October 29 - Preservation and Perseverance
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This is an argument against the Once Saved Always Saved doctrine, otherwise known as Unconditional Eternal Security.         
 
          Jesus brought us the New Covenant and, like all of God's covenants, conditions must be met if the benefits are to be received. Throughout the New Testament, the word 'if' is used many times in association with salvation. When the conditions God sets by these 'ifs' are not met then an individual can't expect to receive the benefits as God never makes idle claims.
 
          Rom_8:12-14 clearly states that Christians have an obligation to keep from sin, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and the penalty for not doing so is death ..."Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation-but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live..."

The following verses use the conditional word 'if' regarding salvation:
          In Col_1:21-23  we have people spoken of as being reconciled to Christ. They are reconciled, born again believers and will be presented to God only if they continue in their faith, not being moved from the hope of the gospel. These individuals are saved, as a false or half-baked profession cannot bring about reconciliation with the Lord. Reconciled never means anything but being right with God...saved.
          1Co_15:2 says that we are saved only if we hold to the Word.
          Heb_3:6 says we are of God's house if we hold fast.
          Heb_3:14 says we are partakers of Christ if we are steadfast to the end.
          Heb_10:36-39 says that if the righteous (just) draw back they face destruction (perdition).
There is a conditional 'if' associated with salvation in each of these verses. In each case, believers must meet the condition in order to receive the promised reward. The condition is perseverance and the reward is eternal life.

Perseverance in faith is required to reap the benefits of God's promises:
          Rom_2:6-7 says that eternal life is the reward for the saints perseverance (patient continuance).
          Heb_10:36 says we need to persevere to receive God's promises.
          Rev_14:12 speaks of the perseverance of the saints.
          1Ti_4:16 tells Timothy to persevere to save himself.
          (The KJV uses the word patience. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines patience as perseverance)

Failure to persevere in holiness will bring judgment:
          Heb_10:26-29 speaks of people facing judgment after having been 'sanctified by the blood.' Only the saved are sanctified by the Lord's blood. A false profession would not bring sanctification of any description. Sanctification follows justification so the individuals alluded to here were saved, yet now face God's wrath in hell.
          Heb_6:4-6  speaks of being unable to be brought back (renewed again) to repentance. They were saved at one stage as they shared in the Holy Spirit who only dwells in believers as stated in Act_5:32. To be brought back to repentance can only mean that they have been there in the first place. You can't be brought 'back' to a place that you have never been to, you can only be brought 'to' that place.
          2Pe_2:20-22 tells us of people facing judgment after having once known Jesus. They had escaped the pollution of the world through knowledge of Jesus (2Pe_1:3), but have returned to the mire. If they are going back to something then they must have left it in the first place. Only Jesus can remove us from the corruption of the world as Rom_8:7 makes clear.
          In Mat_5:13  Jesus tells his disciples, who are the salt of the earth, that they can lose their saltiness and be cast out. Only the saved are disciples and Jesus says that disciples can lose their saltiness.
          Joh_15:6 speaks of branches being cast into the fire because they fail to abide. Only a saved person is a branch in the Vine.
          In Mat_10:32-33 Jesus tells the disciples that He will deny (disown) them if they deny (disown) Him. This is repeated in 2Ti_2:12-13 where Paul says that if we endure (suffer) then we will reign with the Lord, but if we deny (disown) Him, He will deny (disown) us.
          Gal_5:4 speaks directly of falling from Grace. Only those in the Lord are in Grace. These Jews, having known Christ, have fallen from Grace.
          In Heb_12:16-17 Esau, in tears, was rejected trying to re-inherit the blessing. This echoes Heb_6:4-6.

Other verses showing the possibility of salvation loss:
          2Pe_3:17 urges us to take care of the secure position from which we can fall. The onus is on us. There would be no care about falling, nothing to guard against, if we get to heaven no matter what we do.
          Jam_5:19-20 speaks of a brother becoming a sinner and being brought back to repentance, saving him from death. A human effort is spoken of here. God puts the responsibility on man. The prodigal son, in Luke 15, is an example of this; he was dead (spiritually) and was made live again, saving him from death.
          Even Timothy is warned to watch himself and persevere to ensure his salvation (1Ti_4:16).
          In 1Co_9:27 and 2Ti_4:7 Paul speaks of his efforts, fighting the good fight and keeping the faith, so that he wouldn't be castaway.

Some objections:
          In Eph_5:18, we are told to be filled with the Spirit. From the Greek text, the word 'filled' is better translated 'continue to be filled.' Likewise, 'believe' in Joh_3:16 has a similar tense meaning that we should 'continue to believe' or 'go on believing' in order to receive eternal life. In other words, we must persevere in believing. Jesus made this obvious in Joh_15:6 when He said, "If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned."
          Rom_8:35-39 says that nothing in Creation can separate us from God's love, neither famine, sword, angels nor demons etc. These things are all external to us and things over which we have no control and God promises to keep us through these trials. However, these verses don't speak of the internal perseverance (our control of our will) required to walk in holiness through the Spirit. We have freedom of will to do this. God never controls our will, He wills us to do...    Phi_2:13.
          In Joh_10:27-28 Jesus promises to protect those who follow Him. Following requires an effort of will, it's not automatic. The verses speak directly of Jesus' power to protect the believer against anyone or any man plucking a disciple from His hand. He doesn't say that an individual can't leave of his own free will but that no person can snatch him from His hand. Jud_1:24 only tells us that Jesus is ABLE to keep us from falling, not that He WILL regardless.
          Regarding being sealed with the Spirit: Scripture plainly says that the Holy Spirit is given to us as a witness and a guarantee of our salvation until the day of redemption...Eph_1:13-14 & Rom_8:16. His Presence convicts us of sin, leading us to repentance and holy living..Rom_8:3-4. However, Scripture also plainly says that if we fail to cooperate with the Spirit we will be lost...Eph_4:30 & Rom_8:12-13.

          Once again, in Rom_8:12-14 Paul gives clear warning to his brothers in Christ. This passage says that we are debtors and so have an obligation to steadfastly keep from sin by the power of the Holy Spirit, otherwise we shall die. Verse 14 speaks of being 'led' by the Spirit. Being led doesn't mean that the Holy Spirit has us on a leash but that we voluntarily follow His leading. It's our responsibility to live by the Spirit otherwise we will die...be lost. Also in Gal_6:7-8 and Gal_5:19-21 Paul is warning believers, for the second time, that they must live Godly lives if they wish to inherit the kingdom of God.

          There is no doubt that we have assurance of salvation because of verses such as 1Jo_5:13, Jud_1:24 as well as the witness of the Spirit. However, we have a part to play in persevering. Persevering in faith is not works otherwise the faith required of us to be saved initially would also be works. The initial trusting to be saved and the ongoing perseverance required of us are an internal 'work' of the heart and mind as mentioned in Phi_2:12-13. The Bible continually urges us to keep from sin, to walk in the Spirit, to persevere in faith and so remain in Jesus...and that His Spirit works within us to will us to do so. God gives us the strength to maintain our relationship with Him because of our willingness to have Him do so.

          The 'ifs' in many verses and the simplicity of verses such as Joh_15:6 and Mat_5:13 cannot simply be ignored. Like the Israelites of old, obedience (following God's laws) is required to reap the benefits of a promise as stated in Isaiah...   Isa_1:19-20. Note Eze_33:12-13 also. We are saved by Grace, through faith and to remain in Jesus we must persevere in our faith, being kept from sin, or face a Christless eternity.

Jesus said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved" Mark 13:13.

                                                                                                                              Mick Alexander.

For answers to some other objections to this argument against eternal security (once saved, always saved)
go to Eternal Security Arguments and Proof Texts.

This discussion can be downloaded as a PDF from Perseverance Of The Saints.

Here is my answer.

IBC believes there is a vast difference between the preservation (which is what God does for us) and perseverance (which is what we do for God).  Preservation can be likened to God protecting, safeguarding, and defending his children, while perseverance is the child of God actively doing what God desires.   

There is no doubt in my mind that "if" means "stipulation" or "condition" or "qualification", just as "eternal" (as in the well known passage in John 3:15) and "everlasting" (as in another well known passage in John 3:16) means "without end".  Jesus Christ does not give "temporary life", but "eternal life" because he can only give what which he has – and he has eternal life, not temporary life. 

Tell me, kind sir, what is "chastisement"?  Does Christ chasten his children or the children of the devil?  Tell me, do you chasten children who do not belong to you?  IBC believes there is a judgment for all sin – even the sin of the believer.  We believe God chastens his children, and does not cast them out of the family of God.  Do you cast your children out of your family when they do not obey you? 

In Matthew 13, the parable of the tares, do the tares become wheat, or does the wheat become tares?  Everybody knows the answer is in the negative.  It is impossible for wheat to become tares, and for the tares to become wheat.  Jeremiah 13:23 emphatically states, Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

Have you considered Lot, whom the Bible clearly states was saved?  II Peter 2:7,8 states, And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed is righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)  A very short study of the words in these verses clearly reveals that Lot was a just man, a righteous man, a saved man, yet a man who lost his testimony because he lived among wicked men, and accepted their wickedness.  Their wickedness "wore down" his saved soul to the point that he lost the joy of his salvation and his personal testimony, yet he retained his salvation and was chastened by God.  Anybody who looks at the life of Lot will readily admit he lost this.  Remember, Lot and his wife traveled with Abraham, and parted company only because of strife over grazing land.  Lot did not do what he was supposed to do, but never in all the Bible is given the slightest evidence of his dying lost. 

Judas Iscariot is a different matter altogether, as Judas was never saved.  Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas was lost, yet allowed him to be baptized by John the Baptist, become a member of the first church, do miracles, and preach the gospel.  None of that was unseen by Christ, or hidden from God.  Judas life can be summed up by Matthew 7:21-23 which states, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in they name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  Please notice Jesus said, I never knew you.  Jesus did not say, I forgot you because of your sins, or your disobedience or something of that sort.  Jesus NEVER knew them.  They were NEVER saved – EVER. 

Finally, I challenge you to look at the doctrine of the preservation of the saints from God’s viewpoint – using all the word of God, and not confining your study to a few choice passages which reflect only your point of view.  Remember, I am not speaking of the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, but the doctrine of the preservation of the saints.  It is possible to believe both of those doctrines because both of those doctrines are in the Word of God. 

I Corinthians 9:27 - But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.