Dr. Paul N. Benware

In this study, the eternal security of the believer has been assumed. In this brief appendix some support will be given for this position and some answers given to points raised against it. There are so many verses and arguments that have been brought into this discussion that a short appendix to this study on the Judgment Seat of Christ cannot address everything. However, there are certain basic matters that ought to be mentioned that, hopefully, will give some direction in making evaluations and conclusions.

CLARIFYING SOME CONCEPTS

Eternal Security and the Perseverance of the Saints
It should be observed that there is a difference between the doctrine of the “eternal security” of the believer and that of the “perseverance of the saints”. The perseverance of the saints is an idea that focuses on the efforts of the believer while eternal security focuses on the activities and promises of God. The perseverance of the saints is the belief that the true believer will live righteously throughout life (though he could experience temporary failures) and will end life true to the faith. The believer will persevere in godly living to the end and will not turn away from the faith. The eternal security of the believer is the belief that a person who trusts in Jesus Christ, and is justified by faith, will without exception enter into the eternal kingdom of God. It is that work of God that guarantees that a believer in Jesus Christ will, in spite of his sin or personal failure, never lose his salvation but will be glorified and live with Christ forever. Eternal security would say that if believers should live much of their lives sinfully then they shall indeed suffer loss---not the loss of salvation but rather the loss of reward.

Eternal Security and the Assurance of the Believer

Eternal security and assurance are not the same things. Assurance has to do with the believer’s understanding and sense that he does indeed possess eternal life. He knows that he is saved. On the other hand, the believer (who is eternally secure because it is the work of God) may not have the assurance of his salvation. A believer may lack the assurance of salvation, but nevertheless that believer is totally secure in his salvation. A believer who does not believe in the doctrine of eternal security may have the assurance of his salvation (for at least that moment in time). Assurance may be absent because of ignorance of the Word or sin in the life; that believer may not “feel saved” as a result. But the lack of assurance in the life of a true believer in no way negates eternal security. Of course, if a person is unsure about their own salvation, then he or she would be wise to come to the Lord and settle the matter by acknowledging Jesus Christ, the God-man, as the substitute for sin and to personally place trust in Him for the forgiveness of sins.

Eternal Security and “Salvation”

In both the Old and the New the Testaments words for “salvation” and “saved” actually have a variety of meanings. These words are used less than half of the time to communicate the truth of being delivered from hell and damnation. Many assume that the word “saved” and the word “salvation” always refers to justification by faith and the deliverance from hell. However, that would not be accurate since the majority of times they do not communicate that idea. “Save” (sozo) and “salvation” (soteria) often refer to deliverance from difficulty or danger, healing, wholeness, well-being and spiritual victory.

Several examples illustrate this wide and varied use of these words. In Matthew 9:21, the woman with the 12 years hemorrhage thought that if she could only touch the garment of the Lord she would be “saved” (sozo; that is, made well). Clearly it is her physical healing and not her deliverance from hell that is in her thinking. I Timothy 4:16 records Paul’s encouragement to Timothy to be persevering in his teaching of the Word in order that Timothy might be “saved” (sozo). Timothy, the believer and follower of Christ, did not need to be delivered from hell. However, he and those who would hear the Word faithfully taught would be saved (delivered) from heresies and wrong conduct, which is the subject in the context. Salvation in this context is a deliverance from doctrinal and practical error. And in 1 Timothy 2:15, a woman is said to be “saved” (sozo) through the bearing of children coupled with a godly life. Paul is certainly not speaking about women being “justified” and “delivered from hell” because they are bearing children. The context of this verse has been a discussion restricting women from occupying the role of the authoritative teacher in the local church. A woman might well feel that they would be greatly unfulfilled in life because of this apostolic restriction. Paul, however, says that a woman’s greatest fulfillment in life is not through being an authoritative teacher in the church, but in being a mother. Potentially, a woman is brought to a place of wholeness and spiritual victory (“saved”) through a godly life and fulfilling her God-ordained role as a mother, which also delivers her from the emptiness that life might bring.

With these few examples in mind, we can see the possibility that some verses that are often used to argue against eternal security, do not actually do so, simply because the context in which they are found are not discussing “deliverance from hell.” So the question must be asked each time a verse is brought up dealing with “salvation” as to the meaning of the word in that particular context.

THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER

It must be conceded that if our eternal security depended on our efforts, then there would indeed be deep cause for concern. This is so because, unfortunately, sin and failure are an ever-present reality in our lives. A serious Christian would always live with a level of uncertainty and anxiety. If we looked to ourselves for our final salvation then we would be hounded by troubling questions, such as, what if I die with some sins unconfessed? What sins jeopardize my salvation and which ones do not? How many times can I sin before I cross over the line into “lostness”? But these questions are not relevant since eternal security depends on God’s commitment and work and not ours.

The Role of the Father

It is the sovereign purpose of the Father to bring each and every believer to final glorification (cf. Eph. 1:4; Rom. 8:29-30). The Father has decreed from before the creation that those He has chosen will become holy and blameless. This is the decree of God the Father, which cannot be thwarted by anyone or anything. Paul states that those who were predestined, called and justified will also be glorified (Rom. 8:30). He uses the past tense for all these verbs, which indicates the absolute certainty of His purpose. As far as the Father is concerned, the believer that He has justified has in His purposes already been glorified. If you have been justified by faith, then you are also glorified---it has not yet happened in your personal experience, but it has in the mind and purpose of God. It is a done deal. It must be concluded that if any believer does not end up being holy, blameless and glorified, then the eternal purpose of the Father has been thwarted. If the Father’s declared purpose can be defeated by a creature, then God is not all-powerful and most everything about Him is called into question.

The Father’s power keeps a believer in his secure position. This was Jesus’ very clear declaration in John 10:29 where He said that “no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” His “sheep” can feel secure because they are secure in the protective custody of the Father. According to Jesus, the Father is “greater than all” and, therefore, no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. It should be evident that no one and nothing is greater than God. This would include Satan, the church, people and the believer himself. If it were possible for the believer to take himself out of the Father’s hand then Jesus’ statement is not only false but terribly deceptive. If a believer could remove himself from the hand of the Father, then surely the Lord would have indicated that as a possibility at this point and issued a warning. Otherwise, we must understand His all-inclusive statement to be all-inclusive!

The Role of the Son

The Lord Jesus’ death on the cross was the full and complete payment for all the sins of mankind. All of my sins and yours (past, present and still future) were paid for that horribly wonderful April day in Jerusalem. When He cried out “it is finished” He had at that moment paid in full the debt of sinful mankind. How many trillions of sins were paid for that day that would yet be committed in the millennia that followed? Sins not yet committed cannot separate the believer from the Lord because those sins too have been paid for.

The present ministry of Jesus Christ keeps us secure as He functions as our Advocate and High Priest (cf. Heb. 7:23-25; 1 John 2:1-2; Rom. 8:34). When we sin the Lord is seen as pleading our case before the Father. His case is built upon the fact of His shed blood by which all believers stand forgiven and by which the Father has been propitiated (satisfied). The Father, as a result, withholds condemnation.

The Lord Jesus also sees believers as secure in His hand (John 10:28). He says that the ones that He gives eternal life to “shall never perish.” The Lord, in using a double negative when making that point, is making the strongest possible statement for the security of His sheep. They shall “not never perish”. He then goes on to declare, “no one shall snatch them out of My hand.” Jesus is equally clear in John 6:38-40 where He stated that He does not lose anyone that the Father has given to Him! There are no exceptions in that statement. The security of the believer does not depend on his ability to cling tenaciously to Christ, but on Christ’s all-powerful grip on the believer. And when we consider that this One who is holding onto us is the designer, creator and sustainer of the universe itself (cf. Col. 1:16-17) we can rest peacefully and securely in our salvation.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has several ministries which reinforce the believer’s security. The Holy Spirit regenerates a believing sinner and causes that one to be born into the family of God (Titus 3:5; John 3:1-8). When a person becomes a child of God they also become part of the Body of Christ through Spirit baptism (1 Cor. 12:13). When a person becomes a child of God the Spirit indwells all believers permanently, even those who are living sinful lives (cf. 1 Cor. 6:19-20). If believers could become lost again then they would be “unborn”, severed from the Body of Christ and left without the “permanent” indwelling of the Spirit. None of these is seen as a possibility in a believer’s life in any New Testament scripture.

The Holy Spirit also seals the believer at the moment faith is place in Christ (Eph. 1:13-14). A “seal” (sphragis) was used in the Greek world as a symbol of ownership and security. For example in the New Testament, Pilate placed a seal on the tomb of Jesus in order to make it secure. No one could break the seal unless they had authority to do so. In the case of Jesus’ tomb, only Pilate or someone greater than Pilate could legally break the seal. In the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit is seen both as the seal and the One who does the sealing. His work of sealing shows that the believer is owned by God and is kept securely. The seal cannot be broken unless it is broken by God or someone greater than God. Since no one is greater than God, the only possibility for the seal being broken is if God Himself does it. In other words, no one including the believer himself can break the seal. God, of course, has declared that He will bring His children to glory. The time frame for this ministry of sealing is spelled out very precisely. The sealing work of the Spirit begins at the very moment of faith (Eph. 1:14) and continues until the “day of redemption”, which is the day of our final salvation when it will no longer be needed. There is simply no way that the seal will be broken, which means that there is simply no way that the believer’s salvation can be lost.

We are able to see in this brief overview that the Trinity is committed to keeping the believer in Jesus Christ secure. The believer’s eternal security rests squarely on the work of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And since our entrance into the final, forever kingdom of God depends on the One who is sovereign, powerful, truthful and faithful, we can be assured that not one who has been justified will be lost.

Some Additional Scriptures

Romans 8:31-39 constitutes one of the most profound declarations of the believer’s eternal security. The Apostle Paul declares that God has aligned Himself with the believing sinner. The Holy God has declared the believing sinner to be righteous based on the totally sufficient work of Jesus Christ on the cross. In light of this stance taken by God, it is now impossible for any legitimate charge to be brought against the believer and no one can usurp God’s authority and condemn the believer. Paul then clearly and definitely lists those forces and people who some might think could separate us from God. The conclusion is clear that no one or nothing has the power or ability to separate us from God’s love. There is nothing in all of the created universe that can bring about a separation between the believer and the Lord. And it must be emphasized that this includes the believer himself (who is after all simply one creature in the vast creation).

In Romans 5:6-10, the Apostle notes that at one time we all were “ungodly”, “helpless”, “sinners” and “enemies” of God. In that most deplorable condition Christ came and did the powerful work of saving us. Paul then proceeds in his argument and says that if Christ did all this for sinful enemies he will do “much more” for those He has redeemed and will save them from the coming wrath of God (Rom. 5:9-10). “Much more” is a term of comparison. His point is that since God did so incredibly much for His enemies, He will do the great work of remaining reconciled with those redeemed by the blood of Christ and will deliver them from coming wrath. God’s attitude of love for those He has saved will be even greater than His attitude of love towards sinners. He will keep His own from the wrath that is coming.

John 3:16 should not be overlooked in this discussion. It states that whoever believes is given eternal life. The life that is given is eternal and not “conditional.” If it could be lost then it ought not to be called eternal but rather “conditional life”. Furthermore, when John 5:24 is brought alongside, it becomes evident that whoever has trusted Christ as savior and received eternal life will not face judgment. There are simply no conditions attached to these statements. Eternal life is the present possession of the believer and there is the guarantee that judgment will not be theirs. If judgment was a possibility because of sin and failure then these are terribly misleading statements.

ARGUING AGAINST ETERNAL SECURITY

A large number of verses used to argue against eternal security really do not do so. When it is remembered that “saved” and “salvation” often do not refer to deliverance from hell, and that often the context of the verse being used is actually discussing the victorious life and rewarding, then it comes evident that the loss of salvation is not being addressed. The following verses are but some examples of this and are verses that are often used to teach that salvation can be lost.

Jesus addressed His disciples in John 15:1-11 using the imagery of the vine and branches and the work of the farmer. He is speaking to His apostles about their need to “abide in Him”; that is, to continue in close fellowship with Him. The subject is not salvation but living a fruitful, productive life that comes about because of intimate fellowship. If they do remain in close fellowship with Him (“abiding in Him”) then their lives will be fruitful. It is possible, however, for a believer to cease abiding in Him with the result that their lives will be fruitless. They do not cease being believers but cease having authentic fellowship with Him. With such branches the farmer will work in order that fruit might be produced. However, if the fruitless condition remains (which is a result of the absence of fellowship not of regeneration), Jesus says that their situation will then become like a branch that is thrown out and burned (15:6). The picture is that of the severe discipline (with the resulting lack of reward---cf. 1 Cor. 3:15) of the believer. The metaphor Jesus used was speaking of intimate fellowship, not organic union. The issue is the loss of fellowship not salvation. The Lord is communicating the same basic idea when He said that a believer who does not really follow Him as a good slave will be like salt that has lost its saltiness (Luke 14:34-35); that is, they will have a life that has no value and the results of their life will be quite negative.

In His “Olivet Discourse”, Jesus spoke of the coming days of the Tribulation, and stated in Matthew 24:13 that the one who “endures to the end…shall be saved.” Is He teaching that eternal life and the avoidance of hell comes only to those who live righteously to the very end of life? In attempting to understand the meaning of this verse we must note that the context is the terrible days of the coming Tribulation where most believers will die for their faith. The setting is not the present day. Enduring to the end is most likely not a reference to the end of the Tribulation, but an end to their lives. Remembering that “saved” has a variety of uses in the New Testament helps us understand the meaning of His statement. The “salvation” spoken of here is probably similar to that found in 1 Timothy 2:15. It is a deliverance from emptiness into fullness (wholeness) of life. In other words, Jesus is saying that believers who are faithful to the end of their lives in these horrible days of tribulation will receive a fullness (wholeness) of life; namely, the abundant entrance into the Messianic kingdom. They will experience the fullness of life of the coming kingdom, which as we have seen has to do with the rewarding of believers. Their lives are delivered from meaninglessness.

The Apostle Paul speaks of those who have “fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4). When this verse is written by Paul, the flow of discussion in Galatians has moved through the matter of justification by faith and into the realm of sanctification by faith. Paul forcefully declared that these who had begun their spiritual lives by means of the Spirit’s work are to continue in the power of the Spirit as they live their Christian lives (Gal. 3:1-5). It must be observed that in the context, the Apostle is contrasting living according to the principle of grace versus living according to the law. The issue is not sinful living. This is important to keep in view as it is often assumed that “falling from grace” is to be equated with “losing salvation.” The point Paul makes in Galatians is that Christ and the Spirit operate in the realm of grace and not law. If a person should chose to try and live according to the law they have moved into a realm where Christ and the Spirit do not operate. Believers are to live according to God’s grace and when they do they will have the power and presence of Christ and the Spirit. However, if they depart from the realm of grace (or “fall from grace”) and enter into law for sanctification they have severed themselves from Christ’s empowerment for living. They cannot live the Christian life that way and they must return to the realm of grace where the Spirit’s power can operate against the flesh (Gal. 5:13-24). The loss of salvation is simply not in the context and, therefore, this verse is not dealing with sin or the losing of salvation.

There are some verses, such as 1 Timothy 4:1, that speak of those people who depart from the faith. These verses, however, are not speaking of personal faith but the faith, namely the body of Christian truth. Those mentioned here are said to depart from the faith. These are false teachers. There are many false teachers who turn away from God’s truth and promote false teaching. However, these are never said to be believers. They are religious to be sure, but they are not regenerate people (cf. Jude 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Peter 2:1-19). They did not possess eternal life and therefore could not lose it.

A number of verses, particularly in the Psalms, speak of people being “blotted out” or “cut off” (e.g. Psalm 69:28; 109:13). These two Psalms happen to fall into the category of “imprecatory psalms” where the Psalmist is asking for immediate judgment to fall on his enemies because they have not only done him harm but have wickedly violated the laws of God. These people are declared to be evil and are never seen as believers who possess eternal life. They, like the false teachers just mentioned, never had eternal life and therefore cannot lose it. There is a covenantal context that must be remembered when looking at these Psalms (and also a number of cases in the Gospels). The people of Israel (made up of believers and unbelievers) were all in a covenant relationship with God. This makes them unique among all the people on the earth. Being part of the nation of Israel, the unbelieving Israelite sustained a legal covenant relationship with God. The Psalmist is asking God to physically cut off these wicked Israelites. He wants these who willfully and flagrantly violate God’s holiness to have their physical lives extinguished. The issue is life here and now and is not a reference to the future world. It reflects the Old Testament idea that a long life comes to the righteous but sinners are cut off. The people under discussion are not saved people and their salvation is, therefore, not the subject of these texts.

The discussion could continue on and on for many pages but these examples have been given to show that these scriptures which are used to argue against eternal security really do not prove the case, particularly in light of the strong commitment of the Triune God to keep believers secure.

In evaluating verses, which may appear to teach the loss of salvation, certain basic points need to be kept in mind. First, what is the discussion of the writer in the context in which the verse is found? Often the context has absolutely nothing to do with the issue of justification by faith and the deliverance from hell. If that is the case, then it is most unlikely that the proof text verse is dealing with those subjects. Second, it is critical to remember that “save” and “salvation” are not fixed terms for “justification by faith” or “deliverance from hell”. And while we are conditioned to think of “saved” in just one way, it is important to ask if there might be alternate meanings that make more sense or are more consistent with the author’s discussion. The fact that “save” and “salvation” refer to justification or deliverance from hell less than half the time should make us cautious as we interpret. Third, many passages in the Gospels and the Old Testament are focused on the covenant people of Israel. Their unique situation of having a covenant relationship with God is a factor that needs to be considered. There are saved and unsaved Israelites living in that covenant relationship with God. But the unsaved are unsaved and do not possess eternal life and, therefore, cannot lose it. This perspective can impact one’s interpretation. This could help determine what David meant when he asked God to blot the wicked out of the book of life and to help decide if the prodigal son was saved or unsaved as he headed off to the far country.

When the exegetical dust settles on this issue, there remain some difficult and problem verses as well as a variety of interpretations. However, there are many clear and unequivocal statements that the believer in Jesus Christ will be kept secure by the power of the Triune God. And on that, we rest the case.