Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter
times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils. I charge thee therefore... preach the word; be instant in
season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering, and
doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine: but
after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
ears; And they shall be turned unto fables,... therefore, it was needful for me
to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith
which was once delivered unto the saints (ITim. 4:1; IITim. 4:1-4; Jude 3)
The warnings and the exhortations contained in the
scriptures quoted above are for real. I find it necessary to avoid following
many teachers who have added to the pure gospel of Christ. Some of these
teachings are quite popular. The doctrine of eternal security is one of these
popular teachings. I cannot with a clear conscience accept this teaching. I am
sure there are brothers in Christ who might take offense by my non-conformity.
This is why I now offer my defense for not following the teachings of eternal
security. To avoid confusion, I would like to state what I believe. I believe
that a person that has received Bible salvation will die saved if that
individual continues in obedience to God's word. A saved person must continue in
obedience to God's Word until death (Matt. 10:22; Rom. 11:22, Heb. 3:6,12-14).
The teachers of eternal security holds a contrary understanding. These teachers
believe that a person who gets saved cannot lose his salvation. They believe
that a saved person can commit what they know is sin without affecting their
salvation. This doctrine teaches a saved person can die with known unrepented
sin in his life and still go to heaven. My purpose is to show that this is not
true according to the pure teachings of the Bible.
What The Bible Teaches About The Book Of Life
To discredit the theory of eternal security we must prove
the following. A person can receive Bible salvation. A person can lose favor
with God by committing what he knows to be sin and then do not do Bible
repentance. This will cause such a person to loose his salvation. This
individual will receive punishment in eternity as if he never had salvation.
What the Bible teaches about the book of life sufficiently
discredits all teachings of the theory of eternal security. The Bible teaches
the following points about the book of life. A person must have salvation to be
in the book of life. God will remove backsliders out of the book of life. God
will throw all those not found in the book of life into a lake of fire on the
day of judgment. The Word of God will prove all of these points. Let us begin
with point one.
Psalms 69:27,28 says, "Add iniquity unto their
iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted out
of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous." Psalms
87:5,6 says "and of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in
her: and the highest himself shall establish her. The LORD shall count, when he
writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah." Zion is the
Old Testament name for the New Testament Church (see Heb.12:22). The Psalmist
could see down through time that the only people in Zion are those who have been
born again. When one is born into the Church, God writes his name in the book of
life. Unsaved people are not born again. It couldn't be possible for an unsaved
person to be in the book of life. In Psalm 69:28, we find David praying that God
would blot the wicked out of the book of life. This prayer was not all that
necessary seeing that God had stated before to Moses who He would blot out of
His book. In Ex. 32:32-33 we read, "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their
sin_; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
And the Lord said unto Moses, whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot
out of my book." In the book of Revelation we read these scriptures,
"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment. And I will
not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name
before my Father, and before his angels" (Rev. 3:5). This verse was written
to saints not to sinners. "And if any man shall take away from the words of
the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life
and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this
book" (Rev. 22:19). These passages of scripture teach that God will remove
a saved person from the book of life. This is only true if a saved person
returns to practicing sin. This defines a backslider. God will remove a
backslider from the congregation of the saints because the backslider fails to
maintain the standards of righteousness that God has set.
So far we have seen the following to be true. Only the saved
are in the book of life. God will remove a saint who does not repent for his
known sins from the book of life. This teaches that saints can become sinners.
When God removes a person from the book of life, that person qualifies for the
reward of the wicked. Consider the following, "And I saw the dead, small
and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was
opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things
which were written in the books, according to their works. And whosoever was not
found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire"
(Rev.20:12,15). This verse plainly teaches that God will judge people by what
they do. God will not judge people by what they believe. God will not judge
people by what they believe to be in their hearts. God will judge people by
their works! So we see that God will write a person's name in the book of life
after He saves them. After a saint sins, God gives him a chance to repent. If he
does not repent, God blots him out of the book of life. God will throw all those
not found in the book of life on the day of judgment into a lake of fire. The
Bible doesn't contradict itself. Anyone holding a teaching contrary to this
plain teaching is in error. Anyone that denies this truth can only do so by
wrestling the scripture. Those who wrestle the scriptures do so to their own
damnation.
What the Bible teaches in Ezekiel 18:20-30
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not
bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of
the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the
wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him But if the wicked will turn from all
his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is
lawful and right he shall surely live, he shall not die (this must have
reference here to a spiritual death) All his transgressions that he hath
committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him, in his righteousness that he
hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?
saith the Lord God and not that he should return from his ways and live? But
when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committed iniquity,
and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he
live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his
trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them
shall he die. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of
Israel, is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When a righteous man
turneth away from his righteousness, and committed iniquity, and dieth in them,
for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die? Again, when the wicked man
turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is
lawful and right he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and
turneth away form all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely
live, he shall not die. Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is
not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? Are not your ways unequal?
Therefore, I will judge you O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,
(Did God say according to every man's righteousness by faith? No, God said He
will judge every man by his ways!) saith the Lord God. Repent and turn
yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
We must shut the mouth of the gainsayer. The following
points will prove this passage of scripture teaches against the doctrine of
eternal security. This passage of scripture applies to our dispensation. God is
equal. The eternal security people are unequal. This scripture is talking about
a spiritual death to those who die in their transgressions.
Ephesians 2:20 says, "And are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner
stone:" This scripture is describing the church. It teaches us that the
Church's foundation consist of three different types of teachings. These
teachings include those of the apostles and of the prophets and of Jesus Christ.
Since Ezekiel was a prophet, we can use our text as a source of authority to
refute the teachers of eternal security. We read in Mal. 3:6, James 1:7, Num.
23:19 that God never changes. God said He'll never mention the righteousness of
the righteous if the righteous returned to his wickedness and die in his sins.
God is still saying the same thing today. What truth God stated in our text will
always be facts because God does not change. God said then that he was equal. We
can only believe the prophet and know for sure that God is also equal today.
Israel believed that a wicked man could never be righteous nor a righteous man
can never die the death of the wicked. God said then that the house of Israel
was unequal because of this. Anyone that holds a theory similar to the one the
house of Israel held is unequal. According to the truth found in Ezekiel, the
eternal security teachers are a modern day house of Israel. They preach to a
sinner that if he repents of all his sin and accept Christ, God will save him.
God will forgive him of all his sins. The sinner can stand before God in the day
of judgment as if he had never sinned. This is true according to verse 27 and
the gospel that Christ and the apostles taught. However, these same teachers of
eternal security teach that once a man is righteous he can never lose his
righteousness. This is contrary to the teachings of verse 26 and the gospel as
revealed by Jesus Christ and the apostles. These teachers of error think nothing
of calling God unequal. Well God doesn't have to prove anything to them because
God is right and everything else is wrong.
Instead of acknowledging their error, the teachers of
eternal security try and twist these scriptures to prove their point. They say
that according to this scripture a man would lose his ceremonial righteousness.
They believe this is different from his righteousness in God by faith. In verse
24 we find this statement, "all his righteousness that he had done will not
be mentioned." James 2:24 says, "Ye see then how that by works a man
is justified, and not by faith only." Hebrews 9:27 says, "and as it is
appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment." Another
statement in Ezekiel 18:24 says, "and in the sin that he hath sinned, in
them shall he die." Put these scriptures together and you have a man who
left his righteousness to do wickedness (Ezk. 18:24). He dies in his wickedness
and now he must stand before the judgment seat of Christ. He needs works as well
as faith for justification. He loses his righteousness because he died in his
sins. This man is in as much trouble as a wicked person who never took on
righteousness by faith. It is also important to know that without works,
righteousness by faith cannot continue to exist. James 2:17, proves this when it
states, "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."
We would like to show how in verse 30 of our text God said he would judge every
person according to his ways (see IPet.1:17). God is not judging anyone
according to his profession. This verse warns the backslidden house of Israel to
repent from all his transgressions. The prophet advises Israel not to let
iniquity be his ruin. Saved or unsaved, the ruin of the House of Israel would be
his sinful activities. Israel is the seed of Abraham according to the flesh.
This does not qualify him to be able to sin and escape the righteous judgments
of God (Rom. 2:1-6). If God did not spare Israel, that should let us know God
will not spare us either (Rom. 11:21,22, ICor. 10:11).
What the Bible Teaches in St. John 15:1-6
These words spoken by Jesus should be enough to convince
anyone of the error of his ways. In this passage of scripture Jesus compares the
Church or the saints of God as branches in a vine. Let us consider the
scriptures.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that bearth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that
bearth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are
clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you,
as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine no more
can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine ye are the branches: He that
abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me
ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch, and is
withered: and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
We clearly see here that God is the husbandman or the one
that takes care of the vine. Christ is the vine or the supporters of the
branches. The saints are the branches or the supporter, of the fruit. Jesus said
a good tree will bear good fruit (Matt. 7:17). We know that anyone committing
what he knows is sin cannot be on the vine because the vine is good. This
passage of scripture is only talking about the saved in Christ Jesus (See Rom.
8:1).
In verse two, Jesus said that every branch in him that does
not bear fruit he would take it way. The branch that brings forth fruit he will
purge it that it may bring forth more fruit. This is a positive statement that
lets me know that Jesus won't accept any thing as a branch. There is a standard
that the people of God must get after God saves them. This comes after they get
in the vine. In verse six, Jesus said that if a branch does not abide in him, he
would cast the branch into a fire. This fire will not prepare him to be able to
bring forth fruit. This fire will destroy the unproductive branches. At a later
place we will consider ICor. 3:15 but for this present time let us read Heb.
10:26-29.
For if we sin willfully after that we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a
certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall
devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two
or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy, who had trodden under foot the son of God, and hath counted the blood of
the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done
despite unto the Spirit of Grace?
The we in verse twenty-six refers to the saved. If a saved
individual left his life of Holiness and returned to his life of sin, there
would be no more sacrifice for sin. This statement is true unless a man repents
and return to the life of Holiness. However if a man turn his back on the Lord
and never repents, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. This passage of
scripture is very easy to understand if one would just stop and think for a
minute. The Spirit of Grace is the only thing that can keep a person saved. Any
person who does despite unto the Spirit of Grace won't have anything to keep him
saved. The blood that Jesus shed on the cross has no value if a person turns his
back on it. God doesn't force a person to continue to worship him after he gets
saved. He must want to continue to worship God in spirit and truth. To receive
Bible salvation, one must confess and forsake his sins (St. John 5:14, IJohn
1:9). When a man goes back to his sins, he trample under his foot the Son of
God. The Bible lets us know he hath counted the blood of the covenant an unholy
thing. The 27th verse lets us know after doing such things, the offender has
nothing to look forward to but fiery judgment. This judgment will devour the
trampler who has become an adversary to God. In St. John 15:6, we find that by
getting out of Christ, a branch or saint of God, becomes a candidate for
destruction. One must continue in obedience to God if he expects to have
salvation in the end (Rom. 11:22, Phil. 2:12, ITim. 4:16, Heb. 3:6).
What the Bible Teaches in IIPeter 2:18-21
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they
allure through the lust of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were
clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they
themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the
same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of
the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are
again entangled therein, and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the
beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment
delivered unto them.
In studying this passage of scripture, we find the following
truth. God saves an individual. After salvation he begins living in sin again
and loses his salvation. In this scripture, we find a man that loses his
salvation by believing the words of a false prophet. Our text states that this
person's "latter end is worse than the beginning." In the above
mentioned passage of scripture, we find an example of those that had escaped
from their sins. Their sin overcame them because they listened to vain words and
promises (See IPet.1:4). Now the inspired writer states that the latter end of
that person is worse than the first. The scriptures teaches it is better not to
have known righteousness than to have known it and turn from it. Once again we
see that salvation is on condition. Only those who by faith and continuance in
God's grace will receive the reward of heaven.
What the Bible Teaches about the Galatians Churches
In the book of Galatians, we have an example of saved people
who lost Christ after receiving him. The following scriptures contain this
truth. "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" (Gal.3:1). "My little children, of whom I travail
in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you
now, and to change my voice, for I stand in doubt of you" (Gal. 4:19,20).
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by
the law; ye are fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:4). "Are ye so foolish?
having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh? Have ye
suffered so many, things in vain? If it be yet in vain" (Gal.3:3,4) "I
marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of
Christ unto another gospel." (Gal. 1:6)
The Galatians fell from grace because they did not continue
to obey the truth. Just like every one else, grace is what saved the Galatians
(Eph. 2:8,9). Like everyone else, grace is what kept the Galatians (IICor.
12:9,Acts 20:32, IPet. 1:5). When a saint fails to continue in obedience to the
Word of God, God will no longer keep that saint (see Rev. 3:10). Any saint left
alone will fall. If that saint never repents of his sin, God won't restore him
into grace. God will blot his name out of the book of life. According to
Revelation 20:15 those not found written in the book of life will be cast into
the lake of fire and brimstone. So in the book of Galatians, we find that the
Galatians had known Christ. They did not obey the truth. For this reason God
removed them from his Grace (Gal.3:1,5:4). Paul wrote this epistle in the hope
there would be a chance that the Galatians upon hearing the truth would repent.
Repentance would make it possible for the Galatians to receive Christ again.
This proves the following. A person can lose Christ after having proof of once
having him. This teaches that a person can have salvation and lose it. One loses
his salvation by not obeying the truth. Once a person loses Christ, he must
repent and start all over. If the sinner does not repent, he makes hell his home
after death. Does these facts teach that once you have salvation you always have
it? Answer yes or no. If the answer is yes, my question is how? If the answer is
no, the scriptures do not contradict themselves. There is no way for these
scriptures to teach against eternal security while other scriptures support it.
There is no unconditional salvation. The Bible doesn't contradict itself. It
contradicts our theories and our ways.
What the Bible Teaches About the Churches In Revelation
The first two chapters in Revelation contains truth that
contradict the teachings of eternal security. We find several examples where
Christ threatens to cut off disobedient churches. We see in the scriptures that
God has a standard that every saint must come up to if he wants salvation. This
standard is reachable only by faith in God and not by works.
In the second chapter of Revelation, we find these words:
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write... I know
thy works... nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left
thy first love. Remember therefore, from whence thou are fallen, and repent, and
do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy
candlestick out of his place, (a candlestick is symbolic of a church, Rev. 1:20)
except thou repent... He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith
unto the Churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life
which is in the midst of the paradise of God... He that overcometh shall not be
hurt of the second death... And to the angel of the Church in Pergamos write...
Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with
the sword of my mouth (Will Christ Fight against his church? No way! Fallen
professors? Yes!)...And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write... Behold
I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great
tribulation, except they repent of their deeds...And he that overcometh, and
keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations... And
unto the angel of the church in Sardis write...Remember therefore, how thou hast
received and heard, and hold fast, and repent...He that overcometh, the same
shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the
book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his
angels...And unto the angel of the church of Laodiceans write... I know thy
works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot. So
than because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of
my mouth...As many as I love, I rebuke and Chasten: be zealous therefore and
repent...He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches (Read Revelation chapters 2&3).
Of the churches that Christ told to repent, Ephesus had a
good record. One would think that Ephesus was a very spiritual church, but
Christ warns the church to repent or else. He stood ready to remove that local
congregation from the universal church if it didn't repent. The people in these
five churches had salvation. Christ had no respect for the theory once saved
always saved. In speaking to saved people, Christ said, "he that overcometh
shall not be hurt of the second death." This is eternal damnation in a lake
of fire. The second and third chapter of Revelation teaches that repentance puts
one into the church. Refusal to repent puts one out of the Church!
Examples of Men Who Lost Out With God
In Romans 15:4 we find, "For whatsoever things were
written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope." And in ICor. 10:11 we find,
"now all these things happened unto them for ensamples, and they are
written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." Does
the Old Testament give an example of anyone who lost the Spirit of God through
disobedience? Let us study further.
Saul is an example of a man that lost the Spirit of God for
not being obedient. In ISam. 10:9,10 we read, "And it was so, that when he
had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those
signs came to pass that day. And when thy came thither to the hill, behold, a
company of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he
prophesied among them." We find the Bible teaches that Saul had a changed
heart. Saul did receive the Spirit of God but, yet, God took his Spirit from
Saul. So Saul received a changed heart and the Holy Spirit. This is the same
experience a person receives when he is born again today. This lets us know that
even with a changed heart and the Holy Spirit the people of God do not become
robots. God wants us to serve him willingly. If the Holy Spirit forces us to
live right, we are no longer free moral agents. We lose the ability to do as we
please. This means we aren't in the image of God. Instead we would be like
robots. We will do what our master forces us to do. Not what we want to do. This
is contrary to the Gospel message. God can't get any glory out of a robot
serving him because a robot has no choice but to do its master's bidding. A man
has the ability to choose. God receives glory when a man would rather suffer
afflictions with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a
season. Such a person sacrifices himself willingly to do God's favor. So though
Saul had a changed heart and the Spirit of God, he could still chose to disobey
or obey God's word. It is sad to say he chose to be disobedient (ISam. 13:13,14;
15:17-24). The word says, "the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and
an evil Spirit from the Lord troubled him" (ISam. 16:14). The condition
that Saul fell to brought him lower than a sinner who never had salvation. God
would be unjust to take some sinners to Glory and sent others to the lake of
fire. Saul's doom would be the same as any other sinner. There is no Bible proof
that Saul met Bible conditions for true repentance (see ICor. 7:9-11).
In the New Testament, we can consider the example of Judas
Iscariot, the disciple that betrayed Jesus. Judas was one of the twelve chosen
apostles. "And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of
them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles:...And Judas the brother of
James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor (St. Luke 6:13,16).
The Bible teaches that Judas being an apostle had salvation.
"And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are
subject unto us through thy name. (Jesus speaking here) Notwithstanding in this
rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice, because
your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:17,20).
This incident occurred before Satan entered into Judas'
heart. Jesus had sent the disciples out to preach the gospel of the kingdom. The
seventy while preaching the word also had the ability to cast the devil out of
people. Judas was one of the seventy. If the devil was in Judas, he couldn't
have been part of the seventy that cast devils out. Jesus taught us, "And
if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his
kingdom stand?" (Matt. 12:26) We can also see in the tenth chapter of
Matthew that Jesus empowered Judas as well as the other apostles to cast out
devils (Matt. 10:8). In Luke 10:20 Jesus lets us know that the names of the
seventy are written in the book of life. We have seen earlier that only the
saved are written in the book of life. Judas must have had salvation according
to the words of our Lord.
Referring to Judas in Acts 1:17, Peter states, "for he
was numbered with us, and had obtained part of the ministry." Verse
twenty-five says, "That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship,
from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place."
A quick look at the scriptures shows us the following about Judas. His name was
in the book of life along with the seventy. He was an apostle of the gospel. He
fell from his position as an apostle. How plain the scriptures reveal these
facts! Yet some have the assurance to say once a person have salvation he cannot
lose it. No doubt this false doctrine supports another doctrine that may be
detrimental to the soul of some innocent unknowing saint.
The Bible states that Satan has transformed himself into an
angel of light and his ministers into ministers of righteousness (IICor.
11:14,15). Satan cannot force mankind to do anything. He must deceive them. I am
sure if Satan told you to do something you wouldn't do it. If Satan could
disguise himself as an angel of light, you will be more willing to listen to
him. This is only true because you wouldn't recognize him. God has let us know
that Satan has disguised himself. We as saints must examine every doctrine we
hear to see if it really conforms to the doctrine of Christ. Satan will use
scriptures to deceive.
We believe that we have presented enough scripture to show
the error of eternal security. Let us look at some scriptures to see how false
teachers support their error.
What The Bible Teaches In Romans 8:38,39
Let us study Romans 8:38,39. "For I am persuaded that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our
Lord." This scripture should be studied with ICor. 10:13 which lets us know
that, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able,
but will with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to
bear it."
When we study ICor. 10:13 with Romans 8:38,39 we see why
Paul made the statement that any other creature shall separate us from the love
of God. The promises of God has ordained that he wouldn't put more on us then we
can bear. The Word of God lets us know that we can bear tribulations, distress,
or persecutions, etc. We don't have to disobey God under any circumstances.
There isn't one sin that a man has to commit. Any hardships sent against God's
people in this life, God states we can bear it. The example we can always look
to for comfort is Jesus. In IPet. 2:21 we read, "For even hereunto were ye
called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye
should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth;
Who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered threatened not, but
committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." By following this
example nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Jesus kept himself from
sin by committing himself unto his Father. We keep ourselves by committing
ourselves unto Jesus.
Sin is not on the list of things that Paul uses to ask what
can separate the people of God from the love of Christ. Sin is the only thing
that separates God's people from Him (Isaiah 59:1,2). This is true from the
garden of Eden to this present day. The Bible condition for staying saved is to
be obedient until the end. We will find these facts in the following scriptures.
" And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but he that endureth
to the end shall be saved" (Matt. 10:22). "But Christ as a son over
his own house, whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the
rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end (Heb. 3:6). "Behold, therefore, the
goodness and severity of God: on them who fell, severity; but toward thee,
goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut
off" (Romans 11:22). Matt. 10:22 has reference to the soul's salvation. It
was not talking about salvation out of persecution. Persecution will come to an
end whether we endure it or not. Jesus had reference to salvation of the soul.
He was encouraging the saints not to let persecution cause them to disobey God.
The teachers of error twist this scripture to support their falseness.
Thus far the contents of this article has shown that
salvation is on a condition. The condition is obedience to the Lord unto the
end. If one continues in his salvation, he can keep it. However, there are those
who want to continue with the Lord and live in sin also. God wants his people to
chose one or the other. When a child of God chooses just one sin, the Spirit of
God takes its leave. That person must repent or God will leave him for eternity
(see Romans 6:16).
The scripture gives us an understanding that the condition
of salvation is enduring to the end. We will read scriptures that tell us how
the saints are preserved or sealed. We must acknowledged the condition that goes
with these scriptures. God seals us and preserves us as long as we meet His
condition. This condition demands that we continue in obedience to God's word.
This condition is understood when we read such scriptures as Jude 3 or Eph. 4:30
etc.
Those in error twist John 10:28 to support eternal security.
It reads, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." This scripture does not
state that a person cannot get out of God's hand. It gives comfort to the saint
to know that no outside force can separate him from God. This is what the
scripture in John 10:28 teaches. It does not teach that a man can't leave God's
grace on his own free will. Neither does this scripture teach contrary to what
the Bible teaches about the book of life.
What The Bible Teaches In ICor. 3:10-17
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a
wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.
But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can
no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon
this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay stubble; Every man's
work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be
revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If
any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be
saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that
the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him
shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
In this passage of scripture, we find that Jesus Christ is
the only foundation laid. When a man is building on this foundation the
exhortation is to take heed how he builds. If a person is building on the
foundation with an impure heart, God removes him from the foundation. Jesus said
those who worship the Father must worship him in Spirit and truth (St. John
4:23,24). In Matt. 5:8, Jesus teaches that one must have a pure heart to see
God. With an impure heart no man can worship God in truth. That is why a man
must have a new heart when he is born again. Like Adam lost his pure heart when
he sinned, we will lose our pure heart when we sin. However, this passage of
scripture deals with those who have a pure heart. The ones who are still on the
foundation. Even though we may have a pure heart, our perfection is possible
through our knowledge of truth. Our ignorance may cause us to build the wrong
thing on the foundation. This includes things referred to as stubble and hay.
The stubble and the hay refer to works which may not measure up to the standards
of God. God will remove everything from the foundation that is unlike him.
Through the fire of persecutions and tribulations, God cleanses his people. When
the pure in heart see his wrong he will forsake it and begin to build again.
True, he has suffered loss time and effort. However, God brings him through the
fire that he may have the perfection that God is calling for. The pure in heart
remains saved because he renounces his wrong when God shows it to him.
Let us look at Mal. 3:2,3 and Mal. 4:1 to see the
correctness of the above statements. "But who may abide the day of his
coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiners' fire,
and like fullers' soap. And he shall sit like a refiner and purifier of silver:
and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them like gold and silver, that
they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. For, behold, the day
cometh, that shall burn like an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do
wickedly, shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith
the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch."
These scriptures show that God will purify his people by
fire. This fire will purify the people of God from every thing that is not like
Him. These scriptures also show the wicked and their works will not be able to
stand the fire. Neither will the fire save them. Instead this fire will destroy
the wicked.
In ICor. 3:16-17 Paul mentions the temple of God. The temple
of God is saints united by the Spirit of God. When an individual saint defiles
his body, he has defiled the whole temple. In this case God must destroy the
individual temple that the collective temple remain undefiled. The only way a
saint can defile the temple of God is by committing a sin and then not repent of
it. This scripture does not truthfully support the false doctrine of eternal
security.
In closing this defense I would like to reaffirm that the
scriptures do not contradict themselves. They contradict our theories and
opinions. We should earnestly search out any scripture that seems to contradict
another scripture. God doesn't endow any one person with a perfect knowledge of
his truth. We should always keep an open mind. If we become like a corked
bottle, nothing can go out and nothing can come in. When we find ourselves in
this condition, God nor man can help us because we have determine to go in our
own way. So with these words I will bring my defense to an end. Am I sorry for
not following the teachings of eternal security? I must answer no!
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