Once we accept Jesus, will we always be saved? Is our destination of heaven secure? Or is it possible to lose our salvation? Have those who fall away ever been in right standing with God?
First of all, it is important to remember that Jesus knows everything that has happened and will happen forever—He is the beginning from the end:
“"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8
“He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…” Revelation 21:6
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:13
Jesus knows who are His:
"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me– just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” John 10:14-16 Those who belong to Him know Him and listen to His voice.
“Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’" 2 Timothy 2:19 (See Numbers 16)
“who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood. 1 Peter 1:2
ESAU
God knew that Esau would reject Him even before he was born. Jacob, with all his faults, valued the things of God. This had significance for all generations to come—the descendants of Esau in general do not choose God; the descendants of Jacob have been chosen to be the people of God.
“Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad–in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls–she was told, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, `Why did you make me like this?’ " Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath–prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory– even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?” Romans 9:10-24
"I have loved you," says the LORD.
"But you ask, `How have you loved us?’
"Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?" the LORD says. "Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals." Malachi 1:2-4
“See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.” Hebrews 12:16-17 Esau realized what he had missed, but he never changed his heart attitude toward God.
God did not want Esau to reject Him. He wants everyone to accept His love and forgiveness: “…He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 A person must realize the seriousness of his sin:
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17
He must accept God’s kindness because he is willing to trust Him and obey Him:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.” Deuteronomy 6:5-6 10:12 11:13 Joshua 22:5 Matthew 22:37 Mark 12:30 Luke 10:37 It is a heart issue. A person is not a Christian because his parents were; each person must make his own choice.
People do not accept Jesus because they “refused to love the truth”: “…They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 Notice "God sent them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie” “because they refused to love the truth and so be saved”, not the other way around.
God gave mankind His best gift, but they “loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil”:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:16-21
God gives every man a chance to receive Him:
“since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-20
CAIN
God even speaks to men to give them a chance to know Him:
“Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let’s go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
"I don’t know," he replied. "Am I my brother’s keeper?"
The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."
Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.” Genesis 4:6-15 God told Cain exactly what he had to do to gain favor with Him. He was kind to Cain even though Cain rejected Him. Notice Cain was not sorry because he had hurt God or Abel or Adam and Eve. He was sorry only because he was punished. He never asked forgiveness. He never repented in his heart. He chose to go “out from the LORD’s presence”.
JESUS’ DEALINGS WITH HEROD & PILATE
I read a suggestion that sounded plausible: John the Baptist had already confronted Herod:
“…Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.” Mark 6:20 Because Herod had already chosen to reject the truth, Jesus didn’t bother talking to Herod:
“But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here."
On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became friends–before this they had been enemies.” Luke 23:5-12 Herod has his chance to hear the truth. Jesus will be:
“…proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.” Psalm 51:4
However, Pilate was given a several chances at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion:
“When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, "Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge–to the great amazement of the governor…. While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."…"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" Matthew 27:12-23
“"Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate.
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 So again Pilate asked him, "Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of."
But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed…
"Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.
"Crucify him!" they shouted.”
"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" Mark 15:2-14
“Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king."
So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."…
Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him. "
With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him." Luke 23:1- 22
“"If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you."
Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law."
"But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected. This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"
"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."
"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
"What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release `the king of the Jews’?"
They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.
Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"
But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."
The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."
From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."” John 18:30-19:12
Pilate gave in to the pressure of the crowd and so rejected Jesus:
“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man’s blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" Matthew 27:24
“Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them…” Mark 15:15
“But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.” Luke 23: 23-25
“From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."
When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.
"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.” John 19:12-16
If only Pilate had understood how his decision on that day would effect his whole eternity.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY
Everyone is given a chance because of His love and mercy. Most will refuse. But God has done all He could. As He said about the Jewish nation several hundred years before Jesus came:
“What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it?…” Isaiah 5:4
Our prayers for the unsaved make a vast difference. They give a person more than enough opportunity to know Jesus. The work of those who know Jesus is to pray and tell others about Him:
“…And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:19-20
The prayers and actions of God’s children are directed by God and are for the purpose of reaching the unsaved:
“A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?” Proverbs 20:24
“To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.” Proverbs 16:1 Even what a person says is controlled by God.
“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 God gives us free choices in many areas, but He ultimately has control over our lives.
“I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23
Although every person is given an opportunity, will we ever understand how much our obedience affects the decision of others to accept Jesus? Perhaps an answer is found in Mordecai’s response when he asked Esther to approach the king on behalf of her people, the Jews, and she told him the danger involved:
“When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:12-14 God used Esther and Mordecai to save the Jewish people. It seemed to Mordecai, a wise and godly man, God had planned for Esther to “come to royal position for such a time as this”. Mordecai’s words are recorded in the Bible which also strongly suggests he had made the right assumption. God knew Esther would obey. But it also seems she had a choice; she did not have to obey. Disobedience would have meant the death of herself and her family. This probably only involved physical death, but could the situation be applied to spiritual death? Whatever the exact answer, our prayers do mean the spiritual salvation of others.
Some will reject Jesus. Haman, who made himself “the enemy of the Jews” Esther 8:1, was destroyed, along with others who hated the Jews. God knows who will make Him their enemy:
“The Lord works out everything for his own ends–even the wicked for a day of disaster.” Proverbs 16:4
“Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.” Psalms 58:3
So, the first thing to remember about the doctrine of eternal security is that God knows the beginning from the end. He knows who will accept His love. He loves His creation and wants all men to be saved, although he hates the wicked who reject Him. He gives everyone an opportunity to know Him and the prayers and actions of His children, which He directs and motivates, make a great deal of difference in the salvation of others.