Eternal Security

Everyone, irrespective of race and culture, is looking for security. In fact a major part of human activity is directed toward finding security.

In the contemporary culture there are various agencies, or industries or organizations, in some way or other, devoted to provide security. One example is the Insurance Agencies. They do a tremendous job in providing security but their scope is limited. You can insure yourself against an accident but there is no way to be sure that accident won't happen. You can insure against fire or theft but there is absolutely no way to be completely sure that no fire will break out or no theft will take place. Then there is some form of social security in most countries. People may have their financial and medical needs cared for but there is no evidence of complete and total security. My conclusion is that in spite of all man's efforts, wisdom, know-how or wealth they are ultimatley powerless in achieving real security.

Security through the Word of God

There is another source of security which can provide real security and it is only found through the Wisdom of God.

Read Proverbs 1:20 - 33. It is the Wisdom of God speaking through the Scripture.

In Proverbs 1 the key verse says, "But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil" (Verse 33, NKJV).

Notice that the key to achieving the kind of security offered in the Bible is by listening to the right voice - The Voice of Wisdom. Those who listen to God's Voice of Wisdom will "dwell safely". He will be protected by God; he will live outside the scope of harm and evil!

God's Wisdom offers both advice and rebuke. God's rebuke is found in:

"Because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes" (Prov. 1:25, 26).

If you reject the counsel of the Wisdom of God, you will be visited by ultimate calamity and disaster! Instead of helping and delivering you from your suffering, the Lord will laugh at you!

God's Wisdom shows us what is right and warns us against what is wrong. But apart from God's revelation we really can't fully understand what Wisdom is all about.

The Temporal and the Eternal

There are two parallel categories of things in the universe - things that are seen and things that are not seen; things that are temporal and things that are eternal.

Paul said, "While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:18).

The unseen world includes the Word of God, His being and His truth - they are all Spirit. By faith we apprehend what we can't see with our eyes or what we can't perceive with any of our senses. But through the perception of this eternal invisible realm we begin to find true security.

"All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:6 - 8).

Human life is temporal and subject to corruption and death. We are like grass; we grow up, we die and we pass away. On the other hand, the eternal realm does not subject to corruption, or change or instability.

In order to understand and to achieve true security you have to see the limit of any other kind of security. Man, by his own effort or wisdom, can never achieve true and permanent security. Any achievement by man is like man's own nature - like grass! God has permitted that and He uses man's weaknesses to turn man's heart away from the impermanent to the permanent. Every one of us has to make a choice about how to live our lives. We have to decide whether are we going to build on the temporal or going to build on the permanent.

Nature of the Rock

The choice of building on the temporal or on the permanent is vividly described in the proverbial parable of Jesus (Matthew 7:24 - 27). Two men each built a house - one built on sand (speaks of the temporal) and the other buit on the rock (speaks of the permanent). The same choice faces every one of us.

Paul said, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11).

The only foundation that will stand for eternity is the foundation of Jesus Christ. He is the foundation which God has already laid - we can't change it, we can't find another. We can only accept that which God has already provided in Jesus Christ.

The psalmist said the Lord is the Rock of our refuge (Ps. 94:22) and the Rock of our salvation (Ps. 95:1).

Peter said, "Coming to Him (Jesus) as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house ......" (1 Peter 2:4 - 5).

God spoke through Isaiah, "Behold, I lay Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, as sure foundation ....." (Isaiah 28:16).

Zion speaks of the Church all through Scripture. Jesus Christ has been chosen by God to build His Church. He is the "sure" and eternal foundation for the Church and individual Christians!

Jesus Himself said, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18, NKJV).

To me that is total and permanent security.

Personal relationship with the Rock

In order to have true security in this life or the next we must come to the Rock, the Lord Jesus, and have a personal relationship with Him. If you come to Him He will receive you.

Jesus said, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).

Commitment to Jesus Christ produces a direct and personal relationship with Him for which there is no substitute. This relationship is described in many passages of Scripture. Here are just two examples:

1. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk throught the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:1 - 4).

Once you have made a commitment to Him as your Lord and Shepherd He accepts total responsibility to provide eternal security in every situation, every circumstance. And He does it for His Name's sake. There is no power of evil in the entire universe can disrupt the relationship between the Lord and the one committed to Him.

2. Paul said, "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 created things, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38, 39, emphasis added).

When we are committed to Him, nothing (nine nor's) can separate us from the love of Christ. That is total and permanent security.

Eternal Hope and Hopelessness

Eternal Hope is the product of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Hope in the heart gives patience and strength to endure hardship and calamities and all the other pressures that come against us in life.

"The wicked is banished in his wickedness, but the righteous has a refuge in his death" (Proverbs 14:32, NKJV, emphasis added).

In the King James Version the word "refuge" is replaced by the word "hope". Therefore "refuge" also speaks of "hope". For every soul committed to the Lord even in the valley of the shadow of death there is a refuge and there is hope.

On the other hand, hopelessness takes away initiative, strength and the very will to live. To be without hope in this life is tragic. But to be without hope in death is the ultimate tragedy!

Paul said, "Therefore remember that you, once Gentile in the flesh .... that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:11, 12, NKJV, emphasis added).

Three things described those who are separated from Christ - without Christ, without hope and without God. To me this is a terribe picture!

Paul said, "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus" (1 Thess. 4:13, 14, emphasis added).

Notice the contrast at death between the two kinds of people - those who are united to Christ by faith and those who don't have that union with Christ in the spiritual realm. For the former, they don't have to experience death but they only being described as "fallen asleep". When they "wake up" they will see Him face to face (1 Cor. 13:12)! But for the later there is no hope!