"They Shall Never Perish"
John 10:28
Be sure you understand
this basic, fundamental gospel truth. God's elect are unconditionally secure in
Christ. It is impossible for a true believer to ever become an unbeliever, a
saved sinner to ever become unsaved, a redeemed person to ever become
unredeemed, or one of God's elect to ever become non-elect. To teach otherwise,
to teach the nonsense of "conditional grace" and "conditional
salvation" is to teach salvation by works.
Dare we teach that
God's elect are saved forever, no matter what? Dare we teach otherwise! Every
doctrine of the gospel, every attribute of God, and every pillar of hope for
sinners stands or falls here. Either God's elect are eternally secure in Christ
and shall never, by any possibility, perish, or salvation by grace is a lie,
the blood of Christ is of no effect, the righteousness, justice, and truth of
God are delusions, and there is no hope of salvation for any sinner.
Arguments from
Scripture for the doctrine of eternal security are abundant. "Salvation is
of the Lod!" That means salvation does not depend on man. It is the work
of God alone. But let me give you just one reason for our eternal security in
Christ, one indisputable fact that necessitates the infallible security of
God's elect. It is this: GOD WILL NOT IMPUTE SIN TO HIS OWN ELECT (
God has imputed our
sins to Christ, from whom he exacted the full penalty of the law, the full
satisfaction of divine justice. And he cannot reverse himself. He has already
imputed Christ's perfect righteousness to us and promised us, upon the basis of
Christ's imputed righteousness, an eternal inheritance in heaven. And he will
not deny himself.
Should men cry, "Antinomianism!" Our doctrine will not change. Should
they be able to point a finger at some wretch who professes to believe the
gospel and yet lives in ungodliness, our doctrine still will not change. The
glory of God and the truth of God are at stake. "Let God be true, and
every man a liar." God says, "THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH!"
Don Fortner