Key components to consider – setting the stage for gaining a biblical and heavenly viewpoint on eternal security

The doctrine of \”Eternal security, also known as \”once saved, always saved\”, is the belief that from the moment anyone becomes a Christian, they will be saved from hell, and will not lose salvation.\” (Wikipedia)

Before we look into the will of God concerning our salvation, let us establish some critical factors involved in the balanced viewpoint on salvation.

These four factors are not necessarily exhaustive but they will help us to determine if the doctrine on eternal security as defined above and taught by some is reliable. Remember that before we had creeds and dogmas, we had the Word of God, the Holy Scripture of Truth, that is accurately interpreted by the Holy Spirit Himself to the human spirit, through diligent study and praying that communicates life to the disciple.

The Four Factors

1. The sovereignty of God and responsibility of man.
2. The contention between eternity and time.
3. The activity of the adversary through sin, self and the world system.
4. The appropriate understanding of predestination.

We will look at the first critical factor at this time.

The sovereignty of God and responsibility of man

It is pertinent to understand that God is sovereign and by that classification, it means He is not subject to change and is not affected by change. He is not limited in anything: knowledge, wisdom, power, options etc. Now, if you understand this about God, you will know why He can speak conclusively.

You will understand that He cannot speak about salvation as a thing that can be lost because by design, it was not meant to be lost. Just like by design, Adam was not created to fall; but he did. You see? However, because of the sovereignty of God and particularly His omniscience, He knew before hand that Adam was going to lose what was not meant to be lost and He made a provision of redemption (ready) before the possibility of fall became an unfortunate reality to man.

God is in a class of His own. Adam\’s fall did not discredit God; it only further revealed the completeness of God and the fact that He cannot be caught unawares. Now, this is the basic nature of God.


So, from God\’s viewpoint, He knew before hand all the accidents on the way, based on man\’s capacity for volition, and He knew what He was going to do before the events occurred. But if we were to look at things from man\’s viewpoint, we are compelled to see Adam\’s fall as a setback to God\’s plan, which made God to act or react to the erosion of sin into mankind.

It appears as though God had to decide on what to do at that moment and this can make us mancentred, always thinking in terms of what to do to be right with God. Now, don\’t get me wrong. The vast economy of our salvation includes the provisions of dos and donts but these must be kept in their appropriate place.


If bible study is anything to go by, apart from producing the very life of Jesus in you, it should progressively shift you from mancentredness to Godcentredness. This shift makes you to increasingly see things from God\’s viewpoint with the attendant requirements and responsibilities on your own part.

Now, I\’ll explain that briefly. The more you see things in God\’s perspective, the more you see your responsibilities and the more you apply for mercy and grace in the place of prayer to defy the gravity of sinfulness and worldliness; and ascend progressively into the practical experiences of the position you have been called to in Christ.

That position is described in Ephesians as the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This is a calling that demands a response that is commensurate to the glorious position. Although, salvation brings every saved person into that position (God\’s Sovereignty); it is each person\’s response that eventually determines their eternal outcome (man\’s responsibility).

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