The nature of God as it relates to the eternal security of the believer. It is not in the nature of God to lie or deceive His children. The Devil is called “a liar” (John 8:44) and the “deceiver” (Rev. 12:9, 20:3,7,8,19) because it is his nature and work to do so, but the nature of God is just the opposite. God cannot lie or deceive mankind (Titus 1:2). God is characterized as “a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He” (Deut. 32:4). He is a God of light, “and within Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
When it comes to salvation, God is clear concerning His promise to save the sinner and to keep him saved forever. God has promised that if we ask in faith, believing Him to do what He said He will do, He will do it. God means that and has offered no conditions whereby He will go back on this promise. As a matter of fact, God declares that those who come to Him in faith for salvation, not one of them will be cast out, and none of them will be lost (John 6:37,39). If the believer has even a remote chance of losing his salvation for whatever reason, Jesus would have said it in these verses.
Those who struggle with or reject the doctrine of eternal security do so because they do not fully understand the nature of God. Most likely, their thoughts of God and what He is like are from their human point of view and not from God’s. If a friend betrays another the human nature wants to withdraw from that person and hold a grudge against him. But God is not that way. He is merciful and gracious in His dealing with mankind, and His ways are higher than man’s ways and His thoughts than man’s thoughts (Isaiah 55:8–9). It is by His grace and mercy that He saves a person, and it is also by His grace that He keeps that person saved. His promise of salvation is not based on anything that the believer does or doesn’t do to keep it.
The word grace means “to give something that is not deserved or can’t be earned.” God is familiar with the sinfulness of man, yet He has chosen to save him and give him everlasting life based on his obedience and faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It bears repeating that it is by God’s mercy and grace that a person is saved, and it is also by His mercy and grace that He keeps that person saved.
The nature of God is such that it does not allow Him to go back on His Word (Malachi 3:6) but compels Him to keep His word and His covenants with mankind (Numbers 23: 19). Therefore, when a believer transgresses and commits acts that displease God, the holiness of God is repulsed by his actions, but His righteousness and mercy stand ready to forgive and cleanse the sinning believer when forgiveness is sought (Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 1:9).
In addition, the nature of God demands that He keeps His covenants and promises with mankind (Psalms 105:8; 111:5). In Numbers 23:19, the Scripture reminds us, “hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or, hath he spoken and shall he not make it good?” Noah could testify that God keeps His promises. Abraham, who acted impatiently at one point, even doubting God promise, would declare that God keeps His promises. Moses could testify that God keeps His promises because when he failed to follow God’s instruction to speak to the rock, He smote it instead. As a result, God did not allow him to take the children of Israel across the Jordan River and into the land of Canaan (Numbers 20:8–12). Joshua was given the task to lead the children of Israel across the Jordan River and safely into the land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 34:1–8; Joshua 1:1–2). God keeps His promises. Be assured that He will also keep His promise regarding salvation and eternal life assured to the believer.
The nature of God is also seen in His ability to forgive us of our sins. When God saves the sinner, He forgives the sinner of all his sins—past, present, and future. That was God’s design for mankind before the world was formed. He sent His only begotten Son into the world for the purpose of saving sinners. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses the sinner of all his sins—past, present, and future—and places him into the family of God (1 Peter 1:18–21). The Scripture declares that the believer’s sins are washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, and cast as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered against him anymore (Psalms 103:12; Hebrews 8:12).
In exchange for our sinfulness and as part of the finished work of Christ on the cross, Jesus took the believer’s sins upon Himself and imparted to the believer His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). As a result, when God the Father looks upon the believer, though sinful and vile at times, He does not see him as vile or wretched or as a sinner. Instead, He sees only the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which has been imputed or charged to the believer’s account (Romans 4:11,22; James 2:23).
C. I. Scofield comments on imputed righteousness said, “The righteousness of God is neither an attribute of God, nor the changed character of the believer, but Christ Himself, who fully met in our stead and behalf every demand of the law, and who is, by the act of God called imputation (Leviticus 25:50; James2:23), made unto us…righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). The believer in Christ is now, by grace, shrouded under so complete and blessed a righteousness that the law from Mt. Sinai can find neither fault nor diminution (any lessening) therein” (Scofield Study Bible, notes on Romans 3:21–22).
Thus, if God were to take away the believer’s salvation because of his daily transgressions, then God would violate the work of Christ on the cross and, in doing so, would cut across the grain of His very own nature by such an act. That, of course, is impossible for Him to do (Malachi 3:6).
The fact that God keeps His promises is a sobering thought. It ought to make us realize that God has not only promised to save us and give us everlasting life, but He has also promised to come again and receive all believers unto Himself (John 14:2–3; Thessalonians 4:13–17). He has promised that all the wicked and unbelieving will be judged and will ultimately be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). The Scripture refers to this as “the second death” (Revelation 20:14).
Why is it called the “second death?” Maybe this explains it. Someone has wisely said, “If you’re born twice, then you will die once; but if you’re born once, then you will die twice.” Salvation is referred to as being “born again” (John 3:3). The first birth is the natural birth when you were born to your parents. The second birth occurs when the believer is born again in the spiritual birth known as salvation (John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23). The second death, which is spoken of in Revelation 21:8, describes those who rejected God’s offer of salvation. Such are recipients of the “second death,” which is the outpouring of God’s wrath upon those who reject His offer of salvation and eternal life. The realization of this fact should make each believer anxious to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost each opportunity we get to do so.
We have seen that the nature of God is unchanging, and as a result, He will not and cannot go back on His Word (Malachi 3:6). Because of this truth, it is safe to conclude that the believer’s transgressions do not change the mind of God concerning the eternal life which He has promised, nor does it remove the believer from his secure position in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:35–39). Henceforth, we can trust God and put our faith and confidence in Him, not only to save us but also to keep us saved for all eternity (2 Timothy 1:12).
