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Winter 1994
By: Pastor Thomas Stastny
The doctrine of the believers security in Christ has been and still mostly is affected by two 17th century men, John Calvin and Jacob Arminius. - "During the early 1600's a group of people were known as General Baptists because they believed in a "general" atonement. They believed that the death of Christ has "General" applications, that is, anyone voluntarily believes in Christ is saved.
The General Baptists were less influenced by John Calvin, who taught that only the predestined are saved, and more influenced by the Dutch theologian, Jacob Arminius, whose theology made room for free will. The General Baptists also, like other Arminians, taught the possibility of "falling from Grace," and their church structure allowed only limited congregational autonomy, giving more power to associations. The earliest church of this persuasion was formed about 1609."
Herein lies most of the confusion toward the Bible doctrine of eternal security. The main issue is - can a true believer ever lose his salvation by sinning, ceasing to bellieve, or in any other way? In the folloewing pages we will discuss in Section One: predestination, falling from grace, the problem with false profession and carnal Christians. Section Two will contain Biblical "cardinal" proofs of our security in Christ. Section Three will document the sufficiency of Christ's blood atonement and their implications. Section Four will describe the perseverance of the saints. Lastly a review of several problem passages that seem to teach contrary to the proponderance of scriptural evidence. In the Conclusion we will clearly be able to see that Jesus saves to the uttermost (Herbrews 7:25).
The belief that only those predestinated will be saved, thus eliminating the free will of man, is gained from an improper rendering of Scripture. The teaching of predestination is nowhere applied to the doctrine of Salvation, rather to the dectrine of Sanctification, the Adoption and the Inheritance. Please read with me, Romans 8:28-29,
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
You can clearly see that we have been predestined to be conformed to Christlikeness. This area of predestination is based, as verse 29 states, by God's forknowledge. God foreknows everyone who will choose him. He has predestined those to Christlikeness also who will be in the adoption (Ephesians 1:5), and who will obtain the inheritance (Ephesians 1:11). God knows the limits to set for everyone in each of these categories based upon foreknowledge.
The hyper-Calvanistic view of predestinated salvation is at one end of the pendulums swing, with the Arminian view that you can walk away from your salvation or "fall from grace" at the other. The issue is clouded further by those who make a false profession in Christ. People have confused believing in (that there is a) Christ as is the Arminian view, and believing by faith in the death, burial and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sin. Believing that Jesus shed blood has made an atonement for our sins. The Scriptures teach that the devils believe in general that there is one God, but they are not saved by grace (James 2:19).
We must realize that people can say they are saved, born again, believers, etc., but be liars (Matthew 7:22). Please notice the word (never) in the preceding verse. I believe carnal Christians also confuse the doctrine by not being easily distinguished as a believer. The best example I can think of is Lot. He lived amongst the Sodomites and was in leadership of that corrupt city. His witness to his older daughters and son-in-laws was so weak that he proclaimed "thus sayeth the Lord," they thought he was just joking. Lastly, drunken incest would be in his life (Genesis 19), yet with all this the Bible declares him "just" (ll Perter 2:7-8).
So amongst all the confusion there are people who try to find scripture to make the Bible fit the professors unGodly behaviour - only a lost person could do that! The other side of the coin, though, is when a possessor, not only a professor, sins, their righteous soul is vexed night and day and is chastened (ll Peter 2:8, Hebrews 12:6).
I would like to give you six proofs of our security in Christ. We must understand what God really does when He saves a soul.
1. His inerrant preserved Word guarantees that nothing (ourselves included) can separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:28-39).
2. His Spirit has sealed us until the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).
3. Jesus ever lives making intercessions to keep us (Hebrews 7:25, I John 2:1).
4. Jesus is able to present us faultless before Himself (Jude 24).
5. God has purposed to keep His sheep in spite of everything (John 10:28-30).
6. He loves to the uttermost (John 13:1).
If we ignore the approximately 16 verses that speak of everlasting life, and the 33 verses that tell us that the believer has eternal life, we would also have to undo the previous references given. How is it possible to proclaim His Word infallible; who will undo the seal; what references tell us He will only intercede "for awhile;" is He or is He not able to present us faulteless; was God confused in John chapter 10; can His love ever fail?
My friend can you begin to see what problems arise when you try to undo what God's word plainly teachers. Do you see what you have made man if he can undo what God has done. Let us now look at verses that proclaim the sufficiency of the blood atonement at Calvary's cross.
Let us study together five things that Christ accomplished by His shed blood and death on Calvary's cross; that all born again believers can trust and hope in.
1. He is our Substitution. This means Christ died in the place of sinners (Matthew 20:28, II Corinthians 5:21, I Peter 3:18). The result for us is that sins are removed by substitution and Christ's righteousness is added to us.
2. He is our Redemption. He paid the ransom price (II Peter 2:1). He removed us from the slave market (Galations 3:13). He effected our full release (Matthew 20:20-29). This results in our sin being paid for, thus releasing us from all consequences of our sin.
3. He is our Reconciliation. Man was alienated from God, now this relationship is changed, so man is able to be saved ( II Corinthians 5:19). The need for reconciliation is very clear; because of sin we are enimies of God (Romans 5:10).
4. He is our Propitiation. The need for this is seen by studying Romans 1:18, and understanding the wrath of God. God is satisfied with the shed blood and death of Christ for sin ( I John 2:2, Romans 3:25, Hebrews chapters 9-10).
5. He has overcome the world. Jesus death, burial and resurrection made inoperative the reigning power of the sin nature (Romans 6:1-10). this results in the possibility of holy living through the reigning power of the Holy Spirit.
These five are just a few of these benefits. When you, by faith, believe in the death, burial and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sin, there is repentance. You become an undeserving benefactor of God's grace. The sufficiency of the cross is brought into question when you believe that He can not keep you securely. Next, let's examine commonly proof texted Arminian verses.
These are a few verses that upon first glance seem to indicate the possibility of losing your salvation. To come to this conclusion though, you have to ignore the vast amounts of clear in-text verses, and you have to accept as proof a few verses that are not in text or context, but proof texted.
1. Hebrews 6:4-6. Upon study of these verses and preceding chapters you will discover that this is not referring to losing one's salvation. It is referring to the Hebrews that were enlightened, have tasted, were partakers and tasted the Word of God. The distinction is clarified by the list given of dead works in verse two. Most think of this list as Christian, but they are not. These are referring to the priestly activities that were made to non-effect after Jesus death, burial and resurrection. The clearest distinction is the phrase "the doctrine of Baptisms." Some automatically assume it is referring to the Christian church ordinance of becoming whelmed in water as a symbol of Christ's death and the death of the old man. Yet, the words roots are found to mean washings. That is why the plural form was used in the Authorized Version. The Priest washed many times, year after year before He performed his duties; the Christian has only one water baptism.
2. John 15:1-8. The key to this is in verse six, "and men gather them." Nowhere in scripture is it verified that men will gather the lost and cast anyone to be burned as eternal judgement. It is my opinion that it is referring more to their small value, their burning producing only heat for a short time. Since the verse is not backed up by other scripture, but refuted (Revelation 14:19, 20:1-3).
3. James 2:14-26. Non working faith is not true faith in the first place.
4. II Peter 2 and Jude. These verses are referring to false teachers and prophets, who in Jude's estimation, under inspiration of the Holy Ghost, are not true believers (Romans 8:9, Jude 19).
5. Matthew 24:13. This is not suggesting that if we do not endure we will lose our salvation. The verses in text are talking of the seven years of tribulation period. The mark of saved people during this period is their endurance, not taking the mark of the beast nor his number and loving not their life unto death (Revelation 12:11, 20:4). If faith does not endure, then it never was saving faith.
6. Galations 5:4. The textual surrounding of this verse is about standing fast in the liberty found in Christ versus the bondage of the law. It is not a dissertation on the doctrine of security. The word "fallen" in verse four has the meaning of "being driven out of one's course." The warning here is, beware of being driven from out of ones course, which is the belief in the liberty that is in Christ Jesus. If you are moved out of the course that the Galation Christian began you are headed for dead works, verses 7-8.
Even though the vast majority of scriptural evidence points to eternal security of the believer, there still will be those who are still unconvinced. To you this last chapter is given. Directly tied to the teaching of eternal security is the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints. I believe that only true believers endure unto the end. Their persevering attachment is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors. A special providence watches over their welfare and by that are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation. I've selected four sets of verses to expound on.
The first set of verses is John 10:27-29. In these verses we find that God knows His sheep and they follow Him. Jesus gives them eternal life, Jesus promised that they would never perish and no man can pluck them out of his hand. These that are called sheep are those who keep the faith in Jesus, (John 8:31-32, Matthew 13:18-21) not just hear or profess.
Secondly, let's read together, Philippians 1:5-6,
"For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"
If you are saved, the Lord has begun a good work in you. Paul was confident and so am I, that God will perform that work until the day of Jesus Christ.
Reading I John 2:18-20, we notice that even in the first century they had problems with superficial professors. Yet they had no problem calling these false professors what they were. To paraphrase, these verses tell us those that did not abide were "not of us." If they were of them they would have continued with them. This happened so the false brother could be clearly seen. Notice in verse 20 that those who have continued have the unction of the Holy One. There is no implication that the ones who left lost this unction or ever had it.
Lastly looking at I Peter 1:3-5, we see a promise given to the redeemed in verse 3. The redeemed have an incorruptible, undefiled, eternal inheritance reserved in heaven. That it is God who keeps us by His power through faith. It is my belief through considerable searching, that the faith that saved is enduring. It can endure because it is based on something hoped for, the evidence of which will be unseen until the reappearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus (Hebrews 11). This faith is witnesses to us by the indwelt Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:25, 1 John 5:6, Roman 8:16). False faith is not a hope in the unseen, but rather a faith based on our works. Salvation is not based on works to save nor works to maintain. The evidence of true faith unto salvation is the enduring nature of Bible faith (Hebrews 11, James 2).
In the past pages we have seen the origin of the doctrine of Arminianism. I decumented several Biblical facts that God has done that man cannot undo once he has been saved. The sufficiency of Jesus' blood atonement was revealed from scripture. Alternate explanations of common proof texted verses was given. Lastly the perseverance of the saints was proven. Not believing in eternal security of the believers requires one to ignore the clear in-text teaching of Scripture.
