Our Blessed Hope | Eternally Secure in Christ | Bible Study
Our Blessed Hope | Eternally Secure in Christ
In order to fully understand the reason why believers will be delivered from the seven year tribulation period on the earth, we must understand that every believer in the dispensation of grace is Eternally Secure in Christ Jesus from the very moment that they believed the Gospel of the grace of God.
Let's look over some Bible verses that give us assurance of our eternal salvation.
✝️ We are IMPUTED with Christ's righteousness the moment we believe the gospel (1 Cor 15:3-4), we do not have our own righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
✝️ Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
Romans 5:1
5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
✝️ There is NO condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus (and there is no self-condemnation to those believers who walk in the Spirit instead of after the flesh)
Romans 8:1-2
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
✝️ We have been translated into the kingdom of His dear Son.
Col 1:13
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
✝️ We are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise until the day of redemption, which is the pre-tribulation rapture.
Eph 1:13-14
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
✝️ Even if we at some point stop believing, God remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself. We are so identified with Christ now as believers that God would have to deny the Lord Jesus Christ in order to also deny us, and that will never happen.
2 Tim 2:13
13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Eph 1:6 KJV -
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Since the tribulation has to do with God pouring out his wrath upon an unbelieving world, and is the continuation of Israel's program, the church the Body of Christ will have nothing to do with it.
Jer 30:7 KJV -
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's [Israel's] trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
God is forming the church the Body of Christ today to fill the heavenly places.
Eph 1:3 KJV -
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 2:6 KJV -
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Once there are enough believers (and enough edified believers for higher positions) to fill the positions of power in God's heavenly government, then we go up! We won't have anything to do with the tribulation period at all. We will be busy in our new heavenly home. It's also not just about us, but about Christ having the preeminence over the heavens and the earth. When we fill those positions of power in God's heavenly government, which Satan has currently corrupted, God will have fully reconciled the heavens unto himself. Christ lives in us and will live in and through us throughout all of eternity, so our filling these positions gives Christ preeminence over the heavens.
Ephesians 1:10-12
10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Col 1:18 KJV -
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
A good study of Ephesians can help you to better understand God's glory plan.
So the question is, are you saved? If not, please understand that God demands perfect righteousness for salvation and eternal life. The only way that man can be righteously perfect is to have God's very own righteousness imputed to us. Otherwise, we would all be condemned to death and judgment in hell. The Apostle Paul explains that now we can receive righteousness and salvation apart from the law.
The law brought the ‘knowledge of sin’. But now the righteousness of God can only come through faith in Jesus Christ.
“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe:” – Romans 3:22
Jesus Christ was made to be our substitution for death, sin, and judgment (2 Cor 5:21, Ro 3:25, Ro 3:23). Jesus paid our sin debt and when we
trust in Christ, God declares us righteous and gives us salvation and eternal life (Eph 1:13). This salvation can NEVER be undone! If you believe that you can loose your salvation, then you are essentially saying that what Jesus did wasn't sufficient!
"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise," Eph 1:13 KJB
So in order to be saved you must recognize that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. Then, simply believe how that Christ Jesus died for your sins, was buried and rose again for your justification. The gospel is clearly told to us in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4. Believe this gospel and you will have eternal life!
Our works could never save us and our works also cannot keep us saved. Instead, we can choose to live godly because of God's grace. In fact it is the grace of God that teaches us godliness.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Romans 4:5
Titus 2: 11-12
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Interestingly those two verses in Titus that speak about our salvation and God's grace teaching us godliness is then followed by a verse about the rapture.
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
This is because as long as we are here on earth after we are saved, we ought to live godly and be prepared for the rapture. Living godly is allowing Christ to live in and through you as a believer, which can ONLY be done by us reading, studying, meditating upon, believing and then yeilding ourselves over to obey God's word rightly divided. As we live godly, we are then doing the work of the ministry and fully aware that our time here on earth is limited. We don't know how long our lives will be and the rapture is imminent, which means it could happen at anytime. This isn't meant to stress us out, rather to motivate us to share the gospel out of charity and teach sound grace doctrine to fellow believers as we understand it. Even times when we just rest and meditate upon the word of God is profitable time. Much more profitable than scrolling through social media! We also keep the judgment seat of Christ in mind. Our rewards in heaven depend upon us living out the grace life, that is allowing Christ to live in and through you. But we are not just thinking of our own rewards, but that of fellow believers. We want to see people saved and then edified. Edification has benefits both while we are here on earth as well as when we are in heaven!
But if you don't believe in eternal security, you will be consumed with trying to maintain your own salvation and will put yourself under a performance-based acceptance system. This is really stressful. Then, the rapture becomes a fearful thing where you might be worried that you won't make it or that all believers will have to endure the tribulation. What hope or comfort is there in that?
If you want to understand eternal security even more, I recommend studying the book of Romans, especially chapters 1-8, as well as learning about mid-acts rightly divided bible study.
Praise the Lord! All glory to God!
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