CALVINISM
The Chaff & The Wheat
P
Lastly we come to P which is the Perseverance of the Saints. Meaning if you are genuinely born again you will endure/persevere to the end of your faith, which would only make sense given the other 4 points we addressed. Here are some definitions used by its adherents- “If our religion be of our own getting or making, it will perish; and the sooner it goes, the better; but if our religion is a matter of God's giving, we know that He shall never take back what He gives, and that, if He has commenced to work in us by His grace, He will never leave it unfinished.” (Spurgeon sermon #3098) Again here- “The perseverance of the saints means that all those who are truly born again will be kept by God’s power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and that only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again. ”
Wayne Grudem from Systematic Theology (pg. 788)
Wayne Grudem from Systematic Theology (pg. 788)
We will examine the texts used to teach Perseverance of the Saints and respond as we go. Most polemics for ‘once saved always saved’ (OSAS) are like the following examples:
'The bible teaches over and over this truth- "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life". If you have eternal life now then you can never die. And again in Jn.5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." You cannot die if you have eternal life. You will not come into condemnation!"
Or some favorite verses misused to teach OSAS are Jn.10:27-9 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (Of course God can pluck someone from his own hand- Jer.22:24)
So the argument proceeds the same way; 'If you can never perish and no man can pluck you from his hand, how can you ever be lost again? You can't you are unconditionally eternally secure!'
What is completely over looked in order to arrive at the eternal security destination is the tense of the verbs and the subject of the promise. Notice again "whosoever believeth" and again "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me". Notice it is His sheep who believe and follow him. There is no mention of whether one can stop believing or stop following Christ. Only that those who believe in the present tense, have eternal life in the present tense.
They will point out that the gift is eternal life and so how can you die anymore? Well the gift is eternal life, that is, the life itself is eternal because it is the life of God. Jesus himself is the life (I am the resurrection, and the life Jn.11:25, I am the way, the truth, and the life Jn 14:6) John declares in 1 Jn.1:1-2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) Therefore if Jesus Christ is eternal life it would follow "God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" 1 Jn.5:11-2. Again if you have the Son of God you have eternal life. Nothing is stated about whether or not you can crucify to yourself the Son of God afresh or believe another Jesus and receive another spirit or trust in your own righteousness as other scriptures warn (Heb.6:6, Gal.3:1, 2 Cor.11:3-4, Ezk.33:13, Ro.10:3). The life is in his Son and so we must abide in Him. Jn.15:6 "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." 1 Jn.2:24 "Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father." There is some continuity of faith involved: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;" Jn.8:31 “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel…” Col.1:23. " If thou continue in his goodness" (Rom.11:22) Paul and Barnabas exhorted the disciples "to continue in the faith" (Ac.14:22). The believers must look into the perfect law of liberty and continue therein (Jam.1:25). "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee". (1 Tim.4:16) Notice Abraham was justified by faith when he was 75 years old (Gen. 12:4), he received a son when he was "about an hundred years old" (Rom. 4:19), and now in James 2 he is offering up Isaac years later. Abraham did not become righteous by offering up Isaac, he was imputed righteousness some 50 years earlier when he "By faith...went out not knowing whither he went" (Heb.11:8, Rom.4:5). It was also shown that Abraham was imputed righteousness when he believed God to begat a son (Rom. 4:19-25). And after he had offered up Isaac it was fulfilled which said righteousness was imputed to him (Jam.2:22). When Abraham believed the promise of God to have Isaac “it was imputed to him for righteousness.” (Rom.4:19-22) “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;” (Rom.4:23-4)
So these verses do not teach OSAS when examined a little closer. They do teach that a person who presently believes in Jesus Christ has in the present eternal life and will never perish and no one can separate them from this position in Christ. Believers are “complete in him” (Col.2:10). They will retort ‘No one even the believer himself can remove himself from Gods salvation’. This of course is an ad hoc attempt to keep the OSAS doctrine in the passages where they clearly are not found. If a person is saved by faith, then they are saved by faith. They began by faith and they must continue in the faith (Gal.3:2-3). The just shall live by faith- Rom.1:17. Some will say ‘well you didn’t do anything to get saved and so you can’t do anything to lose your salvation, or you don’t have to do anything to keep it’. But this again ignores the fact that you had to believe to get saved (whosoever believeth), so why do you not also have to believe to abide in Christ? We walk by faith- 2 Cor.5:7. We are “kept by the power of God through faith” 1 Pt.1:5. Heb.10:38-9 says Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Also as Peter shows us “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” 1 Pt.1:9 And as Paul said “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” 2 Tim.4:7. Let us be as those who “commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (1 Pt.4:19). He is the “author and finisher of our faith” (Heb.12:2) and he is “mighty to save” (Isa.63:1). Let us therefore not ‘have faith in our faith’ or “not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” 2 Cor.1:9-10. He “that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Gal.6:8-9)
'The bible teaches over and over this truth- "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life". If you have eternal life now then you can never die. And again in Jn.5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." You cannot die if you have eternal life. You will not come into condemnation!"
Or some favorite verses misused to teach OSAS are Jn.10:27-9 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (Of course God can pluck someone from his own hand- Jer.22:24)
So the argument proceeds the same way; 'If you can never perish and no man can pluck you from his hand, how can you ever be lost again? You can't you are unconditionally eternally secure!'
What is completely over looked in order to arrive at the eternal security destination is the tense of the verbs and the subject of the promise. Notice again "whosoever believeth" and again "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me". Notice it is His sheep who believe and follow him. There is no mention of whether one can stop believing or stop following Christ. Only that those who believe in the present tense, have eternal life in the present tense.
They will point out that the gift is eternal life and so how can you die anymore? Well the gift is eternal life, that is, the life itself is eternal because it is the life of God. Jesus himself is the life (I am the resurrection, and the life Jn.11:25, I am the way, the truth, and the life Jn 14:6) John declares in 1 Jn.1:1-2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) Therefore if Jesus Christ is eternal life it would follow "God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" 1 Jn.5:11-2. Again if you have the Son of God you have eternal life. Nothing is stated about whether or not you can crucify to yourself the Son of God afresh or believe another Jesus and receive another spirit or trust in your own righteousness as other scriptures warn (Heb.6:6, Gal.3:1, 2 Cor.11:3-4, Ezk.33:13, Ro.10:3). The life is in his Son and so we must abide in Him. Jn.15:6 "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." 1 Jn.2:24 "Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father." There is some continuity of faith involved: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;" Jn.8:31 “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel…” Col.1:23. " If thou continue in his goodness" (Rom.11:22) Paul and Barnabas exhorted the disciples "to continue in the faith" (Ac.14:22). The believers must look into the perfect law of liberty and continue therein (Jam.1:25). "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee". (1 Tim.4:16) Notice Abraham was justified by faith when he was 75 years old (Gen. 12:4), he received a son when he was "about an hundred years old" (Rom. 4:19), and now in James 2 he is offering up Isaac years later. Abraham did not become righteous by offering up Isaac, he was imputed righteousness some 50 years earlier when he "By faith...went out not knowing whither he went" (Heb.11:8, Rom.4:5). It was also shown that Abraham was imputed righteousness when he believed God to begat a son (Rom. 4:19-25). And after he had offered up Isaac it was fulfilled which said righteousness was imputed to him (Jam.2:22). When Abraham believed the promise of God to have Isaac “it was imputed to him for righteousness.” (Rom.4:19-22) “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;” (Rom.4:23-4)
So these verses do not teach OSAS when examined a little closer. They do teach that a person who presently believes in Jesus Christ has in the present eternal life and will never perish and no one can separate them from this position in Christ. Believers are “complete in him” (Col.2:10). They will retort ‘No one even the believer himself can remove himself from Gods salvation’. This of course is an ad hoc attempt to keep the OSAS doctrine in the passages where they clearly are not found. If a person is saved by faith, then they are saved by faith. They began by faith and they must continue in the faith (Gal.3:2-3). The just shall live by faith- Rom.1:17. Some will say ‘well you didn’t do anything to get saved and so you can’t do anything to lose your salvation, or you don’t have to do anything to keep it’. But this again ignores the fact that you had to believe to get saved (whosoever believeth), so why do you not also have to believe to abide in Christ? We walk by faith- 2 Cor.5:7. We are “kept by the power of God through faith” 1 Pt.1:5. Heb.10:38-9 says Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Also as Peter shows us “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” 1 Pt.1:9 And as Paul said “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” 2 Tim.4:7. Let us be as those who “commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (1 Pt.4:19). He is the “author and finisher of our faith” (Heb.12:2) and he is “mighty to save” (Isa.63:1). Let us therefore not ‘have faith in our faith’ or “not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” 2 Cor.1:9-10. He “that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Gal.6:8-9)
Advocates of OSAS are very persistent and having retreated from the afore mentioned polemic they will take temporary shelter here in 2 Tim.2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. Now what they think they are reading here is this ‘If we depart from our faith God will abide faithful, and so you are unconditionally eternally secure’. This is not found in the passage. Interestingly the previous verse is overlooked. Notice verse 12 ”If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” That is they are guilty of “denying the Lord that bought them” they “bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Pt.2:1). Jesus was clear about those who deny him, notice Matt.10:33 “whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven”. This doesn’t sound like OSAS to me. ‘But’ they contend ‘Peter denied the Lord 3 times and he was still saved’. This is true and so maybe this is a good place to apply 2 Tim.2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. The Lord remained faithful to Peter when Peter staggered in unbelief; remember the Lord prayed for Peter’s faith (Lk.22:32, which we cover below). This is like so many times when Peter wavered in his faith like a wave of the sea.
Consider Matt.14:28-33 “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” Peter believed not yet Jesus abode faithful.
Consider Matt.14:28-33 “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” Peter believed not yet Jesus abode faithful.
Or again Matt.17:14-20 when “there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:” The disciples failed in their faith but Jesus the good shepherd abode faithful.
How many times did the Lord rebuke and chasten the disciples because of their unbelief? Luke 8:25 “Where is your faith?”, 12:28 “O ye of little faith”, Mk.4:40 “how is it that ye have no faith?” Even after he had risen again having abolished death and having brought life and immortality to light, the scriptures declare “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.”(Mk.16:14). So what does 2 Tim.2:13 teach? It tells us IF we believe not (not in departing from the faith and denying or forsaking him- 2 Chr.15:2), if we stagger at the promises of God and say ‘Help thou mine unbelief’ (Mk.9:24) and ‘Lord, save me’ (Mt.14:30). If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself. Again if we struggle to apprehend the promises we might be like the disciples and question “Who then can be saved?” The Savior will instruct our hearts “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Lk.18:26-7). May our hearts be like the humble father who with tears cried, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mk.9:24). And so we say like the Psalmist “I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.” (119:32-3).
IF the Lord abideth faithful; (“great is thy faithfulness” Lam.3:23 and “Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds” Psa.36:5 God is faithful 1 Cor.1:9, 10:13) he will not deny himself. Why would God not abide faithful? “The LORD said, My spirit will not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh” (Gen.6:3, Num.14:22-3). If we deny him he will deny us. Let us not forsake him utterly, for the LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. 2 Chr.15:2 But rather let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Heb.4:16 Let us not presume upon his grace and turn it into lasciviousness listening to the serpent as he beguiled Eve through his subtilty declaring "Ye shall not surely die" (Jd.4,Gen.3:4). Neither let us bless ourselves in our heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst (Deu.29:19). Nor trust to our own righteousness, and commit iniquity (Ezk.33:13). Wherefore the rather brethren, trust God as the finisher of your faith. Let us lay hold upon the promises by faith; and be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Heb 6:12). "And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." 2 Tim.4:18, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Phil.1:6. That he will “keep the feet of his saints” (1 Sam.2:9) “from falling” (Jd.24) so that they will never be moved (Psa.15:5). “I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Psa.16:8) “For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.” (Psa.21:7) “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.” (Psa.46:5) “Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.” (Psa.66:9, also 62:2, 6) We are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (1 Pt.1:5)
While we haven't received these promises, but having seen them afar off, let us also be persuaded of them, and embrace them, being confident of them (Heb.11:13). Let us also patiently endure and obtain the promise (Heb.6:15) 2 Cor. 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. How? By faith (Heb.11:33). Let us pray the words of the great hymn:
“O to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.”
Another perceived fortress OSAS adherents dwell in and boast full confidence in is Eph.4:30 "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." They read this verse to mean that they are sealed up, or closed up tightly by the Spirit of God until the resurrection and redemption of their body. And so if they are sealed they cannot break this seal of the eternal Spirit and be lost again. But again let us see what is specifically stated here. Ephesians 1:13-14 elaborates on this verse:
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, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
After by grace we heard the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Cor.15:1-4) and chose to believe, God gives us his holy Spirit as an earnest or foretaste of the resurrection. And this earnest we receive until the full glory of Jesus Christ swallows up our mortal body. This is basically what is being stated here. Consider 2 Cor. 5:5- Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Once the evidences are sealed and we enter the covenant with God we receive a sign or seal, the earnest that is the Spirit itself. (As Abraham in Rom.4:11 “he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith”.) And this is the seal God gives us as evidence authenticating our entering into his covenant until the time that the full benefits are realized, that is the redemption of our body. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us (1 Jn.3:24) Rom.8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (v16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.
'But seal also means fasten or close tightly, just like in Daniel 12:4, and also v9 (shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end...the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end)', they will contend, 'so also we are closed up tightly unable to unseal ourselves'. Is this an unconditional covenant? What then is the meaning of the admonition to "grieve not the holy Spirit of God"? Perhaps we would do well to give heed unto the what the Spirit himself speaketh. Consider the words which the Holy Ghost teacheth here:
"Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." Heb.3:7-12 And Isa. 63:8-10 "For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them." And so there is a "certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries" (Heb.10:26). Indeed Stephens rebuke is fitting "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye."(Ac.7:51).
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, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
After by grace we heard the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Cor.15:1-4) and chose to believe, God gives us his holy Spirit as an earnest or foretaste of the resurrection. And this earnest we receive until the full glory of Jesus Christ swallows up our mortal body. This is basically what is being stated here. Consider 2 Cor. 5:5- Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Once the evidences are sealed and we enter the covenant with God we receive a sign or seal, the earnest that is the Spirit itself. (As Abraham in Rom.4:11 “he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith”.) And this is the seal God gives us as evidence authenticating our entering into his covenant until the time that the full benefits are realized, that is the redemption of our body. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us (1 Jn.3:24) Rom.8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (v16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.
'But seal also means fasten or close tightly, just like in Daniel 12:4, and also v9 (shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end...the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end)', they will contend, 'so also we are closed up tightly unable to unseal ourselves'. Is this an unconditional covenant? What then is the meaning of the admonition to "grieve not the holy Spirit of God"? Perhaps we would do well to give heed unto the what the Spirit himself speaketh. Consider the words which the Holy Ghost teacheth here:
"Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." Heb.3:7-12 And Isa. 63:8-10 "For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them." And so there is a "certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries" (Heb.10:26). Indeed Stephens rebuke is fitting "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye."(Ac.7:51).
Again the Holy Ghost spake by the mouth of Jude (v5) "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." Some were "destroyed of serpents" (1 Cor.10:9), others "destroyed of the destroyer" (v10), still others "fell in one day" of a plague (v8). Even after they did "all eat the same spiritual meat" and all having drank "the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (v3-4)
And so "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." Heb.4:1-2
'But' again the OSAS proponents will say; 'the children of Israel died physical death but not spiritual death'. Nay, but Christ expounded further upon this judgment in John 6:49-50 "Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die." Was Christ stating that his people will never taste physical death? No, for in verses 40, 44 and 54 he spake of raising them up from the dead- this is physical death. He no more speaks of physical death here than Psalm 116:15 means spiritual death "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." But the scriptures state "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Heb.9:27. God's people will taste physical death, (apart from the catching away of his living saints- 1 Thes.4:17, 1 Cor.15:51, Jn.11:26) and so Christ meant in John 6 those who fell in the wilderness died a spiritual death. Like as Christ said “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (Jn.5:24) They passed out of death into life by faith.
Consider Saul from whom God took away his mercy (2 Sam.7:15)- and "the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him" (1 Sam.16:14). Even after the Spirit of the LORD had come upon Saul and "God gave him another heart" (1 Sam.10:6-10). But they may gainsay that this would then be a promise that you could never again die spiritually and therefore OSAS. However Jesus states Labour “for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life” (v27) and “he that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (v57) and we live this life in the flesh by the faith of the Son of God Paul said (Gal.2:20). So notice again the present tense “believeth” v40, 47, along with “eateth” v56-8 and “dwelleth in me” v56. This is a continual maintenance of faith and abiding/ dwelling in him.
It is common for our OSAS brethren to confuse spiritual death and physical death when trying to rightly divide the word of truth. For when the bible warns of those who are "twice dead" (Jude12) our brethren can make no sense of the phrase from a OSAS outlook. Or when the bible speaks of a "sin unto death" (1 Jn.5:16) they instantly read 'physical death'. There is no doubt that God will chasten his people unto physical death if he so chooses (1 Cor.11:30-32, Num.20:24, Dt.32:48-52). But consider John's meaning here in 1 Jn.5:16-17:
If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
Every time, save 2 places (2:16, 3:16) John speaks of life it is eternal life, the life of God. If this were to mean physical death then we would see our brother sin a sin which would cause physical death (as in Acts 5:5, 10). And this would be an instruction not to pray for them to receive spiritual life after they are physically dead; which is a strange thought indeed and very foreign to scripture; to pray for the grace of life for dead saints. Intercession is not made for the dead as their works (done while in the body) are finished and they are at rest (Rev.14:13, 6:11, 2 Cor.5:10). Or it is an instruction not to pray for someone to be raised from the dead if God has chastened them unto physical death. And so the prayer for life would be for physical life for the living (he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death--?)- again not something within the entire epistle and contextually perplexing. Nay brethren, when the scripture says “We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death” (3:14) it is spiritual death and spiritual life of which he speaks. And to be spiritually dead is to be “alienated from the life of God”- Eph.4:18; and the life of God is eternal life.
But yet if they are not physically dead then you have an interpretation where God is telling us to not pray for someone to receive more of his life. Why would God ever instruct us not to pray for one of his children to receive more of his life? To partake of his eternal life is salvation. So nonsense quickly follows- either make them spiritual life and spiritual death or physical life and physical death, but to mix them is unwarranted and is to obfuscate.
We are instructed in Gal.6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Also James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. As ministers of the spirit and life we pray for those in need of restoration for the life of God to quicken them with a supply of his Spirit (Phil.1:19, 2 Cor.3:6, 4:11-12). God desires to humble us that he might give more grace. The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. (Ps.116:6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (James 4:6)
If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
Every time, save 2 places (2:16, 3:16) John speaks of life it is eternal life, the life of God. If this were to mean physical death then we would see our brother sin a sin which would cause physical death (as in Acts 5:5, 10). And this would be an instruction not to pray for them to receive spiritual life after they are physically dead; which is a strange thought indeed and very foreign to scripture; to pray for the grace of life for dead saints. Intercession is not made for the dead as their works (done while in the body) are finished and they are at rest (Rev.14:13, 6:11, 2 Cor.5:10). Or it is an instruction not to pray for someone to be raised from the dead if God has chastened them unto physical death. And so the prayer for life would be for physical life for the living (he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death--?)- again not something within the entire epistle and contextually perplexing. Nay brethren, when the scripture says “We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death” (3:14) it is spiritual death and spiritual life of which he speaks. And to be spiritually dead is to be “alienated from the life of God”- Eph.4:18; and the life of God is eternal life.
But yet if they are not physically dead then you have an interpretation where God is telling us to not pray for someone to receive more of his life. Why would God ever instruct us not to pray for one of his children to receive more of his life? To partake of his eternal life is salvation. So nonsense quickly follows- either make them spiritual life and spiritual death or physical life and physical death, but to mix them is unwarranted and is to obfuscate.
We are instructed in Gal.6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Also James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. As ministers of the spirit and life we pray for those in need of restoration for the life of God to quicken them with a supply of his Spirit (Phil.1:19, 2 Cor.3:6, 4:11-12). God desires to humble us that he might give more grace. The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. (Ps.116:6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (James 4:6)
But what sin(s) are listed that we would see someone commit that we would know not to intercede before God? Perhaps it would need to be revealed during prayer, in which case it would not be 'seen' with our eyes. The verse indicates that this is a public sin and the context is related to eternal life: 1 John 5:11-13, 20 "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. [13] These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God...And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." Prov.21:16 "The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead." A sin unto spiritual death would be denying the Son who is life.1 John 2:19, 22, 25 "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us...Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son...And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life." If a brother departed from the faith and went out from us denying the Son it would be seen. He would have went out from "us" who believe to the saving of the soul (Heb.10:39). Us who endure and continue in the faith (1 Jn.2:24, Jn.8:31, Col.1:23), abiding in him (1 Jn.2:28, Jn.15:6); us who make our "calling and election sure" (2 Pet.1:10), us who fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim.6:12). And in departing from the living God in unbelief (Heb.3:12) they sinned unto death. There is a sin not unto death and Jesus Christ is "the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 Jn.2:2). The only sin unto death would be one to sever yourself in unbelief from the true God and eternal life. OSAS brethren try to retort that we would be ‘unborn’ again. We prefer the scriptural phrase “twice dead”.
This sin unto death in departing from our faith in the Son of God, would be the sin in the severe warnings in Hebrews (notice it doesn’t say ‘if it were possible’ as if the multiple warnings through the epistle to the Hebrews were just hypothetical warnings against something that could never really occur):
"(6:4-6) For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, [5] And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, [6] If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."
"(10:26-31) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, [27] But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. [28] He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: [29] Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath 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? [30] For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. [31] It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." This is not any sin which is “not unto death” but it is the great transgression in Psalm 19:12-3 "…cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." Our secret faults lead to presumptuous sins and ultimately to the great transgression. David admonishes Solomon concerning his walk with God that "if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever." (1 Chr.28:9) (Those afraid they 'sinned unto death' consider this)
There is instruction from God to omit prayer for those who have sinned unto spiritual death. Consider Jeremiah 7:16 "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee." And Jeremiah 11:14 "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble." Also Jeremiah 15:1 "Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth." We see this in figure with divorce where a woman divorced from her husband could not come back to her husband again (Dt.24:3-4, Jer.3:1). (Perhaps even in symbols Aaron and Moses who smote the rock twice could not enter into the promised land. Num.20:10-11, 24, Dt.32:48-52) They had tasted and seen (Heb.6:4-5) that the Lord is good (Psa.34:8), they were sanctified by the blood of his dear Son (Heb.10:29) after having been renewed to repentance (v6) and yet they crucify him to themselves afresh and so there is no remedy; thus they will not be renewed again unto repentance. Rather they are “nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned” (v8). He is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned (Jn.15:6).
Israel had utterly departed from the Lord and the Lord had utterly forsaken them. Not even was prayer to made for them. 2 Chr. 36:(v12)14-16 "Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. [15] And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: [16] But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy."
This is also what God instructed Samuel concerning Saul in 1 Sam.16:1 "And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?"
"(6:4-6) For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, [5] And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, [6] If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."
"(10:26-31) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, [27] But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. [28] He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: [29] Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath 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? [30] For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. [31] It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." This is not any sin which is “not unto death” but it is the great transgression in Psalm 19:12-3 "…cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." Our secret faults lead to presumptuous sins and ultimately to the great transgression. David admonishes Solomon concerning his walk with God that "if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever." (1 Chr.28:9) (Those afraid they 'sinned unto death' consider this)
There is instruction from God to omit prayer for those who have sinned unto spiritual death. Consider Jeremiah 7:16 "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee." And Jeremiah 11:14 "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble." Also Jeremiah 15:1 "Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth." We see this in figure with divorce where a woman divorced from her husband could not come back to her husband again (Dt.24:3-4, Jer.3:1). (Perhaps even in symbols Aaron and Moses who smote the rock twice could not enter into the promised land. Num.20:10-11, 24, Dt.32:48-52) They had tasted and seen (Heb.6:4-5) that the Lord is good (Psa.34:8), they were sanctified by the blood of his dear Son (Heb.10:29) after having been renewed to repentance (v6) and yet they crucify him to themselves afresh and so there is no remedy; thus they will not be renewed again unto repentance. Rather they are “nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned” (v8). He is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned (Jn.15:6).
Israel had utterly departed from the Lord and the Lord had utterly forsaken them. Not even was prayer to made for them. 2 Chr. 36:(v12)14-16 "Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. [15] And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: [16] But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy."
This is also what God instructed Samuel concerning Saul in 1 Sam.16:1 "And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?"
(We should want to make a distinction between the sin unto death and blaspheming the Holy Ghost briefly. Blaspheming or 'speaking a word against' the Holy Ghost [Mk.3:29-30, Mt.12:32, Lk.12:10] is a sin done with the mouth [Rev.13:5-6] and can be committed by an unbeliever. A sin unto death can only be committed by a Christian since it is defined above as departing from the faith of Christ. One could sin unto death without necessarily blaspheming the Holy Ghost.)
But not only do we face those who depart from us and seduce us away from Christ. We have those who have crept in unawares. Jude 4 "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." Peter warns of these "who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." (2 Pt.2:1) These are they who were ‘bought with a price’ and who had made shipwreck concerning their faith and had gone aside after "damnable heresies".
Many OSAS teachers will declare 'Well these were false teachers, and so they were not true Christians thus they did not lose their salvation'. Well the fact is indeed they were false teachers as v1 declares "there shall be false teachers among you". But Peter gives the detail concerning them "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" (v20-21). Proverbs tells us plainly that "In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death" (12:28). How could it be better not to have known the pathway where there is no death? Perhaps they might say in the same way Judas knew of the way of salvation but it better for him never to have been born (Matt.26:24). Of course we would also make the case the Judas was ‘once saved’ being one of the twelve (Mk.3:13-19, Acts 1:17), being a friend of Christ (Mt.26:50, Psa.41:9, Jn.13:18), having power from the Lord to heal sickness as he preached ‘sent’ by Christ and even the devils were subject unto him (Mt.10:1-4, 7-8, Can Satan cast out Satan?). Yet being drawn away by his own lust he became the son of perdition the devil himself even entering into Judas in the end (Jn.12:4-6, 13:2, 27, 17:12). Judas as the prophet Balaam (2 Pt.2:15, Jd.11, Num.22-4) and as Gehazi the servant of Elisha (2 Ki.5:25-7) loved the wages of unrighteousness more than the Lord. Judas’ secret faults became presumptuous sins and ultimately the great transgression.
But they "themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage" (v19). They had at one point been "partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust"(1:4). But now having sown to the flesh they reap corruption (Gal.6:8). And "these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed...and shall utterly perish in their own corruption"(2 Pt.2:12). These had escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And surely God "will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim.2:4). But they had been entangled and overcome so that the only way to describe them was as a dog returning to his vomit. The best they can say is that they will receive a worst punishment for having had space to repent and not repenting- or having grace given to recover themselves from the snare of the devil and they do not avail themselves of it. This is a true principle; that it will be more severe in the judgment than had they never heard the gospel. Yet the scripture says that these had known the way of righteousness and were bought by the Lord having escaped the pollutions by the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They are as when “God spared not the angels that sinned” (2 Pt.2:4). The angels were righteous until iniquity was found in them.
That a righteous man can turn to wickedness and be damned is clearly explained in Ezekiel chapters 18 and 33 where the Lord declares the equal and consistent nature of his righteous judgments (v25). When the wicked man turns from his wickedness and “doeth that which is lawful and right” (v27) as evidence of his faith (Jam.2:18) God declares “he shall surely live, he shall not die” (v28). And equally when the righteous man “turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth 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” (v24). This is very clear and easy, very plain to all save those intent to salvage a doctrine. And based upon this clear admonition God calls upon Israel, his people, to repent- “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” (v30-32). And for those still insistent to gainsay, Psalm 116:15 makes it clear he is not speaking only of physical death.
But not only do we face those who depart from us and seduce us away from Christ. We have those who have crept in unawares. Jude 4 "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." Peter warns of these "who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." (2 Pt.2:1) These are they who were ‘bought with a price’ and who had made shipwreck concerning their faith and had gone aside after "damnable heresies".
Many OSAS teachers will declare 'Well these were false teachers, and so they were not true Christians thus they did not lose their salvation'. Well the fact is indeed they were false teachers as v1 declares "there shall be false teachers among you". But Peter gives the detail concerning them "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" (v20-21). Proverbs tells us plainly that "In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death" (12:28). How could it be better not to have known the pathway where there is no death? Perhaps they might say in the same way Judas knew of the way of salvation but it better for him never to have been born (Matt.26:24). Of course we would also make the case the Judas was ‘once saved’ being one of the twelve (Mk.3:13-19, Acts 1:17), being a friend of Christ (Mt.26:50, Psa.41:9, Jn.13:18), having power from the Lord to heal sickness as he preached ‘sent’ by Christ and even the devils were subject unto him (Mt.10:1-4, 7-8, Can Satan cast out Satan?). Yet being drawn away by his own lust he became the son of perdition the devil himself even entering into Judas in the end (Jn.12:4-6, 13:2, 27, 17:12). Judas as the prophet Balaam (2 Pt.2:15, Jd.11, Num.22-4) and as Gehazi the servant of Elisha (2 Ki.5:25-7) loved the wages of unrighteousness more than the Lord. Judas’ secret faults became presumptuous sins and ultimately the great transgression.
But they "themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage" (v19). They had at one point been "partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust"(1:4). But now having sown to the flesh they reap corruption (Gal.6:8). And "these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed...and shall utterly perish in their own corruption"(2 Pt.2:12). These had escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And surely God "will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim.2:4). But they had been entangled and overcome so that the only way to describe them was as a dog returning to his vomit. The best they can say is that they will receive a worst punishment for having had space to repent and not repenting- or having grace given to recover themselves from the snare of the devil and they do not avail themselves of it. This is a true principle; that it will be more severe in the judgment than had they never heard the gospel. Yet the scripture says that these had known the way of righteousness and were bought by the Lord having escaped the pollutions by the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They are as when “God spared not the angels that sinned” (2 Pt.2:4). The angels were righteous until iniquity was found in them.
That a righteous man can turn to wickedness and be damned is clearly explained in Ezekiel chapters 18 and 33 where the Lord declares the equal and consistent nature of his righteous judgments (v25). When the wicked man turns from his wickedness and “doeth that which is lawful and right” (v27) as evidence of his faith (Jam.2:18) God declares “he shall surely live, he shall not die” (v28). And equally when the righteous man “turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth 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” (v24). This is very clear and easy, very plain to all save those intent to salvage a doctrine. And based upon this clear admonition God calls upon Israel, his people, to repent- “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” (v30-32). And for those still insistent to gainsay, Psalm 116:15 makes it clear he is not speaking only of physical death.
Another well worn path used to lead to the OSAS conclusion is that since Jesus our great high priest ever liveth to make intercession for us then he cannot fail in his intercession. They state that Christ is ever praying for us to be saved to the uttermost and that his prayers will not go unanswered. While this as other of their arguments has an element of truth in it, it also misleads in the intercessory work of the Saviour. It is true that "we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God" who himself was "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" and "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb.4:14-5) What a wonderful revelation from our Lord, who himself became flesh; the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom.8:3) touched with weakness of the flesh; of hunger and of thirst, fatigue and of pain, yet never tainted with any trace of sin. "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth" (1 Pt.2:22). He endured such contradiction of sinners against himself and resisted unto blood, even the blood of his cross (Heb.12:3-4). But now is by the right hand of God exalted (Heb.12:2, Acts 2:33) angels authorities and powers being made subject unto him (1 Pt.3:22). And now he appears in the presence of God for us (Heb.9:24). He appeared as us before God’s righteousness on the cross and he now appears as us to God’s mercy in heaven. This is the nature of his intercession, to appear in the presence of the Father in our behalf. For when he declared on the cross "It is finished" (Jn.19:30) it indeed was finished. Propitiation was complete through his blood (Rom.3:25). "And 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" (1 Jn.2:1-2).
And so we as strangers and pilgrims war against fleshly lusts from within. We are everywhere and in all things faced with our weaknesses, our frailties, our ignorance our stubbornness and ineptitude. Even the Lord speaks of our frame reminding us that we are dust (Psa.103:14). Paul struggling to do that good and acceptable and perfect will of God continually learned of his utter weakness to stand before his will. The aged apostle declared "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life." But this was to learn that "we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead" (2 Cor.1:8-9). Beloved saints "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb.4:16). And so my son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (Heb.12:5-6). We never need fear that our flesh will destroy us for it was crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed (Rom.6:6). It was raised again and is seated at the right hand of God in Christ Jesus even now (Rom.6:11, Eph.2:6). He is peace and our strength, he is our salvation himself.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim.2:5)."But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. (Heb.7:24-7)
He needeth not strive continually and daily in pray forever for us to stay saved. He isn't continually, ever offering up strong crying and tears, ever in agony (as he did in the days of his flesh Heb.5:7-9) praying for us to stay saved. Will he be in agony a million years into eternity? No. He is finished; it is finished. He has already obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb.9:12). He maketh intercession and mediates by simply appearing before God in our stead. We are his ambassadors on earth (2 Cor.5:20) and he is our ambassador in heaven. He appeared before God’s justice as us on the cross once but now he appears as us before God’s grace forever. And as he told his disciples before he ascended up into the third heaven "At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God"(Jn.16:26-7). And so we have an advocate with the Father, a mediator. One who unites the power of God to the weakness of our flesh; who joins the incorruptible holiness of God to our corruptible flesh quickening our mortal bodies by his Spirit; who joins these mortal bodies to his immortality; seeing he has removed the life of our flesh which is in our blood by the shedding of his incorruptible blood by his death on the cross. And so we never have need for he ever liveth; we are not without an advocate with the Father for he ever liveth to make intercession for us. And we have eternal salvation for he is able to save to the uttermost. Who doth he save? Those "that come unto God by him". Not those who come up some other way (Jn.10:1). Not those who draw back unto perdition (Heb.10:39). Those "Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God" (1 Pt.1:21). Those who commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator (1 Pt.4:19). For those that come unto him, Jesus said "and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (Jn.6:37). Despise not therefore the chastening of the Lord for "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons;" (Heb. 12:7) "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;" (Heb.12:11-12) At the first sign of weakness come unto him. At the first hint of despair call upon him. He will meet our needs from the throne of his grace. And it is of faith that it might be by grace (Rom.4:16). Let us therefore look diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God (Heb.12:15). Rather let us humbly say “help thou mine unbelief” (Mk.9:24).
And so we as strangers and pilgrims war against fleshly lusts from within. We are everywhere and in all things faced with our weaknesses, our frailties, our ignorance our stubbornness and ineptitude. Even the Lord speaks of our frame reminding us that we are dust (Psa.103:14). Paul struggling to do that good and acceptable and perfect will of God continually learned of his utter weakness to stand before his will. The aged apostle declared "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life." But this was to learn that "we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead" (2 Cor.1:8-9). Beloved saints "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb.4:16). And so my son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (Heb.12:5-6). We never need fear that our flesh will destroy us for it was crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed (Rom.6:6). It was raised again and is seated at the right hand of God in Christ Jesus even now (Rom.6:11, Eph.2:6). He is peace and our strength, he is our salvation himself.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim.2:5)."But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. (Heb.7:24-7)
He needeth not strive continually and daily in pray forever for us to stay saved. He isn't continually, ever offering up strong crying and tears, ever in agony (as he did in the days of his flesh Heb.5:7-9) praying for us to stay saved. Will he be in agony a million years into eternity? No. He is finished; it is finished. He has already obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb.9:12). He maketh intercession and mediates by simply appearing before God in our stead. We are his ambassadors on earth (2 Cor.5:20) and he is our ambassador in heaven. He appeared before God’s justice as us on the cross once but now he appears as us before God’s grace forever. And as he told his disciples before he ascended up into the third heaven "At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God"(Jn.16:26-7). And so we have an advocate with the Father, a mediator. One who unites the power of God to the weakness of our flesh; who joins the incorruptible holiness of God to our corruptible flesh quickening our mortal bodies by his Spirit; who joins these mortal bodies to his immortality; seeing he has removed the life of our flesh which is in our blood by the shedding of his incorruptible blood by his death on the cross. And so we never have need for he ever liveth; we are not without an advocate with the Father for he ever liveth to make intercession for us. And we have eternal salvation for he is able to save to the uttermost. Who doth he save? Those "that come unto God by him". Not those who come up some other way (Jn.10:1). Not those who draw back unto perdition (Heb.10:39). Those "Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God" (1 Pt.1:21). Those who commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator (1 Pt.4:19). For those that come unto him, Jesus said "and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (Jn.6:37). Despise not therefore the chastening of the Lord for "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons;" (Heb. 12:7) "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;" (Heb.12:11-12) At the first sign of weakness come unto him. At the first hint of despair call upon him. He will meet our needs from the throne of his grace. And it is of faith that it might be by grace (Rom.4:16). Let us therefore look diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God (Heb.12:15). Rather let us humbly say “help thou mine unbelief” (Mk.9:24).
‘But’ it is asserted- ‘what of his great high priestly prayer in John 17?’ Jesus himself stated “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.” (v9) Doesn’t this mean that he was only praying for the elect and not the world and therefore he is indifferent to their soul’s destiny? This is what the Calvinist concludes from this passage. Despite the actuality that in this same prayer Jesus stated “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world” (v18) as the apostle states “because as he is, so are we in this world”. (1 Jn.4:17 w/ 2 Cor.5:18-20) Concerning the world again “that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (v21) and “that the world may know that thou hast sent me” (v23). Perhaps he didn’t pray for the world because “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few” and so (therefore) “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” This was “when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”(Matt.9:36-8) He didn’t pray for the world because God “hath in due times manifested his word through preaching” (Tit.1:3) “the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Rom.1:16). Therefore laborers were needed to be sent sowing, watering and reaping the harvest.
‘But Christ prayed that the faith of the disciples fail not (Lk.22:32) and that God would ‘keep them from the evil in the world.’ (Jn.17:15). Doesn’t the Father always hear the Son? (Jn 11:42) Wouldn’t this mean that they would be permanently saved? Tell me I pray, what would this mean to those holding to an effectual calling and atonement? If the death of Christ causes the salvation of the elect then what would Christ in the days of his flesh having prayed for their salvation or praying now for it, have added to his atoning work on the cross? It would seem superfluous in that theological system. Also why would Jesus teach his disciples to pray ‘lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’ (Mt.6:13, Lk.11:4) if his prayer accomplished this once and for all? So what doeth it? What is the nature of his prayer? We know the cup was not passed from him despite his petition (Mt.26:39-44, 54).
Firstly consider the passage- “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Lk.22:32) Jesus prayed for Peter specifically because apparently his denial was in view. Consider v 33-4 “And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.” And his prayer was for Peter to maintain his faith as the disciples were to be sifted as wheat by Satan during this hour and the power of darkness (Lk.22:53), and then when Peter was converted from his error (Jam.5:19-20) he was instructed to strengthen the brethren (Jn.21:15-17). It might be asked why Jesus didn’t simply pray that Peter not err and not deny him thrice? He obviously wavered in faith in Galatians 2:11-14, why would Jesus prayer not have kept him back from this sin? You must employ the understanding that God desires men to move from faith to faith exercising their free will in union with his free will and be conformed into the image of his dear Son; otherwise you have a series of inconsistencies of explanation. Again why not pray that Peter and the disciples never stagger or waver in weakness? It might be stated that Jesus was praying that Peter’s faith might not utterly fail at this point or ever; that Peter never depart from his faith. But again this would just be Peter in the passage. And why would he not have prayed the same for the other brethren? You might conclude that Jesus’ prayer was for Peter to never utterly fall away and coupling this with his prophecy to Peter “signifying by what death he should glorify God” (Jn.21:18-9) you might make a case for Peter being a candidate for perseverance of a saint as a result of Jesus intercession for him, but not the others. But ‘what is that to thee? Follow thou me’ (Jn.21:22) So this would fall short as a proof text for unconditional eternal security of all saints.
What about these passages in John 17- Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (v20-1) Those that believe (again- not depart from the faith but abide therein) indeed will be perfected in one (17:23)- when that which is perfect is come (1 Cor.13:10, Ep.4:13).
And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16)- Does this teach OSAS? The Holy Ghost is indeed given (to be continually filled- Eph.5:18 and renewed- Tit.3:5; with the supply of the Spirit- Phil.1:19) to those that obey (Act.5:32). “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.” (1 Jn. 2:24) They received the Spirit by the hearing of faith (Gal.3:2, Eph.1:13) and began in the Spirit (Gal.3:3) and walk in the Spirit (Gal.5:16) and are led by the Spirit (Gal.5:18, Rom.8:14) by faith (2 Cor.5:7, Heb.10:38, Rom.1:17, Gal.2:20, 3:11). He surely wasn’t praying that the Father give the Spirit to the lawless and disobedient, to those in whom his soul has no pleasure, them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul (Heb.10:38-9); who let that anointing abide in them (1 Jn.2:24-28).
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Lk.23:34) Did he mean those Roman soldiers who were specifically nailing him to the tree? Or the whole house of Israel? Peter made it clear being moved by the Holy Ghost “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:” (Ac.2:22-3; also 4:27-8, 5:30-1) Paul said of the Jews- “Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:”(1 Thes.2:15) So if Christ prayed for God to forgive them, the Jews, all the people, he obviously was referring to all the Jews without distinction. “Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.”(Mt.27:25) If this is so you might see Christ standing in the gap and making up the hedge (Ezk.22:30) that God not utterly destroy them; as a prophet like unto Moses (Dt.18:15) who made intercession in his day (Ex.32:31-5). And in this sense his prayer was answered as we see beginning in the 2nd chapter of Acts.
Firstly consider the passage- “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Lk.22:32) Jesus prayed for Peter specifically because apparently his denial was in view. Consider v 33-4 “And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.” And his prayer was for Peter to maintain his faith as the disciples were to be sifted as wheat by Satan during this hour and the power of darkness (Lk.22:53), and then when Peter was converted from his error (Jam.5:19-20) he was instructed to strengthen the brethren (Jn.21:15-17). It might be asked why Jesus didn’t simply pray that Peter not err and not deny him thrice? He obviously wavered in faith in Galatians 2:11-14, why would Jesus prayer not have kept him back from this sin? You must employ the understanding that God desires men to move from faith to faith exercising their free will in union with his free will and be conformed into the image of his dear Son; otherwise you have a series of inconsistencies of explanation. Again why not pray that Peter and the disciples never stagger or waver in weakness? It might be stated that Jesus was praying that Peter’s faith might not utterly fail at this point or ever; that Peter never depart from his faith. But again this would just be Peter in the passage. And why would he not have prayed the same for the other brethren? You might conclude that Jesus’ prayer was for Peter to never utterly fall away and coupling this with his prophecy to Peter “signifying by what death he should glorify God” (Jn.21:18-9) you might make a case for Peter being a candidate for perseverance of a saint as a result of Jesus intercession for him, but not the others. But ‘what is that to thee? Follow thou me’ (Jn.21:22) So this would fall short as a proof text for unconditional eternal security of all saints.
What about these passages in John 17- Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (v20-1) Those that believe (again- not depart from the faith but abide therein) indeed will be perfected in one (17:23)- when that which is perfect is come (1 Cor.13:10, Ep.4:13).
And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16)- Does this teach OSAS? The Holy Ghost is indeed given (to be continually filled- Eph.5:18 and renewed- Tit.3:5; with the supply of the Spirit- Phil.1:19) to those that obey (Act.5:32). “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.” (1 Jn. 2:24) They received the Spirit by the hearing of faith (Gal.3:2, Eph.1:13) and began in the Spirit (Gal.3:3) and walk in the Spirit (Gal.5:16) and are led by the Spirit (Gal.5:18, Rom.8:14) by faith (2 Cor.5:7, Heb.10:38, Rom.1:17, Gal.2:20, 3:11). He surely wasn’t praying that the Father give the Spirit to the lawless and disobedient, to those in whom his soul has no pleasure, them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul (Heb.10:38-9); who let that anointing abide in them (1 Jn.2:24-28).
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Lk.23:34) Did he mean those Roman soldiers who were specifically nailing him to the tree? Or the whole house of Israel? Peter made it clear being moved by the Holy Ghost “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:” (Ac.2:22-3; also 4:27-8, 5:30-1) Paul said of the Jews- “Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:”(1 Thes.2:15) So if Christ prayed for God to forgive them, the Jews, all the people, he obviously was referring to all the Jews without distinction. “Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.”(Mt.27:25) If this is so you might see Christ standing in the gap and making up the hedge (Ezk.22:30) that God not utterly destroy them; as a prophet like unto Moses (Dt.18:15) who made intercession in his day (Ex.32:31-5). And in this sense his prayer was answered as we see beginning in the 2nd chapter of Acts.
Another idea in the minds of those holding to OSAS is that “Those who think they can lose their salvation are not trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation but partly trusting in their own righteousness.” On the contrary- those who lose (or depart from) their salvation are not trusting Christ but their own righteousness. We are kept by the power of God through faith (1 Pt.1:5); and faith in him who is the finisher of our faith (Heb.12:2).
Some men err in their understanding and suppose that men lose their salvation and retrieve it again multiple times- even daily. We have already seen of the sin unto death and a sin not unto death. It would seem in their view that God would never need to chasten his children because they do not sin. But then again if they did sin they would lose their salvation and he wouldn’t chasten them for they are not his children. We want to meditate for a moment upon God’s chastening those whom he loveth. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”(Psa.103:13-14) We
can trust in his tender mercies when he chastens us with our own sins (Jer.2:19).
We can call upon him as David- “Withhold not thou thy tender
mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy
truth continually preserve me. For innumerable
evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that
I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore
my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver
me: O Lord, make haste to help me.” (Psa.40:11-13) We are not only prone to yield to the lusts of our flesh but also to trust in our own righteousness. Our faith need to be continually upon him to search our hearts and keep us from temptation. “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” (Jer.10:23) For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again Prv.24:16 The bible speaks of the sins of the saints in a number of places. In
many things we offend all (Jam.3:2). Jesus taught us to pray for God to “forgive
us our sins”. (Lk.11:4) Paul wrote the Corinthian saints "For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed." And again "I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare". (2 Cor.12:20-1, 13:2) Jesus rebukes his church in Revelation 2-3 for a number of failures. They had ‘left their first love’ (2:4) and had fallen (v5). They had cowardly permitted false teachers to seduce the flock (v14-15), into fornication (1 Cor.6:15-20) and near idolatry (2:20, 1 Cor.10:20-1). They in their assemblies were dead (3:1) with only a few works remaining that were ready to die (v2) with defiled garments (v4). They were lukewarm (v16) “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (v17). At times they were carnal (Heb.5:11-14, 1 Cor.3:1-3) or overtaken with faults (Gal.6:1) which we must confess to one another (Jam.5:16, Mt.18:15), carried away with dissimulation (Gal.2:11-13), cowardly (2 Tim.4:16). Even at times bewitched by another gospel (Gal.3:1,1:6); at times there were contentions among them (1 Cor.1:11) with envying, strife and divisions (1 Cor.3:3), puffed up (1 Cor.4:18-21). At times respecter of persons and judges of evil thoughts (Jam.2:1-4) with lusts warring in their members and among them (4:1) befriending at times the world (v4); at times sects arising speaking perverse things (Ac.15:5), some disorderly, working not at all, not providing for their own but busybodies (2 Thes.3:11, 1 Tim.5:8). Husbands bitter with wives and having their prayers hindered (Col.3:19, 1 Pt.3:7). Going to law with one another, defrauding one another before the unjust (1 Cor.6:1-8), causing the weaker to stumble (8:11-2), drunken, partaking of the Lord’s Supper unworthily (11:21-9). Brother sinning against brother (Mt.18:15-17). Yet if any believers sin they have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 Jn.2:1) and as many as he loves he rebukes and chastens (Rv.3:19) so they will not be condemned with the world (1 Cor.11:32). Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you…(Jer.3:14) Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.(v22)
Paul acknowledges the presence of sin in our flesh (Rom.7) while John declares that one born of God cannot sin (1 Jn.3:9, 5:18). How do we reconcile these seemingly opposing concepts? Positional versus practical, or us in him versus him in us. John seems to grant us more insight into this revelation with a couple of hints in the same chapter. Notice he said in verse 2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” And v 6 “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” Sinlessness is associated with the resurrection when we see Christ. We are sons of God now but there is a complete swallowing up of this vile mortal body (Phil.3:20-1, 2 Cor.5:4) when he shall appear, and we shall not be capable of sinning ever again. But we also now are seated by the right hand of God in Christ (Eph.2:6) already glorified and complete in him (Rom.8:30, Col.2:10). And if we are already glorified in him then in him we cannot sin- he is our righteousness. We are already blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love. (Eph.1:3-4) Therefore “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death…That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Rom.8:2, 4)” The positional allows for the practical. The Holy Ghost was given after Christ was glorified. (Jn.7:39, Ac.2:33) There
is no condemnation in Christ (Rom.8:1) for we have passed from death unto everlasting
life. (Jn.5:24) He "that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom.8:11) This introduces the practical side of this doctrine where because this body of flesh is not now glorified- “in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” and “I am carnal, sold under sin” (Rom.7:18, 14). So we experience as Paul described “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But 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. (Rom.7:20-3)” And “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other” (Gal.5:17) and we find these 2 laws warring within us as Peter spoke of “fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Pt.2:11). John even acknowledged this experience speaking of ‘sin not unto death’ and Christians sinning (1 Jn.2:1-2, 5:17). “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”(1:8-9) “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not” (1 Jn.5:18, 3:6). If not sinning is connected with seeing Christ and therefore glorified already at his right hand (Rom.8:30, Eph.2:6) then we would understand him to be speaking of the righteousness of Christ, which we have of God, in us. We should be aware of “every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus” (Philm 6) and thus work out our salvation (Phil.2:13) by walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit (Rom.8:4-5). Our faith overcomes the world giving us the victory because it is in Christ who has already overcome the world and we are in him. (1 Jn.5:4, Jn.16:33) We do this because we are resurrected in Christ- so we should understand John to be emphasizing our completeness in him. He that is begotten is resurrected; he that is justified is glorified- and thus as he abides in Christ sin does not have dominion over him (Rom.6:14, 2), he sinneth not, that wicked one toucheth him not for he keepeth himself. He abideth in the resurrected glorified Christ who cannot sin (1 Jn.3:8-9) and of whom death hath no more dominion over (Rom.6:9); he is our righteousness (Phil.3:9, Rom.10:3). And so practically speaking we might sin (1 Jn.2:1) positionally speaking we cannot sin and we have no sin (1 Jn.3:5-6). But in an even truer sense it is the Son of God who was manifested, was born of God and he cannot sin and in him is no sin.
Some make the case from citing the promises contained in
the New Covenant and this is a reasonable argument. Consider these:
“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be
removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant
of My peace be removed,” (Isa. 54:10). “And I will make an everlasting covenant
with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put
My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me,” (Jer. 32:40) “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my
statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
(Ezek.36:27)
These are used to indicate that the person
entering into the New Covenant could not fall away, and do say as much. However
this argument is easily disposed of when considering that the promise is to the
nation of Israel and that when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled then the
natural branch will be grafted in again. When Israel receives the New Covenant
it will be forever. The Jewish promises when applied to the Gentiles need to be
qualified. Paul told the Gentiles that they are grafted in to the holy root
however “if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he
also spare not thee” (Rom.11:17-26). This was unknown previously but was illuminated by the
teaching of the apostle to the Gentiles (Rom.11:13, Eph.3:1-6) and so we see a
distinguishing of the “gospel of the circumcision” and the “gospel
of the uncircumcision” (Gal.2:7). This distinction is found along these lines listed in
Ephesians 2:11-19 comparing with Romans 9:3-5. So while we Gentiles can trust
God to deliver us and turn us away from ungodliness and lead us not into
temptation, the literal fulfillment is found with the “house of Israel”
(Heb.8:7-10, Jer.31:31-3) when he declares “And so all Israel shall be
saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall
turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I
shall take away their sins.” (Rom.11:26-7)
God will cause Israel to be saved. This truth indicates the omnipotence of God with regards to his mercy unto salvation. That God will cause Israel to be saved through tribulation and Jacob’s trouble in the last days (Deut.4:30-31, Jer.30:7, Lk.21:20-22). Likewise God will cause the Gentiles to be saved during the time of Israel’s blindness. And in this do the Calvinist brethren have some light. Consider these verses:
“As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.” Rom.9:25-29
“But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.” Rom.10:19-20
God’s eternal purpose (Eph.3:11), the mystery of his will is “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” (Eph.1:10). That “the whole family in heaven and earth is named” in the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph.3:15). If they will be gathered in him then in some form they are scattered (Jn.11:52, Jl.3:2, Jer.31:10). Scattering is generally a result of judgment (Gen.11:8, Dt.4:27, Neh.1:8, Ps.68:1). So God’s eternal purpose would involve sin and salvation. And we again see this rhetorical question arise “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory” (Rom.9:21-3)
God allowed sin to occur and God will stop it. And therein will his justice and his grace be glorified. His justice even as a kind of contrast so that “according to the riches of his grace” we should be saved to “the praise of the glory of his grace” (Eph.1:6-7). In other words creation is to glorify God’s grace, and even his justice results in as much- because God is love (1 Jn.4:8). That we were vessels of his wrath only furthers to magnify his grace in our salvation. “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Eph.2:3-8)
And of course “it is of faith, that it might be by grace” (Rom.4:16) because this is how God’s grace is most glorified, by people choosing to believe. ‘Love is a will freely joining another, a continual choice to be yours and no other.’ We love God “because he first loved us.”(1 Jn.4:19) “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” (Lk.7:47) God will cause men to be saved according to his eternal purpose. As we discussed before, all men can be saved but there will be some saved men ultimately. And God will persuade them himself so that they willingly believe. God will cause men to be saved by the election of grace which is by faith. And even if evil men and seducers wax worse and worse God will preserve some men (a remnant) by their faith.
“Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” (Rom.11:3-6) “And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.” (Ezra 9:8)
God will cause men to be saved by his mercy and love. “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.” (Hos.2:14-5) “And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD” (v19-20) “And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.” (v23)
Some final objections:
Rom.11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Yes- and the gifts are by the Spirit and the calling is in Christ and so again, ABIDE in him. (Rom.12:5-6, 1 Cor.12:4, see section on ‘irresistible grace’)
Yes- and the gifts are by the Spirit and the calling is in Christ and so again, ABIDE in him. (Rom.12:5-6, 1 Cor.12:4, see section on ‘irresistible grace’)
Mt. 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
He will say this to many, but this does not apply unto all men for not all cast out devils and prophesied and did wonderful works in his name (v22); as did the Pharisees children and others (Mk.9:28, Lk.9:49, Mt.12:27, Jn.11:51). And he also will say unto many “I know you not.” (Mt.25:12, Lk.13:25,27)
He will say this to many, but this does not apply unto all men for not all cast out devils and prophesied and did wonderful works in his name (v22); as did the Pharisees children and others (Mk.9:28, Lk.9:49, Mt.12:27, Jn.11:51). And he also will say unto many “I know you not.” (Mt.25:12, Lk.13:25,27)
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