simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not reveaveld
this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."
MATTHEW 16 : 17
Twelve men received the bread and the wine from Jesus as He instituted the Lord's supper on the night of His arrest. All of them had been with Him throughout His ministry; all professed to love Him and believe in Him. And yet. Jesus said of one of them,"'The hand of my betrayed is with Me on the table. An truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man who. he is betrayed"' (Luke 22:21-22). To another He said, "'Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith shoulld not fail; and when you haved returned to Me, strengthen your brethen"' (Like 22:31-32). Later that night the first of the two, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus, while the second, Simon Peter, deniedHim three times.
The difference? Peter turned back to Christ, as his Master had said he would, for he had come to kmow that Jesus was truly the Son of God, the Father Himself having revealed the truth to him (Matt.16:17). But Judas had no such knowledge he was "'the son of perdition"' (John 6:70). Peter was truly regenerate son of God; thus, he could fall deeply into sin but could not fall away completely. By contrast, Judas fall away because he had not been reborn. Spiritual rebirth, once accomplished, is permanent.
If it were up to us, we would find every possible way to lose our regeneration and plunge back into spiritual death. But because, as we have seen, it is God who gives spiritual rebirth, we cannot become once again unregenerate. God simply does abort what He conceives and bring to life. Instead, He preserves those to whom He grants rebirth, for we are told that "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil.1:6b). God is working to bring us to the fullness of redemption.
The Bible tells us that the Spirit of God is given to us as a guarantee, a down payment on the inheritance that is to come (2Cor. 1:22; Eph 1:14). The same Spirit which effecf our rebirth seals us as God's own possession. Our rebith is fixed and cannot be lost. Just as Jesus lost none of His true disciple (john 17:12), He will lose none of His true followers now. Rebirth is permanent. God will not default on the deal. He will finish what He began.
Peter urges believer to "make your call and election sure" (2 Peter1:10b). The verses listed below assure believer that God will not cast away one yhe has regenerated; study these verse and memorize them. From time to time, you will wonder how God can continue to have patience with you. Let these verses remind you of His grace.
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