THIS question is often asked, and its importance demands the serious attention of every believer. Some preachers say “yes,” and others say “no,” and the young believer is often left in uncertainty and wonders which is right.
Let us turn from both for a moment and see what God says about the matter. The BIBLE is God’s Word, and we must bow to its authority and accept what it says as decisive. If it teaches that no one can be sure until the end, it is nothing less than presumption on our part to say we are sure. But if it teaches that we may be sure now, let us at once believe it, for “he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar” (1 John 5:1010He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. (1 John 5:10)).
The Bible is one complete whole and cannot contradict itself, because God caused it to be written. It is very important to see this. Some have found what at first appeared to be a contradiction, but after careful and attentive reading they discovered the confusion was in their own mind and not in the Bible.
There are passages which may appear to teach that a child of God may be lost, but when examined with the context we find they teach just the opposite. There is no need to dwell on these now, for they have often been taken up and their true meaning given, and there are others so simple, clear, and conclusive, that even a child can understand them.
The Gospel of John is a favorite with many, and perhaps read more often than any other part of Scripture; but did you ever notice why it was written? Turn with me to chs. 20:30,31: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.” These twenty-one chapters present the Lord Jesus as the Son of God — the sent-one from the Father — His divine and human glories shine out in every page, and whosoever believes in Him thus is born of God and has eternal life. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:4747Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)). The whole gospel then was written that we might have the life.
But John was also guided by the Holy Ghost to write three epistles. The first contains five chapters, and in chapter 5:13, we are told why these were written.
“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son.
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar: because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.
“And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” The life is in His Son, and the way we get it is, “He that hath the Son (that is, believeth on Him) hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
Do you remember we saw in John 20:3131But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:31), that the gospel was written that we might believe and have the life? “Yes,” you say, “I do really believe on His precious name, but dare I say I have eternal life?” Read 1 John 5:1313These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13): “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” That is, the gospel was written that you might believe and have the life, and the epistle was written that you may know that you have it.
If you say, “It seems too good to be true, I do not merit it,” I reply, “Is it too good for God to give, and does not His Son merit it?”
But how long will it last, and shall I ever lose it?
The following interesting conversation with a young local preacher may make this clear: — A short time ago some gospel addresses were given in a small country town. Numbers came together night after night, and God blessed His Word to many. Amongst others, a bright, earnest, intelligent young local preacher came regularly at first, and was delighted and refreshed by drinking in the precious truths of the Lord’s death, resurrection, ascension, and return, and the present blessings brought to us in virtue of these. Suddenly he was missed from the meetings, but, is few days before leaving the town, we met in the street, when he said he had been away. He was so sorry to have missed the meetings that he asked me to meet him at his house to read the Scriptures together.
During one of the visits the question of the eternal security of the believer was raised, to which he objected, saying, “I can’t go with you there, for I hold the old Methodist doctrine on that point.” At first I could not believe it possible that one who knew and enjoyed so much truth could be in ignorance of this important matter; but to put it plainly, I asked, “Do you mean to tell me, that you, a believer in Christ, and a possessor of eternal life, can be lost after all and perish eternally in the lake of fire?”
“Yes, I do,” was his reply.
Being assured that it was not willfulness on his part, but that he was honest and sincere, I said, “What Scripture have you for such a thought?”
“I have no New Testament Scripture.” Then said I: “Turn with me to one simple verse, John 10:2828And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28), and tell me what that means. What does the word ‘any’ mean? Neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.”
“I know that means men or angels, or devils, or anything else.”
“Exactly, that’s what it does mean; but now, tell me, does what you hold contradict what Christ says in that verse?”
“It is different to what you say.”
“It is not a question now of what I say, or think, but entirely between you and Christ. Does what you hold contradict what Christ says in this verse?”
“How do you know what I am looking for?”
“Never mind, come back to this verse.”
“May I not turn anywhere else?”
“Not until you have given a plain ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the question.”
After a few moments’ pause, he said, “I have argued this point many times, but have never been put in a corner like this before?”
“Well, it is very simple; only a plain ‘yes’ or ‘no’ is required.”
A deep struggle was silently going on within. He had been cradled and nursed in this doctrine which makes much of man and his doings, but little of Christ and His finished work, and it was hard to root out what had taken such a hold upon him for so long.
But as I have said, he was honest, and, seeing his position was untenable, he at last said, “Yes, and I’m wrong.”
Whilst the truth had made him free and brought fuller and deeper joy to his heart, a fresh difficulty came before him, which he expressed by saying, “But must I preach this?”
“You know what the apostle Paul said, Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:66I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (Galatians 1:6)).”
“Did he really say that?”
We turned to the verse, and after reading it, he said, “Then I must preach it.”
The Word of God had done its work. He saw that whatever thought he had, if ONE verse contradicted it, his thought must be given up and the Scripture believed.
“And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.”
Let these precious words sink deep into your heart, dear reader, and remember that whilst you and others may change, these will abide continually. They come direct to your heart from the Saviour, who said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall not pass away.”
A short time after, a letter came from this young man, telling of the joy and blessing he had received, and that the Bible had become a new book to him with ever-increasing preciousness, and he can now truly say with the apostle Paul: “I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38, 3938For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38‑39)).
A. T. P.