Eternal Security of the Believer: How You Can Know That You Are Eternally Saved

By Douglas Hammett

The doctrine of the eternal security of the believer is a very important doctrine. It is also a doctrine that is non-negotiable and cannot be compromised. Some things we believe and teach are so intertwined with the Gospel that to deny them is to deny the Word of God. This is one of those teachings. If you deny eternal security you literally take out the very teaching of Scripture that we are saved by the grace of God. This book is a compilation of five sermons preached in our church on the subject of Eternal Security. It covers the work of the Father in Eternal Security, the work of the Son in Eternal Security, the work of the Holy Spirit in Eternal Security, and then looks at six absurd statements you must make if you are to deny the doctrine of Eternal Security.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Douglas Hammett
• Release date: Jul 30, 2011
• ISBN: 9780866452663

Douglas Hammett

Douglas Hammett has been in the gospel ministry for almost 40 years. He has been involved in many areas of ministry, often covering several areas at the same time. Those areas include Pastor, Church Planter, Staff Evangelist, College Professor and President, Author, Life/Ministry Coach, and Missionary. He has traveled extensively on mission trips around the world as well as preaching for Bible, Missions and Revival Conferences. He has a heart for God's people and desires especially to help preachers advance their ministry for Christ whether in the United States, or on the foreign field. He served for over 20 years as Senior Pastor of the Lehigh Valley Baptist Church in Emmaus, PA. Then in October, 2010, he moved to Botswana, Africa to serve there as a missionary. Pastor Hammett and his wife, Beverly, have 4 children and 7 grandchildren.

Book preview

Eternal Security of the Believer

How You Can Know That You Are Eternally Saved

By Douglas Hammett

Copyright 2011 Douglas Hammett

Smashwords Edition

All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, King James Version.

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Table of Contents

Chapter One: The Doctrine of Eternal Security

Chapter Two: The Work of the Father

Chapter Three: The Work of the Son

Chapter Four: The Work of the Holy Spirit

Chapter Five: Statements You Must Make to Deny Eternal Security

About the Author

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Note from the Author:

This book is a compilation of five sermons preached in our church on the subject of Eternal Security. I hope you find it informative and helpful. The issue of eternal security is a very important doctrine that affects all of your Christian life. If you have any questions, my contact information is at the end of this book.

Chapter One

The Doctrine of Eternal Security

The doctrine of the eternal security of the believer is a very important doctrine. It is also a doctrine that is non-negotiable and cannot be compromised. Some things we believe and teach are so intertwined with the Gospel that to deny them is to deny the Word of God. This is one of those teachings. If you deny eternal security you literally take out the very teaching of Scripture that we are saved by the grace of God. I would like for us to consider four areas dealing with this very important doctrine.

I was not raised a Baptist, therefore I did not come by my beliefs by being born into a Christian family. When I got saved, I determined to form all my beliefs from the Word of God and not from my past beliefs. I wanted to be able to back up everything I believed with the Word of God. I wanted to know without a doubt what I believed, and I wanted to be able to stand on my own two feet and declare, Thus saith the Lord God.

Therefore, that which I am about to share with you from the Word of God was born out of study of God’s Word. This doctrine was not born in a classroom, a nursery schoolroom, nor even in a Sunday School room. Rather it is something I received when I opened the Word of God and began to study what God says on this subject.

The doctrine of the Eternal Security of the Believer, or once saved, always saved, is a very fundamental doctrine. Once a man has been born again and put into the family of God, he cannot and will not ever be disinherited. If a person would believe other than that, he would have to believe not in salvation by God’s grace, but in salvation by his works. The Word of God teaches us that salvation is by grace through faith and not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Consider the following story. Two men were sent from the Midwest up to New York City for a business conference. We will call one man Pentecostal Pete and the other man Baptist Bill. The two men boarded their plane in Dallas and landed at the Kennedy Airport, where they were soon whisked off to their business meeting.

When the meeting was all over, it was time for them to either go to their hotel room or to go out on the town for the night. Neither had ever been to a city such as New York, so they decided to see what big city life was really like. Since they belonged to the same company, the two out-of-town guests went out together and found a bar down the street.

Pentecostal Pete got up on a stool, sat down, and began to order his beers. Likewise, Baptist Bill ordered his beers. They began to drink, and drink, and soon were drunk. Pentecostal Pete, when he realized what he was doing cried, Oh my soul! I’ve lost my salvation! I’m no longer of child of God. I’ve drunk it away! Oh well, I might as well throw caution to the wind since I’m lost anyway. I might as well drink for the rest of tonight and tomorrow I’ll get saved again.

Baptist Bill had also had three beers, and then realized what he had just done. Baptist Bill cried out, Oh, no! I dare not drink again, for I am a child of God. I have not lost my salvation, but I know that I am in big trouble with God. For me to continue in my sin is to ask for even greater chastisement in my life.

This, of course, is a made-up story. But the point is obvious. If a man believes he can sin to a certain point and then lose his salvation, then that man has nothing to call him back to getting right with God again. By contrast, the man who is a child of God and cannot lose that relationship with God realizes that one sin will break his fellowship with God. He has offended his Father in Heaven. He realizes he has a relationship with God to maintain. His sin has grieved God, and he needs to make some things right in his life, so he can be a good testimony again for God. The man who believes in losing his salvation can never fully be a testimony for Jesus Christ because he can never be sure if he is saved or lost.

The doctrine of eternal security is taught in the Word of God in many places. One passage is found in Romans 8:28-30. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.

I do not desire to offend anyone, but I also do not want to offend God by not preaching truth. I want to speak clearly, so none will misunderstand what I have to say. When God saves a man, that man is eternally secure in Christ. The truth of the Word of God rings true, clear and plain on this doctrine.

Often I am asked, Is it really important that a person believe in eternal security? Or someone will make a statement such as this: I have a friend who goes to another church, and they seem to believe a lot like us. There are only a few differences. Surely they are OK.

It seems that this lack of discernment is very prevalent in our day. I am a Baptist by conviction. I am a Baptist because I believe that is what the Word of God teaches. Therefore, when someone comes