Eternal Security

aka Perseverance of the Saints

From the Calvinist perspective, Eternal Security means that a believer can never completely fall away from the state of grace. What it is not supposed to be, at least in the classic sense, is "Once Saved, Always Saved (OSAS)." What's the difference? The question often is, "Can I lose my salvation?" My reply would be, "Did you gain your salvation?" Salvation is not ours to lose or gain, it is a free gift only by the grace of God, and kept only through the grace of God. Any doctrine that over-emphasizes our part in the relationship we have with God cannot be accurate. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), those who believe in OSAS and those who hold to Perseverance of the Saints will end up in the same place - although traveling vastly different routes to get there. You may notice that even the Perseverance view seems to emphasize the role of man rather than that of God. Ryrie puts it this way:

It seems to focus on the believer - it is the believer who perseveres (albeit through the decree and power of God). Security [or Preservation, an alternate term] focuses on God - it is God who secures our salvation. It does not deny there may be times of backsliding, but it stresses the need for demonstrable fruit throughout the Christian life.

Once again we find the difficulty is in the title. Because of this, often times people don't understand what they truly believe or what they are passionately defending. Irrespective of titles, the doctrine itself must be explained (like all things) using God's, rather than man's, perspective. If we keep that in mind the titles have less meaning and influence than they should.

Ryrie also points out another important fact, and something of which I was previously unaware. We often times use the term Assurance interchangeably with these others. To do so is to be in error:

Though eternal security, preservation, and perseverance in reality all teach the same bottom-line conclusion (namely, that the true believer will not lose his salvation), assurance is a different doctrine. It is the realization of the truth of eternal security or perseverance. A secure salvation is a true fact whether one realizes it or not. Thus a believer has security whether or not he has assurance.

Important too, is the realization that as believers we are called to "do," to "work," to "persevere." We have a role to play. But our failures as believers will not lead to a revocation of salvation (a phrase I prefer to our "losing it"), but instead it leads to a loss of rewards. There are plenty of warning passages throughout the Bible that we should pay close attention to and act on. There is no question that there should be evidence of change in a believer's life - if there isn't, one might question whether the faith they have is real (or a saving faith).

Following is an article on this subject from GotQuestions.org:

Can a believer, once saved, indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God, and cleansed by the blood of Christ, lose their placement in heaven? Does the Good Shepherd lose His sheep? Can a believer lose their salvation? The Perseverance of the Saints can also be referred to as “The Preservation of the Saints,” “The Perseverance of God,” “Eternal Security,” or “Once in Grace, Always in Grace.” The true reason why a person is eternally secure is that God, by His power, will lose none of those whom He has predestined to save because He faithfully keeps believers by giving them the grace to persevere to the end of their life. The true definition of eternal security is embedded in the doctrine of predestination! Also, Calvinistic eternal security keeps God in the whole of a person’s salvation. It is God who predestines, saves, keeps, and glorifies. Man is never in the picture. Furthermore, and possibly the most important, the atonement of Christ is powerful enough to cleanse a sinner to the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25). Now, let us look at some verses.

Ephesians 1:13-14 and 4:30, "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of Promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance…And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." In 2 Corinthians 1:22 we have a similar statement, "“[God] who also sealed us and gave the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge…" The words “sealed” and “pledge” indicates that if a believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit then the promise of salvation is irrevocable. The word “pledge” is the Greek word “arrhabon.” The word “arrhabon” literally means “an earnest” which denotes an amount of money which in a purchase is given as a pledge or down payment that the full amount will subsequently be paid. The Holy Spirit’s indwelling is a guarantee that those who are partakers will unquestionably go to heaven.

Romans 8:30 tells us, "and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." We see from this verse that all who are predestined are guaranteed glorification. Also, notice that God is central in this process of salvation. If a person loses his or her salvation, then it is not the person who lost their salvation, but God. Jesus Christ said in John 6:37-39 that every one that the Father gives Him will indeed come to Him for salvation. Jesus says in verse 37 that those who come to Him will never be turned away from that request for salvation. Also, in verse 39 Jesus says that it is the command of the Father that everyone who is given to the Son will indeed be raised up on the last day. If a person is a genuine Christian then they can never be lost and will be preserved to the last day for salvation. A question arises concerning perseverance. What happens when a person pledges to believe yet at some subsequent point denies the faith and goes back to living an immoral life?

The answer is found in 1 John 2:19, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out from us, in order that it might be made manifest that they all are not truly of us." Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8 of those who receive the word with joy but due to persecution, the worries of the world, and/or the deceitfulness of riches, they fall away. Hebrews 6:4-6 supports that a person can have a very detailed experience with God as a non-believer. I personally was on a prayer team with a guy for two years. A year later I watched him give his life to Christ for the first time. Eternal security is not for those who profess faith, but for those who actually have faith. Eternal security affirms that all who are truly regenerated will undoubtedly go to heaven.

Misconceptions:

Critics of Perseverance of the Saints believe that Perseverance of the Saints will cause the body of Christ to become filled with carnality because Perseverance of the Saints teaches “free grace.” Perseverance of the Saints does not teach free grace, that is, that a person can ask for forgiveness and then live however he or she wants! People think that Perseverance of the Saints doesn’t care about sanctification but only justification. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Perseverance of the Saints teaches that those who are saved will indeed be conformed to the holy image of Christ. When a person becomes a genuine Christian we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God who grieves within us at our sin.

The Holy Spirit gives the newly created Christian a new heart and a desire to seek holiness. Perseverance of the Saints affirms that a newly converted person will truly desire nothing more than obedience to Christ. Holiness and hatred of sin will be a natural desire. If a person “gets saved” and then remains in unrepentant carnality then this person was possibly never saved in the first place. True conversion means that the body of Christ will be filled with those who love holiness. Perseverance of the Saints teaches that works are necessary, not to save, but to prove your salvation. James 2 is the key teaching of this truth. James 2 is preceded by verses like James 1:22 that says, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

James 2:18 says, “But someone might well say, ‘You have faith, and I have works’; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James 2 concludes by saying that faith without works is not a saving faith because it is dead! 1 John 1:6 says that if we claim to have fellowship with Him and remain in darkness, we are liars! 1 John 3:9 states the strongest, "No one who is born of God practices sin, because God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot practice sin because he is born of God."

Clearly, if a person is a false convert, soon or later they will be uncovered. If a person becomes a Christian then they will willingly submit to the Lord. Perseverance of the Saints does not in any form or fashion teach “free grace.” Perseverance of the Saints does teach that when a genuine believer sins, even critically, they still remain in the grace of God because of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ and the wonderful power of His precious blood. There is another important note: if a person, who claims to be a Christian, uses Christ’s perfect atonement to gain sin, then that person is probably not saved.

And following is Scripture I have compiled supporting this doctrine:

Neh 9:16-19 (16) "But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly; They became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments. (17) "They refused to listen, And did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them; So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a God of forgiveness, Gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness; And You did not forsake them. (18) "Even when they made for themselves A calf of molten metal And said, 'This is your God Who brought you up from Egypt,' And committed great blasphemies, (19) You, in Your great compassion, Did not forsake them in the wilderness; The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day, To guide them on their way, Nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go.

Psa 16:10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

Psa 31:23 O love the LORD, all you His godly ones! The LORD preserves the faithful And fully recompenses the proud doer.

Psa 37:1-40 A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. (2) For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb. (3) Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. (4) Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. (5) Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. (6) He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. (7) Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. (8) Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. (9) For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. (10) Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. (11) But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. (12) The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. (13) The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming. (14) The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct. (15) Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken. (16) Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked. (17) For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But the LORD sustains the righteous. (18) The LORD knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever. (19) They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will have abundance. (20) But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish--like smoke they vanish away. (21) The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and gives. (22) For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be cut off. (23) The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. (24) When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. (25) I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread. (26) All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing. (27) Depart from evil and do good, So you will abide forever. (28) For the LORD loves justice And does not forsake His godly ones; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. (29) The righteous will inherit the land And dwell in it forever. (30) The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, And his tongue speaks justice. (31) The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip. (32) The wicked spies upon the righteous And seeks to kill him. (33) The LORD will not leave him in his hand Or let him be condemned when he is judged. (34) Wait for the LORD and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. (35) I have seen a wicked, violent man Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil. (36) Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more; I sought for him, but he could not be found. (37) Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright; For the man of peace will have a posterity. (38) But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; The posterity of the wicked will be cut off. (39) But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble. (40) The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.

Psa 94:14 For the LORD will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance.

Psa 97:10 Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Psa 121:7 The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.

Psa 125:1 Those who trust in the LORD Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.

Pro 2:8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.

Isa 54:4-10 (4) "Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. (5) "For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth. (6) "For the LORD has called you, Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, Even like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected," Says your God. (7) "For a brief moment I forsook you, But with great compassion I will gather you. (8) "In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you," Says the LORD your Redeemer. (9) "For this is like the days of Noah to Me, When I swore that the waters of Noah Would not flood the earth again; So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you Nor will I rebuke you. (10) "For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken," Says the LORD who has compassion on you.

Isa 61:10 I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Jer 32:38-42 (38) "They shall be My people, and I will be their God; (39) and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. (40) "I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. (41) "I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. (42) "For thus says the LORD, 'Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them.

Mat 18:12-14 (12) "What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? (13) "If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. (14) "So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

Luk 1:74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,

Joh 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Joh 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

Joh 6:37-40 (37) "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
(38) "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (39) "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. (40) "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."

Joh 6:47 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

Joh 6:51 "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh."

Joh 10:4 "When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

Joh 10:25-29 (25) Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. (26) "But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. (27) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; (28) and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. (29) "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

Rom 5:9-10 (9) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. (10) For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Rom 6:22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

Rom 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Rom 8:29-39 (29) For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; (30) and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (31) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? (32) He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (33) Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; (34) who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. (35) Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." (37) But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. (38) For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rom 11:29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

1Co 3:15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

1Co 1:4-9 (4) I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, (5) that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, (6) even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, (7) so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, (8) who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9) God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1Co 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

2Co 1:22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

2Co 5:5-8 (5) Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. (6) Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- (7) for we walk by faith, not by sight-- (8) we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

2Co 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?

Eph 1:13-14 (13) In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, (14) who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Eph 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

2Ti 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

Heb 3:6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house--whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

Heb 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Heb 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

Heb 13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"

1Pe 1:4-5 (4) to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, (5) who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

2Pe 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;

1Jo 2:18-19 (18) Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. (19) They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

1Jo 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

1Jo 3:9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1Jo 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.

1Jo 5:18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

Jud 1:1 Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:

Jud 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,


ASSURANCE

Joh 10:27-30 (27) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; (28) and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. (29) "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (30) "I and the Father are one."

Rom 8:28-39 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (29) For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; (30) and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (31) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? (32) He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (33) Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; (34) who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. (35) Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." (37) But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. (38) For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2Co 5:6-8 (6) Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- (7) for we walk by faith, not by sight-- (8) we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

Eph 1:11-14 (11) also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, (12) to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. (13) In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, (14) who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Eph 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Phi 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

1Jo 5:11-13 (11) And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (12) He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (13) These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Tit 1:2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,

Heb 6:11-12 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, (12) so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Heb 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.


SOME NOT "OF US"

Mat 7:21-23 (21) "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. (22) "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' (23) "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Mat 13:3-23 (3) And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow; (4) and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. (5) "Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. (6) "But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. (7) "Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. (8) "And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. (9) "He who has ears, let him hear." (10) And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" (11) Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. (12) "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. (13) "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. (14) "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; (15) FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.' (16) "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. (17) "For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (18) "Hear then the parable of the sower. (19) "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. (20) "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; (21) yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. (22) "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (23) "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."

Mar 4:2-20 (2) And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, (3) "Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; (4) as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. (5) "Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. (6) "And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. (7) "Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. (8) "Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." (9) And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (10) As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. (11) And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, (12) so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN." (13) And He *said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? (14) "The sower sows the word. (15) "These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. (16) "In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; (17) and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. (18) "And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, (19) but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (20) "And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

Luk 8:4-15 (4) When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: (5) "The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up. (6) "Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. (7) "Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. (8) "Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great." As He said these things, He would call out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (9) His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant. (10) And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND. (11) "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. (12) "Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. (13) "Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. (14) "The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. (15) "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

1Jo 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

Rev 3:20 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.