Eternal Security

by D. Richards (Canada)

PAPER 4

We continue to examine some of the Scriptures which are used as a basis for objecting to the truth of eternal security.

Heb.6.4-6 “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.”

Here again, it is claimed, the Word of God warns that we can lose our salvation if we fall away. V4 is used to prove that these people are genuine believers. But, if these are necessarily believers, let us see what the consequence is of them “falling away.” V4 to 6 say, “it is impossible … to renew them again unto repentance.” Surely, if these are Christians, the writer must be saying that if they fall away they can never be recovered. I have never heard it suggested that if someone loses his salvation he can never be saved again! But this is what these verses must be saying, if they are referring to true believers. To rightly understand these very difficult verses we need to have an understanding of the whole purpose of the Epistle to the Hebrews. As the title of the epistle infers, it was written to “Hebrews”, that is, people of the Jewish nation. That many of them were genuinely saved there can be no doubt. In 3.1, the writer states, “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,…” But, as also happens in our day, many, it would seem, had been caught up in the original zeal for the gospel, who may not have really been saved. Bear in mind that Judaism, the religion they had left, was the only God given religion. They had a temple in Jerusalem, a high priest in his garments of glory and beauty. Everything about Judaism was visible and tangible. Now they had left all that to follow a man whom they could not see. They had no visible temple. Everything about their “new religion” was invisible, and intangible. Now, as a result of persecution, they were questioning whether they had been too quick to forsake Judaism and follow “Jesus”. There are five series of warnings against apostasy in the Epistle to the Hebrews (2.1-4; 3.7-4,13; 5.11 - 6, 20; 10.26-39 and 12.15-29). Apostasy is a total abandonment of Christian ground, a repudiation of all that one once claimed to believe. No true believer can commit apostasy. But, some will object, how are we to understand the statements of v4? Surely, such things could only be said of a true believer. To answer this we must go back to ch.3. In this chapter from v7 (the second warning against apostasy) the writer uses the nation of Israel on their journey from Egypt to Canaan as an example of failure to achieve the goal (in their case, entry into Canaan). He concludes that the reason they (i.e. that generation) never entered the land was unbelief, v19. In ch.6 the writer uses the experience of Israel in the wilderness as a background for his warning against apostasy. In 6.4,5 he says five things about those who may fall away.

1. “… once enlightened.” 2. “have tasted of the heavenly gift.” 3. “were made partakers of the Holy Ghost.” 4. “have tasted the good word of God.” 5. “the powers of the world to come.”

I want us to see how this parallels with the experience of Israel in the wilderness, not just those who truly believed, but also those who perished in the wilderness. The Israelites had known what it was to be delivered out of Egypt, and from being recaptured by Pharaoh’s hosts, when God parted the Red Sea, and they went through on dry ground, Ex.14. They had been enlightened. When they complained to Moses that they had no water to drink, God instructed Moses to “smite the rock” with his rod. When he did so the waters flowed and they tasted of the heavenly gift, Ex.17. In all their journey to Canaan, for forty years, they were led by “the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night,” Ex.13.21, 22. They were made partakers of the Holy Ghost (that is, they experienced, by way of illustration, the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives). When they complained that Moses and Aaron had brought them into the wilderness “to kill this whole assembly with hunger,” God supplied them with the manna, which they were able to gather through the whole of their journey. They had tasted the good Word of God (of which the manna speaks, Ex.16). Through all their journeying they saw the mighty hand of God in miraculous power. They had experienced the powers of the world [age] to come. Yet, “with most of them God was not well pleased” 1Cor.10.5, and they died because of unbelief in the wilderness, Heb.3.19.

The present writer submits that all that is said in Heb.6.4, 5 can be true of a person who has been much influenced by the gospel, but who has never actually believed it.

Heb.10.26, 27 “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.”

You will notice again that if these verses refer to true believers then there is no hope for such if they sin wilfully. These verses form the beginning of the fourth warning against apostasy. The wilful sin spoken of in v26 is wilfully (i.e. deliberately) turning away from Christ when fully understanding the gospel. An apostate is someone who has professed faith in Christ, fully understanding the truths of the gospel, and not only departs, but now repudiates all that he once claimed to believe. V29 says of such, that they have “trodden under foot the Son of God, … counted the blood of the covenant … an unholy thing, … and have done despite to the Spirit of grace.” Notice now the writer’s concluding remarks in v39, “But we [emphatic in the Greek] are not of them who draw back unto perdition [destruction]; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

Matt.10.22; 24.13 “But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

These two verses are exactly the same in wording in the Greek, though slightly different in the translation. It is claimed, on the strength of these verses, that endurance to the end is essential to salvation. It must be remembered that the Bible never contradicts itself. As with the other verses we have looked at, we must see these statements in their context. In Matt.10 the Lord commissions the twelve apostles for their work amongst the Jews, v5, 6. This is not a commission for us today. It was temporary, until the nation had finally rejected Christ as their Messiah. It also has a meaning for those who will serve Him in the coming tribulation, v23. From v16-28 the Lord is warning the disciples of the persecution that they would receive. In v21 He warned them that “the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.” In v22 He continues, “And ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake …” Then He adds, “but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” The words “saved”, “salvation” and “Saviour” do not always have in view the salvation of the soul. For example the Lord Jesus is described as “the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” Are we to believe from this verse that all men are saved? It would be easier to understand if it read, “the preserver of all men,” for He is not the Saviour of all men. In the context of Matt.10, the salvation spoken of by the Lord for those who endure is their preservation from denying the Lord through the persecution which they were to experience. The context in Matt.24 is very similar. V9-12 refer to the persecution that will be experienced by God’s servants in the coming tribulation (after the church has been raptured). But those who would endure to the end would be delivered through the persecution.

It is often objected that the teaching of the eternal security of the believer encourages believers to continue to commit sin. First of all, it would never be right to deny what the Bible clearly teaches because of what the effect of such a doctrine might be. The important thing is “does the Bible teach it”? But secondly, on the contrary, the teaching of eternal security does not encourage sin. It gives the highest possible motive for seeking to please the Lord. The believer should not be motivated by a fear of losing his salvation, that would be a selfish motive. But the believer should be motivated by an appreciation for what Christ suffered for him, and an appreciation of all that we have been brought into. Also, it has already been pointed out that if we are truly saved we will continue, Col.1.21-23. When Christ saves, He does a good job of it. He not only saves the soul, but also the life! In 1Jn. we have a series of tests to prove who is really saved. Right through the letter there are two basic tests:-

1. What does the person believe?
2. How does he live?

The individual must pass both tests to be proved genuine. John suggests that if the person has the right doctrine, but is not living the life then he is not saved. On the other hand, if the person is living the life, but does not hold to the doctrine he is not saved. Not that living the life contributes to salvation. It is the evidence of salvation.
Teaching that we can lose our salvation if we do not endure does two things:—

1. It brings discredit to the work of Christ, in that it implies that the work of Christ upon the cross is not enough.

2. It elevates the flesh, in that it implies that the flesh is not the corrupt thing that the Bible teaches it is, and there is something we can do to contribute to our salvation. This would mean that when we get to heaven (if we make it) we will be able to say, “I am here, not only because Christ saved me, but because I was able to hang on.” As can be seen from Jn.10.28, 29, it is not how tightly I hold on to Him that saves me, but how tightly He holds on to me.
Many other verses could be quoted by both sides in this argument. It is not claimed that this is an exhaustive exposition of this subject, or that these articles are the definitive answer to all objections. But it is prayerfully submitted for the help of all who will read it. May the Lord be pleased to use it to the encouragement and establishment of the saints!

—Concluded