When we come to faith in Jesus, God sends the Holy Spirit to live within us. That Spirit takes up residence and claims our bodies as His sanctuary. Paul tells us that “… your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God…” (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Spirit, living within us, begins His work of regeneration. We are declared to have new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states that all things have become new; Galatians 6:15 declares the believer to be a new creature or creation; Ephesians 2:10 teaches that believers have been created in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration makes one a new creation and creature.
Our physical birth into the world brings us to a state that is irrevocable. We cannot re-enter our mother’s womb, we cannot be ‘un-conceived,’ we cannot be ‘un-born.’ We may make mistakes, make poor choices, or even face an untimely end, but the truth, the reality, of our birth and our life remains unalterable. Once we’re out of the womb, we’re out of it for good. We might push that further and say that once you are conceived, your conception is irrevocable. It’s a process that cannot be reversed. This is also true for our spiritual rebirth through our faith in Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Once we are born again, it is a permanent state. The Holy Spirit plays a significant role in our eternal security.
After Jesus informed His disciples of His impending departure, He assured them that the Father would send another helper. Jesus referred to this helper as the ‘Spirit of truth.’ In John 14:16, Jesus promises that the helper will ‘be with you forever.’ In his Messianic Bible Study Collection, Arnold Fruchtenbaum states, ‘When the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling the believer, it emphasizes that once He comes to indwell that believer, He indwells him permanently, eternally, and forever (Jn. 14:16–17; 1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 2:22; 1 Jn. 2:27). The Holy Spirit abides in the believer forever. If He is not there forever, then it was not forever; it was only temporary.’ The Spirit’s work secures our destiny, yet many believers struggle to feel secure. J. Vernon McGee affirms, ‘Every believer is eternally secure. But it is possible for a person to be saved and not have the assurance of it. May I say that a believer who is saved and does not have assurance is a subnormal or an unnatural believer. Certainly, he can be a believer, but God does want us to have the assurance of our salvation.’