Responses to scriptures which appear to be against eternal security.
There are Christians who believe that they can lose their salvation.
It is worth considering just for a moment, that there are only two positions on this matter. Either you can or you cannot lose your salvation!
In general, two types of error can be made when trying to interpret a passage of scripture.
1. Either or the verse or passage is misapplied i.e. it is talking about a different subject altogether (and not salvation in this case).
2. A verse can be taken out of context and so it is meaning becomes distorted.
An example of such an error is where some people say that because Galatians 5:4 [4] says that we can ‘fall from grace’ then this means we can lose our salvation.
This passage is talking about how to lead the Christian life not about salvation!
Scriptures used to oppose the doctrine of eternal security.
Generally, they can be divided into five main groups.
1. Passages dealing with fruit and the judgement of believers works.
e.g. In the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9) the main thrust of the story is about people’s hearts and the fruit that they will produce when salvation comes. Only the first category the hard-hearted person who refuses the seed of God’s word is an unbeliever.
See also Hebrews 6:7-10 and 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
2. Passages about God disciplining believers.
Although God does discipline his children, he does not throw them out of his family.
The unforgivable sin is of course the sin of not believing what the Holy Spirit and the Word God say about Jesus Christ and can only be committed by unbelievers!
In Acts 5:1-11 Annanias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit and died! This does not imply that they lost their salvation, but it was a judgement of their works. Their dead works will be burned up in heaven just like ours!
See also the story of King Saul in 1 Samuel 28 and especially v.19 ...you and your sons will be with me.
3. Passages taken out of context.
Matthew 24:13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. The context of ‘saved’ here is that of delivered i.e. will not die but survive.
Matthew 7:21-23 ...I never knew you; depart from me your evil who practise lawlessness. This is talking about judgement day (every knee ...) and is clearly talking about unbelievers.
4. Passages exhorting believers to live in fellowship.
Hebrews 6:1-6 careful study of this passage shows that the ‘repentance of v.6 is referring to the same repentance from dead works’ as verse 1. This is talking about believers who are out of fellowship with the Lord and need to get rid of their dead works.
5. Miscellaneous scriptures.
Revelation 3:5 ‘Overcomers’ Some people assume that some believers will not be overcomers and hence lose their salvation. However, in 1 John 5 4-5 defines who the overcomers are i.e. one who has faith in Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 2:11-13; ‘If we deny (disown) Him....He will also deny us. However at the end of the day if God remains faithful our salvation is secure in Him, and He always remains faithful.
Conclusion
The grace of God should promote holiness in our lives. We are in a relationship with God which cannot be broken although our fellowship can.
Your eternal life has already begun so let us live and act in a worthy manner!
Jude:24-25 24 Now unto him that can keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion, and power, both now and for ever.
Amen.
Prayer
Teaching adapted in part from BBS TAPES 9-11 by the late Roger Price (Chichester Christian Fellowship).
Footnotes
[1] Titus 2 11-13. Ephesians 2:8-10. Romans 6:11-15. 1 Corinthians 6:15-20. Ephesians 3:20 -4 22. 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12. Collossians 3:1. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. 1 John 3:13. [2] Double negative in Greek for emphasis ‘never ever’. [3] Guarantee or down-payment. [4] Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.