Eternal Security? Or a once-for-all salvation?

One doctrine that comes up often in theological discussions is that of "eternal security", or the doctrine that once you are saved, you are saved from now until the end of time.

I was raised to believe this, and didn't realize until I was in my teens that other churches preached a different doctrine. I thought eternal security was totally biblical, and unquestionable. But is it? Is it in the Bible at all?

Well, first of all, the term "eternal security" never appears in the Bible. Just like the word "legalist" never appears. But using modern terminology to describe the same thing is not wrong. I get really irritated at people who nitpick between biblical translations and pick apart little words and phrases that are phrased differently, but ultimately mean the same thing. The Bible may not use the phrase "eternal security", but it does say "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast." (Eph. 2:8-9) It also says "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. The Father and I are one." (John 10: 28-29)

But that's just in picking and choosing. An opponent of eternal security can pick and choose verses that would seem to refute eternal security just as easily as I found those verses. What we should be doing is not picking and choosing, but seeing what scripture as a whole tells us about the character of God. Scripture repeatedly hammers home the loving nature of God. 1 Peter 3:9 says He doesn't want anybody to perish. That doesn't mean they won't, but it does mean God doesn't WANT them to, and is saddened whenever a soul turns away from Him. And nothing shows us the character of God more than the character of Jesus. As Jesus said above, He and God the Father were one. Jesus was as much God as Jehovah is. One reason the Pharisees rejected Jesus as the Messiah was that Jesus didn't come into the world condemning left and right and pronouncing judgement and declaring the Pharisees to be the only true followers of His word. Anybody that loving and kind and patient couldn't be God! But He was God, and God is kind, loving and patient. It was the Pharisees, and those church leaders of today who carry on the Pharisees' legacy, that wants to turn God into a hateful, spiteful being full of condemnation.

Could such a loving God offer salvation, and then revoke it if you're not good enough?

Well, on that score, I can assure you that the answer is no. The Bible repeatedly states that salvation is not earned. Look at the passage from Ephesians quoted above. Isaiah says that our righteousness is as filthy rags to God. It is legalistic to suggest that salvation depends on what you do to earn it, because you can't earn salvation. It's a gift. It's not a trade, or a sale.

Why was Christ crucified? Was it because God wanted to see Him die? Was it because we sinful humans wanted Him silenced? No. See, so much sin had entered the world that God had two choices: destroy us all, or accept a sacrifice on our behalf, just as He had always done. But by that point our sin was so great that there simply was no sacrifice big enough to wipe away sin for all of us. So what did God do? He sacrificed Himself. His own Son, God in the flesh, the only sacrifice big enough that it could cover all sin, past, present and future. Why did He do that? Well, according to John 3:16, it is because He loved us. Does it strike you as within the character of a being who could commit that kind of sacrifice on our behalf, that he would revoke this as soon as He realized we aren't worthy of it?

Again, no. It is legalistic to the extreme to say that we can do anything bad enough to have our salvation revoked. That's because we're already horrible in God's eyes. We are the antithesis of what he created us to be. We chose to sin, and we let sin into the world; gave Satan a foothold. Our own righteousness is as filthy rags. Without the blood of Jesus, God sees us for what we really are; completely, totally unworthy of His love, or His salvation. If He made a practice of revoking the salvation of anyone He saw as unworthy, it would be curtains for us all. As it is, the sacrifice of Jesus covers us. We're saved not because we earned it, but because Jesus took our place and died for us. That was grace. That was mercy. That's a loving God. God looks at us now, covered in the blood of His Son, and He sees Jesus. Before Jesus died for us, he saw filthy rags. Now we have been crucified with Christ, therefore we no longer live. It is Jesus Christ who lives within us.

Now, here's where people are going to start believing that I think we're all saved. I'm not saying that. See, Christ offered Himself as a once-for-all sacrifice, and it was a gift, but we have to accept that gift. If it's a gift, it can be refused, and Jesus isn't gonna force it on us. That's also the character of Christ. See, a lot of people want to challenge us Christians by saying "Well, on the one hand you say God is love, and on the other you say we're all going to Hell. How is that loving?" It's loving because God gave us the free will to accept or refuse Him. Deciding to save everybody, even those who don't want to be saved, isn't love, it's just stupidity. God says "Look, I did all I could for you. I sent my own Son to be killed in your place. You don't want that? Okay, then. If you change your mind, I'll still be here."

Since salvation is a gift, let's compare it to another gift. Let's say I give you a Bible. I don't put any strings on it; I just say "This Bible is yours", then at that point, if I later try to come and take it back, that makes me a thief. It's not considered good form in any culture to give a gift and then demand it back if we get upset at the person. Now, if you take the Bible, and put it on your shelf and pretty much forget you have it, it's questionable whether or not you've really received the gift, but if you appreciate it and really want it, then there can be no question that you have, even if you really don't read it that often.

See, Jesus didn't put any strings on salvation. There is a way God wants us to live, but it's not living that way that saves us, because ALL have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. The Bible does say that we should not "go on sinning so that grace may increase", but it never says we have to be sinless before God will save us, or that we will immediately stop sinning once we are saved. It DOES say that one who is "crucified with Christ" is a "new creation" and that the old has passed away. This implies that one who is truly saved no longer WANTS to sin, no longer DESIRES anything but Christ. It doesn't mean we'll never be tempted by worldly desires again, but it means that we'll have someone to guide us and teach us to know right from wrong.

But while a "new creation" may no longer desire sin, it is not at all a prerequisite. While I'm something of a proponent of "Lordship Salvation", I think the main argument against it misses the point of why people like me are for it. No, I don't think that salvation is through works. I've made that clear. But I also believe that faith without works is dead, and I believe that a person who claims to have received salvation, and yet the old does not pass away and nothing about this person changes, I question whether or not salvation has actually been received. This person's gift is likely at the back of his closet somewhere, still in its wrapping paper, not truly received. Becoming a new creation isn't required for salvation, but it IS evidence of our salvation. If we become a "new creation", then we follow what God said in 1 Peter 3:9, and we repent. We turn away from what we once were. We're not perfect, and never will be, but we strive toward the goal. A person who is still pursuing something other than God, and yet calling himself saved...well, is he?

Some who oppose eternal security believe that people like me would call anyone saved, no matter what they do, if at any time in their lives they gave their life to Christ. They think that I believe that a man can profess faith in Christ, and then cheat on his wife, steal funds from his company, lie, commit murder, etc. and never show repentance but that doesn't matter, because he's saved, and once saved, always saved. Nope. That's not what I believe at all. I believe that a man born again in Christ might do one or several of these things, but will understand that it is sin, and will repent of it. Any who live like that unrepentant, I question whether or not they were ever saved.

Their main reason for preaching against eternal security is mainly that they want Christians to "act like Christians", and don't like the idea that anyone could feel assured that they are going to Heaven. The Bible clearly says they are, and it is legalistic to assume that salvation is earned.

So that brings me to the argument most eternal security opponents like to use: Okay, salvation may be a gift, and God may never take it away from you, but you can give it back! Is that true? What does the Bible say about it?

The answer is: not much. To be honest, I don't know if God will take back your salvation if you really don't want it anymore. I suppose there's a chance that He would, but on this subject, let me share a personal story.

In High School, I got really angry at God. The reasons were stupid and theatric, but I didn't want to be a Christian anymore. I denied God, and said "If there is a God, I hate Him." I began to live a sinful life. To any who saw me on the outside, I wasn't saved. But here's the funny thing: God didn't give up on me. I heard Him speak to me MANY times over the years that I spent away from Him. He kept telling me "You're still mine. I haven't given you up. And when you're ready, I'll accept you back." Now, I had basically told God that I wasn't His anymore; that I was refusing His gift. But He didn't let me give it back! He knew that I was being an angry, sullen, immature teenager and on a level I didn't even know I had, I had not really given back my salvation. He kept reminding me of that all through my time away from Him.

So, in all honesty I don't believe that a new creation in Christ would ever truly want to give back their salvation. If one has had eternal life and willingly gives it up, in my opinion this means one of two things: either they're letting their anger control them, like I was, or they never really had it in the first place.

So, in closing, yes, I believe that Christ's sacrifice was once for all, and I believe any who receive it will never lose it, nor will they give it up. I sincerely believe that most who believe otherwise are mainly doing so out of fear, because they don't want saved people to start acting in ways they think are "ungodly". For some, they may just simply hate the idea that anyone could think God is a God of love who would dare save someone who wasn't "as good" as they are. The website www.eternalsecurity.us, which is all about refuting it, is so full of hate toward eternal security and anyone who believes in it that I believe those behind the site mainly just want to be able to hate and lift themselves above others. As for me, I'll take God's grace, and thank Him that He saved me when I could never have done it myself.