We have looked briefly at about two dozen Scriptures that teach the truth of the eternal security of the believer. Many, if not all of these, could not be logically interpreted in any other way than what they plainly say. If the reader is an honest seeker of truth, there should be no doubt about the believer’s salvation being eternally secure.
There are, however, a number of passages in the Word of God that seem to suggest that a believer could lose his salvation. We want to look at these Scriptures now to see what they mean. It might be puzzling to the reader as to why there are some Scriptures that teach the eternal security of the believer, and some that seem to say that a believer could lose his salvation. If this is troubling any, let us rest assured that the infallible Word of God does not contradict itself. If there is an apparent difficulty, it is not the fault of God’s Word, but in our understanding. As a general rule, when we meet with what seems to be a contradiction in the Word of God, we suggest that the reader hold fast to the plain statements of Scripture that cannot really be interpreted any other way, and have another look at the verse or verses that seem to say otherwise. There likely will be a phrase or two in the passage that we have misunderstood. If we pray about it, and ask the Lord for help, He will show us the true meaning. We’ll find that the Scriptures really don’t contradict themselves. This is the only logical way to handle the difficulty. Mr. Hayhoe used to say, “Never let the things that we don’t understand in Scripture spoil our enjoyment of the things that we do understand.”
These passages that appear to deny eternal security are an example. They are often surrounded with rather ambiguous expressions that could be taken a number of different ways. On the other hand, the Scriptures we’ve looked at thus far are so plain that it would be hard to see something else in them. Why would someone want to throw out the plainest statements of Scripture that we can surely trust, because they come across some apparent contradictions, which are surrounded with expressions that are admittedly difficult?
Oftentimes, to come up with these faulty interpretations one has to infer things into the passage that are not there to make it fit the interpretation. Peter warns of those who are “untaught and ill-established” in the Word, who “wrest” the Scriptures to make them fit their ideas (2 Peter 3:1616As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:16) – J. N. Darby Trans.). This is dangerous ground. It is hardly coming to the Scriptures with an open and honest heart. The habit of the Apostle Paul was to reason “out of the Scriptures” (Acts 17:22And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, (Acts 17:2)), but he didn’t reason into the Scriptures—and neither should we. J. N. Darby said, “People try to torture passages to make them consistent with their doctrines, instead of taking the doctrine from the passages.” Those who try to read between the lines of Scripture, inferring things into them, are really adding to the Word of God. We trust this will not be the case as we proceed with our study of these passages that seem to deny the believer’s eternal security.