See also the discussion on Assurance. Three distinct doctrines on the matter of Assurance involve the following:
- The doctrine of Eternal Security (Traditionalism) [Editor’s note: “Traditionalism” is a movement related to the Southern Baptist Convention.]
- The doctrine of Conditional Security (Arminianism) [Editor’s note: this is the traditional Arminian position; one can be an Arminian and hold to the view labeled Traditionalism in this article.]
- The doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints (Calvinism)
For Arminians, assurance in the doctrine of Conditional Security means presently knowing Christ, assuming the potential of being able to ultimately fall away.
For Traditionalists, the doctrine of Eternal Security generally means that those who are truly Born Again now possess a new nature given to them by God, accompanied by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, whereby they will not permanently fall away.
For Calvinists, the doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints stems from the other five points of TULIP, in which the “elect” who are unconditionally chosen through monergistic and irresistible means cannot permanently fall away.
