Once you have personally believed in Jesus Christ, you are eternally in the plan of God. Your salvation is once and for all, and it lasts forever. Christ Himself assures believers of their eternal security:

“And I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:28)

### Kept Secure by the Hand of God Eternal life means we are held securely in God’s all-powerful hand. We may let go of the Lord many times, but never once does He let go of us. We are held in the hand of God forever. Our salvation is assured in spite of any subsequent failure, catastrophe, or denial of God. As Scripture states,

When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,

Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. (Psalm 37:24)

No sin or failure is greater than God’s plan of eternal security. This is grace. Man is imperfect, and no perfect plan can originate from an imperfect being. If we could do anything to achieve or deserve the perfect grace plan, then salvation would be imperfect. The execution of this perfect plan is not in our hands, but in the hands of the unique person of the universe, the Lord Jesus Christ. ### A Lesson from a Pencil When discussing the victory that is our eternal life, Pastor Thieme liked to recount the following story of two military heroes. (This description is found in the book [Memorial Tribute](/ordering/publications/memorial--tribute).)

Many went into the service prior to World War II into the ill-prepared military environment which existed before Pearl Harbor. But there was one particular infantry battalion that was combat-ready because the battalion commander was a great leader. This commander was concerned about a captain who commanded one of his companies in the battalion. The captain was a fantastic leader himself with great potential, but he had personal problems which were causing him difficulty. The battalion commander called this captain into his office one day hoping to be of some help to him, and perhaps resolve the distress the young man faced. The captain reported and saluted in the usual manner, “Captain So-and-So reporting as ordered, sir.” The commander responded, “Sit down, captain.” Ah, thought the captain, so he wasn’t being called on the carpet after all. He sat down with relief. Then a strange thing happened. The battalion commander began to talk to him, not about anything military but about something spiritual. He began to tell the young captain about the Lord Jesus Christ and how Christ was judged for his sins on the cross. The commander explained to him very simply that by believing in Jesus Christ—faith and faith alone—he could have eternal life. The captain appeared interested. But in reply to the commander, the captain said, “Sir, you know I couldn’t change. You know that even if I believe right now I couldn’t hold out. You know that as well as anyone.” And then the battalion commander quoted this verse, John 10:28.

“I give to them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone pluck them out of My hand.” (John 10:28)

Still the message didn’t seem to come through. Finally, the commander held a pencil up on the table between them. With the pencil there he said, “Now, captain, I want you to observe the pencil.” The captain thought, Well, okay, maybe the ‘old man’ has gone off his rocker, but I’ll do it. So the battalion commander held the pencil up by his finger and then took his finger away. He said, “Now, captain, what happened to the pencil?” “Well, sir, it fell down.” “Alright, captain, watch it once more.” And the battalion commander wrapped his fist firmly around the pencil, and he said, “Now, captain, what happens to the pencil?” “Well, sir, it doesn’t fall.” “Why doesn’t it fall, captain?” “Because you are holding it in your fist.” Then the battalion commander quoted this verse again:

“I give to them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone pluck them out of My hand.” (John 10:28)

The captain understood and he believed in Jesus Christ as his Savior before he left the office. Like most men in that generation, they went to war. The battalion commander who had been a lieutenant colonel became a general officer, and the young captain who had believed in Christ became a lieutenant colonel and himself a battalion commander. During the European Campaign his battalion was holding down a flank in a tactical situation that had been under heavy assault for a prolonged time. When his battalion finally pulled out, they had been badly mauled in the attack. As the remnants of his battalion were moving down the road, the lieutenant colonel spotted a jeep with two stars and he knew it was a general officer, the division commander. So he pulled himself and his outfit together, and as he got closer he recognized his old friend, the former battalion commander, now a general. As the jeep moved up and stopped he stood at attention beside the general’s jeep and brought his hand up in a snappy salute. Then he held out his hand and said, “General, God still holds the pencil!”

God is immutable. He is unchangeable. Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He cannot cancel the work He has done for your salvation. You have eternal life because of who and what God is, not because of who and what you are. If you have personally received Jesus Christ as your Savior—regardless of your behavior, or the way you feel, or your personal flaws and foolish mistakes—you are held firmly in the hand of God, and He never lets go.

Can I Lose My Salvation?

Can I Lose My Salvation?

Audio lessons

1. Eternal security: united with Christ

Radio Archives, lesson 1

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