Prophet Peter Proclaimed Eternal Security
1 Peter 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance
incorruptible, and
undefiled, and
that fades not away,
reserved in heaven for you,
who by the power of God are guarded
through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
incorruptible √
undefiled √
fades not away √
reserved √
by the power of God guarded √
What lies behind all this?
Note how Prophet Peter saith,
"according to his great mercy begat us again."
"according to his great mercy"
In other words salvation is by grace, not works.
The sinner pleads, "God be merciful to me a sinner."
The Pharisaic self-righteous jerk pleads his supposed good works
( give tithes of all that I possess; I fast 3 X a week, etc.)
according to his great mercy begat us again.
Now how can a new nature given by God even sin at all?
9 "Whosoever is begotten of God does no sin, because his seed abides in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God." -- 1 John 3.
To be sure the Christian retains the Old Man which is an alter self which can spring into action & sin. But at death this Old Man is gone. There is no way that a child of God can become a non-child of God ("his seed abides in him") any more than a man could ever stop being the child of his human father in this life.
Behind it all is the new birth. The sinner by God's grace (upon trusting Christ as Savior) gets a new birth, according to his great mercy begat us again, becoming a child of God.
As a bonus, let me tell you a secret about the Lord Jesus (shhh!)
You reckon somebody told ol' Pete this secret?:
Thou shalt call His name Jesus,
for He shall save His people from their sins.
1 Peter 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance
incorruptible, and
undefiled, and
that fades not away,
reserved in heaven for you,
who by the power of God are guarded
through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
incorruptible √
undefiled √
fades not away √
reserved √
by the power of God guarded √
What lies behind all this?
Note how Prophet Peter saith,
"according to his great mercy begat us again."
"according to his great mercy"
In other words salvation is by grace, not works.
The sinner pleads, "God be merciful to me a sinner."
The Pharisaic self-righteous jerk pleads his supposed good works
( give tithes of all that I possess; I fast 3 X a week, etc.)
according to his great mercy begat us again.
Now how can a new nature given by God even sin at all?
9 "Whosoever is begotten of God does no sin, because his seed abides in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God." -- 1 John 3.
To be sure the Christian retains the Old Man which is an alter self which can spring into action & sin. But at death this Old Man is gone. There is no way that a child of God can become a non-child of God ("his seed abides in him") any more than a man could ever stop being the child of his human father in this life.
Behind it all is the new birth. The sinner by God's grace (upon trusting Christ as Savior) gets a new birth, according to his great mercy begat us again, becoming a child of God.
As a bonus, let me tell you a secret about the Lord Jesus (shhh!)
You reckon somebody told ol' Pete this secret?:
Thou shalt call His name Jesus,
for He shall save His people from their sins.