So that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
– Hebrews 6:12
But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
– Luke 8:21
One of the main arguments over the issue of eternal security or perseverance of the saints is that true believers will persevere. Failure to persevere shows that such a person was not a true believer and was never saved to begin with. Often those who hold to this view appeal to passages such as Matthew 7:21-23 or 1 John 2:19 as teaching that they never knew the Lord, and if they had, they would not have forsaken Jesus and returned to the world.
Often this argument will revolve around a person who once claimed to be a follower of Jesus. Like many of you I have known many people who seemed to have faith in Christ, were baptized, and seemed to be disciples of Jesus but later on they begin to drift. They stopped reading, studying, and memorizing their Bibles. They begin to allow things into their lives that they used to reject such as ungodly television programs or movies, music, and they begin to stop guarding their hearts against sin. I have seen what seemed to be genuine believers who begin to “date” a person and soon they were involved in sexual sins and their passion for Jesus was gone as they begin to focus on this person. We all could probably recite story after story of people who looked like they once walked with Christ but have turned back to the world.
Those holding to eternal security will do one of two things with such people. Either they will claim that such a person is still destined for heaven and is God’s child since God has promised them eternal life if they believe in His Son (Romans 6:23), and though they right now are living in sin, they remain God’s child forever. Or they will say that such a person was never saved to begin with. Either way, they will avoid the key word here: apostasy.
Now it must be stated that even Arminians believe that no person other than Christ is perfect. We all sin. As James the Apostle said, “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check” (James 3:2 NIV). Romans 3:23 reminds us that all of us have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. God’s standard is nothing more than perfection (Matthew 5:48). I like how Ray Comfort answered someone who asked him if people could go to heaven apart from Christ and he replied, “If such a person is perfect in word, thought, or deed than they can go to heaven without Jesus.” Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6) and it’s only through His blood, His grace, and His salvation that any of us are able to go to heaven. I am not arguing for sinless perfection when I teach necessary perseverance, but I am simply arguing that we must keep our eyes on Jesus at all times to be saved (Hebrews 12:1-2). Jesus is our salvation and while some try to take eternal life and make this the gift, the actual gift of eternal life comes through Christ Jesus our Lord (John 5:24; Romans 6:23). We are to keep our faith in Jesus until the very end (1 Peter 1:8-9).
This, to me, is where the teachers of eternal security miss the mark. No Arminian I know of would ever reject the clear passages of Scripture that promise us that there is safety in Jesus and security in Jesus. I don’t doubt that John 10:27-30 or Romans 8:37-39 are clear promises from God that He will keep us safe in Christ. But the key word is in Christ. I heard a radio commercial yesterday where the Bible teacher said that he would love every believer to place the words “Eternally secure” next to Romans 8:1 since that is clearly what Romans 8:1 is teaching. I agree, but I would also point out that Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus we have no fear of man (Psalm 27:1), of Satan (2 Thessalonians 3:3; 1 John 3:8-9) or death itself (1 Corinthians 15:54-58; Hebrews 2:14-15).
Yet eternal security teachers want to assure us that we have eternal security period. I believe we are eternally secure in an eternal Jesus. But the question is what defines a true believer? And what evidences would there have to be to either say a person is a believer or not a true believer? Can we, in this life, ever make a statement that this person or that person is a true disciple whereas this one is a false disciple? How far must a person be living in sin before we can claim that this person was never saved to begin with?
The answers to these questions become speculative in nature. One person will claim that this and that define a believer but not this or that. Others will say that this sin shows a person is not saved but not this sin.
Here is the bottom line issue for me: the practice of righteousness or the practice of ungodliness. Which defines and drives you? 1 John 3:4-10 is a portion of Scripture well worth memorizing since it clearly shows that a true disciple’s life is not characterized by sin. Not so says John of the unrighteous. I know that there are zealous defenders of eternal security who truly don’t want their doctrine to allow for antinomianism in the life of the believer, but I don’t see how such a teaching can lead otherwise. If I am assured of heaven without a passion for righteousness and holiness, what motive do I have for pursuing either? If I am assured that nothing can separate me from God’s love (even my continued living in sin), where would be the passionate pursuit of Christ? If I am being taught that once I am saved, I will always be saved without any stress made on continuing in the faith, keeping my faith and my eyes on Jesus, seeking to become like Him in all that I say or do, and allowing the Spirit of God to guide me, where is the motivation for righteousness?
The biblical evidence is clear on the subject: the righteous practice righteousness. If I begin to go back to practicing unrighteousness I cease to be righteous. You can argue I was never righteous before God to begin with, but either way, to cease being righteous is to bring about only unrighteousness. To stumble is one thing (as James 3:2 says), but to live in sin is another. Preaching necessary perseverance places emphasis where it belongs: on Christ and His glory. Preaching unconditional eternal security places emphasis where it should not belong: allowing for sin while calling yourself a saint.
[Link to original post and comments at Roy Ingle’s website.]
