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LESSON FIVE: THE TRIUMPH OF GRACE
So far in our study, we've looked at what God graciously does for poor dead sinners. The Father chose a people for himself. The Son died for those whom the Father had chosen. And the Holy Spirit applies this to their hearts and brings them to faith. These doctrines logically imply that the ones who receive these blessings will certainly be saved. Yet, there are those who teach that a true believer can fall from grace and lose his salvation. Is this the teaching of the Bible?
I. Part One: Safe and Secure
A. Read John 5: 24
1. What does the believer have? _______________________________________
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2. Will he come into judgement? _______________________________________
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3. From what has he passed? __________________________________________
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B. Read John 6: 35- 40
1. What does Christ say about those who come and believe on him? (v. 35) ____
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2. Will they be cast out? (v. 37) _______________________________________
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3. Will Christ lose any that the Father gave him? (v. 39) ____________________
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4. What kind of life does a person have when he believes? (v. 40) ____________
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C. Read Romans 8: 35- 39
1. What are believers in all things? (v. 37) _______________________________
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2. Through whom are we more than conquerors? (v. 37) ___________________
3. Can anything separate a believer from the love of God? (v. 39) ____________
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D. Read Philippians 1: 6
1. If God begins the work of salvation, will he complete it? __________________
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1. Can we be confident of this? ________________________________________
E. Read Psalm 37: 23, 24, 28
1. By whom are the steps of the believer ordered? (v. 23) ___________________
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2. Does God delight in the believer's way? (v. 23) ________________________
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3. If he falls into sin, will he be cast down? (v. 24) ________________________
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4. Who upholds the believer? (v. 24) __________________________________
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5. Will God forsake his saints? (v. 28) __________________________________
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6. How long will they be preserved? (v. 28) ______________________________
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F. Read Romans 8: 28
1. How many things work for good to believers? __________________________
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2. Would losing one's salvation be a good thing? __________________________
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G. Read 1 John 2: 19, 25
1. If someone becomes saved, will they continue in the faith? (v. 19) __________
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2. If someone leaves the faith, were they really saved to begin with? (v. 19) ____
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3. What has God promised true believers? (v. 25) _________________________
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The teaching of scripture is clear that those who are saved will certainly persevere. They are given ETERNAL life the moment they believe. True believers are kept by the power of God and will not be separated from his love. Whatever God purposes, he will surely bring it to pass. He will complete the work he has begun. This does not mean that all who profess to be Christians will be saved. It is the saints, the true believers that are secure. There are many who profess to believe and then fall away, but the reason they fall away is that they were never in grace.
II. Part Two: Five Links in The Chain of Grace
A. Read Romans 8: 29, 30
1. What did God do for those He foreknew (foreloved)? (v. 29) ______________
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2. For whom he did predestinate? (v. 30) _______________________________
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3. Whom he called? (v. 30) ___________________________________________
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4. For whom he justified? (v. 30) ______________________________________
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Now, let's look at the chain in reverse order.
5. What were those who will be glorified? (v. 30) ________________________
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6. Those who were justified? (v. 30) ___________________________________
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7. Those who were called? (v. 30) _____________________________________
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8. Those who were predestinated? (v. 29) _______________________________
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In Romans 8 God shows us the "five links" in his chain of grace. These five links are "foreknowledge", "predestination", "calling", "justification", and "glorification". Each of these is true of every believer. Not one of these links will fail or break. Here we see that the activity is on the part of God alone. He does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Also, notice the fifth link in the chain- "glorification". This is the destiny of every true believer. Salvation can never be lost because those, whom God has foreknown (foreloved), predestinated, called, and justified, he will also glorify. The verbs in these verses are in the past tense because in the mind of God, he sees his eternal purpose as already complete.
"Believers stand as upon a stable rock, and they are placed as upon a mountain of brass, so cannot totally and finally fall; for the Father is not inconsistent in his love; he doth not love today and hate tomorrow." -- Christopher Ness
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