My Response To A Critic Of Eternal Security

Galatians 2:4-5, “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”

The Apostle Paul said that he refused to put up with false prophets, not even for one hour. Paul shut their microphone down (so to speak), and ran them out of the churches!

I received numerous emails yesterday and today from a religious man who wanted to debate eternal security. I kindly told him that I don't debate, but he persisted to pressure me, thinking that he was going to convince me over to his damnable heresy. Here first is his last email to me, and then following I will post my response. This is an important matter, which I want to lay to rest once and for all. The Bible teaches: ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED!!! If you don't agree with that, then you are not born again and if you don't repent, you will spend eternity burning in Hell, fire and brimstone. It's as simple and frightening as that!

Here is a portion of his foolish email (his grammar is so bad that most of his sentences make no sense at all). I haven't edited anything. Literally, this is exactly what he wrote to me...

I won't quote scripture for I know you know them, but so do I. 

And I have never once read the words "once I am saved I always will be saved" no mater what I do and say to others because if I do anything it is just works trying to save myself.

If we all did not need to do anything then who is not saved by not earning Lord Jesus own death and resurrection Blood Salvation? That he has already gave everyone today even before they were born as sinners and they never could earn it, can they?

Please take no offence, I am not trying to argue, I honestly ask, is "always saved" even Biblical, and if so then why would Jesus own appointed Apostle be lost when he already profess faith in Jesus Christ and who also cast out demons and healed the sick?

Also the 2 born again believers in Acts 5 who Peter drove out their spirit and they fell dead on the ground for their lies they gave against the Holy Spirit.

Also the Holy Spirit has never told me, that I am always saved no matter what I or how I treat others, nor did Apostle Paul never said he was always saved, not that I could read anywhere in scripture. For he said I have finished the race and he looked forward to be saved.

Can we discuss those scripture please, "as it is written" already in the Holy Spirit's Interpretations in Holy scripture with the words God spoke that need no other private reinterpretation from anyone?

Here is my full reply to him...

*****,

Kindly, we don't agree on eternal security. I absolutely believe in, "once saved always saved." No matter what I say, you are set in your beliefs, and so am I.

You are caught between grace and works, because you think YOU have something to do with your eternal salvation. Jesus paid it all and I'm only trusting in CHRIST. The very idea that someone would have to live a certain way to know that they have eternal life, is a fallacy that causes millions of confused people fear and worry every day. No thanks!

Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty.

Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.

Turning away from sinful ways would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work.

The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.

I won't debate this with you. You're not going to convince me to adopt a faith in Christ plus my own efforts type of false salvation. You say salvation is by Christ alone, but then you deny your words by suggesting that the life we live somehow can cost us God's free gift of salvation. A "free gift" (Romans 5:18) means there can be no stipulations or obligations.

You are woefully deceived. Nothing I say is going to convince you, and I refuse to listen to your unbiblical heresy.

In Jesus' precious name,
David

Please keep in mind that this was our fifth exchange of emails. I was being patient with him. I sent him a dozen Gospel sermons and books. I wrote at length explaining the difference between service and sanctification. In fact, here is the previous email that I sent to him, so you can see how sincerely I tried to help the guy see the light of the truth. He had asked me, "Do you think you're always saved no matter what you do or how you treat others as the example of Jesus Christ?" Here is my full reply...

*****,

Yes, once saved always saved, because God's gift of salvation is based upon what Christ alone did to pay for our sins through Calvary's cross.

Having said that, no believer has God's permission to life in sin. Romans 6:1-2, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" God commands all saints to depart from iniquity and walk in holiness, but when we do sin (and we all choose to), God's grace much more abounds so that we can never lose salvation. It is God's salvation, not ours to give. We cannot lose by bad works what we could not earn by good works. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

My favorite preacher quote is from Pilgrim's Progress book author, John Bunyan, who said:

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” —John Bunyan (1628-1688)

We must keep sanctification (service - Romans 12:1) completely separate from justification (salvation - Galatians 3:26), or else we will corrupt the Gospel and cast stumbling blocks before the people. Many preachers make the mistake of citing the book of Matthew, about picking up one's cross to follow Christ, and they foolishly apply it to salvation. But that is discipleship Jesus is talking about in Matthew. God authored the specific Gospel of John to show humanity how to be saved (John 20:31). We find the word "believe" mentioned 85 times in the book of John, but there is no requirement to follow, confess, repent, turn, forsake, live or anything else; but just to believe. John 6:47, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."

The Bible warns in Hebrews 12:6-8 that if a man is without chastisement from God for his sins, then he is a bastard and not a genuine adopted son of God. God is not an absent parent! There are two wrong extremes to which a preacher can go. The first is to corrupt the Gospel by adding living a holy life (service) to God's free grace. The second extreme is to just preach that people can be saved without turning from sins, but then that preacher never warns believers of God's judgment upon disobedient children (2nd Corinthians 5:9-11).

Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) addressed this issue of Lordship Salvation. A lady in the church suggested that some of the young people weren't saved because of their misbehaving and bad attitude. Dr. Rice corrects her by teaching her that the problem is not that the teens aren't saved; but rather, they haven't been properly mentored by the spiritual adults in the church. And of course, it might be that indeed they are not saved. But whether someone is saved or not can only be known by a direct testimony from their mouth concerning Jesus Christ. ...

One of my favorite preachers and sermons is by Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold. The sermon is titled, "Why Lordship Salvation Is Wrong."

The Bible is full of horrible saints who hurt others at times. King David stole Uriah's wife, impregnated her, then murdered Uriah to hide the unintended pregnancy. David didn't lose God's gift of salvation, he lost the "joy" of salvation (Psalms 51:12). I believe Joseph's 10 half brothers were saved, even though they conspired to sell him into Egyptian slavery. The Bible is full of the sins of the saints. Thankfully, our God is merciful and is always willing to forgive us and give us unlimited chances, as we see with the woman taken in the act of adultery in John chapter 8.

There is none righteous the Bible says, no not one (Romans 3:10). That includes saved believers. The only thing that makes the holiest saint, any more righteous than the vilest dirty unsaved sinner like John Wayne Gacy, is the precious blood of Jesus (1st Peter 1:18-19). James 2:10 says that if a man commits even one sin, he is guilty of all in the sight of God. In other words, all it takes is just one sin to keep a sinner out of Heaven. The only other place to go is the Lake of Fire forever.

I hope that answers your question. I welcome Bible questions. I just don't like to debate with people.

Have a good evening,

David

Like so many fools before him, he doesn't believe in eternal security. He rejects the idea that a person can be saved and then just live any way they want. Well, he is WRONG! Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9). Either God does the saving, all of it, or else you don't get grace!!!