“Not everyone that sayeth unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? And in Thy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.”
In reading this casually, we might think that it is referring to someone who is not only saved, but he's out serving the Lord, and yet he ends up losing his salvation.
This misunderstanding is an example of not carefully reading the passage in its context. A careful reading shows that the person was never saved in the first place. He had made a profession, saying, “Lord, Lord,” but was without any inward reality. The context has to do with “false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing” (Matt. 7:7-207Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 12Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:7‑20)). These were shams. The Lord was alerting His hearers that there could be some among them who were such.
The Lord said to these persons (hypothetically), “I never knew you.” There was “never” a time in their history when they had a relationship with the Lord. They never were saved! The Lord didn’t say, “I knew you at one time, but now that you’ve sinned and turned away, I don't know you anymore.” Compare this with John 10:2727My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27), where the Lord says of true believers, “I know them.” These people never were saved because they hadn’t done “the will” of the Father, which, according to John 6:4040And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:40), is to believe on the Lord Jesus. “This is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life.”
Now we might wonder how these people did “many wonderful works” and “prophesied” in the Lord's Name if they weren't saved. However, there are plenty of accounts of people who have held positions in the so-called “ministry,” who preached the Word of God from the pulpit, and yet were not saved. John Wesley is an example. Judas Iscariot would be another (Matt. 10:1-71And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. 2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus; 4Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. 5These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 10:1‑7)). John Wesley got saved later, but Judas was never saved. It is also possible for a person who is not saved to “cast out devils [demons].” Acts 19:1313Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. (Acts 19:13) furnishes us with an example. And again, Judas is another example (Matt. 10:11And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. (Matthew 10:1)). The Lord's solemn assessment of their works was that they were only works of “iniquity.”
This passage, in Matthew 7, is given to show us just how far empty profession can go—even to the point of a person posing as a servant of the Lord! It is a real warning to anyone who would move in the things of God without having any inward reality.
“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” This man is said to have been cleansed (i.e. saved) because the unclean spirit went out of him. He then turned and associated himself with wicked spirits so that he lost all which he had gained in being cleansed. He, therefore, lost his salvation, and his last state was worse than before he was cleansed.
This is an example of a passage having some unusual and ambiguous phrases. One has to infer things into it to make the mistaken interpretation fit. To say that this man was saved is implying something that is not in the passage. The Lord was speaking about the national departure of the Jews, from God, into wholesale idolatry. The context is that of the Lord being rejected, both by the common people in the villages of Galilee (Matt. 11), and the leaders in Judea (Matt. 12). He, therefore, gave this solemn warning concerning the nation.
The Lord speaks of this man as figuratively representing a whole “generation” of people, not any particular individual. In returning from Babylon the Jews had given up idolatry and the spiritism connected with it. The “unclean spirit,” in that sense, had gone out of the nation, thus leaving the house of Israel “empty, swept, and garnished.” But they had not given the Lord His rightful place in it as their Messiah. He told them that since their unbelief was so deep, it would manifest itself in a coming day by the nation returning to idolatry. This will happen when the Jews receive the Antichrist and worship the image of the Beast (John 5:4343I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (John 5:43); Rev. 13:12-1512And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation 13:12‑15)). They would plunge into idolatry seven times worse than in the days of their pre-Babylonian captivity! The passage, therefore, has absolutely nothing to do with a Christian losing his salvation.
“Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away ... He that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a awhile: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word, by and by he is offended.”
This is taken from the parable of the Sower. The various types of ground on which the seed fell depict the various kinds of hearts with which the Word of God comes into contact. This stony-ground hearer received the seed with joy. It is, therefore, assumed that he was saved, but when he was tested he fell away and lost his salvation.
The problem with this interpretation is assuming that receiving the Word is synonymous with being saved. It is, however, possible for a person to receive the Word of God without believing it in their heart. Simon the sorcerer is an example. He “believed” (Acts 8:1313Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. (Acts 8:13)), but didn’t believe in his heart (Rom. 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)). It might be argued that since the person received it with “joy” that he must have been happily saved. However, when a person rightly receives the Word of God, the initial effect is not joy, but rather sorrow and deep conviction. The conscience is stirred up in connection with the person's sins, which produces repentance. Joy follows when the person learns that God has put his sins away by the cleansing power of the blood of Christ. To receive the Word with joy indicates a superficial work; it is a tell-tale sign that something is not right. The person has not really understood his condition before God as a sinner, and thus, there has been no real conviction. F. G. Patterson said, “The first action of the Word is to make the conscience bad, creating unhappiness over one’s state—conviction of sin—anxiety, etc.”
There are many who have heard the Word and made a show of life initially, but time proved that they were not real. The Lord was indicating that in this stony-ground hearer. There is only one of the four grounds on which the seed fell that produced fruit. Fruit in a person’s life is what proves that he is truly saved. The stony-ground hearer was a mere professor without life.
“He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
This verse has been used to support the false idea that a believer has to continue with the Lord in the path of faith until the end of his life, if he is going to be saved.
This interpretation is another example of not reading the verse in its context, nor understanding the use of certain biblical terms such as “saved.” Many who are confused on the doctrine of the believer’s security also think that the Church will go through the coming seven-year tribulation period. It only proves the old adage: “Bad doctrines rarely travel alone.”
The context here indicates that it is Jews, not Christians, being spoken of in the coming seven-year tribulation period. The Lord is describing events that will take place after the Church is called away to heaven. The preaching of the “gospel of the kingdom,” the setting up of “the abomination of desolation,” the “holy place” in the temple, the danger of desecrating the “Sabbath,” the mention of the “Great Tribulation,” and the Lord’s coming as the “Son of Man,” all point to the fact that it is speaking of a Jewish setting in a coming day. The passage has nothing to do with Christians losing their salvation. This is another example of inferring something into a passage of Scripture.
The “end,” in this verse, is not the end of a Christian’s life, but the “end” of the age, which will be the end of the Great Tribulation. The context supports this (vs. 3).
Furthermore, there is a misunderstanding of the meaning and use of the word “saved.” With many Christians, whenever that word appears in the text, they automatically assume that it is referring to salvation from the penalty of our sins. However, there are many aspects and usages of the word salvation, and it requires understanding the context of the passage to know which aspect is in view. Salvation is a comprehensive word used in Scripture that always carries the thought of deliverance from danger of some kind. It embraces every aspect of deliverance from danger and judgment in a believer’s life—from his justification to his glorification. Besides being saved from the penalty of our sins, there is an aspect of salvation that refers to deliverance from present spiritual dangers in this world (Rom. 5:1010For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10); Heb. 7:2525Wherefore 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. (Hebrews 7:25); 1 Tim. 4:1616Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (1 Timothy 4:16); James 1:2121Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21); 1 Peter 4:1818And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (1 Peter 4:18), etc.) and from physical dangers (2 Cor. 1:10; 110Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; (2 Corinthians 1:10)
10Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; (2 Corinthians 1:10) Tim. 2:15; 4:10; 2 Kings 6:2525And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. (2 Kings 6:25)). There is also an aspect of salvation that is future, when the Lord comes to deliver His people from the effects of sin by taking them home to heaven (Rom. 13:1111And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. (Romans 13:11); 1 Thess. 5:99For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Thessalonians 5:9); Heb. 9:2828So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28); 1 Peter 1:55Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:5)).
Therefore, it is a mistake to confine the word to deliverance from hell. “Saved” is used in this passage in a practical and literal sense. Those who literally survive the Great Tribulation judgments and the deceptions of the Antichrist will make it to “the end of the age” to enter the millennial kingdom of Christ. The point of the verse is to encourage the faithful remnant of Jews to hang on to “the end of the age,” enduring the hardships and the spiritual wickedness that will mark that day, and they will be rewarded with deliverance into the kingdom.
“If it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
This, somehow, has been taken to mean that a person could lose his salvation, even though the verse says nothing about it.
Again, the context here is Jewish. It has nothing to do with Christians who will not be on earth at this time. It simply means that God will not allow the “elect” Jews (the remnant) in the Great Tribulation to be deceived by the delusion of the Beast and the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:9-129Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9‑12); Rev. 9:1-111And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. (Revelation 9:1‑11)). The delusion will be so strong that if God didn’t act providentially, even the elect would swallow it. Thankfully, He won’t allow that to happen.
“His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents ... .And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
It has been said that this man lost his salvation because he didn’t serve the Lord.
The mistake here, is assuming that because the man is called a “servant” that he is saved. This again is inferring something into the Scriptures. This person is called a "servant" because he took that ground by profession, and consequently, he was judged on that ground. This principle is consistent in Scripture (Matt. 12:3737For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (Matthew 12:37); Luke 19:2222And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: (Luke 19:22); 2 Sam. 1:1-161Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; 2It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance. 3And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. 4And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. 5And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead? 6And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. 7And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I. 8And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. 9He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. 10So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord. 11Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: 12And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. 13And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. 14And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord's anointed? 15And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. 16And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord's anointed. (2 Samuel 1:1‑16)). Again, it shows how far empty profession can go—even to the point of taking the place of being one of the Lord’s servants. There are some clergymen in that place today. They profess to be believers—even being the Lord's servants—but they are not even saved! This passage shows that such pretension will not escape the Lord’s judgment. He will judge these false servants that have had the audacity to pose themselves as His ministers. They may have fooled men, but they haven’t fooled the Lord.
“Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.”
This has been called, “The Unpardonable Sin.” We are told that if a believer commits this sin, he loses his salvation, and can never be saved again. Sad to say, there are some Christians who think that they are guilty of this unpardonable sin, and that they are now lost and have no hope of being saved.
The question we need to ask is, “What is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost?” The answer is in verse 30—“ ... because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.” It is to attribute the power that worked in the Lord Jesus to Satan (vs. 22). In other words, it is saying that the Lord Jesus was associated with, and empowered by, the underworld in His ministry. It’s hard to conceive that anyone could invent a greater blasphemy than this. Let those who think they have committed the so-called "unpardonable sin" ask themselves, “Is the Lord Jesus truly the Son of God who came from heaven to save sinners?” If their answer is, “Yes,” then that is a clear proof that they haven’t committed the unpardonable sin of “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit!” What Christian would ever say that the Lord Jesus had an unclean spirit? No backsliding Christian harbours the thought that the Lord Jesus came from the underworld to do Satan’s work! It is only something that an apostate would say. However far away from the Lord a Christian backslider may get in his soul, there is still, somewhere in the deep recesses of his heart, the sincere conviction that the Lord Jesus Christ came from heaven to die for sinners.
Even if someone today has said derogatory things about the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, he or she can still be saved, for Scripture says, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from every sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). C. H. Mackintosh said, “We do not believe that any sinner, in this acceptable year, this day of salvation, is beyond the reach of the pardoning love of God, and the atoning blood of Jesus.”
“The Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
This looks like the Lord was telling Peter that he was going to have a fall and would need to get saved all over again since he was already a converted man when the Lord said this to him (John 6:68-6968Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. (John 6:68‑69); Matt. 16:15-1715He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 16:15‑17)). If he was going to be converted a second time after he fell, then it means that Peter was going to lose his salvation, but gain it back. Hence, a person—even an apostle—can lose his salvation.
This misunderstanding is a classic example of having pre-conceived, erroneous ideas on doctrine. The mistake here is thinking that conversion is synonymous with salvation. Conventional evangelical theology might say that it is so, but Scripture does not support the idea. Conversion simply means to have the heart turned around to God. When a person turns to the Lord in faith and gets saved, it is conversion. For an example, the Thessalonians “turned to God from idols” (1 Thess. 1:99For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; (1 Thessalonians 1:9)). But if the person turns away in heart from the Lord, and gets into a course of sin in his life, then he will need to get converted again (James 5:19-2019Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. (James 5:19‑20)). That is, he will need to have his heart turned around to the Lord and be restored. Conversion, therefore, can be used for a person’s initial turning to God for salvation and for any subsequent turns to the Lord a person might make if he fails turns away in heart from Him.
Most translations render “converted” (KJV), in Luke 22:3232But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (Luke 22:32), as “restored,” or “turned again,” or “turned back.” This helps to distinguish this as being the restoration of a believer, and not a second salvation of his soul. But in the original language it is the same word, and it can be used for either a person’s initial turning to God for salvation or for the restoration of a believer’s soul to communion. Therefore, the Lord was simply telling Peter that after he fell, he would need to be restored in his soul (Luke 22:62; 24:3462And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:62)
34Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. (Luke 24:34); John 219And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9)).
JOHN 13:2, 26-272And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; (John 13:2)
26Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. (John 13:26‑27)
“And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him” (vs. 2). “And when He had dipped the sop, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him” (vss. 26-27).
Judas has often been considered as one who lost his salvation, even though he had a very privileged place as an apostle.
This mistake is an example of not having read the Scriptures carefully. A careful reading of the passages regarding Judas, indicate that he never was a believer in the first place. The Lord said, “There are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him” (John 6:6464But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. (John 6:64)). Furthermore, Scripture says he was a “devil [demon]” (John 6:7070Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? (John 6:70)), “a thief” (John 12:66This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. (John 12:6)), an unclean person who had not been "washed all over" (which results from being born again, John 13:10-1110Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 11For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. (John 13:10‑11)), a “son of perdition” (John 17:1212While 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 17:12)), a traitor (Matt. 26:4848Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. (Matthew 26:48)), and a transgressor (Acts 1:2525That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. (Acts 1:25)). Hence, the Scriptures show that Judas never had salvation to lose. He was a mere false professor from the beginning, and the Lord knew it all along. He was exposed by the Lord at the Last Supper, and proved himself to be what he was by betraying the Lord. Acts 1:2525That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. (Acts 1:25), tells us when he died he went to “his own place,” which is a lost eternity.
“Through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died.”
The mistake here is to assume that every time “perish” is used in Scripture it is speaking of a lost eternity. Besides being applied to lost sinners, the word can be applied to faithful believers who die (Eccl. 7:1515All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. (Ecclesiastes 7:15); Mic. 7:22The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. (Micah 7:2); Luke 11:51; 13:3351From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. (Luke 11:51)
33Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. (Luke 13:33); 2 Cor. 4:1616For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)), to the truth itself (Jer. 7:2828But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. (Jeremiah 7:28)), to inanimate objects being spoiled (Luke 5:3737And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. (Luke 5:37)), etc. It is clear that there are many applications of the word “perish.” It is a mistake to think that there is only one use for a word in Scripture, and then torture the interpretation all other Scriptures to fit that one thought. If perish had only one meaning in Scripture—to pass into a lost eternity—why would God justly allow faithful believers to perish?
In this verse, the word “perish,” means that a person has a serious breakdown in his faith whereby he is led into some compromise, and thus, he makes shipwreck in his Christian life. The point of the passage is that we have to be careful of what we allow in our lives so that we don’t stumble fellow believers.
“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.”
Here, Paul says that if he didn’t keep his body under control (its appetites and desires), he could end up sinning, and thus, be a “castaway.”
The word “castaway,” is translated elsewhere as “reprobate,” and surely refers to a lost soul (Rom. 1:2828And 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; (Romans 1:28); 2 Cor. 13:5-7; 25Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 6But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. 7Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. (2 Corinthians 13:5‑7)
5But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. 6Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. 7So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. (2 Corinthians 2:5‑7) Tim. 3:8; Titus 1:1616They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. (Titus 1:16)). Some have said that since the word means “disapproved” or “rejected,” that it is referring to a man’s ministry being rejected, not himself personally. Hence, his ministry would be rejected because his life was in disorder. This interpretation might be handy to refute those who deny the eternal security of the believer, but the word “castaway” must not be taken in that limited sense. It is not used that way in the New Testament. It means that the whole person is rejected because he is lost. J. N. Darby said, “To be a castaway is to be lost—to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.”
However, we mustn’t take from this that a Christian can lose his salvation. The subject in question in the chapter is Paul’s preaching, not his salvation. He is speaking of the possibility of a person being a preacher, and yet ending up a castaway; not a person being a Christian and ending up a castaway. If a preacher does not possess salvation, it is possible for him to end up a castaway if he doesn't get saved. Judas was such a person. The man we discussed in Matthew 7:2222Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (Matthew 7:22) is another example. It was evident that there were some who were preaching in Corinth who were suspect, and Paul gave this warning for them.
We might ask, "Why then did Paul speak of himself as possibly ending up being a castaway, if such a thing could never be?" The answer is that Paul was speaking of preachers in general, and therefore, included himself. But he was more than a preacher; he was a believer and could not be lost. Paul, “in a figure transferred” himself into the picture (1 Cor. 4:6; 1:126And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. (1 Corinthians 4:6)
12Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:12)) so as not to single out anyone in Corinth in particular and cause offence; thus, he handled the matter with delicacy. The point in the passage is that he wanted to show by his whole manner of life, in which he kept his body in subjection, that he was not one of these reprobates.
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”
This has been taken to mean that the believer who will not walk in holiness will not go to be with the Lord and “see” Him.
It is important to understand that the Bible speaks of more than one way of seeing the Lord. It is not always referring to seeing Him at the end of our path in heaven. The normal Christian posture is to see the Lord with the eye of faith now while we are in the path to glory. In the epistle to the Hebrews, seeing the Lord is presented in this way. Chapter 2:9 says, “But we see Jesus ... ” Also, earlier in this chapter (12) it says, “Looking unto Jesus ... ” (vs. 2). These are present glimpses of the Lord by faith.
The point of this verse is that if we don’t walk in “peace” and “holiness,” we’ll lose sight of the Lord in a practical sense and veer off course (Prov. 29:1818Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18)). Concerning this verse, Hamilton Smith said, “‘We see Jesus crowned with glory and honour,’ says the Apostle, but this supposes a normal walk in holiness. Any allowance of unholiness will obscure the vision.”
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”
Since these false teachers were “bought,” it is assumed that they were saved. Yet because they denied the Lord, they lost their salvation and ended up in destruction.
This is another example of erroneous theological terms forming our thoughts and producing faulty conclusions. The misunderstanding here is in thinking that “bought” means redeemed and, therefore, saved. Many Christians think that the two terms are synonymous, and we can hardly fault them, for it is commonly taught in Christendom. However, Scripture carefully distinguishes the two terms. Bought, or purchased, means to “buy” or “buy back.” Redeemed means to “buy back and set free.”
Christ has “bought” (purchased) all persons and all things in what He accomplished on the cross. Hebrews 2:99But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9) says, “That He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” The KJV says “every man,” but it should read “every thing,” because the passage is speaking of the broadest aspect of Christ’s work on the cross in purchasing the world and all in it. This is seen in the parable of the man who bought the “field,” which the Lord explains as being the purchase of the whole world and everything in it, including the “treasure”—His people (Matt. 13:38, 4438The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; (Matthew 13:38)
44Again, 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. (Matthew 13:44)). Hence, the Lord has title and right to all persons and all things. While all persons have been bought, not all are redeemed. A person is redeemed when he, in faith, owns the purchase that Christ has made on the cross and receives Him as his Saviour. Similarly, all things have been “bought” or “purchased,” but they are waiting to be redeemed (set free) from the effects of sin, Satan, and the world (Eph. 1:1414Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:14)). This will happen when Christ appears at the end of the age.
A careful reading of the passage indicates that these who denied the Lord were “false.” Peter calls them “false teachers.” It is not merely that they taught false things, but that they themselves were false—being mere imitation Christians. They denied the Lord by not owning His purchase and ended up in judgment. Jude speaks of this same class of people who deny the Lord, saying, “Certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 44For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 4)). They never were saved in the first place, yet they were posing as teachers.
“Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book.” “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living.” “I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.” “God shall take away his part out of the book of life.”
These verses concern themselves with the possibility of being blotted out of the book of life, and hence, the loss of one’s salvation.
People who deny the eternal security of the believer will ask, “How can God threaten to blot people out of His book if it can’t happen?” But this is a “straw man” argument. Scripture does not say that a person can’t be blotted out. Some well-meaning advocates of eternal security might teach that, but the Scriptures do not. The solemn fact is that a person can be blotted out of the book of life! “The book of life” is used figuratively in the Bible; it doesn't mean that God has a literal book up in heaven. He writes every real believer’s name in the book, but people can write their own names in the book too, so to speak, by making a profession of life. If they are not real, God will blot them out in the day of judgment. J. N. Darby said, “I believe the book of life is final, and all the devils cannot blot a name [of a real believer] out of it. Where it speaks of blotting out, it is like a registry of votes. If it is proved that a certain name has no right there, it is blotted out. Every professor’s name is in the book of life: but if God wrote it, it will never be blotted out. A mere professor writes his name himself, but he has no right to be there, unless God has written his name, and it will be blotted out. I suppose the book of life (chap. 20) is after the names are blotted out, for verse 15 is ‘whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.’” Hence, these verses having to do with people being blotted out of the book of life, are referring to mere professors, not real believers.