in riotous living and so on and so forth. What they fail to understand is that that guy started out as a son, remained a son in his riotous living, and then when he came back to his father he was still a son. It's not a story about a person losing their salvation or regaining it. It's about if the father represents God and the believer is represented by the son, well guess what? That relationship is intact the entire time in that story. And it's just showing us that even though we might wander away from God, even though we might go into some sin, God will still be our father. He won't reject his children. And I've taken a lot of time dealing with some of these objections, but I want to just take a minute here and just talk very briefly about how we know that we're saved once saved always saved. It's great to look at these and debunk these, but more importantly we need to be short on the fact that we are saved once saved always saved. One of the best ways we know that we can't lose our salvation is because then it's a gift. Because of the fact that it's a gift. Go ahead and turn over to Romans chapter 5. And there's so much, I mean this is a sermon in and of itself. This is really what we should be making a sermon about. But I did want to deal with some of these objections that I've heard because it's possible that somebody out there might hear these objections. Somebody might hear one of these arguments and if you're not rooted and built up, if you're not someone who's in the Bible a lot, or preaching the word of God, it could trick you up. It gets you questioning things and make you wonder. It says there in Romans chapter 5, it says, Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we also have access by faith into his grace, where him we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Go ahead and jump down to verse 8, But God commended his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Not after we cleaned up our life, it was while we were yet sinners. Much more than being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were the enemies of God we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. You know, he's saying, look, it's already enough that Christ died for us, that was enough to reconcile us, but guess what, he also rose again. The point is even stronger that we're saved through Jesus Christ. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin, even so death passed upon all men, for that all had sinned. For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression. Who is the figure of them him that was to come? This is a wordy chapter, and we really have to slow it down if we really want to grasp exactly what it's saying, but I want you to notice from here on out how many times the word gift is used in regards to our salvation. Verse 15. But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by grace, it's a gift, which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift. For the judgment was won to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. The free gift is of many, that seems redundant, because a gift is something that's already free. But he goes ahead and says, he's driving home and says, look, it's a gift, but guess what, it's a free gift. That's redundant to say free gift, but he's driving home the point that it's a free gift. Free gift is of many offenses unto justification. He's died for all our transgressions, and he's justified us. Just as if I'd never sinned, justified. Just as if it never happened. When God looks down on me, he says, you are justified in the sight of God, how? Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, not through my own works of righteousness. Therefore verse 18, therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. There it is again, that free gift. Verse 20, moreover the law entered that the offense might abound, but wherein sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Look at chapter 6, verse 1, what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. Look, and this is the big criticism, there are people who say, you know what, you guys that preach one same volume say, you're just saying that people can live however they want and go to heaven. Yes, because that's what the Bible teaches, but are we saying that's what they should do? Is that what we're admonishing people to do? When we go to their door and give them the gospel and tell them, hey you're a sinner, you're bound for hell, Jesus Christ died for your sins, all you have to do is put your faith and trust in him, and you can be sailed unto the day of your redemption, that once you're saved, you're always saved, you can't lose it because it's a free gift, all you have to do is believe, put your faith and trust in him, that's what we're telling people. You think when we get done with that, say, and by the way, you can go out and just, and in fact we would really encourage you to go ahead and just, you know, go to, in fact now that you're saved, why don't you just drink tonight and get in your car drunk and drive down to the casino, and when you're done there pick up a prostitute on your way home. Is that what you think we're telling people, that we're admonishing them to go out and sin? It's because they're saved and they can't lose it? No! And you know what's interesting is the people that believe this are some of the godliest Christians I've ever met, the most zealous, on fire people are people that believe this doctrine, that once you're saved, you're always saved. And people want to say, well you know, it's a lie from the devil, well he's not doing a very good job, because there's a lot of false denominations out there that are preaching, are preaching that you can lose your salvation. They want to make it out like, oh, oh the devil's trying to convince everybody that once you're saved, all you're saved. Are you sure? Because there's a lot more people out there teaching that you can lose it than there are. The Catholic Church teaches you can lose it, that's one of the biggest, I mean they claim one-seventh of the world's population to be a member of their church. And they'll teach you that you can lose it, that you've got to work for it. So the devil's not really doing a very, you know, he seems to be winning the battle there. If we're the ones that are lying, and we're the ones that are not, you know, we're losing, if that's the case, you've got the Church of Christ, they'll teach you you can lose it. That's a huge denomination. There's people that, millions and millions of people that believe that. It's stupid. It's a dumb argument to think that we're, that's not what we're doing. We're not going around saying, oh yeah, go ahead, go ahead and sin. God forbid that you should sin. You know what? If any man sin, he had to advocate with Jesus Christ the righteous. You know, if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We're saying, look, you're probably going to sin, but if you want to be blessed by God, you need to go ahead and you need to, you know, quit sinning. You should get the sin out of your life, not so that you can go to heaven so that God isn't chasing you. Turn to Hebrews chapter 12, we'll close here. Hebrews chapter 12. You see, we teach people, and I even bring this up in so many, I say, look, the Bible teaches you that once you're born again, you become a child of God. You become his son. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God, that to them gave thee power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. That's why Jesus said, you must be born again, and when we believe on Christ, we're born again, we become God's child. You can't ever change that. Now, someone's going to sit there and tell me that if I, as God's child, disobey that he's going to abandon me. That's wicked. That does not, that's not a loving father. That's not what a father does. That would be like saying, well, you know, I have kids, and if they misbehave me, I'm going to kick them out of my house. Or if you want to really draw the analogy home, I mean, I mean, God's going to, we're talking about a God who's casting people to hell. So you're going to tell me that if I, you know, if I sin, I'm going to lose my salvation, I'm going to go to hell. Well, that'd be akin to saying, you know, if my kids misbehave, I'm going to stick them in an oven. That's what you're saying. That's where you're making God out to be, like a father who would stick his own child in an oven. And God's not like that. That's why they, the people that teach you can lose your salvation, they have a different God. They have a different Jesus. They don't have the God of the Bible. You know what a loving father does? He chastens his children. He corrects them. Since you're messing up, you're not right here, you need to get this right. You're disobeyed. You've broken my rules. He doesn't kick them out of the house. He disciplines them so they can get it right and not repeat it again. But if they do, I mean, if you have children, you know, you're often correcting them for the same thing over and over and over and over until they get it. The Bible says, for whom the Lord loveth, for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Look, God says that if he loves us, he chastens his son. He chastens his children. He doesn't cast them into hell. He doesn't abandon them. I lied. I'm going to close in John chapter 10 because there's so many verses and really, it's another, the next time I preach in the sun, that will be the approach I take. Just showing you all the multitude of verses that just say it's eternal, it's everlasting, it's a gift. Just proving that you can't lose it because if you can lose salvation, then it's not eternal life. It's not everlasting if you can lose it because it ends. If you can lose your eternal life when you lost it, it just ended. It's the complete opposite of eternal life. Jesus said in John chapter 10 verse 27, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life, life that never ends and they shall never perish, never, unless of course, you know, they get backslidden, then they might perish. You know, of course, if they don't repent of their sin after they get saved, they might perish. No, they shall never perish, neither shall any man, any man, that includes you yourself. You can't even fuck yourself out of his hand. I mean people have all these stupid, well what if I let go of God's hand? Well he's going to keep hanging on. You know, that's a trick I used to play with these junior church kids, you'd shake their hand and then they would try to let go and you'd say, let go, come on man, put a shake in my hand and you'd shake their arm and they'd just start cracking up because they're trying to let go but you, you hang on and you're telling, hey, you let go. That's the way it is with God. We let go. You say, you know what, we start to fall away, God's got a grip on us. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. So you can't lose your salvation, the Bible's clear on that, I hope that we've dispelled at least a few of these foolish objections that they have and that we can be assured and know that once we're saved, we're always saved. Let's go ahead and pray.