Security And Not A Free Pass

"I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." John 10:28-29, ESV

John chapter ten is foundational to understand the security of your salvation. 

I grew up in a church where we had eternal in-security! We never knew we could have eternal security in Jesus Christ. We would come forward to be "re-saved" as often as we had the opportunity. Every time I did something wrong, I thought I would need to get "saved" again. I got justification—how I have right-standing with God—confused with sanctification, God's process of making me more like Jesus. 

I didn't understand how the Lord makes us more and more like Jesus. I didn't understand how the Holy Spirit works in our life to get victory over sin. I didn't understand that I am secure in Christ. I just needed to know how to walk and grow in grace. I was trying to again lay the foundation of forgiveness and "trying" to be saved again and again. 

Jesus never did say that you needed to be born again, and again, and again. Right? He just said, "You must be born again." Once. If that's for real, then you are secure in the Lord. He has you in His hand. The Father has you in His hand. There is this double grip on you! It's a life-changing experience to know you are saved by Jesus and that He's the Author of eternal salvation!

This is a morning devotion I got the other day and I loved it so much I had to share. We serve such an incredible God to give us such a security, but its not a free pass. This was another devotion that I read the a few days ago that I thought explained it perfectly. 


Would the truth of the eternal security of the believer encourage people to think they have the liberty to go out and live like they did before they were saved?

Many people think that it is more motivating for Christians to live a holy life to tell them that if they sin they could be lost. 

No! What needs to be done is to teach Scripture. The Scripture says that a real believer is secure in the Lord. But it also clearly teaches that a real believer won't want to sin—not on purpose! 

As a real believer you don't plan to practice sin. That's not the way a real believer thinks. You may stumble and fall, but you aren't planning and practicing sin. Like I've said, "You're not going to be sinless, but you are going to be sinning less." Right? That's because the Lord is working in your life, and He's growing you in His grace. 

I know that in my experience rather than making me feel like I can go out and do whatever I want, knowing that I am secure had the very opposite effect in my life. I live a much more careful life knowing that I am saved forever than I ever did when I was living to try to be saved.