The debate about Eternal Security has been going on since the Early Church era. Between the third and fourth centuries (200 – 400 AD), two ‘church fathers”, Augustine and Cyprian taught that it was possible to fall from grace and that there was nothing like Eternal Security. During this period of severe persecution, the general response to those who deny being Christians when their life was threatened was to be ex-communication from the church. However, while there eventually was a general consensus to readmit those who repented and wanted back in, on the condition they agreed to be treated like new converts, some denied them readmission into the church family. Over a thousand years later, during the Reformation period (1500 – 1700 AD), when the Roman catholic church persecuted the protestants, the debate intensified, John Calvin taught the same – saints must persevere till the end to qualify for the Kingdom of God. I actually thought this was the only position of evangelical and Pentecostal Christian denominations until quite recently.
The concept of Eternal Security seemed to have gained traction in the 20th Century (1900 AD) among some evangelical groups and the debate continues today. It was in fact only quite recently when I discovered that some Bible scholars and teachers that I respect very much defend the doctrine of Eternal security albeit very cautiously. I strongly believe that it is very possible for a saved person to lose his or her salvation. My objective here is therefore to show from the Bible why my position has not changed. However, let me quickly point out that while I totally disagree with this view, I do not consider any Christian who does not agree with me a heretic.
First, I must confess to a niggling concern about why this debate should even come up at all among Christians! And I find it particularly confusing and surprising that strains of evangelicals and Pentecostals who supposedly believe, defend, and teach Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola Gratia (Grace alone), Sola Fide (Faith alone), Solus Christus (Christ alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone) should be so preoccupied with it especially since most of them live in nations that no longer experience the kind of physical violence faced by the early church under persecution. The way I see it, anyone who has ever been born again should know that godly repentance is key to staying and being restored into relationship with Jesus Christ our Saviour through the same faith by grace at the beginning. It therefore seems counterproductive to me to spend so much energy on validating a cop-out for someone who knows better but chooses to turn away from following Christ. So far as I am concerned, nothing in the Bible suggests that.
Besides, so far as I know, nothing in the Bible suggests that Christians, leaders or otherwise, were given the responsibility to extend or withdraw access to heaven to any other human being. It is one thing to teach, exhort, and encourage a weak, young or uncertain believer, or a repentant backslider to have full confidence in God’s promises as stated in Ephesians 2: 8-10: By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast. It is quite another to promote the idea that an unrepentant backslider who continues to live in secret or willful sin will make heaven because once upon a time, he believed and walked with Christ!
I do not of course forget the case of the repentant thief on the cross. Left to us mere human beings, a thief who is publicly executed on the cross will certainly go to hell since he never followed Jesus and lived a life of sin. But he repented in the last hour and publicly confessed his faith in ability of Jesus to help him make Heaven right there on the cross. The result was the assurance of salvation from our Lord Himself. For details read Luke 23: 39-43. We shall certainly meet many such in heaven but only if we too stay faithful till the end.
In contrast, some who publicly declare faith in Jesus and spent their lives teaching and preaching salvation through Him, may appear to us to be guaranteed candidates of heaven, and may even be personally confident of this themselves. Yet Jesus’ response to them in Matthew 7: 21-23 was: 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Believer or not, no human being is in a position to establish the condition for making heaven that is different from what God Himself has said. Nor are we in a position to reassure anyone of eternal life if they rejected or betrayed Jesus, even if only at the end of their life on earth. Only the Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent God can make Salvation a reality in the life of any human being (1 Corinthians 3:6), and by extension, only God the Holy Spirit can reassure anyone of their spiritual status. This fact is clearly captured in the Bible verse that says in Romans 8:12 that The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are the sons of God. All that is expected of a believer is to continue to follow Christ while planting and watering the seed of the Good News. Only God gives the increase.
And what on earth makes anyone think that stepping inside without staying inside will have no consequences? Is God not doubly justified for making His Great Salvation conditional to a continuous desire for it, especially given the fact that He has covered all grounds. Hebrews 4:16 states “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need“.
Anyone who claims to have put his trust in the only True God through Jesus Christ because he is sure He is loved and that all He says and does is for his own good, should not be looking for a way to avoid following Him to the end. It is also exceedingly reassuring to know that God is able to keep us from falling and to preserve us blameless (Jude 1:24), and also that He has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2Peter 1:3).
Oh Yes, God, the Good Shepherd, knows we might fall short or stray away as a result of our human appetites. James 1:14-15 states: But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.’. Nevertheless God’s enduring mercy and steadfast love make Him do all it takes to bring us back to Him if we stray away. Part of God’s love for the believer includes the kind of chastisement that will bring him back to the fold (Hebrews 12:6-7; Revelations 3:19).All these provisions are clear proof thatGod Himself gives us a choice in the matter. He has never, and will never give anyone a carte blanche access to heaven if that person chooses to continue in sin. Once saved is not always saved.
What happened to Apostle Peter and Judas is another palpable demonstration of the fact that Eternal Life is conditional. Both of them followed Jesus for years, witnessed the miracles he performed, accepted Him as the Messiah, preached the Good News of Salvation in the streets at His command, healed the sick and cast out demons by His authority. Then, towards the end, both betrayed Jesus!! However, Peter repented with godly sorrow and was restored and used powerfully by God… and was killed for standing firm till the end. We are sure he is heaven today. But while Judas also felt and expressed remorse, it was not godly sorrow so he was not restored.
2Corinthians 7: 10 says: For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. In spite of the fact that Jesus made sure that Judas knew He knew his evil intention, and even pointed him out to the other apostles, Judas did not back off from his evil plan. He seemed to have been so consumed by his own persistent desire for wealth, that what Jesus had to say about it had no more value for him. He preferred to ‘do his own thing’ and ‘handle things his own way’ till end when he committed suicide. This was the clearest proof that Judas’ faith in Jesus was completely eroded and that he had a limited view, of Jesus’ capacity to love and forgive the truly penitent. Like Judas, many have gone the same way.
Many other passages of the Bible negate the doctrine of Eternal Security while affirming the doctrine of Conditional Salvation. Ezekiel 24: 18 is a palpable example. There, God Himself declares: “But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die. Some who oppose this truth may argue that this passage was from the Old Testament and therefore not applicable to the New Testament. But this would be a serious fallacy because God’s Grace and Mercy endures forever and is as evident in the Old Testament as in the New Testament. God does not change. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever! (Malachi 3:6. Hebrews 13:8).
Our Lord Jesus Christ reiterates the truth of Conditional Salvation in so many other passages in the New Testament. In Mark 9: 43-48, Jesus also said something drastic about making heaven to His followers: 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,where “‘the worms that eat them do not die,and the fire is not quenched.’ Again, Jesus sternly declared in Luke 9: 62: “No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God”. This warning would be irrelevant if it was not possible for one who once committed to follow Him could not go back at will. If this is not a call to personal choice, I don’t know what else it is!
Furthermore, Conditional Salvation is clearly implied in the concept of a Covenant or even a Testament. Here is how Google defines the two words: A covenant is a formal agreement, promise, or contract, often legally binding, involving specific actions or obligations. It’s a commitment to do or not do something, frequently found in contracts and deeds. Covenants can also have religious or symbolic meanings, representing a sacred or solemn agreement, particularly in a religious context… A Testament, in its own part is defined as follows: The term “testament,” as applied to the two parts of the Bible, means: a covenant, agreement, pact. In the language of the Bible it denotes the agreement or pact between God and man: Man agreed to do certain things and God, in return, promised certain blessings.
Now, I’ve signed quite a few tenancy and job agreements in my time. If I don’t pay my landlord on time, our relationship is strained. And if my employer does not pay me my salary on time, the same thing happens. If that situation persists in either of the two examples, the landlord will either throw me out, or I will leave the employment. An agreement implies obligations on both sides to keep things going, as the definitions above make clear.
This principle was made very clear by God in Deuteronomy 28 when He was making a covenant with the children of Israel. It is a very long chapter so I would rather not post that here. But here are the verses relevant to this topic in question. Verse 1 states: If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.
Can anyone deny the fact that the blessings in Deuteronomy 28: 1-15 are an awesome demonstration Grace, in as much as it is initiated by God Himself without request, appeal, instigation or performance by the beneficiary? Should anyone therefore dare to question the condition that accompanies it, or the consequences of rejecting the condition? In any case, regardless of how anyone feels, the loving God who came up with the idea in the first place made the consequences of not meeting the condition very clear. Verse 15 states: However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you…”
And He even goes further still in Deuteronomy chapter 29, verses 19 – 20 to warn individuals that the Grace covers, and who are very much aware of the condition, but deliberately choose to reject it, in the following words:“Those who hear the warnings of this curse should not congratulate themselves, thinking, ‘I am safe, even though I am following the desires of my own stubborn heart. ‘ This would lead to utter ruin! The Lord will never pardon such people. Instead his anger and jealousy will burn against them.
Some falsely argue that the Grace God extended to Non-Jews in the New Testament does not require believers to keep on following Christ till the end but that having done so at some point in their life is enough to guarantee them access to heaven at death regardless of how it ended. However, Apostle James’ exhortation in his letter to Christians makes it clear that this is not true. In James 1: 21-25, he debunks the doctrine of Eternal security in strong terms as follows: So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
God’s Grace was also evident in the Old Testament and it was always accompanied by the same condition. His choice of Israel is a prominent example. He Himself keeps pointing out to them that His choice was not based on anything special about them. To the contrary, He said, they were actually quite insignificant when He chose them. Here is how Ezekiel 16: 4-7 puts it: On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. 5 No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised. 6 “‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!” 7 I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.” In the same vein, Moses was instructed by God to remind Israel as follows in verses 7-8 of Chapter 7 of the book of Deuteronomy: “The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and was keeping the oath he had sworn to your forefathers that the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery.”
The New Testament is referred to as ‘a Better Covenant’, not because there were no conditions attached, but because it was the Perfect Covenant. The Message vversion of Hebrews 10:4 explains this in the following terms: The old plan was only a hint of the good things in the new plan. Since that old “law plan” wasn’t complete in itself, it couldn’t complete those who followed it. No matter how many sacrifices were offered year after year, they never added up to a complete solution…. The plain fact is that bull and goat blood can’t get rid of sin… You don’t want sacrifices and offerings year after year; you’ve prepared a body for me for a sacrifice… So I said, “I’m here to do it your way, O God, the way it’s described in your Book.”… he set aside the first in order to enact the new plan—God’s way—by which we are made fit for God by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus”.
Here’s what Apostle Paul, who knows the meaning of God’s Grace more than most other believers has to say about it in Roman 6:1-2. He asks a rhetoric question, the answer to which he considers obvious to all his listeners and read readers: Shall we continue to sin, that Grace may abound? Then he immediately answers vehemently: God forbid! How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? His reaction, if nothing else, highlights the extent of the erroneous belief that it is okay for a believer to continue living anyway he likes because of God’s abundant grace. And again, do please note that when Apostle Paul said this, he was addressing New Testament believers who were already followers of Christ!! Again, he wouldn’t have needed to say this if all it took was to have once believed and followed! In fact, the larger part of the Bible as a whole would have been unnecessary if this was the case!
Remember Lot’s wife in Luke 17:32 is another clear warning by our Lord and Saviour about what would happen to believers who ignore all the warnings to keep following Christ, but choose to act on their yearning for worldly values, priorities and principles. 1John 2:16 captures all that succinctly as follows: For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
This is why Jesus Christ Himself says in Revelations 3: 20: Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
In exactly the same way as human beings have a part to play in surrendering their life to Christ at salvation, they also a have a choice when it comes to ‘abiding in Christ’. Since no one can follow perfectly on this side of heaven, Jesus Christ is able to keep those who do not turn back from falling and to preserve them blameless until that day (Jude 1:24), and He describes the fate of those who disengage from Him in John 15: 6: Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. Also in Matthew 10: 33 our Lord Jesus Christ warns: But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. You may wish to note here that the word ‘disown’ implies having once owned and subsequently making a conscious choice to no longer own! Once saved certainly does not translate to always saved.
It is of course unimaginable that someone who once believed this could ever go back. But some do as is evident in both the Old and New Testaments. And such people will not make heaven except they sincerely confess and turn back to follow Christ. After all these bible texts, what other argument does anyone want as proof that the onus is on man to cling to the Free Gift of Salvation he has accepted. When one consciously, actively, deliberately and presumptuously decides to place any other priority above their relationship with Jesus, God the Son, He in turn reserves the right to withdraw His Promises present, future and eternal.
