The FACT and DEFENSE of the Preservation of the Saints in Holy Scripture

There is a group that teaches from "Evangelical Outreach" by Dan Corner that denies the essential Christian truth of the preservation of the saints found in the Holy Scriptures.  The written Word of God teaches that Christians are forever and they shall never perish (John 10:28), none of them is lost (John 17:12) and Christians are kept by the power of God (1 Peter 1:5).  We are guaranteed eternal life by the Spirit's sealing (2 Corinthians 1:21-22), Christ's intercession (Romans 8:34-39) and God's power (Jude 24).

They reject the teaching from Dr. James R. White of Alpha and Omega Ministries and display it on their web site at http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/jimwhite.htm.  Dr. White is right that the written Word of God teaches eternal security.  It is completely fallacious to say otherwise.  We must hold to the matter of the truth of the Gospel no matter what opposition we face.  The verses given do not support conditional salvation.   That is, that someone could lose their salvation in the Christian life.  The scriptural fact is, no one can lose their salvation IN Christ.  There is abundant scriptural evidence that supports eternal security.  Surely, if we reject perseverance of the saints we do much harm to the Gospel.  If it is neglected, the Gospel is edited and torn to pieces.  Why do depraved men and women reject the sound teaching of Scripture?  They embrace a gospel that takes them away from Christ!  We are told it is because of scriptural proof but it is highly unlikely that is the case at all.  Let us for a moment consider the argument that is laid against us:

First Corinthians 15:2 is stated as a reason why there can't be eternal security.  It is simply speaking about people who may not truly believe.  There is a belief that is not a true belief.  And there is a peace that is not a true peace.  Everyone who holds to the Gospel firmly will never be lost.  This is because of the Holy Spirit's keeping power through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  Those who believe in vain are those not born again of the Spirit of God and the Word of God.  Empty professors does not disprove the preservation of the saints.  Surely there are empty professors in the Christian life!  However, the true professors have a true possession of the Christian faith.  No one can take it away.  The greatest devil in hell could not take away spiritual redemption in Christ.  The greatest sin in the world cannot break the power of Christ.  This does not mean we ought to sin, because Peter says we ought not to use our liberty as a cover-up for evil.  Instead by eternal security we realize the overflowing love of the Cross to be holy and godly people of the Word!

Colossians 1:22-23 also does not disprove eternal security.  Everyone who continues in the faith of Christ from the Bible has eternal security.  It is a warning to keep our eyes on Jesus.  There is no cooperation touching the doctrine of monergism, but there is cooperation touching the doctrine of progressive sanctification in the Christian life.  He reconciled us to the Father through His death on the Cross.  This verse hardly is a proof text for conditional security.  If someone continues in the Christian faith they have demonstrated that they belong to Christ.  Its only by the Spirit of God and the Word of God that someone is enabled to continue on to glory.  Calvinism is hardly "another gospel."  Rather Calvinism is the Gospel of grace and truth.  To say we do not want to live a holy life is outright foolishness.  Because we belong to Christ it means we want to use His death to bring to holiness of conversation, thought and deed.  The doctrine of eternal security is not a license to sin.  Rather it teaches us that we belong to Christ forever and we ought to use His grace for practical holiness.

Here is a quote from the great Augustine on eternal security:

"Paul says that he is sure, not merely that he is of the opinion...that neither death nor the promise of temporal life nor any of other things he lists can separate the believer from God's love.  No one can separate the believer from God; not someone who threatens death, because he who believes in Christ shall live even if he dies, nor someone who offers earthly life, because Christ gives us eternal life.  An angel cannot separate us, because if an angel comes down from heaven and tells you something other than what you receive, let him be anathema.  Nor can a principality, i.e., an opposing power, because Christ has...vanquished them in himself."  (Bray, Gerald and Oben C. Thomas, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament VI, Romans, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, pg. 242.)

We can see that no power in the universe can separate us from Christ.  His love is all-powerful.  We ought to dwell on His love to experience the depth of riches in His awesome power.  I agree with Augustine that no power can take us away from God.  I would challenge anyone to a debate on eternal security.  There is also additional abundant proof from the written Word of God that can be given to support preservation of the saints.  Perhaps in an additional post I will cite passages from the Scriptures that support this precious truth of the Gospel.  Amen.

The Nessecity of Repentance

Repentance can be seen in the Bible as a national repentance.  We ought to say that God should bless America with repentance.  America is not sinless but in need of forgiveness and cleansing.  We have sinned by abortion and homosexual marriage.  America is already under the wrath of God because of these things.  If there is sin there must be repentance and a returning to God. 

Repentance is a gift from God.  It is not meritorious or something we earn.  It is a free gift of God, Christ and the Holy Ghost.  We are led to repentance by God's merciful and loving kindnesses through His patience and long-suffering and goodness.  We repent because of the conviction of sin.  The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and then we repent.  We ought to ask God to search us and know us and find any wicked way within us. 

Repentance means we have spiritual life, remission of sins, a new spirit, a new heart and abounding joy.  Repentance is a sign of reformation, restitution and godly sorrow that no one should repent of. 

Repent, the kingdom draweth nigh,
The herald of the Lord doth cry.
Ye sinners lost through Adam’s fall,
Will ye not hearken to the call?

Repent! The gracious call believe,
Haste His forgiveness to receive.
The Prince of Life, incarnate Word,
Life and salvation can afford.

Divine Redeemer, glorious King!
Repentant hearts to Thee we bring.
Thy holy blood for us was spilt,
Cleanse us from all the stains of guilt.

Drawn by Thy Spirit, through Thy Word,
Thine invitation have we heard.
In answer to Thy sweet request,
We come to Thee, O Christ, for rest.

Thy pardon, full, complete, and free,
Removes sin’s awful penalty.
Our Father’s love is now restored;
Thou hast redeemed us, dearest Lord.

Let us Thy name forever bless,
On earth Thy Gospel truth confess,
Till saved by grace, through faith in Thee,
The gates of paradise we see.

Turn to the Lord: Some Verses on Repentance

Acts 9:35: "And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord."

Acts 8:22:  "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee."

1 Samuel 7:3:  "And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."

Acts 15:3:  "And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren."

Prayer to the Holy Trinity

Holy Father, we come to Thee through Jesus Christ Thy only Son by Thy Spirit.

Give us grace to grow in the confidence and knowledge of the Thee.  Help us to work out our salvation with reverential fear and trembling.  Let us not be in tormenting fear but a fear of respect of Thee.  May we repent not because of fear of punishment but because it has offended Thee.

May we mourn over sin committed and grow in the grace and faith of the Lord in Thy Word.  Deliver us from opposing enemies by Thy Spirit.  Sanctify us through Thy truth Thy Word is truth!  Protect us from every darkness that seeks to take us away from Thee.  Keep us on the straight and narrow path that leads to Thee.  Sometimes we may be outside Thy will but we know we never lose Thy Fatherly care.

Always give us redemptive grace alone through Christ alone.  We pray that Thou would grant us Thy favor in this life.  Grant work Oh Lord God Almighty!  Keep us protected from Satan as was the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 17.  May we stand our ground and fight for Jesus no matter what!

Expose us to the truth of Thy Word and keep us feeding on it.  Grant that we would remember Thy Word and mediate on it.  May we dwell constantly on Thy Word. 

We pray for our enemies that Thou may bless them and give them Thy gospel of good news.  We pray for the unfed that Thou would fed them.  We pray for the unclothed that Thou would cloth them.  We pray for the ill that Thou would heal them.  We pray for the stranger that Thou would show them hospitality, for we could entertain angels unaware.  We pray for the imprisoned that Thou would heal them and deliver them and help them with the truth of the forgiving power of Thy Word.  We pray for all of them that are spiritually lost that Thou would bring them to Thyself through the proclamation of Thy Word.  We pray for those involved in cults that Thou would bless and help them with the understanding of Thy Word.

In the mighty name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

No Merit Except Christ Alone

Ezekiel 14:14
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 14:20
Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

 Romans 4:22
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

 James 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

 Romans 4:11
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

 Genesis 15:6
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Assurance of Salvation

^{1 John 5 KJV
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 (emphasis mine).

No One Can Take Us Out of God's Love

Romans KJV

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
³ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
⁴ That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
⁵ For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
⁶ For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
⁹ But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
¹⁰ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
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.
¹² Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
¹³ For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
¹⁸ For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
²⁰ For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
²¹ Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
²² For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
²³ And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
²⁴ For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
²⁵ But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
²⁷ And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
³¹ What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
³² He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
³³ Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
³⁴ Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (emphasis mine).