Romans 8:28-39

The fact of eternal life.

Eternal Life (salvation) is real only if the person continues in the faith.

Eternal Life continuing through justification by works and progressive sanctification.

I. The fact of eternal life.

A. Scriptures:

1. John 3:15 – "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

2. John 3:16 – "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."

3. John 3:36 – "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

4. John 6:39-40 – "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."

5. John 6:47 – "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."

6. John 6:54 – "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

7. John 10:27-30 – "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one."

B. There is a lot of controversy about eternal life – some believing such a doctrine leads to willful sinning against God. Some believing that once you are saved, you can continue in sin and still go to heaven. Scriptures that teach eternal life is only to those that remain faithful to God.

Matthew 7:21-22 – "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?"

I Corinthians 15:2 – "By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain."

Colossians 1:21-23, "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister."

Hebrews 3:6, "But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."

Hebrews 3:7, "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,"

Hebrews 3:12, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."

Hebrews 3:14, "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;"

I heard Jimmy Swaggart say that a person had eternal life until he sinned. That wouldn’t be very long, would it?

There are some words involved in salvation:

justification – being made legally right before God, as if we had never sinned.

sanctification – Being set aside for God – both spiritually and physically.

glorification – receiving a new eternal body that is incapable of sin.

Justification is a legal term indicating the individual is completely innocent of any crime, sin, or error, and has been declared innocent by the judge – the final judge of all – God Almighty.

Romans 4:1-2 – Abraham is justified without works, by grace through faith in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:9 – "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."

Galatians 2:16 – "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

James 2:21 – Abraham was justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar.

Romans 2:12,13 – "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."

Sanctification means to be made right before God. To purify, or consecrate before God.

Sanctification also refers to the body, the life being set aside, or purified for the cause of Christ.

Sanctified at the time of salvation:

I Cor. 6:11 – "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

I Thess 2:13 – "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:"

Sanctified during our life: (Progressive sanctification)

I Thess 4:3-5 – "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:"

I Thess 5:23 – "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

II Timothy 2:21 – "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."