Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding

Christ the sure and steady Anchor

Through the floods of unbelief

Hopeless somehow, O my soul, now

Lift your eyes to Calvary

This my ballast of assurance

See His love forever proved

I will hold fast to the Anchor

It shall never be removed.

Matt Boswell

Those words beautifully, though imperfectly, capture the magnitude of the renewing and restoring love of Christ. Without Him, we are nothing. Through Him, we are beloved children of the Most High God. Yet some still ask, “what if that’s not enough? What if my sin could cause me to lose this grace I have been given?” They fear that their mistakes could rob them of the gift of salvation. They are haunted by the thought that their rebirth could be somehow undone.

The truth is, if our redemption is tied to our performance, these fears would be realized. If I am leaning on my own character, my own actions, my own faith, my own consistency, or my own strength, then I could fall from my self-erected pedestal at any moment. The idea that I could lose my salvation is not just a misguided doctrine, it’s a frightening and dangerous one. If, at any moment, I could lose God’s grace, what assurance do I have of my eternal destiny? My anxiety over being separated from God would lead me to seek a place in heaven, instead of seeking the Lord who promised it.

1 Peter 1:3-5 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Born again…imperishable…will not fade away…reserved for you…protected by the power of God…ready to be revealed. Does that sound like a gift we could receive one day and lose the next? God is completely perfect, so all His works fulfill His standard of perfection. How could our sins ever separate us from God after He has paid for each one with the blood of His Son?

But what about the people who claim to bear Christ’s name, but then turn away and deny His word and His calling? First, we must face the hard reality that “‘Not everyone who says to [Jesus], “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21). It has always been heartbreaking for me to think that so many people believe they are secured a place in heaven because they “aren’t a bad person.” As John writes, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Second, we must remember that any of us can make a mistake and live unworthily of the calling to which we have been called. But when we do, the Spirit will reveal it to us, though we might stifle Him and ignore His voice.

If we think we could lose our salvation, we are calling our sins bigger than our God. We are cheapening the blood of Christ and believing it cannot fully cover our natural depravity. In a way, it is a symptom of pride—even if we don’t admit it, we are implying we are responsible for our salvation and thus are prone to lose it. But we aren’t responsible, and the God who is has great plans for us and has called us for a purpose. Paul writes in Philippians 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” If we surrender ourselves in God’s hands, He will constantly mold us into the image of Christ. The work will only be finished when we stand in His presence, finally seeing Jesus just as He is.

Remember what Christ said on the cross? “It is finished.” The Father’s work on earth was finished. The generations of imperfect sacrifices were finished. The power of sin was finished. And because of that, we can approach the throne of God with boldness, knowing His grace is always enough. I will end with the beautiful words of Hebrews 10:19-23: “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

***Don’t forget, today is the beginning of 30 Days of Gratitude—if you’d like to join me, read more about it in my previous post, “Gratitude.”***