Election, Free Will, and Eternal Security
Nicolas Simon
Table of Contents
Election and Free Will
Introduction
“According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Eph. 1:4-5). In this verse we have the truth of election and predestination presented simply and concisely. Nevertheless, this teaching is a source of considerable difficulty to many, so much so, that it is widely rejected or reinterpreted.
To be sure that we are speaking a common language, we must be clear as to a few Biblical terms. Election connects with being chosen; those who have been chosen are called the elect. This word occurs in various contexts and is not limited to this present dispensation. Predestination, on the other hand, speaks of what we have been chosen for—the destiny that God has in view. God’s calling is that which, in time, brings it all about; it is the call of God, which, through the Spirit’s power, is heard by God’s elect.
Some of the difficulties that one may have with election and predestination can be set aside if we simply acknowledge that God is ultimately free to act as He chooses. He is sovereign. Nebuchadnezzar expresses the sovereignty of God in this fashion: “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?” (Dan. 4:35). That being said, when God acts, we can be assured that it is in accordance with His perfect righteousness, holiness, and love; it cannot be otherwise. It is impossible for God to act in a manner inconsistent with His own nature.
When man acts, he acts according to his will. Sometimes we hear the expression free will—it is a very common thought in both philosophy and Christendom. If, by free will, one meant a will independent of God, this expression would be acceptable for we have such a will. However, when free will is spoken of, the thought is not limited to this. By free will, it will be said, we have the capacity to choose good over evil. The Word of God distinctly denies this. (By good I mean that which is pleasing to God and is consistent with His will and not the benevolent goodness which humanity is capable of practicing for its own preservation.) Truly, if we can choose to do that which is good, then there is no requirement for a Saviour. One would be expected to live by their own righteousness. Although man does not possess a free will, we should never suppose that God has predisposed man towards evil. Adam in his innocency was set in the place of all good—God saw to it that everything was good. A single commandment was given by God—not because the thing was immoral or evil; it was a question of obedience. Adam, of his own free will, made a choice. He transgressed the commandment and through his disobedience stepped outside the will of God. Adam freely chose a course of independence from God—the course mankind has been on ever since.
Nothing must be allowed to encroach upon the work of Christ. Any teaching which suggests that a man has some part in his own redemption diminishes, to some degree, the work of Christ and is to be guarded against. The supremacy and inclusive nature of the work of Christ must be upheld. Likewise, the depravity of man must not be denied. Despite the confusion as to these things, there is great peace in knowing them. Understanding that I have eternal life through the sovereign exercise of God’s will, gives me the assurance that my salvation is secure to the end. We thankfully acknowledge that the work is entirely of His own doing.
Election and Predestination
To hold the doctrines of election and predestination attracts the label of Calvinism. Typically, this is applied negatively, and it certainly comes with much baggage. That John Calvin held and taught these truths is of some interest, but ultimately it is of little consequence; we must rest upon the Word of God. There we find two important principles: First, my will is not involved in my new birth; it was according to the will of God alone. Second, God has chosen the elect in Christ from before the foundation of the world and has predestinated them for blessing.
The subjects of election and predestination are not limited to one or two books of the Bible or even one writer. We don’t have to search far to find verses which give us the different aspects of the doctrine of which we speak. “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him” (John 6:44). “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you” (John 15:16). “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). “Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30). “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Eph. 1:3-5). “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thess. 2:13). “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:2). “Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth” (James 1:18). This list is far from complete; our subject is not an obscure one.
Man does not like election as it takes him altogether out of the picture (not as an object, but as having any part in the source of blessing). A supposed solution to some of the difficulties people have felt concerning election and predestination is to say that God (who is timeless and all-knowing) foresaw and chose those who would show repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. Conversely, those who lacked these necessary conditions for salvation were destined for damnation. This may seem rational and fair by man’s reasoning, but there are various difficulties with this explanation. 1) It assumes that man is capable of faith in his natural self. The Word of God rules this out: “There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10-12). To possess faith in God means there is some good in man, for: “Without faith it is impossible to please [God]” (Heb. 11:6). Faith, however, is the gift of God and not something we possess intrinsically. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). The thoughts of the natural mind are neither towards God nor subject to Him. “The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7). 2) This explanation imagines that God foresaw some behavior in man—of this, Scripture says nothing; it speaks of whom God foreknew and not of what (Rom. 8:29). We are “predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). This is what we have been chosen for. God did not look ahead to future ages and choose those who were conformed to the image of His son; it is our destiny, not our starting point. 3) Scripture never speaks of God predestinating man to destruction; it is simply not to be found. 4) To make election conditional on the state of man undermines the sovereignty of God.
Election cannot be reduced to a timeless God scanning the tapestry of man’s history, separating believers from unbelievers—as one might stand before a Pieter Brueghel painting, taking in all the people and their varied activities. Even if God had done so, none could have been chosen based on their own merits: “no man receiveth His testimony” (John 3:32). Election is a positive action on God’s part and not a passive assessment of mankind. To suppose that God chose me because of some good on my part makes me superior to all those without it. True Christianity humbles us; this false teaching does not. Every religion (and theology) of man’s devising results in his own exaltation.
Biblical Illustrations
We see a picture of God’s call in Lazarus. Here was a dead man in a tomb; could he hear the noise of the crowd beyond the stone walls? No, not at all! In ourselves we are powerless to respond to the gospel—no one is deafer to an entreaty than a dead person. And yet, when the Lord Jesus “cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43), what was the result? “He that was dead came forth” (vs. 44). The hearing and the life came at the same moment and it was all a work of God. The work of quickening (giving life) is God’s alone: “You hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). Furthermore, the faith to believe, once quickened, is His gift—we can’t credit ourselves with that either. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). The Lord knew ahead of the event what He was going to do and said that it would be for the glory of God: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (John 11:4). Finally, the call was personal, “Lazarus, come forth”; it was not a general call to all in their tombs.
Another illustration is to be found in Luke’s account of the great supper. I give it here in its entirety. “A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper” (Luke 14:16-24). Few reading this story will have difficulty with it—the fairness of the master and the foolishness of the excuse makers will be readily acknowledged. And yet, did any of the poor, maimed, cripple, or blind come of their own volition? The story does not say so. They were brought in at the master’s bidding. In fact, he tells his servant to go out and compel (or constrain) them to come in. The reply of the last excuse maker is very honest: “I cannot come”; this is indeed the truth concerning man.
The account given by Matthew (Matt. 22:1-14) is a little different and those differences are instructive. In Luke we have a single servant—it speaks of the Holy Spirit. In Matthew, however, we have servants (plural) commissioned with the task of inviting the guests. What was the result? A man without a wedding garment took his place at the feast. This is profession without reality. No one can stand before God in their own righteousness: “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6). The gospel preacher may not be able to tell reality from profession, but “The Lord knoweth them that are His” (2 Tim. 2:19). All will be revealed in the end. “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14). The gospel goes out to all and it turns out that those who respond with reality are none other than God’s chosen, elect. “As many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).
Predestined to Destruction?
A point touched upon earlier is of such consequence, that we must pursue it further. John Calvin taught that God predestinates some to salvation and others to destruction. The twenty-first chapter of Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion is titled: The Eternal Election, by which God has Predestinated Some to Salvation, and Others to Destruction. This is not supported by the Word of God. Man is destined to damnation only because He has sinned, not because God has predestinated him to that end. Furthermore, God did not create Adam with a predisposition to do evil—Adam had a perfectly free will. All in hell will acknowledge the justice of their sentence, and that their presence there is a result of their own doing. Contrariwise, no one in heaven will claim any part in their getting there.
Election is not limited to the New Testament. In Jacob, we have one chosen of God—chosen before he was born, and before he had done good or evil. “For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, (that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth); it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Rom. 9:11-13). If Jacob was chosen for blessing, what about Esau? Did God predestine him to be an object of hatred? The answer is emphatically, no! The pronouncement quoted by the Apostle Paul comes at the end of the Old Testament, not at Esau’s birth. It is found in the book of Malachi (Mal. 1:2-3). God’s disposition towards Esau resulted solely from his own behavior. Esau was a profane man and his conduct demonstrated it (Heb. 12:16).
What about Pharaoh? Do we not read that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Rom. 9:17-18; Exod. 9:12)? A careful reading of the historic account shows that God did not at first harden Pharaoh’s heart—that he did himself. “Pharaoh's heart was stubborn, and he hearkened not to them, as Jehovah had said. And Jehovah said to Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened: he refuseth to let the people go” (Exod. 7:13-14 JND). It is not until we get to the ninth chapter of Exodus—after many instances of Pharaoh’s stubbornly hardening his own heart—do we find God judicially hardening Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh manifested the state of his own heart before God acted in judgment. Something similar could be said of Judas. There would be a betrayer, but it did not need to be Judas. Because of his avarice he chose that role for himself. The Lord knew Judas’ character when He chose him, just as God knew how Pharaoh would behave; neither, however, were predestinated to their respective destinies by God. “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, he that eateth bread with Me hath lifted up his heel against Me” (John 13:18).
Paul in his epistle to the Romans goes on to say something further, which, on the face of it, may seem to imply that God fits some people for destruction. “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction” (Rom. 9:22). The vessels fitted to destruction are fitted so because of their own conduct—as with Esau. God has not fitted anyone for destruction and neither does this verse say so. Conversely, when it comes to those He has chosen for blessing, this is what Paul writes: “That He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory” (Rom. 9:23). Note the contrast: nothing in verse 22 tells us of God’s preparing beforehand people for destruction.
Finally, what of the verse that says: “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” (Rom. 9:21). This verse answers to: “O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, Why hast Thou made me thus?” (Rom. 9:20). Man blames God for his behavior. It is a claim widely used to justify conduct that stands in clear violation of the Word of God. But who are the vessels of honour and dishonour? We must not confuse these with the saved and lost. The chapter goes on to talk of Jew and Gentile (Rom. 9:24-33). Israel were a chosen people and a vessel of honour towards God. The Gentiles, on the other hand, had refused God (Rom. 1:21) and were given over “to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient” (Rom. 1:28). Could any have been more dishonoring to God than the Gentiles? And yet, “The Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith” (Rom. 9:30).
Responsibility
For many, the gospel message would seem to be at variance with the teaching of election. If God has already chosen, why preach? Others feel that it is pointless to preach to any but the elect—although, we do not know who the elect are. The commission of the risen Saviour is plain enough: “Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations” (Luke 24:47). Paul confirms that all are responsible in the face of the Gospel message: “God ... now commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). If we accept Christ’s commission, how do we reconcile it with the doctrine of election and predestination? Quite simply, no reconciliation is required. A conflict has needlessly been created. We cannot confound God’s acting in His sovereignty on the one hand with man’s responsibility on the other. Who could deny either? Is not God sovereign? He would not be God if He were anything less. Is not man responsible? He would not be man if he were not.
God’s sovereignty does not do away with or lessen the responsibility of man. A debtor is not excused from his debt simply because he or she cannot pay. Neither does man’s depravity lessen his responsibility. It is absurd to suggest otherwise. The eviler the criminal, the lighter should be the sentence? I am happy to think most will disagree with this. Nor can man say that he didn’t know and therefore, cannot be held responsible. It is man’s nature to blame the Creator. God exhausted all His resources to reach the heart of man. The Father sent the Son; what more could He have done? The cross was the end of it all and showed man to be utterly reprobate. It places man in a position of the greatest responsibility; it does not diminish it. “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. ... If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both Me and My Father” (John 15:22, 24). Remarkably, grace upon grace, this leaves God free to act according to His own sovereignty: “God hath shut up together all in unbelief, in order that He might shew mercy to all” (Rom. 11:32 JnD).
God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save souls (1 Cor. 1:21). It is not by cunning argument and clever persuasion (1 Cor. 2:1); it is in the Word of God alone that we find life. “So faith then is by a report, but the report by God's word” (Rom. 10:17 JND). The Word of God is the seed which is sown (Luke 8:11). It doesn’t matter if the seed falls upon stony ground, among thorns, or if the birds snatch it away, nothing deters the sower (Luke 8:5-8). Who is it that God justifies? “To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:5). God justifies the ungodly. If so, then this is to whom we should preach—not the elect, whom God alone knows. We broadcast the seed and God does the rest. “If a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how” (Mark 4:26-27). The secret of germination is a mystery that science has only recently begun to unravel. When it comes to the good seed, the secrets of its germination remain hidden. We must limit our language to that which is given to us in the Scriptures. The Word of God, through the power of the Spirit, brings about new life. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit ... Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever” (1 Pet. 1:22-23). “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The gospel preacher is responsible to plant the seed. It is God who gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:7).
Free Will
We have spoken of preaching—surely those who hear the gospel message choose to accept or reject it? The gospel is not a choice, and neither should it be presented in this way—it is a matter of obedience. “God ... commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). You don’t tell a debtor that he or she has a choice as to their debt. Man supposes he can judge the Word of God; he is going to weigh up the evidence and of his own free will decide. When left to man’s will the conclusion is the same as Agrippa’s: “In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28 JND). Likewise, humans put God in the judgment seat; if they don’t like what they see, they dismiss God altogether. “O man, who art thou that repliest against God?” (Rom. 9:20). Not only is this arrogance, but it is also folly. The accused in the dock may form an opinion of the judge; they can cover their ears and close their eyes, but they are still in the dock! Notably, as the peoples of this world shut God out of their consciousness, violence and corruption only increases. “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient [proper]” (Rom. 1:28). Man’s behavior justifies God and condemns himself.
The subject of free will is a field of philosophical and theological thought of which I have no desire to enter. A few brief comments on the subject will be enough. Many connect the notion of free will with love. They will say that love is not love unless it is free. God, it is said, could not be satisfied with the affection of a mere robot. This quite misses the point. Man was not created a robot; he made a choice in the Garden of Eden, and as a result man became a sinner. No one compelled him to be disobedient then and, for that matter, none compels him to be so now. He finds himself in his present predicament through his own will. Having chosen a path of willful disobedience, man set himself upon a track of independence from God. The knowledge of good and evil were not the benefit that had been suggested by the Serpent. With this knowledge, but having chosen a path of self-will, man finds himself in a hopeless position. He is lost and without a means of self-recovery. Not that God hinders man from receiving Christ—far from it. But even when God employs all possible motives, everything which is capable of influencing the heart of man, it only serves to demonstrate that man will have none of it. His heart is so corrupted and his will so decided not to submit to God, that nothing can induce him to receive the Lord and to abandon sin. The cross of Christ is the full proof of this—man rejected the Son of God and crucified Him.
At the root of the notion of free will is the failure to fully recognize the total ruin of man. If I have before me a choice of good on the one hand and evil on the other, then I am in neither position at the present. Adam made a choice, and he chose evil; furthermore, it is fully manifested in the conduct of his descendants. If man is in a state where a choice of good must be made, then he is outside of good! How did he arrive at this position? By his own reasoning man condemns himself.
I was in bondage and Christ paid the price of my redemption; this completely sets aside the notion of free-will. If I were free, then I did not need to be redeemed. If man has some good in him, then the old nature ceases to be—instead, it is an old nature with a germ of good; salvation becomes an amelioration of the old nature. If just one person had kept the law or received Christ, there would have been no need for a Saviour. It would have demonstrated righteous conduct in man—recognizing of course, that one right act doesn’t make one righteous; any sin on my part still condemns me. It did not, however, happen that way, and now in the cross both the righteousness of God and His perfect love is displayed: “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Psa. 85:10). “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16).
Wesleyan doctrine seeks to maintain free will by introducing the concept of prevenient grace. This grace, supposedly from God, allows a person to engage their God-given free will to choose or to reject the salvation offered in Jesus Christ. Of this, however, Scripture says nothing. None of the verses given in support of this teaching speak of it. It is said that God would be unjust (and worse yet, immoral) to offer salvation when He knows that man will not accept it. Consequently, all those verses which speak of the gospel going out to all are said to imply prevenient grace. Prevenient grace is simply not to be found in the Word of God; it is a device invented by theologians. Truly, God’s offer of salvation is unto all, just as the invitation to the Great Supper went out to all. Does the fact that none responded on their own initiative make the master unjust or worse yet immoral? The suggestion is blasphemous. No, one would say what grace, what love! If God gives us the ability to choose good over evil, then where do we stand at that point? Surely it must (even momentarily) restore us to a state of innocence. How is this righteous on God’s part? And, if innocent, why do I need salvation?
Mercy Towards All
God’s offer of salvation is unto all, but it is limited in its application to them that believe. “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Rom. 3:22). In Paul’s first letter to Timothy we read: “Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Tim. 2:6). In Matthew’s gospel we find a similar verse but with a significant difference: “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). Paul, in his letter to Timothy, uses the Greek preposition huper, meaning on behalf of all. Matthew, however, uses the word anti; that is to say, in the place of many. This later verse speaks of Christ as our substitute as we also find in these familiar verses: “Jesus our Lord ... who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). For the believer, Christ was indeed their substitute, bearing the penalty of their sins in their place. One cannot preach to the unconverted that Christ bore their sins at Calvary; it is simply not true.
Whereas substitution is limited to those who receive it by faith, the propitiatory work of Christ is not—in fact, it addresses itself to the condition of things generally, quite apart from individuals and their sins. Propitiation is God-ward whereas substitution concerns individuals. Scripture does not speak of Christ’s being the substitute for the sins of the world, but “He is the propitiation for our sins; but not for ours alone, but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2 JnD). Though the King James translators inserted in italics, “for the sins of” it is the condition of things alluded to—the sin of the whole world—as we find elsewhere. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). This is an abstract statement without reference to time or place—it does not say has or will. John saw before him the Lamb of God, the taker-away of the sin of the world. It is an atonement unlimited in value and availability; it is limited only by the unbelief that slights or rejects it.
A distinction must likewise be made between redemption and purchase. The first is limited, the second is universal. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). This verse in Ephesians, when read in context, is limited to those who are saved. On the other hand, we find in Peter’s second epistle a verse which speaks of purchase; it just as clearly includes the unsaved: “Denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1). Not every verse which speaks of purchase includes both the saved and unsaved; that must be determined by context. We find both, however, in the parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field” (Matt. 13:44). In the parable prior to this we find the key to interpreting the field: “the field is the world” (vs. 38). The treasure, on the other hand, is the saints of God. Whereas purchase can include both the saved and unsaved, redemption never embraces those who are unsaved. A purchase is just that; redemption, however, liberates. One who is redeemed is not only purchased, but it is also set free from the bondage of sin and Satan.
By confounding propitiation with substitution, and purchase with redemption, many have gotten themselves into a terrible muddle. Some have erroneously concluded that Christ’s atonement is limited and therefore the offer of salvation must likewise be limited—I trust this has been refuted. Others say that all must be saved through Christ’s work; this is called Universalism. Universalism may be countered by a verse in Matthew: “These shall go away into eternal punishment, and the righteous into life eternal” (Matt. 25:46). If the life spoken of is eternal, then so is the punishment—the expressions in Greek are symmetrical. If one insists that the punishment is merely for an age, then eternal life must likewise be limited in time.
Eternal Security
By eternal security we simply mean that one who is truly saved through faith in Jesus Christ can never lose the salvation of his or her soul. Though the expression itself is not found in the Scriptures, the truth of it is clearly taught. Many, however, have struggled with this teaching. Various theological systems reject it outright.
At the root of all such difficulties is a failure to recognize the true nature of our salvation. Eternal security (also called the perseverance of the saints) connects closely with the doctrines of election and predestination. Once we get a hold of these, all doubts as to our security in Christ disappear. If I have been chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world and am predestined to be holy and without blame before Him in love and am a child by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of His will, then clearly my salvation rests secure. There is no firmer foundation than this.
Naturally speaking, however, we want to have a hand in our salvation, and we want to be responsible for safeguarding it. Sadly, if this were so, we would have to concede that we would all be found to be reprobates!
Eternal Life
Eternal life is especially the subject of John’s Gospel and his epistles. “He that believes on the Son has life eternal” (John 3:36 JND). “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). The believer has eternal life; it is the very life of the believer here and now. Lest the significance escapes us, I state the obvious: anything short of eternity is not eternal! Although I emphasize the span of our new life, we should always keep in mind that eternal life is far more than an existence in perpetuity (even the devil has that). It speaks of the quality of the life we now possess in a resurrected Christ. It is the very life of Christ in the believer. When Christ was here on earth, eternal life was displayed in His person: “For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us” (1 John 1:2). That life is now ours. How did we get it? It is Christ’s privilege to dispense it to those whom the Father has given Him: “Thou [the Father] hast given Him [Christ] power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him” (John 17:2). Here we find God’s acting according to His sovereignty; the work of salvation within us is His alone.
In John’s Gospel we also read: “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:28). Those to whom Christ gives eternal life will never perish. Here our Saviour uses a double negative—a strengthened negative in Greek—they shall no, never perish! Nevertheless, I can hear the echoing reply: But I can remove myself from His hand. Two notable errors are implicit in this statement. First, salvation is seen to rest, at least in part, with the one who says this—if I made the choice then I can unmake that choice. This was earlier shown to be false; we do not choose salvation. Second, salvation is viewed as a restoration of the human spirit rather than a death sentence upon the old nature and the imparting of a completely new life in Christ. If I have been born anew and am a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17), I must also recognize that it is nonsensical to speak of reversing that process—which must necessarily be the case if I can lose my salvation. Furthermore, who is the I that says, I can remove myself from His hand? It can only be the old I who is crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20); it is not the new life I now possess.
In the seventeenth chapter of John’s Gospel, the Lord asks of the Father: “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine ... Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name: those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:9-12). The Lord’s request was not limited in scope to the disciples for He goes on to say: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word” (John 17:20). To say that we can be lost after we have been saved implies that the Lord’s request has been denied. Some may point to Judas, but Judas was never a converted soul as the Lord unambiguously tells us: “Jesus saith to him, he that is washed [bathed] needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For He knew who should betray Him; therefore said He, Ye are not all clean” (John 13:10-11). Judas was never washed; he was not clean; he was not a converted soul. One cannot lose their salvation if they never had it in the first place.
The Epistle to the Hebrews
Whenever eternal security is questioned, the epistle to the Hebrews will be brought into the discussion. There are two portions—one in the sixth chapter and the other in the tenth—which are commonly used by those who seek to deny the security of the believer. A misunderstanding of these verses has caused countless souls needless anxiety and greatly weakened their Christian testimony.
The book of Hebrews opens as no other. Though all Scripture is divinely inspired, the Lord Jesus Himself is peculiarly the author and Apostle of this epistle (Heb. 1:1-2, 3:1 JnD). Doubtless, many to whom it was written had heard the discourses of the Lord, and this Epistle comes, so to speak, as a further discourse from God through Jesus as His Apostle: “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son” (Heb. 1:2). The human writer takes his place among the listeners. Jesus addresses Himself to those who had, outwardly at least, identified with Him as their Messiah. Some during His lifetime, others after His resurrection (see Acts 2). Among them were many true believers. For some, however, their salvation was less clear. Where did they stand? The epistle assumes reality but leaves room for mere profession.
For a faithful Jew who had received Jesus as Messiah there were two chief difficulties: 1) their Messiah had been crucified, and 2) they were suffering persecution. From a Jewish perspective, the coming of the Messiah meant deliverance from their enemies and a peaceful kingdom established under His protective reign (Luke 24:21). A crucified Messiah was a huge stumbling block. The Jews had failed to recognize the rejected Messiah in the writings of the prophets (Luke 24:26). They now faced a choice; it was a critical decision at the crossroads of life and death. Would they recognize a risen Jesus as both Lord and Christ and own Him as their Saviour (Acts 2:36)? Or would they come to a different conclusion? That Jesus was not the Messiah; that He had been stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted because of the blasphemous position He had assumed, as their leaders had suggested? “He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him: for He said, I am the Son of God” (Matt. 27:43). Alternatively, perhaps Jesus was simply another prophet like Moses or Elijah. Peter lowered the Lord to this position on the Mount of Transfiguration. The result? A voice from out of the cloud; such a statement could not be left unanswered: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him” (Matt. 17:5).
God had spoken to His people through the prophets; He had now spoken to them in the person of the Son. They had heard His words and those of the apostles; what were they going to do? To reject what God had provided in His grace would leave them without mercy. Their decision would have immediate consequences: “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip ... How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him” (Heb. 2:1, 3). In this instance, the salvation spoken of was that temporal salvation with which the Jews were familiar. Jerusalem would be sacked within a few years and hundreds of thousands would die.
Before proceeding further, we must make a general observation regarding the epistle. The we and us used throughout refers to the Jews—the Hebrews. Although the Lord Himself is uniquely the Apostle of this epistle, the penman, whether it be Paul or otherwise, takes his place as a Jew (albeit a faithful one) among his countrymen. It is a mistake to suppose that these pronouns have a narrower meaning. It is faulty logic to conclude that the writer is exclusively addressing saved individuals because he includes himself among their number. As one goes through the book, there are constant hints which suggest otherwise: “Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak” (Heb. 6:9). The writer had witnessed fruits which accompanied salvation, though he had lingering questions as to where a few stood.
The epistle to the Hebrews follows an easily discerned line of reasoning. The first two chapters are introductory to the whole and give the Lord’s credentials, if you will, from the Old Testament; first as the Son of God (Heb. 1; Psalm 2) and then as the Son of Man (Heb. 2; Psalm 8). The third chapter presents Christ as Son over His own house in contrast to Moses who was only a servant in God’s house. Numbers 12 is quoted: “My servant Moses: he is faithful in all My house” (Num. 12:7 JND). It is remarkable to observe that this comes in the Book of Numbers at a time when the authority of Moses was being questioned, just as some now had questions regarding Jesus. With the introduction of Moses comes the wilderness journey and a sad reminder of Israel’s unbelief. The fourth chapter speaks of God’s rest. Was Canaan the ultimate rest for man? No! “If Joshua had given them rest, then would He not afterward have spoken of another day” (Heb. 4:8). There is a rest beyond the Promised Land; God calls it “My rest” (Psa. 95:11). In the fifth chapter, the writer begins to contrast the priesthood of Christ with the Aaronic priesthood instituted in the wilderness. He interrupts himself, however, with an exhortation to “go on” (Heb. 6:1). He senses that some were stuck in their Jewish aspirations with all its earthly ordinances. They were like babies who required milk and were not spiritually mature and ready to eat meat (Heb. 5:11-14).
Before we move on to the sixth chapter, we must note the lessons taught in the fourth—lessons drawn from Israel’s passage through the wilderness. All Israel set out from Egypt but many failed to arrive in the Promised Land. Why? “To whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief” (Heb. 3:18-19). It was because of unbelief. The great sin of man is to doubt the goodness of God. Eve did so in the garden of Eden and Israel did so in the wilderness. Man continues to question the grace of God. It is not a matter of losing one’s salvation but of no faith to begin with. All Israel took the first step in leaving Egypt, but for many there was no faith in Jehovah God: “not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Heb. 4:2). One may outwardly go along with Christianity, but unless that walk is mixed with faith, they will ultimately die in their sins.
Hebrews Six
The sixth chapter of Hebrews is a parenthesis. Chapter five introduces us to the Melchisedec priesthood of Christ—a priesthood superior to that of Aaron. The writer desires to develop the subject but is restrained: “Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing” (Heb. 5:8-11). They were still babes needing milk: “Everyone that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe” (Heb. 5:13). In chapter seven we finally get the subject in full. In between, however, the reader is urged to go on from his or her Jewish position with its earthly hopes resting on an earthly Messiah. If that is where their faith ended, they were lost. “Let us go on to what belongs to full growth” (Heb. 6:1 JnD).
“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God” (Heb. 6:1). This is a remarkable statement. Why would we be told to leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ? Christ is the Greek word for anointed and corresponds to the Hebrew word Messiah. They were urged to on from the principles, or more correctly, the elementary doctrines of the Messiah, to that which accompanied full spiritual growth. Jesus had fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies, so there was nothing to be gained by reexamining them—no one else would come to fulfil them. Likewise, repentance and faith toward God were familiar subjects—what they needed was a personal faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Baptism, as found in the second verse, is misinterpreted by many as that practice found in Christianity. The original Greek simply means washing (see Mark 7:4). For the Jew there were various ceremonial washings. We also know that the baptism of persons was a Jewish practice. In Acts we read of those who had only known the baptism of John the Baptist: “He said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism” (Acts 19:3). This was in anticipation of the coming of the Christ; it wasn’t Christian baptism. Paul goes on to say: “John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:3-5). What if the men in this account, having heard of the death and resurrection of Jesus, had rejected Him? They had acknowledged Israel’s condition and had repented; they had been baptized by John in anticipation of the coming of Christ; if they rejected the One whom John announced, what then? They couldn’t go back to the position they enjoyed as disciples of John. For what had they repented? There was no new repentance; there wasn’t another Messiah. They would have been lost.
“It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame” (Heb. 6:4-6). Once again, these verses cause all manner of difficulties. Nevertheless, if we read them carefully, understanding the words used and context in which they are written, we will find that they present no difficulty at all. One will ask, doesn’t enlighten and made partakers of the Holy Ghost describe one who is saved? The answer is, not necessarily. The nuances of a language are often lost in translation. This is one of those cases, which raises the question, how do we, who aren’t Greek scholars, discern the intended meaning? One way is to consider the use of the same word elsewhere and let the scripture reveal the meaning. In the first chapter of John we read: “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9). The word lighteth is the same word as enlightened in our chapter. It means illuminated and it is translated so in Hebrews 10:32. The Lord Jesus came into the world as the Light of the world, but men loved darkness rather than light. When we shine a light on something it is illuminated. When the light is removed, the object returns to darkness. So are men when they reject the light of God. Those to whom this epistle was written had heard the word of the Lord, through the apostles (Heb. 2:3). They had basked in the light of the truth; what would they do with it now?
As to the word partaker, two Greek words are translated by this one English word. This is not at all unusual. In English, we distinguish between like and love; in French, both are commonly represented by the verb aimer. On the other hand, the French have two words for the verb know, connaître and savoir (Greek makes a similar distinction). To understand the two Greek words for partaker we can turn to a passage in Luke. Picture the lake of Gennesaret. Two fishing vessels come into view. In one we have James and John partners (Greek: koinonoi) together with Simon (Luke 5:10). They have toiled all night with no result. Jesus tells them to launch out again and let down their nets. When Simon’s ship, weighed down by fish, begins to sink he beckons to his partners (Greek: metochoi) in another boat (Luke 5:7). In this picture, we have the distinction between the two words—we are either in the same ship (partners together with James, John, and Simon) or, fellow fisherman, in a separate boat, vainly trying to catch fish. The word used in our verse (Heb. 6:4) has the weaker sense of association. In what sense were these faithful Jews partakers of the Holy Spirit if unsaved? Perhaps some were present at the day of Pentecost and had witnessed the display of tongues. Others may have been healed. We only need to read the book of Acts to see the activity of the Holy Spirit present in the early church. Those addressed by this epistle where privileged to be partakers of that tremendous power and blessing, having witnessed the gifts that God had poured out from above. We find a reference to this in the second chapter: “God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will” (Heb. 2:4). If they were to fall away, having tasted these wonderful tokens of a world to come, they would crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh. They had outwardly acknowledged Jesus as Messiah, but if they were to reject him now, they would be just as guilty as those who had crucified Him (Heb. 6:5-6). Ignorance could no longer be a defense; theirs would be a positive rejection on their part (1 Tim. 1:13-16).
Verses 1-3 of the 6th chapter go together as do verses 4-6. We have first that which is earthly and then, in the second group, that which is heavenly. Put another way, we have that which came before Christ ascended and then that which followed—the coming of the Holy Spirit, for example, was contingent on His leaving this world (John 16:7). The book of Hebrews lifts the eyes of the poor Israelite heavenward so that he might see that they had not lost their Messiah. He was in glory set down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2). The coming of the Holy Spirit was a powerful testimony to this fact.
In verses seven through twelve we have the subject of fruit. The seed was sown—was it going to bring forth fruit? The rain had come down (the spiritual blessings they had been partakers of); would it cause the sweet herb to sprout, or would the briar that is burned up appear (Heb. 6:7-8)? Keep in mind, the rain falls on both the just and the unjust; it doesn’t only fall on those who are saved (Matt. 5:45). The writer was persuaded good things of them; things that accompanied salvation—though he had spoken as he had (Heb. 6:9). This verse sets into context the whole chapter. He had concerns, but he was optimistic that they had received the word mingled with faith. He was encouraged by the fruit he had seen, fruit which indicated salvation. It was his desire that every one of them would show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end (Heb. 6:11).
God had given a promise to Abraham confirming it with an oath (Heb. 6:13-18). God cannot lie; their hope was sure if they would simply lay hold of it. This was the encouragement they needed. Jesus had entered heaven as the forerunner (Heb. 6:19-20). Jesus was their Joshua (Heb. 4:8). Joshua was not numbered among the unbelieving. Should they follow Jesus, they, too, would not fail to enter that land of rest. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).
Hebrews Ten
With the Melchisedec priesthood of Christ having been developed in the seventh chapter, the epistle takes up the subject of the New Covenant in the eighth chapter. Christ’s service, as High Priest in the majesty of the heavens, is contrasted with the earthly ministry of the Aaronic priesthood. “Now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises” (Heb. 8:6).
The ninth chapter contrasts the sacrifices under the Old Covenant with the one perfect sacrifice of Christ. It also brings before us the importance of the blood. The children of Israel were bound to the covenant in the wilderness through the sprinkling of the blood. “For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people” (Heb. 9:19). The account may be found in Exodus 24:8. It is essential to understand that all the people were sprinkled with the blood; outwardly they were all identified with the covenant and they were all outwardly set apart to God (Lev. 20:26). For many, however, we know that it meant nothing; they did not value the blood of the covenant. This is important as it makes plain an expression used in the tenth chapter.
The doctrinal portion of Hebrews ends with verse 18 of the tenth chapter. If what preceded addressed the theological concerns of a faithful Jew, then the remainder of the book addresses itself to the persecution they were experiencing—the second difficulty in their minds. It is an appeal to the remnant to go in faith, nothing wavering. “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised) (Heb. 10:22). This exhortation was needful for the reasons already given (in the earlier chapters) but it was also necessary because they had suffered persecution for identifying with the Lord Jesus. “Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; partly, whilst ye were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used” (Heb. 10:32-33). Physical trials held a special significance for the Jew; had not Jehovah subjected them to the rod of their enemies because of their idolatry? Was not blessing promised to those who were obedient? Perhaps the afflictions they were enduring indicated a mistaken path? The trials they were suffering, however, were of a different character. If the world had rejected Christ, it would also reject the Christian (John 15:18). Rather than indicating God’s disapproval, it demonstrated the veracity of the position they had taken. Nevertheless, there was a danger that some who had identified (outwardly at least) with Christianity might turn away. In so doing, they would, in effect, tread the Son of God under foot, count the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing, and insult the Spirit of grace (Heb. 10:29). If God’s grace is rejected, there is no other remedy. One cannot return to the Old Covenant, and the law, and wait for salvation—all is lost at that point.
The use of the word sanctified presents a difficulty to some. In what sense had they been sanctified if they were not saved? Sanctification means separated or set apart to God for a holy purpose. This is its sense in both the Hebrew and the Greek. Sanctification may be outward—that is to say, with respect to a position; it may also speak of the work of the Spirit within whereby God separates us to Himself (1 Pet. 1:2); finally, there is an ongoing, practical sanctification we experience in our Christian walk: “Sanctify them by the truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). As we noted earlier, all of Israel were sanctified to God in the wilderness (Exod. 19:10, 14). As a nation, they had all received the blood of sprinkling which set them apart to God; and yet, we know they did not all believe. These faithful Jews had likewise taken a position outwardly, identifying with Jesus as the Christ. Was there a corresponding inward work within the heart? They were to press on and not give up: “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Heb. 10:36-39). Again, the writer expresses his concern on the one hand, but on the other, he is confident that they would believe to the saving of the soul. This last verse (like Heb. 6:9) precisely expresses the situation. If any were in a position of doubt, they were urged to believe to the saving of the soul. It was not a question of giving up their salvation, but the pressing forward to the gaining of salvation.
The tenth chapter is followed by the eleventh in which we have numerous examples of individuals from the Old Testament who, in the face of adversity, displayed the fruits of true faith. They never let go of the promises although they did not get to enjoy their fulfilment.
Free to Sin?
Doubts as to eternal security do not come from the Word of God but from our own reasoning. A commonly heard objection is that it leaves us free to sin. The prospect of losing one’s salvation would seem to be a powerful incentive to live a godly life; take that away, and it is said, we can do whatever we like. Scripture both asks and answers this question. “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?” (Rom. 6:1). Salvation doesn’t fix the old nature—it does away with it altogether. The Christian is not threatened with the loss of salvation—the impossibility of which we have already seen. The old man, all that characterizes the natural man, has been crucified. The life which we now live should be that entirely new life in Christ. “We are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4, see also Gal. 2:20). To walk after the flesh is entirely out of character with Christianity.
Our walk, as Christians, flows from the relationship we are in and not because we are striving after one. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children (Eph. 5:1). Children don’t cease to be children, just because they misbehave. On the other hand, the Father will not let His children go on sinning: “Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth” (Heb. 12:5-6). The Epistle to the Hebrews, speaking of the intercessory work of Christ as our High Priest, says: “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). The daily preservation of the believer is in the hands of the One who gave Himself for us. For those who deny the security of the believer, we ask the question: Just how uttermost, is uttermost? The High Priestly work of Christ maintains us in the path of faith so that we might not fail. If we fail (as we do) Christ is our advocate to restore us: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). In Jude’s short epistle we read: “But to Him that is able to keep you without stumbling, and to set you with exultation blameless before His glory” (Jude 24 JND). The believer may stumble but we have One who will prevent us from falling. The Greek word in Jude is aptaistos (απταιστος), which is to say, to trip or stumble, and not apostasy (αποστασια). Scripture never speaks of a true believer apostatizing.
It may be asked: Doesn’t Scripture exhort us to make our calling and election sure? “Give diligence to make [our] calling and election sure” (2 Pet. 1:10). But in whose eyes? Certainly not in the eyes of God. He called us; He knows His elect. But do we know it; do we walk in the good of it? Earlier in this same chapter Peter tells us that God has given us “All things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3). He also says: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). Here it is not a question of new birth, but of walking in fellowship with the divine nature we now possess. God has equipped the believer with everything he or she needs for such a walk. We are, therefore, to use diligence to make our calling and election sure so that: “an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:11). The picture of a sailing vessel entering the harbor is often used. Either it comes with tattered sails and bearing the scars of violent storms; or else it enters with its ensign flying and sails intact. What will our entrance look like?
Throughout most of Christendom’s history salvation has been wrongly presented as a promise. Something to wait for with uncertainty and trepidation to be decided at the judgment seat of Christ. Certainly, everyone born into this world is heading towards condemnation. Nevertheless, the believer can now confidently say: “There is then now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Indeed, we might ask: “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Rom. 8:33-34). John likewise writes: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into [judgment]; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). Salvation is either a present reality or else we are lost. There is no waiting to know our final destination; indeed, the believer will never face judgment.
It is true that all, believer and unbeliever alike, must appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). Nevertheless, it is important to note that “judgment seat” is a single word in Greek (βήμα, bema) and means a step, or podium—the word judgment does not appear in the original. Although it was used to mean a tribunal, it also referred to the place where the victor’s crown was given at athletic games. For the believer it is where “everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). On the positive side, rewards will be given; contrariwise, all that could cloud our relationship with God will be manifest and set aside—no doubt there will be a sense of loss and grief as we view things from Christ’s perspective. But it is not a question of salvation nor of atoning for past sins; Christ’s work for the believer is complete. Paul also touches on this subject in writing to the Romans: “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). But significantly, it does not appear in the first eight chapters where the Gospel of God is presented. Paul uses the expression in the second half of the book when he touches on our conduct one toward another, and especially how we act toward those weak in faith. Knowing that he would appear before the judgment seat of Christ, what was the effect on the Apostle Paul? Was there fear? Not for himself; rather, it motivated him to preach the gospel: “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11). When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, we shall be like Him—conformed to His image: “Now are we children of God, and what we shall be has not yet been manifested; we know that if it is manifested we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Where is the fear in judgment for the believer when we know that we shall be just like the Judge?
Final Note
In no way do I imagine that I have allayed all the concerns of those who have difficulty with these subjects. Philosophical and theological obstacles as to the doctrines of election, predestination, and eternal security, will be raised—but they will all rest upon the reason of man. The verses given are simple and clear enough—only a small sample of which have been provided. If we recognize the complete depravity of man and have a strong sense of the sovereignty of God, and we rest by faith upon the acceptance of that irreproachable work of Christ, and have the assurance of the love and goodness of God, then we will know that although the winds of the enemy may buffet us, nothing can ever shake that Rock upon which we stand.