For the person who holds to the sovereignty of God in salvation, whether or not a believer will be held securely in God’s hand throughout the rest of his/her life is not in question. God’s purpose in the salvation of men was to have a people unto Himself, a remnant if you will, according to the pleasure of His will, for the praise of His glorious grace (Eph 1:5-6). Furthermore, no plan of God can be thwarted (Job 42:1-2)!
He sent His own Son do die for the sins of the remnant chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph 1), that he would give to His Son and that would surely come to the Son; that would be forever secure in the hand of God (John chapters 6 & 10).
Because God is sovereign and man is responsible, but unable on his/her own to ‘come to Christ’, God gives life to the spiritually dead sinner (Eph 2), and so acts upon the human will that those chosen for salvation (Eph 1, 2 Thess. 2:13) will come to Christ, just as God planned, and they come ‘willingly’!
This view of atonement demonstrates the awesome power and glory of God in the salvation of men! God the Father planned the salvation of the remnant, God the Son secured the salvation of the remnant, and God the Holy Spirit brings about the salvation of the remnant by raising the spiritually dead to life and leading them irresistibly to the Cross of Christ. In this view, the glory of God is central to the atonement; the God who saves us, keeps us!
For the person who holds to the sovereignty of man in salvation, that Christ died for all men everywhere and salvation depends on man’s self-determined free will decision, the concept of eternal security seems to violate that selfsame free will. A person might not be able to ‘lose’ salvation like ‘losing’ a watch or other personal possession, but surely he/she must be able to ‘toss salvation aside” should he/or she ‘un-choose’ Christ!
At best, this view of the atonement can leave a person ‘riding the proverbial fence’, when confronted with some of the ‘troublesome’ passages of scripture. This old soldier was sore for a long time – fence riding is not a comfortable enterprise!
So there you have the atonement in light two differing views of the atonement. Is this an issue of salvation itself? No. So what’s the big deal, as long as people come to a saving knowledge and living relationship with Christ? Does one’s view of the atonement have anything at all to do with living the Christian life?
Not directly perhaps, but it does speak volumes concerning our view of God. Does God save men, from beginning to end, or do we save ourselves with our decisions? How we answer that question will impact the course of our Christian walk, and most assuredly determine how we present the Gospel of the atonement of Christ to others.
What’s this old soldier’s opinion of the matter? Well, that doesn’t matter. However, one pastor and teacher offers this:
“The most powerful argument for eternal security is Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Our eternal security is based on God’s love for those whom He has redeemed. Our eternal security is purchased by Christ, promised by the Father, and sealed by the Holy Spirit.” (Emphasis added)
Food for thought. . .
The Battle Cry 
I love this verse so I’m putting it here. I love it because it puts to rest the argument that you can trick God with lip service. God knows who He has saved and that foundation is sealed.
2 Timothy 2
19Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
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John Gill’s commentary – “ Faith is sealed and insured to God’s elect, by his foreknowledge and predestination of them; so that they certainly have it, and shall never lose it: and their election is according to God’s foreknowledge of them; which designs not a foresight of their faith, holiness, and good works, as the motives of his choosing them; nor a bare prescience of their persons; but such a foreknowledge as includes special love to them, which is distinguishing, unchangeable, and everlasting; and this being a seal affixed to all the elect, shows the distinguishing grace of God in their election, the secrecy of it, and its firmness and irrevocableness, and also the safety of the chosen ones; things being sealed, to distinguish one thing from another, and to keep things secret, or to render them firm and authentic.”
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I love that. Well said.
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I think it logically inconsistent for a preacher to tell the folks in the pews that have complete free will to accept or reject Christ, that God will never go against that ‘free will’, then tell them when thay have made this ‘free will’ decision, that they will be saved forever! For that to be logically consistent, God will have to have taken away that ‘free will’, wouldn’t it?
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I agree…and…
I think it’s logically inconsistant to say that we have free will and God will not impose on that…then pray for people to be saved. Seems to me if God can’t do anything else because He isn’t going to oppose on someone’s will, then we should be begging people to change their minds not praying to a god that is helpless to do anything about it.
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That too……:)
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The Protestant Doctrine of Eternal Security.
A Psychological Trap.
The Protestant doctrine of eternal security is a psychological trap, and one that is all too easy to fall into. By providing a quick, simplistic answer as to how we are saved, and giving the person the comfort of assured eternal salvation, it discourages further inquiry into the fullness of the truth on this most important matter.
This rather fast assurance of salvation helps to make Protestantism very popular. My personal feeling is that many people in the silent or quiet moments of their lives must know in their hearts that this fast, simplistic assurance of eternal salvation is too good to be true (Romans 2:14-16).
The natural law, the law written on our hearts of flesh, is calling us to seek the fullness of the truth in the Church founded by Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 29:11-13) (Deuteronomy 6:4-6).
Playing With Fire.
Many people in following the 16th century reformers are deliberately choosing to reject Catholic Church authority and the channels of grace available to them in the seven (7) Sacraments.
If they knowingly and wilfully did this, on such an important matter, they could find out (perhaps to late) that it will be more difficult for them to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
God will respect their free will and the decisions they made, along with the grace and truth that they have received, and will place them in the proper eternal location or condition.
The more grace and truth that they have received the more that will be expected from them (Luke 7: 47; 12: 48). Perhaps they feel they can live life their way, using their freedom to choose the truth when they want to, or abuse their freedom by choosing to do evil (Contraception, abortion, etc.) when they find it convenient.
You are only free to choose the good. Love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your spirit, and then do what you will.
Many people joining a “church” (faith communities) for convenience of life style, are “choosing not to know” the fullness of the truth in the Catholic Church.
They hope that they can somehow claim ignorance (or say it was controversial) and therefore escape culpability on their individual day of judgment.
Feigned ignorance will not allow anyone to escape culpability ( proverbs 24: 11-12 ). This is like playing with fire.
They choose not to turn and come closer to the fullness of the truth, which is a person Jesus Christ and who also is one with His Spouse, the Church (Ephesians 5: 32).
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Hello, Michael,
I would offer to yout that the matter of eternal security rests in what scripture tells us of the matter, If it is taught in scripture, it is true. Are we saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9), or by faith plus our own merits? Are we saved by grace and kept by our own good works, or does God keep us by His grace and power?
The doctrine of eternal security is not, nor has it ever been, a license to sin at will. No person truly saved can continue in that sort of lifestyle (1 John 3:9), thanks to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who creates in the believer a desire to live a life of obedience (Phil 2:13), and will convict of sin. Perhaps a better phrase would be “the assurance of a believer’s salvation”.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29)
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
“We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Any one who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (I John 5:9-12)
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (I John 5:13)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you. Through faith you are shielded by God’s power until the coming of salvation…” (1 Peter 1:3-5)
“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Phil 1:6
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I’m not a Protestant. However, the scripture clearly states that salvation…if it is TRUE (and you can’t trick God)…is eternal. The saved person hates their sin. They loath it. They see themselves and all that they do in the flesh…whether good or bad as dirty filthy rags. The only thing they see that’s good within themselves is Jesus Christ and His righteousness alone. If they are saved and are not thinking this way…there is some chastening to be had…and it will come. It’s called sanctification. All who are saved are sanctified, but some have it a bit harder than others…Jesus warns us that He chastens all that He loves….this is a strong warning for Christians NOT to do those things that He hates. Consequences.
Romans 7
18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 6
1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Psalm 94
11The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
12Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
13That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
The next thing I will say is that no church saves you. Never in scripture does Jesus imply that some governing body called the church saves you. Ever. He says the He alone is the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the father except through HIm and Him alone. The Scriptures are very clear…painflully clear about this.
I watched a documentary on the Medici Popes last night. Holy Moly. Those were two evil men. Pope Leo and his cousin Clement…The Medici Popes. That’s when the catholic doctrine of Indulgences came to be. Tradition upon tradition, added to the Holy Word of God through the ages. Ever adding and subtracting…which is expected from evil men as they shake their fist at God.
So the reason this fits in this post is because it seems to me that there are some who think you can buy God off. Oh no, He can’t make sure your salvation is secure, but if you pay Him off, He’ll make sure your punishment is lighter. Adding to scripture and taking away from scripture is truly playing with fire. Warning.
So is God a liar?
He says what He says. What He says is that all that He gives His Son will come to Him. He says He knows who are His…He says He chose those that are His before the foundations of the world and that He predestined, called, justified and glorified. I think that’s pretty clear also.
Romans 8:29
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.
Romans 8:30
And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Ephesians 1:5
he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
Ephesians 1:11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
Acts 13:48
And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”
Romans 11:28-29
As concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
John 6
:36But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Ephesians 1:13
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
2 Timothy 2
19Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
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Amen.
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I would also add that you must see Scripture as the final authority to believe what it says…
lf you don’t hold the scripture in this regard but instead hold to ever changing tradition, you will never see truth at all.
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