Eternal Security (or Perseverance of the Saints)
Originally Taught: Spring 2009
Introduction
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18 pp
The issue of eternal security is one of the most hotly debated topics
in the history of Christian theology. Many believe that those who
suffer from a lack of assurance promotes anxiety and a chronic
uncertainty that leads to a preoccupation with oneself, one’s fears,
and one’s failings. This lack of assurance leads to a paralyzed and
feeble faith. At the other end of the spectrum, many believe that those
who “know that they know that they know” they are saved with no threat
of losing that salvation tend to live a life of moral laxity leading to
a fatal spiritual apathy. Is it possible to avoid both extremes? There
are two types of passages that the student of the Bible must strive to
understand in order to come to an accurate position on this subject.
First, there are passages that seem to clearly indicate a simple
understanding of the absolute eternal security of the believer.
However, the same individuals who spoke and recorded the divinely
inspired promises also spoke and wrote divinely inspired statements
that we call “warning passages.” Perhaps there is a way to read both
passages and allow both types of passage to stand without committing
“exegetical death by a thousand qualifications.”
Biblical Metaphors for our Salvation
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16pp
The Bible is not always as simplistic as we want it to be or perhaps
think that it is. That is surely the case regarding the doctrine of
salvation. To display the full understanding of all that is our
salvation, the Bible uses a wide variety of metaphors or word pictures.
We can understand the basis of these metaphors easily enough. However,
we often miss a subtle difference in them – a temporal difference. For
instance, salvation is depicted as a reality that is the actual
possession of true believers right now by divine right as joint-heirs
with Christ. At the same time, salvation is also depicted as a future
reality that has not yet been inherited by those same true believers.
This tension between past and future is usually termed the
“already-but-not-yet” by theologians. Some passages describe the
“already” and others the “not yet.” However, a majority of the
metaphors for salvation surprisingly fall into both categories. To
emphasize one over the other is to fall into theological error. This
type of error most easily creeps into our understanding of eternal
security so we must grasp the Bible multi-faceted presentation of
salvation.
Biblical Metaphors for our Faith
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18pp
The Christian life is often compared to a race in the Bible. Winning
this race is the most important thing in anyone’s life. Ironically,
this race is the total opposite of the races we know today -
particularly marathons. In today’s marathons, officials are concerned
with individuals who finish the race but do not start it. In the Bible,
the more pressing concern is for those who start the race but do not
finish it. The New Testament is filled with exhortations to run the
race well so that you actually complete the race set before you. We
must maintain this biblical train of thought: the reward that we
receive by faith in Christ for winning this race is based or grounded
on grace alone. However, only those who exercise faith in Christ and
endure in their faith to the end will receive this reward. We see this
truth in the biblical presentation of the nature of the type of faith
that saves.
The Function of Warning Passages
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10pp
A proper understanding of God’s intended function of the warnings and
exhortations in Scripture will help determine the shape of our doctrine
of eternal security and assurance. The Bible presents both the promises
of God and the warnings of God. We must interpret them according to
their intended purpose. The warning passages in Scripture function in
unison with the promise passages to evoke faith and assurance in
believers. The promise is that true believers will not fall away but
will instead persevere to the end and enjoy the blessings of eternal
life. Now, someone might ask why God would warn a believer about
falling away from the faith if it is impossible that a believer will
fall away. In other words, if it were impossible for a person to drink
poison, why would I warn a person to not drink poison? The problem with
such a question is that the questioner does not understand God’s
purpose in the warnings. In the Bible, God uses warnings as the means
toward that end. The warnings serve to grab our attention, to preserve
us, and to motivate us to persevere in the faith God has given us.
Just as the Christian life begins by receiving Christ by faith, so we
must walk in him – a picture of persistent belief.
An Examination of Select Warning Passages
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11pp
We are bombarded with warnings every day. Some are necessary (“Don’t
Pass A Stopped School Bus” and “Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They
Appear”). Others are ridiculously unnecessary (“Do Not Use Preparation
H Orally”). The Bible never wastes words. Every sentence has meaning
and purpose and the warning passages provide the reader a necessary
benefit. We have asserted that the function of warning passages is to
serve as the means by which God preserves his elect for salvation. Let
us keep this function in mind as we examine various passages that
provide readers with warnings and admonitions.
The Warning Passages in Hebrews
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18pp
Most of the disagreement on the interpretation of the five warning
passages in the book of Hebrews comes from studying them out of context
and in isolation from the others. We must remember that the book of
Hebrews is a sermon to a particular group of people to address a single
issue. Therefore, the author is not giving multiple warnings about
multiple dangers but a single warning about a single danger. So, the
best way to come to an understanding of these five passages is to read
them together. As you do this, you will notice that the author builds
on each section, intensifying the warnings. With each warning, the call
becomes more urgent. Because of this urgency, there are only a few
students of the Bible who have not been troubled by this book. This is
natural because these passages warn of the danger of apostasy – a
falling away from or desertion of an original profession of faith in
Christ. What is the real purpose behind these warnings?
What About Those Who Have Fallen Away?
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17pp
In the eighty years since the publication of Elmer Gantry,
it has become almost impossible to satirize the American evangelicalism
any more. Names like Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, and Ted Haggard
quickly come to mind as allegedly committed followers of Christ who
have committed great scandal. Christians often wonder how to make sense
of such acts committed by individuals claiming to be followers of
Christ. They ask, “How can Christians do such things?” and “How can
they continue to do them for so long?” Eventually, they will ask, “Are
these individuals saved or not? Were they ever saved to start with?
Will they go to heaven when they die?” All of these questions are
legitimate and the Bible provides answers for us. The Bible never shies
away from difficult issues. Regarding this particularly difficult
issue, the Bible uses four kinds of passages to present the biblical
perspective on those who fail to persevere in the faith they profess.
We will examine these four types of passages.
Going the Distance By God's Power
238k
15pp
People come up with interesting methodsto help them complete the tasks
before them. Some count on monetary reward. Others rely on praise and
recognition. Still others rely on an inward fear of failure or a
deep-seated commitment never to give up. These various forms of
motivation serve us well in areas such as athletics, academics, or
vocation. What about our spiritual walk with Christ? Biblical authors
often compare our spiritual life as a race to be completed or fight to
be finished. How are we to finish the race set before us? Can we rely
on parlor tricks or extrinsic means of motivation? Are we to do
anything at all to ensure that we finish the race? Or is God going to
do it for us and all we must do is trust and believe? In this chapter,
we will examine the biblical witness to “defend the thesis that God
promises to sustain until the end those who are genuinely part of the
people of God.” Those biblical witnesses are Peter, Jude, John, Paul
and the author of Hebrews.