We are humans born into sin. We are all sinners in need of salvation. When we accept Jesus’s precious gift of salvation, that gift is eternal. We will stumble. We will fall. Stumbling and falling doesn’t mean we have to start over in our salvation. It means we must confess our sin and seek forgiveness in repentance and strive to walk in faithfulness. The third verse of the hymn Down at the Cross gives us hope in our eternal security.  

O PRECIOUS FOUNTAIN THAT SAVES FROM SIN 

Jesus gave His blood as an atonement for our sin. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, there had to be atonement. Remember, after their eyes were opened what did they do? They sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. After God confronted them and punishment was given, God himself clothed them with animal skins. There had to be shedding of blood to cover their sin. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).  

From those earliest days we understood there had to be a sacrifice. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. He did this once for all time. Paul wrote to the Romans, “for the death that he dies, He died to sin once for all time: but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” Romans 6:10 NASB. The writer of Hebrews also reflected this in 7:27 and in 9:12. Peter, also, in 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit…”  

Jesus’s sacrifice was enough to save us eternally. He does not have to repeatedly sacrifice himself to save us from our sin. His sacrifice was once for all time, and we are saved once for all time. Our response is to put our trust in Him. The choice is ours. 

I AM SO GLAD THAT I ENTERED IN 

When God placed Adam in the Garden he told him he could eat from any tree in the garden except one. The tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the only one Adam was told not to eat from. From that moment on God gave Adam a choice. Would he obey what God told him?  

Eve was created and the same command was given to her. Soon temptation slithered in and the rest is history. From that first bite till now mankind has been given the choice to obey God or not.  

We have free will. When Jesus gave His life on the cross as an atonement for our sins, He gave us a choice. Accept Him and His free offer of salvation or not. The choice is still ours. What is your choice? Can you say you are so glad you entered His salvation? If you have breath, you still have a choice. Make the choice today to enter the salvation that is freely offered.  

THERE JESUS SAVES ME AND KEEPS ME CLEAN 

When we make the choice to accept the work of salvation Jesus has done on the cross, the process is continuous and eternal. We are sealed forever in His presence. The work of the cross cannot be undone. We may wander away from the teaching of Christ and follow our own way, and many have done so, yet their lives are unfulfilled and empty, they have no satisfaction or peace, until the moment they return to Christ. It is far better to remain in Christ than to wander away into lifestyles that we know are not meant for us. When we remain in Christ, we are continually kept clean and know the joy of His salvation.  

For example, suppose you are hiking, and the trail is well marked and clean. Off to the side, you see a beautiful flower. It is not on the trail, but some distance away. You can see it from the trail, so you decide it is safe to leave the trail to go examine this lovely flower. So, you step off the trail into the forest and brambles. You walk several feet and look back. Yes, you can see the trail clearly. You see the flower and soon forget about the trail. You want the flower.  

You stumble through the undergrowth and over the fallen logs and brambles you didn’t see when you were on the trail and have had to make several detours and now you cannot see the flower or the trail. You are still in the park but are lost. You don’t panic you have a compass. You take it out only to discover it is broken.  

Now you start to worry. You try to retrace your steps. All you want now is the trail. The flower is forgotten. You regret ever leaving the safety of the trail. You are sweaty and dirty and … was that a snake? The sun is starting to set and you really don’t want to be in these woods overnight.  

Finally, you hear a motor. A park ranger is nearby. You cry out for help. He comes to your aid and though he scolds you for leaving the trail, he takes you back to the safety of the trail. It was right where you left it. Waiting to take you back to your cabin. As you follow along, you see the flower again. It is still beautiful in the evening light, but this time you have no desire to leave the safety of the trail to pursue it.  

When we accept Jesus, we are still in the park but sometimes we leave the safety of the trail he has us on and decide to chase after something else. This is where we get into trouble. Often, we need help finding our way back. When we get back, Jesus is still waiting. Exactly at the point where we walked away.  

Sadly, there are some who decide to completely turn their backs on the salvation they have heard about. They follow along for a while but are determined to walk away. These have never accepted the free gift of salvation to begin with. For true believers, salvation is not something to be won or lost. Salvation is a gift freely given based on nothing but the shed blood of Jesus. We accept His gift and He keeps us continually and eternally. Even when we chase flowers in the forest and lose sight of the trail.  

GLORY TO HIS NAME 

The realization of this security leads us to praise and adoration. We praise the One who is able to save us so completely. We rejoice in the Name of the One who is able to bring us back when we wander off and stumble and fall. He loves us through it all. And He saves us eternally.  

Jesus assures us in John 10:28, 

And I give them eternal live, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. (NASB) 

What hope would we have if every time we chased pretty flowers and lost our way, there was no hope of restoration, no chance of forgiveness? God calls us to return to Him. He had many times to un-choose Israel. Yet He never did. He called them and they were His and they remain His to this day. It is no different for those who have accepted the salvation of Jesus.  

Bring glory to His name by living your life in a way that pleases Him. Call on His name. Rejoice in Him. Celebrate Him. Tell of His goodness to those around you. Let Him shine through you. Praise His name forever.  

CONCLUSION 

While I believe in the eternal security of the believer. I also know that there are those who have never entered into this security I hold so dear. Or maybe at one time they believed but now have turned away from the faith. They have decided not to follow Jesus. All I can say to them is repent of your way. Return to Him. Believe in Him.  

For those of us who are in Christ, but we stumble and fall on our way. Get up and press on. Get back on the path. Pretty flowers soon fade. The path we are on leads to a place that will never fade and a hope that never passes away. Stay on the path, my friend. It may not be easy, but you are not alone.  

To reassure you this coming week, I challenge you to read the book of 1 John. It assures us of eternal life. Also, go to www.hymnary.org and look up Down at the Cross. It was written by E.A. Hoffman. Read the words of the entire song and listen to the music. If you already know the song, sing along. Let the words wash over your heart this week.  

All for One 

Angela