Before we look at some of these problematic Scriptures that seem to suggest that a person could lose his or her salvation, we would first mention four main causes for the faulty interpretations. In almost every case, one of these four things is at the bottom of the misunderstanding.
1) The Need For Understanding the Context
The first cause for the faulty interpretations on this subject is that they are often taken out of context. Perhaps the greatest principle required for correct Bible interpretation is context. When buying a house, the realtor tells us that the three most important rules in making a purchase of lasting value are, #1) location, #2) location, #3) location. Similarly, in Bible interpretation the three most important principles are, #1) context, #2) context, #3) context.
Not only do we want to understand the context of the passage under consideration, but we want to be sure that the interpretation also coincides with the rest of Scripture. The old adage, “We must interpret Scripture in the light of all other Scripture,” is important to keep in mind when we look at this subject. The Apostle Peter said, “The scope of no prophecy of Scripture is had from its own interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20 – J. N. Darby Trans.). In the footnote of the Darby Translation, he says that the passage could almost be translated, “No prophecy explains itself.” In a sense, it takes the whole Bible to explain any one passage in it. It’s true that Peter was referring to the understanding of prophecy, but the principle he lays down is very broad and applies to all lines of truth in the Bible.
Sad to say, the verses that are brought forward to deny the eternal security of the believer are not only isolated from the context of the passage wherein they are found, but they also do not have the support of the general tenor of the rest of Scripture. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that we prayerfully and carefully read each passage in its context to make sure that we are “rightly dividing the Word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
2) The Christian Audience is Often a Mixed Multitude
The second reason for faulty interpretations on this subject is not realizing that the writer’s audience is a mixed multitude of real believers and merely professing believers. It should be no surprise to us that the Christian profession would have a mixture, for the Lord indicated it in many of His parables. He said that there would be “tares among the wheat” (Matt. 13:25, etc.).
For example, in writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul allowed for the possibility of there being mere professing Christians among them. In the first chapter he said, “All that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours” (1 Cor. 1:2). In the second chapter, he alludes to this possibility again when he speaks of three classes of people. He refers to the “natural man,” who doesn’t have the Spirit of God and is not saved (1 Cor. 2:14), the “spiritual” man, who is saved and has the Spirit governing him (1 Cor. 2:15), and the “carnal” man (1 Cor. 3:1) who is saved and has the Spirit, but lives after the flesh. Again, in the third chapter, the Apostle distinguishes between three kinds of workers in the house of God by using the words, “If any man ... ” The first is a Christian who serves well and builds according to the will of God. He says, “He shall receive a reward.” The second worker is a Christian who doesn’t serve according to the will of God. He says that he will “suffer loss” of his reward, but quickly adds that he himself would be “saved; yet so as by fire.” Then, in the case of the third worker, the Apostle refers to a sham believer who professes to be a Christian and carries on in the place of a Christian servant, but is not real—the presence of such persons in the temple of God “defile [corrupt]” it. He says, “Him shall God destroy” (Compare Matt. 25:30).
It is important, therefore, to keep in mind that many of the exhortations in Scripture are to a mixed profession. Thus, there is something in those exhortations for the conscience of empty professors among the real believers. An example is found in Colossians 1:23.
3) The Difference Between Backsliding and Apostasy
The third reason for the faulty interpretations on this subject is due to not knowing the difference between a backslider and an apostate. Throughout the epistles, the writers refer to two kinds of departures from God: one is backsliding, and the other is apostasy. Both are bad, but one is infinitely worse. If the reader confuses the two, he will surely get into difficulty on this subject.
Backsliding happens when a believer gets out of communion with the Lord, and gets away from the sense of His presence, and into a course of sin. He doesn’t lose his soul’s salvation from the eternal penalty of his sins, nor does he really get out of the Lord’s presence, because the Lord never leaves nor forsakes His people (Heb. 13:5). But he loses the sense of the Lord’s presence, and may feel very far away from the Lord in his soul. It all starts when a believer allows sin in his life, and doesn’t judge it. It is often some small sin left unjudged, and as a result his communion is interrupted, and thus, a course of backsliding follows.
Apostasy is a different kind of departure from God. It is the renouncing of a confession that one has once made, and the abandoning of the Christian faith. It is something that only a mere professor (one who never was saved) could do. For such a person there is no recovery! (Heb. 6:4-8; 10:26-31) These two kinds of departures are illustrated in Matthew 26 in two of the Lord’s apostles—Peter and Judas. Peter backslid and was restored through the faithfulness of God (Luke 24:34; John 21:15-19). Judas apostatized and ended up lost in eternity (Psa. 109:7; Acts 1:25).
A person who backslides is called to return to the Lord (Jer. 3:12); a person who apostatizes is not called to return, because there is no return! The Bible says, “The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead” (Prov. 21:16). It is “impossible” to “renew them again unto repentance” (Heb. 6:6). After Peter departed, he turned back to the Lord; Judas departed, but he never turned to the Lord. With one there was repentance (Luke 22:61-62); with the other there was only remorse (Matt. 27:3 – J. N. Darby Trans.).
Occasionally, we’ll hear someone speak of a backslidden Christian as having fallen away. We don’t want to make anyone “an offender for a word” (Isa. 29:21), but “falling away,” in. Scripture, refers to apostasy (Heb. 6:6; 2 Thess. 2:3), not to backsliding. Peter shows that while a Christian cannot be an apostate, he can be swept “along with” the current of apostasy, and give up certain doctrines and practices. “Ye therefore beloved, knowing these things before, take care lest, being led away along with the error of the wicked” (2 Peter 3:17 – J. N. Darby Trans.). The “wicked,” in this verse, refers to the apostates described earlier in the epistle. Peter warns the saints that if they didn’t “take care,” they could get swept along with the current of the apostates’ error. It wouldn’t make them apostates, but they would be backslidden. Peter knew what he was talking about when he said this; he was speaking from experience. He got off into bad company, and was led “along with” their evil ways. Then, when he was challenged about his relationship with the Lord Jesus, he denied Him. While a Christian can never “fall away,” he can “fall” from his steadfastness of devotion to the Lord (2 Peter 3:17), and from the principles of grace (Gal. 5:4).
A Christian has two links with God. One is his link of relationship; there is nothing that could be stronger. No man, or devil, or sin can break that relationship, for he is eternally secure in it. If we know the Lord as our Saviour, we are in a position before God as being “in Christ.” No condemnation can ever be attached to those in that place (Rom. 8:1). It’s the very place of acceptance that Christ Himself is in before God. Simply put, to be “in Christ” is to be in Christ’s place before God. All the favour of God that rests on Christ, as He now is on high in the glory, rests on the believer! The other link the Christian has with God is the link of communion; there is nothing that could be more fragile. Our link of communion with the Lord can be broken by the smallest sin. And then, if it is not judged and confessed to the Lord, a course of backsliding begins—even if, at first, it is a very small departure.
It is important to understand the difference between these two things when considering our subject because some of the warnings in the New Testament are to those (being mere professors) who were in danger of apostatizing. If we confuse these warnings with exhortations to believers, we will get into bad doctrine. Now some might ask, “How do you know that real Christians can’t apostatize?” Because Scripture allows for true believers to be restored if they fail, but Scripture does not teach that an apostate can be restored. When apostates depart from God, it is “impossible” to “renew them again unto repentance” (Heb. 6:6).
4) Pre-conceived Notions
A fourth reason for faulty interpretations on Scriptural subjects is pre-conceived, erroneous ideas, hindering a person's understanding. Three great things have contributed to the ruin of the Church’s testimony. They all begin with the letter “I”—ignorance, indifference, and insubjection. The greatest of these, we believe, is ignorance. It was the same problem in Israel. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6; Prov. 19:2).
Some of the mistaken ideas on doctrine that people have are a product of the environment in which they live in today’s Christian world. Unfortunately, conventional Christian theology is not very Scripturally accurate on some doctrinal terms. If a person has imbibed some of these mistaken ideas that have come to be accepted as truth, and then tries to understand certain statements in Scripture concerning the security of a believer, we can well understand why he or she might be confused. With all the different teachings in evangelical Christendom today, we can hardly fault someone for honestly being mixed up. There will be a need, on the part of some, of unlearning some things. As we proceed, we hope to unravel some of these false notions, and thus, clear up the confusion on the subject.
In each of the passages that we are about to look at, it will be seen that one or more of the above four things are at the bottom of the misunderstanding.