Eternal Security Proved!

Tampa Baptist Deaf Church

2008-09-09T20:49:00.003-04:00

My brothers and sisters in Christ, the deaf community is one of the least reached around the world with the Gospel of Christ. One small church in Tampa Florida is doing their part to spread the Good News in their area. For years they have been struggling financially, and more so now.

If the Lord leads you, would you please consider helping them? Any amount will help, whether a one-time gift or on-going support.

Here is their address:

Tampa Baptist Deaf Church
300 E. Sligh Ave.
Tampa, FL 33604

Thanks and God bless you,

Phil

Repentance - What is it?

2008-08-16T01:56:00.003-04:00

What is repentance? In the New Testament this word is translated from the Greek word "metanoia". It means to "think afterwards", in other words a change of mind. Metanoia by itself is not a "religious" word. It is used many times in secular Greek literature. One can have a change of mind about anything.

Specifically then, the question is how it is used in Scripture. More specifically, how does Scripture use it in reference to how a lost person gets saved?

The Gospel of John presents the person of Christ (His Deity), and His work (sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection), and the only condition for receiving the gift of eternal life (trust in Christ).

In John's account there is no mention of the word repent or repentance. Yet the concept is there. What does a lost person repent of in order to be saved? Well, for one thing, unbelief. A change of mind from unbelief to belief. Also, a change of mind from trusting those things that cannot save (human works, religious efforts, good deeds, rituals, etc...), to trusting only in the One who can save - Christ Jesus.

So you can see then that repentance is indeed necessary for receiving eternal life, but it is not a separate step we take that is in addition to faith.

Not one place in Scripture is repentance presented as meaning sorrow for sin or turning from sin, when it is speaking of how to be saved or born again.

Now of course a proper attitude toward sin would be had by someone coming to faith in Christ. What is that attitude? Simply it is to recognize that one is a sinner who has sinned against a Holy God, and is therefore guilty and worthy of judgment. It is to recognize that one cannot of their own efforts remove their sin, and it is to humbly ask for God's mercy. One certainly can have sorrow for sin in this process, but sorrow is not to be seen as a commodity that we offer to God as an exchange for the free gift of eternal life. Only the blood of Christ is the sufficient and full payment for our sins, and this is the only thing that is acceptable to God.

An excellent resource on this topic is the following article by Richard A. Seymour:

www.clarityministries.org/media/pdfs/understanding_repentanance.pdf

Unlimited Atonement

2008-04-30T20:46:00.002-04:00

Is Unlimited Atonement Scriptural?

Absolutely. It is the truth that Christ died for all, and not just the elect. In my book that supports the doctrine of eternal security I use the terms Arminian and Arminianism after their popular usage, to refer to a person who teaches we can lose our eternal salvation, and the doctrine of such respectively, and I call this “lose your salvation doctrine” heresy. This does not mean that I view all Arminian teaches as heretical. For example, unlimited atonement is affirmed by Arminians, and it is Scriptural.

Dr. R.C. Sproul, is a Calvinist/Reformed “Lordship Salvation” teacher. On his Ligonier Ministries website he promotes Richard D. Phillips’ new book. Here is a quote from page 65 of that book:

“The Arminian concept of a universal atonement, Packer remarks, ‘destroys the Scriptural ground of assurance altogether….My salvation, on this view, depends not on what Christ did for me, but on what I subsequently do for myself.’24 This is why assurance of salvation is a field of theology and Christian experience plowed only by the Reformed.” (What’s So Great About the Doctrines of Grace?” Richard D. Phillips, pg. 65)

This assertion is puzzling to me. How does the fact that Christ died for us all destroy assurance of salvation? It is true that you must personally accept His sacrifice on the cross for your sins in order to be saved, but how is that to be seen as doing something for yourself? You don’t save yourself, you merely trust in Christ and He does the saving. But even if one views the act of trusting in Christ as doing something for yourself, one must still admit that it is Christ that ultimately saves. If He gives you the free gift of eternal life then you are forever saved. Knowing this fact cannot help but give you assurance. Knowing that Christ’s death on the cross made it possible for everyone to be saved if they will only believe in Him not in the least hurts one’s assurance of salvation. What are these educated men thinking?

It is highly ironic they make the charge they do concerning assurance of salvation, for their “Perseverance of the Saints” doctrine has often caused many to doubt their salvation. A Calvinist believes (as do I) that none of the elect will ever perish. However, a Calvinist may doubt that they are a member of the elect if their Christian walk fails to measure up. In other words, at a low point in their Christian life they may doubt whether they had ever truly gotten saved. Calvinism takes one’s subjective works and subjective assessment of those works and uses that as the basis for personal assurance, rather than the objective promises of God in Scripture. A born-again Christian may not always measure up, and may not even recover their Christian walk before they die, but they are still eternally saved. To know this is to have true assurance. This is something that the Calvinist doctrine “Perseverance of the Saints” cannot offer.

It is even more critical at our weakest point that we need to rely on the promises of God and know that we have eternal life, know that we are a child of God. If we doubt this, how is it that we are going to access the power of Christ which will enable us to recover?

You may consider yourself to be a “4-Point Calvinist” because you don’t hold to the doctrine of “Limited Atonement”. If so, you need to know that most “5-Pointers” don’t consider you to be a Calvinist at all, and many of them mock and are disgusted that you call yourself a Calvinist. Read my chapter “Faith and Works” at www.eternalsecurityproved.com/4_chapters.htm and you may make the choice to no longer call yourself by their label. I no longer do.

Having the Gift of Eternal Life

2008-04-28T18:34:00.002-04:00

Jeff Paton’s website www.eternalsecurity.us has an article under the link “ETERNAL SECURITY and LOGIC” with his answer to the following question. I’ve copied it here:

"If Eternal Life can be lost, how can it be eternal?"

This logic pivots on the meaning of eternal. If it is eternal, how can it then end? These are pertinent questions.

There is a point in time where one who believes receives eternal life. If this life is "eternal" then it has no beginning or ending, but yet we admit that we do not possess it until we believe! Does this mean that it is not "eternal" since there has to be a beginning to our possession of it?

If I receive an eternal Pearl of great price as a gift, it is mine; I "have" an eternal Pearl. It is something that I should cherish and rejoice in! But what if I trade it in for something I would rather have? What if I no longer cherish the gift or the One that gave it to me. What if I then become careless and then I lose it somewhere? Even if I cast it away, the Pearl remains eternal! It just ceases to be my possession!

Those that key in on the word "eternal" fail to see that the quality of "everlasting" is connected to "life" and not to our "having" it or "possessing" it! The "life" is "eternal," and not the believer! Having Eternal Life does not mean that we have an irrevocable possession of it! Whether we accept Christ and the gift of eternal life has no bearing on the quality of the gift, "eternal life." The gift stays eternal whether we possess it or not! The quality of the "life" is "eternal," whether anyone would ever believe on Christ or not.

The logic of an Eternal Gift is interesting, but it cannot, and does not, establish a fact of a Eternal possession or an Eternal Security!

My Response:

First of all I’ve answered a similar argument in my book “Eternal Security Proved!”. It is apparent that Mr. Paton is playing a word game with “eternal”. It is true that the life of Christ is eternal – having no beginning and having no end. When a person is born again they receive the life of Christ within them, and so they have eternal life. That is, they will never perish, for Christ will never perish.

Just because a person receives eternal life at a point in time, does not negate the fact that this eternal life within the person who has it could never cease to be. Eternal life does not exist in a vacuum. It exists in Christ. And if one is in Christ and Christ is in them, then one is a partaker of the life that will never end. This is why one who has eternal life can never become lost again.

Mr. Paton is trying to make a distinction between having the “gift” of eternal life, and having life that will never end. There is no distinction. Even Mr. Paton believes that once a saint is in Heaven they have eternal life, that is, life that will never end. That they will never perish. Does this mean that once in Heaven they no longer have the “gift” of eternal life? If having the gift of eternal life in Heaven means that a saint there is secure from perishing, how is it that having the gift of eternal life while still on Earth means that a saint could ever perish?

Apparently, it is the idea of having eternal life as a “gift” that Mr. Paton has difficulty with. He imbues the word “gift” with the concept of being able to lose or throw something away. Just because most gifts in our earthly life can be handled in this manner does not mean that this concept applies to the gift of eternal life. In fact, the word “gift” by itself does not contain the concept of something that can be discarded or lost. By fixating on his concept of earthly gifts he views the spiritual gift of eternal life as something that can be lost or discarded, as if one’s possession of this gift has the potential to be temporary. Scripture soundly refutes this idea. Jesus said,

“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)

The gift of eternal life is not a losable or discardible possession, for the nature of it is to spring up within you into everlasting life. It is literally part of you. It is what empowers you to live forever with your Redeemer. Once we receive this life, if we could ever perish, it would mean that the water of life within us failed to spring up into everlasting life. This failure could never occur, for it would make Jesus to be a liar, and that is an absolute impossibility.

If Mr. Paton’s handling of the word “gift” in relation to eternal life has been illogical, then it would be logical for you to reject his assertion that a born-again child of God could lose their eternal salvation and perish in hell.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, once you have trusted Christ alone as your Savior you are forever His and are safe forever in His hand.

Sowing and Reaping

2008-04-26T12:24:00.000-04:00

I found a gentleman on the Internet yesterday whose website teaches that a person can lose their salvation. I emailed him a note (both of us have been good natured with each other as it should be) to mention my book and point him to its website:

http://www.EternalSecurityProved.com

One of the passages of Scripture he was curious about whether I had addressed in my book is below. From scratch I typed out my reply to him and have copied it here.

“The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:8-9, NIV)

The destruction mentioned is referring to temporal destruction and not eternal damnation. I know this because the source of it is sinful flesh, not God! Obviously the sinful flesh will one day die and we will be free of "this body of death" the Apostle Paul spoke of.

To "reap eternal life" must be understood in its context, for in the very next verse we will receive a harvest or reward if we don't give up. Therefore, this is speaking of the future possession of eternal life as it relates to reward. All saints have eternal life presently, it isn't just something you get when you die. However, eternal life must not be thought of as a static entity just as physical life is not a static entity. I received my physical life when I was born. However, I did not experience mature life until I grew up, but that doesn't mean I was dead until that point! If a saint grows up and remains faithful, their future experience of eternal life will be greater than a saint who did not. We didn't work to be born, but we work to grow.

Therefore, receiving eternal life as a free gift and present possession is by grace through faith apart from works, but the growing up part in order to receive eternal reward is by work. Even in this life, maturity levels and faithfulness generally mean greater opportunities and reward. Since Christ was faithful in all He did on earth, how much do you suppose the Father has rewarded Him? Saints should likewise follow Christ's example of obedience in order to be rewarded. One can either be least (immature saint) in Heaven or great (mature saint) in Heaven. There will be a vast difference between the two. Since the source of our eternal life is the life of Christ, how much of His life you will experience in eternity will depend on how much of His life you desire to experience now.

The life of Christ is infinite, therefore one must not belittle the concept of reward. Entering Heaven however, can never be seen as a reward, as something reaped, for then it would be given as wages or something that we deserved, and there would be room for boasting. The only requirement to enter God's kingdom is to be born again. This happens to a person the moment they place their trust in Christ alone as their Savior. Their new life begins, with great opportunities ahead for growth.

Jesus didn't merely say He came to give people life, but also to give it more abundantly. God will not cast His disobedient child into hell any more than a loving parent would kill their disobedient child. But earthly children still fear their loving parents well enough thank you, for they've felt that "sassafras tea" on their backsides. Likewise, I also fear God even knowing I can never perish in hell, for I know He is able to deal out severe chastisement in this life, and is able to fully express His disappointment to me at the Judgment Seat of Christ where I would see my loss of eternal reward. Therefore, the warnings to the saints in Scripture are not to be seen as threats to our eternal security but are to be understood as dealing with chastisement and eternal reward.

Do you personally have assurance that you are going to Heaven? If not, have you ever been born again? I assure you, nothing you do can make yourself righteous in the sight of our Holy God. It is by the shed blood of Christ alone and not by our works that we receive forgiveness of sin. Trust in the crucified and risen Savior and He will give you the free gift of eternal life - the life that never ends.