There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to accept that which is true.
- Soren Kierkegaard
Christ The doctrine of eternal security also known as "the perseverance of the saints" was introduced as early as the fifth century by the church father St. Augustine the Bishop of Hippo. Popularized in the sixteenth century as one the main tenants of Calvinism, it reached its fullest acceptance within modern Christianity as a logical offshoot of easy believism's "unconditional love."
While "once saved always saved" is clearly not taught by Christ or any New Testament author, theological constructs such as foreknowledge and predestination, choice and election, freedom and determinism in conjunction with Divine sovereignty require careful and considerate analysis.
Quantum Christianity's intent is not to be divisive. Rather, the discipline is by nature inclusive. Many Bible commentaries too often force a premature choice between this and that truth and/or Scripture. QC simply acknowledges that "a single truth" is not, by definition, "the whole Truth." In doing so, hopefully, honest and thoughtful dialogue is encouraged.
Such thinking is particularly helpful where Scripture becomes complex. Wise Bible students learn to develop honesty in their reasoning skills, keeping an open mind while working through both sides of important issues. Such an approach was noted by F. Scot Fitzgerald who wrote, "the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function."
We submit that doing justice to Biblical passages and topics requires the following mental tools:
1. Reverence enough to let Scripture say what it means and mean what it says.
2. Faith enough to energize one's imagination without going off the deep end.
3. Curiosity enough to examine epic verses and poke around original languages.
4. Humility enough to remember who your betters are.
5. Honesty enough to recognize and respond to our extreme need for God.
6. Desperation enough to ask, seek and knock until insight is given.
7. Love enough to find ways to reveal, rather than conceal, even difficult truths.
When it comes to answering life's ultimate concerns, there can be no more vital topic than the attaining and retaining of Salvation. In the end, every individual of every family, country and generation needs to successfully ask and answer the question of questions "What must I do to be saved?"
Thankfully we have Scripture to guide us. Charles Spurgeon, once considered by many the Prince of Preachers, was asked how he defended the Bible so well. He replied, "like a lion in a cage, I just let it out." The same could be said about Biblical interpretation, recognizing that Scripture is designed to be the best interpreter of itself.
As for the doctrine of election, certainly a number of Bible passages offer a promise and/or warning in regards to the importance of the perseverance of the saints. Mistakes are made when emphasizing the promises over and above the warnings. While clearly a quantum topic, honest accounting reveals that with 1,455 "ifs" in the New King James Version, far more often than not Scripture presents salvation as a conditional offer to all rather than a compulsive certainty to a few.
One passage addressing both eternal security and election can be found in Peter second epistle’s additions to faith. Peter explains the conditions regarding how the free gift of God’s "exceedingly great and precious promises" are received:
- "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." 2 Peter 1:4-5
The context and content of Peter's directive argues strongly that these seven additions are more than mere electives, clearly making the case they are each crucial to all aspects of salvation. Sandwiching these important steps with verses detailing both great promise and peril, he opens the chapter with the opportunity to become "partakers in the divine nature" to the end of escaping the "corruption that is in the world through lust."
Further highlighting the importance of growing in grace he continues:
- For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:8-10
As do all Biblical authors, Peter set's before us a choice. Option one: grow in these additions to faith and gain much, including the unimaginable rewards of eternal life. Option two: arrest our spiritual development and loose much, including in many cases salvation itself. Thoughtful believers will note the five benefits for those choosing wisely:
1. Will be neither Barren nor Unfruitful: Few understand Scripture's warning that unfruitfulness can be a Kingdom deal breaker for rebellious Christians ending in a hellish eternity as in Christ's parable of The Vine and Branches.
2. Will not be Short Sighted to Blindness: Given escalating levels of temptation and deception, not to mention the approach of judgment and the Great Tribulation, spiritual blindness is paramount to spiritual disaster.
3. Make our Call and Election Sure: Here is one of many quantum verses on the doctrine of election as it relates to myth of eternal security. If the premise "once saved always saved" is true, then what need is there to make one's "calling and election sure"?
4. Never Stumble: While falling Christians may regain their footing through genuine repentance, there is a form of stumbling from which recovery is impossible. Besides this passage see also Enduring until the end, Denying Christ, Crucifying Christ twice, Blot out your name from the Book of Life.
5. Will receive Abundant Entrance into Heaven!
One of the reasons the parables of Jesus resonated so powerfully with His audience and billions down through the millennia is that the visible and physical world is designed to often emulate the invisible and spiritual. In this case, just as human life is a gift for which none of us initially labored yet can be limited or lost so too salvation. In fact, close examination of and by Scripture reveals an unfortunate plethora of ways the promise of Kingdom life can be compromised or forfeited. These include the following:
Unfruitfulness:
- “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." John 15:1-8
1. He is the Vine, Christians are the branches. Obviously branches are "in the vine" thereby eliminating the possibility of being false converts or self deceived.
2. Branches (Christians) producing fruit are pruned to produce more fruit.
3. Branches (Christians) failing to produce fruit are "cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." Clearly being cast out, thrown into the fire and burned is a warning of Hell and the Lake of Fire.
4. Branches (Christians) "remaining" in the Vine continue in the Vine's life (living faith and thus salvation in all it's meanings). Those leaving the Vine and failing to "endure until the end" join the eternally lost.
Jesus continues to address the issue in a variety of passages that clarify what it means to truly believe:
- “And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!… Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” Luke 8:4-8, 11-15 (Note: 3 out of 4 hearers, including those who “believe” fail to have a noble heart and obey, bear fruit and preserver through to salvation. Also, while there seems to be a continuum of progressive belief, only the latter yields eternal salvation.)
- “And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Mat 24.4-14
- “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’ Rev 3:1-7
- “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Rev 3:14-21 (Note: For more on Christ’s judgment of His churches click here)
Sins of Omission
While many verses warn of dire penalties for sins of commission, in this verse and other famous passages such as the Rich Man and Lazarus (the only conversation recorded in the Bible between human beings in the afterlife), Sheep and The Goats (humanity's apportionment to either heaven or hell), and Ten Virgins (one terrible parable) Jesus warns sins of omission can prove to be spiritually and eternally deadly. In the above passage it's not for producing poisonous fruit that the vine is cast off and burned. Simply failing to produced the good fruit expected by the Vinedresser was reason enough for it's destruction! Few Christians today are taught this powerful truth. In fact, Churchianity's foundational concept of unconditional love and acceptance if far different from the New Testaments instructions on the antithesis to cheep grace, such as the virtue of fear including Christ's own teachings on fearing God.
Perhaps the most infamous passage regarding the necessity of living faith expressed by action was penned by Jesus's half brother James who serves as the most insightfully pragmatic of all New Testament authors. Conspicuously absent from not only Christ's earthly ministry but His very crucifixion, seeing Jesus resurrected so transformed James as to qualify his becoming the head of the Jerusalem church and the first church council recorded in the Book of Acts. Needless to say, having been raised with Son of God as his older brother gave James unique insight into the Kingdom of God:
- "Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.” Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That’s just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?" James 2:14-20 MSG
Sins of Commission
In theory sins of commission are more identifiable than those of omission. In reality, with unprecedented forms of temptation and deception reaching ubiquitous levels, many if not most of the lines between morality and immorality have been blurred if not erased. Equally troubling is the exponential growth of apathy and worldliness within modern Christianity. Even among the dedicated, doubtful habits and besetting sins constantly frustrate and stymie personal and corporate sanctification.
Scriptures directly and indirectly warning against sins of commission are nearly too numerous to number. The following should be sufficient to make the case:
- “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire." Matthew 5: 21-22
- "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." Matthew 5:27-30
- “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" Matthew 7:21-23
- "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
- "Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences." 2 Corinthians 5:9-11
- "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:16-21
- “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Col 3:1-10
- "And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:6-8
These handful of Scriptures hardly represent the tip of the iceberg of the over 6,000 commands mitigating the Bible's hundreds if not thousands of promises. Taken as a whole it's easy to see that while salvation is a free gift it is hardly unconditional. Furthermore, the doctrine of eternal security as represented by the colloquialism "once saved always saved" is clearly a misnomer. Scripture does however reveal both God's foreknowledge as well as a from of election, neither of which necessitate the violation of mankind's limited free will through absolute determinism either by insuring salvation or damnation.
Perhaps the greatest threat of eternal security as currently taught is an over emphasis on God's sovereignty that minimizes if not eclipses Scripture’s emphasis on appropriate human response. While by definition Omnity possesses the right and ability to predetermine any and all aspects of creation, the same inviolate God declares:
- "Son of man, speak to Israel. Tell them, 'You've said, "Our rebellions and sins are weighing us down. We're wasting away. How can we go on living? Tell them, 'As sure as I am the living God, I take no pleasure from the death of the wicked. I want the wicked to change their ways and live. Turn your life around! Reverse your evil ways! Why die, Israel?'" Ezekiel 33:10-11 The Message
- "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4
- "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives." 2 Peter 3:9-11
Such passages clarify that through the infinitely costly atonement of Christ God elects and has preordained a way for "all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth" that if followed allows for true eternal security:
- "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31-39 NKJV)
This beautiful and popular passage seems to suggest "all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well." Yet when juxtaposed against a plethora of warnings to believers by Christ and every New Testament author, wisdom requires a second look. First notice the passage begins with an "if" and is directly addressing persecuted Christians. Paul's primary purpose is to encourage Christians genuine enough to suffer for their total commitment to Christ. Next note that while the list appears exhaustive there are two looming omissions. The word "sin" is absent. Equally telling is the assumption that we ourselves are not in rebellion to God. These exceptions may well account for millions if not billions of believers who will be eternally surprised to find themselves excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven as addressed in such passages as previously discussed.
The overall context of Scripture's conflict or warfare theology reveals the problem is not God's will, but rather the temptations and deception of the Evil One and his forces successfully targeting fallen mankind's proclivity towards sin and entitlement. The Bible's overview of the history of eternity reveals an amazing Adversary capable of inciting as many as a third of Heaven's ancient, holy and glorious angels into rebellion. Such a one, identified in Scripture as both the god of this age and the prince and power of the air, has and continues to find deceiving even God's anointed on earth of little difficulty..
All the more so when placing all the onerous for seeking and saving the lost on God's shoulders rather than our own. Why diligently seek what can't be found or lost? Why pay a high cost to evangelize and disciple, much less concern oneself zealously contending with sinners in attempts to "compel them to come in" when simple mental assent assures a salvation that can never be lost? What need is there of serious Bible study and/or prayer, much less preoccupation with repentance and preparation for revival or reformation?
Interestingly the above perfectly describes the foibles and follies of modern Christianity rather than the passion and dedication exemplified by the life and teaching of all the New Testament authors including Paul who warned:
- “You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 The Message
The unconvinced do well to consider the following. While only time and/or the end of it will fully settle this and every debate, wouldn't wisdom be to err on the side of caution rather than presumption?
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