The prevalent and most popular view in our time regarding salvation appears to be that somehow one is able to lose their salvation once it is given to them by God through Christ. They think that somehow we mere finite beings can thwart God’s eternal purposes. Well, for those of you who hold to this position I have some questions I would like for you to answer. I have listed 12 although there could be more. I figured 12 is a good enough starting point.
Questions:
- How can a person, who has received Christ and all that accompanies that process, as a gift from God that He does not “repent” (change His mind) over, then be lost when the possession of the very gift we are speaking of means ETERNAL life?
- How can a person whose salvation does not remotely depend on any human works or effort, but solely on the power and work of God in Christ, be lost by any sort of human works, effort, or action, by the body or by the mind?
- How can a person that Christ died for paying the full penalty of the law, and satisfying the very demands of God’s justice, leave that covenant, therefore, requiring Christ to pay that penalty again?
- How can a person who has been redeemed by an ETERNAL redemption by the powerful, precious, infinitely valuable blood of Christ, be placed back in a condition of condemnation?
- How can a person who has been “born of incorruptible (undying) seed”* and is therefore given ETERNAL life as a gift that God does not “repent” (change His mind) of, die spiritually?
- How can a person that God promises will not come under condemnation, then come under said condemnation?
- How can a person who has BECOME a new creature in Christ then become an old creature again?
- “If every believer was foreknown of God, and all who were foreknown were predestined to become conformed to the image of the Son of God, and all who were predestined have been called, and all who were called have been justified, and all who were justified have already been glorified in the sight of God, at what point is it possible for a single one to be lost?”**
- If God has made provision for all who are saved through the advocacy of Christ, which is based only on HIS righteousness and HIS propitiation for all sin by way of the cross, to act as our “defense attorney” regarding all charges made against us by the enemy, how can one who is saved then be accused guilty and lost or condemned?
- How can a person who has the Holy Spirit living, or abiding, in them forever; is sealed by the Spirit for security and as a witness to Christ’s ownership; and if this person has been given the Spirit as a GUARANTEE of something that can only be reached in eternity, how can this person NOT be secure?
- How can a person who is the object of God’s love and therefore saved, not an object of His wrath and therefore condemned, who is promised God’s love will always be true; actually, it is the very reason of salvation, be lost?
- How can a person who has been saved by the very power God declares He used to raise Christ from the dead and seat Him at the apex of power and glory possibly become lost and spend eternity in hell?
Conclusion:
I would argue that those who deny the doctrine of eternal security for believers have to face the bluntness and raw honesty of these questions. I would add they need to address these questions with Scripture without forcing texts to mean things that they don’t mean. They must show their answers do not contradict the doctrines of grace and are in harmony with the entirety of Scripture. Until this is done, the charge must remain that they are holding on to, and/or teaching, directly against the doctrines of grace found in God’s Word.***
*Strombeck, J.F. “Shall Never Perish,” p.83.
**Ibid.
***Article was adapted from, Strombeck, J.F. “Shall Never Perish,” pp.82-84
[Guest Post by Dr. Jeff Hagan, President at True Grace Ministries and Theological Institute]
