Eternal Salvation.

 •  7 min. read  •  grade level: 8
 
"And being made perfect, He became the author of ETERNAL SALVATION unto all them that obey Him."—Heb. 5:99And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Hebrews 5:9).
THERE are millions of people in this world who do 'not know what it is to be saved, but they all hope, to be saved.
Then there are others who will tell you that they hope they are saved'.
There are others, again, who believe they are saved, but who say that they are only saved so long as they believe.
There is a fourth class who, lastly, if asked whether they are saved, humbly reply, "By the grace of God I am"; and if asked for how long, confidently answer, "Forever! My salvation is as secure as God in His love and power could possibly make it.”
As to the first class, they being in their sins, M. Adam, out of Christ, on the road to "ETERNAL JUDGMENT," ready for it, and deserving it, God says that such are without Christ, having no hope, and without God in the world.
The second class are Christless religionists, who are clutching as with deathless grip the oil less lamp of an empty, formal profession. Or they may be badly instructed ones, having been taught that it is humility to hope and presumption to know. The teachers of such do cause them to err; but God has a word for them, as they will see before they finish reading this paper.
The third class, who say that they are saved but that their salvation only lasts as long as they believe, do, without being aware of it, give the whole credit of their salvation to their faith, instead of to Christ.
And now we will examine the belief of the fourth class in the light of Scripture.
First, they tell us that they are saved; and secondly, that their salvation lasts forever.
SALVATION is looked at in three ways in Scripture: first, as something we possess upon, believing in Christ; secondly, as something we are getting nearer to every day; and thirdly, as something that we shall get at the end of the path of faith.
A few scriptures will soon make these points quite clear.
When the Philippian jailor cried, "What must I do to be saved?" he was told.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus. Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Paul said to the Ephesians “By grace are ye saved"; and the same apostle in his second epistle to Timothy says: “Who hath saved its, and called us with a holy calling; not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”
And in his epistle to Titus he says, speaking of salvation: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.”
Once more, Peter says, in his first epistle Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." (See also Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31); ACT 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31) Eph. 2:55Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:5); EPH 2:55Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:5) 2 Tim. 1:99Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, (2 Timothy 1:9) 2TI 1:99Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, (2 Timothy 1:9); Titus 3:55Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:5) TIT 3:55Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:5); 1 Peter 1:99Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:9). 1PE 1:99Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:9)) All these scriptures show that salvation is a present thing, not obtainable by our works, but received by faith.
This refers to the salvation of the body.
The third aspect of salvation puts it as something to be hoped for, something that we shall not get until the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ: " Ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body (Rom. 8:2323And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23)). ROM 8:2323And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23) "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself " (Phil. 3:20, 2120For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:20‑21)). PHI 3:2020For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (Philippians 3:20) This will be the consummation of salvation.
Now even Christians have to bear about in their bodies the marks of the dishonor that sin has done, to God in this world; but THEN we shall have bodies free from sin, disease, ache, and pain. “It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory” (1 Cor. 15:4343It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: (1 Corinthians 15:43)). 1CO 15:4343It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: (1 Corinthians 15:43) Faith is connected with the salvation of the soul, which is instantaneous upon believing in the Person and work of Christ; hope is connected with the salvation of the body, which all true believers will have at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this salvation is an eternal one, of which Christ is the author, to all who, having trusted Him, are now found obeying Him.
Christ died to save us, He lives to take care of us, and He is coming to glorify us.
“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 them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's band I and My Father are one " (John 10:28-3028And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30I and my Father are one. (John 10:28‑30)). JOH 10:28-3028And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30I and my Father are one. (John 10:28‑30) It is most clear, from the blessed array of connected scriptures which we have adduced, that salvation is to be possessed NOW; that we are to KNOW we are the present possessors of it; and that it is ETERNAL.
Many persons confound salvation with the joy of it. Now, salvation itself never can be lost; but the joy of it may be soon lost.
The psalmist said, "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation" (Psa. 51:1212Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (Psalm 51:12)). PSA 51:1212Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (Psalm 51:12) He asked, not to have salvation restored; for when once God gives it, He never takes it away again what he asked and longed for was the joy of it. A circumstance that occurred in telegraphy will illustrate this point.
One friend wanted to send a telegram to another. When he handed it in at the office the telegraph operator said that he was unable to transmit the message, something having happened to the wire, and thus communication was interrupted, but he hoped to be able to send it on in an hour or so.
A man was despatched from each end of the wire to find out the cause of the obstruction; they met on the road, and found that a huge bough of a tree had been broken off by the violence of a storm, and had fallen across the wire, and the electric fluid had gone into the bough instead of traveling along the wire.
A ladder and saw were obtained, the bough was sawn from the tree and removed from the wire, and the wire straightened. This done, the operators signaled to each other, and the sentences were flashed from end to end at once.
Communication was 'restored, and the message was transmitted. No new wire was needed, hut the impediment to communication had to he removed.
So likewise, though it is impossible to break the eternal wire of salvation, yet if its possessor sin, and think lightly of it, or if he fail to confess it to his God and Father, he forfeits communion.
Are you saved, dear friend? If you are, it is by the grace of God, and you ought to know it, and to thank God for it; and if you are saved, it is to wait for God's Son from heaven, and to work for Him until He comes.
Oh, do not rest another hour without knowing that you are the present happy possessor of "ETERNAL SALVATION”!
H. M. H.