Because the law works wrath the person who chooses to live under the law is subject to the wrath of God. “Because the law worketh wrath; for where no law is, there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15).
“Whatsoever things the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19).
The law is the ministration of death and condemnation. It is not the ministration of life and justification. “But if the ministration of death, written and engraved in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more does the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory” ( 2 Corinthians 3: 7-9). It is clear, the individual whose manner of life is under the law, is guilty before God, and condemned to death. Therefore, the one who is under the law is lost, condemned, and in need of looking away from the law to grace, life, and truth. By the operation of grace, a saved person has been redeemed from the curse of the law and from being under the law, because:
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree…to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption on sons” (Galatians 3:13, 4:5).
The child of God is no longer under the law, but under grace. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
Redemption was completely accomplished by the severe penalty of death being borne by the impeccable Son of God instead of by an imperfect and sin infected human. This execution of the penalty by substitution has actually been carried out in the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. As to the unbeliever in the sight of the law, he is dead, that is… dead to the law and free from it. The law does not give life, it can only condemn and go outside itself and point to Him who gave Himself for our sins.
“Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Galatians 7:4).
If a believer can ever be lost (and this is impossible) it would be necessary to return him to the execution of the death penalty under the law. The believer is completely freed from the law by the full payment of the death penalty that was made by Jesus Christ. The believer can only be brought back under the law by undoing the perfect work that Jesus Christ finished on the Cross. Impossible! Until His perfect sacrificial work on the Cross is undone, the law has nothing to enforce that will affect the believer. Therefore, the full payment by Christ for the death penalty of the law demands the acceptance of the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer. Man cannot go to Heaven in his lost condition. He is defined in the scripture as blind, naked, and without hope before God. He is without life because he does not have the imputed life that comes only from the indwelling person of Jesus Christ. Eternal life is outside of him and exclusively in the person of Jesus Christ. There is no life until the one who has life and gives life is received as the only hope of everlasting life. An unbeliever is not under the shepherding care of Jesus Christ and must be born again or redeemed from the slave market of sin. To remain outside the shepherding care of Jesus Christ is to be lost and condemned forever. Redemption by the sacrificial work of Christ on the Cross was accomplished and is appropriated.
“Not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain manner of life, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18).
This blessed redemption price can never lose its value; it is incorruptible. It is infinite in its value, for it is paid in full by the shed blood of the impeccable Son of God. It is perfect for He was without spot or blemish. His redemption and finished Cross work is precious.
“For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19).
“The law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw nigh to God” (Hebrews 7:19).
It is the school bus that we board that takes us to the One and only Mediator. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Jesus Christ is the exclusive and only way to heaven.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6).
Jesus Christ is the only means of righteousness. He is the only way to Heaven. At the point of salvation or belief in Him, we immediately possess absolute righteousness and secure an inheritance that is incorruptible, infinite, and perfect. This redemption is precious, sure, unchangeable, and complete. And as such the redemption of the believer will continue throughout eternity because, it was “By His own blood He (Christ) entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12).
Inasmuch as the redemption of the saved one, who has been saved from under the law, is eternal he cannot again come under the law and be condemned to death by it. He can, therefore, not be lost. Eternal redemption and eternal security are one and mean the same thing. There can be no doctrine of eternal redemption without the fact of eternal security. As conclusive as these sure statements are, it is not all that God has done to make the redemption of the believer absolutely certain. Redemption is not only from something; it is also to God.
“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9).
Everyone who is saved has been “bought” by Christ, and the transaction has been sealed forever and witnessed. “You are bought with a price; be not you servants of men” (1 Corinthians 7:23). After an individual has accepted Jesus Christ as the Only Redeemer, he is sealed by the Holy Spirit who is given to Him as a faithful witness to what has already been perfectly accomplished. “Which is the earnest (guarantee) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His Glory” (Ephesians 1:14).
The seal is legal evidence of a consummated purchase and is proof of ownership. In similar manner Christ becomes the owner of every believer through this legal (forensic) transaction. The natural man is without Christ, under the law, and condemned to death. In Christ, the right of redemption is forever vested. Jesus Christ paid the redemption price, not with shekels of silver, (the redemption money of the temple), but with His own blood to satisfy the law. On behalf of everyone who believes in Christ, there is evidence that is recorded, subscribed, and sealed of that transaction that will be in the annals of eternal history forever, and ever. The seal is forever forged by the Holy Spirit. In addition, a witness of this transformation verifies the efficacy of the transaction. The Holy Spirit is this faithful and sure witness. These evidences are placed in an earthen vessel—the believer’s body, where they continue until the purchased redemption is consummated. A sealed and witnessed transaction is unalterable. The individual who has been bought from under the bondage of sin and the condemnation of the law cannot be returned to their former state. The seal is effective throughout the entire earthly life of the believer. To have no assurance or to deny the eternal security of the believer is to reject the value and seal of God the Holy Spirit.
The good news is… the fact of eternal security is as vital to the Bible teaching of redemption as life is to the body. Life taken away from the body leaves death and uselessness as it returns to the dust. Remove eternal security from the doctrine of redemption, and its life-giving power vanishes. The Bible doctrine of security of the believer requires redemption, and redemption demands the doctrine of eternal security. God does not leave open the question of the possibility of the saved one being lost. He has given the most conclusive assurance that those who have been saved by the Cross work of Christ shall be eternally saved and never lost. He says in no uncertain terms:
“But God commended His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being NOW justified by His blood, we shall be saved (not lost) from wrath through Him” (Romans 5: 8,9).
For those who cling to the law or to themselves to do something that indicates their salvation is secure in or from anything they have done or can do must closely examine these faithful scriptures to see just where eternal life and security resides. Please answer this question: Does the appropriation of eternal life depend on you? Does it depend on you now or ever or does it depend on HIM now and forever?
“But the scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given TO THEM THAT BELIEVE” (Galatians 3:22).
“But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which afterwards should be revealed” (Galatians 3:23).
“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24).
To remain under the tutelage of the schoolmaster is to learn that the law cannot save since it only condemns and can do nothing about the condemnation it imposes. One must go outside the law to find knowledge to receive the Son of God who is the only source of everlasting life.
“He that believes on me (not in the law or in self) has everlasting life” (John 6:47).
“But after the faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:25).
“For you are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians (3:26).
It is as true as the word of God is true. “Without faith, it is impossible to please God: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
“Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28- 29).
“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).
If faith is standing alone and has no object it has nothing meritorious to embrace; therefore, there is nothing worthy to give life. Faith in salvation is a faith that embraces a worthy object. There is no object that can give life or is worthy of the object of ones faith except The Lord Jesus Christ. “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through Him might believe” (John 1:4-7).
“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, EVEN TO THEM THAT BELIEVE ON HIS NAME” (John 1:12).
The only God that can give eternal life is the only God of grace. This unique God of grace extends that grace to unworthy men. His grace is unique and extends eternal life from Himself to man and not from man to Him by means of man’s efforts.
It is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).
God’s amazing grace is consistently set in contrast to the law, as under the law God demands righteousness from man, but under grace, He freely gives righteousness to man.
“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that BELIEVE. Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3: 21,22, 24).
This amazing word (justified freely) from the very mind of Jesus Christ is a translation of the word DOREON and means that you owe nothing as this gift of eternal life is without cost to you, in you, or from you. It is not because of you; it is from Him, in Him, and fully because of Him. The issue of salvation is not complicated. It may appear to be complicated but any complexity is because the clear gospel has been distorted by thousands of uninformed teachers, preachers, and various so-called theologians. Let met declare in emphatic terms. Salvation resides in none other than The Lord Jesus Christ. He is the exclusive One, who was impeccable, sinless and perfect. He offered Himself in payment of all sin. You cannot commit a sin for which He did not die for. He paid fully, all that He did not owe for all that you did owe. The sin issue is settled because no sin remains unredeemed. They are all under His sacrificial blood and none remain that can be paid by any human being. Let this scripture arrest all of your senses and ask yourself if this clear statement from the word of God presents a challenge and a means of eternal life for you. One way is condemnation, the other is eternal life through Jesus Christ.
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM” (John 3:36).
The logical and even the mathematical equation (defined here) tells you to add nothing to the appropriation of salvation and especially to take nothing from it. To believe in Jesus Christ plus anything from you equals minus salvation. To believe in Jesus Christ plus nothing equals plus salvation. Most of the ill-advised and uninformed feel that they must contribute something to a finished salvation, but when they do so they contaminate His perfect gift that is offered freely to anyone who simply believes on and trusts in HIM for the salvation of their eternal souls.
“There is a way that seems right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12).
Let this truth ring and ring again in your soul. “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47). These words came from the lips of Jesus Christ. You can believe them!
