I will lose nothing

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” – John 6.35-40

Of all the debated and contested doctrines that I have looked at one that I have never struggled with is the notion that once a person truly repents and puts their faith in Christ eternity is secure and their salvation is safe.

Call it ‘once saved always saved’ if you will, but I can’t see anyway to get around the fact that once Jesus saves me he saves me for good. If my continued salvation is based on my words than it is me who is in charge of my salvation. The scriptural evidence is overwhelming but we are just looking at one passage this morning and it is a passage where Jesus says ‘I will never cast out one who comes to Me. I will not lose one whom the Father sends Me. I will give them everlasting life. I will raise him up in the last day.’

I don’t know how anyone could possibly argue with that. It seems pretty clear. What is means is that if anyone seems to turn away they are either walking in the flesh or they never truly came to Christ in the first place because Jesus will not throw anyone out who truly comes to Him.

That doesn’t give one a licence to sin. It means that if anyone uses their liberty as a licence to sin something is wrong. They need to examine their lives to see if they are truly in Christ.

But one thing is certain – If I am truly in Christ He will never, ever, cast me out.