Why Do You Believe in Eternal Security? part 3

This is the third segment in which I am sharing some reasons why I believe in Eternal Security.

Recently my wife and I had the opportunity to attend the court proceedings that involved a couple in our church and the two children they were adopting.  As the end of the procedure approached the judge asked the father the following question, “Do you understand that if I grant this adoption that these children will have all rights of inheritance as any other child?”  The father answered, “Yes”. 

Later I found out that many states have a law that an adopted child cannot be written out of a will or inheritance.  They get all the rights of a natural born child, and they cannot be revoked.

John 1:12 states, “But as many as received Him to them gave He the right to become children of God even to those who believe on His name.” (NKJV)

When we by God’s grace place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation we become the children of God.  Ephesians 1:5 says that he “predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”  This was a plan from before the foundation of the world for all those who would trust Him.

This concept is clarified in Galatians 4:4–7 (ESV)  “⁴But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ⁶And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”   The fact that we were redeemed by Christ in our salvation gives us a privileged state as a son, an heir through God.  What a privilege we have to be God’s children and joint heirs through Christ.  Paul also spoke to this concept in Romans 8:14–17 (ESV) “¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ ¹⁶The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.”

The promise of adoption and being a joint heir with Christ is further encouragement to me when I consider  whether my salvation is eternal or is relying upon my being good enough to maintain it.

I hope that you too have trusted Christ as Savior and are walking in confidence as one of His children.

The video version of this is available at www.youtube.com/user/churchoflittleton FW # 81