Be encouraged! Believers can know with absolute certainty their salvation is secured by the faithfulness and power of God. This is one of the greatest truths taught in the Bible. It was the reason the apostle John wrote his first epistle: "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13) You can know you have eternal life when you believe the Word of God. "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned." (John 5:24).

   The relationship God the Father has with His children is an eternal relationship. It is similar to the unchanging relationship we have with our physical parents. To all who have received the Messiah, "to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God -- children not born of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." (John 1:12,13)

   Most people go through life hoping they will go to heaven when they die. They hope, after living a good enough life, they will receive favor from God and a place in His Kingdom. Many church goers believe they receive salvation through water baptism, but they can lose it by committing sins, backsliding or falling away from the faith. the believers, on the other hand, are not governed by reason, but by revelation --the revelation of God's Word. Those who depend on their personal character, performing good works, or adhering to a religious system, realize the assurance of salvation is impossible. They will never know if they have ever done enough. It seems absurd to put your faith in what you can do instead of what God has done. When salvation depends on God there is no chance for failure. To propose that one could lose his salvation would attack the very nature and character of God, His glorious works, and His infallible Word. Those who believe God's word know that "salvation by grace" means everything depends upon the source of grace -- Jesus the Messiah.

  Believers are often accused of being self-righteous and boastful because they know for sure they are going to heaven. The accusers fail to understand it is not what man does for God that qualifies him for heaven, but what God has done for man. God made His holy and perfect Son become sin for us, so we could become the righteousness of God in the Messiah. "We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus the Messiah, once for all... by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." (Hebrews 10:10,14) Jesus made the decision He would rather go to hell for us than to go to heaven without us.

  Can serious sin cause someone to lose their eternal life? We know that all sin is serious enough to separate us from God but believers have an advocate who has paid the price for all past and future sins. The apostle John encouraged believers not to sin, "but if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Jesus the Messiah, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 2:1-2) This comforting truth is also revealed in Hebrews 7:25: "He (Jesus) is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them."

 Is it possible to turn your back on God and lose your salvation? Jesus said no one has the power to do so. "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish...My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:28-29) The Father indeed has the power to assure the life Jesus gives us everlasting, not temporal or perishable.

  Can a repentant sinner simply believe the Gospel and be assured of eternal life? The Apostle Paul makes it very clear: "You also were included in the Messiah when you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

ASSURANCE THROUGH GOD'S PROMISE

  The gift of salvation is secured forever by the faithfulness of God. He promises never to take back the gifts He has given. "God's gifts and His call are irrevocable." (Romans11:29) His "promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed" to those who have the faith. (Romans 4:16) "And if by grace, then it is no longer by works, if it were, grace would no longer be grace" (Romans 11:6). Paul is making it crystal clear that salvation can only be assured when a repentant sinner receives it as a gift of God's grace. Anyone who believes salvation can be earned nullifies God's grace and His promises that come with it. Whenever man is involved in attaining and preserving salvation there can be no assurance.

  For some this may be your first exposure to the great biblical truth of eternal security. You may now want to know how you can be certain of your salvation. Simply put aside any teaching, experience or feeling that opposes the Word of God. You will never have the subjective feeling of assurance until you comprehend and believe the objective truth of the gospel. Once you do you will be more certain of living eternally in heaven than one more day on earth. Romans 11:29 "For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable." John 6:37 "The one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out." To understand our eternal security in the Messiah it is essential to correctly understand salvation itself. Eternal Life is a free gift. We did not earn it by our merit; we cannot lose it by demerit. (John 3:16; Romans 3:24; Romans 4:4-5; Romans 6:23)

  On the cross, Jesus the Messiah died and paid for all of our sins; past, present and future. (Isaiah 53:4-6, Isaiah 53:11; 2 Corinthians 5:21; John 19:30) Eternal life is just that --- eternal. It can never cease or be interrupted in any way. (John 3:16 ; Hebrews 5:9; 1 John 5:11,13) At the moment of salvation, we are imputed with the Righteousness of Jesus the Messiah. That is His Righteousness is eternally deposited to our account with God. (Romans 4:3, Romans 4:22-24; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 1:30)

  At the same time, all sins were blotted out and forgotten. This is called Expiation in theology. (Colossians 2:13, Colossians 2:14; Isaiah 1:18; Psalm 103:3; Hebrews10:17) When one believes in the Messiah as Savior, he is born from above, and created as a new spiritual creature. (John 3:6) 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5) In the instant of salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and seals him as the eternal possession of God. (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 4:30) The believer is transferred out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of Jesus the Messiah. (Colossians 1:13,14)

  God sees every believer as already resurrected, glorified and seated with Jesus the Messiah in heaven. (Ephesians 2:4-7; Colossians 2:8-13, Colossians 3:1-4; Romans 8:28-30) Jesus the Messiah personally guarantees the eternal security of the believer, holding us by His power. (John 10:28, 29; 1 Peter 1:5) All sin in the life of the believer results in broken fellowship with God, (1 John1:6,7) Divine discipline, (Hebrews 12:5-11) and loss of eternal reward (1Corinthians 3:10-15) but not loss of salvation. We are restored to fellowship by confession and correction.(1 John 1:7-9)

  If a believer sins persistently, discipline will intensify to the point of death, but his salvation is secure. (1 Corinthians 5:1-5; 1 John 5:16)Can a believer ever lose his salvation? Can someone who has truly been saved ever be lost?

  What saith the scriptures? Salvation is BELIEVING in Jesus the Messiah! Salvation is trusting or believing in, by faith, that Jesus the Messiah paid for your sins with His blood on the cross of Calvary. "He that BELIEVETH on the Son hath everlasting life:. . ." John 3:36

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

We are NOT saved by WORKS!

The Bible makes it clear that OUR WORKS has nothing whatsoever to do with our salvation.

We don't receive it by our works - and we don't keep it by our works! " NOT BY WORKS of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us,. . ." Titus 3:5 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9

Salvation is a FREE GIFT!

Salvation is the free gift of God. If we had to work to keep it - it would not be a free gift and God would be a liar! ". . . the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus the Messiah our Lord."

Romans 6:23 ". . .by the righteousness of one THE FREE GIFT came upon all men unto justification of life." Romans 5:18

Salvation is a NEW BIRTH! Salvation is not enduring or a process, but an event in time. Salvation is a NEW BIRTH.

Just as your first birth happened on a certain time and day, so does the second birth. "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a TIME accepted, and in THE DAY OF SALVATION have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted TIME; behold, now is THE DAY OF SALVATION.)" 2 Corinthians 6:2

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be BORN AGAIN, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

"Being BORN AGAIN, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." 1 Peter 1:23

You become a CHILD OF GOD!

Once you are born again SPIRITUALLY - you become a child of God. "Beloved, NOW are we the SONS OF GOD, . . ." 1 John 3:2

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of ADOPTION, whereby we cry, Abba, FATHER." Romans 8:15

Nothing can SEPARATE us from our Father! Just as nothing can "negate" your physical birth, nothing can "negate" your spiritual birth. My children will always be my children. We may have troubled times. Our fellowship may be broken, but our relationship can never be broken. They will always be my children. Nothing or nobody can change that! And once you are born again spiritually - God becomes your Father - nothing or nobody can change that! Your fellowship may be broken, but your relationship can never be broken!

"For 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 the Messiah Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38

"My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." John 10:29 Jesus will NEVER leave us!

Jesus promised He will never leave us. Jesus could not say this if there was even a chance of losing our salvation.

". . .for he hath said, I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5

". . . and, lo, I am with you ALWAYS, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:20

We already HAVE eternal life!

When the Bible speaks of possessing eternal life, it speaks in the present tense (hath, have, etc.) -SOMETHING WE ALREADY HAVE! If we had to work or endure to keep our salvation, this could not be true. "He that believeth on the Son HATH EVERLASTING LIFE:.. ." John 3:36"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,. . ." 1 John 5:13

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE,. . ." John 5:24

Jesus will NOT cast you out!

". . . him that cometh to me I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT." John 6:37

We are COMPLETE in Jesus the Messiah! "And ye are COMPLETE IN HIM, which is the head of all principality and power:" Colossians 2:10

We are PERFECTED FOR EVER!

We are "perfected for ever" by Jesus the Messiah. How could the Lord say such a bold statement if we had to earn or keep our salvation? By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus the Messiah ONCE FOR ALL. . . For by one offering he hath PERFECTED FOR EVER them that are sanctified." Hebrews 10:10,14

We are PRESERVED in the Messiah Jesus! "Jude, the servant of Jesus the Messiah, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and PRESERVED IN Jesus the Messiah, and called:" Jude 1

"And THE LORD. . . WILL PRESERVE ME unto his heavenly kingdom:. . ." 2 Timothy4:18

We are KEPT by the POWER of God!

"Who are KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:5 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," Jude 24

We are saved to the UTTERMOST!

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the UTTERMOST that come unto God by him,. .." Hebrews 7:25

We are SEALED until the day of redemption!

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby YE ARE SEALED unto the day of redemption." Ephesians 4:30 ". . .after that ye believed, YE WERE SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise," Ephesians 1:13

What about the BACKSLIDER?

What about the "backslider" or somebody that forsakes the Lord? The Bible says he will suffer loss (rewards, etc.) - but he himself shall be saved! "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus the Messiah. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: BUT HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; yet so as by fire." -- 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

We become the BODY OF the Messiah!

For we are MEMBERS OF HIS BODY, of his flesh, and of his bones." Ephesians 5:30

Now ye are the BODY OF the Messiah, and members in particular." 1 Corinthians 12:18

What if we later - BELIEVE NOT?

Our salvation is so secure - even if we BELIEVE NOT after we're saved, because we become part of Him (the body of the Messiah), ". . .yet he abideth faithful: HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF." "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF." 2 Timothy 2:13 But what if I sin an awful sin? Corinthians 5 reports of an awful sin in the church. And even though Paul commands ". . To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh" - Paul still speaks of that person being saved - ". . .that the spirit MAY BE SAVED. . " It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. . .To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit MAY BE SAVED in the day of the Lord Jesus." 1 Corinthians 5:1,5

To lose your salvation - makes God a LIAR!

With all the PROMISES from God to KEEP you, to SAVE you, to PRESERVE you - to even suggest you could lose your salvation - is to call God a LIAR! ". . .he that BELIEVETH NOT GOD hath made him a LIAR; . . ." 1 John 5:10 Why do people doubt their salvation? They trust in feelings rather than the word of God. "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool:. . ." Proverbs 28:26 They are confused by the simplicity of salvation. "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from THE SIMPLICITY that is in the Messiah." 2 Corinthians 11:3 They trust in tradition or church teachings rather than the word of God. "Making the word of God of none effect through your TRADITION,. . ."Mark 7:13 They trust in their own righteousness.". . . and all OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSES are as filthy rags;. . ." -- Isaiah 64:6

They have NEVER been saved.

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;. . ." Matthew 7:21

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SAVED?

Is there a time and place in your life, when you trusted in the blood of Jesus the Messiah? Not joined a church, not kept the sacraments, not baptism, not good works - but simply, by faith, prayed and asked Jesus the Messiah to save you? To die without Jesus the Messiah will be the worst thing you could ever do. To believe in Jesus is the most Jewish thing you could do! "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the LAKE OF FIRE." Revelation 20:15

YOU CAN BE SAVED THIS VERY MINUTE!

It's simple to be saved ...

1. Know you're a sinner. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" Romans 3:10 "... for there is no difference. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23

2. That Jesus the Messiah's sacrifice paid for your sins. "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, ..." 1 Peter 2:24 "... Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," Revelation 1:5

3 .And the best way you know how, simply trust Him, and Him alone as your personal Savior.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13