Eternal Security: You Can Be Sure

Hebrews 7:24-25

²⁴ but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 

NIV from www.biblegateway.com

    We spend a lot of time worrying about physical needs - such as our house, car, food, finances, and health. All these are important in our life, but one form of assurance supersedes all the others.  God desires for us to be confident in Him and in His saving grace. He gives us several reasons to be sure of our eternal security.

• Jesus makes a personal promise to all believers: "No one will snatch [you] out of my hand" (John 10:28) - and He does not make promises unless He intends to keep them. To assume that we can take an action that would separate us from the Lord once we have been saved would essentially be calling Him a liar.

• The hand of God is used throughout Scripture as a symbol of His strength. Once we have received Christ, we are safely in His palm, and no force or action can remove us. If Satan could snatch us away, either by tempting us into sin or through his own power, it would mean he is stronger than God. We know that isn't true because God is omnipotent (2 Chron. 20:6).

• Jesus is our advocate with a holy God who cannot look upon sin. In fact, Hebrews 7:25 tell us that Christ "save [s] forever" because He is available to intercede with God on our behalf. In human terms, Jesus is at the right hand of God as a tangible reminder that our sin debt is paid in full.

  Through His Son Jesus, God has offered us not only salvation, but salvation eternally, with no loopholes, caveats, or maybes. You can be sure!

Stanley, Charles F. "Eternal Security: You Can Be Sure." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. April 2016. page 26.

Are you secure? Are you significant?

   What would make you feel secure? What would make you feel significant?

Security – A sense of belonging, unconditional love, acceptance, connectedness, and protectedness.

Significance – A sense of value, importance, identity and separateness.

   We were created with certain needs. Needs that only God can meet. When I attempt to do it “my way,” I am acting in the flesh or as the old man or old nature.

   God is love. He designed you and me to need love so we would need HIM.

   Knowing nothing of God, but needing to be loved, we tried to “milk” our need-supply out of people. Little kids, being totally self-centered, learn about themselves from the feedback they get from others: They do not learn about others. If Mom doesn’t hug them, they learn “I’m unlovely,” not “Mom has difficulty expressing physical affection.”

   Our emotions began to be programmed by reacting to our belief system. We began to develop habit patterns that are programmed into our brain, patterns of thinking (mind), choosing (will), and feeling (emotions). These flesh patterns are currently how we get our needs meet our way.

“The women's needs can be summarized as the need for security… The men's needs can be summarized as the need for significance…”. His Needs, Her Needs, Willard Harley

   Trying to meet these needs within our own strength will only result in frustration. In our own strength, we are too empty and needy ourselves to be able to meet anyone else's needs.  Romans 8:6; 2 Corinthians 5:16

Source of Life Where Do I Look?

Tree of Life or Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?

Genesis 2:8-9 “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

Genesis 2:15-17 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’”

Genesis 3:5-6 “’For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it…”

Genesis 3:22 “And the Lord God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.’” (NIV)

Secure Forever

Philippians 4:19; John 7:38-39

Additional Material

"Lifetime Guarantee" Bill Gillham

"The Ins and Out of Rejection" Charles R. Solomon

“The Search For Significance” Robert S. McGee

“The Reach of God’s Love” audio MD 146  1996 Dr. Charles Stanley

“Toxic Love” Malcolm Smith

“Overcoming the Flesh”  6 audio  Gillham

http://www.ficm.org

http://www.intouch.org

"Hiding Places" audio Patsy Clairmont, Focus on Family C5875 13351

Blackmon, Selma, editor. The Exchanged Life News. Volume 3 Issue 5. February 2, 2003.

Love, the greatest thing in the world

   This little book of only 111 pages is packed with ideas on the art of living and loving abundantly, as Christ intended, and inspire you to begin today to share God’s love through unselfish acts of kindness that can bring you and those around you closer to God.

   Dwight L. Moody praised Henry Drummond, “The one great need in our Christian life is love, more love to God and to each other.”

The Greatest Thing in the World

Love

Inspiration from

1 Corinthians 13

By Henry Drummond

   Following are a few experts from this small book:

“Souls are made sweet not by taking the acid fluids out, but by putting something in-a great Love, a new Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. Christ, the Spirit of Christ, interpenetrating ours, sweetens, purifies, transforms all. This only can eradicate what is wrong, work a chemical change, renovate and regenerate, and rehabilitate the inner man: Will-power does not change men. Time does not change men. Christ does. Therefore ‘Let that mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.’”

“What was Christ doing in the carpenter’s shop? Practicing. Though perfect, we read that He learned obedience. He increased in wisdom and in favor with God and man. Do not quarrel therefore with your lot in life. Do not complain of its never-ceasing cares, its petty environment, the vexations you have to stand, the small and sordid souls you have to live and work with. Above all, do not resent temptation; do not be perplexed because it seems to thicken round you more and more, and ceases neither for effort nor for agony nor prayer. That is the practice which God appoints you; and it is having its work in making you patient, and humble, and generous, and unselfish, and kind, and courteous. Do not grudge the hand that is molding the still too shapeless image within you. It is growing more beautiful though you see it not, and every touch of temptation may add to its perfection.”

“Yet this is what Christianity is for-to teach men the Art of Life. And its whole curriculum lies in one word-‘Learn of Me.’ Unlike most education, this is almost purely personal; it is not to be had from books or lectures or creeds or doctrines. It is a study from the life. Christ never said much in mere words about the Christian graces. He lived them, He was them. Yet we do not merely copy Him. We learn His art by living with Him, like the old apprentices with their masters.

   Now we understand it all? Christ’s invitation to the weary and heavy-laden is a call to begin life over again upon a new principle-upon His own principle. ‘Watch My way of doing things,’ He says. ‘Follow Me. Take life as I take it. Be meek and lowly and you will find Rest.’”

“David a man after Mine own heart, who shall fulfill all My will.”

All our ideal man… 

• wants is a reason for his being alive at all. Hebrews 10:7
• needs is Sustenance. John 4:34
• needs is Society. Matthew 12:50; Mark 3:35
• wants is Language. He must speak to his Friend.
• does not always pray. There is such perfect blessedness in praying the ideal prayer that language fails him sometimes. Psalms 119:54
• wants is an Education. Psalm 143:10 wants is a Promise. 1 John 5:14 wants to know is how long? 1 John 2:17

Frustrated with life?

The Gift of Freedom

  “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the spirit who calls out ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

  Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But not that you know God-or rather are known by God-how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?”

Galatians 4:6-9 

  

  Frustration is defined as “a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs.”

  Though “frustration” hardly seems like a tool God would use, Romans 8:20-21 reports that it is an avenue by which God teaches us how to enjoy the freedom He so graciously provides: “The creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

  Do you experience a deep sense of frustration that derives from problems or needs beyond your control?

  Remember God is in the process of revealing a great lesson to you. He allows frustrations to build so you will be driven back to Him in prayer.

  It is in times of quiet devotion that we hear the Savior whisper to our confused and frustrated hearts words of hope and peace.

  Only God can offer the freedom we need to survive the greatest frustrations. He is the One who knows how to satisfy perfectly our every need.

  Are you feeling frustrated today? Rejoice! God is at work in your life. Ask Him how you should handle this frustration. Never allow feelings of doubt and confusion to rule your emotions. God has set you free!

In Touch July 2001, page 23, July 4

Security - My security in Christ

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who love me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

   For a study, read the books of Galatians and Colossians. With a marker, mark every time you read the word “In.”

   This shows me my position “Christ in me and me in Him”

What security!!!

   For a visual reminder of my identity, do the following project.

Use three envelopes that will easily fit inside each other:

4  Write GOD (largest) Gen. 1:1, 27; John 1:1; 10:38; 14:10-11; 17:21; 14:20.

4  Write JESUS (middle size) John 1:29; 6:35; 8:12; 10:9-10; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 1:21; Gal 3:27; 1 John 5:20.

4  Write my name (smallest) John 17:23; 2 Cor. 13:5; Gal 2:20; 1 John 5:20.

4  Write Jesus position on a card or note (Jesus is in me) to be placed in the smallest envelope.

   Decorate or write what is meaningful to you on each envelope.  The above scriptures are only suggestions.

   Place the envelopes inside of each other.

Anything that comes into my life must come through God, through Jesus, to get to me; and when it gets there, it will find me filled with Jesus, so what is there to fear.

“On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

John 14:20

Christ is our security

“You shall not go out with haste,…for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard” Isaiah 52:12

We all have a need for Security, Significance and Satisfaction. This brief note is on security and taken from My Utmost for His Highest daily devotional December 31.

“Security from Yesterday. ’..God requires an account of what is past’ (Ecclesiastes 3:15). At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise when we remember our yesterdays….But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our future. God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present.

Security for Tomorrow. ‘…the LORD will go before you…’…God will send His forces out where we have failed to do so. He will keep watch so that we will not be tripped up again by the same failures, as would undoubtedly happen if He were not our ‘rear guard.’

Security for Today. ‘You shall not go out with haste…’ ..let us go out with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will go before us. Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ.

Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.”

Matthew 6

...For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also... Take no thought for your life..... Is not life more than food and clothes?..  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin... if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you?..  your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these this shall be added unto you....