This article discusses some of the passages in the Bible in relation to the doctrine of eternal security which are difficult to understand. Several sources are quoted. There are a few quotes for which I do not have the source.<\/p>\n
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EZEKIEL<\/strong> PASSAGES <\/p>\n “But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.” Ezekiel 18:24 <\/p>\n “Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.’ If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done.” Ezekiel 33:12-13<\/strong> These passages in Ezekiel are not talking about salvation, rather the consequences of actions. Each person, whether they know Jesus or not, is rewarded or punished for their wickedness or righteousness: <\/p>\n GOSPELS <\/p>\n 1 CORINTHIANS \n“By disqualification we must understand that the apostle was not concerned that he (or we) might lose his (our) salvation. His personal concern and the issues here are: (1) abusing privileges, (2) exercising responsibilities, (3) glorifying the Lord, (4) failing or becoming disqualified in his work as an apostle so that he could not finish the race, and (5) the loss of rewards. This is a real threat for each of us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, as it was for the Corinthians and even for the Apostle Paul. \n“…True believers won’t believe for a little while and then bail out. That is evident from 1 Corinthians 10:13: "There hath no temptation [trial] taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will, with the temptation, also make the way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." From Trouble to Truimph <\/em>John MacArthur<\/p>\n \nThough this passage says that God “will not permit you to be tempted above that ye are able”, it does not appear to say that we cannot choose to not take His way of escape. It seems to merely say that God will do His part in helping us to obey Him–encouraging when we are faced with temptations we think are impossible to overcome. <\/p>\n COLOSSIANS 1:21-23 <\/p>\n HEBREWS<\/strong> PASSAGES <\/p>\n “… And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast…We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.” Heb. 3:6, 14 <\/p>\n “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.” Hebrews 4:14<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of Man all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” Hebrews 6:4-6<\/strong> "…it should make the hairs on your neck stand up on end knowing what He will do with unrepentant sinners. In particular, those who know the truth of God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ–who perhaps have seen it change the lives of many of their friends and family members, who may even have made some profession of faith in Him–yet who turn around and walk away from full acceptance, are given the severest possible warning. Persistent rejection of Christ will result in such persons’ passing the point of no return spiritually, of losing forever the opportunity of salvation. This is what always happens to the individual who is indecisive. He eventually follows his evil heart of unbelief and turns his back forever on the living God…Unlike a knife, truth becomes sharper with use, which for truth comes by acceptance and obedience. A truth that is heard but not accepted and followed becomes dull and meaningless. The more we neglect it, the more immune to it we become."<\/p>\n <\/p>\n "The individuals addressed here had five great advantages because of their association with the church…There is no reference at all to salvation…no term used here is ever used elsewhere in the New Testament for salvation."<\/p>\n <\/p>\n "The enlightenment spoken of here has to do with intellectual perception of spiritual truth. It means to be mentally aware of something to be instructed, informed. It carries no connotation of response–of acceptance or rejection, belief or disbelief. The tasting or partaking implies something similar: a mere sampling of truth. It was not embraced or lived, only examined. <\/p>\n “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God…So do not throw away your confidence, it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a little while, ‘He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” Hebrews 10:26-39 <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n “CAN A TRUE CHRISTIAN EVER REACH THIS POINT? YES… “As he has done before (2:1-4; 3:7-19 and 5:11-6:8), the writer sounds out a warning. "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries" (10:26). The context of these words suggests something much more serious than what Paul called being "overtaken in any trespass" because such a person as that was to be restored (Gal.6:1). He has already shown that Christ, as our High Priest, can "succor them that are tempted", sympathize with them in their infirmities and "bear gently with the ignorant and erring" (2:17f; 4:15f; 5:2). What the writer has in mind is that "falling away from the living God" he spoke of in 3:12, that apostasy against which he warned his readers in 6:4-8. If one knows the truth, and then knowingly and willingly turns and rejects that truth, there remains no sacrifice for them to appeal to. They are left without a sacrifice to be benefited from since they rejected the "once for all" sacrifice of Jesus (10:10,12). All that remains for such an individual is a "fearful expectation of judgement" (10:27)… \n2 PETER <\/p>\n “If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.’” 2 Peter 2:20-22 <\/p>\n 1 JOHN and JUDE <\/p>\n "Endurance does not earn eternal life, but it is the proof of true faith and love, and that is rewarded by eternal life." <\/p>\n “Our eternal security is based on the covenantal faithfulness of God. He preserves His people from apostasy and brings them all to heaven. <\/p>\n CONCLUSION <\/p>\n However, we can backslide. He shows His love for us by giving us the discipline we need: <\/p>\n The devil is cunning and will do all he can to deceive us. We must pray for each other since none of us is beyond being deceived: <\/p>\n Although we can be assured that God will keep us if we are truly His, how many do not come to the Lord in the first place or fall away (like the seed that fell among thorns Matthew 13 Mark 4 Luke 8<\/strong>) because of lack of prayer? If we don’t obey, our loved ones might not come to know Jesus. Esther hesitated to confront the King: <\/p>\n Perhaps in some cases the Lord makes allowances for our lack of obedience and prayer: <\/p>\n Many do not accept the Lord even though they have every chance. When they stand before the Great White Throne judgment: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:12-15<\/strong><\/p>\n \nThey will know they are being judged fairly. David said to God when he had sinned: <\/p>\n Samuel prayed for King Saul because the Lord told him to: <\/p>\n The best way to keep from backsliding is to regularly read, study and memorize His Word. Jesus is the Word: <\/p>\n If we truly love Jesus, we will ultimately obey: <\/p>\n The sooner we fully obey the better for us (and everyone else). We will be greatly rewarded if we obey: <\/p>\n One of my favorite verses is Philippians 2:12-14<\/strong>: <\/p>\n The following prayer of King David is worth praying each day: This article discusses some of the passages in the Bible in relation to the doctrine of eternal security which are difficult to understand. Several sources are quoted. There are a few quotes for which I do not have the source. EZEKIEL PASSAGES “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil,<\/p>\n
\n“Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.” Ezekiel 3:20-21<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>“It is clear from the whole context of this passage that the prophet is speaking of legal righteousness and outward fidelity to duty (cf. 33:12-20). If this statement were to be taken in a literal sense, then salvation would be by works and not by grace. This makes it clear that the life in view here is not eternal life, but life on earth, prolonged or cut short as a result of obedience or disobedience.” Lectures in Systematic Theology<\/em> by Thiessen P. 299<\/p>\n
\n“If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it.” Ezekiel 33:18<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n“Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.” Colossians 3:25 <\/strong><\/p>\n
\n“…he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:22; 24:13 Mark 13:13
\n<\/strong>“If a man is saved, he will continue; if he is not saved, he will not continue. If he continues to the end, he will ultimately be saved. In other words, this Scriptures indicates the reward of enduring; it does not raise the question of whether a truly saved man will continue until the end.” Lectures in Systematic Theology<\/em> by Thiessen, p. 299<\/p>\n
\n“No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:27 <\/strong>“The apostle Paul describes how he is careful to be self-disciplined and to bring his body into subjection ‘lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.’ Does this word translated ‘disqualified’ (NASB) suggest that Paul feared losing his salvation? Once again, as we see also in Rom. 11:22, it may be that Paul is echoing a theme found elsewhere in his letters and throughout the NT, namely, that ultimate salvation is dependent on perseverance in faith (cf. Rom. 8:13; Col. 1:23; Heb. 3:6,14; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 John 2:19), a faith which Paul believes God graciously preserves and sustains within us (see, e.g., Phil. 2:12-13).
\nMore likely, however, is Paul’s concern that he not become slack or indifferent in his ministry lest he forfeit God’s approval on his apostolic endeavors (and perhaps the power of the Holy Spirit that energized his work). He fears not hearing God say: “Well done, good and faithful servant,” and thereby forfeiting the divine blessings and rewards he otherwise would receive (a theme he earlier addressed in 1 Cor. 3:10-15). The Greek word adokimos (translated “disqualified”) does not pertain to the test of faith but to the test of apostleship. In 2 Corinthians Paul applies the terminology of testing (adokimos and its cognates) to himself as an apostle, not as a professing Christian (see 13:6-7; cf. 1 Thess. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:15. Gundry-Volf concludes:
\n‘The fact that no instance of the use of adokimos or a cognate referring to Paul relates to the test of faith or salvation, rather, that every instance has to do with his fitness as an apostle raises doubts about the view that adokimos in 1 Cor. 9:27 means rejected from salvation and suggests instead that it means rejected as an apostle” (236-37).’” Taken from Internet–Sam Storms from Series: Eternal Security<\/em><\/p>\n
\nTherefore, to show just how real this threat is, he took the Corinthian church to an illustration in the history of Israel which, like the Church, had been blessed with tremendous blessings and privileges from God. If you need an illustration of people who had everything and blew it, then just take a look at Israel. And lest we become smug, we can be just like them and we have much more spiritually speaking than did they. We are all cut out of the same cloth, we are a fallen race whose chief characteristic is to go our own way seeking to live life by our own strategies for significance and happiness.” Taken from Internet–The Perils of Abusing Our Spiritual Privileges<\/em> (1 Corinthians 10:1-13) by J. Hampton Keathley III<\/p>\n
\n“Spiritual privilege provides the basis for success, but it never guarantees it. Instead, spiritual privilege demands responsibility.” Taken from Internet–The Perils of Abusing Our Spiritual Privileges<\/em> (1 Corinthians 10:1-13) by J. Hampton Keathley III<\/p>\n
\n“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation–if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” Colossians 1:21-23<\/strong>: "You’re secure only if you endure, but as a true believer you will endure only because you are secure. Endurance is the process by which the security of your salvation is verified." From Trouble to Truimph <\/em>John MacArthur<\/p>\n
\n“We must pay careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?…” Hebrews 2:1-2<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>“‘If’ is third class condition–remains to be seem. Continuance in faith is of your salvation. If they deny the faith they were never saved.
\n“And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?” Heb. 3:18<\/strong> “…if you don’t act on it, it does no good. If you walk in faith, you will walk in obedience.” From a talk by Kay Arthur<\/p>\n
\nBecause they believe the warning is addressed to Christians, some interpreters think Hebrews 6 teaches that salvation can be lost. If that interpretation were true, however, the passage would also teach that, once lost, salvation could never be regained…"
\n“Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. Even though we speak like this, dear, friends, we are confident of better things in your case–things that accompany salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” Hebrews 6:7-12<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>This passage brings out the basic disagreement on the doctrine of eternal security. Some believe that a true follower of Jesus can sink into sin to such a degree that he will lose his salvation. Others say that if a person falls away from the faith he was never a true follower of Jesus. Following are a couple quotes showing the opinion that a true believer can commit apostasy:<\/p>\n
\n 1. Note the pronoun "we" (the author includes himself in the warning) – He 10:26a
\n 2. He later describes one who was sanctified by "the blood of the covenant" – He 10:29
\n — This warning is directed to those who have been sanctified by the blood of Jesus!
\n[When one persists in sin with "a high hand" (i.e., presumptuously, cf.Num 15:30-31), they are in grave danger. This is especially true when one is a Christian!…” Mark A. Copeland (taken from internet)<\/p>\n
\nWe can draw near to God with confidence (10:19-22), or we can fall into His hands terrified (10:26-31)…In closing the chapter he spoke of those who had "faith unto the saving of the soul." In chapter 11 he gives numerous examples of those who lived by faith and in so doing illustrates to the Hebrews, and to us, what kind of faith we must have to save our soul. Such examples will prove very useful in encouraging the Hebrews to remain faithful unto Christ.” In Expository Files<\/em> By Alex Ogden (taken from Internet)<\/p>\n
\n“Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure…” 2 Peter 1:10 <\/strong>“”By cultivating the qualities listed in vv. 5-7, they and others can be assured that God has chosen them and called them (cf. Mt. 7:20). The genuineness of their profession will be demonstrated as they express these virtues ( df. Gal 5:6; Jas 2:18). When God elects and calls, it is obedience and holiness (1 Peter 1:2; Eph. 1:3-6), and these fruits confirm their divine source. Those who in this way give evidence of their faith will never cease to persevere.” NIV Study Bible<\/em>
\n“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.” 2 Peter 1:5-7
\n “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will–to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” Ephesians 1:3-6<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>“Some point to this passage as clear proof that a genuinely saved person may lose his salvation. He knows the Lord; he escapes the world’s corruption; he knows the way of righteousness. Then he turns away from the message and goes back to his old way of life. His knowledge is said to have been genuine; his change of life was real; and his return to his old way of life was not superficial. Others insist that the knowledge of the Lord and his way of righteousness could not have been real. If the person had been truly regenerated, he would have persevered in his faith. It is argued that the teaching of Jn 10:27-30 (especially verse 28) and Ro 8:28-39 makes it clear that no genuinely saved person can be lost.” NIV Study Bible
\n<\/em>“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one." John 10:27-30
\n“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n“They went out of us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” 1 John 2:19 <\/strong>"Only the faithful are of the faith. That was the main point the author of Hebrews tried to drive home to his churchgoing audience."<\/p>\n
\n“…to those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ” Jude 1<\/strong><\/p>\n
\ni) Psalm 31:24–"Be of good courage, and he [God] shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord."
\nii) Psalm 37:23, 28–"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord …. The Lord loveth justice, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved forever."
\niii) Psalm 97:10–"Ye who love the Lord, hate evil. He preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked."
\niv) Psalm 121:4-7–"Behold, he who keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall preserve thy soul."
\nv) John 6:37, 39–Jesus said, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me … of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing."
\nvi) John 10:28–Jesus said, "I give unto them [those who follow Christ] eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand."
\nvii) Romans 16:25–Paul said, "Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel."
\nviii) Philippians 1:6–"He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
\nix) 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24–Paul said, "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."
\nx) 2 Timothy 1:12–Paul said, "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." He had committed his soul to God.
\nxi) 2 Timothy 4:18–Paul said, "The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom."
\nxii) 1 Peter 1:5–Christians "are kept by the power of God."
\nxiii) Jude 1–Christians are "preserved in Jesus Christ."
\nxiv) Jude 24–"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with
\nexceeding joy."
\nChrist constantly intercedes on our behalf as our Redeemer and Advocate so that any sin we commit does not alter the status of our salvation.
\ni) John 17:20-24–Jesus prayed for His present and future disciples to enter into the fullness of salvation.
\nii) Luke 22:31-32–Jesus told Peter, "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted [recommitted after Christ’s resurrection] strengthen thy brethren."
\niii) 1 John 2:1-2–John said, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." Christ is our intercessor.
\nThe indwelling Holy Spirit is our guarantee of future glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 says Christians have been "sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession."
\n“…There’s another side to eternal security than just the predestinating work of God. It’s the human perspective of the perseverance of believers. You reveal you are kept by God if you don’t abandon your faith in the midst of a trial. The paradox of the sovereign work of God and the responsibility of man is common in Scripture. A believer is saved because he was chosen by God before creation (Eph. 1:4), yet he is not saved without exercising faith (Rom. 10:9- 10). He is secure because of the covenant faithfulness of God, but he is still responsible to persevere. Eternal security is wrought through the power of the Spirit in energizing the true believer to endure all trials.
\nTheologian Louis Berkhof calls perseverance "that continuous operation of the Holy Spirit in the believer, by which the work of divine grace that is begun in the heart, is continued and brought to completion" [Systematic Theology<\/em>, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1941, p. 546]. So our part is to endure.
\ni) Matthew 24:13–"He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." That appears to contradict that God is going to keep us saved, but it doesn’t. We are energized to endure by the indwelling Spirit.
\nii) John 8:31–"Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed."
\niii) 1 Corinthians 15:1-2–Paul said, "I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and in which ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preach unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." If you don’t hold on to your faith, you show it wasn’t real.
\niv) Colossians 1:21-23–"You, that were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight, if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel." You’re secure only if you endure. Endurance is the process by which
\nthe security of one’s salvation is verified.
\nv) Hebrews 2:1–"We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest that any time we should let them slip."
\nvi) Hebrews 3:14–"We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end."
\nvii) Hebrews 4:14–"Let us hold fast our profession."
\nviii) Hebrews 6:11-12–"We desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end; that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."
\nix) Hebrews 10:39–"We are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them who believe to the saving of the soul."
\nx) 2 Peter 1:10, "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."
\nWhen someone doesn’t endure they fail the test of genuine faith (1 John 2:19). No trial is so great that it could sever you from your Lord if your faith is genuine (1 Cor. 10:13). Eternal security is not a matter of being once saved, always saved–with no regard for what you believe or do. Hebrews 12:14 says only those who continue living holy lives will enter the Lord’s presence.
\nThe contemporary trend labeled "easy believism" holds that only a decision to accept Christ is necessary to be born again, regardless of one’s sincerity. But if a person fails to love and obey the Lord through the trials of life, then there is no evidence that he possesses saving faith. How many people do you know who came to church for a while, had a little trouble in their lives, and left? Although they may have made a profession of faith in Christ, they cannot be identified as those who love Him because their lives are not characterized by an enduring obedience.” Trouble to Truimph<\/em> John MacArthur<\/p>\n
\nGod knows who are His. He does not want anyone to perish and will do all He can for people (which He proved by Jesus dying on the cross). I believe God will keep those who truly love from completely falling away.<\/p>\n
\n“because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Hebrews 12:6 Proverbs 3:12<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18<\/strong> The Lord even brings to mind those who need prayer.<\/p>\n
\n“When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:12-14
\n<\/strong>David’s sons did not know the Lord because of his sin:
\n“Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’” 2 Samuel 12:10<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>God knows the future, but we don’t. We are living in the present and the future depends on the present.<\/p>\n
\n“…what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming…” 2 Peter 3:11-12<\/strong> It appears we can speed the day of God by living holy and godly lives. Perhaps He waits for us to obey so all He knows will accept salvation do.<\/p>\n
\n“Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.” Psalm 51:4<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you…” 2 Samuel 12:23<\/strong> Saul consulted the witch of Endor and ended his own life (1 Samuel 28-31<\/strong>). God rejected Saul. God said to David concerning Solomon which included His judgment concerning Saul:
\n“But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.” 2 Samuel 7:15
\n“I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor.” 1 Chronicles 17:13
\n<\/strong>“In the case of Saul, Scripture does not give away enough information to establish his relationship to God, but to say he lost his salvation is to go beyond what Scripture reveals to us.” Lectures in Systematic Theology<\/em> by Thiessen, p.298<\/p>\n
\n“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” John 1:1-14<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n"If you love me, you will obey what I command.” John `4:15<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n“By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:11<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."<\/strong> If we are His children, we do obey, although maybe not perfectly at right away. He works in us “to will and to act according to his good purpose”<\/strong><\/em>. We know that His purpose is for our good and His glory.<\/p>\n
\n“Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:12-14
\n<\/strong> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"