In this post, I want to briefly examine several passages of scripture that many have used to argue against the doctrine of unconditional perseverance. After looking at the passages, we will deal with a few more theological issues.
Before we begin, it bears mentioning that the scripture speaks often about false brothers, false prophets, and false converts. We will deal with these passages in another post, but for now, the point I want to make is this: The issue at hand is not whether the false converts, etc will go to hell, but, will those, who were truly born again, fall away, and perish in the end? The more Arminian answer yes, the more Calvinistic answer no. Below are verses that are used frequently by those who are more Arminian in their theology to disprove unconditional perseverance. If these verses are shown to refer to false converts, or to be speaking of something else, then the Arminian position loses all credibility. 1. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit...If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned." (John 15:1-2, 6) Arminians argue that since Jesus says every branch "of mine," this verse is referring to genuine believers who can forfeit their salvation, be cast aside, and burn in hell for all eternity. But is this really what Jesus was saying? All throughout his ministry, Jesus used agricultural images to distinguish between true converts and false converts. He used the parable of the sower (Mark 4) and the parable of the wheat and tares (Matt. 13:24-30). Here, in John, he uses another agricultural image- the vine and the branch- to refer to true and false converts. Furthermore, the imagery of the vine and branches used here is limited in how much detail it can give. Jesus picks the imagery because He is referring back to an Old Testament symbol for Israel- the vine. Jesus is now teaching that He is what the symbolism is pointing to; He is the fulfillment of this typology. That being said, since He has chosen this imagery, how else is He going to use it to refer to true and false converts? The only way he could do that with this particular imagery is to refer to people that bear no fruit (similar to those in Mk 4:17 who "had no root in themselves"), and those who do (similar to those who in Mk. 4:20 who "hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty-fold and sixty-fold and a hundred-fold"). In John 15, those branches that do not bear fruit are those who give an outward appearance of being genuine branches, but show their true state by falling away and not bearing fruit at all. 2. "For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. For the land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God, but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned. Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things - things that belong to salvation." Hebrews 6:7-9. Arminians constantly appeal to this verse as undeniable proof that true believers can lose their salvation. Usually they just quote verses 7-8, but I included verse 9 so you can see more of its context. Two things to notice up from that should immediately key us in to the fact that the author is distinguishing false converts from genuine converts. First is his use of agricultural imagery. Scripture consistently uses this imagery to distinguish between the true and the false. Secondly, verse 9. After making these statements, the author says that he has a better estimate of those he is writing to. Things, he says, that belong to salvation. Thus, the context and imagery should clue us in that he has false confessors in mind here. But what about his uses of words like "enlightened" and "partakers of the Holy Spirit" and "tasted of the heavenly gift"? Does this not sound like saved and sanctified people? Well, let's examine these phrases and see. Enlightened- The Greek word here (photizo) gives the idea of learning in general, not so much a learning that results in salvation. It is used elsewhere in scripture to refer to a knowledge that is given man (John 1:9), a knowledge that comes at the final judgment (1 Cor. 4:5), and a knowledge that comes with growing in Christ (Eph. 1:18). Therefore, based on its usage and based on the context, this word is not suggesting that these people came to genuine faith, but rather that they just came to understand what the gospel teaches. Furthermore, the word "once" does not give the indication that something happened one time and can never be repeated, but simply that something happened "once", without saying whether it will happen again in the future. Tasted the heavenly gift...and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God...- Common sense tells us that tasting something is a temporary thing, and that after one has tasted something, there is no guarantee that they will accept the thing they tasted. The Greek word is the same as our English word, and is used when Jesus "tasted" the bitter wine on the cross, and refused it. The word is also used in a figurative sense in the Greek language, and gives the idea to "come to know something." Clearly, the passage at hand is using this term in the figurative sense. It thus means that the people mentioned here have come to understand the power of the Spirit, the Word of God, and the powers of the age to come in some way. However, it does not mean that they had genuine saving faith, but have observed the Spirit moving in the congregation and heard the Word of God proclaimed. Partakers of the Holy Spirit- The word "partakers" has a wide range of meaning in the Greek, and may refer to a close association with something, or a loose association with something. Hebrews 3:14 is an example where the former sense is used. Here, the author is saying that to become a "partaker" with Christ means to have very close association with Him in a saving aspect. Elsewhere in scripture, it is used in a very loose way (see Lk. 5:7; Eph. 5:7). Given that this word is already used to refer to a close association with Christ in Hebrews, why would it be any different in chapter 6? Simple- context. Everything else in this passage points towards false converts and not genuine believers. That being said, it is more appropriate to understand this term as referring to a loose association with the Holy Spirit. Their lives were influenced by Him by their mere association with other believers, weekly gatherings, and the Word of God. Yet this in no way implies that regeneration and conversion has happened. Restore again to repentance- Some have argued that if what is mentioned here is a repentance unto which these people need to be restored again, then if must be genuine repentance that is in view. But this is not so. In scripture, the word "repentance" does not always accompany with it a inward heart change unto salvation. One example is found in the book of Hebrews itself. In using the example of Esau, the author uses the word in 12:17 to refer to Esau's change of mind and regret over the sale of his birthright. This is not repentance to salvation, just simply a change of mind. In the context of chapter 6, the author does not specify whether the repentance is genuine or not. He is simply arguing that if someone has sorrow for their sins, and comes to understand the gospel, but then turns away, it will be impossible to restore that person again. This verse never implies that the repentance was unto salvation. This passage refers to those who sit among the church, here the Word preached, but never come to salvation, and in due time, they fall away. There is much more we could discuss on this passage, but we have covered it sufficiently enough to get the basic idea. 3. He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life." Rev. 3:5. Arminians claim that when Jesus says this, he is implying that it is possible that those who have already had their name written in the book- those who are saved- can indeed have their name blotted out and lose their salvation. This is nothing more than a misunderstanding of how language is used. Just because Jesus emphatically states that he will not do this should in no way be taken as teaching that he will do this thing in other cases. The exact same negative Greek construct is used in John 10:28, where Jesus says of his sheep, "they will never perish." Taking the Arminian logic, does this mean that there are some sheep who do not hear his voice and follow him and perish? No, it is simply affirming the fact his sheep will by no means perish. Again, when God says "I will never fail you or forsake you" (Heb. 13:5), it does not mean that He will leave and forsake others, it just emphatically means that he will not leave or forsake his people. An even better example is Matthew 12:32, where Jesus says that whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit "will not be forgiven, either in this age, or in the age to come." This does not mean, and the Roman Catholics argue, that some sins can and will be forgiven in the age to come. This is just bad logic and bad reading of the text. Basically, the wording in Revelation 3:5 is used by Jesus to give those who are his; those who have remained faithful, strong assurance that they will not have their name blotted out. It implies nothing more than this. 4. "You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law, you have fallen away from grace." Galatians 5:4. I hesitated to mention this one, simply because it is so easy to refute, but decided to include it, since it is often cited. The context of the book of Galatians is clear- Grace to live the Christian life comes from Christ and his work on the cross, not the keeping of the law. Paul is arguing here that if a believer wants to depend upon his keeping of the law to help him overcome sin and live a victorious Christian life, then he is cutting himself off to the means of grace necessary to do so. This verse is not talking about the loss of saving grace, but the forfeiting of sanctifying grace. Therefore, all things considered, we see that these verses are not talking about genuine believers, or are not really teaching that a genuine believer can lose their salvation. In our last post, we will discuss the practical applications of the doctrine of unconditional perseverance.
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In continuing our study on the topic of the perseverance of the saints, I want to briefly discuss the role of faith. As we mentioned in our last article, only those who are born again will persevere to the end. The scripture also teaches the flip side of this, namely, that only those who persevere to the end are truly born again. Several passages in the New Testament affirm this. The Gospels: In John 8:31-32, Jesus is talking to the Jews who have professed belief in him. In the context, what we see is that these Jews ultimately show that genuine faith is lacking. Jesus tells them "If you continue in my word, you are my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." Jesus is telling the Jews who have professed belief in him that true faith will show itself in a continual abiding of Christ's teachings. Those who, like these Jews, turn and walk away after a hard teaching show that their faith was never real in the first place. In Matthew 10:16-25, Jesus is telling his apostles all that they will have to suffer for the sake of the gospel. After mentioning all the persecutions and sufferings they will face, he then states in vs 22 that "...the one who endure to the end will be saved." What Jesus seems to be teaching here is that genuine faith will prove itself genuine by enduring all the way to the end. In spite of the persecution, in spite of the pain, the loss, and the heartache, the true believer will never throw in the towel and walk away from the faith during times of persecution. Thus, he will be saved. Paul: In his letter to the Colossians, at the end of the first chapter, Paul is speaking to them about their reconciliation. He says that God has done this, "in order to present you holy and blameless, irreproachable before him, provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard" (1:22-23). Why would the apostle who holds so strongly to the doctrine of election say such a thing? It must be taken into consideration that Paul obviously does not know the heart of every single individual that he is writing to who professes Christ. There have always been false converts, and it wasn't any different in Paul's day. How is he supposed to distinguish between the true and the false? How is he supposed to write to these people and not give false converts a false hope? He speaks this way because he knows that only those whose faith is is real will continue in it. Rest of the New Testament: Hebrews 3:14 emphasizes something similar to Col. 1:22-23. In 3:14, the author states, "For we have come to share in Christ if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end." The author will pick this theme up many more times throughout the book. He is writing to Jewish Christians who are contemplating walking away from the faith during a time of trial and persecution. How do they know they have become partakers of Christ? How do they know that they have been joined with Him? According to this verse, they know because they endure. Continuing in the faith is thus one means of assurance that God uses to affirm to His people that He will not let them go. Finally, it must be reiterated that faith is a gift that God gives His elect, that comes to them through the preaching of the gospel (Eph. 2:8-9; Rm. 10:17). What this means in regards to the perseverance of the saints is that though faith is required for perseverance, the very thing required is a freely given gift. God does not leave His elect to their own resources. There was no way that they could make themselves believe apart from grace, and there is no way they can make themselves persevere apart from grace. Again, let me state it this way, the very thing that God requires for perseverance is the very thing He freely gives- faith. Why will the true believers endure to the end? Why will he persevere? Because not only is he safe in the grip of God, but he is also empowered by the gift of God. In the next post, we will look at a number of passages that some have used to support the teaching that genuine believers can indeed fall away from the faith. After we deal with these passages, we will wrap up this segment with some practical applications of the doctrine. In this next post, I want to examine what the Bible teaches in relation to the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. In examining Scripture, I think we see two things that hold this doctrine in tension. First, all those who are truly born again will persevere to the end. Second, only those who persevere to the end are truly born again. All in all, the underlying factor that makes both of these possible is the grace of God. !. Only those who are truly born again will persevere to the end. There are many scriptures that indicate that only those who are truly born again will continue in the Christian life. The Gospels: John 6:38-40, "I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me; and this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." The flow of this verse seems to clearly indicate that the ones given to Jesus by the Father will believe in him, and that they will have eternal life and be raised on the last day. What this verse is saying is that everyone who truly believes in Christ will remain a Christian up to the final resurrection and judgment, and enter into the blessing of God's everlasting presence. Furthermore, we see that Jesus is doing the will of the Father, which means that He will "lose nothing of all that He has given Me." Those whom the Father has given to the Son to redeem will not be lost. John 10:27-29, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." Several major phrases shine forth in this passage. The first is "they shall never perish." In the Greek, this phrase is especially emphatic and could be translated "and they shall certainly not perish." The idea is that the sheep who have been given eternal life shall never lose their salvation nor be separated from Christ. The second major phrase, "no one shall snatch them out of my hand," is all inclusive. The context of this statement shows that the "no one" is used in an unlimited sense. It means that not even we ourselves can take ourselves out of the hand of God. The third phrase of importance is "no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." The Greek word for "able" is the word dunamai. The word gives the idea of ability, or power. The text says that there is no one who has the power or ability to remove the sheep from the strong hand of the Shepherd. There are more, but I would like us to move on the the writings of Paul Paul's Writings: Romans 8:30, "And those whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." Reformed theologians have referred to this verse as "the golden chain of redemption." The reason being is that there is a clear connection in Paul's thought from predestination all the way to glorification. All of these verbs are used in a way to express the certainty of the action. Thus, Paul is speaking of glorification as a certainty for those who have been predestined, called, and justified. Ephesians 1: 13-14, "In Him, you also, after having listened 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, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory." God keeps those who are born again by placing a "seal' upon them. This seal is the Holy Spirit, who also acts as God's "guarantee" that He will not renege of salvation and that we will receive the inheritance that is promised through the gospel. In other words, the Holy Spirit is God's downpayment or "first installment" (Grk.) which indicates that He has put Himself under a contract to make the further payments. When God gives us His Spirit, it is His pledge and our certainty, that we will endure to the end and receive the full reward and inheritance as sons and daughters of God. Philippians 1:6, "I am sure that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ." Here, the simple, straightforward thought of Paul is that the work of salvation that was done by God, will be brought to completion of the day of Christ's return. The word "completion" means to "perfect, finish, or bring to an end." The idea is that God will complete the of salvation that He starts in us. Nothing can thwart, hinder, or overcome the work of God in His people. The Rest of the New Testament: 1 Peter 1:5, "who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." In the context, Peter is writing to believers who are scattered all across the Roman Empire. He tells them that they have been born again to a living hope, and that they will obtain and inheritance that is kept in heaven for them (vs 3-4). He then points out three things to them in verse 5 First, they are kept by the power of God. The word "protected" can mean either "kept from escaping" or "protected from attack." Peter probably has both in mind. God is thus protecting his people and preserving them from escaping out of His kingdom. This word is also a present participle, which means that believers are continually being guarded by God's power. Second, this power is mediated through the faith of those being guarded. What Peter is saying is that the very faith that God gives His elect is the very thing that He uses to mediate His sustaining and guarding power. Thus, God's power both energizes and sustains the faith of the elect. Finally, this protecting is not for a mere temporary goal, but for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. By "salvation", Peter means not only our past justification or present sanctification, but our future obtaining of all the redemptive blessings in Christ. Though it is already "ready," it will not be revealed until the final judgment. Thus it seems that there is no temporal end to God's protection. The purpose of this protecting is to ensure that His people make it until the day of Christ. This twofold emphasis on God's guarding and the believers faith transitions us into the second aspect of the doctrine, which we will pick up next time - only those who persevere are truly born again. Baptist have always been proponents of the doctrine of eternal security. Traditionally, this has been known as the perseverance of the saints. I like how R.C. Sproul defines this doctrine, "More accurate than perseverance is preservation. We preserve because we are preserved by God. If left to our own strength, none of us would persevere. Only because we are preserved by grace are we able to persevere at all" (Sproul, Grace Unknown, pg 197). Therefore, in the words of Wayne Grudem, "The perseverance of the saints means that ll those who are truly born again will be kept by God's power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and that only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again" (Grudem, Systematic Theology, pg 788). This is the definition that I will be working with, because as we shall later see, it think it best sums up what scripture teaches on the subject. But before we go on, why is this topic even important? Many of our discussion thus far have dealt with the nature of God's saving grace- election, atonement, etc. But what good are these blessings if they can be forfeited through our own actions? Also, how do we even know that we will continue to be Christians throughout the rest of our lives? Is there something that can cause us to fall away? is there anything in the gospel to assure us that we will endure and make it to heaven? Is it possible for someone who is elect, regenerated, and atoned for to turn away from Christ? The answers to these questions is why the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is necessary. Traditionally speaking, most throughout church history have held to eternal security. However, very early on, it seems as if some of our first fathers believed in some type of conditional perseverance. By conditional perseverance, I mean that if one does not persevere in the faith, they can lose their salvation; thus there is always the possibility of falling away. Thus, the ability to persevere is really found in the will of the person. It wasn't until Augustine that we see some sort of "eternal security" being taught. He taught that not only does God give His elect the gift of faith, but also the gift of perseverance. The doctrine did not come under major dispute until the rise of Jacobos Arminius (1560-1609). For Arminius, eternal security was conditional- it was conditioned on the Christians continuance in the faith, which means that there was always the possibility of falling away. His teaching denied the view of Augustine, as well as the Reformer John Calvin. This teaching of conditional security came to a head during the Synod of Dort (1618) in which the Calvinisitc doctrine of perseverance was defended and the Arminian version condemned. Here are some other names that you may be familiar with and the belief that they held. John Wesley- conditional perseverance. Jonathan Edwards- unconditional perseverance. Adam Clarke- conditional perseverance. Charles Spurgeon- unconditional perseverance. In recent times, those who deny the traditional doctrine of the perseverance of the saints tend to be more Methodist/Wesleyan/Arminian in their theology, while those who hold to the doctrine tend to be more Reformed in their theology. Most Baptist have followed the Reformed view. Before we move on, we need to refine our terms a little more. Thus far, the way that I have used the term "eternal security" is synonymous with "perseverance of the saints" or "unconditional perseverance." Historically, this is how the phrase has been used. It refers to the fact that the person who has been elect, born again, repented and exercised faith in Christ, is thus eternally secure. There is nothing that they have done to earn their salvation and there is nothing they can do to forfeit it. Today, however, the term "eternal security" is usually presented without reference to "perseverance of the saints," and has been the mantra of "easy believism." It is also known as "once saved, always saved," and carries with it the connotation that someone can live all of their life in willful sin, showing no signs of regeneration, and still be confident of salvation because they have "prayed a prayer" or made a "profession of faith" at one point in their life. This goes against the historical and biblical understanding of the Reformed doctrine of perseverance of the saints. For example, here is what the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), a Reformed confession, states about the doctrine, I. They whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved. The Baptist were soon to follow with a similar statement found in the London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689), 1.Those whom God hath accepted in the beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, and given the precious faith of his elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, whence he still begets and nourisheth in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality; and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon; notwithstanding, through unbelief and the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them, yet he is still the same, and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession, they being engraven upon the palm of his hands, and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity. Today, Southern Baptist affirm this belief as stated in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. It reads, All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. ver fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. There are three key elements in this doctrine that are brought out by these confessions. First, it has to do with "genuine believers" or those who have been regenerated and shown forth the fruits of faith and repentance. Second, the ability to persevere depends on God, not the believer. Third, the fruits and perseverance required to show genuine salvation also come from God. Thus, no temptation, sin, or trial can cause them to fall away.
Up to this point, we have examined the history of this doctrine. In our next post, we will examine the bible to see which view (unconditional or conditional) holds up under the light of scripture. |
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