One of the problems that I have with the teaching on eternal security or the perseverance of the saints is that it seems that the teaching wants to remove Jesus from the equation. It seems that those who want to defend unconditional eternal security seem to want to make salvation something that is simply given to us by God apart from being in Christ. In fact, being in Christ or remaining in Christ doesn’t seem to be the real issue but rather it seems the issue is simply security. To teach that a person must remain in Jesus Christ by faith is seen as works-salvation and so faithfulness to Christ or His Word is no doubt encouraged but certainly not required to have security.
Yet when one studies the New Testament one realizes that the Bible stresses that our salvation is based on one person: the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus alone is called our Savior (Matthew 1:21). The Bible stresses that Jesus alone is the way, the truth, and the life that no one comes to the Father but through Him (John 14:6). The Bible teaches that Jesus is our Mediator and that He is our Propitiation who stands in intercession before the Father on our behalf (1 Timothy 2:5-6; 1 John 2:2). The Bible teaches that Jesus is able to save all those who draw near to God through Him (John 6:40; Hebrews 7:25). The Bible furthermore teaches that Jesus intercedes for us and that He is our righteousness (Romans 8:34; 10:4; Philippians 3:8-11).
But notice all that Jesus is to the disciple: our salvation (2 Timothy 1:9), our redemption and holiness (1 Corinthians 6:11), our Savior (Galatians 1:4), our righteousness before God (Romans 3:22), through Whom we are justified (Romans 3:24; 5:1). Our security is found in Christ and Christ alone (Romans 8:37-39).
And that is the key to security: in Christ. I have found that those who want to argue over the issue of eternal security often are not living as disciples of Jesus. They want some security while holding to their flesh or their sins, but this is not so (Romans 8:8; Hebrews 10:19-39). The true disciple of Jesus knows that our salvation and our security is found only in Jesus and not in our works. Security comes not from our pet doctrines but from God’s grace alone that is found in Jesus Christ. Jesus came to redeem us from our sins (Mark 10:45) and not to leave us in it. Jesus came to save us and renew us after God’s image (John 3:3-7) and not to merely provide security in our sinfulness (Jude 4). I warn you and call you to hear 1 Peter 1:15-16 that God calls us to be holy as He is holy in all that we say and do. While this is no doubt impossible in the flesh, I believe that Christ should be the one that we focus our eyes upon (Hebrews 12:2) and we learn to rely upon Jesus and His Spirit to empower us, convict us, and help us to be the people of God that He has called us to be (John 16:8-11).
Security lies not in our doctrines of men nor in the flesh of men but in the power of God (1 Peter 1:5). Security comes in Jesus and if we remain in Him by faith, we need not worry about anything or anyone (Hebrews 13:5-6).
Many churches who hold to eternal security often have doctrinal statements such as the following about eternal security:
ETERNAL SECURITY Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security. (John 10:29, II Timothy 1:12, Hebrews 7:25; 10:10-14, I Peter 1:3-5)
Now on the face suffice it to say that there is nothing in this statement that most Arminians would disagree with. We would emphasize that salvation is found through Jesus Christ. Our problem would be that we would emphasize that the believer must remain a believer to have the security that this doctrinal statement promises. We Arminians agree that salvation is based not on human merits (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-9) but upon the grace of God, but we would emphasize that the grace of God has been given to us to help us to say no to sin (Titus 2:11-12) and not abuse that grace by living in sin (Hebrews 10:19-39; 1 John 3:6-9). Why teach eternal security without also calling God’s people to be saints and not live in sin (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)?
Further, if you look up the passages of Scripture this church offers as proof texts for eternal security, then you will find that each one emphasizes what Arminianism stresses already: that security is found in Christ. None of these passages teach arbitrary security apart from being in Christ, and the only way to be in Christ is by faith, and so we are kept by continued faith in Jesus (Colossians 1:21-23; 1 John 2:28; Jude 21, 24-25; Revelation 17:14). Always trusting is the key.
[Link to original post and comments at Roy Ingle’s website.]
