HOW SECURE AM I?

September 9 

If God is for us, who is against us? Rom. 8:31b

A supreme frustration is that I encounter so many dear people whom I apprehend to be genuine Christians, but who nonetheless lack assurance regarding the matter of their salvation. They are thus deprived of experiencing the full JOY of their salvation!  

The Grace Brethren movement—unique amongst the diverse fraternity of related Schwarzenau Brethren groupings—historically and dogmatically affirms the doctrine of the Eternal Security of the believer. To deny Eternal Security involves introducing a legalistic, works-based element into our salvation. In Christ, we HAVE eternal life, Brethren (John 3:16)!  God has not bequeathed to us the spirit of anxiety and uncertainty: rather, “so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13)!  

As we are reminded in the Sacred Form of our Trine Baptism, our secure salvation is rooted in the work of each Person of the Holy Trinity. Believers have been predestinated unto Eternal Life by God the Father (Eph. 1:3-6), and our status is that we have been adopted into His Family as His own dear children (Rom. 8:15)—no longer His enemies! Consider where we were—and where we are now, in Christ (Eph. 2:1-10)! God the Son, whom the Father has sent, has paid our debt in full (John 19:30), and His righteousness has been legally reckoned unto us (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 5:18-19). We have also received the “earnest” or pledge of God the Holy Spirit, which is an assurance that our salvation-experience will be consummated and completed. Further, we have also been sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the Day of Redemption (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13, 4:30).  

We are secure in the Triune God—and it doesn’t get any better than that! 

Terry L. Reese