This morning for our Bible study,
I would invite you to turn to John chapter 10. Now, pull your
chair up a little bit closer this morning, or turn the radio
up just a little bit louder. I want to have your attention
this morning because what we have to consider is very, very
vital to our salvation. Now, here's what I want to deal
with this morning from John chapter 10, beginning at verse 27. We will read these verses in
just a moment, but here's the question. Here's what I want
to consider with you this morning. Can a person, a saved person,
a justified, blood-washed, redeemed sinner by the blood of Christ,
can a justified, saved person ever be lost? Can a saved man
be lost? Now that's what I want you to
consider this morning. Our Lord Jesus Christ emphatically
answered that question for us. In John chapter 10, he gives
us a very clear answer. He said, My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal
life. Notice what kind of life it is. Not temporary. It's eternal life,
eternal salvation. And they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my Father's hands. My
Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man
is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father
are one. Our Lord Jesus Christ has spoken
it, and it is true. Not one of His own, not one of
His sheep, not one of His elect shall ever perish. Any person
who is truly justified by the blood of Christ, born again by
the Spirit of Almighty God, Saved by almighty grace, a true believer
in the Lord Jesus Christ is eternally secure in the hands of Christ. You see, Christ is the very surety,
the guarantor of our salvation. To be sure now, there are many
who make a profession of faith, a profession of religion. There
are many who join the church, who make a profession of salvation,
who reform their lives for a while, temporarily, and to all outward
appearances seemed to be saved, but those people by and by, they
fall away and perish. They lose their interest, they
lose their reform. Were they truly saved? No. They had a form of religion,
they had a form of godliness, but they denied the power thereof.
The apostle John tells us about those who fall away and those
who forsake the gospel and perish in their sins. John says they
never were truly saved. Listen to what he says in 1 John
2.19. He says they went out from us, but they were not of us.
For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued
with us, but they went out. That they might be made manifest,
they were not all of us. Any man who leaves Christ never
truly knew Christ. Any man who leaves salvation,
by the grace of God never really was saved by the grace of God. Now, I openly and readily admit
that if our salvation were in any measure to depend upon us,
we would most certainly be lost without hope. But thank God,
salvation is entirely the work of God's grace and power in Christ. You see, it's God who saved us
and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and His own grace. And since
it is God's work, since its salvation is of the Lord, it cannot be
destroyed. The wise man Solomon put it this
way, I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever. Nothing
can be put to it, nor anything taken from it. God doeth it that
men should fear before him. The apostle Paul said it this
way, God who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until
the day of Christ. Peter put it this way, we're
kept by the power of God through faith. Now here's the question,
are you one of the Lord's sheep? Are you a true believer? Have
you heard the Savior's voice calling you to Himself? You see,
salvation is not in a church. Salvation is not in a profession. Salvation is in a person. Has
He given you life in Christ? Has He given you life, eternal
life in Him? Do you follow Him in true faith?
If so, You are one of the chosen, one of the redeemed, one of the
saved sheep, and you have eternal life. And you'll never perish.
There are many things in Scripture to give us comfort and confidence
and assurance regarding our salvation, our security in Christ Jesus. Let me just mention five of them.
The first reason is this. The purpose of God secures the
salvation of all of God's elect. Now listen to these Scriptures.
From Jeremiah 32, I'll be their God and they shall be my people.
I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn
away from them to do them good, but I will put my fear in their
hearts and they shall not depart from me. I will be their God
and they shall be my people. That's the language of grace.
That's the language of the purpose of God that secures our salvation. Our Lord Jesus put it this way,
recorded for us in John 6, verse 37, "...all that the Father giveth
me shall come to me, and those that come to me I will in no
wise cast out." If one of the chosen number could be lost,
God's eternal purpose would be overturned. You see, the purpose
of God guarantees our salvation. Secondly, we know that God works
all things after the counsel of His own will and purpose.
And here's the second reason. The promise of God demands our
security, our salvation, everlastingly in Christ. Not only the purpose
of God, but also the promise of God. Now, our Lord said in
Hebrews 13, verse 5, He said, I'll never leave thee, I'll never
forsake thee. Our Lord again said in John 6, And I'll raise them up at the
last day. All that God promised and purposed
in Christ, He's able to perform. You see, the purpose of God,
the promise of God demands and guarantees our eternal security
in Christ. Thirdly, the blood of Christ
requires the eternal salvation of all of God's elect, of all
of God's redeemed. You see, the blood atonement
of Christ is all-sufficient and effectual, and it demands that
when the ransom is paid, those for whom it's paid must be set
free. The blood of Jesus Christ, we
read in 1 John 1, verse 7, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleanses us from all sin. He said, I am come that they
might have life. This is John chapter 10, verse
10. I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.
I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. If even one of those sheep for
which Christ died, for which Christ stood as substitute, charity,
sacrifice, for which he purchased their salvation with his own
blood, if one of his sheep perish at last, then his blood would
be shed in vain. And my friend, that cannot be.
God cannot fail. The blood of Christ guarantees
our eternal salvation. The purpose of God, the promise
of God, the blood of Christ, and here's another reason. Number
four, the satisfaction of Christ. The satisfaction of Christ demands
that all of His people be preserved under glory. If one of those
for whom He suffered and died were to perish, then he could
not be satisfied. He crossed the cross of Christ,
the atonement of Christ, will be discovered to be a failure
instead of a glorious success. But my friend, thank God His
work is not a failure. Thank God that the justice of
God, the holy character of God is satisfied. The Lord Jesus
Christ is satisfied with His atonement. It's enough, it's
sufficient to guarantee our salvation. We read in Scripture, Isaiah
53. Isaiah chapter 53. He shall see
the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. Our Lord Jesus
Christ prayed that way in John 17. On the eve of the cross,
He prayed with such confidence and assurance that His work would
be effectual, eternal, complete, and sufficient. He said, I have
glorified Thee on the earth. This is our High Priest praying
unto the Father. I've glorified Thee on the earth.
I've finished the work which You gave Me to do." His finished
priestly work guarantees our justification in Christ Jesus. He's satisfied. God Almighty
is satisfied. The work and the blood atonement
of Christ is a sweet-smelling savor unto God. Now here's the
fifth reason. The work of God the Holy Spirit
secures secures the everlasting preservation, perseverance of
every true believer. We read in Ephesians chapter
1 where it tells us all about the work of the Father. It's
God who called us. with a holy calling. It's God
who had chosen us. It's God who had blessed us.
And then it talks about the work of the Son in whom we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sin according to the riches
of His grace. And then he tells us in that
first chapter of Ephesians about the work of God the Holy Spirit.
And we read that He has sealed us and preserved us with the
Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance,
unto the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of
His glory." Now there are five valid scriptural reasons why
salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ is eternal and why the believer
resting in Christ can never, can never be lost. This is our
assurance and security in Christ. We do not in any way trust ourselves,
but we trust the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The faithfulness of
God, the blood of Christ, the intercession of Christ. He ever
lives to make intercession for us. The power of God the Holy
Spirit assures us that none of Christ's elect shall ever perish. Now listen to this promise in
Jude, the book of Jude. Just one chapter, but verse 24
and 25. Now unto him that is able to
keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before
the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Who is able to
keep you from falling? Through the only wise God our
Savior, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power both now and forever. Peter, Peter the Apostle, he
wrote this promise. to us in Scripture to assure
us that our salvation is certain and sure in Christ. And this
is 1 Peter 1, verses 3 and 5. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy
hath begotten us again to a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, that
fadeth not away, that is reserved in heaven for you who are kept
by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed
in the last day." So we go back to this question that we started
with. Can a saved person ever be lost? According to the language
of Scripture, no. Those in Christ are saved eternally. He said, My sheep, hear My voice.
I know them, they follow me, and I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave to me is
greater than all, and no man," that's a pretty strong word,
isn't it? No man is able to pluck them
out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Now I pray that you'll carefully
consider these words this morning and pray to God to give you understanding
about salvation that's revealed in Christ Jesus.