Question and Answer
Many believers teach eternal security. But when I think about how sinful I am, I frequently worry that I could lose my salvation. What should I think about this?
We should always strive to think biblically about these issues. While some biblical passages might have led good and godly people to believe that salvation can be lost, in my opinion the clear teaching of the Bible is that we can have assurance that we are secure in our salvation. Our assurance and hope lie in what Jesus has done, not in our own goodness. John 6:37–40 reminds us that the obedience of the Messiah Jesus keeps us safe.
One key aspect of His statement concerns His commitment to obey His Father’s will. “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day” (John 6:38–39). If the Lord Jesus failed to do His Father’s will, even just one time, then He would not be who He claimed to be. The Lord Jesus staked His entire identity on always doing the Father’s will. And what is one specific desire of His Father? Jesus tells us: “that I shall lose none of all those he has given me.” Our confidence in the Messiah Jesus’ obedience to the Father should give us certainty that if we have come to Him in faith, He will keep us absolutely safe.
BY Dr. Michael Rydelnik
Dr. Michael Rydelnik is a professor of Jewish Studies at Moody Bible Institute and the host of Moody Radio’s Open Line with Michael Rydelnik. He is the author of 50 Most Important Bible Questions inspired by both his radio show and his columns for Today in the Word. Michael served on the translation team of the Holman CSB Bible and contributed to several other books and study Bibles. Michael also appeared in the Lee Stroebel video The Case for Christ. Michael and his wife, Eva, have two adult sons. The Rydelniks live in Chicago, Ill.