Eternal Security Not Separate Doctrine From Salvation

I was reading a helpful book today by Pastor A. Ray Stanford (1916-2012) titled: “HAND BOOK OF PERSONAL EVANGELISM,” in which he says in chapter 2:

Eternal security is not a separate doctrine from salvation. 

If you are not saved forever, you are not saved. 

Those who think they are saved now but could lose their salvation later, have one of two problems: (1) either they are trusting to some degree in their works to save them, or (2) they do not understand that by trusting Christ as their Saviour, their destiny is in God's hands. Perhaps they have had little or no Bible teaching and do not realize that God has determined that all who believe will go to heaven when they die. 

The first group, those who think leading a poor Christian life will result in a loss of their salvation, actually need to have the plan of salvation made clear to them. Somewhere they have not fully understood that Christ's death paid for ALL their sin, that their works have NOTHING to do with their salvation, and that only their FAITH IN CHRIST will save them. You would answer their questions just as you would almost any lost person's; it is a clear - cut problem of "grace and works." You just stay with the gospel until they see the light. 

An illustration that has clarified the issue for many with this problem deals with the definition of the word "Saviour." What is a Saviour? Suppose you are drowning. There you are out in the middle of the ocean. Suppose someone were to throw you a book, Three Easy Lessons on How to Swim. Would he be a Saviour? No! Perhaps he could be called an "educator." 

Now suppose a man got out of his boat, jumped in along side you, and demonstrated various swimming strokes showing you just how you ought to do it. Would he be a Saviour? Of course not. He would merely be an "example."
All right, what if he took you into his boat, dried you off, fed you, took you ten miles from shore - and then threw you out again into the ocean? Would he be a Saviour? By all means, no! He would be as a "deceiver," a "probation officer,'' one who starts a heroic act and then quits right in the middle. He certainly would not be a Saviour! 

A Saviour is one who takes you safely all the way to shore! When God says He gives you eternal life and that He will never cast you out or lose you, He means it because He is the true Saviour! If you do not trust Christ to take you all the way to heaven, then you have not trusted Him as your Saviour. Let's examine Christ's own promise in John 6:37, "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." He says those who come to Him will not be cast out for any reason.

To bring home this truth, use an illustration from family life. What kind of a parent would you be if, when your child was disobedient, you kicked him out and said, "Go to hell, I'm through with you!" Rather, the proper parent says, "Come on in!" and the parent has ways and means to deal with the disobedient child. 

God never casts out His children! God has other ways and means to deal with them, which we will discuss in Chapter Three. READ MORE

I love that truth! Dr. Stanford is 100% correct. Many believers have been misled to think that assurance of salvation is a separate doctrine from salvation itself, but it isn't! If you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31), you already posses eternal life, which is the same as eternal security, and is 100% assurance.