Imperishable Salvation

By Dustin Shramek

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).

I. How does the truth of Unconditional Election guarantee that the elect will not lose their salvation?

II. How does the Nature of the Atonement guarantee that the elect will not lose their salvation?

III. How does God's Irresistible Grace guarantee that the elect will not lose their salvation?

IV. God's glory is at stake.

A. 1 Samuel 12:22 says, “For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.” How does this verse show that God's name is at stake in the salvation of His people? If his people are ultimately not saved and are condemned to hell, what would that say about God? What is motivating God in this passage? Is God pleased to do one thing and then change his mind?

1. God has promised that he will not abandon his people. If in fact he does abandon his people for eternity, he has lied. If God is a liar, he cannot be trusted. He would not be worthy of our trust.
2. God has said that he will save us. If he doesn't, he proves to be a powerless God who cannot bring about his own wishes, but is subject to things outside of himself (i.e. human will). Either he is unable to save us or he decided that he no longer wanted to save us. Neither is acceptable.

V. The Immutability of God.

A. Numbers 23:19 says, God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

B. Malachi 3:6 says, “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.”

1. How does the immutability of God give assurance to His elect?
2. If God's nature doesn't change, do His purposes?
3. If God is all wise and all powerful, would he ever need to change the means by which he brings about his purposes.

VI. The Intercession of Christ (John 17:11-12, 24; Romans 8:34).

A. What is Christ's request?

B. Does God hear the prayers of Christ (John 11:41-42).

C. If God always hears Christ's requests and Christ always prays according to His will, and we be confident that God will grant Christ's requests?

D. Is he still interceding for us today?

1. Can we comprehend a triune God who has different desires within his persons?
2. Doesn't God's unity insure that if Christ wants something, the Father will also desire that same thing?

VII. Romans 8:28-30.

A. Why are the elect called? What does it mean to be called?

B. Why are the elect justified? What does it mean to be justified?

C. Why are the elect glorified? What does it mean to be glorified?

D. So what is the first act that leads to glorification?

E. When does this take place (Ephesians 1:4)?

F. When is our glorification made sure?

VIII. Romans 8:35-39.

A. Ephesians 1:5 says that we are predestined in love. We just saw that if we are predestined we will be saved. The foundation of our election is God's love. Is that foundation movable?

IX. John 6:37, 39-40.

A. How many of the elect will come to Christ?

B. What will Jesus do when they come?

C. What is God's purpose in sending Christ? Can His purpose fail (Job 42:2)?

D. Can we then be assured that the elect will be saved?

X. John 10:26-29.

A. What is characteristic of Christ's sheep?

B. Will a sheep of Christ not hear his voice? Or not follow him?

C. What does Christ promise his sheep?

D. Who protects the sheep to insure that they will receive eternal life?

XI. 1 Peter 1:3-5.

A. Though what have the elect been born again?

B. By being born again, what have the elect obtained?

C. What kind of an inheritance is it?

D. If one can be born-again and then be lost, what happens to their inheritance that was reserved in heaven for them?

E. By who's power does one keep their inheritance?

XII. Should we say, “Once saved always saved.”? Does an initial act of faith to accept Christ insure that we will be saved?

A. James 2:14, 17.

1. Is disobedient faith sufficient for eternal life?
2. What kind of faith saves?

B. Our faith must endure to the end if we are to be saved.

1. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2
   a. What is the condition that must be met in order to remain saved?
2. Colossians 1:21-23.
   a. What must happen for us to be presented as holy and blameless?
3. Mark 13:13, “And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved.”

XIII. Obedience is necessary for salvation.

A. John 8:31.

1. What must we do in order to be disciples of Christ?

B. 1 John 2:3-6.

1. If we don't keep his commandments, what is true of us?

C. We are justified by our initial act of trusting in Christ, but it is with a view to subsequent acts of obedience through faith.

XIV. It is God who causes us to persevere to the end. He keeps our faith and insures that we will be saved.

A. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.

1. What does God promise to bring to pass?

B. Philippians 1:6.

1. If God begins a good work (i.e. justification), will it then let them fall away?

C. 1 Corinthians 1:8-9.

1. What will God do for us? And how long will he do it?

XV. Application.

A. 2 Peter 1:10, “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you...” We must make our calling and election sure. We do this though joyful obedience to Christ.

B. We can be assured that our salvation is in god's hands and it isn't dependent upon our fickle will.

C. God is powerful and he can and will keep us to the end. This gives us great hope.

D. We must continuously exhort others to keep trusting in Christ now, not to simply look back to an act of faith sometime in the past.

E. It gives us the assurance necessary in order to be radically committed to Christ. When we understand that our salvation is in his hands and not ours we can be free to serve him more passionately.

“And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.”--Jeremiah 32:40.

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