The Bible is clear that heaven will not be empty. It will be filled with the people that God has saved. Likewise, the Bible is clear that hell will not be empty. It will be filled with the people that God has not saved. What evidence is there that to be saved is to be secure, but not everyone will be saved?
If there is a possibility for a fraction of the saints to be lost, is it possible for all of them to be lost? Or is it true that some of them are infallibly secure, and some not so? If it is not possible that all can fall, what percent, or portion of them is secure? Where is the line? Certainly, there is no difference in the degree of security that God has given His children; if one is infallibly saved and secure, all are — or if one is in jeopardy, all are. Therefore, if it is possible for one (of the declared saints) to be lost, it is also possible for all to be lost.
How Many Saved People Will Worship God?
Is it infallibly certain that Jesus shall be praised eternally by His saints, whom He has redeemed out of all people? Or, is it uncertain whether He will be praised at all? Is it possible that His death shall avail nothing? Could all that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have done avail nothing? Or, can you view the work of salvation on the part of God as a mere experiment, without any definite or fixed end in view?
Would you invest all you had in an enterprise if there was the least possibility of a complete failure? Or would you prefer a certain and fixed end in view? Can you think that, when Jesus died, it was not certain that someone should love and praise him in Heaven for that death? Or can you believe there was the remotest possibility for the whole plan to be a complete failure? You must certainly conclude that the death of Jesus was attended with no uncertainties.
When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
Isaiah 53:11 NLT
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
Would He be satisfied, were His death to avail nothing? Would He be satisfied with half of His ransomed ones to go to hell, or any of them to perish?
If you can get the idea that Jesus will receive unceasing praise, you must also see that it is certain that a part of His people will be saved, and if a part then all; for we have seen that it is either certain that all of them will be saved, or possible that all of them will be lost; and we cannot believe all of them will be lost; for then it would be possible for Heaven to be empty — possible for Christ to lose all His honor — possible for His blood, pains and sufferings to be wasted. Therefore, it is certain that all true believers will be saved.
Being Saved Depends on God’s Will Not Man’s Will
Being saved is made certain, either by the appointment of God or the will of men. If the will or wills of men make it certain, or its certainty is at all dependent upon the will of men, then the whole scheme of redemption is left, as to its success or failure, to the will of men. But is it true, that so momentous a matter is left to so imperfect a thing as the will of men?
Is the simple whim of the will of men to decide whether Heaven is to be occupied, or hell overflowed — whether Jesus’s name, is to be praised, or blasphemed? Certainly, matters of such vast importance are governed by Divine appointment. Therefore, the appointment of God has a fixed end in view, and that end is the certain and infallible salvation of all His people.
At the beginning of His work, an angel gave notice of His coming into the world.
And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21 NLT
In coming into the world, He cast His lot with them. “In all their afflictions, he was afflicted.” The prophet Isaiah said:
“he poured out his soul to death
Isaiah 53:12 ESV
and was numbered with the transgressors”
Therefore, he came to endure the fate of a transgressor — to be so united to His people that, with them, He will either rise or fall joined to them, as a head is joined to its members.
So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.
Hebrews 2:11 NLT
All one party in the covenant, as the principle and security are one party; so that the fate or destiny of one, is the common fate or destiny of all. For we are “heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.” The inheritance will as certainly fall to us as to Christ. He becomes the very life of His people, so that He Himself must be destroyed before they can be.
Though He was sinless, He became so joined to His people that their very sins were made His, and when they were demanded to satisfy the claims of a broken law, He made bare His breast and received the dagger of Justice into His heart. This He did as a guarantee; for He was so related to them, that Justice was as well satisfied (and even better,) when Jesus was left pulseless and dead on the cross, as it would be if you and I were to be in torment forever. It was right and proper for Him to die because He was one with us; bound in the same bond, under the same covenant.
For, as a wife is one with her husband, so Christ became one with His people; for He loved His people, as a husband loves his wife, and gave Himself for them.
Suppose a poor, destitute woman, under disgrace and debt of millions, exposed to prison life for her debt and crimes, knowing herself to be justly under the control of her creditors, and exposed to the disapproval of all the world; and some rich millionaire, of the highest possible credit and standing, clad in garments becoming his wealth and honor, comes to her in her poverty, rags, and disgrace, and offers her his hand. She is astonished, that a person of so vast wealth and honor and beauty should offer his hand to her, so uncomely and unworthy. She tells him of her debts. He assures her that her debts can be paid without visibly affecting his wealth.
She then speaks of her rags, her guilt, and disgrace, and scans his noble personage again, and mutters within herself, “It cannot be that one so vile as I can be the wife of this lord.” But he fully explains all, and she casts herself into his arms, with all her rags, debts, and disgrace.
Her name is now lost, and she assumes his; he is now between her and all her creditors; he clothes her in his righteousness, and tells her, “I’ll never leave or forsake thee.” This our Savior did for us; He stooped to become one with us and make us His bride, and it cost Him His blood, His life, His all; but He arose from the dead (for He could not be held by death,) as a certain pledge that all His people should come from the dark and dreary abodes of death, and participate with Him in the vast ocean of bliss above. Therefore, it is said,
Who is this who comes from Edom,
from the city of Bozrah,
with his clothing stained red?
Who is this in royal robes,
marching in his great strength?“It is I, the Lord, announcing your salvation!
Isaiah 63:1 NLT
It is I, the Lord, who has the power to save!”
The hosts of Heaven believe Him to be a mighty Savior; and they have not a doubt but that the last day will witness Him approach the burning throne of God, and exclaim in melting notes, “Behold, I and the children God has given me” (Hebrews 2:13 ESV).
His entire body will be there, not a member left behind. Isn’t this a friend that sticks closer than a brother? Doesn’t this look to you more like the work of God, and that Jonah was right when he said, “Salvation is of the Lord?” No wonder Toplady could sing:
“Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee;
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling.”
No wonder John…
… looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Revelation 7:9-12 ESV
God will not leave the saving of His people to chance. There are no coincidences with God. He saved you because He chose you. God Almighty will have all the praise in the world to come; therefore, everything that contributes to make the salvation of His people certain originates in Him. Ponder well before you dismiss this.
This is post 14 in a series; you can read the previous post. This post started as the public domain works of J. H. Oliphant. While sections are the same in many ways, I modernized the language and added my thoughts to provide greater clarity for my readers.
Image by ktphotography from Pixabay
Matt Pavlik is a professional counselor, author, and devoted follower of Christ. With decades of experience in Christian counseling, he writes with theological depth and everyday clarity. His resources—centered on salvation, identity, marriage, and emotional healing—are anchored in Scripture and guide believers to discover the freedom of their identity in Christ and the security of their salvation in Him. He and his wife Georgette, married since 1999, live in Centerville, Ohio, and have four adult children.
[…] is post 15 in a series; you can read the previous post. This post started as the public domain works of J. H. Oliphant. While sections are the same in many […]