Perseverance of the Saints

     Is it possible for one who has been saved from his sins by the blood of Christ, to later fall away and be lost eternally in hell?  In this article, we want to test, with the scriptures as our guide, the fifth and final major doctrine of Calvinism, i.e. Perseverance of the Saints, also known as "once saved - always saved." It was Calvin's belief that those who were of the elect, those for whom Christ had died, those upon whom the Holy Spirit had miraculously operated, these would never be lost regardless of their actions. The Westminster Confession of Faith. states, "They whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved."  What does the Bible say?

The Bible Teaches That a Saint Can Fall

     The Bible teaches that a saint or Christian can fall from grace and be lost.  Jesus taught this in the parable of the sower in Luke chapter 8.  You might remember that Jesus said  that the seed in this parable was the word of God in verse 11.  In verse 13, Jesus said that the seed that fell on the rocky ground were "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."  Jesus describes here believers who fall away.  Paul warned the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 10:12 in this manner:  "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."  A similar passage is found in Hebrews 3:12.  There it says:  "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;"   If one cannot fall, why were these two commands given?  If you knew it were absolutely impossible for some man on a building to fall, you would not rush up and exclaim, "Take heed, brother, lest you fall!"  Neither would the Holy Spirit issue such a warning if it is impossible for a Christian to fall.  Notice what Paul said to those who were attempting to be justified by the law of Moses in Galatians 5:4:  "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace."   Not only is it possible for Christians to fall, but in this passage, Paul said these men had already fallen from grace which saves us. 

    Furthermore, the Bible teaches us that it is possible to again be entangled in the defilements of the world after escaping.  Notice what Peter wrote in 2 Peter 2:20-22: 

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.  For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.  But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."
Notice here these people Peter was describing had escaped the defilements of the world by becoming Christians.  However, they were again entangled in the defilements of the world and overcome by them.  What is the result?  Peter says "the latter end is worse for them than the beginning."  Now, if this is not proof that a Christian can so sin as to be eternally lost, then why is the last state worst than the first?  Could the last state be worse than the first, if the person goes to heaven?  Certainly not!  So, what we see from these passages (and there are several more) is that the Bible clearly teaches that a child of God can so as to be eternally lost.

The Bible Teaches That a Saint Will
Not Fall If He Does the Will of God

    One of the main arguments that the Calvinists use to defend the doctrine of "once saved - always saved", is that the Bible teaches that God's power preserves and protects the true believer, and since God preserves and protects the believer, that precludes the possibility of their being lost. They cannot conceive of how a saved man can ever become a lost man without God being either weak or faithless.

    There is no question that the Bible teaches the security of the true believer, but it is not an unconditional security. The question is not whether God preserves and protects the righteous man, but whether the righteous man can become and unrighteous man. It is not whether the believer is secure, but whether a believer can lose his faith and become a unbeliever.

    The Bible teaches that a believers security in Christ is conditioned upon whether he continues to walk by faith. In 1 Peter 1:5, Peter writes that Christians "are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." The Calvinists will says, "See, the child of God is kept, or guarded by the power of God for salvation. How then can he be lost?"  But also notice that this verse says that they are kept, or guarded through faith.  As long as the behavior remains in the stockade of faith, God's power is there guaranteeing his safety.

     Consider with me some other passages that indicated that the believer will not fall and be lost "if" he meets certain conditions. In Colossians 1:21-23, Paul says that these Colossians saints had been reconciled by Christ, "in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight--if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard,..." Whether or no they would be presented holy, blameless and above reproach in the Lord's sight was conditioned upon whether they continued in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel. Notice it is possible for saints to be moved away from the hope of the gospel. Hebrews 3:6 says, "but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end." We are the house of God, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. In Galatians 6:7-8, Paul says that he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. In verse 9 he says, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Whether or not one reaps eternal life is conditioned upon whether he does not lose heart. These are just some of the "if" passages that teach us that the eternal security of the believer is conditioned upon his continuing to live by faith. 

The Bible Gives Us Examples of Those Who did Fall

    Not only does the Bible tell us that Christians can fall, but it also gives us examples of Christians that did fall.  We mentioned above those Christians that tried to be justified by the law of Moses in Galatians 5:4.  Paul said that these people had "fallen from grace".  There are other examples in the New Testament as well.  In Acts 8 we read of a man named Simon who in verse 13 believed and was baptized.  There is no doubt that Simon became a Christian because he did what he was told to do to be saved.  However, after seeing the apostles laying their hands on the brethren and giving them the Holy Spirit, Simon offered the apostles money for the Holy Spirit. "And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, 'Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 8:18-19)  Now notice Peter's response to Simon's request in verses 20-23: 

But Peter said to him, 'Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!  You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.  Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.  For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity. 
Does this sound like a saved individual?  Peter said that Simon:  1)  Had no part or portion in this matter, 2) did not have the right heart in the sight of God, 3) needed to repent of his wickedness, 4) was poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.  Does this describe a soul that is right with God?  Clearly, Simon had fallen.  If Simon would not have repented, he would have been eternally lost as if he had never become a Christian.  So, not only does the Bible teach that it is possible for a child of God to fall away, the Bible gives us examples so that we may learn that we can fall away as well.  Therefore the Calvinistic doctrine of Perseverance of the saints clearly contradicts plain Bible teaching.

The Bible Warns and Encourages Saints
Not to Fall but to Remain Faithful

     The Bible also warns saints of falling and encourages them to remain faithful. The question is, Why would God warn saved people of falling, and encourage them to remain faithful, if it was impossible for them to fall and be lost?

     In Philippians 2:12 Paul wrote, "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;" Why would Paul encourage them to work out their own salvation if it was impossible for them to lose it? Someone may say, but in verse 13 Paul says, "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." The point is, as long as the believer does his part in believing and following Christ, God does His part to work in him both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

     The book of Hebrews is written to Christians. Notice some of the warnings and encouragements to these Christians in the book:  "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away." (Hebrews 2:1) Why would these saints be warned of drilling away if it was impossible?  "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;" (Hebrews 3:12) Why would they be warned of departing from the living God if it was impossible for them to depart from God.  "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience." (Hebrews 4:11)  The Israelites fell short of a rest that God promised them because of unbelief and disobedience, and the point the Hebrew writer is making in this verse is that there is remaining for the people of God a rest, the final rest in heaven, and he warns and encourages these brethren not to fall according to the same example of disobedience. Why would he warn them of falling if it was impossible for them to fall?  These passages show clearly that one who has become a Christian, can fall and be lost.

Conclusion

     What we have seen is that the Bible does not teach that a Christian cannot totally and finally fall away from the state of grace.  Nor does the Bible teach that all children of God shall "persevere" to the end and be eternally saved.  The Bible teaches just the opposite.  The word of God teaches that a saint can fall and that it is possible to again be entangled in the defilements of the world after escaping.  It also gives us examples of those who did fall away from the grace of God.  Fortunately for us, the Bible teaches that a saint will not fall if he does the will of God, it teaches us how to do God's will, and it encourages Christians not to fall but to remain faithful to the end so that we may saved eternally.  These facts contradict the Calvinistic doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints.

 

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