This is day 7 of a video series called 21 Days of Once Saved Always Saved Salvation Assurance. It’s January 2022 and, in honor of the new year, my church in Marietta GA has asked us to dedicate 21 days to the Lord to draw closer to Him.  Over these 21 days, I’m going through 1 passage of Scripture a day that proclaims our salvation assurance in Christ and shows how salvation can never be lost or forfeited but is held securely in place for us by our heavenly Father so we can have confidence that we are eternally saved.

Today’s passage is Ephesians 2:8-10:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)

This great passage leaves no doubt as to how it is that we get saved. It speaks of salvation being a work of God, not a work that we do. We don’t save ourselves through obedience and we don’t keep ourselves saved through obedience. Salvation is strictly and completely a work of God. Because of that, we can never lose our salvation or give it up. In this passage, we also see the difference between salvation and discipleship. So, let’s break it down.

The passage begins with perhaps the boldest statement in the New Testament:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith;” (Ephesians 2:8 KJV)

The word “grace” means “unmerited favor.” In other words, there was nothing good about us that would merit God coming to save us. In fact, Romans 3 says that there are none who do good, not even one.

“… there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Romans 3:12 KJV)

We like to think of ourselves as good by comparing ourselves with other people. But God doesn’t do that. He doesn’t compare us with others. God’s standard is His own perfection. That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 5:48:

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48 KJV)

God’s standard is that we are to be perfect as He is perfect. That’s an impossible standard which no one can meet. That’s why we need a Savior.

James also speaks of God’s perfect standard in James 2:10:

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10 KJV)

God’s standard is His own perfection, and it only takes one sin, one mistake, to fall short of that. God will not allow even one sin into His perfect presence. One sin not covered by the blood of Christ is enough to send someone to hell. That’s why God tells us that there is no one who does good, not even one. God’s standard is perfection because He is a perfect God. This means we can’t save ourselves. We need Jesus.

So, when Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith;” (Ephesians 2:8 KJV)

we see it is God’s unmerited favor that He saves us. We didn’t earn salvation. We don’t deserve it. But God, in His love for His creation, extended us His grace, His unmerited favor, by sending His Son Jesus to die in our place on the cross, to pay for sins that we should have to pay for before a perfectly holy God. He did this so that by believing in Jesus, through faith, we can be saved.

We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus. That is the only way we can be saved.

Paul makes it clear that salvation is:

“not of yourselves” (Ephesians 2:8 KJV)

Nothing we do before or after we’re saved makes us worthy to be saved. Lordship Salvationists falsely believe that they must obey commandments to keep their salvation and prove themselves worthy. It’s ludicrous. They don’t believe the Gospel, which says salvation is not of ourselves. Instead:

“it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2:8 KJV)

We don’t earn gifts. A gift is something that is given to us freely. It is something we can never lose, and it is something we can never give back or forfeit. For Paul says in Romans chapter 11:

“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (Romans 11:29 KJV)

In other words, God is not going repent or change His mind about His gift. He’s not going to take it back. This phrase “without repentance” means “irrevocable,” and many translations use that very term, saying “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” Salvation cannot be revoked. This means we can’t give it back either, causing God to revoke it. God says He’ll never revoke it, that He will never repent of His gifts and calling.

We are called by God unto salvation through faith in Christ. That salvation is a gift, and it will never be taken back. God will never repent of giving it to us. It is irrevocable. 

But couldn’t a believer decide to forfeit it? No. We looked at this earlier in this series. When we are saved, we are immediately indwelt with the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit lives inside us from that point forward. If we should drift toward unbelief, the Holy Spirit remains inside us with the express purpose of leading and teaching us in the truth. He will faithfully show us the error of our thinking. God, through His Holy Spirit in us, will help us stay in the faith. That’s why there’s no such thing in the New Testament as a saved believer who leaves the faith, falling into unbelief or apostasy. Every verse dealing with unbelief or apostasy is about either an unbeliever who hears the Gospel and rejects it or about the church itself (not saved believers) in the end times falling into apostasy. A saved believer cannot become apostate. That’s why God gave us the Holy Spirit and why the Holy Spirit remains sealed inside every saved believer until the day of redemption when God will give us our eternal bodies that will not have even the presence of sin.

Therefore, salvation is an irrevocable gift that God gives us freely by His grace through faith in Christ. We don’t earn our salvation or keep our salvation by obeying commandments or doing good works. Paul makes this expressly clear that salvation is:

“Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)

If salvation is not of works, then nothing we do has any effect on our salvation. Our obedience has nothing to do with our salvation. Our obedience does have to do with our discipleship, becoming like Christ and serving Him AFTER we are already saved. But salvation and discipleship are two different things.

The first part of this passage has to do with salvation:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

But then in verse 10, Paul speaks of discipleship, which follows salvation:

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 KJV)

We are first saved by God’s grace, His unmerited favor, and not of any works that we do. Then, after we are saved, the next step is for us to become transformed to be like Jesus, becoming His disciple. As part of discipleship, not salvation, we have been created “unto good works.” Our good works have nothing to do with our salvation. Our good works have everything to do with becoming a disciple of Christ. Salvation and discipleship are totally different.

We are given salvation as a free gift. We don’t earn it. Then, after salvation, God will lead us into good works that He has ordained for us. If we are faithful to do those works, He promises to reward us. There are heavenly rewards for serving Christ as a believer, as a disciple, including crowns, privileges to reign and rule with Him, as well as to reflect His glory in our eternal bodies. Salvation, however, is not a reward but it is a free gift, a gift that cannot be revoked. Once you are saved, you are always saved. God will discipline you if you are disobedient, but He will never repent of the gift of salvation that He has given you. He will never revoke it. Once saved, always saved.

The question is, have you received this gift of salvation? Do you know with certainty that you are saved? Salvation is a free gift that operates through faith in Christ. Specifically:

Salvation = God’s Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Nothing more. Nothing less. There are no other requirements to be saved than to believe in Jesus, that He is God’s Son Who died on the cross to pay for your sins, that He was buried and rose from the dead on the third day. Have you taken that step of faith? Are you 100% sure God will save you?

As we look at our prophetic timeline, it’s getting very late. The current Age of Grace where God is giving people time to turn to Him to be forgiven for their sins is almost over. God is just about ready to get all the next steps underway, which will include the rapture and a 7-year tribulation where God will judge this world for their unbelief and pour out His wrath. God is ready to start all this. The question is: Are you ready? Are you saved?

God’s judgment is coming. Those who are not saved will be separated from God for all eternity. Don’t take chances with God. Don’t play with Him. Take Him seriously.

If you are not 100% sure you are saved, don’t put it off any longer. You can know with certainty that you have eternal life today. Do it now before it’s too late.

Making Sure You Are Saved Is As Easy As ABC

Admit to God that you have sinned.

Believe that Jesus, God’s Son, died to pay for
your sins 100%, was buried and rose from the dead.

Call upon Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save you.

If you make that decision to call upon Him, God gives you this assurance:

“For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13 KJV)

If you are still not sure, I’ll include a link to a video I did called, “What is the Gospel (in 6 Words)?”

Thank you for watching.