CIM Briefing Papers

C.I.M. Outline #15 
                        ETERNAL SECURITY 
 
I.  Introduction 
 
    A.  Definition:  When a person is truly born of God that 
        person is forever a part of God's eternal family.  He 
        can never be lost again. 
 
        It is sometimes popularly referred to as "Once saved 
        always saved."  
 
   B.  Basis for the teaching: 
 
       1.  The total inability of man to reconcile himself to 
           God. 
 
       2.  Salvation from beginning to the end is the work of 
           God's grace. 
 
       3.  Those who are saved from a state of depravity were 
           chosen before the foundation of the world.  Eph. 
           1:4.5. 
 
II. The Objections to Eternal Security 
 
    A.  It will lead to license.  Those who object to the 
        teaching of eternal security believe if people know they 
        can never lose their salvation they will sin with 
        abandon.  
 
    B.  Those who do not believe in eternal security believe 
        there is ample evidence from Scripture to support the 
        fact that believers can lose their salvation. 
 
    C.  Those who do not believe in eternal security believe a 
        person is saved by their own free choice and hence can 
        lose their salvation by that same free choice. 
 
III.  Answers to the Objections 
 
      A.  A proper understanding of Grace never leads to 
          license.  It instead leads to Holy living.  Our 
          salvation is free to us but costly to God!  The more we 
          understand God's grace and what it cost Him the more we 
          will hate sin.  Paul addresses this issue in Romans 
          6:1ff:  "What say we say then?  Shall we go on sinning 
          so that Grace may increase?  By no means!"  If a person 
          professes to be a Christian, yet is happy in his sin, 
          something is wrong.  "Therefore if any one is in 
          Christ, he is a new creation;  the old has gone, the 
          new has come!  IICor. 5:17.  The bottom line is this:  
          No one, saved or unsaved, should feel secure in sin! 
 
     B.  There are indeed about 20 or so passages in the Bible 
         that seem to teach that a person can lose their 
         salvation.   There are also many passages that clearly 
         teach the security of the believer.  Both cannot be 
         true or we have a logical absurdity!  One or the other 
         must yield to the other in interpretation, or the Bible 
         cannot be an authoritative book.  It is our opinion 
         that the verses which seem to teach that one can fall 
         away, when interpreted in context, and in the light of 
         the rest of Scripture, do not teach that salvation can 
         be lost.  Examples: 
 
         I Cor. 9:27.  "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." 
 
         The context (vs. 23) of this passage is rewards not 
         eternal salvation.  Paul is concerned about becoming 
         ineffective in the ministry. 
 
         II Tim. 2:18  "who have wandered away from the truth." 
 
         Paul is talking here about Hymenaeus and Alexander, two 
         who have defected from the faith, and who are leading 
         others away.  Here Paul seems to be saying clearly that 
         they were never saved in the first place.  Note his 
         comment in verse 19:  "nevertheless, God's solid 
         foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 
         `The Lord knows those who are his,' and `everyone who 
         confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from 
         wickedness.'"  There are many who profess who do not 
         possess.  See also II Peter 2:22 and I John 2:19 for 
         similar passages. 
 
         Hebrews 6:4-6.  "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 God all over again and subjecting 
         him to public disgrace.  
 
         This is admittedly one of the most difficult passages 
         in the Bible.  One thing is says for certain:  if it is 
         possible to lose one's salvation, it is not possible to 
         again be saved.  Some light can be shed on this passage 
         if we bear several things in mind: 
 
         1.  This book was originally written to Jewish 
             Christians just before the calamitous events of 70 
             A.D. when Titus destroyed the temple.  The writer 
             is warning his readers that the old covenant is 
             finished.  God is now going to fulfill the curses 
             pronounced on the city by Jesus in Matt. 23.   
 
         2.  Fierce persecution of Christians was beginning and 
             many were attempted to go back to Judaism.  The 
             writer argues how foolish this would be since the 
             old covenant will cease with the destruction of the 
             temple.  (Actually had already ceased with the 
             rending of the vail in the temple at the time of 
             Christ's death.) 
 
         3.  The writer admits that he is using an unusual form 
             of argument.  See vs. 9.  He is using an ad hominem 
             form of argument in which you assume your 
             opponent's position and carry it to its logical 
             conclusion.  Paul may have had in mind the 
             Judaizers who believed that salvation comes through 
             Christ but one must adhere to the law for 
             sanctification.  Paul soundly condemns this heresy 
             in Galatians.  See Gal. 3:1ff. 
 
     C.  It seems preposterous that someone who truly 
         experienced the grace of God would want to renounce 
         their salvation!  Opponents of Eternal security say it 
         has to be possible or it violates man's free will.  
         However, those who hold this view believe it cannot 
         happen in heaven.  Isn't this inconsistent?  Do they 
         lose their free will in heaven? 
 
IV.  Passages Teaching the Security of the Believer 
 
     A.  Phil. 1:6.  "Being confident of this very thing, that He 
         who has begun a good work in you will complete it until 
         the day of Jesus Christ."  
 
         What God begins He completes! 
 
     B.  I Peter 1:3-5.  "Blessed be the God and Father of our 
         Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy 
         has begotten us again to a living hope through the 
         resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an 
         inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does 
         not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept 
         by the power of God through faith for salvation ready 
         to be revealed in the last time. 
 
     C.  Hebrews 10:14.  "For by one offering He has perfected 
         forever those who are being sanctified." 
 
     D.  Jude 24.  "To him who is able to keep you from falling 
         and to present you before his glorious presence without 
         fault and with great joy--" 
 
     E.  I John 1:9  "But if anybody does sin, we have one who 
         speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the 
         Righteous one." 
 
         Our security is based on the present work of Christ who 
         intercedes for us.  See also John 17 where Jesus prays 
         for all future believers.  Would God the Father not 
         answer the prayer of His Son? 
 
     F.  See also these passages:  John 1:12-13; 6:37ff; 10:27- 
         29; Romans 8:1:31ff;  Eph. 1:13,14; 4:30;  
 
V.  Problems with the position that salvation can be lost: 
 
    A.  What or how many sins can cause a believer to lose his 
        salvation?  Where do we draw the line?  Remember Jesus 
        taught that sin was not in the act but in the thought.  
        If this be so, we would have all lost our salvation long 
        ago shortly after we acquired it! 
 
    B.  They admit that salvation is of grace, but maintaining 
        it becomes a matter of works.  This is a system of 
        salvation by faith plus works that Paul condemns in Gal. 
        3:1ff.  If this is the case, the believer would have 
        room to boost.  Paul says no part of salvation is by 
        works (Eph. 2:8,9).  If we admit that human merit cannot 
        save us how can we say that human merit can preserve us? 
 
VI.  Other considerations 
 
     A.  With a view to believers living today, when Christ died 
         2000 years ago, all our sins were paid for on the 
         cross, even the sins I will commit tomorrow.  When 
         Christ died, all our sins were yet future.  How then 
         can commission of sin(s) cause us to lose our 
         salvation? 
 
     B.  Consider the analogy of a father holding a child's hand 
         as they walk together:  In the opponents view, the 
         safety of the child rests in the strength of the 
         child's grip on the father's hand.  If the child lets 
         go he will perish.  In the view of those who believe in 
         eternal security, the child's safety rests in the 
         strength of the father's grip.  If the child fails the 
         father's grip holds firm. 
 
VII.  Questions 
 
      1.  Why do some people seem to be genuinely converted but 
          then fall away and even deny the faith?  We all know of 
          examples.  Jesus clearly taught in the parable of the 
          sower (Matt 13) that not all converts are genuine.  
          Note:  Christians can and do deny the Lord.  Peter is a 
          prime example, but also note that he was restored. 
 
      2.  What about Judas?  He was a disciple and probably even 
          led others to Christ.  Jesus, however, stated that he 
          was not one of his but rather the "son of perdition". 
 
      3.  Can a believer lose his assurance of salvation?  
          Indeed.  Job and David are two Old testament examples.  
          Assurance of salvation is inward, in that the Holy 
          Spirit bears witness (Rom. 8:16)with our spirit that we 
          are truly saved, and outward in that we see concrete 
          evidence, visible fruit of our conversion.  This 
          appears to be the main message of the epistle of I 
          John.  See I John 1:5ff.
    
 
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