Eternal Security

by Chuck Missler

One of Christianity’s most controversial issues—and one of our most frequently asked questions—involves the concept of Eternal Security. There are good scholars on all sides of this issue, yet we felt it would be useful to explain our own views on this highly charged subject.

We believe that the root problem stems from a lack of precision in our definitions. Earl Rademacher brings this to light when he declares that, “I have been saved; I am being saved; and, I will be saved.” He is simply highlighting the three tenses of “salvation.”

Three Tenses of “Being Saved”

We have been saved: positionally from the penalty of sin (Eph 2:8, 9). This is often called justification salvation.

We are being saved: from the power of sin, operationally, by the Holy Spirit, moment by moment (Rom 6). This is usually called sanctification.

We shall be saved: from the presence of sin; after the resurrection, often called glorification, or “the redemption of our body” (Rom 8:23).

Eternal Security

Can a man (or a woman) lose his salvation? Yes! If it depends on him (or her).

The Arminian denies that the true child of God is eternally secure. The Calvinist (i.e., “Experimental Predestinarian”) insists that, if he does not persevere in holiness, he was never regenerate in the first place. It seems that 400 years of doctrinal disputes—with outstanding scholars on both sides of this continuing issue—appears to be the result of a failure to adequately distinguish between justification salvation and the possibility of several different kinds of inheritances or rewards.

There is an alternative view which lies between these two extremes. The Partaker, the metachoi, as a true child of God, is “obligated” to persevere (Paul’s word, Rom 8:12), but he might not. If he does not, he does not forfeit salvation but faces divine discipline in time and the loss of reward at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10; 1 Cor 3:11-15). (We’ll take up some of these issues in subsequent articles.)

All three persons of the Godhead have their share in preserving to fruition that which God has determined.

The Basis of Our Security: Part I

It depends upon God the Father:

1) Upon His Sovereign Purpose

His eternal purpose is declared (Eph 1:11-12). This eternal purpose is anchored within the veil, and confirmed by an oath: (Heb 6:17-20). It is also exemplified in the unbreakable chain of five links committed in Romans 8:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For 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.

Romans 8:28-30

(A more penetrating review of these extra-temporal relationships will be treated in subsequent articles.)

2) Upon His Solemn Promise

Our salvation depends upon His promise, and not our faithfulness:

Therefore it is of faith [nothing on man’s part], that it might be by grace [everything on God’s part]; to the end the promise might be sure...

Romans 4:16

If it depended at any point upon human ability to continue to believe, then the promise could not be secure. The promise that those who believe will be saved is confirmed everywhere (Gen 15:6; Jn 3:16; Acts 16:33; Rom 4:23-24, et al.)

3) Upon His Infinite Power

He is free to save us. Christ’s death has rendered God free to save us in spite of moral imperfection. Our eternal security does not depend upon our moral worthiness. Christ is the propitiation for our sins (1 Jn 2:2).

(To assume that there is some sin which is sufficiently serious to cause us to forfeit our salvation is to assume that we were less worthy of salvation after having committed this sin than before, and it reduces salvation down to human ability to merit it.)

He has purposed to keep us saved:

And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

John 6:39

And here is my favorite:

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

John 10:28-29

“Shall never” in John 10:28 is a double negative, a form which, in the Greek, is especially emphatic. And note that there are two hands involved: the Father’s and the Son’s!

[Furthermore, if I can lose my salvation (and if I may presume to quote my impish old friend, Walter Martin), then I have a new name for God: “Butterfingers!”]

4) Upon His “Much More” Love

His intent is love based (Cf. Rom 5:6-10): God knew when He saved us that we were totally depraved, and therefore any new manifestation of sin in our lives after our conversion can-not be any motivation to God to change His mind and with-draw His grace and His salvation (Cf. Rom 11:29; Rom 8:32, 38-39).

He saved us for reasons independent of us and outside of us. He was motivated by His electing love, and not by observation of good in the sinner.

5) Upon His Answer to the Prayer of His Son

We, as believers, are called many things in Scripture: saints, believers, elect, sheep, partakers, etc. But the title most dear to the heart of Christ is repeated seven times in His high priestly prayer (Jn 17): “those whom thou hast given me.” (Cf. Jn 17:11-12). Jesus prays that we will be kept from hell (Jn 17:15) and will be with Him in heaven (Jn 17:20, 24). [This keeping is from perishing, not necessarily all forms of inheritance.] I believe that the Father always answers the prayers of the Son (Jn 11:42).

This leads to the second basis for our security, which we will explore in the next article: “The Basis of Our Security - Part II: It (also) Depends Upon God the Son.”

See our newest briefing, Eternal Security, part of a new series. It is available in audio, DVD, and download.

This article was originally published in the
November 2008 Personal Update NewsJournal.
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Eternal Security: Part 2

by Chuck Missler

Can a man lose his salvation? Yes! If it depends on him. This is one of the most controversial issues—and one of our most frequently asked questions. There are good scholars on all sides of this issue, yet we felt it would useful to explain our own views on this highly charged subject.

Three Tenses of “Being Saved”

We believe that the root problem stems from a lack of precision in our definitions.

We have been saved: positionally from the penalty of sin.1 This is often called justification salvation.

We are being saved: from the power of sin, operationally, by the Holy Spirit, moment by moment.2 This is usually called sanctification.

We shall be saved: from the presence of sin; after the resurrection, often called glorification, or “the redemption of our body.”3

All three persons of the Godhead have their share in preserving to fruition that which God has determined. In our previous article we explored “Part 1: It Depends upon God the Father.”

In this article we will explore the second and third bases of our security...

Part 2: It Depends Upon God the Son

If God has already justified the man who believes in Jesus,4 how can He lay anything to the charge of His justified one? His justification comes from the imputed righteousness of Christ and is legally ours! It is not a subject of merit, and its loss cannot be the subject of demerit. Like a father, God can and does correct His earthly sons, but they always remain sons (cf. the Prodigal Son, Lk 15:24).

God, having justified the ungodly,5 will not—and cannot—contradict Himself by charging them with evil. In Romans 8:34, Paul asks, “Who is he that condemneth?” and then gives four answers, each of which are taught elsewhere in Scripture, but are gathered here to underscore the unconditional security of the believer:

1) Christ died;

2) He is risen;

3) He advocates; and

4) He intercedes.

1) It Relies Upon His Substitutionary Death

Who can condemn us if the penalty has already been paid? The greatest proof of eternal security is justification by faith. Justification refers to how God sees us, not how others—or even we ourselves—see us. It is entirely a forensic (legal) matter; Colossians 2:14 declares that our “Certificate of Debt” has been “paid in full”: Tetelestai!6

(I believe He paid for each of our sins, individually. No dis-count for volume; no package deal.) This redemption was eternal7 and once and for all.8

2) It Relies Upon His Substitutionary Life

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Romans 5:9-10

For more examples, see Romans 5:19; 10:4; Colossians 2:10, et al.

3) It Relies Upon His Present Session: Advocate and Intercessor

Jesus is both our legal advocate (the Arminians fear that this doctrine will tend toward sin, but John says that it is a motivation not to sin)9 and our priestly intercessor.10

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.

Hebrews 7:25

“Saves to the uttermost” sounds pretty complete to me! And, completing the participation by each member of the Trinity:

Part 3: It Also Depends Upon God the Holy Spirit

1) Upon His Ministry of Regeneration

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Titus 3:5

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17

2) Upon His Baptizing Ministry

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:13

3) Upon His Sealing Ministry

Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

2 Corinthians 1:22

Sealing: To “set a seal” was a mark of protection (Cf. Mt 27:66, on the tomb of Christ) and ownership. When the Holy Spirit seals, it is with the signet ring of the Father on our hearts. He leaves the mark of ownership. A broken seal is an indication that the protection wasn’t adequate. Can you break the seal? Can Satan?

He is also a Pledge: An earnest, or pledge, is a legal concept. It is a first installment, with which a man secures a legal claim upon a thing as yet unconsummated. It is a down payment, a deposit; an evidence of good faith, obligating the party to consummate the commitment involved. (A pledge as in Genesis 38:17ff).11

In Romans 8:23, the Holy Spirit is designated as a down payment, a “first fruits,” to be followed by more. We are sealed unto that day. If one person who was born again in Christ ever fails to enter into heaven when he dies, then God has broken His pledge. No conditions are mentioned. It is a work of God and depends upon Him alone.

What Kind of Assurance Can We Have of Victory?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Romans 8:35

The apostle lists seven things a believer might experience that some might think could come between a believer and Christ’s love (Paul experienced all of them).12

1) Tribulation : “pressure or distress”; mentioned frequently by Paul in 2 Corinthians);

2) Distress : literally, “narrowness”; i.e., being pressed in, hemmed in, crowded;

3) Persecution: Used 10 times in the New Testament, always in reference to the gospel.

4) Famine (limo,j limos): Used 12 times in the New Testament. The God of Elijah looks after His own.

5) Nakedness: See 1 Corinthians 4:11.

6) Peril [jeopardy, danger] : Used eight times in one verse (2 Corinthians 11:26; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:30).

7) Sword. The world hates the saints.

These things—stated in increasing intensity—do not separate Christians from Christ; instead they are part of the “all things” (Rom 8:28) God uses to bring them to conformity to His Son.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Romans 8:37

His Final Guarantee

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature [created thing], Shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38,39

Wow. Angels! Principalities [demons]! Powers [of “darkness”]! What else is there? What else, in the entire universe, matters? This should really re-prioritize our entire outlook on everything!

More to Come

This still leaves some issues of grave importance: To “enter” heaven is not equivalent to inheritance (“ownership”). What different kinds of inheritances are there? We have been dealing here with justification, the past tense of “salvation.” What about sanctification, the present tense of “salvation”? We are all heading for a final exam, and behavior matters! I suspect that the only reason there will be tears in heaven (Rev 7:17; 21:4) is for recognizing our lost opportunities:

The saddest words of tongue or pen, are these: “It might have been.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

We will be exploring some of these issues in future articles. Behavior matters, indeed! For a complete discussion of this and related issues, see our featured briefing pack, Eternal Security.