Sovereignty, Free Will, and Salvation - The Preservation of the Saints

Sovereignty

Free Will &

Salvation

The Preservation
of the Saints

Westminster Confession of Faith

"They whom God hath accepted in His beloved Son
effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit can neither
totally nor finally fall away from a state of grace, but shall
certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally
saved."

Some Say Yes…

―If anyone says that a man once justified cannot lose grace and therefore
that he who falls and sins never was truly justified, let him be accursed.‖
-Catholic Church Council of Trent: 6/23

―Persons truly regenerate, by neglecting grace and grieving the Holy Spirit
with sin, fall away totally, and at length finally, from grace into eternal
reprobation‖
- Conference of the Remonstrants 11/7

Consistent vs. Inconsistent Arminians

There are some that hold to all the Arminian doctrines (God doesn‘t choose
people for salvation, people can resist God‘s call, the atonement isn‘t limited), but
then try and argue that Christians can‘t lose their salvation. Such a position is
inconsistent and is not what the Arminian or Wesleyan theology teaches (which is
consistent), which says if humanity has the free will to choose or deny God before
being saved, they have the freedom to walk away from God if they choose after they
are saved.

Inconsistent Arminians must admit that the person loses their ‗free will‘ at some point
and cannot freely choose to walk away from God.

Four Kinds of People

1. People who are not saved
who know they are not
saved
2. People who are saved who
know they are saved
3. People who are saved who
don‘t know they are saved
4. People who are not saved
who believe they are saved

www.confidentchristians.org

Making sure…

―Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make
certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as
you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this
way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. ‖
(2 Peter 1:10–11)

What evidence is there that says a
Christian cannot lose their salvation?

New Covenant based on Abrahamic Covenant

―Now the Lord said to Abram, ―Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And
from your father‘s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great
nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And
I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the
families of the earth will be blessed.‖
(Genesis 12:1–3)

Abraham called Abraham blessed Abraham exhibits faith

The unconditional Abrahamic covenant is the pattern for our faith (cf. Rom. 4; Galatians)

Jesus on the Preservation of the Saints

―This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing,
but raise it up on the last day. ―For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who
beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him
up on the last day.‖ (John 6:39–40)

―My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal
life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to
snatch them out of the Father‘s hand. ‖ (John 10:27–29)

Jesus on the Preservation of the Saints

―I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to
You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me,
that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in
Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them
perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. . . .
Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so
that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the
foundation of the world. ‖
(John 17:11–12, 24)

Paul on the Preservation of the Saints
―For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that
He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these
whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. ‖
(Romans 8:29–30)

―Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ‖
(Romans 8:35, 38–39)

―In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you
were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the
redemption of God‘s own possession, to the praise of His glory. ‖ (Ephesians 1:13–14)

―For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of
Christ Jesus. ‖ (Philippians 1:6)

―Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved
complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will
bring it to pass. ‖ (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24)

―For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am
convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. ‖ (2 Timothy 1:12)

John on the Preservation of the Saints

―All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has
not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of
the Lamb who has been slain. ‖
(Revelation 13:8)

The Doctrine of Adoption

―But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman,
born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that
we might receive the adoption as sons.‖ (Galatians 4:4–5)

―He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the kind intention of His will‖ (Ephesians 1:5)

In Paul‘s day, a father could legally disinherit his own son(s) so they would receive
nothing that was his. However, if that same father adopted a son, the law prevented
him from ever disinheriting that son; it was illegal and couldn‘t be done. It is no
coincidence that Paul says we are ‗adopted‘ sons and not just sons; we cannot lose
our inheritance with God.

Who ultimately safeguards the salvation
of the believer – God or the person?

God Keeps the Believer Safe
―For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. ‖
(Hebrews 10:14)

―Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His
great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled
and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of
God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ‖ (1 Peter 1:3–5)

―These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that
you may know that you have eternal life. ‖ (1 John 5:13)

―Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the
called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ‖ (Jude 1)

―Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the
presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through
Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and
now and forever. Amen. ‖ (Jude 24–25)

Word Study - Kept
Greek Meaning
tēreō
tetērēmenois
① to retain in custody, keep watch
over, guard someone; a prisoner
② to cause a state, condition, or
activity to continue, keep, hold,
―Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of
James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the reserve, preserve
kept
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-
Father, and for Jesus Christ: May mercy and English lexicon of the New Testament and other early
peace and love be multiplied to you. . . . And the angels who Christian literature.
did not stay within their own position of authority, but left
their proper dwelling, he haskept in eternal chains under
gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day‖
(Jude 1-2. 6)

Interpretation & Application
This is how Paul describes himself in Philemon 1 (―Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus…‖). Prisoners can
and do escape, but their breakout is only possible if the one holding them is remiss in their handling –
something not possible with an all-powerful and all-knowing God. Unlike the false teachers that were
accosting the early Church, Jude writes to those who are under the lock and seal of Christ Notice
that in vs. 6, the unrighteous angels are ―kept" also., but for judgment. Thus there are two ‗prisoners‘ of
God. In the same way the ungodly angels cannot ‗lose‘ their punishment, the Christian cannot lose
their salvation

But if it‘s by faith we‘re saved, what if a
Christian begins to show unfaithfulness
toward God?

God Remains Faithful to The Called

"for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."
(Romans 11:29)

Some Good Theology in Song

I know you've washed me white
Turned my darkness into light
I need your peace to get me through
To get me through this night
I can't live by what I feel
But by the truth your word reveals
I'm not holding on to you
But you‘re holding on to me
You‘re holding on to me

- ―East to West‖, Casting Crowns

God Remains Faithful to Bless and Punish

―For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also
may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. It is a trustworthy
statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign
with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He
cannot deny Himself.‖ (2 Timothy 2:10–13)

―Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every
respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. What then? If some did
not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? May it never be!
Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, ―That You
may be justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged.‖ But if our
unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who
inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) ‖ (Romans 3:1–5)

Doesn‘t eternal security imply a person can sin
all they want without fear of consequence?

No, Scripture is clear on the subject

―What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that
grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died
to sin still live in it?‖
(Romans 6:1–2)

No, Scripture is clear on the subject
―Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ‖
(Romans 6:11)

―For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. ‖
(Galatians 2:19)

―But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ‖
(Galatians 6:14)

―As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in
your ignorance, ‖ (1 Peter 1:14)

―He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and
live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. ‖ (1 Peter 2:24)

―No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he
cannot sin, because he is born of God. ‖ (1 John 3:9)

Westminster Confession of Faith

"Nevertheless, believers may through the temptations of Satan and of the world,
through the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, through the neglect of their
means of preservation fall into grievous sins and for a time continue therein, whereby
they incur God's displeasure and grieve His Holy Spirit come to be deprived of
some measure of their graces and comfort, have their hearts hardened and their
consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others and bring temporal judgments
upon themselves."

The Perseverance of the Saved and Unsaved

The Saved The Unsaved
―Now I make known to you, ―It has happened to them according
brethren, the gospel which I to the true proverb, ―A dog returns
preached to you, which also you to its own vomit,‖ and, ―A sow, after
received, in which also you stand, by washing, returns to wallowing in the
which also you are saved, if you hold mire.‖ ‖
fast the word which I preached to (2 Peter 2:22)
you, unless you believed in vain. ‖
(1 Corinthians 15:1–2)

―So Jesus was saying to those
Jews who had believed Him, ―If you
continue in My word, then you are
truly disciples of Mine‖
(John 8:31)

Stop! What about these verses?

Hebrews 6

―For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the
heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the
good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it
is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to
themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks
the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose
sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles,
it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. ‖
(Hebrews 6:4–8)

Hebrews 6 … Keep Reading…

―Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of
better things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to
overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving
the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same
earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may
not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit
the promises (Hebrews 6:9-12)


Hebrews 6 … Who Does it Sound Like?
―For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made
partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have
fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God
and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to
those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and
close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. ‖
(Hebrews 6:4–8)

―He took up his discourse and said, ―The oracle of
Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose
eye is opened‖ (Numbers 24:3)

―forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having
followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved
the wages of unrighteousness‖ (2 Peter 2:15)

―‗But I have a few things against you, because you have
there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept
teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of
Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of
immorality. ‖ (Revelation 2:14)


Hebrews 6 … Who Does it Sound Like?
(Hebrews 6:4–8)

―While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name
which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one
of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the
Scripture would be fulfilled. ‖ (John 17:12)

―Jesus said to him, ―He who has bathed needs only to
wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean,
but not all of you.‖ ‖ (John 13:10)

―Jesus answered them, ―Did I Myself not choose you, the
twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?‖ ‖ (John 6:70)


A countless Multitude of Unbelievers
(Hebrews 6:4–8)

―When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be
released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the
nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and
Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of
them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on
the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of
the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from
heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived
them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where
the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be
tormented day and night forever and ever. ‖
(Revelation 20:7–10)

“You will know them by their fruits…”
(Hebrews 6:4–8)

The people above experienced many things from God,
and yet yielded a fruit (no spiritual life) that was bad, which
indicates they were never saved to begin with. ―You will
know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from
thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? ―So every
good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad
fruit. ―A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad
tree produce good fruit. ―Every tree that does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ―So then,
you will know them by their fruits. ‖ (Matthew 7:16–20)


―In these verses he is not questioning
the perseverance of the saints; we
might say that rather he is insisting
that those who persevere are the true
saints. But in fact he is stating a
practical truth that has verified itself
repeatedly in the experience of the
church. Those who have shared the
covenant privileges of the people of
God, and then deliberately renounce
them, are the most difficult persons of
all to reclaim for the faith.‖
- F. F. Bruce


Hebrews 10

―For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no
longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the
fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law
of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much
severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the
Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he
was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said,
―Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.‖ And again, ―The Lord will judge His people.‖ It is
a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. ‖
(Hebrews 10:26–31)


Hebrews 10 Explained

―For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but
a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside
the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you
think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the
covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ―Vengeance is
Mine, I will repay.‖ And again, ―The Lord will judge His people.‖ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living
God. ‖ (Hebrews 10:26–31)

Those who get the gospel message delivered to them but reject it
have no where else to turn for salvation. Continuing in a willful, sinful
life is evidence that a person never was born again.

Hebrews 10 Explained

―For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but
a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside
the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you
think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the
covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ―Vengeance is
Mine, I will repay.‖ And again, ―The Lord will judge His people.‖ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living
God. ‖ (Hebrews 10:26–31)

The word used for ‗sanctified‘ here is not what is used for a move toward purity or
holiness, but it means ‗consecrate‘ or ‗dedicate‘. These apostates had identified
with the church, had chosen to dedicate themselves to Christ, but defected and
turned from Christ, proving they were never saved.

Revelation 3

‗He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his
name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before
His angels. ‖ (Revelation 3:5)

Opponents of eternal security argue that the verse above implies a believer‘s name
can be erased from the Lamb‘s book of life. This is nowhere stated in the text or
anywhere else in Scripture. First, it says that believers are already clothed in white
garments, which indicates righteousness from God. Second, it simply says that
believer‘s names are permanently inscribed in the book of life – they are there to
stay.


1 Corinthians 9

―Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not
beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I
have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.‖
(1 Corinthians 9:26–27)

The context of this passage is concerned with evangelism and the rewards that
come from Christian service. Paul references a prize to be won rather than the gift of
salvation that is received. Christians can indeed be disqualified from their service
(e.g. preachers that commit gross sins and are exposed, etc.) and Paul was stating
that he disciplines himself so this will not happen to him.

2 Timothy 2:12

―If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will
deny us‖ (2 Timothy 2:12)

First, the term means ‗refuse‘ – if we refuse Christ, He will refuse us. But further:
How does a person deny Christ and how it is demonstrated? Peter denied Christ
and yet did not lose his salvation. How do unbelievers or false believers show their
denial of Christ: ―They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him,
being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. ‖ (Titus 1:16)


―But I know people/have a friend/relative who taught
Sunday school, went to church for years, was really into
Christianity and now will have nothing to do with God.
What about them…?

“They all are not of us…”

―They went out from us, but
they were not really of us;
for if they had been of us,
they would have remained
with us; but they went out,
so that it would be shown
that they all are not of us.‖
(1 John 2:19)


“no firm root…”

―The one on whom seed was
sown on the rocky places, this is
the man who hears the word and
immediately receives it with joy;
yet he has no firm root in
himself, but is only temporary,
and when affliction or
persecution arises because of
the word, immediately he falls
away. ‖
(Matthew 13:20–21)

“I never Knew You…”
―Not everyone who says to Me,
‗Lord, Lord,‘ will enter the kingdom
of heaven, but he who does the will
of My Father who is in heaven will
enter. ―Many will say to Me on that
day, ‗Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in Your name, and in Your
name cast out demons, and in Your
name perform many miracles?‘ ―And
then I will declare to them, ‗I never
knew you; depart from Me, you who
practice lawlessness.‘ ‖
(Matthew 7:21–23)

Conclusions

• A believer is preserved by God and can never lose their salvation
• Eternal security is not a blank check to sin. Scripture warns
against this thought. Further, the desires of the believer are
changed so they desire righteousness and not sin.
• There are those who appear to be Christians but are not.
Abandoning the Christian life is evidence of a person never being
born again.


Eternally secure

―Now that God has taken my salvation out of the control of my own will, and put it
under the control of His, and promised to save me, not according to my working or
running, but according to his own grace and mercy, I have the comfortable certainly
that he is faithful and will not lie to me, and that He is also great and powerful, so
that no devils or opposition can break Him or pluck me from Him. . . . Thus it is that,
if not all, yet some, indeed many , are saved . . . Furthermore, I have the comfortable
certainty that I please God, not by reason of the merit of my works, but by reason
of His merciful favor promised to me, so that, if I work too little or badly, He does
impute it to me, but with fatherly compassion pardons me and makes me better. This
is the glorying of all the saints in their God.‖
- Martin Luther

One Last Thought

The goal of the Christian life is not to see how far you can go to the
edge before you lose your salvation. The goal is to stay as close to
God as you possibly can so you can walk in truth, avoid the
consequences of sin, and enjoy all the benefits that come from living a
godly life. This attitude makes the question of whether a person can
lose their salvation not worth asking from a practical standpoint.


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