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Eternal Security – Safe Forever

Published since 31. Oct. 2025
Bible passages:
Romans 8:31-39

"31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31-39)

“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” (Rom 8:34)

Two problems and their solution

In the first eight chapters of Romans, Paul spends a lot of time writing about the two major problems that every human being has from birth:

  1. the problem of his sins (evil deeds)
  2. the problem of sin as an evil principle in him (the flesh).

God has the solution to both problems in the Lord Jesus and His work on the cross. Those who believe in Him receive forgiveness of their sins and are justified. At the same time, the sinful nature was judged on the cross. The believer is set free from sin and can now live for God through the Holy Spirit.

Four questions

In Romans 8:31-39, the doctrinal part of the letter ends with a series of "who" questions:

  • Question 1: Who is against us? There are indeed enemies who are against us. But as believers, we should know that enemies cannot separate us from God because He is for us. He proved this when He gave His Son for us (Rom 8:31, 32). This is a firm foundation for our faith.
  • Question 2: Who will accuse us? The devil will, but we need not worry. The Judge declares that He finds no fault in us. He justifies us and that silences every accusation (Rom 8:33, 34).
  • Question 3: Who condemns? People may be against us, and the devil may accuse us. Only the Judge can condemn. But those who are "in Christ" are not condemned, because the righteous judge would never pass such a sentence. God does not punish twice. Our punishment was borne by our Savior on the cross. Our security is in Christ, in what He has done and is doing (Rom 8:34).
  • Question 4: Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Nothing (no circumstance) and no one (no person) will ever be able to do so (Rom 8:35-39).

No condemnation

Let us now turn to the third question and consider the answer.

The question is: Who condemns?

It is as if we are on trial, and someone is accusing us. We cannot prevent that. But no accuser can pass judgment at the same time. Only the judge can do that. But he declares: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:1). When the divine and righteous Judge pronounces this judgment, no one can challenge it. There can be no appeal against this judgment. It is final: No condemnation! No condemnation!

A divine justification

The reasons why we are not condemned are now explained. Justification consists of four important statements that show how eternally secure our salvation is.

  • Christ has died.
  • Christ is risen from the dead.
  • Christ is at the right hand of God.
  • Christ intercedes for us.

The answer is like four hammer blows with which God is driving four nails into a wall that no one can pull out. Each blow of the hammer contains the word "Christ". The one who is now exalted at the right hand of God has solved the problem. Although Adam's transgression "brought condemnation upon all men" (Rom 5:18), the righteous judgment for the believer is no condemnation! The Judge is on our side. The judgment has already been settled. We have nothing to fear.

This mighty fact of salvation is fully secured in Christ!

  • The sure foundation: Christ died. This was necessary to atone for our sins and to condemn sin. The righteous died for the unrighteous (1 Pet 3:18). Christ was delivered up for our trespasses (Rom 4:25). He was made sin (2 Cor 5:21). Because God has condemned sin in Christ, there is no condemnation for us. A just God does not judge twice. The cross of Calvary is the foundation of our salvation. It is also the proof of God's love. There the Lord demonstrated His love for us. He loved His own who were in the world, and He loved them to the end (Jn 13:1). And God also proved his love for us there (Rom 5:8).
  • The sure proof: Christ rose from the dead. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is one of the key points of the gospel (1 Cor 15:4). It is fundamental. In Romans 4:25 we read that the Lord Jesus was delivered for our transgressions and raised for our justification. Without the resurrection, there is no justification. The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus are inseparable. The resurrection is the confirmation and guarantee that God has accepted the work of His Son. God has sealed it by raising Him from the dead. At the same time, His resurrection shows us that we are on the side of the victor of Calvary (1 Cor 15:57). Looking at the Risen One gives us strength.
  • A secure position: our position is "in Christ" and this Christ is now at the right hand of God. This is spoken of in the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Epistles. Not only did He die and rise again, but He is now seated at the right hand of God as the Son of Man. God sees the redeemed in Him, so in Christ, we stand before God. Although this idea goes beyond the actual teaching of Romans, we see it hinted at here to show us how completely secure our position is. With all due respect, Christ would have to leave that place at the right hand of God if anyone were to successfully condemn us. But this is impossible because He has sat down "forever" at the right hand of God (Heb 10:12). So, our position is completely secure. There is no more condemnation! There can be no more condemnation! And not only that. The fact that He is there now guarantees that one day we will be where He is (Jn 14:3). Our security is linked to our firm hope.
  • A firm assurance: Christ gives Himself for us. In Romans 8:26, Paul writes that the Holy Spirit takes care of our weaknesses. Here it is Christ who intercedes for us where He is now. Very often we are not aware of this fact and its effect. He does it all the time, even when we don't think about it. This is also true when the devil tries to make us worry about our eternal salvation. Christ loves us far too much not to intercede for us. His work is so that we can rejoice in the assurance of our salvation. Zechariah 3 gives us an illustration of this work of the Lord. There Joshua, the high priest, stands before the Lord - with dirty clothes. Satan is there to accuse him. But the accusation comes to nothing. God does not accept it. He lets Joshua take off his dirty clothes and assures him that his iniquity has been taken away. Instead, he is clothed in rich robes (Zech 3:1-5).

Divine love

We are not surprised that Paul, at the end of his exposition, reminds us of divine love. He asks who will separate us from the love of Christ (Rom 8:35). The answer is: nothing and no one can separate us from the love of God "which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v. 39)! It is simply impossible!

In the four points we have considered, we see solid proof of God's love for us. Christ loved us when He walked the hard way to Calvary. His love does not change. He still loves us. God loved us and gave His Son for us. He has justified us in Christ. Can there be any doubt about God's love? No: nothing and no one can separate us from that love, not now and not ever.

Romans 8 begins with the statement that God sees us "in Christ" and therefore there is no condemnation. It ends by confirming that God is for us in Christ. He has done all that was necessary. He has given the Son. He has saved us. He has set us free. He has loved us and still loves us. Indeed, God is for us. Can there be any doubt that we are safe forever?

Conclusion

We cannot prevent the devil from coming and trying to unsettle us. But we can certainly prevent him from succeeding in questioning our eternal security. To do this, we must look in the right direction: not at ourselves and what we think or feel. Our gaze is not on people and their insights. The gaze is on the cross. Our gaze is on the Risen One. Our gaze is fixed on the man at the right hand of God. This removes all doubt: Christ has accomplished everything. He loves us and God loves us. This gives us security and joy.

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