SALVATION, PART 3
As set forth on the previous web pages SALVATION, PART 1 and SALVATION, PART 2, this page will cover the third part of the doctrine of salvation. The concern here is with the matter of eternal security, consummating matters, and the terms of salvation.
Eternal Security
Eternal security may be defined as those who are
chosen by God in accordance with His sovereignty and are saved by grace through
faith are preserved for all eternity. This writer holds that this truth
is more in accord with Scripture and that opposing views are more rationalistic
than Biblical. Involved in this truth is the recognization of the
total depravity of man; sovereign election; and sovereign grace (which
some may call "efficacious grace"). Romans 8:29, 30 are key verses
in this regard.
The two main viewpoints will be discussed
from the ideas of eternal security and non-eternal security rather
than the historical titles used in the past. "The issue that is paramount
is whether the saving work of Christ on the cross includes the safekeeping
of the one who trusts Him, or not. This is the central and precise
issue in the controversy." (Chafer, Systematic Theology, III:274)
It should be noted that this issue covers more than just the matter
of eternal security but is also the result of differing views
of the major aspects of salvation.
1. The non-security position. This position can be considered
under three topics. The first of these has already been
suggested.
a. The major doctrines of salvation.
These doctrines covers some areas that are not considered a part of
the doctrine of salvation, but they certainly affect one's view
of salvation and certainly the matter of eternal security.
1) Original sin. The first
doctrine that needs to be considered is that of original sin.
This has to do with whether or not man is total depraved. Though
this view may acknowledge an inability on the part of mankind, it is
supposedly overcome by a view of common grace (which is a Biblical
concept) that in an unbiblical fashion completely corrects total depravity.
It is based on a rationalistic view rather than a Biblical one.
It is this same rationalistic approach that liberal theologians use
in saying that God is too loving to send anyone to hell. This view
is an exalting of the human will (which must be, obviously, exercised
when believing). In the final analysis there is a minimizing of the
"exceeding sinfulness of sin."
2) Universal and efficacious call.
The second matter is in regard to a universal and efficacious
call. Common grace is that which is extended to all mankind, but
it does not in any way have any direct connection with salvation.
This view claims that
the common grace enable all men to believe. There is no Scriptural
basis for this view.
Over against this idea is the constant Scriptural testimony of a specific
call to a person by the Holy Spirit moving on the heart and mind of that
individual to receive the free gift of saving grace.
It is not just a matter
of the human will to believe or not to believe, although the human
will must be exercised. Apart from the personal call a person is helpless
to believe as shown by verses such as Romans 3:11; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2
Corinthians 4:3, 4; and others. The issue boils down to whether God
is the one that enables a person to believe or whether they themselves
do it. The view under consideration here is that it exalts the human
will--"I did it."
3) Divine decrees. The third
truth that is involved in this matter is that of the Divine
decrees (considered on the web page, Biblical
Theism). This writer has said little of these because of lack
of space. However, these decrees involved the whole matter of
election and predestination as well as the issue of reprobation.
These decrees set forth the truth that God had from all eternity a
plan.
The opposing view
is that all events depend on other causes than God Himself. Those who
do not hold to eternal security while believing in the foreknowledge
of God must explain away or make little of the afore mentioned
truths. According to them God has not planned anything, salvation then
becomes a matter of our works.
4) The fall of man. The
understanding of the fall of man constitutes another area
of difference. Although the view under consideration here generally
do not deny the fall of mankind (except in the more liberal context),
they hold that the common grace overcomes the extent of that fall. This
supposes also an ability to reject God. Consequently, every backsliding
is paramount to the lose of salvation.
5) Omniscience. Another aspect
of this matter is the view of omniscience. God is
all knowing and in this view He could foreknow nothing as certain. Thus,
foreknowledge functions in view of foreordination, and foreordination
operates in the light of foreknowledge. God not only foreknows,
but He also foreordains and then accomplishes. Such passages as Acts
2:23 and 1 Peter 1:20 set forth this truth.
6) Sovereignty. This then
brings up another aspect, namely, the sovereignty of God.
Either God IS the Creator and Supreme Ruler of the universe,
or He is not. In His sovereign will He can do as He pleases. This
is abundantly testified to in the Scriptures. But this view either
denies or ignores the sovereignty of God. As humans beings, we
have no right to place human limitations on God. Thus, this view downplays
the sovereign will of God (at least in salvation) making it conditioned
on the will of man.
7) Wrong view of sovereign
grace. Along this same line is a wrong view of sovereign
grace. God in His marvelous grace chose some; whereas, He did NOT
have to save anyone. Salvation is solely a gift from God, planned,
executed, and accomplished by God alone. Our part is to receive this
gracious gift. Thus, this erroneous view must add other things as being necessary
to be saved, even as the Jews of old did with circumcision. There
is a vast difference between doing good works because we are saved and doing
good works in order to be saved.
In the final analysis, this view is dishonoring to Almighty
God. It also distorts the truth of Divine grace, and really is
unbelief in the plain teaching of Scripture. The argument that
the human will is annulled is just not true. God so operates through
the Holy Spirit to persuade the will of man to turn to the living God.
How He does this in not important; the fact is that He does cause a
person to see his lost estate, to see that Jesus Christ is his only hope,
and to see that he must freely commit himself to the Divine plan of
salvation.
b. The emphasis on experience and reason. The
non-security position makes an appeal to experience and reason.
1) Profession is not possession.
They cite incidences of people who professed to believe and later
deny it. It must keep in mind that profession is not possession, "Not
every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.
. . . And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from
me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23) Involved in this matter
is the doctrine of God's provision for the sin of the believer.
Some cite that Demas forsook Paul (Cf. 2 Timothy 4:10) as proof; but
that does mean that God disowned Demas. To mention Judas as an example
is fallacious. There is abundant evidence that he was never a
true disciple.
2) Carelessness in Christian life.
Non-security leads to carelessness in the Christian life or even
discouragement because it is not possible to live a sinless life (in spite
of what these people say).
Furthermore, there
is much inconsistency in this matter as to how sinful a sin has to be to
be lost. Logically, if a person sins, he becomes lost and must
be saved all over again. Not only is a travesty on the grace of God,
it is directly against Scripture. Paul clearly states in Galatians
3:1-3, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey
the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth,
crucified among you? This only would I learn of you. Received
ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect
by the flesh?" (Bold type for emphasis).
3) Security not license to sin.
Another false idea of this position is the notion that if one
is eternally secure, then there is a license to sin. The Scriptural
answer to this idea is "Shall we continue in sin , That grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer
therein?" (Romans 6:1, 2). God has provided a way to live the holy
life. We have died with Christ, were buried, and rose again with Him
unto newness of life. As 1 John 2:1 shows, we do not need to
sin; but if we do, God has provided the Advocate, Jesus Christ the
Righteous.
Knowing we are saved
for all eternity is an incentive to do right to please Him Who has redeemed
us unto Himself. It has been the experience of this writer that
the most unstable people who profess salvation are those who do not believe
in the security of the believer. They also have a low idea of
what sin really is.
Finally, if a
person is really saved and could be lost, this reflects on God's inability
to keep that which He saved. In contrast to this, Paul clearly stated in
Philippians 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, that He which
hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus
Christ."
c. The appeal to Scriptures. This position
appeals to certain Scripture which seem to imply that a person once saved
could be lost. Yet there are so many passages which can be understood
in no other way than the security of the believer. Thus, the appeal
to some passages that imply the opposite must be a misunderstanding of
what is being said.
1) Dispensationally misapplied.
There are first of all some passages that are appealed to which
are dispensationally misapplied. Many times the confusion is due to
distinguish between interpretation of a passage and its application.
Matthew 24:13 is often
cited, but the context has to do with the coming tribulation which is to
come upon Israel. We are saved the moment we believe, not at the end of
our lives or some other period of time.
Again Matthew 18:23-35 is
sometimes cited, but this passage has to do with the relationship of the
King to His kingdom and is being misapplied when referring it to individual
believers in this age.
Sometimes Ezekiel
33:7, 8 is used, but this passage was addressed to the nation Israel and
has no real bearing upon a believer now. Psalm 51:11 is misused in
this way, but the Holy Spirit did not indwell Old Testament believers as
He does now. Some use 2 Thessalonians 2:3, but the falling away does
not mean true believers.
2) References to false teachers.
Three passages are sometimes used that really refer to false teachers
of the last days of the church.
1 Timothy 4:1, 2 shows
that "some shall depart from the faith"; this term (the faith) refers to
the body of doctrine which Christians believe. It must be kept
in mind that there are tares among the wheat. There is no evidence
that these who depart were ever believers. There are many today who
have a good grasp of Christian doctrine, but who do not really believe
it.
Likewise, 2 Peter
2:1-22 is sometimes used of people falling away from salvation. Here
again, a person can be associated with Christian truth and may even live
a somewhat exemplary life. Verse 22 clearly indicates, however, that
there was no genuine conversion, for the dog still was a dog and the
sow was still a sow.
The appeal to Jude
3-19 falls into the same category in referring to false teachers. Jude clearly
states that they "crept in unawares" and may be even prominent teachers,
but as Jude said, "having not the Spirit."
3) Reformation, not salvation.
There are also, as already suggested, many who have a reformation
that gives the appearance of being saved (they seem to be wheat), but
who have no real new birth. Luke 11:24, 26 can be cited in this regard.
This passage can't be used for non-security because reformation is
not the same as salvation.
The citation of the
parable of the sower in Matthew 13:1-8 (and related passages in Mark and
Luke) is erroneous. "The three failures do not represent those
who first became wheat and after that were reduced to nothing." (Chafer,
Systematic Theology, III:296). Many receive the word, but there
is no real root of faith that leads to the new birth.
Some have suggested
1 Corinthians 15:1, 2 implies the possibility of being lost after
salvation. It is the case that their faith did not even lead to salvation
(Cf. 2 Corinthians 13:5). We reiterate: Profession does not equal
possession. Hebrews 3:6, 14 has the same story. Profession is clearly recognized
by the Bible, but that profession does not equal salvation. 1 John
2:19 clearly shows this to be the case. Those that went out were not
true believers. Romans 10:9, 10 shows clearly that profession does
not equal salvation; there must be belief in the heart.
4) Salvation shown by fruit.
Possession of salvation is shown by the fruit in the individual's
life. John 8:31 shows that continuance in the Lord's word showed that
they were disciples. It was not the case that continuance was a necessary
corollary to being a disciple.
James 2:14-26 shows
the proper relation of faith and works. If a person has
genuine faith, his works will show it. This is what man sees. Thus,
Paul presented justification before God is faith; James shows that justification
before men is good works. These two do not contradict. Paul also presents
the necessity of good works in the life of the believer (Cf.
Ephesians 2:10)
The non-security people
cite John 15:6 as proof of their position. The issue here really
is the matter of communion with the Lord rather than the vital union. Our
union with Him is the result of the baptism of the Holy Spirit
placing us IN Christ. Our communion with Him is dependent upon our
walk with Him. John 15:10 shows that communion is in view.
There will be judgment
of what we do as believers; this is clear from 1 Corinthians 3:11-15,
but our salvation is not determined thereby, but our rewards.
2 Peter is sometimes
used to support their position. The word rendered "fall" does not mean
a fall from grace, but it is used in the sense of "stumble."
1 John 3:4-10 is also
used. This passage does not teach that a Christian does not ever sin,
for this would contradict what John stated in 1 John 2:1. Rather it
is the continuing practice of sin that is in view. There can
be a falling from steadfastness in the faith, but that is not the same as
lose of salvation.
5) Warnings to Jews. There
are three passages that are warnings to the Jews with limited application
to believers in this age.
Matthew 25:1-13 was
addressed to Israel as a parting word. The watchfulness is in the light
of the great tribulation that He spoke of in the preceding context.
The five virgins excluded did not have the Holy Spirit and were excluded
from the earthly kingdom as set forth in Ezekiel 20:33-44. There is
no reference here to those who are IN Christ.
Hebrews 6:4-9 is used
against eternal security. That this refers to Jewish professing believers
is probably the case. They fall short of real faith in Jesus
Christ. A person, whether Jew or Gentile, can be enlightened (in fact
must be), may have even tasted the heavenly gift (but taste is not the same
as receiving), may have partook of the Holy Spirit in His work in regard
to sin, righteousness, and judgment, but never baptized, indwelt, and
sealed by the Spirit. Furthermore, there is a difference in tasting
the Word of God and really believing it. The determining passage,
however, is verse 9, "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you,
and things that accompany salvation." The term beloved is used
only of true believers. Also, there is a switch from the third person
to the second person.
The final passage
used against eternal security is Hebrews 10:26-29. This passage is
a break in the context, not continuing the theme of preceding verses.
The Old Testament sacrifices have done away with in Christ; and therefore,
if they fall short of receiving Christ as their sacrifice, then there
is only judgment. Also, if this passage referred to real born-again
persons, then there would be no recourse after sinning to be saved
again. This these non-security people would not allow. One must
keep in mind that the Epistle to the Hebrews was primarily written to
the Jew who had a particular blindness in regard to the gospel.
6) General warnings to all men.
There are two passages that are taken against eternal security which
are general warnings to all men.
Revelation 22:19 is
often used in this connection. This passage has to do with the
prophecy of the Book of Revelation (although it might apply to the
whole Bible). Thus, this verse has nothing to do with the security
of the believer. No true believer would ever take away from the Book
of Revelation let alone the whole Bible. Unbelievers have tried
and still do try to downgrade the Bible.
1 John 5:4, 5 is no
source of comfort to those against eternal security. Those who
truly believe overcome the world. This is the real force of the
passage.
7) Loss of rewards.
Several passages speak of believers losing rewards, but
this is not the same as losing one's salvation. We have already mentioned
1 Corinthians 3:10-15.
Colossians 1:21-23
is sometimes used against eternal security. However, there are two
factors in this passage. The one is God's work in behalf of man, and
the other is man's work for God. The former has to do with salvation;
the latter with rewards. Part of the problem is the comma after
the word "death" which leads to some thinking that God's work in behalf of
man is dependent on man's work for God. However, the original
had no punctuation. Thus, verse 23 is independent of verses 21,
22. Furthermore, Paul would be contradicting himself in the light of
Colossians 2:10.
Then these people
use 1 Corinthians 9:27. Here again the distinction between salvation
and rewards must be maintained. Even the context (verse 18) shows rewards
are in view. The term "castaway" is the negative of the Greek
word meaning "approved" or "accepted." There are many other such passages
that have to do with rewards rather than salvation.
8) Other passages. There
are other passages which can be examined in this matter. John 13:8;
15:2; 1 Corinthians 11:29-32; and 1 John 5:16 have to do with loss of
fellowship not salvation. Galatians 5:4 has do with trying to
live the life via the law, not salvation. The issue in the context
is the matter of Christian liberty as seen in verse 1. Salvation
is not in view in this passage. Some other passages used (all of
which can be explained by the context) are 1 Timothy 5:8, 12;
6:10; 2 Timothy 2:18; Revelation 21:8, 27; and Philippians 2:12. This
latter passage tells us to "work out" our salvation, not work for
our salvation. The term "obey" is sometimes used as an equivalent to
"believe." Acts 5:32 is a case in point.
This writer has touched upon the arguments that are used against eternal security. There is much more than can be covered here. Over against all of these arguments are the very plain verses that teach that salvation is by faith and faith alone. The very words "eternal life" would be meaningless without security.
2. The security position. This position is favored on this web
site as being more in accord with Biblical truth. This writer has presented
some of the aspects of this position while discussing the
non-security position. The matter of original sin, the effacious
call, divine sovereignty and sovereign grace, the nature of the fall,
and divine omniscience have all been considered in regard to the non-security
position. There are many secondary inferences on the security of the
believer as well as declarations. Each of the three Persons of
the Trinity have their part in the security of the believer,
and we will consider the security in the light that the Godhead planned it
all.
a. The part of God the Father. God
has had a definite part in our security as believers.
1) Sovereignty. His sovereign
purpose is involved in our security. God has planned it. There
is no Scripture (and certainly no human reason) that will thwart the divine
purpose. If God could fail in bringing one soul ordained to eternal
life to salvation, He would cease to be God. Both Ephesians 1:11, 12
and Romans 8:28-30 set forth this divine purpose. The only element that God
included in His purpose is the element of human faith. This does
not, however, lead to uncertainty. Ephesians 2:8 shows that even
that faith is God given as a gift even as does Hebrews 12:2.
2) Unconditional promises. God
has made unconditional promises. The promise to Abraham is different
from the promise to believers in this age, although believers come under
a part of his promise. The study of the promises of God
is a study all of its own and beyond the scope of this web page.
Numerous passages, however, speak of these promises. John
3:16, 5:24, 6:37; Romans 8:30 are just a few examples of these promises
to believers today.
3) Omnipotence. God the Father
has infinite power to set free. Sin is sin in the sight of God.
To make some sins big while other are little is rationalization, not
Scriptural.
In 1 Corinthians we
have the example of the man who had his step-mother, something that
was not even done among the unsaved. Paul rebuke the church
at Corinth for not judging this matter, and yet nowhere does Paul
either say or imply that the man had lost his salvation.
Again, in 1 Corinthians
11 in connection with the Lord's Supper, some Christians had continued in
sin without repentance, and yet there is not one suggestion by Paul
that these had lost their salvation although they were judged of God
for it. The point is "that God the Father not only is able because
of omnipotence to keep His own, but that He is
free through the death of His Son to keep them, in spite
of the moral problem which the imperfection of each Christian
engenders." (Chafer, Systematic Theology, III:320; italics are his.)
Such passages as John
10:29; Romans 4:21; Romans 8:31, 38, 39; Hebrews 7:25; Jude 1:24 and others
clearly set forth this matter.
4) God's love. The love of
God is another factor in the security of the believer. His
love chose us in the first place. His love predestined us unto the
adoption of children (cf. Ephesians 1:4, 5). His love is
unconditional. Our salvation springs from that love of God, and
that salvation was not an afterthought. Romans 5 shows this great love
in that He loved us while we were yet sinners. Romans 5:9, 10 shows
how much more our salvation is preserving us unto life eternal. This
truth does not minimize God's holiness nor His justice, but that holiness
and justice was satisfied at the cross in the death of His Son, Jesus
Christ.
5) The prayer of Jesus Christ.
Finally, there is the influence on God the Father by the prayer of
His Son. His high priestly prayer in John 17 sets forth this
matter, for seven times He refers to the saved as "those whom Thou hast given
Me." That this extends beyond the disciples is clearly seen in John
17:20. To deny the security of the believer is to deny that this prayer
of Jesus will be answered.
b. The part of the Son of God. The
key verse for this aspect of truth is Romans 8:34, "Who is he that
condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen, Who is
even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us."
Together with this verse is verse 33 which strengthens the matter.
1) Believers already justified.
God has already justified the believer; therefore, there can be no
charge against the elect. Our justification is not on any human ground,
but solely on the merit of Jesus Christ God's Son. Thus, no one
can lay a charge against God's elect.
2) Believers are not condemned.
Another question is raised, however, "Who is he that condemneth?"
The security of the believer is hereby declared unequivocally.
The four answers are given in verse 34.
The first is that
Christ has died. The fact that Jesus Christ died for sins is clearly
taught in many passages. 1 John 2:2 is representative of
these.
The second fact
is that Christ is risen. Security rests on the fact that
the believer is a partaker of His resurrected life and is a part of
the New Creation of which Christ is the Head. Colossians
2 and 3 are the key passages although the truth is also set forth Romans
6:4-8 as well as Ephesians 2:6. In Colossians 3:1-4 one being raised
with Christ is the basis for the exhortation to holy living.
In the third place,
believers have the advocacy of Jesus Christ. The
key passage, besides Romans 8:34, is 1 John 1:1-2:2. The believer is
cleansed from sin upon confession of that sin to God, and 2:1 clearly
sets forth His work as Advocate. Those of us who hold to eternal
security are accused of being lawless. Quite to the contrary,
we live holy lives by virtual of the fact that He has saved us so
completely that we want to please Him. The phrase "any man" in 1 John
2:1 is obviously restricted to those who are believers, .i. e,
"little children", an endearing term used by the Apostle John. We have
only touched on the truth of this passage, for there is much more
here.
Finally, we have
the intercession of Jesus Christ. We have already mentioned John
17:1-26 in this connection as well as Romans 8:34. He prayed for Peter
in this way (Luke 22:31-34), and then also there is Hebrews 7:23-25. Hebrews
4:14-16 does not specifically speak of this intercession, but it is
certainly implied. The denial of these truths by the non-security
advocates is based on rationalization, not Scriptural principles.
c. The part of the Holy Spirit. We
do not save ourselves, nor do we regenerate ourselves. That is the
work of the Holy Spirit.
1) The new birth. The new
birth places the believer in an entirely new relationship with God. We
are "new creatures" in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; see also Galatians 6:15);
we are "His workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10). Jesus emphasized the necessity
of the new birth ( John 3:3, 7) which is by believing as both John
1:12, 13 as well as the immediate context show.
2) The indwelling of the Holy
Spirit. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer. This
was something new. The Old Testament saint had the Holy Spirit
with him, but he did not have the Holy Spirit in him. Jesus
promised this indwelling as seen in John 14:16, 17. Romans 8:9
is a clear indication that if one did not have the Holy Spirit in him, he
was unsaved. 1 John 2:27 also speaks of His indwelling. The
Holy Spirit also baptizes (not water baptism) the believer which is the placing
of the believer into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13).
3) The sealing of the Spirit.
Finally, the Holy Spirit seals us. This is an accomplished fact,
not something that will happen in the future. Three passages state
this truth, namely, 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22; Ephesians 1;13, 14; and
Ephesians 4:30. This last passage clearly states that we are "SEALED
UNTO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION." This is the redemption of
the body that is spoken of in Romans 8:21-23.
In none of these passages are any human conditions set forth. Besides all of this, there is passage after passage that speaks of receiving eternal life by simply believing (not a mere head belief, but a real heart trust). It is, therefore, a travesty of Biblical truth to say that a true believer could ever be lost.
The first part of this section follows from the previous part. Romans 8:1-39 is the great chapter on the security of the believer.
1. Romans 8:1-39. In verse 1 it is declared, "There is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." The
remainder of the verse is textually disputed, but even if included,
it does not detract from this statement nor does it qualify it, for those
who are IN CHRIST JESUS are those "who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit." After this opening statement, the Apostle Paul gives seven
proofs of it.
a. Deliverance from the law. We are not
under the law either as a means of salvation nor as a means of
living a holy life. This does not mean the law was not good.
It was, and it served its purpose to make man aware of the exceeding
sinfulness of sin. Romans 8:2-8 sets forth this freedom from
the law system. Christ has fulfilled the righteous demands of the law
and thus fulfilled in us as we walk in the Spirit. The law was not
weak in itself, but was powerless because of the weakness of the
flesh. We fulfill the law IN Christ not by our works.
b. Presence of the Divine nature. Another
reason why there is no condemnation in the believer is set forth in Romans
8:9-13. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
If you do not have the Holy Spirit (not in some special
experience), you are not even a true believer. That same Holy
Spirit that dwells in us will make our mortal bodies alive in the resurrection
(of which Paul speaks more in verses. 19-23.
c. Heir of God and a son. This aspect
is set forth in Romans 8:14-17. God knows those who are His (Cf. 2
Timothy 2:19), and it is unthinkable that God will lose any that belong to
Him. Our passage declares not only that we are heirs of God, but also joint-heirs
with Christ. Thus, everything that Jesus Christ has is ours. What
a glorious truth this is! Nothing will keep us from that inheritance.
Incidentally, Peter also speaks of our inheritance (1 Peter 1:3,
4). All these passages are unqualified by any statement whatsoever.
d. Purpose of God. We have touched
on this aspect before, but Romans 8:28, 29 declare it with certainty.
Likewise, Paul declares it in Ephesians 1:4-12. The Romans passages
states that we are "called according to His purpose." God is not dependent
on secondary causes, for even those causes are under His control.
As an adjunct to the purpose of God
is the performance of that purpose. This idea is set forth in
Romans 8:30-33. What God purposed He certainly can and does accomplish even
to the glorification of the saints of God--those who have put
their trust in Him. The steps are set forth in these verses:
predestines, call, justifies, and glorifies.
The relation of
these acts of God in regard to the human will has been debated
for many centuries. Chafer puts it very well, "The will of man
is guided by what he knows and what he desires. The divine method of
reaching the will is by increasing man's knowledge and stimulating
his desires, while on the divine side of this method there remains
not the shadow of possible failure. The end is as certain as
any eternal reality in God. On the human side, man is conscious of
doing only what he actually does; he chooses as an act of his own volition
to receive the grace God offers in Christ Jesus." (Chafer, Systematic
Theology, III:349).
The problem only is
in the human mind trying to figure out eternal truths with the finite mind.
The reason man has had a problem with this is the desire to do
something to merit salvation, rather than willing submitting to the marvelous
grace of God. In the final analysis as Paul said, "It is God
that justifieth." (Romans 8:33). This is the answer to the question,
"Who can lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?" (same verse).
Thus, we need to stop arguing the matter and believe God.
e. The work of Christ. Romans
8:34 sets forth Christ's work in this matter. This verse is answering
the question, "Who is he that condemneth?" He proceeds to give four
reasons that there is no one. First, Christ died; His death on the
cross for the sins of man as man's substitute. Second, Christ is risen
from the dead (Cf. Romans 4:25; also note 1 Corinthians 15:17 on the negative
of this). Thirdly, Christ is at God's right hand as our Advocate
(He is the righteous lawyer--Cf. 1 John 2:1). Finally, Christ makes
intercession for us (Cf. Hebrews 7:25 where His intercession is also set
forth).
2. The clinching matter. There is nothing that can separate
the believer from the love of God in Christ Jesus as shown in
Romans 8:35-39. This is in accord with John 10:28, 29. We believers
are in the hands of the Lord, and we are in the hands of God the
Father. Also, note Paul's personal testimony in 1 Timothy 1:12.
It is blatant unbelief that try to say that a believer
can remove himself from this love of God and pluck himself from the Lord's
hand. If he could, he would be greater than God. Finally,
let it be said that this gives no one a license to sin. On the contrary,
a man's will is brought into conformity with the will of God by his
salvation, and his desires have been changed. There has been a change
of nature, or rather the addition of a new nature which
wants to be conformed to Christ.
a. The deliverance from the power of sin.
There are three areas in which the believer has conflict. These
are the world, the flesh, and the devil.
1) The world. Our conflict
with the world, which system is under Satan's control, is due to the world's
hatred of the Lord; and since we are His, we have a battle with it.
Jesus Christ overcame the world (cf., John 16:33), and we are more
than conquerers through Him (Romans 8:37). Thus, we are overcomers
through Him. This idea is also presented in 1 John 5:4, 5. This
passage is not an exhortation to overcome the world, but rather we have overcome
by virtue of our faith in Him.
2) The flesh. The second
conflict is with the flesh. This not the skin or a reference to the
human body. Our bodies are only instruments as shown in Romans 6:11ff.
We have died with Christ and all that is required of us is to
reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive unto God. Then, we yield our
bodies as instruments of righteousness to God. That is why we
are exhorted to present our bodies unto God (Cf. Romans 12:1). Our
salvation is in no way preserved by this yielding and presented. Our
salvation is secure in Christ and Christ alone.
3) The devil. The third area
of conflict is with the devil. This battle is with Satan himself
as clearly set forth in Ephesians 6:10ff. It requires the supernatural
work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to overcome him. Satan is
already judged, but we have this warfare. Several passages set this
forth. Besides the one already mentioned, we see it in 1 John 4:4 as
well as 1 Peter 5:8, 9 and 2 Corinthians 10:4, 5.
In the final analysis, our victory is solely in Christ
Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are engaged in a conflict,
but the victory is His not ours. We must ever keep in mind that God
was not taken by surprise by the sin of man, but rather He anticipated
it. Thus, "The unsaved are saved by believing and the saved are forgiven
and cleansed by confessing." (Chafer, Systematic Theology, III:360)
b. The deliverance from human limitations. We
are saved unto good works (Ephesians 2:10). In order to produce the
works, we need to be delivered from our human limitations.
1) Work of the Spirit.
This is not accomplished by some sort of "second work of
grace." It is wrought in us by the Holy Spirit. We are
saved by grace; we live the Christian life by grace. It is all of
God, or it is not of God at all. The ninefold fruit of
the Spirit is just that--OF THE SPIRIT. He must
work it in us. Philippians 2:12, 13 clearly show that it is God's work.
This does not mean we sit back and do nothing. It is nevertheless
His work, not ours. Everytime we do, it ends up in a mess, a work of
the flesh (Unfortunately, much so-called Christian work is done in
the energy of the flesh, and not in the power of the Holy
Spirit.)
2) Powered by the Spirit. Not
only does the Holy Spirit produce good works in us, He empowers us for service
to the Lord. This involves the gifts of the Holy Spirit which
will be dealt with later (in discussing the work of
Spirit). Suffice to say here that
the Holy Spirit (after describing some of the gifts) divides to every
believer as He wills.
3) Guided by the Spirit.
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit teaches the truth of God as revealed
in the Word of God; He guides the believer; He gives witness to the
believer's heart of his being God's child; and makes intercession on
our behalf as well as through us.
c. The presentation of the believer faultless.
Jude concludes his brief epistle with these words (verse 24), "Now
unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding
joy." (Bold type for emphasis) O what a precious truth this is:
to stand FAULTLESS before our Heavenly Father, NOT in
any merit of our own, but solely in the merit of our blessed
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This glorious truth is set forth in
several passages as seen for example in Ephesians 5:25-27. Listed here
are a few of the aspects of this glorious position in Christ.
Believers have a heavenly citizenship
(Philippians 3:20--"conversation" connotes "citizenship" in this
verse). This citizenship is still future for them. Also,
There is a new brotherhood through the new birth. Thus, believers are
brothers due to the common bond in Christ. This is why love for the
brethren is commanded. Furthermore, there is a perfect standing in
Christ. This standing is again due to being in Christ. Believers
also will have a new body which will be like His glorious body (Cf. Philippians
3:21). This same truth is set forth in Romans 8:22ff. and is expanded
upon by the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 15:42ff. Believers will have freedom
from the sin nature. They do not yet have that, but will. Christians
will likewise be like Christ. 1 John 3:2 is the key verse here although
others set forth the matter. As believers all share in Christ's glory.
Jesus in His high priestly prayer recorded in John 17:22 sets forth
this truth as does 2 Corinthians 3:18. Several other passages also stated
this matter.
Little do we realize the greatness of our salvation. We have tried to give a small glimpse of it. We see some of the glory of our position in Christ in Ephesians 1:17-21. Our future is glorious indeed. This very fact is another factor in our eternal security.
Salvation is by faith alone in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Other terms are used in connection with salvation other than "faith." In this section those terms will be examined.
1. Repent. Repentance is often considered a separate act from
believing and as a human necessity to salvation.
a. Its meaning. The Greek word is
metanoia which means "a change of mind." Thus, repentance
is basically a change of one's mind to agree what God has set forth.
Sorrow is often equated with repentance, but 2 Corinthians 7:10 shows
that sorrow of the godly kind works repentance, but it is not itself
repentance. A person can be sorry for sin without repenting.
Repentance is a change of mind which results in a change of
direction.
b. Its relation to believing. It is erroneous
to state as some do that repentance is not necessary to salvation; however,
that is not the same as saying it is a necessary separate act.
1) Repentance part of
believing. The ramifications will not be discussed, but state
categorically that repentance is a part of believing.
This is one of the
differences between a head believing and a heart believing. The devils
believe in one God (Cf. James 2:19), but it does not lead them to
salvation.
All too often repentance
is used in an emotional context to the extent that anguish is set forth as
a sign of genuine repentance. This writer is not saying that
emotions may accompany repentance, but the two must not be confused. There
can be genuine repentance without any outward emotion, and likewise there
can outward display of emotion and no genuine repentance.
2) Scriptural definition of
repentance. In the final analysis, repentance is an aspect
of true believing. This is well stated by the Apostle Paul in
1 Thessalonians 1:9 which states that when the Thessalonians believed they
"turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God." This is
a Scriptural definition of what repentance is. There is also
a repentance that is involved when the believer sins. Here again it
is a change of mind with agreement as to what God says about our sin.
However, this repentance has nothing to do with our salvation, but
has to do with restoration.
c. The absence of repentance. Many,
many passages dealing with salvation have only the word "believe" with no
use of the word "repent."
1) The Gospel of John. A
good example of this is the Gospel of John which was specifically
written "that ye might believe [not believe and repent] that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing [not believing
and repenting] ye might have life through HIs name." (John 20:31) The
word "repent" does not occur at all in this gospel.
2) The Book of Romans. In
the Epistle to the Romans (the Grand Central Station of the doctrine
of salvation) the word only occurs twice; the first is Romans 2:4 where
the word is virtually equivalent to salvation; the other is Romans 11:29
where it is used of God not changing His mind about His gifts and calling.
Acts 16:31 is certainly conclusive in this regard. If
repentance was necessary as a separate act, what a failure this
verse is to present it.
d. The specific passages. There are specific
passages on repentance that can be considered. Several of these
(such as 2 Peter 3:9) have the word synonymous with believing. Others simply
refer to a change of mind (Cf. Acts 8:22). Still others
are passages related to the nation Israel (Acts 3:19) are misapplied.
1) Luke 24:47. There are
some passages which must be further considered. Luke 24:47 is often
used as showing the necessity of repentance as a separate act.
It is used here, however, as an equivalent for believing. The
remission of sins is also not a separate act, but the result of the
repentance.
2) Acts 11:18. Another case
is Acts 11:18 where repentance is the same as belief. That this is
the the case is seen in verse 17 where the word "believed" is used in regard
to the Jewish Christians, and then the word "repentance" was used in regard
to the Gentiles.
3) Acts 20:21. Sometimes
Acts 20:21 is cited to show that repentance is a separate act. Actually,
this is a proof of the work of the two of the Persons of the
Godhead in salvation. There is a parallelism here: repentance--God;
faith--Christ. Jesus Christ is the object of our faith; repentance
in a change of mind in regard to what God required, namely, faith in
Jesus Christ.
4)Acts 26:20. Acts 26:20
does not present two things a person must do. This verse is
the same as that in 1 Thessalonians 1:9.
2. Confess Christ. There has always been the desire to have
visible results of people being saved. Although confession of
Christ is important, it does not follow that it is necessary in order to
be saved. That confession to others by a new believer is helpful
to the new believer is certainly obvious, but this is a psychological
reason, not a Biblical one. There are two major passages that present
the confession of Christ.
a. Matthew10:32, 33. Luke 12:8, 9 presents
a similar truth, but it is before angels instead of before the
Father.
This passage occurs in the midst of the
kingdom teachings of our Lord prior to His sending forth to the
Jews, and the context is the confinement of the message to the
nation Israel (cf. 10:5-7). Thus, it does not have to do with the present
age when the gospel of salvation is preached to Jew and Gentile alike,
except--perhaps--by way of application.
The passage in Luke is in an entirely
different context although some of the verses are similar.
(Note: there is nothing in Scripture that teaches that repetition is
not allowed; Jesus had the right to repeat what He said on different occasions.)
This passage may be more applicable, but it is notable that the confession
by the Son of man is before the angels in this passage and not before
the Father. It is, therefore, highly questionable that this verse presents
a condition of salvation, particularly in the light of the numerous
passages that say "believe."
b. Romans 10:9, 10. This passage is
in the midst of the teaching on salvation and sanctification. Verse
9, however, is clearly explained in verse 10. Notice in verse 10 that
a person "believeth unto righteousness." Righteousness is thus
obtained by faith and faith alone. This does not mean that righteousness
is the result of faith, but rather it is the acceptance of the
gift of righteousness by faith.
Likewise, it does not mean that salvation
results from confession, but rather confession is the outward expression
of the salvation that already has taken place. It is foolish, indeed,
to think that any outward act can produce an inward spiritual result.
Notice that the context that follows further explains the meaning.
Verse 11 shows that belief is the main issue and the only condition.
Also, the confession corresponds to the calling on the name of the
Lord in verses 12 and 13.
That confession of Christ is a duty
and privilege of the believer is evident, but that is a far cry
to it being a condition of salvation. Two reasons which are
conclusive that can be cited to refute that these passages present any condition
for salvation is first that there are at least 150 passages which present
only faith in Jesus Christ as the sole means of salvation; and the
second is such a requirement discredits the salvation of those who were under
conditions that prevented public confession.
3. Be baptized. In approaching this matter one must keep in
mind that the Greek word baptizo deals with two different things.
There is a baptism that is real by the Holy Spirit which places the
believer in the Body of Christ, the church (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:13)
and thus in union with the Lord Jesus Christ. There is also a ritual
baptism which is in water. John the Baptist carefully distinguished
between the two (Cf. Matthew 3:11). The two are not entirely separate,
but one must distinguish between them. In some way or another water
baptism and the baptism by the Holy Spirit are one as set forth in Ephesians
4:5. This passage can be discussed at some other time. There
are two major passages that need consideration in this matter.
a. Mark 16:15, 16. The assumption by many
is that water baptism is in view here. It may well be argued that the
baptism of the Holy Spirit is actually in view. The argument
is that the Greek construction here is the same as in Luke 1:20 where the
phrase "Thou shalt be dumb" is enlarged upon by the words, "not able
to speak." Likewise, in Mark 16:15 the phrase "is baptized" may
amplify the word "believeth." In the light of Ephesians 4:5 it
may be that both are in view because of the close connection of the
two.
The fact of the matter is that most of
those who use verse 15 to say that water baptism is necessary for salvation
utterly ignore verse 16 that says "he that believeth not is damned"
but says absolutely nothing about those who are not baptized.
b. Acts 2:38. This passage seems to
teach that baptism is necessary for salvation. A proper understanding
of the prepositions involved, however, clears the matter. The
two prepositions are "in" (Greek--epi) and "for"
(Greek--eis).
1) The word epi. The former
word has the root meaning of "upon"; the rendering "in" is a remote
meaning. Some scholars have suggested that the word "believing"
should be supplied before the word epi which precedes "the name of
Jesus Christ"; this would be in accord with verse 41 which states that "they
that gladly received [another word for "believe"] his word were baptized
. . . ." This would also be in accord with Peter's own words in 1
Peter 1:8, 9, 23. No water baptism is in view in any of those
verses. It is utterly wrong to pit a passage which can be rendered
in a somewhat different manner against the 150 verses that set forth
faith alone as the condition of salvation.
2) The word eis.
The latter word eis has the root meaning of "within"
and "in." "For" is a legitimate translation of this Greek word, but
the other meanings should take precedent. In the passage under question
the preposition could be rightly rendered "into" or even "unto" making the
passage read "unto the remission of sins." Scripture does not
contradict itself. Therefore, when a passage is difficult or problematical,
you do not make it to stand against 150 clear passages.
Again the matter of
the real baptism of the Holy Spirit may be in view rather than
water baptism which many assume who use this passage to say that water baptism
is necessary for salvation.
3) John 3:5. These two
passages are the main ones that are used to teach
that water baptism is necessary for salvation. Some try
to use John 3:5; but the problem then is that John would be contradicting
himself, for he repeatedly (even in the immediate context) sets forth
believing as the sole condition of salvation. The phrase "born
of water" is used to say that the new birth is by water baptism.
Some commentators say that this refers to physical birth, for in verse
6, John speaks of that which is born of the flesh. However,
the better meaning is that it refers to the Word of God as shown in
Ephesians 5:26. This also accords with Peter's statement in 1 Peter
1:23. Also, in Titus 3:5 the new birth (under the word "regeneration")
is pictured as a washing.
4. Surrender to God. The idea here is that the unsaved has to,
in some way, surrender to God in doing His will. This is a case of
adding something to believing for salvation and not a synonym
for salvation. A more recent type of this idea is called "Lordship
salvation."
a. Works necessary. We have previously discussed
the matter of their inability of the unsaved to believe for they
are spiritually dead. Faith itself is a gift of God as evidence
by Ephesians 2:8. Nowhere are the unsaved called to the Lordship of
Christ. The ultimate result of this error is a substitution
of actions that are true of believers for salvation itself.
b. Self-dedication. Self-dedication is another
attempt for man to lift himself by his own boot straps. Yet because
he is spiritual dead, he has no real desire for the things of God.
I Corinthians 2:14 makes this abundantly clear.
c. Seeking the Lord. Some may argue that
they sought the Lord before their were saved. This was the convicting
work of the Holy Spirit. An old hymn expressed it well. "I
sought the Lord, and afterward I knew He moved my soul to seek
Him, seeking me; It was not I that found, O Savior true; No, I was found
of Thee." (Anonymous) Thus, while a believer in the Lord needs to be
dedicated to the Lord, the unsaved can not in any way do so
prior to believing. It thus behooves the preacher to present the gospel
to the unsaved that the only condition is faith in Jesus Christ.
d. Christian truth not for unbelievers.
Furthermore, the minister when presenting Christian truth for believers
needs to emphasize that what is being said does not apply to the unsaved,
but they need to trust Jesus Christ for salvation.
e. Confession and restitution. A corollary
to this notion is the need to confess sin and make restitution. That
one should confess their sin to God and that a person should make restitution
for wrong is certainly important to a new believer; but this should not be
made a condition or requisite for salvation. 1 John is applicable only
to believers and is not for the unsaved. Christ died for the unsaved
while enemies, sinners, etc. (cf. Romans 5:6-10); and it
is He who justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5) and not their works.
5. Seeking the Lord. We have touched on this to some extent.
a. Isaiah 55:6. Isaiah 55:6 is sometimes
used to plead with God for mercy to sinners to seek Him. This
passage has to do with Israel who have wandered from their covenant
position.
b. Romans 3:11. Romans 3:11, on the
other hand, clearly says, "There is none that seeketh after God."
Luke 19:10 shows that it is the Lord seeking man, not the other way
around.
c. Blinded by Satan. Furthermore, the unsaved
mind is blinded by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4). God is propitious
to all (cf. 1 John 2:2), and man does not need to plea for mercy. The
publican, who was a Jew, was pleading for God to cover his sins to the extent
of doing away with them. This is the real meaning of "merciful" in
the publican prayer.
In conclusion, salvation is of God and God alone. The
Scripture uses "believe" and like terms at least 150 times. To abrogate those
terms in favor of a few verses, which can readily reconciled to the
term "believe", to add conditions to salvation is a travesty on
the Word of God. If this was not so, we must throw out
the often quoted John 3:16 as well as Acts 16:31 and a host of other
verses.